The next day was long for the group between heading to the Lumber Camp and making sure they had begun recovery and the stronger ones were already preparing the shipment that was supposed to leave days ago. Kreed would be happy. At the groups suggestion the lumber camp posted guards and would tell Kreed to invest in carrier pigeons.

Later morning saw them head out towards Falcons Hollow. They made good time and a decision was reached to rest in the Hill country a few hours from The Hollow rather than push on and arrive after midnight.

The next morning saw the group greeted with mixed emotions. The looks on everyone's faces were a mixture of pleasure to see the group and extreme worry. People were going about quickly and with purpose. Guards were searching all places that were not easily seen. Culverts, low lying areas, bushes, dense foliage dilapidated buildings ..the cemetery...searches were going on everywhere.

Francis saw the guards running around and he became agitated. He shook his head.

He had been strangely silent on the return trip...like something was weighing heavily on his mind.

Arell. Nomerendal. Fidget. Dorak. this has been...strangely ...invigorating. but this isnt what I imagined going to explore old ruins. I fear I am going to have to part ways...at least for the moment. I need to go back to my studies and decide what I want from life. I foresee another emergency that will pull us back into the woods and I had not planned for this type of life

Thank you.

He shook hands and veered off to the north skirting town.

On shaking hands, Dorak responds "In truth, I will miss you, lad. Ye have a grasp on engineering that I'd love to be learning. Have you any treatises on mechanical theory I could borrow? I'm thinking a proper shrine to the Builder should have a library of texts on building things. But I understand feeling a wee bit overwhelmed. Torag bless ye."
After saying his goodbye, Dorak turns to view the antics and stops a passing guard. "Pardon me, lad. What are ye all looking for?"

A tall hooded traveler wandered into town soon after sunrise. He wore a heavy pack and carried a canvas wrapped bundle slung with cord.   Those who paid attention may have noticed him making a couple of polite inquiries. The traveler soon found himself at the door of a cottage on the edge of town.

"They're certainly looking for something. Or someone," Sara mused to the others. She had a number of things she wanted to accomplish here, but for now was most interested in what Dorak heard as a response.

A tear trickled down Nom's cheek. He wiped it away quickly, his kind heart showing on his shirtsleeve. "Francis, may your way be bright, I hope we meet again." Nom's little hand squeezed that of the eccentric young man in parting.

He watched the odd fellow make his way from the Hollow. He sighed heavily and turned back to the matter at hand.

"Has the well been poisoned again? What?" Then looking around he saw that Sara had the right of it. "What's going on now I wonder?"

"Hark! Guardsman!" Nom called out, approaching one of those searching. "Tell us if you can sir, what seems to be the concern?"

Arell had certainly worked Rolf through his paces this morning.  If the dog was going to keep hanging around, he was going to make sure said dog earned his keep.  As it stood, Rolf meandered generally by the old paladin looking for all the world like he'd been having the time of his life.

As Frank said his goodbyes Arell was of mixed feelings of the whole affair.  On one hand Frank had survived with them through far more dangers and perils than anyone deserved in their lives which made him a comrade at worst and brother-in-arms at best.  On the other hand Frank was...Frank.

Arell compromised with a hearty handshake and wellwishes for his future endeavors.

As the others addressed the guard, Arell felt a frown forming on his lips.

What fresh hell is this?

One of the guards who were searching looked up and seeing who was asking he said as he walked towards the group. ehh youre back. Im sure Kreed will want to know how it went. I think however more thsn that he may want your help again. Several Children, including his son, have gone missing. 

The mention of missing children brought a chill to Sara's spine that nothing else could. Her maternal instinct was strong, and honed by life in her Kellid tribe where everyone took a hand in raising the children, even the warrior-women.

She started asking questions of the guard and anyone else who would listen right away, including the tall traveler with heavy pack.

---

22:09, Today: Sara Dawnstar rolled 13 using 1d20+7.  diplomacy: gather information.

"But... huh?" It wasn't his most eloquent of exclamations, but it would have to do for a start. This was supposed to have been a relaxing homecoming, a time to collect a reward, soak in the nearby hotsprings for few days and spend the evenings at the Inn telling stories and spinning tunes... Only now another crisis had reared its head! Not the happy ending he'd been envisioning, not by a whisker nor by a tail!

