Your departure from Endor is made as soon as the city gate opens for the morning.  Lissa on her dappled grey riding next to Professor Clarke on his placid donkey.  Claissa driving the cart pulled by Beatie the mule, with Merrick laid out inside among the baggage.  There was no reason you shouldn't make good time.

The road from Endor was much easier going than the mountain road through Ascadia.  You were within the plains of Arnia now, though the massive mountains loomed in the western horizon.  Looking east, deeper into the Arnian countryside you were struck by just how far the grass and farmland extended.  It was a wide open, green valley with few trees.

It was paved stone for the first half day, until you passed a watchtower with a small garrison.  After this point the paved road ended and was replaced by one of well-trodden dirt.  You stopped for lunch and to water your animals at the watchtower; some idle chatting with the guards there revealed very little in the way of threats having been spotted this way recently.

Going was only mildly more difficult on the dirt road instead of the paved stone; it was a frequently traveled highway through a very pleasant and friendly land.  The first day ended at a small farming hamlet; Professor Clarke purchased lodging for the expedition and dinner was had in a large hall with most of the local community in attendance.  The old lecturer enjoyed the attention he was given and regaled them with some of the more interesting and amusing stories he had gathered in his years.

The second day saw you setting out early again; expecting to reach Timberfall by dusk.  It was not long before the massive forest of southwest Arnia, which was your destination, came into view on the horizon.  You soon came to a crossroads with a sign pointing in four directions.  North to Endor, east to Arnia City, south the Klask, and west to Timberfall.  You small caravan took the western road, heading now directly towards the forest.

It was clear that this road was less used than the others.  Though deep ruts showed that heavy loads often passed over it.  The wilderness was more wild along the road here; you came across fewer dwellings as you neared the forest, and the land appeared less worked.  By early afternoon, you passed under the forest canopy.  Now, even with the sun still high in the sky you were left in a perpetual shade.  Interrupted only by the occasional break in the leaves overhead.

There was little undergrowth; the forest was dominated by the trees, old growth beech and maple trees were the majority.  It was incredibly green here.  The animals were also plentiful; a small herd of deer grazed near the road only to bound away when Niri looked towards them.

Calling birds seemed to follow you as you traveled under the canopy.  Everything from the loud cawing of crows to the peeps of swallows.  Some of the crows themselves even seemed to follow after you, keeping an eye on your cart and one even bold enough to try and nab some supplies before being chased off.

Thus your trip continued; the short distance that you could see through the trees made eerie as the day wore on and darkness began to fall.  Then the trickle of water caught your ears, and up ahead was the light of torches against the darkness of encroaching dusk.  The trees suddenly gave way and you found yourselves on the outskirts of a village; built in a large clearing next to a bubbling stream.  On the stream was a large sawmill and the smell of fresh-cut timber dominated the area.

A sturdy bridge took you over the stream and into the village, atop which you were met by a dwarven woman wearing chainmail and a steel cap.  "Welcome to Timberfall."  She said, in common with no trace of an accent, "Not many visitors come out this way.  Care to state your business?"

Friday, 27rd of Silver Fox (Evening)

"We ah tired.  That is who we ah," Bunny replied from under the brim of her hat.  The answer came out sounding a tech testy, and it didn't sound as though she minded that it had.  "We ah at the end of a long day's travel."  She turned to look over her shoulder at the ragtag group that they represented - a group that included an elderly scholar, a willowy girl, and a lay-about in a donkey-pulled cart.  "Do we look lahk we ah aimin' to cause you trouble?" she asked in return.

Merrick tipped the hat that had been covering his eyes from where he lay in the wagon; hard at work on a na-- mystical meditation.  Yes, that was it.  Once could not commune with the spirits or the cards if one had not meditated, preferably twice a day.  Hearing the conversation he sprung up more quickly that usual, with a big grin on his face.  "Now my dear," he chided Bunny, "the good an honorable guardswoman is merely doing her job," he nodded to the dwarf.

