Growing up hearing stories about adventurers, you always wanted to become one yourself. Their tales of glory and defeating fearsome monsters to acquire riches have always held a great fascination to you. In your sixteenth birthday, once you became an adult, you decided to go out into the world!

Your great grandfather was once a Flame Knight, the order that protects the Emperor. His old sword is still laying around the house, shiny and sharp as ever - perhaps it is even magical!

Your father would never let you take the family heirloom, so one night you just grab it and run away. It would be yours, one day, so why not now?

Besides your prized sword in its scabbard, you only have a backpack with a week worth of food and a dagger.

Where do you wanna head next?

> To the north lands, to test your steel against the barbarians
> To the west port of Mithrail, where you can travel to distant lands
> To the east towards the capital Flamenherz, to seek your destiny
> To the south towards the elven lands, to find worthy companions
> Write in

Also choose gender and name MC.

>>6275045 (OP)
> To the north lands, to test your steel against the barbarians

Panchita del Valle
Female

>>6275045 (OP)
> To the west port of Mithrail, where you can travel to distant lands
Aw yea we about to adventure and shit
>Tom Thumb (No relation)
>Female (Yea they named us Tom)

>>6275045 (OP)
>To the west port of Mithrail, where you can travel to distant lands
>Female
>Abigail Albrecht

>>6275045 (OP)
>To the south towards the elven lands, to find worthy companions
>Female
>Abigail Albrecht

On your first day on the trail, you meet a wandering sage coming the opposite direction, old and recurved, wearing a plain robe and carrying nothing but a little satchel, walking with difficulty helping by his gnarled stick.

"Where is such a young lady going alone?", he asks you.

"To Mithrail, to fame and fortune in distant lands!"

"Be careful on these trails, young one. I've met a bunch of bandits along the way. They didn't rob me because I had nothing for them to rob. Though I did have a cloak and the gentlemen decided they needed it more than this poor old man here.", he says with a chuckle.

"Still, they didn't get my lucky coin. It is of dwarvish manufacture, a platinum piece. It was made in another continent. Since you're going on an adventure, you will need luck more than me. You may have it!"

The old man produces a platinum piece the gods only know from where. It has a hammer, an axe and a pickaxe on one side and a mountain on the other.

"Most places don't accept platinum pieces, but if you find a moneychanger it is worth at least ten gold."

"Wait, you're going out with no money, no food, no water?"

"Well, there is a village less than a day in the direction you came from right? You don't look like you've ever slept in the wilderness before. From where I'm coming from, the nearest village is two days away. But as I said, there are some bandits in the path. Maybe you can scare them away swinging your sword, who knows. The scabbard looks fancy, I think I saw something like that before..."

"It is the sword of a Flame Knight. Belonged to my ancestor."

"Ooh! Truly a relic. The magic was stronger back then. These were forged with an alloy of mithril. The technique was lost after the Siege of Harkon, the only city where they made this sort of thing. It is now an abandoned necropolis."

"Where was this city?"

"Well, about in the opposite direction you're going. It was near the frontier with the elves. The elves let all kinds of weird things pass through their borders. To save their strength, they would say. They once let an army of skeletons led by a mad sorcerer pass through, they rampaged through countless villages and then sieged Harkon. Some say the sorcerer still lives there, with his army of minions. But so far, they haven't rampaged again at all. It's been what... fifty years? Yeah, the sorcerer must be dead by now... unless he's an old man like me... or something worse..."

"Worse?"

"Some old sorcerers learn how to extend their lives unnaturally. They become not exactly human anymore... there are many ways to do it. Two I've heard about are drinking demon blood and injecting fairies tears into your veins. But it could be just legend... well, take care out there."

You two part ways. But the fact that there are bandits ahead leaves you worried.

Maybe you could take a detour around them. Or test your mithril.

> Take a long detour through the south
> Take a long detour through the north
> Face the bandits head on
> Write in

>>6275090
> Take a long detour through the south
What a helpful old chap. May as well try to avoid the bandits for now, since we *do* have something they'd like to rob.

>>6275090
> Take a long detour through the south

>>6275102
>>6275112

You decide to avoid the bandits and take a long detour through the south. You walk all day through the tall grass, stopping now and then to get rid of some ticks that cling to your skin. Tired of walking all day, when night falls, you find a tall tree and decide to sleep under it.

When you wake up the next morning, there is a big wolf sniffing your pack. The two of you get startled, and it starts to snarl at you.

What are you going to do?

> Climb the tree and wait for the wolf to go away
> Draw your sword and slice the creature in two
> Toss your food to the wolf
> Write in

>>6275122
>Toss your food to the wolf
WOLF PALS

>>6275122
>Toss your food to the wolf

Rolled 69, 52, 62 = 183 (3d100)

>>6275125
>>6275129


You toss some food to the wolf!

Roll 3d100 for a taming check, if you roll better than me the wolf start following you, but if you have zero successes it attacks!

You could also use some other strategy if you want:

> Just leave all your food and walk away
> Talk to the wolf like it can understand you
> Sing poorly an elvish song you heard from a bard
> Write in

Rolled 41, 6, 64 = 111 (3d100)

>>6275131
>Talk to the wolf like it can understand you
They could be a magical talking wolf, who knows

Rolled 64, 74, 93 = 231 (3d100)

>>6275131
>Talk to the wolf like it can understand you

>>6275133
>>6275135


"Oh hey there wolfie! We started things on the wrong footing, but I'm here to make amends. Here, have some food."

You give some food to the wolf. It stops snarling and sniffs it then eats it.

"Who's a good wolf?"

"You know, I've been wanting to go on a grand adventure.", you say, while giving more food to the wolf. "I was wondering if you'd want to tag along. I'll share my food with you."

The wolf just eats up all the food you give it then starts to go away.

"Well, if you don't wanna come then that's alright. I gotta get going anyway."

You start walking. The wolf starts following you from a distance.

After you walk all day long, you find a small hut in the middle of nowhere. In there, an old woman is sitting in front of it smoking a pipe. By the smell, it is the dankest hemp.

"Oh, hey there young lady. There is a wolf following you."

"I saw it. I gave it some food."

"Should have shooed it away, now it will be expecting you to feed it."

"Why do you live here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Well, you know... herbs. The townsfolk don't like it. Say I brew poison, make love potions, abortive concoction, corrupt the youth... which is all true. Would you like a puff of the dank stuff?", she offers you the blunt.

You have nothing better to do so you accept. In a few short minutes you feel the potency. You start giggling like an idiot. This is the good stuff.

> Ask her for a potion (what kind)
> Ask her for some more blunts for the trip
> Ask her for directions to the closest village
> Write in

>>6275155
> Do you have potions that you would recommend for someone going out to sea?
> What would you like in exchange?

Since we're heading to a port, could be useful to have something that'll help when we're on the ocean. Maybe something to help us swim or breathe underwater or protect against the cold.

