Prologue: Buildings and MapsCheck out how much it would cost to construct a building for my legions of the undead to make goods outside the walls, also support GreatWyrmGold's leadership because no one else is volunteering.
That's difficult to calculate because of the land issue. Technically all land within Haven is owned by Haven; you can't "buy" it, you can only lease or borrow it. Some people, usually those with a stable business that's been there a while, are as good as owners, but land still can't be bought or sold like a normal commodity.
So assuming Haven hands you the land for free (not out of the question), there's the issue of construction costs. Assuming you can't do it yourself, 50-100 gold is a decent estimate for a fair-sized building, like a modest inn or simple sweatshop. Something complex, like a brewery, might run up to 250 if it's on the fancy side.
For comparison, Haven uses three modes of currency. Rather than having an official exchange rate, however, currency has a designated function.
Copper is used for temporary, low-level purchases like food and shelter. People traveling outside Haven are requested to exchange their genuine copper for very lightly enchanted ceramic equivalent coins, so as not to risk any precious materials or drag back any taints.
Silver is used for middling, more permanent purchases, like clothing and normal weapons. Very fancy, high-end food or drink sometimes costs silver as well. Its equivalent coins are wood. While there is no official exchange rate, silver is usually valued at 10 copper apiece for simplicity's sake.
Gold is used for expensive, permanent things, like buildings, horses, and high-end weapons. As with silver, the fanciest luxuries also tend to be in gold even if they're temporary. Its equivalent coins are iron. Gold is unofficially valued at 10 silver apiece, though finding an exchanger tends to be even more difficult than with silver.
So with this in mind, building a structure is likely to be very expensive. Everything you've got on you at the moment probably cost a few pieces of silver.
Of course, if you could get the materials and/or labor yourself, the price might go down to just whatever Haven charges for land, which could even be nothing. But since wood is at a premium and undead aren't usually allowed in Haven, neither of those is gonna be easy.
Oh, and neither you nor your legions are carpenters or architects. That'd complicate things a bit.
Sia taps her crystal hand against her leg, feeling that creeping coldness steal to the center of her being.
Not more than a year. Then you'll be mine. You'll be beautiful...forever.
She begins to pace slightly, eager to do something. Anything.
Don't try cutting off your hand-or going off and dying. This spell is anchored to your soul. Not even death will save you.
At last, she heads out. Maybe there was someone who could help her. Anyone.
But, do struggle. Sacrifice your fleeting morality for temporary salvation. Lose hope, but not too quickly. I so enjoy watching...that despair growing in your breast...will taste like the finest wine...
Action: Search the city and for any potential clues someone may have, to a cure or help my 'condition'.
Vote for GWG as leader too!
((OOC: I'll go with Ice Element))
The healers don't think they can help you. This is powerful, peculiar magic, not a true malady of just the body.
They hesitantly suggest that a necromancer might be able to help you- if this ailment is really rooted in your soul, a necromancer might be able to affect it in ways a healer can't. They warn you that such meddling would be dangerous at best, however. Necromancers are
not very experienced in gently and helpfully manipulating the soul of still-living person.
Finally, they suggest that the only true cure will probably come from the source. With luck, perhaps one of the demon's servants will contain the essence needed to fashion a cure. Less fortunately, destroying the demon itself might be the only way to free you. It's even possible not even that would be sufficient, and you'd need to take a reagent of some kind from the demon lord, then fashion it properly into a cure.
You also support Halfred's brutal rise to power.
"I like the sound of the ghost guard my self. We seem to be buff focused so maybe a leadership specialty? As for the name, 'Halfred's Heroes' is a little self serving so how about 'Fate's blades'? And I shall stand for a leader, if you have me."
Vote myself(Clair Crown)
A challenger appears to Halfred's tyranny. Alas, you are outnumbered two to one.
You put forward your name suggestion, more evenly set at 1v1.
"Working for Red Guard sounds good. Fate's Blades feels like tempting the universe to do something awful to us but i have no better idea."
Go to Demon Skull Inn and try to gather information about common problems the Red Guard could have.
Road to Red Guard Tower is safe for travel ?
The Demon Skull Inn is rather imposing, to say the least. It's made, near as you can figure, out of black iron, with a sinister red glow about it. A demonic skull of the same metal adorns the top of the door, but with something different, more of a dull, slightly rustish red for teeth and horns. Maybe just different iron.
The inside isn't much better; the whole thing is made of or at least reinforced with metal, and lit only by low reddish torches. Probably enchanted.
You also catch a glimpse of a different skull, mounted in a special display case behind a glass and metal window pane. It looks like it's made of bone, and seems almost like a really large, long elk skull with two eye sockets. The antlers are massive, twisting, and a bit sinister, you think.
As for the patrons, you quickly discover that they seem to come in two varieties- demonic veterans and people who would like to be demonic veterans. Many of the former have served in the Red Guard or worse, while the latter at least have a lot of stories they've picked up from the former.
So as far as you can figure, the Red Guard usually doesn't have "problems," as such. Under normal circumstances, they're more than capable of holding Red Guard Tower, or as some refer to it, the Red Keep. Apparently it's so reinforced that it's maybe halfway between the two by now.
