Q:
Have there been other notable events in the past two weeks?
Say, a festival? Religious ceremony? Wandering priest taking up residence?
Government official visiting? Any madmen recently removed from town?
A: No, nothing that stands out.
Q: What sort of insects (Ants? Roaches? Flies)?
Did the vicious vermin appear shortly after the first youngster went missing?
Why do you think the events are related?
A: There has just been sighting so far. Mostly
the reports are of large beetles and crawling things. No one has been directly confronted
by one. I cannot tell you if the events are related or not but the timing is
suspicious.
Q: Who has seen these bugs? Exactly
how big are they? Where
and when were they seen?
A: There have been several reports by various citizens. Accounts
differ but the creatures are reported to be somewhere between cat and dog
sized. All the reports have happened within the last several days.
Q: Do you have any idea what might have happened to the apprentices?
A: “No, I truly
don’t. From what I gather, their masters mostly think they’ve just momentarily
run off. The longer they’re missing, however, the more worried the townsfolk
will become. I do hope you find them safe and sound soon.”
Q: Is the missing haberdasher apprentice the son/daughter of
the master?
A: Betrona is the daughter of the haberdasher, Petrello
Pindlion.
Q: We should have a look around the park. It looks like the apprentice disappearances ring around it. And what better place to look for Nature's Creatures than a park?
A: That is not a park but rather Saringallow Orchard, the community apple orchard. The family that previously tended the trees left to fight in the Goblinblood Wars and never returned. In the 15 years since their departure, the responsibility of caring for the trees and harvesting the apples has rotated between citizens who lack a livelihood of their own.
Q:
Sorry can you tell us about town history?
A:
Trinelli sighs and gazes out the picture window beside her desk. “It’s a
painful history,” she admits, “but more than a hundred years ago, our town was
little more than rural holdings belonging to Cheliax’s House Sarini. At some
point, the Sarinis began dabbling in diabolism. It made everyone uncomfortable
by all accounts, but no one said anything until it was too late.”
She pauses, and when she continues her voice is
filled with palpable anger. “Those horrible nobles exsanguinated several
innocent youths in service to their dark patrons, like they were nothing but
toys. The townspeople rose up, and in their rage, they hanged every Sarini they
could get their hands on. They changed the town’s name to Sarini Gallows as a
warning, though it eventually became Saringallow. Since then we’ve never
knowingly suffered a Sarini’s presence in our town.”
The
mayor takes a deep breath, calming the passion that welled inside her while
recounting the tale. “However,” she continues, “We paid a price back then even
beyond the lives of those young people. During the hangings, the townspeople
began turning on each other, accusing folks of diabolism at every turn. The
real villains lost their lives, but so did many innocent people, and I can’t
allow that to happen again. If I do, I’ll very likely have blood on my hands.”
Q:
We were all under the assumption that we don’t want to ask
a bunch of questions because we don’t want people to get fear and move out of
the city causing panic. Why do you believe
that will happen?
A:
Trinelli pauses as if unsure whether to continue, before taking a resolute swig
from the large mug of tea on her desk. “As you likely know, the people of
Saringallow are a superstitious lot, and with good reason—our community has
been through its share of hardships, particularly when it comes to our
vulnerable youth. If folks begin to assume that foul play is behind the
apprentices’ disappearances, they might decide to mete out justice against an
innocent person. Or if they come to believe the two situations are related,
they may begin to suspect a diabolic or otherwise foul influence, and there
would be panic in the streets. Under no circumstances can I allow that to
happen.”
Q:
Do you not have the skills to investigate this matter
yourself or are you too busy?
A:
“I would, but you can see how busy I am.” Mayor Trinelli gestures to the mess
of documents around her. “And if I were to step away, my absence would soon
become obvious. On top of that, I’d have to involve a least a small contingent
of the guard—they’re a talkative lot who would no doubt reveal the nature of my
inquiries. You see how my hands are tied. I need help, preferably outside help.
You seem like the perfect candidates.”
Q: I don’t suppose we could get an advance
on payment? It looks like we'll need some anti-vermin gear...
A: I am sorry, while I am sympathetic to your concern, I can
only afford to pay for actual results.
