Chapter 1 is here.

The main room of the Nentir Inn was well lit by lanterns and a very large fireplace at the far end from the front door. A long bar dominated the left side of the room with the right wall hidden by a row of booths. Benches, tables, and stools filled the majority of the middle of the room. The dank smell of wet straw mingled with the ashy smoke from the fireplace and unwashed patrons to assault Thordek and Alanna’s senses. They shut the door behind them to keep the rain from making matters worse. Thordek removed his cloak and hung it from a peg near the door. He chose an empty table and set his pack and warhammer on the floor underneath. The warmth of the nearby fire began to chase the chill from the chain of his armor. Alanna flopped her drenched self into the chair across from him.

A middle-aged woman approached their table. “Hello. Welcome to…I thought I told you to stay out of this place. There’s no free room and board here girl.” She glared at Alanna.

“She’s with me,” Thordek replied.

“Oh, my apologies sir. Her little gang of thieves come in here every now and then to steal food or find a place to sleep. Keep an eye on her or Erandil will hold you responsible. Now what can I get you?”

Thordek hesitated to answer, his attention elsewhere for a moment. “Why do you want me to get you an ale? You can’t drink.” Another pause, “No I’m not going to buy one so you can look at it. Let me eat in peace will you?”

“Pardon sir?” the waitress asked confused.

“Um, not you. Sorry, let me have a bowl of whatever stew you’ve got and a beer.” The waitress turned to leave. “Oh, and some porridge for the child.”

“Hey! Who are you calling a child?” Alanna demanded.

“You want something to eat right?” Thordek said.

“Um, yes. Please, “Alanna replied meekly.

“Then shut it!”

While waiting for their meal, Thordek glanced around the room at its patrons. Many of the tables and booths were occupied by folk who appeared to be laborers and farmers. The usual citizens of Nentir Vale. A few however caught his attention. Like Thordek himself, they did not appear to be from around Fellcrest.

A gnome woman was chatting the ear off a massively muscled, and shirtless, half-orc a few tables away from Thordek and Alanna. The huge man was well tanned and wore studded leather breeches. A pair of hardened leather shoulder pads were anchored by large straps that crossed his chest and fastened to his belt. Twin whips coiled like snakes made their nests at his hips. His hands and forearms were covered by spiked leather leaving only his fingers exposed. His long black hair was pulled into a single ponytail leaving nothing to hide the long sideburns that ran to the sharp teeth protruding from the corners of his mouth. He paid the gnome little attention concentrating on drinking whatever was in a large mug.

The gnome did not seem bothered by her audience’s inattention. She continued gabbing about this and that while the half-orc drank. She was a small woman, even smaller than Thordek. Her white hair tangled wildly in all directions and her charcoal eyes glistened as she spoke. Shre wore a full suit of leather armor with patches here and there and several mismatched buckles. A short sword sat in a scabbard at her waist on one side and a dagger on the other. Her tiny pack lay on the floor at her feet. Tied to the outside were a small round shield made of wood, a quiver and small bow, and a coil of rope that was almost as large as the pack itself.

The third intriguing character Thordek noticed was seated at the furthest booth from the fireplace. He was facing away from Thordek and still wore his cloak indoors. The man’s silhouette reminded Thordek of the loggers he had seen in Nenlast years ago and the large waraxe on the bench next to him confirmed his suspicion.

The waitress soon returned with their food. Thordek thanked her and asked for a room and bath.

“Eberk asked if you would like to stay with us tonight,” he said to Alanna.

“Is he your imaginary friend?” She replied.

“Sort of. I’ll explain sometime. Well do you?”

“I had an imaginary friend once. When I was a kid.” Alanna said.

Thordek glared at her.

“Um, yes please,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Yes, you’re right. At least she has some manners,” Thordek answered someone.

“Who has some manners? Me? Oh yes I do, hi, my name is Nissa, what are your names?” the gnome woman appeared out of nowhere and dropped her pack onto the floor next to Thordek. “So do you two like to adventure…”

“Excuse me,” Thordek interrupted.

“… I love to adventure, maybe we can adventure together, do you need a job? I know of someone who is looking to hire people like us, maybe you can join us…”

“Excuse me.”

“…I already have two men who need some work and want to join us, hopefully you can join us too, that would be great, the four of us, we could take on anything in Nentir Vale, they’ll tell stories of us someday, like the stories of Aranda Marklehay, we’ll be known as the Heroes of Nentir Vale…”

“Excuse me!”

“What? How rude, well maybe you’re not the kind of person we are looking for, but if you decide to be more cordial, meet me and my friends here in the common room tomorrow morning, have a good night!” The woman picked up her pack and disappeared up the stairs.

“What was that all about?” Alanna asked.

“I don’t know,” Thordek replied. “But I sure could use the work. You’re free to stay in my room for the night, but tomorrow we part paths.”

After finishing their meal in silence, the two retired to welcome warm baths, then to a moderately furnished room. There was only one bed which Thordek gave to the girl. The wooden floor was nothing new to the hardy dwarf and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the floor.

