The Hoiyte Gatekeeper was not an amiable man. He was by far the biggest ass of a man that Aohdei had ever met, but considering his circumstances, that wasn't an achievement. The Gatekeeper was older, in his mid fifties or so, and was perpetually scowling, lips twisted downward, and brow wrinkled. Above his bulbous and pockmarked nose, his eyes had sunk into his head, and their sparkling green could only just be made out among the leathery skin. A prominent chin was scruffy with the grayed whiskers of an unshaven man, and he was crowned by an almost fluffy ring of salt and pepper hair, coated in snow. The top of his head was shinier than the metal breastplate he wore, and probably functioned like a lighthouse to travelers far and wide, or so Aohdei thought. He couldn't help but notice the many skins and leathers shawled across his arms and cloaking his legs, as he waved his arm in a dismissive manner towards Aohdei.
"Tell me again why I should let you into my town, around my people, when I've never seen you, nor do you have any skins to trade, or coin to spend?" He barked down from what was presumably a ladder.
"Because," Aohdei started, "I need a guide, and for your information, I do have coin, with which I intend to pay said guide!" He snapped back, fishing into one of several purses and pulling out a handful of copper coins, "So let me in you daffy old fool!"
The Gatekeeper glared at Aohdei, then flicked his eyes toward the coin filled hand, then back at the also fur covered traveler. Aohdei appeared to be a normal human, albeit a slightly discolored one, with his darkly ringed eyes, and blackened lips. What the Gateman couldn't know, was that Aohdei was a spirit, of sorts, that had been bound into flesh by a malevolent Mage some time ago. At least, Aohdei thought that he was malevolent, as his memories from around seven months ago and backward were more than a touch fuzzy. In fact, there were centuries that Aohdei couldn't remember, thanks to said Mage, who was - next to this Gatekeeper - the biggest ass ever. Not only did he strip him of his original, much more free form, but then put him in Sionad, a place where, as was currently going on, it could be sunny and snowing at the same time. Le'raana had some undesirable places, but for a Fire Demon, Sionad was probably the worst place to be.
The grizzly old Gatekeeper finally responded, "Fine, you can come in, but I swear to all gods above and below, if I see you stirrin' up trouble, I'll get you out of here faster than a berries in bear country." He called down to someone behind the gate, and slowly, with lots of excessive clicks and bangs, the fifteen-ish foot gate swung outward. Muttering thanks, Aohdei strolled in across the beaten down snow and dirt, not sparing the old Gatekeeper another glance.
As he walked into the main street of Hoiyte there were a few fur salesmen, and wandering merchants, but all in all, the largest amount of people were natives just talking. Gossip about another's child, stories about a hunt, and off to one building, around some crates and a dogsled, there was an old woman, and presumably her husband, telling stories of a hero and his great beastie companion, facing off against a god for the fate of humanity. Nothing really caught his ear until he overheard two men talking about an unfortunate accident.
"Yeah, Coual, the seal hunter, went missing a few days ago. When they found 'im he was dead, and his chest was all torn out. Ribs everywhere, heart ripped clean out, lungs popped and leakin' still. Nasty business. Weirdest part though, was that his coat was gone, but not his furs, nor anything else he had on 'im," One man in his late thirties exclaimed, recounting the tale for what was probably not the first time, nor the last. The second man looked genuinely surprised, and remarked, "I knew Coual, a litte. He was smart enough not to wander the Tundra, but I guess he was feeling out of it or something. Anyways, it's suicide heading out there alone, what with it being the predatory season and all."
Aohdei walked slightly faster at that, making a beeline for the tavern. As a Roszellehm, the kind of spirit that he was, he needed souls to survive, as much as food for a mortal. Not that he was immortal, not by a long shot, but his spirit would endure where his body didn't. Immortality, after a fashion. Not only did souls feed him, but they boosted his power, and so especially here, in this place, he needed them more so and in larger quantity than he would in a warmer place. Coual had been one such soul, and one with a nice coat. The heart contained lifeblood, a darker blood that could heal faster than normal, and also was the house of the spirit, and so naturally to get to it, he would need to remove it, and consume it. Necessary, if grisly at times.
Lost in thought about the seal-hunter, Aohdei bumped into a woman carrying a stack of pelts, and knocked them onto the ice. Before he could apologize to the stout woman, a man barely out of boyhood, complete with a budding mustache and somewhat gangly limbs, put both hands central on his chest, and shoved him onto the ground. "What's wrong with you, shoving around women like that?!" He snarled, anger splayed on his features. The woman grasped his arm, and said in a chastising tone, "What is wrong with you Daev? It was an accident!" The boyish man - Daev - gave the woman an look that Aohdei didn't quite understand, and lowered a hand to him.
Before Aohdei could take it, one of the men talking about Coual spoke up, and pointed at Aohdei, "Where'd you get that coat stranger?" he said, suspicion in his voice. Now everyone in the twenty feet or so surrounding Aohdei, the woman, and Daev, were staring at the scene they'd created.
"I said, where'd you get that coat?"