“RI is unconscious, like this man.  I left her in my room at the Inn.   I don’t know the stranger you mentioned  either.” Tess says 

Randal looks at the inn suspiciously “Well, should we make our way to the inn and find out what is going on?”  He shows no strong desire to visit the inn and encounter the man he saw earlier.  “Or do we have other leads?”  He looks back at Tess “You were at the inn, Tess, is it worth returning?  We found precious little information with Ireen this morning."

Lyla internally wrestles with her reluctance to enter the inn again compared to her curiosity and concern about current events. She desperately hopes Tess has found out more and agrees wholeheartedly with Randal's assessment that they have been given precious little information - not just while talking with Ireen this morning, but throughout her whole stay at Rivulestice. Of course, this only outwardly manifests with a troubled look on her face and a noise of agreement as she continues to look to Tess for answers. 

While the three are talking, several of the men leave the inn. The man they carried, not surprisingly, was not among them. Not long after, another man leaves the inn. Noting you three, he approaches. He looks concerned, irritated, and restless. "You, again." His basso calls. He doesn't sound as if he's blaming anyone, just stating a fact. "I saw you here this morning, too." His short hair is black, he is very tall and muscular. He has short, black hair and... tusks? Small, tusks, barely visible, but definitely there, their tips just slightly peeking above his lower lip. A Half-Orc, Randal and Tess know. Lyla has heard stories of these people and can be pretty sure he is what she assumes, but never met one herself.

"Did you hear anything," he asks, looking at Tess mostly, but occasionally studying the other two with a brief yet thorough glance. "Did you manage to find the horses?"

“No luck finding anything, Temke” (assuming this is temke).  “And we’ve had a further mystery, with people getting a mysterious Illness, into a slumber that they cannot be woken from.”   Tess says

(Indeed, it is.)

"That I'm fully aware of." Temke - as Tess called him - answers. "After your friend this morning, I have begun to wonder. Nobody has seen this man" he indicates towards the inn "for a few days now, even though he was supposed to help out with something. I went and checked, and found him in his bed. Pale as the moon and light as a feather, but otherwise appears to be sleeping, and nothing more. Did you happen to see anyone else like this - sleeping unnaturally?" He asks, this time passing his eyes over each of you three, giving each a chance to answer.

(Unless Firexx here is forgetting something,) Lyla cannot remember ever seeing something like this before.

"No, I'm sure I would recall something so bizarre if I had seen it before," she says. "I have seen trances, but not sleep like that."

She turns to the half-orc. "Temke, was it? I'm Lyla. Unfortunate, the circumstances that we're meeting under. You live in Rivulestice here, I suppose?" 

(No, you are not.)

"No, but I visit every year around this time, to partake in the festival." He's direct, and although not rude, he is not polite either. Just skipping introductions, his eyes suggest he does not ignore Lyla. She has a feeling he's not the type to forget people he sees. "And I've never seen you before, so neither do you. Wouldn't you think this is quite odd? Strangers come to town and suddenly a strange unexplained phenomenon is first witnessed, as well as many stolen things all around town. Some might think it is no mere coincidence."

For a moment he is quiet, but then continues as if nothing happened. "Anyway, if you do see anyone, try to bring them here - to the inn - or call someone you can see. People will either help you or call for more help, surely. We're trying to think of a better place to put those... sick, we'll call them. I don't want panic spreading around town, so keep the strange nature of this to yourselves, please." More than a request, it sounds like orders, or at least, instructions. 

Lyla:

“Your right, we are new to town” Randal eyes Temke warily, skipping introductions on his own part as well. “Seems like there are a lot of new faces in town.  Fancy folks from the capital.  We even hear there is one of the smallfolk in town.  Have you seen any halflings?” 

Randal glances back at the inn. “The inn is as good as place as any to keep them.  We will keep our eyes and ears open.  Believe it or not, we are not here to cause any trouble.  What does Sier think about this illness? I figure that old elf would have some answers, or an idea at least.”

Randal pauses “Wait, you mentioned stuff being stolen from all around town?  We heard about the horses, we are helping Leacy find hers.  What else is missing?”

