"Ah...of course," says the armored human. "And please, call me Daviana," she smiles, giving Harshnag a polite bow before returning to her office.

After several minutes of climbing stairs, you reach the very top of the tower wherein the teleportation circle resides. Harshnag comments lightly on this, "Stairs...are certainly tiresome. Glad I don't live here." You don't run into anyone else, but Krowen Valharrow's distinctive voice echoes faintly off the stone walls, carrying the tones of some kind of lecture.

Nespril Menk, the young human mage you met the day before yesterday, is back, with his usual brusque mood and well-groomed robes. "Right then, where're you off to?"

Ink bows to Daviana as she takes her leave.

-----

"Good Nespril, we are off to Mirabar. Thank you."

"being close to the ground helps you watch your step better"

"try being my size on these stupid stairs..." Rip replies to Harshnag as he huff and keeps making one big step after another

"Hey Nesp, working hard or hardly working eh?" Rip jokes while doing the finger guns gesture

Nespril spares you a sidelong glare as he finishes the incantation. Waving his hands one final time as you stand in the circle, he sends you hundreds of miles in an instant with a shimmering cylinder of light. You leave behind Everlund as they prepare for the raucous frivolity of Liars’ Night. 

—

Mirabar is a flurry of activity, much different than it was in the nighttime. A predominately human city built atop vast dwarven caverns, Mirabar is a secure city that features an exceptionally well-built wall and many defensive emplacements, all which appear to be very well kept or newly constructed. 

The area where you emerged from the teleportation circle is relatively poor, removed from the much more affluent areas of the surface of Mirabar, yet even here the homes and business appear comfortable.

Harshnag draws his cloak around him. “Well, I suppose we should move on out of here while I’m still this size. The dwarves especially don’t take kindly to giants, and I don’t want to have to waste time explaining myself. It’s so much easier on Waterdeep...”

Travel from Mirabar is mostly focused on the Long Road, which begins Mirabar’s south gate, on the banks of the Mirar, but Harshnag knows your way lies north, towards the mountains.

// If you’re keen to start out now, at this point I’ll need to know how you intend to travel, what your marching order is, and if you’d like to travel at a quicker pace. Harshnag is more than happy to travel faster than normal. Mirabar is also the last  you’ll have for a little while to make any purchases or take care of other business. //

Marav would go in front with Steele flying ahead 1/2 a mile or so and reporting back. He of course keeps his hood up in the city as well.

Crownsguard is willing to push as hard as needed to reach the oracle in time to save Rip’s family. That is his primary concern.

"No time ta waste!" // push until L1 exhaustion? //

"We're headed into the mountains, right? Perhaps on our way out through the northern side of the city we purchase some climbing gear for each of us?  I still have my set from a while back. And let's get some food supplies so that we don't have to waste time hunting."

"Besides that, I agree  let's not waste further time and push forward through evening. As much of a hurry as we are in, I'd rather not exhaust ourselves because, frankly, we don't know what we'll be facing between here and the Temple - or at the temple for that matter."

" Flint, you should pass by the blacksmith just to let him know that our schedule has become complicated. He'd probably appreciate the courtesy as I think he may be half expecting your help."

Ink comments to Harshnag,  "We found a blacksmith capable of melting down the adamantine ring we found. We hired him to use a portion of it to make adamantine weapons and armor."

// Go ahead and narrate your endeavors. You can purchase basic equipment here, and you’ll be able to visit any services you need (including reaching the blacksmith, Tyrek Smithammer) with no issues for the time being. //

Mirabar is easily the wealthiest city in the North. The one big difference of note from other cities you’ve visited is the heavy increase in security. Dwarven guardsmen are everywhere, patrolling and keeping a watchful eye on the goings-on.

Rip will suggest maybe getting a cart and horses so some party members can rest while we travel

Upon arriving to Mirabar, Ink asks Bronzefire (or whichever Harper agent is there) about procuring some lockpicks (thieves tools) as they're a rogue short, but the bard is a jack of all trades.

He'll ask Bronzefire about any Giant sightings in the area and what sorts. 

Ink also asks where to go to procure the below list, favoring speed and fulfilling the entire order over anything else.

