Chapter 1: Friends in Need

Gabalan and Tzal

Philomena's parents are soft-spoken individuals, obviously still upset by their daughter's disappearance. They tell you that Philomena is a kind-hearted woman who is very passionate about helping others. They don't know much about the circumstances of how she went missing. All they can really tell you is that she came here to the Traveler's Rest one night several days ago but never came back home. Nobody they have spoken to saw her leave the inn. All of their efforts to locate Philomena have come of short, and they beg you to do your best to find her.

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Lauretta and Wolfram

Candace eyes the two of you as you approach. She gives Lauretta a nod and swiftly takes the coin from the counter. When Wolfram tries to charm her, she gives him a withering stare. "I'm not interested in any nonsense, mate. I'm here to do my job and that's all. I'll get you your drink, but you'll have to look elsewhere if you're looking to 'whet your whistle,' if you catch my meaning."

She turns back to Lauretta. "Out of the ordinary? You must mean the people that've gone missing lately. Well, I'll tell you what I told Marya, even though she didn't believe me. I've noticed one thing that's linked all the disappeared together. And that one thing is him." Candace subtly gestures across the common room to where Pyram Peek sits. "That man's hiding something, mark my words. I don't trust him."

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Aazim

The Silver Coins Company look up as you approach. Their leader, a short, slender young woman with her hair cut to stubble, invites you to sit at the table with them. "Well met, indeed, Aazim. I am Mikka, archer extraordinaire! Allow me to introduce my companions." She goes around the table introducing them in turn: Pwyll, a shifty young man who is the company's burglar; Sash, a tall muscular woman who is a priest of the High One; Pyre, a mysterious masked mage clothed in red from head to toe; and Brutus, an ugly and pudgy warrior.

"We've only just arrived here ourselves. We were hoping to find work ourselves, but it sounds like you might have already cornered the market for adventurers!" Mikka chuckles.

Lauretta and Wolfram

Candace reaches for an empty mug and wipes it with a rag as she eyes Pyram across the common room. "I've talked to him a bit, asked him questions about his background. He's slipped up a few times, contradicting himself. So, he's a liar, for starters. Plus, everybody who's gone missing so far has spoken to him first. It seems like he's targeting adventuring types. I've never seen again anyone who agrees to work with him. Tread carefully around him. He's dangerous."

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Aazim

Mikka laughs. "Working together comes naturally when you're facing down a pack of fire-breathing dragons! Yeah, dragons! They were menacing a village about a week's walk from here. We banded together and drove them away! Course, outside of fighting for our lives, we have our little issues. But we all put them aside when it comes time to fight for glory!"

Pwyll smirks while Brutus laughs boisterously and downs his ale. Sash, though, scowls at Mikka's bravado, and Pyre's expression remains unseen behind their mask.