"Now, apologies my honorable woman," he continued as he addressed the dwarf, "but we have been on horseback for many days and you can imagine how that wears upon us.  But you are right to ask our business.  We are merely the escorts and servants of the notable and renown Professor C.B Clarke," Merrick announces with some flourish as he gestures to the Professor.  "Historian, scholar, intellectualist extraordinaire.  In fact I feel a little silly since he likely needs no introduction.  Here on scholarly pursuits and he has some paperwork to that effect for your town leaders."

"Other than that I thought I might drop in on my old friend Brego, but that's more personal and not really official business," he grinned.  "Hey," he gestured to Claissa.  "Remember that time Brego and the lot of us sent those ogres packing," he chuckled.  "Ah good times..."   

Lissa was riding along side the Professor chatting about some of the more esoteric portions of his theory as they came upto the bridge and its warden.  An eyebrow was raised as Bunny rather terse rejoinder to the female guard's hail was uttered.  She tapped her heels to goad the dappled mare forward, and moved up along side the young priestess of Guyver, gently brushing her and her mount.  Placing a light hand on her arm, she was about to speak when Merrick chimed in.

A light smile crossed her lips, as the rogue's silver tongue waggled.  In all honesty, though Merrick's answer was similar to what Lissabytta was about to say.  So, she simply kept quiet and let the young man have his say.  The blonde scholar watched the guard carefully, as both the Professor's credentials and then the mention of Brego was made.  She simply nodded to Merrick's mention of the ogres and then tacked onto the question about Brego by asking, "Has Master Brego's caravan returned yet?  It would be good to see him ..."

"No, you don't look like you're here to cause trouble."  She looked between the members of your group, her eyes settling on Merrick when he spoke.  The dwarf looked more closely at Professor Clarke when Merrick mentioned him, but showed no signs of recognition.  "Scholarly pursuits?"

"You're friends of Brego's?"  Real surprise showed on her face as the dwarf's eyebrows rose.  "Yes, he returned just yesterday.  Had some stories about ogres making trouble on the mountain road too.  You were all there for that?"  It took a moment for her to regain her composure.

"Well, welcome to Timberfall."  She said again, "Didn't mean to cause you any concern.  We've heard rumors down here of brigands and highwaymen stirring up the countryside.  Just making sure it isn't easy for any of them to slip into our village."

"You'll find Brego in the Stone House."  She pointed into the village where it was clear most the structures were wooden.  One prominent stone building stood tall among the others, a fortified keep compared to the rest of the town; obviously of dwarf-make.  "And if you're going to be visiting with him, it's likely that we'll see more of each other while you're in Timberfall.  My name is Francisca Barksplitter."  She bowed effortlessly in her chainmail, "At your service.  I'm commander of what passes for a militia out here."

"Bunny Cotillion."  Bunny touched a hand to the brim of her hat in greeting.  "And Ah do apologize for mah earlier testiness.  It has been a long day, but that is no excuse foh a lack of civility."

Claissa quite enjoyed the trek to the village, all the more so when the nature around them became denser. It wasn't often that she shared good company, both animal and otherwise, while traveling on someone else's dime. She engaged in small talk along the way but mostly focused on listening to the animals around them, occasionally commanding Beatie or Niri as the need arose.

The others beat her to speaking to the guard of the village, leaving her free to look around further until Merrick addressed her. "Indeed they were," she answered with a smile and a slight tip of her wide-brimmed traveling hat. "Pleased to meet you Francisca, I'm Claissa and this is Niri. She's quite well-behaved, so have no guardly concern about her visit to your lovely home."

Zassil had stayed up the night before sketching some of the city and the moon over the skyline in a couple of different drawings. No one may ever see them but it didn't matter. It was a way for him to express himself and to remember the world through his own eyes in the years to come.

As they rode along, he was quiet at first, keeping his sense alert, though they would likely not be bothered for a while due to patrol frequency. He also watched, and listened to the birds and animals they sighted, intending to draw some of them later on. The shading canopy was only a little detracting from the beauty around them.

