[X] Agree to go eat.
-[X] Suggest you ought to take a little time to get cleaned and patched up before going.
-[X] Describe the Monstrous Corn Tree you saw and ask if it's a hazard that needs to be destroyed ASAP. If it is, it's probably best if the Guild knows where it is so it can be stamped out. If not, then you can keep its location to yourself until you decide what to do about it
GM Note: You know, I've had the goldleaf quest with a set reward for gold leaf regardless of quality this entire time for some reason and managed to miss it for basically the entirety of this quest's running time... Perhaps my greatest fail yet, i shall begin furiously facepalming now.
[X] Agree to go eat.
-[X] Suggest you ought to take a little time to get cleaned and patched up before going.
-[X] Describe the Monstrous Corn Tree you saw and ask if it's a hazard that needs to be destroyed ASAP. If it is, it's probably best if the Guild knows where it is so it can be stamped out. If not, then you can keep its location to yourself until you decide what to do about it.
"With an offer that tempting how could I refuse though there is something I need to tell you about first, I am unsure of just how dangerous something is and if it's a real threat..."
You halfheartedly shrug before continuing, Liara staring at you with that familiar and worrisome smile all the while.
"Who better to inform than the strongest person I know and a representative of the Guild at that? I actually fought those Monstrous Corn after following some to a thicket after seeing them stealing corn from someone's field. Out of a desire to know I decided to see what exactly they were doing and found that inside of the thicket was this strange tree like structure that looked like it had developed from a Monstrous Corn.
Instead of kernels there were strange leafy structures that looked like a mixture of roots and actual leaves, it had these strange vine husks that the Monstrous Corn were dumping the stolen corn to. Is that something one should be worried about?"
Liara maintains her expression as she leans against the counter, one hand cupping her face while the other is raised, a finger twirling in circles in the air. A rather protracted moment of silence follows before she suddenly nods and jumps across the counter, an arm wrapping around your shoulder as she begins to drag you out of the Guild Hall.
"You managed to find a Mother Corn then, they're a bit weird being Monstrous Corn that further changed at some point to take the role of leading other of their kin and making more from regular corn cobs. They'll produce new ones rather rapidly while devouring the water and nutrients in the area around them to rapidly grow their kin to adulthood.
Typically we would put up a request to have it destroyed by a Copper rank Adventurer for the sake of expediency, but I can work around it and give you the task instead since you found it. They aren't really strong in themselves, the danger lies in the sheer number of their kin they can create in a short time and the damage they deal to the environment."
She explains as you are dragged out the door and onto one of the town's well lit main streets, people flowing past as she leads you towards the heart of the town. Out of the corner of your eye you can easily notice the sense of satisfaction she's displaying, your mind throwing out a rather strange idea.
'She kind of looks like a cat that finally caught a rather difficult prey, not sure whether that it is good or bad...'
Patting your shoulder she continues.
"Considering the fact that you're alive it must be pretty new, unless you managed to escape a horde of a hundred or more of them that is. I can give you tomorrow at most to handle it, after that a request will have to be placed on the board for everyone, sound fun to you?"
You spend a few moments hesitating before answering...
[] Yeah, I'll accept the request.
[] Refuse, you can still make use of it without taking the request and someone else can handle actually killing the damned thing. Win-win.
Liara nods at your answer with understanding and falls to silence leaving you to glance at her askance a few times before working up the courage to mention a rather important issue with the current situation.
"Um, I feel it needs to be mentioned here, I am not exactly in a fit state of dress or cleanliness to be frequenting the town's most respectable restaurant here. Mind if I at least clean up and find something new to wear?"
Your question brings the strange receptionist to a dead stop in the middle of the street, her hand brushing stray blonde hair from her eyes as she gives you a once over furtively. For once her usual smile is replaced with a mild frown, her brows creased just right to make the look of concern on her face rather adorable to yo-
'Nope, no. Don't admire the incredibly weird, possibly manipulative receptionist lady. Considering her rank before she started working as a receptionist here she might be able to just slap me dead for all I know.'
Beads of sweat dripping down your back become startlingly noticeable as Liara nods again, her arm wrapping around yours as she turns towards one of the smaller roads leading instead to the likely bustling Market Street.
"We really do need to get you fixed up, I would hate to start a fire when some idiot makes the wrong comment and explaining that to Kalia again..."
Incredibly, for the first time in your countless interactions you notice Liara visibly worried and despite the ingrained suspicion you've developed, that absolutely isn't just your discomfort in interacting with people, it is quite calming to see.
