One guard, unfamiliar to the group, gave warning in the dark morning. Great threats lurked out there past the walls, and anyone without a guide should consider carefully whether or not they were willing to risk their lives in their travels. Rhydd, however, was an assuring sight. If not a conventional ranger, he dressed and acted like someone who knew the wilderness. And on top of that they had a Goliath, who likely needed no cautioning.

The Eastway, traversed through the joint efforts of Zula, Wifni, and Mallory's magical sled, yielded a different sight to the barren landscape to the east. To the south of the road towered the tall evergreens of Hopwood, which provided lumber, food, and running water to the nearby settlements of Good Mead and Dougan's Hole. It was a hilly woods, but snow melted far slower during Auril's reign so now the rivers powered no mills.

As Elsun approached, the barest hints of sunshine peaked up above the Spine, basking Icewind Dale in twilight. Clouds were starting to creep back from their retreat. Birds chirped.

Rhydd had spotted tracks immediately after they'd left through the Eastgate which they'd followed, and here they veered off into the forest.

---

I'll leave some breathing room here. I'm curious about Zula as well as the sled, so it would be nice if we could have a quick word on those.

Rhydd's Survival Check [17]: There are four sets of tracks; two belong to someone roughly the size of a human, one to someone smaller — a child, Halfling, or Gnome, perhaps — while the last was a dog's. They were traveling together, along the road, away from Bryn Shander and here they headed southward into Hopwood. A stone toss away from the road, by some shrubbery, lied the excrement of the dog.

You're basically here at this point, and haven't been traveling for more than half an hour at most.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:25, Thu 19 May 2022.

A bright new morning was too much to ask for in Ten-Towns.  There was a large part of Mallory that dearly missed the glorious sunrises and sunsets of her home, painting the sky a wild array of colors and lighting up the sea with a dazzling shine.  The perpetual gloom of greys-and-whites in Icewind Dale was a poor substitute.  Though, given how much she'd drunk the night before and how much she grumbled after waking, a lack of bright daylight was probably the best thing for her head.  As had been the case every morning thus far Mallory started her day looking more tired and worn than she'd been going to bed; the dark rings beneath her eyes were deeper than ever and a spot between her eyebrows seemed stuck in a perpetual furrow.

Torgrim's absence was something of a surprise, but not an especially great one.  The man had rolled into their lives apropos of nothing at all, been a mysterious figure in his brief stay, and vanished just as swiftly.  The letter he left behind likewise left questions that would likely never be given a satisfactory answer either.  In the end, Mallory could only give Rhydd and Farwalker a helpless shrug as they were set to instead head out one man short into the frozen wastes of Icewind Dale.

Still, time waited for nobody - weariness and hangovers be damned.  A quick breakfast was the only prelude she had to getting underway.  It'd taken a short trek on foot beyond the gates while she rode atop her Axe Beak in her usual side saddle, slowed to a plodding pace to manage Wifni's stride with the others still on foot.  It wasn't until they were a fair ways beyond the view of Bryn Shander's gates that the young noble called for a stop.

"Alright, we're far enough from town that this won't make a fuss.  A few moments of your patience, please, everyone." Mallory announced as she slid down from her saddle and ended up nearly knee-deep in the snow.  She trudged away a short bit and drew her lantern rod up at length like a baton to be swept about side to side where the trailing light from within seemed to hang in the air after it had already passed.  Not just a lingering trick of the eyes but actual coalescing strands of pure, shimmering light as Mallory traced lines through the air.  The more the light gathered the more it came to seem that she wasn't so much drawing them out so much as sculpting them with every motion, each sweep of her lantern enough to nudge and bend, to push and curl, until a coherent and rather large shape began to form.  Until, at last, she brought the end of her lantern rod down to give the formation a gentle tap and the whole thing sparked out with a flurry of rapidly dissolving motes... and, in the wake of that light, sat a sleigh!  A sizable, sturdy, well-worn looking sleigh plenty big enough to carry even the likes of Farwalker on its wooden seating.

