"Looks peaceful enough, should we move on or spend the night in town replenishing what few supplies we need to replenish? I am sure most of you would welcome a nice warm night inside a tavern." Mal says.

Badger watches carefully but from a respectful distance as Kari casts the knucklebones. His bushy eyebrows rise haughtily as he watches her fingers pass over them, and gives a patronising huff as she comes to her conclusion, retorting: So, just what I said. But he had to admit to himself that the half-orc had some talent in the art, although he wondered where she learned it from. He would have to keep a closer eye on that one...

Throughout the next days' journey, Badger would make a point of checking the omens as regularly as possible. Throughout the night's travel he would point out the positions of the stars and their meaning, in the ever-decreasing daylight he would comment on the flight patterns of the birds, during their brief rests he would insist on preparing tea so that he might consult the tea leaves, and at all times in between he could be seen swinging his pendulum or staring into his small cystal ball, always muttering about what he saw and what it could mean, and always stealing side glances at Kari.

Badger was never particularly excited by towns or cities. A room at an inn was better than sleeping under the open sky, but he still felt somehow exposed even under a roof, and was perfectly content with the decision to avoid Luskan. But as they looked down on Huddlestone he felt a twinge of homesickness for his childhood burrows, and decided the town was too tempting to refuse. Besides, they had received such good omens so far.

Kari watched the wizard and his portents with a bit of interest at first, but soon grew bored and began to ignore them. How many superstitions does a person need? No, Kari only needs her runes. She travels stoically forward each night until they have the town in sight.

 Looking at the unusual town, she can almost feel the warmth of a tavern and a shot of whiskey. I could use a few things, and a warm bed for a night. 

The group trudges forward, the night sky just starting to lighten, and head for the nearest tavern and Inn. Which also happens to be the only tavern and only inn. You're forced to step down a couple steps before pulling on the door. Kari and Kurik both duck beneath the low doorframe. Even Mal has to duck her head slightly, while Badger seems quite at home. You're greeted with the sight of a dark, subterranean feeling room with windows lining the top half of the wall, short insufficient things that make the room somehow feel more claustrophobic rather than less. The floor is hard brick, as are the walls. The place is dirty and dark, with a half-dozen round tables filling most of the room. A bar lines one wall and a doorway leads back to a kitchen. A hallway looks like it leads to guest rooms. There's a closet in one corner and a side door. A younger dwarven man is sitting on a chair, his feet up on the bar, his arms across his body and his head lolled forward while he sleeps, but as you enter he wakes up and nearly topples backwards.  He manages to catch himself and looks rather embarrassed as he hops off the chair and comes over.  "Uh...ho there...it's a bit early for breakfast yet."  He glances over at the dark windows and yawns. "Um, can I fetch you somethin cold or do you want to wait for Bethna. She should be here in about an hour to get breakfast goin."  He glances at you, taking in the goliath who still has his head slightly bent to avoid scraping the ceiling beams, and the half-orc, and Mal and Badger.  "Uh...you guys look like a joke."  Realizing what he's said, he gets embarrassed once more, "Oh, what I mean is, like, you know...a goliath, a half-orc, and a gnome walk into a bar...right?"  He grins, then looks abashed, and says, "Or...were you wantin rooms. We got a couple free?"  

Kari's face takes on a guarded appearance,  hearing the dwarf call them a joke. It's like she retreated behind a wall, even the way she stands looks more like a formal military at-ease posture. Then her brow shifts slightly downward as it looks like she's trying to puzzle something out. She stands like that for a good 2 or 3 minutes, letting the others do the talking. Suddenly her eyebrows shoot up in an "ah-ha" moment, and she lets out a loud laugh, partially bent over with the force of her mirth, and interrupting the conversation about the rooms and food.

Aahahaha! It's the joke, I've heard that joke! She loudly slaps her hand on the bar a couple of times as she laughs again. Suddenly realizing that she had rudely interrupted, she stifles the rest of her laughter and stands back up straight, though more relaxed this time. Ah sorry, sorry. Please, go on.

"Not sure if we will be staying the night or not, depend son what my friends and here decide on, but we could use a hot meal when Bethna comes in, We have been on the road awhile, what news is there about the area?" Mal says, as he hands over 10 gp.

Mal continues to be unsure of her own gender as she passes over a fairly outrageous amount for some rooms and food. The dwarf looks at the coin, and back at her, and back at the coin and pockets it. "Uh, sure, jussec."  He goes and fetches three room keys for you all. "That's all the rooms we got. Two beds in each. Those are keys for the locks on the outside of the door. Uh, make yerself comfortable, drop off yer bags or whatever, or hang out here, and I'll make sure Bethna makes you some food when she comes in." 

The group finds themselves with some private rooms, as well as a hot breakfast on its way in an hour or so. 

Kurik slowly eats his meal after finding a table near a wall.  He wants to make sure he can't be surrounded by enemies and if needed... they could make a hole in the wall.  

