Chapter 1: Friends in Need

Wolfram notices the servant's skittishness. "He knows something, Lauretta. I'd bet a coin on it. Should we press it with him or wait for Candace?"

He then turns to the others and declares, "But time is passing if we do nothing until then."

The discussion -- more like argument -- with Lauretta had dissipated, and Aazim had calmed down...though he'd keep a close eye on the priest. He didn't leave the stratified society of his homeland just to have some near-stranger make decisions for him.

"I think the man's just nervous, Wolfram...but we can interrogate him further, of course. It wouldn't take long."

"However, I also agree that sand is running through the hourglass. We could question everyone in Traveler's Rest, and learn nothing of import. Meanwhile, the missing could be suffering horribly. We know at least two of them were heading towards Four Towers. Should we head in that direction and see what turns up? Wolfram, you're at home in the wilderness, correct? That's at least one of our party who might be able to find signs of these people on the road."

"True. Let's be off then. I do have extensive experience in the woods. But I still think he knows something. There were more than nerves going on there. I could be wrong of course, but animals are the same, whether they are in the forest or in the city."

Wolfram chuckles at his statement.

"People taken under duress, generally leave signs whether they intend to or not. It's better if the intend too though. Maybe we will get lucky."

Gabalan was listening to all the exchanges between his companions in silence. If not even with slight disregard.
"Strong personalities. Good. If we will only be able to come to some agreement". - he thought.

But the part from Pyram Peek about indigenous people and their extinction certainly caught his attention.
"Could it be a trigger I was supposed to look for?" he wondered in his mind.

He made a pretty firm decision that he couldn't let Pyram go to those ruins without his supervision. But at the same time, he felt that the lives of the lost people could end if they focused on something else now.

Joining Lauretta next to Pyrm, Gabalan began:
"Mr. Pyram. You've probably heard about people disappearing in this area recently. Those of us who will officially, voluntarily and with full awareness agree to this " - Gabalan glanced at Azar with a slightly mocking smile - "will definitely join your expedition. And there will be at least two of us." - Gabalan nodded knowingly in Lauretta's direction.

"However, I recommend that first - before we set off - you wait and let us investigate the case of the missing people first. You wouldn't want to join their ranks, would you?" - he asked with a slight emphasis in his voice, although his face seemed quite indifferent.

Then he turned back to Wolram and Azar, continuing in his dispassionate tone, more similar to a poorly prepared lecture read from a note than a speech:
"Master Wolfram and Master Azar. I fully understand your desire to act immediately. But - I - would first like to make sure of the right direction of our search. In accordance with Master Tzal's suggestion - let's find out more about those who come from here: Jonn and Philomena. Maybe their families will tell us in which direction they went? Could this be also Four Towers? Or maybe we should really split up for a while? Some of us will gather additional information in the area, and the other will start searching in the field? But how will we find each other then? Maybe if you find some traces, you will come back for us?" - he finished, hanging his voice like a teacher waiting for an obvious answer.

Gabalan wanted to look for the missing, but he also wanted to make sure Pyramus won't escape. This approach seemed to solve both problems.

Tzal listened to the discourse of opinions and then spoke up, "It seems that we have a fairly planned out set of actions. We can wait here for Jonn's and Phliomena's family to arrive and speak with us in the matter of their missing member. It seems that our rummaging through the adventurers belongings yielded nothing of import. In this current scenario, we don't have anything to do other than wait for them or Candace to arrive when we can ply for further information. So, in that case, what do we do currently other than to rest up and take some meals? Or we can set out to check on Pyram's ancient burial grounds? What say you all?"

He then turned to the servant and asked, "So, my good man, what's your name?"

Tzal stroked his beard, "How long have you been working here, Bertram? Do you have a house in Traveler's Rest?"

Lauretta listened to the group intently before watching their potential employer take his leave. After giving Gabalan a knowing nod of agreement, she considered their options for pursuing leads on the missing six. After a few moments of thought, her fist raised to her face and pressed against her nose, relieving some pressure with a sudden crack. The poor thing had been busted too many times.

"Right, so I'd say our best leads are to ask around. You could go searching along the road if you want, but it would be a long-shot. We only know of two of them that were heading to Four Towers, and it doesn't add up. With a lot of their things and coin left here, it doesn't make sense for them to hit the road. Gabalan is right to suggest we narrow our search. However they've gone missing, I'd stake my axe that it's tied to Traveler's Rest. We should be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary for the folk here. My suggestion, if you want to go looking for clues, is to stay within this locale."

