>>28552038
You were born eighty years after the Tudans came to Volendruze, under the Star of the Ermine: the Adventurer. Your parents are Tudans. Your father Anthony is the town architect and your mother Kaleigh is an artist of much renown. Your father named you Joshua, after his father, and your mother named you Gregory, after her father. Your last name is Graham, a name that can be traced through many generations of Tudan architects.

You were raised on stories: legends and myths about famous adventurers, children's books about heroic ermines, and as you got older you began reading epics about ancient explorers. These stories inspired you, and all your life you've wanted to experience the thrill of adventure.

When you turned sixteen at the end of the previous summer, your parents told you that it was time for you to figure out what you wanted to do with your life. Your family had uncounted riches, so you could have been anything you wanted to be. But the life of exploring called to you. You wanted to see the world and live an exciting life of travel. When you told your parents this, they immediately organised lessons for you to learn field craft and survival skills, along with lessons in using a sturdier sword than what you were used to in fencing.

You started at the end of summer and it is now nearing the end of winter. You've spent nearly six months intensively learning the skills you would need in your adventure and in a few weeks you would be going. Your scheduled departure date is the day after the snow begins to melt from the tops of the mountains, which traditionally heralds the end of winter. That day comes ever closer.

>One more

>>28552072
The next few days, however, are days off. You're running out of things to learn, and these free days are becoming more frequent. You want to make the most of today, so you want to

> Go down to the lower town to see your Druzan friends. They may be poor, but your family has never really bothered with classes.
> Go down to the markets and see what's going on. They might be selling interesting trinkets, and you have a very abundant stock of disposable currency.
> Wander the town and take in the sights. You'll be leaving soon and who knows if you'll see this place again?

>>28552094
>Go down to the lower town to see your Druzan friends. They may be poor, but your family has never really bothered with classes.
Who knows when we'll see our friends again, if we're going on adventures.

>>28552094
Hang with the Druzans, do we know much about their customs and religion?

>>28552094
>Wander the town.

>>28552094
>> Go down to the markets and see what's going on. They might be selling interesting trinkets, and you have a very abundant stock of disposable currency.

>>28552094
> Go down to the markets and see what's going on. They might be selling interesting trinkets, and you have a very abundant stock of disposable currency.

!0 bucks says we're going to find a plot-hook.

Rolled 1

Tiebreaker. Evens is friends, odds is market.

>>28552123
>>28552136
>>28552175
>>28552199
If tie I'll throw in with market but don't really care either way.

Today, you feel like shopping. Not for things like clothes and jewellery that girls like, gods no. Sometimes the travelling merchants brought interesting trinkets, baubles and artefacts for sale. You've seen ornate daggers, glass balls full of water and white flakes that are made to resemble snow, books from faraway lands, and paintings of strange landscapes and creatures. You wonder what strange objects you'll find at the markets today as you make your war down the main road of the town.

The town of Hillfort is the town you were born in and the town you grew up in. The town and its surrounding landscape are burned into your memories. You're not sure you could forget the place if you tried, but that has yet to be proven. Hillfort, as the name suggests, is a fort on a hill. The castle is at the peak, and the rest of the town is arrayed below it on the southern slope. A main road leads from the castle gates to the town gates at the bottom of the hill. Generally, your status in nobility decides where you live. The richest nobles live at the top of the hill near the castle. The poorest peasants live at the base of the hill, by the outer walls. In between those two extremes were the majority of the population of the town.

The market is located in the town square, near the bottom of the hill. It only takes you a few minutes to walk all the way down. On your way you pass familiar faces; a shop keeper here, nobleman there. A few children run past you from one of the side streets, challenging each other in a race to the top of the hill. You wave at the people you know and they wave back. Soon enough, you're at the bottom of the hill.

>First out of two

>>28552347
Before you is the main square of Hillfort and it seems the markets are already in full swing. The square is fronted by local shops in their own right, but it's the stalls that catch your interest. The winter caravans arrived yesterday; just after the coldest part of winter as the ground snow melted. They've come every year for as long as you can remember, bringing exotic wares and interesting items. As you wander through the stalls, many things catch your eye. One of the sellers is trying to hawk a giant golden dragon.

You come across a stall that's out of the way of the others. It's made out of deep, rich red fabric, and there don't seem to be any customers. As you approach, you see an assortment of swords, daggers and dirks for sale. One in particular catches your eye. It's a dirk laid bare on display on the stall's table. The handle is imprinted with wriggling patterns and one of the edges is serrated. The stall owner sees you eyeing the blade.
"That's a fine blade, it is. I bought it off a man on the coast who said he got it from some country to the east. You want to buy it?"

Do you? Money is no object, and you fight in a one-handed style. The dirk could come in useful.

> I'll buy it
> I won't buy it

>>28552553
Ask a little more about it first. Surely we've learned the good art of haggling in our life growing up here?

Maybe we can get a package deal with a sword.

>>28552597
Seconding asking more.

>>28552553
Any other stalls? Mmm. Artifacts. Trinkets. Codices. I cannot resist the call.

File: 1385693732159.jpg-(107 KB, 846x517, scottishdirk.jpg)

107 KB JPG

>>28552553
Oop, forgot the picture of the dirk.

>>28552649
>>28552597
I'll take this as majority. Writing the next bit.

