The group other then Brankx headed outside the gates and waited for the dwarf. Fenris leans against the tree, watching the area. Its warm for now as the crystal seemed to warm up the village and nearbye area. His eyes dart to the warforged and what appears to be a hammer-something not seen before. Nothing comes from him. Time passes.

Cumarinda waves to Kaja as they leave her house. "Fenris, I will meet you with the others just outside the gates. I'm going to the blacksmith's shop to meet the others and discover if he has any better armor for me." she says with a playful kiss before heading off.

Fenris blinks as he is kiss, and kisses back. He regains his post near the entrance with Ballest waiting.

The cleric goes back into the town. The smithy seems to be packing up as night is slowly falling. He spots the cleric and nods his head "Eh? Bout tah pack up. But whatcha need?"

Brankx turns up a little while later, nodding his head to fenris with a serious look, his only way of greeting. He looks at Ballast. "Seems Lars has some suprises fer all of us." He pulls out a slender wand, holding it up with a smile. "Not as good as ye new hammer Ballast, but fer me, it's well suited."

The dwarf leaned against the wall, arms crossed, waiting for the cleric

"Thank you for your patience, I'm sorry to be coming to see you so late. So far I have been blessed with this chain shirt but I will be needing better armor soon. I'm sure that Pelor will look upon you with greater favor if you could help me. Can you help me?" she asked with a humble smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:10, Thu 05 Nov 2020.

BLACKSMITH
"That Pelor doesn't give me coins." The man crosses his burly arms "An' yer didn't say whatcha need. Armor comes with a cost. Got many types. Whatcha lookin' fer in particular?"

THE GATES
Fenris seems to pay no one any attention. He stands there, leaning against a tree and glances into the village. The warforged pulls out his hammer and seems to examine it, holding it out to the mage for a moment for him to check out.

Brankx, noting Fenris and his coolness towards both himself and Ballast, decided to focus on the warforged. He grasped the weapon, looking it over with raised eyebrows. "Beauitful craftsman ship....dwarven made if i'm not mistaken. Well weighted, and given th' weight, quite an enchantment too."

He hands the hammer back. "A worthy weapon of Ye Ballast."

Cumarinda sighs briefly and then gestures to the setting sun, "HE has given you light and warmth every day of your life. HIS light grows the food you eat and his blessings heal wounds. HIS servants seek out and destroy evils that you dare not face!" she adds with holy fervor as while looking into his eyes. Closing her eyes for a long moment, she takes a deep breath. When she opens her eyes again, she is warm, pleasant and smiling, "But the SunFather shares his blessings with all. I need the best armor you have that might fit me."
This message was last updated by the player at 02:19, Fri 06 Nov 2020.

BLACKSMITH
The blacksmith crosses his arms after hearing her rant and shakes his head "Can't just give yah the armer fer nothin'. But give me that armor an' come back in the morning. I will see bout it alright?" He seems aggrivated "Yer saved us. Go on now, give me that armor." The man definatly doesn't seem to worship anyone, a merchant trying to make a living "I wake up early and work all day. Sprouting what yer worship won't work but willin' to help yer out."


THE GATES
Nothing comes from the elf. He watches the mage and fighter, no expression. The man just sit against the wall silent. Ballast takes the weapon back and puts it onto his belt and nods his head "I hope it aids on this mission."

Cumarinda sighs and nods humbly while handing over her chain shirt, "I apologize if it seemed I wanted you to give me armor without payment." After giving him her armor, she also offered him 8 gold pieces, "But it's only that my need is great and I've little coin to offer in payment." she said apologetically. "Thank you, Master Blacksmith. I honestly am grateful for your help. My name is Cumarinda Imbrex and I will be back tomorrow."

"I don't like getting preached at an' some won't take kindly to it. But I know you have helped so I will do the favor. Come back tommorow and keep the gold. Won't do much fer what I got to do with it." The smith grumbles under his breath "Bit of advice eh? Don't preach." He takes the armor "Just do it." He then opens the door and goes inside, closing it leaving the cleric alone in the square as night falls.

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 653):

Deep in thought as she leaves the blacksmith's shop, Cumarinda picks up her feet and jogs quickly to the meeting place. Once there, she greets everyone with a smile and explains that she will be returning to the blacksmith's shop tomorrow morning.

Gently cajoling the elf barbarian she asks, "Fenris, I'd like to spend tonight in the inn...together just the two of us. Yes?"

The barbarian glances at the cleric. He watches her for a moment and doesn't seem too happy about spending the night within the inn. Silence comes from the elf. Its pretty eery. The warforged nods his head and starts to head back through the gates.

Brankx looks at Cumarinda with a nod. "A good night sleep will do us good before we leave on this quest."

The dwarf picks up his staff and pack and begins to go to the inn

Ballast nods, grateful for Brankx's appraisal of the weapon.  He gives another nod to Fenris and Cumarinda.  "I will prepare all for the morning.  If anyone needs weapons oiled, sharpened, or prepared, leave them with me and I shall do so during the night hours."

