Welcome to Exandria! A vast and fantastic world!

You find yourself on the continent of Wildemount, that is plagued by war for some generations now. But you leave those battlefields behind you as you travel far north along the range of mountains known as the Flotket Alps. This is a majestic, snow-covered land of scattered pine trees and rough slopes that rise to dizzyingly sharp peaks. Nomadic trolls and roving wyverns claim the caves and alcoves of the mountainsides, hunting other inhabitants who've also adapted to the arctic weather. This alpine expanse is often battered by harsh blizzards, pushing some denizens underground into the maze of ice caverns that wind throughout the range, abandoned by some long-forgotten society and turned into the home of several warring frost giant clans. Among the natural chaos of the alps, the subterranean city of Uthodurn and its people seek to tame the wild crags around them and spread beyond the boundaries of this frozen highland.

To the west of the Flotket Alps you find the Crystalsands Tundra. Stories speak of a great battle during the Calamity, aeons ago, that violently dashed this region into rock and sand. Winter quickly reclaimed the new desert, the sands freezing over with northern ice and snow. Tall dunes glitter like piles of diamonds in the daylight, shifting with high winds and the movements of the remorhazes and frost worms that burrow and hunt beneath the sands. Nomadic clans of northern goblins form hunting parties and ride winter wolves, stalking the furred beasts that call these frosted dunes home. Other beings stay hidden to avoid the giant hawks and giant owls that fly over from the Flotket Alps in search of prey. In times of fresh snowfall, travel is extremely dangerous, since the soft powder obscures the shifting sands and ice-marked tunnels that lead to the gnashing jaws of the subterranean frost worms. Some travelers have speculated that, depending on the winds, great structures of forgotten epochs become partially revealed as the sands and frost are temporarily scattered, only to be swallowed up once more as the dunes shift in the next storm.

Further north, you find the cold shores of the Frigid Depths with their icy water. And far north of the rest of Wildemount is a collection of imposing islands of ice, danger, and powerful, forgotten relics. Eiselcross and the Greying Wildlands are collectively known as the Biting North. For centuries, most of the world dismissed Eiselcross as an uninhabitable glacial land of blizzards and yetis. Only fishing vessels ever got close to the frozen shores — until one of those ships found an Aeorian item.

The flying city-state of Aeor, a place of inventors, magic, and progress, was hurled into Eiselcross by gods both good and evil during the Calamity. The Prime and Betrayer deities agreed on a momentary armistice to achieve this mammoth task, for Aeor's people crafted weapons made to kill the gods and had to be stopped. The gods tried to wholly destroy Aeor, but its protections against divine entities were carefully tuned and unexpectedly strong. It took the most of the pantheon to crash the city.

Aeor was long believed to have been obliterated, and the gods' silence on the matter only furthered this conviction, so the books of lore left nothing more to be studied or discussed on the once-powerful nation. However, recent discoveries of Aeorian artifacts revealed the truth of Aeor's resting place and spurred rumors of arcane secrets frozen beneath the ice of Eiselcross. Now Dwendalian, Uthodurnian, Xhorhasian, and mercenary expeditions search the hazardous terrain for materials that could change the tide of the war between the Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty.

...

However, your adventure begins in Palebank Village, a ramshackle village locked in eternal winter right between the northern end of the Flotket Alps, the Crystalsands Tundra and the Frigid Depths. The village is made up of over a hundred cabins and shacks. It's too small to have distinct neighborhoods, so most businesses and residences were established wherever they could fit at the time, creating a meandering layout. Off the northern cliff, about fifteen feet down to the sand-and-snow beach, the docks hold around a dozen ships, ranging from fishing vessels to small cargo ships that carry expeditions to and from Eiselcross.

Dire circumstances lead you here as Urgon Wenth, a known dwarven explorer, has died under mysterious circumstances. Together with a group of others, you'll find yourself at the funeral of said dwarf as your adventure begins ...

Snow gently falls from the sky and wind bites your cheeks as you stand in the graveyard of Palebank Village, an isolated fishing outpost of Uthodurn that is home to several hundred dwarves and elves. The sun is low in the sky, sinking behind the fresh grave of Urgon Wenth, an old dwarf who caught a curse or disease that turned him into an ice statue. The folk of the village have gathered to pay their final respects to Urgon’s frozen remains.