---
After a while of walking you find yourself being dragged into a store called the Rose & Iron Cloth, a stylized sign of a needle and string sewing through a bar of iron and bolt of cloth hangs above the door. A bell rings as you enter, an elderly woman with grey hair and heavy wrinkles that truly tell of her age looks up with a smile upon your arrival.
"Ah, Lia, it's good to see you dear. Here I was thinking you had forgotten about your old aunt, don't tell me the years are getting to you just as well as me?"
Liara, seemingly having fully thrown aside her usual receptionist demeanor, glares at the old woman calling herself Rose.
"It's quite impolite to mention a person's age when they're bringing you new business. Help me find something for John to wear to Kalia's restaurant, preferably something similar to what he's wearing right now, you damned old bat. I'm paying, don't worry about cost."
You are soon swept up by the two as Liara begins pulling you around the store and finding robes pointed out by Rose, each of them being taken from the myriad racks on the store walls before being held in front of you. Throughout the entire process you feel somewhat like a display stand, though you never actually have to wear the clothes it is the way Liara compares each of them to you one by one.
Somehow you barely manage a few words throughout, finding yourself pulled into the pace being set by Liara and the elderly seamstress who you are now aware owns this store. By the time everything is done you find yourself standing beside Liara at the counter, three sets of robes stretched out on top of it as the receptionist prods you.
"Alright, pick one. About time you got something more respectable to wear anyway."
Which do you choose?
[] A light green set of robes made from some form of cloth with patterns of grass and gold-leaves embroidered around the hem of it in a rather perfect manner.
[] A light blue set of robes made from animal hides with pure white fur around the hem and a peaceful scene of rabbits playing upon the back.
[] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
Status
Health:Battered, Bruised and in Pain(Bite wound on left arm, hastily bandaged, moderate pain from several exploding monstrous corn and numerous blows from their vine arms) Stamina:Fatigued
Status Effects: Fatigued (-3 to all rolls), Slightly Sleepy (-1 to all rolls), Hungry (-3 to all rolls)
Dominate Writing - Blunt Mastery Basics - Using a copy you made of the basics required to wield a blunt weapon in battle effectively you have gained the knowledge and experience required exactly for that. When using a blunt weapon you will be more capable of striking the enemy with ease. +5 to Attack Rolls made with Blunt weaponry equipped.
Lasts until end of the day.
Level: 3 Experience: 202/400
Guild Rank:Porcelain (0/40) Hidden Features: Unlocked Instructors in the Guild Store Current Booked Courses: None
They Who Seek the Crown (Level One, 16/25) - A title earned by gaining the blessing of the God of War in a chance encounter with his will. It is a boon granted to those who seek to become like Lords, towering above the world with every action and word capable of bringing great waves of change. Currently it is weak and only grants you the power of Domination, but if you grow stronger and perform in a way that meshes with this Boon then perhaps its strength can grow.
Heroes can be Thieves Right? - In the name of Heroism you stole classified information from the Church of War without being caught. Now no innocent souls shall be ended with this dangerous knife, but ... yours might be if you mess up? Slightly increased chance of learning stealth and thievery related skills until discovered, lost if the Sealed Scroll is destroyed.
Ethical Scribe, Pragmatic Scholar - A scribe's duty is that of facts, numbers, honesty, and boundaries. You have a devotion to the work of the written word that few would follow in the face of potential benefits. A scholar's duty is to learn. Obtain knowledge, study books, and understand the world around them so that they may use it to help themselves or the world at large. You seek simply to perform your work to the best of your ability, further your grasp of knowledge and stand within the morals of your scholar code, even find yourself compelled to do so. Established personal Scholarly Code, sticking to it makes your work easier and better while going against it more difficult and with worse results.