What they do instead, then, is man several wasteland posts mainly meant to keep an eye on things, and send out scouting parties to make damned sure nothing is going wrong out there. They also sometimes pay strike teams to wipe out suspected demonic nests, which is pretty much anything with space to stand in it out there.
The road to the Red Guard Tower is perfectly safe under all but the most hellish conditions. Bandits and wild animals don't really exist here, so it's just the demons you have to worry about, and those are kept safely at bay except when everything goes to hell.
((Inspiration is good ^^))
The mighty Joe Bridger has no time for administrative decisions! He presses X a few times and gets to the demon killing.
Players Voting To Skip: 1/8
GOD DAMN IT PEOPLE THE STORY SUCKS ANYWAY LET'S GET ON WITH IT
((No it doesn't >.>))
"Why can't our goal be exploration? Finding new lands other than aiding the guards--not that I've any qualm with that sort of work--but we're 'adventurers'."
Fancy, appealing and partly suave. Huh, and now he's vying for leadership. Hm. Nobody else?
"Anyway, the rest seem eager to move and explore the city. I'll do the same. However I'd vote for aiding the Ghost Guard if we can't strike out on our own for travel.
"...And Fate's blades sounds good. However I'm lacking blades."
Travel the city for any sign of local topography or map makers. And perhaps the local inn and try to play a short song to check if my skill is good enough for them.
"Because it's dangerous. Most "new lands" are still new because they're crawling with so many misbegotten horrors even the rangers don't dare go near them."
You second Fate's Blades, bringing it to 3v1 against Halfred's Heroes.
There's at least one local mapmaker. Bald, with a crown of white hair behind his ears, wearing a leather apron and staring studiously at a map with an eyepiece. Apparently he makes normal maps just fine, but is also obsessed with details about the world, hoping to notice and catalog any demonic change or other dangerous conditions.
His maps vary in price depending on detail level and what they're made on. There's several maps on the walls and lying about that you can glance at, but he says to go to the ranger's guild if you want to gawk.
Mixing wind magic, your attuned flute, and inspiration magic can produce a fairly upbeat tune. It's not very good on its own, so it's more like feeding the entire bar a sip of ale than actually performing for them, but it's an option. It occurs to you that you can't actually put on any non-magical performances.
((Since I was too subtle last turn:))
Add my support to skipping.
Grumble about the name "Fate's Blades".
You begin mentally mashing the X button. Yes old man, I know how to move my character. Yes old man, I know I'm destined to save the world. By gods old man, this better not be a useless tutorial cave quest you're rambling on about.
You also grumble about everyone else's poor taste in names, even if they've got decent taste in leadership.
Clair Crown, Shockblade (scapheap)
8/8 HP
1/1 Self Only Shock Resist
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
---
Longsword +3 [Slashing]
---
Apprentice Swordswoman
Novice Lightning Mage
---
Fancy Blue Clothes
Longsword [+1 dmg]
Shock Resistant Gloves [+1 Shock Resist vs Self]
Danath Fenrik, Spearwolf (draco1234)
8/8 HP
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
---
Spear +1 [Piercing]
---
Apprentice Wolf Mage
Novice Spearman
---
Rugged Leather Clothes
Wolftooth Amulet [Can commune with wolf spirits]
Crude Spear [+0 dmg]
Sia, Ice Captain (Dwarmin)
8/8 HP
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
1/1 Self Only Ice Resist
---
No Attacks
---
Apprentice Ice Mage
Novice Inspirer
---
Loose Flowing White Robe
Fingerless Wool Gloves [+1 ice resist vs self]
Crude Flute
Brook Cedrik, Cauldron Necromancer (cattouchdis)
8/8 HP
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
---
No Attacks
---
Apprentice Necromancer
Novice Alchemist
---
Brown Robe
Skull of the Menial [Allows control of an additional weak undead, but may only be ordered as a group with your other minions]
Basic Mortar&Pestle [Allows simple alchemy]
Catherine S Mistral, Songwind (Tiruin)
8/8 HP
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
---
No Attacks
---
Apprentice Air Mage
Novice Inspirer
---
Light Traveler's Clothes
Wind Flute [Well suited to focusing appropriate Air Magic through]
Crude Lute
Leon, Runecharger (Antur)
8/8 HP
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
---
No Attacks
---
Apprentice Runecrafter
Novice Enchanter
---
Simple Clothes
Leather Bag of Runecarving Tools
Magnifying Glass [Assists with close examinations]
Joe Bridger (Remuthra)
8/8 HP
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
---
Simple Knuckles +0 [Crushing]
---
Apprentice Beguiler
Novice Fistfighter
---
Eccentric Pink Clothes
Magic Hat [Can be pulled inside out to change form]
Simple Knuckles [+0 dmg]
Halfred Grennelson, Magic Man (GWG)
8/8 HP
-1 Defense, -1 Endurance, -1 Resistance
---
No Attacks
---
Apprentice Socializer
Novice Enchanter
---
Practical Black Traveling Clothes
Fashionable Casual Clothes
Jeweler's Loupe [Assists with very close examinations of certain objects]
Stats should be done. Silly me, I had forgotten you were all squishy noobs. :3
(You're at Inexperienced Toughness, so your base 10 hp is actually 8 at the moment.)
Author
Topic: Outlands RTD [~Interlude: Lock and Key~] (Read 23641 times)