In this chapter, we return to the Inn of the Last Home as our setting and learn more about it and Solace, the town where it is located.
The Inn isn’t just a place for weary travelers. It turns out to be the place where local townspeople go as often as they can just to escape, and get some news. Solace is at a crossroads between a bunch of interesting places:
- Haven, The Seeker Capital
- Qualinesti, the Elven Kingdom
- The Barren Plains of Abanasina
The Inn itself is one of those places that is known to everyone around the world. Like most restaurants that gain notoriety, it is known for something food related. In this case Otik’s spiced potatoes. The smell alone is enough to make you want to try them!
Interestingly there is a book called Hero’s Feast that gives a bunch of Dungeons and Drgaons/DragonLance recipes, and I have made those potatoes. They are pretty darn good.
Walking into town Tanis can feel that something is off. It raises the tension of the story just a bit, you can feel the conflict coming.
The Seekers are everywhere. The Seekers are a group of people who “seek” the new Gods.
Interestingly to me the clerics in this religion apparently started out as decent people but in the times when the story is set the clerics have become power and money hungry. Like that would never happen with a religious group or a mega-church at all..Right? Wait, it would? Well crap.
As the trio we met in the Chapter 1 discussion enter the Inn they find twin brothers Caramon and Raistlin already among the crowd.
Caramon is a fighter, pure and simple. He is a huge man with a sword that you would not want to meet on the battlefield.
Raistlin is the polar opposite. A frail man who is a mage.
One brother uses brawn the other uses the brain. The pair can be seen in the painting here along with a large dragon.
The old friends meet, have a drink, and start to catch up when we learn of their sister Kitiara who had pledged to return but didn’t make the reunion. Of course, Flint grumbles and is annoyed by all of this.
In short, what this chapter does is more character introduction, but it does it while moving the story forward. The pacing is amazing, it really does grab your attention and make you want to stay up late reading. Can not recommend these books enough.
