((Let's start the IC))

There it was, the village of Rosashire. It wasn’t exactly what Leo imagined, it seemed more… grim than he has thought. The weather didn’t help either, it had been stubbornly overcast since that morning. As he sat in the wagon, he could make out some details of the place. Around the outside of the village were several farms, complete with various kinds of plants and animals being tended to by weary looking farmers. Near the fence of one of these farms were some goats, busily grazing.

The density of buildings gradually increased as the wagon drew nearer to the town centre. At first it was just a few houses, which were crafted out of bricks and wood. The road had changed from dirt and gravel to a cobbled street. A few stones were missing in places, which caused the wagon to jump whenever it ran over the holes. The wagon slowed to a stop and Leo climbed down onto the street. He thanked the driver as he made his way to the town centre.

The town centre consisted of a cobbled square with ancient buildings huddled around it. In the centre was a small garden, where some extra-thorny roses were growing. There were no flowers to be found, but that was not a surprise. It was the wrong time of year for them anyway. In the middle of the garden bed was a small stone pillar. There was some writing on its side, or at least there used to be. Years of being left out in the elements had made it completely illegible.

There were a couple of stores in the square. One of them, a bakery, was currently undergoing roof repairs. The largest and most ancient building appeared to be the town hall. It stood two stories tall, with a pair of stone columns by the door. One of the columns had a crack in its side. It was a fairly simple structure, made mostly of wood and stone. It was clear that it had recently undergone repairs, some of the stones around the base appeared to be new.

Leo stood in the town centre, taking a deep breath of the fresh, cold air of Rosashire. He was here with a purpose, to investigate what was happening to this distant town.

“I suppose I should go to the town hall,” he said to himself, “and see what the town officials know about the rumours surrounding this place.”

Emma’s feet ached as she walked into the town square the cracked cobble pathways had made her feet sore from the long journey. The sky seemed dimmer and washed out in this town and the cool air forced the breath from her as she walked. She placed her hands into the pockets of her worn down coat and drew her arms to her side. After a moment she set down her backpack down and leaned her back on one of the buildings surrounding the town square causing the wood beneath her to groan under her weight.

In the distance a pillar sits near the middle of the town square with several towns folk whispering to each other near it, their backs turned to Emma. The buildings on the fringes of the town square seemed to bend over to look into the square. The occasional silhouette could be seen in a window lit with candle light. It seemed the grass that grew in between the cobble was a dulled green and grew to long lengths while thorny roses dotted the perimeter of the square.

For whatever reason this city had an odd effect on Emma, she seemed more on edge than usual. Perhaps it was the old buildings that seemed to peer into the city streets watching her every move, or it was the townsfolk she had seen with each huddled quietly together and whispering oddities to one another.

Sighing she set down her backpack and leaned her back on one of the buildings surrounding the town square causing the wood beneath her to groan under her weight. In the distance she managed to see two townspeople walk into a pub down one of the streets. Shrugging off the cold weather Emma grabbed her backpack from the ground and walked in the direction of the pub.

Markus entered the square at a leisurely pace. He was feeling down again about his mother, although it was happening much less often now that he'd gone adventuring. The half-elf hung his head to avoid seeing the gray skies. He kicked a rock forward as he wandered aimlessly through the town. Eventually, Markus found himself in the Center Square of the town.

He took a moment to observe his surroundings. The skies were just as gray as they were before, but he also spied a few people. A man towards the center of town, and a woman headed to a building, likely the pub, Markus assumed. Several other buildings were also within the square, but Markus couldn't guess what they were.

He approached the man in the center of the square. "Excuse me," He said. "Would you mind directing me to the nearest inn? I'm new here and I want to know where I can spend the night." Markus then noticed something was a little off about the man. He wasn't fully human... was he? Markus ignored this feeling for now and waited for a response.

The odour of the tavern was like every other Seymour had visited, a pungent mixture of sweat and stale ale. He had visited Rosashire once before several years ago and the smell had only gotten worse in that time. His last visit involved tracking down a wealthy heiress who had disappeared without a word. Her father was willing to pay handsomely for her return, more so if found alive. Unfortunately Seymour found her body languishing in a sewer run off, her corpse bloated and rotten. Her body was a perfect metaphor for Rosashire, bursting at the seems and rotten to the core.

