As you look closely at the chandelier, you see a small network of tiny filaments extending from the ornamental arms of the light fixture to the floor. Where they attach to the chandelier, there are small levers, almost too small to detect. You carefully avoid the filaments hanging from the chandelier and make your way to the safe room door. It appears to be a normal door with a simple lock below the doorknob.
Responses:
1. Try to pick the lock.
2. Place the stolen key in the lock and turn it.
3. Try to force the door.
OOC: I added a response here, to make an otherwise unreachable state accessible.
The lock opens silently, and as you open the door, you find that it is comprised of two inches of solid iron. The hinges make no sound whatsoever as you close the door behind you. You turn and survey the room. To your surprise, you see a window overlooking the busy town square. Despite the window, the room seems surprisingly dark, and this strikes you as odd. There is a table with a small stand which holds a simple gold ring. You quickly take the ring and plan your escape.
Responses:
1. Attempt to leave through the strangely dark window.
2. Slip the ring on your finger and exit the way you entered.
Slip the ring on your figure and exit the way you entered...
You slip the ring on your finger, and the world around you shimmers briefly as the magic cloaks you in invisibility. You exit through the safe room door, taking care to lock it behind you. You return to the grand entry and patiently wait for the door to the square to open. After what seems like an eternity, an elegant middle-aged woman passes through the door with a lingering gaze on the tall guard. You take the opportunity to pass unseen into the square and shortly thereafter out of the city. You travel swiftly for three days until you are certain that you have not been pursued. Only then do you take off the ring and spend the night in a small, nearly deserted tavern. After a surprisingly good dinner, you retire to your room and fall asleep, dreaming of the riches which are sure to be yours. You did it! Well done. Wasn't sure you would make it there toward the end, but you did! Well, that certainly was fun. So what did you think? Was it a fun game?
Responses:
1. Yes, I enjoyed it very much.
2. Well, it was a game.
3. It wasn't very good, no.
Some notes on the end:
At the last three decision points, there was only one right answer and the alternatives were death.
If you don't find the trap, you die. But at least that first one is friendly, with a tip back in the tavern - and you can get lucky even if you don't have the tip.
At the safe room door, you can pick the lock - but that apparently sets off another trap. Trying to force the door fails and triggers an alarm; the guards get you. You need the key; if you didn't pick it up earlier, you don't get that option. Incidentally, forcing the door is the option I added.
Finally, in the last room, the window is an illusion. Try to leave that way, and you set off an alarm.
Excellent! Which class would you like: a fighter, a wizard, or a thief?
Responses:
1. I shall take on the role of a fighter.
2. A wizard sounds like it would be fun.
3. I've always enjoyed sneaking around. Let me try being a thief.
4. Eh, I would rather quit after all.
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 woman, a mercenary who makes her living with her 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.
Based on Arvia's portrait, this character is female.
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.
1. Ask why a merchant would have no items for sale.
"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.
(Not very honorable, and I'm fully expecting a dice role that makes me stumble, but he's a bully, two days should be enough to rescue the daughter, and I bet the whole village will gladly help to hide the corpse, too)
With a mighty swing, you split the man's skull, felling him in one blow. As his body slumps to the floor, the smith looks at you in a disbelief which soon turns to panic. "You've really done it now," he cries. "Lord Fernault's seneschal killed in my shop! Quick, help me get the body into the furnace before anyone finds it!"
Responses:
1. Ask him about Lord Fernault.
2. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
No die roll on this one, and it won't take the whole village to deal with the body. Though they probably would be willing.
"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.
I pledge to rescue your daughter upon... upon... you know if I had a magic sword I would pledge upon it you know. Oh well, I suppose. I agree to rescue your daughter.
I pledge to rescue your daughter upon... upon... you know if I had a magic sword I would pledge upon it you know. Oh well, I suppose. I agree to rescue your daughter.
"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."
Response:
1. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
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."
"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."
Response:
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, ma'am, 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.
