The Savage Frontier (also known as the North) is a cold, rugged, sparsely populated land of snow-capped mountains, rocky hills, sprawling forests, and foggy vales. Isolated strongholds, ancient burial mounds, and the ruins of many forgotten empires dot this vast landscape. Bounded by the Sea of Swords to the west and the desert of Anauroch to the east, the Savage Frontier extends as far north as Icewind Dale and as far south as the town of Daggerford. Old roads stretch across this great expanse, linking the dwarven strongholds and mines in the mountains to the coastal settlements, frontier towns, and fortified outposts of humans and other folk. These roads are long, lonely, or poorly defended, making them dangerous to traverse. In fertile valleys, towns and cities have sprung up, separated by dozens if not hundreds of miles of untamed wilderness haunted by bandits, barbarians, and monsters.

Evil dragons stirred into action by their dark queen, Tiamat, threatened the settlements of the Savage Frontier for a time. Ultimately, they were defeated and forced to withdraw to their lairs, while Tiamat was banished to the Nine Hells. Fear of the dragons’ wrath has faded quickly with the coming of a new threat: giants. The peoples of the North are no strangers to giant incursions. Frost giants have long claimed the Spine of the World as their demesne, and hill giants are known to scrounge for food in the untamed hills. But now, in the past couple of months, giants of every kind have emerged from their strongholds in force to threaten civilization as never before — and not just frost giants and hill giants, but also stone giants, fire giants, and cloud giants. All of the giants are in an uproar. Reports of giant attacks throughout the North have reached the coastal cities of Luskan, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep, stoking fears that the giants are waging war against humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk.

You stand in Triboar, a bustling mercantile town standing where the Long Road meets the Evermoor Way. A town of cottages and farmsteads, as well as caravans and adventurers. You stand in the Market Square at the center of town. A large empty space where many marketers set up stalls. Dominating the space is the two-story Tower of the Lord Protector, a simple stone keep that leans decidedly to the east. Hanging above the entrance is the dusty banner of the lord protector, which depicts three black boars running toward the head of the banner on a blood-red field.

Standing next to all of you, would be the bat-winged tiefling called Meroki. If you take a look to inspect him, he's wearing clothing that looks too fine for traveling. The backpack he carries has the typical adventuring gear you're used to seeing, though you can see cooking utensils strapped on the outside to save some space on the inside. You see no weapons or armor, other than a suspiciously placed ouch strapped to his belt. 

If we had time to know each other, you would know he comes from Waterdeep, and he's looking to make a name for himself by aiding in the war against the giants terrorizing the north. Though his motives may not be noble, he's determined to earn fame and funds to open his own business someday. "What business," you ask? A Tavern and Inn! Nothing seems to bring him more joy than making a good meal and seeing people enjoy it. 

A lone traveler just arrived, a man in chainmail and armed with a sword and shield like so many soldiers and adventurers, unremarkable except for his rather pale skin. He didn't seem the type to spend much time hidden from the Sun, nor did he seem ill, so why would he be pale...? He paused before the tower before looking around and taking in the situation, eyes lingering on the others near there. One did not often see a tiefling, especially a winged one, but he didn't seem especially put off which seemed to indicate that his worldview allowed for people with horns and tails. His eyes moved on, searching for something.

On his way to Waterdeep to seek out a sage who might help with his condition, Agar knew he didn't have the funds necessary to make it there without taking another job. Though it galled him to sell his training for coin, he bowed before the inevitable. His training, unfortunately, didn't prepare him for catching or finding his own food. That meant rations purchased at stores, which required coin. The way to the City of Splendor was long, by foot at least, and he didn't own a horse. The Order would have provided him all these things, but that was no longer an option. At least he wasn't so desperate, so fallen, that he'd accept just any job as long as it paid well. He still had his morals.

So, first he would find an inn or tavern he could afford, and then he would see about earning some coin. Perhaps he'd visit a local temple, also.

A half-elven woman was perusing the marketplace, unhurried in her inspection of the wares available- and of the people bustling to and fro through the town's streets. She was dressed in fine travelling clothes, hems heavily embroidered with motifs of flowers, vines, and other colorful flora. Situated at her hip was a belt with a slim rapier, its sheath as pristine and blade unused as they day both were made, and secured across her back was an oddly shaped leather case. An easy smile drew high cheekbones up and grey eyes crinkling, the woman seemingly far more interested in her people watching than she was in the various tarts and baked treats arrayed across the stall she stood in front of. Even so, she palmed a sugar dusted hand pie, set a few coins in its place, and slowly continued her walk about with snack in hand.

