Re: Chapter 2: Unrest in Bryn Shander
After a long day, the siblings shamble in from out of the cold into the warm environs of their awaiting inn. There, the smell of fresh baked bread and roasting meat welcomes the weary adventurers. Once stripped of their adventuring gear and in fresh clothes, the dwarves return to the common hall to partake in a quick warm meal and cold drink before drifting mercifully to sleep in the comfort of their beds.
Both have little difficulty to falling to sleep that night. In fact, the only difficulty comes with pulling themselves out of bed the next morning. It is well into the morning before either rouse themselves from sleep to rejoin the world. Icewindale is as it ever is this time of year: windy and cold, though no fresh snow falls today (at least yet).
Over the next few days the dwarves take some much needed downtime. The siblings have essentially been traveling non-stop for several rides now, since even before they linked up with the caravan in Luskan. Their journey began in their ancestral homelands in that distant southern region of Faerun known as the Shining South. How strange the Sword Coast and now Icewind Dale must be to the dwarves, accustomed to a land of abundant sunshine and warmth.
The next several days the dwarves keep in regular contact with Mithann, whom still has not heard from her Harper contact, Aarun. Additionally, Sheriff Markhamm also plies them for any additional information they can share about the bandit camp outside of town, the warehouse, etc. Finally, the Town Speaker herself, Duvessa, requests Dalgura and Morgrim's services at the upcoming public audience.
The High Harvestide festival proves to be a contentious affair, with several dissatisfied residents bringing grievances to the fore. Most notable of these is the Town Speaker's seeming inability to do anything about the shake-downs they have suffered at the hands of Luskan thugs, though in truth these seem to have abated somewhat since Vaelish was run out of town. In the end, Duvessa's supporters outnumber her detractors and she is able to retain a tenuous grip on her role as Town Speaker.
All seems to be reasonably well in Bryn Shander, though Vaelish's parting words leaves some uncertainty as to what sort of nefarious plans the Waterdhavian schemer may have up his sleeves.
Then there is the issue of the fate of the dwarves' companions: Arnan, Kira, Thane and Hengar. That group departed into the tundra nearly a ride ago and have not returned and no word has been sent to tell of their fate.