"During those days, what remained of the people of Braduk faced a difficult choice: side with the people of Icatia and forfeit their titles, or join with the evil Calabim empire and face the wrath of the people. In the end, those who openly sided with Calabim were killed or driven into exile, while those who embraced the south retained much of their wealth and influence. A brave few places chose neither side, unable to relinquish their cherished independence and unwilling to side with a foreign empire."
- Histories of the Fallen Empires, Vol II ** December 3rd, Falcon's Hollow, 52 Years after the Fall of Bhall **
Its been a few days since the arrival of the Cleric of Mulcarn. He came not with a storm but with fair weather, and since his arrival the sky has been clear and the snow has taken a holiday. He wasn't what many of you expected, but to be fair you weren't sure what to expect. The most recent calamity, the spreading of the Palepox through the town and nearby fey was ended, at your hands. You've all managed a speedy recovery, and the town itself has seen the last of it purged from the locals thanks to the work of Laurel and the wizard Vade. He's taken the strange cursed basin to study it more, and you hope you've made the right choice in letting him have the thing.
With Vondrella's Cult of Ferrell dead and scattered the void of any religious group in town worries you. Since Fannar Winterson has arrived just in time to fill it. There isn't much you can do about that right now however, since for a long while Falcon's Hollow has needed a supply run south. Its taken longer than expected, what with the building of the church and the Palepox spreading to get a caravan together to travel south to Olfden for the overdue supplies.
The last day you have been extra busy seeing to things, making sure those people in town that need stuff have an order in, or are prepared. You are going over some of the final touches now outside the Hollow Tribunal. The Tribunal was once run by Vamros Harg, but he died during all the troubles and now it sits empty. Another clear sign to the lack of law in this place.
Gathered before the Tribunal are all manner of folks with a stake in this venture. There are three large sleds parked in the front as well, some of them have bundles on them, traveling gear for drivers and porters and others who are going on this venture along with you. Each sled is pulled by a team of large horses. Among those gathered are the names in town would expect to see.
The Gavel Thuldrin Kreed stands with Stormy Pearl Madison and several lumberjacks and boot-licks of the man's inner circle. One of the large sleds belongs to Kreed and he has a large stake in the venture of both materials and manpower. Milon Rodhham along with Stormy Pearl Madison will be leading this sled along with a few other men.
Next are the local merchants who have pooled resources to help fund a sled, including Brickasnurd Hildrinsocks, the dwarf merchant who own the Goose n'Gander, the general store in town. Jak Crimmy, the balding red haired owner of the inn Jak-a-napes, is in serious need of supplies for the inn, including his signature cinnamon for his world famous flapjacks. Darius and Felecia Grindstone, the couple that currently runs the Sitting Duck mill about with the other merchants making sure their order will get placed. With them, just to the side are less than savory characters.
Kabran Bloodeye, the short half orc that owns the brothel the Rouge Lady is with the old carnival master Namdrin, they have a stake in with the merchant's sled, and in fact they have put the most coin into funding this particular sled. A few of their bouncers are milling about as well.
The third sled is yours, or at least under your control. Its a strange tale how this sled came to be yours to command. This sled belongs to Tessa Kelrand, the former wife of the Carnival Master Namdrim Quinn. After you saved her from the Dark Ice Fey she left her husband, but not Falcon's Hollow. She hasn't played any recent part in your adventures, but she's been in town, avoiding Namdrim and recovering from her ordeal. Now that a group is leaving Falcon's Hollow so is she. She's agreed to give you her large carnival sled to use in exchange for seeing her safely to Olfden or beyond depending on how things go. This was mostly arranged by Laurel who had been checking on Tessa now and then tending to her lingering malady after bring trapped in the dark ice shard. So the sled is yours to pilot and use for your uses, as well as Laurel and Baleson and Vade's. Tessa is on board, along with Kimi Eavewalker, the half elf girl who's been causing trouble for Vren's siblings for a while now. The young girl's mother died during the carnival, and her father, an Elohim ranger, hasn't been heard from in a long while. She's insisted that she go along to try and find news of dad in Olfden, which might be possible as his last know venture took him south. Tessa, feeling bad for the girl since her mother died at the carnival has agreed to take her along in the sled.
There are several smaller sleds as well, drawn by dogs, not horses, owned by a few others in the town like Adran of the Black Dog Boarding House, and a few of the more well to do lumberjack families. Counting your group of six, there are 18 total people taking on this adventure south.