House Tharashk Enclave
You enter Stormreach from the north, passing what appears to be the House Deneith compound to your right. A small canal is crossed via a newly re-cobbled bridge. Barrak leads you through several huge archways that connect various plazas in the city.
In the plaza ahead of you, you see a large outdoor bazaar, full of merchants hawking various wares, while what appears to be an inn lies just past the square.
As you walk through the city, you are somewhat intrigued by the make-up of the citizens -- besides the normal races you normally seen on the mainland, you notice a fair share of goblinoids, orcs, dark elves, even a hill giant.
Those who have been to Stormreach in the past recognize the inn as the Chapterhouse, a joint venture of House Phiarlan and House Ghallanda.
Before you reach the bazaar, Barrak takes a right and approaches an old giant building, surrounded by a stone wall of newer, human construction. Several armed men stand guard at the gate. They immediately notice him and allow him, and the rest of you, to pass unimpeded.
You are lead through the gate, towards the main building in the enclave area, several smaller, human built buildings skirt the large central building. Banners depicting large Dragonne's pour forth from some of the upper windows, draping the large entry-way.
Once under the banners and into the building, you realize that you are in a great hall, built by giants. You would guess it to be roughly 150' long and 60' wide, with the ceiling being at 30' tall. Two row of giant windows line each wall, with enormous skylights illuminating the the hall. Benches, desks and seating areas dot the area -- it appears that this hall serves several functions -- mustering, planning, ops, and training, to say the least.
Currently there is constant activity in the room, with groups of humans and half-orcs coming and going.
Barrak stops briefly
,"There," he points to an cordoned off area towards the back left corner of the hall
,"Nardon is expecting you, and has prepared the members of House Tharashk that will accompany you into the jungle. They will have all of the details you need before you set out."
"My task is complete, I have found you and delivered you to your destination. Good day, I must now go make my report of the invisible creature at the landing site." He says as he walks off.
[D]aa[/D]
You walk over to the back corner and see a grizzled human male eyeing your approach.
"Ah, you must be the mainlanders," he says,"
I am Nardon, welcome to Xen'drik -- I will brief you on what is asked of you."
"Please have a seat," he says as he motions towards several seats around a large circular table behind the hanging tarps that cordon off this area.
"I hope you are used to jungle expeditions, and understand the dangers of exploring in the interiors of Xen'drik -- especially of the traveler's curse..."
"As you know, our house has lost several expeditions lately. All of them have been lost in the proximity of the Titan's Teeth -- which is a collection of giant ruins that stretch into the clouds."
"Our last dispatches from the teams have originated somewhere in that region."
"In the past, the giants have not bothered us, as we have not bothered them, but it appears that things have changed. What caused it, we are not aware of, or whether this is the act of a sole band of giants, or a larger alliance."
"Our scouts have noticed an increase in strange looking creatures -- not the normal denizens of Xen'drik, for we've run into all sorts of strange mutations of creatures, like lions in the desert with a camel-like hump on their back, to jungle pumas whose fur looks like patches of leaves."
"But these things look, well, otherwordly and unnatural... They have struck fear into the most hardened of scouts and warriors."
"We have outfitted an group to accompany you, and have secured mounts for all of you that are acclimated to the rigors of Xen'drik jungles."
"It is week long journey towards the Titan's Teeth, give or take a day or two, depending upon the mercy of Xen'drik."
"Once there, we are most concerned with the recovery of bodies of the expedition leaders -- their value to the house is irreplaceable, and we have contracted with Jorasco to bring them back to from the great hunt."
"Do not worry about the transportation of the bodies back, for our house team will take care of that."
"We will be sending along a homing beacon with your group, so that we will know where your group is at all times."
"Extreme caution is to be employed, as you know, giants are formidable foes, when angered."
"They are ready to depart in the morning, and we have arranged lodging for your group at the Chapterhouse, which is just outside of our Enclave."
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You read this passage in an old book while preparing for the trip to Xen'drik:
The great cataclysm that altered the face of Xen'drik forty thousand years ago had lasting effects on the continent's creaturs. Sites steeped in magic remain to this day, and creatures that live in or near those areas sometimes mutate.
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"X" on the map is the House Tharashk enclave (the walled in courtyard).
If you have questions about which some of the numbered areas are, ask -- as some of the group has been in Stormreach before, and should have some knowledge of the place -- but obviously not in-depth knowledge that would come from Knowledge (Local - Stormreach).