Whyn't you ask your god to look after Helda, then, if we're on the wrong track? Thane thought darkly, but did not speak as Arnan and Morgrim conversed.  With a puff of steamy breath, he nodded his agreement with Grim's final sentiments.

"So I'm thinkin' we should go through Caer-Dineval on the way to Easthaven," he suggested.  He gestured at the smoke rising from Easthaven.  "I'm also thinkin' there's nothing we can do about that fire right there.  By the time we get there, it'll be dealt with, burned out, or the whole town will be ablaze.  We're only going to be good for what comes after.  Makes sense to me to at least check in Caer for Helda.  Could be she did go there, or through there," he pointed out.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:14, Tue 19 Sept 2017.

In reply to Thane Harkensen (msg # 7):

"I will ask my Goddess to help look after everybody in this party as well as well as those who were in the village.  I hope that Helga wasn't there but Thane is right.  If we are seeing that much smoke then we would arrive too late to do others good."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:40, Tue 19 Sept 2017.

Kira shifted from one foot to the other, her head swiveling to whoever was talking and taking it all in quietly but alertly.  "Sooooooo ... that way?" she pointed to the direction of Caer-Dineval.

Dal, Thane's 'remark' was italicized and not quoted. He was thinking it, he didn't say it. I don't think Dal can know what was in his head.

Hengar studies the massive field of snow banked up alongside the trail and confers with Arnan on the best way to avoid triggering a potential avalanche. The tribal warrior points out a few features and offers his take, but defers to Arnan, whom is more familiar with these lands.

OOC: Hengar will use the Help action to give Arnan Advantage on a Survival check.

In reply to DM Shard (msg # 11):

After conferring with Hengar for a bit and studying the terrain, Arnan felt certain that he knew how the party could avoid having an avalanche come down on their heads as they moved forward.

---

OOC:

20:09, Today: Arnan Aldwynne rolled 24 using 2d20+4, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 3,20. Survival Check w/ Advantage.

Wow. Rolling with Advantage made a *huge* difference in this instance.

Morgrim sets off behind Arnan, trudging through the drifting snow with his cloak held fast around his person. The huntsman seemed to know his way about the tundra and Morgrim followed close on his heels.

Nicely done Arnan.

Wary of all the snow, Thane is glad to have two experienced men to follow.  Left on his own, he realizes that he'd be more likely than not to step in the wrong place and either sink to his death in deep soft snow, or be buried by a sudden avalanche.

He motioned for Kira and Dal to go in front of him.  "I'll march along here at the rear," he explained.  "Morgrim can keel-haul anything that gets into melee up front," he said with a genuine chuckle, "least until me and Hengar can close in.  I want to make sure that if somethin' attacks the rear of our group, they'll hit something solid first."

Kira leaned down to whisper something to Dal.  [Private to Dalgura Ironhammer: "Don't let him fool ya.  He just likes to watch us walk."]  Then she followed the leaders next to Dal when she could.

Arnan and Hengar safely lead the party down the trail and they soon are on level ground again, approaching the small village from the west. A line of buildings fill up either side of a narrow street, and the only street for that matter, that winds its way around the village, eventually terminating at the clifftop caer. The adventurers' arrival is definitely noticed by the residents, their expressions a mixture between mild interest and outright suspicion.

Shortly after entering the village, the party spots its only inn, Dinev's Rest, situated at the bottom of the town along the loakeside road. The inn itself is built in a shallow dell a little way back from the looming cliff line. Save for private residences, the docks and storehouse and the caer itself, the only other establishment of note is The Uphill Climb, a tavern perched atop the approach to the caer with spectacular views of the lack and docks below.

In reply to Kira (msg # 15):

Dal giggled when Kira whispered to her and nodded.  "I do believe you are right Kira."

"Well, Arnan. That was almost pleasant," Morgrim remarked. "I fear for what we would have done with out you."

Continuing on ahead to Dinev's rest, Morgrim pushed back the door and took in the common room crowd at a glance. Unless he spotted dwarves among them he went straight to the proprietor to begin making inquires.

Opening the front door of Dinev's Rest, the party enters of a large common hall where visitors sit around a central fire pit sharing stories of their latest catch or any other snippet of news from within or beyond the dale. The walls are adorned with faded banners bearing what the party may learn to be the Dinev coat of arms: an osprey grabbing a fish from a sea.

A quick visual search of the dozen or so people in the common room does not reveal any dwarves among the crowd. Among those present the party spots what clearly looks to be mostly fisherpeople and locals. It does not take long to locate the innkeeper, Kadie, a vivacious young woman with fiery red hair. She weaves her way through the patrons, saying a kind word to each, before eventually making her way to the adventurers.

She warmly greets the adventurers and shows them to a spot where they might "brush off the cold and put a bit of fire in your belly."

Kadie says there are no dwarves staying at her small inn at the moment, though she does recall seeing a couple come down from the mountain a couple of days ago. "That was before the storm though. I think they were looking to book passage across the lake," she says.

She then inquires whether the party will be needing rooms, and how many, and offers whatever assistance she is able. "You'll find no finer folk in all the dale than those right here," she says proudly.

