Alright then, here's my post, work in progress as always:

[hider=Post #7 - Minor Alements - WiP]
As a brief gust of chilled wind forced its way into the rather warm room of Zimnis, the gnome was irreversibly awoken from his slumber. No amount of numbness or relaxation over the next ten minutes helped him in any way, so the Gnome begrudgingly rose from his mattress. He could feel the slight repercussions of ale from the previous night, but, like many travelers, he was used to it. Despite his unwilling abstinence from alcohol for the boat-ride across the big pond, the gnome had retained his fierce fortitude with regard to hangovers.

As the puppet-master equipped himself with his stave and his cloak, he heard dull footsteps clamoring down the stairs to the tavern below. Zimnis pocketed the keys to his room after locking the door behind him, and followed the path which he remembered the footsteps leading down. The gnome wore a timid expression as he went, wondering if a giant or a guard had visited the tavern during the night as he himself climbed down the staircase.

To his relief, Zimnis found Grommak the non-savage orc at the bottom of the stairs. "Hiya, Grommy!" Zimnis exclaimed, his face lighting up as he eagerly waved to the gargantuan figure, calmly approaching him all the while. The Gnome paused as the orc responded, and frowned in disappointment at his friend's response. "Very well," the Gnome responded, watching the figure on his way. He looked around the bar for any sign of life, lost gold, or leftover food[perception] and collected any spare change or salvageable snacks for later.

After chuckling to himself and leaving the tavern, Zimnis looked around the town. He observed the buildings from outside, one by one, impressed with the decor. He briefly looked into the shop next to the tavern to see what was inside[perception]. He would return to the shop later if he noted any special alchemy items which he could afford.

After pulling his head back out from the shop, the gnome hobbled around town some more, specifically looking for any last-minute opportunities to gather supplies or equipment before going to join Grommak at whatever lake the orc had wandered off to.
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