COMPLETED: Communications have ceased from Hafa

There were some people from Hafa that showed up in Serpent's Bend Mining Town. However no other communications have come from Hafa for the last 4 days. This was to be a cover story that the party would adopt in order to get to Rubi'Sarha without raising suspicion while investigating Conflict in the Brazen Hearth.
They took the overland route to Hafa since they could not determine the health of the teleportation circle maintained there. Along the way guided by Aethelin they happen upon a hidden oasis which replenished their bodies. Next they meet a strange man, Liet. His body was interwoven with markings they had never seen before, simultaneously like a tattoo but at the same time very different. He spoke in a slow voice and seemed as though he did not come from here, speaking of a world with mountains that would crush the Ashib and caverns deeper than the ocean, he doesn't know how he ended up here but feels an affinity to the desert. In the morning the stranger is gone but a wand of Stone Shape remains.
The next day they arrive at the abandoned town of Hafa, sand permeates the once active streets, all is silent. Upon entering the Northern travel office they find plates still set at tables and meals festering in pots in the kitchen. They make their way into the center of town and find the teleportation hub, reviewing the records they stopped 12 days ago. It doesn't appear like there was any more or less traffic that day than usual. Next they check the bathhouse, within they see a notice that water has stopped flowing into the town and that a request had been sent to Rubi'Sarha, the notice was posted 15 days ago.
Deciding that their responsibility to Maeve in finding Viola was more important than whatever was going on here and that time was of the essence. That night they set out to Rubi'Sarha. During the first day they come across the remains of a small caravan, there were obvious signs of fighting and blood shed, but there are also weapons still in the wagons that were unused. The following day a large quake shakes the whole earth however there don't appear to be any aftershocks. On the next day they encounter another adventuring party led by Jance Tormand who seeks to investigate the ceased communications from Hafa . He's very rude and doesn't end up getting that much information from the party.
They eventually arrive at the gates of Rubi'Sarha the guard there is very surprised and ask if they had come through Hafa, they did, and the guard is sure that the council would like a report. He asks where they might be staying, Libertas Dacia doesn't currently have an inn and he recommends one to them, the Cat on the Tin Roof.
They were expected to receive a letter about an appointment time sometime within the following day however while they were pursuing the Rescue of Novah and Viola they were unable to receive it before their meeting time had elapsed. Aethelin goes back to the Cat on the Tin Roof to get the letter and pay for the rooms they haven't been using.
Upon realizing that the meeting date had already passed she goes to the City Council offices to try and reschedule. After many misunderstandings and incorrect forms being filled out the clerk is sorry to inform her that without all requested to be in attendance present he could not expedite a reschedule. Aethelin having wasted a whole afternoon in the weeds returns to the party defeated.
After a night's rest they receive a letter at the Cat on the Tin Roof, stating that they have been informed of the miscommunication and have taken the liberty to reschedule. They are requested to meet again at the City Council Offices at 11am that day. The party having some down time, explore the town a bit more.
Pious goes to the market to see whom he might be able to pickpocket, he unfortunately doesn't find the cash cow he was looking for. However in the process overhears a rumor that some general was heading from Rubi'Sarha to Greensward. Araz and Liea went to The Grand Library(landmark:8c04f504-c24b-4832-a3ed-6cac5e3ef988) Liea to finds out more about the people around the @[Hajmire and Araz was just fumbling around when his interest was pulled towards Orcish Gods, landing himself in some lore concerning Marduk.
11 o'clock rolls around and the party come back together to meet up with the City Council. They are met with 5 individuals two older gentlemen, an older woman, a young man apparently military of some sort and an ageless looking woman with blue skin inscribed with elegant runes. The bearded of the two older gentleman begins, asking for their report of what they saw in Hafa. They gave their report; that the people had vanished without any sort of struggle, they didn't try and get out via the teleportation circle. Some speculate that they may have been attacked on the road. They ask after Sir Dayton, who was asked to investigate but who hasn't reported back yet. They say that they saw him heading that way and that he seemed in good health. They also report that the portal was still in good repair.
Despite having closed the book on this with the council the party returns to Hafa to see what threads they had missed by leaving when they did.  This is their first experience in a teleportation circle and thankfully the trip doesn't leave any of them nauseous.  They are met by a surprised attendant who had been cleaning out the building.  After explaining the situation he leads them out into the city.  Immediately their attention is drawn to the now collapsed bathhouse.  Their are work crews clearing debris trying to get this town operational again.  The party members offer help and do some investigation along side it.  The building fell inward but when they were there last there didn't appear to be any structural damage. 
Taking some time to investigate the surrounding area they are met with a surprising dip in the road, with some application of force they collapse the roof in, revealing a tunnel of sorts.  Mess sends his rats to investigate and reveals that there is still some water beneath the bathhouse though it's so thick with rubble that they would not be able to investigate what caused the collapse.  With no leads to follow up on here the party decides they should head off, but just as they walk back into the square a group of workers yell out that they found a survivor.  Naturally intrigued the party approaches to find the survivor looks exactly like Mess.
They tediously inspect the thing in the shape of Mess, until the find within it's head a glass bead tied to a tiny scroll of 25 words. Hopelessly lost and confused they ask to take it back to Greensward, to which they agree.  The attendant at the portal tries to extract his fee and is intimidated into letting them through.  
Back in Greensward they meet up with Clive who after hearing their description and identifying the glass bead and scroll says it's likely a Clay Golem that has been magically altered to resemble Mess.  The party decides to activate the golem and interrogate it.  After replacing the charged glass bead and scroll the figure of Mess erects itself as if it had no bones.  The party then begins asking it questions before coming to the realization that it is responding as though it were Mess and has no memories of who created it.  They determine this is futile and remove the bead and scroll placing it in a locked chest.