A boat is painted on the sign, floating through a cavern.
Metal letters embedded in the wall:
City hall
2
45
"Hmm. Can't help you."
0
stnd
0
There is a pregnant woman with long, blonde hair behind the counter.
She smiles. "My name is Jenny. Welcome to my store."
"I brew a wide variety of different potions. I am an alchemist by trade."
0
potions
0
"For healing, for the curing of poison." She smiles down at her large stomach. "For the easing of pain. Let me know if you want to buy something."
0
purchase
12
Jenny's Alchemy
12
14
0
alchemy
0
She smiles apologetically. "I'm afraid I don't sell my secrets. However, there is a mage visiting who mentioned some having some skill in alchemy. He's been staying around the bar. You might ask him."
1
stnd
0
You see a heavy man with a peg-leg. He wears an eyepatch, but you can't help but notices he occasionally lifts it and looks at something with both eyes.
He makes a brief "Arr" noise. You aren't sure why. "Arr, matey I'm Eduardo. I'm the master boatsmith here."
He says "Arr" again.
"I sell boats. Fine crafts, fit to sail the seas. Well, the lakes. I've got one ready to purchase. You look tough enough to brave the danger, matey! And a bargain, at 250 gold."
1
danger
0
"Arr. We used to sail the underground seas, fishing and exploring. Then the sliths started attacking. Since then, business has been slow."
1
pirate
0
He sighs, and makes the "Arr" noise in a dispirited way. "You've been talking to Andrew. I'm not really a pirate. I got thrown into Exile for punching a captain. I just act like a pirate for fun. There're no real pirates down here."
"The Empire catches a pirate..." He draws his thumb across his throat.
1
purchase
22
2
stnd
0
You see a teenager. He's busy eagerly working on the boats.
"I'm Andrew. I'm apprenticed to Eduardo."
"Just working on the boats. Spreading tar. Filling holes. Following Eduardo's orders."
2
eduardo
0
His eyes widen. "He's good to work for. Doesn't beat me, lets me sleep six hours a night! Plus..." His voice lowers to a whisper. "I hear he was a pirate!"
3
stnd
0
You see a lethal looking woman in a leather baldric. Knives poke out from various places on her anatomy.
"I am Elspeth. Welcome to my humble shop." She grins in a reassuring, lamprey-like way.
"I deal in armor and weapons, and if you have any supplies you don't need, you can sell them to me. What with the lizards around, business has been very, very good."
3
armor
5
Elspeth's armor
1
8
3
weapon
7
Elspeth's weapons
6
12
3
purch
0
"Armor or weapons? Or do you want to sell something?"
3
sell
13
3
lizards
0
"The Slithzerikai. That's what they're called. They all live to the west, and they've just started raiding and attacking. Like we didn't have enough trouble with the Nephilim."
She looks back at the wide variety of weapons on the walls.
"Yes, it's been a two front war. But we're holding them off pretty well. Better than some."
3
nephil
0
"Nephilim. And Nepharim. They're like Nephilim, but bigger, and sterile. Don't know much about it, but that they're nasty. Captured a bunch of our people last week." She sighs, then starts fingering a knife up her sleeve.
"We'll pay them back. Mark my words."
4
stnd
0
A wiry, nervous man sits behind the desk. He has long, frazzled hair and an aggressive bald spot.
"I'm Paul."
"I'm the secretary to his lordship Mayor Steele. If you have some business with him, you have to ask me. But he's pretty busy with this prisoner business. You'd have better luck in the library."
4
library
0
"Door on your left. Not much there, mostly records." He chuckles. "But who knows. There might be a magic scroll."
4
business
0
"Normally he loves to see people. But, the nepharim to the north are holding some of our men prisoner. I'd only bother him if it's really, really important. He's only been thinking about the prisoners."
5
stnd
0
A gray haired man hunches over a desk, muttering to himself. He wears impeccably clean silk robes.
"Huh?" He looks up at you briefly. "Why did Paul let you in here? Go away."
"What? Look, I'm very busy. Unless you have something important to say, please go away."
