Summer has nearly passed. The nights are getting shorter now, and there's a crispness in the air that beckons autumn forward. It's a time of change. A time when people gather close, and get ready to hunker down against the encroaching cold. The last ditch efforts to prepare for harvests are beginning, while others turn to higher tasks.
A most humble beginning
Fate leads us onwards. We each have our own destiny to reach. It may be the Gods that drive us, or perhaps just our own wills. But we all have a moment in time we're straining to reach. For this reason, within days of each other five unlikely persons find themselves inside Elisir Vale, answering summons for reinforcements against enemies in the western mountains. It's not an uncommon event, these summons. But these people are special, somehow. Their stories are different. They unfold with a fluid grace unlike anything the townsfolk have ever seen.
The Master of Summons is - however - unimpressed. After looking you over, he snorts. "Finally, group of five. You will travel together to answer the summons. Average lot, though. You'll die within minutes. Anyway, fifty gold each of you for answering the summons. You'll get double that if you actually show up at Overlook. According to these official summons, you'll need to appear within 30 days of when I've sealed them."
His seal inks briefly upon each summons, and they are handed to you along with a pouch jingling with treasure. "Look, you show a bit more promise than most who come through here, so I'll give you a tip. Not a one of you will survive a minute against what's out in those mountains if reports are true. It's a five day's march to Overlook. I suggest you spend the remaining days doing the hardest training of your life. Now get out of here. New recruits don't show up while the old batch is still waiting around."
With that you are pushed out into the early evening air of Marthton. After a minute or two to spend your new wealth, you are encouraged to leave by the local militia. West appears to be the order of the day. The townsfolk you pass along the way indicate the Brindol is the closest and best place to stay the night.
The quick exit (being thrown out is perhaps more precise) from Marthton dampens the mood slightly, and none of you is quite keen to talk until the lights of Brindol are warming your path. The Guards stop you quickly, but displaying your official summons makes them wave you on. Finally, a rumbling from perhaps your most odd looking companion breaks your silence. "An Inn. You'll need to sleep."
The first Inn you find along the road is called the Antler and Thistle, and the common room is lively for this time of year. A whole seven customers can be sighted through the doors. Enter, adventurer, and claim your destiny!