The time had come for Megan to journey the three-day trip to Cold Rock and replenish her supplies.  She used to enjoy the trip, but lately there was all kinds of...well, disconcerting talk.  It was widely known that things were not what they were when the Empire ruled the area.  Brigands were more numerous.  But on her past two trips, she had heard whispers of things worse than brigands.  Orcs...and gnolls...and even more fell creatures who were slowly but inexorably filling the vaccuum left by the Empire's legions.<br/><br/>The shocker had come during her last trip...when she had seen the daughter of the merchant she usually bought supplies from was pregnant.  She knew the family well.  Toward the end of her purchase, the daughter tearfully confessed to her that the father was not human, but one of three orcs that had ambushed her when she had been at the edge of town.  "And she's not the only one.  Every season it seems they get bolder.  There's even a tavern that serves them, on the south end of town.  They just come right in.  Nobody tries to stop them.  No one dares."<br/><br/>It was something Megan tried not to think about too much as she came near the end of the first day's journey.