Terri
*The best place to start any real investigation was at the beginning. The local people of the town of Willowdale had likely seen Dalyor at some point in his life, and perhaps the man himself even came in from time to time.

And the place they gathered was the Frogleg Tavern It seemed a good inn, sturdy oak. The prince was not dressed in his full plate armor, and instead wore a smooth breastplate under plainer clothes. The golden crown upon his head was covered by the hood of a plain cloak, brown in color and intentionally a bit dirty.

It was time to begin asking around. He entered the inn, striding to the bar quickly.* "Excuse me, sir. One ale, please." *He took his seat amongst the other patrons, and began to inhale and exhale as he felt the metal clinking around the room.

Coins changing hands, metal braces for tables. Torch holders. Horseshoes outside. There were many things there present that interested him - but as the bartender came back with his drink, he supposed no one would really talk about Dalyor unless he asked...*

"Ah, do you know where I could find Dalyor Agarvaran?"
Meryl
As usual, the Frogleg Tavern was a hustle and bustle of people going in, out and back in again. The tavern itself was warm and inviting. A pair of half-elf women were walking drinks to tables, and at the bar a half-orc man was cleaning cups and glasses while talking to a few patrons sitting in front of him. In the far corner of the relatively busy bar a fight was going on between what looked to be an elven woman and an orc man nearly twice her size. The onlookers cheered and jested them on, and while it may look as though the elf would lose, with one swift uppercut the orc man was on his ass on the wooden floor. Helping him up, the elf woman went on to offer him a drink, a clear sign that this was simply how arguments were settled within the bar. The overall feeling of the bar, however, was welcoming and friendly.

As the prince entered the bar, no one really stared his way or seemed to notice him much given the sheer amount of people within the tavern. He looked like any other traveler just passing through and stopping for a drink, which was common in a town as big as Willowdale. Handing a drink to a different patron, the half-orc barkeep nodded in Astalios's direction before pouring him an ale, and before he could walk away to attend to other duties, he stopped at the prince's question. The half-orc man glared at the prince, obviously not recognizing him as royalty. Gritting his pointed teeth a bit, he shrugged. "Donno." Was all he seemed to say before starting to move away once more.
Terri
*Ah. So he did know the man. The stiff glare, the gritting of the teeth. This was excellent news. It meant not only that Dalyor was known in the town of Willowdale, but that he was **Liked**. People that knew him did not think he was a terrible person. They were protecting him, loyal and true to their friend. It made him smile. This was the sort of loyalty that was earned.*

"If you would not mind, sir, it is a matter of some importance - and it requires your discretion." *He reached for his hood and pulled it back barely enough for his face to be seen, and a small glint of gold beneath it. He quickly dropped the hood back down, making sure no one but the bartender had gotten a good look at it.* 

"If I might speak with you privately, I would appreciate it. You will be compensated well for your time away from the bar counter." *He leaned in closer for a moment.* "I do not wish for the rest of his family to hear that someone has been looking for him."

*Hopefully, the bartender would believe that he was trying to do the right thing for the man that had been scorned by his family.*
Meryl
The half-orc rolled his eyes as he looked back at the prince, but his eyes quickly widened when he saw the gold glint of what was obviously a crown beneath Astalios's hood. Listening further to the prince's words, the half-orc sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Standing up straight, he gestured over to one of the women serving with his hand. "Willomena! 'mere and watch the bar for me for a bit." Without another word, the half-orc stepped to the side and opened the lift top part of the bar for Astalios to enter. Gesturing for him to head into the back of the bar, the half-orc followed after him. Once in the back, he shut the door behind him and leaned on it as relaxed as he could. "No disrespect, m'lord, but what does the royal family need with a gutter rat like Dalyor?"

The half-orc didn't seem to show any hostility at all, and the only metal on him seemed to be coin and his buckle around his waist, along with a single earing in his right ear. He tilted his head at the prince, scratching his chin idly. "Dalyor isn't exactly a man who wants to be found, and I intend to keep it that way if it has anything to do with his godforsaken family."
Terri
*He followed quickly into the back room, and removed his hood, shaking his head as it fell onto his shoulders. His smile was rather evident as the man professed his defense of Dalyor.* "Firstly, good man, I am gladdened to see that Dalyor has people that are willing to protect his life from such snakes as the rest of his family. I must also thank you for your swift and decisive action."