"That should do the trick!  Honestly, it's a bit more... quaint... than my personal aesthetics would normally prefer, but I thought it better not to be too showy.  Better to fit in with the local flavor, right?" Mallory seemed quite content with her work as she turned to the others with a presentational flourish.  "Now then, while I conjure another for Squire Kumalo's steed to pull, would someone be so kind as to yoke up Wifni to this one?  I figure two sleighs should be plenty for all of us to ride comfortably."

---

Mallory ritual casts "Phantom Vehicle" and will do so again if Khulekani is okay with her mount pulling a sled as well.

https://i.imgur.com/Ziaklki.jpg - Reference for the sort of sled Mallory has conjured.

Phantom Vehicle Details:

A large, quasi-real vehicle appears on the ground in an unoccupied space of your choice within range.  The vehicle can be a Carriage, Chariot, Sled, or Wagon.  You decide the vehicle's appearance, but it is equipped with harnesses, straps, bits, and reins for up to four horses or similar beasts of burden, as well as a hauling hitch on the back.  Any equipment created by the spell vanishes in a puff of smoke if it is carried more than 10 feet away from the vehicle.

The vehicle has 10 hit points and is immune to poison and psychic damage.  If the vehicle drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form.  You can also dismiss the vehicle at any time as an Action, causing it to disappear and ending the spell.

You have a supernatural bond with the illusory vehicle that allows you to drive beyond your normal ability.  While driving the illusory vehicle, you are considered Proficient with Land Vehicles.  If you were already Proficient, double your Proficiency Bonus on ability checks related to driving the illusory vehicle.

Also, Astre will be playing scout this entire time as usual.  He'll be up in the sky just at the edge of telepathy range, circling the Party as they go and keeping an eye out for anything dangerous or worthy of investigation.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:15, Fri 20 May 2022.

"Amazing," Rhydd said in a good way, shaking his head in, well . . . amazement . . . as Lady Mallory used her magicks to conjure up a very useful sleigh. The outdoorsman turned his attention to putting Winfri in harness to the sleigh as Mallory went to work to create a second vehicle.

"If you keep proving yourself to be this useful, we may just have to keep you around," he called out over his shoulder to the wizardess in a jesting tone of voice.

Once all was set and the party was set to proceed, Rhydd asked someone else to drive the sleigh that he was sitting in, so that he could concentrate on the tracks that he had spied earlier.

"Four sets of tracks," he had explained at the time. "Two Human-sized, one smaller -- most likely a Gnome or Halfling -- and a dog."

After proceeding down the Eastway for half and hour or so, Rhydd raised a hand and said "Stop here."

With bow in hand, he jumped down out of the sleigh and veered off into the forest. After a short while he returned to join his companions.

"The tracks leave the road and head off into the Hopwood," he explained.

"I'm not sure why that group would have left the road. They don't seem to be following a game trail, although mayhap there is one that has been covered up by the snow. I am going to follow the tracks for a little bit and see if they head deeper into the forest, or do something else."

"I'll return after a short while and tell you what I have found."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:01, Sat 21 May 2022.

Before the group had set off, Khulekani had excused herself for a time. While she did not have much in the way of personal possession or baggage, she did own a horse. Well, "own" wasn't the correct word, but time was a factor, and the young Squire did not have the minutes required to share the tale. There would be time enough for that on the road. After visiting Bryn Shander's nicest stable, the dark-skinned woman returned with a breathtaking steed who she introduced as Zula.

Zula was a massive Destrier, a proud mare that stood nearly twenty-hands high at the shoulder. The coat that shone over her thick muscles was pure snow white that glittered with a silver highlight. Like the horse was living statue made out of platinum. This complimented the glorious and well-combed hair of the mane and tail, which glistened with a slightly golden tint instead, almost like the hair itself was made of white gold. While one-in-a-million horses might be so blessed as to have that metallic coloring, over so fine a form, Zula's hooves showed that this was not simply a well-bred champion horse. They were a pure black, but infused with shining veins throughout, almost as if they were made of quartz-infused ebony marble.

