>>44153410
[1/4]

“Alright…” You lick your teeth, drumming your bare fingers against the flat of your blade. It was an early morning rising over the sleepy rivertown of Ohlendorf’s Drift. Folks were busy setting up their shops, eating their breakfast, taking their baths and cleaning out their houses. The miners had already marched out for the day-to-day early to go late to return work that they did in the nearby Diamond mine. It was nothing but another routine day in the years given to you by the great King of Therindel all those centuries ago.

And you were spending it with Muck, getting an early bout of sword training in. “Muck,” you call. He sits across you on the other end of the yard. You two had found a nice little vacant lot where the two of you could train in relatively freedom. The wood floor here was solid, there were only a few chests and crates here that did little to impede your activities, and it was large enough to give you relative freedom of movement without risk of accidentally falling in the water. The perfect place to practice your family’s traditional art of swordsmanship. “Uh…” He tilts his head, waiting. “Give me an armored soldier.”

“Righto.” His ghostly cat form melts into the wood floor. Then it immediately melts into the ghastly silhouette of a man wearing thick plate armor. The armor isn’t real, but it does glow dark violet, with Muck’s black form beneath. Very few gaps that say a spear or a sword could exploit. Muck forms a sword and a shield, ready to fight. “When you’re ready.”

>>44153423
[2/3

You charge at him, then bash his shield with the pommel of your sword. Sparks fly off the shield, and your sword rebounds back. He attempts to cut across your lower body. But with a quick lunge back you save yourself. Alright, alright. Find a gap, find a gap. Legs! You hook your crossguard around his ankle, then tug. Muck is swept off his feet, landing firmly on his back. You quickly land your knee on his chest, then point the tip of your sword in the gap between the helmet and the chestplate. “Ha! Got you!”

“Well done,” he says. He reforms back into his cat-like form, allowing you to recover. He stares up at you with his single red eye, impressed. “You’re getting quicker in identifying weakpoints. And I believe using your quillons as hooks is actually quite clever.”

“Well, thanks!” You grin, proud of yourself as you rub your hands. Your palms were nearly leather-like and roughened by gripping your sword by the blade for all your life. You’ve never cut them, no, but that doesn’t mean your hands haven’t been getting stronger. “You want to go for another?” you ask.

“Sure,” says Muck. “Perhaps armored razorback or maybe young dragon this time?”

“Well, I…” You blink, then look past Muck. Muck turns around, tilting his head.

Standing there and watching you is that one girl from a couple of days ago. The one whose kitten you saved. She brushes back her red hair and grins. “Oi, don’t stop for my account!”

“Shouldn’t you be in school, miss?” you ask.

“Nope. Ain’t no school round here, mister!” she asks.

>>44153446
[3/3]

Muck walks up to her, surprised. “Ohlendorf’s Drift isn’t part of Therindel’s Mandatory Education pacts?”

Another boy surprises you by saying, “Nope.” The girl squints at the boy, pouting a bit. The boy rubs back his short black hair, looking up at you. “We used to be, but the town couldn’t afford to pay teachers and keep a school running.” He’s much older than the girl, probably a teenager. “You’re actually standing on the lot that used to be the school.”

Oh. Well. You and Muck look at each other. Now you feel guilty.

“Well I for one like having no school!” says the girl. “Means I can play with my kittycat and help my mum round the house!” She thumps her chest, proudly, glaring holes into the boy. “She’s having me run errands today, Wyborn Windsor!”

The boy, apparently named Wyborn, waves at you. “Hi.”

> Wyborn Webley Windsor <
> Fishing and Boat Crafting Apprentice <

Wyborn points to the girl. “That there is Dafne Daufine. She’s the town’s child that everybody takes care of.”

Dafne stomps her foot, pouting. “I am not the town’s child!”

> Dafne Daufine <
> Town Child <

“Hmph!” She crosses her arms. “I don’t have to stand here and listen to you talk, Wyborn!” She walks over to you, tugging your sleeve. “Come on, Mister Halbschwert! Teach him a lesson!”