Seymour took a gulp of the ale in front of him, it's bitter taste stung his taste buds but the easiest way to blend in was to seem just like any other patron. The rest of the tavern was filled with a variety of people from different races, it's orc owner willing to serve anyone with the required coin. His name was Skarjaw, he was a hulking mass of muscle, his dark green flesh scarred from head to toe. Whether you knew him or not, he was clearly someone who had been through and seen alot. Working for him was a slender elven woman called Nuala, shed doubled as entertainment for the customers using her soft singing voice to briefly take away their sorrows. On his first visit to the Tavern Seymour had wondered why such an attractive woman would risk working in such a place, but after seeing how she handled someone trying to reach under her dress he was more scared of her than the orc owner.

As he took another gulp the woman came over speaking in a distinct, eloquent voice. "Hello there. I see alot of people come through here but I always remember a face." Seymour looked up to see her smiling down at him. "What brings you back here?" He never felt comfortable discussing his business in public but Nuala had helped him the first time he was in Rosashire. "What do you think Nuala?" She turned away as her cheeks turned a mild shade of pink, "So you do remember me then." She took a glass of ale from the tray she was carrying and placed it onto the table in front of Seymour. "There can only be one reason you are here and i'm guessing it's not for the entertainment." Seymour's stern demeanour broke to reveal a smile, "I wouldn't be here if there was no entertainment, although the entertainment i'm after you can't provide." Nuala tried to put on an angry face but her smile broke through to break the facade. "Well then I guess I should just..." Before she could finish she was interrupted mid sentence by Skarjaw. "Nuala get over here and take these drinks to the group in the back." The elf turned to Skarjaw and nodded, huffing under her breath as she turned back to Seymour. "If you hand around a while i'll tell you what I know."

Leo walked up the aged stone stairs outside the town hall. A pair of heavy wooden doors hung on slightly rusted hinges. He pushed on the door, it creaked slightly but did not open. It appeared that it was locked, so he knocked on the door. A few moments later a rather stressed looking scribe opened the door.

“Yes, yes, what is it?” he said hurriedly.

“My name is Leo De Haven, I trust that you received the message from the Royal Barracks?” Leo replied.

“Ah, I remember. Unfortunately, there’s no-one else here but me. The other scribes and officials have all left for the day.”

Leo thanked the scribe and returned to the square feeling a bit disappointed. Having not had much luck with speaking to the town officials, he started to think about organising a place to stay. Although this train of thought was interrupted when someone asked him a question. The person in question appeared to be half-elven, like Leo was.

“The inn? I’m sorry, my friend, I have only just arrived here myself. But, Rosashire is not a large town, surely it cannot be too far.” Leo said.

A quick survey of the square revealed a tavern, outside of which hung a wooden sign with faded paint. The red lettering on the sign had begun to flake, but the words were still fairly clear. It read ‘The Red Lion Tavern’. Leo pointed to the building, “I think that might be the building we are looking for.”

The inside of the Red Lion Tavern was fairly inviting, a number of people were gathered around the wooden tables with foaming tankards of the local ale in their hands. There were still several tables free, even though it appeared that a good portion of the population of Rosashire had decided to come for a drink. Most of the people here seemed to be keeping to themselves, talking and gossiping quietly with those at their tables. To the left of the bar was a set of stairs leading to the upper floor. To the right was a hearth where some wood burned slowly. It kinda reminded Leo of the tavern his parents owned.

It had been a long day of travelling, so Leo made his way to the bar where a number of empty stools stood. He ordered a mug of ale from the bartender and handed over two silver coins. The ale was not the best he had drunk, but it was hardly the worst either.

---

Nuala was gone for a few moments and then she wandered back to Seymour’s table, having given the patrons their drinks. She absent mindedly wiped the table with some cloth. She sighed before speaking.

“I’ll tell you what I’ve heard…” she paused for dramatic effect, “People have been vanishing.”

As she spoke, it seemed like the atmosphere inside the pub became more serious for just a moment. She waited for a moment, letting what she had just said sink in.

“So, what do you think?”

"Thank you." Markus told the man. he entered the tavern shortly after him, and approached the bar. Markus inquired about a night's stay and made arrangements for a room. (I am unsure how much this would cost.) He decided to sit in the bar for a short time and observe the townsfolk, and maybe learn about the current events. What he heard gave him plenty of food for thought.

