H1: Keep on the Shadowfell
by Bruce Cordell and Mike Mearls
The town of Winterhaven stands watch over a ruined keep that was once a bastion of good in the realm. This keep overlooks the Shadow Rift, a dark scar in the world that was once a gateway to the Shadowfell but has been dormant for many years. Now, an evil cleric of Orcus, Demon Lord of the Undead, seeks to re-open the gate, and the only thing standing in his way is a small yet determined band of heroes.
And so it begins as almost all these stories do in a little town far from the more civilized lands, surrounded by dark forest and evil monsters. The town for this story is known as Winterhaven.
The small village is nestled in the southern foothills of the Cairngorn Peaks. The walls are weathered stone topped by defensive palisades. Small thatched homes stand around Winterhaven, each fronting a small piece of farmland or pasture.
Inside the walls the town seems cramped as more than a dozen buildings via for room in the small space provided. Lucky for you the building you want is just inside the gates... Wrafton's Inn.
[sblock=Jotrek, Doral, and Galim] The three wary traveler's enter the two story public house to the smell of fresh stew and spilled beer. There is little noise as only a half dozen people are taking up varies tables and stools at the moment.
A handsome older human woman wearing an innkeeps apron comes up to you as you stand in the door and adjust your eyes to the dim light (unless you have low light vision of course).
"Welcome, welcome to Wrafton's Inn. Please come take a seat you look as if you just walked all the way from Fallcrest without one stop along the way."
She escorts you to a table between the bar and hearth and fusses till all you gear is under the table and you are seated with mugs in your hands. Then satisfied she moves towards the back with promises of a hot meal soon to come.
You finally have time to talk, now that innkeeper is busy elsewhere.
OOC: Reminder that you are here looking for your lost friend and mentor Douven Staul. Mrs. Staul said he hasn't written in almost a month and was last searching for a dragon burial site rumored not to be very far from Winterhaven.
OOC2: I need for one of your characters to have a strong aversion to going out "adventuring" without a healer. And maybe one who would prefer an arcane caster (you can have a kind of debt about that if you wish). Just a way to hopefully get the others in. [/sblock]
[sblock=Marius] After you buried the priestess Marla you came to the only settlement nearby - Winterhaven. You learned that the priestess was an old acolyte of the temple here and that she had gone missing a few days ago.
The head priestess of Avandra Sister Linora, played off your warnings of a cult in the area. She said the people of Winterhaven were good people and if there was a cult either she or Lord Padraig would have heard about it.
Not feeling entirely sure of the answers you got you walked to the towns only inn to think and maybe catch a rumor or two for yourself.
OOC: Your character was already in the inn when the others showed up - You may read their sblock to see how they entered the inn. Now you sit at the corner of the bar about five feet from the table near the hearth where you can watch the room and hear the other three characters talk.
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