Welcome to the Sword Coast! I am your DM, Joy the DM, often speaking in orange. I am joined by the mysterious summoner sorceress Ashley often speaking in blue. Colors are subject to change.

Where we last left our champions, they're just west of Phandalin, on their way back to Neverwinter when they come across a quartet of could be bandits waiting in ambush for a lone trader walking beside his cart. 

Rumors have it that there's an ominous rise in attacks by Bandits and wild creatures alike, there's been a giant dragon spotted and conjectures range from green to white to humanoid shapeshifter and there's been strange sightings of all sorts mixed in, muddying the waters of truth.

The current time is 10:35 and the current date is Friday, Spring 14th, Brightened Receiving 1296, it's currently lightly snowing, with a temperature of only -3C with a frost that hangs on the otherwise temperate region, the grasses and weeds are frost burned and turning a sickly dark green. Some of the the trees, not used to these conditions and still budding with new leaves for spring, are losing what little leaves they have to the cold temperatures. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv_7EurNAss

They've just defeated three of the four Bandits and the fourth understands the odds are against him, as Cat readies her bow to strike him down, surrounded by strangely cute but deadly mechatronic beasts, he falls to his knees in the snow and puts his hands behind his head accepting his fate, and leaving it to the mercy of his attackers. Wounded but otherwise able bodied he hangs his head in defeat. A silver whistle dangles from a silver chain around his neck as a reminder that reinforcements may be on the way.

I follow Yulya and then with my cats around me I race to the trader to head them off and figure out where they're headed. If reinforcements arrive, I make sure they're safe with my babies' protection.

"We should stabilize them and get answers. Everyone in Phandalin thinks this road is secure."

After the bandits are disarmed and tied up, Cat turns to the cart and musters the inhabitants
Nyaa look Nya another Alice Nya! And you got a quest for us, little girl Nya?
Cat bows down and puts her huge paw on the girl's head in amusement

Alice musters the bandits
Hm, theyre well equipped and organized. What sort of bandits wear silver brooches? We gotta interrogate those guys when they wake up.

they met the girl on the side of the road as they turned onto the Triboar Trail. They explain she was looking for adventurers and they knew of adventurers who cleared the goblin den so they took her aboard.

Alice looks at her Doppelgänger from head to toe
So where did you come from? Running around alone in this wilderness and cold? You're quite something...

Ashley sees the one who blew the whistle turning grey as no one helps him and tries to stabilize him.
Come on guys, they won't talk if they're dead!
On the second attempt Ashley manages to stabilize the man, he would have otherwise died.

Damned I told you to tell me if any of those guys are on the verge of dying!
Alice yanks out her healers kit and stabilizes the remaining bandits
I still dunno what to do with them. Maybe we should just cook and eat them...

She beams at everyone like a ray of warm sunshine, "I'm Summer of Leilon, what's your name? I love your cats. Where are you headed? What kind of quest are you on? Will you also please take my quest?"

Summer eh?
We could really use more summer here, it's so goddamn cold.

"Excuse us, but our horse is not used to the cold, can we go on ahead to Phandalin and leave her to you?" The trader seems relieved and thankful but impatient and wary of standing for too long.

Yeah me neither, we should not be standing around here but we gotta clarify what to do with that girl. It would be more sane if you took her back to Leilon with you. I mean she looks rich so you'd probably get paid too if you return her safely. We are walking to Neverwinter. This will suck even for us, let alone for a child. Plus we also have to deal with those bandits...
Alice turns to summer
Ok you managed to find your adventurers! At least Cat here is oficially a folk hero. Deliver your quest and tell us what you wanna do! You really want to walk all the way to Neverwinter with us? That's where we are going. And we can't carry you, you gotta walk. All day every day. Or do you want to return home to Leilon with those traders after they deliver their goods to Phandalin?

Alice has little hope of getting much useful information out of this girl and from the traders reaction she probably means trouble. Alice curses Gundrens brothers for not letting them borrow his cart.Oh yes, this will undoubtedly be a drag...

Damned I told you to tell me if any of those guys are on the verge of dying!

Ashley rolls her eyes, "I believe I told you but whatever they're okay now."She watches Alice tending to them, "I'm so glad you're so concerned now that he almost died but they're all stable now anyway."

"I still dunno what to do with them. Maybe we should just cook and eat them..."

Summer turns her head toward Alice suddenly to try to understand the context of what she just heard but seems to think it was a joke and returns her attention to Yulya.

Certainly we will take care of this child but might you at least have some cloak or jacket for this girl? She needs some overcoat out here in the cold. By the way we met a roadmaster and a hunter from Leilon not long ago. Samuel and Jaquard if I remember correctly. Might you happen to know them? They were looking to recover supplies from the goblin den we cleared.

