You're walking down a dirt path, forest on both sides of you. You started your journey at dawn, leaving the cottage you once called home to head for a better life. It is about midday.
Along the path you see a large caravan approaching you. As it gets closer you hear a voice shout
Voice: "Hail traveler!"
The caravan comes to halt a few feet ahead of you and the driver hops off and comes over to you.
Voice: "My name is Leopole Davis, I'm a merchant from Territ. I was hoping to get to Rhysand by next nightfall but I seem to have gotten lost. Do happen to know the way?"
What do you do?
He looks releived.
Leopole: "Thank you traveler, were it not for you I'd have been traveling this forest for weeks."
He shakes your hand and waves you towards his caravan
Leopole: "Come, come. Take a seat, simply point me towards our destination and we'll be off."
You climb up, seating yourself and pointing to Rhysand, which happened to be back in the direction you came from.
It puts a delay in your journey, but that doesn't deter you. You're back on the same path come evening, and in two days you make it to your destination.
His shoulders slump.
Leopole: "Aye, I understand."
He wipes his brow and sighs
Leopole: "Well, thank you either way traveler, I guess I'll be on my way."
He passes you, going the complete opposite direction of where Rhysand lay.
You let him pass and continue on your way, you were far to busy to help him anyway. The rest of the trip is uneventful, and in two day's time you make it to your destination.
He frowns at you, brow furrowed.
Leopole: "I'd be giving you a free ride to the most populated trade city in the area. If that ain't on your way then you're headed to the wilds, and only adventurers and the like go by that way."
He refuses to pay you, but it would be shameful to leave him like this now that you've already let on that you know the way. You point him in the right direction and he takes off with a huff. You continue your journey and by dawn you arrive at your destination.
The city of Ga'ress is a border city, meaning it lies on the border between the countries of Helios and Thable, where you currently reside. The two sides are amicable towards the other, but everyone knows that tension has been brewing between the two countries since the death of King Baynr of Thable.
You came here because you recieved a summons from the Monarch of Helios, Ylvet. Only someone with a death wish would refuse, so here you are. The city is far from the capital as well as close to a potenital war outbreak, so it was surprising to have the king summon you here of all places.
The summons reads:
On the 3rd month of year 40 in the age of the great healer Nyte. I, Exalted Monarch, Dragon Slayer, and Benevolent One Ylvet, hereby summon the one who recives this to the city of Ga'ress, and therein the inn of the Sleeping Werehound.
It is early morning, the sun barely peaks over the rooftops and the smell of fresh bread wafts over from a nearby bakery. The city is unknown to you, and as you wander the streets you realize you have no idea where the inn of the Sleeping Werehound is.
You look at the people passing by and see several people who look like they'd know their way around.
There's a gaudy looking gnome man strumming a lute and humming to himself, walking alongside a slightly shorter gnome woman who smiles plesantly occasionally sticking a foot out in an attempt to trip her companion. He nibly jumps over her leg everytime, never breaking his stride nor huming out of tune.
There is a tall blue dragonborn who sits at a storefront polishing a chest plate. His scales seem to be graying in the area around his neck, and he has several scars that can be seen along the exposed scales. He is mising a finger. Despite his intimidating look, he exudes a presence of grandfatherly wisdom.
There is a younger looking human boy who has his nose stuck in a book. Despite his fixation he is able to nimbly dodge around obstacles, never bumbping into anyone. He wears a feathered cap and a too-big sweater, he looks to be no more than 15 years of age.
There is a halfling woman who smiles as she strolls down the lane. She waves at everyone she passes and makes silly faces at the children, who giggle with delight in response. She is wearing armor, but it is polished and unmarred, too new to have seen any real battle.
You go over to the gnome duo and politely ask for directions.
The man pauses in his song as you approach and he gives you a kind, if not a little saccerine, smile. The woman simply nods in your direction as acknowledgement.
Gnome Male: "Well hello there! What can I do for you?"
You explain that you simply need directions to a certain inn. His eyes light up in recognition as you say the name.
Gnome Male: "Wonderful! That happens to be exactly where we're staying."
You thank him and ask that he point you the right way.
Gnome Male: "We don't know where it is either, but maybe with our combined effort we can find it together."