He looked askance at Bunny when she replied to the questioning of them by the dwarf. He frowned and said with a hint of reproach, "Manners." But she apologized soon after regardless and he smiled slightly, not because he thought he had anything to do with it, just pleased that she had used her real name as well.

He nodded about the ogres, "Aye. We helped with clearing those...foul creatures from bothering good civilized folk any further, I am pleased to say." He gave her a nod specifically after her welcome and introduction. "Thank you. I am Zassil."

"Well met, Commander Francisca." Lissa greeted the dwarven guard, then introduced herself, "Lissabytta."  She inclined her head, as her mount held up, pausing with the others before crossing the bridge.  "I am pleased to make your acquaintance." the blonde scholar added, "You say that we should be able to find Brego at Stone House.  And is there a place that might be able to lodge the lot of us for the night?"

"When does your shift end, Warden?" Lissa asked idly, when Francisca noted that she'd be around, "Might we see you later this evening?  To sup with us, perhaps?"  Honestly, the village couldn't be that big; so, they shouldn't (and wouldn't) burn any bridges (literally and figuratively).

"Excellent, then we will go and meet Brego presently."  Professor Clarke was quite pleased with the easy invitation by the dwarves.  "You have a great knack for making friends on the road, Lissabytta.  A very valuable talent for any traveling scholar."

"The Stone House, you say?"  The Professor asked the dwarf captain, "It looks very imposing.  So your Barksplitter clan must be very prominent here in Timberfall."

"Ah, I see.  You all are the travelers that Grandfather said routed the ogres and defeated them in their own den.  I...honestly thought the entire thing a grand embellishment.  Taking an encounter with one of the giants and spinning a story from it."  She said to Zassil, "But there is no mistaking the mighty black-scaled warrior he spoke of, now you're hear in the flesh."

"I would like that."  Francisca said to Lissa, "I imagine that Grandfather will insist you stay in the Stone House during your visit, and dine with us there.  He has always been generous towards his guests.  Which is probably for the better; Timberfall sees very few visitors so the lodgings aren't that great.  Nice drinks at the tavern though."

"Well, you could say that we Barksplitters are something like the local aristocracy here."  The dwarf answered Professor Clarke, "We built the mill and the Stone House to work the forest for timber.  Most of the other folk you see here showed up later for the work."  She shrugged, "Of course, all this happened long before my time."

"There's also an elected mayor,"  She continued, "One Charles Baldwin at the moment.  But he serves mostly as a liaison between the village and the rest of the Duchy."

"Anyway, if you're going to be staying at the Stone House, then I will undoubtedly see you later this evening.  Until then!"

You moved into the Village as Francisca went on to continue her rounds.  The people you passed were all hardworking types, the kind of folk who lived a life of physical labor and it showed.  You saw many humans alongside a goodly number of dwarves and even the Lupin.

You passed through the center market of the town on your way to the Stone House.  Business was clearly winding down for the day but there were stalls with wares to sell.  A Lupin hunter selling small game and furs.  A man offering edible fungus, berries, and roots from the woods.  A dwarven craftsman showing off various woodcarvings.  There was even a gnarled old woman offering fortune readings from the back of a wagon.  Though the wagon appeared to have been sitting in that same spot for many years, if not decades.

As visitors, your group caught a great deal of attention from everyone.  Especially a group of village children who were completely awed by Zassil and followed curiously to see where you were all going.

The Stone House did not take long to reach.  It was a well-fortified location compared to the rest of the village; a ten foot stone wall surrounded it and there was only one obvious point of entry at the front gate.  The building itself was the biggest structure in the village; besides the mill.  It looked like it was built to resist a siege, something that the locale had yet to put to the test.

A pair of dwarf guards at the gate into the Stone House stood at attention when your group arrived.  News traveled quickly in such a small community, and you get the impression that they had already been told to allow you to enter.