You all are here for different reasons. Some of you received news from Urgons fate and came here to pay respect. Others barely knew Urgon but lived and worked in Palebank Village for some time now and attend the funeral along with other villagers.

Xerim Phimm  is a silver dragon born with silver grey skin, dark blue eyes, and ice blue hair in a short mohawk style. A little more robust than the usual cleric. Even as a dragon born, I seem more built due to my training and being in the cold tundra most of my life. I helped with the funeral service earlier and sat with a random group. I didn't really know Urgon Wenth. I met him passing by, and also healed him once as I worked in the temples here in Palebank. 

I close my eyes and paid my respects until I hear a voice called out. I see the weathered elf. "The village leader." I said to myself getting up to greet him. 

"You're welcome. I'm glad to come and to help out with the funeral."

Not sure that heard him correctly, I repeated and stepped closer so that only he and anyone in the close proximity can hear, "Palebank Village in danger?"

Ashton looks around. 'Is he talking to me, I am barely out of the academy.  Do I even have anything to offer?"  Ashton can be seen having an internal struggle with this statement.  He walks to the grave and looks at Urgons casket.  "I owe you for your wisdom and leadership."

He turns to Elro.  " I will answer your call sir, while I may not have much to offer, I will accept."

The bitter cold may bite, but Elmira accepts it as a kiss from her homeland. She is a lithe shifter with brown hair that hangs down to her back and golden eyes that radiate warmth. The shifter is clothed in a cowled, dark green cloak and dark stained leathers for protection. Concealed somewhat beneath her cloak are two shortswords on each hip with a quiver and bow strapped overtop on her back. The expression on Elmira's face was solemn. Quiet. It seemed that she was in silent prayer or paying respects to the departed.

Elmira's somewhat fuzzy and pointed ear perks up at the request for help. Since embarking on her personal mission, Elmira's 'start' could be described more as a dead end. Working alone, most villages in need did not seem to what to employ her alone. She bows her head with respect to the elderly elf to greet him, and speaks with as much authority as she can muster. "Danger? Sounds exciting. What needs doing?"

Carina Ravenscale's pale green eyes watch the service and the people through the strands of her flame-colored hair as she bows her head in respect.  The dull black harmonica hanging from her neck draws on the wan light of the winter-scape.  Somehow with an affinity to the deceased dwarf's remains.

Clearly an outlander from the south, Carina shivers despite her warm winter clothing.  She raises a slender arm and taps a finger to her lips in thought - lips dark as if colored, seemingly the same hue as the harmonica.  She is only slightly taller than average and has the ears and slender form of a half-elf, though something about her stoic nature gives away that her other parent may not have been a human.  Perhaps a dwarf.

Such a tiny tiny village, this aptly-named Palebank.  Hard to see why I was sent here.  But there must be a reason, and somehow Urgon Wenth's frozen fate is tied to it.  Nothing for it but to keep my eyes open and take the opening offered to me and the others.

"I'll join as well if you'll have me," she says quietly to Elro Aldataur and the others, hefting her small shield subconsciously.  "What is the nature of the danger?  Is it the same vein as the icy disease or curse that befell Urgon Wenth?"

Death comes, sooner or later, murmurs the familiar voice in her heart with patient anticipation...

When I heard about the death of Urgon Wenth, I just had to come! When I was a child, he and my parents were researching an antidote in our forest for a disease that was unknown to us until then. Affected people died silently overnight. Their skin turned dark to black, their eyes were blood-red and their mouths were wide open as if they were screaming. Pain flows through my chest. I will never forget you beloved sister. It was too late for my sister, but Urgon Wenth and the scholars found a cure. Never again did anyone have to die in this tragic way. "Thank you" my lips form silently. 

Now I'm standing here. Staring incredulously at this ice figure, which looks like an old friend but is no longer one. The wind whistles around my long pointed ears and lets a long blond strand fall out of my braided pigtail into my field of sight. A cold shiver runs through my body. I freeze and pull the hood of my wolf fur cloak deep into my face. 

