(G343 27/01/2018 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ) WA21

(G343 27/01/2018 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ) WA21

DAY 311 (16th Hammer)(January)

In the morning, over breakfast they asked some more questions of the Haggam the Hermit and learned the following things:

- There was once another village, down at the gulf coast. The dragon had destroyed it 25 years ago and now all it was, was a collection of houses for the people that served the port and a small castle
nearby where the lord of this area lived.

- Haggam reckoned that whoever the thieves were had been up twice. The first time a month ago and the last time about 15 days ago.

And so, Fenrir, Arahel and Veddic started their day by flying down to see the largest village first. They  did the usual thing of Arahel carrying them on her back while in eagle form. They landing out of sight about a mile away and then continuing on foot. I should say at this point that when not an eagle Arahel took on the form of a young female human.

Some man and a couple of children met them on the road and walked with them to the gates. These people were let in by the guards but Fenrir and Co were told to go away, 'We've already paid!' the guards shouted.
'We are not tax collectors!' said Fenrir which then lead to the guards saying, 'You need written permission from Lord Karden to travel these parts, foreigner!'

They next flew to the castle and were given a warm welcome by Lord Karden himself who was just sitting down to breakfast. They talked to him about what their mission was and he tapped his left leg,
'See that? Wooden! Lost the flesh one 25 years ago when I battled that bloody dragon. I lost all my friends that day.'
As he wrote them up a travel warrant he went on, 'When he destroyed the port we went up there to sort him out, what fools we were. Well, we were strong, but not that strong. Eight of us went up and only I came back.'
'Can you make it a search warrant too?' asked Fenrir wisely. 'And put a bit that all town guards have to take orders from us.'
'Gladly,' said the old lord. 'If people have been stealing from the dragon they must be found and stopped! I am very happy for any help we can get from Westgate.'

From the warrant they learned the names of the villages. Upper Fedred was the forest village, Lower Fedred was the one with the antlers on the gate and the largest was called Klapton. The port was called Port Seder.

They went first to Lower Fedred. Here they found that the mayor was suffering from a dreadful illness and was bed bound. They talked to his advisor, Mildred, who told them that she did not know of any person who had recently been spending more money than usual.
'We are simple honest folk. None of us have huge fortunes.'
Fenrir asked if there was anyone that was capable of making it up to the dragon's cave. She shrugged and said that some of the younger ones liked to mountain climb in the summer. She thought that a young man called Tom had been up there last year.
She also knew that Upper Fedred had a druid that lived there that could turn into a bird. Finally, she knew nothing of Klapton as anyone from 'up the valley' was not allowed in.

Fenrir went to talk to Tom and his family. They all appeared honest and it seemed unlikely that this young man was the thief. The family were fairly well off, being vintners, and as they sat down to eat with Tom's father Fenrir arranged to buy all of his bottles of wine, assured that he would be able to sell them at twice the price back in Westgate.
As he sat back and enjoyed his third glass of brandy Fenrir imagined a new found wealth based on his ability to fly and his possession of a bag of holding.

Next they went to Upper Fedred. They met Rodger the Druid in his well kept garden and joined him for lunch. There was also a young red headed lady in the garden playing with a dog.

Arahel spoke to Rodger in druidic. He was not a very friendly fellow, as I'm afraid to say most of us are, but he was willing to talk and offer them some food and refreshment (brought to them by a wood wose).

Among other things he told them that he never went to Klapton as he was not welcome there and that in his opinion it might not be anyone from the valley stealing the treasure, but...
'Perhaps just someone who wants to see the valley destroyed? Someone from outside after vengeance? Just a thought.'

Arahel spent another two hours with Rodger, talking about plants. Fenrir and Veddic amused themselves by trying to find plants that might have intoxicating effects. Arahel pointed out some seed pods that 'will make your heads spin if you chew them,' but in the end they decided against it.

Lastly, that day, they visited Klapton. It was a large village, or a small town if you prefer to see it that way, with an inn and several shop. There was a river running through it which appeared to divide the village into a rich and poor area.

They had learned that the most powerful man in town was a chap called Lord Paynon and so they went straight to his house. It was large enough to have its own grounds and a gate house. When the doorman let them in they found Paynon (a tall and fat old man) playing bowls in his main hall with four other men.
They flashed their warrant and he met them alone in his study.
'Mad old man in a cave eh?' he snored in disdain. 'I'm not even sure this dragon is real you know!'
'Have you noticed anyone becoming very rich recently?' asked Fenrir.
Paynon flicked through a ledger on his desk. 'Berwin Bale,' he said.
She'd apparently spent a lot of money at the last vintner's market.

Miss Bale was a horrible old woman, with a large house and several servants. Initially Fenrir was more interested in doing more wine trade, but it turned out she a share in a ship so she did not have to pay for its transport as the vintners of Lower Fedred did. They spent an hour or so talking numbers but in the end it seemed it would only ever by worth Fenrir's while if she ever needed to dump wine on Westgate really quickly, in order to undercut a competitor for instance, but she rarely did.

Fenrir managed to ingratiate himself with her by agreeing that poor people were little better than animals and other horrible things. She said she blamed Lord Karden for the destruction of Port Seder (and the loss of a lot of her business) 25 years ago. It was him and his friends raiding the dragon's lair that prompted its attack, not the other way around, she maintained.

As they left a servant girl whispered to Arahel, 'Meet me at the tavern tonight!' and fled. Berwin Bale also left saying 'I'm off to see my... ah... sister!' at the door.

They took rooms at the Klapton Inn and later than night the servant girl, cowled in a hooded cloak came and whispered to Arahel again, 'The rich eat the poor here! And my mistress is one of them!'
The girl ran off and Arahel was too dumbfounded to follow her.

When they retired to their rooms she relayed this new information to the others.