[center][color=00BFFF][h3][u][b]Magnus Arhakaine[/b][/u][/h3][/color]
[sub][color=00BFFF]Location:[/color] The Crossed Swords Tavern
[color=00BFFF]Interacting With:[/color] The graveyard caretaker[/sub][/center][hr][hr]

	Magnus listened to the old man’s words intently, even though he wasn’t given much to go on. Nothing that he hadn’t managed to figure out himself in fact. The dead went missing, not of their own volition, until they came back decidedly more upright and active than they had been before. No real new information at all, in fact. 

	He wondered if the caretaker was lying to him, or holding something back. Didn’t seem to be outside the realms of possibility. What if he had been helping whoever it had been stealing the corpses? That’s not something that he’d be keen to share, and would explain why the fellow looked so guilty. Or what if he was the culprit? Wouldn’t be the first time that a crypt keeper turned out to be a necromancer. But if that was the case, what could be possibly hope to gain by his deceptions?

	The swordsman tried, and failed, to hold in a sigh of frustration. This bloody town. Each question answered just raised more questions. [color=00BFFF][i]If matters continue on like this, and I’ll start rooting for the undead.[/i][/color] Not quite true, but not quite a lie either. In desperate need of something to smooth his nerves he withdrew his wooden pipe from a pocket inside his leather overcoat. The old briar had been with him through many an adventure, being his constant aide and companion. If anything could see him through the mysteries of Salarn, it would be his pipe.

	He filled the bowl with some of his precious seasoned pipe weed, fetched a taper from the fire, returned to his seat next to the caretaker, lit up, and took one, heavenly deep draw, allowing the relaxing smoke to caress his insides, easing his tensions and massaging his muscles. Gods, that was the goodstuff. He’d had people tell him that smoking was bad for his health, and maybe that was true. Wasn’t going to convince him to stop anytime soon. [color=00BFFF][i]Just like Da always said, if you live your life without vice you won’t live forever, but it will feel like it.[/i][/color] 

	He was just settling in, getting himself nice and cushty for a relatively quiet afternoon of supping mead and interviewing townsfolk when the half-orc loudmouth barged into the tavern. All that good cheer towards his fellow men that the pipe had managed to inspire; Gone. Groaning under his breath at the lack of manners in people nowadays, he forced himself to count to ten. He’d heard it help keep one’s temper under control. It hadn’t worked before, but there was a first time for everything. Seemed like today wasn’t the day either though. Rotating slowly on his stool, Magnus turned to face the boorish newcomer, puffing away on his pipe like it was going out of fashion.

	To his mild surprise the newcomer wasn’t a half-orc at all, but an abnormally large, muscled, and ugly human. A woman was bundled in his arms and while she was undeniably full grown – and quite pretty to boot - seemed vaguely childlike in size when compared to her brawny companion. The man was a warrior, Magnus noted, taking in the extensive scarring across his face and head, and the armoured plating sewn in to his jacket and trousers. [color=00BFFF][i]Those ain’t the kinda marks you pick up shaving.[/i][/color]

	Seemed the big man new the owner, shouting at him in quite a conversant tone, speaking of a job that he had performed for the ‘Femnal’ and ‘Cremmy’. Despite his chummy attitude though, there was an unmistakable undercurrent of threat to the man’s voice, perhaps not one speaking of physical violence, but a threat nonetheless. A threat of secrets shared and conspiracies laid bare, perhaps. It would be a lie to say that Magnus’ curiosity wasn’t piqued, and as the fellow wasn’t exactly whispering, it wasn’t too difficult to lug in on the exchange, even while continuing his own interrogation of the caretaker.

	He returned – most – of his attention to the old man. 

	[color=00BFFF]“And that’s it? All of it? Ain’t nothing you’re leaving out. People are dying old man, and while that’s probably a good thing for your business, you sure you want it weighing on your conscience knowing there’s something you could’a done to stop it?”[/color]