>>1038973
>The Southwest: The damp plague-ridden jungles of the Southwest said to be inhabited by wild men, great apes, and giant lizards.

>>1038973
>The Northeast:

>>1038973
>The Northeast: The dark forests of the Northeast said to be inhabited by pale men with silver hair and red pupils.

>>1038978

>The Southwest: The damp plague-ridden jungles of the Southwest said to be inhabited by wild men.

The savage lands of the Southwest are often called ‘The Green Hell’ or 'The Land of Plagues'.

Its impenetrable jungles are inhabited by wild men covered in coarse black hair, great apes that can rip a man apart with their bare hands, monstrous lizards with razor sharp teeth that can eat a grown man whole. The deeper one goes in to the jungle, the more inhospitable the land becomes.

Ancient ruins, dead cities, and forgotten temples filled with great riches are said to be hidden deep in those jungles. Some say those were once inhabited by races unknown to men, Great Old Ones who came from the stars. However, those legends are widely discredited by the learned scholars of the midland capital.

Nevertheless, adventurers from all over the world flock to the savage lands in search of those riches. Few come back if they venture too deep in the jungles. Most perish from diseases or are killed by predators. Sometimes even whole colonies of explorers disappear overnight without leaving any trace. Still, more and more adventures go to the green hell to find their fortune.

Are you sure you want to go to ‘The Land of Plagues'?

>Yes, go to ‘The Land of Plagues'

>On second thought, I want to explore other places

>>1039271
>>1039380

>The Northeast: The dark forests of the Northeast said to be inhabited by pale men with silver hair and red pupils.

The mysterious forestlands of the Northeast are often called ‘The Cursed Forests’ or 'The Land of Warlocks’.

The men of the northeast can be recognized by their pale skin, silver hair, and red pupils. They are said to be morose and reluctant to talk to outsiders. Their peasants and traders live in small towns and villages, usually unwelcome to outsiders other than merchants.

It is said that vampires, shapeshifters, and worse things roam its cursed forests. Merchants who visit the northeast always take care to avoid the darker parts of the forests and travel only during the day. Even then, many outsiders go missing without a trace. The scholars of the capital, however, say that bandits and predatory beasts are to be blamed for their disappearance.

The northeast is also home to ancient castles, ruled by nobles whose bloodline can be traced back a thousand years. It is said that many of these nobles practice the dark arts – blood magic, necromancy, and worse. Peasants and outsiders are said to be sacrificed to summon demons, succubi, and darker things. Still, adventurers still explore the land of warlocks in search of ancient knowledge.

Are you sure you want to go to 'The Land of Warlocks’?

>Yes, go to 'The Land of Warlocks’

>On second thought, I want to explore other places

>>1039617
>Yes, go to ‘The Land of Plagues'

>>1039633
>>Yes, go to 'The Land of Warlocks’

>>1038973
>The North: The frozen wastelands of the North said to be inhabited by fur cloaked nomads.

>>1039819
>The North: The frozen wastelands of the North said to be inhabited by fur cloaked nomads.

The frozen wastelands of the North are often called ‘The White Waste’ or 'The Land of Winter’.

The frozen wastelands of the North are inhabited by fur cloaked nomads who survive by hunting elks, seals, whales, and other northern beasts. It is said that Jarls and High Kings once ruled here, but their mead halls are now empty, their songs all but forgotten. The climate is getting harsher and colder – only the most stubborn and the most desperate of folks still live in the white waste.

The lands further north are wild, untamed and uncharted. It is said that ice wraiths, snow trolls, and winter elves live there. Giants, mammoths, and ice dragons are also mentioned in the tales of the nomads. They say untold riches await in the heart of the winter – where undead draugrs guard the treasures they were buried with. The scholars of the capital, however, say that such legends are nothing but superstitions held by the illiterate nomads of the North.

Yet adventurers and treasure hunters from all over the world still travel north, searching for the fabled heart of the winter, where the treasures of the dead Jarls are said to be buried. Almost all of these travelers perish, the few who survive often return with limbs lost to frostbite or are driven mad by some unknown northern horror.

Are you sure you want to go to 'The Land of Winter?

