"Bigalow's Rest, down in the Village." says Makewise adding with a chuckle, "That's the only Inn and tavern here. He has rooms, grub and ale a plenty, even high enough ceilings so's you don't go bopping yer heads when you stand inside."
The party of adventurers and its halfling escort moves down the hill into the valley...or The Valley as you hear it from Makewise who seems to capitalize it with his voice every time he says it. They pass through fields and orchards and groves of hard and soft wood trees. There are quite a few of the small people about doing this or that job.
The path then leads into a series of green mounds scattered along winding paths leading off the main path...which Makewise calls the Digalow Road. The green mounds have doors and windows carved into their sides and some have smoke trickling out from short chimneys planted in their tops. Flowers and vegetables grow in patches on these mounds and down and around them up to white picket fences that border the paths.
Along the main path, the Digalow Road, you continue along you see larger mounds, some with stone and wooden structures built atop them as well as larger buildings with stone ground floors and wooden second and in a couple of cases third floors. The roads here are cobbled with small stones and pebbles and you pass a few carts pulled by donkeys and ponies as you walk.
With each step along the road you seem to be greeted by small people who pop up from this place and that, coming out of doors, putting their heads out windows, even stepping forward atop their mounds from where they were gardening to see the strangers come to town. The folk you pass seem friendly and you receive many a wave, smile and calls of "Hello" and "Welcome."
Makewise leads you to one of the larger buildings near what seems to be the center of this bustling community. There is a wooden sign hanging over the door with the words Bigalow's Rest carved in it.
"I see we have travelers come to visit." says the larger than normal sized halfling standing at the door wiping his hands on a white hand towel, "Welcome to The Village and to Bigalow's Rest. I'm Sam Bigalow the owner of this inn. If you seek lodging, libations, and victuals you've come to the right place!"
Sam leads you inside and Makewise follows your group. The rest of the guards remain outside and if you look out the window later you'll see that only a trio have remained here keeping an eye on the entrances and exits from Bigalow's Rest.
The ceilings inside Bigalow's are indeed higher than you'd expect in a halfling structure...the exposed wooded beans are a good six feet high with the ceiling another foot above that. The floor is made of wooden boards darkened by use and cleaning over what looks like many years. There are tables and chairs, some small, some larger, scattered around a public room where a number of halflings are gathered. A stairway leads up to a second floor where Bigalow says there are rooms to let for the night.
You are greeted by the locals, pay for rooms, food and ale and asked, "What brings you to The Village along the Digalow Road?"
If any, how much of your mission do you tell them?
I'm assuming you spend the night, in safety here, before moving on toward Old Bridge, if not tell me.