"People have been vanishing." With those words, it was as if the whole pub collectively calmed down for a minute, before resuming to it's usual noise level.

People, vanishing? Markus thought. Certainly someone has to have been investigating... But based on the tone of her voice and the words she chose, this was an ongoing problem that hadn't been solved yet. Markus approached the woman. "I'm sorry, people have been vanishing? How?"

Seymour watched as Nuala walked away listening to Skarjaw's rather blunt instruction. He could quite have quite easily taken the drinks himself but he wasn't the reason people would keep coming back. Seymour saw her on the opposite side of the room, pushing clawing arms away while maintaining a professional smile. She soon made her way back towards him and the conversation picked up where it left off.

“So, what do you think?” Seymour looked up at her with a grin but before he could speak someone approached from the bar behind and spoke. “So, what do you think?” Nuala turned to look at the approaching man, his long black hair flowing down over his shoulders. Seymour stood up from his chair, the scraping sound of the chair legs on the floor snapping Nuala's attention back. She looked to see Seymour staring a hole right into the approaching man.

"Hello there friend. I don't suppose your mother ever told you it's rude to eavesdrop?" Seymour forced a toothy smile, his elongated canines giving away his heritage. He reached out his hand towards the man for a handshake. "Nuala please get this man a drink." She nodded hesitantly, walking to get the man a drink. "My name is Seymour Von Carstein, take a seat and let me tell you why you need to turn around and leave this to me."

Markus stared right back at the man as he mentioned Markus' mother. The rational part of him knew that there was no way he could have known about his mother, but the emotional part told Markus to tear that man apart at his remark. He decided on a middle ground, and gave the man- Seymour- a death glare as he sat, ignoring the hand.

"Markus." He said simply. "You may have been mistaken, but I am merely curious. What brought this on, and when did it start?" His tone was fairly calm, and his death glare had disappeared.

The half-elf then took a moment to examine the other man. His eyes were a pale blue, almost unnatural. His skin was likewise- pale enough to be on the border of normal. He could simply be a man who spent his time indoor instead of out- It was a certain possibility, Markus was one of those people. However, something else caught his notice. Seymour's teeth seemed... strange. His canines were longer than what should be possible for most races.

Could he be a vampire? Possibly. But someone like that would know that the fangs would be a dead giveaway, so why would he be so reckless? Perhaps vampires were not as dangerous as Markus was led to believe by his parents. That was a possibility, and explained how one sat here comfortably, surrounded by what could easily become a mob if they learned the truth. But Markus didn't like the idea of his parents lying to him. He made a note to ask the barmaid- Nuala- later, once he got the chance. Regardless of what he was or wasn't, for now he is simply an acquaintance.

The air in the pub seemed more tense for a moment following something that the Elven woman had said. It didn’t take long before Leo realised that she was talking about the recent disappearances occuring in the otherwise sleepy town. His acquaintance from earlier had gotten up to speak with the woman, it seemed like he hadn’t heard about what had happened here.

He took a sip of his drink and listened to what the barmaid had to say. Perhaps Leo wouldn’t have to wait until tomorrow to find out more about what was going on.

---

Nuala had attracted the attention of another bar patron, a half-Elven man who appeared to not know about the disappearances. She thought that he must be new in town. She gave a small, professional smile before moving to the bar to fetch the requested drink. She set the drink down in front of the half-Elf.

“It started about two months ago,” she said, “no-one’s sure why or how it started. But everyone’s got their theories about it.”

“Nuala, I’ve got to go get some wine from the cellar, could you tend the bar while I’m gone?” came the gruff voice of Skarjaw. Nuala started walking quickly to the bar just as Skarjaw disappeared behind a door.

---

It wasn’t much information, but it was more than he had started with. Something must have happened to cause people to just vanish into thin air. It reportedly started about two months ago, he will have to investigate some the disappearances closely.

Meanwhile, it appeared that he had some competition in the investigation. The half-Elven man appeared to be interested in the strange occurrences. The other man, who had pale skin and somewhat unnerving pointed teeth, seemed intent on investigating by himself. But who said it had to be a competition? Three mystery solvers were better than one.

