Part 1: On the road to Milborne

[Rod the Worm]

Hasta remains quiet and listens for the description of the girl, glad that the others seem to agree that they should go looking for her.  It wouldn't be right not to lend a hand if they could.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

It soon becomes evident that nobody knows what's happened but they know what happened beforehand. Chenna, a local girl (the miller's daughter) is the apprentice of Theothrastus of Thurmaster. She is also betrothed to be married to young Andren. Andren's the grandson of the innkeeper and often works part time at the inn with his brother Bran. He's been away taking food supplies to the mines up north and only just returned.

Last night Chenna returned from Thurmaster and renetd a room at the inn. She was looking forwards to seeing Andren on the morrow, and he was fully expecting to see her upon his return.

Unfortunately she has not been seen since entering her room last night. She simply wasn't there in the morning.

No description yet but there shall be one forthcoming. Let me know if anyone wants to search the girl's room or question the innkeeper or something.

[Woojitsu]

Itching to begin the search, Shen immediately springs into action upon hearing that the girl was last seen entering her room.  He rushes up the stairs two at a time, realizing only as he reaches the landing that he has no idea which room was hers.  Slowly, he comes back into view, his face turning bright crimson as he realizes that all eyes are now on him.  He mumbles something unintelligible and looks pleadingly toward his companions.

[Custom_Hobby]

As Shen bolts up the stairs Amras asks what room was hers. Once he gets the answer he shouts it up to Shen as his red face becomes visible.  Amras steps closer to the innkeeper "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

[Chrysalis]

Kharsis frowns as Theothrastus' name is spoken.

"Pretty strange isn't it? Exactly the spellcaster we have to meet in Thurmaster...I begin to think something odd is happening..."

Kharsis walks to the door of the inn, and tells Shen: "When you are in the right room Shen, wave to me from the window if there is one, I'll get a look outside..."

[Rod the Worm]

Hasta follows Shen to the room, albeit a bit slower.  Cogs turning frantically in her head, she wonders if the disappearance of the girl has anything to do with her attempted kidnap earlier.  They're both young, spell-casting females after all, though one would think the difference between dwarf and human was big enough.  If a connection exists, at least the girl was wanted alive.

[PaulH]

Garrick asks which was the girl's room then asks everyone to wait outside as he hecks the room out.

(Door's left open so other party members can see. Will do search check round and under bed. Will also check cupboards & any chests in room).

"Kharsis, do me a favour and talk to the poor lad & see what you can find out".

To the others:

"Please keep the others back, will you"?

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Okay, little bit of a correction because I made a slight mistake.

The man behind the bar isn't the innkeeper.

The innkeeper is 89 years old (and likes to remind people of the fact, he is human afterall). He no longer runs the inn. His two grandsons Andren and Bran run the inn. If Chenna was staying at the inn last night (which she was) and people have known she's been missing since late afternoon/early morning, then howcome Andren's only just found out now?

Well obviously I threw in the exuse of him taking food supplies up to the Carman Mines to the north of town. But then the young man comforting/restraining him is obviously his brother Bran. So who is that guy behind the bar?

Obviously he's just some local bloke who just helps out behind the bar a bit when one of the brothers is away.

So..... while Halpen (the miller) comforts Andren, Bran speaks to those downstairs whilst Garrick and Shenaistos examine the room she stayed in last night. Bran explains that "Chenna came in last night and hired the room. Sheretired early for the evening in the morning she was gorn."

"Yeah, an' that's not like her it is," cuts in Andren, "not like her at all. She wouldn't go w'thout saying her goodbyes an' she'd leave a message for me too."

"Aye, that she would," confirms Bran, "anyroad, Andren here found a box of magick things under the bed didden' he?"

"Oh aye," adds Andren, "magic stuff like candles, balls of string, chalk an' some nasty smelly stuff she sez is for fire balls or sommat." He shrugs, his knowledge of magical matters clearly expended by his recognition of the fact that some of this stuff was used by magicians to make magic stuff happen. "Her door weren't locked neither an' we reckon she would've locked it when she went ter bed like."

