IC : Chap 1.1 : Oakhurst
"Ahhh another youth interested in adventuring, are you? Well come here lad, pay my drinks and I'll tell you about a journey of discovery, friendship and adversity like you never heard before. Come on now, don't let me hanging and let me tell you about about the group of young adventurers that took on the dangers of the Sunless Citadel..."
The sun was high in the sky as the tired group finally saw their destination in the distance, a man made bump of buildings on the otherwise flat horizon. One could see the mountains looming to the west, with an hint of it to the north, behind the town, but the eastern horizon was practically flat. The dusty, well traveled road was carved by the ruts of the chariots. The noon sun was strong in this spring day, with no clouds to attenuate the building heat, busy melting the remains of the winter's snow, showing up in dirty white patches in the otherwise muddy plains with new growth pushing the dirt to reach the life giving rays of Pelor.
The unlikely companions reminded themselves why they were so far from Neverwinter, where they had sign up for a dual mission. The head of the Church of Pelor hired them to find his most promising young paladin, Sir Braford, a noble that had decided to dedicate his life fighting evil. He had been gone for months, with his last correspondence placing him where the party was heading, the sleepy village of Oakhurst.
The other thing on the group's agenda was related to the village itself, as they had been tasked by the Church of Chauntea to investigate the rumors of magical fruits with strong healing properties. Both missions were to be well rewarded, so the band had formed and walked the long road toward the village.
As they slowly covered the distance remaining toward the village, more details came to their sight, farmlands separated by edges, clumps of natural tree growth, rows of man-planted trees, houses with rough stones walls surrounding them. The wind started wiping the cloaks around them, like a warning of more heat coming on.
OOC : You are still about 5 kilometers from the town, about a hour's walk at a good pace. Everyone give me a perception check please.