HotDK 34: “That’s Ms Iron Gnome if You’re Parnasty”

After walking through the woods through the night you finally arrive at the outskirts of Parnast a few hours before dawn.   The village has a few dozen houses and a small square, with buildings that include a tavern, a stable, and a shrine. In contrast to this rustic burg stands a mighty ice castle half hidden in a fog-shrouded ravine: walls stand forty feet high, huge narrow towers loom upward— one of blue ice, one crumbling— and all of it is built to a scale for giants. Wisps of fog hide much of the castle’s detail, but you see two statues standing just before the enormous gate.   A well stands at the center of the village square. Four buildings surround it: an empty shrine, a wheelwright's shop, a tavern, and a stable. The five men, clearly guards, standing around the well immediately challenge you as you approach as you are, after all, arriving in town in the early morning hours and don't particularly look like you belong here.   You ask about the Giant Castle looming to the south and are rather rudely told it's none of your business and you should probably just keep on your way. It's very clear you're not welcome here. You attempt to talk your way (or rather, Pubert attempts to intimidate your way) past them. You even ask them if they’ve heard of the Iron Gnome, to which they say, “The Iron what?”   As combat breaks out, one of the guards takes off toward the tavern yelling for Captain Othelstan and shortly after an obvious Wearer of Purple emerges from one door, while another man, presumably the tavern owner, emerges from another. The group of guards that were near the bridge leading to the castle also begin moving toward the village square.   The Captain proves a worthy opponent for Pubert, and while the barbarian stands victorious, he’s still quite bloodied from the fight. Still though, the guards are dispatched, and the Captain and tavern keep tied up for questioning later. As you are performing that task, availing yourselves of Rargir’s sailor skill in knots, you are approached by a man coming out of the wheel wright’s shop. He beckons you to hide the bodies in his shop. “My name’s Gundalin,” he says. “And am I glad you’re here. The Cult of the Dragon has completely taken over our village!”