Arc 1: Leaving the Nest

[Ebiris]

"And these previous incidents, no one ever found any clues as to their cause?" Rudi asks thoughtfully. "Or what could have made them pause before resuming on your own caravans?"

[Dracos]

Mesina spent a moment in thought, putting things together as Rudy took a turn questioning the caravan master.  It was almost certainly not bandits, for they would not leave the trade goods untouched.  Similarly with any rogue mercenary elements.  It could be a killer who simply enjoyed the challenge and stalking of a lone trained warrior and moved around to avoid leaving too big a trail in one spot.  Her instinct told her that wasn't the case though...  it had to be an abomination.  Probably not a large one if it didn't simply storm the caravans outright killing everyone.  It must've come from the wastes, feeding on lone individuals while avoiding any groups of size.  It headed steadily coastward, killing along the Imperia path and then silence during its journey until it encountered another path with easy pickings.  Perhaps what would make this most clear though was whether any single traders vanished along the routes...not that many would travel without guards or have ways of keeping track, but it was worth checking on as it'd definitely rule out someone doing it for the sport.

[Bjorn]

The caravan-master scratches his chin mournfully.  "No clues," he said.  "Two of the outriders had horses that were lost as well.  Understand, though, no-one went looking for clues.  I can give you a map with the sites of the incidents marked, however."

[Dracos]

"That would be very helpful.  Have you heard of whether any travelers traveling alone vanished along those routes?"  It was a far shot, but worth asking.

[Bjorn]

The caravan-master blink dolefully.  "No," he muses, "I don't think so."  He shuffles some more paperwork before taking a spare piece of paper and starting to sketch out the map.  "The price of pork has gone up, though, while vegetables have stayed the same and the price of sheep has gone down.  It might be worth talking to the grocers."

[Dracos]

Mesina nodded. "I'll ask them then.  Thank you for your help."

She waited for and acquired the map and notes he had been jotting down to aid them in their quest.   "Could we please see Ser Puggliaci to let him know the job is being dealt with."

OOC: Want to move over and see Ser Puggliaci, being polite about it in intent. 

[Bjorn]

"Of course," the man says gloomily.  "Well, he'll be in the warehouse.  First on the right off the Rivergate entrance." He sighs, handing Mesina the map.  "St. Daphne smile on you," he mutters, and then turns back to his paperwork.

With that apparent dismissal, you head off.  The caravan-master's tent is near the west entrance of the Jetty, though it's not a far walk to the Rivergate entrance. You'd never know which was Puggliaci's warehouse without instructions, though it's easy to spot.  Apparently a caravan is getting ready to set out, as the massive oaken cargo doors are spread open.  It's a comparatively small caravan, Mesina sees, only five wagons.  As you get closer, you can also see the mercenary guards, apparently bored and lounging about.  They see you as well at he same time, and there is a shift to readiness as they spread out to put themselves between you and the wagons.  You don't recognize any of them, though given the recent past, that might be for the best.

Just behind them you can make out a red-faced man, dressed richly in purple and fur, bellowing instructions, orders, and insults at the harried porters loading the wagons.  There's a lot of bustle, but less progress.

OOC: St. Daphne is the patron saint of perseverance.

[Dracos]

Mesina walks forward casually, giving a slight wave to the guards to indicate no harm is meant.  Knowing how such merchants generally worked and that if she waited for him to be free, they'd be there well past mid-afternoon, she bellowed for his attention, waving him near.  "Ser Puggliaci, we're here from Ser Ditchdigger in response to your request.  The case shall be handled," She informed him, waiting a second if he had a question or not.  He was obviously a busy fellow, so likely no more than letting him know they were there and were handling the task was important to him.

[Bjorn]

The guards don't let Mesina close in.  Not surprising, as their job involves not trusting people.

"What?"  Puggliaci breaks off mid-rant, and turns around searching for the interruption.  When he spots Mesina, his face impossibly grows redder.  "What?  Don't waste my time, formicaio! I'm bleeding money as we speak, and the reason I'm letting you have any of it is so you can stop me losing more!  Talk to Bonivace! Can't you see I'm busy?"

OOC: Formicaio is a Berevian slang term for halflings.  It might be construed as insulting.

[Merc]

Marcelo rolls his eyes. 'Well, here's a suspect already. If he treats everyone like this, little wonder people vanish on him,' the hexblade think, looking at the client with disdain.

"Our apologies, Ser Puggliaci. We shall leave you to your oh so important business then, so you can ensure you actually have the money to part with when we finish the job."

With a small, mocking bow, the mercenary begins to step away after those words.

ooc: apologies for the lack of postage.

[Bjorn]

Among Puggliaci's talents, perception seems to rank around diplomacy.  Apparently satisfied with Marcelo's attitude, he turns back to harangue the porters.  The guard nearest Marcelo rolls his eyes and shrugs, as if to say, 'money is money.'

[Dracos]

Mesina smiled at Marcelo's response, declining her own retort to the overpuffed pigeon-man.  "Well, we should be off as well, and to the roads, I think."

The little halfling turned and headed out through the marketplace, stopping and chatting pleasantly with the grocers a tad on the way through to see if they had heard any rumors of lost lone travelers.

As they made their way out of the market, she wondered aloud to the others.  "Does anyone have any ideas prior to traveling out on the trade roads ourselves?"

OOC: My goal at the moment is just to get a quick rumor if it exists (or any others).  Gather Info 7.  Also, I have a plan...and therefore rather than launching into it and moving along it in the same practice, I'm opening if others want to voice stuff/do stuff in town before we go.  I think we should go ahead and get out on the road with whoever our 'fastest escaper' is playing bait as a roaming guard.  I think this actually ends up being me with Expeditous retreat memorized and having an actual spot/listen check to avoid getting surprise fragged.  If someone else wants to be bait though, I don't mind ^_^

[Ebiris]

Rudi seems entirely unperturbed by their employer's manner as he silently follows his larger comrades away from the caravan. At Mesina's question, he speaks up in a thoughtful rasp, "We know of the rough area where the disappearances are occuring, but it is still a large area. Perhaps we should follow the caravan as it leaves and wait for one guard to... fail to return, before we investigate in that direction?"

[Dracos]

"Seems a touch heartless," Not actually upset with it at all, just disagreeing.  "And I don't think it will be that hard to find if we try.  Whatever is out there is hungry and regularly hunting.  Beyond that, it definitely isn't going after everything since if it did, there'd be a lot more ruckus then simply out of Piglaccio.  If we mimic a roving caravan and a lone hunter, we should eventually run into it."

[Brian]

"Likely," Gwythyr muses, studying the marketplace, "our perpetrators are more than beasts.  Puggliaci does not seem the sort to make friends fast, either.  My suspicions are that someone is upset with him.  A businessman's reputation is his life, however.  If Puggliaci only delivers on a single route, I think we should look to merchants he's worked with ... at cost to them."  He raises an eyebrow and turns to Mesina.  "Merchants are tight-pursed, but often loosen their tongues easily enough with the right performance.  I will ask them; can you investigate who in this city might be able to get information on Puggliaci's caravan to know when to pursue him?"

It is entirely possible, of course, that it's not a humanoid perpetrator, but it'll be much harder to question local merchants and people of questionable employment once they're already on the road.

OOC: Assuming the party is agreeable and everyone takes a bit of time to do their own thing, Gwythyr is going to make a Gather Info roll specifically targeted at the merchants to see if anything obvious about Puggliaci's history comes to light.  Gwythyr is a social monster, and gets +13 to his GI roll.  'I's a sad dwarf.  LOVE ME! O_O'