The Church of Alvis

The Professor starts his walk back to the city and the countryside lays before you. The hike along the road is pleasant and easy as you might expect in early autumn. The fields on either side of the road are ready for harvest and you see farmhands reaping. The birds are chirping and the sun is shining. It is an altogether pleasant day for a walk. If not for the woes of the world, it would be very easy to escape into the pleasantry of the day.

The days march gets you about 20 miles down the highway. Sunset is about an hour away and you see a sign for a small inn up ahead three miles. It is a small farming hamlet.

Stavis will stop the Professor before he make his way back clasping his hand with his own. "Professor, I think I can speak for everyone one when I say that though you are staying here you are no less a member of the Phoenix Guard and has been the sole member these past 70 years. Luck be with you on the construction of the gate on this side."

[OOC fast forward ahead to the current time.]

"Hopefully they have beds for us all. If they don't I would sleep in the barn, that way I'm not as exposed and less likely to expose my being a Drow."

Stavis will hand over 2gp to Victae to pay for his meal and room wherever that might end up being.

Retconning in: Trinal shakes the Professor's hand and says "If I had had my wits about me I would have insisted the General get one of these for you also. I'll have to remind him to do that when we return." He smiles and bids the Professor farewell.

Moving ahead:

"An inn would indeed be nice. If this place has one, let's take advantage of it. Otherwise, perhaps a farmer will let us sleep in his barn."

Syric and the others continue towards the farming hamlet following the sign to the inn.

Has the war had a large impact here?
Perception
[dice]0[/dice]

Syric the Unperceptive truly lives again!

Syric, you see nothing that strikes you as odd in the least bit.

The party approaches the inn and walk in to see a rather rowdy floor scene. Laughter, drinking, eating. On the outside it was quite different. People seemed a bit thin and desolate.

The Tavern owner greets you as you enter. "Looking for a hot meal, we can help you out, but be warned we ain'y got no free beds."

"Then it's good we weren't looking for free ones!" Trinal says. "We did intend to pay for them."

"However, if you mean you have no beds that aren't currently spoken for, what would you suggest for those looking for a place to sleep as an alternative?"

"Haha free ones. I getcha. Nah I'm talkin' 'bout available beds. Every rich noble from falconcoast or faycrest or sagemoor who made it out alive has bought up permanent residence in this tavern and most of the beds in surroundin' trying to stay away from the overcrowdin' in Waterdeep. I appreciate the steady flow of money my way, but it isn't so good for travellin' folk like yerself." the innkeep says.

"Wait did you say they bought up most beds, like in people's houses?" Victae asks.

"Aye. The Coulse family is sleepin in their own cellar renting their beds out to some nobles from up north." The innkeep responds.

"Well, perhaps you can recommend a farmer who'd be wiling to let us sleep in his barn or something. After we eat, of course." Trinal looks at the rest of the party. "I suppose we may have to camp if nothing else is available."

"I believe Tabatha's got a bit of room in her barn if you don't mind sharin' with some refugees coming south. Let me get you some stew. It'll be 1g per bowl." The innkeeper says.

"1g per bowl? That is outrageously expensive." Victae protests. "Where can I find this Tabatha?"

"Sorry missy, but supply and demand. I'm not running a charity. You can find Tabatha on Miller's road. Farmhouse on the left as you head west."

"Gentlemen I'll be outside. Thank you innkeep." Victae says seemingly offended by the high price of stew.

"Yeah... not paying a gold piece for a bowl of stew. Have a nice night."

Trinal suggests we simply move on and camp. Not like we're not going to be doing that a lot anyway, and those prices are literally almost a hundred times normal.

"Aye, I bought my dagger for that price. I guess we might as well get used to life on the road again." Syric says with a sigh before thanking the tavern owner and following after Victae.

Stavis follows Victae seeing as he was going to try and limit as much direct contact with the Tavern owner as possible.

Yeah, I'm heading out too.

Assuming Tony does teh same you are now on the main road through the small hamlet. There are a few buildings on each side of the road and a sign for Miller's road up north about 500 yards. Looking around you see a steady flow of travelers headed south toward Waterdeep like you had all day walking this way. some of the people look particularly dour and a bit thin. Food is obviously a concern of many.

"Agreed." Victae says.

Tony is fine with moving on.

[ooc]Sorry I've been kinda out of it the last couple days, I would have pithy and witty things to say but I'm completely fried, I've already put in over 30 hours this week, 9 Sunday, 14 yesterday, 8.5 today so I'm devoting all my resources to staying awake and not murdering anyone who looks at me funny[/ooc]

@Syric
"Master Pang said 'Who wishes to fight must first count the cost'. Don't be so eager to seek out every conflict. A lucky arrow is all it takes to end your destiny prematurely. That said if highwaymen come for us, I will embrace Kord and leave their heads on spikes a warning to others." Victae says.

You guys travel north of town and wlak off the main road about 15 minutes and set up camp. You draw lots for watch. Stavis takes his 4 hours sleep first while Trinal and Syric take watch.

[in response to Victae]

"Seeking out every conflict is a bit different from embracing the ones that are put in front of me.


On watch:
Perception
[dice]0[/dice]

@Syric The night is quiet. In the distance you think you can make out a small whisp of campfire smoke against the moon, but other than that you don't see anything remarkable.