"It was no problem sir Vokrun" Dracor would say as the smile returns to his face. "Noble dragonborn like us have to stick together...So what clan do you hail from?" He would continue as he looked over the red dragonborns armor... "you are obviously a powerful knight that has seen... well..  many battles" the gold and silver dragonborn would glance at some of the scratches and dents in his armor... "but I don't see any insignias or family crests..." 

The two dragonborn find several messages pinned to the notice board. 

Dracor's charm and confidence don't go unnoticed by the villagers nearby. His wink elicits a wave of giggle from the women at the well as they exchange amused glances and playful nudges, clearly taken by the noble's charisma.

All of the buildings around look the same, but Wulcrath, with his keen eye, manages to discern a small detail. Above the door of one of those buildings, he spots a weathered village insignia - the very same emblem that the guards earlier had on their uniforms.

"Well, I'm not exactly a Sir so to speak..." Wulcrath shuffles in place a little bit as he fumbles for some kind of quick explanation for Dracor. The Red Dragonborn is ostensibly a Vagabond Sell Sword, that should be plain to see, at least to him. Not every one wearing armor is a Knight, surely? If that's the case, Wulcrath thinks that's he's seen a corpse or two that were quite the Venerable Knights. Regardless of that macabre thought... He's reluctant to disappoint Dracor for some reason. Thankfully, as he spies the village insignia, he also sees his out. "O-oh! There's our Constable, see?" He says, pointing at the door with the aged Insignia. "They could do better to mark it more clearly." He comments.

The Board has certainly caught Wulcrath's silent interest in the few moments he looked it over. Work for a smithy, A Missing cat, something about an Oak? That's not mysterious and strangely foreboding at all. Maybe it's some kind of treasure hunt for the village children? He makes a mental note of it all. And hey... if they find farmer Hal and he's less than well? It might not hurt to bring a shovel anyway.

"Oh yes, right." Dracor would say with a knowing nod... as though reading more into Wulchrath's response than he intended. "Let's go see this Constable... Old Hal isn't going to rescue himself." The dragonborn would then turn to head inside.

Preston follows the group as they head to meet the Constable and get the investigation started.

Ella has admittedly been a bit lost in thought, and maybe a bit in prayer, but despite that and her generally stunted social skills, she does eventually remember manners and courtesy and all that. "Ella," she introduces herself to the dragonborn. "Well, Kariella, technically, but no one calls me that. Ella Oakenheart."

As you follow Wulcrath's lead into the building, it becomes apparent that this place serves as the village guardhouse. Similar in design to the other buildings, it also features two floors.

Upon entering the ground floor, you find yourselves in a large, open room. In the centre stands a massive wooden table, flanked by long benches on the sides. In one of the corners, there is a sturdy chest with a prominent lock. 

Around the walls there are numerous weapon stands, displaying a variety of arms, including swords and bludgeons. Shields of different sizes hang beside them, their surfaces showing signs of wear and tear from their usage through the years. 

In the far corner of the room, there is a second, smaller table. It is covered with scattered books and paper. On the wall adjacent to this workstation, there is a map detailing the village and its surrounding areas.

In this room, you spot two individuals, conversing next to the smaller table. One, dressed in the guard's uniform, appears to have been in the midst of reporting something but falls silent as your group enters. The other, a stern-looking woman with tightly bound grey hair, is attired in a distinct form of light armour, markedly different from the guards' attire. She meets your gaze with a measured appraisal, her authority clear from her demeanour.

She takes one look at you and without a word, dismisses the guard with a flick of her hand. With a curt nod, he leaves you alone with her. 

 "Two dragonborn, a dwarf, and a soldier... You must be the party from the market," she begins, her voice deep and textured, like the seasoned timbre of an old smoker.

"Well yes actually... I think many of the townsfolk were quite impressed with my abilities..." Dracor would reply with a smile and a nod. "Dracor Shimmerscale of the Baldur's Gate Shimmerscale clan at your service... We are here to find your missing farmer... Hal is his name I believe." The noble dragonborn would try his best to stand up straight and puff out his chest.. trying his hardest to make himself seem less scawny compared to the much larger dragonborn next to him. "I was wondering if you had any information to share about the dissapearance... the sooner we get information the sooner we can find this Hal character... I am sure we can have him back here by nightfall if we hurry." Dracor would grin and examine his well manicured claws for a moment before looking back towards the constable. 

Preston stands at attention, his military training kicking in. 

"Apologies for the disturbance. This was an unfortunate misunderstanding. I’m Preston Jaeger, paladin initiate. If I…we can be of any assistance, we’d be happy to help."

Though he’s doing his best to not show it, Preston is feeling a bit nervous. This is the first time he’s had to introduce himself as such. He’s hoping the Constable doesn’t judge them too harshly. Not to mention that this investigation concerns a relative…

Wulcrath tilts his head a bit down at Dracor as the Royal Dragonborn puffs himself up, though he nods as the Seeming Silver Seignior mentions why they're here. He raises a brow, not really sure what he's up to, but he gets a hold of himself before he comments. His Silver eyes meet the gaze of who he assumes is the Constable, and he feels a bit restless under the Human looking Woman's appraisal. She reminds him of his old captain in the guard from his village, uptight and highly strung looking, ready to whip anyone she sees into shape...

He feels some of those old instincts come back to him as he furrows his brow a bit, and nods. A certain tension filling him. "Wulcrath Vokrun. At your disposal Ma'am." The Big Dragonborn replies simply, ready to listen close and keep quiet as if he's being given his orders already. He silently takes note of the interior of the building as he stands, It's much nicer than the old guard quarters were at his home village... 

