Ooh, a fighter! You like to act tough, do you? I thought I wanted to be a fighter once, but then my mother reminded me I have trouble chopping wood for the winter... and the wood's sitting still! Better I stick to telling stories, I think. Anyway, let me just get my Tome of Adventure here... right, got it. Let's get started. You are a fighting man, a mercenary who makes his living with his sword, and a good living it has been. A paragon of youth, strength, and vitality, you are an impressive sight in your brightly polished armor. So it is no surprise that when you enter the town of Berenford, the children look at you in awe, even as their parents run to shield them from an unknown, yet powerful new presence. It is a day like any other, and you had briefly considered scrounging around Berenford for work, but something in these people's attitudes stops you in your tracks. All is not right here. It is not unusual for people to be scared of the unknown, but this group seems a bit TOO scared. As the adults shuffle their children indoors, you are left facing what might loosely be termed a town square. Looking around, you notice several nondescript buildings, a temple of Lathander, and a blacksmith.
Responses:
1. Enter the Temple of Lathander.
2. Enter the blacksmith's.
OOC: This path is the longest and most complex. It is also the only one to include dice rolls. And I have chosen to increase the player's chance of success on all of them. The overall chance of victory, assuming optimal play, has been increased by a factor of more than ten by this adjustment.
Also, based on Zaghoul's portrait having a full beard, the player character this time through is again assumed to be male.
The blacksmith's shop is a small wooden building with a low roof and a crowded and drafty interior. The wall is lined with examples of his handiwork: swords, spears, and shields, but everything is covered in soot. The smith looks up warily from his anvil as you enter and beckons you forward. "What d'ya want?" he asks gruffly.
Responses:
1. Ask if he has anything rare for sale.
2. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
"Because we no longer have any currency! All we used to have went to our new lord, Fernault. 'Taxes,' he called it, but it's more like 'theft' if you ask me! Because he simply takes everything we get, gold has become worthless here, and so I don't want any you may have. The only way I work now is for an exchange of services, and I doubt you'd have anything I want. Although..." Suddenly, there is a commotion at the door, and before you can object, the smith hurries you behind a nearby pile of crates and motions you to be silent. Almost before he can turn back around, a large man bursts into his shop. "Smith!" he bellows. "Your shipment is late. Where are the weapons Fernault has ordered?" "I—I—I need time", the smith stammers in reply. "That many weapons cannot be made in a tenday, particularly when it is so difficult to come by supplies, a situation brought about by your master, I might add!" The large man steps forward and backhands the smith, sending him to the ground. "Watch your tongue, cur! First, Lord Fernault is not just MY master, but OUR master! Second, he will not be blamed for your incompetence! You have two days to finish the order. If you do not have the weapons by then, your daughter will pay the price!"
Responses:
1. Stay in hiding.
2. Smite the man from behind with your sword.
The smith nods his understanding, and the large man barrels his way out the door. When he is gone, the smith motions you forward and out the door. "You've got to go," he says nervously. "I have far too much work to do."
Responses:
1. Ask him about Lord Fernault.
2. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
"No one's ever seen him," the man whispers, "but he and his soldiers came here several tendays ago and immediately set about robbing the people blind. Anything of value—gold, jewels, iron, even food and, as you just saw, weapons—they simply seize without payment." "His fortress lies somewhere in Mount Redigar to the north. That's where they took my daughter several days ago as a means of 'persuading' me to continue working for free. Why do you ask? You aren't really thinking of getting rid of him, are you? Because if you are, I beg you to keep an eye out for Peldea, my daughter. Rescue her if you can!"
