Chapter 1: The Arrival

Rone has no idea what this creature might be. It doesn't fall for his feint, but it doesn't matter much, as he thrusts out with his rapier and impales the thing through the throat, a critical hit! It gurgles and dies on the end of his sword, and with that, the short skirmish comes to an end.

You find footprints near the obelisk indicating that the dog creatures snuck up on you while you were distracted coming to terms with your new bodies and surroundings. Without much else keeping you here, you head for the town. It doesn't take too long to cross the half-mile down the rise to the settlement's partially completed wall.

A few people in colorful, mismatched uniforms mill about at the edge of town, ostensibly keeping watch but in reality mostly just chatting to one another. The most striking thing about these people, though, is their height, or lack thereof! They stand just over 3 feet in height, shorter than even Eugene. Their hair is vibrantly colored, one orange, one green, and one blue. Their eyes and mouths are overly large, giving them the appearance of cartoon characters! They look up at you as you approach.

"Hello! Welcome to Finderplain!" one of them declares. "You look like you've had a rough go of things, eh? Need any help?"

Another one's eyes widen when she sees Gloria. "Ooh! Big kitty! Can I pet her? Can I? Can I?"

As the short woman happily chases Gloria around, the man who first spoke scratches his head at Rone's question. "Hmm? Obelisk? Gateway? I'm not sure what you're talking about, friend! But we've got a few inns in town that cater to tall folk like yourselves. I'd be happy to direct you to the nearest one."

He then turns to Mathias and Eugene. "Yep, this is Finderplain! This here's a waypoint for travelers between Nex, Katapesh, and the western wilds. The current date is the 17th of Calistril, 4725 Absalom Reckoning."

The lead guard leads you into the town. The strange settlement seems to be an eclectic mishmash of structures arrayed with the best of intentions along unregulated thoroughfares. The streets average about 20 feet in width, with narrow 5-foot alleys splitting off from major streets, and those streets sometimes constricting to 10 feet wide, widening into impromptu plazas as much as 50 feet across or turning abruptly to navigate the haphazard structures.

This area appears to be a large market, and you spot numerous residents, most of them smallfolk like the guards, hawking strange wares and doing business. The guard stops to haggle with one merchant with a clothing stall. Copper coins are exchanged, and the guard offers you some new homespun clothes that will fit your forms better than your current apparel. Soon thereafter, you finds yourselves in a cozy tavern with accommodations scaled to human size.

"You can change your clothes in the privy here," the guard says. "I'll arrange for some food and drink for you. Stay here and take some rest. I'll be back soon." He then heads out into the town, leaving you to your own devices.