Jacob was up and walking within hours of waking back up. To celebrate their tremendous victory, they all went out to celebrate at a local inn. The Inn’s name was the Fortune’s Favor. No sooner had they walked in than a great cheer went up from the many patron in the packed barroom.

A new table was set aside, and rounds were bought all around. Jacob being not so fond of drinking simply ordered some food and water. When his food arrived, it was great a little saltier than he normally liked but good all around. The water was warm which is never a good thing.

So, Jacob muttered a few words to a spell he had learned from the great mother bear. He reached out and grasped the large mug that contained his water and took a sip. It was heavenly. Cooled to perfection. He muttered a few more words and suddenly his friends began downing their drinks.

“Seems you guys have never drank cold ale.” His four party members quickly ordered more drinks and once more he cooled them to perfection.

Long did Jacob and his party celebrate into the night. During the festivities Jacob learned that his party members where levels 15, 17, 21, and 19. Archival, Hellen, Thomas, and Calista, respectively. After they had killed the Roc, they had each leveled up for the first time in a month, so they said.

Archival went up 4 levels, Hellen 3, Thomas 1, and Calista 2. All while he had gone from level one to level twelve in only two days. He wondered what level he would be if he had killed the lioness. He quickly shook that thought from his head as he remembered the cubs she was protecting.

Jacob also learned that experience was divided up among those who participated in the slaying of a beast. It was all based-on participation. Since Jacob had been the main factor in the kill, he had received the lion’s share of the experience.

It was midnight before him, and his party retired to their rooms. Thomas retiring to his room with two bar maids he had been flirting with during the celebration. Jacob was somewhat suspicious so just to be safe he knicked the bag of holding and put it in his room for safe keeping.

Hellen was dragging Calista into her room rambling about how she would keep her from stealing from the kind Inn Keeper. Jacob simply smiled and gave a small laugh offering up a small prayer to Hethara that they would have some fun and be happy together.

The next morning Jacob and the woke up, and after a small application of healing magic, were hungover no more. They went down and had breakfast. The owner of the inn provided said breakfast on the house as a thanks for the slaying of the Roc.

Jacob and the party left the Fortune’s Favor and set out into the city to find some shops. The intrepid band of would be hero’s suddenly flush with cash decided to upgrade their equipment.

Jacob and the party were walking down the paved street when something caught Jacob’s eye in an alley off to the side of the road. He stopped before wandering over to investigate. The party quickly noticed his absence and followed him.

At the back of the alley there was a door to the right-side wall. He would not have noticed it if someone had not been peering out the door looking onto the street as he walked by.

The door was unlike any other he had seen in this world so far. Every square inch of the door was covered in rune work of all different sizes and colors. Even the door’s frame was covered in the same carved runes. Taken as a whole the carved runes in the door formed a greater picture, but at the same time not a picture.

The door almost seemed to whisper of secrets and items rip for the picking. For those who deserved them. As he reached out to grasp the handle Thomas spoke up, “What are you doing? Look at that door, it could be cursed!” Hellen then chimed in with, “I’m not healing you if you catch some curse from a dirty back alley door!” She said with her arms crossed turning away.

Jacob frowned raised up his hand and much to their surprise the astral form of a bear began to manifest. Before their eyes Jacob limited the process to only his right arm. “If there is a curse it probably affects the body, won’t affect a spirit.”

The party shifted with unease but raised no further complaints. Jacob reached out with the astral bear hand and turned the handle. He was greeted by the welcomed sound of a bell ringing.