But it was the eyes that stood as proof that this was not a mortal beast. Zula's eyes were the sky blue of a perfect spring day, but there was an intelligence to them, and a level of empathy and strength that no normal horse could hope to achieve. The touch of the heavens upon her was as clear a fact as the rising of the sun.

With a few whispered words from Khulekani, Zula waited with patience and dignity as the squire attached the reins and bits from the magical sled that Mallory had conjured. Normally she was a warhorse, but she was intelligent enough to understand the need for this arrangement. For her part, Khulekani looked thrilled at the whole affair. Like a child at a festival.

I've never been on a sleigh-ride before! It doesn't get that cold down in Amn..." she confessed, but without embarrassment.

However, the smile slowly left her face when Rhydd began examining tracks and spoke of splitting up.

"Do we have cause for concern, Master Maldhon?" Khulekani asked calmly, hand coming to rest on the hilt of her blade.

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 4):

"Concern?" Rhydd echoed the paladin as he straightened up from examining the tracks. "Nay, not yet."

The outdoorsman flashed a thin-lipped smile. "All the same, I would suggest that no one should stretch out for a nap until I have a better idea why this group left the road to head off into the woods -- and where they might be, now."

"You should come to Neverwinter during our winter festival season.  It's a grand bit of fun, really; we have a lengthy slalom run where drivers will craft hideously outlandish sleighs and race them downhill.  Much more popular these days since the local clergy decided to step in and handle injuries as a matter of course." Mallory chimed out at the prospect of sleigh rides.

It was perhaps a bit odd to see her take the reins to drive Wifni's sled herself but, despite all appearances of being a prim noble, she proved quite capable at handling the task.  She had seemed well enough at home in riding saddled atop her Axe Beak prior as well.  Though, given the nature of her spell, whoever ended up driving the other sleigh would find the trick of it.  When seated with the reins in hand, aptitude and knowledge somehow filtered into the driver's mind to fill in gaps where there had been no information before.  To hold the reins then would feel like old hat even if they'd never once in their life done such a task!  Given what Mallory had achieved with both Streamseeker and the Simulacrum, it seemed that her capacity for magically influencing others' minds was perhaps worrying diverse...

When it came time for Rhydd to set off for a bit of scouting on his own, Mallory nodded briefly skyward.  "We'll stay alert, but you should as well, Rhydd.  Astre will keep an eye on you from above.  If anything goes amiss and you need help, do something to signal him."  High up above, the Tressym in question lazily drifted on the icy wind and, sure enough, would trail his circling path to follow Rhydd once he headed off among the trees.  So long as the cover didn't obscure his view from on high, Astre would remain aloft.  But, if the trees became too dense to see through, he'd dive down to flit among the boughs and branches in order to keep sight of Rhydd.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:19, Tue 24 May 2022.

Sounds good," Rhydd said with a nod when Lady Mallory said that Astre would be accompanying him. He knew that the flying feline would have an entirely different line of sight than he would, and might very easily spot things that were unseen for a man traveling along the ground.

The archer nocked an arrow and moved off along the trail of footprints left by the earlier party. He decided to proceed quietly until he had a better understanding of what had happened, and the snow seemed to muffle his footfalls quite well.

Rhydd did not bother to try and disguise his own trail that his feet made in the snow. Doing so would slow him down, and he did not see the need for it. Plus, it would point the way back to his companions, if perchance he needed to rejoin them in a hurry.

---

OOC:

12:12, Today: Rhydd Maldhon rolled 27 using 2d20+7, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 14,20.  Stealth (w/ Advantage).

12:13, Today: Rhydd Maldhon rolled 24 using 2d20+5, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 8,19.  Survival Check (w/Advantage).

