Dawn seeps through warped shutters of the outskirt tavern. Kylie wakes on a narrow loft bed beneath a coarse wool blanket, armor and runic frostblade within reach.
The Barkeep
Easy now. You slept like the dead, and twice as stubbornly.
The barkeep stands beside the ladder, a broad-shouldered middle-aged woman in a russet dress and rolled sleeves. Silver threads her dark braid, and an old burn scars one cheek.
The Barkeep
Your things are untouched. I kept the curious away, though the road brought trouble before sunrise.
Below, mugs knock softly against a counter. Beyond the shutters, cart wheels grind over frozen mud, and distant voices gather near the town gate.
The Barkeep
There are riders asking after a silver-armored sellsword. I told them nothing. You should decide what comes next before they return.
Kylie of Antioch
The frost-runes still glow faintly around my hands.
✓ Quest Accepted
Escape the riders searching for Kylie
✓ Quest Accepted
Discover who sent the riders
“I gather my armor and frostblade, then seek another way out.”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled -2)
Kylie draws on her plate, its silver inlays dimming to a dull shimmer as the fitted armor settles without slowing her limbs. She takes up the Runic Frostblade, and its ancient cryo-runes kindle blue-white.
Kylie of Antioch
The cold does not hinder me, but the armor's shoulder joint catches against the narrow frame.
The barkeep lifts a loose pantry rug, revealing a square hatch beneath it. Beyond the shutters, hoofbeats multiply, and the tavern's front door shudders under a heavy knock.
The Barkeep
Down there. It opens into the old drainage run. Keep low, and do not let those riders see your frost.
Kylie forces the hatch up and descends into the stone run. Her plate scrapes hard against the frame, bruising her shoulder, but its glacial inlay bears the grinding pressure without buckling.
A rusted iron grate blocks the far end. The frostblade bites through its corroded fastening; rime spreads across the metal, freezing the lock and raising a translucent glacial shield around her as she shoves through.
The grate gives way, and Kylie emerges behind the tavern into a narrow, snow-choked alley. The riders remain outside the front, while the cold air carries her safely beyond their sight.
Quest Complete
Escape the riders searching for Kylie