The Red Lamb Inn is situated in the town of Zombar, on small fork of the Danube River. The inn commands a place of prominence in the town, facing the church across the town square, with its back to the river.
As the sun sets to the west, a storm rolls in from the east. The rain is still light as the guests begin to arrive, but grows heavier over time.
A roaring hearth fire banishes the storm's chill and gloom from the spacious common room in the Red Lamb Inn in the Hungarian wilderness near the Giovanni Manse. At the inn are the innkeeper and his servants, a young soldier, an old beggar woman and a monk. At the table closest to the fire are three nuns and a young woman. The eldest nun seems to be quite frail, and possibly blind. The table next to them holds a young knight and two other soldiers, all wearing the same colors. A small boy is seated at the table with them, in the seat closest to the table of nuns, though he's not paying attention to what either group is saying. Periodically, the young woman will turn to her and attempt to get him to eat, or to wipe he face.
Sitting alone at another table nearby, is a franciscan friar with a mug of water and a few slices of bread on a plate before him. Farther away from the others is a younger man, perhaps a soldier as well, though he looks less well maintained than the others. He seems to be nursing his drink and favoring his leg.
As each person enters, the inn, the innkeeper calls out to him in Hungarian, "Welcome, traveler. Come in out of the storm and warm yourself by the fire. If you're one of His Lordship's guests, your meal and drinks are complementary, of course. Any friend of Lord Claudius is always welcomed in my house."