He starts off again but falls flat on his face, tripping over the leg that the woman had stuck out once again. She looks at you with a smirk on her face.
Gnome Female: "I know the way, my dad's just an idiot, follow me."
She takes off in the other direction. The man scrambles up and takes after her, ruffling her hair when he catches up. She pushes him off with a smile.
You follow after them. It takes a few minutes of walking but you find yourself at the inn before the sun has yet to fully rise.
You timidly approach the dragonborn. He glances up once you're a few feet away and smiles when he spots you, waving you over.
Dragoborn: "You look lost friend, what can I do for you?"
You explain your current situation to the man, leaving out the parts reffering to the summons as a precaution. He smiles and pulls out a sheet of parchment and a quill from the bench beside him. He draws a crude but legible map for you.
Dragoborn: "Here you are friend, I hope your day finds you well."
You thank him a start following his map. You almost get lost a few times but by mid-morning you arrive at the inn.
You have to go as far as waving your hand in front of the boy's face before he jumps and notices you.
He looks sheepish once he looks up at you, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.
Boy: "Sorry about that stranger, I didn't see you there. Some detective I am. Anyway, what do you need me for?"
You ask for directions. He glances around and points down the road.
Boy: "Go that way until you see the sign for the Hanged Man, then turn left. After that take the first right you can, then it's just a short walk, you'll see it on the right side of the road."
You thank him, and though it takes you till noon to get there due to various wrong turns, you make it to the inn.
You give her a wave and she smiles as you approach.
Halfling: "Hello there, is there anything I can do for you?"
You explain your predicament to her and she hums, her brow furrowing.
Halfling: "I can't say I know where that is, I've only been here a night, but I can help in your search if you wish?"
With her help you ask around. It takes until nightfall, but you finally find the Inn.
The Inn of the Sleeping Werehound is a sleazy bar in the seedy part of town. It sits just inside the border of the Helios side of the city.
You enter the bar and you're instantly hit with the smell of cheep booze. There are several patrons scattered about the main room, all at different levels of intoxication. There is a haggard old man tanding the bar and a larger woman serving drinks and slapping away those who get too handsy with her. No one here looks like royalty.
You tentatively enter and go over to the bartender. He sees you and his eyes narrow, he sizes you up as you approach as soon as you sit he has a full glass sitting in front of you.
The man waves you off with a grunt
Bartender: "I did what I was told, just wait."
You sit at the bar, biding your time for several minutes. You sip your drink, somehing hard hits your lips.
You slam back the drink in one go. As you do you feel something hard and definately not liquor catch in your throat. You choke. It's fairly lodged in there and won't come out as much as you try to cough. Panic rises and you fall to the floor light-headed.
Something hard slams against your back and you cough, your airways suddenly free. You look up at your savior and come face to face with the barwench. She raises and eyebrow, her face unimpressed.
Barlady: "No need to rush hun, that stuff'll have you out in a wink if you go that fast.
You breath deeply and thank her, she simply nods and goes back to serving drinks.
You scan the floor for whatever lodged in your throat.
It's dry, plus in that moment before you choked you couldn't taste any metal.
It's old and covered in hair... gross, but definately not what you choked on.
It looks clean, but when you touch it, you realize it's covered in some sort of sticky goo. You don't want to know where this has been.
As soo as you pick it up, the bartender statches it from you.
Bartender:"That, would be mine."
....
Well at least you didn't eat it.
You sip at your drink carefully, knowing that if you meet the monarch while drunk you'll likely end up in jail, or exiled. As you nurse your drink you notice something solid in your drink, something not meant to be there.
You take the drink from him and hold onto it, it's lukewarm and smells like paint thinner. You wrinkle your nose at it.
As time passes people come and go from the bar, none approaching you nor looking like they may be of the monarch's escort. You begin to daydream when something catches your eye. Something glints from inside your glass.
You pointedly ignore the drink, looking at the bartender. He grunts at you.
Bartender: "Just take the drink, I did what I was paid to do so whoever wants to see you so bad will be here eventually."
You frown, but sit and accept the drink. When you take it, something inside seems to call to you. You fish it out.
It looks to be an average pebble. When you pick it up, it almost warms at your touch. The warmth thrums like a chord through you body, ignighting somthing that has since been slumbering within you. Then all at once it stops.
Open your eyes