Chilling Adventures in the North

     “Huh,” says Bán helpfully.  “Didn’t think that was going to work…”

     Bán Scratches his head and shuffles himself around in a 360 looking carefully around to try to determine if they’re really gone or perhaps just regrouping.  If no sign of them returning he kneels and picks back up the nets he had thrown upon the ground and replaces them back with his gear.

     “We’ll have to keep a close eye out… and try to avoid and prime ambush sites even if it is the fastest way,” he notes to the others.  

Ricky makes a few rude gestures towards the cowards and gets back to heading down the road, albeit a bit faster. "I'm hoping this doesn't mean anything bad for home. Good Mead might not be able to handle too many of those, especially without me."

Qinfaren watches the gnoll hunters leave, then he clicks his tongue a couple of times to summon the weasel and badger back to him.

"They're not desperate at least," Qinfaren ventures. "That's probably a good sign that they'd leave Good Mead alone."

But like the others, he worries about a trap ahead as well and keeps an eye out on the road ahead.

Perception: 11 

Bjorn thinks for a moment about the creatures that they just encountered.

(Nature: 20 )

"They looked like hyenas," Bjorn says. "I don't know why they bear that resemblance though. But, yes, let's carry on, but be vigilant."

Bjorn leads the way west from the crossroads. You continue on without further hassle from the hyena-creatures or any other creatures. After a couple of more hours, you arrive in Good Mead.

The town’s squat dwellings, adorned with carvings of dinosaurs and serpents, are overshadowed by the two-story structure of the mead hall, its eaves carved and painted to resemble wyverns. As honey is the key ingredient in mead, the town literally buzzes with the droning of bees.

Ricky struts into town, looking to see that everything is the same as he left it while heading for the mead hall. "Home, sweet home. Welcome to Good Mead, folks."

     Bán Scratches his beard and looks around.  “So this is Good Mead?  Huh,” he says vaguely and nods to Ricky.  “Guess we’ll follow your lead…”

     Bán Has Owl fly down and perch upon his should.  Once done, the small owl promptly closes its eyes and begins to nap.

Qinfaren smiles at the quaint little town. His grin grows larger when he hears bees.

”Do you have bees, Ricky?” Qinfaren asks. He pauses and looks around. “Who do you think will have any information about the trouble here?“

"I think we should leave that until the morning," Bjorn says to Qinfaren. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. It's getting late.

Quote from Thoradin_Orcbender >>

Qinfaren smiles at the quaint little town. His grin grows larger when he hears bees.

”Do you have bees, Ricky?” Qinfaren asks. He pauses and looks around. “Who do you think will have any information about the trouble here?“

 Ricky laughs. "Well, you can't make mead without bees. As for trouble, I think we can go ask Olivessa Untapoor. She's the caskmaker. Might be in bed by now, but if there's a commotion, we'll see it at the tavern."

Qinfaren nods.

"Tavern and some rest it is," Qinfaren says. "And maybe some of your mead. I haven't had any since I came north."

As everyone makes their way through the town, many people to stop and greet Ricky.

"I think you mentioned something about running for speaker, Ricky, but I didn't realise you were so popular." Bjorn remarks. "Anyway I didn't think this town had a tavern. Did you have somewhere for us to stay the night?"

     "No inn or tavern?" Bán asks incredulously.  "Would not it draw people from all around to try the various meads it is famous for?  Sounds like a real draw if you ask me."  Part of Bán's brain was wondering if franchising the Ramshackle could be in his future...  The wiser part of his brain scoffed and reminded him he was off to fight undead dragons after nearly having a heart attack after seeing some scoundrel creatures in the dark of night.

     "But yes, we should rest while we can.  This is just a pit stop to our real journey..."

"Unless the bees keep most people away," Bjorn says he dodges yet another one. "Why come here to drink the mead and be harassed by bees, when you drink the mead in your home town and not have to deal with bees?"

     "Variety.  Freshness.  Atmosphere.  The ability to brag to ones fellows that you met the bees who... Uh, sorry, what exactly is the bees process in the making of the honey?  Is it a secretion of some sort or... Well, maybe skip over the details and perhaps find someone who could convince the bees to not harass people on the footpaths?"

Quote from TheBritGeek >>

As everyone makes their way through the town, many people to stop and greet Ricky.

"I think you mentioned something about running for speaker, Ricky, but I didn't realise you were so popular." Bjorn remarks. "Anyway I didn't think this town had a tavern. Did you have somewhere for us to stay the night?"

 "People like ten gallons of action in a one gallon bucket," says the halfling with a prideful smirk. 

"For lodgings... Well, if you don't like the bees, the mead hall might be a bad choice. Maybe Hilda..." 

(Do I have a house?)

Qinfaren nods at the mention that there's no tavern in Good Mead.

"The bees can't be enjoying the dark and cold," Qinfaren muses. "I never saw them out at night back home."

He then looks around for signs of anyone walking about. He'll wave hello to anyone about. If Ricky doesn't have somewhere he lives (though a brawler of a halfling must have a disappointed mother somewhere), Qinfaren will ask whomever he finds if there's an empty barn or something they can camp out in for the night.

(Well, I think you must do surely.)

Ricky leads everyone to his house. On the way he says a bit quietly. "Mind the neighbor, Hilda... She's a bit finicky about the hours I keep." He starts trying to be a bit quieter as he walks and keeps his head on a swivel as he watches for her. 

At Ricky's house, there are few accomodations for big folk, but it's relatively spacious for halflings. Plenty of hard chairs, a couple tables, and a few stools with one overstuffed- and clearly well used- arm chair which Ricky plops himself down into. 

"There's mead in the barrel up on the counter, cups in the cupboard, and a pump out back if you need it, but as I said: mind the neighbor."

     "Well, at least you aren't a gnome," Bán says with a smile as he ducks his head from keep from hitting it on the door, the lights, etc...  

     "But thank you, Ricky, for your hospitality.  It is good to be out of the night and to have a safe place to rest.  As for the mead, there are not enough thanks for that."  Bán indeed enjoys a couple of cups of the beverage but mostly tries to just find a comfortable place to sit and relax where he can stretch out without destroying anything.

Qinfaren smiles at the halfling sized furniture and then looks at Bán trying to accommodate his size and laughs when he looks down at this own long body and then over at Bjorn's. If a human had to be careful in this house, it might be best for Qinfaren not to move his 7' 10" frame around much at all.

He eventually does move a couple of items to the side then sits on the floor, leaning his back against the wall.

"So we rest for the night and ask about the unfriendly verbeeg in the morning?"

He asks as he happily samples the mead.