Comments: Wow. The Dice-Roller is playing nice today. :)

---

Rhydd's Stealth Check (w/ Advantage) to move silently through the woods [27!]: No one knew Rhydd was there — not even the animals. A Snow Hare hopped happily away a few trees over, its ears not even twitching at his presence.

Rhydd's Survival (w/ Advantage) to follow the tracks [24]: These were trappers and hunters. They had let the big, blonde coated Dog take the lead to sniff out trails for them. At some point, it had caught the scent of something, and then, about fifty feet away, the tracks of a Stag appeared. The group, now approaching a hill that climbed steadily off into the center of the forest, followed it for a while.

However, before they had found the opportunity to pounce and fell it, other tracks began to appear. There were at least a dozen, following, stalking out of sight. They'd taken care to travel silently, and then, eventually, the people these additional tracks belonged to surrounded the hunters and trappers. Though a confrontation had clearly taken place, there was little sign of a struggle, and the tracks intermingled, coalescing into a larger trail that led southward. Strands of long, gray hair laid scattered around.

Astre's Perception Check (w/ Disadvantage) to follow Rhydd [10]: The treetops grew numerous and obscuring. It did not help Astre's case that Rhydd moved quickly, dipping in and out of the overhead branches as he traveled, nor was it helpful that he was transgressing on the territory of a local Falcon. The bird of prey took off and began circling the area, screeching at Astre. Through this distraction and Rhydd's aptness, Astre lost him and had to dive down to pick up his scent and tracks. From there, Astre could use his feline grace to maneuver the forest relatively unseen — and for now, the Falcon seemed to leave him be.

Khulekani's Divine Sense: Aside from Zula, there were no Celestial, Fiends, or Fey nearby. The range was also limited, which meant there could still be threats lurking further inside the forest.

In the meantime after Rhydd left and Khulekani had begun to focus quite intently on their surroundings, Mallory occupied herself with scrutinizing the Squire's peculiar horse.  She trusted both Rhydd and Astre to be able to handle themselves without her doting on them like a fussed mother hen, despite how often she stuck her nose into others' affairs.  They were off doing what they were best at, after all.

"Is your steed a tethered spirit, Squire?  I'd imagine it'd be a similar ritual construction as the one I forged with Astre, but at a far greater aetheric density.  Can she speak?" the young noble seemed quite fascinated by Zula as she paced around the mare in examination.  Any distraction to keep her mind off the cold, perhaps.

Rhydd scratched his chin-whiskers thoughtfully. Whatever had happened here, it did not appear to have resulted in violence.

Since he did not feel like he was yet able to provide a full explanation to his companions regarding what had happened to the original group, he decided to follow the now-larger set of tracks and see where it led.

The outdoorsman proceeded cautiously, moving in the same general direction as the other tracks, but staying off to the side so that if anyone were watching their back-trail, they (hopefully) would not spot him.

Slowly opening her eyes from her sensory attempt, Khulekani had to blink a few times in order to get back into the moment. Sensing evil was a use of her perceptions that would be alien to most people. But then again, she lived a life most of them did not, and had training in this area. Mallory's honest question brought a smile to her face, and she was more than happy to answer.

"Nay, Zula is no spirit bound to my will. She is a creature born to the Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia. I did not so much summon her as allow a free agent to cross the Planes in order to join me in my duty of her own accord. I could no more force her to serve me than I could you. She isn't simply my steed, she is my great friend and ally..." Khulekani said fondly, petting Zula on her flanks with a gloved hand.

"She cannot speak. Well, her mouth cannot form the Common tongue, but she can understand you. And I can understand her. You will find that she is more intelligent than some people you know! But please, if you would speak with her, I would be more than happy to relay her thoughts," she finished with an amused chuckle.

The affection with which Khulekani spoke drew a smile in return.  For as fierce and imposing a figure as the Squire cut, it was a relief to see moments of almost innocent levity in contrast.