“I am sorry to interrupt, but it seems that you are interested in this mystery too” Leo said cordially as he approached their table, his half-drunk mug of ale in his hand, “My name is Leo De Haven.”

"Nice to meet you. My name is Markus." He said, a much kinder introduction than to Seymour. "And yes, this string of disappearances has piqued my curiosity. Is there any sort of pattern among the victims? The timing of the vanishings?" He directed his questions to Leo, and took a sip of the Ale before him.

It was then that Markus recognized the man as the one he'd spoken to before, in the square. He stood a tad bit taller than Markus or Seymour, and he was physically fit, but did not have a great amount of muscles. Markus then took note of the ears. They were pointed slightly, almost as if he was an elf.... a half-elf. That's what he was.

The man sat down without taking Seymour's hand, Seymour simply grinned in response. Some words left the mans mouth but all he took from them was his name, Markus. The dhampir began to open his mouth to speak before another man approached from the bar, this man stood a couple of inches taller than Seymour and had pointed ears much like Markus. Much like Markus' introduction, Seymour took only the name from this person. He listened as Markus spoke to this man Leo before firmly putting his palm down onto the table. The glasses shook violently, the candle in the middle of the table almost toppling over.

"Forgive my interruption but I think you would both be better off leaving this entire situation to me." Seymour wasn't a cocky individual, if anything he was trying to keep these other two safe from harm. His demanour often caused conflict with others and explained why he was still working alone. "I have dealt with these sort of situations before..." Looking down at his hands he clenched his fists tight before casting a glance at the direction of the other two. "...more often than not these events are as the result of inhuman beasts and unearthly creatures." Seymour took a gulp from his drink before standing up.

"I have seen men battered and beaten to a pulp, eviscerated from throat to cock before they could blink. Seymour gestured from his throat down to his stomach, his eyes giving off an intensity that showed his sincerity. "If this is one of those situations the best thing that you two could do would be to walk away now and leave this to me." He returned to his seat and returned his drink to his mouth for another gulp.

“Those are some good questions,” Leo responded, “but I’m afraid that I don’t have the answers.”

Markus, the half-Elf, did seem to want to explore the mystery surrounding the otherwise sleepy village of Rosashire. Another person asking questions would greatly help the investigation. Perhaps the three of them could would together. Although, it appeared that the third person at the table would rather work on his own.

The man, Seymour, seemed quite adamant about conducting the investigation alone. He claimed to have experience investigating similar situations. The mention of someone being eviscerated did make Leo grimace slightly. But he was not going to be swayed so easily. He had a job to do.

“I cannot just leave, I was sent here as a scout from the Royal Barracks” Leo said calmly, “I will investigate the rumours around this place, and you two are welcome to do so as well.”

As the three spoke Skarjaw reappeared behind the bar and was busy wiping some old glass mugs with a cloth. Outside, the sun began to set and turned the clouds a glorious array of oranges and reds. A few of the other patrons of the tavern began to leave and the bar grew quieter. Leo could see the scene through the dusty windows of the tavern. It signalled that he would need to find a place to sleep for the night, fortunately the tavern did have some rooms available upstairs.

Before Markus' questions got a proper answer, Seymour interrupted, trying to claim the investigation as his and his alone. He didn't do it out of avarice, though- he seemed more concerned about the well-being of Markus and Leo. Markus looked meekly into his ale. He knew he had no experience whatsoever in this, but people were vanishing, and possibly dying. In a town like Rosashire, everyone likely knows everyone else, as if this whole town is one big family. No family deserves to lose a member.

Leo responded adamantly. He was tasked with this by what were likely his superiors, and so there was no way he would back down. He then invited Markus and Leo to join him.

"If i'm not imposing myself..." Markus began, still staring at his drink. "I mean, I want to help. But i don't want to end up being a burden. If you'll have me, i'll gladly join you." He looked up at Leo with a light smile on his face as he cleared his hair from his eyes.

As the patrons began to leave Seymour did his best to restrain himself, he was not opposed to violent outbursts but the pair opposite him seemed determined to stick around. He did his part, he warned them of the dangers that could lay ahead, his conscience was clean. Even without the threat of their demise, Seymour was hesitant for them to stick around. He had spent much of his time hunting alone meaning that he only had to worry about his own personal safety. On the positive, the one known as Leo was a scout for the Royal Barracks which could make him useful to the search. He stood up from the table and looked at both men.

