The guard grunts and twirls around a huge sword. It's as good an answer as any.
The guard grunts. Whether that was meant to be a name or not isn't clear.
A guard, farm grown and stock stupid, stares at you.
0
stnd
25
"Moo! Mooooooo! Moo! Mu! Moo!"
0
gnrc
14
The cow chews dried mushrooms dispiritedly.
0
gnrc
13
The lizard looks at you with naked hunger.
0
gnrc
12
"Hiss!"
0
gnrc
11
"They say it's hidden, but it's real near this obelisk! That's what they say! Can I go now?" She looks at your faces, then sits down, discouraged.
"The gray passes are the best, and the rarest! I know where one is, too! I hear there is a fort, real secret, beyond some lava fields in that steam cavern west of the Tower of Magi! Lots of soldiers, doing guerrilla stuff!"
0
pass
10
"I can't take it down here! I don't care what the Empire does to me - I gotta' get out of here! I'll tell you about the passes even, just help me!"
0
surf@help
10
"Look, I've been waiting here weeks! I've said I'll say all you want, if you'll just let me get to the surface again!"
She stands and bows. "I'm Dougherty. Private. Second Cavern Corps. One. Eight. Six."
A surface worlder sits curled up in the corner, looking at you meekly.
0
stnd
10
She spits. "We're tough enough to take living in these caves, and we're tough enough to take you! And that's all I have to say. Do what you want!"
0
empi@sold
9
"You can do what you want to break me, but I'm an Empire soldier!"
0
exil
9
She looks you up and down. "I have nothing to say, exile."
She frowns. "Caerno. Private. Third Cavern Corps. Three. Five. Seven."
A surface worlder looks at you defiantly.
0
stnd
9
"If I could, I'd take back coming down here a thousand times, and that's no joke!"
"I volunteered to come down here, cause they promised money and adventure. Instead I get cold, wet caves, and crappy mushroom food all the time, all to fight a bunch of regular folks who are just trying to do all they can to live down here!"
0
mont@sunl
8
"How can you all live down here? It's hell! I've only been down here two months, and I think I'll go nuts if I don't see sunlight soon!"
0
cave
8
"Just a prisoner here. Just hoping to get out of these caves alive."
"I'm Gorb. Whaddaya' want?"
A listless soldier, tan from the surface world still intact, wanders around.
0
stnd
8
""
116
miss@assi
7
"Forms this, forms that. I'd rather be going out on missions. Instead, I assign them!"
0
shuf@pape
7
"I don't make the rules. I just kill those who try to break them." She pats her greatsword meaningfully.
She shakes her head. "Sorry. There's a VIP, a Very Important Prisoner, in there, and nobody gets in to see her without orders, no matter what clearance they are."
0
cell@info
7
"This is where prisoners are brought for questioning. The yard to the north is for grunts. The cells to the east are for detainees with special information."
0
pris@yard
7
"I look after the prisoners, and shuffle papers." She looks at her desk in distaste.
"I'm Commander Lynn," she says. "I'm in charge of this fort."
A huge, greatsword bearing warrior sits behind an amusingly small desk, shuffling around piles of paper with hands like hams.
0
stnd
7
"But if someone stealthy and strong, like you, could find one of the gray passes, they could get far into Empire lands!"
"In one of the cells in the building to the east. The damned bureaucrat in charge, however, won't let anyone in to see him. I keep trying, but she just won't budge."
0
gray@pris
6
"I want to find a gray pass, and I think a prisoner here knows where it is."
"I am here to question the prisoners to find out about Empire passes. The passes are scrolls given out by the Empire forces down here, which let you into different areas they control. They are, worst to best, Red, Blue, and Gray."
0
help@pass
6
"I've heard of you, envoys to the Vahnatai. If you weren't who you are, I wouldn't forgive your intrusion on my privacy. Instead, you may be able to help me, and us all. I'm here to find out about the passes."