( Horse & cart, Climbing gear, Block and tackle (giant stuff is heavy), Crowbar, Ball bearings, Caltrops, Basic healing potions, Hooded Lantern, Bullseye lantern, Oil, Healer's kit, Rations ) 

On their way to the suggested store(s), Ink suggests that they pass by Tyrek Smithammer's to tell him we won't be able to assist as were called out of town, but hope to be back in (insert Harshnag's estimate of travel time two the Temple times two plus an extra three days). 

Flint is all business, he has everything he needs and plans to get out of town as soon as we can, minus the short stop at the smith to check on the order and let the smith know we'll be gone a while.

As you set out through the northeast gate of the city of Mirabar, you are met with the imposing view of the Spine of the World and the inhospitable Khedrun Trail. It is readily apparent that the going will be rough. Harshnag comments, “There aren’t many settlements from here to the Valley of Khedrun, and we shouldn’t meet many travelers if at all. We follow the River Mirar upstream for a day, and then cut through the valley. From there, we find the trail to the Eye of the All-Father.”

After several hours’ travel, you have passed most of the mines and mining villages that support (and are protected by) Mirabar, and the flow of supply carts and patrolling dwarf soldiers quite suddenly dries up. The dirt trail becomes more rough, overgrown in many places, as it winds through the craggy foothills. You still have a good few hours to go before Harshnag looks to the last lit sky of Marpenoth. 

“We should have a clear night tonight,” the shrunken frost giant observes. “Hope you have a tent. I know most smallfolk have some trouble with cold weather.”

"We are used to being on the road." Marav looks a lot more comfortable outside the city. "I'll see what I can come up with in the way of game."

// Marav will hunt in the immediate area. Not straying very far (no more than 1/4 mile or so). Looking for simple game to bolster their rations tonight. Steele will help him spot game. 

Survival: 20 (Advantage due to Steele's help?) Just looking for rabbits, deer, etc. Not going out for more than an hour or so, enough time for the rest to get settled and Ink to read a few books. :)

Ink chimes in, "Actually, it's more of a hut than a tent..."

------- For later that evening --------

Whenever they are ready to rest, Ink will cast as a ritual Leomund's Tiny Hut. He'll make sure that all in the party, tiny Harshnag and the two birds included, are within the radius so that they may enter and exit freely.

Ink needs only for hours of rest, so when he's not in a trance or on watch, he'll be scribing DISPEL MAGIC into his spell book, and any excess time will be spent reading the book on TRANSFIGURATION.

// Sorry, it's going to be a crazy day at work, so I'm planning ahead. Not sure how many days the party will be traveling, but what free time Ink gets will be spent reading, in order, transfiguration book, shadow weave book, dragons book, field of battle book. And he'll encourage Rip to read Volo's. //

Marav is able to find and kill several quail with Steele’s help, and though the brush here yields little in the way of fruit, there are some roots and tubers that are sufficient as food sources when cooked.

Harshnag grins at Ink’s mention of the tiny hut, and nods as if reminiscing.

The bumpy road in the carriage ride allows for anyone who wishes to rest their legs, but Ink is wise to wait til you stop moving to transcribe the spells into his spellbook. Eventually, the disused trail takes a turn towards the Spine of the World and descends into the deeply cleft valley called Khedrun.

Some dark clouds speed from behind the northern mountains  to cover over the receding sun in the late afternoon—not enough for a rainstorm, although Harshnag feels it’s a bad omen. He works with Marav to set a favorable, defensable location for camp.

“Are you familiar with the story of the Khedrun Valley?” Asks Harshnag to Flint. “Your people take great pride in its origin.”

// Please let me know if there’s anything you want to do before nightfall. //

Marav perks up and waits for the story. He continues to check the camp.

Ink sticks to his reading routine, but will definitely out down the book if Harshnag is sharing lore.

// Edit.... //

Ink also tries to get a glimpse of the moonstone necklace he gave Rip ..... 

The moonstone around Rip's neck is fully bright, and glows dimly in the gloaming.

Rip is unusually quiet and doesn't eat much stating that the cart must have bounced him around to much and gave him a headache and that he will turn in early tonight.