"Biggah than Ah thought it would be," Bunny commented.  Her eyes trailed behind as they passed the children, and a wispy thoughtful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.  "Timberfall must be a majah tradin' post foh the forest," she speculated.  Then she was struck with a thought, and, from beneath the brim of her hat, her eyes flickered across the wooded streetscape, pausing with suspicion on anyone dressed like a hunter.

She stopped at the gate to the Stone House, and addressed one of the guards.  "Pardon me, Ah hope you don't mahnd a quick question.  Do y'all get many strangers here in Timberfall?  Ah mean, how often do you see folks you nevah met befoah?"

Claissa flashed a quick smile up at Zassil as he was singled out for praise from Francisca. "Pleasure meeting you Francisca," she said by way of goodbye before they moved along. Per long and patient instruction from Claissa, Niri tensed slightly as children drew closer, but it turned out that they wanted to see the huge draconic figure rather than pet the large feline. Ah well, Niri preferred it that way, Claissa figured. Still, she'd pet her more to make up for it later. Cats were proud creatures.

"It does seem like they've carved out a nice niche for themselves here," she agreed with Bunny when they drew closer to the manor. Claissa preferred the wilderness herself, but she wasn't going to hold that against other folks, dwarves especially. She was pretty sure they weren't known for their nature-dwelling ways.

"No Ma'am."  The dwarf answered Bunny's question.  "Unfamiliar faces in Timberfall are uncommon.  Usually kin visiting kin.  The last one was..."  He glanced at the other dwarf guard across from him.

"Two Months."  The second dwarf filled in.

"Aye, two months ago."  The first dwarf continued.  "Old knight, with his squire.  Stayed a week and moved on.  Said he was on a quest."  The guard shrugged, "He was odd for a human, but didn't cause any trouble."

Merrick follows the others, staying mostly out of trouble; though he does fall behind a few times to wade amongst the children.  He may or may not have whispered to them to be wary, as the Dracil hadn't eaten in days...  As they pass the fortune teller he gave the others a pointed look.  "If I see any of you over there, I'm going to be deeply hurt and feel not a little betrayed," he chided playfully.

"Thank you so very much."  Bunny gave a nod to the guard and his compatriot at the gate.  Her voice, in comparison to mere moments ago, seemed much more at ease.  One hand reached up to the crown of her hat to remove it before entering the Stone House.

Zassil kept glancing at the children following him. He made sure his voice sounded playful whne he spoke over towards his friend, but loud enough for the children to hear, speaking in an over-exaggerated voice. "Claissa?" He paused and then asked, "Do you think the village would mind if your tiger Niri and I ate...just one or two of the children? Do you think they would be missed? I'm SO hungry."

He glanced as if to see if the children were still following then let out a little laugh. "I tease, of course." He turned a bit to look at the children. "Do you like drawings? I like to draw. Perhaps I could come to the market tomorrow and show you some. Would you like that?"

Eyes as big as saucers met Zassil when he spoke directly to the trailing children.  They scampered away and disappeared into the village quick enough that one might assume they were never there to begin with.

Entering the Stone House, you step into a very well appointed great hall.  A long table runs up the center, with room for potentially a score or more people.  Torches in wall sconces light the entire stone hall with flickering light.  Two suits of vacant armor stand silent vigil at the far side of the hall, one in each corner.  Dwarven runes are carved into the walls around the center table with expert care; anyone fluent in the language can read that they describe the long history of the Barksplitter clan.

You are greeted by a dwarf in formal attire and a well-groomed red beard that reaches his knees.  He leads you out of the great hall through a door on the left wall.  You enter a torch-lit hallway with a carpet of deep green running along the stone floor.  You follow the hall for only a short distance before reaching the base of a round spire at the corner of the building.  A spiral stair leads up to the second floor.