Responses:
1. Agree to rescue his daughter.
2. Tell him that you cannot guarantee you will be able to rescue his daughter.
3. Tell him that you have no intention of going to Lord Fernault's fortress.
"Oh, thank you!" he replies with a wide smile. "Since you have promised to return to me the only thing in this world I care about, I shall give you this!" He pulls up a loose plank from the floor, reaches his hand into the hole, and brings forth a rough cloth, which he quickly unwraps to reveal a perfectly smooth blue blade. As your hand grasps the sword's hilt, a series of orange runes pulse along the crossguard, hinting at the power within the blade. "It's called Caelfor, and it was passed to me by my father, a master smith known far and wide as the best these parts have ever known. I reckon there are few better swords in the world than this. May it always strike true for you, and if you could lodge it in Lord Fernault's brain, I would celebrate your name forever." "But we have spoken too long already. I really do need to get back to work, so I wish you luck in your travels. Farewell."
Responses:
1. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
No actual choice here, because this path requires you to pick up the exposition before moving on. There are two responses here, both with associated text, but you'll only ever see one of them at a time. Also, you have a magic sword now.
The Temple of Lathander is adorned in rich yellow, orange, and red tapestries arranged on the walls such that they mimic the hues and patterns of a rising sun. You at first think the temple to be empty before a small woman meekly pokes her head out of one of the side vestibules. "Sorry," she says timidly, "but I'm afraid the temple is closed. Please try back later."
Responses:
1. Ask her why the temple is closed.
The other two possible responses are blocked off by not meeting the conditions; you're already done with the stuff at the blacksmith's, and you haven't heard the exposition needed to move on out of town.
"The priest, Morninglord Aldaron, is not here at the moment, and I am but a lowly acolyte. I have neither the training nor enough of the Morninglord's favor to provide adequate temple services on my own."
Responses:
1. Inquire as to when Aldaron will return.
"He does not approve his schedule with me", she answers curtly as she turns away. Yet something stops her, and she turns back, eyes your glistening armor and the heavy sword sheathed on your belt, and begins again. "I apologize, but the truth is the Morninglord has been gone too long now. He is almost certainly dead." "He left almost three tendays ago to journey to Mount Redigar, but he should have returned long ago. It is at most a three-day journey there and another three back. You can even see the mountain from the town square." "Mount Redigar is the home of Fernault, a warlord that recently moved into the area and began terrorizing the people. Aldaron was certain he could talk sense into the tyrant—confident that Lathander would protect him if the worst came—but he has not returned!" "My mentor—my friend—has been slain by that monster, and now I don't see how the people here will ever be free of him! Please, sir, you look to be a great warrior. Rid our town of this tyrant if you can! Oh, I'm sorry, but my emotions overwhelm me. I cannot speak any more of it!" She runs off, leaving you alone in the temple.
Responses:
1. Leave the town and head to Mount Redigar.
And there's the exposition that unlocks the way out. Nothing more to do here in town, folks.
As you turn to the north, heading out of town, a short, balding man approaches you meekly, hat in hand. "Excuse me, sir," he begins, "but you look as though you are made of the stuff of heroes. Would you free our town from the clutches of Lord Fernault and his soldiers?"
Responses:
1. Indicate that you will.
2. Say that you will for the right price.
3. Say that you are too busy at the moment.
"Oh, thank you, THANK YOU!" He shakes your hand furiously. "We do not have anything to pay you with right now, for Fernault's greed is so great that he has stripped our land bare of anything of value. However, anyone that can storm his fortress and kill him will undoubtedly find his vaults filled to overflowing with gold. Now good luck to you, and fare thee well!" "The soldiers were fighting amongst themselves, so they agreed to split up. One group took our wagon and horses and headed west. Another took my mother and brother and headed east." You look on the ground and, sure enough, there are tracks leading both east and west. The soldiers made no attempt to conceal their movement, so both paths would be easy enough to follow.
Responses:
1. Head west in pursuit of the wagon and horses.
2. Head east in pursuit of the girl's mother and brother.
3. Forget the entire mess and continue north towards Mount Redigar.
Huh. You're right, it looks like there's a missing entry here before that three-way decision. The dialogue only really makes sense if you met someone new.
