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[Karnewarrior]

<<Coin flip resulted in Karne>>

>North, to Karne. [Begin quest: The Palm of the World]

The trip to Karne is long and costly, but it's overland. The carriage trundles off northward, through borders and over hills, to the Ironbones. The massive, snowcapped peaks mark the Southern edge of Karnian territory. But we have to cross somehow.

The solution is the Underhill tunnel. Three miles through solid stone, a hole driven by both magic and machine supports trade between the small Duchys and Baronies of the HAE and the Karnian powerhouse. HAE beer is traded for Karnian marble and wine, and ideas as well.

The journey through the Underhill is dark and gloomy, the torches placed as sparingly as possible, to minimize the upkeep of the tunnel. As well, bandits prowl through  the old mining shafts that pock the walls, deep black holes that could hide anything. Preying on the defenseless, these bandits are cowards and ruffians... and very, very dangerous.

They are kept at bay by the Karnian army. Red cloaks shroud strong but scarce steel plates, long polearms glinting in the dark. Every once in a while, an arquebusier or archer can be seen as well, though the ranged weapons have little purpose in these dark caverns.

I make it through customs with surprisingly little hassle. From the carriage drivers conversation, it seems that many wizards have been fleeing the HAE, and while the king of Karne dislikes magic, they have few other options. Hiding in the HAE will get them killed, fleeing to Woodmother worse, and making a home in Porcia is difficult for non-orcs.

I slip in inside the wash of refugees, too early to be locked out.

The emergence from the tunnel a week later is refreshing beyond belief. The warm sunlight is a welcome change from the flickering torchlight, and the breeze brings fresh air to my nose. Even the carriage driver's mood is lifted.

It matters little that the land we emerged into is a harsh, swampy backwater. The nearest town, Tyrgleam, isn't much more than a set of ramshackle huts and cabins, clustered together. The boards are old swamp wood, and are warped with years of sitting in the moisture of the swamp.

Tyrgleam is passed over by many of the refugees, seeking an easier life in the plains further north. But I see no reason not to settle here. As good a place as any, I suppose. And besides, I've almost run out of gold.

I pay the carraige driver the rest of what I owe him and buy a room at the local “inn”, which is really just a big shack with three empty beds and a cook.

[Quest begun: The Palm of the World]
[Objective: Develop a center of operations.]
>[collect 100 Gold.]
>[construct a Lair]
>[Collect 5 followers]
[Optional: The town of Tyrgleam accepts you]
>[Befriend the Mayor]
>[Befriend the innkeep]
>[Befriend the Smithy]

>Daily actions  (morning)
>>Rest
>>Shop
>>Inquire
>>[You have no domain to govern]
>>[There are no corpses to raise]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Gold: 25
Minions: 0 (0 SKE 0 AZM 0 ZMB 0 FZM 0 GHL 0 WIZ 0 MRC 0 SPY)
Holdings: None
Workers: 0 (0 WOD 0 MNR 0 CRF 0 ENG)

[Sprin]

Hmmm.
We should sleep now and tomorrow try and chat up the innkeeper.
then we should go to the smithy to try and get a job to do and maybe befriend the smithy.
We go see the mayor and learn about the town, then go to the pub with him and buy a couple rounds of ale.
Maybe we should invest in an iron dagger incase of thugs.

[vastaghen12]

>Befriend innkeep

>>Inquire
Inkeep about the surrounding lands and their situations also ask about possible followers.

>Befriend Smith

[Cheesecake]

Befriend the innkeeper and ask if he has any jobs. After we befriend him, ask if we can rest in his inn.

[Karnewarrior]

>Inquire: Innkeeper

 I ask the Innkeeper for anything that needs done.

 The Innkeeper has a Quest!

*  **  ***  ** *

"Hail, traveler. What can I get you?" Says the innkeeper.

"Information, mostly. Though I wouldn't say no if you have any Heelland Lager." I reply. Hopefully the beer is cheap enough.

"Aye, friend. One tankard of Heelland Lager, coming up. No information for you, though." Says the innkeeper. His thick beard reaches down to his belly, which is round and bouncy, like a ball on a spring. As far as I knew, beards were not in fashion in Karne. I decide to ask about it.

He passes me the Lager, a small slush of foam spilling from the tankard. "Here you go. That's three gold." I pass him his money.

"That's a fine growth there, Innkeep." I say, before swilling the booze. It's rich and fine. Good ale for such a cheap inn...

"Aye. Not as fashionable here as in Kazkiski." He speaks of the largest Dwarven nation on the continent, far to the north. "But I'm not about to shear meself for any normal woman, Wagabánd."

"You're no dwarf." He's far too tall, for one. I entertain the amusing thought of him smacking his head on low ceilings.

"Ar bith, I'm full blooded human. My town is a small settlement of traders in Kazkiski. We kept the trade flowing when the Dwarves were too adapted to the dark of their caverns and fortresses." That explains much. Dwarves are a small and reclusive race. It surprises me little that groups of traders might settle in Kazkiski to facilitate their more hermetic tendencies.

I feel I've learned a little bit more about the innkeeper. [Relationship: Acquaintance]

"What's your name, Innkeep?" I ask.

"They call me Rwrgyytpar." He says in dead seriousness. I blink and try to make sense of the mash up of syllables.

He laughs. "But even dwarves have difficulty with that one! Me name is Gypt now."

*  **  ***  **  *

"Say..." Says Gypt. "Might you do me a favor, friend?"

"What do you need?" Because I need gold. I'm running low. My head feels fuzzy and my pockets are running empty.

"I lost a shipment of booze to bandits recently, coming in from the north. It's not big enough for the local garrison to bother with, but I can't leave the inn on its own. If you could somehow get rid of the bandits, I'd be grateful."

