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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3792863" data-attributes="member: 11760">"Finish up, Viouesoeri, my old friend," Tock says, slapping Katadid on the back. "You need nourishment to perform your sorcery, as I do to perform my archery. Just a moment, lad. Dargus Carter and his Gentlemen Delvers will be at your service in a second."Kat nods and begins to mush his carrots into an orange pile before shoveling it into his mouth between coughs. Renraw leans in and whispers something to Tock."W-what are we being found for?" Katadid asks. He starts once he realizes he said it out loud. He turns to the young man and awkwardly gestures to him for any help he could provide to this question."Er, are you finished then? I believe the bailiff, she wants to talk to you about the burglaries and all.""The burglaries and all" appears to be a well-known subject with everyone but the group from Maidensbridge: The few people gathered in the Dented Coin all grumble and nod their heads at this."Burglars, aye?" Tock says, face concerned. "Foul miscreants, doomed souls, or worse! I cannot abide by a thief, or my name not be Dargus Carter. Come, boys, we've got good to do."Renraw jabs his fork into what's left of his sausage and throws it into his bag. He watches Ragglus stand and turn away from the table and then does the same with what's on his plate.The deputy leads the Gentlemen Delvers out of the Dented Coin across the muddy square in the center of town. A cool wind is blowing across Blackberry Ridge, threatening to steal hats from heads and whipping up cloaks.The group turns not toward Blackberry Hall, but toward the ancient smooth stone of St. Thessina's of the Plains. The door of the small church, smooth and shiny with age, bangs in the wind, and a young priestess runs forward to catch it before it can hammer the wall once more. She smiles a tight-lipped smile at the group and gestures for them to head inside.It takes a moment for everyone's eyes to adjust to the darkness of the chapel, with its dark wood pews and somber tapestry behind the altar. Even the altar cloth, with its gold thread picking out the ankh-crucifix of Lothian is dim in the gray light coming in from the doorway and the few flickering candles.A man in his 50s, broad-shouldered and with dark hair combed back severely, stands by the altar, listening to a young woman in the first pew speaking quietly.As the group approaches, the woman stands and turns. Although the priest is deferential to her, she's young and has a face and body that make her look younger still. But for all that she looks like a child, she has the confidence of leadership, and she steps forward to greet the group halfway, holding out one hand."Thank you for joining us. I am Bailiff Arabelle Schultheis.""A most honorable pleasure, madam Bailiff," Tock bows just deeply enough. "I am Dargus Carter, and these are my Gentlemen Delvers. If there is any service that we, or I in particular, can provide, nothing will stop us from it.""I am glad to hear it."The bailiff gestures for everyone to be seated."The constable here," she waves a hand toward the priest standing nearby, who glowers as a result, "Has been confronted with a mystery for some months now, and I suggested we ask the Delvers in our midst to try a new approach to solving the mystery.""I am High Priest Manfred Richter and the constable of Blackberry Ridge, and have been for many years," the priest says, moving to stand behind the altar, although he does not touch it. "Earlier this year, residents began to find their homes burglarized at night, with small, portable goods stolen from them."The problem we faced, however, is that at night, the village is barricaded and guards are posted at the gate. There is simply no way in after dark for anyone who would be interested in such minor items."We naturally suspected someone in town, and have spent months attempting to catch the culprit in the act, with no success.""Until," the bailiff breaks in quietly, "We almost caught the thief in the act last week. He was in my very home, and my staff chased him from the house when they heard him knock over my father's suit of armor. The town was dark, and we did not get a good look at him as he fled through the gates of Schultheis House, but we chased him into the center of town ... where he jumped down the well, riding the bucket all the way down."The constable makes a noise, sucking his lower lip."Naturally, we stationed guards outside the well, waiting for the thief to come back up," he says. "We dropped lit torches down, and lowered lanterns on ropes. There are no signs of the thief. We need someone to go down into the well and find the thief and recover the stolen goods.""We do not have enough deputies to risk them on this endeavor," the bailiff says quietly. "We are too close to Kem to allow any of our deputies to go down into the well. Should they not return, we would be defenseless against the things that sometimes come north."So, will you do it?" the bailiff asks, her blue eyes worried.</blockquote>

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