While you are breaking your fast in the common room of the Riverside Inn, you see a group of horses and wagons come rolling into the thorp, to stop in the square before the inn. It is a caravan, out of the north. There are many mercenaries escorting the twenty or so laden wagons. You see a number of less armed people, evidently the merchants and traders. The townsfolk come out of their houses and businesses, to see what wares are to be offered for sale.
In the midst of all this commotion, the door to the common room opens and an elf enters. Going by his appearance, you would say that he is a sylvan elf. He wears a warm, heavy cloak, and bulky gloves. There is a longsword hanging from his belt.
You survey him, and he surveys the lot of you, stuffing your faces with eggs, ham, pancakes and rolls.
Raz, a tall, studious human dressed in a darkly tanned robe of a mage, is one of a group of adventurers sitting at a table. He looks up briefly at the elf as he enters but then returns to the hot drink before him with a smirk on his lips. "This should be interesting..." he comments softly to his friends that are seated with him.
Sharone, an attractive woman with blonde hair and dressed from head to foot in emerald green, whispers, "Raz, lets not do anything to spoil our breakfast. We have a long cold ride in front of us today ."
She sips her tea and watches the stranger over the rim of her cup.
Raz nods in agreement and takes a sip of the warm drink in his hands. Despite his usual grin you can tell that he dreads venturing out into the cold.
Britan looks at the Caravan for a little bit as he slowly eats his breakfast. Then, he leans in closer to the group.
"You know if that caravan is going our way we could join up with it and that way we might not be detected. Plus, the added number would greatly aid us if we were attacked. How does that sound to everyone?"
Unfortunately, the caravan is heading in the opposite direction that you will be.
"Hey, good inn keeper! Can you make an extra round of the eggs, ham, and those beautiful smelling pancakes and rolls while I warm up next to the fire? Wine too..it been one hell of a storm. Lucky we were close to town."
The newcomer removes his gloves and heavy cloak looking for a place at a table to sit down.
The innkeeper points him to a table by the fire, and then hurries off to the kitchen.
Ayazin waves a forkfull of pancakes at the newcomer. "Grtngs nd wlcm fllw trvlr, wht brngs y hr n ths snwy dy?"
Turning directly to Ayazin and without stuffing face, the newcomer replies: " 'm lokng fr a gd fed aftr das n te trl nd nw eplymt"
Humphrey looks baffled. "Well I don't understand a word of what they are saying. You don't know common do you?"
Aldarin looks up from his plate of dried prunes, cheese and bread, and smiles at the newcomer, speaks something in a melodic lilting language, "Good day, forest brother. I hope your journey finds you well."
Beth takes a minute to swallow and compose herself before looking up and saying at the newcomer elf, "Come again? I'm Beth, by the way, and you are...?"
Beth is a human woman who looks to be in her late forties. She's got shoulder length black hair hair (with a few grey strands) which is somewhere between wavy and wild. She's got an open face, with widely set eyes underneath thin black eyebrows. and a slight nose. She's got laugh lines on her face.
Beth is wearing long navy blue pants, hiking boots, a dark green long sleeved shirt, and a maroon cloak. She wears simple silver earrings in the shape of a hawk, has a gold ring on the ring finger of her left hand, and has a bronze hair comb holding the hair out of her face.
Ayazin guffaws, inadvertently spewing a few bits of pancake around before he swallows. Ayazin is a bearded half-elf who wears leather armor under a gray cloak and green tunic. A scimitar is at his belt. "Loking fr eplymt, eh? Well, you may have stumbled into the right tavern. We are about to undertake a grand and hazardous adventure, and while we have no need for hirelings, we are always looking for skilled companions that can aid us in our quest. I am Ayazin, son of Ayazin, druid of the Blackwood and servant of Mielikki. What may we call you?"
When Britan hears the Ayazin and the new comer exchange words in there new found language, He looks over his shoulder at he new guy, then back to Ayazin."Where did you learn that language at?" Then he brushes off some food that came flying out of Ayazin's Mouth, " But I would greatly appreciate it if you would keep your food to yourself."
Britan stands just over 6' tall with fire red hair, deep blue eyes and the face of a very young boy, but fills out his plate armor that he is wearing with style, and to match his plate armor leaning up against the table is a shield with the symbol of a Cavalier of Puke, and on his side is a Broadsword that looks like everytime he has a free moment he cleans it and oils it.