The priest pulled up a stool at the bar and had a seat. This is where her stakeout would be.

"Let me know whenever you're done with your work, Bertram. I don't want to distract you while you're supposed to be busy in front of your boss. Once Candace shows up, I'll order you a drink as thanks for cooperating. If you can think of anyone else who might know something, send them my way, would ya?"

Wolfram is getting antsy especially when he realizes he might have been wrong about the servant. He doesn't like waiting around wasting time. "Who knows when Candace will actually arrive and whether the families of Philomena and Jonn will talk to us."

"I am going to find Pyram and find out how far away these ruins are. If it's a day's travel or less I will go with him. Anyone wanting to come with me is welcome. I will still be available to search for the missing for I will be back by the time you have gathered what information you deem is enough to begin the search. If the ruins are too far, I will remain here."

Confused, Lauretta scratches at the back of her head. While waiting wasn't optimal, there wasn't much else in the way of leads. If nothing else, she respected the work ethic.

"You shouldn't tread into dangerous territory without appropriate backup. Lady Marya, what time does Candace's shift start?"

"Why that's true, Lauretta, which is why I was hoping you and the others wouldn't stand around scratching your arses while waiting for people that may or may not show up."

There was a teasing sparkle in Wolfram's eyes as he delivered his reply. He was a devilish rogue after all.

"Wolfram, it seems we agree: action is better than inaction."

Ironic, because Aazim has often been accused of being a bookworm and theorist, rather than an intrepid adventurer. But his time here was already changing him....

"But I believe it's too late to effectively explore these ruins, especially if the rest of the party wants to wait here. And I still want to focus on the missing first, rather than the Green Hills...unless there's a connection, which I don't think anyone has suggested."

"I will accompany you, Wolfram, but perhaps we can compromise on our destination. We can head down the road for a bit, towards Four Towers, but then return around the time these people show up. If we find clues, all to the good. If not, we'll still have surveyed the surrounding area, which will surely aid us in our future travels. What do you say?"

"So it looks to me like a plan." - surprisingly Gabalan agreed with Azar - "You two will have something to put your hands into. While we will try to gather some more information in the inn and around of it. If our investigation will not bear any fruit, we all go to the ruins tomorrow at dawn. Does it sound reasonable to all of you?" - Gabalan looked around one this companions faces.

"Besides... if we will tell the families of Philomena and Jonn that we are looking for them, I don't think their family members will have any problems with helping us or at least telling about what could happen to them. And if they will... that will be a good lead by itself." - irritated by the slight manipulation that Wolfram tried to play on the group, Gabalan couldn't resist sticking a delicate pin into Wofram's ego...

With a slow turn of her head to look at Wolfram, Lauretta raised her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes with an expression that could only be read as "listen here, you little shit". Though, it wasn't genuine annoyance so much as playing into the kind of banter she had come to expect. While the two hadn't known each other long, there was a sense of nostalgia from the interaction. During the years of training she spent in the church of the High One, there weren't too many folk who maintained that raucous sense of humor. Going to war wasn't something she missed, but sitting around the bonfire with other mercenaries was. Those moments of reprieve were what kept her going for so long.

"We'll see how far I get with my arse scratching while you go look around at an empty road with the jann. I've had enough of empty roads. If we can't garner any new leads tonight, then there won't be much else to do except join Pyram in the morning, as Gabalan said."

Almost out of nowhere, R3N-L3 loomed back into the inn, after having done a cursory look out into the darkness. Although he partook in no food or drink, perhaps the innkeepers would find their barrel of lantern oil a bit lighter than before. "You will be partaking in an inactive state now? I will remain here for the night, in case of intrusion. Or, if you prefer, in the room." R3N-L3 added as an afterthought, although most people didn't really feel secure sleeping with an ominous sculpture of living armor looming over all and sundry.

"Alright Aazim. We can stretch our legs and look around. Wait 'til tomorrow to explore the ruins properly unless we receive some news that will alter that course."

He smiled genuinely at Lauretta, for she was a fun one when the occasion called for it. "Scratch away. I'll be sorry to miss it. In any case, you'll be in good hands with the clockwork on guard."