Day 1, Continued B

Goodbye to Good Mead

Obasee Obasee

The Mead Maker halfling you remember from last night.

Numchucki...

After just a few hours of sleep, Kendrick wakes you and motions quietly to gather your things.

Outside, Elva and the Shanes stand huddled by a packed dog sled - much bigger than the ones you took to the farm.

Kendrick starts, “I want you to know, several of us discussed taking up some sort of collection for you. I’m sorry to say, the gold isn’t flowing into Good Mead these days, but Obasee - he’s our mead maker - offered to donate a keg. If you’d like, you can take that now, try to sell it - or, you might have better luck with an idea Obasee shared. He’ll sell it as the'Hero’s fund'maybe a bit more for each stein, take up a collection. It will probably fetch over 30, 40 gold when it’s all said and done."

"When the keg is done, you can come back to collect… in a month or so.

"I say ‘come back’, because, well, the Shanes and I were talking, and we think it’s best if both of you leave town for a while. There was some talk last night by a few, whispers really, the usual instigators in this town, and they had some suspicions about the coincidences - both of you showing up in town on the same day, a few days after these murders. Elva, I’ve known you for years, and Noom, I feel like I’ve known you for just as long from how much Eli talked about you. I know you had nothing to do with this. Understand, this is just a few people, but if I’ve learned anything as town speaker, it’s that stupid ideas can spread the fastest. This is a precaution. Eventually the Kelson boy will be able to find his voice and we’ll know what really happened. He's in good, caring hands with Olivessa. They both are.

"I’ll take you up to the crossroads, there’s a roadhouse and a friend there, and from there you head any direction you’d like, except back this way -- for now.

"Here, Obasee offered an advance on your fund. It’s not much. In here, there are some potions he makes, bloodflower - heals you in a hurry, some other things that might be useful."

He hands you a canvas sack containing a hand axe, dagger, blanket, five bloodflower healing potions, and two healing kits.

Theresea Shane embraces Elva and whispers in her ear. The Shanes say their goodbyes to all and head home. Looking over their shoulders, they attempt to mask their worry with faint smiles.

Kendrick helps load you and your canvas sack of new belongings onto the sled and you head off for the Crossroads House. He explains along the way that he doesn’t want to know where you’re going after that. He’ll tell anyone who asks the truth: That he was concerned for your safety and thought it best you leave town for a while. He doesn’t know where you were headed once you leave the roadhouse. Lil will be able to answer your questions about any of the other towns.

On the way, he confesses, "I wasn't honest with you last night about the snowflake tattoos you noticed. I don't know why exactly, guess I just wanted some sleep... but probably, I find it distressing. Those marks, the snowflake symbol, it's a sign of Auril, that she's worshipped. I didn't want to think about the Kelsons getting caught up in that again, they were good people. My guess is, most people think she's the reason behind this never-ending winter, and they figure it's best to be on her good side. I was being truthful about seeing that symbol more and more."

"Five years ago -- I'm sure you heard the stories -- a cult following Auril caused all sorts of havoc across the Dale. It's less than comforting to see followers springing up again. In that case, those cultists were slowly being corrupted by black ice. But most of the black ice has been rounded up and destroyed since then, so I don't think that has much to do with it this time around. It's just, like I said, trying to gain favor."

"Black ice? Be glad you've never heard of it! Although I'm a bit surprised. It looks like a crystal, sort of black-bluish, but doesn't break like one. With smithing tools, you can bend it, shape it like metal. But the whole time you're around it, it's slowly driving you crazy. It's bending you! Once your mind is no longer yours, its easy for someone else to fill it with ideas. We saw it all - people attacking their friends and family out of nowhere, children murdering their parents, there was a full on battle of the fishermen up in the Caers. One guy even tried raising a rehmoraz from an egg. He was planning to sic it on the Dale and wipe out as many as he could."

He assures you he and some others will return to the farm and scour for more hints of the murderer.

After a some time, you reach the crossroads, and across the way to the northwest corner, a smaller cabin. Out front, an older woman, is gathering firewood. She nods to you as the sled comes to a stop. This must be Lil.

“Well that’s some strange-looking firewood you have there, Kendrick”

Kendrick smiles as he sets the snow hook, “Sorry, Lil. I’ll be back tomorrow with a cord and a cask. These two needed a ride… And they’ll need to talk to you to help get things sorted out. They’ll be coming back to Good Mead in a few tendays, but need to figure out where to go in the meantime... And get them some breakfast, they don't eat like birds."

Lil nods thoughtfully, as though she understands the situation at a glance.

Kendrick hands you your meager supplies. His hands on your shoulders, he embraces both of you. “Folks, you can trust Lil, you have my word.”

After turning the sled, he shouts the dogs into action and heads back towards Good Mead. "I'll see you back in Good Mead in Eliasis!" He disappears into the darkness.

Lil smiles, "Come on in then, let's get you warmed up."

Theresea Shane

Lil Mosby
Proprietor, Crossroads House

The Crossroads House, at the intersection of the Eastway and Dinneshere Trail

The ceiling of the one-room cabin is a less than six feet tall. Lil heads directly to the stove, feeds it some firewood and tells you. "I'll get to work on that breakfast. Sounds like you've got a journey ahead of you. Don't worry about paying for it, I'll take it out of what I owe Rielsbarrow for firewood."

"Now, what questions do you have about the great, white lonely?" She lays out a map on the table in front of you then returns to cooking a feast of trout and chicken eggs while considering your questions.

After answering what she could of your questions, Lil suggests you get some sleep in her loft and than be on your way before noon. It will take you four or five hours to get to Bryn Shander provided there are no problems. Exhausted, you take her up on her offer.

Elva:

You sit on the floor and begin to enter a meditative state, when you are distracted by a strange sight on the outside sill of the small window in the loft

Lit dimly from the inside, you can make out a small vaguely humanoid figure standing outside in the falling snow. It's about ten inches tall, with long, spindly arms and legs that emerge from of a mop of beard moss -- the type you normally see clinging to the branches of spruce trees. The creature's face is covered by a mask: a white oval with red markings, and it appears to be armed with... a fork? It seems to be watching you, cocking its head from side to side, looking curious. It then assumes the very same cross-legged position you sit in to meditate . Its hands resting palms-up on its knees, just like you. Then it leans back slowly, waves at you, and falls from the sill, disappearing from your sight.

Later, Lil informs you the figure is known around here as a "Chwinga". They've been seen more and more since the darkness started. They seem mostly harmless, their worst offense is stealing knick knacks they can get their hands on . She's not sure what they do, if anything, or why there seem to be more and more of them.

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