Fable
₮ⱧɆ ₥Ɏ₮Ⱨ, ₮ⱧɆ ⱠɆ₲Ɇ₦Đ, ₮ⱧɆ ₣₳฿ⱠɆ
Since we're all going this way
Stonesnout the Street Drunk
Stonesnout the Street Drunk
-
This section is for roleplays only.
ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.
Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.
Fantasy A Guild of Heroes: Requiem
- Thread starter Birdsie
- Start date
Hanarei
Rawr-ness
I got to rebel on the name.
[X] Bertzee
[X] The Street Drunk
[X] Bertzee
[X] The Street Drunk
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
official clown business
Okay so our name is Piss and we are the Mafioso
Stonesnout, the Street Drunk... actually sounds pretty good to me. Guess the voting is already over now?
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
It does appear the people have made their choice, but I'll hold off for a while longer. Mayhaps things will turn around unexpectedly, who knows?
Noble Scion
Crow, seeker of shiny things
Squilliam the runic apprentice
Character Creation 3/3
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
Vote Tally
Winning Votes:
[X] Stonesnout
[X] Street Drunk
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
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.")
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
June Verles
Depression? Never heard of her.
Careful
Third person
Third person
Fable
₮ⱧɆ ₥Ɏ₮Ⱨ, ₮ⱧɆ ⱠɆ₲Ɇ₦Đ, ₮ⱧɆ ₣₳฿ⱠɆ
Careful
Second person (copied wrong option, pft corrected)
Second person (copied wrong option, pft corrected)
Last edited:
official clown business
Okay so our name is Piss and we are the Mafioso
Careful
Second person
I will never choose first person... but if it ends up getting chosen anyway maybe Birdsie will surprise me. Second person always gets the job done, though.
Second person
I will never choose first person... but if it ends up getting chosen anyway maybe Birdsie will surprise me. Second person always gets the job done, though.
Reinhardt
huh
Careful
Third person
Third person
Forgy
Erratic Adventurer
Bitter
Third Person
Third Person
Last edited:
Inheritance
We're only getting older, let's enjoy ourselves.
Bitter
Third Person
Third Person
Noble Scion
Crow, seeker of shiny things
>Nihilistic
>Third person
>Third person
ZacksQuest
Indiscriminate Quest Taker
Bitter
Third Person
Third Person
GumGumChomp
That’s Enough, Let’s Get You Home.
Bitter, third person (edit: meant to say third)
Last edited:
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
Update tomorrow; if the tie doesn't get resolved, I'll probably roll for it.
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
Epiphany voted "Careful" and "First Person" on Discord, therefore the votes are locked until the next update, which will be the first chapter.
Chapter 1
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
[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
Noble Scion
Hanarei
Fable
Inheritance
Reinhardt
Forgy
official clown business
GumGumChomp
Thatguynameded
Historical Storyteller
ZacksQuest
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.
[] 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
Last edited:
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
I'll tally the votes tomorrow - for now, it's sleepy time.
Forgy
Erratic Adventurer
Personally I'm rough at keeping up with longer posts, but this wasn't too bad. If it were shorter, I'd say 1,000 words would be great. But I'll read it even if it's longer!
Also, anyone else getting Dragon Age: Origins vibes? Commoner Dwarf being recruited into a heroic cult.
[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.
Also, anyone else getting Dragon Age: Origins vibes? Commoner Dwarf being recruited into a heroic cult.
[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.
Historical Storyteller
Four Thousand Club
[x] Keep Them - this is fine!
Keep the level of detail high, it will keep us guessing but leave us enough to work with.
If the post is too short, you'll take too much time getting things done.
If the post is too long, the less control the voters have over the story.
So far, this strikes a good balance, so I'm happy with it.
[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.
Time is of the essence, friend.
Move past your old dirty life and into one path filled with good work and purpose.
This is the stuff of fantasies, the world where we all wish we could live in.
Keep the level of detail high, it will keep us guessing but leave us enough to work with.
If the post is too short, you'll take too much time getting things done.
If the post is too long, the less control the voters have over the story.
So far, this strikes a good balance, so I'm happy with it.
[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.
Time is of the essence, friend.
Move past your old dirty life and into one path filled with good work and purpose.
This is the stuff of fantasies, the world where we all wish we could live in.
GumGumChomp
That’s Enough, Let’s Get You Home.
I’m really liking this so far. I’d say keep the length, or maybe even make it longer. The more detail the better. All in all...
[X] Longer Updates - MORE!
[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.
[X] Longer Updates - MORE!
[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.
Fable
₮ⱧɆ ₥Ɏ₮Ⱨ, ₮ⱧɆ ⱠɆ₲Ɇ₦Đ, ₮ⱧɆ ₣₳฿ⱠɆ
Keep Them - this is fine!
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 on buying things for travel, like a backpack, some maps, and comfortable travel shoes.
Chapter 2
Birdsie
The God-Emperor of Mankind
[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.
Noble Scion
Hanarei
Fable
Inheritance
Reinhardt
Forgy
official clown business
GumGumChomp
Thatguynameded
Historical Storyteller
ZacksQuest
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?"
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
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