You meet an old man with sparse hair. His clothes look heavily worked in, with many stains and small rips.
He shakes your hands firmly. "I'm Elmer."
"I run the auction house."
0
auct@hous
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
mert@exil
0
"Stuff just grows better around here. If the Empire takes this area, we're all in a heap o' trouble!"
1
stnd
0
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.
She looks up. "Hello. I'm Tina, and this is Nikko." She waves her baby's hand at you. "Wave hi, Nikko!"
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."
1
nikk@matt
0
"Matt's my husband, and Nikko's our son. Matt sells weapons over there." She points across the bazaar. "He does good work!"
1
flet
0
"The merchant's always need more weapons to guard their caravans. You can buy some missiles too if you want."
1
purc@miss
7
Tina the Fletcher
70
73
2
stnd
0
There is a thin man sitting behind the counter, carefully chipping an obsidian spear head.
He sets the spear head down. "I'm Matt."
"My wife and I sell weapons at the bazaar. The merchants are good customers."
2
wife
0
"Across the bazaar." He points. "You see that adorable, smart kid she's playing with? That's our son, Nikko."
2
merc@cust
0
"Between brigands, nephilim, undead, Empire patrols and rogue sliths, they need all the arms they can get."
2
weap
0
"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."
2
purc
7
Matt's Weaponry
0
5
3
stnd
0
There is a woman sitting behind the counter, concentrating amazingly intently on mixing some reagents. You looks closer. She's making poison.
She finishes what she's doing, and turns her attention to you. "I'm Anhara. Welcome."
She begins preparing some poison glands as she talks. "I make tools and poisons for the merchants."
3
merc
0
"Good fellows. Good customers."
3
tool@pois
0
"They need all sorts of things. Poisons to kill pests and attackers. Locks and tools for locks. You know. Want to purchase anything?"
3
purc
12
Anhara's Tools
0
2
4
stnd
0
It's hard to figure out what's most memorable about this priest - his wild hair, wild gaze, or huge mallet at his belt.
"Welcome, children! I am Rhoads!" He slaps you on the shoulder with one hand, and keeps the other near his mallet.
"I spread the word of Elgar!"
4
word@elga
0
"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!"
"Plus, he teaches us great warrior magic!"
4
warr@magi
0
"Incantations to crush your vile foes. We long to spread this wisdom! I can teach you the ritual, for a small fee."
4
purc@teac
15
Rhoads, Priest of Elgar
18
18
5
stnd
0
The bar is tended by a short man with long curly hair and a friendly face.
"I'm Cronan. Welcome to the Merchant's Inn!"
"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."
5
purc@mead
10
"It costs 3 gold, friend."
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.
3
5
room@comm
4
"Sorry. I can't give you a bed for free when there are plenty of merchants ready to pay."
17
9
5
priv@occu
0
"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."
6
stnd
0
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.
"I am Caelen." (Pronounced Kalin)
"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."
6
help@pass
0
"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."
"I want to find a gray pass, and I think a prisoner here knows where it is."
6
gray@pris
0
"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."
"But if someone stealthy and strong, like you, could find one of the gray passes, they could get far into Empire lands!"
7
stnd
0
A huge, greatsword bearing warrior sits behind an amusingly small desk, shuffling around piles of paper with hands like hams.
"I'm Commander Lynn," she says. "I'm in charge of this fort."
"I look after the prisoners, and shuffle papers." She looks at her desk in distaste.
7
pris@yard
0
"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."
7
cell@info
0
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."
"I don't make the rules. I just kill those who try to break them." She pats her greatsword meaningfully.
7
shuf@pape
0
"Forms this, forms that. I'd rather be going out on missions. Instead, I assign them!"
7
miss@assi
116
""
8
stnd
0
A listless soldier, tan from the surface world still intact, wanders around.
"I'm Gorb. Whaddaya' want?"
"Just a prisoner here. Just hoping to get out of these caves alive."
8
cave
0
"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!"
8
mont@sunl
0
"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!"
"If I could, I'd take back coming down here a thousand times, and that's no joke!"
9
stnd
0
A surface worlder looks at you defiantly.
She frowns. "Caerno. Private. Third Cavern Corps. Three. Five. Seven."
She looks you up and down. "I have nothing to say, exile."
9
exil
0
"You can do what you want to break me, but I'm an Empire soldier!"
9
empi@sold
0
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!"
10
stnd
0
A surface worlder sits curled up in the corner, looking at you meekly.
She stands and bows. "I'm Dougherty. Private. Second Cavern Corps. One. Eight. Six."
"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!"
10
surf@help
0
"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!"
10
pass
0
"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!"
"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.
11
gnrc
0
"Hiss!"
12
gnrc
0
The lizard looks at you with naked hunger.
13
gnrc
0
The cow chews dried mushrooms dispiritedly.
14
gnrc
0
"Moo! Mooooooo! Moo! Mu! Moo!"
25
stnd
0
A guard, farm grown and stock stupid, stares at you.
The guard grunts. Whether that was meant to be a name or not isn't clear.
The guard grunts and twirls around a huge sword. It's as good an answer as any.
