Four Brigands
Suddenly, four brigands jump up from behind some bushes. As you look behind you, you notice your retreat is blocked by three more of the thieving bandits.
wait a minute… they’re not just brigands, they are orcs, slowly advancing on you with their weapons drawn…
Do you
- Fight?
- Flee?
Adventurer
By the side of the road sits an unusual looking fellow, polishing his obviously dangerous sword and taking a swig from his wine-skin every now and then.
Do you
- Ask the adventurer for directions?
- Ask him about Phexcaer and the orcs?
- Greet your “Fellow” in passing?
“From here it’s at most a days walk to Phexcaer, and about three days to Vilnhome. The road is hardly used any more, but saying that, it’s in remarkably good shape.”
“Orcs? I can’t tell you much about them, apart from the fact that there are more and more of them every day. Must be a nest of ‘em somewhere.
Not in Phexcaer, though. I’ve been there. Not bad, but not the city of dreams for thieves it used to be either. Everybody is on the take, especially the top dogs and the clergy. You won’t get anything for free.”
Orc Archers
Seemingly from nowhere, four arrows shoot down at you with a low whistle. Before they have a chance to hit, eight orcs storm out from behind a rock shouting and yelling.
Do you
- Fight?
- Flee?
Suspension Bridge
You face a small, but fast flowing stream that used to be crossed by a suspension bridge. The remnants of the bridge are still visible, hanging from their posts on both banks. The stream is white with foam. This will not be an easy crossing. Swimming across is out of the question anyway.
Do you
- Go look for an easier crossing place?
- Try to build a new bridge?
After at least an eight mile detour you find a place where you can jump across the stream without any risk. About two hours later, you are back on the road from Varnhome to Auplog.
How are you going to do that without tools?
Your construction looks somewhat less than trustworthy, but it should do the trick. Which daring soul will cross the “bridge” first?
With some thick branches, two long ropes and a lot of sweat you manage to build something vaguely resembling a bridge, across which you safely reach the other bank.
[NAME] takes an early bath, when one of the ropes gives way. You only just manage to save [NAME] from drowning! After this, you decide to only use the bridge after securing yourselves with an extra rope. There are no further accidents and you can continue on your way.
Karen
After crossing the chasm, you cannot help but notice karen tracks on the other side.
Do you
- Follow the tracks?
- Continue on your way?
The tracks lead you to another valley, where you spy a karen herd of about fifty animals in the distance.
On your approach, the animals scatter in all directions and start to flee.
Do you
You creep closer. You manage to get within about two hundred paces without being noticed. Now, who among you will go up to shoot one or two karens?
Stealthily, [NAME] crawls down towards the animals, stands up and fires two arrows in rapid succession at the grazing karens…
Two full hits! Two animals collapse with arrows piercing their throats. The rest of the herd immediately scatters.
One of the karens is hit in the side by an arrow and after a short but futile attempt to flee, falls dead. The remaining animals scatter in all directions.
Do you
Firun withholds his blessing from [NAME] today: both arrows miss. The panicked animals scatter and flee.
Do you
- Pursue part of the herd?
- Turn back and journey on?
Every now and then, you can glimpse a karen in the distance, but the animals keep out of reach of your bows. Disappointed, you break off the hunt and return to the road.
Daspota Treasure
Someone stumbles down the narrow path towards you. You are about to step aside to let the drunkard pass, when you notice it’s a woman, and she is not inebriated, but quite seriously wounded. She is bleeding from a number of sword cuts. Before you have a chance to react, she grabs [NAME]’s shoulder and falteringly wheezes:
“Ten miles behind Rybon… the Daspota treasure… Estorik, the swine… traps everywhere… aargh!”
Coughing up blood, the woman collapses in a lifeless heap. Searching the body does not reveal any further information.
Do you?
- Leave the body for the crows?
- Bury the adventuress?
Peasunt
A lonely wanderer approaches, a peasant judging from his clothes.
Do you
- Ask the peasant for directions?
- Ask about possible dangers ahead?
- Greet the farmer in passing?
“The road leads from Ottarje to Rybon, or the other way around, just as you please, my lords, but I’m from Rybon and should know. To Daspota? I don’t know of any Daspota!”
“Uhm, well, that pirates’ nest is one place you don’t want to go, I tell you, ‘cause they’ll slit your belly and hang you from the highest yardarm by your guts if you do. I cannot tell you the name of the place, ‘cause… it’s a secret.”
Abandoned Inn
There is an abandoned inn ahead, an ideal spot for a rest.
Do you
- Take shelter here?
- Continue onward?
Standing guard, [NAME] suddenly jumps up with alarm. There was definitely a noise coming from somewhere on the lower floor! [NAME] wakes the rest of you. The noise continues. You climb down the creaking steps and cautiously approach the source of the disturbance. As you reach the kitchen, you notice the tracks you saw in the dust have not been made by earlier travelers after all. They lead to a trap door in the kitchen floor. The noise is coming from somewhere under your feet. Could it be smugglers up to their unlawful business? Or is it just rats?
Do you
- Open the trap door and look?
- Let the rats go on rummaging around the pantry?
Instinctively, you awake. You suddenly feel you’re in terrible danger. And yes! [NAME] has fallen asleep and you are surrounded by disgusting zombies in various stages of decay. You have just enough time to grab your weapons and jump up!
Those horrors must have come from somewhere! You search the house and find an open trap door in the former kitchen.
Do you
- Go down to the cellar?
- Pack your bags and get the hell out?
Herd of Karens
After resting a bit, you notice the tracks of a small animal herd, apparently karens, leading towards the mountains a bit further uphill.
Do you
- Follow the tracks?
- Gather your things and march on?
The tracks lead away from the coast into the outer hills of the Hjaldor Mountains. Quite a while later, you come upon a small herd of about ten karens grazing peacefully at the edge of a small lake.
As you approach, one of the karens, apparently standing guard, warns the others. Immediately, the animals scatter in all directions.
Do you
You can approach until you are almost within firing distance. Who will sneak up to kill a karen or two?
Carefully, [NAME] creeps closer, stands up and fires two arrows in rapid succession at the peacefully grazing karens…
Well done! One of the animals immediately falls down dead, another is hit in a hind leg and cannot stand, much less flee. The other karens scatter.
One of the karens is hit by an arrow in a hind leg and falls to the ground. The other animals immediately take flight.
Do you
Firun is frowning on [NAME] today. Both arrows miss their target. The panicked animals scatter and flee.
Do you
- Pursue part of the herd?
- Go back and continue your journey?
The animals have left no tracks to speak of on the barren ground, and you have to call off the search after one hour. Disappointed, you return to the coastal road.
The tracks aren’t too clear but it looks as if something was dragged across the ground here. There is no sign of anything resembling footprints though…
Spider Web
After a while, you begin finding sticky strands of a gauzy substance on the floor and in the bushes. From a spider’s web, I’d say…
You reach a small, but quite steep chasm. The entrance to what must be a cave is blocked by a gigantic spider web. No spiders are to be seen.
Do you
- Cut the web and explore the cave?
- Go back and continue on your way?
A path leads to a canyon that is clearly inhabited by hordes of spiders.
Do you
- Visit the canyon?
- Continue onward?
Fallen Tree
An enormous tree has fallen across the hollow and is blocking the way.
Do you
- Go back a bit and look for a way around it?
- Take the axe and hack your way through?
After about one hour you find a path leading in your direction and make it back to the path leading down into the hollow again some time later.
It takes quite some time but you manage to reduce the mighty oak to handy blocks — but the way is clear now, and there is more than enough firewood by the road for all travelers.
That would be some trick! You haven’t got an axe!