West Marches at the Board N Brew

There are several new figures in Tempered Vale. One is a petite, pale young woman in white and gold clerical vestments, marked with a symbol of a path winding into a sunrise. Her voluminous cloaks conceal a well-maintained crossbow and side quiver, and outdoor and in she wears a hooded winter cloak or monk-like habit. She doesn't say much, or look people in the eye, and in fact rarely raises her hooded head at all. Sometimes she seems to be praying, sometimes tending to the feather-winged orange cat in her lap, sometimes toying with an amber amulet. Sometimes it looks like she's pretending one of those things, so as not to look up. She spends most of her time in a small private room at the inn, but early risers may see her leave the inn shortly before sunrise each day. Thereafter she can't be found, until a little after sunrise, where she prays at the small, outdoor shrine of Lathander and leaves a gold coin as offering. Unless someone else is at the shrine, then she wait...

"They come in, take what they can, and get out, fast," Sildar confirms. "Nobody's come to irreparable harm, yet. Two of the sentry were cut up pretty badly in one raid, but nothing Maelgrove couldn't tend." In spite of its tactical value as a control point for defending the greater Vale to the south and east, the restoration of Witchcross after the Great Razing languished for one reason or another over the past five years. Conventional wisdom says both "one reason" and "another" hold seats on the Tempered Vale town council. Politics aside, Witchcross isn't making any better progress with goblinoid raids wearing away at its supplies. "These days, it's more important than ever that we hold that point firmly," Sildar declares, indicating Witchross on the map spread out on the table. "We have scouts confirming sightings of second-grade threats here, and here." He points north of the Darkinwood and at the eas...