Post by The Lord of Blades on Jan 17, 2010 5:47:05 GMT -5
Dawn rises on another day in Heart-Stone. Birds chirp and sing to each other as the town rouses to its daily activities. You each wake from your reverie or sleep, and slowly make your way outdoors to watch the town come to life as it does in the early hours. Fresh foods bake and add their aromas to the crisp cool air before the sun rises in full and bakes it into another breezy day. The townspeople wave and greet you with varied vigor and enthusiasm, from the guards giving a knowing nod to the kids waving so hard it tires their arms out the moment your gaze passes them by. Without a doubt, the town has awoken to another fine day.
A guard approaches each one of you in turn, sending you a message from the stationed Thalassan soldier: Finster Alcemedes. He requests you all see him when it is convenient. A small matter has come up, nothing pressing, but definitely of an adventurous persuasion. You all waste no time, crossing the low dirt wall surrounding the town as you head to the spiked-log outpost that the local guards call a barracks; sitting just on the northern edge of town, the dirt wall widening into a flattened hill for the building to sit on. A banner flies from a pennant pole situated at the very top of the outpost. The soft light yellow and teal of Thalassa, with a swordfish splashing out of the teal and into the yellow. An image of the sea and one quite fitting for Thalassa, a nation that derives its livelihood from the coasts. As you cross the threshold for the open gates, a couple of guards nod, asking for a retelling of your latest tale but quickly catching themselves and ushering you in with a nod or gesture for you to tell it later.
Inside the building, numerous standard-make swords and shields, as well as many well kept suits of leather armor with the occasional studded leather in there as well adorn racks or storage bins. Sitting at a desk, always trying to look important, and perpetually filling out paperwork that even the other guards joke is meaningless... is Finster Alcemedes. A halfling soldier from Thalassa who is 'in charge' of the town. A stout fellow, Finster is a strongly built halfling, amply qualifying him for his position when compared to his kin. His sharply trimmed sideburns and stark black hair match his hard gaze; which, despite his size, has been known to stare down many a person. Finster looks up from his desk, sees you each come in and gestures you sit or at least idle somewhere out of the way, making no explanation whatsoever until all of you have arrived.
When you have all arrived, Finster clears his throat once and then addresses you all. "Alright, there've been reports of trouble. The usual kind. A missing person here, spooked and slain livestock there, and of course, the ever-present and makes-our-job-easier scare reports." His attitude is clearly dismissive and bitter, but he continues, "Now, normally this is guard territory and I'd send a few of the men stationed here to sort this nonsense out. Unfortunately, we don't have much of a clue what there is to sort out yet and I'm not sending any hard-working men here who protect this town on a wild goose chase because some farmers lost a few cows; some children saw some spooky lights; or housewives have gossiped about a runaway girl."
He stands up, amusingly enough on his chair (an act he is convinced increases his presence but the guards try their hardest to avoid laughing at), and strokes his chin. "That's where you come in. I want you boys to go ahead and investigate it. There's likely naught out there but a wolf or two, maybe even a miscreant band of upstart goblins with a thuggish orc at their front. You may even get lucky and get to fight something like a bugbear. Who knows? Worst case scenario? You boys get a bit scraped up and have another story to tell since heaven knows you don't have enough stories to woo the farmers daughters with already. Best case scenario? You get a good day's exercise, make yourself useful to the town, and stay out of my way for a day."
Finster sits back down, clearing his throat. "There's five gold pieces in it for each of you, and don't go haggling that with me, you adventuring lot make plenty of money for having fun as is." Finster's disapproval of 'adventuring' as an honest career is, as it always has been, abundantly evident. "Now, git! Don't come back if there's nothing to report. No news is good news and not having to look at your smug faces at making five gold a piece for doing little more than taking a lovely stroll for the day. Oh, and my guards will be watching, don't think you can just lounge around town and don't just wander around town, really get yourselves out and cover the surrounding area! Now, go on!" Finster dismissively gestures and goes back to his paperwork. A guard you're all familiar with, Trevor, comes up to escort you back to the door and hand you each your small cloth pouches with five gold pieces in them.
"Don't mind Finster, he's just in a foul mood because he's jealous. He was quite the adventurer in his day, age caught up with him and now he is a soldier. Yeah, good ol' Captain Alcemedes. Anyways, good luck with it, look forward to hearing about it when you get back." Trevor says. He's one that frequently talks to you all, usually as Finster's envoy or messenger, nods and smiles. Waving a farewell, Trevor turns to go back up on the low dirt wall and 'patrol', a contented smile on his face as he surveys the surrounding land and his hometown.
