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[h2][color=FF6C5C][i][b]Marita Bärbel[/b][/i][/color][/h2][i][b][color=FF6C5C]Human, Cleric, Level 3[/color][/b][/i]
[color=FF6C5C][i][b]HP:[/b][/i][/color] 18/18	[color=FF6C5C][i][b]Armor Class:[/b][/i][/color] 16	[color=FF6C5C][i][b]Conditions:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=FF6C5C][i][b]Location:[/b][/i][/color] Avonshire Township
[color=FF6C5C][i][b]Action:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=FF6C5C][i][b]Bonus Action:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=FF6C5C][i][b]Reaction:[/b][/i][/color] N/A 
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This new information definitely set off flags in Marita's mind. Chances rose significantly that Bob knew what was going on with the disappearances, even only partially. She couldn't be certain he was implicit in the trouble, but she felt that at best he was turning a blind eye. Why he was doing so: self-preservation, implicit powerlessness, apathy; she couldn't reasonably deduce. Perhaps she could find a way to confront the man about it without triggering a trap. They still had a bit of time in their break, but not much more; Marita would try to get a bit more information from them while she could. She finished her glass of wine and handed it to Daisy to wash.

[color=FF6C5C]"Halfling boy?"[/color] Daisy's face takes on a wry expression when Marita takes the bait to gossip.

[i][color=darkgray]"His name is Samthe, son of the Rentman family. They're an important family around here. They grow the hottest peppers in all of Avonshire. My cousin Kimberlyn didn't think they could live up to their reputation so she went and bought their hottest pepper and ate it in one bite. She spent the next hour chugging water trying to cool her mouth down, you should have seen it. But the boy, Samthe one day started up and using magic out of nowhere and on top of that he befriended this horrible gray gnome, Carl. He called himself a servebulin or something."[/color][/i] Marita's mind recognized that she was talking about a svirfneblin, which was alarming. What was one of them doing up on the surface, let alone in a podunk farming county like Avonshire?

[color=FF6C5C]"Svirfneblin."[/color] Marita interjected, providing Daisy with the correct pronunciation.

[i][color=darkgray]"Yes, that. Anyways, he starts filling Samthe's head with foolish ideas about becoming and adventurer. At the same time he does nothing but cause problems for everyone in the township. Most days you'd find him stumbling about town completely drunk using all sorts of improper language and making a scene of everything. And if you said a word about what a disgrace he was making of himself, he'd insult you and make things even worse. In fact I remember a time he was so drunk in this very establishment that one of the patrons found him passed out hanging from the rafters by his feet. How he managed that is beyond me. If it weren't for him, a proper boy like Samthe would have never run off."[/color][/i] Daisy crossed her arms and shook her head, tongue clicking in disappointment.

[color=darkgray]"You're being too harsh, Daisy."[/color] Lea speaks up, counteracting Daisy's heretofore uncontested Carl-bashing. [color=darkgray]"He could be a bit brash, but Carl was funny and told a lot of interesting stories about places we'd never set foot in. Samthe was all grown up, and if he was going to start adventuring around, it's good that Robert supported him at home. He'd take care of some of his belongings and even gave him some gear when he was starting out. Besides, in between jobs they'd always come back here and attract a lot of business and spend a lot of coin we wouldn't have otherwise."[/color] Daisy remains silent, not refuting Lea's last point but not acceding either. Marita made a mental note that Robert could be a retired adventurer himself. Given his current profession and demeanor likely some form of sellsword.

[color=darkgray]"But they haven't been back here in a long while. They used to be gone for maybe a few weeks at a time, maybe a month. It's been over half a year since the last time they stopped by."[/color] Marita wanted to ask a bit more, but she could sense the tavern starting to bubble with more life in her spine. She'd have to set aside any more investigation until after the end of the shift most likely. The cleric finished the last her stew and passed it over to Daisy to wash. At the very least she'd have time to think about what to do from here, along with more information to pass along to her teammates. She could only hope that Kathryn was able to turn her drinking contest idea into something productive.

[color=FF6C5C]"Well, it's been fun. I think we need to go back out there."[/color] She said to her coworkers. She took a deep breath, steeled her nerves and went back out into the battlefield.