>Yes, go to 'The Land of Winter’

>On second thought, I want to explore other places

>>1039617
>>1039633
>>1040041

[I should to be back tomorrow. Will try to continue the quest if there is enough interest. I have basic outlines ready for all eight choices. However, since only three of them got votes - let's pick whichever of these three gets the most votes by tomorrow.]

>The Southwest: The damp plague-ridden jungles of the Southwest said to be inhabited by wild men.

>The Northeast: The dark forests of the Northeast said to be inhabited by pale men with silver hair and red pupils.

>The North: The frozen wastelands of the North said to be inhabited by fur cloaked nomads.

>>1040866
Northeast

>>1040866
>The Southwest: The damp plague-ridden jungles of the Southwest said to be inhabited by wild men.

>>1040866
>>The Northeast: The dark forests of the Northeast said to be inhabited by pale men with silver hair and red pupils.

We voting again?

I really don't want to go north, i already played skyrim.

>>1040866
>The Northeast: The dark forests of the Northeast said to be inhabited by pale men with silver hair and red pupils.

>>1040866
The Southwest

The southwest

>>1040866
The Northeast

File: Land of Warlocks.jpg (354 KB, 1920x1080)

354 KB JPG

>>1038978
>>1039271
>>1039380
>>1039720
>>1039730
>>1039819
>>1041546
>>1041978
>>1042028
>>1043367
>>1043408
>>1043591
>>1043769

[Okay, I'm back. We got 7 votes for Northeast, 5 votes for Southwest, and 1 vote for North]

You decide to travel to the 'Land of Warlocks' in Northeast - a cursed place with dark mysteries and strange magic.

Before we start, what is your name?

>[Write In]

>>1044696
Tristain Vale

>>1044696
Amith le Gend.

>>1044767
[Okay, we are going with the name 'Tristain Vale' if it's alright with everyone]

You don't know if you'll ever come back to your hometown.

Before you leave, you decide to say goodbye to your uncle. He raised you since you were a child – ever since your parents passed away. He is practically the only family you have ever had.

"Knew this day would come", your uncle says with a sigh, "You are just like your father was when he was your age. Always going on about seeing the world, always complaining about how nothing exciting ever happens in this town."

You always liked your uncle, he was there for you when nobody else were. You hate seeing him sad like this. You try to apologize to him for leaving so suddenly.

“Don’t mind about me, boy”, your uncle stops you from apologizing, “Wish you had stayed and run the inn with me, but always knew that you had too much of your father in you to do that. Here, take this.”

Your uncle hands you a small bag with some coins in it.

[Received 20 gold]

[1/2]

>>1044872

[2/2]

“When your dad ran away, he forgot to take any money either. Mom was more worried than angry”, your uncle says with a frown, “Well, 20 golds ain’t much, but should buy you passage to wherever the hell you are planning to go”.

You think about telling him where you are going, but then choose not to. He would be worried sick if he found out, might even change his mind and try to stop you.

Before you leave, your uncle pulls you in a big hug. You are surprised as he always acted like a tough, no-nonsense kind of man – throwing people out of the inn if they drank too much or caused trouble.

“Just stay safe out there, boy”, your uncle says choking back tears, “Remember that you’ll always have a place with us here.”

You leave the house with a heavy heart. What do you take with you?

>I take my father’s Old Sword [Increase in Combat]

>I take my grandfather’s Old Lute [Increase in Charisma]

>I take the book ‘The Mysteries of the Eight Kingdoms by Remus Greyrider’ [Increase in Knowledge]

>>1044880
>I take my grandfather’s Old Lute [Increase in Charisma]


I feel like inteligent people are going to be a problem more than anything in vampire country.

File: Lute.png (55 KB, 315x233)

55 KB PNG

>>1044910

You decide to take your grandfather’s old lute with you. Grandpa used to be a traveling bard before he became an innkeeper. He had his fair share of adventures traveling the world – got into trouble more than once too.

You don’t remember him much as he passed away when you were little. But you remember that he always played sad songs on his lute. Maybe he missed his wife or the son that he buried. Or perhaps he just missed the happier days - the life on the road. You wonder if traveling is in your blood after all.