> “I would if I could read.”
> “Now, Wyborn, you should be more polite to girls.”
> “Dafne, Wyborn has done nothing wrong.”
> Other

>>44153464
> “I would if I could read.”

>>44153464
>“I would if I could read.”

Kinda reminds me of this one /tg/ play-through of King of Dragon Pass, where there was this one elderly Humakti kept harping on the importance of children being able to read before he passed. It was touching.

>>44153464
>“I would if I could read.”

>>44153589
Humakti are always so based

>>44153464
> “I would if I could read.”

>>44153464
>“I would if I could read.”

I sense a plot hook!

> “I would if I could read.”

“Well, I would if I could read,” you say. Dafne and Wyborn look at you, surprised and also incredibly confused. “Look, you shouldn’t squander your education, okay? I hope your parents are trying to teach you to at least be able to read the Vernacular.”

Dafne shrugs. “I can read. Sorta.” She looks over at Wyborn, tilting her head. “What about you, Wyborn?”

“Course I can read, I was around when the school was still here,” says Wyborn. “Even then, my papa always takes time before bed time to read a story to me or too. Your daddy ever teach you to read stories, Mister Halbschwert?”

“Well, no, we were too busy living underneath the path of dragons under their Great Migration,” you say. “There wasn’t a lot of time for relaxing. We always had to keep watch for dragons, we had to kill dragons who wandered in on the property. Basically, dragons are the reason I can’t read. There just wasn’t a lot of time for bookschooling.” You wag your finger to them, stern. “But don’t you think there are excuses now, education is the King’s gift, same as the days and the life we lead.”

Wyborn leans over to Dafne, nudging her. “That’s right, Daffy. Y’all should be reading instead of playing around.”

[1/2]

>>44154276
[2/2]

“Whatever!” She stomps her foot, picking her coinpurse out of her belt. “If you will excuse me, I have errands to run! Like an a-dult!” She doesn’t get two steps before tripping. The coinpurse goes flying right out of her hands, and right into the water. The three of you stare at the purse as it slowly sinks into the river. And any hope you had of retrieving it are dashed when a giant river carp pops out of the water and swallows it whole.

“… Well. That was unlucky,” says Muck. “You should learn to be more careful, Miss.”

“Aaahhh!” Dafne sits on her knees, rubbing at her eyes, sobbing. “That was ten silver pieces! My mum’s gonna kill me!” She cries loudly, even with Wyborn patting her on the head comfortingly.

> “Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”
> “Wait here, Dafne. I can get you five silver pieces.”
> “Dafne, don’t you cry. The three of us will find a way to make up those silver pieces somehow!”
> Other

>>44154293
>“Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”

>>44154293
>“Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”

>>44154293
>“Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”

For little girls and revenge!!

Also carp for dinner.

>>44154293
>> “Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”
Dinner HO.

>>44154293
>“Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”

I am also excited about fishing shenanigans.

>>44154293
>> “Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”

Good luck all, I have to go to a christmas party. I'll probably be back for the finale

> “Wyborn. You fish right? Let’s go get that carp!”

“Wyborn, get your boat. Let’s fish out that carp!”

“Alrighty!” He takes Dafne’s hand, standing her up. “C’mon, Daffy! We’re going fishing!” The four of you run down to the docks, and grab Wyborn’s little fishing pram and set it out onto the water. It’s actually been quite some time since you got to ride a boat. Before you can say anything though, Wyborn is already on the oars and shoving the boat into the river canals. Dafne holds onto you, apparently scared of the boat tipping into the water.

“Wyborn, this boat stable?” you ask.

“Course it is! I built it!” A jet of water suddenly shoots up from the bottom of the boat. “Uh, hold on.” He quickly spits out a wad of sap, then plugs it up with the gummy mess. “There we go!” Yeah, that doesn’t really assure you of any safety. “There!” Wyborn points ahead of you. The carp is trailing right below the water line. “Mister Halbschwert, we ain’t gonna get it with my fishing rods! Use one of the harpoons!”

