The village of Alderey is located on the Bay of Storms and about an 8 hour journey by foot from the town of Gillesburg. The wind is blowing in off the Bay, as is normal in the town. A ship has recently docked, with goods being offloaded from the hold. Allorian has arrived in town on this ship to meet up with Bayard and Xarrut.

The wooden sign outside the building at the end of the dock is blowing back and forth in the wind. The sign depicts a whale leaping over waves. As is normal at mid-morning, the Breaching Whale is sparsely occupied, with a male half-elf tending bar, and a couple sailors sitting at the bar. Bayard and Xarrut are sitting at a table awaiting the arrival of Allorian.

In the two weeks that Bayard and Xarrut have been staying at the Breaching Whale, sailors have been talking about the increased frequency of pirate ships attacks. The pirates are said to speak a strange language, and to take captives from the ship. They are decorated with strange tattoos that no one recognizes.

In addition, there are rumors of children disappearing from the town.

Bayard Duskdraft is a tall, solidly built man with short cut black hair and sea green-gray eyes set in a tanned and weather beaten face. He wears chainmail casually and has a javelin, warhammer and a shield with the symbol of Valkur on it resting on the table beside him. He's currently sitting at his table and finishing off his second tankard, despite the early hour, and with it the last of the money made from selling the longboat they'd woken up in after the attack. Looking over at his equally lucky (unlucky?) companion, "So, you're sure you don't know him? I thought all you nobles knew each other? Anyway, he should be here soon, maybe you'll recognize him when you see him."

Caliban Dune -

Walking into the Breaching Whale is a tall and muscular human with long grey hair, who’s youthful appearance does not fit the obvious premature greyness. He is walking with a cane but does not carry a limp of any sort.  It was upon closer inspection that those looking notice that it is not a cane after all but a warhammer, the head held in his hand and the pommel upon the floor. With a sword at his hip and the well-worn scale mail armor he looks like a man ready for a fight, but the disarming smile he on his face betrays the gentleness within him.  He walks up to the bar and orders a mead and asks the bartender “I am new in town and looking for work.  I have heard there have been disappearances.  I would like to help investigate that.  Can you point me in the right direction?”

Lucien Fairmore a   Half-elf of average height and a fairly slender build, medium-length black hair, green eyes,   and a noticeable but small scar just above his right eye. He wears a plain grey tunic and dark pants. He is sitting at a table reading a letter, the Half-elf frowns as the folds the piece of paper before shoving into his pocket.  "I have no idea how she keeps finding out where I am".  Lucien mutters to himself, this was the third letter he'd received from his sister insisting that he return to Gillesburg.

“No, never seen him before... I think. Nobles rarely talk to anyone outside their own circle unless they need something. Then it’s just passing faces of rare memorable quality. I could’ve met this man twelve times and still might not remember.” 
Xarrut is sitting back with a mug in one hand and the other on a long, decorative black cane with a silver head of some sort of fanged creature.

Xarrut is a quintessential Tiefling, with red skin, red horns which swoop back like a pair of steer’s horns. He has purple, pupiless eyes, and and medium length black hair. The tail is muscled somewhere between a cat and a snake’s, black with no fur. He’s wearing a pair of comfortable, closely fitted pants and a loose shirt. He’s loosened the straps on a leather vest to let some air underneath to his chest. There are a pair of daggers on one hip, and a crossbow strapped to a pack sitting by his feet. There’s a ring on his left hand made of black metal with a remarkable, bright blue gem as the stone.

Allorian walks into the bar. He is a handsome half-elf, delicate features off-set by an intense gray eyes flecked with gold. He is finely dressed in well cared for leather armor and a dark cloak. His gaze seems to pierce every corner of the room before settling on the table with his friend. He looks to the bar and gives a small signal with one hand that lets the bartender know he is to come take his order as he joins Bayard's table. As he locks eyes with Bayard he lets a small smile light his face "Bayard, glad to see you safe and alive." *looks at Xarrut* "Making friends already I see."

When Caliban asked his question of the bar keep, the half-elf gave a skeptical response. “Disappearances?? Bah, more like men running out to sea to get away from their wives or girlfriends, or boys running off because they think the seas will be easier labor than hauling crates across the docks. Did you know that most of the sailors in this town got their start by sneaking aboard a ship to get away from a pregnant girl. The smart ones never returned.”

Shortly after Allorian  walks in and makes his hand motion, the bartender walks over to the table and asks "What can I get you gentlemen?"

Bayard laughs easily, “You know me, but the sea gets credit for this one. He was a passenger on board ship, we were trying to get him and a few others to safety during the attack, but I must have been hit from behind because the next thing I remember is waking in the longboat with him watching our ship burn and sink.”

"A round of drinks, something cheap that burns on the way down, I tire of the sweet wines preferred by my normal company. And food, whatever you have is fine." 

To Xarrut- "I am sorry that you had to go through this on board one of my family's ships. I am Allorian Silverfin, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances." 

