Episode 1 Scene 2 : The Next Day

"Strange as it seems, I have a spell, which might enable me to learn more information from the sheep. If your wife is returning with the sheep soon, we could wait around, if you don't mind."

"Ah so you can chat with animals, nice I have heard of that spell. That would actually be kind of handy as a farmer. I might have to look into getting that one but sure you are welcome to hang around just pull up a rock and squat." He gestures back in the direction of the small farm house.

"Thank you," Corwyn responds. "Shall we?" he says to the others, beginning to move in the direction of the farm house.

"Indeed we shall. Would you happen to have a place to fill up our waterskins, sir?" Quincy says politely. He will fill his up and sit amongst the rest of the group, writing notes in his notebook and pondering the possible causes of this situation as they wait for the sheep to return. At some point he asks Bin-ghen, "At what hour do you and your wife tend to take your stock out to roam, and at what time do you usually return?"

Bin-ghen shows the group where they can get water he has a couple of large barrels next to the house where he collects filtered rain water and provides a funnel so they can easily use the dipper to fill their waterskins.

To Quincy's question Bin-ghen replies, "Normally leave just after dawn and return about now," he points at couple of people and a herd of sheep cresting a hill, "and apparently with company." As to the time of day it is shortly before dusk.

Corwyn fills his waterskin and stares into the distance at the people approaching with the sheep.

Two figures walking among a flock of sheep approach. One is a female dragonborn with white scales, presumably Bin-ghen's wife. The other is wearing well worn traveler's clothes with a hood pulled up to block the final low-angled rays of the setting sun. From the facial features not hidden by the hood and his stature and movement, he looks a lot like a fFolk. He seems to be playing with the sheep as they approach the farm, laughing as he jogs amongst them. It sort of looks like he's playing tag, pushing one, then running away from it until it catches up to head butt him in the rear at which point he turns and chases it away before shoving another. When he sees the group he stops the game and pulls back his hood for a better look as they approach. Despite a relatively young face, probably equivalent to a human in his late teens or early twenties, his flowing shoulder-length, ash-brown hair is surprisingly streaked with white and grey.

Strange, I thought Irlyzys said she lived only with her husband ... Xanin thinks to himself as he looks questioningly towards the dragonborn. He notices that she looks surprised by the company as well, so Xanin, as her guest, waits for her to take the lead.

Quincy stands up from the stump he was sitting on and smiles as the incomers approach. As they get within earshot, he says proudly "For the village!" bringing his hand before his heart as it glows. He chuckles internally at the feeling, which might never get old.

Quincy figures the female Dragonborn is Bin-ghen's wife, but is slightly curious as to who the second person might be, if for anything else than to write down notes of their appearance and relations in his notebooks.

"Greetings to the both of you. We..." he motions to everyone else in the group "come from the garrison investigating reported losses of livestock. How was the day?"

Irlyzys leads the sheep towards the paddock which Bin-ghen has moved back to in order to open the gate. She responds to Quincy's greeting with the formal, "For the Village," it seemed half-hearted and here Sigil is not all that bright. She then says to Xanin, "This is a form of identification and greeting we use here so you know if you are talking with friend or foe and will be something you will acquire in due time." She then looks back to Quincy, "I vouch for him." She then continues leading the sheep into the paddock where she briefly talks with her husband. "This is Xanin, Xanin this is my husband Bin-ghen." Looking at her husband she says, "I will tell you more later ... or .... perhaps he will," she then begins to make her way to the small farm house.

Bin-ghen nods to his wife's comment "Very good." Then he turns to Xanin, "Well met, I am sure the story can wait. Perhaps you would like to meet some other citizens of Southbridge." He gestures in the direction of Quincy and rest of the group that are gathered out front of the small farm house.

"Nice to meet you Bin-ghen," Xanin says after being introduced to Irlyzys's husband. Turning his attention to the strangers brings suspicious to Xanin's eyes and a tension to his body initially, but hearing they are citizens of Southbridge, he relaxes. A genuine smile brightens his face as he waves to the party, "Good Evening!"

Joining the group, he stands in a comfortable lean with both hands clasped high around a wooden staff that's clearly more than just a piece of wood picked off the forest floor for walking. The expression on his face radiates a youthful innocence and curiosity that's immediately friendly and attractive to most individuals, even magnetizing.

"I go by the name Xanin," he begins nodding to each of the companions and then continues with interest, "What brings you out to these farm lands on this lovely evening?"

As the last golden light falls below the horizon and the cooler shades of dusk begin to dominate, a very perceptive observer might notice a darker, mysterious, strained experience deep in his mist-coloured eyes.

"Good evening, Xanin. I am Corwyn," he replies. Corwyn is a large powerfully built man - 6ft 3" - who for all that is surprisingly light on his feet. "Quincy, Magnus and I are new arrivals to Southbridge, whereas Hath and Mukitz know the locality well and are showing us around," he says gesturing to each. "As Quincy was just saying, we've been taken on by the garrison to investigate reports about livestock and equipment going missing."

"Really! Wow, they usually have more sheep that this," he gestures with a laugh to the large flock that is beginning to meander around the yard. "So some of you are new to Far Reach as well? What brought you here? And what's your plan to discover who or what is responsible for the disappearances?"

Hath has lead his mule over to the water trough for the livestock and tethered it there to have a drink. He then moves towards the barrel and refills his waterskin. "Lived hereabouts for most o' my life. Don't like to think of harm coming to them that lives round here, it's me home and I'm not gonna sit on my arse when there's trouble about."

Hath starts moving towards the sheep and beckons Corwyn. "I think I know what you meant about askin' the sheep earlier. I can help too, it'll take me about 10 minutes though. I'm not great with spells, but I can manage a couple if I take my time."

"I've been learning skills as a ranger up and down the Sword Coast and never been to Far Reach before. This is the first farm we've been to yet where anyone seems to know anything about the 'goings-on' the garrsion is concerned about. We're just at the start of this investigation and hope to be in a position to act when we know more information.""Yes, a ranger spell I picked up - Speak with Animals. It lasts for ten minutes. I'm not expecting much and I have been told the animals can give information about what they can perceive or have perceived within the last day. But it seems worth a try. Would you like to go first or shall I?"