>>5694110As you make your way down foothills and scarcely-walked mountain-paths, you consider how you will make your approach, and sell yourself to this Blackpine Baron and his people. You have no shortage of time to think—the trek overland is scarcely easier than through the underdark in this rough and sparsely-settled land. In part this is to your advantage—you encounter no humans or other surface-dwellers who might raise alarms or present difficulties. On the other hand, it means slower progress, and the creeping chill of late autumn seeps into your skin and down into the lizard part of you, making you wince in spite of the warmth of your firelung. Your fellows feel it even more, especially Natvodosk, who chitters and chatters at every night’s breeze on your multi-day trek.
It is, you note, a very different and WETTER cold than the underdark is normally afflicted with, though it seems more to Eka’s liking.
Still, the woodlands are not without their charms. The scent of the pines is rich and sweet on the wind. The trees are not balck as the barony's name might suggest, but their needles are of a somewhat bluer tincture than you are accustomed to from the other regions of the woodland, and the bushes are often a deep black or blue, and bear golden and red berries. There are small game animals—enough that you begin to consider the practicalities of forgoing farming to forage, though you know it will not be as practical for a settled people once your numbers grow beyond a certain point. You have to call Nat off of rabbits and deer several time, and on at least one occasion you swear you see one of the former with the horns of the latter! Recalling the great, blue beast which you and your sons hunted many months ago, you wonder if there might be more worthy quarry as well, if you were to let <guidance> lead you to it…
What will you do?
>Hurry onto Blackpine proper—to the central keep of the Baron, where you can make your case and request hospitality>Pay a visit to a local homestead to make the acquaintance of your locals—maybe get a feel for the culture, make a god impression, and learn about their farming techniques, as well as get out of the cold>Rough it in the woods—some camping will build character, and present you with opportunities to train, socialize with your retinue, and maybe do some hunting>Write-in[Also specify if you have any specific topics of conversation or activities you wish to engage in with any member of your retinue along the way]