>>6275160

"You know, I'm headed to port Mithrail... I might face some adventures in the ocean. I was wondering... would you have a potion that could help me there?"

"Handy? No. But I could brew you a batch of Breathing potion. It lets you breath underwater, but also works with poison fog or heavy smoke. You just need to fetch me the ingredients... and then some!"

"What do you need to make it?"

"I'll give you a list... but looks like someone else is showing up."

A girl from the village arrives. She looks worried and asks who you are.

"She is asking for potions, of course, what else. As for you, let me guess, your friend needs an abortion potion again... you know that if you keep using it you'll become infertile for life, right? I mean, your friend."

The girl then begs and pleads and give her some money and then finally she gives her a small vial with a purple concoction inside. She thanks her profusely and starts to walk back to the village.

"They keep coming, you know. Pretty much everyday. I was less busy when I lived in the village itself."

She shows you six herbs and says she needs all of them. Bring as much as you can, and she'll tell you when it is enough. She gives you a basket and say they are very common, just head south and grab lots and lots of them.

She wants you to grab:

Yellow Nettle. It is more common near grave's of hanged men, but grows everywhere. Rubbing it gives you hydrophobia.

Giant's Rose. It is not a rose. It is an aromatic herb that giants like to gift to each other. To giant's tastes, make food better, the cave homely and everything less stinky. Dogs hate it, to humans the smell is faint.

Saint's Cherry. It grows in bushes, more often wherever goblins left refuse. It tastes incredibly bitter, but if you boil it the bitterness goes away and it becomes delicious.

Devilweed. Cats eat it when they are sick. They look like common grass, but the tip is reddish. You can see a patch of them from a distance. Mildly poisonous, tasteless.

Fairytea. Fairies literally make tea with this. It sticks to your tongue and poisons you if you so much as taste it, but if you make a tea it is sweet like honey.

Wormgrape. It looks like a tasty grape, but there is always worms inside them. Always. It is like they grow with the grape. She needs the worms, so bring lots of the grapes.

The witch says the resulting concoction will taste revolting and turn your blood pink for a week, but it can save your life if you need to breath somewhere weird. She could add a little of Desertbalm to make it taste good, but there's no desert balm in this region.

You get the list and go out with a basket to grab the herbs. You easily locate devilweed and wormgrapes; everything else takes some more walking into the woods.

>>6275181


It is then that you meet a satyr!

"Oh, hello good looking! Searching for herbs? I know everything about herbs. I could help you get some, you know what I mean? Common herbs, rare herbs... heck, I think I saw a Dreamlily the other day..."

"What is a dreamlily?"

"It is a flower that can be used to make a wish potion!"

"Wish potion?"

"Yes, you make a wish and drink the potion, whatever you wished for will happen... sooner or later. But tell me... have you ever been with a satyr before? Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

He approaches you and starts groping you! What do you do?
> Run away from the satyr
> Grab your dagger and shank the satyr
> Draw your sword and attack the satyr
> Tell him he help you with the herbs first
> You need some help with the herbs, let him have his way
> Write in

>>6275182
> Run away from the satyr

>>6275186
>tfw when satyr base movement speed is higher than yours

You shove the satyr away and start running!

"Oh, a runner! I love those! Come here babe!"

You run and run until you run out of breath. The satyr simply runs after you keeping up with your pace. When you're out of breath and can't run anymore, he catches up with you. He doesn't look out of breath at all.

"Well, that was a good warmup. Now let's get down to business!"

He pushes you to the ground and start undoing your clothes!

What do you do? You're too exhausted to run.

> Grab your dagger and shank the satyr
> Draw your sword and attack the satyr
> Tell him he help you with the herbs first
> You need some help with the herbs, let him have his way
> Write in

>>6275182
No wonder the girls in the nearby village all need that contraceptive potion.

>>6275195
>Try to trick him. Say that one of the herbs you've gathered is an aphrodisiac and try to get him to eat some of the Fairy Tea.
Welp, this is going south.

>>6275195
> Draw your sword and attack the satyr

>>6275198

You decide to try to trick the satyr.

"Wait! I gathered some aphrodisiac, why don't you take it first?"

"Oooh, aphrodisiac! Give it to me!"

You rummage your basket and give him the Fairytea.

He doesn't even look at it, he just swallows the damn thing!

Now let's do it... *gasp*... what... you poisoned me! You ... you... witch!"

The satyr starts vomitting blood!

"Just you wait, witch, when I get you a little romp will be the least of your concerns...", says the satyr, too busy barfing blood to be able to run after you.

You return to the Witch's hut and give the herbs to her!

"Oh, I see you gathered plenty for several batches! Very well, I will make you one batch."

The old woman brews a Breathing potion for you! It is night by the time she's done.

"There you go! If you need something else, just ask."

What do you want to do next?

> Ask for a different potion (what do you want)
> Walk to the next village in the dark
> Wait for daylight before going to the village
> Get some sleep then go to the village in the morning
> Write in

>>6275214


didn't see your post or would have rolled

>>6275215
>Walk to the next village in the dark

>>6275215
> Get some sleep then go to the village in the morning

>>6275215
>Wait for daylight before going to the village

>>6275217
>>6275219 did you vote twice?
>>6275220

"Thanks. I'm going to wait for the first lights before going to the village."

"I see. Well, very wise of you. Walking in the dark can be tricky. We never know what kind of creature can be prowling in the night."

The old woman then entertain you with a story. When she was much, much younger, she was brewing some potions as usual when a group of adventurers showed up, they said their friend was dying and they needed some help. She said she is just a potion girl, she doesn't know how to save someone who is dying. They said she was their best shot.

She grabbed several potions for many different things and then went there. She had no idea what the guy had. She just tried to remember the strongest healing potion her master had taught her, mixed potions that had all the right ingredients together and gave it to the dying adventurer.

His condition stabilized somehow, but he grew hair uncontrollably all over the body for several weeks. His hair would grow so fast he had to cut it everyday, and shave three times a day.

She never managed to make such a good hair growing potion again, even though she tried.

When you see the first lights you head to the village!

It is a small hamlet, has maybe 300 people. You can see a big shrine in the middle of the village.

The local guard asks you where are you from and where are you headed.

"I'm from the nearby village of Taruk, sir. I'm headed to Mithrail."

"Mithrail, huh? Well, there is a big caravan that heads there, to sell minerals, mainly iron ore and coal. But they won't be here within two or three weeeks, minimum. That if the bandits don't catch them in the road."

> Ask about the shrine
> Ask for adventurer work
> Ask who is the leader of the town
> Excuse yourself and head to the local tavern
> Write in

>>6275228
No, I changed my vote

>>6275228
> Excuse yourself and head to the local tavern

>>6275228
>Excuse yourself and head to the local tavern

>>6275232
>>6275234

You excuse yourself and head to the local tavern!

