Fantasy A Guild of Heroes: Requiem

[Birdsie]

A GUILD OF HEROES: REQUIEM
​

Albion, one of the world's premier kingdoms. A place of tradition, freedom, and bravery. A beacon among its surrounding nations, signaling both its ancientry and the steps it takes towards the future. Albion's ideological stance is and always was, that people should have liberty, and anyone who takes it away should be fought, and the people should have the courage to take their freedom from those who steal it. Despite being a kingdom, Albion will likely never see tyranny without fighting back.

Albion's culture reaches far into the abyss of time, to days barely remembered and clouded in mystery, but one fact of its existence will be remembered until the end of time: The Guild of Heroes. Originally, a small group of heroic adventurers led by William Black, they fought the evil Lich Turenval who threatened to conquer the world if he weren't stopped.

In the end, the heroes were triumphant and created the Guild so that the future generations would have guardians of their own. They left behind their knowledge, weapons, and legacies to the future, and you are that future.

Speaking of you...

Character Creation
[] Age [Teen/Young/Adult]
[] Gender [Male/Female]
[] Race [Human/Elf/Dwarf/Write-in]

Fable Noble Scion Hanarei Reinhardt Alteras Swire IamNotLoki

Hello! To those uninitiated, this is a Quest, meaning that the players involved vote for the outcome of the story, rather than participating with direct character interaction. It may not sound fun, but give it a try; personally, I love it. But I digress.

Not sure who else would vote for this, Fyuri suggested all of the above, and then I added Swire and Loki.

Knowing how Quests usually go, we won't get far due to a lack of interest, but it's worth a try.

 

[Birdsie]

Voty Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Adult
[X] Male
[X] Half-Dwarf // Half-Demon [Dwemon]

*~*~*~*~*​

Albion's largest domains, within the heartlands, are mostly plains with concurrent valleys, filled with verdant forests, autumn-hued fields and crystal blue rivers. A scenic landscape one would expect to see on a vacation brochure, dotted with hamlets, villages, towns, and the occasional city walled in with mighty stone.

But to the far north, nearer to the borders of Albion and the kingdom of Laurellia, lie the Sarafan Mountains. Near one of the mountain chains is the surface city of Fairfax, which was, for eons, a free city-state; a fact that changed only on the turn of the last century, in the year 905, about eighty years ago. The mountains are treacherous the deeper you go, starting with 'might be a good idea to hire an escort' near the tall green hilltops of the outer rims, to 'don't go around these parts without a hero bodyguard' in the center of the area, where the proud gray-brown peaks, tipped with glacial ice and snow, lord over the rest of the earth.

But it is not among these tall peaks that one will find any settlements. First, one has to dig.

Deep in the bowels of the earth, in a series of ancient tunnels, and it is unknown if these tunnels are naturally occurring or if they were carved out by some kind of power, there is The Underdark.

Tunnels spread through the earth-mother like arteries, transporting ore and precious stone to their hearts: the cities of the Dwed, or as the common tongue refers to them, the dwarves. Beyond that are also the rat-people; Skaven, and the dark-skinned cousins of the surface elves; the Drow. Among these under-dwellers are also many others, much more rarely seen, such as the mysterious Illithids, the primitive Kobolds, the Deep Dragons, or the dwarves' own, greedier cousins, the Duergar.

Many things lurk in the caves, but none are scary for a dwarf with a heart of stone, for he knows the stone of the earth like an elf knows the branches of the forest, or as a human knows the urban layout of a city.

And you are one of these dwarves. You are...

Name
[] Write-in

Background
[] Blacksmith's Apprentice - Your father left after your mother gave birth, and since then, she re-married with Loferlig Largeforge. Your new father was proud, hardworking, and eager to pass his skills onto you and your younger half-siblings; one brother and one sister. Together, you formed coherent bonds as a family, which made it more painful when you announced you were leaving to join the Guild of Heroes. As a result, you possess more strength and constitution than average, as well as the skills to create and repair weapons and armor. You have the strength and expertise of a dwarven smith, which is sure to be appreciated in your new life.

[] Runic Apprentice - From an early age, your mother knew she could not provide for you, but your father's... abilities have been retained within your soul, giving you the potential to perform great magic. Knowing this, she sent you off to Khazad-Dun's academy for dwarven mages, free of charge, knowing you'd be able to make a successful career. For years, you've been stringently taught in the art of magic, magical theory, and the runic crafts for which dwarves are especially famous for. Since then, you've worked in various positions, from gem-dowsing, to divining ores, or helping enchant weapons, but your heart yearns for something more - there is a calling you must attend.

[] Street Drunk - At first an urchin in an orphanage, left behind by your mother. You've been ostracized since as long as you can remember. The other children disliked the slight red hue of your skin, and the glow in your eyes when you were angry. At one point, you were put to work in the dwarven king's mines for minimal pay, albeit it was almost enough for a good night at the tavern on most nights. On the side, you've been doing some pickpocketing and other less-than-saintly things. Eventually, after one particularly tough brawl in the bar, as you walked home, you were met by a mysterious figure in glistening silver robes with a staff, who proposed you to join the Guild of Heroes, as he was impressed by your self-taught martial prowess.

[] Write-in - [Create your own background and propose it to other players]

Noble Scion June Verles Hanarei Fable Epiphany Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Stonesnout
[X] Street Drunk

*~*~*~*~*
​

You've never had a name, officially. No one bothered to give you one, so you became known to the locals as Stonesnout. Fitting, if cruel. After all, a snout is a dog's trait, and what else are you if not a walking mongrel? Half-dwarf, half-who-knows-what.

Although you look mostly dwarf, you've had those little traits only noticed when someone pays attention; skin is slightly redder, eyes a bit darker, and you're taller than average. Maybe taller than a dwarf ought to be, as you could probably pass as a bearded, short human with the right disguise. You've got some other traits that most dwarves don't have, like black hair (less rare than albinism for humans, but still unusual,) or your eyes glowing when you're angry.

Fortunately, you're not as freaky as human tieflings. Those guys have horns, tails - fiend galore.

No, you're just Stonesnout, the abnormal misfit, the street drunk, the worthless bum. Isolated, unwanted, seldom hated, but always looked down upon. That's you. And how have you dealt with it so far?

Attitude
[] Careful - Why fuss? You have got a long life ahead of you, if you can take the chance when it shows itself... Maybe your luck will turn if Moradin wills it?
[] Nihilistic - Why are you still alive? What's the point of all this? Drink, sleep, work, drink, sleep, work... There is nothing new this world can offer you anymore.
[] Bitter - All you wanted was someone to listen to you, but no one did. They turned their backs on you, so you've cut your beard to show it. Screw them all.
[] Write-in

Writing Format
[] First person ("I approached the dog.")
[] Second person ("You approached the dog.")
[] Third person ("Stonesnout approached the dog.")

Last part of Character Creation. Next update, we will begin the Quest proper.
Noble Scion June Verles Hanarei Fable Epiphany Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: Word Count for this Update is 1.5k words, or around 5.7 minutes of reading average]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Stonesnout
[X] Street Drunk

*~*~*~*~*​

Update Length [AN: Word Count for this Update is 1.5k words, or around 5.7 minutes of reading average]
[] Shorter Updates - we can't read all this!
[] Keep Them - this is fine!
[] Longer Updates - MORE!

Deep in the underbelly of the Sarafan Mountains thrived a community of stocky people with beards; the dwarves, as it were, and pretty much the best craftsmen alongside gnomes.

Kag-Leihwaz, seldom the 'Bronze Bastion,' also known as 'Bastion of Moradin' was easily pinpointable as the de facto capital of the dwarven race. The politics weren't an exact science, since technically around ninety percent of the mountains belonged to the king of Albion, but territorially, he had no disputes with the dwarves, since they lived deep underground. The dwarven king had no issues with that since he got a cushy seat at the kingdom's council as a representative of his people. Or, if he was too drunk, he could send a delegate - that worked too.

And frankly, Tunwyr Baltan Kag-Timbrir was a damn good king. He looked out for his people's best interest, tried to be progressive with internal politics. Dwarves were always prideful and isolationist; weirdly, not at all unlike the elves that they hardly got along with, but the king tried his best to weed that out.

Stonesnout snorted at the idea, as he downed the eighth cup. Beer was his favorite, but the pubs were out, given the recent celebration of aforementioned king's birthday. All that was left was a lager that was just a bit too dark in color.

He continued his meal, consisting of battered and fried boar, red potatoes, scant gravy, and some rye bread. Boar was on the house, due to the celebration; everything else he had to buy, and he barely afforded it.

As he ate, he tried not to give any thought to the four unconscious dwarves surrounding his seat near the counter, plus one smashed glass mug he'd used to concuss one of them, for which he paid for already.

They had walked up and told him their 'worldview.'

They didn't like 'halfbreeds.' Halfbreeds didn't 'belong here.'

Stonesnout had stood up, cracked his knuckles, and begged to 'disagree.'

Leaving behind the tip of complete gratitude to the barmaid, Stonesnout got up with a sigh and maneuvered around the unconscious dwarves, beelining towards the exit before any more 'gentle-dwarves' arrived.

The doorbell rang upon his exit, and the vast structure of Kag-Leihwaz revealed itself to his eyes. A dank cave, lit by artificial magical lamps near the ceiling and nearer to the streets. Buildings from ashlar and stone brick were tightly-packed and dense; they were mostly tall structures with small windows and short floors, trying to fit as much space as possible, creating a kind of clot in the natural cave system. Some of the architecture used detailing or support from wood and other materials that weren't too common underground.

The street he was on was composed of two floors, with stairs placed sparsely, which tipped out of the second floor and went parallel to the first one. Stonesnout walked across a tight and narrow footbridge to the other side of the street's second floor, then turned left. Some people shot him weird glances, but he mostly walked without drawing second looks.

With tired eyes, he turned the corner right, into the alleyway where his home was situated, but as soon as his empty, somewhat inebriated eyes caught up to his surroundings, he stopped his legs as forcefully as he could and his expression stretched in surprise.

Upon a small patch of flowers, rocks, and a tree, seated upon a rough, knee-high stone was an elderly man. His white robes were woven from small scale-like pads of something that glittered almost like starlight and glimmered weakly even in the dim light provided by the pink-purple lantern far off to the side. They had intricate decorations from golden thread, in flowing patterns, like vines or waves, which shined and shimmered even more than the primary silver color of his apparel. He wore a wide-brimmed silver hat and in his hand firmly rested a staff from white-colored glossy wood and... was that enamel?

Just for that staff, Stonesnout could keep himself fed comfortably for weeks. Months, even.

He felt tempted, in the back of his mind, to grab the ivory treasure and run for his life, but his pragmatic side told him the man in front of him was a mage of some kind. Best not attract undue attention from that kind of folk.

Stonesnout realized he'd been standing frozen for almost ten seconds, staring at this wizard, who stared back. The wizard, at first equally surprised, now smiled at him in a friendly manner.

Stonesnout wasn't sure how humans aged, but the man had to have been in his late fifties, at least. The lines of his face were drawn and somewhat wrinkled, and his eyebrows were thick and bushy. His hair was gray-brown in some places but visibly whitening, and it had a rather impressive length. He'd also sported a trimmed beard; hairs no longer than two centimeters, with a downward spike that was at least five times as long as that. It evoked the image of a very stereotypical wizard, except not quite as wise and learned as one of those stereotypical, mysterious old wizards ought to be; the beard was too short, hair wasn't white or gray enough, and his clothing was too gaudy and attention-grabbing.

"Hello," said the man.

"I want that," Stonesnout absentmindedly drawled.

The man's eyebrows jumped up, as he followed Stonesnout's gaze to his staff. The would-be-wizard stared at it for a second, then looked back at the dwarf, beginning to grin. "I'm afraid it's not for sale... well, maybe after I make a new one. I've poured some of my essences into it. Life isn't as invaluable as some say, but where the line is drawn, not even I know."

Stonesnout was broken out of his poverty-driven reverie. He blinked, realized what the wizard said, then clinched his teeth sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what came o'er me, friend, I'm sorry."

The wizard stood up, then walked over to the dwarf. Stonesnout was surprised to see that he wasn't much shorter than the human.

"I am Elmanthir - call me Elman - master in the Guild of Heroes, at your service, or rather, requesting your service." He bobbed his head forward, brows rising until they met his hair.

"Requesting my service?"

"Yes," Elman said, unblinking. Then, he frowned. "Well, no. Not you specifically. Most dwarves would do, I imagine, but you are the one who would most appreciate coin and a chance to get out of this town, according to what the local spirits told me."

"I... see?"

"On top of that, I've seen your martial display back there, in that tavern. It was breathtaking, how you took that mug and just... just, rammed it, straight into his face!" The old man laughed out loud for a short moment, then cleared his throat. "But yes, I believe you have some talents I could use as an old, senile wizard, and I have good coin to pay, and I can offer you much more than that. Some of my contacts, maybe, plus free meals, and you'll get to travel some. If you impress me, I'll recommend you to join the Guild, which is as good as a free job with an excellent pay."

