[FONT=georgia]T[/FONT]he far flung and forgotten village of Chedder, nestled in the forested hillside, it's buildings jostled together as if to keep from the persistent rain soaking the roofs. It was the rain that brought the adventurers to this place, seeking shelter and food, precious little adventure was to be found in such parts of the world...

[FONT=georgia]Water streaked down the elven face painted on the wooden sign, which creaked in the wind. A grubby little inn, but the only one, and so they entered. A surly barman regarded them with distain from behind the bar, three watchmen played cards, a clutch of dwarven miners supped stew in an alcove. Fire crackled in the hearth as the party dripped onto the wooden floor.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "Welcome to the Poncin' Elgi" the barman grunted. He plunked jugs of ale and empty wooden bowls on the bar. "'Elp yerselves, it's finest rabbit. Four groats each." he nodded toward a bubbling pot hung over the hearthfire.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "Finest rat-bits more like" sniggered one of the watchmen, throwing down a his hand.[/FONT]

[FONT=georgia]As the travellers took a table and considered the content of the stew, a strange bubbling came from a shadowed corner of the inn. An lone dwarf sat face down in a bowl of stew, struggling to breathe; at length he sat up and gasped. His brown beard stuck out in tufts and dripped with gravy.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "I could of drowned in your thagging soup!" he slurred, pointing an accusing finger at the wall. Slowly he got to his feet, unsteadily walking toward the bar, clearly very drunk. His dark blue cloak was stained, his boots were worn and his mail was beginning to rust around the bottom. He fumbled with a coin pouch.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] Carefully pressing two buttons and some fluff onto the bar he focused on the innkeeper.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "D'you sell Narven's?" he asked. [/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "No" replied the barman.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "Good, can't stan' the stuff" the dwarf muttered. "Pint of Bugman's Finest!"[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "No" replied the barman. The dwarf wobbled for a moment and drew himself upright. "You don't know who you're talking to! You.. you... ...umgi! I am... I'm... I.... ..egh..." he trailed off and sagged, looking older and wearier.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] A copper coin thwacked the ground in front of the dwarf, and skittered away under a stool. The biggest of the watchmen let out a cruel laugh.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "Go on then, tell us all who you are, eh?" as the dwarf scrabbled round on his knees for the coin. With dark glances the group of miners shuffled off on their way, some casting pitiful eyes on the blue cloaked dwarf.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] Once the coin had been exchanged for a tankard of watery ale, the dwarf stared into the fire with rheumy eyes and spoke quietly to hisself.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "I was once a king" he said. "Far from this rotten place, I was once a king and will be again."[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia]The watchmen laughed, and one chirped up with "Aye, the 'Wasn't ever and isn't going to be king'". The dwarf looked down to the floor for a moment before some dignity flared up from a forgotten depth.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "I am B'horin Brokenshield" he declared. "I was king under th'mountain!"[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "Which mountain?" asked the sneer-faced watchman. "There ain't no mountains round here..."[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "North of here, far, far over the Risky Mountains..." he answered, gripping a table edge for support. "Gold there was, we used to carve harp-strings and... forge coins... heaps of gorl, glin an' silvin..." his eyes strayed back to the fire. "The only mountain, past the moor and fen; my kingdom... And one day I shall reclaim it all..."[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] He drained the last of his ale and looked crestfallen at the dregs. "I just need... another drink."[/FONT]

[FONT=georgia]+ + + + + + +[/FONT]

[FONT=georgia]"Load of rot" snorted the captain and turned back to his game. B'horin frowned hard and curled his hands into fists.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] "Silence manling!" he snapped. "I could 'ave you strung up for that!"[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia]Muttering under his breath he fumbled once more in his pouch, this time producing a leather scroll, which he flourished around with the aplomb of a wizard "Aha!" he announced.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] The guard was getting tired of the dwarf now and swung round with a dull look on his face. B'horin unrolled the map and squinted, red eyed at the ink. "Behold! The Only Mountain!" he said proudly holding up the map.[/FONT]
[FONT=georgia] The party of travellers leaned in, catching an eyeful of the scroll...[/FONT]