test drive meme #2

[fernwehmods]

SCENARIOS

01. Settling In

It's been a couple of days since you have arrived and once the fatigue from that multiversal travel has been fixed there is a town that you should probably get acquainted with. At least well enough that you don't get lost every time you venture away from the inn where you are likely staying for the time being.

Down the narrow streets to the south where most newcomers first enter Gazin, the tradespeople have set up their shops. Armourers, blacksmiths, bowyers and carpenters can all be found there, as well a few shady types who cannot pass up the advantage of ripping off an unsuspecting person.

Heading east, one can find the two apothecary shops, a bakery, a herbarium, seamstress and shoemaker. There is also a medical clinic set up and is equipped to care for anything up to moderate injuries.

The northern part of town is the district that most people tend to avoid. It's smelly and dark and trouble lurks in every corner. It's hard not to get an uneasiness that feels like someone is watching you. If asked, most civilians will explain why it is called The Devil's Mouth.

In the west district, it is bright and cheerful and generally happy. Music and celebration seem to happen twice daily, every day of the week with Saturday being the loudest. During that day, the marketplace comes to life with vendors selling their fresh food or wares. In the evening, there's typically a firework show and maybe a drunken fistfight or two that ends with more drinking and some laughter. Sometimes, but not often, trouble from the northern district trickles into the west. Those slow festivities but not for long.

02. Exploring

You have heard people talk about the places beyond Gazin and now you find yourself itching to get out and see them. Be it Vasari Forest or Roselake, you and your trusty legs (or horse) plan to be gone for a week or more. One must always be cautious of the dangers while travelling, however. Bandits and rogue soldiers often cannot pass up the chance to take what isn't theirs. There are also creatures and monsters hiding in wait to curiously check you out or worse, hunt you for their next human-shaped meal.

But, that's all part of the adventure! Take someone along with you and maybe some weapons, too. Make sure one is made of silver.

03. Quest

The Druid known as Bhalris has contracted you to head into the Oren Mountains to find and pass a message along to the dwarf known as Brazmas Steelbelly. What Bhalris doesn't exactly explain is where Brazmas can be found, only giving approximate directions to a certain landmark where a series of clues will be revealed that start an interesting, though perhaps frustrating adventure.

Pay attention to the white raven and other animals along the way. They may be there to help with your journey. How do you tell them apart from the other wildlife that may or may not be dangerous? You can't.

Good luck!

04. Celebration

Impromptu parties are quite the norm in Gazin and it doesn't matter what the occasion is or who it is for. There's music, plenty of drink, dancing and good times to be had.

Let loose and have some fun!

05. Wild Card!

Want something else? Feel free to choose your own adventure or mix and match to create something completely different!

NAVIGATION

Comments

[darksmokerising]

She listens, just that, letting him talk and purge, nodding and making soft noises when appropriate. It's a harder life than she's had, even with her parents gone, even with her uncle gone and her auntie going on more and more hunts before dying herself.

Merlan listens and asks no questions, save perhaps about Men of Letters and angels. When he's done, she tells him of her own life, and about the angel Micah, how he taught her as much about angels as she did about humanity, how they changed each other, and how he must have died in the Fall in her universe. Being an angel now eases some of the loss but it's still a loss of a best friend.

Or whatever they were.

Pieces of each other at the end.

But her expression is one of understanding, of getting it and knowing as much about hunting and lore as maybe Sam's Bobby - getting close at least. She'd been high tech, they'd been low tech, she'd been rich, they'd been scraping by but she gets it. The pains and agonies, they joys. The hunting, but not Heaven or Hell. She understands and she places a hand over Sam's and just squeezes once before taking a drink of her own beer.

"Lotta shit, but also sounds like you've done an amazing amount of good," she finally says. "Hard to let go of mistakes but the good outweighs the bad from where I'm sitting, Sam."

[notarambler]

Sam ducks his head still unable to take praise when it is given to him. "I've done my best," he admits quietly, "it hasn't always been easy, but I've tried." He takes a long drink of beer and then meets her eye again. "Guilt is a hell of a thing isn't it?"

[darksmokerising]

"It's a thing alright," she says with a sigh. "Never lets you rest, gets in the way of sleep. Probably why I don't sleep much myself. But you can do only so much. Doesn't make the guilt any better though."

[notarambler]

Sam shakes his head in agreement. "No it doesn't," he says, "I've felt it's weight on my soul since I was a kid....since I was force fed demon blood."

[darksmokerising]

"That's an awful lot to place on a child," she murmurs. "I hope I am no burden on you, Sam. I survived and landed here, maybe not by Chuck's hand entirely. There's goodness out there, still. It has a way of coming together, I find. Especially when a few battered souls need it the most."

Merlan laughs softly.

"It sounds like horseshit, I know. But I can't lose hope."

[notarambler]

"I was looking," Sam says, "and I'd be happy to take one of your rooms. I can do odd jobs in trade. I'm good at woodworking and I'm strong so I don't mind. I'm also good with magic and can ward any place you need warded if you want."

[darksmokerising]

"Sounds like a plan," she says with a nod. "The better we can keep the place maintained the better it'll be to live in."

[notarambler]

"I'd be happy to," Sam agrees, "I like knowledge but I also like working with my hands."

[darksmokerising]

"Same here," she says, rising. "It's basic furnishing right now. You're welcome to come back with me and settle in. I should head back anyway. I want to get back before dark."

[notarambler]

Sam stands and waves her ahead. "Please," he says, "I don't want to keep you from anything important."

[darksmokerising]

"Nothing important, just the dark," she says quietly. "Travel by daylight is generally best in these parts. Night travel can get a little spicy."

[notarambler]

Sam huffs. "The dark hasn't scared me since I was four," he replies, "which reminds me I need to get some weapons made. I feel like I'm missing an arm already."

[darksmokerising]

"There are things that probably would eat you out there," she said dryly. "I've seen them in the night. But that's what wards are for. As far as weapons, I have many from swords and knives to spears or I can make them."

[notarambler]

Sam shrugs. "I'm probably too much gristle for anything that might even try to eat me." He chuckles quietly. "As for weapons I'm used to guns, but I get the sense from talking to other people that might not fly around here...a sword wouldn't be horrible...or a crossbow."

[darksmokerising]

"I haven't really made a gun before. I suppose it can't be that difficult considering I've taken them apart and put them back together several times before. Swords or crossbows aren't difficult for me to make though."

[notarambler]

"It wouldn't need to be anything fancy, as long as It works I'm happy," Sam replied, "I can draw up some plans of the last one I had if you want?"