The king listened to each introduction with growing difficulty in controlling himself. To each hero, no matter how strange they might seem, he inclined his head in grateful acknowledgement. The words of them all touched him deeply, and the queen as well behind him. She touched at her eyes with serene grace. Finally, once they had all spoke their names and acceptance of the quest, he spoke once more.

"I thank you, all of you, from the bottom of my heart. May the Gods have mercy." He said, then turned and limped to his throne. He sat and watched them leave, gripping his wife's hand.

The motley group would find themselves in a smaller square room, bare of furnishings aside from torch and tapestry and one long carpet. This was the sitting room, normally where men and women would be made to wait before entering the great hall. At the opposite end of the room was a large double door of iron-banded oak, lit by two iron braziers on either side. Stood between the braziers, blocking the door, was a man in a black robe from head to toe. Light from the fires glinted off of the bronze mask that covered his face, under his hood.

"Well, well, more than I expected!" The strange man said, clapping his gloved hands together before him. His voice echoed oddly through the mask. "And uh, quite the 'honorable' looking lot, too. Well, no matter."

The man pressed one glove to his chest, presenting the other hand behind him like a dancer.

"I am Nathaniel, the court magician of Torvelt. It will be my job to guide you do-gooders in the right direction." The mask turned slowly, as Nathaniel looked over the group. His face paused momentarily on the dragonborn, then on the minotaur, the aasimar... and then on the tiefling... At that point he gave up. "Contrary to what our King may have told you in there, I have a few theories about this whole Fog business, and where we might find it's source. We will be setting out for the frontier lands as soon as you all have readied yourselves, to the town of..."

He paused and cocked his head to the side. "Damn. I forgot the name of it. Something drab, surely. Mudshit? We'll just call it Mudshit." Nathaniel shrugged. "It is about a day's travel from here. From there, I shall brief you on the real mission."

His bronze mask darted to one end of the party, then the other. "I suppose I should give you all a chance to ask a few questions first, shouldn't I? Well, feel free. Let's get to know one another a bit. Anyone?.."

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