Chilling Adventures in the North

(A climber's kit is one per person.)

"Well, yeah why wouldn't they?" Torvin replies. "There's not many people in the north who can speak Draconic, and when you look like I do, well it's fairly easy to be fooled. I didn't stay around long, just enough to rest eat some of their provisions, and then disappeared in the night."

"Yetis? Yeah, there is always a good chance of encountering a yeti out there. Maybe even a yeti tyke or two, if you're lucky... or unlucky."

"No, you shouldn't need to climb to get to the glacier."

Having purchased a climber's kit, Bjorn counts his remaining coin and  turns to the others, "I have enough coin for one more kit if someone needs it. Although since we can get to the glacier without climbing, it may be more of a precaution than anything."

" 'S a lotta gold to spend jus' in case, Bjorn," Arogna says. "If we got one, that's someone can scout or rescue like. I'm gonna get a gold's worth of them pi-tons - that's... a few each, right? An' another rope, please." She slides two gold pieces across the counter. "I got a hammer."

(OOC - Qinfaren will chip in for the climbing kit too - is that 5gp each?)

Qinfaren's ears perk up at the mention of a possible meeting with a yeti tyke.

"Really, oh I would dearly like to meet one of those. The adults seem a bit aggressive, but a young one." Qinfaren says then gets lost in thought for awhile.

He moves over to join Shad near Torvin.

"Is it likely we'd run across the kobolds on the way to the glacier?"

Shad remembers the climbing he's done in the past, though that was mostly trees and buildings. He considers his claws. "If we can avoid climbing . . . we avoid some risks," he says. "How do we avoid yetis? Even young ones? Will they stay away from torches or lanterns? Like the one that was stolen? Maybe we won't be the only ones on the trail."

Muharg's smart to buy healing magic, Shad thinks. I ought to try saving those shiny coins, he thinks.

Jarthra snorts a laugh, "Well, the little tykes can still be quite mean, and I wouldn't want to get struck by their claws. However, that hasn't stopped some from trying to control one."

Torvin thinks for a moment, "I suppose it is always possible to encounter some kobolds. They're just not that common."

"Only the adult yetis are afraid of fire. The tykes are too curious for their own good."

"Except the lantern is not the only thing that has gone missing. A pair of goats of haven stolen from the tavern, and a small sack of pearls carved into decorative beads."

"Those would be the ones stolen from here right Torvin?"

"Yeah, so I don't see how goats or pearls would be any good against a yeti"

"It be better if we don't meet any yetis. Many a brave warrior has fallen to their claws. We try to stay away from them if we spot any sign of them during our hunting trips."

Shad nods at Qinfaren's question and Bjorn's advice. "How might we know a yeti is close by?" he asks Jarthra.

"A lantern, goats, and pearls. I can't think of a thing those things have in common. Hmm." Shad fidgets. He will hold the cat-shaped Luck Stone. "Why would someone want all three? Figuring that out might help." He stares into a corner. (OOC: Maybe History, TheBritGeek? 16 Or maybe there is no connection?)

He will contribute five gold toward the climbing kit.

Qinfaren listens to the discussion of stolen items.

"Are the stolen items all from one part of town?" Qinfaren asks. "Has anyone seen anything?"

He walks closer to the group.

"In one of the villages in the valley at home, little items kept going missing. It turned out to be a tiny psuedo-dragon. He was the cutest little thing. People took to leaving unwanted trinkets out for him and that got him to stop taking other things."

He pauses for a moment while the climbing gear is put on the counter.

"I know we have packages to deliver, but maybe as soon as we're done we could look into the disappearances."

“If I was to bet, I’d put my money on a certain drow we’re after.” Starts Muharg “After all, we already met those northerner warriors who were suspicious of him for robbing them something.” Points out as he takes out his pouch to get the needed coins to contribute.

Shad cannot recall any possible connection between the items. So perhaps it was someone, or something, just trying to cause chaos, or just liked stealing, or is searching for something. If so, then there are too many creatures to name who could be involved.

"Well, Fozenfar, Hook Line and Sinker, and The Northern Light are all in the northeastern part of town," Atenas informs you. "But we didn't see anything, and don't think anyone else did. Right?"

"Right," confirms Torvin. "No one has reported seeing anything unusual."

When Muharg mentions something stolen from the northern warriors and a drow, Torvin tilts his head. "So that's something else that has gone missing? And do you know of this drow by name?"

"Jarlaxle," Arogna says. "But we dunno if it was him, an' nor do they. Seems he don't have a good name round here, though. You seen him passin' through? They said he was headin' for Kelvin's Cairn. We got a package for him."

"Jarlaxle," Torvin repeats thoughtfully. "So he is in the north?"

Atenas adds, "Well any adventurer worth his salt knows who Jarlaxle is."

"Aye, though I have not see anyone who fit his description around here. Did he come here?"

"No, I don't think so. I would think I would remember a drow though."

"Hmmm, well... Jarlaxle is known to be a schemer and a renegade, but petty theft I would think would be beneath him. If he is up here then he must have a very good reason."

"And almost anyone in the north favours Drizzt over Jarlaxle. They are old rivals who had a famous battle over a hundred years ago."

"He's that old? An' he's climbin' mountains?" Arogna exclaims. "Nah, a thief ain't gonna live that long. Less he's a real good one."

"Torvin," Shad says, "you're the town's police officer? Or one of them? You seem to know a lot about the thefts, like you're investigating them." He thinks for a moment more. "The northeastern part of town. Would that make sneaking into the mountains easy? Or getting on a boat? Maybe the thief creeps into and out of town." Shad turns toward Qinfaren and Arogna. "When we make our delivery, we can ask Jarlaxle, I suppose," Shad says. He is slightly nervous at the idea of such a conversation with such a famous person.

Qinfaren smiles and nods.

"Jarlaxle. Jarlaxle," Qinfaren says. "That's a fun word to say. Jarlaxle."

Then he looks around at everyone.

"With what's stolen, maybe it's just someone down on their luck trying to survive outside of town. We should keep an eye out as we had up to the glacier. That's northeast, right? They might need help."

"The goats could be food. The lantern provides light when torches are too expensive. The pearls might be the beginnings of saving for shelter." Shad says. "Qinfaren could be right."

"What should we do, lads? Do you feel like peering into the matter for a bit? Duty is duty, and deliveries need to be made, but there might be someone out there in the need for help, be it the thief struggling to survive, or the victims of their thefts, this is something that should be put to an end don't you think?"

"He is an elf afterall Arogna. The ancestors say they live for real long. Some of the elders of my tribe were not even born when Drizzt first appeared here," Bjorn gathers his things and gets ready to move.

(FYI Bjorn already paid in full for one climber's kit. Are you guys trying to get another?)

"Maybe whoever it is has the Northmen's whatever it is as well," suggests Arogna. "They'd be happy to get it back. An' if it ain't Jarlaxle, it'll take the blame off him like. He don't need that after all the other problems I 'spect he's got after livin' so long."

(OOC: Arogna bought rope and pitons, that's all I plan to do)