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All too soon, the northern horizon is covered by a dark line, which finally resolves itself into the southern edge of the Moonwood. Within a half hour, the group are walking between the tall trees, glad of the 30 yards clear on either side of the trail and the fact that the trees are still widely spaced. As the sky starts to darken, and as the afternoon ends, the forest opens up into an area cleared for a few miles in every direction. In the middle of this large clearing, atop a small, broad rise, a village with about 150 houses and two large, water-powered sawmills can be seen. A small stream flows from the north into the clearing and turns then back into the forest toward the southwest, no doubt a small tributary of the Rauvin. On the far side, a heavy duty wagon bearing a cargo of timber can be seen coming from the wood to the north into the clearing.

Looking again at the cleared area around the village, the party notice that - beyond a 100-yard defence perimeter that remains clear cut - the land has been replanted with small trees. As they approach the village closer, they see that the men and many of the women here bear axes or swords. Most of the buildings in Quaervarr seem to be wooden cottages where families live, with medium to large vegetable garden plots surrounding the cottages. There is no sign of formal farming, however.

The mixed smells of freshly sawed pine and the smoke of many wood fires is strong in the air, but the smoke from the chimneys spirals high in the spring sky, so that the burning is no irritation. Quaervarr's only inn is located in the centre of the village, and as the party ride the dirt road into the village they pass a wooden frame building larger than most of the cottages.

Although there is no sign, it's obviously something of a trading market. Several peddlers' wagons from Silverymoon stand outside the building, and people go in and out the door. Those who come out usually are carrying supplies for the home or new logging tools. A bit farther up the road is a large, wooden lodge type building with a thatch roof. Next to it, is a sign reading "The Whistling Stag." A sign by the door declares that a room here costs 5 electrum moons (OOC: 2.5gp) per night, including stable fees, evening meal and breakfast. Drinks are extra. It also indicates that there is a healer of Melikki resident.

A couple of young lads sitting on the step quickly stand up as the large party approaches. Their faces are somewhat disappointed when they realise that there are only 5 mounts, and after looking at each other for a moment, one sits back down and the other steps forward. "Want me to stable yer mounts sirs and madams!" he says, bobbing a bow. He gestures towards the stable entrance at the side of the inn. "I'll make sure they all get a good rub-down and fresh grain and water!" he adds.

<Lucretia aka Joe wrote>:
> <As the boy starts to rustle up the animals>
> "by the way, what do they call you?"

"Round here mister, they just call me 'Hey boy!'" grins the young boy as he ducks away from under Lucretia's hand. Running a grubby hand through his hair again, he quickly grabs the reins of one of the pack ponies, and starts to whisper to the horse, pulling it gently towards the stables. The other boy also jumps up and starts to help lead the other ponies into the stables, following Serena leading Thunderbolt.

Under Serena's watchful supervision, the boys stable the horses, removing their loads and saddles with practiced ease, and carefully storing them in a small gated compound. As the boys water and feed the horses, Serena heads inside, leaving them to finish brushing them.

Inside the Inn

Beyond the doors is a large but warm and inviting hunting lodge. Two wood fires roar in large fireplaces and scent the air with the fragrance of burned pine pitch. Deer and elk antlers hang everywhere on the walls. Near the tap they even serve as towel racks. A large magical tapestry on one wall shows an animated elven hunt, with two bands of elves in fantastic armour galloping through the forest - their horses leaping over logs - hunting down boar, birds flying here and there through the air.

Lucretia admires the tapestry for a few moments...checking out it's movement and trying (unsuccessfully) to figure out how it is done.

Seeing Luc stare up at the wonderous tapestry, Cleo walks over to him. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I've heard of these things before. I believe it's called a T.V." Seeing the dumbfounded look on Luc's face, Cleo clarifies, "A Tapestry of Viewing".

Yvandel, standing behind Lucretia, overheard Cleo's comment and couldn't help laughing. "Methinks it's a magical Tapestry of Viewing. No regular T.V. could get Luc's eyes to give up leering at nearby women even for a second." He nudged the big warrior, jumping back quickly to avoid the retribution that would surely follow.

CLeo smiles as she overhears Yv's correction. "Ahhh... a MAGICAL TV...M.T.V.!"

There are quite a number of people in the lodge, all seemingly clustered together in their own groups. Some look like weathered men of the woods, probably the famed hunting guides of Quaervarr. These not only sit together like a closed group, they also have made sure to pick a corner of the lodge where no free tables or chairs are nearby.

Other groups look more like traders and businessmen of the road, perhaps lumber buyers and the like. They are dressed as though they think they're a day out of Silverymoon and don't intend to travel any farther northward than that. Their faces bear the expressions of men who like talking and joking about business.

