"How many days travel is it to this tower?"

"About two days by foot. A day by horse," Lauriel replies.

"Are the Loreclans known to be hostile to those who get close to the tower?  Or to anyone?

If we're going to track her down, I'd like to know what we might be in for."

"The land is not held by the Loreclannic peoples, but they have been known to ride through the region to honor their ancestors," Lauriel explains.

She then goes on to claim she has no fear of Loreclannic people attacking her, but ogres, giants, and other monstrous things are known to inhabit the lower reaches of the Stoneheart Mountains.

"Then, of course, there are the rumors of ghosts..." She then touches a silver brooch with the holy symbol of Pelor, a radiant disk, that she wears clasped to her cloak. "By Pelor's Light, I Trust," she says.

Ullian hadn't failed to take note of the prior warning of ghosts; he just thought it best to get as much information about their destination as possible, as it was not information the blacksmith was likely to possess.

"I thank you for your time," he says; then turns; but before actually walking away he turns back and asks (in a lowered voice):

"I couldn't help notice, while I was talking with Baran, that perhaps there was something you wanted to tell us.  Was I wrong?"

Lauriel looks briefly in Baran's direction to ensure he is otherwise occupied (he is) and speaks in an equally low voice, "Please don't mistake Captain Baran's cool reception as anything other than the stress of duty. The past few days have been trying for all."

With that, Lauriel thanks the adventurers for providing news from beyond and encourages them to pay a visit to the Temple of Pelor, "to pay homage, as is expected of all."
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 02:46, Tue 30 Nov 2021.

As they take their leave of Lauriel, Clatsi looked up at Ullian, eyes wide behind thick lenses. "All these questions and walking around looking for work! It's alll a distraction, I say. Corian might be beyond caring, gods rest him, but we still have the ... the item and we know where we need to go."

The adventurers depart the Tower of the Guard armed with perhaps a bit more information than before they arrived. It is a short walk back down the hill into the central market, which is now occupied by various farmers and merchants hawking their wares. The smithy lies just north of the market, on the way to the temple, and is the party's next stop.

The sound of a hammer ringing out on a forge is normal for such an establishment, but not so for this smithy. A ruddy, dark-haired, bearded man wearing a stained leather smock absent-mindedly putters about in an exterior workshop. The workshop is littered with various odds, ends, and tools, of the trade, none of which look like they have seen any recent use.

The village smith, Voril, looks up from whatever occupied his attention when the adventurers enter the workshop.

"Morning, folks," he says in a distant tone while holding a heavy pair of forge tongs. "You be needing piece work?" he asks, looking over the party and making assumptions.

"We're actually here about your daughter," Rigya said without preamble.  "Is there a reward to go look for her?"

It was blunt and to the point.  She didn't see a need to go tiptoeing around.  He'd either make an offer or send them packing.

A hopeful look and shot of vitality comes over the smith.

"I haven't much to my name, but if you fine folk could find her, I would channel the skill of Moradin himself to craft you as fine a suit of armor as could be found!" he says with conviction.

Voril does not have much coin to his name, but he is a competent smith and wishes to offer his skill crafting what he says would be a "suit of armor for the ages" in exchange.

"True, but if we are to track down the blacksmith's daughter, I wanted to find out what we might be in for.  Seemed to me that the blacksmith was less likely to know what dangers we'd face than Lauriel and Baran."

"Do you have any information on where they might have gone?" she asked, satisfied with the reward proposed.  It was only a single suit, but they could haggle out the details between themselves once those that survived returned.

She knew were the guard captain thought they'd gone, but perhaps the girl's father heard something more.

Sharn, as promised, is as quiet and invisible as a large woman her size can be, but listens.

Concerning his daughter's whereabouts, Voril relays similar information the party previously gleaned from Baran and Lauriel. Additionally, he tells Rigya his daughter is an extraordinarily talented musician and was enlisted by a band of adventurers to accompany them on their journey and to later recount their exploits through song.

"How many of them were there?"

"Four, well, five including my girl," Voril says.

"Two warriors, by the looks of them, an elven wizard, and priestess of Avandra," he says.

"And how many days since they left?" she asked.

"Eleven days ago," he replies, his eyes beginning to limn with tears as he fights away dark thoughts.

Clatsi removed his spectacles and wiped them, as if to give the smith some semblance of privacy as his emotions welled up. A musical daughter was a terrible thing to lose. It was a shame.

"Lastly, how will we recognize her?" Rigya asked probably the most pertinent question.  It wouldn't do to bring back the wrong body.

The blacksmith nods in understand, asks for a moment, and enters his attached residence. A few moments later he returns with a small framed painting, a portrait of his daughter, Arialle. He shows the portrait to the party and allows each to take a long look.



"Please. Help. I promise you I will craft a suit of armor worthy of the ages!" he says with conviction.

"Any other questions?" she asked of the others.  She was satisfied with what they had and ready to go.

Ullian smirks a bit as he says, "Oh no, if you're satisfied, then I am as well.

Although, I should think that the services of a healer would be most useful."

"Do you know of any healers that might be interested in coming with us?" Rigya asked of the blacksmith.

“Let’s visit Shandril,  get her advice and blessings,  if a healer is to found she’ll probably know’