Preparing to visit Fort Gateport, Hat prepares his disguise, simply put, regardless of what happens at Fort Gateport it can’t trace back to Hat Home. The people of Hat Home are fairly used to Hat disappearing days on end, the travelers usually guess that Hat is simply off doing diplomacy, getting more funding for Hat Home, and although this is what they are doing, the way they are doing it is a bit questionable. The permanent residents of Hat Home suspect this  but considering how most permanent residents have a rather shady past and they came here specifically so people won’t ask questions, the people really don’t pry into Hats business. Although Hat is the leader of Hat Home on paper, his name is in the villages after all, they are far closer to being just another villager than a mayor.

Once a disguise is picked out, a different one from visiting dawn’s reverie or the horse auction, Hat gathers supplies. A tent lined in permafrost to keep cool, some rations, a large water skin, a heath emerald, and of course the Hat Shot and a dagger, their best armor, along with a full set of Bandit Armor they looted, preferring one with as much hidden skin as possible.

Looking at the heath emerald, Hat considers something, they could easily travel to Fort Gateport via wayburrow, but Hat may lose the option of stealth, even in the dead of night the light of the wayburrow could be seen. So considering this, Hat decides to travel on foot to Fort Gateport.

Hat starts at Heath, before taking a ferry set for Eastlake and leaving the vessel between Lonebeach and Eastlake passing by Lonebeach seeing the massive building it has become. Using a small one-man vessel, they headed north east toward an inlet north of Fort Gateport. Upon reaching the inlet, Hat hid the vessel and continued on foot. In order to keep an eye on both routes of entry into Fort Gateport, Hat hides out on a small island near the fort.

The first thing Hat wanted to check is what is being delivered, in order to determine whether or not the weapons were being made within the fort or outside.

So for several days Hat kept in the shadows around the outskirts of Fort Gateport, watching everyone who came in or out. But it’s likely that a weapons shipment would be a very infrequent occurrence, so infiltration was the best course of action, go in see if the smiths are there and if not, get out. Upon donning the full bandit set Hat leaves his gear with the exception of his weapons and approaches the front gate. There are some bandits outside the fort, sentries, making sure to keep aware in the case someone uses the wayburrow.

“Hey! You there” A Bandit shouts, a large man with a scruffy beard and a black mask over his face

“Yes?” A disguised Hat replies

“Where’s your loot bag? You better not be coming back empty handed”

“Oh of course I put it in a stash, guards on my tail needed to dump the weight, don’t worry I know where it is”

“Eh, likely story, same thing happened to slinks here”

A bandit who looks a lot less imposing compared to the scruffy bearded one, presumably named slinks, wearing a metal helmet that seemed to be stolen from an Emeraldite guard nods in agreement

“Y’know, I don’t think we’ve met, you a newbie?” The scruffy Bandit follows up

“Uh, yes, very new”

“Ah nice, I can show you how things are done ‘round here” the bandit grabs Hat on the shoulder, hard, and leads him to the gate, the other bandits stand up as well, following the two from behind, the bandit continues

“The name’s Skinner, don’t forget, names and info round here work like currency, they’re earned, as a newbie, you’ll probably just be known as runt or some variation, unless you do something real good”

“What did you do to get yours” Hat asks

“Well as I said names and info is currency, you ain’t got a name yet, you’re not getting info, but what I will say is mines a bit on the nose”

As the two reach the gate a guard on the tower shouts “Hey skinner who you got with you”

“A runt!” Skinner replies

The guard whistles in amusement

“Well be sure to give them a proper check-in, we don’t need any intruders ‘round here” as the gates open wide enough for Hat, Skinner and the rest to enter.