The trader [Fredrick] takes off his own jacket and offers it to Summer.

Summer looks at it with a sour look and flicks her wrist at it as if saying 'take it away,' "Oh no, I'm very warm in my sweater, don't worry about me, but thank you."

Fredrick responds to Yulya, "Yes, that is indeed us, we were unaware of any Bandits and we will report them upon returning, the road isn't as clear as we thought." You don't note any indication of deception in his manners or voice. "Now if you'll excuse us, we do need to get going."

We should not be standing around here but we gotta clarify what to do with that girl. It would be more sane if you took her back to Leilon with you. I mean she looks rich so you'd probably get paid too if you return her safely. We are walking to Neverwinter. This will suck even for us, let alone for a child. Plus we also have to deal with those bandits..."

Fredrick Shrugs as if to say 'such is life', signals to his companion and they prepare to move on.

Ok you managed to find your adventurers! At least Cat here is officially a folk hero. Deliver your quest and tell us what you wanna do! You really want to walk all the way to Neverwinter with us? That's where we are going. And we can't carry you, you gotta walk. All day every day. Or do you want to return home to Leilon with those traders after they deliver their goods to Phandalin?

Summer looks up and around, the snowflakes landing in her hair then evaporating after a time, "I'll stay with you of course! My quest is of upmost importance!"

Fredrick throws a glance at Alice, "I wish you all the best." He looks back at Summer with an unreadable expression then coaxes his horse to move.

Attention is turned back to the girl in question.

Worry not my child we will help you if we can! Now please tell me about your quest! What do you mean the forest will die? I am a Peace Cleric serving Our Lady Eldath, the Goddess of forests and lakes. Surely I do not want nature to suffer! And Alice here is also very fond of trees. But still I am worried about you. The life of adventurers is harsh and dangerous. So we cannot take you along indefinitely. Where is your home and family? Even if your story is complicated we are willing to listen. Remember we cannot help you if you do not tell us the full story!

[Rolls were unsuccessful, she's not capable or willing to answer some of these questions directly, you'll have to approach it another way.]

Summer takes a deep breath and speaks of random events that occurred to her in her childhood. A skinned knee last Autumn, not liking school because the teachers are too strict, and her father being a trader for Leilon. As the traders and their cart move along the road out of sight, there's no way to verify that.

"Do you have any ID at least?" Ashley asks with growing impatience.



Summer smiles widely and says, "Of course of course! Um..." you see her pat down invisible pockets or perhaps inner pockets you can't see. "Oopsie, I might have forgotten it."

Yulya's still peering down at this girl, obviously unsatisfied by her answers, Alice is equally intent on getting information, and not the least of which Ashley also intent on getting information.

Summer shows a toothy grin, and though very cute and charming, it's lost on you all. "Alright." [/i]She picks up a handful of fresh snow[/i] "Do you see this?" She points to her palm full of snow. "This doesn't belong here, not even in winter. We've had frosts in Leilon, we never get frosts in Leilon and there's rumors of a white dragon with green eyes." She points to her cobalt blue eyes for emphasis "I don't know why he's here, but he doesn't belong here."



"If something isn't done, in weeks the whole forest will die. These trees aren't meant to be encased in ice. As it is, it'll take a season for them to recover if we hurry."

She then gives the most precious puppy dog eyes. "You don't have to decide now, let's go to Neverwinter and we'll talk more on the way."

Ashley lets out a loud sigh, "Alright, not like we have much choice. I presume you have food for yourself? Are you going to answer any of our questions?"

She smiles widely, and bounces excitedly, "Ummm, I just ate but... I love long walks!" She glances down at the bandits with a concerned look, "What were they going to do to us?"

"Stick close to me then, we can share my shield if things get rough."

She rushes to Ashley and touches her arm, "Thank you."

Your frustrating foray of cuteness with this more-human-like Alice clone has left you drained, but you have other pressing issues for now, such as the accumulating snow and 4 unconscious armed men.

Cat tries to discretely sniff Summer to find out if she really smells like a human

RollsCat's keen sense of smell, even at full capacity, cannot discern anything unusual except she smells genuinely like the nobles she'd smelled in the Neverwinter guild. Sweet as roses and elderberry. Upon closer inspection,  her shoes appear clean though so do yours, the snow leaves no dust. The lowest part of her otherwise pristine socks have traces of dust, similarly to what would occur by walking on the high road without snow. Lastly, her hair is by no means perfect, signs and scents of expensive oils and pampering is slowly being replaced by a damp, matted nest like yours.