Main Session

"A glass of the house red!" She parrots, placing the drink daintily down in front of Ardira with a warm smile, "Ooo that's right! 'Ave been hearing the same you know? It's awfully worrying isn't it?" She says resting forward on to the bar, "I get a lot of the gossip 'round here. If you're wondering what I've heard, I'd be happy to tell ya."

Before Ardira can say otherwise, Aggie starts speaking again, "Well!- You know that Emberwynd is known for its fish, don't you? Course you do! Well! Its been drying up lately around here, none on the market, none in the shops, tell you what if you're trying to get some for cooking a good meal I'm afraid you've had it!" Aggie nods along to her own words, "It's about time someone done something I'd say. Those poor guards we have are all worked to the bone as it is. I reckon someone needs to go down there, see what all the fuss is about. The lake I mean, you know Emberwynd is famous for having a lake, don't you? Course you do!" She laughs, putting her hand on Ardira's shoulder.

"Basically-" She pauses, nattering away again, "They reckon if you're a fisherman and you go near that river you're cursed to drown! People 'ave been saying that they've seen em! Drowned fisherman they used to know, who'd gone missin', walking the shores" She raises her hands in front of Ardira, wiggling her fingers as if to enhance the scare, "They were dead sure of it! Said it needs reporting to the guard!"

Quickly sensing that she won’t be able to get a word in, Ardira seals her lips to her glass, taking slow sips whilst the woman whittles on.

She was surprised when the words that fell clumsily out of her mouth actually seemed… useful?

Oh— I did it!

“Ah, right, so—“ Ardie interjects, suddenly catching herself losing focus and correcting her posture. “Could you… point me in the direction of someone that has seen these drowned fishermen?” she asks, copying the same finger movements and grinning. “Or perhaps someone that has recently returned from the lake and lived to tell the tale?” She leans back slightly, placing her glass on the bar.

She gives a long nod, her eyes suggesting that Ardira look in the direction she is, "Frankie over there, ooo don't call him Frankie though, its just Frank. He's a fisherman, has been for years and years! I reckon if anyone knows a thing or two about what's actually happening it'll be him" She nods along to her own advice, fully believing it, "Yeah...last time he came back from fishin' he was different. Said he saw men he thought long gone..."

Suddenly she gives a warm belly laugh, "Course!- When he first came back we all thought he was a little bit..." Aggie puts her finger to her head, making a whistle sound mimicking a cuckoo while screwing her finger against her head, suggesting they thought he was crazy, "But now, a few people have been sayin' the same thing."

She follows Aggie’s eyes across the room and gives the gruff looking man a once over; physically recoiling on instinct alone. She swallows another sip of wine and tugs idly at the chain of her cloak before nodding slowly in acknowledgment.

“You’ve been quite the help,” Ardie breathes, beaming a grateful smile. “Now I’ll actually have to do some work…” she jokes, tipping her glass towards the woman with a soft giggle and bowing her head politely, excusing herself from the bar.

Making her way through the tavern, Ardira looks to Frankie, though quickly dips her head before he could sense her stare — choosing instead to stick to her original plan.

For now.

She approaches the table seating the elven man clad in his work garb, running her hand softly along the surface with a melancholic sigh.

“Would you mind if I sit?” she asks delicately — though she doesn’t wait for his answer to take her place at the table across from him. “That smells incredible.” Ardie motions towards his meal, leaning back slightly and sipping on her glass half empty. “A remedy for a long day, I suppose?”

He looks up, not expecting company, "Please, help yourself." He gestures, unsure of what Ardira wanted, "Yes - the food is always rather good here, I'm quite fond of it, especially after working in the forge throughout the morning, what brings you here?"

Ardira places down her glass, eyes widening slightly. She scooches forwards, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her palms, grinning in intrigue. “Ooh, a forge you say? What’s your specialty?”

Wait, this isn’t why I’m here—

Her upbeat demeanour falters for a moment, almost pulling back — but she had already gotten off topic, and it could easily be steered back…

"Light armour." He states, taking a moment to think of how to arrange his words, "I've always enjoyed working with it, not overly bulky and tiresome like heavy plate - which definitely has it's own strengths, but I think you'd reasonably need a few people to be working on pieces like those. It's also much cheaper and readily available than medium armour, since the metal costs are much lower."

He scoffs, amused, "Not to mention its easy to move in, matching its name, as one might imagine." He leans back in his chair, "I also enjoy the leatherworking aspect. I also fashion accessories from it, bracelets, boots, gloves, of all I am capable. You may visit my forge should you require any of the sort, you seem a nice girl. Speak your name, newcomer."

“I couldn’t agree more.” she states confidently, crossing her arms over her chest and laughing softly, chin held high. “I’ll make sure to stop by, after my job here is done…”

“Ardira Solvandar. Here on…” she pauses, tilting her head from side to side in thought. “Investigation business.”

“And what might your name be?”

"I look forward to it." He states, nodding before he was asked to return the favour, "Forgive me, here I am eating while forgetting my table manners. I am Sidris Yuren, one of the many practiced blacksmiths that Emberwynd has to offer."