The devilish figure drew Loralai's eye- it would be difficult not to, with those wings and sapphire hue- and they were given a friendly, casual toast with treat-holding hand as she went about her day.

Standing, almost seeming to hover in it's long dark robes with a high flaring collar, a creature commonly known as a mind flayer observes it's surroundings through pale lidless eyes devoid of pupils, the tentacles of it's expressionless face constantly writhing and undulating in a most unsettling way. It carries a shoulder bag of sorts in some alien greyish material.

The ilithid had recently arrived in Triboar and had naturally drawn both curious and fearful glances from the local populace but so far no one had dared to approach the strange figure. It had yet to make contacts in this enclave, after many tendays at the sun-blasted surface still having trouble to fathom how so many species could intermingle without one of them seeking supremacy over the others, a most peculiar conglomerate of biological entities. He was aware there were no great availability for fresh brains as this was not something typically used as nourishment among the lesser races, so it had to survive on mushrooms and other second grade sustenance. It had found some interesting experiences as something evidently called an adventurer, a person that for some sort of reward took on tasks that was too dangerous for the common man. While in no manner of hurry it were still on a mission to find out more about the recent giant incusrions into these lands, it simply needed to decide who to approach about this topic to gather more information, glancing between the winged fiend, the pale warrior and the pale drow to determine who would be most accepting to an obvious outsider.

As the ilithid hesitates, hovering slowly through the bustling crowd of the market square a little girl approaches the mindflayer and tugs at his robes. "What are you?" She asks as plainly as only child can. The ilithid slowly hovers and turns, glancing down at the little one, his pale lidless eyes looking into hers. After a moment the girl starts to giggle. "How did you do that, it tickles." She says, scratching her head in confusion and excitement. "Nice to meet you Arca...um...yx, I am Amber. My mum is lost and I can't find her, can you help me?"

The expressionless face of the ilithid is hard to read but it scratches it's cheek with it's clawed hand as if contemplating the youngling's request for assiatance.

Meroki is delighted to meet all these people and introduces himself politely.

"Well hello! My name is Meroki, from Waterdeep. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

He doesn't hesitate to approach the 'mind flayer' and greet them. He doesn't have room to judge people's appearance, based on his own fiendish heritage. 

As the brave little girl approaches the mind flayer, Meroki watches the interaction attentively. When he notices the hesitation from Arcaumyx (?), he coughs to get their attention. 

With a gentle smile, he'll address them both and say "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I couldn't help but notice you need help. I could assist by looking from above, if you wish. Just tell me what your mom or her clothes look like, little Amber. Where was she last time you saw her?"

He's genuinely trying help, though it would be easy for others to assume he has ulterior motives. And he wouldn't blame the child for being aftaid of him.

He could even have gestured one of the local guards to help the child, but he stepped up to do it himself. 

"Greetings Meroki, the name is Arcaelothryx'x."  The devil spawned chef and soon to be tavern keeper suddenly feel the illithid entering his mind, it's voice sending a brief shiver down his spine. "I apologize for the way I communicate, some find it...unsettling, but it will pass soon enough. And I can assure you I am on a strict diet, no fresh supple brains for now." It adds with a brief wet sucking staccato sound coming from the mouth hidden behind the writhing tentacles, almost like a revolting chuckle.

"Hey, look Arcayx, he's got wings." The little red-haired freckled girls says with an excited smile. "Can you fly me up? We can spot my mommy from above." She says, clapping her hands in excitement, ready to climb up on the tiefling's back. The ilithid slouches slightly almost as if disappointed over not having to help the girl after all.

The girl standing with a mindflayer and a devil spawn draws some worried glances from some of the market-goers, but these modern days family constallations could look so different after all.

Meroki's expression shows initial discomfort, not being used to being spoken to directly into his mind. But soon it passes as he focuses.

He makes a point of not mentioning brain-eating in front of the crowd. Just their appearances drew enough attention as it were.

"Then I'll be glad to hear about your dietary needs. I'll be sure to keep you well fed!"

When the child suggests that Meroki flies her overhead, he makes a worried expression. He's never carried anyone before, much less a child. But she might have fun while looking for her mother. He smiles and says:

"Of course, but you have to hold on tightly to me."