>>28552553
> I'll buy it

>Ask more

“That can’t be it,” you say. “What about that one in the back?” You gesture towards a basket hilted claymore on the back wall of the stall. “How much is that one?”
“That one? Fifty silver, I’d say. Not many show interest in swords like that. They like the bigger, two handed swords. You lookin’ to buy the sword or the knife?”
“I’ll have both, thank you.”
“Both?” He gives you a calculating look. “One gold piece.”
“How much is the dirk alone?”
“Fifty silver.” The stall owner’s face remains passive. You shift your face to the same expression. This is a game you’ve played before.
“I’ll give you sixty silver for both,” you say.
He pauses for a moment. “Eighty.”
You grin. “Seventy five.”
The stall keeper considers for a moment, rubbing his chin as he thinks. “Alright,” he says. “Deal. Seventy five silver pieces for this dirk and that sabre.” He takes your money and counts it out, giving you a bit of change.
“Thank you very much,” you say as you nod your head.
“No problem. It was a pleasure doing business with you.” He hands you your purchases and gives you a nod in return. “Enjoy those!”

With your new weapons in hand you turn and face towards the rest of the stalls. Look for

> Books
> Trinkets
> Food

>>28553035
> Books
There's nothing better than fantasy shopping.

>>28553035
>Books.

>>28553035
>Books
Knowledge is power, especially if there's magic or alchemy involved.

>>28553035
> Books

Tell me your secrets, books.

Books it is

File: 1385695489148.jpg-(40 KB, 920x520, basketclaymore.jpg)

40 KB JPG

>>28553035
Oh dammit I forgot the picture again

>>28553204
>basket-hilt claymore
Wut da zog?

In case anyone wants to know, it's only about 1:30 in the afternoon for me. I'll probably end in about five hours at six my time, unless you guys want to keep going. I don't head to bed until midnight and that's in ten and a half hours, so...

> Books

A good book is something you want right now, so you go to see if there are any book stalls at the market right now.

You are in luck as just around the corner you find yourself a small stall selling books. You nod at the woman sitting behind the little desk and pick up one of the books. The title says "Monsters of the Northern Icelands". This looks interesting.
"Do you mind if I read a bit of this?" you ask the stallkeeper.
"Not at all," she replies. "Just try not to read it all without buying it first!"
You chuckle as you begin to read. As the title says, the book is all about various monsters found in the far northern icefields. The author details his expedition to the north and includes sketches of the creatures he found. Giant white Snow Bears seem to be the most common animal the man found, but near the back of the book you find a sketch of a dragon, labelled: Ice Dragon. This is very interesting.

You've immersed yourself in the book and gotten to around the end of chapter one when a very LOUD voice comes from behind you. You jump, startled, and turn.
Your friend Rory stands there with a grin on his face. "I'm sorry Joshua, did I scare you?" he says, as his grin widens.
You scowl at him, but then start laughing as the tension leaves you. "Yes, you did," you admonish. "Although it's my fault for getting so immersed in a book." You hold it up to demonstrate. "What brings you here?" you ask him.
"Oh, I'm on my way to the apothecary. My youngest sister Milya is sick so I need to get some medicine for her."
"That's unfortunate. Is it serious?"
"It's not serious at all. We simply need some healing herbs to clear up her cough. She should be well in a few days."
"That's a relief, Rory."

>One more

>>28553542
“Say, Joshua, do you have any plans for today?” Rory asks you. “I was thinking of grabbing some lunch after I bring back the healing stuff. You want to come along?”
“I don’t have any plans for today,” you reply.

> “I’ll be happy to accompany you to lunch.” Go with him to get meds, go back to his house, get lunch somewhere.
> “But I have something else to look for.” No lunch with Rory. Pick somethine else to do.

>>28553542
> “I’ll be happy to accompany you to lunch.” Go with him to get meds, go back to his house, get lunch somewhere.

>>28553600
> “I’ll be happy to accompany you to lunch.” Go with him to get meds, go back to his house, get lunch somewhere.

>>28553600
>“I’ll be happy to accompany you to lunch.” Go with him to get meds, go back to his house, get lunch somewhere.
No need to blow him off.

Time for lunch with a bro

“I’ll be happy to come with you to lunch,” you continue.
“That’s great. First I need to head to the apothecary.”
“One moment, I need to pay for this book.” You turn to the woman at the stall. “How much is this book?”
“Two silver,” she chirps. You give her the coins and put the book in your bag, and then you follow Rory to the apothecary on the other side of the square.

Rory is one of your best friends; more like a big brother than anything else. His tanned skin attests to his heritage; he’s a Druzan through and through. He’s the eldest child out of three, and they live in the poor district of Hillfort. He’s several years older than you, and much taller. Surprisingly for his social standing, Rory has had an education. He’s part of a social union of Druzans and Tudans who try to promote equality between the races. He spends a lot of time sitting in on union negotiations, learning to become a politician. Rory is certainly smarter and harder working than a lot of the Tudan nobles you know that are your age.

The same could be said about Druzans in general. Ever since the merge of the two cultures eighty years ago, your history books say that the Druzans could not keep up with Tudan advances; so while the Tudans became richer and richer, the Druzans clung to their old lifestyles, and eventually began to make up a majority of the poor and lower class in the towns and cities of Volendruze.

>1/2

Your experiences have been different than what the history books say. The books imply that the Druzans are unable to accumulate wealth while to you they seem like they simply don't want it. The Druzans have been living the same way for hundreds of years and the arrival of the Tudans hasn't changed their lifestyle. Because the Tudans hold all the nobility, wealth and power, the Druzans have become largely sidelined while the Tudans run the country, the provinces and the towns. The Druzans seem content to keep living their lives, however. It baffles you. If you were in their position, you would do something about the Tudans. You've mentioned this to Rory many times, and he agrees most of the time. He doesn't agree that the Druzans should change the way they live.

