Ignatz noticed his travel partners arrive back at the Inn they came from, Warfryn carrying a fairly large map whilst the two dragonkin spoke among themselves.
Kbenjar noticed that the younger man, with a brisk glare and short wavy hair had gone for sometime having somehow settled on pestering people about his tales of a lost woman.
It was time to decide more and the Wrafton’s Inn was surprising quiet - an ideal time to speak among themselves.

The map was very detailed, pointing to a region, east and south of here, toward Gardbury Downs. It was achievable by foot, in a days worth or so. Considering the threat of the kobolds and what not, this was advisable.

OOC: You can opt when done to "move on", just state so and we will shift scene.

---

For reference:
Overview of outstanding 'Issues':
- Old Sara, provided to Kbenjar - where is she?
- Map of Kobold lair - provided to Warfryn.
- Several of you discovered a likely cause to unrest, that being lacking food in town, as supplies are prevented through repeated attacks. This is stirring up civil unrest.
- Everyone denies the cult baring the church of Chauntea, and the Lord, whom is curious but won't confirm it. Also spreading rumors of it, may have unwanted sideffects. This was learned by Malph and Saskan.
- 21 lost villagers, captured and contained somewhere uncertain.
- The lost relic of Bahamut, the rod of ruin, kept also somewhere in the area.

Kbenjar downs his tankard of ale and looks at the map. "If'n the kobolds bin hassling the town, we should go rough 'em up," he says excitedly.

Ready to move on when everyone else is.

OOC: Just assuming that the Captain pointed out a few places of kobold raids to me and Saskan to carry on.

Malphurious and Saskan returned to the inn to find Kbenjar with his tankard in hand and a map in his face.  "Hail master dwarf," Malphurious said, as they approached.  Looking over his shoulder at the map, he continued, "Our meeting with the Captain went well.  He oversees all martial action in the area and pointed out a few places that have been hit by kobold raids," he said, pointing to various points on the map.

Saskan echoed his uncle's greetings saying, "What word have you, Kbenjar?"

Ignatz bursts through the tavern doors with Terrik, and grins broadly when he sees everyone else gathered there. "Terrik, dese are de boyz hy came here vit! Listen, hyu guys, hy uh... told de whole town ve vould find de kobolds dot haff been raiding de farms and roads so pipple ken get food. Ve got time to do that, yes?"

Kbenjar is about to respond to Saskan's inquiry when Ignatz bursts into the tavern in typical tornedo fashion. He waves a finger at Ignatz and looks to Saskan. "I 'eard we might go out to the stead of Old Sara's for some hint of the trouble, but if Ignatz has got thee 'ole town all frothed-up at the mouth to do some kobold beltn', then I think we shudd buy a small keg and go belt the kobolds!" he says swaying a little on his feet.

At the conclusion of his diatribe, Kbenjar gestures to the barkeep, his hands drawing the shape of a small keg in mid air followed by an extended thumb point towards the door.

"Agreed," Malphurious said, "The kobold menace would hamper our efforts to figure out the real problem regardless if they are connected to the suspected cultists or not.  It makes sense to put a stop to their raids, it will improve morale of the town and improve our standing as well.  With their raids, we can operate a bit more freely."

And to Kbenjar's comment about Old Sara's place, he stated, "Maybe Old Sara's homestead is on the way to the likely lair of the kobolds?  We could stop on the way?  I doubt the kobolds will pick their lair up and move it, we can certainly spare an hour or two....especially if an elderly lady is in trouble."

"The hunter that gave me the map suggested the kobolds may be hiding behind a waterfall."

The gnome pulled and twisted the map to get his bearings  "About here, I think she said it was. "

He pointed at a spot on the river.

"Aye, let's go take care of some kobolds, those spawn of Tiamat need to learn a lesson."

Kbenjar got a direction to the house. It was on the way out, and the odd fellow he spoke to mentioned a small bed of flowers in a circular pattern around a small oak tree, which could be seen from the window of it. It would stand out. The sun is set high and time is plentiful. By estimation and a brisk pace you would arrive before nightfall at the location pointed out by Warfryn, more so if you could find means of transportation.

Terrik nods to the present and turns to his new comrade.
"While I like thee chatter 'ere, I have a bone to pick with the Lord 'ere first - we need some supply lines, and now. If ye sort the buggers preventing this, that be mighty helpful however!"