You can play the lute better than anyone else in town. But you only know the same old songs that are played in the midlands. Maybe when you travel the world you’ll learn new songs from different lands – the drunken sailor’s songs from the dockside taverns of the West, the forgotten war songs of the Northern Jarls, the thousand year old love songs of the Dragon Empire.

If nothing else, the lute should help keep you fed in your travels. Where there is people, there is music. No inn ever turns away a travelling musician. You might make some coins too, if enough people come to the inn.

>Go to the Shop to buy some supplies

>Go to the Library for information

>Say goodbye to Friends

>[Write-In]

>>1045038
>>Go to the Shop to buy some supplies

>>1045060

>Go to the Shop to buy some supplies

You decide to go to Martyn, the shopkeeper, to buy some supplies before setting out.

Martyn is a nice guy for the most part, but he will try to make some extra profit like any other shopkeeper.

“Travelling somewhere far?”, he asks cheerfully, “I got everything you need – travelling cloak to keep you dry in the rain, salted meat that will last for months, steel knives and daggers to keep you safe, you name it!”

You give him a list of the supplies you’ll need for your journey.

“Normally I would ask at least 5 Gold for these”, Martyn says in his shopkeeper’s voice, “But since we know each other for a long time, I’m willing to take only 4 gold!”

You try to persuade him to lower his prices.

>Roll 1d20 for persuasion check

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>1045251

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>1045251

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>1045251
Come on, man. We're friends, right? And this might be the last time you see me.

File: Kathy.jpg (159 KB, 500x500)

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>>1045261
>>1045274
>>1045303

You successfully manage to bargain down the prices to 2 Gold.

You now have - 18 Gold, Old Lute, Plain Clothes, Travelling Cloak, Salted Meat, and Steel Dagger.

You say goodbye to Martyn and leave the shop.

“So you really are leaving, huh?” a familiar voice asks you, “Could have at least said goodbye before leaving”.

You turn around to look at Kathy, the mayor’s daughter.

You and Kathy grew up together, she is the closest friend you have in this town.

You were hoping to avoid her to be honest, you always hate saying goodbye to those you care about.

“Just promise me that you’ll come back someday. Maybe not tomorrow, or maybe not even next year”, she says in a sad but resolute voice, “Just promise that you’ll come back someday.”

>”I promise”

>Stay silent

>>1045354
>I promise

>>1045354
>>”I promise”

>>1045354
>”I promise”
We'll be back with countless stories, riches and fame beyond belief. This will be the day your father has to understand I'm valuable enough to let us marry.

>>1045586
we are pretty charismatic guy.
Pretty sure we could just charm him if that was a thing.
plus we are gonna meet a lot of exotic women. don't promise her something like that and then return with super beautiful women. thats a big possibility.

>>1045645
We are pretty charismatic. If we work on this, who would disallow us from having a harem?

>>1045414
>>1045453
>>1045586
>>1045645
>>1045766

You promise her that you will come back someday. You don’t know when or how, but you will definitely come back.

“I know you will. You never break a promise, not one you made to me”, Kathy smiles, “Just make sure to come back in one piece, you idiot!”

She gives you one last hug before running away. I will see her again, no matter how many years it takes - you tell yourself.

[1/3]

>>1045832

[2/3]

You walk to the outskirts of the town, where several wagons of travelling merchants are stationed. Some of them are still loading supplies.

You notice a group of adventurers on their way to the Great Desert of the South. They are arguing about something, you hear words like sunken cities, snake men, and mirage as you pass their wagon.

You ignore them and search for a merchant on their way to the Northeast instead. You are pointed towards a man named Kilven.

Kilven reminds you of a bear with his massive shoulders and bushy black beard. You tell him that you want to travel with his group to the dark forests of the Northeast.

>>1045842

[3/3]

“10 Gold and you can come with us up to Helsin”, Kilven says in a gruff voice, “Small town near the border, not much deep in the forest. Ain’t going any further than that, not for all the gold in the world.”

You point towards your lute and tell him that you can play for his men. Will keep up morale and keep them happy.

