The Man in Green

* The trade caravan arrives, escorted by **Silence**, a Half-orc archer. She is one of Baron Torth's two personal bodyguards, and is incapable of vocalization of any kind.
	+ Silence does not seem to do much communicating of any kind, whether through gestures or writing. She comes across as shy and a little awkward, her expression and stance always perfectly neutral.
	+ She is an *extraordinary* shot with a bow, one of the most talented archers anyone in the party has ever seen. Her skills are notorious throughout the Maharev. **Leena**, the party's archer, takes an immediate liking to her.
	+ Silence provides the party with their reward for taking care of the issue at the gold mine: a pouch each, containing 5 platinum coins and polished steel mirrors that the Baron can use to communicate with them even across hundreds of miles.
		- The party also learns that one of its members, **Kyra**, already had such a mirror; this was no surprise, as she had been employed by the Baron for longer than the rest of the party.
		- The party is instructed (through Kyra) to check their mirrors every day at high noon and sunset, in case the Baron needs to pass instructions to them. If they want to get in touch with the Baron, however, they will need to purchase a carrier pigeon to Isfahel, and then monitor their mirrors for a response.

* As the caravaneers are setting up their stalls in a market plot on the outskirts of Sandstone, the party's attention is immediately drawn to an extremely tall man weaving his way through the crowd.
	+ He introduces himself as "**Utnapishtim**, but friends call me **Tim**."
	+ Tim is 9'2", and although he appears Human in many ways, its as if his frame has been *stretched* upward, giving him very unusual proportions.
	+ He wears a forest green robe with its hood drawn up against the sun, and appears to have a trimmed full-face beard of old white hair against a wrinkled face.
	+ He disengages with the party politely to continue browsing the market stalls, although the party doesn't see him make any purchases. He later leaves on the road going north out of Sandstone.

* The party's first call over the mirror with the Baron comes at noon that day. It turns out the mirrors only allow visual communication. He holds up a piece of paper that instructs the parties to speak clearly and enunciate so that he can read their lips.
	+ As the party talks with him, he pulls his responses from a pile of already-written sheets of parchment next to him. He pulls them one after another, in the order they are stacked. There are no papers left at the end of their conversation.
		- The party concludes that this is just an illusion effect, although it is impossible to tell through the mirror.
	+ He thanks the party for their good work dealing with Lucius and the smugglers. He would like them to stick around and oversee the caravan over the next three days while it is in Sandstone, as he needs Silence to take care of something else. She is expected to be back to escort the caravan from Sandstone, taking it north toward the Zho Mountains.
	+ He advises them that this should be an easy task, as the caravan is unlikely to be attacked while it is in Sandstone. Mostly, they're expected to enforce lawful order within the market itself, and to use the extra time to relax. It's a small market in a civilized town that already has two guards (the Dervishes) and a jailer; there shouldn't be any need for them to intervene.
	+ In the meantime, he advises that there is a Wizard Tower and old Library about two miles north of Sandstone. It's something of a tourist attraction in the area, and he recommends they see it while they're in the area, if it interests them.

* The party travels to the library and finds that Tim is already there.
	+ He is being confronted by a three men, who have the disheveled look of bandits, and who are demanding something of him. He stands at the top of the stairs leading up to the library (which is elevated a few feet), and seems unconcerned by them.
		- The party waits to see what happens, and watches as one of the men draws a knife and advances on Tim, who doesn't budge. When the bandit steps up onto the bottommost stair, he rapidly dissolves in a flash of light, disappearing before he could react.
		- Tim continues to seem unbothered by this turn of events, and the other two men run away. Tim, who was facing out from the library and so noticed the party approaching, invites them closer and explains what happened.
			* The library is protected by powerful magic which makes it impossible to enter with hostile intent. Attempting to do so will kill you instantly; it's most of the reason why this library is standing more than 80 years after the death of the Wizard who used to live in the area.

* Tim, again, regards the party politely. He doesn't have much to say to them, however, and is found browsing the library separately from them, looking through the tens of thousands of available books without further comment or explanation.
	+ The Library has a librarian, although he is not the wizard who once owned it, and may not have any relation. His name is **Abernathy**, and he maintains the building, using it as a schooling area to teach Sandstone's children how to read. He is very old, but still spry. He mostly ignores the party as he goes about his day cleaning the building.
* The party then travels a little bit past the library and finds the Wizard Tower just over a hill to the north.
	+ It is a tall black square pyramid obelisk, some thirty feet wide at the base and tapering down to a single point about sixty feet up. Three tall pointed cylindrical pylons, each about ten feet tall and three feet wide at their thickest point, orbit the tower at a height of 45 feet and a distance of fifteen feet.
	+ The tower appears to have no entrance, and the party is unable to find a way inside. It is, for now, just a pretty building.

* The party then returns to Sandstone for the night.