A small, beautiful woman with long, curly brown hair is sitting behind the desk. She wears simple velvet robes, and bears the staff of a wizard.
She nods to you, and smiles blazingly. "I'm Commander Mairwen." (Pronounced Mire-When.)
Her smile falls a few notches. "I run this fort. It's pretty bleak."
0
fort
0
"Fort Dranlon. Been here seven years now. We're always the first to be attacked, and the last to be relieved!"
0
blea
0
"The Empire's been hammering us non-stop for months. The barrier didn't help things. And adventurers rarely come here anymore."
0
empi@hamm
0
"The nearest city to us was Cotra, and that's destroyed. Now our supplies have to come all the way from Silvar. But we're well defended. For now."
0
barr
0
Her smile disappears entirely. "The Vahnatai barrier? Remember? It was us and Cotra versus three full Empire garrisons and the tower! And we still endured!"
0
towe@elde
0
"It just appeared, almost overnight, up river to the north, a few months ago. It's run by a mage named Elderan, and launches nasty, nasty raids. It's an important place, though."
"If you could hit it hard, it'd really stick it to the Empire."
0
cotr
0
She sighs. "Nasty business, that. It's just a ruin now, the loveliest city in Exile. But we'll keep it from happening again, mark my words!"
0
adve
0
"Used to be, there were always adventurers coming through here, doing missions for us. Great help. Now, I rarely get anyone to do missions. Plus, I can't bribe them as easily."
0
brib@easi
0
"I'm not allowed to teach dispel barrier to people anymore. I can only offer gold and a good word to the government for those that do missions."
0
miss
125
""
0
disp@barr
0
"It's a powerful spell nowadays, and we're not allowed to teach it anymore." She leans close to you. "But I hear someone in Fort Emerald is being a little loose with it. You should go check it out!"
1
stnd
0
There is an aging, thin mage here. He's directing energy into a magical barrier blocking a hole in the wall. As you approach, he finishes up the section he was working on and turns to you.
"Postlethwaite."
He scratches his neck. "Oh, defending the fort. I'm a refugee, you see, but I wanted to do useful work."
1
fort@defe
0
"I don't want to be here, but I can still help."
1
refu
0
"From Cotra. It was destroyed. I taught magic there."
1
taug@magi
0
"Yes. I still do sometimes. There's a quick spell you can buy from me, if you're interested."
1
purc
14
Postlethwaite's Spells
25
26
2
stnd
0
The counter is being polished by a middle-aged, heavy-set man with short black hair and a very neat moustache.
He shakes your hands. "I'm George. I'm the quartermaster."
"I'm the quartermaster here, such as it is. Plus, I run the commissary."
2
quar
0
"We don't get many supplies, but enough. I keep track of them."
2
comm
0
He indicates behind the counter. There are some supplies there. "For what few adventurers we get passing through. You can buy stuff if you want. We also have rations. This is all we got, and we wouldn't have that, but for the cache!"
2
adve
0
"They stay away from here. Wise move."
2
cache
0
"Empire supply cache. They got 'em all around here. Fresh supplies, teleported from the surface. We don't get much of it, but we can make do!"
2
rati
11
12
6
Icky Rations
2
purc
12
George's Supplies
42
44
3
stnd
0
This solidly built blonde woman can't seem to stop moving. She moves from barrier to barrier and fortification, looking for something to repair or augment.
"I'm Wendy. I'm a mage here."
"Just working the barriers. Needs doing."
3
barr
0
"Walls take time to repair, and Empire mages hit us with fireballs all the time. They're much worse than the sliths."
3
slit
0
"That's who we fought before the Empire came down here. Well, that's what Fort Dranlon fought before the Empire came. I wasn't here, I was with the Scimitar."
3
scim
0
She smiles proudly. "Underground warriors against the Empire, back when their agents among us were covert. We fight with the army now, mostly doing stealthy stuff. But when one of us is needed somewhere, we go."
She claps you on the shoulder. "We're all in this together!"
4
stnd
0
A neat-looking, ferret-faced man hunches behind a desk.
He looks you up and down. "I'm O'Rourke."
"I'm an Exile agent, out here on the front."
4
fron
0
"Such as it is. With Cotra destroyed, we're less a front and more an island."
4
exil@agen
0
"Well, I'm supposed to be doing covert work and such, but stepping outside this fort is a sure way to invite quick death. Unfortunate - there is a serious matter that needs taking up with the giants."
4
matt@gian
0
"The Empire is no more fond of the giants than us, and has driven them into the caverns to the north. I have a quest regarding them, with rich reward if you can complete it."
4
ques
124
""
5
stnd
0
There is a striking woman praying at the altar. Her long, dark hair contrasts sharply with her snowy white robes.
She stands to welcome you. "I am Caitlin." It takes a single look to tell she is very tired.
"I was just completing a very long series of prayers. But my regular work is spell-casting."
5
seri@pray
0
"For peace for those who have died. On both sides. And for the sliths."
5
slit
0
She looks sad. "Poor creatures. First, they were devastated when they lost the war against us. Now the Empire hunts them for sport. They are an old, dignified race. They deserve better."
5
spel@cast
0
"I help maintain the barriers sometimes, but that isn't important. What is important is that I can heal you, if you wish it."
5
heal
20
""
37
stnd
0
There is a young woman with long blonde hair sitting at the table. She clearly hasn't slept in days, and her face, which which seems naturally made for smiling, is creased with sorrow and worry.
"I'm Nance."
Her voice is dull and lifeless. She struggles to be polite. "I fled Cotra when it was destroyed and came here. Now I wait, and stay out of trouble."
37
cotr
0
"It was destroyed."
37
wait@trou
0
"I have no skills that are of use here. I cook and sharpen weapons, and wait for the war to end. However it does."
37
elsp
126
""
5
gray
0
She looks angry. "I'm not supposed to say - it's too secret knowledge for the people who need it to find out about it. Of course, I am allowed to mention that if you took a boat down the river to the west, and rowed a ways north, the view is excellent."
"It's especially nice at the headwaters of a certain river, as I mentioned, to the west then north. And there are fascinating secret passages."
25
stnd
0
There is a soldier here.
You speak with the soldier for a while. Neither of you learns anything interesting.
You speak with the soldier for a while. Neither of you learns anything interesting.