The two of you have reached Rory's home by now, with Rory carrying the medicine for his sister.
"Ma, I'm home!" Rory says as he enters the house. It's small. There's a main room for the family with a small kitchen and a stove; and there are three rooms that are separate from the main one and act as bedrooms. Rory's mother is boiling a pot of water over the stove.
She turns towards the door. "Ah, Rory, have you brought the medicine? Good. Ah, I see you have brought Joshua with you! Joshua, how are you?"
You nod to her in greeting. "I'm fine, thank you Mazel. It's always a pleasure to see you."
"Ah, Joshua, the pleasure is mine to talk to such a polite young man such as you. I wish my son would follow in your example." She hugs Rory to her and squeezes.
"Maa!" Rory protests. "Take the medicine and let go. How is Milya?"
"Milya is fine, Rory," Mazel says as she takes the medicine. "With this, she should be much better! Now, I am sure you were wanting to go with Joshua if he's here, so go and do your planned business."
"Alright Ma." Rory gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Let's go Joshua."
"Alright," you say. "It was nice to see you again," you say to Mazel.
"You too, Joshua, take care."

>2/3

>>28554693
As you leave you run into someone. You end up with a face full of long, brown hair. You take a step back and look down a bit, right into the beautiful eyes of a young girl who you know very well.
“Oh, hi Joshua,” says Anni, Rory’s younger sister.

>You say?

>>28554750
"Hi Anni. You doing okay, what with Milya being sick?"

>>28554750
>>28554838
Uh... sure, that works.

File: 1385701627071.jpg-(14 KB, 220x255, smooth criminal.jpg)

14 KB JPG

>>28554750

Anni are you okay? You okay? You okay Anni?

>>28554750
No roll?

>>28554921
Thanks for reminding me that's a thing, anon

>>28554838
Roll 1d20 for chance of spaghetti. First three rolls.

Rolled 17

>>28554963
How much younger than us is Anni, anyway? Like, is it okay to have a crush on her?
And then there's the whole 'dating a bro's younger sister' thing to worry about.

Rolled 17

>>28554963

Rolled 20

>>28554963

>>28554991
>>28554998
>>28555009
Those are some really good dice rolls.

Looks like you really are a smooth criminal

bad jokes are the best

>>28554991
>>28554998
>>28555009
We have transcended the spaghetti.

File: 1385702396893.jpg-(77 KB, 447x483, 1366886342924.jpg)

77 KB JPG

>>28554991
>>28554998
>>28555009

This is a good omen. Either that or we just used up all our luck.

>>28554991
And she isn't that much younger than you. Only around a few months, probably.

“Oh, sorry Anni, I didn’t see you there,” you say, without any hesitation or stuttering whatsoever. You mentally pat yourself on the back for not messing up.
“Oh no, it’s fine,” she replies. Wait, is SHE blushing?
“Are you faring well while your sister is sick?”
“Oh no, I’m fine. My sister isn’t really that sick to begin with.” You realise that she’s holding a bucket of water in her hands. “I need to take this inside to Ma, so...”
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry. Let me get out of your way.” You step out of the doorway to let her pass.
She steps past you and stops just inside the door way to look at you. “Um, bye Joshua.”
“You too,” you reply, and she turns and walks inside. You and Rory begin walking back to the square.
After a short walk, Rory gives you a sidelong look. “Smooth, Joshua.”
You’re not really sure how to respond to that.

A little bit later, you and Rory have ordered your lunch. One of the stalls is selling meat-on-a-stick. You have a chance now to talk to Rory about something.

> Talk about the stuff he does at the union
> Talk about his hot sister
> Talk about adventurin’
> Talk about other

>>28555501
>> Talk about the stuff he does at the union
>> Talk about his hot sister

>>28555501
TALK ABOUT FIGHTAN!!!!!!!

>>28555501
>> Talk about his hot sister
>> Talk about adventurin’

>>28555501
>talk about adventuring

>>28555567
Also talk about fighting.

>>28555501
> Talk about "Monsters of the Northern Icelands"
Autism engaged. But kind of a joke. After we bring it up and obsess about it like a neckbeard.
> Talk about the stuff he does at the union

>>28555501
>> Talk about adventurin’

>>28555627
>PC reading monster manuals for fun
I wonder if he plays pnp.

Time to talk about adventurin'

Pick one of these to talk about next while I write.

>Hot sister
>Fightan
>Union stuff
>Monster book

>>28555826
>>Hot sister

>>28555826
Fighting, once again. With special emphasis on our swag new swords.

>>28555826
See >>28555567

>>28555826
>Union stuff
I wanted to talk about monster book first, then segue into less autismal topics. I don't want our friend to be bored, though, so lets talk about something more interesting to him.

>>28555826
>>Hot sister

Rolled 4

“It really has been a while, Rory.” You say after swallowing a bite of your meat-on-a-stick. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been well. Between being tutored and my position at the Union, I’ve kept myself busy. What about you? Have you been keeping busy?”
“Oh yes,” you reply. “My long absence has a reason behind it. I’m not sure if I have told you before, but I’ve been spending the winter and the fall to prepare for a journey. I’m going to travel and see Volendruze on an adventure.”
“Very nice,” Rory says. “Do you have anywhere in particular you wanted to go?”
“I was thinking of visiting the places around the coastal provinces first, and then go and visit each of the seven valleys in turn.”
“Sounds fun.”

>rolling 1d4. Evens is sister. Odds is fightan.

Rolled 1

>>28556186

>>28556228
Fuck it, I'll throw in fighting as well. Topics of conversation are fun.

“So, uh, Rory,” you begin after having another bite of meat-on-a-stick. “About before, with your sister, I wasn’t trying to...”
Rory cuts you off. “I don’t mind.”
“Really, I wasn’t- ...wha?” That’s caught you off guard. “You don’t mind?”
“I don’t mind. You have my blessing. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better match for her.”
“Um, thank you. I think.”
“Don’t worry about it, Joshua. What stuff is in the bag? You did buy that book before.”
You’re grateful for the change in topic, although you really didn’t clear up any misunderstandings. “Apart from the book, I bought myself a couple of weapons. For the road, you see.” You pull both of the blades from your bag to show them off. “I have this basket hilted broadsword, and a short dirk as back up. It should suit my sword fighting style.”
“You did a lot of fencing when you were younger, didn’t you?” Rory asks you.
“Yes, although I can’t say I enjoyed fencing. My fencing teacher is now teaching me how to apply fencing against bandits, which is certainly a welcome change of pace from the competitions between nobility that I have been forced to do up to this point.”
“Well I’m glad things are looking up for you.”