“Not n’other one”, Kilven laughs, “Already got a gleeman from Avelyn comin’ with us, boy. Personally I don’t like music much to be honest with ya – guess it might the boys happy though. How ‘bout we settle down to 9 Gold for the trip and two warm meals a day?”

You try to persuade him to lower his rates.

>Roll 1d20 for persuasion check

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>1045859
>>Roll 1d20 for persuasion check

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>1045859

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>1045859

>>1045876
>>1046103
>>1046245

“Okay, 6 Gold. Can’t go any lower than that, boy”, Kilven says in stubborn voice, “It be a long trip, two months at the least. How ‘bout you try make up some gold playin’ your lute at the villages on the way instead?”

You agree to his terms, realizing that you can’t persuade him to go any lower. You hand over 6 Gold coins to Kilven. [12 Gold Remaining]

“You should get acquainted with the rest of the men”, Kilven says while shaking your hands with his bearlike arms, “There’s six of my boys for haulin’ the goods and four guardsmen for protectin’ us from bandits and outlaws. Bandits be rare on these roads, but better to be safe than getting your throat slit I always say”.

[1/2]

>>1046402

[2/2]

You ask Kilven about the gleeman he talked about earlier.

“Thom O’Avelyn be a gleeman from the Northwest, bit of an odd fellow to tell the truth”, Kilven says in an exasperated voice, “But he been to a lot of places and seen a lot of things. He tells the boys a new story every night – you might grow to like him”.

Kilven adds, “There’s also Elrik Stormbringer, an arcanist from the Northeast. Don’t personally like bein’ around folk who dabble with the arcane – but safer to have someone like him at hand when you are goin’ to be tradin’ in the land of the warlocks”.

“Almost forgot, another traveler named Gerhard joined up with us yesterday. Swordsman with a missing eye, mostly keeps to himself from what I gather”, Kilven finishes talking about the other travelers.

You decide to introduce yourself to the others since you will be spending the next two months traveling with them.

>Go meet Thom O’Avelyn the Gleeman

>Go meet Elrik Stormbringer the Arcanist

>Go meet Gerhard the One-eyed Swordsman

[Going offline for today, should resume the session same time tomorrow. Let me know if you guys have any interesting ideas, will try to incorporate them in the quest as it progresses.]

>>1046419
>>Go meet Elrik Stormbringer the Arcanist

>>1046419
>Go meet Elrik Stormbringer the Arcanist

>>1046419
>Go meet Thom O’Avelyn the Gleeman
If Ace is basing this character off who I think he is, we REALLY want to talk with Thom.

>>1046419

>Go meet Thom O’Avelyn the Gleeman

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>1046426
>>1046551
>>1047896
>>1048086

[2 votes for Elrik Strombringer the Arcanist, 2 votes for Thom O’Avelyn the Gleeman. Rolling 1d20 for tiebreaker – 1-10 will put us on Elrik route, 11-20 puts us on Thom route.]

>>1046419
>Go meet Thom O’Avelyn the Gleeman

Thom is a real one and with our lute, we might be able to become his apprentice or at least learn something.

File: Thom O'Avelyn.jpg (222 KB, 900x659)

222 KB JPG

>>1049201
>>1049205

You decide to introduce yourself to Thom O’Avelyn the Gleeman. Ever since you were a child – you loved songs and stories. It should be fascinating to learn from a traveling musician – one who has traveled the world, one who has learnt the songs and stories of different lands.

You find Thom O’Avelyn sitting by the campfire. The gleeman turns out to be a thin, weathered man with snowy hair and thick white beards. He reminds you of an old scarecrow – one that has survived a hundred storms but not ready to give up on life just yet. You notice that he is talking to one of Kilven’s workers.

[1/2]

File: [starry eyes].jpg (92 KB, 1280x720)

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>>1049201
>>1049354

>>1049354

“Was playing in towns and villages around the Northwest before coming here”, Thom O’Avelyn says to the worker, “Was making pretty good money if I be honest, more than enough for one old gleeman. Men from the Lion Kingdom still know to treat a gleeman well, can’t say the same about the folk here in the midlands. Things were looking pretty good for a while, at least until old Lord Alveron did the kindness of putting a bounty on my head”.