Scribe Code I - No work is better than hasty work. {Provides +2 to scholarly rolls when you take your time, take -2 to scholarly rolls when you attempt to work with haste.}
Scribe Code II - Provide the facts to those that hire you, nothing more and nothing less. {Provides 2 bonus experience when followed, lose 2 experience when ignored.}
Scribe Code III - Judgement is the employer's job. {Provides 2 bonus experience when followed, lose 2 experience when ignored.}
Scholar Code I - There is satisfaction in learning that which is known and that which is not. {Provides 2 bonus experience when learning new knowledge skills and advancing skill ranks in them.}
Scholar Code II - Sometimes a price is required to learn, that price must be weighed against the knowledge to be earned carefully for while some may be worth the cost, not everything is. {Gain 4 bonus experience when learning knowledge of acceptable price, lose all experience when learning knowledge whose price is too high. May be entirely unwilling to learn something if it comes at a great cost. Only applicable to certain information/skills/traits/abilities, will be noted when it is.}
Traits
Sturdy Physique - You come to possess a body that is much more resilient than your original form allowing you to withstand roughly twice as much damage before your body gives out resulting in death. Quick to Act - You are fast to respond in dangerous situations, where others are still confused about changing events you have already begun to move in response to them. Iron Clad Mind - Your will is strengthened considerably under the guidance of the Spirit as if your mind has created the foundations of a fortress around it. With it's backing you are capable of putting up greater resistance against mental influences.
Aspire to Sagehood - You've come to find yourself a seeker of all forms of knowledge and find it easy to learn those skills a scholar finds most useful. Perhaps with enough work you may achieve acknowledgement as a Sage, a master of countless fields of knowledge. Increased skill gains for scholar related skills. Forbidden Scholar - You are more likely to notice lore and knowledge regarding those topics considered forbidden to the general populace. Of course, your affinity for these subjects does not create that knowledge where none exists. Studious - You've become well acquainted with book learning and, while it will never be a good replacement for a teacher, have learned how to make the most of it. Increased skill gains when learning a skill from a book.
Swift Growth I - With enough power the Heroic Spirit can even help you grow, increasing the rate at which you earn experience by twenty-five percent permanently.
Sorrowful I - In your quest for knowledge you chose to use your power on a creature near death and in doing so formed a mental bond much as you did with Velvet, and for the first time you now understand death. The pain and the fear, you felt every moment of your subject's death and knew you could do nothing. To make it worse, when you gave it mercy you could sense the betrayal literally assaulting you through your connection and now you understand fully the power you've been given. Such a thing, you know it will haunt you for even now it tears at you and weakens your will, your certainty in your goals... Pragmatic I -As your travel down the path of both Adventurer and Scholar you have come to understand more about the world. Of the kindness it contains, of the cruelty that lays hidden in it, and the things you may come to be asked in pursuit of your dream. A step towards pragmatism has been taken, a small one but still a step. Such pragmatism may assist you greatly, or it could drag you to an early grave. Only time and actions will tell.
Skills
Mathematics (Beginner, 15%) - +4 to rolls requiring use of mathematics. Local Administration (Beginner, 10%) - +4 to rolls involving administration of businesses and small land holdings. Geography of Relgar Township Region (Beginner) - Capable of recalling information related to areas in the Relgar area that could be of use. Such as the size of a specific forest, important landmarks, etc. Monster Knowledge (Relgar Township, Beginner, 45%) - You've memorized basic information provided on Vicious Rabbits, Giant Rats, Slimes, Monstrous Corn, Green-pelt Wolves, and Forest Bears. Knowledge of the Undead (Beginner) - You've memorized the basic information and understanding of the Church of Death on Mindless Walkers, Animated Remains, and Wisps. Plant Knowledge (Relgar Township, Beginner) - You've memorized basic information provided on Red-Shelled Warmths, Blue Bells, Golden Leaf, and common herbs like thyme or poppies. Copying Writing (Adept, 2%) - You've experienced copying countless documents, books, and records to such an extent that it's almost an ingrained instinct in you. Time required to copy any form of writing is reduced and chance of wrongly copying something is greatly decreased. Evasion (Beginner, 22%) - You've learned the basics of positioning, and movement enabling you to react well to attacks sent you way. It's rather simple now, but even a slight advantage could save your life. Increases your Difficulty to Hit by 4. Dagger Mastery (Beginner, 9%) - Through sparring and practice you have grasped the basics of fighting with a dagger. How to grip it so as not to lose the weapon in combat, basic and effective methods of attack from stabbing to slicing, etc. +4 to attack rolls when wielding a dagger.
