Chapter 1: Lady Luck's Curtsy

Ada comes across the rest of the party milling around their carts anxiously. You all set out from the town, heading further north.

Baraq, as you eye the sky, you see that there are heavy clouds in the distance and the wind is starting to pick up to a stiff level. If you had to guess, you'll be reaching the storm on the horizon in a few hours ground-time.

You ride about two hours north when you start to encounter strong gusts of wind and splatters of rain starting to splash against you. Unfortunately, there aren't many wooded areas here, mainly rolling plains.

What are your plans?

As your avian friends leap to the air, battling the winds, they seem to disappear into the hazy mess of fog rolling in.

The lot of you move towards the hill, guiding your obstinate pack animals and carts along with you. It takes you nearly an hour to actually make the transit off the road and over the rolling hills. The rain started falling in earnest about fifteen minutes in, quickly soaking everything through to the bone.

When you finally reach the cave, you see that it is certainly large enough inside to accommodate your vehicles as well as all of you. It isn't a particularly comfortable fit, but it does all fit. In a small amount of time, the entire cave begins to smell faintly of wet animal.

About twenty minutes after you reach the cave, the last vestiges of light fade away from the sky as steely-black clouds finish rolling in, bringing ripping streaks of lightning and cacophonous peals of thunder to the countryside.

As you move forward into the cave, it looks pretty bland. A large cave, but no identifiable secret doors, passages, or scary things. There are a few scattered piles of bones, but they look to be fairly old. The floor is hardpacked dirt, and the walls are smoothly worn stone.

You sleep through the night, taking your turns at watch and nothing seems to threaten you. When you wake in the morning, the rain continues to pour down, unabating. A cool breeze blows into the mouth of the cave as the stench of wet everything starts to build in the small space.