Elf Running relaxes slightly.  “I follow none but my own wyrd, as foretold by the Norns.  Auril is an unwelcome guest, but one that the gods see fit to visit upon my sleep.  Venomous are her words, taunting and tormenting, as is her song, which haunts my every waking hour.  I--”

She hesitates.  Why is she telling all of this to a perfect stranger?  This man’s accent, hair, and manner are clearly of the Reghed, a people she has grown to hold in high regard.  There is a familiarity here, while Bryn Shander is an unknown and, although she is loathe to admit, frightening place.  She does not understand Bryn Shander as she understands the people of the tundra, and during her time here she has felt a disorienting feeling of otherness.  With this man she feels a kinship.

She suddenly feels the immensity of her loneliness, that which has burdened her since her awakening but which she has not permitted herself to acknowledge.  To do so would be a weakness.  To show weakness is not honorable.

“--I am no friend to Auril.  And I am not her godi.  I would sooner plant an arrow in her heart and drink from the wound-sea.”

“Naraeld, you ask of my quest in Bryn Shander.  On the tundra I found the remains of a man, a beggar, known to me from this town.  He died in a way that leads me to believe he was put out to die in the cold, as a sacrifice to the Frostmaiden.  I have come to find out why.”

Naraeld holds the elf's stare as she relaxes, unwilling to yet put his trust in her change of demeanour. After all, he had tried to deceive her of his readiness to fight mere seconds before. As he listens though he hears words that do ease the tension in the air, 'Auril is an unwelcome guest'. He rides her pause, respecting the moment of inner contemplation and allowing her to complete her thoughts and share what she is willing to. His innermost thoughts pose the question 'Well, I found them, what do I do with them?'

As she clearly separates herself from Auril, Naraeld allows his own tension to melt away and let his attitude towards Elk Running perceptibly thaw - a little. That she too had been forewarned of their meeting spoke much of how their fates were obviously intertwined for the moment. Naraeld was well versed in how quickly things could change though, and there was no reason to share too much with the she-elf just yet. "It is a relief that you bear no love for the Frostmaiden. The Goddess of Winter bears no love for the people of this land, and though some of my cousins revere her, I do not share their faith."

Elk Running's words of her quest bring a sorrowful turn to Naraeld's fine features. "I fear I may be able to draw your search to a close then. If you and your companions are each new to Bryn Shander then it is perhaps best a tale told to you all, for it is not something that is spoken of lightly." He allows Elk Running to beckon over her two companions at the inn, and greets each of them. To all three he extends his hand in greeting as Elk Running introduces Blackberry and Aubin, a gesture of friendliness that had been notably lacking from the interaction thus far, "Well met, I am Naraeld. A resident of Bryn Shander and member of the local militia. Sit and listen, I would prefer to only explain this once."

Once each has sat, he takes a seat too which creaks slightly under his weight. "Darkness has taken the wastes. We have not seen the last two summers, and many believe that the Frostmaiden is the cause. Though it was heavily contested, to sate the mob Bryn Shander has fallen into the old ways. It has adopted the same practices that certain Reghed bands practise. Each month, the townsfolk gather and a name is drawn. The 'volunteer' heads into the wastes without any means to fend for themselves, so that the cold may take their life... so that Auril may take their life." He pauses in his telling. His eyes close and his face twists; memories of his life as a young boy return, unwanted, and a dread feeling washes over him, overpowering his grim mask of self-control, that he will once more need to venture out into the ice. He remembers the ache as each time the lottery is held how his stomach knots, fearing it may be his name or worse, Mishann's.

He relaxes and calms himself, there are strangers here and he can but hope they took his pause to be regretful solemnity. "The Speaker and Sheriff had little choice, it was this or risk mob rule and random slaughters in the name of Auril. Each month they are first to enter their names, and watch as each and every citizen of the town does likewise, station and wealth shall not save anyone should their name be drawn." Naraeld's eyes find those of Elk Running, his icy gaze now touched with remorse. "So, if your quest is to find the cause, then there you have it. If you wanted to stop the deaths ahead, then you must change the hearts of the entire town, or take on Auril herself... I would offer my aid for the sake of these people should you wish it."

Edited due to information provided by DM, original below

Blackberry looks first to the half-elf, and then to Elk Running.  Seeing no outright enmity, he accepts the stranger's hand, and hops up on the bench beside him, wide-eyed, and listens to the tale of woe.  "You.. sacrifice villagers to an evil goddess of winter?  To appease her?  And how has that worked out so far?  It's not looking like the weather has changed much.  What is she going to do if you stop the sacrifices, make it more wintery?  Seems like you should be courting a deity of the sun instead...

"Nothing personal to you, but are you sure the people of Bryn Shander are even worth saving, if they are so savage and bloodthirsty?"