Harvesting (Learning Beginner, 88%) - You are slowly obtaining experience in the act of harvesting plants and herbs. With some more work experience you are certain you'd be at least somewhat skilled in the act. Skinning (Learning Beginner, 60%) - You have learned the basic knowledge one should know to begin skinning and harvesting the corpses of monsters, but to really come to understand it and it's uses you will need actual experience. Haggling (Learning Beginner, 92%) - You have obtained a lot of insight into the act of haggling varying from the dos to the don'ts and you are certain with a bit more knowledge and actual practice you can put it to work helping you. Identification (Learning Beginner, 10%) - After reading the book on Identification you have a vague idea of how the power works, but without a teacher to guide you in the absolute specifics you are unsure if you can learn to utilize this power. Survival (Learning Beginner, 67%) - You are quickly becoming used to most basic of the basics when it comes to surviving outdoors, and with the help of some of your research materials you believe you have a decent grasp of it all. Only actively performing the actions and experience will tell. Trapping (Learning Beginner, 20%) - Trapping is a rather simple subject, but the specifics are somewhat confusing to you with your rather limited life experiences. You have a decent grasp of theoretical knowledge, but will need to use it in the field to confirm. Shield Mastery (Learning Beginner, 44%) - Utilizing a shield in battle is an incredibly useful tool that may well prevent incredibly lethal blows, but as it stands most of the concept has flown over your head. Monster Taming (Learning Beginner, 3%) - Needless to say that taming slimes by feeding them mana and utilizing mana to communicate with them was pretty distant from what most of monster taming was (with what little you know). Still, the book did give you some small grasp of what the trade's core needs might be. Stealth (Learning Beginner, 95%) - You have begun to grasp the simplest aspects of being stealthy, mainly softening your footsteps and avoiding a target's sight. You're quite close to putting this to effective use in the field, but need a bit more training or practical experience. Blunt Weapon Mastery (Learning Beginner, 68%) - Wielding a blunt weapon in a fight is a comparatively simple action, a combat style that is easy to learn the basics of from what you've experienced in combat and what you gained from the page you dominated.
Abilities
Domination (Level One, 8/25) - Allows you to bind creatures/monsters that are one level below you (to a minimum of level 1) to your will permanently. Unless the creature in question has a particularly strong will then the power is bound to succeed. Does not work on humans. [Dominated Beings: 1/2] + Dominate Writing (Level One, 7/25) - You've obtained a new power derived from your blessing from the God of War. It grants you the ability to draw strength from the written word though... You are utterly uncertain what that actually means. [Dominated Writings: 1/1]
Backstab -You force an opening in your opponent's guard and shift yourself into place to deliver a well timed, well placed reverse grip stab to the foe's back with great force. Such a move is straining on you, but has incredible effects when successfully performed. Make a single attack that deals four times damage to the enemy if it lands, uses a moderate amount of Stamina.
Inventory
Equipment
Main Hand - Simple Wooden Club [Damage: 3, Blunt, Grip and Wrist Strap (Harder to Disarm)] Off Hand - Iron Kite Shield [???]
Armor - Plain Scholar's Robes [???, Tear on left sleeve, bloodstains]
Easily Accessed Items
Iron Hand-Axe [???]
Simple Iron Dagger [Damage: ???, Attack Speed: 2, Slashing]
Skinning Knife
Scholar's Writing Instruments [1/4 sheets of paper]
Dominated Greenpelt Wolf Fangs
Canvas Backpack [9/10]
- Ten Foot Rope
- Bundle of Clean Rags [9/10]
- Archbishop Julian Vandamule's Sealed Scroll
- Wooden Storage Box [Can hold up to twenty herbs (varies based on size) | 3 Poor Quality Golden Leaf, 2 Average Quality Golden Leaf, 3 Perfect Quality Golden Leaf | 8/20]
- Paper with copied contents from a Book on Skinning
- Paper with copied contents about Trapping.
- Papers copied from the Book of Academia (Contain basic descriptions of numerous scholarly branches of study)
- Piece of Leather [5/10 Units left]
- Six pounds of Greenpelt Wolf Meat [2 Days left until it spoils] wrapped in Greenpelt Wolf Pelt [Poor Quality, About 70% intact]
-
Belt Pouch[4/4]
- Flask of Oil [3 Units of Oil Remaining]
- Container with Six Vials [0/6 Filled]
- Flint & Steel
- Waterskin [4/6, Clean Water]
Health:3/8
Status Effects: Very Hungry (-5 to all rolls)
Level: 2
Experience: 23/40
Attacks:
Bite - [Damage: 3, Slashing]
Traits:
Sensitive Nose - +5 to finding herbs Natural Gatherer - +5 to harvesting herbs Soul Linked - Can be given up to 2 Experience from their Master's kills.
Skills:
Evasion (Beginner,19%) - Increases the Difficulty to Hit by 4. Fighting (Beginner, 1%) - +3 to Attack Rolls when fighting.
