Viorek seems confused by your reaction to Applesauce. He explains that most families have a pet stirge, and talks fondly about his childhood pet. One rare occasions, they do go bad, but it's rare.
In response to your question about news, he shared that recently the town had an outsider visit, which is very rare. The outsider collected taxes from the mayor, and no one has seen him since. There is a rumor that he might have run off with the taxes. Viorek encourages you to talk to the mayor if you have any questions, since the mayor is the one who talked to the stranger.
He also tells you about a festival today that the locals are excited about. The Founders' Festival is a monthly celebration. He invites you to attend.
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Nyshka is more suspicious perhaps than Jack. "Not that I want to judge anyone for their choice in pets, but a town where everyone has a pet stirge and the only visitor in recent memory has gone missing sounds exactly like a place where something has befallen."
Nyshka is ready to seek out the mayor too, and/or check out the festival.
With so many little bloodsuckers out and about she considers trying to sleep in her heavy armor tonight.
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"The Festival will prove to be an ideal informal setting to makes inquires to the general populace, and hopefully endear us to them. Will the mayor be in attendance at the festival or do you suggest we make ourselves acquainted before hands? Mahakala asks of Viorek.
He pauses, "Are they any others in the town you suggest we talk to? Any religious establishments or inn we could gather information from, and in the case of the inn find lodgings?"
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I have so many questions about these pet stirges... but, I will resist for now. We will go see the mayor. Thank you for your time.
Nilah braces herself to see more of the creatures in town. She turns back to her companions adding It would be good to catch him for questioning before he joins the larger crowds.
Viorek is happy to show you the way to the mayor's home.
When you approach the manor, you are met before you actually reach the door by a surly-looking young man who abandons his yard work to demand
what the you want. This is Leonard Kriegler (see image in maps), the mayor’s younger brother Leonard is protective of his older brother’s time, and gruffly informs you that his brother is busy and that they should move on. The implicatoin is clear that you’d best leave town. Leonard grips his sickle tightly during the conversation. He's obviously as a town bully just itching for a fight.
The front door to the manor opens and a friendly man steps out—Mayor Andretti Kriegler himself. Mayor Kriegler is a tall, lean man with a severe bearing, a keen stare, and an imposing mien. Leonard quickly steps aside and grows silent once Andretti appears. The mayor apologizes for his brother’s attitude and warmly welcomes you to Ravenmoor.
The mayor explains that he was just now heading down to the Festival Grounds to aid in the last minute preparations for the festival. He askis if you’d mind walking with him to the grounds, and promises to help them in whatever way they need.
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You notice her usual coldness thaws just a little as she takes on a warm, approachable demeanor.
With our hands to help, the last minute preparations will go much faster! More specifically... our topic is one you might want to take indoors anyway. Here me out completely, but while we were sent here to check on why this town hasn't been paying its taxes we're more immediately concerned with any duress that this town is under, that we could perhaps help solve!
The mayor willingly stops to talk for a minute before heading towards the festival. When you ask him about Elias, he admits that Ravenmoor hasn’t paid taxes for some time, and apologizes for this while implying that had Magnimar bothered to send yearly collectors like it had in the past, this unfortunate situation would have never happened. He claims that Kyle came into town and “wasted no time making a fool of himself—ordering townsfolk around and making unreasonable demands when he
should have just come to me.” Once Kyle did approach the mayor, Kriegler assured the tax collector that he would pay the taxes in full but that he needed a bit of time to scrape the funds together. He invited Kyle to stay in his manor and enjoy that month’s festival, but Kyle had little interest in what he called “backwoods hootenannies.” The mayor goes on to say that Kyle did take him up on his offer of board, though, and went to bed early. The next morning, the mayor paid Kyle the taxes in a locked coffer, and the man left town just before dawn, presumably heading back to Magnimar.
Zubb Zubb's sense motive does not turn anything up.