Stonesnout considered, then reconsidered, taking into mind this may all have been the ramblings of an asylum escapee. And somehow, he saw Elman's smile brighten at the thought, which gave the impression he was reading Stonesnout's mind. The dwarf wasn't sure if he should feel violated - he was a bit too drunk and confused to be outraged.

The wizard stepped back and turned on his heel, raising a finger and turning his head a little to half-look at Stonesnout. He began to say, in an almost official tone, "What I offer, Stonenose-"

"Snou-"

"-doesn't matter - is a chance to leave this place. More than that, a chance to transcend the position fate has seemingly woven for you."

"Can you... prove, that you're from the Guild of Heroes?"

"Ah, yes," Elman said, reaching into his silvery garment. After a second of fumbling, he pulled out a bright gold-blue sigil, the blue part of which was glass-like crystal or stone, glowing brightly. The sigil was unmistakable - a mark of the Guild of Heroes.

"In short, Stonesnout, I need a... guide. Maybe an advisor. An anti-scam bodyguard, while you're at it. All for the fair price of twenty gold pieces weekly"- Stonesnout choked on his saliva -"If you're interested, I'll be here in town until tomorrow when the festivities end. Come meet me at the tavern at noontime, and we'll discuss the details. Farewell."

With that, the wizard simply walked off in the direction of the main street, while Stonesnout considered the ramifications of a job like this. Twenty gold per week is ten gold every three and a half days. That's a lot. It's an advancement from squalor to a comfortable middle-class, at the very least. And the wizard said he'd provide meals, which only took away from the cost further.

This wizard was ridiculous! Stonesnout felt compelled to run after him, or forget about this, but this chance...

It's been something that he had always waited for. Had Moradin heard his prayers? His desire to leave behind this dump and go exploring, or just living more comfortably? It was a chance he had to take.

The next day...

Meeting Elman - Preparations
[] Stonesnout came to the tavern at noon, as requested. He spent his remaining gold on buying things for travel, like a backpack, some maps, and comfortable travel shoes.
[] Stonesnout came to the tavern at noon, as requested. He spent his remaining gold getting drunk in preparation for the meeting; can't do talking with a sapless mouth.
[] Stonesnout came to the tavern at noon, as requested. He didn't spend his remaining gold on anything, but brought it with him in case he decided not to take the job.
[] Stonesnout came to the tavern at noon, as requested. He didn't spend his remaining gold on anything, but left it at home just to be safe. This could be an arcane trickster, for all he knew.
[] Write-in.

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: Word Count for this update is 1.3k words, or around 4.9 minutes of reading average]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Keep Them - this is fine!
[X] Stonesnout came to the tavern at noon, as requested. He spent his remaining gold on buying things for travel, like a backpack, some maps, and comfortable travel shoes.

*~*~*~*~*
​

The next morning, Stonesnout woke up refreshed. He had some difficulty sleeping at first, due to anxiety over the wizard's offer, but once he entered slumber, he slept rather soundly; maybe more than ever before in his life.

Shortly after waking up, Stonesnout knelt and prayed to Moradin for a minute, thanking the Dwarf-father for the late blessing he bestowed upon him.

He took some of his necessities, including all of his leftover savings, and went around the various shops in town. He bought a backpack and some travel boots at a discount from the general store, then went to the map store to get a cheap ink-on-parchment colorless map of Albion. It lacked detail but had all major cities and roads, so he figured it was good enough. He rolled it up and secured it with string to make sure it wouldn't get torn or folded improperly, then put it in his backpack and looked at the clock tower near one of the small urban zone centers of Kag-Leihwaz.

There was still half an hour before noon, so he had some time to get there.

On the road to the tavern, a group of passing dwarves sneered at him, but he warded them off with one look, which caused them to keep moving. He was pretty sure they'd been at the tavern yesterday - not the ones who fought him, but definitely present.

Or maybe his memory was playing tricks on him.

Either way, not a lot of people wanted to piss him off. As far as dwarves went, he looked weird, but he was muscular and hunky. He wasn't an underfed junior miner or a chubby dwarven lord-councillor, and definitely not strong enough to be a city guard, but he was imposing. Anyone who saw his fight in the tavern yesterday would be convinced that Stonesnout's body was a deadly weapon disguised as a stocky man.

Living alone, even with a house, but nothing except yourself, odd jobs, and alcohol, and set against a world unaccepting towards you, one had to learn to fight. Be it with one's fists, or with whatever else is on hand.

It is rumored that, although Albion is a country of freedom, some discriminate against dwarves outside of dwarven societies, much like dwarves discriminate against elves or humans sometimes.

Stonesnout had it even worse. Not even the dwarves - his own half-brothers - wanted him some of the time. Others just looked at him with pity, and others with curiosity, as if he were a circus freak.

He didn't have any attachments either. No parents or family that he knew of, other than that one of them was probably not a dwarf but something else. An outsider, maybe? Probably a wicked and evil one, if it just left him like this here.

He didn't have friends either, beyond casual acquaintances or bosses willing to give him a job despite his unsavory 'traits.'

He tried to shake off those thoughts as he made his way across the footbridge.

Finally, he made it to Wigthor's Wassail, the agreed tavern, and stepped in with a ring of the bell. The waitress who was in the process of carrying drinks on a wooden tray gave him a reproachful glare, as if asking him not to break more tables. He didn't give her a second look and simply proceeded to sit at the counter and ordered a cheap lager.

Ugh, can't they order more beer already? This swill is practically undrinkable.

He settled his thoughts on the job, on the wizard - Elmanthir, or Elman as he asked to be called - and what it all might entail. It was halfway through his drink that said wizard arrived in the tavern, sitting down beside the dwarf.

"Salutations, Stonesnout," he said. The wizard raised a finger to the barmaid, indicating he wanted a line for himself.

"Greetings," replied the dwarf, taking another sip of his drink. "You wanted to talk about the specifics of the job, right?"

The wizard looked at the dwarf's backpack amusedly, his eyebrows raising a millimeter. "Travel items? You've already decided, I see?"

"I don't have any choice. I'd travel with you, rather than stay in this dump," Stonesnout said. "You pay well and offer a chance for something more."

The barmaid laid a mug of lager in front of the wizard, who paid for it with a copper coin and gave her a smile, before taking the drink and tilting his head back as he tipped the brim of the mug against his lips. He took several consecutive sips of the drink slowly, his throat moving for a few seconds before he put down the mug and looked at Stonesnout with his almost fatherly smile, his cheeks now flushed a little from the alcohol.

"Well, in that case, let's talk about the specifics," he said. "I intend to travel to Fairfax. Possibly through the wilderness, and possibly through roads. We'll see where the winds take us."

"You're a wizard. Can't you all just..." Stonesnout began to say as he used his hands to gesticulate a pop, while blowing out air, "teleport there, though?"

"I could easily do that," the wizard replied with a nod, his smile not disappearing. "But there is no fun in it. You get to meet people, see things, and gain experience when traveling. Besides, I do not wish to let magic spoil me. Men who do that quickly find themselves wanting of more."

Stonesnout didn't understand the soliloquy, not entirely, but nodded anyway. He took a sip of his lager, then asked, "So, twenty gold a week, right? That's a lot. Are you seriously that rich? It's serious money to pay for a tour guide."

The wizard gave a polite chuckle, stroking his beard in thought as he nodded. "One could infer, and not wrongly, that I'm a man of wealth and taste. My master's master's friend's master was one of the greatest wizards in the Guild of his time, and he wrote down some of his considerable capital to my master's master, which the latter passed onto my master, which my master passed onto me as an inheritance. Around half of my wealth, however, comes from my own deeds, so do not be worried. Either way, I can easily pay for your services this way." He sipped the lager again, his brows lowering as he fell into thought.

He huffed out some air, resting the mug on the counter for a moment, but not letting go of it with his hand.

"Say, Stonesnout," he began. Stonesnout turned with a grunt of acknowledgment. "When I arrived here, I spoke with one of the local spirits. They are beings of the ether and form a community not unlike your own, but they are very knowledgeable of the mortals who live here. Naturally, it's not the other way around. But curiously enough, when I asked it to guide me, it said you could use the job more. I have to say that has never happened before and piqued my curiosity. Any idea why that could be?"

Response
[] Write-in.

The wizard nodded, the cogs of his mind spinning in thought again.

He set down his empty mug again and gestured for a refill, before saying, "Well, either way, I'm sure the road will be long and arduous, and we set out tomorrow. I will pay for our stay under inns, for any meals and minor concerns. You may keep your salary for personal pleasures or objects you are interested in. I should mention we will travel by foot, not by animal, so you will need some endurance to make it through. We will travel upwards, out of the caves, then go east alongside the rim of the mountains, and then down valleys until we reach the northeastern fringe of Albion. From there, we'll go along the path to Fairfax, where I'll be meeting with a friend."

Stonesnout nodded, noticing just now that his drink was empty. He asked for a refill like the wizard, then started to drink his second lager.

"Do you have any questions? Regarding our travel, me, or anything else?"

Questions [Unlimited amount, but be reasonable]
[] Write-in.
[] "What kind of magic can you do?"
[] "Do you usually dress this fancy?"
[] "Can you read thoughts?"
[] "Will we visit many pubs on the way?"
[] "Any wisdom-granting proverbs, old man?"

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: 1.4k words or 5.4 minutes reading time average]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] "I've always known of their presence... I often speak aloud to myself when I'm alone. They listen, but never return conversation. I wish I'd known they could speak in return."
[X] A bunch of questions.

*~*~*~*~*​

"Any wisdom-granting proverbs, old man?"

Elmanthir smiled, not revealing his teeth, but letting his lips twist into a friendly arc as his brows elevated. The question clearly pleased him, but if it surprised him, he did not show it. "Proverbs, you ask? Usually, we, old mysterious wizards, don't give proverbs unless a special situation has arisen to give one, but... there is one I can offer at this time. It is a pearl of common wisdom; some people have it inherently, and others have to be taught."

He took his refilled cup and took a long sip as if trying to insert a break in the conversation; to make Stonesnout anticipate the proverb. Stonesnout lifted an eyebrow, just as Elman opened his mouth and curtly said, "Love your fate."

Stonesnout incredulously narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Love your fate. Mel tye umbart. Nogazen othok nexlakh. Slop unm sheapsip. Amor fati. My master, when we were having philosophy lessons, called it a 'crucial ingredient in the formula for all greatness.' If you don't understand, I can explain it."

"... Sure," Stonesnout grumbled, unconvinced just by the name of the idea, as well as the foreign languages.

"What is the best day you've had? The best feeling? A friend? A best memory, perhaps? Anything that makes you happy will work, but I need it for comparison."

Stonesnout pondered momentarily, before saying, "There was a bakery, once. Not far from here, in Kag-Leihwaz. It's closed now, but... the owners were very nice people. They knew I didn't have money, so they left little things. Sometimes a bit of leftover bread that wouldn't be good for sale, but still good for eating. Sometimes, some other things. Little things, like an old mirror they didn't need that I could take and put in my house, or... well, you know: little things that made life easier."

The wizard nodded. "Anything that stands out?"

"They let me work there, before it closed," Stonesnout said. "I'm not good at math, or at baking, but they knew I needed a job. I could move crates, or stock the shelves, or even just advertise the business... It was nice."

"And why do you appreciate it?"

"What do you mean, 'why?' Isn't it obvious? Because I needed the job."

"Now, imagine that life was perfect, and you didn't need the job. You didn't need the little things that made life easier. You didn't need a bakery with nice people," Elman started his explanation. "You don't need to eat, pay taxes, and say that you have an ability to just magic up any object you need from thin air. You no longer have any need or want, because they are fulfilled."

"That would be boring."

"Indeed, it would make life meaningless, one could say. To make life interesting, we, mortals, need opposition. A goal, a need, or a want. If you didn't want anything, you would be bored forever. But you want a job, because you need a job, and getting it makes you happy. Do you see the correlation? Sadness makes happiness. When you're sad, you have context for any happiness you can obtain later on."

"So, what you're saying is... when life sucks, that's good, because then life will suck less when I'm happy because it stopped sucking so much?"

The wizard's mouth formed a circle and his eyebrows lowered, as his eyes raced across the various directions as he tried to dissect the statement. "Uh... yes? I think so?"

Stonesnout let that sink into his mind. "Enough philosophy, I have another question. What kind of magic can you do?"

Elmanthir grinned, then held his head high smugly as he said, "Divination."

"Divination? Like, seeing the future? Is that all you can do?"

"I am taught in several schools, but divination is my specialty. And it's not limited to seeing the future, dear Stonesnout," Elmanthir said, practically purring with pride. "Divination is the art of understanding, of seeing the world around yourself and comprehending it at a deeper level. Very cost-effective, too." He sipped the lager.

"Is that how you knew I have travel items in my backpack?"