To Bayard- "Well friend, lets have a drink and you can tell me everything you remember. My father has tasked me with investigating the incident and it sounds as if we are not the only family affected by this. Tell me everything you remember..."

I will ask him questions over the course of the next hour (however long it takes) about the ship, flags or markings, ship type, the pirates description, languages they heard if any, direction from which they attacked, etc..

Xarrut is happy to nod along at the appropriate places and let Bayard tell the story. His mind wanders a little and he starts eavesdropping on the fellow talking about missing children

Lucien knew what needed right now was a drink getting out of his chair, he made his way over to the bar carefully so he didn’t’ bump into any of the other patrons. “Excuse me, barkeep, could I get some whisky if you have any if not I’d  take an ale instead.”  The Half-elf said politely,  “Also if you don’t mind my asking have you heard any interesting news.”  He asked, Lucien, didn’t’ know much about the village as he was just passing through and this was his first time in he’d come to this village.

The tall human that was sitting at the bar overhears the group at the table talking about the pirate attack and walks over to the table. “Excuse me” he says with a charming smile “I don’t mean to pry, but I couldn’t help but overhear your discussion about pirate.  I find the topic intriguing. Do you mind if I join you so that I might listen in more?”

“Oh, where have my manors gone? I am Caliban”

Allorian appraises Caliban with a critical eye, noting his armaments and how casually he carries himself in his armor. "You do mean to pry...and that is fine. Please, join us. I think we may have ways in which we can be useful to each other. I am Allorian, this is Xarrut and Bayard. What brings you to this fine establishment?" Waves for Caliban to grab a chair and join the table. 

Bayard kicks a chair out for Caliban, "Have a seat, have a drink. As for the night of the attack, we were attacked at night, I wasn't on watch and by the time I awoke, we were under attack. It was not going well. I tried to help evacuate Xarrut and the other passengers in the longboat but was struck from behind and was knocked out. When I woke up I was in the boat with him, watching our ship burn in the fog and dark. As near as I could tell, we were the only survivors, we rowed to shore and made it here, contacted you and waited." 

(@DM, any additional details he'd have had or changes from his backstory?)

Caliban adjusts the seat graciously provided by Bayards foot and takes a sits down before speaking. “Well what brings me to this establishment is food a drink.  But on the grander side of life I have been recently released from my servitude to the church, who has been my guardian for the last 12 years.  See we had a large family but after my father was taken away my mother could not tend to us all.  Being the middle child and the easiest to look over I along with a few of my other middle siblings were given over to the church.”

Caliban pauses and looks to the rafters as he reflects on his past, takes a drink and continues.  “I do not blame my mother; nine children are a lot to take care of alone.  And the church was not bad for me.  They helped me get over the anger in my heart and taught me how to guide it for good.  That is what brought me here.  I was trained to be the hammer and sickle and with my release I have promised to try and help the unfortunate the same way the church help my family”

“Seems these pirates have been pretty active. How does your family intend to address this?” 
Xarrut is looking at Allorian

The bartender pulled a bottle out from under the bar and poured a glass of whiskey for Lucien. "As far as news goes, the earls are fighting among themselves up in Gillesburg. The Vekran want higher taxes on the lumber that gets brought into town, the Seknits want more money for their boatwrights, and the Manzar is talking about raising taxes on goods brought in by boat. I'm sure the Dutchess will put them in their place. She'll get them all to think they won, but, in reality, they'll walk away from the table without any new wealth. Good thing she is around. The Duke will simply stand around and let the Earls do what they want."

"But, people here are more concerned about the pirate attacks. Those fellows over there are from the fifth ship to be taken in the last three months. At least they survived, a couple of the others, all we found were pieces of flotsam washed up on the shore. And, then there are those, like that man" the bartender says, pointing at Caliban, "who are spreading rumors about people disappearing. They're as bad as old Baltak. The drunkard is going around claiming to have seen lights in Old Town. No one in their right mind would go over there, 'specially after dark."

ooc I'll let the rest of you continue your interactions unmolested by me ;) Ismenow, other than the details I provided in the first post, you have nothing additional to add. Xarrut can confirm that he is not familiar with the language the pirates were speaking. The individuals he saw were a mix of half-elves, half-orcs, humans, orcs, and other humanoid species.

Tandal walks into the bar . Tandal is a short, even for dwarfs.He has a short brown beard. He walks up to a table plops himself down alone. He toys with his ring a begins reading a scroll he keeps around. He then puts away the scrolls, not being able to read over the chatter of the people on the table next to them. "Mind keeping it down!" Tandal says.

Bayard gives the newcomer an amused look, "If you're looking for quiet, you've come to the wrong place. Try that tearoom they call a tavern over by the fisher's part of town."

Chuckles at Bayard and looks over at the dwarf- "Friend, if you are looking for the library you've lost your way...Where have you traveled from? I ask only because I've never been to a place that has quiet taverns unless they are empty. Which leads me to believe that you are from a distant and exotic land." 

*smirks to the others at our table*