Dog steps forward, his voice calm but clear. "We were sent by the mage in Redingham to investigate why trade stopped. But we've learned something important - Redingham never received your wagons. And you never received payment." Garrett's expression shifts. His jaw tightens. "Someone's been stealing from both sides," Dog continues. "The wagons left here. They never arrived there. We need to know everything you can tell us about the shipments." Garrett is silent for a long moment. Then he stands, moving to a shelf and pulling down a thick ledger. He sets it on the desk with a heavy thud. "Three wagons per week. For a month." He opens the ledger, pages filled with careful entries. "Grain, salted fish, wool, vegetables. Everything documented. Everything paid for by Redingham's merchants... or so they told us." His finger traces down the columns. "I hired guards myself. Men I've worked with for years. Reliable. Armed. Two guards per wagon, sometimes three." He looks up. "With the last shipment, six guards total. None of them came back." He closes the ledger. "I sent a rider north four days ago to find out what happened. He hasn't returned either." Garrett's voice is steady, but you can hear the anger beneath it. "The main road's been safe for decades. This isn't random bandits. This is organized." He looks at each of you. "Someone knew the schedules. Knew the routes. Knew exactly when to strike." He pauses. "And they're good enough that not a single person escaped to warn us." 🎯 What's next? 1. Ask about the schedules - Who knew when the wagons would leave? 2. Ask about his rider - The one who went to investigate four days ago. 3. Other → Your call.

You thank the woman and make your way toward the town square. The streets are quiet but no longer empty. A few residents move about now, tending gardens, carrying water, going about morning routines. They watch you pass with cautious curiosity but don't approach. The warehouse is easy to spot. Large, two stories, blue shutters freshly painted. Double doors at the front, currently closed. A smaller side entrance stands slightly ajar. You approach and knock on the frame of the open door. "Come in," a voice calls from inside. - Inside the Warehouse The interior is well-organized. Shelves line the walls, mostly empty now. A few barrels and crates sit stacked in corners. The space feels like it should be full but isn't. At a desk near the back sits a man in his fifties, gray-streaked beard, weathered hands sorting through ledgers. He looks up as you enter, his expression wary but not unwelcoming. "Help you?" he asks, setting down his quill. Before you can answer, his eyes catch on your travel-worn appearance, the weapons at your sides. "You're not from here." Not a question. He leans back in his chair. "Let me guess. Redingham sent you?" His tone is neutral. Waiting. 🎯 How do you approach this? 1. Be direct - Tell him exactly why you're here and what you've learned. 2. Show him your marks - See if he recognizes them or knows anything about the Chosen. 3. Ask about the guards he hired - Start with specifics. 4. Other → Your call.

One of you steps forward, hands open in a peaceful gesture. "We're not from Redingham's merchants," you explain. "We were sent to investigate why the trade stopped. But here's the thing - Redingham says they haven't received any goods from Thornhaven in weeks." The woman's expression shifts. Confusion replaces annoyance. "What?" She straightens, her arms uncrossing. "That's... that doesn't make sense. We sent wagons. Full loads. Our merchants saw them off personally." She looks between you, her brow furrowed. "Are you saying the goods never arrived?" Her voice carries a new edge now. Not anger at you, but realization. "Then where did they go?" She steps fully into the doorway now, no longer blocking entry but opening up. "Our people sent everything. Grain, salted fish, vegetables, wool. Three wagons, every week for a month. The last one left..." She thinks. "Three weeks ago. Right before we stopped." Her face darkens. "Someone's been stealing from both of us." 🎯 What's next? 1. Ask about the route the wagons took - Try to identify where they're being intercepted. 2. Ask who organized the wagons - Find out who knew the schedules. 3. Ask if anything else strange has happened lately - See if there are other clues. 4. Suggest speaking to the town's merchants or leaders - Get more official information. 5. Other → Your call.

You approach the nearest house, a modest two-story building with dark shutters and a well-maintained garden. Dog steps forward and knocks. Three times. Firm but not aggressive. Silence. Then, from inside, the sound of movement. Footsteps. Slow. Deliberate. The door opens a crack. A woman's face appears in the gap. Middle-aged, tired eyes, dark hair pulled back in a loose braid. She looks at each of you in turn, her expression more annoyed than afraid. "Who are you?" she asks, her voice rough with sleep. "And why are you waking me up this early?" She doesn't sound frightened. She sounds... inconvenienced. Behind her, the interior of the house is dim but normal. You can make out furniture, a table, shelves. No signs of struggle or corruption. She shifts her weight, one hand on the door frame, clearly waiting for an answer. "Well?" she says. "Speak up. It's barely past dawn." 🎯 What do you say? 1. Introduce yourselves honestly - Tell her you're here investigating why Thornhaven stopped trading. 2. Ask about the ocean - Directly question what you saw this morning. 3. Apologize and ask if everything is alright - Start gentle, gauge her reaction. 4. Show her your marks - See if she recognizes them. 5. Other → Your call.

You turn back from the shore, the sound of waves and that distant metallic clanging fading behind you. The walk through the fields feels different now. The mist is lifting, revealing more of the landscape. And the ground tells a story. - The Tracks Crossing back through the wet grass, you see them clearly now in the morning light. Drag marks. Multiple parallel lines scored into the earth, leading from the town toward the ocean. Some are shallow, others deeper, cutting through the soil. Whatever the figures were carrying, it was heavy. And it left trails. You follow one set of marks back toward the buildings. It leads to a small house on the western edge of town, its door now closed. The drag marks start right at the threshold, as if something was pulled directly from inside. Other tracks lead from different buildings. A barn. A larger house near the square. All converging on the same westward path toward the sea. - The Town Thornhaven is quiet again. Smoke rises from some chimneys. Thin and controlled. The doors are closed. Windows shuttered. But you know they're inside. Are they watching? Dog stands in the empty square, looking around slowly. "They're home now," he says. "Whatever they did at the water... it's finished. For today." He turns to face the nearest building, a two-story home with dark shutters. "We need answers." 🎯 What's next? - Knock on the nearest door - Try peaceful contact. - Call out in the square - Announce yourselves to everyone at once. - Force entry into one building - Take direct action to get answers. - Return to the mill and wait for nightfall - Observe another cycle before acting. - Other → Your call.