The new arrival says to all, "Jon I am called and many times have I travelled the road north from here as a caravan scout, minor mage and servant of Meilikki. By the way the wind carried part of a converation 'an ne wa t to try t ide ti y my sw rd and .....mail,..........identify them.....' perhaps I could be of assistance as I do have access to the spell identify. Though I have never had the need to cast it."
Raz frowns momentarily at this. Figures," he comments quietly. He smiles as he glances at the mage though and says, "I would seem that we could use your assistance then. Come..have a seat with us fine sir."
Although his tone is serious, Raz's manners seem overly dramatic to those who know him well.
Kelar speaks, "Settle down there Raz...Hello friend. I am Kelar. My friends seem to be introducing themselves by themselves so...let me buy you a drink. It is cold and I always enjoy some ale to keep me warm."
"Thanks, Kelar."
Raz glares at Kelar briefly and says, "You're no fun at all anymore, Kelar."
Bringing a deck of cards out from a pocket in his robe, Raz turns to Jon once more and says, "Come have a seat..really.. I do apoligise if I have offended...I think it has something to do with being couped up in here. In any case, have a seat with us and I'll buy you something hot to help keep out the chill. We can always use another good adventurer in our group..who knows what we might have to face next."
Raz deals a few cards out before him. "I was just about to ask Britan about starting up a quick game..care to join in?"
Sharone snickers. " Oh Raz! You'll do anything to avoid the cold won't you??...... its not that cold outside and we do have a long way to go. Perhaps Jon will join us and you can play tonight."
"I can think of a few other things that would keep us warm on these cold nights," Kelar says with a smirk.
"Ahh, yes, nothing like the hot sting of a slap across your cheek to keep you warm," Beth says to Kelar with a fetching smile and a raise of her eyebrows.
Ayazin gets that funny look in his eye again, and says, "Temperatures will rise to a high of 32 today, though wind chill will make it feel like 16. The snow is unlikely to melt under these conditions, though caution should be exercised when crossing frozen water. Ice may be thin."
He adds, "Raz, I have a spell which will temporarily raise the temperature around me about 54 degrees, which should make it toasty warm in the vicinity of Ayazin. If the cold gets to be too much for you, I can cast it to help you warm up, and it will easily melt the snow in the area, which will help us light a fire. It lasts about an hour and a half."
"So just about the time we get used to it being nice we go back to freezing. Wouldn't it almost be as much fun to jump into that freezing river and get our bodies down to the temperature it is outside?" ask Kelar, smiling.
A grey elf looks up. "Farad Golgamarth is the name. You haven't happened to have passed a ranger traveling the roads recently have you?" he asks quickly.
Jon replies in the negative.
The innkeeper brings over two ales.
You eat your breakfast and get to know each other a little better. All too soon, though, you are done, and must begin your journey.
At this point Gamvik bids you all farewell. He apparently hates the cold even more than Raz does, and has decided to travel south with the caravan.
Gamvik bows perfunctorily, grabs the rope, and departs.
The rest of you do likewise - sans rope - and depart also, only heading north.
Outside, it is as cold as Raz feared. The chill wind out of the west is blowing the snow around. You mount up quickly and ride north out of Adford, soon leaving the thorp behind.
For the first hour or so the trek is an easy one. The southbound caravan has trampled the snow down, making for an easy ride. However, after you pass the field where they camped last night, the Great Western Road is untravelled and snowcovered. Your pace slows drastically, as you have to pick your way along, being careful not to trip your horses over some obstacle hidden under the snow. Still, the miles pass. The lands hereabouts are generally flat, sloping down gently to the Canabar River, perhaps a quarter mile away to your right (east). You are riding through the forest of the same name. It is a deciduous woodland. All of the trees are leafless at this time of year, making it a barren sight. Through the trees, occasionally you can see the river. It is about a half a mile wide, and partially iced over.
By late afternoon the sun is getting ready to set. Night comes early at this time of year.
Suddenly, from ahead, you hear the sound of hoofbeats approaching. You pause and loosen your weapons. From around a bend in the road come three mounted riders. Seeing you, they too loosen their weapons, too. Approaching each other, the two parties move cautiously. Finally, one of the approaching riders trots on ahead of his companions, his one hand held out in a gesture of parley. He is a middle-aged man, and heavily armed and armoured. His companions are a woman and a dwarf. The woman is young, with straight blonde hair. She wears a grey cloak over her armour. The holy symbol of Tyr hangs around her neck, Farad notes. The dwarf sits astride a pony, and wears plate and shield. He looks to be quite powerfully built.