When the worker comes back around, Kurik stops him.  "News from the north sounds grim.  We've not heard any in awhile.... has it gotten worse?"

With Bethna now at work in the back, the smell of frying eggs and bacon fills the space. Soon a few folk staying in the Inn come out for breakfast. They include what looks like a grizzled trapper and his wife. Their skin is wrinkled and tanned. They have strange tan lines around their eyes. They both look like they've been living off in the wilderness for a hundred years.  They don't look around and keep their eyes focused on their food, though there is clearly an animalistic wariness about both of them, like they could take down a bear if one decided to emerge from the kitchen suddenly.  The rooms also include a dragonborn with bronze skin, and three dwarves. The dragonborn looks road traveled but otherwise a little too clean to be a worker. He pulls out a book and focus' on writing. The dwarves have the look of a combination of warriors and scribes. You notice the symbol of Mirabar on their shoulders. Local folk come in as well. They look dirty and dusty, with worn gear, all having the look of miners or metalworkers. They include humans, dwarves, and a gnome who eyes Badger suspiciously.  The gnomes sits at a nearby table and pulls out a clockwork thing that looks like a small dog made of tin and metal. He pulls out a leather case full of very fine tools and begins working on the contraption while he waits for his breakfast.

The awkward dwarven teen who first served you is gone, apparently his evening shift done, freeing him to go sleep. Instead a half-elf girl, maybe mid twenties, looking to be heavy set with pink cheeks that see a lot of use with her constant smile, approaches you and serves you breakfast.  Kurik inquires about news.  The serving girl, named Lina, responds, still with a rosy smile. 

"Well, I'm afraid it's not been good news of late all about. Lucky Hundlestone is still a safe enough place. Icewind Dale has been stuck in that non-stop winter for over a year now. Summer ain't made a dent in it. If yer headed that way, make sure you bundle up. They say the wall of winter is about a days walk north of here. One minute it's summer and dry, the next yer walkin through a blizzard. Its been tough on the ten towns up there. The lakes they used for fishin and travel, as well as ferryin goods bout are all frozen. Heard tell of dark tales, some of the towns sacrificing people to the Ice Maiden to try and end the winter. Bryn Shandar is the biggest of the town, you'll hit it first. It's doin the best cause some small amount of trade makes it through from here to there." She sighs heavily. She glances at Mal's wintery blue eyes and her smile drops slightly.  Then she looks away and her smile brightening once more. "Hot sauce?" 

Kari noticed Kurik's choice of table and gives him a quick measuring look. She sits down at the side of the table, not seeming concerned about her back, but still able to look around at the other patrons as they fill the room. She hunches over a bit as she eats, shoveling the food in efficiently. At the offer of hot sauce she raises her hand and bobs her head in the second it takes her to swallow her latest bite. Yes please! The more the better. A bit more... yes that's it. Thank you very much. Could you tell us where a general store is? Somewhere we could restock our supplies, and maybe pick up some health potions. She listens carefully to the answer and thanks the young girl for the information. 

When they are alone at their table again Kari uses her fingers to count to 3, then counts silently as she points around the table at each of them, then checks her fingers again. One of us will need to share a room. I'm not picky, it doesn't bother me to share or not. What do you think Kurik, should us fighters bunk up and leave the weaker folk to their fancy rooms?

Looking around the room, Badger stifles a chuckle. It looks like someone's been in here with a Wand of Ugliness. He returns the gnome's look with a narrow-eyed glare of his own, as if to say: What, you never seen a black gnome before? He sits with the others, barely picking at his food as bushy eyebrows peer over the top of his spellbook, pretending to read but really just scanning the faces in the room. Finally his curiosity gets the better of him, and he retrieves his helm from his pack, makes a rather unconvincing show of polishing and checking it, and then quietly slips it on, ducking back behind his spellbook once more. Then, ignoring Kari's veiled taunt, he focuses his mind and begins scanning the minds of the others in the room, starting with the whitey gnome.

Use Helm to Detect Thoughts. Start with the gnome, then the trappers, then the dragonborn, then the dwarves from Mirabar, then the other workmen.

(EDIT: Maybe a Deception check to see how convincing Badger's attempts to hide his actions are? 18)

Badger places the helm on his head, sure he was convincing with his act of the helm cleaning, and then lets his mind wander about the room, surreptitiously scanning thoughts of those around him.  The gnome's thoughts come to him. "...supposedly a wizard of some report. I suppose I expected hero's to look a bit more heroic. They all look so dour. Well, either way, if they leave north from here they'll be in Bryn Shander in another four days. Beldora can figure out what to do with them..."   It's now obviously he's only absently working on the clockwork in front of him and is mostly focusing his thoughts on the party. 

A bit shaken, Badger decides to check on the others in the place.  The trapper and his wife's thoughts are both focused on logistics. They're thinking about how much supply they'll need to be able to stay out of a stinkin town for as long as possible.

