The frosty air outside bites at cheeks flushed with excitement, for Icevillle is alive with the cheer of incoming festivities. The town’s beloved Kringlefest is mere hours away, and within the cosy confines of the Travellers Rest Inn, a diverse mix of travellers, locals, and curious wanderers have been brought together by the whims of fate - or perhaps the lack of vacant tables.

A huge fireplace crackles along one wall of the inn, while mouth-watering scents of spiced mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, and game waft through the air. Patrons laugh and share stories about past Kringlefest celebrations, while busy waitresses carry tankards of ale and full plates between the tables. A bard is tuning their lute in one of the corners. Outside the frosted windows, the night sky twinkles with a myriad of stars, the moon's silvery glow lending an ethereal sheen to the thick layer of snow covering the ground.

On the night before Kringlefest, you find yourselves at one such table, surrounded by travellers much like yourselves.

Please introduce your characters, describe what they look like, how they have come to arrive in town, etc.

Kristal would sit there eating her mountain of food she has been supplied with (probably gaining 10 pounds in the process) quietly. she would glance outside every now and then as if watching for something, but what?

Nysbith simply would be sitting there on his own chair quite uncomfortable. Nysbith never liked the cold in anyway, Then again the inside was nice and warm and was filled with food. Not a horrible way to start his journey. In thus after thinking such he sat down and ate his own food.

Meifinas hummed to himself softly as he listened to the other patrons stories and watched the other bard that was tuning their lute, debating on whether or not to ask them if he could play along side them. After a couple seconds he shook his head slightly before taking a small sip from his wine, shifting slightly in his seat as he did. His attention turned towards the others sitting at the table and smiled kindly at them.

"It may be cold outside but it's also kind of beautiful. The night sky never really looked this pretty back home, I'm glad that I decided to travel here." He said with a faint hint of a chuckle.

{Meifinas is a human standing at 6'. He has tanned skin, long black hair that normally falls to the middle of his back which is currently tied up neatly and brown eyes. His current attire consists of a white undershirt, a set of leather armor, a red coat with fur around the collar and sleeve cuffs and music notes embroidered into it, tan pants, boots and a belt that he keeps his coin purse and dagger attached to it. On his right side is his rapier. On his back there is a pack and attached to it is his water skin, viol and bagpipes.}

Nysbith's crimson eye's gazed upward to Mefinas. He blew slight smoke out of his nose. He hated anything to do with the cold. Instead of just wearing his classic silk jeans and havig his Yoga mat on his back. The dragon-born was now wearing big comfy clothes...rather fine and prpoer for a monk. He included a big white hood on his head to keep him warm. 

``Cold is Bad, Heat is better.`` 

Nysbith was currently in a grump. He had lost his Yoga mat on the way here.

A human girl sits alone at a table.

She has hazel eyes and brown hair. Her hair is long and messy and is let down, it’s flowing on her back. She’s wearing the puffiest jacket you’ve ever seen, but still appears to be cold. If you look closely, you notice it’s all made of faux fur, not real fur. Her skin is very pale but her cheeks glow.

Havel appearance 

Havel is a Goliath who is easily 7ft tall and he still wears the military issued brigandine armor with his well-worn traveler cloak. By his side on the floor is a rucksack holding his prized stone mason tools and strapped to the pack is a plain greathsword in its half-sheathe. The cold never bothered him, and he offers a silent prayer to the stars and moon in hopes he will be blessed in his new profession. As to the sumptuous food he easily focuses on piling high the meat and drinking the spiced mulled wine. He looks at the other patrons at the same table and offers them a smile "Well met I am Havel a stone mason and if any of you need my services, please let me know. Now let's break the ice, what brought each of you to Iceville? I will go first I came to Iceville to start a new profession and of course to earn enough coin for room and board." 

Meifinas glanced down at the table when he noticed the smoke being blown from Nysbith's nose. He gently tugged on his collar slightly before looking towards the window.

"That's true, heat is far better than the cold. Spending time in an inn with decent people, good food and good drinks after having spent a while in the cold is quite nice." He responded before glancing towards the window for a moment. 

Meifinas quickly turns his attention towards the new comer and hesitates for a moment before replying to the Goliath. "It is a pleasure to meet you Havel, my name is Meifinas Sunshadow but you can just call me Meifinas. Oh... I came to Iceville by chance. I always wanted to follow in my mother's footsteps and when I arrived here I was reminded of the stories that she use to tell me." He takes another sip from his wine before sitting up straight. "I wish I could say that it was for fame or to start over but it's sadly just luck."

Rothgar enters the tavern, shaking the snow from his cloak and stomping his boots to get most of the slush off. He heads over to where he can slide a bench, if one is free, towards the fire. He looks like a typical northmen from the Spine of the World. Standing a good six foot tall, broad of chest and shoulders, again typical for the northern barbarians. Over his chainmail, a dark cloak, and over the cloak, the skin of a white wolf, its face looking over the shoulder. A great axe and longbow strung over his shoulder, a quiver of arrows and a hand axe hanging from his belt.

