August 7, Year 3488 (SE 118)
After three days of travel, the party have arrived at Barar, shortly after noon. Barar is a small but prosperous town of under 1000 inhabitants. Its location along the route between Viskha and Agrodaun makes it a good stop for traders and caravans.
Soon after the party arrive, they decide to split up and investigate, searching for clues as well as pursuing personal interests. Flossaria, finding that the town contains a temple of Mung, goes there to ask questions. Sharla also asks around at the local temples, which turn out to include temples of Mung, Slid, and Kib. She focuses on the temple of Kib, since she hasn't been to a temple of that God yet, and purchases a holy symbol at add to her collection.
Zedlyn goes to talk to the local town guards, hoping his experience as a mercenary will allow him to fit in with them. P'hla goes to the local tavern to question the common people. Finally, Iriellis goes directly to the merchants in town to ask them.
Of all the characters, only Iriellis meets any real success. From the merchants in town, she learns that caravans have indeed been regularly going missing on the road between Viskha and Barar over the last few months - about one in ten has been disappearing. Two of the missing caravans were recently discovered. The first showed very obvious signs of combat, with blood and gore all over the wagons and all valuables and individuals missing. The other was much stranger - the traders and the cargo missing, but the rest of the caravan untouched, as if the traders had just grabbed their cargo and walked off, leaving their wagons in the middle of the road.
Furthermore, Iriellis learns that a caravan from Agrodaun is expected to reach Barar the next day. So, after regrouping, the party decide to rest for the night and check out this caravan when it arrives.
August 8, Year 3488 (SE 118)
The next morning, the characters again follow their own leads while waiting for the caravan to arrive. Flossaria switches temples and asks around at the temple of Kib. Iriellis decides to ask around about the half-closed eye symbol that they found in the Temple of the Iron God. P'hla switches to the one other tavern in town, and Zedlyn continues to try to befriend the town guards. Sharla, meanwhile, sequesters herself in the inn and studies the spell of Hypnotism that she had purchased at Viskha.
Unfortunately, none of the characters learn anything of interest, although Sharla does make some progress on understanding her scroll. In the afternoon, the expected caravan arrives and the characters head to meet it, along with Nazim, the unofficial leader of the town's merchants.
The caravan turns out to be a mid-sized affair with three wagons, headed by a middle-aged woman named Zayna. It is carrying goods and relics from the sacred mount Agrodaun. They explain the situation of the missing caravans to Zayna; she is upset to learn that the merchants of Barar have apparently been covering this up, as this is the first she's heard about missing caravans, despite having travelled through Barar several times in the past few months.
The characters offer their services as guards, hoping that the caravan will be attacked and they will find out what's going on. Zayna is hesitant to trust them, but they manage to convince her to take them along, aided by their agreeing to work without pay.
Zayna tells them that the caravan will be leaving shortly after sunrise the next morning, so the group head off to rest and prepare for an early start.
August 9, Year 3488 (SE 118)
The next morning, the caravan heads out as planned, with the party travelling alongside it. As they are leaving, they notice someone lurking between two buildings, watching them. The watcher backs away into the alley as they head out, and they decide not to pursue him (or her).
August 12, Year 3488 (SE 118)
The next three days pass uneventfully. Sharla studies her scroll from the back of one of the wagons while the rest of the party ride alongside the caravan. The caravan is not attacked, which is good for Zayna but bad for the party. They arrive at Viskha in the morning, having learned nothing about what's causing the caravans to disappear.
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