In there you find a bunch of zany patrons.

There is a gambling table, where people gamble with copper coins in a game of find the pebble inside the cup.

There is a table with a group of men who all wear leather armor, must be some sort of brigands.

One table has a lone elf drinking by herself.

There is also a bunch of regulars at the bar getting really drunk.

There is a table with what look like farmers talking about crops.

There is a table with two guys wearing fancy robes.

The last table has a shady looking figure wearing a cloak, drinking by himself.

It is a very small tavern though.

"Oh dear, we don't have any more free tables! Please take a seat with someone, I'll bring you beer and some food soon.", says the tavern wench.

Your only money is the platinum piece the old man gave you though...

> Sit at the bar with the regulars
> Sit at the gambling table
> Sit at the brigand's table
> Sit at the elf table
> Sit at the farmer's table
> Sit at the fancy robes guys table
> Sit at the shady figure's table
> Write in

>>6275261
> Sit at the elf table

>>6275261
>> Sit at the elf table

You sit at the elf's table.

"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Abigail. I'm headed to Mithrail."

"Oh my, what a coincidence! I'm also headed to Mithrail. My name is Lily. But these roads are too dangerous, I've been meaning to wait for the caravan to take me there. Between bandits and monsters, I'd rather have safety in numbers. But what about you, carrying a sword around! Have you had the opportunity to swing it at something much?"

"Not really, no. It is a family heirloom."

"I see. Well, I'm not much of a fencer myself. Though I am practiced in bow and arrow, and surviving in the wilderness. I could craft a new longbow in a few days, but I don't think the proper kind of tree grows around here. If I use the wrong tree it will not be an elvish longbow. It will just be ... a regular longbow."

"So you're a crafter?"

"All elves are required to learn some craft and to learn how to defend the settlement. I learned to craft bows and to shoot them. But if we are being honest, I don't enjoy having to survive in the wilderness, though I could make it with just a dagger and some grit. I enjoy urban pleasures..."

The food arrives. "There you go.", says the wench, serving you roasted pork and some beer.

"...like warmth, comfort, easy to acquire food and drink, and having someone else fend off the creatures of the wild for you."

"What takes you Mithrail then?"

"Oh, I'm a Royal Courier. I'm taking a big box there."

"Royal Courier? What is in the box?"

"Yes, I haul stuff around for the Elvish Queen. In my room there is a large box, contents unknown, that I need to take to Mithrail. I would take it in my horse, but the damn thing is too heavy. So I need to wait for the caravan."

"How did you bring it here in the first place?"

"Oh, I didn't. I'm picking it up here and taking it to Mithrail. Someone else brought it here."

"So you have no idea what is in the box?"

"As I said, I don't know. Possibly food, medicine. Possibly weapons."

"Weapons?"

"Maybe. I'm delivering it to the port to be taken to a warzone in the far south by ship. So these are the most likely things."

"What warzone?"

"There are a couple warring dukes in the south. Humans are weird like that. Even though they are surrounded by goblins and gnolls, they can still find the time and energy to fight each other. In the elvish lands, we try and pit the monsters against each other. Save us effort."

"How do you do that?"

"Elvish mages don't just control nature, they ofter learn advanced sorcery that can bend weaker minds, like those of monsters. Create a little confusion, and they fight each other. I've seen it. Though it is beyond me. I don't know much magic."

"Much?"

"Well, elves are magical beings. We all know a little magic. But I've been wondering... I heard rumors about monsters in this area. Do you know anything?"

"Well, I've met a satyr..."

"Satyrs are certainly annoying, and can be dangerous if you are alone, but I meant something else. The farmers mentioned disappearing cattle."

>>6275282
One of the farmers hear it and says.

"Yeah, that's right elf. Uncle Joe lost two cows last month, and in the plot of Mrs. Johnson goats been disappearing regularly for awhile now. I think some big think is feeding around here. We've seen traces of blood, but no one been brave enough to follow the trail. It leads into the Dark Forest."

"Dark Forest?", you ask.

"It is how the locals call the forest to the south. We elves call it Syndraeth, "Hollow Grove", for a necromancer once lived there and drained all the magical energies of the place. The forest is still recovering, and might draw... strange guests."

"So that's where the monster is?"

"Probably. If there is one. Could be something else."

"Like what."

She motions for you to get close and whispers into your ear."

"Cultists.", you feel her soft breath.

"Cattle disappearances are the first sign. Then later people start disappearing. I'd like to investigate that."

"Well ladies...", you hear the shadowy figure, who approached your table without you noticing, beer in hand. "... if you're headed to the Dark Forest, I won't allow you to venture there without me."

He takes off his hood.

"I'm Liam Kramer. I'm also waiting for the caravans. But in the meantime we could investigate the Dark Forest. I heard a rumor of an old temple in there. Not built by humans, but by lizardmen."

"You wanna raid a lizardman temple?"

"No... the lizardmen are long gone. The temple has thousands of years. Was home of all kinds of upstart villains. I wonder who's living there now. Whoever it is, must be up to no good."

"Oh... I heard about that temple. The elves call it Gruhadar, "The Lizard Hole". It has three underground levels. There was even a song about it."

The elf starts singing in elvish. Everyone stops to listen.

The song takes ten minutes. People cheer in the end, though some are tear eyed and don't know why.

"What does the song say?", you ask.

"It is the ballad of Zerad Bloom, an ancient elvish hero. He defeated Kaorun the Black in the Lizard Hole."

"Who was that?"

"It was a dragon. A black dragon. The song says:"

"Entering the lizard hole he slayed orcs
Descending the stairs he found the glistening eyes
Inside the depths of the third level
Kaorun the Black and his acid breath
Did devour his shield and his beauty
But Zerad emerged victorious
And claimed the dragon's head"

"It rhymes in elvish."

"There is a dragon there?"

"Well, there certainly is enough space for one... in the third level at least. It opens up to a cave. The rest of the temple is probably not that big."

>>6275283


The figures in robes overhear it and say:

"You're headed to the forest temple? That place has ancient curses. Whatever you do, don't read the dark writ on the walls. Those things could really hurt you, in ways it is even hard to describe. Many a man has been driven insane simply by reading those inscriptions."

"And what are they all about?"

"The horrific things the lizardmen did to humans back in their heyday. We have a few pages of it at the shrine, someone brought it, they got it on parchment with charcoal. The man who brought it in later killed himself. The brother studying the texts got deeply disturbed by them, his nerves started misfiring, he felt things that shouldn't be felt by a person, it took a long time to heal."

"Well, the adventure is fraught with dangers. I'm going regardless," says Liam, "but I'd like to know if the two of you are coming as well."

