The inn keeper was relieved to learn of your discovery at the tower. She was less happy to know you left the wererat alive, but your report of Gnarl's disposition calmed her fears. Gnarl would introduce himself to her shortly after you departed, and during the moonless weeks when he was more in control of his form, he would become a regular at the inn. His alchemical skills would earn him a place nearer to civilized life than he had been since his infection. Of course, you would never know this, for you set off on the road with a map and a drive to seek fortune and adventure.
Your only lead a scrap of a treasure map indicating Vraath Keep, the mountains and woodland surrounding it, a note about a small town called Drellen's Ferry to the southeast and the words 'Elsir Vale' scrawled in big letters along the bottom, you did what anyone with some sense would do - you set out for the nearest major city and sought out a cartographer. It wasn't cheap, but you managed to secure for yourselves a map of the Elsir Vale (it also wasn't expensive, and as such it wasn't complete). According to the landmarks on your treasure map, Vraath Keep was located somewhere in the woods between Drellen's Ferry and Skull Gorge.
The next step in your journey was Brindol, where you stopped briefly to resupply before heading directly for Drellen's Ferry. It was in Bridal where Reina regretfully informed you that she would not be able to continue on together. She had pressing business to attend elsewhere in the Vale and insisted that it was important for her to attend to it alone. Regretfully, you shared one last drink and she told you the truth of the story you'd heard a few days back about Xena, the Barbarian and the lava pit. The truth was less elaborate and fanciful than the bard's tale, but in the truth was more evidence that Xena would be a welcome and valuable asset to your haphazard band of treasure seekers.
Rurik, too, had a true tale to tell of Xena. A story he waited to share until Reina had departed. It was, he suspected, not a matter of coincidence that the nearer to the Vale you had travelled the more frequent the tales and exploits of Xena were coming up in pubs and taverns you stopped at...