You grab a harpoon off the side of the pram, then stand and aim. “Alright, keep her steady, Wyborn.” A few curious townsfolk look and watch as you all basically slowly chase a carp down the river. “Steady…”

You hurl the harpoon down. It spears the river carp in the side, sending it deeper into the river out of sight. “You got it!” yells Dafne. “Pull him up!”

Suddenly the carp jumps up into the pram, biting and flapping around. “Whoa, whoa, watch out!” You push Dafne towards the bow, keeping you in front of her. Wyborn stops rowing, grabbing a cutting knife and a Marlinspike. The Carp rips free of the harpoon, jumping and leaping and biting with its sharp teeth. It was the size of Dafne actually, huge!

[1/2]

>>44155197
[2/2]

Yeah, carp in these parts of Therindel are not exactly like other fish. “Gut it!” you yell.

Wyborn yells, stabbing the carp down into the boat with the marlinspike. You bring up your sword and stab it as well. The carp still kicks and thrashes, but much more weakly this time. You and Wyborn stab it a few times until you can finally say it’s dead. “Alright, lemme handle this.” He reaches in through the carp’s mouth, and at that you can’t help but feel scared. What if the carp bites his hand off?

He pulls his hand out, revealing a very wet and sticky coinpurse. “Ah! Here you go, Dafne!” He tosses it over to her.

“Ew!” She almost drops it, but lets the sloppy mess of the coinpurse soak around her hands. “My hands! It feels so icky!” She pouts a little, sighing. “But thanks anyway, you guys.”

Wyborn holds up the carp, smiling up at you. “You can have the carp, Mister Halbschwert. My treat. Me and mine can carve it up for you if you’d like.”

> “That’s alright. I know how to undress a fish.”
> “Would you? That’d save me some time.”
> Other

>>44155231
>“That’s alright. I know how to undress a fish.”

>>44155231
>> “Would you? That’d save me some time."
Oh wait its a carp. Carps are apparently awful.

>>44155280
Depends on the species. I hear Poland apparently makes really good Crucian carp.

>>44155231
>> “That’s alright. I know how to undress a fish.”

>>44155231
>“That’s alright. I know how to undress a fish.”

> “That’s alright. I know how to undress a fish.”

You take the carp from his hands, smiling back down at him. “That’s alright, Wyborn. I know how to carve up a fish.” You snap your finger, grinning. “It’s one of those things you learn as an adventurer you know! Important survival skills that will make one self-sufficient in the wild and in the homestead!”

Wyborn blinks. “Ya still can’t read though.”

“… yeah,” you mutter. “But hey, at least I can fight.” You pat him on the head.

-

-

As guilty as you were using the empty that lot that used to be a school, you weren’t exactly going to give it up. You already set yourself up a nice campfire in the center of it, where you were cooking the carpmeat by frying pan. The rich and tangy smell of carp was already making your stomach growl like a pack of wolves after an innocent little bunny. For the sake of carving up the fish, you had dressed down to your pants and your boots, leaving your chest relatively bare. “What do you think, Muck? Smells ready?”

Muck says, “I don’t have a sense of smell, why do you ask?”

You roll your eyes, then pull the pan out of the fire. Smells ready to you anyway. You take a cut of meat, then gently pinch it off the hot metal and stick it into your mouth. The searing heat and burning sensation instantly makes you regret that decision. But you are not going to spit it out after spending so long cooking it! You stand up and quickly trying walking out the pain, waving your hands around your mouth and furiously sucking up the pain of chewing on it.

Tastes good at least.

But once you stop walking, you get right up into Captain Dottie Dunne’s face. She looks down at you, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Ah, good morning, Mister Halbschwert. I see you’re still here.”

“Morning?” Muck hops back onto your shoulder. “It’s already afternoon, Miss Dunne.”