"I'm afraid I don't kill." You remember the crimson spray from Adelheids neck naught but a week ago.

"How strict be that pacifism?" I ponder the thought for a moment. For a wizard to break his word is more foul and deadly than for a normal person. A wizards words are his strength, and depending on the strength of his magic, the backlash could kill. I'm only a weak mage right now, but the lasting effects of such magical backlash are not to be toyed with.

That said, loopholes can be found. I never said I wouldn't tell someone else to kill something. "I don't kill." I put emphasis on the pronoun, hoping Gypt is smart enough to get it. He is.

"Hmm. You know, there's a haunted glen nearby, but the spirits there aren't completely unfriendly..." He leans in close and quiet, even though the inn is empty. "If you have the right spells, maybe you could get one of them to do the fighting for you. But don't let anyone see. Necromancers are frowned upon in these parts." He straightens. "If you decide to get that booze back, I'll give you free beer for all your life, and a small sum of gold. Sound good?"

>[Begin Quest: Bones, Blood and Beer.]
>Reject Quest.

[Cheesecake]

Begin quest! Look for spells for binding spirits.

[vastaghen12]

Begin quest! Look for spells for binding spirits.

And buy a cheap dagger just in case

[Gamerlord]

Wait, don't bind the spirits! We should try and get them to work for us willingly!

[Sprin]

Hey if we're lucky (which I doubt) one of them was killed by bandits and help us!
Then the bandits die, then we bring the booze back, have a nice cold pint and then work on mingling with the locals.
Also invest in emergency Iron dagger, incase we get jumped we could stab them in the leg and let the spirit deal with him.

[Karnewarrior]

>>Daily Action unlocked: Explore

>Explore

You decide to head to the Haunted Clearing.

* ** *** ** *

As I head down the road that skirts the haunted Clearing I've been hearing about, a commotion catches my eye.

The marketplace's bright colors and cheery smells are juxtaposed to the angry shouts of one man, and the muffled murmurs of the growing crowd. As I step towards the center of the scene, I can recognize the mayor of the town, a rotund and gregarious man usually.

However, currently his hand is raised high, his face a bright purple with apoplectic rage. His salt-and-pepper hair is disheveled, and one button on his coat has come undone. A bit of spittle flies out of his mouth. On the ground in front of him lies a girl, hardly sixteen winters old, one cheek flushed red where the hand had hit her. Tears, like diamonds, run down her face. He dress, once fine and magnificent, is now soiled in the mud of the market.

I pause to absorb the situation.

"How dare you disgrace me! My own daughter, thieving from a market stall?!" The Mayor screeches. The crowd bursts with renewed muttering. "I should have you arrested!"

The girl doesn't respond, doesn't even show any sign of comprehension.

"I'm already ashamed, that my own daughter should be dumb, but for this!?" His hand darts down, and I flinch in anticipation of the strike. But he only chops the air, coming a hair's width from his Daughters face. She reacts to that, flinching away from the strike. The Mayor seems to calm himself down.

"You can find your own way home. And if you take anything else, let the guards take you." He stalks off without a single word.

The crowd does likewise. Nobody helps the young woman in the mud, though some shoot sympathetic glances, other shoot looks of hatred. This girls is obviously quite divisive amongst the townsfolk.

>Help the girl up.
>Leave the thief.

[Cheesecake]

Help the girl. Ask what happened.

[Sprin]

Help the girl, she's a thief but nobody should have to endor that kind of ridicule.
Maybe we could also teach her our magicle trade!

[3man75]

I like your story telling also help the girl up. We're already unwanted rabble we might as well make friends inside that atmosphere.

EDIT: make sure our bag of gold coins isn't pocketed.

[vastaghen12]

>Help girl up.
>Befriend girl

[Karnewarrior]

[Quest Begun: Silence is Golden]
[Objective: Assist Miri with her father]
>["Kidnap" Miri from her home in Tyrgleam]
[Optional: Don't get caught]
[Objective: Assist the Mayor with his daughter]
>[bribe a guard to arrest Miri]
[Optional: Convince guard without bribing him]

I decide to be the nice guy and help the girl up. She's kind of pretty, after all, and if my estimate of sixteen is correct our ages kind of match up...

But perhaps of more importance is the budding idea of taking on my own apprentice... Not that I have much to teach on my own. I'm only a novice, after all, but perhaps I can teach this girl a few cantrips.

I extend a hand, and, looking embarrassed, the girl grasps it and lifts herself to her feet. He eyes stay locked to the ground the whole time.

"Hey, are you alright?" I ask. She doesn't seem to hear. I ask again, lightly touching her shoulder, but she flinches away with a almost animalistic grunt. Her face turns bright red as she dips a hand in her pocket and pulls out a slip of paper. It trembles like a leaf in the wind as I take it from her fingers and read.

My name is Miri. I am dumb and cannot speak. Please forgive my rudeness. I do not know any better.

I glance back at the girl, who's crying again. She probably didn't write this note - As far as I know, Karne's attitude towards the mute and deaf is callous at best. I'm guessing the girl doesn't know how to read, to say nothing of writing. And the handwriting is too fine for the damning words on the paper.

I turn to go. It's not helpful for me to try to get through to someone like this. If she can't read, write, or speak, I'm not going to waste time teaching her.

But she grabs my arm. Eyes still locked to the ground, she pulls out another slip of paper, and this time a thin stick of charcoal. Shakily, she draws some lines with no finesse, and then turns the paper to face me.

A

She points to me, then at herself, and then at the paper. Seeing my blank expression, she repeats the gesture. It takes a few repetitions, but then it clicks as to what she wants me to do.

She wants to learn how to write.

>Teach her.
>Don't teach her.