"Across the lake to Easthaven?" Morgrim asked, privately wondering at the timing of events. "Is there a ferry of sorts? Or does one charter a fishing boat?"

He had more questions of course, Did they bring any word from the Dwarven Valley?, Was one of them a lass perhaps, or both menfolk? but he waited for Kadie to reply.

Kadie says she thinks the dwarves were headed for Easthaven with an eventual destination of Bryn Shander, having only come to Caer-Dineval when they were unable to continue traveling along the mountain road to Bryn Shander due to inclement weather.

"Sure. One can usually find a fishing boat that will take you the distance, for the right price that is. Though these days, with all the competition between Caer-Koenig, Caer-Dineval and Easthaven...and the recent pirate attacks it might take a bit more convincing. Your dwarf friends must have offered quite a handsome wage to the crew who agreed to that job," she says.

"Dangerous days and waters."

She then relates to the party tales of a pirate crew sailing aboard a ship known as the Howling Fiend. The Howling Fiend has taken to attacking fishing vessels on Lac Dinneshere, regardless of their town of origin and occasionally raiding the towns themselves.

Kadie sadly claims the outlaw pirate captain is none other than Derrick the Drownder, a hot-headed local of Caer-Dinev. "Had to throw that old broken-faced man out of here on more than one occasion," she bristles.

"If you ask me, him and his lot was made none better by that damn black ice," she hotly protests. Then, turning to Dalgura and Morgrim, "No offense, but things were better before your kind went mucking things up by bringing that black ice to Ten Towns. Should've kept that evil in the mountain, or wherever the hell you found it!" Her tone is more accusatory now.

She says the Howling Fiend is so named because it contains a black ice battering ram in the shape of a screaming devil.

Kadie, and the adventurers, notice several locals listening in to the conversation, their faces a mask of deep concern, any cheer gone.

"Dal and Grim don't have anything to do with that black ice," Kira chimed in to defend the two dwarves after being quiet and observing things for a bit.  "They're good folk, been traveling together quite a while now and there's no one better to have at my back," she added for good measure.  Not that they might trust her word for things but she was loyal to their group and smart enough not to say anything else they might not want said.

"Aye, we take no credit for that black ice", Thane also chimed in.  "We hardly even know what the stuff is, although it seems you all do."  Better for denials to come from humans than from the two dwarves in this case.

Thane glanced around the room and noticed the tensions.  "I'd like to hear more about it, but it seems a sore subject hereabouts," he probed.  "I am sorry to hear of your people's woes.  Seems Easthaven is having a rough go of it, what with all that smoke billowing up to the sky.  We noticed it coming in here today.  Any idea what happened?" he continued while settling at the bar or nearby table and asking for a mug of hot spiced cider.

Kadie simply says, "More like than not, the work of Derrick the Drownder and his Howling Fiend." She then claims locals are obviously a bit jumpy ever since seeing smoke over Easthaven.

Morgrim listens in silence, quietly noting Kira and Thane's defense of the dwarven siblings. Not feeling the need to further validate himself in the eyes of the innkeeper he instead confided in his companions.

"I'm going to head over to the docks and see if anyone remembers who the dwarves chartered to sail across the lake. Hopefully we'll get some more answers."

In reply to Morgrim Ironhammer (msg # 25):

Arnan joined Thane at the table, and ordered a tankard of ale. When Morgrim mentioned heading over to the docks, the scout said, "I'll join you. I'm not a local, but if some folks hereabouts are feeling a mite touchy about Stout Folks and the Black Ice . . ."

Arnan let his words trail off, but thought, ~Maybe having a Human along will help. Not that I'm much good at small talk, but still.~

Then another thought occurred to Arnan, and he glanced at Kira. "Unless you want to go . . . a Human and a pretty lass -- couldn't hurt."

Dal listened to what was being said and frowned a little bit.  It hurt her face to frown though so she stopped and just kept a neutral expression.  "No offense was taken.  As a cleric of Sharindar, I would not do evil acts.  I, and my party here, have not had anything to do with Black Ice.  We would like, however, to have something to eat and we might need a place to sleep tonight.  You said that we'd "find no finer folk in all the dale than those right here." I'm glad that we found good folk."

Dal put a smile on her face and slowly started to walk towards the fire to warm up.  She put her trust in her Goddess and generally liked to think people were good.  It was time to see if she was wrong or if the Innkeeper was wrong about the 'good folk'.  If she was allowed, she'd take a seat by the fire and start to thaw out.

"Well you'll get no argument from me," Morgrim replied, content to have along any and all who wished to join him.

"Dal, you alright to stay here? Or do you want to come?"

Kira gave a nod, and a playful little raspberry to Arnan.  "I don't mind tagging along.  Thane, Hengar, and Dal could stay here and keep a spot warm for us," she suggested, not wanting to leave Dal alone.

Dal looked at her brother and went over to give him a hug.

In a voice loud for everybody to hear, but not shouting, she reassured her brother.  "Kira and I will be fine here.  We have been assured that these people are good people."

She then looked at the other guys and gave them a wink.  "I will hold you all to bring him back alive to me."

"Dal, I'm going to the pier, not into the heart of a frostgiant camp. The worst that happens is I get a bit damp. I think we can handle it, right Arnan?"