[1/2]

>>44156235
[2/2]

“It’s morning to me,” she mutters. “You cooking fish?” You nod, then take a healing potion out of your bag and take a quick sip to ease the pain. “Ah, good, you know how to cook. Nice. Can I ask you a favor, Mister Halbschwert?”

“Oh?” You grin happily. “D- do you want something slain? Or perhaps there’s some sort of treasure the town wants found!?”

“… no,” she says. “See. I was wondering if you could help me locate Dafne Daufine, you two have met, right?” You nod. “Her mother has reported her missing.”

“Oh really? I just saw her this morning on errands,” you say. “Where could she have gone?”

“That’s what I want to find out,” she says. “That’s why I have mobilized the entire Town Guard to look for her!” she declares.

“You’re mobilizing the Town Guard to look for a lost child?” asks Muck.

“We don’t mobilize often.”

> “Sure, I’ll help you look. For a price.”
> “Of course I’ll help. She should’ve gone to the shop and back home, shouldn’t have she?”
> Other

>>44156255
> “Of course I’ll help. She should’ve gone to the shop and back home, shouldn’t have she?”

>>44156255
>> “Of course I’ll help. She should’ve gone to the shop and back home, shouldn’t have she?”
We're a nice guy. trying to get money out of this seems out of character.

>>44156255
>“Of course I’ll help. She should’ve gone to the shop and back home, shouldn’t have she?”

>>44156255
>“Of course I’ll help. She should’ve gone to the shop and back home, shouldn’t have she?”

> “Of course I’ll help. She should’ve gone to the shop and back home, shouldn’t have she?”

“Sure I’ll help, Captain Dunne.” You smile, pulling your shirt, then quickly strapping on your leather chestplate and your pauldron as well. “Do you happen to have any leads? She should’ve gone from the market and back home straight, maybe she got distracted or something.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her,” says Dottie. “Come on.” You quickly get the cooked carp under wraps, then place it in your bag. You then follow Dottie off your vacant lot onto the walkways where the Town Guard and some concerned parents have assembled. “Alright, everybody! I got Mister Halbschwert to assist us! Here’s how it’s going to go down. We’ll split into two teams! Gold Team searches up river from here, Red Team will search down river from here! Mister Janowicz will lead Gold Team, and Miss Byrnesley will lead Red Team! Ring the town bell when you find her and we’ll rally at the little Dafne Daufine’s house! Any questions!?”

…

One guard raises his fists in the air, shouting, “Gold Team rules!”

“Move out!” yells Dottie. Everyone begins running around the walkways, moving to find Dafne wherever she may be. She might be under a crate, underneath the walkways, somewhere in the river, on a boat, in a house, or even in the mouth of a dead shark hanging from a hook. Judging by where everyone seems to be looking, the possibilities are endless. “Mister Halbschwert. You seem to be good with kids.”

“Am I?” you ask.

She shrugs. “Are you?”

“Well, I guess kids like me,” you say. “Why does that have to do with anything.”

“I was hoping you might know where she would likely run off to.” She quirks her brow. “Any ideas, perhaps?”

Hm. You rub your chin. Ideas, ideas. You snap your finger, grinning. “I might know!”

[1/2]

>>44157350
[2/3]

-

-

After knocking on the door, Wyborn’s father answers the door. He rubs at his face with a rag, covering up his tanned complexion and washing away the sweat of today’s work. “Ah, Captain Dunne, uh… Mister Halbschwert. Do you two need anything?”

Dottie folds her arms over her chestplate, looking up at Mister Windsor. “We’re looking for Dafne Daufine. She didn’t come home from the shop, and it’s been a few hours. We fear she may be lost.”