Most of the remaining customers look like rich folks who want to leave the impression that they're hunters, but their appearances are simply exaggerated. Their clothing has a woodsy look about it, but the kind of woodsy look one would expect to see in a tailor's shop in Waterdeep. Everything is a bit too fine but not nearly durable enough for the daily life in a logging village. The mannerisms of these people tends to vary between bragging and arrogant.

There are a two or three serving wenches, and there are two barmen behind the bar serving. One of them, spotting Cleo enter, followed soon after by several others of the party, beckons them over towards the bar. "Well met and welcome to Quaervarr, how can I help you?" the barman asks.

Lucretia will make sure he passes in close proximity to the most attractive of the three... "Hello there good-looking', he says adding a smile and a wink.

The woman gives Lucretia a stare that could wither a tree - obviously not in the mood for being flirted with by the punters.

In response to the rooms for the night, the barman nods his head. "We have plenty of rooms here, not a problem... Certainly not if you don't mind doubling up anyway."

Larz indicates that he would be happy to share with his cousin Dorn.

"Come let's sit down and have something to drink. I'm sticking with water though, no need to cloud my mind before setting of an what will certainly turn out to be yet another dangerous adventure."

Puppet Talk!

Yvandel tried to get the attention of one of the serving wenches by waving his right hand in the air. On his left hand, a wooden puppet woke up. "Goodmorning Quaervarr!" it shouted loudly. As its head turned around, Yvandel kept waving his other hand in the air, trying to get some water for his thirsty throat. "Say, brother, it looks like there's some fresh blood in the group. Another dwarf." Dolo replied quickly to Volo's words. "And another female companion as well, I see. But, where is master Balnor? I sure hope nothing bad has happened to him. Say, Luc, where did your little friend go?"

Volo seemed more interested in getting to know the new arrivals than in hearing about the absent Balnor. "Hey, Larz, who's your new friend there? And who allowed yet another female to infiltrate the group?"

"Little Ferret has joined the church my wooden friend <in a low voice Lucretia adds to Yvandel only...if possible.> and as for the part elven priestess, keep your wooden paws clear...she's mine."

Larz looks around as he sees Yvandel start up with his puppet. Several of the other members of the bar also look around. Most look confused, some frown and some look amused. Larz nudges Dorn. "Ah, Yvandel has finally found his puppet's voices..." Seeing Dorn's incredulous look, Larz shrugs. "Yvandel is a bit of an entertainer" he says, by way of explanation.

"Bit of a embarrassment!" mutters Blondung quietly, his face creased with a deep frown. He turns away from Yvandel and sips his own drink.

"Stuff a rag in it Blondung," retorted Lucretia. "It's what the kid does...I don't care for it much but it helps to pass the time."

At one table, a couple of "rich city hunter types" look around. "Ooo a puppet!" says one. "Go on, tell some jokes!" says the other. "I didn't realise they had jesters here!" he says to his companion.

"Jesters!" Volo replied incredulously to the wannabe hunters that had just spoken. "Good sir, we are not jesters. Quite the opposite, I would say. You see, a jester leads a happy, uncaring life. A jester knows only happiness and joy. Me on the other hand, I'm doomed, cursed, chained to misfortune and sorrow. I am to spend the rest of my life inside this wooden frame. Once, you see, I was a powerful human being. I had it all. Fame and fortune, and good looks to go with it. Then, for some silly reason, someone decided to imprison me with some magical spell. Hundreds of years I've spent, trapped inside this wooden shell. I am most certainly not a jester..."

The pair of city folk look somewhat flabbergasted when the puppet responds to their comments. Obviously more used to the less interactive sorts of entertainment, they stare open mouthed, completely taken in by the two faced puppet.

Some of the other more local looking folk turn around and take more of an interest wondering if this impromptu show may result in the embarrassment of the fops.

One of the fops leans forward, staring at the puppet, a puzzled frown replacing his initial flabbergasted expression. "Did you say trapped?" He looks up at Yvandel, who is doing his best to look like an innocent bystander rather than a man with his hand up a puppet's back. "Wha..." he starts, but is interrupted by his friend.

"How come you only speak out of one side of your face?" he asks, looking at the puppet rather than at Yvandel.

Blondung sighs to himself, then makes a show of ignoring the puppet, and walks across to Merrell. "What you reading Merrell?" he asks, sitting down next to the half elf bookworm.

Larz continues to watch the show, quaffing his mead occasionally. He nudges Dorn again, whispering. "He's good at it isn't he - you can hardly see his lips moving at all!"

Yvandel smiled as he saw the two staring at the puppet. Now if he only played his cards right...