You are taken to a parlor where your dwarven guide asks you to make yourselves comfortable and that Master Brego will be in to see you as soon as he is able.  There is a long couch with soft cushions against one wall and a trio of high-backed chairs around a short table.  Upon the table is a pitcher of sweet smelling mead and several mugs.  A window overlooks the majority of the village, lit up by torches from people wandering in the dusk.

"This is all very promising."  Professor Clarke said as he sat on the cushioned couch.  "I can't recall beginning many of my expeditions with such auspice. What can I expect when I meet your friend Brego, Lissabytta?  He is clearly a dwarf of great importance to the community of Timberfall.  Certainly someone with the position to help us greatly."

From the window where she had been looking out at the dusky gloom that lowered onto the roofs and streets of Timberfall, Bunny turned to hear what Lissabytta would say.  There was a different twilight here.  Under the canopy of trees.  A different kind of dark.  Cleaner.  Loftier.  That invited the eye to rise and explore the distant ceiling of the sheltering boughs.  So different from the close air of the swamps where the eye sought the shadows, and only the starry sky when the wish was to escape.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:14, Sat 23 Oct 2021.

Merrick immediately moves towards the mead and helps himself. "He's very..... dwarf-y," the young man adds nonchalantly. "Just don't go mentioning noise taxes.  Or lantern taxes.  Or really any kind of taxes..." he trailed off with an amused grin as he chuckled softly.

Zassil was slightly disappointed at scaring off the children, but it was sometimes the curse of his kind.

He looked around at the place's splendor and dwarven beauty, the architecture always so well done. When they reached the room to wait in, he stayed standing - it was more that he didn't want to take up the sitting space from his companions and less not trusting to the sturdiness of dwarven construction.

He shook his head and let out a sigh at Merrick's words. "Be honest and forthright. Be polite and respectful. I think we'll be fine."

"Boring will work, yes" Merrick quipped back after taking a sip of the mead. "In fact, the less of a personality you have, the better off you might be, so try to be as dry and wooden as possible.  Without even a hint of fun," he continued with an oh-so-innocent look about him.

Lissabytta had remained mostly quiet and observant through the village, only pausing once to make sure that Zassil was joking about the taste of children.  A light smile joined his toothy grin to try and help punctuate the joke.

She inclined her head to the guards as they passed, thanking them for their service and allowing access.  The servant was likewise greeted.  The blonde scholar had removed her tricorne hat, which was tucked under the left sleeve of her buffcoat.  Lissa used a moment to straighten the pleats of the sleeves, casting a minor dwoemer to slough off the outer layer of dust and dirt from her hat, face, and rest of her attire.

As she reset the leather tie on her ponytail, Lissa chuffed slightly at Merrick's assessment of Brego Barksplitter.  "Master Brego," she noted, "is a shrewd, but honest, businessman.  He's also very handy with an axe."  She hadn't found Brego to be too stereotypical, even if he and his companions had enjoyed a fine brew.  "In action and word, open and forthright with his friends ... and I suppose his enemies as well, though in a less friendly manner."  She recalled his enmity of the ogres; which she supposed was fairly dwarf-y

"On the road," she mused, "he wasn't that big on ceremony and never made much of his station here ..."  Which seemed in line for someone leading a frontier town.  Surely, initiative, self-reliance and community would be important traits - all of which she knew that Brego (and it seemed his kin, she suspected) had in spades.  And while those traits might be considered dwarf-ish, Lissa tried to never judge people based on solely their racial heritage.  After all, these were dwarves that made their living working trees in addition to stone.  And the necromancer's evil hadn't been spawned of solely being human (even if he'd tried to trade that for something else).

"Ah believe that Ah overheard him sayin' that he was just in Kataar on word a new business," Bunny added, having dipped into her memory.  "From his tone, Ah gathah that the new business he had gone to investigate had turned out to be less than promisin'.  And steel.  He was aftah a source a bettah steel.  To tell y'all the truth, he came across a bit on the gruff sahd t' me.  That would be understandable, howevah, in light of the fact that he had gone all that way only t' come home empty handed."