Meroki drops his bags and leaves them with Ach so that Amber can climb on him like a little monkey. He uses his tail like a safety belt around her waist, and lifts up slowly, rising to the ten, then twenty-foot altitude. 

It's truly a sight to behold as Meroki unfurls his wings, which spread to about a ten-foot width. Now he's really drawing attention to himself and his new friend.

The ilithid contemplates the devil spawn's more than generous offer to keep him well fed, assuming he was offering up his tender and succulent brain for the mindflayer to devour. It was not common to have people offer up their brains without at least some mental suggestion it was the polite and proper thing to do, but perhaps the tiefling didn't find much use of his brain anyway, Arcaelothryx'x frequently had met surface dwellers who seemingly did not make any use of their brains, so relieving them of this arguably dead weight was a service to them really.

"OOOOOIIIIIIII!!!" The little girl screams with delight as she finds herself swooshing over the crowded market square, fairly safely tucked in at the winged tiefling's back, many worried eyes looking up from the crowd below, hoping it was just a father taking his adventurous girl for a joyride. "I CAN SEE ALL THE WAY TO WATERDEEP FROM HERE MEROKI." Amber goes on screaming to be overheard over the winds catching her long braided red hair. She doesn't seem too interested in looking for her mommy though. "LET'S GO FURTHER UP MEROKIIIIII."

Meroki contemplates what Arcaelothryx'x might enjoy eating, other than brains. It would be a great achievement for him as a chef to be the one to discover an alternative source of food for them. This train of thoughts is interrupted by the child, enjoying the flight.

"Now now, Amber. Focus on looking for your mommy. She must be worried sick about not knowing where you are."

Meroki stays at a stable 25ft above ground, trying to convince the little girl of finding their mother. He doesn't go higher, although he could have. The passenger he's holding is much too valuable and frail to risk dropping. 

Once they find Amber's mother, he swiftly and carefully lands in front of her. Now Meroki waits to see if the mother will antagonize him or thank him. Either way, he won't take long to part ways with them, saying a simple farewell, and going back to Arcaelothryx'x to retrieve his equipment. 

BTW starting lvl 5 I forgot to mention. 

Monster!

Seeing the mind flayer got his adrenalin going and his mind racing to recall everything he knew about these creatures. None of it good. They enslaved the very minds of people, or devoured their brains. He even got his sword half out of the scabbard, ready to smite it, before his senses informed him that it wasn't acting hostile. Besides...

Am I that much better? Am I not also a monster?

A few months ago such a thought would send him into a cycle of self recrimination and depression, but not this time. No, he answered himself, he wasn't a monster. What happened at that chapel aside, his actions since then were good, no different from his actions prior. Actions were what mattered. Maybe the darkness within him was on some sort of break, he didn't know, but there was nothing urging him to evil. And this creature, also, was not a monster. Necessarily. He let his sword slide back into the scabbard and forced himself to relax. As long as it (he?) did not act as a monster, he would not treat it as a monster. But he knew that his trip to Waterdeep would have to wait. He couldn't just leave and risk this mind flayer going rogue.

He approached, principle warring with instinct to fight or flee, until he was within ten feet of the creature. He nodded greeting. "Agar's my name. What brings you here?" 

Loralai stood stuck in place for the whole ordeal, eyes glued to the illithid with little regard given to subtley. An illithid! Walking around in the broad light of day? She wasn't sure if she should find the quickest route out of town, book passage for someplace where the tentacled psionic couldn't follow- or find out just why, precisely, one such as it had found its way free of the Underdark.

Curiosity won out as another braved the trek over to it and the tiefling. Bolstered by the stranger's initiative, the half-elf strode over and came to a halt just behind him. "Loralai. I'd say it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I'd rather wait to hear your answer to him," A sugar-dusted thumb hooked towards Agar in tandem with the curious, polite, wary tone. "Before deciding."

The little red-haired adventurous girl is still not really looking for her mother and after the winged tiefling insists she should, Amber finally admits her mother is not even at the market, seeming sincerely apologetic for pulling this ruse to have a flight above Triboar. Meroki gets the impression he has made the little girl's day though and she gives Meroki a quick hug before disappearing into the crowd to tell all her friends about her amazing flight.

