[Language unknown: "Ac ithortrea. A t tin ch ch hemell ithpe, el p poro is anroceun oeressome, ivplsi. Paoer ers ri stieauhisoresan...Whe safo hoalnc usnaol,"] she sniffed indignantly.

The noblewoman sat down with her lover, casting an imperious look at the price gouging innkeeper. She supped upon the food, and was pleasantly surprised at it's quality. With the high price for rooms, she would have assumed this was the kind of place that watered down their drinks and purchased day-old bread.

She hoped simple greed and hostility to foreigners was the cause of the price difference. Because she saw no line of people waiting for rooms to drive the price up.

Etain looks at the innkeeper as he stumbled over his words. "Would you prefer that we not stay for food or is it just the women?" she asks with a slightly acidic tone to the backwoods man.

Looking back to Marie[Language unknown: "A hatsanpre el ioei ec alure"] she says with a wink.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:05, Mon 12 Oct 2020.

The man huffed and laughed.
"Your gender means nothing to me. If you not from around here, you pay for the luxury of the only inn in miles reach. We have it good here, no need for foreigners to nose about."
You notice the same man try to speak up - but again being shunned.
He appears to be unwell with whole essence of the hatred against foreigners but is a lone voice in a sea of malice.
He hangs his head and rises, and people shove him lightly as he departs outside. He eyes you, and as a first, shows any sign of kindness.

"We are not here to interrupt your life or interfere with your village, we were simply sent here by a woman whose husband has been missing for while and just wants him back or at worst to know his fate, once we find him you won't have to see us again and can return to your solitude here. But trying to abuse any guests you have while running an inn is one, poor business whether you appreciate visitors or not and two making it known how much of an inconvenience and a burden that we are will just make us go elsewhere, especially when those who travelled here may have camping equipment and can just do that" She says before getting up and leaving the partially eaten meal, which Eimear quickly jumps up and grabs a mouthful of meat then quickly following her mistress out along with her brother.

Outside, Etain hears the laughter at her remark and the seemingly careless attitude to her orated talk. Muttering loudly he states:
"Stop pestering people here, or I shall call the sheriff on you. Eat, sleep and pay. And make no trouble about it." His tone is cold and stern. And he means every word he says.

She sees the downed man outside, who gives her a look.
"Who is it you seek. I..I am brother Franz. Most inside see me with disdained eyes for speaking out against matters that I disagree with...I sense you are facing what I struggle with. The crowd inside will offer you little rejoice - I am labeled as a fool, a drunk, someone to be silent and treated as a dog. I am neither of those. Perhaps.."
The man eyes back and notices that the innkeepers eyes are straight on him.
"Sorry..I...I must go...please..if we must speak further, I live nearby..Just behind the blacksmith.."

The man staggers of, implying he has had enough to drink, but his words are still true enough and his fears...likely warranted.

"His name is Karl Magnussen" she tells the priest while looking over her shoulder at the inn "I face that with most towns and cities in this country but this is something else, normally it is the accent I speak with or the fact that I am a woman but this backwoods is something else and I don't even have an anvil or metal to work out my anger on"

When the man said he lived behind the blacksmith her eyes light up a little and follows him offering to help steady him.

The man raise an eyebrow and rushes home.
"I am a dead man....and so are you I fear..", he exclaims ominously as he walks inside his sparse furnished home.
A table, two chairs, beddings for two, a cupboard for food, and a spare room for storage in the back. Cozy, but not a mansion by any means.
He collapses on the bed and in his wailing cries he exclaims, drunkenly.
“No! No! Leave my wife alone! Please! She didn’t mean to speak against Juno’s teachings. Please, I beg you. Inga’s just a simple woman who doesn’t know better. Please give her back, please...”
Exhausted, and drained...he passes out sleeping. The consumption of spirits too much for his old body.
A moment later he partially wakes screaming:
“No! I won’t go! You can’t have me!”

For those inside the inn, you notice that alot of eyes are on the Brother and Etain and they depart and it is not eyes of comfort, but malice and ill intent. No words are spoken, but it is not something they are taking kindly too.
Many begin eyeing you, with malicious eyes and stern demeanors. Sizing you up, seeing who and what you are...