But there's no gaps in the text numbering, so I don't think the text for that entry even exists in game. It's worse than most of the errors.
Head east in pursuit of the girl's (?) mother and brother.
The path east winds around several low hills and into a lightly forested area. The sun filters down through the canopy, and the birds chirp merrily in the cool breeze. Overall, it is a not unpleasant journey. As the light fades, you come to a break in the trees that harbors a small camp. Within, a single large humanoid figure absently pokes a stick into a fire pit while two frightened humans—a woman and a young boy—sit opposite, wide-eyed with fear. The large humanoid shifts position so that you can clearly see its face, and your initial suspicion is confirmed. It is an ogre, the smallest and weakest of the giant-kin, but nevertheless much larger and stronger than a human. Looking around, you see no other guards for the two prisoners. The ogre sighs and continues poking his stick into the fire disinterestedly.
Responses:
1. Sneak up behind the ogre and attack him.
2. Wait for a better opportunity.
3. Leave the captives to their fate and continue to Mount Redigar.
You hunch down into the tall grass to observe the ogre and wait for a better opportunity. Every so often, the beast stops poking the fire long enough to look around—thereby hinting at the existence of others out foraging for food or supplies—but none ever return. At last, long after night has settled over the camp, the ogre slumps down and closes its eyes. A few minutes later, you hear the unmistakable sound of snoring.
Responses:
1. Sneak up on the beast and kill it.
2. Sneak around to the prisoners and free them.
3. Leave the captives to their fate and continue to Mount Redigar.
You tiptoe silently up to the ogre, but a misstep causes a twig to snap loudly under your feet. The monster's eyes fly open as it jumps to attention and turns around. It snarls at the sight of you, leaps up with surprising agility, and picks up the bone of a large unknown animal lying nearby. Swinging its bone club with a roar, it lumbers towards you.
Responses:
1. Stand and fight the ogre.
2. Flee and continue to Mount Redigar.
Comments
(pseudo-IC) What does "thermonuclear" mean? I don't think I know that game.
Ooh, a fighter! You like to act tough, do you? I thought I wanted to be a fighter once, but then my mother reminded me I have trouble chopping wood for the winter... and the wood's sitting still! Better I stick to telling stories, I think.
Anyway, let me just get my Tome of Adventure here... right, got it. Let's get started.
You are a fighting man, a mercenary who makes his living with his sword, and a good living it has been. A paragon of youth, strength, and vitality, you are an impressive sight in your brightly polished armor. So it is no surprise that when you enter the town of Berenford, the children look at you in awe, even as their parents run to shield them from an unknown, yet powerful new presence.
It is a day like any other, and you had briefly considered scrounging around Berenford for work, but something in these people's attitudes stops you in your tracks. All is not right here. It is not unusual for people to be scared of the unknown, but this group seems a bit TOO scared. As the adults shuffle their children indoors, you are left facing what might loosely be termed a town square. Looking around, you notice several nondescript buildings, a temple of Lathander, and a blacksmith.
Responses:
1. Enter the Temple of Lathander.
2. Enter the blacksmith's.
OOC: This path is the longest and most complex. It is also the only one to include dice rolls. And I have chosen to increase the player's chance of success on all of them. The overall chance of victory, assuming optimal play, has been increased by a factor of more than ten by this adjustment.
Also, based on Zaghoul's portrait having a full beard, the player character this time through is again assumed to be male.
The blacksmith's shop is a small wooden building with a low roof and a crowded and drafty interior. The wall is lined with examples of his handiwork: swords, spears, and shields, but everything is covered in soot. The smith looks up warily from his anvil as you enter and beckons you forward. "What d'ya want?" he asks gruffly.
Responses:
1. Ask if he has anything rare for sale.
2. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
He shakes his head. "I have nothing for sale. Not anymore!"