> Investigate the Forest Temple with Liam and Lily directly.
> Search for the cave entrance to the third level of the Temple.
> Tell the farmers you're going to investigate the rumors of cattle disappearance and go check the blood trails.
> This is too much for you, you'd rather not do it.
> Write in

>>6275285
> Tell the farmers you're going to investigate the rumors of cattle disappearance and go check the blood trails.

>>6275464


"That's it, I'm going to investigate the rumors of cattle disappearance!", you declare.

"Such a brave adventurer! Come, we'll show it to you."

"Well, we're going with you then.", says Lily, and Liam confirms.

The farmers take you to where the blood trail starts.

"It is as if something killed a cow in here and dragged it to the forest. Could be anything."

Liam checks the markings.

"There are goblin footprints here... and something else. Perhaps a wolf. But it is a little too big."

"Maybe a dire wolf?", asks Lily.

"Maybe. Could be something else though."

You follow the trail into the woods until you find the bones of the cow. They've been chewed by lots of different forest animals and are scattered around. Many bones are missing, likely eaten by scavengers.

"Well, this is as far as the trail goes."

"Not so fast! There are prints everywhere but the whatever it is that we are following, after feasting went on that direction."

You follow the trail some more and it leads to an Ominous Cave."

Will you dare enter the Ominous Cave?

> You enter first
> Lily enters first
> Liam enters first
> You will not dare
> Write in

>>6275524

> You enter first

>>6275535


Emboldened by the presence of your companions, you volunteer to enter the cave first.

"I'll cover you, don't worry.", says Lily, drawing her elvish longbow.

Liam goes last, it is now that you realize he wields two swords, one short and one long.

Upon entering the cave, you hear some growling. Your hand presses against the hilt of your sword and you start walking more slowly.

Then it happens in a split second.

Something jumps at you. You draw your sword and sink it in its flesh, then Lily shoots it with her longbow.

You get a claw mark on your left shoulder, completely ruining your clothing which is now in tatters. You bleed profusely from the wound.

But the creature lies mortally wounded in front of you, with your blade still stuck in it.

It was a Panther!

Lily finishes the creature off with another arrow.

"Are you okay?"

"I think... I think I'll live."

Lily helps you move as you make your way back to the village.

Liam says "A two hundred pounds black jaguar. It is a bit too heavy for me to carry alone. But I can drag it back to the village, if you two don't move too fast."

"Don't worry, I'm not in the mood for running.", you say.

Your small group makes its way back to the village.

When you show the black Jaguar to the villagers, they get impressed.

"So that is what was killing the cows! It is a relief it is gone."

One of the farmers, mister Grocko, invites you to stay in his farm while you recover.

His kids keep asking you to retell the story of how you slain the creature.

"It was a split second, fast reflexes were the difference between life and death."

By the time the caravan arrives, you're back on your feet. The farmers scrounge together 30 gold as a reward!

Each of you gets 10 gold.

"Well, maybe some other time we'll have the chance to check on those temple ruins. I'll see if I can get hired to protect the caravans.", says Liam.

"I'll arrange for my package to be delivered.", says Lily.

> You'll try to get hired as a caravan guard as well
> You'd rather relax and just ask them to tag along
> Pay them 5 gold and travel inside one of the wagons, saving your strength
> Write in

>>6275918
>You'll try to get hired as a caravan guard as well

>>6275918
> You'll try to get hired as a caravan guard as well

>>6275918
> You'll try to get hired as a caravan guard as well

>>6275973
>>6275977
>>6276201


You talk to the merchants seeking to be hired as a caravan guard as well.

The leader of the merchants, a certain Hawkthorn, talks to you:

"I like to know personally the caravan guards. I enjoy being able to trust those who are going to defend my life... and my goods! You were never a brigand, were you? You don't look very seasoned. Have you ever done this before."

Though you explain it would be your first time as a caravan guard, Liam vouches for you, citing your bravery, fast reflexes and steadfastness in defeating a panther.

The merchants gather considering your words and what they can see about you, then decide how much they are willing to pay you.

Roll 3d100 for a persuasion check to determine your pay! You must win at least two rolls of the respective DC to qualify.

DC 40 - 2 silver a day
DC 50 - 3 silver a day
DC 60 - 5 silver a day
DC 70 - 1 gold a day
DC 80 - 2 gold a day
DC 90 - 3 gold a day

You may choose the following modifiers:

> Flaunt the quality of your blade. Get a +20 on one roll.
> Mention you're from a dynasty of knights. Get a +5 on one roll.
> Invent that you've faced bandits before. Get a +10 on one roll.
> Write in

Rolled 72, 169, 113 = 354 (3d200)

>>6276210
> Mention you're from a dynasty of knights. Get a +5 on one roll.

Rolled 29, 63, 63 = 155 (3d100)

>>6276210

> Mention you're from a dynasty of knights. Get a +5 on one roll.

Again, without retardation.

>>6276214


The merchants agree to pay you 5 silver a day. Some of them looked impressed by your story of being from a dynasty of knights.

"It is all too common these days for seconds and third sons of knights to become mercenaries in search of gold and glory. Or, well, daughters. Seems like the king doesn't treat as well as his ancestors even his own knights anymore!"

"Yeah, king Aeldric III is a soft man. He is nothing like his father or his father's grandfather, the original Aeldric. No wonder there are so many monsters rampaging throughout the kingdom."

"You heard too? The gnoll horde coming from the south? Why do the elves never stop the horrible things coming from the south continent?"

"Who knows! Maybe they don't care about us. Maybe they don't wanna waste their precious lives fighting beasts. They prefer to hide behind ambushes and enchantments."

"Oh, c'mon, every other decade the gnolls come rampaging. It is neither the elves fault nor the king's fault. It is just how the gnolls are. They run out of food in the south, and they come here to raid. And our warriors must cull them before they become a problem."

"You speak as if they are wild animals."

"Aren't they though?"

"No. They're much worse. They're cunning and vicious, filled with malice. They plunder and enslave, they kill with cruelty to set examples and they have an extremely weird matriarchal society, where all males are expected to be warriors and raiders and only those who bring the greatest gifts home are allowed to mate."

"How come you know so much about gnolls?"

"I read a book by the great sage Maharsi, 'Non-Human Societies And Their Strange Habits'. I have a copy here, I could sell it to you for 100 gold."

"No thanks, who can be bothered to read and read all day."

You take interest in the story and go talk to the merchant.

"Sire, I don't actually know how to read. Could you tell me more stories from the book you mentioned?", you say.

"Of course!"

You spend a long time with this merchant, named Roy, and his son Cecil. They begin to teach you how to read, but you don't have much patience, even though you're curious about the contents of the book. Besides, seems like the tiny scribbles are all garbled nonsense, and focusing on them for too long gives you headaches.

You discover that you are Far Sighted!

You learn some lore about non-human societies!

Rolled 99, 15, 80 = 194 (3d100)

>>6276236


Then, once you're about half way to Mithrail, the whole caravan halts.