Ballast will see to his own weapons and any of his companions' that they wished tended to, and then spends his remaining time carving new things out of scrap wood.  He tries to capture Lars' elemental guardians with his knife, but is yet unsatisfied with his skill beyond making little boats.  In time he will improve, he's certain.

Cumarinda gently squeezes the elf barbarian's hand and pulls him towards the inn. She looks at him with puppy dog eyes and whispers, "Please, darling Fenris? Let's go. I promise that I'll only make noises you want to hear tonight!"

The barbarian gives the cleric a very intense look, probably out of dissaproval but hard to really make out what it means. He stares at the inn, and most know he'd rather be in the outskirts-living off the land not in a inn. But he does enter, not out of his own free will. Fenris glances at the warforged but doesn't remove his weapons.

Soon the group has their rooms-one for Fenris and Cumarinda, one of Brankx and one for Ballast near one another.

The dwarf walked in silence, smiling a little at Fenris's uncomfortable demeanour despite himself. He walked beside ballast and in the inn, spent most of his time in his room, preparing spells for the oncoming quest, only coming down to eat

Come morning, the cleric awakens but finds no sign of Fenris, but finds the warforged and dwarf in their rooms and head to the main gates. Ironically, the barbarian woke up beforehand, letting the cleric sleep. He stands there, with several squirrels upon a bit of rope over his shoulder. He watches them for a moment and the cleric stops. The barbarian holds out her armor. Once the group is ready, they depart towards Misery's Peak. Fenris has a map, probably given to him from the mayor The weather outside is a warm temperature but come nightfall, it grows cold. The further they go, the cold it gets and snow begins to form as they continue forwards. Two days pass unevenfully, the typical wildlife visible. He is able to get a deer for food come nigthfall. Easily the group can get to the bottem of the mountain but several of them slip but catch themselves. Fenris takes the lead silently, constantly scanning the area upon the cliff base but he kneels down, checking the area. Night begins, all is silent besides the small amount of wildlife creeping out. The group has the proper winter gear which is good.

OOC
So passed the days. Nightfall has come. Your at the base of a cliff leading upwards. You are able to find a decent places to rest upon the bottom.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:28, Sat 14 Nov 2020.

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 661):

Cumarinda will be happy to take over care of feeding the party. She will insist on joining Fenris on at least one or two hunts, using her skills and to add more food to their daily catch. What she can do with simple foods and herbs will generally be tasty to all.

On the day they reach the base of the cliff she will be happy to organize the party's overnight arrangements but will eagerly accept volunteers for nightly guard shifts.


OOC:
Cumarinda has a +4 Survival skill and significant bonuses to Spot and Listen. In addition, she is an excellent cook capable of making civilized meals that even Fenris will enjoy.

Fenris dissapears at times, sometimes bring in squirrel or other small animals. Minor animals for food. He is silent, glancing at the group when he comes back in-most of the time he slips in quietly. Upon reaching the bottom of Misery's Peak, he kneels down warming his hands. His body is cloaked in a fur cloak covered in snow. Upon occasion, the warrior slips off with the cleric but she returns back as it seems she lost him but at time he shows her briefly how he hunts.

The cleric does indeed make the food somewhat tasty but its in the middle of the woods and upon the foot of the Peak so there isn't too much she can do but everyone seems to be at least content.

Brankx is probably checking his things, and reading his spellbook, and the warforged keeps his weapons and shield clean as best as he can but the snow keeps falling. There are three tents set up surrounding the fire.

Night falls, and the group gathers around a small fire for warmth. Fenris stares into it as he sits upon a blanket near the cleric whos wrapped up in a fur coat.

Weapons and armor clean and ready, Ballast turns to his nightly carving, making another attempt to capture a being of flame in the chunk of wood under his knife.  "So far the road has been free of hazards other than the mundane, which makes our task easier. But I wonder if this mind flayer knows of our presence in the village, if not the mountain. Can a creature like that watch from afar with magic?"

The dwarf, occupied with his preparations and spellbooks, kept warm by the fire. Dwarves were usually pretty stocky, and coukd handle cold well, but brankx had been away from his family for a while and was more used to milder weather. "Damn me it gets cold around here." he muttered.

When offered food, Brankx nodded and smiled. "Thank ye....this is a fine meal. I am happy ter take a watch, either the first or last so I can research."

He looked at Ballast. "I don't know much about mind flayers....just their powerful and drawn to magic like a moth to flame. They are sid ter be resistant to some magic and able ter such ye brain from ye skull where ya stand." The dwarf sniffed . "Dinno how true it is or not"

"I only wish our presence Tobe a great surprise to this foe," Ballast says with a shrug.

In an inspiriting voice filled with faith and a broad smile, Cumarinda speaks, “May your wish Ballast, be so. Bless us, Oh Shining One! As before, we face mysterious enemies. I know it seems that its only the four of us against any number of powerful forces and possibly the White Dragon itself. But I truly believe that we are not alone, we have the support of all the villagers and The Great Sun Father Pelor. For ourselves and the people counting on us, we will not fail!”

After a pause to catch her breath the priestess continues, “I have been gifted with a spell that will let me call upon a divine beast to fight with us against our most powerful foes. I swear to you all that I will be at your side whatever we may face.”