"I am Caelen." (Pronounced Kalin)
There is a figure sitting cross-legged in the shadows of this darkened room. You look closer - it's a thin man in mage's robes.
0
stnd
6
"Some mage is in there. He goes to where the prisoners are, then come backs here. Does it three times a day. He seems a weirdie, but it's none of my business."
0
priv@occu
5
9
17
"Sorry. I can't give you a bed for free when there are plenty of merchants ready to pay."
4
room@comm
5
3
He serves up several mugs of strong, nasty gray fluid. It'll get you where you're goin', but you sure won't enjoy the trip.
"It costs 3 gold, friend."
10
purc@mead
5
"Hauling shrooms across Exile is thirsty work. You can buy mugs of mushroom mead for 3 gold. You can also get a room for 5 gold. You'll be in the commons, though. The private room is occupied."
"I'm Cronan. Welcome to the Merchant's Inn!"
The bar is tended by a short man with long curly hair and a friendly face.
0
stnd
5
18
18
Rhoads, Priest of Elgar
15
purc@teac
4
"Incantations to crush your vile foes. We long to spread this wisdom! I can teach you the ritual, for a small fee."
0
warr@magi
4
"Plus, he teaches us great warrior magic!"
"A mighty warrior deity! One with the wisdom to realize that knowledge is best let into a skull after cracking it first! It's not subtle, but it gets the job done!"
0
word@elga
4
"I spread the word of Elgar!"
"Welcome, children! I am Rhoads!" He slaps you on the shoulder with one hand, and keeps the other near his mallet.
It's hard to figure out what's most memorable about this priest - his wild hair, wild gaze, or huge mallet at his belt.
0
stnd
4
2
0
Anhara's Tools
12
purc
3
"They need all sorts of things. Poisons to kill pests and attackers. Locks and tools for locks. You know. Want to purchase anything?"
0
tool@pois
3
"Good fellows. Good customers."
0
merc
3
She begins preparing some poison glands as she talks. "I make tools and poisons for the merchants."
She finishes what she's doing, and turns her attention to you. "I'm Anhara. Welcome."
There is a woman sitting behind the counter, concentrating amazingly intently on mixing some reagents. You looks closer. She's making poison.
0
stnd
3
5
0
Matt's Weaponry
7
purc
2
"I don't have access to metal or anything fancy like that, but they're good, reliable weapons. You can buy as many as you want."
0
weap
2
"Between brigands, nephilim, undead, Empire patrols and rogue sliths, they need all the arms they can get."
0
merc@cust
2
"Across the bazaar." He points. "You see that adorable, smart kid she's playing with? That's our son, Nikko."
0
wife
2
"My wife and I sell weapons at the bazaar. The merchants are good customers."
He sets the spear head down. "I'm Matt."
There is a thin man sitting behind the counter, carefully chipping an obsidian spear head.
0
stnd
2
73
70
Tina the Fletcher
7
purc@miss
1
"The merchant's always need more weapons to guard their caravans. You can buy some missiles too if you want."
0
flet
1
"Matt's my husband, and Nikko's our son. Matt sells weapons over there." She points across the bazaar. "He does good work!"
0
nikk@matt
1
She gives you a crooked smile. She's clearly quite tired. "Watching over Nikko. Me and Matt take turns." She thinks. "Oh! I'm also a fletcher."
She looks up. "Hello. I'm Tina, and this is Nikko." She waves her baby's hand at you. "Wave hi, Nikko!"
A lovely woman sits behind the counter, playing with a young boy, maybe two years old. They are both surrounded by arrows and tools of fletching.
0
stnd
1
"Stuff just grows better around here. If the Empire takes this area, we're all in a heap o' trouble!"
0
mert@exil
0
"Where the farmers sell their crops and livestock to the merchants. Ya' know, the area around Mertis is the most fertile in Exile!"
0
auct@hous
0
"I run the auction house."
He shakes your hands firmly. "I'm Elmer."
You meet an old man with sparse hair. His clothes look heavily worked in, with many stains and small rips.
