The  adventure  begins  in  the  village  of  Heldren,  a  small  village in Taldor just north of the Border Wood near Qadira. Heldren,  where  rumors  of  strange,  unseasonable  pockets  of wintry weather appearing across Taldor have begun to circulate among the town’s gossip mongers.

Like in most peasant communities in southern Taldor, the People of Heldren mostly keep to themselves. Far from the politics of Oppara and ever-watchful for Qadiran aggression, Heldren goes  on  as  it  always  has,  as  a  relatively  small  and  unimportant  hamlet of farmers, herders, and woodcutters. But Heldren is home to  a  secret  unsuspected  by  its  normally  complacent  citizens.

YOU are (three) Rangers from the High Sentinel Lodges.
For many years, an organization of Taldan rangers called the  High  Sentinels  has  operated  out  of  a  fortified  lodge  at the top of Red Run Gorge in the Border Wood, charged with  guarding  the  forest  against  Qadiran  aggression,  lest Taldor’s ancient enemy use the wood to hide another invasion  force.  Over  time,  however,  the  continued  lack  of  hostility  with  Qadira  dulled  the  sharpness  of  the  Sentinels,  and  most  of  the  unit’s  decorated  veterans  either  retired  or  moved  on  to  other  posts,  leaving  inexperienced  citizens of Heldren and the nearby cities of Demgazi and Zimar  to  f ill  the  rangers’  ranks.  The  Sentinels  turned  their  attention  to  more  local  matters,  hunting  down  bandits  who  used  the  forest  to  attack  trade  routes  in  the  southern prefectures of Taldor.

Your normal routine involves visiting Heldren at the height of summer and venturing into the Border Wood and to the High Sentinel Lodge. Your job is to deliver a cache of supplies to the Lodge and replace your opposite number and take over the next shift through until the next spring. (You'll either be on your first shift ever as new Ranger, or an older mercenary)

The three of you have arrived and are in Heldren’s only tavern, the Silver Stoat, stands right on the town square across from the town hall. A  fixture  of  village  life,  the  tavern  f ills  up  with  patrons  in  the  evening  as  they  gather  to  share  gossip,  hear  news,  and  reward  themselves  for  a  hard  day’s  work.  Anything  that’s  worth  knowing  in  Heldren  gets  talked  about  here,  and if asked where he got a particularly juicy bit of gossip or  information,  a  villager  will  likely  say,  “I  heard  it  from  the Stoat.”.
Heldren doesn’t get many visitors, so there is no true inn  in  the  village,  but  travelers  are  welcome  to  a  spot  on  the  floor  of  the  Stoat  next  to  the  fireplace  for  a  night,  as  long as they’re up early and on their way. Those who linger risk a rude awakening from Menander’s wet mop in their faces.

The   sleepy   village   of   Heldren   has   rarely   seen   so   much   excitement or concern. Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended  on  the  forest  just  days  ago.  Heavy  snow  followed,  and  those  who  returned  spoke  of  an  uneasy  presence  in  the  woods,  as  well  as  new,  dangerous  predators.  No  one  knows  what this event means, but the town’s soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead.As  if  in  proof  of  that  dire  prophecy,  a  badly  wounded  mercenary arrived in town yesterday, claiming to be a bodyguard of  Lady  Argentea  Malassene.  He  told  the  village  council  that  the  noblewoman’s  escort  came  under  attack  by  bandits  and  strange,  wintry  creatures  near  the  edge  of  the  Border  Wood.  He  alone  escaped,  and  Lady  Argentea  was  dragged  away  into  the  forest.  Now  the  townsfolk  cast  fearful  eyes  toward  the  snowy forest, worried what else might emerge to threaten their peaceful village.