Thief! in 1D4+1

On the way back to The Knuckle from rescuing Davin from the dungeon in Pearlmere the party came across a strange older human who appeared lost. The man was a little hunched in his years wearing glasses and pouring over a map. Krystal and William saw him first and stopped the cart to talk to him. He was well off the only slightly beaten path. The way to The Knuckle is generally an unknown route. The questioned the man about where he was going and he seemed absolutely distraught showing William a map he drew 10 years prior. “That tree looks just like this one on the map but the road has disappeared and I have no idea where I am”.. . … The map was a super simple nearly straight line of the area between Pearlmere and Greeny Green Town. Asking why he wanted to go to Pearlmere he states that Ï have a business to restart now that taxes have been lifted and Surg is gone.” What business? “I am a jeweler and a miner.” .... They wanted to see some of his wears but he had sold it all upon leaving GGT in order to fund his new beginnings. He was easily intimidated into going with them as he had no family in Pearlmere and had already been away for so long. Krystal spoke kindly to the man on the trip but the rest felt the need to blindfold the guy.(mind you he was already really lost)

Immediately upon arrival the workers came out to greet the party and the miner told them about the archways in the mine. They decided to put Delg (the miner they had hired) in charge of Gunter (the man they found on the way). Delg was not happy about this and pulled Nicole to the side to tell her that He recognized Gunter and he’s a thief. She went directly to question Gunter “Have you ever stolen anything from a boss?” so which he replied “I’m no thief I’m a jeweler.” Then they wanted to know his employment history. In which he told them that roughly 25 years prior he’d worked with Delg in the mines in Pearlmere. Gunter also in private told them that Delg was a thief. They put the two together in a conversation convicting them both and scaring the crap out of them. Krystal (teifling) used magic to make her eyes purple flames and they were babbling idiots. Again they were asked if they’s ever stolen anything. Gunter stuck with his story of how he’d never stolen a thing and Delg stammered over how he’d stolen candy when he was young. They let them go and they headed to the mines.

They briefly discussed the state of their town and decided that Davin was now the Mayor of The Knuckle. That day to day things shall go through him. Also, that a road should be built. Though Rocky insisted they needed a Druid to do so Krystal was like “No, why? you have plenty of capable people here.”.... William grabbed the closest person and yelled “Build me a road” at him which did nothing but scare the poor priest he’d grabbed. The priest then yelled for Davin in fear.... William spent the rest of the day “getting bro time” with Davin ..... I assume they talked about layouts and plans for the city.

Nicole went to her room, Rocky went to get food and Krystal was left to wander freely. Krystal went through almost every room one at a time and found the room where the unrefined ore was kept. She palmed through it and pocketed a handful. She came across the room Nicole has claimed as her bedroom and talked to Nicole momentarily and then shut the door in her face ad left. She went to the room with the bucket that lowered into the mine and came across Delg and Gunter arguing about “You better not take anything”.... They went down into the mine and Krystal leaned in after them to assert her threat of “watching them at all times”. Once they were out of the bucket Krystal raise it and lowered herself down. She convinced them to take her on the tour Delg was taking Gunter and she noticed they both had bags. Delg had one of blue and Gunter, red. She asked what they were for and they said to carry back ore. She’d asked why they were different and they said that’s just what they had the colors were not significant. They made their way down the tunnel for a 1/2 hour when they came across the first archway “This here could collapse at anytime and there are 2 more at least this bad up yonder.” They returned to the bucket and parted ways with Krystal.

It appeared everyone had gone to bed when William woke and wondered the halls. He heard something and followed the noise to the room with the unrefined ore. When he opened the door he saw Gunter who exclaimed excitedly “I got him! he’s a thief!”Turning to his right hand all he sees in a piece of cloth with a bit of ore in it. William locks him in and wakes the rest of the party. William is certain that there is an invisible someone in the room but Nicole decides to go to Delg’s home (one of 3 houses) and check on Delg. He is home completely dressed at midnight. They ask him to see his sack.... he pulls out every sack he owns.... 2 burlap and a potato .... Nicole drags him off to William anyway. Then once back with the party she asks Krystal to go back and search his house.

In the house is a bookshelf, a small cupboard with 2 doors, a table and 2 chairs that are made of still rooted stump and a fireplace. Krystal rummages through it all and finds a loose rock in the fireplace. Within a small compartment is a bag with gold ore and a chunk missing from the side. Krystal being a thief herself ponders if she should turn him in. She herself had stolen from the ripe loot. Ultimately, to see what they would do and someone has to take the fall.... she takes it back to the group.

Upon proof William and Rocky attack Delg and he passes out nearly dead. The party wakes everyone and takes him outside. Gunter attests to Delg thieving and proof is provided. Then Delg’s head is cut off as an example and placed on a pike. William requests that a couple of the unskilled workers dig a grave and bury him. The priest rushes over and attempts so save Delg’s already departed soul. The unskilled workers ask if they can do it in the morning to which William says sure. It is after all about 1am.... everyone goes back to bed.

When they wake in the morning the body is gone. Inquiry reveals that the body had just vanished (along with the head on the pike) in we hours of the morning. With sudden worry they talk to the lumberjacks and carpenters about building a fence. They then start there search for Steelhand Hall, a place not far from here according to Delg’s best guess for a refinery and Okkar’s ideas of where his clan would stay if he found it. Of course that’s all the information they will get as they have killed (or made a statue) both characters.