5
nephil
0
He looks up from his work. "The Nephilim and Nepharim have a fort to the north. They've been giving us hell. Know anything about it?"
5
prisoner
101
6
stnd
0
An aging, raven-haired woman tends bar. She wears gray home-spun, which must chafe awfully.
"I'm Elizabeth, owner of the Darklake Pub."
"I sell food and drink. Also, if you need a room for the night, we have one out back. Just say the word. On tap today is fine mold ale, only 3 gold a drink. A room is 5. And you can buy rations."
6
room
4
"It costs 5 gold."
33
35
6
drink
10
"2 gold."
The ale is excellent and very strong. You enjoy it a lot, once you pick out the bits of mold floating on top.
2
6
purch
11
4
6
7
stnd
0
A young, steely-eyed man sits well back in the corner. He's hard to make out in the shadows. He looks you up and down coldly.
"My name? Just call me Asp."
"Just passing through."
7
scab
0
He smiles humorlessly. "Ah, an old friend. And he sends you to me. I'm afraid I'm not working now. Keeping a low profile. Perhaps you are looking for information?"
7
information
0
"On what?"
7
circlet
2
"Hmm. Someone I met, um, while working, told me that the mayor of one of the rebel cities owns it. She trapped it. It blasts anyone who tries to get it without saying 'Ankh'."
(You take note of this.)
5
8
8
stnd
0
You see a man in flowing robes, a polished staff close at hand. He doesn't seem to appreciate the attention.
"I am called Konig."
"I am here looking for the crystal cave. And I prefer to be alone at the moment."
8
cave
0
"A legendary, dangerous cave filled with powerful crystals. You hear of it from time to time. And if I knew of it, I wouldn't tell you."
8
alchemy
0
"Alchemy?" His dour face twists into a slight smile. "Ah. You must have been speaking with Jenny. What I was saying was that a man named Miles just found an interesting new recipe for strength potions. Not at all challenging."
"If you're interested, he lives somewhere around Fort Duvno. I think. Ask him about alchemy."
8
firestorm
0
"Ah! You found me. If you want to purchase firestorm, let me know."
8
purch
14
Konig the mage
6
6
9
stnd
0
An archer sits at the water's edge, looking out carefully. He's old and wrinkled, but his eyes seem sharp.
"Elmer."
"Watching the water. The sliths occasionally attack from the lake. It's dull, but I deserve a rest."
9
rest
0
"Look, son. I'm old, but I'm sly. I just came back from a recon mission at the Nephil fort to the north."
9
recon
0
He looks you up and down. "Hope you're good, if you plan to take on that place. It's a fort, in a big cave. Well defended. But it'd be easy to sneak it to. There are narrow tunnels all over. I had an easy time slipping into them. You probably could too."
"I didn't look around em' much. Too many rats. But I bet there's an easy way into the fort!"
10
stnd
0
A young woman wanders around, preoccupied. She wear a bright green dress, and is in quite a good mood.
She turns to you. "I'm Nance. Yes, it is short for Nancy. No, I don't like being called that." She laughs.
"Normally, I trade off days with Elspeth. We own the weapon shop together. This is my day off."
10
elspeth
0
Nance smiles shyly. "She's my, umm... my friend." She puts heavy inflection on the word friend, then watches your reaction.
10
friend
0
"Yes. My very, very close friend. I don't know what the Empire's reason for sending you into Exile was, but you're getting pretty close to mine." For a moment her cheery mood breaks, and her eyes show a cold glint of fury.
19
stnd
0
This is a statue of a bent old man. When you look at it closely, you see it is looking back at you.
It stares at you.
It smirks slightly. That is the only response you get.
19
divulge
0
It smirks. "I know something. There's this crystal cavern hidden nearby, with magical restorative powers. But someone vandalized it, and it awaits repair." It smirks again.
25
stnd
0
You see one of the town's soldiers, ready for action at a moments notice.
"Dagnar."
"Guarding Cotra from the Sliths. And the Nephilim. And the Nepharim. And bandits. Heck, from everybody."