Ella clasps her hands behind her back, looking up at the woman. She doesn't much like being shorter than everyone, but it is what it is. She's anxious that she's already made a bad impression, that she won't be able to help anyone here at all, that everyone was right--but she can't work herself into a panic over possibilities. Ella takes a breath, trusting her goddess to guide and protect her.

"I'm Kariella Oakenheart, ma'am." This doesn't seem like a nicknames situation, not even nicknames that are more her name than her full name. "I came here to help however I could, and it seems I've found the answer to that question."

Constable Alena listens attentively to each of your introductions, her sharp gaze lingering on Preston for an extra moment as she seems to recognize something in his face.

“Your face... it reminds me of someone,” she muses, narrowing her eyes. “And your name... Is this a coincidence, or do you have family in Meadowhaven, boy?”

As you all finish your introductions, her stern demeanour softens ever so slightly. “Your willingness to assist in these trying times is commendable. You have all arrived at just the right moment. With all these recent incidents, there has been some unrest in the village, and the guards are busy trying to keep order. If you haven't figured it out already, and that would be some bad news for your future careers as investigators, I am Alena, the village constable.” Constable Alena's lips twitch, attempting a brief smile, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. 

With a determined nod, she continues, “Now, let's begin this investigation. Unfortunately, I was away the night Farmer Hal disappeared.”

She reaches for a small leather journal from the table beside her, its pages filled with meticulous notes. “I arrived back at the village last night and managed to speak to Gerda, Farmer Hal's wife, to hear her account.”

Alena's fingers flip through the journal rapidly, finally stopping at a marked page. “So far, it's clear that something woke Hal and Gerda up that night. He went outside to check it out and Gerda is confident he never came back. That's where the mystery begins.” She closes the journal with a satisfying plop, and looks at each of you. “Thankfully, Morris, the guards' captain, has not allowed anyone anywhere near Hal’s farm. I was planning to head over there and have a look at it myself. It is just north of here, ” she points at the map, at a small farm, surrounded by crop fields.

The constable motions for you to wait before she disappears on the upper floor. You can hear her purposeful footsteps echoing as she moves around. A couple of minutes later, she returns, now carrying a backpack. The journal is carefully placed inside, and she adds a longbow and quiver filled with arrows to her preparations.

Finally, she heads for the door, and as she opens it, she turns to look at you all. “It shouldn't take us long to reach the farm,” she declares. “Any questions? Or change of minds?”

Before her exposition of the state of the investigation, Preston would be genuinely surprised that she recognized him. He felt somewhat relieved that she did. Maybe other villagers in town would too, making the search for Hal go smoother.

"Well…Actually, I was born here.", he says with a more relaxed tone. "My parents moved to the city when I was young. Forgive me if I don’t recognize you. I didn’t expect anyone to remember who I am either."

He looks down for a moment, a look of worry on his face. "Farmer Hal’s actually my uncle. I was hoping to help find him."

_________________

After the run-down, Preston pipes up. "Is this an isolated case or were there other strange events prior to Hal’s disappearance?"

"Lead the way." Dracor would reply as he moves to follow her out of the building.

Wulcrath listens silently as the Constable lays out the state of the investigation. And he feels a faint worried frown creep onto his Scaly Visage for Preston. He crosses his arms around himself, his gaze falling downward to his own boots as he thinks. The Big Dragonborn feels for Preston, missing family is difficult... no matter what form that takes. He's ready to follow along once the group, now five strong it seems, is ready to head to Hal's Farmhouse.

Constable Alena leads the group out of the guardhouse with a steady stride, her voice deep and textured as she addresses Preston's question.

“Hm. Difficult to say,” she begins, her wrinkled face and raspy voice thoughtful. “There seem to have been more incidents recently in the village, but it could be just coincidence. Some crops failed seemingly overnight, a few sheep wandered into the forest, and we only found their bones. Some produce was stolen.” She clicks her tongue softly and then shrugs. "Nothing really out of the ordinary for a farming village like ours. But it seems we have been in a bit of a row of unpleasurable events.”

Alena shoots the paladin a look, and then adds, “You won't remember me from when your family was still around here,” she explains. “I had other interests in my youth, and I was never around. The last time I saw your parents, you were just a babe. How is Celica bearing the news of Hal missing?”

The constable then turns her attention to Ella.

“I noticed your amulet. I didn't see it well, but is it Chauntea that you follow as well?”

Ella isn't particularly familiar with Chauntea, but she's heard of her. She's heard of a lot of gods--comes with being raised in a temple. She shakes her head. "I have respect for the Earthmother and her followers, but I do not worship her, no. I serve Sharindlar, the Lady of Mercy."

The Red Dragonborn listens close to Alena and the others., trailing behind a little as he gets lost in thought. Dying crops or missing Produce isn't that weird, But he finds himself wondering what could strip a sheep down to just bone... And then he stops wondering as a chill runs up his back, and he shivers. His only insight being a quiet; "Eueegh..." He doesn't want to know. Really, he'd be better off not knowing. 

The only sound that comes from the big red lizard for now besides his footsteps is the clanking of his chainmail beneath his tattered old traveling clothes. He has no valuable insight on the affairs of Gods and their followers anyhow. His Silver eyes wander out over the hills as he follows the group, stretching himself out a bit and loosening up. Meadowhaven isn't a bad little town... it reminds him of home.

Dracor would follow the group, barley listening to what the constable had to say... he was instead already thinking about the praise they would receive once they found Hal..

Walking alongside Alena, Preston remembers when he heard of Hal’s mysterious disappearance. Celica, his mother, was the one who gave him the news. He remembers that moment vividly.

"She’s worried, of course. I imagine she’d wish to be here if she could, if at least to be there for Gerda. I hope I can find Hal."

He also takes in all the information about the recent troubles that the village has been having.