With the meal concluded, and innkeeper Pelter returned to his work, there is little else to do except rest up for the trek on the morrow. One by one, the Prince's entourage, including their newest companion Kore, drift off to their rooms, which they find to be spartan but comfortable...much like the rest of the Prancing Unicorn Inn. (OOC: retcon alert!
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In the morning, Master Pelter has the promised map waiting, along with a hearty breakfast of wheatcakes, sweet porridge, and a nice rasher of bacon. The map is little more than a sketch, but it shows what trails to follow through the hills...it looks serviceable enough. With full bellies, and stalwart hearts, the Prince's six make their leave and set out ogre hunting.
Along the way out of Hadler's Gap, farmers, villagers, and other locals thank the group for braving the dangers of the hills and ridding the area of the ogre that has been raiding their farms and trade ways. The townsfolks' thanks and promises of a warm, hospitable return urge the party eastward into the hills...as do their fearful glances at the skies above.
Initially, the blue grasses of the Urkallan Hills glow brightly in the east as the sun rises behind the party. Unfortunately, that is the brightest part of the day, as the fears of the villagers are realized...the sun quickly hides behind a heavy cloud that begins spitting rain by midmorning. The lone mountain among the hills looms ahead and darkens the path even more. It is toward this mountain that Pelter's path leads. While the rest of the sky is the neutral slate gray of rain, the clouds over the hills and especially around the mountain hold a dark purplish tint. These clouds seem to whirl and eddy against the direction of the wind.
[sblock=Academus]Academus observes the purple clouds, and gets an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. It's hard for the cleric to put his finger on it exactly, but there is a certain feeling of 'wrongness' associated with those clouds.[/sblock]
Finally, after more than two hours of miserable trudging uphill through muddy puddles, the party rounds a bend and spies a large cave entrance in the side of the mountain. Its black maw yawns with menace, for the group knows what must lie within. Pelter's crude map makes it clear...this cave is the domain of Logbrag!
(OOC: All right, I'll need a marching order before entering the cave, as well as a light source. Additionally, I will still allow retroactive purchase of normal items back in town, if you indicate so now. Finally...some role-playing would not be amiss here, either. Have at!)
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