“Lost?” Mister Windsor points what’s left of his thumb into the inside of his house. “My son’s teaching her how to read.” The two of you glance at each other. Oh. “Come on in, I’ll show ya, aye.” The two of you step into the Windsor residence. It was a dreary yet oddly cozy house on the end of a pier in Ohlendorf’s Drift. It was dark, save for the windows letting in the light of today reflected off the water. And across the walls were trophies of legendary fish and aquatic monsters of days gone by.

“You an adventurer, Mister Windsor?” you ask.

“Ha!” He grins at you, holding up his cut apart hand. “Sure am, lost this finger to a dragon. This finger to a carp. And the thumb to acid.”

You smile a little, chuckling. “Hehe! Good thing we’re blessed with two hands, right?”

“Well…” He holds up his other arm, showing his lack of spare hand. “Guess I squandered that, huh.” He opens the door into Wyborn’s bedroom. “Wyborn! Dafne’s gotta go home! Her mum’s worried sick!”

You and Dottie look inside to see Dafne squinting intensely at the page of a book. Wyborn looks up, nodding. “’Kay, papa. Just give us a minute.” He grunts, allowing it. “Here, Daffy, read this line.”

Dafne grumbles a little. “… and, the, King did say… let there be…” She squints even harder.

“Squinting isn’t going to help,” says Wyborn. “S sound, then on, then guh.”

[2/3]

>>44157372
[3/3]

Dafne nods. “Song. Let there be song.”

“Good,” says Wyborn. He shuts the book. “You know how to read the basic written Vernacular then, Daffy.”

“Feh!” Dafne turns her nose up. “I don’t need to know how to read anyhow!”

Mister Windsor chuckles, looking at you two. “If ya two’d like, I can cook you something to eat real quick. Manner of hospitality, and as apology for keeping li’l Daffy for so long and worrying y’all.”

> A meal would be good.
> No, you should be going quick.
> Other

>>44157400
>> A meal would be good.
Why not.

>>44157400
>A meal would be good.

>>44157400

> A meal would be good.

> A meal would be good.

“A meal would actually be good.” You pat your stomach. “Was in the middle of lunch when Captain Dunne launched the search. If you want I can share some of that carp too.”

“Ah yeah, my boy. I’ll cook ya something good. C’mere.” He leads you on over to the kitchen counter. He grumbles a bit, apparently confused by something.“Hey, Wyborn! Where’d you leave the knives!?”

“Drawer!” yells Wyborn from his room.

He pulls on the drawer, then draws out a knife. “Leave your carp here and go on and sit down, I’ll be right with ya.” You nod, walking to the dining table. You sit down, smiling as you across from a bored looking Captain Dunne. “So, Halbschwert. I heard of ya from that town meeting we had few days past, why d’ya hold your sword like that?”

You sigh. If you had a gold piece for every time someone asked that… “Well, Mister Windsor, it’s an art that my father passed down from his father and his father and his father and his father and his father, and so on. It’s just an alternate and more efficient of killing armored opponents with your sword. Now you can slash and try to dice dragons or guys in armor all you want with a sword, and if you’re strong it works but…” You shrug. “I ain’t strong, I ain’t too smart either. So, this is something I learned from my father and I just apply it from days of killing dragons with it.”

“That so?” He starts chopping up meat, your carp meat and some other identifiable stuff like trout and salmon. “Interesting history to that. Ya know, I used to be an Adventurer like ya until a dragon ate my hand,” he explains. “Actually how I met Wyborn’s mother.”

“Where is she?” you ask.

“Lost her to Scarlet Plague several years back when the boy was young,” says Mister Windsor casually.

“Oh.” You blink, looking at Dunne. She nods, signaling that Mister Windsor has apparently already moved on. “My condolences.”

[1/3]

>>44158296
[2/3]

“We made our time together worth it,” he says as he sets down a few plates of fish meat for you and Dunne. “Enjoy.” There’s a knock at the door. “Oi, hold on.” He walks on over to the front door, and opens it up to meet the entire Town Guard plus a very concerned looking Misses Daufine. “Oh, Misses Daufine, Town Guard. Dafne’s in here.”