"It has recently come to my attention that his family expelled him from their presence approximately four years ago, around the same time as the previous noble family of Lerwick, the Glynfirs, died in their unfortunate fire, and their daughter was declared missing. I have reason to believe that his family is to blame for all of this suffering, and I am gathering information to prove that they are unfit to rule and have committed egregious murders." *He laid it all out, bluntly and honestly, to the bartender. There was no reason to beat around the bush when he could instead be honest.*

"All I require from Dalyor is his side of the story. I will not force him into any sort of action." *Though, once his family was dealt with, he wondered if Dalyor and that missing Glynfir might be arranged to marry, if both were agreeable to the prospect, and rule over the town of Lerwick in peace and justice, as opposed to the vicious perjury of the Agarvarans.*

"I ask your assistance in finding him. A look through the records of the Royal palace turned out to be extremely fruitful - I already have evidence to convict his family of perjury against the crown, but I will require all information if justice is to be done."
Meryl
As the half-orc bartender listened to the prince spin his reasoning for looking for Dalyor, he let out a sigh and pinched his nose, unsure of what to say or do. It was the *Prince* Of Alynthi after all. Running a hand up through his frazzled and short black hair, he nodded. "Alright. I don't know too much about any of what you said. All I know is that men from his family's business have come looking for Dalyor, and on more than one occasion me and a few of my buddies have had to chase them off. It was obvious they weren't wanting a friendly chat with him, is all I'm saying." The half-orc shook his head at all the information being laid out before him, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Dalyor never told me much about why his family disowned him. All I know is they can't stand that he's still breathing with their blood in his veins, at least that's what it looks like from where I'm standing."

The bartender nodded in the prince's direction, and given his status as a royal, the half-orc didn't have much of a choice other than to trust Astalios and his word. He knew the royal family to be true and honest in their word, even if the nobles under their rule were less so. "Dalyor stays here actually. I've given him a semi-permanent residence within the tavern upstairs where the rooms are, though I can't promise he won't try to run if you approach him the way you did me." The half-orc shrugged. "I'd show the crown first, ask questions second if I were you- eh.. My lord." The half-orc gave an awkward bow, the realization that he was in the presence of the kingdom's *Prince* Beginning to set in. The expression on his face begged for forgiveness, though it was doubtful a prideful half-orc such as he would ever grovel or beg aloud.
Terri
"You have my eternal gratitude, my friend. I should reiterate that I, like Dalyor and your friends, am no lover of his family. This will end with them." *The prince reached into his pockets, pulled from them two iron discs of metal. The first stayed the same shape, a flat disc that looked only slightly bigger than a coin. His smile was constant, an attempt to assuage the man's doubts.* "Take this. It is enchanted to protect you from an arrow or a stab. When someone attempts to strike you, the metal will leap in front of the blow, and perhaps stop it. I do not intend to sacrifice the lives of anyone I talk to in my pursuit of evidence against his family."

*They had sent men after him, to kill him. This was another piece of information that he could use. He handed the man the second disc, which turned from iron to polished silver in the half-orc's grasp, and molded itself into the shape of a miniature stag. Along with it, he left a small purse of gold coins on the man's desk. He clapped a hand onto the half-orc's shoulder in friendship.* "This is for your services. I realize that this is an inconvenience, but I wish you good fortune in the days to come. We need as many good men as we can muster in Alynthi, and you and your friends are a wonderful exemplar of the loyalty and selflessness I seek to encourage."

"Now, to seek Dalyor. Which of the rooms is his, sir?"
Meryl
The half-orc watched in astonishment as the prince worked his magic, and as he stood there with a loss for words he could do nothing but simply take the gifts Astalios presented him with. "I- thank you, my lord. This is far too much but, thank you." Bowing his head once more at the seemingly endless praise for his loyalty to nothing more than a friend, the half-orc nodded his head at the mention of Dalyor's room. "The stairs near the entrance of the tavern lead up to four rooms, his is the last on the right. I know he's here right now, though he may be sleeping I'm unsure. Most days he does nothing *But* Sleep." The half-orc ran a hand along the back his neck, his eyes casting worriedly over to the wall as he spoke. "I'll make sure no one comes up and disturbs the two of you while you speak with him."
Terri
"The stag is a symbol of my favor, which you have earned. An honest man will never believe he has done enough to warrant the reward he deserves." *He once again covered his crown and partially his face with the hood. It was time to do some digging. Dalyor's expulsion from his family spoke well for the content of his character, but what had it been for? Perhaps he was not a good person after all, but frankly, the prince doubted it.

No one has friends willing to protect him from family if he is a lout.*

"I thank you once again for your help." *With that, Astalios opened the door and strode out of the back room, out from the bar, and up the stairs, hoping not to draw too much attention from the crowd as he ascended to the rooms above the tavern. 

Down the hallway he went - the stairs led to the hall, the last on the right was the room of Dalyor. He raised his hand and gave a few firm knocks on the door, then looked back to make sure that no one had followed him or was currently in the hallway.*
Meryl
"Thank you, your majesty." Was all the half-orc said as the prince made his leave. As Astalios made his way through the bar, the only eyes that seemed to watch him were that of the half-elf woman that had taken over the bar while the bartender was gone. She eyed him curiously, but the half-orc shrugged it off as a simple business issue between the two. She shrugged and went off about her duties as the prince made his way upstairs. As Astalios knocked upon Dalyor's door, jostling could be heard from the other side. A groan could then be heard before the door opened, and a disheveled elven man stood in the doorway. "What do you wa-" He stopped a moment when he realized it was a face he didn't recognize, and immediately become defensive. "You have the wrong room, sir." Dalyor then began to close the door.