Welcome to Winterhaven.
A gruff selection of people eyed the gnome and few speak to him.
One does however...a younger man, with a brisk glare and short wavy hair.
"Buy me a drink..I shall fill in the blanks. People are a tad surly, you know with the rationing and all."
He eyes Kbenjar and notices that he may not be up to speed.
"Yeah, you have not heard of that. You are new here, and well...people ain't too friendly these days. You know with a cult in town, people gone missing - including my aunt Sara. People call her old Sara but she ain't THAT old I swear! Anyways, word is that the farmers are hoarding food. Due to the attacks and safe roads. As a city of trade, this is urgent for us! There are also rumors that Lord Padraig is still feasting in his manor while he leaves the villagers to starve. The Regulars won’t do anything about it, because they’re receiving extra food from Padraig, too."
He shrugged thought, rumors and all, but he gets quite some eyes from the other guests, talking about it. He returns.
"Listen, my aunt went missing from her home, not long ago, unseen. Can you check around, and see if you come across her or find any trace of her disappearance? Might want to start at her home."
A man turns and pipes in.
"Old Sara and her husband used to own the store were Bairwin now resides, remember?
It used to be an old pottery but Sara sold the store to Bairwin when her husband died several years ago. Shame about that, good man, friend of mine. Old Sara always passed by the store on her morning and evening walks to the market."
The young man added. "Yeah - Otherwise she never left her home, which makes her disappearance even stranger."
Elsewhere, Warfryn manages to sweettalk a local waitress, whom dons her best smile answering his question, where again, few others bother nor risk it.
The story of the rationing and recent events of missing people repeats.
She does detail the following new bits:
- Valthrun the Prescient is the village sage and lives nearby in a tall tower, if not at the Wraftons Inn, at his usual table.
- He knows quite a bit on recent events, rumors, relics, ruins and the likes.
- The kobolds have been attacking travelers on the roads regularly.
A few weeks ago livestock started being stolen. Just over the past few days, however, several isolated farms have been attacked and destroyed. Those lucky enough to survive such attacks have fled to the village.
She heard Eilian the Old, an elderly farmer and local prognosticator state, that this type of raiding has happened before... but he also admitted it’s never been this bad before.
They aren’t talking about it, but people are worried that things are about to get a lot
worse. Farmers from the southern farms haven’t been coming to market. Food is running
out.
Ignatz is met with contempt many places, and his sights on the farms is harrowing.
Many associate him with the green terror, the kobolds and hobgoblins roaming the lands, and despite his best efforts few react well, associating him with the threat.
He comes upon a farm whom has received minor damage. An elderly farmer, and his son, tending the animals outside.
He speaks broadly of the attacks. Frequent and organized and the terror it brought to the lands. They are run by someone, for they strike focused and with intent, unlike what he had seen in the past. As you speak, signs of combat and struggle ring nearby.
You hear barking and yelling and a door slamming. The farmer and his son flees, but you notice the outline of a caravan being assaulted before your very eyes. A dwarf, yielding a large warhammer stands atop with a younger dwarf, armed with a crossbow, standing within, holding off quite afew of them. It would you take you a good spring to get there fast.
As Warfryn also voices curiousity about the missing people, Ninaran - The elven hunter appears.
She seems suspicious at first.
"Why are you so interested in these kobolds? You looking for trouble?"