“Oh my goodness!” Misses Daufine runs in, and sees Dafne already packing her things up to leave. “Dafne!” Dafne blinks in surprise, but before she can react she is taken into a tight hug. “Oh, I was so worried! You didn’t come home for hours! I thought you had taken a swim in the river and drowned! Oh my poor baby!”

“Er, mum, I’m okay,” says Dafne, a little embarrassed. “I was just here with Wyborn, honest.”

“Hmph.” Misses Daufine pouts a bit. “Don’t scare me like that again. You can play with Wyborn after you finish your errands!” She looks over at Wyborn. “Isn’t that right, Wyborn?”

He shrugs, placing his book back on his shelf. “Er, I guess.”

“Good!” Misses Daufine walks out of the room, with her daughter in her arms. “Oh, Mister Halbschwert, nice to see you again!” She waves at you, smiling happily as she walks out of the house.

The Town Guard all look at each other, confused. “Now what the hell do we do!?” yells one of them. They all grumble at the lack of a satisfying action climax to the day, and move on away from the house.

Dottie looks at you, chewing her food. “As you can see, we do have issues with the fact that nothing really happens here. No monsters ever come round this way save for the occasional stray dragon or a killer carp. And because of that, no Adventurers come round to spend their coin. And because of that, we simply aren’t a very rich town.”

>>44158312
[3/3]

“Aye,” says Mister Windsor as he sits down between you and Dottie. “It’s a shame really. We had to tear down the old school because its previous owner couldn’t afford to keep it running anymore. The main highway bypassing us has all but killed this town, that and the depletion of the mine.” He sighs, rubbing his forehead. “Mister Halbschwert. Do you honestly intend to stay here and er… try and make an Adventure out of this?”

> “If nothing else, I think this is a pretty cozy place to live.”
> “I try and make an Adventure out of everything.”
> “Well, I mean… it’s nice here but…”
> Other

>>44158340
>> “I try and make an Adventure out of everything.”
Because when you think about it Adventures never end.

>>44158340
>“I try and make an Adventure out of everything.”

>>44158340
> “I try and make an Adventure out of everything.”

>>44158340
>“I try and make an Adventure out of everything.”

There's something to be learned from anywhere I stay at.

> “I try and make an Adventure out of everything.”

You shrug. “I try to make an adventure out of everything.” You smile at them. “Look, we all get the wanderlust when we’re kids, yeah? But me, wanderlust is part of me. I can really like it here, yeah, if I were just a bit more relaxed and a little more family oriented but I’m not!” You hold out your arms wide, for emphasis. “Me and Muck are Adventurers! We make life a whole story to tell around the fireplace. And when you think about it, an adventure never ends.”

“I see.” Windsor nods a little, respectfully. “Well, sooner or later, son. Ya gonna learn that not everything is a story where you slay a monster and save the town.” He sighs. “Truth be told, this town ain’t in any danger from monsters, but it’s still dying.” He looks over at Dottie, who sadly looks at her food. “Sorry to say that, Miss Dunne, but that’s the reality of it. Me and Wyborn were planning on moving up to the High City of Imperial City up north. The Southron has served us good but I do feel soon that it will be time to leave.”

You frown a little. “Ah, I see. Well, I’m not one to judge. If you feel that way, sure.” He nods.

Dottie nods. “This is good salmon.”

“Aye,” he says. “Gonna miss it.”

-

-

You spent an hour or two at the Windsor residence, getting stories from Mister Windsor’s days as an adventurer. The stories he weaved of crossing the mountains, exploring the Dwarven colonies across the sea, slaying feral kobolds and even a Swamp Dragon made you feel like a child again. Figures considering he has a son of his own. But now you were walking back to the barracks with Dottie, who was looking down it seems. “Is something wrong?” you ask.