Responses:
1. Ask why a merchant would have no items for sale.
2. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
"Because we no longer have any currency! All we used to have went to our new lord, Fernault. 'Taxes,' he called it, but it's more like 'theft' if you ask me! Because he simply takes everything we get, gold has become worthless here, and so I don't want any you may have. The only way I work now is for an exchange of services, and I doubt you'd have anything I want. Although..."
Suddenly, there is a commotion at the door, and before you can object, the smith hurries you behind a nearby pile of crates and motions you to be silent. Almost before he can turn back around, a large man bursts into his shop. "Smith!" he bellows. "Your shipment is late. Where are the weapons Fernault has ordered?"
"I—I—I need time", the smith stammers in reply. "That many weapons cannot be made in a tenday, particularly when it is so difficult to come by supplies, a situation brought about by your master, I might add!"
The large man steps forward and backhands the smith, sending him to the ground. "Watch your tongue, cur! First, Lord Fernault is not just MY master, but OUR master! Second, he will not be blamed for your incompetence! You have two days to finish the order. If you do not have the weapons by then, your daughter will pay the price!"
Responses:
1. Stay in hiding.
2. Smite the man from behind with your sword.
The smith nods his understanding, and the large man barrels his way out the door. When he is gone, the smith motions you forward and out the door. "You've got to go," he says nervously. "I have far too much work to do."
Responses:
1. Ask him about Lord Fernault.
2. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
"No one's ever seen him," the man whispers, "but he and his soldiers came here several tendays ago and immediately set about robbing the people blind. Anything of value—gold, jewels, iron, even food and, as you just saw, weapons—they simply seize without payment."
"His fortress lies somewhere in Mount Redigar to the north. That's where they took my daughter several days ago as a means of 'persuading' me to continue working for free. Why do you ask? You aren't really thinking of getting rid of him, are you? Because if you are, I beg you to keep an eye out for Peldea, my daughter. Rescue her if you can!"
Responses:
1. Agree to rescue his daughter.
2. Tell him that you cannot guarantee you will be able to rescue his daughter.
3. Tell him that you have no intention of going to Lord Fernault's fortress.
"Oh, thank you!" he replies with a wide smile. "Since you have promised to return to me the only thing in this world I care about, I shall give you this!" He pulls up a loose plank from the floor, reaches his hand into the hole, and brings forth a rough cloth, which he quickly unwraps to reveal a perfectly smooth blue blade.
As your hand grasps the sword's hilt, a series of orange runes pulse along the crossguard, hinting at the power within the blade. "It's called Caelfor, and it was passed to me by my father, a master smith known far and wide as the best these parts have ever known. I reckon there are few better swords in the world than this. May it always strike true for you, and if you could lodge it in Lord Fernault's brain, I would celebrate your name forever."
"But we have spoken too long already. I really do need to get back to work, so I wish you luck in your travels. Farewell."
Responses:
1. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
No actual choice here, because this path requires you to pick up the exposition before moving on. There are two responses here, both with associated text, but you'll only ever see one of them at a time. Also, you have a magic sword now.
The Temple of Lathander is adorned in rich yellow, orange, and red tapestries arranged on the walls such that they mimic the hues and patterns of a rising sun. You at first think the temple to be empty before a small woman meekly pokes her head out of one of the side vestibules. "Sorry," she says timidly, "but I'm afraid the temple is closed. Please try back later."
Responses:
1. Ask her why the temple is closed.
The other two possible responses are blocked off by not meeting the conditions; you're already done with the stuff at the blacksmith's, and you haven't heard the exposition needed to move on out of town.
"The priest, Morninglord Aldaron, is not here at the moment, and I am but a lowly acolyte. I have neither the training nor enough of the Morninglord's favor to provide adequate temple services on my own."
Responses:
1. Inquire as to when Aldaron will return.
"He does not approve his schedule with me", she answers curtly as she turns away. Yet something stops her, and she turns back, eyes your glistening armor and the heavy sword sheathed on your belt, and begins again. "I apologize, but the truth is the Morninglord has been gone too long now. He is almost certainly dead."
