A New Horizon

As the sun rose over Sweetwater Plain, the first rays beamed into the windows of Bjorn's tavern. One would never know that a violent thunderstorm passed through the night before. The light shining between the cracks of the patched window threw a prismatic array of color on the wall. With a loud wide yawn, Bjorn stumbled out from his quarters, stretching to greet the day.

"Well, I guess there's a silver lining to all this" he chuckled as he noticed the rainbow cast from the cracked window. As he shuffled into the kitchen, the clanging of pots and pans could be heard. "What in the blazes is this?!" Bjorn asked, surprised as the scent of Chickalo eggs and sizzling Plainhog meat filled through the air.

"Oh, you're up earlier than I thought" greeted Ulfric. "I was hoping to have everything ready for everyone before they got up. Figured it was the least I could do after...last night. Went out earlier and gathered everything for breakfast, it's all very fresh - just finishing up the cooking now."

"You might have gathered it, but did you pay for it?" Bjorn joked with a laugh.

"That's...fair," admitted Ulfric, "I didn't pay for this, but the eggs were from a wild Chickalo nest outside of town and I trapped the Plainhog as well for this meat."

"Well then" Bjorn said, taking a seat, "you're full of surprises aren't you? It's a much appreciated gesture, though this place has seen worse bar fights and scallywags come through. A broken window is far better than forks and goblins flying everywhere."

"My, my, what is this now Ulfric?" Snorfkin had joined the two near the main tavern room. "I was hoping to grab some springwater and start planning our journey while the others are still waking up" he said, lifting a map in his left hand for emphasis, "though I suppose a hearty meal is good fuel for the start of our next adventure!"

"Oh? Where might we head next?" Ulfric asked, as he finished plating the last of the meals. "Hopefully this is at least as good as the Snorfkingdom grub you are used to! Consider this a thank you/apology for last night, I'm hoping the group isn't too shaken after everything that happened yesterday."

"I'm sure most of them will appreciate this. I certainly do!" Snorf responded, taking a seat the table. Laying out the large parchment map, he took a long slow sip of his water and placed the cup down, helping hold the map in place. One by one, the group slowly awoke and gathered around the table.

"Ah good, you're all here", Snorfkin greeted the rest of the party, all in various states of awakeness, "please, take a seat. Ulfric has prepared a culinary mea culpa."

The group seemed joyful at the prospect of the meal, while none were overly thrilled, some certainly saw it as a genuine effort by Ulfric to make amends. Bee eyed the forks on the table with great caution.

Awoken by the party of Vale Adventurers, Gromprich and his band of goblins began to slowly file into the tavern's main hall as well.

"Well look at this! Ulfric prepared us some grub for a meal. There's enough for all of us too riiiiigghtt Ulfric?" Gromprich asked with a smirk, seemingly unconcerned with if there was or not.

"Gromprich, ya big oaf, you and your lot are welcome to this too," sighed Ulfric. "Listen, this shouldn't have happened, but next time you can't charge that much for Poku Bogwater, especially not to us goblin-folk."

"You bogwollop, I can charge what I please," retorted Gromprich. "Buuuttt, perhaps we can work something out, this meal looks pretty good. The tavern in Poku Bog could always use a chef like you to teach us some new dishes!" Gromprich laughed with a juicy mouthful of the breakfast. T'was unsightly, but fitting for the goblin.

The goblins took any stool available throughout the tavern, some of them mingling with the party. All around, the scene was exceptionally calm given the events of the night before and the events of the other night before. Bjorn seemed quite pleased with the situation, having a full tavern this early in the morning was a rare but welcome sight.

After most of the party finished their meal, Snorfkin stood up to take charge of the group.

"Now then, to the business of why we're all here. Some of you may have come here looking for adventure, and there's certainly an opportunity for it if we're all so inclined. The storm last night - it felt darker than most storms, did it not? There's rumors of more extreme storms coming from the far side of the Hawixia Mountains, and ice golems even bigger than normal there. Something in the Bermzian Frostlands to the south of Hawixia may hold a source of these troubles. I fear that whatever, or whoever, is causing this may use a snow storm as a way to eventually move north to the Sweetwater Plains. If that happens....well, Bjorn I think a broken window will be the least of your concerns."

"Aye, but why now? Surely there must be something driving this shift in weather, is there not?" inquired a concerned Bjorn, nodding in agreement that the potential danger is something he did not want to face.

"Well, that's just it. These storms, people say they feel different but can't quite put their fingers on why. It could be magical, but I guess no one can be certain. That's part of my motivation for taking a party there to investigate. No one has stayed in the mountains for very long in recent history. Well, at least no one who lived to talk about it."

Kira popped up, concerned with Snorf's latest implication of danger. "If no one can survive there, how are we meant to?!"

"Well, there are certainly some preparations we'll need to make for the journey. One doesn't simply stroll up the Hawixia mountains," conceded Snorf. "Given the intense cold, it makes sense to have an ally that could provide warmth for the journey." Reaching into his cloak, Snorf pulled out a rolled scroll, "Luckily, I have received an invitation to speak with Arwen the Red of the Obsidian Clan. We could travel to the groves deep under the shore of Obsidian Coast if we want to pursue that. I know that might not be a preferable option for some," he said, with a glance towards Ulfric.

Rubbing the stone in his arm, "I'm willing to do it if it's for the betterment of the group - at least on the shore it's a safer area for us."

"Oy, if you lot are needing supplies for your journey," interupted Gromprich, "we could set you up with some Poku Bogwater. For a fee of course, or you could help us with a few...problems in the bog."

"Hmmm," Snorfkin weighing the offer, "I doubt we'll have enough to cover your prices, though I'm curious what the problem you're referring to is. The Bogwater might not keep us warm, but a short side expedition there may be worth the trip. What is it that you ask of us?"

"Ha! Well, that's the thing of it, you'd be solving the root cause of the high prices. We've been having production issues. There are a few Wodniks that decided to make a nest at the disterilly where we refine and filter the bogwater. If you clear them out, there's two cases of the bogwater and a permanent discount at our tavern waiting for you. Except for Ulfric, he'll pay the usual fare, or cook us some more Plainhog steaks! Ha!" Gromprich seemed entertained with his offer and joke at Ulfric's expense, though he was more enthralled by the flavors of his breakfast than he was being serious.

"Wodniks?" asked Anachron, "should I even ask?"

"They're wet little bastards that killed three of our crew," offered Gromprich, "hard to spot, and they'll pull ya right under the water!"

Not entirely satisfied by Gromprich's vague and rather vulgar description, Bjorn explained, "Wodniks are small but vicious creatures that live in the water. According to legend, they're evil spirits that harvest souls by drowning them. Personally? I think the soul bit is far fetched, they just drown and eat whatever they can manage. Not many things survive a fight underwater, especially not against Wodniks."

"Ah, well, that is...certainly an option for us," considered Snorkfin. "The Bogwater would be extremely helpful, either in talks with Arwen and her tribe or on the mountains. But..." he continued, turning to face the group, "this is not my decision. It is yours. What should be our first priority on this journey?"

SNORFKINGDOM COMMUNITY DECISION MOMENT

Listen up, Snorflings, it's time to make a decision. Should the party take up Arwen the Red's invitation for a meeting? Or should the group take a journey to the Poku Bog to deal with Gromprich's Wodnik problem?

It's up to you to decide! To influence the decision, either leave a comment on this post with your choice, or state your preference in the "💡suggestions-and-votes" channel in the Snorfkingdom Discord. You are also able to do both to gain an extra vote.