"Missing? For how long? We've not been away for... perhaps a week?" The passing of time had become muddled in the little gnome's mind lately. "How many? Surely kids don't just disappear! In fact there's usually a goodly bit of general boisterousness and noise associated with any gaggle of youth. Speak up man! Who's in charge of the search?"

The Guard paused looking at Sara as she rattled off questions he said first Kreed told us to search everywhere. Look for any clues. He said look under every bush, in every ditch. in every building. Leave no stone unturned. The Five Kids that are missing have been seen together a lot. They are friends.

then he turned to Nomerendal as the Gnome came up Its been 5 days. The Kids didnt come home yesterday. This morning Each of the parents started asking around nd when they all realized it was the 5 the search began in earnest. Kreed Himself is giving the orders.

"If Kreed is giving the orders, maybe he knows more about this. Where they were seen last, and by whom? Let's go talk to him," she encouraged her new companions.

"Where do we find him?" she asked the guard, ready to move to speak to the leader.

The stranger stopped short of knocking in the cottage door when he saw the group assembled nearby.  He went over and addressed them.

"Greetings. I noticed quite a bit of commotion. What seems to be the problem?"

Nom noticed the stranger approaching and greeted him with a lingering bewilderment in his voice. "Hullo sir, we're still trying to discern as much ourselves. Seems as though..."

The gnome was about to say more, but suddenly clamped his mouth shut. After all this man was a stranger, certainly someone Nomerendal didn't know and that was to say he obviously wasn't from around here. Though his hood was pulled over his head, Nom thought he noted the tell-tale grace of the fey-lineaged. Quite probably an elf!

Suddenly feeling embarrassed about his suspicion, the little bard cleared his throat. "I beg your pardon sir, I realize you're not from around here, but even though we seem to be experiencing a rash of trouble in our little town, there's no need for rudeness, forgive me. My name is Nomerendal, how do you do? These are my friends..."

The stranger pulled back the hood of his cloak and revealed himself.   He was indeed, an elf. A bit shorter than average with violet eyes and copper colored hair pulled back in a short braid.  He wore well kept studded leather beneath is cloak and carried a longbow, along with a rapier on his hip.

"Pleased to meet you, Nomerendal.", he replied.

"My name is Tanien. And you are correct.  I have just arrived here this morning to visit my cousin Idris and his family. Perhaps you've heard of him."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:13, Wed 05 Dec 2018.

The guard grew pale and seemed to shrink into his armor.

youre Idris Eaveswalkers Cousin? Kimi is one of the ones missing

"Sara," she replied after Nom was done, holding out a calloused hand to shake. Then she continued speaking apparently to herself, "No I'm not going to introduce you!"

"I don't know Idris, I don't know Kimi, but if there are children missing. If your niece is missing?" she shuddered. "I'm in for any search party."

"Yes. My cousin is Idris Eaveswalker.  Where is he this morning? Out looking for Kimi I would assume.", Tanien asked the guard.

You havent been in town in a while have you...No He had a falling out with Kitani, and went adventuring 2 years ago, and has not returned. Some think hes dead.

"It's about thirty/seventy odds," the older man with the dog added, "There is the unlikely option that he found his fortune as an adventurer...that's why little Kimi admires him so."

He holds out his hand to the stranger, "Arell Kirkwood, clerk and barrister to Falcon's Hollow."

Yep, definitely a clerk of some kind...you could tell by the greatsword and the armor.

His dog remains at a respectable distance, but it's obvious from the way its wagging its tail it really wants to meet the new person.

"No.  I haven't been here for several years.  Still, I'm not surprised.  Falcon Hollow was one of his longest stays that I know of. No matter now.", Tanien said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Back to business, who was this Kreed person you were mentioning?"

The dwarf interjects "we need to speak with Kreed in any case. I assume Kitani is also searching? Might want to talk to her as well."

"Let's go see this Kreed person first.   I'll talk to Kitani and maybe the rest of the parents later."

"Agreed, Kreed first. Then the other searchers, then some other kids who hadn't gone missing," she counted the options off on one hand.

"Kids always seem to know where other kids are getting into trouble. At least they did back home in my tribe."