The Dwarves of the Bodensee
Celeste takes up to duty of giving the Dwarves what she thinks they expect: an honest and polite explanation of who they are: a group of traveling performers here to perform for the Dwarves.
Unlike the hosts at their last few stops, the Dwarves do not find this strange. Rare, yes. Strange, no. They recall...
"Such things did abound in olden days," says the head of the Dwarf "greeting squad", "though these days the roads are not so traveled for so light of purpose. Armies, refugees, and the occasional well armed merchant caravan is all we've seen in a long time. Still by our law you are merchants, and merchants are to be accorded safe haven if they are not cheats and scoundrels."
The small group is led across the bridge to the Dwarven island fortress. It's heart is an open plaza. Dwarven homes and shops surround it. They are not individual structures built inside the fort, each and every one appears to be a planned and architecturally integrated part of it.
"What is your name, so that you may be properly announced?" the Dwarf asks.