[1/2]

>>44159481
[2/2]

Dottie nods. “This town is dying, Mister Halbschwert. I don’t mean to make it your business but it is best to be honest right now if you intend to make it a home.” She stops you, intending to address very sternly and directly. “The fish don’t come in large enough numbers because they go down the Younger River towards Delta Town. That means we can’t export them enough to pay for everything. The lands around here are too wet to farm. The Hawkins family doesn’t even live around here, they have to cross twenty odd miles to get here and there to their homes. And worst of all, the Diamond mine is being depleted. Maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but when it does finally dry up. All the miners are going to leave.”

Wow. “How long have you lived here?” you ask.

“Since I was a child.” She points out a pier. “I was actually conceived on that pier over there.” Oh. Well. “But… this is my home, Mister Halbschwert. And I am afraid that it will be nothing more than a ghost town within a few years.”

“You shouldn’t think like that,” you say. “There has to be some way to make the most out of the town, right?” Is there? You never were an economist type.

She shrugs. “If there were, I simply wouldn’t know. Short of the Elves coming back right on this particular spot.” She sighs sadly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be dumping this problem on ya, Mister Halbschwert, you’ve been too kind to this community.”

“No, no…” You scratch your chin, thinking.

“What?” she asks.

“We could totally turn this town around,” you say. “I mean… somehow.”

“How?” she asks again, this time much more skeptically and cynically.

> “We start with the kids?”
> “Find a new way to make money.”
> “Well, I was hoping you would have an idea considering I’m a little stupid.”
> Other

>>44159502
> “Find a new way to make money.”

>>44159502
>“Find a new way to make money.”

>>44159502
> “Find a new way to make money.”
How?
> “Well, I was hoping you would have an idea considering I’m a little stupid.”

>>44159502
>“Find a new way to make money.”

>>44159502
>“Find a new way to make money.”
Preferably by a method that doesn't involve attracting people via tourist traps or vague ancient legends. Perhaps there's a way to make this town a hub between several important places?

> “Find a new way to make money.”

“We find a new way to make money.” You plant your hands on your belt, looking around the town. “I mean, look at this town. There’s got to be some way to make money that doesn’t involve attracting Adventurers or tourists. This town used to be great before the main Highway right?” She nods. “Well, maybe we should be trying to figure out ways to attract traders and merchantfolk like that, we find a way to bring the Highway to us!”

She narrows her eyes. “… a-… are you suggesting we steal the Highway?”

“No!” you yell. She blinks, surprised. Honestly, stealing the Highway would be a good idea if it weren’t so logistically difficult. “I mean, nice idea, but that’s not going to work. We can’t just steal an entire highway and reroute to Ohlendorf’s Drift!”

“Why not?” she asks.

“No, look, forget about it,” you say. “We just need to find a way to attract traders and people like that.” You motion towards the sea. “We’re built on a river delta, maybe the town could be turned into a port!” You smile, thinking on it. Yeah, this is a good exercise for your brain.

Muck appears on your shoulder. “Why exactly can we not steal the Highway?”

“It’s a road! You can’t steal roads!” you shout. “They’re built into the ground, they’re static! They’re as immovable as mountains when you lay them!”

A passing townsperson stops between you two. “Hey, hey, hold up. Are we stealing the Highway?”

“I think we are,” says Captain Dunne.

“We’re not!” you shout again. “Get outta here!” The townsperson groans, disappointed as he leaves. “Stop telling people we’re going to steal a road!”

“Look, stealing a road is my most reliable idea,” she explains. “Unless you have something better.”

“Well…”

> “We’re slightly inland, but I do think a port for bigger ships would help the town.”
> “Maybe if we explore those mountains a little, we might find a new lode for the miners!”
> “I think the town needs to specialize in something, something only we can offer!”
> Other

>>44160650
> “We’re slightly inland, but I do think a port for bigger ships would help the town.”
> “Maybe if we explore those mountains a little, we might find a new lode for the miners!”
> “I think the town needs to specialize in something, something only we can offer!”