Aubin grumbles a bit, but takes his breakfast over to Naraeld and sits with a clatter of spoon and bowl of porridge. He waves off the offered handshake. He listens and says "Are the people of Bryn-Shander fools. The Speaker and Sheriff must be even bigger fools for conducting sacrifices." Aubin takes a moment to calm himself. Well it doesn't matter what the townsfolk do. I just need information. "I need to see the Speaker and the Sheriff. Can you make that happen? If I get the information I need then I would be willing to render aid to this frost bitten town" He leans in closer "I seek the whereabouts of Vaelish Gant and any information on Netherese ruins"

For a moment he clutches his chest with a fleeting look of discomfort. "This is an urgent matter to me"

Naraeld grits his teeth at each opinion, biting back at the harsh judgements they hold of his home. "The people of Bryn Shander are scared witless, not savage. Auril curses the land and maintains her faithful through fear and terror. They are no more foolish than your peoples would be were the gods to turn the seasons against them! I would suggest that whilst you are visitors here you show a shade more respect for our plight." He softens his tone, knowing that were he a stranger in these lands he would agree with their views. "However poor the decisions appear, they were not made lightly, and had good intentions behind them."

"I can speak to Sheriff Markham on your behalf Aubin. Though I would not call him a fool to his face." He raises his shoulders in a shrug, and relaxed back into his chair causing it to creak again, "What aid we can get we will gladly take, our people and resources are stretched and fraying at the edges."

Aubin smooths out his hair and puts on his courtier mask of pleasantry "My apologies, some personal matters has been stressing me of late. Yes I would welcome an introduction to Sheriff Markham"

At this time, Eva and Sabetha have made their way to the Northlook as well. Introductions are made (feel free to role-play this), breakfast is eaten and decisions are made. Will you go to the Sheriff and Speaker or will you seek out Dannika at Geldenstag’s Rest? If you go to the leaders of Bryn Shander, who will you get to introduce you? What will you discuss with them? Will you try to do it all (if so, in what order)? Or do you want to do something completely different?

Sabetha greets her friends with more enthusiasm than she honestly expects in return, except perhaps from Blackberry.  Nothing like trauma-bonding to hold a group together.  We don't even truly know each other's intentions, though perhaps we'll find out soon enough...

"Hello everyone.  This is Eva Tudor and her cat, Ténèbre, or Teb for short.  Eva can speak for herself, of course..." (Sabetha hesitates for a moment, at an awkward loss to explain Eva's injured, in fact deathly, nature, having been too shy to ask about it).  "But I believe she will fit into our group well - we are all either outsiders to Icewind Dale, or at least to the Ten Towns proper, in need of work and coin and trying to make our way, I think.  Eva's magic will serve us well, in addition to the obvious safety in numbers.  And she, like I, may need to speak with the speaker of Bryn Shander, Duvessa Shane, as I think some of you do as well.  In Eva's case, about her hus-... anyway, I met her at the Geldenstag's Rest Inn where she too was inquiring about the job posting here at the Northlook from Dannika regarding supernatural Icewind Dale beings.  But while this Dannika will apparently return to the Geldenstag's Rest shortly, it sounds as if it is more urgent for many of us to meet with the Speaker, or Sheriff Markham Southwell, each for our own reasons..."

She pauses, a bit breathlessly.  "Eva, this is Blackberry, Elk Running, Aubin and..." - she looks uncertainly at the tall, fur-clad and adorned... Reghed Nomad (?).  A half-elf like her, strangely enough, though clearly very different.  The one who had been speaking in defense of Icewind Dale when Sabetha and Eva had walked in the door in a frigid  flurry of windblown snow, icy crystals caught up in Sabetha's red hair.

"I am Sabetha Rai," she ventures simply to the newcomer, inclining her head respectfully to hide her self-doubt, pale green eyes watchful as ever.

Blackberry responds quietly to Naraeld, "My people know quite a bit about fear and being terrorized, friend.  It's been a while since I was with them, but we hadn't sunk quite this low, last I heard."

Upon seeing Sabetha enter, he hops down from the bench and crosses to her, smiling warmly.  "Hey there, welcome back!"

He squats down to be closer to eye-level with the cat. "Hiya Teb!"

He stands, looks at Eva and says, "Hello, I'm Blackberry.  Are you okay?  All humans sorta look alike to me, but you look ill.  I wish I could heal you, but I haven't seen this condition before..."

Quote from rob88scps2 >>

Blackberry looks first to the half-elf, and then to Elk Running.  Seeing no outright enmity, he accepts the stranger's hand, and hops up on the bench beside him, wide-eyed, and listens to the tale of woe.  "You.. sacrifice villagers to an evil goddess of winter?  To appease her?  And how has that worked out so far?  It's not looking like the weather has changed much.  What is she going to do if you stop the sacrifices, make it more wintery?  Seems like you should be courting a deity of the sun instead...