"Yes," said the wizard curtly, already taking another gulp of the foamy drink.

Stonesnout tried not to smile as he frowned, forming a sort of nervous twitch on his face. He sighed, then sipped his own lager, before asking somewhat incredulously, "Do you do this kind of thing often? Get a man off the street to travel with you?"

"It was a whim, both my own and of fate," Elmanthir replied neutrally with a shrug.

Stonesnout pondered his next question for a moment. He figured he might as well ask it now, rather than hope and be disappointed later on. He took a deep breath, then asked, "Would it be possible to teach me some magic?"

The wizard's eyes widened as he looked at Stonesnout. "You already have magic. Do you wish to know my art as well?"

Stonesnout's eyebrows met his hairline in disbelief, as he sputtered, "Wait, what?"

The wizard's bushy eyebrows lifted almost as high as Stonesnout's, before settling down once again. "Have you... ah, I see... It makes sense. You must not have noticed, having grown up with it," the wizard said with a slow, repetitive nod of thoughtful affirmation.

Stonesnout waggled his head a little, mouthing, 'What?'

Elmanthir directed his gaze to the clueless and befuddled Stonesnout, promptly explaining, "Yes, simply put, no matter how strong you are, it is questionable at best that you can fight four other dwarves at once, mildly inebriated, and win the encounter with them losing and yourself relatively unharmed. At least not without some kind of advantage, like magic, armor or a weapon."

Stonesnout crossed his arms.

"I had a glass cup."

"One of them had a stool."

"Point taken," Stonesnout conceded. "So what kind of magic am I using? Because I don't feel very magical."

"I am not certain. The end result is that you win fights that are impossible to win under normal conditions. Perhaps the effect, despite being extraordinary, is a cumulative result of smaller effects? Your reflexes are a bit sharper, you are a bit stronger and faster, make better choice instinctively - they don't. I've seen you make some pretty impressive dodges in that brawl... Anyways, the end result is that you win with barely a bruise, and they're unconscious. It's a very common form of magic, really. Every one of those legendary 'heroes possessing the strength of ten men' have it," he explained.

"Maybe."

The wizard digressed, bringing up the previous topic, "Either way, I am too... inexperienced to take on an apprentice of my own, but I will teach you some tricks of the trade. I don't see why I couldn't, especially that you already possess magic of some form."

"Will we visit many pubs on the way?" asked the dwarf as he raised the cup of lager to drink from, much to Elman's joy.

"Yes, I believe."

Stonesnout put down the empty mug, then said, "Alright, last question. Do you usually dress this fancy?"

Elmanthir's grin didn't recede, as he said, "No, but I was visiting the dwarven king, so I believed it best to wear appropriate attire."

Stonesnout's eyes widened. "Truly?"

"Truly. Unless I'm lying. I could be lying, as it were. Lies are fathered when one wishes to hide the truth."

Stonesnout frowned at that, and Elmanthir simply laughed. The wizard politely said, "Yes, truly. I'm not great friends with Tunwyr, but I am a master of the Guild and passing by, I was allowed to join the festivities in his castle. It was quite spectacular."

Stonesnout, satisfied, stood up from his stool and went off to take a leak in the tavern's toilet, thinking about the conversation with the wizard.

The old man was definitely some form of insane, but not necessarily in the bad, 'maddened, neurotic, choleric fool' kind of insane. He was eccentric but friendly enough to not freak anyone out from the looks of it. He budded the image of a stereotypical wizard in Stonesnout's mind, from what stories he heard at the orphanage as a child. It was almost like some form of fashion that wizards had; constantly acting neutrally cheerful as old men and giving good advice. Was it some kind of cryptic, secret rule that all wizards had to follow, or was it the side-effect of channeling magic through your skull for too long?

Stonesnout shrugged internally to himself as he pulled his pants up and walked out of the bathroom, only to see that the group of dwarves he beat yesterday were now within the building and were asking around the corner booths for him, except now they were alongside with some of their friends. He counted at least seven, and he saw what looked like baselards (stabby dagger-swords) sheathed at the sides of some of them, and daggers among others.

"Goddamn it." Some people just don't give up until you're lying dead on the floor, do they?

Encounter
[] Take them by surprise and attack them. You beat four easily; a seven isn't even twice the difficulty, plus you have a wizard on your side, meaning it'll be even easier!
[] Confront them here in public. They can't drag you outside or do anything when everyone's watching, and Elmanthir will surely back you up.
[] Get Elmanthir and get out of here. Whatever magic helped you might not work against bladed weapons, and starting a barfight might be a bad idea, especially if you get accused of starting it.
[] Write-in

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: Apologies for the delay! The update came out a bit longer than usual - at 2.4k words or 8.7 minutes reading time average - but I didn't want to skimp on the gritty details in the fight scene. I pretty much wouldn't forgive myself if I did that.]

[AN] By the way, if anyone's curious what the other paths would have led to.

Getting Elmanthir and running would have led to a chase about as scenic as the fight, including a destroyed cabbage stand and the city guard joining into the chase on mounts (trained boars, horses and a pursuit gyrocopter) and end up in Elmanthir casting grease to make the pursuers plus some city guards fall into a city sewage canal together, before casting Invisibility on the both of you, deciding things have gone out of hand. Also, he'd lose some more favor with Tunwyr and their next meeting would be fun.

Taking them by surprise would have led to the same as actually happened, except you'd take them out more easily and Elmanthir wouldn't stand up for you. All that matters in dwarven jurisdiction is "who started it." The moment of one of them drawing their dagger first is the moment where you had the legal right to feel threatened and curveball a goblet at his face. As for property damage, Elmanthir covered it when you were in the bathroom, slipping the barmaid several gold pieces and saying, "I'll pay for the furniture ahead of time." Divination and all that.

As for the spirit-help approach, I'm still a bit iffy about that, but I'd probably allow it, because either way, spirits can't do much in this situation. They exist on the Ethereal Plane as immaterial souls, and when in need of a body, can manifest one almost freely, but it costs them a lot of energy to also let the body leak into the proper Material Plane. An actual spirit wouldn't show up. Maybe budge some silverware off a table to make someone step into it like someone stepping into a LEGO brick, at best, if it felt compelled to help you.

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Confront them here in public. They can't drag you outside or do anything when everyone's watching, and Elmanthir will surely back you up.

*~*~*~*~*
​

"You lads lookin' for me?" Stonesnout gallantly called out, posing akimbo with an unimpressed expression. To be honest, he felt nervous, and even a bit scared. He handled four attackers at once with barely a hit on himself, but there was seven... no, at a further look, there were eight enemies here, and they had weapons, where he was unarmed. A baselard or a dagger sinking into Stonesnout's flesh would be lethal.

One of the unnamed group, near the middle and a bit to the left snorted. He tilted his head downward, almost like a bow, then brushed some hair from his head, showing a red, bloodied and bruised wound with lacerations.

"We came to exact retribution for yesterday, freak," he said with a growl, returning to a uniform pose and placing a hand on his baselard's hilt.

The bar patrons, at that, all seemed to go from passive drinking to defensive drinking. Those near the middle of the tavern, near the circular tables, greedily scythed their hands over their mugs and held them with firm grips to prevent spillage in case someone was thrown into a table. Those in the corners and edges stared and whispered to each other, staring at the commotion, and those at the counter - Elmanthir included - curiously turned around to see what's happening. The barmaids and waiters all assembled next to the counter in anticipation, while one of them ran out to call the guards.

The ringleader of the racist dwarves stepped out of their flock with swagger, grinning smugly at Stonesnout. "Why don't we step out for a bit, not make trouble for the respectable patrons? We can teach you a lesson outside."

"My pa, when I was a lad - he always taught me to keep it clean! We dwarves pride ourselves on purity, half-breed," another said, eliciting a frown from the leader. "You don't belong here, freak! You should have gotten out of our city when you had a chance to! Which one of yer' parents sold out? Huh? A whore mother? A mongrel father? Or other way around? "

Stonesnout frowned, then tightened his lips into a brutally sardonic expression. He held his arms out to either side as he walked in an obtrusive pattern around a table, shrugging and shaking his head with a clueless pout. He said, in an almost patronizing, playfully sad tone, "Honestly? I have not the slightest clue!"

"Enough of this! I will gut you like a fish," said the ringleader, unsheathing his dagger.

That's it! A casus belli to attack. Everyone saw that, right?

Stonesnout looked at Elmanthir, who gave him a firm nod.

Stonesnout picked up an empty pewter goblet from a vacant table, then turned it in his hand; admiring it, observing the subtle and scarce engravings, shaped like a single, decorative border at the brim, constructed from a decorative line.

He prayed for the object to forgive him.

"All I know is," he started.

Elmanthir quirked an eyebrow.

"You don't need a whore mother to be a bastard!" He moved his body back, then chucked the goblet with all his might.

The pewter projectile caused a subtle whooshing sound before it made a loud, dull thud as it impacted the ringleader's forehead and sent him sprawling to the ground, probably with a concussion.

The others took exception to that. "GET HIM!"

Stonesnout grabbed the empty table by the brim, then slid it as he rapidly walked back, putting distance between himself and his attackers. When he was near the wall, but not quite brushing against it, he picked up the table by the edges and spun around his axis twice to give it speed, before letting go and throwing it at one of the dwarves, who actually fell over on another behind him.

Stonesnout let out a chuckle of satisfaction, "Try blocking that!"

He looked at the situation. One unconscious, two on the ground, five in the game. Three approached from his right, and two from the front. Stonesnout ran left, then up the stairs to the second floor of the tavern, and quickly looked for another way to get some of them.

A few barrels stood next to the stairs, to the left of a supply closet door. Stonesnout, with some difficulty, moved one of them then kicked it down the stairs just in time for a pair of pursuers to step out. The resultant impact was strong and painful enough to effectively knock them down, not to mention pin them under the remains of the barrel itself.

Looking over the railing, he saw Elmanthir grinning at him with another cup of lager. The old man showed a thumbs-up.

Stonesnout jumped over the railing, just behind one of his attackers, who promptly turned to attack. The baselard came in a vertical swing and a haphazard movement. Stonesnout sidestepped the attack, then raised his foot in a kick to the enemy's midsection; enough to stagger him and opening him to an easy follow-up punch to the face, which was delivered with all the hatred of a boiling cauldron. Stonesnout made sure to press his thumb into the attacker's eye as he punched; a good way to stun someone. And indeed, the dwarf's knees crumpled and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Stonesnout felt it again; the raging fire in him. The hate and anger, which he kept leashed in his mind. His scleras were darkening to a gray color and his black irises became blacker still. Adrenalin went through his veins already, as did fire and something else.

Suddenly, time seemed to slow, his pupils dilated, and he felt the wind brush against his side before he heard the distinct sound of metal brushing against wind.

He caught a glimpse of it in the corner of his vision; a dull grey shade with a brighter silver glint, moving in an arc and then thrusting—————–

Stonesnout jumped back just in time to avoid a stabbing motion of a dagger from his flank. He quickly avoided another, hopping back again, then kicked the dwarf in the stomach. He came closer, punched the dwarf in the midsection a few time to soften him up and finally grabbed both of his wrists. He squeezed one of them tightly, wresting the dagger from him and kicking it away, before delivering a coup de grâce in the form of a headbutt that drew blood from the opponent's nose as he slumped to the ground.

He knew just the right way to headbutt someone - the trick of it is to aim for the nose with your forehead.

The remaining three, who just walked out of the staircase, were rather hesitant to approach and stood at the distance of a good six to seven steps away. It would take a few steps to accelerate to lunging or dashing speed.

Stonesnout took that buffer between himself and the attackers to breathe out and let the adrenaline go down just a bit.

He noticed that his feet were shaking a bit uncontrollably and the blood in his veins was pumping so quickly and powerfully that he felt his heartbeat and he felt fire in his arms. From the small buds of pain in his hand, he'd guessed he knocked the teeth out of that guy he punched. He also felt a small burn on his left upper arm - a dagger must have nicked him.

Once he was a bit more in control of his body, Stonesnout grinned. "What's wrong? What are you afraid of? A real dwarf never backs down!"

"Come on, let's get him," one said quietly to another, but without moving from his spot.

"You go first!" the other said.

The third frowned, growled, then screamed as he dashed forward - dagger thrust out in front of his body, but he was too slow. Stonesnout grinned, crouched, then made a curved sweep at his feet. The unfortunate dwarf tripped and impacted against the wall with his face, making a crunchy noise.

As Stonesnout looked to see where the other two were, he saw they were already moving across the tavern to run away. The moment the door closed behind them with a ring, a vast majority of the bar patrons kicked their chairs up as they gave Stonesnout an ovation.

His pupils dilated, the irises and scleras brightened, and the fire left him. His adrenalin was still in the system, and still burned hot, but the fire was gone. Time returned to normal, and so did his perceptions and strength.

Stonesnout looked at the patrons curiously.

