“Ulthalamel can’t be too much further south,” he thought. The north-south forest trail is a mile or so towards the west. Over the past few days Rioden have been keeping close to the road, sometimes following it, sometimes merely watching. So far, he has not met any interesting traveling companions yet, although there are plenty of travelers.

“I guess I am in no hurry,” he thought to himself. Chirping from a nearby nest caught his attention. The cries of the hatchlings within sound more distressed than normal. Bending down to give Greymane a reassuring pat and to request that he stay for a while, he climbed the tree and studied the nest from another branch. There were no signs that the parents have abandoned the nest. There were signs of a predator though, but he was too late to observe the circle of life at work.

A tall petrified tree stood some distance aways from his own tree. He was shocked to see several humanoid figures fall from the top of the tree downwards into the forest at an unnaturally slow speed. Magic, no doubt. Adventurers perhaps?

—

The group traveled through the forest clumsily, encountering several creatures along the way. It appears however that they were headed towards Ulthalamel as well. When they were nearing the town, Rioden decided to approach them. An impossibly tall elf greeted him, and demanded reasons for his presence. “Clearly an adventuring party,” he thought. “Only one recently harassed by hostile attacks would possibly be so paranoid, especially when approached by the average person.”

For a moment, he did not know what to say as he stared at the elf. Rioden himself was one of the tallest elves he knew at 5 feet 5 inches. This elf, or Telemnar as he later introduced himself, was 6 feet tall! The only time he has come across elves the height of humans was in fantasy storybooks, especially those written by humans – a race which is a lot more prone to fantasizing about that which is not real. “There must be a reason for his height,” Rioden mused to himself. “A freak accident? A magical background? Dragon blood? Definitely a subject worth of further study.” His interest is peaked.

The initial paranoia died down as Rioden assured the party that he was a harmless traveler, and that he was only looking for companions to travel with as he learnt more about the rising tensions between the Elven nation and the Dornish states. Apparently the party is also involved in a similar adventure. He could have met no better traveling companions. They agreed to allow him to join quite quickly, thanks to his healing wand which he promised to use liberally.

As they moved towards Ulthalamel, Rioden studied his new companions. The elven druid Ashyra, a quiet one, immediately caught his eye. She isn’t much for words, and her motivations are clearly her own. Her wolverine friend scuttles along beside her. Greymane has been staring at the small but ferocious looking rodent with quiet amusement as it shuffled its short legs to keep up with the druid. The dwarf warrior is also hard to miss, despite his height. Gruff, straightforward, and constantly speaking (more like grunting) of battle, Daquj announces his presence everywhere he goes with the clanking of his full plate. Considering his rather savage demeanor, he looks more like a barbarian than a fighter.

The human called Hawkins is another silent figure, walking quietly, fingering his bow as his eyes searched the forest in front of him. However he lacks the relaxed comfort with which the ranger walks the forest. And his final companion was one he nearly missed. A gnome, almost completely hidden in the underbrush. From the books and spell component pouch he was carrying, Rioden could only assume that Pazzik was a wizard. But the strange fondness with which he touched the dagger by his side…

—

Their entry into the city did not go well. Apparently, one of the districts is facing some kind of internal struggle between some group calling themselves the Club, and another who are loyal to some Duchess. Having spent the last several years in the forest, with little contact with ‘civilized’ world outside of visits to the elven capital, Rioden was not very well versed with current affairs of the land. He did not expect to be attacked so early on his travels. His companions however, appear to be sure of what they are doing. He will follow for now and see where their path will lead him.