Adam is now very confused, "What does the land of the Normands have to do with our current predicament?"

Disney is a Surname of Normand descent going back to 12c William de Ysini. This is the prominence of his comment.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:25, Fri 25 Aug 2023.

"Sorry.  Nevermind," Elihu says, shaking his head.  "Just another out of time comment."

He wonders what Adam would think if he was suddenly dropped into the middle of the Magic Kingdom.  Surely a six-foot tall mouse and a duck in a sailor suit couldn't be any weirder than colonial Collinsport.

The three investigators go to the edge of town to meet with some of the returning search parties.

The quick answer is: Harry finds out that no one has found any of the missing people. (Harry, roll CHR.)

In the meantime, though, the volunteer townspeople searchers are visibly a little alarmed by the presence of Adam, although since Adam is standing right there next to Harry (whom they've seen around town) and what seems to be a respectable-looking gentleman, they try somewhat not to freak out. "...Who or what is that horrible-lookin' giant brute with th' shovel over there, fella?!" one of them asks Harry privately... A couple of other searchers in earshot come closer, also very eager to hear the answer...

Harry levels a withering gaze at the questioner. "Mister DeLacey's a volunteer like everyone here. Carries his weight like everyone here. More, with folk all agape at his scars. Show him respect and he'll do th' same in return. Answer who and what well enough for ye?" She spits to one side.

---

14:40, Today: Harriet MacLeod (aka 'Harry') rolled 6 using 1d20 with rolls of 6.  Check Vs. CHA 14.

"All right, all right... can't blame a man when it comes t' askin' questions regardin' public safety an' people he's never seen before..."

Two of the three men who were quietly listening to Harry's answer leave.

A third, who hadn't said anything yet, sticks near her. "You seem to have a bit more goin' for ya in the brains department as far as anyone else lookin' into these strange goin's on..." Sounds like he's trying to work up to maybe asking or telling Harry something...

Harry grunts in reply. "Don't much care fer mysteries or fearmongerin'. Seen it get uglier'n Mister DeLacey here... beggin' yer pardon, Adam... and that's sayin' somethin'."

"Well if I had anything to report, I don't think the constable would be much good in doin' anything with it, or any of his men... but..." The man pauses. "Well, we didn't find anything, none of us, not anywhere we looked," he says. "But I will tell you one thing, if you want to know... if you'd be interested..."

The man seems to be hoping that Harry will encourage him in the idea what whatever he has to say might be important.

(This conversational direction brought to you in part by Harry succeeding in her CHR roll...)

Harry claps the fellow on the shoulder. "Reckon anythin' ye can tell us is a help. No knowin' what'll prove of use down th' road."

"Huh. See, that's what I thought, but Saul said that it was nothin', not worth botherin' about... Well, like I said, we found nothin', nothin' at all... no bodies, no victims, none of th' missin' people, no kidnappers... but... there was one old abandoned farm north of town that... well, I felt sure people had been there recently-- a partial footprint or two that I thought were real' new. And why would anyone be there? Saul said it was maybe just local kids playin' and 'xplorin' around, but it was an adult-size shoe I saw. So, Saul griped and grumbled and we looked all around... but we didn't find nothin' else at all. So Saul said I was a fool for thinkin' it was anything. But I still think there should'n'a been no one there... What do you think? Might it be important?"

Harry presses the fellow for as much detail as she can coax from him, half-expecting his 'abandoned farm north of town' to be where Daniel Collins conducts his I-Ching studies. "We'll check it out. Thank ye," she tells him.

The man gives pretty good directions, good enough that Harry's convinced she can find the place on her own-- and no, it turns out to Harry's surprise that it's apparently nowhere near the house she visited briefly with Daniel Collins. Huh. Well that's a thing she knows now.

"Abandoned farm," Elihu says.  "Anywhere is pretty important in times like this.  You sure you checked it top-yo-bottom?"

"Oh, in all this mystery and suspense, I forgot to introduce myself.  Elihu Cromwell, MD.  I just arrived yesterday.  Collinsport doesn't seem to be the sleepy town I imagined.

And you are?"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 02:05, Tue 29 Aug 2023.

Harry had been a good leader thus far and so Adam will continue to follow.

"Well, pretty darn well. I guess I have to admit I might have looked around a little more if it wasn' for Saul's grumblin'..."




"M'name's Owen, Owen Peterson. Pleasure t'meet y', Doctor."

"I think Mr. Peterson here is a might suspicious of the farmhouse.  I think it'd be good of us to recheck it to put his mind at ease.  Don't you think?"

Elihu smiles at Peterson.  "Would you like to come with us?"

"...I dunno, I'm kinda wore out right now. If'n you were goin' tomorrow, when I'd be fresher-like... But right now... I jus' wanna get a meal an' some sleep."

Harry nods once to Peterson. "Ye've earned both. Enjoy yer meal, rest well, and thank ye again." She turns to Adam and Elihu. "Guessin' that farm's a good fifteen miles out, a day's hike there and back. If we left at first light, we'd have mebbe three hours t' search before we had t' return. Don't fancy bein' away from town longer." She spits to one side and scowls. "Hoped th' search parties would turn up answers. A lone footprint tells us jack, 'cept someone might be travelin' by their lonesome. Gallow'd be confident enough... and Trask overconfident enough... t' wander off int' th' wild alone, but no one else."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Elihu replies.  "Shall we head back to town?  Maybe a stop by the pub will yield some gossip that may prove useful."

Harry grunts. "Aye, could use a drink meself. Been ages since I had a meal, too." She glances at Adam. "You comin', or prefer t' avoid folk? Last big meal 'twas at dawn."

Adam shrugged, "I would like to eat." He nodded, "Perhaps you wouldn't mind bringing one to me? I can pay." He produced a few coins from his pocket.

Harry nods her agreement. "Mebbe relax at th' doc's place, no trouble bringin' ye food. Will get ye settled first, then return t' th' pub." She checks with Elihu almost as an afterthought. "That work fer ye, Doc?"

Adam nodded to Harry's plan.

"I don't see a problem with that," Elihu replies.  "Shall we go?"

Harry and Elihu go to The Blue Whale for food and drink.

Aside from a bartender (and a cook in the back), there are three sailors in there right now-- two having a quiet conversation at a table, one at the bar nursing a beer.

When Harry and Elihu stop in, the others look up and notice them, but don't have much reaction particularly.

Elihu looks at the meager crowd.  Not like the movies at all, where a hero would walk into a bar and it would be packed.  Then again, those usually ended with a big bar brawl, so maybe just a few sailors is a good thing.

Elihu nodded at the sailor sitting alone.  "Let's try him first." he says to Harry.

He walks over and takes a seat next to the sailor.  "Good evening.  I'm Dr. Cromwell and this is Mr. MacLeod.  May we join you for a few moments?"