The meeting went well enough; Lander did make more than a few subtle digs at Devaguea, his lands, and his properties, but the dragon was able to catch most of them, and deflect, downplay, or wave them off, to the young man's frustration and grudging admiration. When they finally parted, it seemed he had, at least, a respect for the fledgling nation.<br/><br/>The next few months passed relatively uneventfully; a bad harvest was handled with ease, a crafter's masterpiece, inspired by the banner of Choral the Conqueror, , and some more expansion and intense training occupied much of his time. That is, until a series of... problems occur. Since his visit to Varnhold, Maegar Varn had been sending (and presumably, receiving back), regular, monthly letters, keeping him abreast of local developments. That latest letter should have arrived nearly two weeks ago, but there was no sign of it. Then, on the same day, two petitioners arrived with very similar stories - local merchant Edrist Hanvaki, and Jemanda Orlashen, a representative of Oppara’s Kitharodian Academy, both of whom state that they are looking for people who recently traveled to Varnhold, for their own reasons... and haven't returned, when expected. Had something gone seriously worng?