Pat pats a huge sword hanging off a broad leather belt. "Kill or die, my friend, kill or die."
"Pat."
You meet an elite soldier of Exile, burly muscles rippling back and forth under plate armor.
0
stnd
25
"Hiss!" It tries to get the ribbon off, to no avail.
0
gnrc
10
It hisses, and attempts to bite you on the foot.
Under the ribbon is a nametag. The lizard's name is "Fred."
There is a large, torpid, pudgy iguana prowling around the halls. You cannot help but notice it has a big, blue ribbon around its neck.
0
stnd
10
He puts the barrel down, and picks up another. His remaining arm is frighteningly well muscled.
"Yeah, the Empire? One of their assassins nailed me? It got infected and poisoned and stuff, and it had to come off. I'm bitter, but hey, I got stuff to keep busy with, ya' know? Oh well."
0
woun@stic
9
"Yeah, I look after the storerooms? And did ya' see one of 'em was empty? You could keep your stuff in there, ya' know? I'll look after it. Put it in the room with the webs in it."
0
stor@quar
9
"Well, I'm quartermaster for the Castle, ya' know? I look after storerooms and stuff? Cause, ya' see, I got wounded, and they needed somewheres ta' stick me."
He grins toothily at you, not letting the barrel down from his shoulder. "I'm Ackroyd."
You meet a burly, grizzled old veteran, wearing heavy, pitted chainmail. He only has one arm, but that arm holds a large barrel up on his shoulder.
0
stnd
9
"Now release me. Please, let me go." Even if you wanted to, you don't know how.
Tears slide down his face. It's a pathetic sight. "They're going to do to Exile what they did to the Abyss. Giants, sliths, Nephil, humans, everyone. They're going to kill us all. Nothing more, nothing less."
0
miss@abys
8
He whimpers. "I was just a foot soldier. It was join them or they kill me! They blasted the Abyss. I didn't wanna' die. They have lots of troops, but they never told me anything. I only know their mission."
0
ever@know
8
He turns his head weakly around to look at you. The rest of his body is held utterly still. His voice is a terrified shriek. "Please! Please! I've told you everything I know!"
"Zed! Zed! I'll tell you what you want!"
A thin, pale man lies rigid on the floor, a blue field engulfs him from the neck down. It doesn't take long to figure out what the field is for - it is holding him paralyzed. The man whimpers and stares at you in terror.
0
stnd
8
20
19
Arbanel's Spells
15
purc@spel
7
""
20
heal
7
"Alas, I must ask a fee for my help. Worry not - the tithe will go to the needy, and to the good fight."
"I can provide healing for you. You can also purchase spells from me, which the Empire does not want you to have."
0
miss@aton
7
"I fought for the Empire once; it shames me to admit it. I even sent those like you down here. But redemption is always possible, and is never as hard as it seems. My mission is to atone."
0
just
7
"I am an Exile, the last Exile. I came here on my own after the Empire stopped sending people down, because I realized you were on the side of justice."
"My name is Arbanel. Welcome."
You meet a small, delicately featured woman with a sweet smile. She wears snowy white robes, and radiates a constant, unmistakable power. A gold ankh hangs from around her neck.
0
stnd
7
"Be careful not to tell people these coordinates. The portal would be dangerous in the wrong hands!"
"The coordinates for the Castle are Ain Eff Wyx. That was a week of work. Finding the way to Erika's tower was an accident - we were trying to find a route to near Solberg's tower. The coordinates are on a pylon near there."
0
cast@erik
6
"Three three letter words, which tell the portal where to send you. They are difficult to find, but very useful. I have found two interesting sets of them, for the Castle and Erika's tower!"
0
coor
6
"The portal in the Tower of Magi. It enables one to flash to anywhere in Exile, if they but know the right coordinates."
0
port
6
"A difficult, but powerful field. Some of my work is on the shelves in the library nearby. What's more," (and she beams with pride as she says it) "I helped work on the portal."
0
tele
6
"Well, this is where I come to rest. The rest of the time, I perform research on teleportation."
"I am Curtin."
A woman with long, dark hair and severe features sits staring at the sparkling runes before here. When she sees you, she smiles and motions for you to sit with her.
0
stnd
6
""
128
stip@expe
5
"Everyone wants some cash for this or metal for that. Metal is too rare to give out lightly! But, everyone with royal clearance is entitled to an occasional stipend for expenses."
0
acti
5
"It's a tough job, keeping track of all the crown's wealth. It's spread all over Exile now, in the form of blades and armor and enchanted items, all valuable metal or magic. But I keep track."
0
trea@king
5
"I'm the treasurer of the Kingdom." He pats his blade. "It's a job that keeps me active."
"I am called Garrett. Greetings."
A thin Moor wearing fine robes sits perched on a stool behind the counter. He wears a long, wicked blade at his side, and is counting an impressive pile of gold coins.
0
stnd
5
"The mage fort southwest of Fort Remote. I would bet that's where the Sphere ended up. Now if only someone would get it."
She shows you the maps. They are of the caves west of Fort Remote, a ways west of here. "There is a huge nest of Empire mages in there, doing research. After the orb was stolen, troops in Fort Remote thought they saw some people fly over."
0
stol@thie
4
"I hear it was recovered. Thank goodness!"
"It's an artifact! It enables its bearer to fly! We had it here, but it was stolen. But I think I know who the thieves were."
9
1
sphe@thra
4
"On how to enable to people to fly. It would be a great help for Exile."