"Quite a bit like Astre then.  The ritual that ties a witch and her Familiar together is less a binding chain and more of... hm... an invitation.  To share my soul, our lives, as one to experience the world together in ways we never could alone.  As a child I set a beacon and called out to the Feywilds." she thumbed back vaguely at the treeline where Astre had dove down into in evading a bothersome local bird.  "I got that little bastard man for my trouble."

All in good fun, of course.  The open affection and concern which Mallory and Astre held for each other was apparent at the briefest of glances.  It was true that a caster could force their Familiar to obey commands yet she never seemed inclined to do so at all, even if it did mean putting up with a feline's temperamental nature instead.  Zula seemed like a far more complacent sort by contrast.  The offer for translation between the two was met with a smile as Mallory offered the mare a polite curtsy.

"The same is for Astre and myself, language and all.  He can understand us perfectly well and is annoyingly intelligent - don't let any act of his otherwise fool you.  He can even read and write." she chuckled softly.  "As for you, Miss Zula, thank you very much for bearing us along.  I do hope the sleigh isn't too much a bother for you?  I can modify it a bit to make it more comfortable if there's anything you'd prefer."

An idle notion struck her thoughts and she couldn't help but lift her eyes skyward in consideration, then over to her idling Axe Beak.  "Hm... I wonder if I should Awaken Wifni as well someday?  It'd be nice to have an intelligent mount.  Though that is quite a responsibility.  Perhaps you could show me the ritual you performed to call upon your steed sometime, Squire?  I may be able to emulate it myself."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:53, Wed 25 May 2022.

When Mallory addressed Zula after sharing the similarities in their situation, Khulekani cocked her head and listed as the magnificent destrier tossed her head and let out a short snort. Instantly her loved hands covered her mouth but they could do nothing to conceal the shocked amusement that crossed her face, nor fully muffle the sound of her strangled laughter. Once she composed herself, she cleared her throat and cast a half-chiding glance at the celestial creature.

"She um...respectfully insists that she is comfortable and...unburdened. While she respects your concern she thinks it is...misplaced. Oh, and she said don't offer her a carrot to get on her good side. She says she tires of enduring that. But she is glad to meet you," Khulekani said diplomatically, using all of her strength to keep a straight face.

"Hmmm...I agree, it is a big responsibility. You will have basically, for the lack of a better term, given birth to a new person. I'm not sure what that kind of life would be, save for one of intelligent servitude. My instinct says no, but then again I am often accused of being conservative in my approach to magics. As for teaching you the ritual, I would be more than happy too. I must warn you however that it is deeply entwined with my faith, and I know of no spell formulae or symbols to utilize the Weave in a similar manner. You would have to open yourself to my religion, but I am not sure how welcome the Triad would be to you. Honestly, despite the religious nature of my order, we do not proselytize," she shrugged, slightly awkward.

Philosophy and religion. Always thorny issues.

The amount of conversation that went on privately between Khulekani and Zula, as well as the condensed version offered aloud, left Mallory with a sidelong smirk.  Ah, so that's what it felt like to be on the receiving end of it.  She and Astre so often did precisely that themselves that it was easy to become numb to the notion.

"Awakened animals are a curious thing, to be certain.  Just because their minds evolve to greater awareness doesn't mean they aren't still animals.  Their instincts and mannerisms remain.  So if they're treated to their liking and find satisfaction in labor, I don't personally see the harm if they choose to continue that life." she observed as she reached up to give Wifni a fond scratch in the feathers just beneath her blade-like beak.  "We encountered an Awakened behemoth in the waters of Targos recently who was very much held by his own habits, but likewise treasured his newfound awareness.  He didn't want to risk returning to being a mindless beast once he'd known there was more to life.  Though I suppose heightened intellect and awareness could actually be more of a burden on some animals than a boon.  Better to just leave well enough alone, perhaps."