Despite the ease of my movements, the snow crunches under my feet as I turn and look into the cool eyes of Elro Aldataur. Pure rage flows through my body. My right hand grips the dagger in my hip holster. "i'm in!" i say energetically. No more words are needed. 

Elro Aldataur nods at your all words and then squints as a cold breeze blows the icy snow flakes in your faces. He grabs the collar of his coat and pulls it up a bit more before he speaks again.

"The weather will get worse within the next hours, I fear."

He looks at Carina and says:

"Yes, the danger I spoke of is connected to Urgons fate, but I would rather discuss this urgent matter by some food and drink near the fireplace in my cabin with you all. It is just along this street there. To be honest, in Palebank Village, everything is just a short walk away. After almost fifty years, we are still just a small outpost of Uthodurn."

He looks at you all and then says:

"Forgive an old elf for giving history lessons in the biting cold. Please, it is this way."

With that he gestures you to follow him along a snow covered street, towards the center of the village.

Elmira followed the elder eagerly. Each step she took brought her closer to her goal, so she took each step energetically. The shifter kept a solemn expression on her face as best she could, but she was quite excited to get started already. She could almost smell the fine wines and musty books she would enjoy in hopefully 15 short years. Maybe even less!

"Of course, elder. You have no need to apologize. Thank you for inviting us into your home."

(Curious if Elmira knows any history of this place?)

As we walk, I make note of the direction of the wind and will walk by Elro Aldataur. Cold does not bother me and I gladly take the brunt of the cold wind for him. I put up my hood which is part of these white robes with silver threading at the seams.

"My condolences for the death of Urgon. Did you know him well?" I ask Elro as we get closer to his home.

(OCC: I did an insight check in the game log. I want to know how troubled and how urgent he feels.)

(OOC: @Elmira please give me either an history check if you want to try to remember historical details or an survival or nature check if you want to deduct some infos of the past of this place.)

(OOC: @Xerim: for a 22 insight you get this:)

As Elros face shows only subtle hints of what he might think or plan, Xerims keen senses also take the small nuances in his voice and body language into account. Also Xerim has been here for a while and knows how to read the old man a bit better by now. He comes to the conclusion that Elro is indeed very troubled and that this is partly because of Urgons death in general but for the bigger part because he fears that some kind of threat is approaching the village. You've seen him like this before when bad tidings from roaming monstrosities or raider gangs near the village border had arrived. So, he seems to think, that the whole village is in some kind of danger and that time is of essence. That's for sure.

"It's the least I can do on such a day!"

He responds to Elmiras thanks while trudging over the frozen ground with heavy steps. Under his fur trimmed hood, he slughtly turns his head to Xerim to say in a more serious tone:

 "I knew Urgon well, indeed! He helped me countless times in the last twenty years to expand Plaebank Village and to ensure its safety in this harsh environment. His death is tragic on its own, but it is also a terrible loss for the village and for me personally."

It feels like the wind and the snow fall is getting stronger with every step you take as you pass by the log cabins with their angled roofs and the spiked wooden fences before them, that shape the villagescape all over the place. 

(Well, I rolled a 1, so you know. That's an 8 altogether, but it's not looking too good for me!)

"I'm sorry for your loss. I knew him for a short time a long while back," Elmira offers her condolences and tries to sympathize. "He was a hearty fellow. He told wondrous stories."

While walking through, what seems like an upcoming blizzard, Elmira is eager to find out more about Palebank Village. She tries to deduct some information from the way the cabins are built and from the placement of the paths and other parts of the environment, but sadly the dense snow fall prevents her from getting too many details. However she heard Elros comment, that this village is an outpost of Uthodurn, which is more than 30 miles away and to reach it one has to travel over the icy mountain passes of the Flotket Alps. She also  knows, that the village is close to a boreal forest since she traveled through that one on her way here. A village, that survives in such a harsh climate must be home of a community of people that work hard and that work together to get things done. She wonders, what kind of people are choosing to live a life so far from the amenities of a city and why Uthodurn would want to have an outpost here, where the far planes and the icy desert of the Crystalsands Tundra begins.

