The Find 31.

Autumn.

In the giant hole in the ground. Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, also known as The City of Ruins.
Earlier in the day, just after dawn in area known as the neutral zone. And Tamric Drubine the field commander and Saanea the witch have just entered a shop.
It's a rebuilt ruin, that's basically one of the more sound buildings to be found in the neutral zone.
The shop, which belongs to a weapons dealer, has just opened on what's a cold autumn morning down here in the City of Ruins.
The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, and the spellcaster who hails from the Maldin Hills, are the first customers of the day in the shop.
As Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
Walks between the aisles looking at the various weapons on the racks and shelves.
The pretty looking hillwoman makes her way to the counter, to speak to the shopkeeper.
To see if he's seen lately the person that they, and the rest of the group are looking for.
Standing outside in the cold dawn air, opposite the shop of one of the weapons dealers in the neutral zone of the City of Ruins.
Mira Reinholt the mage frowns, then says "No" followed by "Should it be?".
In response to lord Farque asking him "Look familiar?". As he nods his full helm head at the building across the way that the lovers Tam and Saanea just entered.
"We had a fucking scrap in there against some mercs and others the last time we were here" adds the undead warlord.
The once powerful mage nods his hooded head after he recalls that encounter nearly two decades ago.
The spellcaster who is in exile from his homeland the city-state of Vexil. Who stomps his feet in their boots to keep warm, turns and nods, when the large, green figure sitting on the ground behind them speaks up.
"Me fucken 'member" says Dorc da Orc in his deep growling voice, the large ork continues with "A fucken cunt in there kept shooting Dorc in the face with a lil fucken crossbow".
The mage Reinholt faintly smiles as that incident comes back to him, then he nods his hooded head, when the large heavily armoured deathlord says to him "Wait here for Tam and Saanea".
The undead being, who to the people of his lands is also known by the name of Draugadrottin follows that with "Go with them as they search some of the other places out".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord looks back and says something in the ork language, which causes Dorc da Orc to grunt and stand up.
"We're going" says the lord of the death realm in the common language as he continues to look back.
From what was a doorway in the ruins behind them. Walks sir Percavelle Lé Dic, followed by Shur Kee the monk.
The nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic, and the short, statured monk from the far east coast of the continent, the kingdom of Wah Lee to be exact.
Follow after the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. And the lord and ruler of the lands Farque as they walk away.
While Mira Reinholt the mage remains behind, waiting for the young field commander Tamric Drubine. And the witch Saanea, to make their way out of the weapons dealer across the way.
On what's a cold start to the day, here in the giant hole in that ground, in which is the ancient city of Dalphene, more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
"Look familiar at all?" asks Beldane the cleric, the owner of the stall, who has just set up for the day, frowns then says "Yeah, seen them before".
He nods across to another of the stall holders who has just set up in the small market, and says "Goes to Frankel a lot" followed by "Some of those in Maygam's company often buy his stuff".
The fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell shares a look with Tovis the war engineer.
Then the two of them look to where Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit is standing.
The halfling originally from the Sultanate of Dreese, which is on the far east coast of the continent.
Nods his head to indicate he heard what the stall holder just said.
"Thanks for that" says the powerful cleric to the stall holder. Then the spellcaster in the halfplate armour, and the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic.
Move along to speak with another stall holder who has just set up. While Jarjin Littlefoot, who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Wanders over to speak with the stall holder named Frankel, who seems to know of the one that the halfling, and the rest of the group have traveled to the City of Ruins to find.
Making her way out of one of the ruins, that has been partially rebuilt over the decades to house a shop.
Lisell Maera the scout nods, and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy makes his way over to her from the waist high wall he was sitting on.
"Gone in once and a while over the last couple of months" quietly says Lisell  Maera the scout as she looks around in the early morning light.
"The last time was just on first day" quietly adds the attractive young woman who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury.
"Just four days ago" quietly says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, who continues with "He know if they're still here in the neutral zone?".
"He doesn't" is the reply from the scout in the armies of Farque, who is speaking in elven just like the spy originally from the principality of Alínlae is doing.
The two of them head off, walking next to the long, waist high wall in the early morning sunshine on an autumn day that's dawned cold, down here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
They look away to their left, beyond the wall. Where not too far away, just a few hundred feet away.
Is the massive pyramid that dominates not just the neutral zone, but the entire City of Ruins.
The pyramid maybe closer, but it's the fixed, free standing portal that catches the eye of the scout Lisell, and the spy Tanith.
Standing just infront of it, and looking up at the massive free standing portal.