"Oh, not on magic. I'm working on something else, to take a break from all of that. I'm trying to figure out where the Sphere of Thralni ended up."
9
1
rese
4
"I'm working on a bit of research. That's what I'm here for."
"My name is Lorraine."
There is a very tall, thin woman pacing about. She carries several large, parchment maps about, and occasionally stops and spreads one out on the floor to look at it.
0
stnd
4
"My loyal friend and guardian! If you see him, pet him for me!" He thinks. Hard. "Or her. It's a lizard. You know how it is."
0
liza@fred
3
"Or maybe Silvar shouldn't be destroyed. I'm still working on it."
"Yeah! I was thinking of a whole new war fighting strategy plan thing when you came along, for wiping out the Empire, and maybe the Vahnatai, and maybe even destroying Silvar too, for good measure!" He thinks.
0
help@mili
3
"That means I'll be king and wise powerful ruler over Exile, me and my lizard Fred. That'll be really neat! But first, I'm supposed to be helping the war."
0
prin@mean
3
"King Micah is the king guy. I'm preparing to take his place and stuff! That means I'm helping the military."
0
roya
3
He stands up proudly. "I'm royalty. I'm the prince. You know what that means."
"I'm Chevyn! Prince Chevyn! I'm royal!"
You meet an awkward, vacant young man with ill-fitting, ratty robes. He wears a silver circlet. You've heard of this person: this must be the infamous Prince Chevyn.
0
stnd
3
""
127
secu@clea
2
"I'm generally in charge of evaluating and rewarding security clearance. If you ever feel you've earned a new clearance, come see me."
0
deal@adve
2
"Oh, you wouldn't find most of it very interesting. Someone has to keep all the information straight. Of course, I do have to deal with adventurers."
She stands to shake your hands. "I am Gilda, head record-keeper. Welcome to my domain."
A happy woman with brown, frizzy hair sits behind the counter, blissfully shuffling forms back and forth, tabulating numbers, and doing other obscure bureaucratic things.
0
stnd
2
"You obtained the blade. Leave me to my work."
"In his tower, to the southwest. I hid it there myself. There is a fountain there with two shrubs flanking it. Behind each pot is a button. Press both buttons, and the way will be made clear." He returns to his thinking.
8
1
patr@poss
1
"I hear you obtained it. Use it well."
He gains a small amount of alertness. "You seek Demonslayer? Ah, we have hidden and guarded it well. Hmm. Where was it? Hmm. Oh, yes! Patrick possesses it!"
8
1
demo
1
"Now, nobody can get at the Athame, and that suits the Empire fine, curse them."
"A small blade of great power. We hid it in a guarding cave in a maze of waterfalls west of Fort Dranlon, to keep the Empire from getting it. They found the cave, and couldn't get in, but they perverted the defenses."
0
bles@atha
1
He sees you have a Blessed Athame, and beams. "Yes, take that! Cut the rune with it to break its power!"
He turns back to you, his gaze suddenly alert. "Yes, I know of those!" You see flashes of anger in his eyes. "Runes on the ground that sear anyone passing. But we of Exile had a Blessed Athame, which could break them."
7
1
guar@rune
1
"I concentrate on bringing aid to Exile. Magically. It is hard to concentrate, and you help not." He turns his back on you.
0
mull
1
He shakes his head, as if to clear it of your interruption. "Mulling. Just mulling."
His mind is travelling elsewhere. He mutters "Rone" absently.
The ancient wizard puttering about this room has paper thin skin and thin, wispy white hair. He seems to barely acknowledge you're here.
0
stnd
1
"Just, please. If you so see her, try not to help her do anything too outlandish."
"She is the cause of many of our problems, and yet she is still our best ally. Her hatred of the Empire is intense and her powers are great. Her tower is beyond the battle-lines, but maybe someone can figure out how to reach it."
0
erik
0
""
129
demo
0
"Garzahd has summoned demons for Empire attacks. Lots of them. His fortress, wherever it is, is probably filled with them. To get far, one would probably need Demonslayer. If we could spare it."
0
summ@defe
0
"The court wizard, Rone, says he may know a way to break even the strongest guardian rune. Ask him about them."
0
guar@rune
0
"He is trapped in a tower near Formello. He cannot leave, for fear that Exile's foes will strike him down. He told me once he had an idea for how to kill Garzahd."
0
solb
0
"Finally, he is a wizard skilled in summoning, and an attacker would need defenses."
"We have some information. Erika and Solberg knew Garzahd once. They may know how to deal with him. We know also that he was skilled in creating guardian runes. Those will need to be dealt with."
0
know@info
0
"In the meantime, we do have some knowledge."
"He is down here now, but we know not where he is or how to reach him. Or how to kill him if we could reach him. But perhaps, if we are lucky, someone will figure out how."
0
garz@assa
0
130
defe@neme
0
"Plus, they have one powerful ally who works day and night towards our defeat."
"After Erika killed Emperor Hawthorne, curse her, they really had no choice but to attack. Now, they're bringing more and more troops down here, and they may well wipe us out. They don't have much land now, but they're building their strength."
0
rava@land
0
He shakes his head sadly. "I work to defend our ravaged land. And I try to figure out how to defeat our nemesis."
"I am King Micah."
Micah, wise and revered king of Exile, sits on his throne. He is a large man, but the pressures of events and his responsibilities seems to be slowly pressing him down. He looks up from the scroll he was perusing.
