The night still young after the Adventures Guilds first day and Valendryan and Phlipper having told their tale it was not time for Nillian and Alfie to do the same. During the time Phlipper and Valendryan were unsuccessful in finding work inside Rolent, Nillian and Alfie decided to take the search to a more personal level going door to door in one of the neighborhoods in the trade district. The first notable character they met was a extremely old man by Human standards who knew something was up.
“Yeah i seen some trouble in these parts.” The old man started.
“Little green men... Germalins that’s what they’re called they work for a Medusa who steals people, also they steal peoples boots during the night, and sometimes if the poor fellow who is targeted by their evil gaze has taken precautions to hide their boots they take the person instead and bring them to the Medusa!” Rasped the old man.
“Thank you kind sir we will definitely take a look into these Germalins and Medusa for you, if you run across any other trouble don’t hesitate to send word to the Adventures Guild.” Replied the kind hearted Alfie.
“You put to much weight into crazy peoples word Alfie.” Said Nillian as the pair was walking toward the next row of houses.
For the next hour the pair continued door to door asking if the people knew anything about the missing people the old man had been talking about but no one seemed to know anything and if they did they were withholding, until they came across a nice pleasant house on the edge of one of the back alleys that had beautiful flowers hanging on either side of entry way.
The pair was greeted by a portly middle aged Human woman who had a troubled look in her eyes.
“Greetings this here is my friend Nillian and we’re representatives of the the Adventures Guild and were wondering if you knew anything about missing people?” Asked Alfie
That train of thought seemed to strike a nerve as she asked the pair to come inside and sit down because she had just made some tea.
“O yes my own Husband Walt hasn’t returned home in some days now and i’m beginning to think that he was abducted i’ve taken my concerns to the towns guards but they seem to have their hands full with “More pressing matters”” my name's Helen by the way. Said the soft spoken woman.
“If you don’t mind maybe my friend Nillian could find something around the house that might lead us to where he could have gone? I could also try to locate him with some item that might have a special connection with him like the missing pair to a set of wedding rings?” Said Alfie.
“O i’ve looked around the house more than once but your friend is more than welcome to give it a go if you think it could help find my Walt.” Said Helen with the faintest trace of hope in her voice.
Alfie noticed her unconsciously playing with her ring finger pushed a little and managed to get her to hand it over even though Helen clearly held deep meaning for the ring.
Alfie began to cast a locating spell while Nillian searched the house and after about 15 minutes Nillian returned with nothing but a bill of sale for a wagon. Alfie wasn’t able to sense the rings pair and returned the ring but the bill of sale might lead to something so the pair asked Helen if her husband had any of his wagon makers tools around.
“Yes i’ll go get them dearies.” Helen said as she got up from the dining room table.
She returned with a belt of tools that Alfie attempted his spell on again this time met with success the missing tools to the belt were west of here deeper into the human district of Rolent.
Alfie having returned all but one tool of the belt to Helen told her that they’re going to look into this further and will update her if they learn anything new.
The journey to the wagon makers shop took them about 30 minutes and when they arrived the caught some rats entering the building. The pair walked up to the door and knocked only to be answered by silence. They tried two more times but no one seemed to occupying the building so Alfie took a lookout position while Nillian worked to use his lockpicks to open up the door.
The pair had no trouble and easily slipped inside to be greeted by a vast empty room with clear absences of where tools should be and where wagons parts should. Out of the corner of Alfies eye he saw a rat scurry across the edge of the room and out a side door so without hesitation he followed and just caught the edge of the rats rump crawling into a drainage hole in the center of the workshops room.
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“Nillian you check out this place i’m going to see where that rat is going.” Said Alfie.
“How are you going to fit in that pipe Alfie i know us Gnomes are small but let's not get ridiculous…” He was saying this he watched as Alfie changed forms into a rat a proceed to go down the pipe.
“Druid’s man i’ll never get used to their magic.” Nillian mumbled to himself as he went about looking over the warehouse.