You both finish your meat-on-a-stick in silence.
“Well,” Rory says as he stretches his legs and stands up. “I have some other things that I need to do now. I’m going to a meeting with the Union. It’s been good hanging out with you again, though.”

> Ask to go with him?
> Nah, go and do something else (specify)
> Nah, go home (time skip to tomorrow)

>>28556743
>Nah, go home and go for one more fencing lesson

>>28556743
>> Ask to go with him?

>>28556743
>> Nah, go home (time skip to tomorrow)

>>28556768
I'd like to change my vote to the timeskip, just so we can get on wivvit.

>>28556743
Time skip then.

>>28556743
Go with him. We shouldn't let our friendship end on such an awkward note before we go off adventuring. Also it sounds like he isn't totally content with the state of affairs in Hillfort.

“I’ll see you later, Rory. Take care.”
“You too, friend.”
Rory heads off down a side street and you begin walking back up the hill to your house.

-----

The next morning you wander down into your kitchen to get yourself some breakfast. Your mother is sitting at the dining table already.
“Good morning, mother,” you say as you sit down. Ricard, your butler brings you some oats for your breakfast. “Thank you, Ricard.” He bows to you and then goes back to the kitchen.
“Good morning, Joshua,” your mother says. “Did you have a pleasant sleep last night?”
“Yes mother, I did.”
“That’s good to hear. Didn’t you spend time with your friends yesterday? You have another free day today. You should go hang out with your friends again today.”

> “Yes, I’ll head down to my friend’s house after breakfast.”
> “Not today, mother. I was thinking of exploring Hillfort one more time.”

>>28557253
>> “Yes, I’ll head down to my friend’s house after breakfast.”

>>28557253
> “Yes, I’ll head down to my friend’s house after breakfast.”
Forgot to show him our monster manual.

>>28557253
> “Not today, mother. I was thinking of exploring Hillfort one more time.”
We are gonna be leaving and not come back for a while.

>>28557278
>>28557364
Time to check the friend's house.

“Yes, I’ll head down to my friend’s house after breakfast.”
“That’s good to hear, Joshua. It’s good to see that you’re hanging out with your friends after so long away from them.” She gives you a big smile.

A few minutes later, and you’re on your way down the hill again. As you look off into the distance and over the rooves of the town, you can see that the snow on the mountain peaks has receded a bit since yesterday. The day that you leave will definitely be soon.

You’re in front of Rory’s house in no time. You knock on the door and wait for a moment. You don’t have to wait long before it opens. Anni has answered the door.
“Oh, it’s you,” she says.
“What?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it.” She steps out of the doorway and gestures for you to come in.
“Is Rory here?” you ask.
“No, he’s probably off with his union friends somewhere.”
You hear a voice from another room. “Anni, who was at the door?”
“It’s just Joshua, ma!” Anni half yells back. “He’s here looking for Rory.”
Mazel comes walking out into the main room from one of the bedrooms. “Joshua isn’t the only one looking for Rory. To think that he would disappear at a time like this.”
“Is Rory missing?” you ask.
“We haven’t seen him since last night,” Anni replies. His bed was empty this morning and none of his friends from the union can be found. And on top of that, the coin purse is missing and Milya has gotten worse, and we can’t buy medicine for her.”
“What’s wrong with Milya?” you ask, starting to feel worried now. “I thought yesterday she was getting better?”
“Not anymore,” Mazel answers. “She might have the Death Lung; if we don’t get more medicine today, she will be dead by tomorrow.”

And I that's it for today.

My first quest thread, and I guess it went better than expected. I think I might post a bit slow, post a bit long without input, and I probably didn't plan my outline well enough which I'm going to fix tonight after I have dinner.

But it was fun, even if I'm a little bit burnt out now after six hours of writing.


I'll run tomorrow, at midday AEST, 6:00PM PST or 9:00PM EST

My twitter is here
>https://twitter.com/SaSentinels


and if you have any gripes or compliments or comments please let me know. I'm not a mind reader.

Can someone tell me how to archive this? I apparently don't have the thread number.

>>28557737
Thread number is OP's post number.
For this thread, it is 28552038.

>>28557737
>>28557771
it is also the number in thread's link.
>>28552038 is the link for this one, and thats the thread number.

>>28557771
I've been putting that in, and it's been 404'ing

Someone might've mentioned in /qtg/ that they had been having trouble with the archive interface, so it might be down right now.

>>28557801
Don't worry about it. Find this thread on foolz and link it next thread.

>>28557818
Yeah I'll probably just do that.

Yeah, suptg is having problems appearantly. Well this thread is likely to be still around when you start again, if it is you can continue in here.
I will try to archive it on suptg again from time to time.
If all fails we still have foolz, so it's fine.

>>28557926
Thanks for that. I really appreciate it.

I think I might try to archive it on my own time too, since there's probably another six hours before I actually sleep.

>>28557946
When were you planning on continuing?

>>28561508
Oh shit, forget it.

Small bump so this can continue later

>>28564194
Holy shit page 10

Jesus christ this is still here.

Alrighty, I start in a bit under two hours. Hopefully I'll do better today than I did yesterday.

I might also take a short break in the middle, because I realised yesterday that I tend not to concentrate well after doing the same thing for five hours. A break to make lunch or something might help.