Saskan nods in assent to Terik and then says to his comrades, "Douven Stahl wrote extensively about a crater to the south, one that was believed to be a burial site for dragons. I'll bet it has something to do with all these koblods. I can only imagine what the foul beasts are up to. Spawn of Tiamat..."

"Well we can check Sara's place, see where she mighta got to, thenn off to belt some kobolds," he says looking over to the bar to see if his keg is ready.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:51, Thu 19 Jan 2017.

Malphurious merely observed the exchanges, his mind elsewhere.  He waited to see what could be behind the prompt to check in on Old Sara.

--When you depart for Old Sara--

Wandering just down the street, you quickly eye the small bed of flowers in a circular pattern around a small oak tree, which is placed around the middle of the road.

The small house, initially, is long, with a simplistic front, with nothing but a door and a display window. In it, you see various trinkets, books, small items with curious looks, but uncertain origins. One could easily imagined that this apparent curiosity shop and it's content all has a history.

A sour dwarf stands nearby, muttering to himself, and eyeing the shop with discontent. He wears a leather apron, and is slightly dirty to the look, currently dragging a wagon with crude iron and wood.

The explanation doesn't quite match what you expected. This was her home? It's a shop now, and something seems off.

"That doesn't look like an old Sara," Malphurious commented, surprised by the scene ahead.  "Sara isn't a common name for your folk, is it Kbenjar?"

"Nope. But Sara's bin taken, so it surely ain't her," Kbenjar says moving closer to the dwarf. "Hail! Old Sara's still not back?" he asks of the apron-wearing grump.

The man turned.
"Sara? Nay...she sold her shop to that rascal Bairwin some time ago. Used to be a pottery. Sold it when her husband died. Haven't seen her, which is strange, she passes by each day on the way to the market. I greeted her daily at me smithy down the road. Nice lass' - shame 'ard times befelt her. Never really left home otherwise. Very strange if ye ask me!"
The dwarf was non other than Thair Coalstriker, the town smithy.

He muttered.
"Bairwin came, and overnight managed to make great way with his wares. Beats me how!
Strange it is, he arrived in town with a wagon full of junk a few years ago and has since managed to build a shop that seems constantly to acquire more merchandise and expensive items despite having few customers. I can not make logic of it!
Used to visit me store plenty also! Bought shovels, spades, and wheelbarrows. Maybe he sold them to the dwarves in the nearby hills. I don't know. Seems unlikely. Bah..I am rambling. Haven't seen her no, and wish I had. It is most strange. Perhaps they know more at the market."

Saskan didn't like what he heard, "Thair, was it, Bairwin's success wouldn't have fallen at the same time as the arrival of the kobolds, now would it? If it was close, seems the two could be related."

Kbenjar takes a step forward and rubs his chin. "Would ya be so kind as t'point da way to Sara's house? We've a mind to track her down and rescue the lass."

The dwarf shrugged.
"She usually spoke to Delphina at the markets. They be friends and all - maybe she knows more. Her house is opposite you, but doubt ye find her there. I saw her that morning, at the markets, last place to be honest I saw her."

On the question of the success, he rubbed his chin.
"Hmm..now ye mention it...perhaps it could be. Now ye mention it. Both happened a few years back and slowly rose...nothing solid thought, but it makes me ponder, scaled one"
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:52, Fri 20 Jan 2017.

Ignatz strokes his hairy chin. One can almost see the gears slowly working behind his furrowed brow. "So... ve should go find dis Bairwin and shake him down, yes?"

"Shall we head back or go forward?  If this Bairwin has knowledge of them, it could prove useful.  But he will doubtlessly deny it.  By continuing on to cleanse this land of the kobold menace, we might uncover some connection and approach him with hard evidence," Malphurious stated.

Ignatz doesn't require tremendous leaps of logic to be impressed. "Oho," he says, eyebrows raised, "Dot's pretty schmot! Hokay, so de kobolds first."

"My uncle has been known to make sense from time to time." He says with what looks to be a large grin, though it is hard to tell with such a long face. "Let's make for the spawn of Tiamat and show them a thing or two."

Kbenjar nods his agreement and waves a hand at his dwarven acquaintance. "We might be seein' yer at them markets yet, friend," he says before turning to follow the others out to do some kobold belting.