"Nothing personal to you, but are you sure the people of Bryn Shander are even worth saving, if they are so savage and bloodthirsty?"

Elk Running pats Blackberry on the shoulder, allowing the wise words to reflect her feelings perfectly.  "These are good questions in need of answers, which our new friend here may be lacking.  You are a friend, Naraeld?  Will you present us to your sheriff, or speaker, or who your people view as leader?  They must understand that murdering their kinsfolk for Auril does nothing but whet her appetite."

Elk Running smiles when she sees Sabetha, a now-familiar and welcome face, but falters at the sight of Eva.  Her prior encounters with the undead have not been kind.  She keeps her distance, but trusts Sabetha and offers this Eva an opportunity to speak for herself.

“Thank you, my dear Sabetha, for the warm introductions.” Odd to call anything “warm” here, Eva reflects as she meets each of the others’ eyes in turn, nodding toward them and half expecting them to bow or curtsy.

Teb takes this as a signal that all is well and, upon being greeted by Blackberry, angles her head toward one of the harengon’s shins. Bam. “Purr…” Bam again. Ténèbre sniffs the strange creature’s feet and finds them pleasing.

“Enchantée.” Eva extends her right hand to Blackberry. But she hesitates midway, pausing to examine it, as if she were noticing her own hand—noticing its ashenness—for the first time. Her wrist dangles limply for a moment. Must be the cold. After shaking Blackberry’s hand (assuming he reciprocates!): “Ill? Why, heavens, no. However, you are the second person who has suggested it.” I suppose my clothes could use washing. Eva would blush at the thought of it, if she were able.

“If I can be of any service—” Whereupon, she interrupts herself: “But first I have a question. Excuse me, but it’s important, vitally important.” Eva points at her left palm and whispers “Alfred, appear!” causing her sapphire ring to pulse and a little man to materialize there, smiling mischievously. “Has anyone seen my husband? It was here in the Northlook that I last set eyes on him. The innkeeper—whom I do not recognize?—claims no knowledge of him.”

Naraeld looks about to respond to Blackberry before the harengon diverts his attention to the two that have walked through the door, and Naraeld thinks better of continuing that conversation.

He looks over the two with a critical eye, and listens to her introduction. As she describes the group as outsiders to the towns, he thinks to himself 'This group grows larger by the breath... If only their efforts can be swayed towards helping Bryn Shander rather than criticising it. They  certainly seem to have enough interest in the area.' He stands up as the two women approach, he extends his hand to the fiery red headed woman who introduced the pair. Taking hers in his, he offers a firm handshake and introduces himself "Well met Sabetha Rai, I am called Naraeld. I have extended the offer to approach Markham, err, Sheriff Southwell on your behalf and he is probably the easier to get hold of. Depending on your business perhaps Markham can aid with approaching Speaker Shane. I'm not personally familiar with Dannika, but know the GeldenStag's Rest."

He turns to the frial form introduced as Eva, and whilst extending his hand in a similar manner, is far more gentle when greeting her. He addresses the group, "Welcome all to Bryn Shander, should you not have been officially greeted. I'm at your disposal for the day."

Blackberry bobs his head and somewhat gingerly returns the handshake from Eva, concerned about damaging her.  He scratches Teb between his ears, and compliments him on his very  clean fur.

His mouth falls open upon witnessing the tiny illusion.  "No ma'am, I've not seen him either, though I've only been here a couple of weeks.  How did you become separated?"

Turning toward Naraeld as he greets and welcomes the new arrivals, Blackberry again looks to his companions to lead.  "I'm curious to meet them.  As long as they don't decide to make us the next 'volunteers'!"

Aubin stands and offers a slight bow "Greeting Eva, I welcome any newcomer to our motley group, but I have never seen your husband." He turns to Naraeld "Can you please lead the way to Sheriff Markham. I am sorry for the rush Eva, but I need vital information that the Speaker or Sheriff maybe the only ones that hold the answers I seek"

Aubin dons his hat and stands by the door

Gratified to see that the group seems to at least... tolerate each other, Sabetha happily returns the warm smiles from Blackberry and Elk Running.  She pokes the harengon in the ribs playfully with her finger, murmuring "Best not linger at the Northlook long or the innkeeper may mistake your intentions and hand you another mop and bucket.  You're an adventurer now.  The Geldenstag's Rest is not so bad, by the way."

Sabetha also does not fail to notice that Eva seems as surprised at her own appearance as anyone.  What in the world happened to her and her husband?  One day, we may trust each other with our secrets... all six of us together, even.  Perhaps...