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Hmm, he seems genuine enough. She looks to the faces of her companions for any different indications.
I suppose if the collectors did not come for many years there was little recourse for you. We're just glad there aren't bigger or worse reasons hanging over the town. So, do you know if any other townsfolk may have seen Kyle on his way out?
Nyshka gets the sense the mayor isn't telling the whole truth about the tax collector.
When you push for a bit more information, the mayor sighs and admits that his interactions with Kyle were quite a bit less congenial, and reveals that he found the tax collector to be somewhat untrustworthy. When he returned from the feast, he caught Kyle raiding his liquor cabinet, and the enraged mayor gathered the funds at once and sent Kyle on his way.
The feast is indeed monthly.
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"The tax collector was raiding your liquor cabinet?!? I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you!" Evindal smiles archly. "What did he say when you caught him? And I don't suppose he gave any indication of where he might have absconded with the town's funds? For, alas, he did not return to Magnimar with your town's taxes. I assume you have the receipts he gave you?"
Hearing that Kyle never returned to Magnimar, the mayor shakes his head sadly and says, "Honestly, I’m not surprised to learn that. I’ve heard rumors that he lit out for Riddleport, in which case I fear the taxes are as good as gone. But the fact apparently remains that we still owe a payment. You strike me as much more trustworthy agents, frankly, but I’m afraid we don’t have the full payment available to pay the taxes again. I’ll extend to you the same offer I extended to Elias, though—enjoy the festival and tonight’s feast, stay in my home, and I’ll see what I can scrape together from what remains of the town’s funds to pay at least part of what we owe. Perhaps at a later date Magnimar might send you north to Riddleport to find out what became of that scoundrel."
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Nilah sighs in resign.
Well, that's further than we'll be going today. But, I thank you for the information. The Society shall have to track him there after we return fro here.
She stops to really look around and take in the town.
I suppose we may as well take in your festival. We appreciate the hospitality.
The Founders’ Festival begins in midafternoon, typically at about 3:00. You arrive to find preparations in progress, with two local families (which ones depends on what month it is) shouldering the responsibility of setting things up. Some villagers drag tables from barns, while others set up small pavilions, picnic quilts, and even a makeshift stage on the festival grounds in the northern part of town to prepare for the afternoon’s festivities. Unlit piles of wood for bonfires stand around the field’s perimeter, and an open space in the center is cleared and ringed with benches for the festival’s games and competitions.
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Mahakala nods along to the mayor's explanation and figures they can take a day of rest and relaxation at the festival. He offers Taayar's add to help move anything such as the tables into the barn or helping rig the rope to pitch the pavilions. The druid takes a closer look a the assortment of the festival games and competition to see if any would fall into his own set of skills.
No one is willing to discuss the tax situation with you.
You observe, and are invited to participate in the 'Dreamer's Leap' where townsfolk leap over fires, a star-knife throwing contest, raven fights, and a three-legged race.
Then, the villagers quickly erect a low fence of timbers around the central competition green while a pair of brawny villagers bring a squealing, sickly-looking pig into the enclosure. To the cheers of a growing crowd, the men slather the increasingly agitated pig liberally in slippery grease before tying the end of the rope around its neck to a post. The villagers encourage you to participate.
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Nilah accepts the invitation to participate in the fire-leaps, attempting to do so with the grace of her dancing talent. The spirit of the event is even tempting to her consider an impromptu performance later, but she defers for now.
The greasy pig, on the other hand, does not interest her at all...
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The druid sighs at the animal cruelty on display whether it be forcing crows to fight or terrorizing a poor pig. Despite knowing he has lost alot of the silver tongue he had in a previous life he still attempts to dissuade the villagers of their errant ways.
Next he'll attempt to calm the squealing swine.
Once he has done what he can, begrudging admitting to himself he cannot push to hard against the villagers as he has a job to do, he will attempt to enter the three legged race with Taayar his dinosaur companion.