Elro interrupts her thoughts as he responds to her comment about Urgon.

"Oh, yes. I bet he told wondrous stories! And I can assure you, all of them were true. He has seen so many unbelievable things in his live. Well, at least that is a somehow comforting thought, isn't it? He has seen many things and he has done even more. A life full of meaningfulness."

After a few more onerous steps he turns a bit towards the group and says:

"We are almost there. That cabin over there is mine!"

"I aspire to be like him," Elmira grinned and ran ahead a bit to burn off some energy. She accidentally stepped right into what seemed like solid ground, but actually turned out to be a small ditch covered with fresh snow. Unbothered by the cold, she presses on despite the chunks of white clumpy snow clinging to her clothing. "The blizzard is picking up. Living out here in the frost isn't too kind. Could I ask you elder why you came out this way to live? I would guess you knew it would be like this." 

Ashton follows, listening as well as he can, but it is too cold for him to talk unnecessarily.

"That's a story for when we are inside!"

Elro says while taking a sharp turn, opening a small gate in the fence and climbing up the three wooden beams, that form a small podium, leading to the door of his one-story cabin. He reaches into one of the pockets of his coat and produces a heavy metal key. He then unlocks the door and swings it open inwards, before stomping off the snow and walking into the cabin. You are welcomed by the warmth of a roaring fireplace which is a huge contrast to the icy cold outside.

"Please, come in and be so kind to close the door after you." - He says, taking off the coat and hanging it near the fireplace, onto a hook at the wall, that looks suspiciously like the horns of some creature.

"You can dry your clothes here, near the fireplace. Just hang them on one of them." - He gestures towards the hooks and then towards a massive table with equally massive chairs, big enough for ten persons, in front of the fireplace.

"Take a seat, while I will get us some food."

With that he disappears behind a door, that leads to another room and you can hear him working around in there.

As you look through the room you see that most of the free places on the wall are occupied by hunting trophies, showing the strangest beasts that some of you have seen so far. You also see some book shelves, cabinets and cupboards and another smaller table that must be Elros desk, as it is covered with papers, ink, quill and the like. The floor is covered with fur hides, that have seen better days. One of them so massive, that the creature must have been well over twelve feet. Apart from the door you came in and the door Elro vanished behind, you can see one more door and two windows. One near the desk and one near the entrance.

Elmira paces the room looking at all of Elro's interesting items. She is drawn to anything particularly strange looking, especially if shiny. The shifter, however, also keeps an eye on the strangers. She says to them all, "I think we ought to break the ice. My name is Elmira, and I'm 'round these parts."

Ashton shakes his boots and removes his coats, hats, gloves, etc as he comes into the warm room.  He does not instantly get warm as moves to the hearth.  

He responds to Elmira.  "My name is Ashton, I am not from these parts.  I met our friend Urgon a few years ago when I was in the military and he invited me to visit.  I have no idea what is happening here but if it was the demise of Urgon, it must be stopped.

He just cannot get warm.  He remembers from his last time here that it gets better as he gets used to it, but for now he is cold to the bone.

I allow the others get in first and I close the door behind us.

"My name is Xerim." I turned as I shut the door. "I was born and raised the cold tundra. But I have only been here in Palebank in a half years time. I've been working at the two temples healing the injured." I smile. I look so hardened resisting the cold and wearing armor, but there is great warmth in my eyes and smile.

I call out to Elro, "Did you need some assistance?"

Hearing Xerim, Elro steps out of the room with a bucket of water and fills most of it into a kettle over the fire.

"Thank you Xerim for your offer, but no. I know you are here in the village to help and I am definitely not the youngest man anymore, but I take a bit of pleasure out of being able to serve my guests myself." - He smiles a hard but honest smile in Xerims direction before he nods into the direction of one of the trophies at the walls.

"While I prepare the things here, you might have a look at those heads there. Tokens of reward from a younger Elro. Maybe you can name a few?"

And with this he steps into the other room again, shouting back from there a few moments later:

"Will you all drink ale? I have wine, too. It tastes best with some spices and when it is hot. Oh, and once the water is boiling, I could offer you some tea as well."