"He left almost three tendays ago to journey to Mount Redigar, but he should have returned long ago. It is at most a three-day journey there and another three back. You can even see the mountain from the town square."
"Mount Redigar is the home of Fernault, a warlord that recently moved into the area and began terrorizing the people. Aldaron was certain he could talk sense into the tyrant—confident that Lathander would protect him if the worst came—but he has not returned!"
"My mentor—my friend—has been slain by that monster, and now I don't see how the people here will ever be free of him! Please, sir, you look to be a great warrior. Rid our town of this tyrant if you can! Oh, I'm sorry, but my emotions overwhelm me. I cannot speak any more of it!" She runs off, leaving you alone in the temple.
Responses:
1. Leave the town and head to Mount Redigar.
And there's the exposition that unlocks the way out. Nothing more to do here in town, folks.
As you turn to the north, heading out of town, a short, balding man approaches you meekly, hat in hand. "Excuse me, sir," he begins, "but you look as though you are made of the stuff of heroes. Would you free our town from the clutches of Lord Fernault and his soldiers?"
Responses:
1. Indicate that you will.
2. Say that you will for the right price.
3. Say that you are too busy at the moment.
"Oh, thank you, THANK YOU!" He shakes your hand furiously. "We do not have anything to pay you with right now, for Fernault's greed is so great that he has stripped our land bare of anything of value. However, anyone that can storm his fortress and kill him will undoubtedly find his vaults filled to overflowing with gold. Now good luck to you, and fare thee well!"
"The soldiers were fighting amongst themselves, so they agreed to split up. One group took our wagon and horses and headed west. Another took my mother and brother and headed east." You look on the ground and, sure enough, there are tracks leading both east and west. The soldiers made no attempt to conceal their movement, so both paths would be easy enough to follow.
Responses:
1. Head west in pursuit of the wagon and horses.
2. Head east in pursuit of the girl's mother and brother.
3. Forget the entire mess and continue north towards Mount Redigar.
But there's no gaps in the text numbering, so I don't think the text for that entry even exists in game. It's worse than most of the errors.
The path east winds around several low hills and into a lightly forested area. The sun filters down through the canopy, and the birds chirp merrily in the cool breeze. Overall, it is a not unpleasant journey.
As the light fades, you come to a break in the trees that harbors a small camp. Within, a single large humanoid figure absently pokes a stick into a fire pit while two frightened humans—a woman and a young boy—sit opposite, wide-eyed with fear.
The large humanoid shifts position so that you can clearly see its face, and your initial suspicion is confirmed. It is an ogre, the smallest and weakest of the giant-kin, but nevertheless much larger and stronger than a human. Looking around, you see no other guards for the two prisoners. The ogre sighs and continues poking his stick into the fire disinterestedly.
Responses:
1. Sneak up behind the ogre and attack him.
2. Wait for a better opportunity.
3. Leave the captives to their fate and continue to Mount Redigar.
You hunch down into the tall grass to observe the ogre and wait for a better opportunity. Every so often, the beast stops poking the fire long enough to look around—thereby hinting at the existence of others out foraging for food or supplies—but none ever return. At last, long after night has settled over the camp, the ogre slumps down and closes its eyes. A few minutes later, you hear the unmistakable sound of snoring.
Responses:
1. Sneak up on the beast and kill it.
2. Sneak around to the prisoners and free them.
3. Leave the captives to their fate and continue to Mount Redigar.
You tiptoe silently up to the ogre, but a misstep causes a twig to snap loudly under your feet. The monster's eyes fly open as it jumps to attention and turns around. It snarls at the sight of you, leaps up with surprising agility, and picks up the bone of a large unknown animal lying nearby. Swinging its bone club with a roar, it lumbers towards you.
Responses:
1. Stand and fight the ogre.
2. Flee and continue to Mount Redigar.