Jareik was about to speak up at the threat of the sheriff being called on and reitirate assurances of their good behavior when the brother spoke up.
He shifted with curiosity at having someone seemingly amenable to the party and since Etain went to talk with him it had the nice bonus of letting him continue his meal.
He just hoped she asked the right questions.

Even if the mood was rotten, he still respected it was the local's village and arguing with them ain't likely to loosen tongues. Still an odd bunch they are, he thought as he chewed his food. Oh they had been warned of course, but he still found it so hard to believe the inhabitants of a village this close to Altdorf could act so xenophobic. By contrast back in Jareik's home village whenever an elf passed by, it was gossip fodder for a month.

It was hard not to sense the staring but Jareik didn't care and continued to eat peacefully, wouldn't be the first time he was gawked at with murderous eyes when on a job and wearing enough steel to fit a steam tank tends to give one increased confidence.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:46, Tue 27 Oct 2020.

Etain helped the drunken man to the bed and places a blanket over him and asks him "Who is Juno and what does she teach?" seeing him fall asleep she lets out a long sigh before getting up from the bed and heading to the window to look outside to see if there were any locals outside with malicious intent.

The man flailed about, anguished and in pain for the liquor in his veins and the images in his head.
"She came. Spoke. They listened.."
Franz then reaches for a bottle of cheap whisky and begins drinking heavily.
"...my life is at an end. Yours too, if you don’t get out of here quickly.
That’s what happened to whoever you said you’re looking for. That’s what happened to my poor... Just go. Ask around, to no avail. Don't trust anyone.”
He waves you off, unwilling to talk anymore, pointing into the town again.

The inn settled, but talk arose, calmly of what unfolded and of Franz's 'unfortunate' behavior. The looks to the group grew over and over, but never arose to more than mere gazes, and Jareik managed to skulk away anyone eying him.

Jareik finished his food, he would have ordered another drink but frankly his mood had been soured and he didn't feel relaxed enough to lower his guard fully.

He went to carry his finished plate back to the counter, though not something one usually does in a pub, he was trying to butter up the innkeeper a bit with some good manners and this made for an easy pretense to start up a casual chat as he was doing so. Perhaps the conversation might go better if it was just him without the obvious foreigners?
"Food was allright, cheers, but damnit man with these prices you'd be bankrupting altdorf nobles."  He meant it as joking banter, but Jareik was tense enough that it might just have come out awkwardly. No matter he moved on.

"Say, reason me and the others here came to Faltdorf is because we are after someone who was last spotted around these parts. An old geezer from altdorf, a certain Herr Karl Magnussen but wouldn't surprise me if he went by another name..." He said the next part with a sly grin. "..as he was seen being rather friendly with a lady which his wife wouldn't approve of. Now we ain't here to get involved in marital affairs or drag him back, just need to confirm he is alive and we are out of here and makes sense he would have stopped here at some point. So if there's anything you can remember that might speed up our venture it will be very much appreciated."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:20, Sun 08 Nov 2020.

Etain stared at the man in his drunken stupor. He could be a sad drunk but between the stories of odd behaviour and isolationism but all she had seen so far was extreme hostility so she was inclined to believe him so she found a seat in which she could see outside and waited to see if her companions would look for her or if the locals became hostile.

"You show more compassion than we are in this inhospitable place," Marie said from behind Etain.

She had followed her lover, content to let her utilize her words to pull what information that she could. Much of the drunkard's words seemed sincere, but also partially gibberish. This whole venture was becoming difficult.

[Language unknown: "Ro o lo loic nceof diisfi. Se esttrance latnteate in mohe na koreauameeve,"] she mused, running a hand over her sword's hilt in a subconscious comforting gesture.

She says to her lover as she takes some rations from her pack to determine what she has should things go south.

The city of Faltdorf is not large, it is a collection of houses, a general store, used to sell or market any goods found and made, including hides, corn, berries, meat, weaponry and such. A varying mix. It also aids the local blacksmith in distributing its wares.
As you sit you notice the distance and that a few people at first, then many ignore you, but refer to eachother as sister or brother.

You notice the smith peak out at you, and not once blink while doing so for the long period he stands there watching you, before heading inside again.
You overhear(anyone outside), two younger men walk past talking about a small chapel on a hill just south of the city square and thus viewable from where they are now.