“She might have the Death Lung; if we don’t get more medicine today, she will be dead by tomorrow.”
The words bounce around in your head. Milya will be dead by tomorrow if she doesn’t get medicine. Your best friend Rory has been missing since before this morning. This is bad. This is very, very bad.
“I was just about to go to the apothecary and see if I could beg for medicine,” Anni says. “But if you’re here, you could come and help me.”

>Roll 1d20 to keep your composure and not panic. First three count.

Rolled 6

>>28569216
Hoping for a crit-fail.

Rolled 5

>>28569216

Rolled 13

>>28569216

>>28569228
>>28569287
>>28569298
You don't fail but you don't exactly pass either

You can feel the panic rising inside you. You can’t think straight. What are you supposed to do here? You can’t think of anything.
“Joshua.” Anni says your name. You look up from the spot on the floor you were staring at, and she’s staring at you with a concerned frown on her face. “We’re going to the apothecary, and we’re going to ask for the medicine.” You nod your head weakly. “Do you understand, Joshua? Come on, we need to go.”
You nod your head again, stronger this time, and manage to stammer out an agreement. “R-right, let’s go.” Anni leads you out of the house and down the street towards the town square and the markets.

You’re still a little distracted as the two of you jog down the street, almost running into a few people who are going the other way. Are there more people in the street than usual today? There are. A lot of people seem to be chattering to each other about something, but you’re not really paying attention. Rory is missing, and Milya could die. Those are the important things. Where could Rory be? Why is he missing? If he were here he would know what to do, but he isn’t, so what are you-
“Joshua!” You pause and stop. Anni is standing in front of the apothecary. “We’re here already, come on.”

The two of you burst into the shop with the sound of ringing bells. The apothecary looks up from a book she was reading and at the two of you. “Is there something I can help you with?” she asks.
You open your mouth but no words come out. “Uh...”
Anni asks instead. “My sister might have the Death Lung. We need your best medicine or she will die.”
“Oh dear,” says the apothecary. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Yes, okay, let’s see. Death Lung. Oh dear.” The woman gets up from where she was sitting at the counter and heads to the back of her shop. There are rows of little box shaped holes, with small boxes of plants, insects and different ingredients in those boxes.

>1/?

>>28569625
Get it together, Joshua. How are we supposed to be an upcoming adventurer if we can't even handle the death of a friend's sister?

“Is you sister at a late stage?” the apothecary asks as she searches.
“Yes, we really need this medicine,” Anni replies.
The apothecary starts to mix the ingredients in a bowl with a grind stone. It makes a green paste, which she then scoops into a small stone container. “Stir a spoonful of this into a bowl of boiling water and feed it to her every hour. Now, I’m very low on stock for these ingredients, and I won’t get any new ones until the summer, so it’s two gold pieces for the whole lot.”
Anni bites her lip. “I don’t have any money,” she says.
The apothecary’s expression darkens. “Unfortunately, medicine like this is VERY expensive. I can’t give you this unless you have the gold for it.”
“My sister is going to die if I don’t have this medicine!”
“If you can’t afford it, I won’t give it to you. There are people more deserving of this than Druzan street rats.”
“Street rats!?” Anni cries, shocked. You can’t hide your own anger either; it replaces your nervousness and allows you to speak.
“Druzans are not street rats!” you say.
“They are if they’re too lazy to work for their money. This isn’t a charity, you stupid children. If you want free healing you should ask the Druzan faith healer for help, not me.”
“Faith healing doesn’t work,” you say. “We need medicine, not prayers. You’re supposed to help people...” You cut yourself off. YOU have money, you realise with a mental slap of your forehead.

>2/?

“I have money!” you announce. You reach for your coin purse as the apothecary looks on dubiously, and Anni looks at you with hope. You open your purse. “Pox!” you curse. There’s only silver and copper in it; it’s just the change from yesterday.
“Well?” the apothecary asks. This is just bad news heaping on top of bad news.
“I only have twelve silver here.” The apothecary gives you a loud snort. “No,” you interrupt her before she can make any more rude comments. “I have more at home. You keep that medicine there. We will be back with the money.” You put your coin purse on the counter and run out of the shop. Anni runs out after you.

It’s a struggle, running up the hill to get back to your home. You have to slow down to a quick walk, but you push on. There seem to be a lot of other people moving in the same direction, but you pay them no mind.
“Do you really have the money to pay for the medicine?” Anni asks, breathless from running. “A gold piece is about the same that we make in a month.”
“Anni, my parents are two of the wealthiest people in Hillfort. I have more than enough money to pay for the medicine. They’ll understand.”
“Okay,” Anni replies. “If there’s any way we can repay you, you just need to ask.”
“You don’t have to do that. I don’t want your little sister to die.”
“...Thanks, Joshua.”

>3/4

>>28570186
Doesn't matter; bought Monster Manual.

You make good time up the hill, but your face falls when you see what’s up ahead. Your progress up the hill is blocked by a huge crowd of people. They're packed tight on the main road, forming a thick wall between you and your house. They seem to be craning their necks and trying to see something at the front of the crowd. As you watch, more people seem to congregate.
Anni clutches at her hair. “Oh Salyanis, Goddess of Luck, please don’t make this harder for us!”

> Ask someone what in Gods’ sake is going on
> Try and squeeze through the crowd to get to your home. You can see it; it’s only three houses away!
> There’s no time. Try and go down an alley way and find another route to your house.

>>28570205
> Ask someone what in Gods’ sake is going on

>inb4 parents murdered

>>28570205
>There’s no time. Try and go down an alley way and find another route to your house.

>>28570205
>> Try and squeeze through the crowd to get to your home. You can see it; it’s only three houses away!

>>28570222
>>28570253
>>28570353
lol

File: 1385781722073.png-(120 KB, 350x262, oh you.png)

120 KB PNG

>>28570222
>>28570253
>>28570353
... I'm gonna get some breakfast. Hopefully something takes the lead when I get back.