Helbe the elven thief slightly shakes his hooded head, as he could imagine the Greater Dragon Kor trying to squeeze through it.
That would of been a sight to behold, Helbe the elven thief thinks to himself.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who was one of the last people to go through the massive, free standing portal before it was deactivated by Mira Reinholt the mage nearly two decades ago. 
Turns and walks away, when he hears who is approaching from behind the massive magical gate.
Even though he's blurred and shielded, the elven magic user looks back, and nods his hooded head.
As he knows one of those approaching can definitely see him in the early morning sunshine of a cold autumn day, down here in the pit.
Lord Farque slightly nods to the elven masterthief as he walks northwards through the neutral zone, without anyone else knowing he's here.
The undead warlord looks up at the massive, free standing portal, and sees along the top of the arch, someone has tried to repair the damage that was done nearly two decades ago.
The deathlord of Farque who has the elven name of Des'tier, looks at the others with him, and picks the only one he trusts to do the right thing.
"Shur Kee" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who gestures away to beyond the massive magical gate, that's no longer working, then adds "We'll try those places over there".
As they walk to one side of the side of the fixed portal, with Dorc da Orc and his bitter rival, sir Percavelle Lé Dic following them.
The large, heavily armoured deathlord tells the short statured monk walking beside him "You go in and speak to those in there".
Draugadrottin then switches to the language spoken in the kingdom of Wah Lee as he hikes a thumb back at the bitter rivals following behind them as he adds "I'll wait outside and keep an eye on these two fucking idiots".
"Yes my lord" quietly says Shur Kee the monk as they walk towards a row of ancient buildings, within which are a number of shops that have been set up, to serve those living and working in the neutral zone in the middle of the City of Ruins.
A short while later, with more and more people are out and about, as the morning, though cold for autumn, has dawned sunny and clear.
Mira Reinholt the mage is walking with Tamric Drubine the field commander and Saanea the witch.
The three of them stop in the early morning shadow cast by the massive free standing portal.
With a shake of his hooded head after looking up, Mira Reinholt the mage quietly says "Someone's tried to fix it alright".
"What?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander as he looks up as he and the witch who is his lover, stand next to the once powerful mage.
Pointing up to the arch at the top of the massive portal, the exiled Vexilian mage says "That".
"Your handiwork?" asks Saanea the witch with a glance at the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
"Yeah" says the mage Reinholt who continues with "And you can see where someone has tried to fix it".
Across the arch at the top of the free standing portal, there's scorch marks and broken stonework.
The patterns that needs power to operate the magical gateway. Which when working, takes you to the otherside of the world.
Nearly nineteen years ago, Mira Reinholt when he regained conciousness after confronting the Greater Dragon Kor.
Destroyed most of the patterns across the top of the portal after lord Farque eventually came back through it.
After the undead warlord destroyed the Greater Dragon that had set himself up as the god-king of a nation on the otherside of the world.
Someone, or a number of people over the intervening years have tried to clean away the scorch marks.
And replace the broken stonework patterns. Carving replacements for them at the top of the archway, on both sides of it.
"Be a while before that's anywhere fixed" states Saanea the witch who glances up into the sky every once in a while, making sure her familiar keeps out of trouble.
As she's already spotted that wyvern up in the air above the City of Ruins this morning.
"And then it might not even work" adds the pretty looking spellcaster who is originally from the Maldin Hills.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, nods his hooded head in agreement with the witch.
Then the practitioner of magic, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers when he went offworld though a rift/void spell that he accidentally cast.
Takes one final look up at the archway of the magical portal, then he has a look around.
"There's Farque and those two crazies with him" says the spellcaster who was the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil.
Until he was kicked off it, and sent into exile for betraying his homeland during the Battle of Vexil.
"We'll go the other way then" adds the swordmaster who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Field commander Drubine nods, and says "We do". In response to the mage Reinholt asking "You know of any of the other places they frequent around here?".
The three of them, the Vexilian mage in exile. The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. And the witch who hails from the Maldin Hills.
Walk away from the massive free standing magical portal that's no longer working.
As they do, the mage who is a member of a family that owns one of the most prosperous and successful trading companies, not just in the city-state of Vexil, but all of the Southlands.
Quietly says to the young couple "Hopefully we find some of that mercenary company today".
Both Tamric Drubine and Saanea the witch nod in agreement with the once powerful mage.
While in the distance, away to the north on this cold autumn morning down here in the ancient city of Dalphene, or the City of Ruins as it's more commonly called.
They hear the thud of magetubes firing, as the battle somewhere away to the north in the pit, gets underway again for the day . . . . . .