“How’d you piss him off that bad?” the worker asks in an amused voice, “Did he catch you flirtin’ with one of his daughters or somethin’?”

“No, it was the wife”, Thom says with a shrug, “And it was a bit more than flirting. Not my fault if Old Alveron marries a pretty young thing and can’t keep her happy at night. The wife gets a mild scolding and I get thrown in the dungeons. Needed to bribe the guards with every coin I had hidden in my boots”.

Thom notices you approaching, “Seems we got a new face joining us today. You headed to the land of warlocks too, huh? What are you hoping to find there, boy?

>Knowledge

>Power

>Riches

>[Write In]

>>1049458
>Power

>>1049498

“Power, huh?”, Thom chuckles at that, “When I ran away from home at your age, all I wanted was to find a pretty enough woman to spend my life with.”

“Did you find her?” The worker asks from the side, “The woman you were looking for?”

“Well I found a great deal of women”, the old gleeman answers with a sigh, “but not the woman I was looking for. If I did, I would probably be in a farm somewhere – raising my grandkids by now.”

He then turns towards you, “Talk to Gerhard if you are planning on learning the sword. Or try talking to Elrik if you want to ‘dabble in the dark arts’ like Kilven says”, Thom then points towards the lute on your back, “But if you are serious about the lute, come talk to me, boy.”

[1/?]

>>1049589

[2/?]

The rest of the day passes without any incident. Kilven seems to be pretty good in managing his team. He reminds you of your uncle in some ways – tough but fair to his men.

You introduce yourself to the six workers and the four guardsmen. They seem simple enough – men satisfied with their lot in life. Kilven treats them well and they are loyal to him in return.

You catch a glimpse of Elrik Stormbringer – the Arcanist. The corpse-pale skin and milk-white hair of the Northeast being easily recognizable among the crowd. The pale arcanist is handsome in a strange exotic sort of way. You briefly wonder how old he is, but give up after judging his ageless face for a while. However, his crimson eyes look far older than his ageless face.

You also notice Gerhard – the one eyed swordsman. There is a certain aura around him – like the heroes of the legends. Kilven’s guardsmen look like children with sticks next to him. He doesn’t talk much from what you gather, nobody seems particularly interested in approaching him either.

>>1049676

[3/3]

After the sun sets, Kilven orders his men to set up camp for the night.

“The roads usually be safe in these parts of the land”, Kilven tells you, “But bandits and outlaws do get desperate sometimes. Safer to start earlier in the morning than to travel after dark”.

You nod in agreement as you fill a bowl from the cooking pot. You find Thom O’Avelyn smoking a pipe near the campfire.

>Ask about his past

>Ask why he is going to the Northeast in particular

>Ask what he meant when he talked about learning the lute

>Ask what he knows about the other men in the camp

>[Write-In]

>>1049808
>>Ask what he meant when he talked about learning the lute

>>1049808
>>Ask what he meant when he talked about learning the lute

>>1049808
>Ask what he meant when he talked about learning the lute
>Write-in
"I want to have power, but not the power to kill or control. I want to be able to lift spirits, inspire courage, and make people remember who I am because they WANT to be able to say they met me."

>>1049840
>>1049861
>>1049995

You ask Thom what he meant when he talked about learning the lute.

"Many years ago, I met a man named Lucien Vale with a lute very similar to that one", Thom says with a hint of sadness in his voice, "He was kind enough to take in a fool boy from Avelyn who ran away from his home".

You knew grandpa?, you ask in a shocked voice.

"Ah, that explains why your face looked so familiar", the old gleeman chuckles, "Aye, I knew Lucient the Bard. That man could do wonders with the lute."

Thom continues, "Lucien had an easy smile, always singing songs of love, songs of happiness, songs of the ever-changing moon. In his hands, that lute was was like magic from the land of the Fae".

[1/2]

>>1050178

[2/2]

"You are probably getting bored, boy", Thom sighs, "You said you wanted to find power. Talk to Gerhard or Elrik - they can help you with that".

I want to have power, but not the power to kill or control. I want to be able to lift spirits, inspire courage, and make people remember who I am because they WANT to be able to say they met me, you tell Thom.

