Rhiavet smiles faintly. "Other than the fact that it was the size of a house, nothing unusual about the boar. We weren't in the village for the snake, unfortunately, it happened about a month ago and our stint here is three weeks. All my soldiers are recovering well from the battle, the Healing Hand has detected no sign of infection. The thing was big, but we drove it back to the manifest zone. I hope you're planning on renewing the razed border," she adds. "The whole expanse around the zone is starting to get overgrown, it'll need fresh burning. My rendesa nearly tripped several times getting the boar back. Are there any other events you're thinking of?"

"We may need to speak to the Healing Hand directly then about the infection. Did the previous squad tell you anything of particular note about the snake attack?" Taran starts off asking, "Infections caused by Zone incursions can be troublesome depending on the cause. I would want to make sure it isn't spore based, it would be a terrible mistake to burn the border only to accidentally infect the entire town because we were not thorough and careful. There seem to also be murmurs of things missing, supplies being stretched unusually thin and porjects going uncompleted. Is this do to further zone activity, or do you suspect something else at play?"

Vishal nods and very slowly, obviously still learning, he tries to sign to everyone, “I magic eye ear anywhere no eye them.” 

Translation: I have the Clairvoyance spell prepared to use to spy on people. 

Caelius signs,

Caelius repeats the sentence slowly, allowing Vishal ample space to mimic his gestures.

Rhiavet shakes her head. "The last group was gone a few days before we arrived, just like we'll leave a couple days before the Tam Mesk contingent arrives." She frowns at Taran's next set of questions. "I've noticed it. I can't think how the Verge would be responsible, so it must be an issue within the town. However, I assume that Fali, the Thousand Eyes agent in town, would have taken action if anything that truly threatened the Path of Inspiration was occurring."

Vishal repeats the gestures nodding yes but also clarifying, “See or hear not both at same time.”

Caelius nods,

Taran nods, "You will be leaving in the morning then? I heard that the Tam Mesk contingent would be here in three days. It is part of what worries people about the missing supplies. I wonder if it is rodents, but that wouldn't account for everything I think. Perhaps something with a rapid plant or fungus, but that would be more obvious."

Taran shakes his head, "Is there anything you think we should know? Involving the town or the Verge, I would not want to misstep or make life more difficult for Fali."

Rhiavet nods. "Tomorrow at midday, technically. We'll head for a border fort on the Syrkarn border." She chuckles briefly. "I'll leave the detective work to you and Eye Fali. It's not my place on the Path. There is nothing else I can think of that you should know. May the il-altas guide you on your task," she says warmly.

Vishal nods before signing, “Ten minutes”

"Thank you, and may they guide you as well." Taran said in the same slow and stilted manner. "If there is nothing I can help you or your people with, then I shall take my leave."

Taran stands up, and leaves the mess area. He will wonder around the village for a short time. To sell his cover, he will be looking for any signs or clues to this infection or any trouble from the Verge, but his true purpose is to scope out the town a bit and get a good sense for the lay of the land and various extraction strategies they could use.

OOC: Taran, Perception please.

Taran moves around the village and gets a general sense of its layout. There are three roads leading out, all converging at the monolith. The fourth path from the monolith leads to the crystal palace where Shiaali lives. Unfortunately, beyond the basic layout of the village, he's not able to learn much else, as everyone else is either finishing their meal or going to bed, so there's not much of the usual activity of the village ocurring.

OOC: Map going up in Discord

Having gotten a general sense of the village, Taran will head back to the barracks and their sleeping quarters.

(Let me know if you want me to talk to the group immediately, or if we are waiting to align timelines)

"Keep them distracted for me." Vishal signs hoping they'll make some noise and such as he goes into the corner and starts to cast his spell, trying to see inside the monolith some more. 

Vishal casts his spell, and his sensor appears in the middle of the hanbanali monolith. Inside, he sees the familiar setup of a slim crystal core, glowing a gentle green. Around the sensor, the shimmering crysteel walls arch up, encasing it in a shell of metal. Four ten foot high archways are set in the crysteel shell, each aligned with one of the roads leading away from the monolith and into the village.

Vishal uses the sensor to try and see if he can find anyone hanging around the monolith, perhaps meeting here while everyone else is eating. 

Vishal moves his sensor around, checking out the interior of the monolith in addition to the white flower-filled gardens around outside of the monolith. However, he finds no sign of anyone meeting furtively now.

Taran arrives back at the barracks to see the group scattered around the room finishing dinner and practicing sign language, Vishal focusing on a spell in the corner.

Taran walks in and sits on their cot, rearranging his gear.

"I spoke with the locals." He says, painfully slow, "There are a few pieces of interest. There is a wall that has been damaged. A Boar attack from the Verge a few days ago, driven off by the guard. They will be leaving tomorrow, replaced by a new contingent in three days time. A snake attacked during the previous guard's rotation, and there seems to be an illness spreading from the event. Supplies are also going missing, though whether they are stolen or something else is undetermined. It is possible there is a fungal situation going on, but impossible tot tell for now."