Of Sound Mind II

Gholog

"If you want to use the scroll Jason, we can certainly do so. I'd rather try a climb first.. but stand by with a featherfall. If I don't make it, then we use the spider climb. I'm sure I'm strong enough to pull everyone up once I get up top."
 

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Kerrick and Seraphina:

You both do your best to blend in, a task that is made easier by the ever-growing number of people in the square. Looking around you, you guess there must be close to a thousand people packing the Plazza, almost all of the remaining population of Bellhold.

The Wyrmcall rings again, the noise very loud so close to. A middle-aged man and a younger woman, both dressed in expensive, fashionable clothes, walk out of the building behind the platform and join Captain Haldik. They are followed by what you assume in the mayor, given his chain of office. He takes to the platform to the jeers of a few townspeople.


The trackers:

You follow the tracks back to where they diverged from the other sets, can begin following the two other sets. You follow the trail along an old, rutted cart track. Butterflies and insects dance around the track in the long grass to either side.

As you climb the hill, it is difficult to tell that the old track used to run here. The hill is badly overgrown with trees, and it is clear that no carts have come this way in decades. Reaching the top of this slight rise, you look down into a clearing filled with the rotting remains of winches and other odd pieces of dwarven machinery, surrounded by piles of red rocks.
 

Gholog

Gholog makes directly for the odd dwarven machinery, paying special attention to the red rocks. "Maybe this is rusted iron...."
 

The trackers:

Gholog heads down the gentle slope into the clearing. It's quiet, almost unnaturally so, with only the slight hum of insects in the background.

As he approaches the rocks, he can see that they are some kind of red stone with green flecks in them. You guess it's copper ore, but you can't be sure.

Looking around, the half-orc spots a pit dug into the ground on the north side of the clearing. The remains of a large winch sit beside it, and two large copper sheets cover it over.


Kerrick and Seraphina:

The square is now uncomfortably full, people jostling of space around you. Seraphina can feel Lucie's discomfort, the cat being surrounded by far too many strange people. Kerrick is getting very different feelings from Virch however. The psicrystal is fascinated by all the new faces around it, and is in a state of great excitement. Even Virch's attention is drawn to the platform as the mayor brings his gavel down with a bang on the table in front of him.

"Quiet please! The mayor is ready to address the gathering!" Yells a town crier, rather too loudly for Lucie's taste.

The mayor stands from his seat, and the crowd does quieten somewhat. He clears his throat and begins to speak.

"This meeting has been call to address your concerns." He calls to the crowd. "While we do have some problems, there is no call for the wild rumour mongering that has been taking place over the last week. Now, we do have troubles, I do not deny that, but we also have solutions!

"Three children, two boys and a girl, are missing. All the children were old enough to have run away on their own. I've sent messages out to all of the nearby towns, and the Watch have been looking for them. In addition, the notable adventurers The Heroes of the Bell are also out seeking the children. Doubtless, they will be found soo..."

"What good will The Heroes of the Bell do? They're missing as well!" comes a voice from the crowd.

"Of course they are!" the mayor replies. "They're looking for the children! Surely you don't expect then to find the children right here in town, lost in the inn's common room, do you?"

A slight ripple of laughter goes around the crowd, although several other townspeople boo the mayor.
 

Gholog

"Adren, come take a look at these doors. Maybe you can tell if there has been anyone through them recently."

Gholog will also look to see, but he isn't a trained tracker.
 

Adren will call back, "Aye, Gholog!" and head down towards the copper sheets. While walking over, Adren will carefully search for any tracks other than Ghologs. Once he arrives at the sheets, he will do a thorough search for any tracks.
 

The trackers:

Adren looks for tracks as follows Gholog down the slope. Both the set of goblin tracks, and the human and elven prints head over towards the doors. Both sets are now quite faint, a result of rain sometime in the last week. Oddly, not one animal has passed through the clearing since then.

Gholog approaches the doors, and spots that one corner of the plates has been bent back on itself. A sturdy, knotted rope is tied to a nearby boulder and is snaked into the gap.
 

I know, Lucie, Seraphina thinks to herself.
But there might be something else here that will be useful...

A look of thoughtfulness crosses Seraphina's face. She begins to call out, then thinks better of it.

Haldik's up there... don't want to be bringing attention to myself...

Maybe there isn't anything else worthwhile... I'm going, and now.

If Seraphina can see Kerrick, she signals to him to get going. She then starts looking for an opportunity to take off.
 

Gholog

"Adren!" Gholog stage whispers, "I think we got something here."

Gholog sneaks close to the door and takes a peek carefully into the bent-back door, near the rope.
 

Smiling slightly at Gholog's overpronounced whisper, Adren will nod and will nock an arrow to his bow. Gesturing slightly with the bow, Adren will indicate he wants Gholog to proceed and he will cover him.
 

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