Lyla quickly thinks, then remembers something. As Randal is talking to Temke, she turns quietly to Tess, and speaks softly, not intending for the others to hear:

"No," answers Temke, "I have not seen any Halflings. For one reason or another, none of them has lived in Rivulestice in many years now. They're seldomly spotted as visitors here, and that's about it. As for stuff being stolen... nothing too special. Some food, clothes, tools... all kinds of things, really. Strangely, very few jewellery or coins were taken." 

Temke sighs and shakes his head. "These are troubling times, troubling times indeed. I can't stand and chat here all day, there is still much for me to do. May Oruthia keep us all safe during her festival tomorrow, at least." And, with no further parting words, Temke walks away from the three of you, passing the bridge and towards the shrines. 

Randal watches Temke move away.  “Troubling times, indeed.” Randal replies as he moves out of sight.  He turns to his companions. “I am out of leads, and ideas.  Shall we go to the inn and see what we can find out about this illness? I would be interested in what Sier knows.” 

Randal pauses and looks at Lyla “Ri mentioned some sort of job Sier had for you two. Retrieving something from below the inn, could it be related to any of this?”

(Was waiting for a response from Tess, but before we move on, I'm wondering- would it be possible to catch up with Temke and say a couple more things, or is he moving quick enough to already be gone?)

(You can definitely catch up to him.)

Lyla catches up to Temke. "Temke!" she calls out as she reaches him and matches his stride, "Where are you staying this evening? I have heard that you may have met a relative of mine, and would love to chat about it further. Either way, I am looking for a place to stay other than in the inn, and even as a visitor you appear to have good knowledge of this town."

(OOC: Thought I'd just send a post to get started and hopefully everyone comes back!) 

(Good idea.)

Temke keeps walking, but slows down a bit, so it's comfortable to walk and speak simultaneously for both Lyla and himself. "I'm staying in my home, naturally." Temke answers and then proceeds to explain. "I may not live here all year-round, but I was born and raised in this town. I return each year for Oruthia's festival, though. You could call me a visitor, but I still consider myself a resident of this town, to a certain degree. For that reason, I still keep my house. I'd offer it to someone else when I'm gone, but the town has many empty, deserted houses as it is, so nobody truly needs it." 

Lyla only:

 (Randal and Tess, decide whether you follow with Temke and Lyla or not. You hear all the above regardless, but if not, you won't hear the rest, as the two will be too far to hear.)

For Lyla, and anyone who catches up to her and Temke:

Randal takes one long look back at the inn.  He was in no hurry to spend another night there, especially with those visitors from the capitol. “Wait up!” he calls after Temke and Lyla and hurries to catch up.  “That’s a kind offer” Randal replies to Temke’s suggestion “I do know someone else in town, though.  Naran.  We met when I first arrived. Do you happen to know where he lives?”

Tess also doesn’t want to be left behind. She catches up with Randall.  “I’ll stick with you all- although I should return to my room at the inn to check on things every day. “. 

"Naran." Temke repeats in a serious tone. "I don't think you'll be able to stay in his house, either. We just carried him out of there. He was the one we carried into the inn." He then turns to Tess and adds. "Same as your friend was. One from out of town is strange. Two, including a resident, is concerning. And it seems, the only link connecting the two are..." Temke stops and turns to you three. "You. Who have also been present here both times we brought them. Wouldn't you find that strange?"

The sun, right behind the Half-Orc man, forces you to shift your eyes. Yet, you feel he's studying your every expression. Your every move. "I don't blame people without proof, yet I cannot ignore where all the signs direct me. More than I care about how the three of you see me, I care about the safety of the town and its people."

"I understand."

DM:

 "Of course anyone with a personal connection to this town would care about the safety of its residents. However, the only link I see is coincidence. If two people from out of town being in the same place is a strange occurrence, then it seems utterly absurd that the four of us are all standing here right now, having never met each other before this trip here." 

At this, Lyla takes a subtle step away from the other two. Her intention is clearly to remind or inform Temke that the three of them did not come together or know each other before arriving.

"Well, I suppose we better go find an empty house to sleep in before it gets dark. Temke, if you ever met or heard about an Olivia residing here, let me know when you will be available, preferably sooner rather than later. " She makes pointed eye contact at him. "Unless you think you might be able to spare a few minutes now?"