Many cheered, a lot of them toasted, and a scant few said words of encouragement like, 'that was hot,' or 'you never fail to amaze, Stonesnout!' He almost smiled but realized there was no reason to. He was just an amusing drunkard who could put up a fight in their eyes. That was who he was.

He frowned.

Stonesnout looked at Elmanthir, who was eagerly motioning for him to approach. Stonesnout sat down next to the wizard and breathed out.

"Very impressive!" the wizard cheered. "Even better than yesterday, in fact. That table throw was almost impossible, hahahaha! You should try a suplex next ti-"

The door to the tavern smashed open and three dwarves in armor walked in, swords already drawn and shields prepared to block any blows. Their armor was a dark, burnished bronze, made of thick plates fitted to their bodies. Where plate didn't fit, they had armored scales, and where scales weren't plausible, they had mail with leather under it. Their helmets were dark and rotund, sheathing their faces in darkness and only revealing long beards in various stages of greying, with two narrow slits for eyes.

They looked around and saw the demolished barrel in the staircase, the upturned table, and the unconscious dwarves lying everywhere.

One of them asked, with a drawl, "Who?"

The entire tavern fell silent.

Before anyone could speak, answer, or even point an index finger, Elmanthir's stool slid out with a creak as he approached the guards, who looked up at him through their helmets. "Hello. My friend was attacked by these gentlemen and their friends. I will cover the damages, but I'd like you to investigate this," he said, as he pointed a thumb back at Stonesnout. The frankness didn't seem to budge the guardsmen.

"You?" the middle guard asked, looking at Stonesnout. "You again? We're bringing you in." As he moved to make the arrest, Elmanthir held his staff out to block him.

"Like I said," Elmanthir stated strongly. "My friend was attacked and defended himself. I will cover the damages."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"Elmanthir; pleased to make your acquaintance," he said, drawing the Guild Seal and displaying it for the guards.

"Crap," the guard said with a note of blankness. He turned and, as he walked out, he said to his friends, "This is out of our jurisdiction. Let's get-"

"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, not so fast," Elmanthir said, and simultaneously, the tavern door closed itself. A nearby cupboard slid across the ground and barred the door. The guards turned to the wizard, unamused. "I asked you to investigate this. A crime happened here; I'd like the law to cooperate. If you're ready to make an arrest because someone fought, arrest those responsible."

They stared at him unyieldingly, until the middle one's beard creased itself, indicating a frown under his helmet. He half-looked at his subordinates and gestured, saying, "Fine. Cuff them and bring them in for interrogation."

"I trust you will use a lie detector and a testimony won't be necessary?"

The guard seemed angry at the question, and through gritted teeth said, "Yes."

Elmanthir motioned to Stonesnout. "Come. Let's get out of here." With a wave of the staff, the cupboard was pushed aside and the door swung open again.

Stonesnout followed the wizard with all the haste his legs could provide, and as he walked past the guardsman, he was quite sure that he was staring at him with a cold death-glare.

The pair proceeded down the street. As soon as Stonesnout caught up to walk next to Elman, he asked, "They don't like you here?"

"No," he replied. "Not in particular, no. Your king isn't too fond of the Guild to begin with, but he doesn't get along with me in particular. I may be paranoid in old age, but it is quite possible he ordered his sergeants to give me as much trouble as possible."

"I don't think that's paranoia, and I don't think they're targeting you. The guards in Kag-Leihwaz are notorious assholes," Stonesnout answered.

"Ah, that explains it. See, you're already being useful as a guide!"

Elmanthir smiled and pulled a pipe out of his robe, putting it in his mouth. He snapped his fingers, and the pipe's exhaust burst into flames, pouring out smoke and fumes. Elman took it out of his mouth and coughed, beating his chest. As he did, he sputtered out something that may have been, "Burhhned - meeh - throot!"

Stonesnout sighed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

On the next day, the duo made their way out of Kag-Leihwaz and walked up one of the protected and approved cave routes to the surface. They walked through a border-fortress near the entrance of the cave, made it through the checkpoint with some difficulty, and then walked into fresh air.

They walked aside, to make space for the merchant convoys, travelers, adventurers, and tourists on the main path.

Stonesnout stared at the mountains with a glisten in his eyes.

"Have you ever been to the surface before?" Elmanthir asked. "Have the spirits told you of it?"

"I have been, and no." Stonesnout's jaw shut itself as he realized how he looked when he stared, but he still couldn't help but be amazed by the sight. Absently, he added, "I've been out in the mountains on a few mining operations in the past, and the spirits don't exactly talk back. I just talk to them."

"How do you know they're there, then?" Elmanthir asked.

"How do you know they're there?" Stonesnout shot back accusingly.

"Magic," said the wizard. "Whatever they tell you, there are many layers to the Ethereal and Astral planes. Tune through them, and you can find... many, many interesting things. But enough about that. I know what I told you in the tavern, but I've changed my mind. I'm feeling adventurous - I'll let you pick our path. Where do we go now, o Dwarven Brawler?"

Stonesnout took his map out, unrolled it, and gave it a good look. They were meant to go to Fairfax.

Propose Path
[] Straight North - A hike through the main body of the Sarafan Mountains offers the quickest path towards Fairfax. It will take maybe seven to ten days to make it this way, but the road will be laden with danger and adventure alike.

[] East, then up the Tract - Going east, through one of the mountain chains, and then to a town north of Tristin. From there, it's a curvy and somewhat dangerous, steep road down a long cliffside to get to Fairfax. The road is safer than going straight north, but not the safest. It will take at least a tenday, maybe a fortnight.

[] West, then up the Tract - Going west, down a jungle valley to Trost, then up the tract. It's definitely the safest path since you will travel through the biggest road in the country - often called the Spine of Albion or Trade Spine - which starts in the far southern city of Xhorhas and ends only in Fairfax, spanning practically the entire country and going through the capital of Bowerstone. This road will take at least twelve days, maybe up to fifteen.

Feedback
[] Make fights more detailed and give us votes in the middle of decisive combat moments.
[] No need for more detail, but give us votes in the middle of decisive combat moments.
[] Gives us more detail, but leave fights automatic.
[] Let fights stay the same.
[] Add dice rolls for combat.
[] Write-in [Some mix of the above? Something else?]

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: 1.9k words or 6.8 minutes reading time average]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] West.
[X] Let fights stay the same.

*~*~*~*~*
​

Going west, Stonesnout, and Elmanthir waded through the valleys, heading towards the Tol jungle.

Their path was fairly uneventful. Rather than encounter monsters or animals, they seemed to be a solitary pair of brawler dwarf and human wizard, moving down the natural world. He wondered, perhaps, if Elmanthir, who accepted the path that Stonesnout proposed and led them onward like a natural compass, was purposefully using his divination to steer them away from danger.

Mulling over if such guidance was possible, Stonesnout began to question the wizard from time to time, about magic, and got some answers back.

Magic, apparently, came from a creature's soul. Not everything had a soul, but everything had the potential to have a soul.

Elmanthir used an anecdote to convey the idea: If space and time were a loom, then everything that existed within them was a weave. Souls were like needles, moving through this weave, and if equipped with string and trained in tailoring, they could add their own threads onto the weave. That was magic. However, a needle still needed thread with which to weave, and that's what the nebulous 'mana' was - the raw building block of existence itself, used to fuel spellwork.

Naturally, a mage's own threads weren't on the same level as the natural ones, hence why things like anti-magic existed. Anti-magic, Elmanthir likened to a pair of tiny scissors, which one could use to cut through lesser strings. In that sense, various levels of string existed, and various levels of string could be used depending on the caster's skill and the type of magic they cast; naturally, illusions would be easier to get rid of than conjurations.

He warned Stonesnout that, if he ever practiced magic, he should be careful to make sure he was indeed using tiny scissors, and not swinging around a razor blade. The consequences could be "disastrous."

Continuing his anecdote, he explained that souls are connected - not always, but often - to a mind. A mind was an interesting thing, far more than people thought it was, so much so that before he explained it, he decided to explain the body first.

Every being has a body, and within that body are organs, arteries, nerves. And sentients, naturally, have a brain in their skulls, as well, which governed the entire body. Within the brain lies a good part - maybe a half - of the mind.

Whenever someone thought of something, the brain would send those signals through to the rest of the mind. To the deeper, more subconscious parts of it. And from the mind, those signals went to the soul, which shaped them accordingly into magic.

Stonesnout... found himself slightly confused by the explanation, especially the part about brains, but the wizard helpfully clarified and remarked how curious the dwarf was, and how refreshing it was to educate someone who knew so little of the world they lived in.

In a way, it was better than debating advanced concepts with fellow wizards, or so Elmanthir thought.

Stonesnout, though he felt out of his depth, smiled at the wizard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Trees up to thirty meters tall formed a mesh of leaves and branches that blocked out the sun and cast down an eerie twilight down onto the bushy forest understory. Moss, mushrooms, tiny plants, and herbs could be found in abundance almost every step, but little in the way of flowers. They did not see many animals, too; Stonesnout spotted a bunny earlier on the second day of travel, but nothing else.

"Are the forests in Albion usually this thick?" Stonesnout grumbled as the branches and leaves brushed uncomfortably against him, the sharper ones leaving white lines on his skin.

"You should see the Great Forest, lad. The trees in its depths are taller than the mountains that are your home," Elman replied, then stopped, and Stonesnout stopped behind him. Looking from the side, he saw that the bushes got even thicker in front of them, like a natural wall.

Elmanthir raised his staff and incanted, "Powers of absence and presence, bend in my eyes and tear all in space to pieces!"

A maelstrom of wind formed at the tip of Elmanthir's staff. The wizard jabbed it forward at the bushes and a distorted tube of slashing, cutting, shredding, and crushing winds shot out, obliterating the bushes and branches into tiny bits and sending them flying away into every direction. This cleared a path for at least another two-hundred meters.

They continued their march.

"How come you speak and magic happens? How does that work?" Stonesnout asked, still annoyed by the brushing of the branch remnants but not enough to squash his curiosity.

"Ah... that's a bit of a complicated question to answer. Well, simply put, I am using incantations to cast certain types of magic more easily. The wording is key."

"How so?"

"It's about the feelings you evoke. Each word has a different meaning and connotation in your mind, and putting them in a certain structure makes you think along certain channels. The end result is that you hypnotize yourself, and if you consciously desire for magic to happen at the same time, your soul will be able to direct it more easily and effectively... Here, let me show you."

They stopped again, and Elmanthir pointed his staff sideways, then said, "This is that same spell but without an incantation. I will simply desire for the same to happen, but it will be weaker without the self-hypnosis. Watch."

A bubble of slashing winds egressed at the staff tip. More unstable and smaller in size than before. Elmanthir jabbed the staff forward and the wind shot out; cutting and slashing, but ineffectually. The winds lacked sharpness, like a dull sword blade rather than the precise and fast shredding from before. On top of that, instead of being shot in a straight tube, the winds lacked cohesion, acting more like an indiscriminate blast with a general direction, and instead of going for what looked like hundreds of meters, they fizzled out just a dozen feet away.

"I lack the mentality and practice of a dedicated wind mage," Elmanthir said, "meaning that my wind spells are weak. I can try to cast them better with incantations, gestures, and other aids, but generally, my specialty is divination. Even without an incantation, I can tune out the bushes and trees as if they didn't exist, and see only animals and inanimate objects. For example, there is a bird's nest on that branch. See?"

He pointed up and Stonesnout followed his finger, nodding in confirmation. A small stack of sticks laid on a tree-branch, with eggs that are yet to hatch. A small jackdaw landed on the branch with twigs in her beak, which she added to the nest before hopping onto and into it, then setting herself there comfortably.

When Stonesnout looked down, he saw Elmanthir had already restarted his trod. "Hey, wait up!" He ran after the wizard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After their march through the jungle, the travelers finally made their way out to a thick, stone road. It was fenced with low stone walls with sentries attached to them, where rangers equipped with bows were stationed. Every twenty minutes, they would stumble upon a larger security post, acting also as a barrack, guarded by even up to a dozen of guards per booth with support from mages. And at two-hour intervals of road, one could often find a tavern or a tavern-and-stable where one can water and rest their steed.

Caravans; carriages and wagons of goods traveled in front of and behind them on both sides of the horizon, and so did various people, be it on foot, donkey, pony, horse, and they even saw an elf riding what Elmanthir identified to be a griffin.

And despite their freedom from the accursed branches, Stonesnout's thoughts lingered on the unpleasant forest.

"That forest sucked," Stonesnout grumbled, scratching the right and left sides of his abdomen lightly; he didn't want to pierce the skin, but the itch the nettle left him with was infernal. Damn forests...

Elmanthir, nonplussed, said, "Truly? I wonder where its mouth was!" The wizard grinned wryly.

"Ugh, you know what I meant by that."

"Cheer up, my companion, for we are about to arrive in Trost," Elmanthir said, his eyes narrowed, looking a little focused as he gazed forward. "There is a reason that a whole brand of beer has been named after that city. And you, my friend, will be free to sample it as much as you please."