It was a tricky subject with no clear answer one way or the other.  But, in the end, the safest approach was to simply act with caution and not meddle needlessly - a fact so often the case but so often ignored by spellcasters.  History was littered with the wreckage of bothersome mages who allowed their common sense to fall by the wayside.  Hells, they were presently on a trek to visit the ruins of precisely that.

"I must warn you however that it is deeply entwined with my faith, and I know of no spell formulae or symbols to utilize the Weave in a similar manner. You would have to open yourself to my religion, but I am not sure how welcome the Triad would be to you. Honestly, despite the religious nature of my order, we do not proselytize,"

"I'm quite happy with my faith in Tymora, for better or worse.  She's fickle, certainly, but we share a birthday and my powers of divination are of her doing.  Even if she's turned her eye against me of late I'll keep to her side all the same." Barring the evil gods who held foul schemes for mankind's future, there was no need to be at odds over the more benevolent deities and faiths.  Especially those of the Triad who, for all intents and purposes, were allies to all.  "As I said, I'd hope to emulate the spell.  Not duplicate it.  There's fundamentally no difference between the craft of gods and man when it comes to spellcasting; it's simply a matter of scale.  A reasonable facsimile should be well within my reach... not the full splendor Zula bears but a shadow, perhaps." Mallory cast a telling glance over Khulekani's way.  "Though, with enough time... who knows?"

That sort of talk edged dangerously close to blasphemy by some measure, though it wasn't as if arcanists were known for being especially reverent to the gods.  Most saw the deities less as all mighty cosmic forces and more as fellow spellcasters who just had a head start on the acquisition of power.  All the same, Mallory briskly changed the subject.  "You said you're from Amn, is that right?  What's carried you so far north?  Has your order sent you on a pilgrimage?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:11, Thu 26 May 2022.

"As you say..." Khulekani said, allowing the subject of Awakening to end gracefully.

"Ah, Lady Luck. My interactions with her flock have been most...colorful. If you'll forgive the small religious barb, I think one should make their own luck, and not hope for a favorable whim. Yes, I invoke the Triad in my battles with darkness, but even if they did not see me worthy of boons, I would still make the same actions. Ah, forgive me. Strong religious opinions seem to come with the territory. I should really learn to keep my criticisms of other faiths to myself unless asked," she continued, raising her hands in surrender as a sign of apology.

"My teachings say that the power of the Weave and the Will of the gods are very separate forces, despite having sometimes superficially similar effects. But that is a debate for natural philosophers and sages. But to answer your question, yes, I am from Amn. Born and raised in the capital city of Athkatla, as a matter of fact. The Order of the Radiant Heart is headquartered there, and one of their number recruited me. Sweet Triad, were my parents ever...displeased. And no, I am not on a pilgrimage. I am on an Errantry Tour. Which is...well, it's complicated, but the short version is that after we receive all of our Radiant Heart Auxiliary training, we are sent out into the real world to tour the land, looking for those in need, and aiding them as best as we are suited. Which is usually martially. The idea is that training itself is not enough. We must learn from the best school there is: genuine experience. It also serves to...temper youthful enthusiasm. And for those for whom this task proves too tasking, it allows them to discover their own limits on their own. Many an Auxiliary squire withdraws from the Order, and walks a different path. Or, well, die. In my case, it was simply happenstance of the misfortune I came across that brought me north along the Sword Coast, and eventually to Icewind Dale. It does not snow, even in the winter where I come from. Part of me wished to see what all the fuss was all about. Now that I am here, well, I must say it has lost some of it's charm," the Squire said with an amused and knowing twinkle in her eye.

"But I ramble on about myself. Tell me more of your origins. I would know more about those I travel with. You too, Lady Farwalker. I am sure you have tales aplenty to share," the young woman finished, beaming with a truly interested grin.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:15, Fri 27 May 2022.