From below in the crowd the ilithid watches as the hell spawned chef flies off with the little girl. It had felt strangely pleasant to it that the girl had approached it seemingly without fear or disgust and it found itself missing her already. It doesn't get far with it's brooding before it is approached by first the pale heavily armed warrior and then the pale drow who he now realizes is in fact a surface elf, apparently a half-breed at that, another thing that did not seem to significantly bother the surface people, maybe there was hope for it still.

"Greetings Agars, greetings Loralai, this one's name is Arcaelothryx'x."  The pale warrior and the half-breed senses the illithid entering their minds, it's voice seeming dark and raspy but still sincere in it's attempt to sound polite. "This one's search for information about the incursions of giantkind into these surface lands is what brought Arcaelothryx'x here. Do you know anything about these recent events?" It continues with sincere curiosity, it's pale lidless eyes looking between the pale warrior and the half-breed.

Meroki just pats her head, not mad at the little girl in the slightest. 

Little rascal. I wonder what kind of face her friends and family will make when she tells them about the octopus man, and the bat-winged devil.

Flying back to retrieve his belongings, he interrupts the conversation between Arcaelothryx'x and the two strangers and greets them.

"Oh, are these your friends, Arcaelothryx'x? It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Meroki, and I'm from Waterdeep! I'm looking for a way to help protect the North from the recent Giant attacks."

Currently just waiting on an intro from OisinmacCameron

The ilithid gives the bat-winged chef an inscrutable look as he mentions protecting the north from the giant attacks. What conceivable reason could the devil spawn have for fighting a hopeless war against giantkind, it seemed suicidal, but maybe the hell spawn would not mind it feasting on his brain after he was squashed by a thrown rock. Still, siding with the lesser races of Triboar might have it's advantages, it hadn't had the opportunity to taste giant brain yet but the thought sent it's writhing tentacles into a brief unsettling flurry of excitement.

"This is Agars and Loralai, I do not know if they are a mated couple." Meroki, Agar and Loralai can hear in their minds, but it is clearly directed at the newly arrived hell spawned chef. "This one will help you Meroki, against giantkind, but more intelligence must be gathered first." The mindflayer insists. "Are you two what the surface dwellers call adventurers too?" The ilithid then turns and telepathically asks the pale warrior and the half-breed.

The tuneless but curious humming that has been slowly approaching ever since Meroki and Amber took flight breaks off with a heavy sigh at the mention of renewed trouble with the giants.  A young firbolg man in scuffed leather is approaching, and it seems to be from him that the sigh came.  As he approaches the group you can hear him murmur to himself, "The curse of Q'ain.  Of unbound rage ... will giantkind ever be free from it?"  He becomes aware he'd been speaking out loud and flushes slightly, then pauses for a moment before coming to a decision.  He turns to Meroki as the person he last heard speaking and says, "I am sad to hear my furious kindred are threatening the North again.  Zostri Erlamin am I, and beg pardon for seeming to eavesdrop.  But I was concerned ... and ..."  He seems to lose track of what he was saying a moment, and a flicker of something stranger flits through his slightly sunken eyes a moment.  Then he blinks and resumes speaking; he does not seem aware of having paused.  "Anyway, there's a family name involved to live up to, and all that.  Bit heavy to put on a fellow, but there it is.  I'm in if you're putting together a group ... know a bit about the wyld places of life that could come in handy."

Meroki looks curious as the new arrival speaks of a curse affecting giantkind. He's never heard of such a thing. At least, he doesn't remember. 

When Zostri asks to be forgiven for eavesdropping, Meroki gives them a gentle smile. Showing that no harm has been done. 

"Nonsense. I'm glad you approached! The more friends, the better! I know that this isn't something that can be done alone. That would be suicidal."

As Zostri talks about living up to their family name, Meroki gives them an understanding nod and places a hand on their shoulder, if they allow it.

"I've been there, Zostri. But I learned that doing what you desire is more important than living up to other's expectations. Had I done what my parents asked of me, I would still be meditating within the confines of a monastery. And of course, I'm more than happy to accept you into our group!"

He looks around and then realization hits him. He had spoken as if it was a fact that they were an adventuring party. He coughs as if to clear his throat. 

"But we're not an adventuring party. Yet. I was merely introducing myself and making my goals clear. I know Arcaelothryx'x" gesturing to the illithid "is interested in accompanying me to investigate more on the giant's attacks. So you're more than welcome to join me, too. I'll make sure to keep you well fed!"