OPTIONS
OPTIONS are your various possible destinations. These are suggestions, but firm ones to be sure. If you have a truly better idea, you're welcome to pursue it, but otherwise these are the various places you'd think to go and look around. It also spares me the trouble of drawing up a map for every single location regardless of how mundane or irrelevant it may be. So please, consider that the OPTIONS are likely the best available choices to you from a DM perspective if you yourself cannot think of anything better to pursue/do. The amount of information initially given for these four is due to your familiarity with the region. You are still free to ask specific questions and gather information as you see fit to try and bulk out what you already have. Again: these are simply outlining a number of good possibilities and potential destinations. Please, do not just say "1" or "2" though, a little role-play never hurt anyone.
(Also, you needn't all go to the same ones, but it might help to stick together for things like spot/listens, searches, as well as random insight and ideas... and of course if you get attacked by something).
1 - Gremgerde's Marsh. To the South of Heart-Stone lies a marshy area. Not a frequently traveled place by the townspeople, nor commonly used even by animals, the Marsh is an unpleasant sort of place. Stories frequently abound regarding ghosts and other phenomenon, but you've been here long enough to know that there's little more out there than the occasional monster. That, combined with only herb collecting requiring its use, leads to a lot of fanciful tales. Still, a band of goblins might find the place to be a nice and overlooked hideout, and goblins seldom mind 'unpleasant' living conditions.
2 - Hills. To the North of Heart-Stone are several rolling hills. Wild animals frequent the area but these are almost always gentle animal life, and it does nothing to deter children from playing there. With a mostly clear line of sight to the barracks, the townspeople have never really worried about the hills. The only unusual thing about them that Heart-Stone ever had was around 20 years ago, but no one ever thinks much of a few immigrants. Children are often digging for treasure in the hills, their parents encouraging it as it keeps them out of any potential harms way.
3 - Swegvy Woods. To the East of Heart-Stone's farmlands is the Swegvy Woods. Known for being a somewhat wild area, the townspeople steer clear of it except when hunting or actively pursuing some bounty found only in its depths. Only older children go near here, and even then it is only in foolish bravado attempts that almost always get them in trouble with their parents (as the farmers are quick to rat them out, for their own sakes). Every so often a person will run away, as there are always a few rebels in each generation and this is the path they always take.
4 - Roads. To the West of Heart-Stone lie the main roads to other towns. Even were an occasional marauding band of caravan raiders to crop up, they would be quickly dealt with by the guards. Catching these marauders proactively instead of reactively is always smiled upon though.
[Threat level is not yet present. It is used when concerning the Erebus Legion or in cases of dungeons and etc. It will not be implemented until later in this game.]
A guard approaches each one of you in turn, sending you a message from the stationed Thalassan soldier: Finster Alcemedes. He requests you all see him when it is convenient. A small matter has come up, nothing pressing, but definitely of an adventurous persuasion. You all waste no time, crossing the low dirt wall surrounding the town as you head to the spiked-log outpost that the local guards call a barracks; sitting just on the northern edge of town, the dirt wall widening into a flattened hill for the building to sit on. A banner flies from a pennant pole situated at the very top of the outpost. The soft light yellow and teal of Thalassa, with a swordfish splashing out of the teal and into the yellow. An image of the sea and one quite fitting for Thalassa, a nation that derives its livelihood from the coasts. As you cross the threshold for the open gates, a couple of guards nod, asking for a retelling of your latest tale but quickly catching themselves and ushering you in with a nod or gesture for you to tell it later.
Inside the building, numerous standard-make swords and shields, as well as many well kept suits of leather armor with the occasional studded leather in there as well adorn racks or storage bins. Sitting at a desk, always trying to look important, and perpetually filling out paperwork that even the other guards joke is meaningless... is Finster Alcemedes. A halfling soldier from Thalassa who is 'in charge' of the town. A stout fellow, Finster is a strongly built halfling, amply qualifying him for his position when compared to his kin. His sharply trimmed sideburns and stark black hair match his hard gaze; which, despite his size, has been known to stare down many a person. Finster looks up from his desk, sees you each come in and gestures you sit or at least idle somewhere out of the way, making no explanation whatsoever until all of you have arrived.
When you have all arrived, Finster clears his throat once and then addresses you all. "Alright, there've been reports of trouble. The usual kind. A missing person here, spooked and slain livestock there, and of course, the ever-present and makes-our-job-easier scare reports." His attitude is clearly dismissive and bitter, but he continues, "Now, normally this is guard territory and I'd send a few of the men stationed here to sort this nonsense out. Unfortunately, we don't have much of a clue what there is to sort out yet and I'm not sending any hard-working men here who protect this town on a wild goose chase because some farmers lost a few cows; some children saw some spooky lights; or housewives have gossiped about a runaway girl."