"That's because he's not the only one trapped in here," another voice, slightly deeper in tone, escaped from the puppet's mouth. "You see, he was imprisoned inside this wooden frame because of the way he lived his life. He angered a witch when he refused to help her. He deserved everything he got. Me, on the other hand, I have to tell you a sad story. I was a wise man, teaching those around me how to do things better. Kings and queens asked me for advice. One day, a young man came to me, demanding help with some nonsense project. I refused, as I had other obligations at that time, but the man did not take no for an answer. I repeatedly told him that I could not assist him, but he wouldn't stop. Finally, out of options, I tried to walk past him, out of my house, towards the destination of my next appointment. It was then, that I stepped my last step as a human man. The young man, you see, was a powerful but evil wizard. He had acquired a puppet with a twisted, tormented soul inside it, and had tried to use its power. He had failed though, because the puppet was imbalanced. He needed someone good, someone wise, to offset the chaotic mind and character of the soul already entrapped inside the puppet. Of course, as I was by far the wisest person in the area, he had chosen me as his victim. An arcane spell, much like the one the witch had originally used, came from the wizard's lips and before I knew it, I saw my own body, laying crumpled on the floor. Using my superior intellect, I was soon able to deduct what had happened. But even I could not undo what had been done: I was cursed to spend eternity inside a wooden puppet, forced to accept the presence of an idiotic fool. Imagine yourself trapped with your worst enemy, your most hated relative, or the village idiot. That, good people, is how I am doomed to spend the rest of my life."

(pause for dramatic effect)

One of the two fops continues to stare in amazement at Yvandel's puppet. The other sits back his expression slowly turning to realisation. He starts to peer very closely at Yvandel as if trying to see his lips moving.

"Look at this young man holding me up. No, this is not the evil wizard that enslaved me. That evil being, I am glad to report, has been dead for many, many years. He thought he was creating a powerful magical object by putting me inside the puppet. In reality, he created a useless object. He discovered his mistake only days later, when he found himself cornered by some of his old enemies. When he tried to use me to vanquish his foes... nothing happened. When nothing happened, the arrows that those foes had fired at him did their job. When the arrows did their job, they pierced the wizard's skin. When they pierced the wizard's skin, they pierced his heart. When they pierced his heart... Well, let me just say that I rather enjoyed the death of that most hated man, but that it was over all too soon."

"Over the years, many people have tested to see if my presence inside this puppet can give them any power, but each and every one of them found out that the answer didn't please them. I have no power. Perhaps I would have power, but this idiot here that spoke to you earlier certainly is too much of a burden for me to be able to do anything resembling something powerful. That conclusion did not please the greedy people who tested the puppet. They tossed me around, tried to burn me, cut me up. Until... until this gentle soul found me. He's cared for me... and my idiotic 'brother', for the last ten years or so."

"If you have any sympathy for my fate, please, donate some coins to my master, so that he can continue to care for me. And who knows, perhaps one day he can find a way to release me from this prison, release me from my torment."

At this point, Yvandel will look around ever so sheepishly.

By the time the story finishes, most of the people in the inn were listening to the tale, the majority knowing it for the story it is and listening with amused expressions. A few throw coppers onto the table in front of Yvandel.

Yvandel gratefully scoops up the coins in front of him.

"So the two sides of the face are each a different soul?" asks the stupidest fop. The other elbows him, and the man suddenly seems to realise that a lot of people are looking at him rather than looking at the puppet. Suddenly he goes very red, realising that he had been talking to a puppet. There is a burst of laughter from around the hunting lodge, which suddenly dies as a glowing figure oozes from the puppet to stand in front of the two fops. It slowly kneels and clasps it's hands together as if pleading. Even Yvandel seems suddenly surprised. The whole inn goes quiet, and there is a , a choked scream from one of the serving wenches who drops a tankard of ale.

Yvandel looked around, not sure what was going on. A quick glance at Merrell revealed enough to the puppeteer. It seemed like that elf had a sense of humor after all. Yvandel tipped his head slightly in the direction of his companion, thanking him for the nice touch.

The figure slowly fades after a few moments, and the silence is suddenly broken by the crash of the kitchen door as one of the barmen returns to the tap room bearing a tray of food. He pauses, surprised at the stillness of the room. "What's going on?" he asks.

As his fellow barman starts to tell him, conversation resumes again and people slowly return to their drinks. The two fops, now slightly pale faced turn also turn away from the puppet and bend over their drinks, though one peeks back at the puppet every now and then and shivers. The mood in the inn suddenly seems a little more subdued.

As the party are starting to eat their evening meal, one of the boys suddenly appears at the table, in between Lucretia and Serena. He taps Lucretia on the arm. "Horses all fed, watered and brushed mister. Dog got a bone from the kitchen as well." He turns his head to look at Serena. "Don't worry miss - we brushed 'em all down well!" He waits expectantly.