Response:
1. Leave the town and head to Mount Redigar.
(Uh-oh. 3 days travel she said. The bully we killed said the smith needs to deliver the weapons in two days or his daughter will suffer... we should probably hurry)
Comments
As you look closely at the chandelier, you see a small network of tiny filaments extending from the ornamental arms of the light fixture to the floor. Where they attach to the chandelier, there are small levers, almost too small to detect.
You carefully avoid the filaments hanging from the chandelier and make your way to the safe room door. It appears to be a normal door with a simple lock below the doorknob.
Responses:
1. Try to pick the lock.
2. Place the stolen key in the lock and turn it.
3. Try to force the door.
OOC: I added a response here, to make an otherwise unreachable state accessible.
The lock opens silently, and as you open the door, you find that it is comprised of two inches of solid iron. The hinges make no sound whatsoever as you close the door behind you. You turn and survey the room.
To your surprise, you see a window overlooking the busy town square. Despite the window, the room seems surprisingly dark, and this strikes you as odd. There is a table with a small stand which holds a simple gold ring. You quickly take the ring and plan your escape.
Responses:
1. Attempt to leave through the strangely dark window.
2. Slip the ring on your finger and exit the way you entered.
You slip the ring on your finger, and the world around you shimmers briefly as the magic cloaks you in invisibility. You exit through the safe room door, taking care to lock it behind you. You return to the grand entry and patiently wait for the door to the square to open.
After what seems like an eternity, an elegant middle-aged woman passes through the door with a lingering gaze on the tall guard. You take the opportunity to pass unseen into the square and shortly thereafter out of the city.
You travel swiftly for three days until you are certain that you have not been pursued. Only then do you take off the ring and spend the night in a small, nearly deserted tavern. After a surprisingly good dinner, you retire to your room and fall asleep, dreaming of the riches which are sure to be yours.
You did it! Well done. Wasn't sure you would make it there toward the end, but you did! Well, that certainly was fun.
So what did you think? Was it a fun game?
Responses:
1. Yes, I enjoyed it very much.
2. Well, it was a game.
3. It wasn't very good, no.
Some notes on the end:
If you don't find the trap, you die. But at least that first one is friendly, with a tip back in the tavern - and you can get lucky even if you don't have the tip.
At the safe room door, you can pick the lock - but that apparently sets off another trap. Trying to force the door fails and triggers an alarm; the guards get you. You need the key; if you didn't pick it up earlier, you don't get that option. Incidentally, forcing the door is the option I added.
Finally, in the last room, the window is an illusion. Try to leave that way, and you set off an alarm.
I'm glad to hear it. Would you, by chance, like to play again or perhaps choose another class?
Responses:
1. Okay, perhaps I will try another class.
2. No, I would rather quit.
Excellent! Which class would you like: a fighter, a wizard, or a thief?
Responses:
1. I shall take on the role of a fighter.
2. A wizard sounds like it would be fun.
3. I've always enjoyed sneaking around. Let me try being a thief.
4. Eh, I would rather quit after all.
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 woman, a mercenary who makes her living with her 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.
Based on Arvia's portrait, this character is female.
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.
(Not very honorable, and I'm fully expecting a dice role that makes me stumble, but he's a bully, two days should be enough to rescue the daughter, and I bet the whole village will gladly help to hide the corpse, too)
With a mighty swing, you split the man's skull, felling him in one blow. As his body slumps to the floor, the smith looks at you in a disbelief which soon turns to panic. "You've really done it now," he cries. "Lord Fernault's seneschal killed in my shop! Quick, help me get the body into the furnace before anyone finds it!"
Responses:
1. Ask him about Lord Fernault.
2. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
No die roll on this one, and it won't take the whole village to deal with the body. Though they probably would be willing.
1.Ask him about Lord Fernault.
"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."
Response:
1. Leave the blacksmith's and enter the temple.
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."
Response:
1. Ask her why the temple is closed.
"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."
Response:
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, ma'am, 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.
Response:
1. Leave the town and head to Mount Redigar.
(Uh-oh. 3 days travel she said. The bully we killed said the smith needs to deliver the weapons in two days or his daughter will suffer... we should probably hurry)