He stands up, amusingly enough on his chair (an act he is convinced increases his presence but the guards try their hardest to avoid laughing at), and strokes his chin. "That's where you come in. I want you boys to go ahead and investigate it. There's likely naught out there but a wolf or two, maybe even a miscreant band of upstart goblins with a thuggish orc at their front. You may even get lucky and get to fight something like a bugbear. Who knows? Worst case scenario? You boys get a bit scraped up and have another story to tell since heaven knows you don't have enough stories to woo the farmers daughters with already. Best case scenario? You get a good day's exercise, make yourself useful to the town, and stay out of my way for a day."
Finster sits back down, clearing his throat. "There's five gold pieces in it for each of you, and don't go haggling that with me, you adventuring lot make plenty of money for having fun as is." Finster's disapproval of 'adventuring' as an honest career is, as it always has been, abundantly evident. "Now, git! Don't come back if there's nothing to report. No news is good news and not having to look at your smug faces at making five gold a piece for doing little more than taking a lovely stroll for the day. Oh, and my guards will be watching, don't think you can just lounge around town and don't just wander around town, really get yourselves out and cover the surrounding area! Now, go on!" Finster dismissively gestures and goes back to his paperwork. A guard you're all familiar with, Trevor, comes up to escort you back to the door and hand you each your small cloth pouches with five gold pieces in them.
"Don't mind Finster, he's just in a foul mood because he's jealous. He was quite the adventurer in his day, age caught up with him and now he is a soldier. Yeah, good ol' Captain Alcemedes. Anyways, good luck with it, look forward to hearing about it when you get back." Trevor says. He's one that frequently talks to you all, usually as Finster's envoy or messenger, nods and smiles. Waving a farewell, Trevor turns to go back up on the low dirt wall and 'patrol', a contented smile on his face as he surveys the surrounding land and his hometown.
OPTIONS
OPTIONS are your various possible destinations. These are suggestions, but firm ones to be sure. If you have a truly better idea, you're welcome to pursue it, but otherwise these are the various places you'd think to go and look around. It also spares me the trouble of drawing up a map for every single location regardless of how mundane or irrelevant it may be. So please, consider that the OPTIONS are likely the best available choices to you from a DM perspective if you yourself cannot think of anything better to pursue/do. The amount of information initially given for these four is due to your familiarity with the region. You are still free to ask specific questions and gather information as you see fit to try and bulk out what you already have. Again: these are simply outlining a number of good possibilities and potential destinations. Please, do not just say "1" or "2" though, a little role-play never hurt anyone.
(Also, you needn't all go to the same ones, but it might help to stick together for things like spot/listens, searches, as well as random insight and ideas... and of course if you get attacked by something).
1 - Gremgerde's Marsh. To the South of Heart-Stone lies a marshy area. Not a frequently traveled place by the townspeople, nor commonly used even by animals, the Marsh is an unpleasant sort of place. Stories frequently abound regarding ghosts and other phenomenon, but you've been here long enough to know that there's little more out there than the occasional monster. That, combined with only herb collecting requiring its use, leads to a lot of fanciful tales. Still, a band of goblins might find the place to be a nice and overlooked hideout, and goblins seldom mind 'unpleasant' living conditions.
2 - Hills. To the North of Heart-Stone are several rolling hills. Wild animals frequent the area but these are almost always gentle animal life, and it does nothing to deter children from playing there. With a mostly clear line of sight to the barracks, the townspeople have never really worried about the hills. The only unusual thing about them that Heart-Stone ever had was around 20 years ago, but no one ever thinks much of a few immigrants. Children are often digging for treasure in the hills, their parents encouraging it as it keeps them out of any potential harms way.
3 - Swegvy Woods. To the East of Heart-Stone's farmlands is the Swegvy Woods. Known for being a somewhat wild area, the townspeople steer clear of it except when hunting or actively pursuing some bounty found only in its depths. Only older children go near here, and even then it is only in foolish bravado attempts that almost always get them in trouble with their parents (as the farmers are quick to rat them out, for their own sakes). Every so often a person will run away, as there are always a few rebels in each generation and this is the path they always take.
4 - Roads. To the West of Heart-Stone lie the main roads to other towns. Even were an occasional marauding band of caravan raiders to crop up, they would be quickly dealt with by the guards. Catching these marauders proactively instead of reactively is always smiled upon though.
[Threat level is not yet present. It is used when concerning the Erebus Legion or in cases of dungeons and etc. It will not be implemented until later in this game.]