Nizèl’s plan was quite simple: The offending party, Morrah and Carric, would make for the Neverwinter Wood, a supposed bastion against the cold that came with the arrival of winter every year. The simplicity did little to steady the nerves of those who would have to carry it out, though. Among the band that would need to make the journey, Carric was probably the least thrilled. Cold winter winds and deep snowdrifts were hardly appealing to anyone, but least of all to a learned wizard who was more accustomed to the shelter of a warmly kept study. Morrah, on the other hand, was so focused on her vehement opposition to anything the dragonborn said that she seemed entirely unbothered by the prospect, not even registering it as a valid suggestion.
Even as they delayed, though, the weather seemed to egg them on. The wind was blowing wickedly and steadily growing in strength. It became increasingly clear that they would all need to seek refuge in warmer climates if nothing was done.
This is where the dragonborn and many of the townsfolk held information unknown to the rest. While one could be forgiven for assuming that all the reaches of the north were one continuous frozen wasteland, there was one notable exception along the Sword Coast. The Neverwinter Wood was a huge expanse of forest that ran from East to West across the northern plains of the coast, all the way to the outskirts of Neverwinter, the great trade hub that shares the name of the nearby forest.
Founded on the gurgling fissures of the great volcano, Mount Hotenow, Neverwinter City's many hot springs serve to keep it warm and livable in even the harshest of winters. Normally, a journey from Triboar to Neverwinter in these conditions would be impossible. It was at least three days' travel, and the frigid conditions of a normal winter would be enough to dissuade most from attempting the route. Never mind the chances that an inexperienced group would face in this particular winter. It was, by all accounts, the worst in living memory.
The only thing that made the trip possible was an alternate route that the dragonborn now outlined to the gathered crowd. According to him and some of the more traveled villagers, the Neverwinter Wood, as its name implied, stayed relatively temperate compared to the surrounding areas, even in the depths of winter. One of the older villagers even offered up that it was the city that gained its name from the forest and not the other way around.
Even so, Morrah and Carric were skeptical at best. The forest would still prove a full day's travel from the town, and there would be no turning back if the rumors about the forest turned out to be false. They would be just as dead as if they had taken the main road in such circumstances. The gravity of these odds was not lost on Nizèl.
The scaly cleric could see the apprehension on their faces and provided a measure of relief by offering the unexpected. He would accompany them as a companion on their journey. Tempers had cooled somewhat by this point, so the offer was perhaps not as unwelcome as it would have been a few minutes prior. They would need a guide after all if they wanted to traverse the forest and eventually make it to the shelter of Neverwinter City. Volunteering for the effort also seemed to dispel any doubts about his trustworthiness.
The offer came as a surprise, and for the first time, they saw the lizard man in a different light. Even Morrah seemed to be taken aback by the suggestion, though if you hadn’t been looking for it, you would never have noticed the subtle tell. It was decided then that they would set out for the wood at first light.
