We finally reached the Cloaks of the southernmost Reaches.
As we get closer to the end of this journey I am beginning to wonder if we are ready. We still don’t know for certain who the White Ghost is, and more importantly, we don’t yet have proof; and time is running short.
The Winter Wizard led us into the main city and directed us where to go from there. We found that old Grandpa Krall’s home was a large inviting manor in the heart of the area; however, the Elemental that greeted us at the door was far from inviting. His name was Swims-through-dreams. He told us that Grandpa Krall has been sick and that as his doctor he wouldn’t let anyone disturb him. He even says that we must come back next week!
When we tried to argue with him he called the guards to take us away. An ice giant and a wolf, both in official uniform, were soon there to lead us out of the city. Once we had gotten out of earshot of the elemental, I pleaded with the guards and explained our quest.
“So you’re a ranger?” the ice giant said looking surprised. The wolf then looked at the ice giant knowingly and then back to us and said “We can help you get in to see Krall if you can help us with our problem. We are not used to solving crimes because until recently there have been almost none in the Southern Reaches. We all follow the one rule, or at least we used to, but people are becoming scared and that makes them selfish, desperate and short-sighted. With this case we can’t seem to get anywhere and honestly any help you can provide would be of huge value for us.”
I gladly agreed to their offer and listened to their story.
There have been rumors lately of a coming war and of food shortages, even though they have no enemies and there is enough food for everyone. Some people have tried to hoard food at the risk of creating a shortage and starting problems where there were none. Winter is a bad time to have food problems.
Recently there was a theft at their largest grain mill. Over 100 sacks of grain were taken. The sacks are large enough that 100 could feed ten families through the winter.
The mill had been locked and the door was unbroken when the miller arrived in the morning and noticed the missing sacks. The key was with him all night and his wife sleeps very lightly so they are certain that the key was never stolen. Without the key the mill can only be locked from the inside but they searched the place and no one was inside.
There are no windows in order to help keep out vermin, so there is no other way in unless you count the part of the stream that runs through a tunnel beneath the waterwheel of the mill, but that would take at least eight minutes to get through and it is completely underwater. To make matters more difficult it is blocked by a gate that an average person could barely fit a leg through. The only way to open the gate is by a switch 50 feet down the tunnel and well out of reach. They checked the gate and it is appears untouched.
They do have three suspects. These three were found arguing later that day and in possession of one of the stolen sacks. They all say that they found it and that they are innocent. One is an ice giant with a sore back, another is a sick trundel with a bad cough and the other is a rusty misfit with bad legs and a missing arm.
Who is the culprit?