The party being totally exhausted after their misadventures had very little to do with the excitement of the Winter Festival. Even such things as a menagerie getting loose in town, and the Lords Tower being broken into, didn’t pull them from their warm beds and ample food and drink. Instead they focused on selling look, repairing armor and discerning what items of power they discovered.
A few days after the festival, Schlomo, Kenneth and Valraun were summoned to the Lords Hall to tell their tale before a large number of notable towns people, the Iron Guard and of course Lord Brie and Lady Gwendolynn. Valbraun performed and exemplary telling, of their harrowing adventures and the fall for Sir Rolan, Halburt, Bloody Dubs Bullocks, Salia and Attya. There were tears and down turned head around the tables and fires. Flagons of ale were raised in their honor. But in the end, after much sacrifice the girl Tonya was indeed rescued, a lair of troll cleared, and a dangerous if crafty giant located. The three heroes were each given a Torc of Courage for their efforts. Sir Rolans battered shield was raised in the hall, Halburts name was added to the Wall of Honor at the Hold, and the rest were given honors based on their back round, except of course the betrayer, Double Hat.
Several day later the party was approached by a priest of the Southron Temple of Ardennor, naming himself Aden. He was sent out by his high priest to seek out the heroes, requesting their aid in finding a lost temple to the Sun God, and clearing it of any evil. A good measure of the party decided to aid the Temple of Ardennor in this quest as most of them weren’t from the Vale at this point, and the gold was good. And so a new party was formed, still led by Valbraun of the Raven Clan, with Schlomo of Skollgrymm, Aden a southron priest of Ardennor, Sunny a strange half orc warrior/priest, Mudreck Barbender, and an even stranger gnome going by the name if Izy… As of yet, they’ve taken no name for their group, a very bad omen…