"An' she certainly wouldn't leave tha' stuff a'hind," says Halpen.

"She was a lovely girl," sobs Andren, "an' now I'll never see her ever again." At this both Halpen and Bran comfort him with words like "now you know that bain't goin'ter happen" and stuff like that.

"Look," he says, "she's my Chenna an, well, Haplen's girl too, but she's got black hair an' green eyes an', an' an' she's really pretty like, an' she allers wears a blue cloak an' look, I've even got a picture of her here." At this he thrusts a locket containing a very small painting forwards for all to see. (He'll show this to the others too when they come downstairs). "I jus' know somethink bad's 'appened to her. We've got ter save her."

Meanwhile upstairs Garrick and Shenaistos begin searching the girl's room. It's clean and tidy with no signs of a struggle. The door is left unlocked and there is still a small box (kind of jewelery box sized but fairly plain) under the bed containing a number of things that Garrick recognises as being spell components. He can even hazard a geuss that a few of these spells might have included sleep & fireball (although the bat guano, saltpetre and the other one don't seem very used).

By the time they have returned downstairs Andren has been persuaded not to mount a dissorganised one man search of the surrounding area. He begs the party to make haste to Theothrastus (her master and mentor) as the old wizard might know where she's got to (maybe he sent her out on a mission) or may be able to assist in finding her. He is a wizard after all and they can find things out with magic stuff.

[Rod the Worm]

OOC: Does Hasta recognise any more of the components?  She is a wizard too after all.

IC: Returning downstairs with the others, Hasta quickly recognises Andren's need of comfort.  Squeezing his hand, she looks at him determinedly.
"We'll find her for you," she says.  "Don't you go worrying any more, she'll be back safe and sound.  Now, how do we get to this Theothrastus fellow?"

[Woojitsu]

We have a map that shows how to get from Milbourne to Thurmaster.  At a glance, I'd guess it'll take about three days.  Am I close, Balgin?

Shen checks the window for signs of forced entry.  He then slides it open and sticks his head out as far as he can without risking a fall to check the wall around the window.  Spying Kharsis below, he waves until he has the paladin's attention.

If Shen notices anything unusual, he will bring it to Garrick's attention.

[PaulH]

As a spellcaster Garrick realises that the girl wouldn't leave voluntarily without her spell components and takes  them to Andren. Taking him aside he asks if these belong to his girlfriend.

Privately, to the rest of the party (out of earshot to non-party members);

"These are spell components - she'd never leave without them. Something's not right here - we'll need to speak to the constable......."

Waits a moment in thought...

[Custom_Hobby]

Amras takes a look at the components, "We should probably take these with us."

"I'll hellp with looking around outside" Sir Thorgrin steps outside to help the Paladin search for clues outside.

[Chrysalis]

Kharsis puts a friendly hand on Andren's shoulder before going outside: "We'll find out what happened to her. Try to stay calm and do what you can to find her too. That's what she would want you to do. Ok Andren?"

The young paladin will then leave the inn, and check from which window Shen is waving from. He'll get a look at the ground, and at the wall too.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Searching outside generaly reveals the tracks and footprints of everyone who lives in the village. Kharsis isn't really able to find anything useful below the window. Hasta recognises a few more of the spell components (I'll need to check what they are 'though but it's basicaly low level spells on the whole).

According to the map (and my notes) it should take two or three days to reach Thurmaster by road. However, there is a barge that can make the journey in a day (only one barge that goes one way one day and then turns round and comes back). I'm going to be generous and say it's at Milbourne at the moment (so it'll be leaving sometime in the morning). The boathouse (and the dock) are down by the half - a - bridge.

[PaulH]

Garrick asks around about the barge. If the captains about in the inn Garrick asks about working passage downstream.

If the bargemaster agrees - Garrick asks the rest of the party if they'll join him on the barge. Journey'll be quicker, and we can ask the wizard about his protege.