The annoyed Stonesnout accepted those comforting words and allowed a small, peaceful smile to settle on his face. "That sounds nice. Besides, I've been rather curious about what human cities look like."

It took another two hours before the vestiges of a community began to reveal themselves. Small hamlets, and a village, and in another two, they were staring at solid walls in the distance. They didn't look like stone bricks layered on top of each other, but a single, white-gray body of stone that has been carved, complete with battlements. Even over the walls, one could see the roofs and upper walls of large buildings, houses, manses, stores, churches, and other structures.

They walked downhill and made a short pause near the main gate, which was open, with guards situated at the sides. The traffic here was large, but surprisingly, there was no fee or document check near the entrance.

"Finally, Trost," said Elmanthir. "A scenic city, with excellent taverns, or so I hear. I don't have much business here, but I suppose we could stay here for a day or two."

Stonesnout nodded, his thoughts firmly latching onto the words 'excellent taverns' and his eyes a little glazed. He gulped, feeling a little unclean. He didn't really do much yet, but he couldn't help to ask, "My wage, Elman?"

"Ah, naturally. Here's your whole salary for the last f-" The wizard took out a satchel of coins and was about to hand it to Stonesnout when the latter ripped it out of the wizard's grasp and ran through the gate, screaming something about sightseeing, "-our days..."

Stonesnout rounded the corner into a small square and looked around. The buildings raised from brown and white wood, with clear frameworks and blue windows surrounded him. Busy people walked the streets, among then humans, but also elves and fellow dwarves; more rarely a gnome or halfling, and he was pretty sure he saw a lizardman or something similar moving far in the crowd. Surrounded by costermongers who yelled out the prices of miscellaneous minor products, foods, and doohickeys they sold, Stonesnout grinned.

He had eleven gold pieces and two silver pieces, which was, to put it succinctly: a lot of money. This was the daily expenditure of a noble. He could buy barrels of ale for this.

He understood the details of his contract, even if it was only in spoken word, but a part of him didn't believe Elmanthir was this rich until now.

Finally, pushing through the crowd, Elmanthir joined him, breathing heavily. "There you are...!" The wizard looked at the ecstatic dwarf and favored him with a sympathetic smile. Stonesnout grinned back at him.

"I just wanted to tell you to meet me at the northern city gate tomorrow at noon. Until then, enjoy yourself, Stonesnout," the wizard stated with a firm nod. "If you have need of me, I'll go and see what the local magic shop has to offer. Please, don't make too much trouble."

"I won't," Stonesnout said, a bit whiny, his grin not dissipating. Normally, he'd be annoyed, but this place offered too many possibilities to busy himself with being irritated.

Stonesnout...

Activities [11gp, 2sp to spend; take as many actions as you want, but be reasonable]
[] Go to the best tavern you can find and get drunk. [LOCKED; you will do that automatically]
[] Visit a general store and see what they have.
[] Ask one of the guards where the landmarks are and visit them.
[] Write-in.

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: Due to the "all over the place" nature of the votes, I decided to accept only options for which two or more people have voted. Two of you voted for a bar-fight while drunk, without any specifications. Reap the consequences! 2.9k words or 10.5 minutes of reading time average. Due to the nature of events, I decided to put off the "While Drunk" activities, for reasons you will see.]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Go to the best tavern you can find and get drunk.
[X] Visit a general store and see what they have.
[X] Visit a blacksmith.
[X] Visit the landmarks.
[X] Bar fight while drunk.

*~*~*~*~*
​

Looking around the various stores of Trost, Stonesnout found a bunch of things that were rare in Kag-Leihwaz, and a strange absence of things he was used to. Small oddities like clocks and mirrors that were fairly common in his hometown were in short supply, but things like fruit and parchment were almost grossly common here. And he'd actually held off on visiting haberdasheries.

Notably, a lot of fruit could be bought for just a few coppers or less. It was... impressive. He wouldn't run out of good food this way for a while. And indeed, Stonesnout allowed himself a small snack in the form of an apple.

Juicy and filling.

Eating the remnants of his meal, he walked to the blacksmith, curious how the local craft compared to his home.

Stonesnout was never much of a craftsman. Once, for a few weeks, he worked as a blacksmith's assistant but was fired when the blacksmith found a better one. He was used to changing jobs, so it didn't mean much.

Walking into the building, he watched a man sitting by the furnace and taking out a chunk of red-white steel, wearing protective gloves and using tongs.

Stonesnout commented, "It needs a bit more heat unless you're forging mithril."

The blacksmith gazed back, not pulling off his gloves as he asked, "Is that so? This is cold steel, though."

"Like the one that kills fairies?" Stonesnout asked, approaching the counter.

"Yes," the blacksmith said, dipping the cold steel back into the blazing fire.

"I've never worked it then. I was an assistant for some time, so I picked up a trick or two, but that's beyond me."

"Same." The blacksmith pulled off his gloves and goggles, lying them down on the counter. "This is the first time I got such a weird request. Anyway, how can I help?"

"Oh, sorry. What weapons do you sell?"

The blacksmith gestured all around the shop. "Everything your gaze touches is for sale."

"Even that piece?" Stonesnout asked, pointing at a weirdly-shaped weapon in a display case.

"That's a blunderbuss," the blacksmith clarified, then sheepishly scratched his head. "And it's not mine; my great uncle made it. It's a bit of smithing and a bit of tinkering. You feed it powder and it shoots out with a loud bang, killing anything it's pointed at if they're in range, which is shorter than a bow or a normal pistol, however its power is excellent. Though, I'm a bit iffy about selling it, since it's something of a heirloom. I'd consider for maybe, at least three-hundred gold pieces."

Stonesnout whistled, both at the price and the explanation. "Way out of my price range, maybe one day."

Other Objects [Buy? 11gp, 8sp left - please, vote by plan and discuss; if votes are inconclusive or all over the place, Stonesnout will buy nothing]

Spoiler

Simple Melee Weapons	Cost	Weight
Dagger	1 gp	1 lb.
Handaxe	2 gp	2 lb.
Light Hammer	3 sp	2 lb.
Mace	4 gp	4 lb.
Spear	2 gp	3 lb.

Simple Ranged Weapons	Cost	Weight
Crossbow, Light	8 gp	5 lb.
Dart	4 cp	¼ lb.
Shortbow	9 gp	2 lb.
Sling	1 sp	—

Martial Melee Weapons	Cost	Weight
Battleaxe	10 gp	4 lb.
Flail	10 gp	2 lb.
Glaive	15 gp	6 lb.
Greataxe	20 gp	7 lb.
Greatsword	35 gp	6 lb.
Halberd	20 gp	6 lb.
Longsword	15 gp	3 lb.
Maul	10 gp	10 lb.
Morningstar	15 gp	4 lb.
Shortsword	10 gp	2 lb.
Warhammer	15 gp	2 lb.

Martial Ranged Weapons	Cost	Weight
Crossbow, Hand	75 gp	3 lb.
Crossbow, Heavy	50 gp	18 lb.
Longbow	50 gp	2 lb.

Ammunition	Cost	Weight
Arrows (20)	8 sp	1 lb.
Crossbow Bolts (20)	7 sp	1 ½ lb.
Sling Bullets (20)	7 cp	1 ½ lb.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Compelled to tour the city, Stonesnout asked a guard for directions to the landmarks and received the overall lay of the land and started touring.

There were quite a few things to see, including an art gallery with free admittance, which he visited.

Stonesnout never had a refined palate for art. After all, he never grew up in social circles where art was significant.

The art gallery was a large building with marble columns and long steps, reminding him somewhat of a temple. Walking in, he started looking at the paintings and sculptures displayed everywhere. Most were from deceased artists or painted by old elves when they were youths. At least that's what the dates suggested; Stonesnout was taught to speak and read Common, and though he'd never expected the script to come into much use, it did right now.

One piece, in particular, caught his eye, titled 'Motsognir's Fall,' and painted in 942 by an artist with a very dwarf-sounding name.

Motsognir was a dwarven king, and Stonesnout was confident that he was related to the current king Tunwyr. Motsognir was famous for supporting Fairfax's independence and allying with the city-state, before being killed by a demon named Malbutorius who 'hated dwarves.' That's all he could remember from history lessons, anyway.

As Stonesnout went out and down a street in the direction of the tavern, he passed by a tent colored in white and blue stripes and a hand reached out and touched his shoulder. He flinched and reflexively hopped back, spinning on the balls of his feet. A middle-aged woman stood there with a shawl on her head and blue-cyan robes with small images of yellow stars on them.

"Hello, young dwarf," she said softly with an alluring tone. "You interest me."

"Interest you? Sorry, I don't follow." Stonesnout glared at her suspiciously.

"I am a fortune-teller. Please, forgive my curiosity, but do you have non-dwarf parent? I may be mistaken, but your soul speaks for you. One of your parents is an outsider."

"Is there something in my soul?" Stonesnout asked, and the fortune-teller smiled and invited him in. After sitting down, she took out a crystal globe and placed it on the table.

"There is a sort of taint in your soul. One of your parents must have been something quite literally out of this world," she replied calmly, setting up the ball to be arranged more precisely on its little, purple cushion.

"Will this cost anything?" Stonesnout asked a bit sheepishly.

She looked at him and favored him with a smile. "No; I will do this free of charge. You interest me. Please, show me your palm."

Stonesnout nodded and reached out with his hand. The fortune-teller took it in her own and started to read from it, squinting at times, as if she saw something strange or hard to define. With a sense of finality, she raised her eyebrow and said, "You will live very, very long - that's rather obvious."

"I will?"

"That's not all. There is a second something in you. Not quite a different mind, not quite someone else. It is you, but altered, in all but soul."

"What?" Stonesnout felt confused like he was listening to Elmanthir's explanation of magic again.

"You feel it when fighting? Something that feels different?" she half-stated, half-asked. After Stonesnout nodded, she continued, "That something is what I'm talking about. It's inside of you, and comes out when called. It feels almost like a lurking predator. So far, it seems it hasn't done anything except swipe a claw from its darkness, but has never come out in full. You should be very careful when exercising this power."

Stonesnout, again, didn't feel like he was following, but he thought he got some meaning out of the words. Did he have something in his soul? He wondered, for a moment, if he could use an incantation to bring it out.

"Also, don't pick any fights today," she stated bluntly and off-topic.

"What? Why?"

"Fighting people can have bad consequences," she said, with a mysterious smile.

"Pfft. Me? Fighting people? Please. I don't pick fights," he mumbled as he wrested his hand from her, then stormed out, rubbing it and heading in the direction of the tavern.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The beer of Trost, named after the town itself, was at least as good as the local scenery. It wasn't watery, and wasn't acidic, and lacked the yeast of lager. As soon as it reached Stonesnout's lips, the clear sensation of bitter hop filled his mouth and danced on his tongue, before he swallowed it and felt refreshed.

Some would argue he's had too much and he's drunk.

"Leave me and my friends alone!" said a casual patron, somewhere between being offended and nervous.

"I want to have a--" he burped mid-sentence "--bar fight. Come on! Bring 'em up and let's have a scuff!" He raised his fists and mock-punched the air a few times, hopping on his feet.

"No fighting!" the barkeep yelled. A man with a beard and a mustache. "Get out of my tavern!"

"You sure about that?!" Stonesnout asked, spitting on the ground. He approached the counter and reached out to grab the barkeep's collar, but was instead hit in the nose, which made him recoil and move a step back.

"Oh, you bastard!" Stonesnout mumbled, feeling a raw sensation in his nose. Blood came out in a thick stream of red.

Stonesnout jumped over the counter and the barkeep picked up a saber mounted at the wall to defend himself.

Stonesnout's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed as he growled. The barkeep thrust his sword. Stonesnout tried to avoid, but he wasn't quick enough, somehow. The sword left a wide gash on his left cheek, chipping off a bit of his left eat.

Stonesnout genuinely screamed. Not yelled, not growled, not grunted. Screamed. For what had to be the second or third time in his life, he screamed in utter pain, and still, he could tell much of the pain was drowned out in the alcohol he consumed.

He started stepping back and the barkeep stood, rooted in his spot, in what had to be a trained stance. A retired soldier?

Stonesnout touched his left cheek gently and felt a burn. He could almost dip his finger into the wound, feel that the incision left a wide gap running along his cheek. Judging by the degree of the cut, Stonesnout's skin didn't make the blade stop or even slow down in the slightest, and it cut unnaturally deep. Unnaturally much. And how did the man manage to strike so quickly? Stonesnout had been drunk and easily fought off armed dwarves before. Was this something all humans had?

Stonesnout's eyes pivoted up in fear. The sword was magical, or the man. Maybe both.

The barkeep pointed his saber at the door and sourly said, "Out."

Stonesnout growled.

