Chapter 3 - Killing Time in Fallcrest

With Autumn Festival overwhelming the local inns and taverns, the party is forced to seek accommodations at the Lucky Gnome, widely regarded as the cheapest and coarsest of Fallcrest’s drinking establishments. Here, our adventurers secure the tavern loft for the night and spend a couple hours enjoying the surprisingly good ale, the bawdy tunes and smoky atmosphere of the bar while the tavern owner (Kelson, a suspicious and squat, ugly bastard) barks commands at his “un-lucky" gnome, Farrell.

 Zantus, emboldened by his clever deciphering of Nimozaran’s puzzle, finds himself pulled into a drinking contest with a rough but amiable dwarf (Binwin). Losing almost immediately, Zantus is forced to buy drinks for all of the dwarf's friends, who comprise the entire current residency of the Lucky Gnome (including Kelson the owner, the heavily-drunk bard, two city guards and a colorful assortment of low-lifes).

 Meanwhile, Arranis accidentally spills the drink of an oversized and foul-breathed half-orc named Brug. Brug attempts to throw the monk through the Tavern’s main window, but Arranis deftly slips out of the half-orc’s greasy hands and Kilgorin rises quickly to his ally’s aid. Davlyn, observing several other thugs standing conspiratorially to support Brug, ushers Aryanne to safety behind the bar. Meanwhile, Zantus, still shaking the effects of his contest with Binwin, stumbles to his feet in an effort to join the fray.

Brug proves no match for Arranis' martial training (and one or two of Davlyn’s fleeting arrows). Brug’s ruffian entourage (and the main floor of the tavern) are quickly decimated by Kilgorin’s indiscriminate fire magic. All the while, the dwarf Binwin sits in the corner drinking and roaring his amused approval.

As the fight moves outside the tavern, the party comes under fire from a lurking archer on the roof of the building opposite. They quickly realize that the poisoned arrows are sent by the same Drow they had encountered on the King’s Road the night previous. Seconds later, the brutal blademistress emerges from a nearby alley, forcing the ailing party to head for cover back inside the Lucky Gnome.

 Thankfully, the Drow flee once more into darkness as a squad of the Fallcrest Guard marches in seeking to put an end to the tavern’s brawling (a clear violation of the town's public nuisance and disorderly conduct laws). Kelson, raging over the damage done to his tavern, does not turn the party over to the guardsmen, choosing instead to demand payment from them as recompense. The party agrees to pay him the 60 silver they took from Brug and his fallen cronies.

The party takes turns keeping watch as they rest through the night. Davlyn attempts to soothe the restless sleep of Aryanne, and suffers her own dark dreams imbued with the presence of a mysterious, cloaked stranger.

The next day, the party enjoys a fine and plentiful breakfast served by Farrell (who has worked through the night to restore the tavern’s main floor to business) and then wanders town seeking supplies for their journey. At the outskirts of the market, the adventurers happen upon an unusual merchant, Fidor, who hides a wondrous item among his enchanted trinkets and bric a brac. Kilgorin trades a valuable black pearl for the merchant’s bag of tricks, stowing it for later use.

Stopping by to pick up the elixirs prepared by Nimozaran, the party begins the 3-day journey north to the Abbey in the Gardbury Downs.