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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nonamazing" data-source="post: 1917030" data-attributes="member: 12118">IntroductionIt's the 13th day of Aryth, one week before you're due to set off on your expedition to the Frostfell, and about a month and half from your expected arrival in that icy land.  You're relaxing in Stormhome's infamous Olladra's Last Rest, a comfortable bayside inn rumored to be site of a great deal of shady espionage during the Last War.  The inn's main draw are its huge picture windows that look out across the bay, facing north but wrapping almost all the way around the building, wide enough to provide decent views of both the setting and rising sun. Quentin Voddlegrok is your host this evening.  He's a small, perpetually nervous gnome who has a reputation for stumbling into dangerous situations and surviving due to sheer luck.  Although you've each been commited to this trip for some time now, this is the first time you've all had a chance to gather as a group and meet your fellow explorers.  Voddlegrok is very animated, stammering happily as he shuffles through the stacks of paper loosely piled on your table, occasionally extracting a fragment of a map or a excerpt from another explorer's Frostfell journals, excitedly displaying every bit of relevant information to you.  His untidy mass of papers tends to get in your way, making it difficult to eat.  Barandurr grimaces as he removes a piece of map from his ale. "..and, well, I suppose that is the last of it.  Umm...I think.  Was there something else?  No, I'm sure that's it for now.  I think.  Anyway, Captain Gravan's ship will be ready to sail shortly, with luck, and we'll be off!  I trust that everyone understands their assignments, mmm?"  Voddlegrok looks up at you expectantly. "I do have one brief question," says Toshanharath.  "Why is our ship called The Whale's Carcass?  Is it because it smells like one?"  Toshanharath smiles at his joke, and Barandurr laughs heartily, but Voddlegrok only nervously averts his eyes and grins sheepishly. "Umm...well, actually...that is why it's called that.  Umm...it's an odd story, I'm afraid.  I'm sure Captain Gravan will be willing to tell you more about it...he's repeated the story to me more than enough times.  Despite the fact that I've, um, very politely asked him not to." The thought of spending five weeks on a ship that stinks like a dead whale causes Mong's stomach to turn.  Perhaps the others would be able to handle it, but none of them had her strong sense of smell.  "Do we have to take this ship?", Mong asks.  "Isn't there another option?" "Umm...well, I believe I share your reservations, um, Mong, but there's no other captain and no other ship capable of making the trip."  The thought of the ship seems to turn Voddlegrok a little green.  "But, um, I do have some consolation: the, um, stench seems to only affect those outside the ship.  Captain Gravan has paid handsomely to put magical, um, sensory filtering wards about his, um, vessel.  But I would rather not dwell on such matters, um, at least...not while we're eating, mmm?  Did you have any other questions?" "Only as to the nature of our payment, gnome," says Barandurr.  "Ye told me that we'd expect half up front, and half when our mission's done." "Umm...Oh!  Yes, how silly of me.  I almost forgot,"--Voddlegrok mubles as he shuffles through his papers--"and, of course, you will want to put them on right away, um...oh where did I put that?"  After a few minutes of searching, he manages to fish out a small leather bag, from which he produces a handful of engraved metal rings.  "Ah!  Here you go!" The rings that Voddlegrok passes out are made of white gold, and feel very cool in your hands.  They are fairly plain and unadorned, but each bears the same inscription on the inner band: 'Lost Home Expedition, 21 Aryth, 998 YK'. "Aye, these rings are fine craftsmanship, 'tis true, but they're not quite what I'd been led to expect," Barandurr complains. "Yes, um, well, these are, in fact, as some of you, um, may have guessed, magical in origin.  I asked House Cannith to help, um, fund the expedition.  These rings, um, these excellent rings, are the result of their co-operation with us.  You see, I believe, um, and I'm sure you'll agree, that travelling light is the best way for us to cover the, um, most ground.  These will allow us to, um, easily do so." "How?", asks Karthak curiously.  "Do they access an extradimensional storage space?" "Oh!  Oh, no, nothing like that.  I'm sorry, I just realized, um...I did not tell you what the rings do!  They remove the, um, need to eat, um, which means, of course, that we will be able to carry very light packs indeed!" Barandurr has already slipped his ring onto his finger.  "Aye, I'd reckon that's a fair first half of what ye owe us." "Well, I am afraid I have to go meet Captain Gravan to go over some, um, final details.  Um, your rooms and meals have all been paid for, so, um, enjoy the next week or so!"  Voddlegrok sighs. "I, unfortunately, will be staying on the ship, helping Captain Gravan and his crew, um, prepare for the journey.  Please come and, um, seek me out if you have any questions, mmm?" Voddlegrok leaves you alone with one another just as the young halfling waitress arrives with your main course.The rings that Voddlegrok has given your group act as rings of sustenance with a few minor changes.  First of all, the rings were made via House Cannith's batch manufacturing process, which is experimental and has a few flaws.  A dispel magic spell cast by a particularly lucky caster has a chance to break the rings: if the caster rolls a natural 20 on his dispelling check, the ring has a 15% chance of breaking.  Secondly, the linked rings give each of you a enhanced chance to find the others--you all gain a +4 bonus on Survival checks made to Track one another.  Note: If any of you have already spent money on a ring of sustenance (and I believe some of you have), you may now re-spend that money on something else.The game has not offically started yet, but if you'd like to use this opportunity to engage in a little pre-game in-character roleplaying, please feel free to do so.  I'm sure your characters will have a lot to talk about as they enjoy their halfling cuisine.  Also, apologies for the liberties taken with your characters in the above story fragment--this introduction will be the only time I'll ever put words in your character's mouth.Tomorrow I'll post a few things that will be more individually relevant to your characters.</blockquote>

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