Having defeated the Kobold ambush blocking our way into the town of Winterhaven, we finally arrive at it's gates already late into the night. At first sight, it doesn't seem like a very large town, although it looks a lot better than Scart. At least it has some proper walls guarded by militia all around the perimeter, although it seems the walls have seen better days and the guards lights patrolling the edges of town seem a little too few.
Due to the lateness of the hour, we find the gates already closed. After summoning for the guard, we are met by 2 very shabby looking guardsmen giving us rather suspicious looks... They immediately demand us to state our business in not so friendly terms. Alerted by Rebecca's warnings against trusting the people of Winterhaven, i decide it's probably for the best not to tell them our real purpose, and attempt to bluff our way in.
Using my bluff skills, I tell them that we are a travelling group of mercenaries looking for some honest guard work and that we had heard that Winterhaven was under some kind of trouble and could use some muscle to sort it out. They seemed to believe me, but proceeded in asking us how we had gotten through the Kobold barricade in the King's Road, to which i responded that we had easily vanquished them. Then i pointed to the mules, showing them the spoils of that encounter.
After this, they seemed much more at ease, but noticing the child Daniel, they inquired why we were travelling with a child. Using my diplomacy, i told them that the child was our apprentice, a poor orphan we had taken in and were training in the arts of combat. I also pleaded with the guards to let us pass so we could rest and that it was cruel to deny shelter to a tired child. Finally convinced we could be trusted, they opened the gates and presented themselves as Bob and Noddy, members of the local militia. They would allow us passage and shows us the way to the local inn, but our weapons would have to stay in their custody at the gates. Despite much grumbling from most of the party, we accepted and departed for the Inn.
As we arrive to the Inn, we find the establishment already closed, but in dire need of food and rest we knock at the door. Moments later the door opens revealing a mid 40's woman with voluptuous curves, very large breasts and a rather revealing cleavage, named Salvanna. After putting the mules away in the stable, she serves us some cold meats and pints of mead. Chuck, who seemed more taken by the voluptuous and remarkably well-preserved innkeeper than the rest of us, immediately begins to flirt with Salvanna, which much to our surprise seems to welcome his advances. With our stomachs saciated, it was now time for bed. The next day promised to be a busy one...
We wake up early the next day, intent in scouring the town for information. As we attempt to speak with the townspeople, we realize that most of the town was rather suspicious of us and weren't very keen on forking over some useful knowledge. We do manage to discover that in it's better days Winterhaven had been a prosperous trade town, a place of passage for merchants who traveled either from the King's Road or from the near town of Bort. It was now going through some serious difficulties, mostly because of raider attacks. The few who spoke with us also told us that if we wanted more information we should speak either with the town's leader, Lord Ernest, or the resident cleric, Sister Leonora. We also find that our contact Elian the Old is known to spend most of his day at the inn, drinking and telling crazy tales and legends.
We head out to the Lord's residence ann when we arrive we find that we are expected. We are quickly received by Lord Ernest who had already heard about our arrival, and had a business proposition to present us with. He explains that his town had been prosperous before, but that ever since Kobold raiders had arrived at the area, it's destruction seemed imminent and likely. The raiders seemed to have great numbers at their disposal and had totally cut off all the paths into Winterhaven, attacking all travelers. All he could do with the few militia he had at his disposal was guard the city walls and hope to endure for as long as they could, hoping for external rescue. He then asks us if we could deal with the raiders and offer to pay us 5 gold each per day plus expenses and the right to keep all the loot we could find from the raiders. We accept, despite having some reservations regarding the Lord's cheapness with the daily fees...
He then informs us that his spies had confirmed the existence of blockades in the King's Road and in the road leading to Bort, and none on the road leading to the Old Keep in Wilf's Fair. We asked him why they weren't blocking thar particular road and he aswered that it was probably because noone is fool enough to follow the road to such a cursed place. Noone who ever went that way had returned. We press him for more information on that and he directs us to speak with his scholar, Valtrum. Back on the raider subject he informs us that there are suspicions that they have a base somewhere in the direction of Bort. Also, there have been reports of several townsfolk missing, presumably kidnapped by the raiders, while outside the walls. Having already dealt with the blockade in the King's Road, we leave the Lord's home with the promise of dealing with the other blockade soon.
But first, there are still many people to see and many questions to be answered. Stay tuned as we milk the town for more intel and set out to meet the raiders in the next installment of Keep on the Shadowfell.
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