How dare he?! After doing that?! Stonesnout lashed out, grabbing a clay pitcher of something and curveballing it from a safe distance. The barkeep casually cut it, splashing beer all over his chest. Stonesnout felt a flash of fear, but didn't yield.

He stepped back, but the saber came swinging at him just as the barkeep walked into striking range. Stonesnout jumped back without care for falling to the ground to avoid the fast attack, and he hit the floor.

The saber was relentless and came from above in a wide arc. Stonesnout picked up a tray and used it as a shield for his face. He felt as the barkeep struck it, and Stonesnout's hands were sore just from the vibrations.

He didn't wait. He backed up instantly, the barkeep standing over him and moving his hand back, preparing a thrust. Stonesnout chucked the tray at him to buy himself another second, as he stood up and tried to run.

But instead, something blunt caught him in the back, with enough force to almost make his eyes come out of their sockets and making his throat release a choking noise. Stonesnout flew into a table, smashing it to bits as he laid in the two halved remnants. He realized, as he laid there, spitting out bits of blood and feeling his spine give and fail, that the barkeep threw the same damn tray back at him. Stonesnout slowly stood, making the patron who previously sat at the table back up.

Even with the ringing in his ears, he heard a mocking voice ask, "Didn't you want a bar-fight?" It was the damn barkeep!
hateHateHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHIMHATEHIMHATEHIMdESTrooY hiM dESTroYHImHATeHiMhATEhaTEHatEHAte HatEEE HIIM THE HUMAN STRUCK YOU HATE HATE HATE
Stonesnout growled in rage and picked up one half of the table by the leg, spun and threw it with all the might in his arms.

In response, he saw the barkeep re-arrange his pose. He put one leg in front of the other and swung the sword sideways, repelling the table and altering its trajectory to fly out the window - the latter by accident.

Stonesnout felt it enter his bloodstream. The adrenaline, dulled by alcohol; the fire, dulled by bits of worry; and the something else, dulled by nothing. He didn't blink as his scleras turned almost pitch-black and his irises became a burning ring of crimson red, giving them a bloodied appearance. Veins of black ichor appeared on his face, starting at the eyes and spreading through the cheeks, and as they did, his face turned darker. His muscles bulged through his clothing, and the crank in his spine faded away.

He was about to let the unsuspecting barkeep have a taste of the good shit.

At that moment, a woman in white robes stood up from a corner seat, and chanted, "Be gone, shadows. Thou of the unseeable. Fade back into oblivion, if of darkness. Be returned to the immaterial."

Stonesnout dropped to his knees, grasping his heart in pain. It surged through his entire body, pulsing in waves, each wave hitting him like a charging rhino. The pain was mind-numbingly bad, to the point where he couldn't think about anything else. It seared every bit of his flesh, pushing down his nerves like a chain of blades burning his insides.

The black veins fled within, his eyes returned to their normal coloration, and his muscles became normal again. The pain stopped and became numbness and tiredness; his stamina exhausted, his energy gone. He wasn't even drunk anymore. He just wanted to rest at this point.

The white-robed woman came up to Stonesnout and offered a hand, asking, "Have you been possessed? I've exorcized the fiend, so it can't control your body anymore."

Possessed...? What...? Is that the rage he always felt...? But he couldn't have been possessed... It was just him... So a demon...

Stonesnout, instead of replying, lost consciousness and slumped over.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Stonesnout's eyes opened sluggishly. The first thing he felt was a dull throbbing in the inside of his head. Like a bad hangover.

He closed his eyes again and laid there for a moment, just to breathe and rest. More mentally, than physically.

He finally moved his head and looked around. He was in a bed, in a small room with light brown walls, a white ceiling, and wooden floor. There was a nightstand next to his bed with a glass of water and a pitcher of thereof, and next to it was a window. Opposite of the window, on the other side of the room, was a wardrobe and a cupboard.

Stonesnout moved in an attempt to get out of bed, but he quickly found one of his hands was cuffed to the bed.

"Drat."

He was stuck.

With nothing else to do, Stonesnout took the glass of water and helped himself. Then, he poured another and helped himself again, before realizing he should stop before he got the nature's call. A bladder's needs cannot be denied.

In a stunning feat of awkward timing, the door opened and in walked a quartet of Elmanthir, city guard, barkeep, and white-robed woman.

"Oh, dear," Elman said instantly, his voice soft, but his expression showing displease. "Just what did you get yourself into?"

Stonesnout smiled, rather sheepishly. As he opened his mouth to speak, Elmanthir interrupted, "Rhetorical question, I already know." Stonesnout closed his mouth, while Elmanthir pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Son, we would like to ask you some questions," the guard said in a strict voice. "Do you have any connections to bizarre cults? Organizations? Weird groups of people, perhaps?"

Stonesnout shrugged. "Besides that wizard, I don't have any connections to speak of."

"We believe what led you to, as the witnesses testified here, 'looking for a fight,' had to be demonic possession."

"Oh. Uhm. Yeah!"

"I, uh... no bad blood between us, right?" Elmanthir asked of the barkeep, who scoffed.

"So much for a diviner," the barkeep said, in a jabbing tone. Did they know each other? "You can't even determine that your follower is possessed by a demon! Get a grip, Elmanthir, and pay for my furniture."

"I will."

"Good." The barkeep crossed his arms.

"Well, now that it is confirmed that demonic possession was the cause, the jurisdiction of this case goes from the city guard to the Church of the Twelve Gods," the guard said, taking out a key and unlocking the manacle on Stonesnout's hand.

The white-robed woman stepped forward, and he finally got a better look at her. She was plain-looking, with long, wavy auburn hair and brown eyes. She looked to the others and said, "And as the representative of the Twelve Gods: Hann, Janalax, Bahamut, Jilonok, Corellon, Moradin, Mystra, Pelor, Kelemvor, Hednorak, Vorterix, and Agria, I deem the accused to be relieved of all charges, and pass the blame onto the outsider who took control of their actions."

"Excellent," Elmanthir said with a rough voice, grabbing Stonesnout by the collar. He nodded most respectfully to the woman and the barkeep, saying, "Lady Wayward, George; if you'll excuse me and my companion?" It wasn't really a question.

Elmanthir dragged Stonesnout out of what looked to be a local temple, all the way to the streets, then into a dark alley, where he let go of Stonesnout's collar. The dwarf looked up at the wizard, who looked like he was holding back boiling shame in his chest.

Finally, Elmanthir exasperatedly asked, "What is wrong with you, Stonesnout!? Were you trying to get arrested on purpose?! I told you, I... I asked you not to make too much trouble, and now I've had to keep up a lie for you. I've had to use my authority to unjustly free you for something you did for, for what, for fun? I lied; I spat in the face of the law and gods because of you!"

"Through omission," Stonesnout argued, though he knew the wizard wouldn't like that response.

"Even so!" the old man yelled in rage, holding back wizardly wrath. He paced back and forth, three or four steps at a time, looking at Stonesnout as he yelled, in a lecturing tone,"Are you mad? Has the freedom from the mountains rotted through your brain, making you seek blood everywhere you go? Have you forgotten the great strength fate granted you, causing you to throw tables at a man who was just protecting his business? Has your mind been afflicted with drunkardry that cannot be overcome even by the power of common sense?"

He paused for a moment, seemed to swallow, then breathed out in exasperation. Looking at him, Stonesnout had the impression the wizard was hurt that his trust was betrayed so easily. With a sense of finality and slightly calmer, Elmanthir said, "I've all but made up my mind to find another guide. Do you have anything to say? Any words to change that could change that?"

Defend Yourself
[] Write-in.

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: I've received some complaints that I update too often, and therefore don't give enough time to read, let alone react to the story. Thus, this update will have a special vote regarding this issue.

On another matter, writing in third-person omniscient has always been interesting; it's really tough to portray the protagonist's thinking and form a connection without it sounding cheesy this way.

Also, this update will be preceded by a RECAP for people who haven't caught up due to the aforementioned issue.

Recap length: 511 words, or 1.9 minutes of reading.
Update length: 1.3k words, or 4.7 minutes of reading.
Intermission length: 258 words, or >1 minute of reading.
Total length: 2k words, or 7.9 minutes of reading.]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Arms
-[X] Handaxe.
-[X] Dagger.
-[X] Sling.
-[X] Sling bullets.
[X] The evil within speech: "I'll drop drinking, go cold turkey even, as I can see that it just brings out the worst in me. But man, I beg you, you can't just leave me with this evil that lurks inside me. It has to be removed or at least controlled and I can't do it alone without your help. Now that we know its there, we can find out how to deal with it, I'm just sorry it had to be revealed this way. These things are never easy to deal with, but I want to confront this so I can follow the path of righteousness. Even if it isn't your job, I beg you once more to help me. You don't have to think of paying me anymore, no more gold, I don't deserve it. Any of it at all. I just need help, I just need someone that can help me control the evil that lurks inside me, because I'm going to have to live with it for the rest of my life."

*~*~*~*~*​

Special Vote: Update Frequency?
[] As is [once every ~24h; daily updates]
[] Lower frequency [once every ~48h]
[] Lower frequency [once every ~72h]
[] Lower frequency [once every ~168h; weekly updates]

The Story So Far [Recap]

Stonesnout is a lonely dwarf, living a difficult life in the underground city of Kag-Leihwaz. He swaps job as often as socks and deals with semi-consistent racial bias from the other dwarves in the city, and deals with his problems by drinking and fighting them head on using his enhanced aptitude granted to him by his non-dwarven parentage.

One night, after a particularly mean fight, he goes back home only to find a wizard waiting for him. The wizard introduces himself as Elmanthir and proposes a deal: Stonesnout will travel with him as a companion and guide, and in exchange, the wizard will pay him a hefty salary, pay for his meals and travel expenses, and consider recommending him to the Guild of Heroes, where Elmanthir has the rank of master.

The wizard and dwarf meet the next day at the local tavern, where they have a pleasant conversation about philosophy. After Stonesnout asks why the wizard won't just teleport to wherever he needs to go, Elmanthir repels him by saying that'd make things boring, and that life would be meaningless for a creature that can do anything. It is by challenging ourselves as people that we can grow and keep life interesting. Stonesnout doesn't understand this argument entirely and goes to the bathroom. Upon coming out, Stonesnout is ambushed by the people he defeated yesterday who came back - with friends and weapons.

He confronts the racist dwarves in an epic fight brawl and defeats them all with barely a dagger-nick on his arm and some bruised knuckles. Soon after, the guard arrives and the wizard soothes them. He and Stonesnout leave promptly after and go up, outside the cave system of Kag-Leihwaz to the surface, from where they travel west.

On their way to the city of Trost, Elmanthir teaches Stonesnout about the "three things" that make up the metaphysical universe: the body, the mind, and the soul. If the universe is a weave, then souls are like needles, and mana is like the threads of existence. Thusly, to weave magic, one needs to control one's soul, and to do that, one needs to use the mind connected to it. Ergo, magic can be accomplished by hypnotizing oneself with incantations and gestures, or, with enough experience, by simply thinking.

The two arrive in Trost, where Stonesnout travels to an art museum and finds out from a gypsy that there is something rabid within him. Later that same afternoon, he starts a fight with the bartender and owner of the local tavern and almost loses. He taps into his inner power and almost unleashes something demonic, but a nearby priestess (Lady Wayward) casts a miracle, thinking she has exorcized a demon while in reality she simply stunned Stonesnout and caused him to fall unconscious.

Stonesnout wakes up later, with a guard, the bar owner (George), Elmanthir, and Lady Wayward coming into his room. He lies that he was possessed, and is soon absolved of his sins and let go.

Elmanthir drags him into a dark alleyway and confronts him about this.

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -
​

Stonesnout nervously lowered his gaze, his eyes searching across his field of view. He stared at a specific brick on the opposite wall, then on a small stone in the brick road, then at a small blade of grass between said bricks, as he tried to calm himself.

But he couldn't help it. His heart kept beating, in the thought that he'd be left here, on the surface, without money, without a home. In retrospect, he pretty much abandoned his house just to come here, just to travel, to get money, and to have a chance. And the wizard offered all these things to him, and was betrayed for his troubles. Stonesnout realized what he did and following the realization, he took a deep breath.

"I'll stop drinking," he said, and the wizard indicated for him to continue. Stonesnout met his gaze and continued. "Go cold turkey, even, as I can see that it brings out the worst in me."

Elmanthir's frown dissipated into something like neutrality, but not certainty.

"I beg you. You can't just leave me with this evil that lurks in me. It has to be removed, or, o-or," he stuttered, "at least controlled!" He held his hands to either side.

The wizard straightened his back but remained silent, thoughtful.

"I can't do it alone without your help. Now that we know it's there, we can find out how to deal with it, I'm just sorry it had to be revealed this way. These things are never easy to deal with, but I want to confront this so I can stop being 'the drunk.' I've always been that. And nothing more. Just an amusing fool that people can stare and prod with their fingers. I want to follow the path of righteousness. Even if isn't your job, I beg you once more to help me. You don't have to think of paying me; no more gold, I don't deserve it. Any of it all... I just need help."