The road is blocked by two wagons and a large amount of brigands are demanding an unlawful toll to unblock it. There are twenty of them! They have clubs and daggers, and their leader has a crossbow.

The retinue is six mercenaries, including you and Liam. Your group eye each other. Six against twenty is not good odds.

But before you have much time to think, the first brigand falls to an arrow.

Lily shot him.

All that remains is to fight.

Roll 3d100, DC 60 (+10 outnumbered)

Rolling for the brigands, DC 30 (-10 outnumbers, -10 fight aggressively).

Whoever gets more successes wins. On a tie, you win. Crit (100) counts as 2 successes. Crif fail (1) counts as -1 success.

Choose modifier:

> Fight defensively, DC+10, reduce losses on your side
> Fight aggressively, DC-10, increase losses on your side
> Drive the bandits away, same DC but less enemy deaths, can capture their stuff
> Murder them brutally, DC+10, more losses on the enemy side, morale effect
> Write in

Rolled 40, 77, 50 = 167 (3d100)

>>6276238
> Fight aggressively, DC-10, increase losses on your side

Rolled 3, 5, 3, 1, 3, 1, 1, 5, 6, 8, 4, 8 = 48 (12d8)

>>6276244


You win, but only barely.

Distributing 12 points of damage across your men.

With 2 points, they are dead. With 1, mortally wounded.

If perchance you die, you only go as a far as mortally wounded instead, because plot armor.

1 - Abigail
2 - Liam
3 - Lily
4 - guard 1
5 - guard 2
6 - guard 3
7 - guard 4
8 - random merchant that joined the fray

You may choose to take 1 damage in place of someone, even if it would kill you it won't kill you because plot.

>>6276258

Abigail would be very dead if it weren't for plot armor. You're merely mortally wounded.

Liam is Unscathed, the fucking legend!

Lily died.

Guard 1 is wounded. Guard 2 is wounded. Guard 3 is wounded. Guard 4 is unscathed. the random merchant is dead.

===

During the course of the combat, several bandits shank you in the gut and you fall down. The last thing you see is Lily's head being pierced with a crossbow bolt from the heavy crossbow of the bandit leader.

When you wake up, Liam is looking after you.

"The bandits took too many losses and ran away on their wagon. You fought bravely, Abigail. Others would have died after being shanked repeatedly like you did. Lily... didn't make it."

On the next caravan stop, the two bodies are buried by the side of the road, and the merchants get together to decide what to do with Lily's mystery box.

> You will deliver it yourself
> Leave it by the side of the road
> Let's open it to see what's inside
> Argue with them they've been paid to deliver it and they should do so
> Write in

>>6276262
> Let's open it to see what's inside

>>6276269

"Let's open it to see what's inside.", you say.

"Well, I guess she's not around anymore. We gotta know what we're hauling, it could be dangerous without her."

Once the large crate box is opened, there is a smaller box inside with some elvish garbage written on it. Since no one can read elvish, you just open it.

Surprise is generalized. Inside it, the only content was a naked human girl with red hair curled into a ball, her body covered in strangely patterned green tattoos. The box smelled of strong narcotics once opened.

"By the gods, the elf was smuggling a human! These narcotics... I think they are to induce a coma! But.. she would have died without water and food."

The girl begins to wake up. She looks around and then snarls like an animal.

"Calm down, little girl, we aren't going to hurt you!", says one of the merchants, approaching her.

She then bites him! But not just any bite - she rips off a chunk of his arm with her teeth!

The merchant begins to scream as blood pours from the wound!

"That's not a human girl! That's a monster!"

The girl swallows the raw human meat she just bit off.

You are too wounded to intervene on what happens next.

She starts systematically jumping on everyone and tearing them apart with her bare hands and teeth. She doesn't kill anyone you notice, but she seeks to disable people, so they are no longer a threat to her.

Liam tries to engage her, but she jumps on his neck and bites him there. He manages to slice her with his blade before he has to drop the other one to the ground to stop the bleeding.

Being wounded seems to enrage the creature further! She then jumps on top of Liam and begins to tear him apart.

The only ones she doesn't attack are those who are already seriously wounded and can't pose a threat.

Once everyone is fucked up, she wears some clothes, bandages herself, steal some money and your sword, then simply scurries away.

"Whatahell was that thing?"

"I heard the elf was headed to a warzone. Maybe she is some kind of weapon the elves created."

Your caravan somehow makes it to the next stop. But from there, many people disband.

"I'm not gonna be travelling with that thing out there!"

The tales about the girl begin to get exaggerated, you hear version where she has four arms, grows to become very tall, can leap like a lion and that her tattoos glow with magic.

But you were there, you saw the savagery of the girl.

The caravan is delayed for several weeks, as everyone recovers from their wounds.

"I'm not going. She took my sword. I'm gonna get it back.", you say.

"I'm with you.", says Liam. "That thing Is a little monster. It is unnaturally fast."

You track her for days, to no avail. In the end, it is her who find you.

"You two came back for me. I'm... dying. Fast. Need something. Don't know what.", she says, now looking far older.

You two look at each other.

"Where did you learn to speak?"

"Bandits. Don't have time to explain. Do you have what I need?"

>>6276286


You have no idea what is it that she needs.

"The elves must have made her dependent on some substance so they could control her."

"YES! The... elves? The elves! Where can I find elves? I need what they have."

"The elves live to the south."

She turns south and starts to move fast.

"Wait! Where is my sword?"

"I don't have it anymore. It is in the bandit hideout."

"Help me get it back and I'll help you find what you need."

She looks at you with piercing green eyes.

"Fine. But hurry. I'm dying. Follow me."

Within an hour, with the girl insisting that you hurry, you arrive at a cave.

The guard at the entrance freezes when he sees her.

"What do you want, Red?"

"Red?"

"They call me Red. I don't know why."

"Your... hair?"

"Oh! Yes. It is red."

"I need the sword."

"You traded with the boss, fair and square."

"What did you trade the sword for?"

"Food."

"Food?"

"I was hungry."

"What do you want for the sword?"

"It is not for sale, the boss likes it."

"I'm going to get it either way.", says Red.

"Why do you need it so much all of a sudden?"

"This girl wants it. She says she'll help me."

"Oh, again with this craving no one understands? Didn't we give you a bunch of drugs?"

"Didn't help... much. I'm still dying. Aging too fast. I'll be dead within a month. I need something... to stop it."

A month? What did the elves do to this girl?

"I don't have time. Give me the sword or..."

"Alright, alright, come talk to the boss."

The sentry leads your group to the bandit leader.

"The sword. Give it back.", Red demands.

"We traded, didn't we?"

She grabs a sack of coins and toss at him.

"Give the sword."

"That's not how trading works..."

