High above the town rises the hetmen’s ottaskin, housing not only hetman Tronde’s domicile, but also a barracks and the famous map library.
two muscled sentries brandishing awe-inspiring axes stand guard at the heavy gates of the outer wall, obviously warriors of the hetguards. They ask you about your business, and since you just want to look around, you are turned away.
High above the town rises the hetmen’s ottaskin, housing not only hetman Tronde’s domicile, but also a barracks and the famous map library.
two muscled sentries brandishing awe-inspiring axes stand guard at the heavy gates of the outer wall, obviously warriors of the hetguards. “What do you want?”
“We came because of the appeal.”
“We are the heroes the hetman is looking for!”
“We’ll tell the hetman, but no one else!”
“Because of the appeal, is it? Well, let’s see which appeal you mean:…more imports of Bornland potatoes… submissions for a vote at the Hjalding… large weddings… plan X… heroes wanted…
you don’t look like peasants, traders, jarls or specialists for plan X, so I guess you want to be heroes. All right, follow me!”
“Are you now! Well, you’ve certainly got the daring for it, I’ll say! All right then, follow me!”
“Some real heavy weights in the brain department, huh? Follow me!”
One of the guards leads you to the big longhouse where hetman Tronde is brooding over some ancient maps, illuminated by a number of candles. After you have formally introduced yourselves…
“Let’s dispense with formalities. So you think you can fight your way through the wilderness for months trying to find something you know nothing about? Well then! That’s courage for you!
Right then!
Thorwal is in terrible danger. The orcs are massing in the upper Bodir Valley, and it looks like they’ve united under one chief this time.
If the sages were correct in their predictions, it’s going to be an army of thousands this time! We must prevent the orcs from reaching Vilnhome! If they do, a war is certain. I have studied the old legends and have reached the conclusion that we must try to dominate the orc chieftain. The cowardice of the chieftain should be enough to make the entire orc army retreat. Magic would be best for that of course, but you know how it is: if a sorcerer isn’t incompetent, he’s on the other side. So we have to resort to other means.
There is a weapon that was lost in the orcish lands dozens of years ago: Grimring, the sword of the famous hetman Hyggelik who led an expedition to the orcish lands, but who unfortunately has never returned. His tomb must be somewhere in this enemy territory and with it is probably his sword as well. It is said that sword put the fear of the gods into the orcs and their shamans or whatever they call their religious leaders. Orcs are supposed to have an excellent memory for stuff like that. If we could get our hands on that weapon, and some brave warrior were to display it to those orcs, preferably by hacking some of them to pieces, we’d be halfway home and dry. Either they’d disband then and there, or at the very least they’d be so demoralized that we could push them back without much of an effort.
so now you know the story. Do you still have the courage to go out and start looking?”
“Yes, hetman! When do we start?”
“Of course, but there’s just one question.”
“I’m afraid this is a bit too heavy going for us.”
“As soon as possible! Get your bags packed, get supplies for the wilderness, and off you go! It’d be a good idea to start by asking around… some of the descendants of expedition members are said to still be alive.
As far as I know, there is even a direct descendant of Hyggelik’s around, one Isleif Olgardsson in Felsteyn.
Try your luck there!”
“I can give you a writ allowing you to get supplies from the arsenal - and of course you will be royally rewarded on your return!
One more thing:
As far as I know, there is a direct descendant of Hyggelik’s still around, one Isleif Olgardsson in Felsteyn.
Try your luck there!”
“Don’t tell me you are chickening out now! Oh well…
I’ll just have to keep looking for a team of real heroes.”
“No, no! We’ll take the job!”
“Right! We’ll get started as soon as possible.”
“Swafnir and the twelve bless you and guard over you!”
You are standing before a wall of palisades, three paces high, with a well guarded gate leading inside.
do you
Ask to be let in?
Sneak in when you have the chance?
Try to bribe the guards?
“Sorry, this is the windriders’ ottaskin, and we are not allowed to let anyone in while the otta’s away.”
Dream on!
“This isn’t the central empire, where you can buy every hired hand! Get your faces out of our sight before we massage them with our fists!”
“You again! No trespassing! What’s the matter, you deaf or just stupid?”
“Hey, jarve, there’s those idiots again. I think they’re spies. Let’s get them!”
You are standing before a wall of palisades, three paces high, with a well guarded gate leading inside.
do you
Ask to be let in?
