Riverside was a small village in the middle of nowhere particularly significant, but on the way to many important places. The constant flow of caravans, royal guards, and ragtag misfit adventurers provided the village ample protection from danger, and the village provided them with ample victuals, cozy sleeping arrangements, and a bit of rustic entertainment.<br/><br/>This rainy day, several fledgling adventurers found themselves at The Nook & Cranny, the smaller of the town's two inns, which focused on the common clientele who couldn't be bilked for extra coin. It was simple and wasn't luxurious, but the beds were soft and warm, and the food and drink were good. The scents of beef stew, baked apples, and spiced rum filled the common room, as did the songs of a bard in the corner, trying to earn themselves a few extra coins or at least a free meal.<br/><br/>A few locals were busy discussing current events. They tended to hear a little bit of everything from the travelers. War in the southern principalities. A scandal where the queen of some land to the north committed adultery with the court jester. Reports of monster attacks along the edges of the untamed plains to the west. Waves of civil unrest from the empire to the east whose ripples were being felt even here. Word had it that the king of this land, Penlyn, was trying to shore up the borders to prevent any serious spilling over of these conflicts.<br/><br/>The "work board" in one corner was barren. Despite troubles brewing, business was slow, and a recent rush of desperate adventurers had taken up all the freelancing jobs in the area.<br/><br/>There'd been a particularly notable lull in activity today, but a small group of horsemen wearing the king's gold-and-teal hinted that things were about to get more interesting. They stomped through the mud and dismounted, their leader signalling for one to get the horses accommodated. They started making their way to the inn.