In the Beginning...

There was snow. A lot of it. For reasons not fully revealed, even now, the three (heroes?) companions trekked north. Further and further into desolate frozen wastelands of snow so deep foot no longer seemed to touch ground, only pressing into harder snow beneath. Three unlikely companions: Two elves, one a druid (Cor'Nal Utharo), the other a rogue (Ademar) and their half-orc servant/whipping boy Vrock, Son of Grock finally saw what they'd been hoping to see for days: A warm place.

Over a hill in the midst of a mild, late-evening snowstorm it came into view, a small hamlet maybe 80-90 buildings in all. Mostly modest homes, only about three-quarters of which seemed to be permanent structures. But at the southern-most edge, along where the closest thing to a road could be discerned, lay a building larger than most but smaller than a few. Plumes of fragrant gray smoke, visible against the moonlight, billowed out from the chimney. Its roof of tarred pine branch and log walls of the same wood; the only kind that could grow this far north. Instinctively, in their years of traveling they each knew the building could only mean one thing.

"A bed." Cor'Nal said to himself.
"Food." Vrock said to himself.
"Heat." Ademar said to himself.

Of course all three things really meant one thing: An inn. Even now, uphill, upwind and still a mile away the smells and sounds were unmistakable. Rowdy banter, spiced potatoes and roasted lamb all filled their senses causing their exhausted pace to quicken. Though one more time they wished they'd found some way to acquire horses, flying carpets, goats or any other form of permanent transportation.

They arrived in minutes though it seemed like hours. Freezing, starving and exhausted they each passed but not a one of them read the sign at front that read:

"Welcome to Homebound"
Magda Dervish, Proprietor