The tavern had more or less cleared out by now. All that remained was your newly formed group and a figure obscured in the corner who had fallen asleep long ago. Garrant and Kinglet entered the main room just as Fitzgerald and Nailos. Everyone had finally assembled.
The figure in the corner leapt up as everyone was finally together. As the shadows withrew from his face covered in various scars. His hair was kept short and was the colour of ravens feathers. A billowing grey cloak concealed the rest of his body.
"Greetings," He said, smiling a rather uncomfortable smile. It didn't fit his face at all. "My name is Lyle, an agent of Tanan at your service." He looked to Tavin. "Do not worry friend, you don't have to explain the situation to them any longer. I'll take over from here."
Lyle circled the group looking over everyone, muttering to himself the entire time. When he got the point where he started he stood straight and then sighed. "What an odd bunch. Desperate times I suppose. Regardless. What I have for you is some details on the task at hand. You are all aware that we are currently sitting on one of the purest water sources in the Nation correct?" Lyle waits for the nods of acknowledgment as they circle across the group. "Good now what you may or may not know is that the source of that water is the elementals that reside there. They keep the water pure and replenish it's supply. Thats where the problem is however. We had worked out a deal with them, we wouldn't hunt them for cores or use Magitek devices in our daily lives if they allowed us the usage of their water. That was the deal. Lately we've been unable to access the water through our well. Its been sealed off or something. A week ago we sent off a scout party to check the entrance outside of town. Those scouts are dead. Whatever killed them though, it wasn't an elemental. The died before the enter the underground." Lyle spoke in an urgent tone, as if every second he spent explaining the situation was a second wasted.
Why didn't Tanan just send them out the night before? Allowing them one more night of life? The fool. The reserve was getting dangerously low, soon they would have to cut off the peasants, they'd have a potential revolt in their then.
Snapping out of his thoughts he looked back out to the group they were following him pretty well so far but he should elaborate a bit more. "Let me explain what I mean when I say the underground. The reservoir is directly beneath the city this is true, however entrance to it is several hours trek to the east. There, along a rocky hillside is a cave opening, that my friends is the entrance to the reservoir. The labyrinthine tunnels go down for several miles, crossing each other and leading to dead ends. So you must be incredibly careful to follow the sound of running water, it echoes off the walls as the elementals dance and play. The journey won't be easy but thats why you were picked. We can't spare any of our own men and everyone here is capable of handling themselves. The mision is a simple yet crucial one, get down in that hole and find out what hell is going on. If you can, figure out what killed our men as well." His last sentence was spoken with a tinge of rage over his fallen friends. He had lost his brother in that mission.
Another pause in his speech. Began to rummage through his cloak, he produced a small silken pouch and walked towards the dwarf who was busy stuffing scrolls and blueprints every which way. "Here, inside are some of the catalysts required to trap the essence of an elemental. These are to be used as a last resort and only if they attack you first."
He then turned to Maverick. "I believe you have a list of items you wish for? Either show me or hand me the list and I will get them as quick as possible. Only half of them, as that was the deal. The other half when you return."
Lyle then returned to his previous postion. "All right" he said loudly. "Any questions?"