She shanks the nearest bandit with her dagger. The movement is so fast you barely notice. He falls to the ground bleeding.

"Next one is you."

"Okay, okay, you can have the damn sword. It isn't worth the blood."

The bandit leader toss the sword to Red, and she gives it to you.

"Done. Now take me to the elves. Fast."

You have no idea where you can find elves, nor what she needs to stop dying.

But you're a week away from the meeting point, where Lily was supposed to deliver the box. And maybe two or three weeks towards the elvish lands.

You must make a choice.

> Take Red to the meeting point in Mithrail
> Take Red south towards the elvish lands
> Take Red in a nonsense route to waste time and hope she dies
> Write in

>>6276287

> Take Red to the meeting point in Mithrail

>>6276287
>Take Red to the meeting point in Mithrail

The whole "plot armor" think pisses me off a bit. Can't we say she has super regeneration and call it a day?

You decide to take Red to the meeting point in Mithrail.

She forces you and Liam to march through the wilderness at an outrageous pace and gets annoyed every time you have to stop for anything. You make it to Mithrail in four days, but you barely caught any sleep in the meantime.

The city is a sprawling metropolis, but it has no walls whatsoever. People come and go when they please, and even some monsters can be seen wandering in its outskirts and ports. You ask around where the elvish trading post is, and they say it is near the docks. The merchant you asked deign to tell you however that if you're looking for trouble, the prisons of Mithrail are almost empty, because the local guard uses lethal force against outlaws.

You arrive at the elvish trading post. There are just two elves in there, a female clerk and an elderly elf managing the deals.

"You're elves right? Do you have what I need?", asks Red, impatient.

"But who are you... by the gods, those tattoos! What happened to Lily?"

"She didn't make it.", you say.

"I see... come, I'll show you what you need."

The four of you descend into the basement of the elvish trading post.

"How do they call you?"

"Red."

"You're a weapon, Red. You've been infused with the power of Haste. The problem is, every day you use it, you age one whole year. You could live your whole life without problems, if you learned to never use your powers again."

"Is that the only way?"

"There is another. It is a very expensive concoction. It actually prevents aging, though it doesn't rejuvenate you. If you kept drinking it, you could live on and use your powers as often as you want. But realize even rich nobles can barely afford one of those every few years."

"Do you have any?"

"I do have one bottle."

"Give it to me."

The old elf looks at her with a puzzled expression.

"I told you, these things are very expensive. Will cost at least 2,000 gold."

"I only have 300 gold.", says Red, "but give it to me and I'll pay you back the rest as soon as I can. Can you make more?"

"Very well, let me prepare a document."

The sage writes down a receipt payment.

"You'll pay 300 now, and the rest later. There will be a fee of 10% due to delay, so you'll pay a total of 2,200 gold. You owe me 1,900 gold."

"Deal!"

Red greedily drinks the potion.

"How long this potion lasts?"

"It stops aging for a few years, so you could use your powers for a few days. But I advise you to not use them."

"How can I stop using them?"

"There is the thing, you're in control, you decide when to use the powers. You can simply... slow down a bit. Every day you don't use your powers is one day that you don't age a whole year. The potion will give you a few days buffer."

"Can you make more?"

"Well, the one who makes those is a certain... Xenarch, the elvish archmage. He lives secluded in a tower in the far north. We receive occasional shipments from him, and we place orders when we go deliver the payment."

"Thanks."

>>6276536

"I must go after him.", says Red, "the mage that makes the potions."

> Accompany Red on her urgent quest
> You already did all you could for her, go your own way
> Tell Red to let it go and figure a way to not use her powers
> Write in

>>6276537
> You already did all you could for her, go your own way

>>6276585


"Red, I already did all I could for you. I must go my own way now."

"That's okay. You showed me the way. Now I must chase my own destiny. Maybe we'll meet again, if I live long enough.", she says, gives you a kiss then walks away at a brisk pace.

"A storm that girl Red, huh? I hope she pays me back. In any case, I must send an urgent letter to the Elvish Queen. Would you be willing to serve as a courier? The region is infested with gnolls. I will pay you... 200 gold. And the Queen will pay you more once you arrive there, at least twice as much. I could give you a horse for 50 gold. These horses are of elvish breed and worth far more, but for the purpose of this mission it is in my interest that you have one of them.", says the guy from the elvish outpost.

"If you don't want to, I'll find someone else. Answer me today, for I expect you to depart first thing tomorrow."

You say you'll think about it.

> Accept the mission
> Don't accept the mission
> Write in

You head to a local tavern in the docks district, the "Marineers Song".

There is a bard girl playing the lute, and the patrons seem to be largely sailors or possibly pirates. They talk about an "island".

There are a few gnolls too for some reason, gambling at the obligatory gambling table. The seem to be loaded, but are losing money fast. The dealer must be cheating.

There is one guy who is abnormally tall, he must have blood from some different tall race, talking to a shady figure. You overhear them talking about "monster in the woods".

There is also a woman wearing the red robes of a wizard talking to a young male cleric. You overhear them talking about "ancient ruin".

> Talk to the sailor men
> Warn the gnolls the dealer is cheating
> Talk to the tall guy and the shady figure
> Talk to the wizard and the cleric
> Sit down and enjoy a hot meal and some booze
> Write in

>>6276593
> Talk to the sailor men

>>6276605

"Hello there! Name is Abigail. I've noticed you've been talking about an island! Did you hide a treasure there?"

"I wish! It is the island of a certain sage called Erythron. He is convinced the world is going to end in a cataclysm and is preparing for it. He has sort of a weird cult going on on the island. He keeps buying more and more supplies, and we keep delivering. His gold has a weird mint. We think he got a gold mine in that island of his and mints his own currency. The guy is set!"

"The weird thing is now he is also asking for more people for his island. Preferably women, is what he said, but he will accept men too."

"This is really weird."

"Isn't it? There might be something strange going on in that island. But we keep delivering his goods, and he keeps paying us, so it is no big deal for us. We're departing again tomorrow morning. We just thought we'd catch some merriment before sailing away. Soo, you busy tonight, darling?"

> Stay with the sailors, ask them to take you to the weird island
> Stay with the sailors, but don't go to the weird island
> Go talk to someone else (choose whom)
> Return to the elvish tradepost and accept the deal
> Write in

>>6276707
> Stay with the sailors, but don't go to the weird island

>>6276710


You spend most of the night talking and playing bar games with the sailors! They are a fun bunch, and they drink ridiculous amounts of booze. You yourself try not to drink too much. By the end of the night, they're all falling about drunk. You end up dragging them to their beds around midnight. You get a room and go to sleep.

When you wake up in the morning, the sailors are miraculously recovered from all the drinking. Even you have a mild headache, and you didn't drink half as much as most of them. They are talking to a fellow quite better dressed.

"Harr, if it isn't Abigail! This is Captain Claw."