Alfie followed the pipe down and down twisting and turning crawling along until he turned one bend only to be greeted by what he thought to be the rat that he had followed down here. With practiced skill of persuading animals with his Druidic abilities he attempted to tell the rat to move along so that they could continue on down the pipes but instead of the feeling of conformation that usually came along with these types of spells Alfie was met with resistance as his magic failed him and just as suddenly as his magic failed him the rat attacked Alfie in rat form. The battle didn’t last very long as Alfie was able to strengthen his claws and skin with other spells but something he did notice when he dealt the killing blow is that it seemed that some otherworldly presence was released from the foe rat just before it died. Quickly now Alfie scurried along and saw an opening into the sewers but when he looked out into the sewers the only thing that caught his attention was a cloaked figure sitting still while rats came and went bringing him shiny things sometimes gold coins but no people being abducted so Alfie decided it best to return rather than face the foe alone.
“There you are, did you find anything interesting?” Said Nillian as Alfie returned to him Gnome form.
“Just some “Ratmancer” but nothing to lead us toward the missing people.” Replied Alfie.
“Boy o boy do i have news for you check this out.” Said Nillian as he led Alfie to the back wall of the workshop and with some fiddling of the toolbench he unhatched a hidden compartment that held a brand new wagon.
“What’re we going to do with a wagon Nillian.” Glowered Alfie.
“An Adventurer's Guild could always use something to transport it’s supplies.” Replied Nillian not chastised at all.
“Well we shouldn’t move it until we find out what happened to the wagon maker.” Conceded Alfie.
The pair agreed to stake out the warehouse now that it was just past noon. Six hours had past with nothing out of the ordinary happening Nillian had grown bored after the only thing that happened was he was two humans one wearing some finer clothing than the other make some sort of deal down another alley but thinking nothing of it decided that he was going to return to the Guild to see if Valendryan and Phlipper had, had any luck.
Alfie stuck it out and his patience was rewarded with the obvious departure of Nillian followed a rat leaving the warehouse’s wagon door as quick as he was able to he too turned into a rat and began to follow the rat down the cobbled street and again came face to face with a rat but this time the rat squeaked as if to talk to Alfie.
Alfie not having the ability to speak with animals as an animal just tried to move past the rat as he could see the one that he had followed was still moving down the road but the other rat moved to block him and again tried to squeak to Alfie.
This wasn’t going anywhere Alfie knew so he turned into his Gnome self and walked past the rat and began to jog to try to see where the rat he had been following was going.
Suddenly Alfie felt a surge of pain come from his back left shoulder and when he whirled around to face the attacker he was met with a greasy unkempt human.
“You think you’re so great going around town prancing around like a rat? You don’t know nothing about being a rat.” Spat the human as he was preparing to strike again at Alfie.
Alfie called upon the remaining sunlight as it was getting late now and soon the moon would hold domain and summoned a mighty Flame Sword and slashed at the attacker but was unable to land a blow as the Human sprang backward fearing the blade of flame and proceeded to turn into a rat as he was running away but not with the grace or elegance that Alfie had done it but with a more brutal efficient way that immediately singled him out to a Druid as a Wererat.
The attacker gone Alfie dismissed the sword and healed his wound after checking to make sure he had not been in contact with the lycanthropic disease and then headed back to the guild house to report the news that the city had a Wererat problem.
“Ok ok but where are the Germalins that take people’s boots?” Asked Valendryan
“I’m pretty sure that old man was just crazy talking about Germalins and a Medusa.” Replied Nillian.
A knock came from the door this put the Guild on edge as it was starting to get very late at night but Valendryan was never one to show fear in front of his companions went over to the door and opened it.
“Greetings “Adventurer's Guild” My names Darfin Faewarin and i was hoping to contract you and your companions to keep the peace during my patrons next viewing party. The pay will be twenty silver a piece for a couple hours of work and the party is black tie only It will be held at “The Auction House” in the Human district three days from now.” Said the extremely well dressed Human buttler.
Stunned by the torrent of information Valendryan had just received Nillian swooped in and said that they would take the job.
Over the next two days leading up to the Guard duty the Guild had their suits tailored and a rush order placed for twenty silver coins, they also proceeded to stakeout the location and look for any possible ways Nillian would think that a team of thieves would take to steal any of the valuable art and cost them their modest payday.