With a rather testy Badger in tow the group eventually finishes up their breakfast. Kari and Badger bundle themselves up nice and warm, while Kurik puts on appropriate apparel. Attempting to not look too out of place, Mal also dresses up, though finds herself feeling a bit stuffy. 

All in all the foursome head to the door and open it up. The wall of icy cold air is like a shock to their skin, and then step out into the weather feeling like their skin is freezing by the moment. Even Kurik used to cold weather feels an instant deep cold assault his body. How can anything live in this? 

The group trudges through the narrow wind swept streets, hanging lanterns the only thing giving a feeling of life to this place. The odd person, wrapped up in layers, can be seem moving from one building to another, but people avoid the outside if they can help it.  The dark sky is starting to lighten in the south as the group makes their way through town. Located near Bryn Shander’s northeast market square, a modest converted house serves as a gathering place for worshipers of Amaunator, a god of the sun known to take both male and female forms. You open the doors and clamber in, the warmth inside making your skin burn. You pull the door shut behind and Badger and Kari both pull their scarves off their faces, letting themselves breath the warm air freely. 

An older human woman with an uncompromising look on her face approaches. "Welcome to the house of Amauntor, the Morninglord. Ahh, visitors to Bryn Shander i see."  She glances at you all appraisingly.  "Have you come to pray?"

Oh, pray- ah, ye- uh, yes. That's what- uh, yes? Kari suddenly doesn't know what to do with her glaive. She takes it off her shoulder and holds it sideways in front of her, and in front of anyone near her. Then shifts it to the side of her, holding it near the blade with most of the pole sticking out behind her. Not satisfied with that, she finally sets the butt of the pole onto the floor and grips it at about chin height, leaning on it a bit and trying to look nonchalant as she glances uncertainly at the other three.

Badger pipes up from below eye level: Urgh! No disrespect, but we are actually looking for someone. A gnome named Copper. We were told he resides here. Then glancing at Kari's awkward glaive, he adds: We just want to ask some questions about... Macreadus.

An entirely disappointed face looks down at Badger, "Oh no, another damned gnome. You're like vermin. That blow hard is around. I rent him a room. Take those stairs up. There's a pull down set there that leads to the attic. It's usually down. He's usually up their scheming."  

You hear a voice come from upstairs, a couple floors up, "I don't scheme woman, I plot! For instance, right now I am plotting your untimely demise!"  

The woman scowls, turns and stomps away back into the main room of the house that is setup like a small seating gallery...vanishing around a corner. 

Kari looks uncomfortable at the whole thing, watching the woman disappear around the corner. I think we should pray before we leave. This is a temple, after all. Then she turns toward where the voice came from, ready to follow the others. 

"Relative of yours Badger?" Mal asks as she also looks at how uncomfortable Kari is. "Relax Kari, no need to worry about carrying a weapon in here and no need to worry about what this god will think of you, as I have come to realize they don't really care that much about us."

Probably. Maybe. But they take care of the ones who are gone, I can respect them for that at least.

Badger doesn't reply to Mal. In fact he doesn't seem to have even heard her. He seems a little stunned and speechless. He's copped a bit of a ribbing today, but to be called 'vermin'... And 'damned'... By a priest? The jungles of Chult seem really quite civilised compared to this boorish, benighted, godforsaken land of philistines. The only thing colder than the weather was the greetings from the local clergy. Shaking his head, he moves off toward the stairs and climbs up toward the source of the voice, hoping that a fellow gnome will have a modicum of courtesy...

Kurik just stood by the side watching and waiting.  He didn't weigh in on the "gods" discussion as he hadn't fully formed his opinion just yet.  They existed, they had influence, but at the same time they left a crap ton of bad go on.  Anyways, for moment, he was just going to enjoy the show.

Following Badger, the group trudges up the stairway, and to a 2nd floor hallway with several doors. At the end a stairway that emerges from the ceiling is down revealing a dark room above. There is dim light coming from the attic and a gnome stands there at the top of the stairs, feet apart, hands on hips, trying to look imposing. 

"Alright then, who are you folk and how come you've come to see Copper? Is it to talk about Lathander, the true morning lord. Even if it's not, can we discuss it loudly for a few moments." 

