One of the guardsmen, a bulky man standing at the side of what might have been a captain, turned his head towards Al. “Is this some kind of joke? Have you never heard of Lord Cross?” His eyes, scanning the man's face from within, apparently was adequately convinced that this man, wherever he might have been from, was genuinely ignorant on the subject. With a gravelly voice, the man spoke. “Lord Cross is the Lord of the Castle, and of this entire territory, and has been for many years.” With a slightly different voice, he added, “And I imagine it'll only get as weird as you make it.”

 Elizabeth hopped down from the boulder she had made her seat as the guard directed them to follow. She walked along with the party, drifting in somewhere towards the middle of the group, with Noah joining at her side. The question of what exactly Cross wanted with them weighed heavily on her mind. After all, if local legends were to be believed, he was more monster than man. He had, allegedly, crucified the former ruler of the realm atop his city's highest spire as a show of force. Such a man was not necessarily one she wanted to cross paths with. It was all the more surprising, then, when the group entered the city. The interior of Vulture's Roost was not the harsh foreign environment she had been expecting. The guards led them first through a small residential district, comprised mostly of small houses made of stone. The homes, though quaint, seemed fairly well built, and the city's builders seemed to have done well at maintaining the roads. Occasionally, a pair of eyes would peek out of a window at the curiosity that had just entered their city, but otherwise the district seemed rather comfy, or, as comfy as Gris could be.

   As the party progressed onward, they reached what appeared to be a market district. People milled about the marketplace, and a variety of sounds and smells arose from the town's center. Various stalls were set up, peddling a number of different wares. Tools, meats, clothing, and a variety of oddities filled the stalls of the different merchants. The people dressed primarily in furs from the assorted wildlife, and seemed quite diverse. People of different age, sizes, and even races could be seen going about their daily lives. Elizabeth was reminded of the city's past ownership of a large number of slaves, and theorized this accounted for the diversity. Noah's pace slowed as he took in what the city had to offer. "This isn't what I was expecting at all. This is... familiar, I guess. Not like the other cities at all." Elizabeth nudged him forward in an attempt to keep the child from slowing down the group. The people of the city seemed curious about the band of foreigners, and a number of eyes remained trained on them as they passed. Even so, the people continued their everyday business, haggling prices or talking of rumors. A few guards, all in the same black armor, stood nearby, keeping a keen eye on the public.


   Pausing for a moment, the guard who had been leading them turned to speak, his poleaxe still propped against his shoulder. "This is the marketplace. After your meeting you can come back here to buy whatever you might need for this journey. We don't get a lot of traders, so most of what you'll find here is local. Not too fancy, but it'll keep you warm, fed, and alive." The guard motioned ahead of them. "The great hall's in the castle, just up ahead. I'll remind you before we get there that being welcomed into the Lord's Court is a great honor. I'd recommend you all stay respectful, if you want to keep your heads." The way the guard spoke, losing one's head wasn't such an unusual occurrence. After a moment, the guard turned around and continued leading them forward, speaking as he walked. "Any stories you've heard about Lord Cross are probably true, though there's certainly more to him than the bastards in the south would have you believe."