NPC: New Beginnings
New Beginnings
Having left home and travelled south in search of good deeds to do in service to our father, Torag, I had made my way to Absalom and found a reputable enough establishment to slake my thirst after the journey.
The bar was eerily quiet but the barman stocked some of the finest Dwarven Stout that while a reminder of home was also of good quality. I looked around the room and spotted two human mercenaries, a half-elf, a gnome, a half-orc and another human. All of them seemed to be minding their own business. Little did I know I’d soon be on a journey with them… The barman seemed less interested in conversation than I expected. Back in the halls of Highhelm a barman is usually happy to talk your ear off if you let them but I digress. He was distracted by the two mercenaries and asked me to take some beers over to them. They accepted the gracefully and went back to talking but I noticed they had pocketed some strange device.
Just then the sound of horse hooves from outside and a shout of “Snow!” caught my attention. Weird to hear discussion of such weather in a tropical port city during Erastus. Several of us went outside and saw an injured man on horseback covered in ice and snow that was slowly starting to thaw. Magic? Perhaps but I figured I would wait to hear his story after offering to help him.
He pushed his way inside to talk to his mercenary friends. I caught only some of their conversation but felt inclined to butt in when he mentioned a blizzard in Taldor and walking living trees. He was the only survivor of the rest of the mercenary band. He was either delusional or something strange was going on…
It transpired that their caravan had been attacked outside of Heldren, a small village just north of the Border Wood near Qadira. The weird weather had been going on for three or four days. Several of the other people in the bar resolved to sort out this mystery along with me and we set off to prepare for the trip by purchasing cold weather clothing and snowshoes from a local shop.
Before we retired to our lodgings I had time to catch the names of my fellow adventurers:
- Tollak of the lands of the Linnorm Kings a male half-elf Hunter
- Shem, a female gnome Sorcerer
- Shirish, a female half-orc Paladin
- Ugr, a female human Fighter
Have Map, Will Travel
On the next day we set sail aboard The Langport, the mercenaries’ ship. The journey to Oppara was swift and we quickly set about finding clues. Tollak obtained us a map while we deliberated about the best way to travel.
The more charismatic members of the group sought out some local news and relayed to us that Qadiran agents were suspected of foul play and that the blizzard was growing and had become permanent (centred on Heldren). Many crops have already died to the cold but it also seems as though crops are being stolen. Another potential lead is that one of the farm hands fell ill after seeing something suspicious in the Border Wood. Time will tell what information is helpful to our cause.
I am cautious about what lays ahead of us on the road but the journey and my new companions are already helping to take my mind off of the sadness I left at home. We will get to the bottom of this I have no doubt and I will relay the story to my temple for the glory of Torag.
Brumrik Oathkeeper