Apologies over religious criticisms were simply waved off without concern as Mallory shifted to lean herself against the side of her conjured sleigh.  "No, I appreciate your candor.  You've no need to be reticent with me, Squire.  I come from place where everything is couched in innuendo and entente and it is exhausting.  I agree with you as well, in a sense, as we may have different ideas of what luck is."

As Khulekani allowed one topic of magical discussion to ease by the wayside, so too did Mallory in turn.  Debates and studies of the varied magical forces had been carried out for thousands of years with no real conclusions in the first place, let alone in recent centuries when the very fabric of their world and the Weave itself had been reshaped by Plane-sundering events.  Tell of the Squire's upbringing and misadventures bore a much greater point of interest.  Sympathy as well given what had brought Mallory herself northbound.

"A noble task, albeit braced on all sides by brutal pragmatism by design." she observed with an idle drum of her thumb at the side of her chin.  The Errantry Tour would fortify the resolve and abilities of those who succeeded, while those who failed would be weeded out for their lack of capability or die trying.  No matter the fate of the individual squire, the Order itself benefited, as did the population the Order hoped to serve.  Very efficient.  Callous, but efficient.

Prompting for her own tale brought a long, deep, shoulder-curling sigh that told plenty in and of itself.  She'd already found it in herself to reveal the matter to Rhydd prior; to speak of it again would perhaps be easier for her spirit to contend with since she'd already broken the seal once.  "Misfortune, but not happenstance.  Mallory Bonheur of Neverwinter: heiress of the Bonheur name, as our name is just about all we have left at this point."  Fallen nobility was a far from uncommon element, but it was never a good tale either.  "My family gained our title in gratitude for our works to improve and protect the lives of Neverwinter's citizens.  Nobles raised of the common cloth rather than cut from it.  Even from childhood I've used my magic, my innate ability of foresight and divination, to follow that road of honorable service.  And since childhood it's worked wonders."

As she spoke, Mallory's tone grew wistful.  Her dark eyes gazed out at the skies with a warmth that defied the weariness they usually carried, that shone with a gleam of happiness despite the heavy rings around them.  Such softness that came as she thought back of family, of her beautiful city on the ocean cliffs... which made the abrupt shift back to a colder tone all the more pointed as she lowered her gaze back to Khulekani, and back to the reality of the present moment.  "Right until it didn't.  Decades of work from my grandfather and parents, the pride and future not only of me and my siblings, the well-being of those we employed.  Poof.  Gone, just like that.  All it took was a single mistake of my behalf, which set another in motion, and another, and now I'm here in the blasted wasteland that is Icewind Dale.  Scattered to the winds just like the rest of my siblings in hopes of scraping together some means of rebuilding the home I ruined."

Hm.  Nope, that wasn't any easier to recount at all, Mallory inwardly realized.  Though she took some refuge in sarcasm as she recounted her woes, self-deprecation was a venom that left a bitter sting on her tongue.  It made her immediately wish for a strong drink to wash it away.  "My uncle was allegedly up in Bryn Shander managing a shipping office.  Imports and exports, you know.  So I'd hoped to find employ with him, but he's apparently touring the Ten-Towns as far as I can tell, which leaves me out in the cold.  Literally.  Running about being chased by Dragons, chasing serial killers, scrounging for pocket change amid all this other gallivanting nonsense my life has devolved into.  Misfortune brought me here and thus far has been a reliably constant companion... though I certainly prefer all your company by far."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:50, Fri 27 May 2022.

Reghed nomads. As Rhydd ventured deeper into the forest, signs of the tribesfolk's presence started cropping up. An abandoned campsite, which they had taken great care to cover up, and fresh tracks from their hunts, and now, above the treetops Rhydd could spot rising smoke. While the wildlife was declining all over Icewind Dale, Hopwood, along with the Lonelywoods, contained the last remnants. Pieces of flint for arrows and stakes they used for tents laid in halfway buried in the snow. They had moved, but someone was still patrolling this perimeter.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 13:47, Sun 26 June 2022.