>>44160650
>“We’re slightly inland, but I do think a port for bigger ships would help the town.”
> “I think the town needs to specialize in something, something only we can offer!”

Either or, really

>>44160650
>“I think the town needs to specialize in something, something only we can offer!”

>>44160650
>“Maybe if we explore those mountains a little, we might find a new lode for the miners!”

Failing that 'cause the miners already have we

>“We’re slightly inland, but I do think a port for bigger ships would help the town.”

Close port access to a major inland road would be huge.

> “We’re slightly inland, but I do think a port for bigger ships would help the town.”

-

-

The townspeople all stare at you. The town meeting had been called this night on your own accord to discuss how to save the town and revitalize its economy. And that idea was to build a port, in a river delta, for a town that’s somewhat buried inland. The looks on their faces cry nothing but contempt and cynicism for the idea. “… so yeah.” As you stand at the front of everybody, Muck allows you to cycle through magical pictures to show off the concept of the idea to them. “Erm. We would have at least one or two jetties starting out for say a galleon or two. But as our traffic expands, so too would the port. Now, you are probably wondering how we connect this port to the town. Now, the town is not too far from the sea, only a quarter mile or so, so if we-“

A miner raises his hand. “Lemme get this straight, ya?” You nod to him. “In order to rebuild our economic strength and such, ye, we gots to build something incredibly expensive, and something that may not even attract any ships?”

You curl your lips a little, then nod. “Yeah.”

“It’s a bit risky, don’t ya think?” says another miner.

“Well, I mean, I would personally fund it out of my own pocket.” They all murmur, wondering if you’re really stupid enough to do it. “And think of it this way. The main Highway may not come by us, but if we establish ourselves as a port town, where sailors can refresh on supplies and food and drink, then the main Highway can just come to us! How about that?”

One townsperson raises his hand. “Why don’t we just steal the main Highway?” Everyone nods, agreeing with the plan.

The Mayor nods as well, standing at her podium. “Yes. We have enough people. The miners are experienced diggers as well. We can just cut the road into segments that can be gradually bent over to our town. Nobody will know the difference!”

[1/2]

>>44161864
[2/2]

“You can’t steal a road!” you yell. “Look! People! I know this town is dying! But damn it all, the King did not die for us just so we could let our homes wither and die beneath us! You’ve got to make the most of this place, and turn it into one of the greatest towns Therindel can offer. Now like I said, I will go out there and personally build this port myself if I have to! This is not about money or politics anymore, it’s about preserving this town. So who’s with me!?”

…

Someone coughs, breaking the silence.

“I’ll do it,” says Dottie. She stands up from her chair, and steps up beside you. “Anyone else?” The town guard immediately stand up from their chairs, then join Dottie at her side. About twenty or thirty people, that should be a good start. “What about the rest of you townsfolk? Will you join us?”

“Aye!” says a townsperson. “Perry Pryne, the town woodcutter, will devote wood to this project!”

Dafne Daufine’s mother, Misses Daufine stands up as well. “The Daufine family will provide food and drink!” You all look at her, confused. “… it’s the most we can do, we do want to help.”

“The Windsor family offers its boats!” yells Mister Windsor and Wyborn. All the townspeople start yelling out their support, raising their hands. The miners are providing tools, some people providing their boats or even pieces of their houses to get started.

You smile. Now this is some adventure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAqe9iRjmbc

File: High City of Imperial City.jpg (268 KB, 850x580)

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>>44161892
That's it for tonight's Town Adventurer chapter and this weekend in GS Questing. Hope you all enjoyed, and I should be back next weekend for more.

Follow at: https://twitter.com/GermanSchteel
Ask at: http://germanschteel.tumblr.com/

See you next time.

>>44161922

Thanks for the run, GS. See you next time!

>>44161922
Thanks for running, boss.

>>44161922
Damn, I get in too late. ah well, I'll just read it now.

>>44161892
Thanks for the fun, boss. I really do enjoy Therindel.