Before he could continue, Elmanthir smiled. He straightened his back and gave Stonesnout a kind look. "You've convinced me. Upon joining the Guild, I've oathed to never abandon a soul in need of assistance." Then, he frowned. "But we'll have to deal with your eagerness for combat. For now, I'll suspend my vacation."

"Suspend your vacation?" Stonesnout asked. "I thought we were going to Fairfax?"

"Yes, but Stonesnout, the destination doesn't matter any more than the journey. I could've teleported to Fairfax if pressed for time, but I didn't; for the same reasons I explained to you back in that bar."

Stonesnout nodded hesitantly. Having overwhelming power makes things meaningless, was it? Therefore, using magic to accomplish tasks that can be accomplished mundanely spoils you and makes life less interesting. It is in challenging oneself that one finds meaning.

Stonesnout found that he was starting to understand the wizard's logic, and ahead of time, he asked, "So we'll be teleporting? But where do you want to take me?"

"To my tower, for some research, if you don't mind," Elmanthir stated.

"I'll go."

The wizard grinned and held out his hand. Stonesnout grabbed onto it, and the wizard incanted, "Collectives of space, gather and bend like a ray in the skies. Take us across your tapestry to the image within me. And to that end, may your aims never err. With lidless gaze and having deciphered the placements of the heavenly spheres, I order you to bend the cards of space and take us across the three-forked river."

There was a pop sound and a bright flash of light that blinded Stonesnout's vision for a split second. He felt weightless; his insides jumping up and lurching back down as if he jumped from a height, all the while he lost any feeling of balance, and simultaneously felt as if he had been forcefully shoved through a tight, unbending tube, his body accelerating to ten thousand mach and somehow not being obliterated by the fearsome velocity. After his temporary blindness passed, space itself seemed to be discolored and covered in dark ink for barely a second, before the inside of something like a house revealed itself.

Stonesnout dropped to the now-wooden floor and started feeling bile rise in his throat.

He breathed in and out.

"Don't hold it in," Elmanthir said. "If you have to vomit, vomit."

Stonesnout thought, breathed, felt the bile lower, and shook his head slowly. "No, I'm just a bit disoriented after... that. What the hell was that? That felt like... like..."

"Weird, right?" Elmanthir smiled sympathetically.

"Weird is one word for it. I'm not sure how to describe that sensation."

"Yes, well. There are more pleasant ways to teleport, but I'm not experienced enough to use the spell on that level."

"What's with the weird incantation?" Stonesnout said accusingly. He stood up, slowly, almost tripping. His head swayed drunkenly left and right until he stabilized it with one hand and looked at Elmanthir. "Three-forked river? What the hell's that supposed to refer to?"

"Three-dimensional space," the wizard said. "My master once compared space to a river in a long anecdote where he explained space-time to me. I couldn't quite get that idea out of my subconscious since then."

Stonesnout breathed in and looked around.

A dark wooden floor, mahogany? A rotund ceiling with a single modest chandelier with candles. There was a bookcase by the small window to the right, with books in various colors, mostly blue and red. There was a desk in front of them, with an inkwell, a quill, and several pieces of parchment. To the left was a staircase, leading both up and down.

The other chambers in the tower were a small kitchenette and dining room, a bathroom and bedroom, a guest bedroom, an alchemical laboratory, a study, a living room, a scrying room, an attic, a basement, and a foyer at the ground floor. Apparently, this entire tower was a part of Fort Black, which was the headquarters of the Guild of Heroes.

Looking out the window, Stonesnout found himself staring at a picturesque castle architecture.

The first word that pressed onto one's mouth was 'huge,' and another was 'beautiful.' The fortress wasn't as much a fortress, as it was a fortified city of its own.

It was built a long time ago, judging by the central hub, which had an old, sturdy citadel in its middle; its walls slightly slanted inward, with small circular windows and built from giant, chiseled blocks of white stone. Blue-white banners of the guild seal hung at its sides, covering dozens of meters in width and up to five times that in length. Said citadel had four, smaller wings in the form of arms going out of the middle of each wall, forming a kind of thick cross, with a tower for each arm, and a single central tower in the middle. The towers, unlike the citadel itself, were slender and tall, with blue, pointed roofs.

Around it were smaller buildings, sections of walls separating 'zones' of space, with courtyards where Stonesnout could see people walking around, roughly appearing to be the size of ants at this distance. He saw what looked like people sparring, fighting training dummies, and even a magic circle lighting up only for a wolf to form in it, which someone then fought off with a spear. In one of the sections of the walls, there appeared to be a wholly dedicated gauntlet area, with a long track full of obstacles and - he was pretty sure - even traps.

He saw, attached to a wall, what looked like a storehouse with an armory.

Stonesnout stepped away from the window and asked Elmanthir what came next. The wizard gave him a smile. "Just rest for today. I'll set up my tools, and we can get started tomorrow."

Activities
[] Read books. (What kind?)
[] Try to call upon your magical strength without invoking rage.
[] Offer to help Elmanthir however you can.
[] Ask if you can go around the facility and tour it; promise to not get in trouble.
[] Write-in.

***
Intermission​

"Hey, you two," Aaron approached Marius and Darius. The half-elven twins stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the novice, who recently graduated from being an initiate. As a pair of apprentices, they were considered 'a rank' above him. "I know you're going to the main hall, buuut..."

"But?" said Marius, or Darius, for the twins couldn't be made out. Both of them lifted their eyebrows.

He looked at them in a calculatedly calculating manner. "The voices in my head say there's a rumor that you might pay for certain information."

"What kind of information?" said Darius.

"Certain information," said Aaron.

"Oh, that kind," said Marius. "Yeah, under certain circumstances."

"What kind of certain circumstances?"

"Certain ones! Is no party listening to this conversation?"

"What do you know, Aaron?" said Darius.

"Old Man Elman came back today. Word has it that he brought a 'black-bearded dwarf.' Short beard, taller than a dwarf should be. Skin doesn't have as many wrinkles, and has a red tint."

"Mmmeh," said Darius, looking to Marius, who stroked his robe meditatively, over his inside pocket. "Is it a boy-dwarf, or a girl-dwarf?"

"How am I supposed to know? Their males and females both have beards. Looked like a boy-dwarf, though. Not old; maybe around your age."

The twins looked at each other and grinned devilishly. Darius dug a piece of gold out of his pocket, put it on his hand, and flung it with his thumb at Aaron, who caught it in his hand and gave them a knowing grin. The trio nodded to each other, then walked their separate ways.

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: 2k words or 7.5 minutes of reading.]

Vote Tally

Winning Votes:
[X] Lower frequency [once every ~72h]
[X] Offer to help Elmanthir however you can.
[X] Read books related to combat and the basics of magic.

*~*~*~*~*​

Stonesnout found the wizard tower background to be very accommodating when learning.

The large castle bricks with small art paintings, plants that never seemed to wilt, and old contraptions and silently whirring pieces on shelves were obtrusively distracting, but weren't detrimental to actual learning, especially in the study. There was a strange wistfulness in said study, like an old book shop. The aged, dusty tomes spread among the shelves gave an impression that the books here were older than Stonesnout. Maybe older than the tower itself.

He started looking through the names, asked Elmanthir for advice, and got to reading.

He dropped the hand-to-hand combat manual almost instantly when he found it didn't offer to teach much more than he already knew from first-hand experience. Heh, first-hand. Get it? Because it's a hand-to-hand---whatever.

Instead, he tried to find a book about fighting with some of the weapons he bought but found only a manual for throwing handaxes, and slings weren't much more complicated than just, well, slinging. The whole idea of 'simple weapons' as opposed to 'martial weapons' is that you don't have to learn any advanced techniques for them and can use them with little training.

Any peasant can pick up and swing a 'simple weapon' like a mace about. But to utilize a 'martial weapon' like a sword effectively takes time, investment, experience and practice. Yes, a peasant can still swing a sword about, but he will be easily parried or sidestepped. A trained swordsman will utilize it better than anyone can utilize a mace, though.

Then there's 'exotic weapons,' like bullwhips. You need to train to use those at all without hurting yourself.

Since the combat books didn't offer much, he picked up magic instead and focused on that.

Magic is an interesting phenomenon, Stonesnout learned. It can be found almost everywhere to some degree.

A human might not be aware of it, but as long as he has a soul, his soul will do minor things in his everyday life, though for a vast majority it's so little it might as well not be there.

For example, a study in 572 by someone called Ragna, found that the average human villager at age twenty, in southern Albion, had muscles that were zero-point-eight percent stronger and more durable than they would have been if he was born soulless; a quantifiable difference.

In a way, even space and time were magic, but going back to that 'magic is a weave' metaphor Elmanthir used, those two are woven out of carbon fiber where everything else is linen by comparison. Not that Stonesnout knew what carbon fibers were, or anyone in this world, for that matter.

The book that Elmanthir advised to read first was, 'Basic Magic.' Very succinct title.

Apparently, the author, whose name (or pen name) was 'Krakau' wrote it under the assumption that its reader would be a complete novice. He challenged himself to create a book that was as friendly to an idiot who struggled with pronouncing the word 'magic' as humanly possible. He wrote it taking into attention the fact that its reader might not have ever seen magic before, or even heard of it.

Stonesnout doubted such people existed, but Elmanthir smiled and said there are other worlds where magic is not as common as it is here, so Stonesnout shouldn't be so skeptical. Stonesnout took that to heart and kept reading.

Anyway, that's where the crisp title is from. A word like 'thaumaturgy' would already cloud the purpose to a human who came from the boonies.

And the contents were informative; Stonesnout found the writing style to be brief and refreshing. It's clear the author knew a lot more than he wrote about, but didn't want to go off-tangent about advanced things before there was a fundamental set of knowledge in the reader's mind. Building up a very clean, polished, and sturdy ground floor first, rather than building one full wall and then building the others. Stonesnout could appreciate that.

According to the book, magical energy, more commonly known as mana, was the basic building block of all existence. Every single kind of matter, when broken down into its base components, and broken, again and again, can be traced back to be pure mana. The same goes for forces and energies, such as fire or light.

Your body? Mana formed into quarks, formed into hadrons and electrons, formed into atoms, formed into molecules, formed into chemicals, formed into cells, formed into tissues. No matter how many degrees of separation, in the end, it is magical energy, although it can be quite hard to make the connection due to the sheer complexity of how deep-woven it is into the universe.

Therefore, by learning to manipulate mana and shape it into more complex blocks, one can build the existence around oneself.

He goes onto make that same weave metaphor that Elmanthir used.

Damn this comparison is popular.

He does elaborate that a soul is far more than a needle in the weave, though. It can be much, much more than that: a magnifying glass for the weave, a pair of scissors, or a source of new thread.

He explains that souls - or at least some souls - have something called meridians and dantians, the exact functions and origins of which he will explain in full detail later. To make it short, meridians are like the 'hearts' of the soul: they generate mana, which is the lifeblood of the soul. If generated in excess, they also store said mana for later use. Dantians are a little different, in that they don't generate mana on their own, but instead absorb it from the local space, kind of like breathing.

Generally, each meridian is a little different. They have different mana outputs, storage capacities, structural durability, sensitivity to mental signals, tendency to damage the body should the user overwork them, and so on. And yes, meridians will damage the user, be it mentally or physically, if he uses up his mana and demands more, but I digress. Regardless, meridians are different and checking the exact specifics is a pain and a half, so the quantity of meridians is instead used as a rough measurement of a person's magical power.

Generally, four meridians or less is considered 'not suitable for normal magecraft.' Five is the bare minimum if you ever want to do anything beyond maybe casting a fireball once a day. Magic can be performed optimally with at least twenty meridians. Anyone below that is going to struggle with advanced spellwork and will seldom rise above the ranks of 'meager, unsuccessful scholar' or 'military rank-and-file battle-mage.'

There are methods to inflate the number of one's meridians, such as meditation. Sometimes, they just randomly appear. The author cites an example in his maid, who randomly woke up one day and found herself with a fresh set of twenty-four new meridians.

Apparently, growing meridians, though more time-consuming and harder than casting magic, works on the same principle. Souls are what does magic; what manipulates mana, or thread, into magic, or weave. To do magic, one convinces their subconscious to convince the soul to do it. In this case, all you have to do is convince it to grow meridians, which is harder than it sounds, and it does sound pretty difficult already, no?

It's different because in the real world, you have a set of mental comparisons. You affect the outer world with magic; causing a spark to appear, or a brief gust of wind. Heck, you can even have it bend space or time. It is a bit iffy about the latter - souls lean towards stability - and if your soul detects that you're asking it to create obvious time paradoxes, it will lash out with some nasty feedback. For that same reason, they are also rather hesitant in working with other souls, which is why spiritual attacks and the destruction of souls is so rare.

But even so, this is something else. This isn't about the outer world. This is about your inner self.