Rolled 1

>>28570205
Welp, rolling 1d6, 1-2 are option one, 3-4 are option 2, and 5-6 are option 3

> Ask someone what in Gods’ sake is going on

You walk up to the back of the crowd, and ask “Excuse me, can anyone tell me what is going on?”
A tall Tudan man turns around to look at you. “We have no idea. I only have rumours. All we know is something happened at the palace this morning and there’s a lot of guards standing in front of the gates stopping us from getting in.” He notices you and Anni’s worried looks. “Is there something wrong, kid?”
“We need to get to my house urgently,” you answer. “It’s the white one over there, but this crowd...”
“No problem, kid.” The man turns back towards the crowd and yells in a booming voice. “Hey! Can we please make room for these two young kids! They really need to get to their house!” Many of the people in the crowd turn to look at the man. He gestures towards you and then towards your house. To your vast relief, the crowd begins to part, making a path for you to get to your front gate.
“Thank you very much,” you say to the tall man.
“No problem, kid.”

You repeat your thanks to everyone as you make your way through the crowd and to your front gate. You enter the estate grounds without any more trouble.
“Joshua!” your mother calls to you from the balcony on the second storey of your house. She’s standing at the railing and waving to you, your butler Ricard standing by her side. When you get closer, she calls down to you. “Have you seen your father, Joshua?”
“No, mother!” You call back. “Why do you ask?”
“He went into the castle this morning, and then those guards sealed the gates and the crowd appeared! I’m terribly worried, Joshua. Do you know what’s happening?”
“I’m afraid not, mother! I’m going to come up to your room and talk to you properly!”

>1/?

It doesn’t take you two minutes to ascend the stairs and get to your parents’ room. Your mother turns to face you as you step out onto the balcony. She envelops you in a hug as soon as you enter her reach.
“Oh Joshua, I’m so glad you’re safe.”
You hug her back, but feel a little embarrassed. Anni’s watching! “Of course I’m safe, mother.”
She let’s go of you and turns to Anni. “And who might this pretty young lady be?”
“My name is Anni,” she says. “Um, it’s very nice to meet you.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Anni. My name is Kaleigh Graham. I must say, I didn’t expect that the first time Joshua would bring a friend home it would be a pretty young maiden such as you. Is this the reason why you seem so urgent?” she asks you.
You feel your cheeks go red, but you stay focused. “It’s nothing like that, mother. We need money to buy some medicine for Anni’s sister.”
“Anni’s sister is sick?” Your mother asks, shocked. “How sick?”
“Urgently,” you reply.
“Take as much money as you need from the chest, dear. As much as you need.”
“Thank you very much, Lady Graham,” Anni says with a bow to your mother. “My family is very grateful to you.” You don’t waste anymore words as you go straight to the money chest and open it. There’s a large, shining pile of gold in the box. You grab four pieces, barely a fraction of the full amount, and then make your way back outside.

>2/?

You leave through your front gate, but you see your way blocked by even more people than before. You’re about to ask for a way through when the chattering of the crowd goes silent. A guard captain has just stepped up to the edge of the castle wall and held up his hand.
“It is my solemn duty to announce that the Mayor of Hillfort and the Governor of the Broad Valley province has been assassinated this morning. The perpetrators are a group of Druzan extremists who want all Tudans to leave Volendruze! The interim governor has announced that all Druzans must leave Hillfort immediately! This crowd is to disperse and go back to their homes!”
The crowd goes into an uproar. You only catch snatches of what the people closest to you yell.
“You can’t do that!”
“Why would they do such a thing!?”
“I always knew the Druzans were no good! Death to the Druzans!”
A cold fear settles in your centre. The crowd had turned into a riot and you were barely metres away from its edge. A sudden scream cuts across the roar of the crowd, and they go silent again. A woman yells “They killed him! They killed my husband! They’re killing Druzans!”
That’s when everyone panics.

The people begin to scatter, trampling each other in an effort to get away from the guards who seem to be killing anyone who gets in their way. You watch as the guards grab a Druzan woman and drag her kicking and screaming back through the castle gates. As you witness this, more guards come from the castle, and begin to walk in a line that spans the width of the main road.

You need to make a snap decision. Your home is to your back, and you should be safe inside. At the same time, Milya needs this medicine even more than ever now.

Do you run for it?
> Yes
> No

>>28571253
>> Yes

>>28571253
>> Yes

At least we're armed.

>>28571253
>> No
We cant just leave our mother alone with a riot going outside our house.

>>28571253
>Yes
We need to get to that Apothecary, and to make sure that Anni and her mother are safe.

Goddammit, Rory.

>>28571253
Run where?
>>28571373
Kind of true. Have a hunch the Tudans will be mostly safe, though. Our family lives high up on the hill.

You are very relieved that you brought your new sword with you today. It might need to serve a better purpose than simply being there for show. You really hope things don’t come to that.
“Anni,” you say. “When I say so, we need to run as fast as we can, you understand?”
Anni’s voice is shaky and panicked. “What about your mother? We can’t leave her.”
“They’re looking for Druzans, and my family is a well known family of Tudan nobility. Besides, Ricard is a better swordsman than anyone I know. He’ll protect her.” You look back to her, and she’s trembling like a leaf, staring towards the castle guards. They’re advancing in a row and pushing back the few people who are still standing in their way.
“Anni. Anni look at me.” She looks at you. You can’t believe how scared she is. “We’re going to run down the road to the main square, we’re going to get your sister her medicine, and then we’re going to make her better.” She nods. “Your sister still needs help,” you continue. “We’re going to help your sister. Think of your sister as you run.” You turn towards the street and get ready to sprint. “When I say run, we run. Ready... and... RUN!”