"Good afternoon, travellers," says the man, stopping his horse about 20' from you. "What occasion makes you travel these wild lands in the dead of winter?"
Beth nudges Dope, her gray mare, forward. She greets the man, saying, "Greetings. We are adventurers from Sandas, on a mission from a wizard who lives thereabout. No offense intended, but I might turn the question about; what brings out to these desloate parts at this inhospitable time?"
The man smiles.
"I am travelling to Sandas to see a wizard thereabouts," he replies.
Raz moves his horse foward a little and pulls back the fur hood. He looks the traveler closely as he can given the distance and replies, "What is the name of this wizard you seek? Perhaps I can help direct you to her or him."
"Her name is Ray Jay. And who was the person who sent you on YOUR mission?"
"One and the same," Beth says. "Have you spoken with Ray Jay before? I should warn you that she's a he nowadays."
Humphrey puts the lance back in it's holder and relaxes. "Hope we start moving soon, don't like sitting around in the cold."
The man's smile widens.
"Corellon must have relented. Ray Jay has a long-standing...fascination with elves...especially with their longevity. I think he was lucky that a race and gender change was all he had done to him," he says. "But yes, I have known HIM for many years. He was to seek a party to help me deal with some problems in the north. Are you that party? If so, then I do not need to travel any further south."
Farad shakes his head. "HIS name is Ray Jay now."
The elf lets go of his sword and motions for others to do the same, "Enough mindless banter. These are obviously the people we seek."
"Farad Golamarth is the name. And I take it that we address the ranger Jo-owrn? If so, you need not travel further. Ray Jay sent us here to meet you."
Jo-owrn regards the grey elf.
"Very well," he says abruptly. "Follow me."
He wheels his horse around and gallops off up the road, its hooves showering you with snow.
"We are probably they," Beth says. She holds out her hand. "Elizabeth Eastlake. I'm a mage from Sandas, of consider..ably... fewer.... Hmmph."
Beth finds herself talking at the backside of Jo-owrn's receding horse.
Beth looks over at Farad. "Well, Farad old boy, you'd better be doing the talking to these sorts. They seem to share your philosophies of social graces, efficiency, attention to business, and friendliness."
Farad smiles. "A man of action... I like him already."
"I knew it," Beth mutters.
Farad begins following the ranger.
Pausing only to collect up his two companions, the ranger sets a pace that you find hard to follow. He is obviously an accomplished horseman, but more importantly, he and his mount are skilled at winter travel. The same can be said for the woman and the dwarf. You soon find yourselves slowly losing ground. Not that it matters, for their tracks are easy to follow.
It is dark in less than an hour, but the ranger presses on under the light of the waxing moon for another hour yet, before you see him wheel off the road and head down to the bank of the Canabar River, nearby. By the time you finally catch up, the woman and the dwarf have staked their horses and are setting about constructing a camp. Jo-owrn you spot out on the ice of the partially frozen river...chopping a hole with an axe.
When you arrive, the woman pauses and introduces herself.
"I am Laurie, originally of Demon's Neck. I serve Tyr, the god of war and law," she says. "This dwarf is Rameen. He serves me."
The dwarf grins.
"I got me a keg of beer on me horse," he says.
Laurie smiles and rolls her eyes.
You tie up your horses and set to making your own camp. By the time you are set and a fire is burning, Jo-owrn - who had been sitting out on the ice beside the hole he had chopped - has joined you, with four large fish from the river. These he guts and fillets, then fries them over the fire in a large iron pan with lots of butter. While not enough to provide a meal for all of you, the fish is a nice supplement to your iron rations. Afterwards, Rameen produces his keg, and passes it around.
Jon approaches Beth and Raz after dinner on the possibility of sharing spells within the group. In particular Jon would like a chance to write sleep and magic missile into his MU book.
After the discussions on spells, Jon casts invisibility, takes out and unwraps a continual light coin and relearns invisibility.
Jon asks Rameen if he will say some words in the dwarven language.
He is all too glad to.
Sharone blushes brightly at the dwarven phrase ....
"Dwarves seem to have a colorful grip of the common language. And I thought Mctavish was only teaching me useless dwarven words."
"You know of McTavish?" asks Laurie. "When did you last see him?"
"Rameen can I ride next to you for the rest of the trip and learn a little more of the dwarven language as I find it fasinating."
Rameen nods.
The rest of the night passes quietly.