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.

The woman's face carries that dawning realization, confusion settling in like frost. She steps fully into the doorway now, no longer guarding her home but looking past you, as if the answer might be walking up the road. "Which road did your wagons take?" Dog asks, his tone even and steady. She points north. "The main road. Always the main road. It's the safest route - wide, well-traveled." She pauses, thinking. Her expression darkens. "Our merchants always hired guards. Two or three armed men per wagon. They weren't taking chances with bandits." She looks at you directly. "But if the wagons never arrived, and we never heard from the guards either..." She doesn't finish the thought. She doesn't need to. "The route's been used for years. Decades. It's never been a problem before." Her voice carries a new edge of fear beneath the anger. "Whatever's stopping them started recently. And it's thorough enough that not a single person made it back to warn us." She wraps her arms around herself. "You should talk to Garrett. He's our head merchant. He organized the shipments, hired the guards. His warehouse is in the town square - the large building with the blue shutters." 🎯 What's next? 1. Thank her and go find Garrett immediately - Get the official details. 2. Ask about the guards who were hired - Get names, descriptions, anything useful. 3. Head out to find the wagons 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.

"We heard Thornhaven stopped trading with Redingham," one of you says. "Can you tell us what happened?" The woman's expression shifts. Not anger, exactly. More like... resignation mixed with frustration. "We sent goods," she says flatly. "Grain, fish, vegetables. For weeks. Never saw a single coin in return." She crosses her arms tighter. "Our merchants kept saying the payment was coming, that there might be delays, that the roads were uncertain. But nothing arrived. Her jaw tightens. "We have families to feed." She glances back into her house, then back at you. "So we stopped. Simple as that. Now we're looking for other cities to trade with. Places that actually pay for what they buy." Her tone isn't hostile toward you specifically, but there's clear bitterness there. "If Redingham wants to do business again, they can send the money they owe us first. Until then..." She shrugs. "We'll manage on our own." 🎯 What's next? 1. Explain that Redingham's merchants haven't received goods, and you have been sent to investigate. 2. Ask if she knows why the payments stopped 3. Apologize for the trouble and leave 4. Other → Your call.