"I have warned you both that this doesn't seem like a simple situation involving mortal creature." Seymour drunk the last of his drink and placed it back onto the table. "Should you choose to stay then that is on you. I will not be responsible for anything that happens to either of you." Maneuvering around the table towards the bar Seymour glanced back over his shoulder giving the pair his parting words. "I will be down here in the morning. Should you remain then common sense dictates we work together."

Seymour moved past the ale stained bar and nodded at Skarjaw, the orc gesturing upstairs. "Your room is up the stairs at the end of the corridor. Nuala is just getting everything ready." Seymour flicked a silver coin at Skarjaw as he walked past, the orc clumsily dropping it on the floor. "Dammit...it's gone through the floorboards..."

The stairs creaked and groaned as Seymour ascended, split and splintered wood making up each step. Even with his natural grace it was almost impossible to ascend the stairs without making some sort of noise. At the top of the stairs was a candlelit corridor with a blackened rug running the length of it. There were two doors either side of the corridor with a fifth at the back, the door slightly ajar. Seymour walked to his room and carefully peered through the gap in the door to see Nuala making his bed. The elf sighed heavily as she finished, taking a second to sit down on the bed. She looked down at her feet while letting out another exasperated sigh, he head dropping into her hands. Seymour pushed the door open carefully, the creak of hinge giving him away. Nuala turned to see Seymour enter, her reddened eyes sending tears down her soft cheeks. She frantically wiped her face and got up rushing towards the door. "I...I'm sorry. Excuse me." Nuala moved to go around Seymour but found him sidestep in front of her.

He looked down at her as she stared back up at him, tears continuing to stream down her face. "Please...just move..." Seymour continued to stand in her way, unflinching. "I said move!" Nuala drove the palms of her hands at Seymour's chest, the dhampir standing his ground with ease. He reached out and pulled her in close, her head coming to rest on his chest. "I...please..." Her words were soon replaced with heavy sobs as her tears ran down Seymour's leather chest piece. The elf continued to cry for a couple of minutes before taking Seymour to the bed, the pair sitting next to each other.

"What has gotten you so upset?" Seymour and Nuala had built a bond the last time he was in Rosashire, spending several weeks together, but this was the first time he had seen her cry. He waited for an answer but her eyes were firmly focussed on the floorboards at her feet. "Is it Skarjaw? Has he done something to you?" Nuala shook her head violently before casting her bloodshot eyes in Seymour's direction. "It's Varyn, he has been missing for a week and nobody knows where he is." Seymour remembered Varyn, it was Nuala's mischievous younger brother. He had gotten himself in trouble with some debt collectors when Seymour was last in town and if not for the dhampir, would have been hanging from the nearest tree.

"Has he gotten himself in trouble again?" Nuala shook her head once more. "No not at all. After you were here he got himself a job helping out the mayor as his assistant. He was a totally different person, he actually had something to live for..." The tears began to well in her eyes as she spoke. Seymour raised his pale hand to her cheek and wiped away the freshly falling tears. "Is he caught up in what is going on?" Nuala let out a muffled reply, "Yes." Seymour contemplated for a moment whether anyone or anything would have went for Varyn in particular but he quickly put it down to coincidence. "How did you keep yourself so calm downstairs? You were all smiles and...This must has been eating at you." The young elf took Seymour's hand in her own. "It's part of my job...I need to be able to put on a show at all times...whether i'm dying inside or not. It's easier downstairs, there are people who can provide a distraction, but when I get up here on my own...I crumble."

Seymour stood up and moved towards the nearby curtained window, peering outside to see the ever darkening sky. He turned back around and spoke to Nuala in a tone of total sincerity. "I promise you...I will find out what happened to your brother and everyone else in this town." For the first time since entering the room Nuala's beautiful smile stretched across her tear stained face. She leapt from the bed and wrapped her arms tight around Seymour's waist, before standing onto her tip toes and tenderly kissing his pale cheek. "Thank you Seymour. I knew the second I saw you that I could count on you." Seymour gently caressed the top of her head before the pair separated.