There's a strange shriek of frustration from downstairs. 

A smile spread across Mal's face, I might come to enjoy this little one.

Mal approaches the gnome, "Morning, well I think it is morning, we are seeking information, that my little friend over here will be bale to fill you in on, once his senses come back to him from the berating of the priest below."

Copper, who appears to be wearing a big fuzzy jacket, even inside....narrows his eyes as he looks down at Mal.  "Why are your eyes so...blue? Why are you puffin out breaths when yer indoors? Why is there frost on your right hand?"  His eyes glances around the rest of the party, as if trying to put together some puzzle. 

Ack, stupid idiot, you are not to be attracting attention to yourself, I blame Badger for making me forget that ,as I was having too much fun ribbing him.

Mal looks over at Kurik, "Seems my Goliath friend over there convinced me to eat the heart of an Ice Troll this morning, saying it would be good for my health. Well I have not died yet, but my hand frosted over from where I touched it and it is still sitting in my gut like a huge ball of ice." Then she glances sideways at Kurik and lowers her voice, "I plan on getting my revenge one of these days when she least suspects it. And as for the eyes, thank you, I do believe they are my best feature. It helps to distract people form what I am actually doing." As a dagger suddenly appears in her hands and then she puts it away.

Deception if they try to insight me: 15

Hoping the dagger distracts them: 18

The explanation seems more than enough for Copper, especially with the revealing of a dagger.  He puts his hands up, "Well, yes, an ice troll heart. Oh my, that sounds quite disgusting, and rather cold. You probably deserve whatever's comin to you then. Weirder and weirder. So...how come some out of towners have come lookin for Copper then?"

Kari coughs and rubs her hands together to warm them up. Do you mind if we come in your place to talk? It seems a bit drafty down here. Maybe you've got a fireplace going? She does her best to look cold, which isn't hard these days.

Following up from Kari's comment, Badger elaborates a little, hoping it will pique the gnome's curiosity: We are searching for an acquaintance of yours, by the name of Macreadus. We are hoping he can help with a small problem...

Persuasion: 9

Copper grumbles and pulls his own fur coat tighter, looking a bit like a giant teddybear, "Ain't no fire up here, and it ain't no warmer in my bedroom."  His eyes open wide at Badgers comment, "Uh, how you hear about him? Don't know he can solve your problem, he's got his hands full trying to solve this endless winter."  A concerned look crosses his face and he says earnestly, "Actually, he usually checks in with me, sends me messages when he goes into Lonelywood for supplies...but...I ain't heard from him in a couple weeks. He is doing his work in a cabin...it's uh, at the northeastern most point of the forests near Lonelywood, on the south side of the river. If you want to find him to help with somethin, you could go ask him yerself, maybe....you could send word back to me that he's ok too, and knock him upside the head for makin me worry?"

Badger wasn't expecting something as easy as "Oh yes, he lives in the room adjacent", but the thought of having to tramp back out into the snow and all the way up north to Lonelywood, to a cabin in the woods... even indoors and dressed for warmth he still got a shiver at the thought. Urgh! Well, that sounds like fair compensation for disturbing you, Copper. Send you word and knock him upside the head. I certainly hope he can help. Because we have no other options at this point, thinks Badger to himself. Except dropping it in the ocean, which won't work as it would just freeze it. Maybe we could put it in a container filled with something hot, like molten lava. The ring would solidify the lava but the hot now-solid rock might insulate the cold of the ring enough to allow the container to sink far enough below the surface to be out of reach. Perhaps tonight after dinner I can make some calculations. Latent heat of rock, rate of descent through sea water... Badger looks up, realising he kinda zoned out for a bit there...

Copper stares at Badger, waiting for him to "come back to them".   He clears his throat. 

"So...who are all you all then? It'd be nice to know a bit about who i'm sendin off after Macreadus. You're not some sorta murders or anythin are ya?"  He barks a laugh, then looks about more seriously, then clears his throat again.

"Murderers... such a harsh title." Kurik says while not looking Coppers direction.  He adjusts the positioning of his sword scabbard slightly at his belt as he makes the comment and then returns to silence.