<joseph.may@dhafra.af.mil> wrote:
> "Thanks...boy." <He goes to give the boy a silver coin, then holds it a
> second...kind of sure the kid gets more from some of the stuffed shirts he's
> noticed round the inn, but thinking a silver is more then enough.> "Sit down
> a second...I want ya to tell me about the local area...you seem to be in the
> know." "What are the happenings, besides all the so called hunters running
> about here." "I mean is there anything going on in these parts that a
> adventure like me might want to know about...come now I'm interested in
> everything." <He sits the silver down on the table and plays with another as
> he listens to the boy's answer.>

The boy eyes the coin greedily, but shifts from foot to foot, obviously keen to be going. "Rich people come, look for good sport, they leave. Locals cut wood, ship it south." He shrugs "Not a lot else goes on here!" "Do I get both coins?" he asks in a plaintive voice - "one for my mate?

Lucretia eyes the coin then the boy...heck, I'll more then likely be dead in a few days. "Sure thing kid, but if you hear anything you think old Luc the destroyer needs to hear, you come fetch me right away...got it?"

*****

Later, after a sumptuous meal, Serena and Cleo head out (OOC: possibly with others?) and lead the horses around the town in the darkness. Unlike Silverymoon there are no glowing light sources to make the streets dark here. The sky is overcast again and it is a pretty dark night.

After a short while, they are stopped by a group of 5 armed men. "What you doing walking the streets at this time of night?" asks their leader - somewhat belligerently. The others all look fairly tense, with hands on the weapons. The leader holds up his own bull's-eye lantern shining it's light into the small group's eyes. "Yer acting very suspicious yer are! Come tell me, what yer doing?"

Cleo holds up her hand against the light in her eyes, and takes a deep breath. She certainly wasn't expecting trouble, and the worst thing was that she wasn't sure whether these folks were ruffians, or the town's militia.

"I apologize, sir, for any trouble we've caused. My friend Serena and I were just out here trying to teach these ponies how to walk around at night, kinda getting them used to it." Cleo huffs, throwing her hands up in the air in faked disgust, "You see, we're fairly new to the group, and the leaders are always givin' us the shit details. They said that the ponies need to get used to the night, just in case our group ever has to force-march through the night. They don't want the ponies getting spooked, or lost, and what not. But can they drag their backsides out here in the cold to do it themselves? Nooooo! And why? Because they're men, that's why! Oh, and they happen to work directly for Lady Allustriel herself! Pah!!!! Like that makes them special! Personally, I'd be very interested in knowing just what the good Lady will say when I report to her on the fortnight! I'd think she'd be fired up to find out how Ladies have been treated on her personal quests!!!!"

Turning to Serena, Cleo pats her on the shoulder, hoping she will play along with Cleo's faked outburst, "Come on, Serena!! I'm marching back to that Inn right this minute! They can't treat us like second class citizens any longer, Lady, or no Lady!" Cleo looks back at the group as she turns the pony around and leads him back to the Inn, "Thank you, kind sirs, for helping us! At least there is SOME gallantry to be found in this town, 'tho it's surely not from any of the 12 men in our party! See that, Serena? Now THAT is how men should act!", Cleo says, pointing back toward the men standing in the street, "I feel safer already! Do the Lady's men watch over us at night like that? NOooooo!"

At this several of the men stifle giggles, and the tension that had been in the air evaporates. As Cleo continues to rant and rave, several of them cannot contain themselves and actually guffaw out loud. Their leader, trying hard not to laugh, waves weakly. "Don't let us stop you...hmphh... do do continue..."

As Serena and Cleo return to the lodge, the men continue their patrol, laughing amongst themselves at the foolishness of adventurers.

*****

Vaslin, with Lucretia in tow, head out into the night air. There is a sharp bite to the wind, and small clouds scud across the two moons.

The two of them walk quietly along the wide, if somewhat muddy streets for a short while. The village is quiet, though distant laughter over some unheard joke echoes between the houses and their gardens. Even the animals seem to have taken to their bed, and Lucretia is just about to ask out of curiosity what Vaslin was doing, as she kept peering into corners and into gardens, when a fox appears around a distant corner. Vaslin's eyes brighten in the moonlight and a smile appears on her face. One hand clasped to her the coin at her breast, she mutters a prayer to Tymora, gesturing with her other hand at the fox. The fox turns to run, but Vaslin suddenly barks a high pitched bark at the fox. Lucretia looks on dumbfounded, as the fox stops, and looks back, even coming a few paces closer.

Through a series of barks and whines, Vaslin starts to communicate with the fox, which slowly comes a bit closer, though never getting less than 20 away.

After a few minutes of this "conversation" the fox finally turns and runs off into the night. Vaslin turns to the stunned Lucretia and starts to speak, though at first, only a croak comes out, before she coughs once and then speaks again more naturally.

(OOC: Translation for Vaslin sent separately) -
(ED - unfortunately, this has since been lost - though the foxes conversation was fairly mundane and not important. :-)