"Do tell..." He says, leaning forward slightly in his seat, "What is it you would be here to investigate, Ardira? I assume you've decided to ask of me what I may know, I shall be flattered if that's true. Then again, perhaps it was merely my ears that had me on the list of useful confidants." He smiles, clearly joking about them both being elven.

"But if there's anything at all I can provide, so be it. Emberwynd is a home that has been well to me, I wish to pay it the same respects."

“It was definitely the ears,”
Spoiler
she smirks, holding one hand to her lips to stifle a giggle. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sidris.”

Ardira clears her throat, expression appearing more serious now as she momentarily casts a glance around the room in search of her group — lingering on the table Ophelia sat at for a few seconds longer before returning her attention to the man in front of her.

“We were originally tasked to get to the bottom of what happened to the building that has, to all appearances, aged beyond comprehension,” she explains, waving a hand with a controlled grace. “But it seems that your little town has another problem.” Ardie frowns, taking a sip of her wine.

“Missing fishermen, or so I’ve heard.” she continues, nodding her head in the direction of Frank, the man she’d been tipped on interrogating. “I‘ve been told that man over there might know something— but I thought I’d come to you beforehand…”

"I'd be offended if it wasn't."
Spoiler
He plays along, Sidris follows her gaze, looking around at the rest of the room, "Ah, that one, I think everyone is somewhat stumped. The building was entirely fit for purpose just the night before, as nice as any other among Emberwynd's walls. People believe it may have been a form of magical explosion but for something of that scale, I can't imagine many of us would've stayed asleep through the consequences."

"That man over there, a human named Frank. He's a personable sort, or he was. Not long after the building had met its current fate, he returned from one of his fishing hauls I believe, spoke something about missing men wandering out of the lake, your usual haunting endeavour." Sidris breathes through his nose, a very elven action as he pauses to speak clearly, "Normally, I admit, I'd be the sort to question the man's mental abilities, but look at him."

"I've a new name for traumatised, Frank." He scoffs, lightening the topic with a joke, "Since he's made his return, he's been rather out of sorts. Distant, on edge. Once he settles in to a conversation he's rather normal, but at first he speaks like a man who's seen something he aught not to have."

"Do these missing fishermen perhaps have something to do with the building you're investigating?"

“I’m likely to believe so.”

Ardira taps a finger to her chin in thought, pouting slightly as she stares out of the window for a brief moment.

“The timing… surely it’s no coincidence?” she murmurs, narrowing her eyes before she turns back to the man. “The incident with the building, crazed or missing fishermen, the void energy…”

Ardira’s brow creases with concern — the description of Frank sounding frighteningly familiar to her father’s recent behaviour. She chuckles softly at his joke — but her distraction is evident.

“I suppose I’ll have to have a word with him,” she sighs, crossing her arms idly. “ Sidris… is there anything else you’ve seen? Some other strange happenings that could be connected to it all?”

"You know, the only thing that really strikes me as odd was a gathering of people in dark clothing heading towards a jewellery store, turns out it was just a few bandits that like to call themselves the Scarlet Hand. They got chased off by the local guards for a robbery attempt."

"Ah- I'm not really one for music. I prefer the strikes of my hammer against metal rather than the melody of an instrument. Sometimes I swear I can hear the faintest echo of a song. My forge is not too far from the ruined building, so I'm probably just being paranoid." He shrugs, "If you'd like to talk to Frank, I'm sure he'd welcome the company, but don't expect anything more than the story we've all heard a hundred times over. Fishermen went missing, he went on his usual business, he saw them as undead creatures of the night. Rather simple really, and yet he does manage to make it take an awfully considerable amount of time to tell the tale."

"You know- it's only just dawned on me in this moment. Why not head to the market? If you really are certain this is the route you and your party wish to follow, there are plenty of fishermen still hanging around the area and they're well...not Frank'd shall we say?"

“The Scarlet Ha—”

Ardira flinches at the sudden sound of a loud crash behind her, turning on instinct to see what caused the commotion.

“Oh dear…” she utters, wincing at the sight of poor Nezryn. “I think that’s my queue to take my leave.” Ardie sighs with a frown, taking a final sip of her wine and carefully sliding it to the side of the table.

“I’ll remember your concern about the music. You may think it’s silly— but with everything going on…” she motions around her with a sigh. “You never know.”

“The market shall be on my list of next stops, then.” Ardira smiles warmly at Sidris, gently ghosting a hand on his shoulder as she stands. “I’ll make sure to let you know if anything comes of it.”

She steps away without another word, sweeping her hand from the elf to softly guide Ophie by the wrist, away from the crowd.

“Are you ok?” she asks her friend with genuine concern.

Key NPCs

Key Locations

Important Info

Recap

At The Firepit, Ardira gathers crucial rumours from barmaid Aggie Daris, learning that Emberwynd’s fishing industry has collapsed due to disappearances and fears of a lake curse. She then speaks with blacksmith Sidris Yuren, who confirms the building’s sudden decay and describes Frank- a shaken fisherman who claims to have seen undead along the lake. With signs pointing toward the lake and corroborated unease among locals, the investigation shifts toward questioning fishermen in the market.