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Read to everyone:
A quartet of tradespeople each nods politely as you sit next to them, their tools piled unceremoniously at the end of the table. The group consists of two Oseram, a Nora, and a Carja, all of whom are too busy devouring heaping piles of food to do much else. They look exhausted and are covered in the salt of dried sweat. Between bites, the Nora man introduces himself as Pren. The others seem content to let Pren do all the talking.
Narrators who would like more background can read Pren’s bio. He introduces the Oseram woman as Nalender, the Oseram man as Chargriz, and the Carja man as Larat.
If asked about what his group does:
“We go out into the forests of Mother’s Watch and find and collect the best timber for lodges, then bring it back here for others to process. It’s our job to make sure we leave enough tree cover for animals, so the hunters won’t have to travel for days to keep us fed.”
Pren throws a look over his shoulder at another group of tradespeople at another table, shaking his head. Nalender, the Oseram woman, sees the look, shakes her head, and passes Pren a glass flask which contains a thin brown liquid. He drinks several swallows before continuing, his breath now sharp and chemical.
“It’s harder than some people think. We’re not just chopping down the first trees we see. That’s the fastest way to a very hungry spring.”
This will lead to Pren noticing your group’s tools and weapons. He’ll ask about why you’ve come to Mother’s Watch, and will get excited to hear that you have experience building lodges. Advocating that you join his crew in the morning, he will lean across the table to get the attention of the woman on the other end of the table, telling her the same. Getting self-conscious about being so loud, he will hand the flask back to the Oseram woman, before getting quiet and going back to his dinner.