"Nice to meet you. The boys spoke well about you. What do you know about being a sailor?"

"Nothing much, sir."

"Well, it doesn't need much knowledge to scrub the deck all day. Everything else you can pick up on the job! We're always needing more crew. Our crew has the tendency to find employment in other ships once they learn the ropes. Our routes are a little bit too legal to be too profitable. I tend to stick with the law, savvy? I'd like to avoid problems. Now and then pirates attack us. The stuff is covered by insurance - mostly. So I just let them have it, if I don't think we can win. We've won against pirates a couple times. But usually it is not worth fighting. What do you think? The sailor life entices you?"

> Go with Captain Claw and become a sailor
> Ask him to take you to the weird island
> Ask details about the insurance
> Look for employment elsewhere
> Stay in the tavern for a few more days
> Write in

>>6276723
> Go with Captain Claw and become a sailor

>>6276727

"I'll go with you, sir."

"That's the spirit! All aboard!"

You spend endless days scrubbing the deck of the ship, and when you're not doing that the other sailors teach you how to make knots and some other random tidbits that are useful for life in a vessel.

The trips made by the Baroness, as Captain Claw's vessel is called, are generally short, rarely lasting longer than a couple weeks. Still, in the first few trips, you take quite awhile to adapt to the conditions of the vessel, puking often and feeling unwell all the time. But you do adapt.

You make a relatively high amount of money for an unskilled laborer. After a few trips, you already have around 100 gold.

Then the pirates attack!

"Please pay careful attention for your lives depend on it! This is the Dark Maiden, the fastest pirate ship in this side of the ocean! I'm Captain Drok!", announce the pirate captain.

"Those who surrender will be spared! Those who fight back will be killed! If your captain tells you to fight and you kill him instead, you'll earn a place in our crew and a share in our profits!"

"That's about it. Do you surrender?"

Captain Claw evaluates the situation. His ship has about 20 crewmen. The pirate ship have around 30. His men aren't battle hardened veterans, and many losses are likely...

Still, Captain Claw order his men to attack the pirates!

They wait for the pirates to board the ship, sabers in hand...

You're very close to Captain Claw...

> Kill Captain Claw and earn a place in the Dark Maiden
> Fight the pirates, even though your chances aren't so good
> Hide in the hold of the ship
> Board the pirate ship while they're busy boarding yours
> Write in

>>6276798
>Board the pirate ship while they're busy boarding yours

>>6276798
hold of the ship

>>6276942
I mean
> Hide in the hold of the ship

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6276856 1
>>6276942
>>6276944 2

>>6276856
>>6276942
>>6276944
>>6277289


You climb to the very top mast and when the pirates are boarding your ship, you swing on a rope and board theirs!

You then climb down and as the battle rages on on the Baroness, you steer the Dark Maiden away!

The pirates must never have imagined that someone would steal their vessel while they are stealing someone else's vessel.

You sail away in the fastest ship in this side of the ocean, manning the sails, putting a peg on the ship's helm to not have it wobble too much.

Unfortunately the hold of the pirate ship is quite barren - very few supplies, even less booty. Maybe the ship is so fast because it travels light.

Where will you take th ship?

> Sail away, into uncharted waters!
> Return to the port of Mithrail and sell the ship
> Dock at the nearest island
> Write in

>>6277292
> Dock at the nearest island

>>6277301
I change my vote to
> Sail away, into uncharted waters!

>>6277292
>Return to the port of Mithrail and sell the ship

>>6277292
Sail away. This is what we signed up for

>>6277301
>>6277303
>>6277560
>>6277599

Into uncharted waters you go! You take the ship as fast and as far as you can.

The first few days feel like adventure - you see a bunch of dolphins swimming near the ship, and catch sight of a big whale.

But then there is a massive storm! You sail on and on, for who knows how long since you can't see the sky. You figure you're at the mercy of the waves and pray to the gods that the ship doesn't sink.

The storming seas take you towards an unknown beach. Your ship crashes against the rocks and gets a massive hole in its hull. It begins to sink.

You abandon ship with what scant supplies you can salvage, storm still raging, and watch as it sinks to the bottom of the ocean after jumping on top of the rocks upon which it crashed.

You search for cover, for the storm is still raging, and in the end the best shelter you find is an old hollow tree. You end up falling asleep there, as the storm doesn't relent after many hours.

When you wake up, the skies are finally clear. Some planks from your sunken ship wash on to the shore. You think you can see the tip of the mast, right where it sunk. The sea isn't too deep there, but there's nothing much to scavenge on the ship anyway, and it is unlikely that you could fix it on your own.

You concentrate on the land you're at. It is either a very vast island, or another continent. In any case, rocky beaches sprawl to the north and to the south as far as you can see. Inland, towards the west, the forest is full of birds and chirping insects sounds.

You climb on the tree that served as your shelter and gaze far away.

A vast expanse of green, as far as the eye can catch, and the tip of a mountain the gods only know how far away through the woods. It is so tall the top glistens with snow, even though this place is really hot.

What are you going to do?

> Set up a camp by the hollow tree, look for food
> Search for civilization, start walking north
> Search for civilization, start walking south
> Get deep into the woods, start moving towards the mountain
> Write in

>>6277807
> Get deep into the woods, start moving towards the mountain

>>6277807
>Get deep into the woods, start moving towards the mountain

Rolled 15, 83, 71 = 169 (3d100)

>>6277839

You decide that since you're stuck here, might as well go sight seeing! To the tall mountain you go!

You organize your belongings - you have maybe a week's worth of food in a backpack, a large waterskin and your trusted sword.

You wander through the wilderness, now and then climbing a tree to check if you're really going towards your goal, or if you're wandering in circles. Seems like you've been making progress thus far.

The first couple days are largely uneventful. But on the afternoon of the third day, you notice a large panther circling you.

Now you don't have any allies to carry you, nor a place to rest and be taken care of if you get injured. Much more is at stake.

You keep your sword in hand and do your best to avoid presenting your back to the panther, while trying to advance at the same time.

This goes on for about an hour until the panther catches you distracted by a snake, with your guard lowered, and rushes in for an attack!

Roll 3d100 DC 60

Rolling for the panther DC 40

First dice - left
Second dice - center
Third dice - right

If you fail a roll and the panther succeed you're injured
If you succeed a roll and the panther fail you injure it

Whoever gets two injuries on the other one first kills it!

Plot armor negates the first injure you receive.

On a tie, you win.

Rolled 18, 40, 48 = 106 (3d100)

>>6278114

Rolled 90, 67, 61 = 218 (3d100)

>>6278114

>>6278155
>>6278179

You hit the panther with your sword, but it doesn't die, just runs away bleeding.

You thought all the blood was from it, but then notice your arm got a deep gash, the adrenaline rush didn't let you feel it until after the fact.

You bandage your arm and carry on.