In this case, you affect yourself. You have to picture yourself; internalize your thoughts, meditate. Convince your soul to not change your body, not your mind, but itself.

Like I said, very difficult and time-consuming.

And speaking of meridians, according to a test by Elmanthir, Stonesnout had twenty-nine; an impressive array, but apparently, most of them weren't actively running. Wanting to measure if this changes, he told Stonesnout to wear a small metal ring every day, even while asleep, which the dwarf put on without question. He wasn't used to jewelry but wasn't going to question a friendly wizard either.

***
​

The wizard moved his eye away from the humungous magnifying glass, which allowed him to see the exact patterns of some kind of blue powder on a small platter. He stroked his beard and turned on his swivel stool, not incredulous, but thoughtful, as he looked down at the floor, and then up at Stonesnout. "Help me... help me..." Elmanthir repeated.

"Well, there is a matter," he said. "There is a message I need delivered to the Guild Master. And I'd rather not use carrier pigeon since it may be intercepted."

"Intercepted? In Fort Black?" Stonesnout asked, incredulous. He lived under the wizard's roof for under three days and already he knew of the safety of the fortress. He discovered it when one of the mage students, or at least that's what Stonesnout thought he was, misfired a legitimate lightning bolt - thunder, flash of light, the whole deal - into one of the walls, which wasn't visibly blackened or even discolored by the experience.

"Believe it or not, there are unsavory parties within these walls that could do that, and would most likely gladly do it," he explained. "Many desire my secrets for research purposes, others desire the knowledge of what I and the Guild Master talk about, possibly for political reasons, or for intrigue. Either way, I'd rather it not fall into the wrong hands." He smiled in his favorable way, just barely swaying Stonesnout by calling upon the vast stores of gratitude he had for the man.

"Alright." His shoulders slumped a little in exasperation, but he didn't sigh. Not audibly anyway. "Give me the letter."

"Ah, I'd rather you memorize the message. It's rather short. Tell him to meet me in our usual meeting spot at the hour of the first dirty knuckle of the seventh dirty finger, on the day of ruby brimstone worth one-hundred and four pieces, not to be mistaken for ninety-one pieces which is directly before that."

"What?"

"Ah. Let me repeat. Tell-"

"No, no. I memorized the message. Usual meeting spot, hour of the first dirty knuckle of the seventh dirty finger, on the day of ruby brimstone. One-hundred and four pieces, not ninety-one. But what the hell does that all even mean!?" Stonesnout splayed his arms in confusion, shaking his head lightly with a blink.

Elmanthir's smile deepened. "You are aware mind-readers exist?"

Stonesnout paused by the sudden non-sequitur, processed the meaning in this context, then realized what it all meant. Right. If someone read his mind, they'd figure out the message, but not if it's gibberish that only Elmanthir and the Guild Master know the real meaning of. Some kind of code, then. Fair enough.

Stonesnout nodded, then excused himself. Walking down the tower steps and into the first floor, he walked out through the tower's exit and looked around. Behind him, the tower, attached to the outer walls of Fort Black. It looked shorter from down here.

There was a long stretch road between Stonesnout and the main complex, where the Guild Master usually resided. Several minutes of non-stop walking. There were also paths to his left and right, one leading to what looked like barracks, or some kind of communal living quarters. The right one led to a courtyard with some training dummies and archery targets, but also a large building conjoined with two other buildings that had different purposes. This was but one zone of this tremendous Fort, and Stonesnout already felt curious.

Elmanthir didn't really put a time limit on the message, but would it be wise to leave it for too long?

Choices, choices...
[] Explore the Fort. Go left.
[] Explore the Fort. Go right.
[] Go straight to the Guild Master; no distractions.

Noble Scion Hanarei Fable Inheritance Reinhardt Forgy official clown business GumGumChomp Thatguynameded Historical Storyteller ZacksQuest

 

[Birdsie]

[AN: Sorry for the late update; wanted to give people some more time. 1.8k words or 6.8 minutes of reading time.]

Vote Tally

Results:
[X] Go straight to the Guild Master; no distractions.

***​

Stonesnout had a gut feeling if he'd went exploring, he might lose track of time and get caught up in something he really didn't want to get caught up in. True, Elmanthir didn't give the message a time limit, but surely he wouldn't be happy if Stonesnout remained motionless with its delivery.

With that, Stonesnout walked forward on the white-brick path leading towards the main citadel of the fortress, standing in the very middle like a juggernaut of a building, the proud emblems of the Guild displayed on azure-blue and gold banners. Just those banners must be worth kilograms of gold!

Somewhat astonished by the sights, like the roadside flora and the sight of an occasional guild member taking care of various activities, Stonesnout fought the urge to explore.

It was difficult, especially when he saw a woman on a pegasus land in one of the courtyards and hand the creature's reins off to what looked like a golem. He knew what golems were; stacks of roughly human-shaped material animated through magic. Government-owned golem fighting units weren't too uncommon back in Kag-Leihwaz, especially when things got heated. Generally, they were too stupid to be allowed to perform guard duties on their own, and were only useful for apprehending suspects when the risk of broken bones was acceptable. Here, though, it looked like the golem was more sophisticated, tying the reins to a nearby pole while the woman walked in the direction of a castle entrance.

Astonishing, all of it.

It took fifteen to twenty minutes to get to the main citadel. Near the entrance, Stonesnout was blocked by a pair of golems with halberds. The golems had rough, dark navy blue, blocky skin, with clear seams, and they had only one, large, blue eye, like a cyclops. Stone golems? They looked almost... aquatic. Or was that just to fit in with the blue and cyan aesthetic most of the decorative tints had here? He imagined these golems wouldn't actually be capable of fighting a lich, and most guild members could protect themselves, so they definitely had a decorative value to them.

He shook off these thoughts, realizing that two, large blue uni-eyes were boring into him like drills.

"Uhm, I was sent by Elmanthir. I'm supposed to deliver a message to the Guild Master?" he said, a bit sheepishly.

The golems shared a look, then one of them looked forward blankly and its eye turned yellow for several seconds. After that, it clicked blue again, and the golem stepped back again.

There was a tiny pop, and a distortion of light; far lesser in scale than Elmanthir's. Now, there was an old, robed man in front of Stonesnout, who offered his hand without a word.

Stonesnout, unsure of whether to shake it or kiss it, or what else to do, simply clasped his own around it, and realized why this was necessary only a moment after, when he was forced through a tight, photonic tube, and re-appeared in an office, struck by nausea.

The robed man helped him sit down in a chair, then stepped back and left.

Stonesnout looked around. He found himself in a small office of a circular shape, a set of stairs to the far left and a door behind his back. The carpet was a dark blue, and so were the tapestries on the three windows the chamber offered. In front of him was a desk, with some nondescript books, a quill and inkwell, and a golden stamp.

After a moment, a man emerged from the stairs. He had spiky ears and silver hair, alongside a short beard that covered most of his face. His blue eyes had a deepness and evaluating feel to them as if they were rating everything they saw on a scale of... something, but not in a hostile way. He wore spectacles, shaped like half-circles, with a golden frame. He looked somber and melancholic, maybe a little sad. In terms of apparel, the man didn't skimp, wearing floor-reaching vestments of cerulean and golden color, adorned with what looked like actual golden lining, small ornaments, rings with jewels, and a Guild Seal proudly displayed on his chest, which itself was covered in glittering, silver armor.

He walked up the stairs until he was on the office floor. The way he strode forward gave a feeling of majesty, of gravitas and culture.

"Elmanthir told me about you," the man said in a monostatic drawl, calmly stepping behind the desk and offering a handshake. Stonesnout, still evaluating the air of authority the man had, accepted without delay. The man, satisfied with that, sat down and continued.

"It has been twelve years since we last had a tiefling here. Your kind is rather rare, here, you see. Most will join a holy order, or become a lonely paladin or cleric, if they decide to retribute their existence at all. Many tieflings decide their very existence is sin and has to be absolved, so they do that; rarely will one live unburdened by their heritage. Naturally, the Guild will accept anyone, no matter what their allegiance, so long as it isn't stupidly dangerous or illegal."

Stonesnout felt confused by this politicking and racial discussion. He'd never had to deal with something like this, beyond reading something in the newspaper about trade deals and duergar bandits. "Ah, urm, yes."

The man's eyes or tone didn't change, being as static as his first sentence. "Ah, where are my manners? How foolish of me. My name is Julian Auriference Theomach, but call me Julian. I am the Guild Master."

Auriference? That's a weird second name, and Julian doesn't sound elven.

"You had a message for me... Stonesnout, was it?"

"Yes, yes." Stonesnout nodded, furrowing his brow and making a mental effort to retrieve the message from the back of his mind. "He wants you to meet him at the usual meeting spot at the hour of the first dirty knuckle of the seventh dirty finger. And, uh, on the day of ruby brimstone? Worth one-hundred and four pieces, not ninety-one."

The Guild Master didn't look away from Stonesnout's face. He didn't say anything for a while, just sat there, comfortable in his chair. The wizen elf looked almost meek, but after a second, he blinked, then nodded. "I see." He looked up, above Stonesnout's head, his lips parted in a thoughtful way. In a few seconds, he nodded again. "How good of you to bring me this message yourself."

The Guild Master stood from his chair, and feeling compelled to do the same, Stonesnout pushed nausea back into his mind and stood upright alongside him.

"Do you mind if we talk as we walk? I will not teleport anywhere, simply travel."

The dwarf nodded, blinking.

The two left the office through the door and walked down a long hallway.

"You have a most exquisite beard," the Guild Master said, absently, as they fell into step. "Black, unlike the brown and auburn your brothers usually carry. Your skin has a slight red tint; fiendish, suggesting your soul has affected your body in some ways. And I heard your eyes change, is that true?"

"When I am angry, yes."

"A barbarian's blessing?" the Guild Master asked, in a voice that didn't expect to be answered. "Or something else? I hear you fight with no weapons, but you carry an axe, and a dagger, and some ranged weaponized implement for chucking stones."

At this point, Stonesnout didn't question how Julian knew of this.

"But you aren't a martial artist, etiher?" he asked, expecting an answer this time.

"No."

"Interesting. Truly, interesting. I wonder which class you will join."

"Class?"

The man's face paused as he realized his faux pas, then relaxed as he explained, "Ah, I was assuming you wanted to join the Guild? I'm not pressuring you, but all of our apprentices travel in the so-called parties, as it were. A good balance is required for optimal adventuring, especially on the cusp of youth. A lonely hero is an endangered hero. That is why we classify heroes according to their specialty and abilities. A barbarian is someone with an ability to enter an enraged state during combat. Your ability seems to fit that description, and to think you've developed it naturally is quite unprecedented."

"I have had it since my first fight. I feel it, like cold ice in my veins." Stonesnout's voice wasn't explanatory, just an additive; a remark.

"I wonder, however, by Elmanthir's description of your recent engagement in Trost, if you aren't a berserker."

"Berserker? What's the difference?"

"It is as the difference between a shortsword and a greatsword, young dwarf," Julian said, a perk developing on his lips, almost like a smug smirk, but not wide enough to be called that. "Greater power and weight, in exchange for less control. I've heard you almost turned into a demon, right there in the bar, when your life was threatened. That's quite berserkerish."

"Berserkerish isn't a word," Stonesnout said, drawing a weird look from Julian. He realized he just argued such a weird, random point with the Guild Master and his face became perfectly blank and still.

"It isn't?" Julian asked, not taking any insult in the correctness. "Strange."

They walked down a flight of stairs, to a large sigil on the ground. They stood on it, Stonesnout following the Guild Master's movements.

"First floor," Julian said.

There was a sound, like a wind chime, and a tube of blue light came from the seams around the sigil. The sigil itself moved down. An elevator! Kag-Leihwaz had those in some places, so Stonesnout wasn't surprised; though theirs weren't powered by magic.

It took twelve seconds to get down to the first floor. The tube of light crackled and dissipated, and they stepped into what looked like a reception hall. There were three red carpets with desks at their ends, operated by men and women of various races wearing suits and elegant clothes. Two of the desks had people in front of them, but there weren't any lines.

"Now, then," Julian said, lowering his body so that his and Stonesnout's face was on the same level. He pointed at one desk that was free. "Go there if you wish to register with the Guild. Me? Personally? I'd like you to do so. Your talent may not have to be used for this line of work, but it would be useful in this line of work. Do as you will."

He stood straight, and Stonesnout looked at Julian's face. It was the same, somber melancholy he had back when they'd met in the office. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting. Farewell."

Julian raised one of his rings; a square ruby on a white gold circle. The ruby glowed brightly, and then Julian showed Stonesnout a tiny smile as he disappeared in a flash of light.

Did every old man practice magic here? Or did the Guild Master not practice magic and the ring was a magic item? Stonesnout wondered if one day he'd get to be a mysterious, old, badass, bearded dude who used magic on a daily basis...

Joining The Guild?
[] Do it. This is a dream job!
[] Explore first, ask people around for information and what the job looks like.