You’re off like the arrow from a bow. You can’t tell if Anni is behind you or not, but you have to trust that she is. You can see other people running in front of you, and you nearly trip on a crumpled, trampled body. You try not to think too hard about the person lying on the ground and keep going.

>1/?

The downhill slope makes things easier for you, and you reach the bottom in no time. The square is full of people milling about; many of them bloodied. You can see the panic from here, but it doesn’t seem like the rest of the people have caught on yet. You look back; Anni is standing behind you, catching her breath, and it seems that the guards have given up their chase for now. You can see a crowd of them standing at the top of the hill. You also notice the heaps and bundles of clothes lying in the street and unmoving. But there’s no time, you can figure out what’s going on later. You grab Anni’s hand and make your way to the apothecary’s shop.

The door rings again as you enter, but this time the apothecary is standing at the window and looking out at the square.
“Hey, you kids know what’s happening out there?” she asks you.
You’re not in a good enough mood to waste words. “Trouble. We have the money, do you have the medicine.”
The woman looks at you and then frowns slightly but doesn’t say anything. She steps over to the counter and takes out the stone box. She hands you the box, and you hand her the money. Without another word, you turn to leave.

>2/3

You make it back to Anni’s house in due course. Some of the Druzan neighbours are at their front doors, quietly talking to each other; about what happened at the castle, no doubt. You see one family at the end of the street packing their things into bags. They look like they’re leaving and some of the other families look like they’re considering the same idea. Good, you think, the farther away they get from town, the better.
Anni goes inside first. “Ma,” she calls. “We brought the medicine! Ma!”
Mazel comes out from her daughter’s room and Anni instantly runs up to hug her. “Anni, what’s wrong?”
“They’re killing people, mama. They said that all the Druzans had to leave Hillfort, and then they started killing people.”
Mazel looks at you for confirmation. “It’s true,” you say. “They say that the some Druzan extremists killed the governor. They’re rounding up Druzans and evicting them.” You hand her the stone box of medicine. “We got the medicine for Milya.”
Mazel looks at the box, and then hands it back to you. “Anni, I need to go find your father and Rory. You two should stay here and take care of Milya.”
Anni looks up at her mother and clutches at her dress. “No mama, you can’t go. You can’t.”
“I have to. I need to get your father.”
Anni is shaking her head. “No, no you can’t. I’ll go and get pa.”
Mazel bends over and holds her daughter’s face in her hands. “No Anni. I need you to stay here and keep your sister safe. Please. I’ll be right back, okay?” She kisses Anni on the forehead, then turns to you. “Joshua, you have to keep my daughters safe. Promise me this.”
“Of course,” you reply.
“Good.” And then she’s out the door and gone.

Anni looks stricken and indecisive, like she wants to follow after her mother.

> “Anni, you make the medicine. I’ll go and check on Milya.”
> “Anni, go check on your sister. I’ll make the medicine.”

I'm gonna make myself some lunch and take a short break to refresh my concentration.

>>28572374
>> “Anni, go check on your sister. I’ll make the medicine.”

>>28572374
> “Anni, go check on your sister. I’ll make the medicine.”

>>28572374
>> “Anni, go check on your sister. I’ll make the medicine.”

>>28572374
>“Anni, go check on your sister. I’ll make the medicine.”

Keep eyes open for people trying to get in. We don't need no guards storming the house.

Meat pies obtained, writing continues

>>28572702
DELICIOUS

“Anni,” you say, trying to catch her attention. Her eyes dart to yours, like she forgot you were there. “Go and check on your sister. I’ll start making the medicine.” She frowns, but nods, and goes into her sister’s bedroom. You sigh and try and regain your composure. You probably saw your first dead body today.
“There’s no time to think about it now,” you tell yourself. You have medicine to make.

An iron pot full of water sits on top of the stove, but the stove isn’t lit. You put a piece of firewood inside and then use the flint and steel to light it. It doesn’t take long to get a hot fire going, and the water is boiling in no time. You spoon the boiling water into a wooden bowl, and then take a spoonful of the paste and stir it in. The water goes a greenish colour, and stinks, but you think you did this right.

You take the bowl of water into Milya and Anni’s shared bedroom. Anni is kneeling by her sister’s bedside and is stroking Milya’s forehead. The younger girl looks very, very sick. You can hear her laboured breathing from the doorway.
“Anni, I have the medicine,” you mutter quietly.
Anni nods. “Milya, Milya wake up,” she croons.
Milya’s eyes flutter as she wakes up. “Anni...” she croaks.
“Shh, Milya, don’t speak. We have medicine for you. You just need to drink it. Do you think you can do that?” Milya nods weakly. “Good girl, Milya.
You hand the bowl to Anni, who holds it to Milya’s lips and carefully waters her.

> Roll 1d100. Taking the average of the first three rolls.

Rolled 51

>>28573012

Rolled 25

>>28573012

Rolled 75

>>28573012

>>28573022
>>28573036
>>28573041

You spend the next four hours feeding Milya the broth, following the apothecary’s instructions to the letter. Milya doesn’t seem to get any better, but she doesn’t get any worse. It’s the best you can hope for in the circumstances.

>continuing

What’s more worrying is Mazel’s absence. As the hours pass by, Anni becomes more and more fretful. You keep trying to reassure her, but as time goes on, it has less and less of an effect. The good news comes a little over half an hour after you’ve fed Milya for the fourth time. There’s a knock on the door. It’s quiet and quick, almost furtive.
“I’ll answer it,” you mutter to Anni, signalling for her to keep quiet.
She frowns. “What if it’s my mother?” she hisses at you.
“What if it isn’t?” you shoot back.
She frowns harder, but finally nods. You get up and go to the door.

You open it slowly, only for a tall dark shape to barge in the moment it’s open. You grab the shape and shove them against the wall, but whoever it is shoves you back. You stumble a bit but keep your footing. As you reach for your sword, the person hisses “Wait!” You pause and take a good look at whoever it is.

