Dec 21, 2022 4:49 am
First, the library-fortress of Candlekeep. Then, the inn-fortress of the Friendly Arm Inn. To those from far-off Icewind Dale, it so far appears that people down in the Western Heartlands around Baldur’s Gate either value their privacy, or have much to fear in the countryside.
Indeed, on this morning in the Friendly Arm’s common room, mutterings and rumors among the various patrons speak to the prevalence of bandits on the nearby roads. The Flaming Fist mercenaries of Baldur’s Gate frequently send patrols around the more civilized parts to help keep the peace and provide safety to the locals, but in a time when one can hardly trust their own iron, "safety" seems akin to a hedge-mage’s illusions.
For the party from Icewind Dale, that illusion has been shattered.
An assassin even within the most fortified and warded walls of Candlekeep, a deadly ambush on the road, and then another killer in the upper storeys of the Friendly Arm Inn steals the face of a trusted friend. Not to mention the band of hobgoblins that abducted Sheemish just outside the Friendly Arm’s lauded walls, or the hordes of gibberlings wandering the land. And yet, at the behest of Jaheira, Khalid, and others, the young adventurers of Icewind Dale (and their local friends) have decided to remain in this exotic land and investigate the ongoing "Iron Crisis".
Still, it’s hard not to eye the other patrons of the Friendly Arm without suspicion. Is that the hint of a blade beneath that man’s cloak? Or are the trio whispering in the corner hiding glances this way? A surly halfling and green-robed necromancer, known to the party as Montaron and Xzar, respectively, almost seem trustworthy by comparison. The two seem to be arguing. Always arguing!
Aiwȅ, Stella, Sheemish, Dieter, and Runeson sit near to each other at a pair of tables near the hearth as they eat their warm breakfast of fresh bread, glazed ham, and cheese. Piles of bags and equipment litter the floor beneath the tables. Alongside the group are several others: Imoen, Wirrow, and Keggruk.
Indeed, on this morning in the Friendly Arm’s common room, mutterings and rumors among the various patrons speak to the prevalence of bandits on the nearby roads. The Flaming Fist mercenaries of Baldur’s Gate frequently send patrols around the more civilized parts to help keep the peace and provide safety to the locals, but in a time when one can hardly trust their own iron, "safety" seems akin to a hedge-mage’s illusions.
For the party from Icewind Dale, that illusion has been shattered.
An assassin even within the most fortified and warded walls of Candlekeep, a deadly ambush on the road, and then another killer in the upper storeys of the Friendly Arm Inn steals the face of a trusted friend. Not to mention the band of hobgoblins that abducted Sheemish just outside the Friendly Arm’s lauded walls, or the hordes of gibberlings wandering the land. And yet, at the behest of Jaheira, Khalid, and others, the young adventurers of Icewind Dale (and their local friends) have decided to remain in this exotic land and investigate the ongoing "Iron Crisis".
Still, it’s hard not to eye the other patrons of the Friendly Arm without suspicion. Is that the hint of a blade beneath that man’s cloak? Or are the trio whispering in the corner hiding glances this way? A surly halfling and green-robed necromancer, known to the party as Montaron and Xzar, respectively, almost seem trustworthy by comparison. The two seem to be arguing. Always arguing!
Aiwȅ, Stella, Sheemish, Dieter, and Runeson sit near to each other at a pair of tables near the hearth as they eat their warm breakfast of fresh bread, glazed ham, and cheese. Piles of bags and equipment litter the floor beneath the tables. Alongside the group are several others: Imoen, Wirrow, and Keggruk.
