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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] Silversmith
[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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Marita lowered her hands, no longer under the threat of being shot. It seemed that they had a bit of time to chat before returning to the Public House and Victoria, ever the opportunist, leaped at the bit to make sure they would be able to obtain silvered weapons. She really shouldn't have been surprised, but it seemed that she hadn't entirely grasped the scope of her comrade's penchant for avarice quite yet. Upon Mallard's statement of payment, Marita decided to chime in for the first time since entering the storefront cum fortress.

[color=FF6C5C]"It was a good thing you brought the gold Robert lent us to pay for the purchase, Victoria."[/color] If one looked closely enough at Marita's face they would find it as grim and set as it had been for the past while, yet at the same time swear that there was a hint of a smirk hidden in the scowl. Did Marita believe that Victoria would really shirk the bill onto her or have everyone pay for their weapons separately? Truth be told, if left entirely to the bard's judgment, there was a decent chance she would only cover her own weapon. But Marita wasn't going to leave it to the fickle whims of the bard.

The half-elf had been so eager to request material goods with which to skewer other beings, she neglected to procure the far more valuable asset, information. He mentioned them telling him their story before he told his, so she might as well fill him in on what they've been up to. The question was how much to tell. Not because she was worried about the security risks, but they had limited time and he likely knew the truth of the matter, so going on about concocted hypotheses would only chew through valuable time.

[color=FF6C5C]"We were sent here by the sheriff of Darenby to investigate the disappearing persons phenomena going on over here. We've only been in town for about a day and had even less time to properly investigate since we helped the L'Roses a bit when we arrived here. It was an in for investigation, but I helped out Robert by working under him as a barmaid last night and now they're about the only people in this township other than the L'Roses that I feel I can trust."[/color]

[color=darkgray]"Trust has become a very expensive thing in Avonshire. Some of 'em? They came back looking and talking just like who left, but they were different. Colder almost. Thought they were more cunning than everyone else. Like they had some secret club. Wasn't until Robert went missing. Says he can't talk about it, but he give me enough to piece together. That's why these manacles are for him. Harvest moon rises tonight."[/color]

[color=darkgray]"Can't even trust the damn rats no more. Little spies, sniffing around like they always have. But they [i]listen[/i] you know? To those that know how to talk to them."[/color]
[color=darkgray]"My family left as soon as I figured it out. I stay here, keep folk thinking we're still around. Gives them time to get far from here before the moon gets full. I'm locking myself up here until it's over, then I'm leaving that dawn to find them."[/color]

[color=darkgray]"You know what this is, right? Could be anyone. The ones that accepted it, they let go. The ones that didn't... I don't care to find out what happened to them."[/color]

[color=darkgray]"I'll say the word once, and quiet as the grave,"[/color] His voice dropped to a whisper, even as he worked feverishly at the silver inlay in the manacles, [color=darkgray][i]"Wererats."[/i][/color]

Just then a rare sight appeared in the silversmith's. Marita smiled. Not a simple smile or a smirk, but a smarmy, self satisfied grin that stretched from ear to ear. It was sublime, the validation that washed over her hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. All that time spent worrying about what was going on in this godsfosaken town, the looming threat of the time limit and a dozen other things, and she had nailed it essentially on her first serious guess. But she did not allow herself to revel in it; this was a serious moment and they still had things to discuss, not to mention with the three most conspicuous members standing out in the open outside the shop, who knew how long until they attracted trouble. She quickly recomposed herself before responding.

[color=FF6C5C]"I don't know if you're familiar, but Robert is under a [i]Geas[/i], a set of magical instructions that he has to follow, lest he die. It takes quite a powerful spellcaster to be able to use one of those, and that almost has me more concerned than the other problem. I take it you don't know who could possibly be the culprit."[/color] She didn't have much hope that he would know, if this mage were the mastermind behind this entire situation, they likely kept their identity secret, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Marita frowned, now that she thought about it, some more things were starting to line up. He just mentioned the Harvest moon. What were the chances that they were sent to investigate this matter during one of the busiest times of the year during a big festival rather than a more quiet time when there would be fewer complications to juggle?

[color=FF6C5C]"Actually, from what I've picked apart there's a few big pieces missing from the puzzle. What do they actually want? And how does the Harvest Moon and the festival tie into everything?"[/color]