A lone stout figure shuffled along the muddy road towards the hazy red of the setting sun. Cold wind grabbed at his cloak permitting the light drizzling rain to enter its lukewarm confines. He grasped the flapping ends and secured them with renewed determination to keep out the early chill of winter. The straps of a small backpack and the warhammer slung over his shoulder aided his efforts. The wind tugged with the ebon braids of his beard sneaking them out of the cover of his cloak so they could play in the rain.

“We are almost to Fallcrest?” He asked no one. “Good. Been a long walk from the Fiveleague House and you know I’m not in the best shape.” A sudden gust overcame the figure’s grip and pulled off his hood revealing a bare pate to the rain. He grumbled and tugged the errant hood back over his head. “And this weather has become annoying. I miss the comfort of my shop in Hammerfast. My former shop.” He paused to adjust his grip to combat the efforts of the wind. “You know very well you’re the reason I left.”

The figure trudged on through the muck towards his destination. Rolling hills and copses of trees passed by and gave way to small farmsteads, some in use, some in ruin, indicating the increasing presence of civilization. After many twists and turns through the hills a bend around one such hill revealed the figure’s destination at last, Fallcrest.

The traveler pushed his slumping shoulders back as he approached the gate. The twenty foot walls flanking the gatehouse stretched for several hundred feet before falling off a bluff to the south and climbing a hill to the north that was topped by a small keep.

“Halt! State your name and business,” a gruff voice called out from the shadows of the gatehouse.

The figure stopped and peered into the shadows. His vision able to see clearly through the darkness. A dwarf clad in scale armor was between two human guards wielding halberds. The figure replied, “My name is Thordek from Hammerfast. Locksmith by trade. I am passing through and need lodging for the night.”

“You alone?” the dwarf asked.

Thordek paused, whispering a hush to no one in particular. “Yes,” he replied.

“Very well then, move along. ” The guards made way for Thordek to pass through the gatehouse into the town.

“It has been a while since I’ve been here. Can you tell me where I can find lodging?”

“Silver Unicorn by the Knight’s Gate, but by the looks of things you might not be able to afford them. Try the Nentir Inn across the river,” one of the guards said.

“Thank you. Good to see a fellow dwarf outside of Hammerfast,” Thordek replied and began walking. “What? You want to stay at the Prancing Pony?”

“Excuse me?” the dwarf guard asked.

Thordek turned. “Oh sorry, just talking to myself.”

“Hmmph. I thought you asked about the Prancing Pony. That place burned down before the Bloodspear War before y’er even born kid,” the dwarf replied.

Thordek thanked the guards and left. Following the guard’s directions, he turned right when he reached a temple topped by white minarets. The building sat on the edge of a large bluff that divided Fallcrest. Other than several large warehouses along the riverfront, most of the buildings in the lower city were ruined. A small stream on Thordek’s left flowed into the town from the east and careened down the bluff in a waterfall filling a small pond below before meeting up with the Nentir River on the western side of town. Further south of the stream in the lower portion of the town was a steep hill with a pale green spire perched atop it. The only access to the tower was via a bridge from the upper section of the town.

Thordek turned his attention back to the temple and his trek through the town. He recognized several symbols of Sehanine, the goddess of the moon and autumn. And trickery and illusions, Thordek thought.

“Yes I know I am being followed,” he said to himself. “It’s just a little girl.” He continued walking.

“Fine! I’ll ask her,” he said turning around and seeing the girl duck behind a building. The sun was set, but there were enough lights to permit Thorde’s dwarven vision to see the girl peering around the corner in the shadows. “Come on out little girl and tell me why you’re following me.”

After a few moments, the girl slowly left her hiding place and approached Thordek. Taller than the dwarf by several inches, the waif was dressed in rags, although the drizzling rain had washed away some of the grime from her body. He could see the glint of her red hair and the abundant freckles on her face in the dim light. Thordek asked again who she was and why she was following him.

“I’m sorry sir. I saw you talking to some invisible person and thought you might be able to help a poor orphan,” she said.

“Rob me is more like it!” Thordek replied.

“No! Never! I’m not like those other kids.”

“What’s your name?”

“Alanna.”

The dwarf listened for a moment. “Fine. But if we get into trouble because of her, it’s your fault.”

“What?” Alanna asked.

“Nevermind girl. Come on.” Thordek headed back towards the river and the Nentir Inn, glancing over his shoulder to ensure the girl was following. The two soon crossed over the only bridge over the Nentir River in the entire valley. A wooden structure set on old stone arched pilings. Thordek figured they have been around for a few centuries, but the wood was no more than a few decades old. The Nentir Inn lay just beyond the bridge. Thordek opened the door for Alanna and escorted her inside.

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The heroes of Nentir Vale is my feeble attempt at fiction using some of the more off the wall D&D characters I have created lately. Since I don’t get the opportunity to play D&D much, I figured this would be one way to do so. Anyway, hopefully somebody out there gets a little enjoyment from these tales, but if not, at least I will.