Adventure 2 - Corruption in the Woods

The somber air was cut by a burst of laughter. Setting down Ranos with surprising gentleness, the bouncer gave a grin made terrifying by his scars and disfigured lip to the barkeep, "See Junior, I keep telling you to lighten up a little."

The barkeep, now that the two are standing near each other the relation becomes apparent, rolls his eyes before sarcastically quipping, "Yes, because forgiving water that tastes like mud is a good business practice."

Still chuckling, the apparent father of the barkeep hollers to the retreating Anise, "If you're interested I've got a few ideas for return pranks."

Shaking his head in exasperation, the barkeep levels a glare at Ranos before very calmly stating, "You are on thin ice. Be glad my father finds your kind amusing. In regards to your earlier question, the local church is dedicated to Aengrist with all the bureaucracy that implies, while the closest thing to a library in town is my uncle's but good luck getting his permission to read any of his books. He never did think that my father was a proper choice of a husband for his sister. Or any elf for that matter," the last line muttered under his breath.

Much louder, "In any event, if you will be staying in town for some time you should know that there will be a festival in two days time. The typical events include dancing, food, games, and a number of competitions. If you really want into Uncle's good graces, do something to impress or interest him."

One by one, as the evening drew to a close, the members of your group made their way to the rooms provided. The beds were simple, but of good quality.

The following morning, as you enter the main dining hall you see the barkeep pulling two loaves of bread out of the oven, the aroma filling the air as he smears a small amount of butter on the top of the round loaves. A glance around shows the bouncer from the night before is nowhere to be found.

As he placed bowls of porridge in front of the group, the barkeep looks to Anise and with a resigned expression on his face, "As the younger brother, I have been volun-told to give this to you," he says as he hands over a folded piece of parchment.

Calmly walking over to the window that leads towards the main kitchen, he leans over and yells, "YA HAPPY? I GAVE HER YOUR STUPID LETTER!"

There's a brief clang of metal as what sounds like an empty pot hits the floor followed by a return bellow, "CROLAZAR DAMN IT, KAEL, DO YOU HAVE TO YELL IT FOR ALL THE TOWN TO HEAR?!"

As the group leaves The Sheltered Tree Inn, you set out into the early morning bustle. At each intersection at least one guard is at watch, and the various inns are seemingly overflowing with folks from out of town.

Down the west road leading outside of town, colorful tents are being erected in preparation for the upcoming festival, while northwards the various shops are opening their doors. The ring of hammer on anvil joins the chorus of voices, songbirds, and all the sounds of urban life.

The inn is much louder than yesterday as you wake up. A mass of voices echo up the stairs from the ground floor, though the only recognizable one is the boisterous laughter of the bouncer from that first night. As you make your way downstairs to the main room, you are greeted by the sight of what looks like the entire family.

Kael the barkeep is trying to act as manager of the apparent brothers and boyfriends with as much success as a goblin-herder. The bouncer is carrying a cauldron (one big enough to fit Ranos five times over) under one arm and a pair of burlap sacks under the other, all while a little girl is riding on his shoulders. The various sisters and girlfriends are streaming in and out of the kitchen carrying loaves of bread, pies, pastries, and other such goods for the men to take out to wherever they were heading.

In one corner, a surly-faced elf spends most of his time glaring at the bouncer and only softening his gaze when a short, petite elven woman crosses his field of view.