Choice Results are at the bottom of the page. Good luck!
A powerful Dwarven Lord with many connections on the surface of Coroleya has sent out the call to all warriors of courage to come to the Mountain Stronghold of Stonefold to aid in the eradicating a nest of feral Dwarves that have attacked the City of Torfiol. Sensing the opportunity for more adventure and gold, you take the next caravan out from the village of Brolen as a caravan guard and head towards the Dwarven Realms to make your fortune. The road to the Mountains, however, is long and treacherous with many perils to be faced, before you can reach your destination.
After traveling along the roads for several miles. The caravan leader, a short portly creature, decides now is the perfect time to set up camp for the night. The caravan of wagons form up into a tight-knit circle and start up a fire at the center of camp. Seeing how close you've made your camp to the nearby woods of Doranmere worries you. Anything could be hiding in there and no one would know it. Still, it's not like they had many options going off-road or traveling in the darkness was equally dangerous. While your thinking about what might be lurking in the woods, you smell wood smoke coming from the direction of the forest. Tensing up at the possibility of danger you rise from sitting position and stare off into the darkness. Wondering if there was someone or something out there watching you.
Either way, it seems more sensible to get away from the roaring campfire the caravaners have going, as it might attract the wrong sort of attention. You tell the other caravan guard a strong well-built Orc warrior named Merkel that you're going out to go check on something and leave the campfire alone. Entering the dark woods. The further away you get from the campfire, the more you realize that you're being watched. Smiling wolfishly at the challenge, you use your hunting skills to try and lose whoever is tailing you. Once you believe you've lost them, you circle and go back the way you've come. Curious to see, what had been following you. Hearing voices whispering, you softly creep towards the sound, till you catch a glimpse of your hunters. And find to your surprise a band of Redling bandits heavily armed to the teeth, wearing leather jerkins. They seem to be discussing, what to do about you, when the leader of the group a tall, brutish looking warrior with an assortment of scars tells them all to shut up.
Then without warning the leader calls out to you. "You've done well to avoid us warrior, but I think it's time we talked. There is no need for us to fight here. After all, all we want are the chests of gold stored in the back of the carriage the merchants have kindly brought with them." You say nothing. "The way I see it is, you can either join us and attack the caravan? Or you can die here with the rest of them? We could always use an extra blade, seeing as there is an Orc with them." You stand there for a moment thinking. And take a look again at the Redlings waiting in clearing. There's at least four of them out in the open, with god knows how many more waiting in the shadows. One of the raiders a short wiry man with grey leathery skin is holding a small round metal object in his hand. Familiar with Dwarven weaponry, you know it to be a combust ball that can create a small explosion. Probably not enough to kill all the caravaners outright, but enough to blind and wounding multiple enemies.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Choice 2. Do you charge in headfirst to attack the group of raiders?
Unwilling to trust your life to some damn bandits, you charge into the clearing, your blade snatching the life of the nearest raider with a slash to the throat when an arrow slams into your shoulder from behind. The rush of pain forcing you to think on your feet as you use the momentum to spin around and race in the direction of the arrow, the hidden bowman looking up at you shocked surprise before you hack her skull apart.
The surviving bandits immediately sprint towards you with furious cries of rage, while you duck behind a tree, your blade darting out to snatch the life of another bandit that comes far too quickly around the corner. The third, a tall, well-muscled warrior, comes at you with snarl, his sword moving fast to try and open you up, when you slide in between the two and send them reeling into each other, your blade putting the finishing strokes on both of them.
Heart pulsing faster, you see the last remaining bandit fall back and toss a combust ball at your feet. The ball skidding across the grass towards you.
Acting swiftly, you throw yourself aside, and feel the ground become rocked by an explosion that dazes you momentarily before you leap back up to your feet and drive your steel blade into the man’s chest. All of them dead in a matter of seconds.
Banged up a little by the drawn-out fight, you sit down with a sigh, and remove the arrow from your back, before binding up your wounds, your eyes making sure that none of them were still alive.
Ears pricked as you listen to the rustle of the leaves, you eventually stand up and begin searching the bodies for anything of value. The poor fools carrying mostly junk, a few decent swords, a wristguard, and some gold for your trouble.
Too tired to head back and deal with Halthane just now, you lie back down to sleep with your new friends, and awake to the sound of mellow-hearts chirping in the treetops, their musical voices lifting your spirits as you head back to camp, determined to squeeze the gnome for every drop of gold he owed you, only to find the campsite long since abandoned.
Battle Results
- 50 Health Points (Remember to take into account your resilience)
Loot
+ 82 Gold Pieces
Item Acquired: Wristguard (+ 1 Resilience.)
Item Acquired: Short Sword (- 4 Weapon Damage.)