The Find 11.

Autumn.

Down in The City of Ruins. During the morning.
Tovis the war engineer looks up and down the busy street on what's a cool morning, down here in The City of Ruins.
He's in one of the towns, not far from the base of one of the ramps, that comes down into the giant hole.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, or as it's more commonly called, The City of Ruins.
The young engineer, who hails from the kingdom of Druvic. Who is now the commander of one of the engineering crops in the armies of Farque.
Glances sideways at a trio of goblins who hurry by the end of the lane, where he's standing.
The war engineer wonders if they're wild goblins, those who live in tribes throughout the nooks and crannies of The City of Ruins.
And in the walls that surround it, and beneath it too. Which are all riddled by the tunnels dug out by the wild goblin population.
Tovis suspects these goblins are domesticated, or at least to say civilized.
As their attire is better than the descriptions he's heard of the wild goblin tribes.
Down here in the giant hole in the ground, which is The City of Ruins.
The fact that they're chatting away to one another, in more than passable common.
Confirms that they're not wild goblins of The City of Ruins.
The war engineer who previously served in the army of a baron Harkonin.
In the east of his homeland, the kingdom of Druvic.
Looks down the street again to his left, he's tall enough to spot who he's looking for.
And he sees the more than six foot tall, cleric in the half plate armour. Who is of a similar height as himself. Walking this way down the busy street, in one of the many towns to be found, here at the southern end of the pit.
Where towns and villages have been built over the centuries, at the base, and near the foot, of all the giant stone ramps, that lead down to ancient city of Dalphene.
"Anything?" asks Tovis the war engineer when he's joined by Beldane the cleric at the end of the lane.
"Nothing" is the reply of Beldane the cleric, who then asks "You?".
"Nothing" replies the young engineer, who holds the rank of captain in the armies of Farque.
The powerful cleric originally from the kingdom of Nastell grunts as he looks up and down the busy street.
Then the member of the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshiped in the north of his homeland of Nastell, says "Heard something interesting".
"Oh, what's that?" asks the war engineer, who like the fighting cleric, is speaking in the elven language.
"There's an old building nearby, one of the actual ruins" says the churchman in the halfplate armour, who follows that with "Off a nearby town square".
The young Druvician engineer nods, and the powerful spellcaster tells him "Mercenary companies from everywhere are using it as a recruitment place".
"Think they might of joined up?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer.
"They might of" says Beldane the cleric, who follows on from that with "What other reason is there for being down here in the pit".
The fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell continues with "It's to search for treasure".
He briefly pauses before adding "And by the looks of it, most people do that in mercenary companies".
The commander of one of engineering crops in the armies of Farque, nods in agreement.
Then Tovis the war engineer says "Might as well go over there and check it out" he then adds in a slightly dry tone of voice "Beats going into every chandlers, supply shop, stables, tavern and inn that they've got in this town".
Beldane who isn't in the armies of Farque, for good reason, he's a cleric. But who is a member of the group that travels with lord Farque, even though he is a cleric.
Grunts in agreement with the young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
Then captain Tovis says "Lead the way". The member of the church of Glaine nods, then steps out onto the busy street, with the young engineer right next to him.
It doesn't take the two of them, that long to find the town square. And the ancient building off the south side of it.
A building far older than those elsewhere in town. Definitely one of the ruins of the ancient city of Dalphene.
It's an open building, without walls, a pavilion really. As it has four large columns holding up it's pointed roof.
And though it's probably a couple of thousand years old, it's in relatively good shape.
Inside are a number of tables, all apart, with either one or two people sitting behind them.
Recruitment officers for various mercenary companies. Who are seeing a steady stream of people going into the pavilion like building.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tovis the war engineer spots a pair of dwarven warriors.
Who are about to cross the square to the pavilion. No doubt to check out what the various mercenary companies are offering.
He sees them stop, and look up into the morning sky as they start chatting to one another in their language.
"What?" asks Beldane the cleric when the young Druvician engineer nudges him.
"Something in the sky" quietly says Tovis the war engineer, who follows that with "Approaching from the southeast".
The powerful spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell senses in that direction, then quietly says "It's not an airship, i can't sense one in that direction".
The member of the church of Glaine looks around, and he too spots the pair of dwarves.
One of whom is now pointing away to the southeast, the direction that Beldane has just sensed towards.
A few moments later, the two of them spot a winged creature come flying over the edge of the pit, as it heads northwards over The City of Ruins.
"Wyvern" quietly says the fighting cleric who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell.
"Messenger rider?" adds the churchman in the halfplate armour.
"Maybe" says the captain in the armies of Farque who then adds "Though no colours of a city-state or kingdom, that most nation's messenger riders wear".
They watch the wyvern, quite a large one of the species. Drop down in altitude, as it wings it's way north over The City of Ruins.
"The rider looks more like a merc than anything else" quietly says the war engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
"No surprise really" quietly says the powerful cleric, who then adds "Considering where we are".
Tovis nods his head in agreement with the fighting cleric. Then the two of them cross the square to the ancient pavilion like building, and enter it.
The war engineer and the cleric split up. Going to either end of the row of eight tables. Behind which are recruitment officers, or agents for various mercenary companies that are operating here in The City of Ruins.
"Looking to join up?" says the recruitment officer who was looking bored with his work this morning, until Tovis stepped forward to his table.