You then arrive at a clearing, with several stones carved with spirals disposed in a circle. A big slab of stone in the middle seems to be some sort of altar.

Exhausted and having bled much, you decided to sleep there.

When the rain wakes you up, you're half expecting to be surrounded by cultists or some such, but the place is as quiet as ever. You fill up your waterskin.

You climb a tree and the mountain looks closer now.

You walk until you run out of supplies.

On the second day running on empty, you arrive at the base of the mountain. There is an old wooden cabin there, the roof in disrepair, the walls infested with termite paths.

Still the place is sturdy, and on the next rain you end up taking shelter there.

You crack open some termite paths and feast on the insects, which just keep coming.

When you can't eat anymore, you decide it is time to climb the mountain.

You find a sturdy stick and begin the ascent. You fill your pack with firewood, pondering it is rare up there.

On the second day, you find a bunch of mountain goats. You chase them and slaughter one. Your firewood comes handy as you cook the goat in your pot. It is a bit rare, but it's edible, the stringy meat feeling pleasant after that last buggy meal. You pack as much cooked meat as you can, leaving behind the offal, that you have no means of cooking properly right now.

The rest of the climb is a non issue, until you're faced with a long almost vertical climb. You have a lot of difficulty with that one, and almost fall to your death three times.

But when you reach the frozen top, you are surprised to find a small village and a tall tower in there.

The villagers look at you in disbelief. They're all elves, but much paler than you remember, silver hair and golden eyes.

You pass out.

"What brings you here, human?", they ask when you wake up on a bed.

"My ship crashed. Only survivor."

"We are all servants of the mage Kilgor in here. You will meet him upon his return."

You live with the elves for awhile. They grow winter squash and breed birds for eggs. That's the bulk of their diet, occasionally supplemented by mountain goats. They drink the snow mixed with juice from some berries they cultivate.

They often descend the mountain in search of rare herbs for concoctions their master will prepare.

After awhile, Kilgor returns. Flying! FLYING! He must be really powerful.

"This girl just climbed the mountain, master. Claims her ship crashed, only survivor."
"Hmmm... a human. My own race is so detestable. But I suppose if you came here from such a distance it must mean something. Tell me, what do you want?"

> Teach me your awesome powers
> Take me back to civilization
> Teach me alchemy

>>6278302
> Teach me your awesome powers

>>6278342

You ask Kilgor to teach you his awesome powers.

He laughs heartily.

"It will take a lifetime of diligence, and even then there is no guarantee you will master a tenth of the powers I now command! Are you willing to do whatever it takes to learn the magic? Do as I command in all things, even uncomely ones?"

You say yes, eager to learn his powers.

"Then live naked and barefoot for a whole year!"

"Wait, what? In this cold?"

"This will strengthen you. If you do not wish to comply, you are free to leave any time you want."

> Accept the weird terms of master Kilgor
> Do not accept the weird terms of master Kilgor and leave his tower
> Write in

>>6278453
> Accept the weird terms of master Kilgor

>>6278477
I change my vote to
> Write in
>Accept the terms but if he doesn't teach you something in the first day or gets too fishy, question his intentions. Without dressing of course.

>>6278477
>>6278492

You accept the weird terms of master Kilgor and spend your days undressed.

On the first day after you complain that he is not teaching you any real magic he invites you to the basement where you partake in a ceremony. When the ceremony is over you begin floating around for about an hour. Then you realize stuff is real.

It soon becomes clear however that the old man is a lecherous bastard and that being naked is by no means essential to the training. Seems like he just did that for his viewing pleasure. Or at least that's your impression at first.

He gives you access to his extensive arcane library, but he is rarely around to explain anything, and the elves don't understand this stuff. Still, slowly, you get familiar with the weird terms and diagrams.

After about six months, he says there is a version of the enchantment that can be made on a person's skin and last longer. He takes his time drawing sigils on your bare skin. Then at some point he says your hair is getting in the way and shaves your head bare. He draws a bunch of sigils on your head too.

Once he is done you feel lighter already. Though you can't yet fly, you can jump absurd distances, what is very helpful climbing up and down the moutain.

After one year exactly he says you can wear clothes again if you want. The thing is, clothings now feel heavy and over restrictive, and the body paint feels like cover enough already. You end up resuming being naked all the time.

He reapplies the paint every month, and after another year of very little learning he asks if you'd like permanent magical tattoos.

He says they will speed up your learning of flight, but they are tattoos, you can't really get rid of them later. But you'll become pretty much invulnerable to falls regardless.

He says his master offered him that tattoo with the air sigils but he refused. He later got a different set of tattoos.

> Accept the permanent magical tattoos.
> Do not accept the permanent magical tattoos.
> Inquire about what other kinds of magical tattoos there are.
> Write in

>>6279467
> Do not accept the permanent magical tattoos

>>6279483

You do not accept the magical tattoos.

You're 19 years old.

Your master says it might take ten years or more to learn how to fly.

"You're a young woman, you should go start a family or something. This whole flying thing takes too long to learn."

Do you really want to spend all the necessary time?
> Yes, train until you learn it
> No, you have better things to do with your life
> Write in

If you decide to train, roll 1d20 for each year you want to spend learning!

There will be a -5 modifier per yearly roll, because you refused the tattoos. (can go negative)

Once you reach 100%, you will acquire the ability to fly.

Otherwise, your master will take you to the nearest city and you can go live your life.

>>6279490
> No, you have better things to do with your life

>>6279491

You refuse to be trained in the ancient art of flight. Your master is not surprised.

"I will make arrangements to take you to the nearest city."

A few days later he takes you to the basement for another ritual.

"You should wash away all the ritual paint before I send you to the city. And wear some clothes. If you appear out of nowhere in the middle of the city looking like that they will think you're a witch. Oh, don't forget your old sword."

Your master asks you where you want him to send you, Lorien and elvish city or Mazda a human city.

> Lorien, an elvish city somewhere in these forest.
> Mazda, a human city somewhere in these forests.
> Ask him to send you back to Mithrail
> Write in

>>6279492
> Mazda, a human city somewhere in these forests.

>>6279493

You choose Mazda.

After all the preparations are made, master Kilgor have you stay at the center of the circle.

After intoning incantations your master begins to fill the entire room with smoke.

You start to suffocate, and try to leave the room, but you can't step out of the circle!

You suffocate until you lose consciousness.

When you wake up, there's still thick smoke around you. You cough and start walking out of the smog. You find yourself in the middle of the forest. You climb a tree. You can see the mountain, very distant. In a different direction, not too far away, a city with a large pyramid temple right in the middle of it.

It has walls and a gate, but no influx of travelers. The gate, however, is open, a couple sentries posted near it.

> Enter the city
> Observe the city from afar
> Try to find some inhabitant of the city outside
> Write in

>>6279497
> Observe the city from afar