Sneak in when you have the chance?
Try to bribe the guards?
“Sorry, but strangers are not allowed to enter the stormchildren’s ottaskin while they’re away.”
Ottaskins are designed to withstand any attack. Did you really think they’d be that easy to infiltrate?
“Just who do you think you are! Beat it, or we’re gonna beat you!”
“I don’t like repeating myself! No trespassing!”
“Hey, eilif, come here! These bandits are trying to sneak in for the third time now! Time for a good hiding!”
You are standing before a wall of palisades, three paces high, with a well guarded gate leading inside.
do you
Ask to be let in?
Sneak in when you have the chance?
Try to bribe the guards?
“No trespassing! You’re not here on some official business to see garald garaldsson ix., are you? Of course you’re not.”
You must be joking.
“Get this, you stinking thieves! Not everybody can be bribed, and certainly no true hjalding!”
“Don’t I know you? I told you once already to go away!”
“Idra, go and call the guards! Torstor! Over here! Attack!”
The area of the iron yard, thorwal’s “Industrial estate”, opens out before you: iron forges, smithies, a weavers’ yard and many other large factories are to be found here.
do you
Visit one of the smithies?
Interview one of the workers?
Leave the iron yard?
You walk right up to one of the bronze smelters: “Hey there, my good man, can you help us out? We are new in town and don’t know our way around yet. You won’t regret it!”
“Well, i’m not from around here either, but maybe you’re interested in this:”
“Im very sorry, my lords, but I cannot help you!”
you are standing at the gate to the ioman grounds. It is quite empty now. Regular matches are scheduled only for spring and autumn, and then only on market days.
You are standing at the gate to the ioman grounds. Inside, you can hear the roar of the crowds. Do you want to watch the match? The admission is only one bit.
[NAME] play [NAME] today. The match lasts one hour, and [NAME] win %d to %d. A pity you didn’t bet on the outcome, you would have made a bundle.
Tempest thorwal
Snakekillers olport
Sperm whale prem
Kingfisher kendrar
Glory of nostria
Honor of andergast
The havena bulls
The grangor eagles
The festum weasles
The punin scorpions
Arkania zorgan
A sign on the heavy oak door proclaims:
“Embassy of the new empire, closed for relocation”.
a guard in front of the door watches you with suspicion.
A sign on the heavy oak door proclaims:
“Embassy of the new empire, no entrance on the hetman’s orders!”.
a guard in front of the door watches you with suspicion.
To reach the hjaldingard tower, you would have to cross a natural stone bridge a good forty paces above the shore. But you do have a fantastic view of the gulf of prem from here as well. The tower rises another twenty paces up, and with its signal fire it’s sure to be a useful beacon from far and wide - unfortunately, no one is answering your knocks, so you won’t be able to travel out to the tower to experience the magnificent view across the sea. Too bad because you’ve heard that on a clear day you can see all the way to prem.
You are in front of the embassy of the old empire, a resplendent building in the new-eslamidic style.two guards are standing at the carved oaken doors. As you approach, they cross their halberds:
“Sorry, no entrance today, his honor is out.”
Stover Stoerrebrandt's
You enter the richly furnished office of the Festum trade prince Stover Regolan Stoerrebrandt, one of Arkania’s richest men. Besides being involved in heavy trading, Stoerrebrandt has a money exchange and loan here.
Your account: [N] silver pieces
Do you
* Deposit gold?
* Take out gold?
How many pieces of silver?
You can borrow no more than twenty ducats a month!
Your debt with Stoerrebrandt amounts to more than one hundred ducats. You have to deposit some money to avoid getting into severe credit problems.
“Thank you! Do come again!”
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” the clerk answers with biting sarcasm.
Leave
Stover Stoerrebrandt’s
This is a waystation of the beilunk riders. From here you can theoretically post messages to anywhere in arkania. Right now though, it doesn’t seem to be operating so you are very much dependent on your own two feet.
You are standing in front of a three-story tower of dark grey basalt. You can see an entrance on the ground floor and a window on the top floor, both of which have been bricked up. Posted on the former entrance there is a sign - the only one of its kind in all of thorwal: “No entry!”
This is the entrance to ansir arilsson’s wharf, the largest ship building concern in thorwal- if you had the money - something like 20,000 [N] ducats or more - you could have your very own dragonship, cog or caravel built here.
Hetman tronde