Abilities: Cannibalize (Level One, 0/10) - Capable of devouring their kin to quickly heal from injuries. Regains 1 Health per pound of Vicious Rabbit meat consumed.
Payment: 5 Coppers per Monstrous Corn corpse, 2 GP per corpse, 1 Rank Advancement Point for every fifteen corpse, 1 Experience per every two corpses Description: Due to the increased traffic through town we've been running low on our supply of a local delicacy - Monstrous Corn. A fine mixture of sweet and salty that can survive months in the open air before rotting. If you could hunt down some for us it would be much appreciated, the more you get the better! We've left instructions to a good spot with the receptionist.
Current Contributions:10 Monstrous Corn corpses
Payment: Variable Money, Variable GP, Variable Rank Advancement Points, Variable Experience Description: I have need of as many Golden Leaf as you can get your hands on, quality is important so insure proper storage. You can find me at the apothecary on the south side of the town, Gerald's Apothecary. I've provided drawings for those who've never seen Golden leaf and they can be found on the outskirts of Relgar's Northern Woods. Please only come when you have Golden leaf to deliver, I am a busy man.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
"You managed to find a Mother Corn then, they're a bit weird being Monstrous Corn that further changed at some point to take the role of leading other of their kin and making more from regular corn cobs.
Beads of sweat dripping down your back become startlingly noticeable as Liara nods again, her arm wrapping around yours as she turns towards one of the smaller roads leading instead to the likely bustling Market Street.
Not necessarily. If we'd attacked the Mother Corn in the moment (and not been finished off by it and the remaining Monstrous Corn with our Orange Health), then we'd only have gotten the base EXP and loot from killing it. But now that we've reported it, Liara's making it an official request, which means we'll get Guild Rewards for a Copper Ranked Quest in addition that we would've missed out on otherwise. Now even if fire bombing it ruins its corpse as loot, we know we'll get a reward to recoup the cost anyway.
[X] Yeah, I'll accept the request.
[X] A light blue set of robes made from animal hides with pure white fur around the hem and a peaceful scene of rabbits playing upon the back.
[X] Feed Velvet
Either the green forest robes or the rabbit robes are suitable to me, I don't think the ocean wave aesthetic really has anything to do with John right now.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
[X] A light green set of robes made from some form of cloth with patterns of grass and gold-leaves embroidered around the hem of it in a rather perfect manner.
So, a copper ranked fight. I'm not super comfortable with that! So, things to do: research mother corn in the library. Turn in the golden leaf and buy a proper weapon. Feed Velvet the wolf meat. Nothing else specific I can think of I want to do before the corn fight. I have no strong objection to setting it on fire, but if it dries out the surrounding area, we really might set fields on fire too.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
[X] A light blue set of robes made from animal hides with pure white fur around the hem and a peaceful scene of rabbits playing upon the back.
Admittedly this might lean us towards being a Beast tamer versus other options but on the flipside, We're soul-linked to a Vicious Rabbit. And I'm curious how Velvet would react.
[X] Yeah, I'll accept the request.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
I like the idea of putting people at ease with our appearance more than the other two
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
[X] Refuse, you can still make use of it without taking the request and someone else can handle actually killing the damned thing. Win-win.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
[X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
Should probably either buy a whole bunch of herbicide or some more oil tomorrow morning, and then just douse the thing and set it on fire.
[X] A light green set of robes made from some form of cloth with patterns of grass and gold-leaves embroidered around the hem of it in a rather perfect manner.
[X] Yeah, I'll accept the request. [X] A dark blue set of robes made from some form of cloth. Wave patterns adorn it's surface and appear incredibly comforting to the eye, almost soothing.
[X] Feed Velvet
I think this will be our dress clothes, while our damaged scholar robes can be our work dress. Which means we need to find a safe place to store our goods.
Also, not sure if anyone noticed but Velvet is very hungry, let's feed her now before any trouble comes from that.
[X] A light green set of robes made from some form of cloth with patterns of grass and gold-leaves embroidered around the hem of it in a rather perfect manner.
[X] A light green set of robes made from some form of cloth with patterns of grass and gold-leaves embroidered around the hem of it in a rather perfect manner.
I'm not sure whether or not to accept the request. If we can't use fire out of risk of it spreading, then can we kill it with either a club or a dagger? I think that the dagger would be more effective, but it might not be enough.
[X] A light green set of robes made from some form of cloth with patterns of grass and gold-leaves embroidered around the hem of it in a rather perfect manner.