Nuala took a deep breath and wiped at her face with the palms of her hands. "I really should get the other rooms ready. I cannot thank you enough." Seymour could not hide the disappointment from his face, no matter how hard he tried. He could usually hide his emotions from people with little trouble, however something about Nuala made it very difficult. "You do not need to thank me, just be here when I return and that will be thanks enough." Nuala smiled and moved towards the door. "Sleep well Seymour. I shall see you in the morning." The elf closed the door behind herself as she left, her already reddened cheeks turning a darker shade as she blushed. 'It really was great to see you again,' she thought to herself.

With Nuala gone to sort the other rooms, Seymour undressed and got into the bed. It wasn't the most comfortable he had ever experienced but it was better than solid ground. He stared at the ceiling for several minutes, trying to work out what could be going on in Rosashire, before eventually succumbing to the urge to sleep.

---

“Certainly, we will begin the investigation in the morning” Leo responded to Markus.

Leo took a drink from his mug before turning to Seymour. Although he was fairly adamant earlier about conducting the investigation alone, it appeared that both Leo and Markus were not going to be dissuaded. So Seymour seemed to have resigned to that fact. He even said that he would work with them if they are still here in the morning.

“Glad to have you on the team.” Leo said as Seymour got up, “Good night.”

Leo finished the last few drops of ale and sighed. The investigation would begin tomorrow and he was eager to get started. But a part of him worried about what they would find, about what fiendish power was behind the sudden disappearances. He shook his head slightly, he had to stay determined.

“I’m going to get a room for the night” he said to Markus.

Shortly after Seymour had vanished up the stairs, Leo walked up to the bar. With an air of resolve around him, he spoke to the orcish barkeeper. “I would like to rent a room for the night” he said, handing over a few silver pieces.

Skarjaw handed over a slightly rusted key and pointed upstairs, “Second door on the left.”

Leo took the key and walked upstairs. “Hmm, a lot of people from out of town today” Skarjaw mumbled to himself.

He slid the key into the lock and opened the door with a click. The room was cozy and had a neatly made bed pushed up against the far wall. It was lit by the last few rays of dying sunlight and by a small lamp on a table by the bed.

Leo closed the door and laid on the bed. He stayed there staring at the ceiling for a few moments before turning his head toward the window. The stars were starting to appear, or would have been if the stubborn clouds would clear. He turned over and extinguished the lamp before closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep.

((We will skip to the next morning unless anyone has anything planned))

Markus was glad to see that Seymour relented. Surely, with more people on the case, the better the chance it has to be solved. As Leo and Seymour left, Markus told them, "Pleasant dreams." Markus himself stayed in the tavern for a short while longer- he'd already made arrangements for a room with Skarjaw, he just needed to get his key.

As he sat alone in the room, Markus began thinking of what's to come as he finished the ale that Seymour bought him. Seymour seemed completely convinced that this was some sort of beast or monster's doing. Markus wasn't sure of that. People were disappearing, nothing more- there was no proof of anything else. It could be a person. It could be something supernatural. It could be nearly anything, with the amount of information they have.

As Markus' ale became empty, he sat still for a moment or two, before deciding to retire. He approached the bar, and Skarjaw spoke before he did. "Ready for your room?" Markus simply gave a nod, and the bartender handed over a key. "Third on the right."

"Thank you." Markus responded. With the key in hand he went to his room and enterted. It wasn't anything much, just a simple bed, nightstand and lamp. It was good enough. He placed his backpack and weapons on the nightstand and climbed into the bed. After extinguishing the lamp, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

(I've made the adjustments to my CS)

((Happy New Year!))

The faint sunlight coming through the window announced the new day. Leo began to stir from a dreamless slumber. Slowly, his eyes opened. There were lingering droplets of water clinging to the window from some early morning rain. Despite the rain, it appeared that the weather had cleared somewhat from yesterday, small patches of blue sky could be found between the dreary grey clouds. Leo stood up and rubbed his eyes. He took a deep breath, gathered his belongings and left the room.

Downstairs, Skarjaw was busy wiping the bar with some cloth. The pub was practically empty, every seat was free and every table was clear. Nuala was behind the bar, putting cleaned tankards on some shelves on the back wall. Leo sat down on a stool at the bar.

“Good morning” he said sleepily

Skarjaw grunted in response.“Do you want something to eat? The meal comes with the room” he said.

Leo’s stomach growled, “Yes, what do you have?”

