Chapter 3 - The Missing Delegation

Seems like a plan is under way. If you're going to do any further preparations before leaving Red Larch, get er done, and I'll post the start of the journey tomorrow.

The next morning...

Knowing that Larmon hangs around Gaelkur's, and that he will guide you to the site where he found the graves, you find him indeed at Gaelkur's. He is cheerful and ready to travel.

He chatters along the way, and when you arrive an hour or so later, you know what to expect. Larmon explains that he grazes his sheep in a nearby vale, and he passed by this spot less than a month ago. There were no graves present on his previous visit. He found them just a couple of days ago and has no idea who might be buried here—none of the folk of Red Larch are missing, and he doesn’t know of anyone else out this way. The hills are mostly uninhabited.

On a barren hilltop a few miles from Red Larch, you find four freshly dug shallow graves. The earth scraped out for the holes is piled nearby, although hastily gathered stones cover the graves. The faint smell of death hangs in the air, and several vultures circle overhead.

What do you do?

Balak doesn't find anything suspicious with the stones covering the graves. These are sometimes used to prevent scavengers from their natural proclivity for untoward intentions.

Mhorva is only able to determine that the dirt has dried out a little, but the effort is likely less than a month old. The dirt appears to have been excavated by a spade or similar instrument.

Balak, searching the area, findsa confused collection of tracks, a few broken arrows, a discarded javelin, and a tattered gray cloak.

You have a good view of the surrounding hills from this vantage point. Several miles to the west you can make out the tiny outline of Red Larch, and the thin dark line marking the Long Road. Perhaps two miles to the north, you see a slender old tower circled by large birds. Nothing else is around here.