You head towards the tavern, expecting to find a place to stay for the night there. As you enter inside, the sound and smell of the drunken patrons becomes apparent. This seems to be a popular spot in the small village, with you assuming that at least half of the local population must be here due to how crowded the place appears. 

Squeezing side to side, you manage to situate yourself at an empty table. Placing down your gear, you are able to appreciate a moment of blissful rest. The summer nights tend to be warm, yet feeling the gentle heat of the tavern’s flame against your skin helps to relax your muscles. You overhear a few conversations amongst the locals, yet nothing catches your attention. 

“Welcome to the Merry Minotaur!” A voice calls out. Turning your head left, you see a figure of a 3 ft tall woman wearing a simple outfit of a bar wench. There are stains of alcohol on her green dress. The woman rests her plump little body on the table, looking into your eyes with a wide smirk. 

With her pointy ears and tanned skin, you are immediately informed that she is a Halfling. Her kind isn’t common around those parts, but they aren’t exactly considered exotic per se. That being said, she is still a race from beyond the Red Wastes. 

Ruffling her short golden hair, she calls out “My name is Penny. What can I get for you, handsome? We have ale, mead - hell, probably even some red wine if I look hard enough!” 

As she is explaining that, somebody calls Penny over to another table, with her waving her hands in acknowledgment that she will get to them next before turning her attention back to you. 

Despite her compliment, you have this nagging feeling that this is how she acts towards every patron. Maybe she is looking to sell more alcohol or just get bigger tips. Either way, you regain your composure and decide to…