She returns Naraeld's handshake earnestly.  "Someday, I hope to learn more about your people.  As for the tasks at hand, I think many of us may benefit from speaking with Sheriff Markham Southwell, not just Elk Running and Aubin, but also myself and Eva to ask about Alfred.  My own reasons are as a messenger, to bring a proposal of peace and cooperation intended for Speaker Duvessa Shane, from the goblins of Karkohlok, as given to me by one of their lieutenants, Izobai on behalf of their leader, Yarb-Gnock.  It is not my habit to befriend or run errands for goblins, but these ones we came to an agreement with as part of the completion of our previous task.  And peace and cooperation are not to be taken lightly in these difficult times.  I hope that Sheriff Southwell can indeed make the introduction to Speaker Shane."

With that, she steps back to the door to stand next to Aubin, giving the mysterious hatted man a respectful nod.

How did we become separated? That is a good question. "Last I recall, Blackberry, I was supposed to meet my newlywed here..." Newlywed? Piece by piece, it was coming back to her, but before she could grasp it, her past would slip away. Eva mumbles: "The bitter cold...getting late...a shortcut—yes, an alley...who's that? Who goes there? No, it can't be...an enemy...the enemy is myself." As suddenly as she fell into this reverie, she snaps back out of it.

Not wanting to delay the party further with feline promiscuity and cheap magic tricks, Eva snaps her fingers twice: first miniature Albert and then the black cat vanish. Eva joins the others by the door. She would take Sabetha's advice and enquire with the authorities.

Elk Running observes Eva’s magical device with some suspicion.  

It is not that magic is unfamiliar to her, indeed she herself possesses latent magical abilities.  But hers are the old ways, the magic of the gods, of the world itself.  Magic, like the gods, should be respected, if not feared, for nothing is given freely.  Mages are oft no more than witches and, although true wizards might be owed some respect for their training, it’s best to keep them at a distance.  Especially those that summon strange beasts, the corrupted creatures of the Ginnungagap, demon-gods, or giants of the ancient world.  Such were the myths of these arcanists shared by her people.

“You are a wizard.” Elk Running proclaims bluntly to Eva.  “And, it seems, one returned from death.  Do you know the year?”

(Not sure of the current year, myself.  Just trying to get a sense of how old Eva is)

"Yes, on both counts, Elk Running: I am indeed a 'wizard'—if you insist on flattering me—although I consider myself a dabbler. I attended Nystul's School of Illusion, where I graduated with honors. However, I have no real research under my belt. I haven't published any papers. As for the...year...yes, the year! Yes..." Eva presses a finger to her chin, perplexed. "Shall we make our way to the sheriff now?"

 Upon that evasion, you all follow Naraeld through the streets of Bryn Shander, heading to the Town Hall, where Sheriff Markham Southwell has his offices. As you approach the building, you see a line out the door of people seeking to petition the Speaker or the Sheriff to help redress their wrongs or improve their lives. The lines are calm and orderly, but you nonetheless earn a few glares as Naraeld leads you past them into the building. 

It is a two-story building and, as you enter it, guards approach to take your names and to ask you to turn over your weapons until your visit to the town hall is over. Naraeld waves them aside, explaining that you are with him and asking if the sheriff is free. One of the guards, a half-orc with a scar running from his right ear to his chin, checks a ledger and says, “He has meetings all morning, but I can probably squeeze you in after Ol’ Mrs. Cooper.” He has you wait in a corridor, on benches outside of an impressive hardwood door. After a few minutes, the door opens and an elderly halfling woman walks out of the office with a powerfully built human male. 

“It’s just that he’s never gone this long without writing,” says the halfling, “I know it’s hard to get mail up to the prison and back, but it’s just been so long. Isn’t there anyone there you can reach out to?”

”Toby knows how to take care of himself, Mrs. Cooper; I’m sure he is fine. But I’ll make sure the leader of our next caravan of supplies checks up on him for you. We’ll have news for you soon,” says the man as he gently walks with her out of the office.

As she goes on her way, he turns to Naraeld and says, “What brings you to my door today, and with a crowd? Has my loner found some friends?” He motions all of you into his spacious office. 

This is clearly Sheriff Southwell, a well-built human in his thirties, with a head shaved bald and a dark goatee. 

“As you all can see, I’m quite busy, but for an exemplary officer like Naraeld, I can make a little time? What can I do for you?”

An impressive man.  And yet... I have the sense that even he is in over his head here...  All of Icewind Dale is.

Sabetha gives a small, polite bow and turns to her companions.  "My business involves Izobai's proposed peace treaty whereas all of you have more... personal matters to take up with Sheriff Southwell and Speaker Shane.  It doesn't feel right for you to have to wait for me.  I will go last."