The Inn of the Last Home rests cradled high in the boughs of a vallenwood tree, its worn steps winding around the heavy trunk up to the familiar, carved door. Warm laughter and cooking smells drift down to entice travelers to leave the road and rest from their journey. For returning patrons, the Inn seems timeless, unchanging. The wooden bar weaves around living branches of the tree, its burnished glow deepening with each year. The delicate windows of stained glass behind the bar are being polished by Otik Sandath, the barkeeper. He turns and waves, smiling at you, and motions the barmaid in your direction. The low murmur of voices fills the inn. 

The hobgoblin sat astride the pony, watching them with a sneering, supercilious look on his flat face. His pink eyes reflected the last lingering traces of sunlight. “You see, boys,” the hobgoblin stated, speaking the Common tongue with a thick accent, “what fools we are dealing with here in Solace.” There was gritty laughter from the trees behind the hobgoblin. Five goblin guards, dressed in crude uniforms, came out on foot. They took up positions on either side of their leader’s horse. “Now …” The hobgoblin leaned over his saddle. Tanis watched with a kind of horrible fascination as the creature’s huge belly completely engulfed the pommel. “I am Fewmaster Toede, leader of the forces that are keeping Solace protected from undesirable elements.

An old man weaves stories in the corner by the hearth, to the delight of the crowd gathered about him. At a far table, near the storyteller, a man and a woman sit together and speak quietly. Another man stands near the storyteller, but he doesn’t engage with him or his listeners; a small boy stares thoughtfully into the fire a few paces away. Having delivered the last drinks on her tray, the barmaid steps toward you with a smile and shows you to a table. Something about her seems familiar. The hair? The intelligent glint of her eyes? Could this be Tika, the little girl who swept the tavern floors a short five years ago? The Inn never changes, but surely its people do…