He heads to the fire, removing and leaning his great axe and longbow against the wall, and stretching his legs out towards the fire, yet in a position so he can look at the patrons in the room. Raising his hand, he motions for ale, as he looks over the crowd. He spots the Goliath, nodding to himself, a kindred spirit he wonders.    

Amidst the laughter and the clinking of tankards, a hardworking waitress, her cheeks flushed from the evening's toil, skilfully balances a frothing tankard of ale, weaving through the crowded tables. With practiced ease, she approaches Rothgar and says with a warm smile, "Your ale, sir", setting the drink before him and scurrying off to attend to other patrons. 

Meanwhile, the bard - a plump dwarf with a friendly face and a long beard adorned with small braids, has finally finished tuning the strings of his lute. He starts singing, his pleasant voice carrying a comforting warmth that beckons attention. His song, one of the many ballads dedicated to the revered hero Kringle, echoes through the inn.

Iceville was cursed to darkness
In a time long ago
Every nook and cranny
There, no light would go

Fear and sadness for all
And the tears oh, they did flow
For no relief in sight,
Did the dawn ever show

A stranger came to town
Coming up the road
He said he wanted to free Iceville
From the darkness that took hold

He said his name was Kringle
A hero from afar away
He’d heard our plight in Iceville
Promising to hold the dark at bay

As he sings, the bard leaves his corner and starts moving between the tables, smiling at the patrons, perhaps hoping to earn a coin or two for his music.

The human girl offers coin to the dwarf bard.

“Lovely song…”

Meifinas seems to perk up a little as he realizes that the dwarf bard began to sing. As he listened to him a bright smile begins to cross his lips before he reaches into his coin purse and pulls out two coins. Once he gets close enough he offers him the coins.

'It's just like she said.' He thought as he listened to his song.

After chasing the chill from his feet from the fire, and from his belly with the Ale, Rothgar goes over to the Goliath and greets him. "Hail Mountain Man, and well met. I am Rothgar of the White Wolve clan, what brings you down into the lowlands? How fare the high country?" 

Havel let out a chuckle "Well met and you seem to also be a mountain man of sorts yourself. The high mountains are as beautiful as ever. Snow lays deep enough to lay in as comfy bed and oh the skies seem so much more enveloping and grander when you are standing at a precipice. I came down here to start a new job. I am experienced, but this would be the first time I am open for business as a stone mason. Take a seat there is still another empty seat here." says Havel with tone that is laden with nostalgia. 

Rothgar nods and smiles, taking the offered seat. "Speaking of jobs, do you know of any open down here?" As much as I love returning to my homestead and clan, I have the itch to get back out there, my axe thirsts once more, and my belt pouch is a little lighter than I like." He holds up two fingers, motioning for two more Ales. "No so light I can't buy a round for you and me."

The Dragonborn ignores the other for a second. He wishes to only focus on creating heat to keep himself warm. The large dragonborn only pays interest to the large Goliath. 

``Nysbith Krimtel. Nysbith is the youngest of that name.`` 

The dragonborn now returns to attempting to create heat for himself.

"Good to meet you Nysbith and thanks Rothgar for the drink. As for jobs I am not sure. There is the slow steady way of earning coin through mining. As for a faster way of earning coin I do not know. For now, let's drink and eat till our bellies are full." says Havel as gulps down the offered drink and continues to eat with gusto. 

Rothgar nods in the direction of Nysbith. "If I can be so bold, it must be rather harsh on you up here in the land of ice and snow, how do you fare? What would bring a Dragonborn this far north?"

The bard, grateful for the handful of tips offered by Meifinas and Faune, nods graciously and gracefully continues his heartfelt serenade, his voice resonating with warmth and emotion.

"The evil swore to slay him, but Kringle was so bold,
He wielded his power, defeating the darkness, we're told.
Today is a day of gratitude, for his light in our town."

Amidst this harmonious ambiance, an unexpected chill sweeps through the cozy interior, abruptly silencing the bard's melodious tunes. The lute emits a discordant note as the bard struggles to maintain his melody, his expression a mask of shock as the inn's door swings open with a resounding slam. The sudden silence falls over the tavern, punctuated only by startled gasps from the patrons.

A young gnome, her face etched with distress, stumbles into the inn with ragged breaths, collapsing between the tables. She wears tattered remnants of a once-soft leather suit, her green tights contrasting starkly against the dull blue color of her cold-touched skin. A lone red, pointy shoe remains intact while the other is lost to the elements. Her chestnut hair, a tangled mess, frames a face with glazing eyes. Struggling, her arm weakly outstretches, pointing in the direction she came from.

"Help... darkness... Kringle... Must save Kringle," she manages, her voice barely audible before succumbing to unconsciousness.