Inside the man eyed Jareik and as obvious as day, the enormously fat innkeeper, with a temper and presence as bad as his girth, eyed him and lied through his teeth.
"Haven't seen him, nor do I care to. If I had, I would do well to forget...Good day Herr.."
The man would not budge and his measly attempt at kindness was...just that. Pityful.
Jareik notices a few familiar faces outside, and saw them shunned in equal measures.

Jareik's eyes narrowed suspiciously but it was clear this man was a living brick wall when it came to fishing some answers so replied with a curt "Good day." of his own.

So much for the suave approach, but like hell I'm buying that he doesn't know who I'm talking about. he thought as he pulled on his hat and went back to the table, sitting opposite Milly since everyone else had gone outside.
One detail that was bothering him is if his hunch that the innkeeper is lying was right, then how does he reconcile that with the innkeeper also clearly wanting the group to go sod off back to Altdorf? He was evidently missing a piece of the puzzle here and it annoyed him.

Sighing, he motioned to Milly. "If you're done eating, let's go meet with the others outside, asking around here is a dead end."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Wed 18 Nov 2020.

With or without mage in tow, Jareik made his way outside to where he last saw Marie and Etain...Who seemed to have vanished.

"Now where the blazes did those two go off to?" he grumbled to himself. If the pair had ditched their mission to go on some tryst and left him to do all the hard work he was going to be a tad cross.

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose and contemplated his next move. "Wizard, how you feel about paying a visit to whoever's in charge here? I reckon asking around at the local drinking holes is just going to be a dead end."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:47, Wed 25 Nov 2020.

Excusing herself and dashing after Jareik, Milly looked about and answered to him in a hushed tone. "In a small and shabby looking place like this? You would count yourself lucky if they have any kind of constable, or so I reckon. Chances are the man you are looking is some kind of respected elder or well-to-do man, possibly both in the same person. We could ask around for such a person but it is anyone's guess if the locals may have seen him, or care to. IF he exists, not that I am one to know about such matters." Where the shifty eyed wizard got her alleged knowledge and assumptions was as much of a wild guess.

In reply to Milly Minhelm (msg # 276):

Jareik shrugged. "Well, however they call themselves, whoever's in charge likely has the fanciest looking place I imagine. This village ain't so big, come wizard, let's stretch our legs a little."

Going on a recon walk of the village to identify places that stand out.

Jareik is met with many who simply turn their face at him and thus also their doors. Not that many of the house stands out. Hunters, farmers, common folk of the soil.
A few are of note, in terms of open doors.
The blacksmith, Brother Werner is one.
Next to him, the general store, run by sister Magda. She is rumored to be surly and temperamental.
And lastly the chapel on the hill south of town is a curiosity in itself.
Mainly since it is newly built and in better shape than anything else around here.

As Jareik moves past the house she is in Etain opens the door and gestures for Jareik to come inside so she could tell him what the drunken priest had told her.

Jareik stopped and tugged on his hat in recognition.

He glanced around, motioned the wizard to follow and went into the house, taking a seat at the table.

"We just been around the village, nothing much to report. We were about to check out the stores, you two found anything? Who's this place belong to anyways? "
This message was last edited by the player at 16:03, Mon 07 Dec 2020.

"This is the residence of our snoring friend here. We found nothing beyond rude residents. No answers anyway. Did you have any luck plying people's tongues after we 'foreigners' left?" the knight asked, sniffing indignantly.

"Afraid not, though I stand out a bit myself so that might have something to do with it. Still, we have yet to check out the blacksmith or general store and if we can't even get some info here then ain't so sure where to go from here... Was some shrine to the south, likely our man stopped there at some point. " he said with a shrug.

Jareik's head titled to a burst of snoring of snoring and gave  Marie a quizzical look.
"Speaking of which, what about sleeping beauty? He said anything or did he just invite you in and fall asleep as is no doubt the local custom when entertaining guests?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:32, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

"He is the village priest, he said his wife was killed for speaking out against someone named Juno and fears he and us as well will be murdered by the locals, I think he fears Herr Magnusson also had the same fate." She tells the others as they wait inside the building.