Lord Darfin Floshin's Townhouse
1:30pm on the 22nd of Uktar, 1487DR
Rain had started since their first meeting at the Castle gates, and it came with a cold breeze from the west. Boots splashed in puddles as the Daggerford Militia was raised by Command of the Duke, and merchants, travellers, and other foreigners were gathered to be searched.
Morgan had attempted to get his Arcane Eye into the castle, but it had been dispelled upon entry by old wards, placed there long ago by Gwaereth the Gray and maintained by the current court wizard, Shadowed Trista. Being locals, most of the company that was gathering at Darfin's Townhouse passed by the patrols without incident, or had stayed close by enough to have made it inside without trouble.
The elf lord's townhouse was lavish by Daggerfordian standards, but he had spent most of his life as an adventurer, not an entertainer of nobles, and he had no long dinner table nor ballroom. They gathered in an old library. It had a beautiful scenic rug, small tables, several chairs and a fainting couch, but there was seating for only about half their number. Gathered there were Lord Darfin Floshin, his sister Shalendra, Sir Isteval of Cormyr, the Wizards Ashfell of Waterdeep and Delfen Yellowknife. Perhaps strangely, the Duke's Scoutmaster was there, Kelson Darktreader, who stood, pacing back-and-forth as if he had somewhere else to be, which seemed logical.
Then there were the young Daggerfordians who had done so much with luck, grit, and friendship. Dandin, Lionel, Tommi, and Morgan, who was relatively new to the group, but had grown up knowing them in passing and had bonded quickly, fitting in from similar age and childhood experiences.
Also gathered were Vairar and Lunn Dornuk, who's age and familiarity with the notables put them somewhere between those notables and the Daggerfordians who were close friends. But there was a sense that they were very much a part of the Adventuring Company that had formed through adversity to combat the threat to the local area.
As host, Lord Darfin spoke first, though he had some of the least to say. He greeted everyone and thanked them for coming. He said a few words about how he had hoped to involve "persons of more authority" to the proceedings, but that ship had sailed, and it was time to take "pressing matters most seriously" and to "forge ahead".
As such, he began to turn the floor to the Wizard Ashfell, but Kelson Darktreader stepped up impatiently and announced, "Excuse me, but I must meet with the Duke. I am confident that he will see me, and I will try to deliver to him your requests. But I must tell you why I have come here: Your companion, Escella Bok, has gone missing. We were meant to hunt together, but she did not show. I understand that she had been through an ordeal with Gnolls that nearly resulted in her possession, and I fear for her safety. Being her friends, I hope that you will look into it, as I have duties to attend to."
Ashfell did not seem to mind being interrupted, but he took the news with a grave expression and added, "Titus is missing as well!"
Both Titus and Escella had very nearly betrayed their friends, under the influence of a mysterious entity that was known to them as "Sing-Axe".
