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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 9027349" data-attributes="member: 20323">GM POSTThe tall folk of the Northlook's taproom are deep in their cups, entertained by the minstrel's new song and peeking over one another's shoulders to gawk at the winter fairy who has become something of a local legend. Thus, the "halfling" Lumrolur slips unnoticed through the crowd – assumed to be another halfling trapper or petty-wares merchant – and finds a "sleeping" spot within earshot of the blonde man and his mercenaries.[GM][USER=24380]@Neurotic[/USER] The mercenaries are speaking the Illuskan language unfamiliar to you, but you catch a few places names – Neverwinter, Cold Run, and Bryn Shander among them. They also say "Strunor" a couple times before you realize that it's the name of their blonde employer. "Strunor", for his part, is close-lipped company, offering some offhand comments, "I hear you can wring the alcohol from men of Mintarn like a sponge. Sober up by the morrow." Otherwise, he's absorbed in the journal.[/GM]Adjusting the tuning on his lute, the minstrel moves closer to the hearth, ignoring a drunken patron shouting out "play Juice of the Vine!" Setting up near the frigid dwarves warming themselves by the hearth, the minstrel begins a drinking song known by dwarves and Ten-Towners."A keg of ice. A cask of fire. In the Dwarven Valley. Fought our wars. Where are they now? In the Dwarven Valley. Too few remain. These ill tidings. Shadow of the Cairn. Battlehammer and Silverstream. Sweating ice for hell. Oho. Sweating ice for hell. Picks and axe and hollyhocks, from the Dwarven Valley. Bound for the South they braved the trail. Through frost and fire they would prevail. To Mithral Hall the dwarves withdrew. Left behind too few. A keg of ice. A cask of fire. In the Dwarven Valley. Lift up your ale. We will prevail. Oh the Dwarven Valley."<img src="https://db4sgowjqfwig.cloudfront.net/images/6106354/hlin-lily-abdullina_s.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable fr-fil" data-size="" style="width: 176px" /> For a moment, there's a forlorn glimmer in the battle-scarred dwarf's eyes as she gazes toward the hearth. Jack's entrance, however, quickly changes her expression to an unmistakable blend of exasperation bleeding into a roguish smile she can't help spreading across her face. "If it isn't Jack Everfrost," motioning toward Jack with her pipe, Hlin wags her finger. "The last time I saw you - how did you phrase it? - you were engaged in a snowball fight 'to the doom' with invisible 'frost sprites'? And the snowballs juuust happened to hit a town's Speaker, two merchants, and three frontiersmen?" There's a touch of sarcasm to her voice as if frost sprites aren't a real creature, despite the wintery fairy right before your eyes."Yes, it's about the murders, Jack." She lowers her voice here, not wanting to draw undue attention and hinting at a prior conversation between her and the fairy. "I was able to convince Sheriff Markham that you had nothing to do with them," she says, before adding wryly, "this time."Addressing the rest of the group, she nods down to the fairy. "Jack can keep you forewarned of winter storms and knows a bit of magic that helped me catch one of my bounties. Just don't let him cheat you at cards." Nodding toward Jack, she gestures for him to join the table, "Timely arrival per usual, Jack. What kept you up? Have to jump a candlestick?"At last, the barkeep Scramsax returns with another round of drinks and some food – three bowels of salted roasted chestnuts for the table, and for Zeth ([USER=6669245]@Necropolitan[/USER] ) a jerked salted knucklehead trout sandwich with creamy mustard, pickles, and sauerkraut, along with a side of roasted potatoes seasoned with winter herbs and pepper flakes.[GM][USER=6746292]@Aethmud[/USER] Let's say that Jack and Hlin have already spoken about the murders, so you're caught up on the basic situation, modus operandi, and victims already (see this <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/ic-quickleafs-rime-of-the-frostmaiden.697783/page-2#post-9026163" target="_blank">exposition post</a>).[/GM]</blockquote>

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