"No" says the young engineer who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic, who then adds "You couldn't afford me".
That's no idle boast from the Druvician who is now a captain in the armies of Farque.
He knows any mercenary company would have to pay him an arm and a leg if they wanted to hire him on.
As his skills as a war engineer is relatively rare. Not to mention the amount of experience he's already had, and he's only in his early twenties.
"What makes you say that?" says the grizzled looking recruiter sitting behind the table, who now has a scowl upon his face.
"Because I'm a war engineer" says Tovis, who follows that with "Out of Druvic, who's been designing and building war machines since i was a teenager".
The recruitment officer for one of the mercenary companies operating down here in the pit, sourly smiles then says in a tone to match his smile "You're right, i can't afford you".
As he knows he'd have to let go at least a third of his company, just to hire on someone like the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic.
Gesturing at the other tables along the line, he tells the war engineer "None of this lot can afford you either".
The recruiter follows on from that with "A few of the large companies up in the neutral zone might be able to afford you".
He then adds "After all, they've got catapults and the like they use in battle".
The commander of one of the engineering corps in the armies of Farque just nods to that. And makes sure he remembers that little tidbit of information about the large mercenary companies further north in the so called neutral zone of The City of Ruins.
"So what can i do for you?" says the recruitment officer for one of the more modest sized mercenary companies based here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
"I hope you're not going to waste my time" adds the recruiter, who follows on with "I've got others i could be hiring while I'm gabbing to you".
Quieting his voice, Tovis says "Hardly any of this lot is worth your time, and worth hiring, unless you're after cheap bodies to throw at the enemy".
The young Druvician engineer continues with "The only ones worth your time are those two dwarven warriors over there, hire them and consider it a good day's work no matter how much you end up paying for them".
The recruiter nods, then says "What about that big fellow who entered with you?" followed by "The one in the steel halfplate armour down at the other end, looks like a church soldier of some kind".
"You definitely can't afford him" quietly says Tovis the war engineer, who then adds "He's a cleric, and a pretty powerful one at that".
The recruitment officer winces, then mutters in a dry tone of voice "Yeah, i definitely can't afford him".
As he'd have to pay even more to hire a powerful cleric than the war engineer.
He'd have to get rid of at least half of the company just to hire on such a person, let alone pay them a weekly amount. And his company commander would not be happy with that.
The recruitment officer grunts, then says "So what is it you want my expensive fellow i can't afford?".
Tovis smiles at that, then from an inner pocket of his cloak that he wears over his hardened leather, smock like vest, that ends low beneath his waist.
The war engineer who is a captain in the armies of Farque, takes out a rolled piece of parchment, and places it on the table after he unrolls it.
"Have you ever seen this person?" asks the young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, where he served in the army of a baron Harkonin, who then adds "I'm looking for them".
"Can't say that i have" says the recruitment officer, who then adds in a murmur "Good drawing though".
He turns on his bench seat, and waves to one of the people sitting along the back edge of the pavilion like building.
"My runner" explains the grizzled looking recruiter, who when his runner joins him at the table, he asks him "Seen this person at all Delm?" followed by "This fellow is looking for them".
"Can't say that i have" is the reply of the teenage runner after he looks at the illustration on the piece of parchment.
"Doesn't mean they're not down here" adds the young mercenary runner, who follows that with "Lot's of people down here, even in the cooler months".
"I'd say more" says the recruitment officer, who continues with "Everybody thinks it's busiest during the summer, but that's just the visitors from down Eweteets way".
The recruiter then adds "It's too stinking hot during the summer to get a lot ot digging done" followed by "That's why it's the autumn and spring is busier" he continues with "We definitely hire on more during this time of the year".
Tovis the war engineer nods, then he rolls up the piece of parchment paper, and says "Thanks for that".
"And thanks for the tip" replies the recruitment officer with a nod of his head in the direction of the pair of dwarven warriors.
The young Druvician engineer moves to the next table along after the man sitting there finishes speaking with a potential hire.
The commander of one of the engineer corps in the army of Farque shows the next recruiter the illustration after he's chatted to him for a bit.
That recruitment officer, along with his runner. Also hasn't seen the person that Tovis and the rest of the group are searching for.
The war engineer and the fighting cleric meet outside the ancient building after speaking to all of the recruiters.
"Any luck?" asks the young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
"None" replies the powerful cleric who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell, who then adds "You?".
"Nothing" says captain Tovis with a shake of his head.
The war engineer continues with "Pretty much all of them admired the quality of the illustration though".
"Same" says the member of the church of Glaine as he looks around the town square, then quietly adds "Busy place".
Tovis nods, then quietly says "It really is a city down here" followed by "Though i suspect things aren't so busy the further north you go".
"More dangerous though" quietly says the fighting cleric, who then explains "I'm sensing spells being cast all the time away to the north" followed by "Starts about three quarters of a mile away to the north of town, gets more active the further north you go".
Beldane briefly pauses before he adds "Mostly destructive spells too".
"Can't wait" dryly says the war engineer in the armies of Farque.
As the plan is for them to head north once they've searched through the towns and villages. Down here at the southern end of the pit.
"Come on then" says Tovis who continues with "Best we keep asking around to see if anyone's seen them".
Beldane nods his head in agreement, and the two of them set off across the town square.
Here in one of the towns down in the southern end of the giant hole in the ground.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, or The City of Ruins as it's more commonly known as . . . . . .