Thom smiles at that, "Now you are starting to sound like your grandpa. Tell you what, I'll teach you everything I can about the lute in the next two months. Maybe you can find some of that magic old Lucien had. True magic from the land of the fae, not the witchcraft from the cursed lands."

You promise him that you won't disappoint him. You'll work hard and make him proud.

"That's good to hear, lad", Thom says in a more serious voice, "But sometimes hard work isn't enough if you lack the talent. How about you play something simple, like the farmer's song, and I can judge if you have the talent your grandpa had".

You take out the lute and begin to play.

>Roll 1d20 to check if you can impress Thom

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>1050265
Maybe we can get to D&D Bard level.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>1050265

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>1050265

>>1050306
>>1050314
>>1050329

"Well it wasn't bad, but certainly not as good as I expected from Lucien's grandson", Thom sighs, "You learnt to play listening to midlander minstrels, am I right?"

You nod, feeling somewhat dejected at your failure to impress him.

"The minstrels and bards from the midlands are too mechanical, I always felt", Thom continues, "They play the lute the same way one would use a farming tool. The music should come from inside - not from the strings you pull. The midlanders don't get that - that's why there's always at least dozen half-trained minstrels fighting over one inn in the capital".

Thom sighs, "Well, lad, we'll have our hands full over the next two months. First we'll have to get you to forget everything you learnt watching the minstrels. Then I can try teaching you how to play the lute for real".

[1/2]

>>1050440

[2/2]

"We'll have to talk later", Thom gets up, "I promised Kilven that I would tell his men a new story every night. Better get to it sooner than later".

You notice a hint of eagerness among the men around the campfire as Thom takes his place at the center.

He starts talking in a surprisingly deep voice, "So, which story would everyone like to hear tonight?"

>"A Half-forgotten Tale about the long dead Jarls of the Northern Waste"

>"A Fairy Story told and retold a hundred times in the Farmlands"

>"A Sailor's Tale often heard in the drunken taverns of the Port Cities"

>"A Tale of Adventurers lost in the plague-ridden jungles of the Green Hell"

>"The Story of the Nameless City hidden deep in the Great Desert of the South"

>"A story told only in whispers about Dark Cults in the Swamplands of the Southeast”

>"A Thousand-year-old Tale of love and loss, a tale from when the Dragon Empire was young."

>>1050680
>>"A Tale of Adventurers lost in the plague-ridden jungles of the Green Hell"
Lets see what we passed up on

>>1050680
>>1050750

[Going offline for today. We'll resume the quest as soon as I'm free again. Votes and feedback will be greatly appreciated]

Meta: If the quest progresses as originally planned, we won't have to pass up on any part of the greater story. The stories-within-story are mostly just for world-building for now, but might be revisited in the future depending on how the quest progresses.

>>1050680
>"A Tale of Adventurers lost in the plague-ridden jungles of the Green Hell"

>>1050680
>>"A Thousand-year-old Tale of love and loss, a tale from when the Dragon Empire was young."

>>1050680
>>"The Story of the Nameless City hidden deep in the Great Desert of the South"

>>1050680
>"A story told only in whispers about Dark Cults in the Swamplands of the Southeast”

File: Land of Plagues.jpg (819 KB, 1920x1180)

819 KB JPG

>>1050750
>>1052602
>>1053788
>>1053832
>>1054032

[2 votes for Green Hell, 1 vote for Dragon Empire, 1 vote for Great Desert, 1 vote for Dark Cults]

A murmur grows around the campfire as different voices suggested a different story.

Alahain lost in the Green Hell!, you shout after a moment of thought.

"Alahain, huh?", Thom says in a thoughtful voice, "One of the younger tales – but set in a land as old as time itself".

Thom’s eyes swept over his audience as he began in the booming voice of a gleeman, "Sit and listen. Listen for I will speak of Alahain the adventurer. Listen for I will speak of the wonders he found in the land of plagues. Listen for I will speak of a savage land, centuries and miles away..."

>>1057901
Seems this thread got permasaged, will start a new thread soon to continue the quest.

>>1057938
When are you going to start again?