The Miribar folks are focused on their own thoughts around calculating load, exchange rates, costs, and amounts for shipments from Mirabar to Ten Towns, and the supply value for the trade trip, along with....boring.....

(Haven't rolled Portent dice yet... 15, 15)

Finding nothing of interest in the minds of the other patrons (Badger even passes briefly over Kari, but finds nothing at all) he returns his attention back to the gnome. Perhaps it is Badger's consternation at the observer's underwhelming opinion of him, or perhaps it is just blind curiosity at who this Beldora person is that is keeping tabs on them, but Badger's interest trumps his caution, and he stifles the warning in his own mind that his next action will alert the observer to the fact they are being observed, confident that this moment has been predestined by fate. Focusing his will more intently, Badger probes deeper into the gnome's mind to see what more he can learn about them.

If you probe deeper, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, you gain insight into its reasoning (if any), its emotional state, and something that looms large in its mind (such as something it worries over, loves, or hates). If it succeeds, the spell ends. Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind, and unless you shift your attention to another creature's thoughts, the creature can use its action on its turn to make an Intelligence check contested by your Intelligence check; if it succeeds, the spell ends.

WIS save DC is 13, but substitute their roll with the Portent of 4.

Ignoring caution, Badger delves into the gnomes mind seeking answers. Orders. Order and orders, actually, is what drives this gnome named Thwip. And perhaps a bit of curiosity that he can't help but give in to. Thwip takes his orders seriously. His orders from his Harpers commanders down in Neverwinter were very clear. Expect a deep gnome, a goliath, a half-orc and a human woman. Report when they come. Ensure Beladora in Bryn Shandar knows when they pass through. It didn't take a genius to link their description to the hero's of the realm that saved everyone from the death curse...

Intelligence contest : 24 

Everyone at the table notices the gnome at the table over abruptly drops his clockwork dog and looks over at Badger with alarm. He opens his mouth as if to say something, and then stops, and then glances around the room. Then he just silently points, rather accusingly, at Badger, then makes a "I'm watching you" motion with his two fingers pointing at his eyes, then swinging them around to point at Badger.  He picks up his clockwork once more and mutters "So RUDE.." under his breath to himself. 

(Badger's contested Intelligence check: 18. I'm just using my INT modifier, not making a saving throw. Just checking cos Thwip has a killer modifier! Maybe he really is a genius. Result doesn't matter too much, as Badger would have ended the spell anyway. It's more about the pride of winning or losing the contest.)

As Thwip's thoughts come into Badger's mind, he begins to pull a thin glowing thread from the side of his head with one finger, which rests lightly on the table. As the spell ends, Badger smirks smugly at Thwip, and only begins to look embarrassed when his companions all stare at him questioningly. Urgh! Just getting to know the neighbours. I'll fill you in later.

Mal notices the antics of Badger and inwardly sighs, Here we go again, will I have to kill someone to save his old scraggly butt again?

Then Mal looks around the room and sees the motions of the gnome and stares at him hard. Hoping to install the notion in the gnome that our party is not to be messed with.

Whispering to Badger without taking her eyes off the gnome, "We going to have a problem with that one?"

The gnome sees Mal's look and immediately looks mortified, and swings his focus entirely back to his contraption, poking at it with his finely made tools. He clears his throat uncomfortably.  Then he even starts to sort of whistle a bit to himself, though it's a windy, dry lipped whistling sound.

After finishing breakfast, Badger will inform the others of the interest that Thwip and Baldora/Beladora and the Harpers have in them, and suggesting they get their rest and depart promptly.

(Was there anything else we wanted to do in this place?)

[OOC: Mal is good to move on, SHE mainly wanted to a get a gist of the townfolks and any rumors of the surrounding area.]

Eventually the group retires to their rooms, removing the padlocks from outside, and taking them into the room to affix them there.  The place seems secure enough and, exhausted from a night of travel, you soon find yourselves asleep. The next evening arrives and you each meet once again back out in the common room for a lovely late supper. The gnome is seated at the bar, far away from the group. He seems to have fashioned a skull cap out of...a pot perhaps? Though he's modified it enough that it looks to be secure and have a few nice additions. 

The group eats, and then heads out, fetching horses from the stable.  As you're about to leave, the gnome with the pot on his head emerges from the Inn and approaches Mal.  He walks over to her, and holds out the small clockwork dog he was working on.  "This is Patty. If you use this key to wind it up, she'll follow you around. She lasts almost the whole day on a single windup. Not much use for a hero such as you, but.....I hope it brings you some small pleasure." 

He turns and scampers away. 

The night of travel, descending down from the mountain passes high point, passes peacefully. Old snow eventually dots the dark landscape, until eventually there's a constant layer of crusty ice covering everything.  The temperature begins to plummet. A short time later, snow flakes begin to slowly fall from the sky. Before long though, the snow has intensified. The sun should be rising by now, but it remains dark as you quickly find yourselves in a steady fall of snow, the ground around you thick with powder. 

Any changes to how you travel?