You recognise the man instantly. His name is Robert, and he’s another Druzan around Rory’s age that lived in the poor districts. He and Rory are good friends, although you only know him as a friend of Rory’s. You also know Robert is a member of the Union.
“Robert?” Anni asks from the door way to her bedroom. “What are you doing here?”
He looks at you and then Anni. “Is Rory here?” he asks.
“No,” you reply. “He hasn’t been here all day.”
Robert’s face falls, and he slumps against the wall. “Shit,” he says. “So he didn’t come back here?”
“No,” you repeat. “What’s going on, Robert?”

>>28573368
>1/?

Robert goes an opens the front door and checks outside, before closing it again and taking the two of you as far away from it as he could.
“Anni, where are your parents?” he asks.
“Mama went out to find papa,” Anni answers.
Robert sighs again. “You,” he glares at you. “You need to get out of here before the guards do.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” you reply.
“You don’t understand,” he says angrily. “If they find you here, they’ll kill you.”

> “I’m not going to leave Anni here alone.”
> “I’m not leaving without a good reason to.”
> Other thing you'd like to say

>>28573404
>> “I’m not going to leave Anni here alone.”

>>28573404
"Look, I'd happily die protecting Anni. I.. I promised her mother. Besides, the guards are looking for Druzans."

>>28573404
> “I’m not leaving without a good reason to.”
Why would they kill us? We're a good Tudan.

And If it's Milya or us, I choose us. Self-preservation.

>>28573472
Seconding. We're from a wealthy family, guards won't do shit.

Working

Rolled 74

>>28573492
Third.

>>28573472
>>28573492
The brother was probably one Druzan terrorists. That would explain why we'd be killed for being here.

If he was, I say we get out.

“I’m not leaving without a good reason to,” you reply. “I promised Anni’s mother that I’d protect her daughters, and that’s what I’m going to do. And I was at the castle when they announced that they only wanted the Druzans out of the city. I’m a Tudan from a wealthy family, they won’t touch me.”
“You don’t understand, Joshua. Any Tudans seen helping Druzans are getting arrested and some have even been killed. If they see you here, you’re done for.”
“I’m /not/ leaving,” you say.
“Dammit, you...” He cuts himself off. “Fine,” he relents. “We need to get Anni and Milya out of the town. Milya is here, right?”
“We can’t move her right now,” Anni says. “She has Death Lung. We’ve given her the medicine and it doesn’t seem like she’ll die, but she’s still too sick to move.”
Robert is speechless. “So you mean to tell me that your parents and brother are nowhere to be found, and your sister is sick with Death Lung?!”
You and Anni both solemnly nod your heads. You say “That’s why I can’t leave; not yet, at least.”

>1/?

Robert sighs. “You said you were at the castle earlier?” he asks. “What happened there?”
You do your best to describe what you saw, although you skim over the injured people you saw. You don’t want to believe that they died. Anni gets up to keep watch over her sister while you talk.
“So that’s what happened,” you finish. “What about you, Robert? You seem like you know something about what happened to Rory.”
“Fine,” he says. “I owe you an explanation, at least. Early this morning, before sunrise, one of the more... eccentric of the union members came to my house and woke me. He told me that the union was having an emergency meeting. We came here to get Rory, and then we headed to the usual meeting place. Nearly everyone was there, but none of us knew what was going on. Arnold, the eccentric one, didn’t know either, or at least that’s what he said. He told me he was told that there was a meeting by the union leader. We all waited for nearly an hour before, Anwer, the leader, finally showed up.
“He was covered in blood with a large gash in his side, barely managing to stand. He told us that he’d just come from the castle. One of the top advisors said that he and the governor wanted to talk to Anwer about some equality programs they could set up for the Druzans. When Anwer got there, though, the top advisor turned and killed the governor, and then started screaming that Anwer had assassinated the governor. Anwer managed to escape, but not without suffering injury. He made it back to tell us, originally intending to tell us the good news about whatever equality thing he negotiated. Instead, he came back and died after warning us that we were being blamed.”

>2/3

File: 1385797634538.jpg-(17 KB, 250x250, cs3.jpg)

17 KB JPG

>>28573790
>implying you are not lying right now

“Do you think that Anwer is lying?” you ask.
“No way!” Robert replies. “He would never lie to us. But...” he trails off. “Anyway, after he told us that, we all panicked and tried to figure out what to do. Some of the guards stormed the building, though. We had no defence. Some of us got slaughtered. Me and Rory managed to get out, but the guards were all over the place. Rory told me to split up, and that he’d meet me here. I’ve been running all day, and then I finally got away... but now he isn’t here. I don’t really know what to do.”
The two of you sit in silence for a while, pondering the mess you had landed yourselves in. What /were/ you going to do?

Your thoughts are broken, however, by a loud, gruff voice outside.
“Alright, you Druzan scum! By the order of the Interim Governor of Hillfort, all Druzans in Hillfort are to be evicted immediately! Anyone who is non-compliant to our instructions will be dealt with accordingly! You have until sunset to leave! Get moving!”
“Shit,” Robert swears.

And that's all for now, folks.

Volendruze Quest will continue tomorrow at midday AEST, 6:00PM PST or 9:00PM EST.

Feel free to comment on the quest and anything I might be doing wrong, or hell, anything I'm doing right. Feedback only makes me get better.

I'll be lurking for a while yet, so ask whatever.

>>28573885
Just when i caught up the thread ends. Thats disappointing.
Good start Sentinel, i am curious about the rest of the world. I feel like this advisor will be a part of a bigger plan and Druzans will be getting into similar situations around the continent. Our travel around it should be interesting.

>>28573939
Glad you like it so far. I certainly enjoyed today.