“Lentil stew and bread”

A bowl of stew was placed in front of Leo, along with a piece of stale bread. The meal was filling, but ultimately tasteless. As he ate, Leo was reminded that today was the day that the investigation would begin. There would be much to do, people to ask and theories to craft.

The door of the bar creaked open and a human man walked in. He was of average height and a bit scrawny. He walked quickly up to the bar, mostly ignoring Leo. The man began to speak to Skarjaw.

“Morning”

Skarjaw didn’t reply, but Nuala greeted him, “Morning Rowan.”

“There’s another search happening today,” the man paused for a moment, “none of us are feeling very optimistic though.”

Seymour awoke to a faint sunlight shining through the curtains that covered his window, the sound of early morning workers heard through the thin glass panes. He got out of bed and crossed the room to the window, parting the curtains to take a view of the outside. A horse drawn cart noisily made its way past the Red Lion and towards the centre of Rosashire.

Moving away from the window Seymour got himself dressed, fully adorning his armour with him long, crescent sword strapped to his back. He tightened several buckles across his attire before making his way downstairs. Leaving the room he was presented with the corridor, it looked no different to the previous night, still illuminated by fading candlelight. He walked the corridor paying no mind to the doors on his flanks as he passed, the other two would be ready at their own time.

The staircase creaked with each stepward downward, giving Seymours approach away to everyone in the bar. Skarjaw continued to wipe away at the top of the bar, cocking his arm at a steep angle to try and get rid of a stubborn stain. Behind the bar with him was Nuala, the young elf turning to Seymour and casting a smile. Seymour tipped the front of his hat in her direction, a slight curve at the edge of his mouth giving away that he was glad to see her. At the bar was Leo but near him was another man, Nuala called him Rowan just as Seymour was in earshot of the conversation. He spoke of a search happening today and even though he said it, his entire demeanour showed a distinct lack of optimism.

"No wonder nobody has been found if this is who is looking." Seymour looked the man from head to toe before taking a seat at the bar. "Nuala could you please get me my breakfast while I talk to these men? I have left it in my horses saddlebag." Nuala smiled with a nod before turning and heading towards the small stables out the back of the tavern.

Markus wandered his way downstairs after a restful night. The morning light shone through the windows and revealed three other men in the pub aside from Skarjaw- Leo, Seymour, and another man who Markus didn't know. "Do you want breakfast too?" The bartender called out. "Lentil stew and some bread."

"Yeah, please." Markus said, still slightly groggy. He sat at the bar next to Leo, who had already eaten. The orc set down a bowl and a piece of bread in front of him. Markus smelled the stew. "Smells a little bland..." He thought out loud. Upon tasting it, it was just as flavorless as it smelled. Shaking his head, he simply drank it bit by bit.

"Oh? Not good enough for you?" The bartender said. "I could just take it back if you don't want it." Skarjaw reached a hand out to Markus' bowl, and the half-elf met his eyes, pulling the bowl away. Both Markus and Skarjaw gave a small laugh as the orc pulled his hand away.

As he finished the stew and the bread, Markus turned to Leo. "So, is there a plan for today?"

“We have been searching for ages but we haven’t found anything. We try to hold onto the hope that something, even the littlest hint, might be found. But it is hard to maintain morale when your friends and family continue to vanish without a trace.” Rowan said sadly.

“Maybe today will be better” Skarjaw said. Rowan didn’t answer, he just sighed in response.

---

“With our current lack of information” Leo said to Markus and Seymour, “we should start by interviewing the locals. We could try researching the people who vanished, where they were last seen, that sort of thing.”

There were many questions around the town, but no answers yet. Leo’s mind was filling with thoughts of the questions he could ask. Who had gone missing? Where were they last seen? He finished off the last of his soup, it was going to be a busy day.

Rowan quickly turned to look at Leo, having noticed that he was talking about the disappearances. “News of the disappearances must be travelling then” he said to himself.

“You are welcome to help” Rowan said to the three would-be investigators, “I’m sure that most of the searchers would be able to answer some of your questions.”

“Well, there’s no time to lose” Leo said as he stood up.

---

Outside the tavern, the residents of Rosashire were waking up and starting their daily routines. Some people wandered around the town square, the search party were gathering at the monument. The shops were just starting to open, although there were no customers quite yet.