Welcome to Karnstown - Group 3, Session 2

After another few days on the road following their encounter with the bandits, the party arrived at the North Gate of the City of Karnstown, along with Maretta Colifer and her children. They joined the small line of other travelers - mostly merchant wagons and farmer carts to await what appeared to be their "entrance interview" with the city guards posted at the gate. They watched, bored, as one after another ahead of them had a brief discussion with the guard that appeared to be in charge. In some instances, coins were passed from traveler to the city official, and finally, they were next up.

Asked their names and reason for visiting the city, the party introduced themselves as travelers passing through. When Maretta gave her name, though, she also explained that she was coming to see her sister, Janissette Clithrow. The official clearly recognizes this name, and looks waringly at the road-weary Maretta and her children in their ragged wagon with some doubt. A subordinate is dispatched into the city while Maretta - and the rest of the party - are told to wait a while. The next travelers are called forward and the the guards continue to move the line of visitors into the city while the party cools its heels.

Finally, though, the dispatched underling returns, along with a finely dressed woman. She immediately recognizes Maretta, who jumps down from her wagon and runs to embrace her sister. Satisfied that she is who she claimed to be, the officials wave Maretta and her wagon through the gate without further delay. They then turn to the half-orc, goblin, and halflings.

The interview was typical and brief. "Where are you staying?", "What will you be doing?". The party is informed of the entry duty they must pay: a silver for each person and a copper for each animal. Rather than deal with all their horses and wagon, they decide to make use of the livery stable just outside the gates and they split off the line to make arrangements for the keeping of their transportation. Only Dhraanng's new equine companion will go into the city with them. Returning to the officials at the gate, they pay their silvers and copper and are finally waved through the gates of the city.

The guards had suggested the nearby Riverside Inn as a good place to stay, but Tom and Kleone had another suggestion. Being brought up in Spudbarrow (a Halfling village only two days west of Karnstown), they had heard good reports of a place called the Traveler's Hearth near the city's eastern gate. And so, the party made its way across town. After seeing to Roach (Dhraanng's mount/companion), they secured rooms at the Hearth. The halflings and goblin were especially pleased to find that the rooms given to them were "sized" for Halflings - clearly this place knew how to make its guests feel at home.

After a wonderful dinner, a good night's sleep, and a hearty breakfast, the group decided to explore the city a bit. On their way to the inn the prior evening, they had passed through or near the city's three open-air marketplaces, so that seemed a good place to start. The two halflings had another specific destination in mind - a tavern called "Almost Home" that they recalled hearing great things about from the halfling merchants and farmers that visited Karnstown often from their Spudbarrow home. The East Market Square was on the way there, so it seemed a good place to start.

The East Market Square was all about food. The square was really just a place where several streets joined in a broad intersection with one of the city's public wells at its center. Permanent shops - bakeries, poulters, butchers, and the like - formed the outer ring of the market, but most of the open space was filled with small carts and other temporary selling booths. Farmers were selling fresh produce, fruit preserves, home-made sausages and other cured or dried foods. There were quite a number of vendors cooking and selling various foods as well.

One booth in particular caught Gambit's eye; she hadn't seen or eaten a good Rat-On-A-Stick (a goblin delicacy) in many years! She scurried over to the vendor's area which consisted of a table in front and a grill behind and ordered two. Despite the name, Dhraanng decided they looked safe enough, so he ordered one as well. The halflings politely declined. The meat was well grilled, and the glaze applied was better than Gambit remembered. Just the right balance of sweetness and blazing pepper heat! She heartily ate, alternating bites between the one in her left hand and the one in her right.

Dhraanng had decided he wanted to check out a weapon vendor that the innkeeper at the Traveler's Hearth had told him about, so that was their next stop. The shop was decorated with exotic looking weapons - including an impressive pair of orc necksplitters mounted on the back wall. The half-orc proprietor seemed somewhat disinterested, but answered any questions that Dhraanng had. He expressed particular interest in the weaponsmith's ability to etch magical runes, but the price was more than he could afford at the moment.

The next stop was the Almost Home Tavern - the place that the halflings had heard about. This turned out to be a tavern run by halflings forhalflings! Everything was halfling sized, from the short, narrow doorways to the low ceilings, to the tables, benches and chairs. Many a patron got some enjoyment out of watching Dhraanng ducking most (but not all) of the low ceiling beams and crunching himself down into a tiny seat at a short table. But, in typical halfling fashion, the portions of food and drink were most definitely not downsized. For the halflings Tom and Kleone, this was truly a slice of home where they felt more comfortable than they've been since they left home.

But it was here where Tom started to notice that something was amiss with Dhraanng and Gambit. They weren't acting like themselves. The Almost Home should have evoked a string of snide comments about tiny folk from the half-orc, and the plates of food being carried about by the wait staff should have had the goblin at least considering a trip around the room to sample whatever she could while a patron wasn't watching. But neither happened. The two sat quietly. They ate and drank what was put in front of them. They responded to questions and comments politely. But they didn't seem themselves.

Heading back to their inn brought the group back through the East Gate Market area once more, and now even Kleone started to notice that there were subtle behavior changes in the population. The market was busy, but unusually quiet. The loud sounds of haggling, the good-natured ribbing, the overloud complaints of customers about high prices were all absent. Things were being bought and sold, but it was as if everything was on autopilot. There were a few exceptions, of course, but their small number served only to highlight the problem. And when asked, the usually observant Dhraanng didn't seem to notice anything wrong.

The group returned to the Traveler's Hearth and enjoyed a hearty dinner. Tom and Kleone kept an eye on Dhraanng and Gambit, who continued to show the same... indifference?... to everything around them, but otherwise seemed fine. They noticed a few other patrons, and even the bartender, also seeming to be quieter and less spirited than usual. At least the innkeeper, Dalfin Featherbottom, seemed the same boisterous, busy halfling that he was when they arrived the evening before.

The party retired for the night with Tom and Kleone wondering what might be wrong - if anything - with their companions. Perhaps tomorrow would tell.