Seas rose, and continents cracked under the energies that ravaged the world. The sky itself burned in places that scoured the very ground beneath of all life. Great volcanos spewed mountains of dark ash into the air, covering the world in primordial darkness. In the deep places of the ocean, there was to be no refuge. The water boiled, killing all but the hardiest of creatures and the people of the Mer suffered greatly.
Thus was how the first cataclysm started, and the game board set anew for the unending game of the thirsting gods.
- On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC.
Dawn had yet to cast her rosy fingers across the sky before I was woken, without ceremony. The Rogue, his breath still scented with strong drink, shook me awake from my dreams where something unwholesome stalked me through the corridors of my own mind. Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, I made my way to do my morning toilet before washing my hands again and having a quick drink from a flask.
“Good morning to you, muse of music! Since I didn’t want to be eating jerky all the time on the road, I bought us a few other trail snacks. Think of it as a thank you present!” chirped Elwin, his morning energy a little grating on my nerves.
He ran a hand through what remained of his hair and handed over a simple leather satchel filled with traveling provisions.
“And to you too,” I unenthusiastically replied. After the events of the previous night, I was still feeling a little raw. “We’ll make our way to the Adventurer’s guild and see what’s about, I suppose. We will have to find some sort of work to pay for a caravan or transport out of this town to head for more civilized climes,” I said, still struggling to find some motivation.
As my companions gathered the rest of our provisions and supplies, I mentally looked over my character sheet. Sleeping in my armor during the night had given me a level in the Heavy Armor skill. The effect of the improved skill was already apparent, as my equipment felt a little less cumbersome as we went down the stairs.
The innkeeper of the establishment was waging war with the remnants of last night’s revels. He was mopping spilled ale and vomit and hitting his still-sleeping customers to wakefulness with the business end of his mop. The Bard from last night was nowhere in sight, as was to be expected from a man of his caliber. The regular customers were just making their way out when we noticed that there seemed to be a smell of something cooking wafting up through the air.
“Good morning, Taper,” I said, trying to muster up some goodwill and energy. “I see that business was good last night.”
“Business is always good when there’s a Bard about. This sorry lot is always looking for an excuse to celebrate and drink,” he replied to my greeting as he put his mop away. “I’ll be serving breakfast soon, the usual three coppers, if it pleases you.”
I sat down with my companions at the counter, placing nine dull copper coins on its impeccably clean surface. I asked the innkeeper for directions to the Adventurer’s Guild, even though I was pretty sure the building I had passed on my way to my fight with Jongshoi was the same one.
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The innkeeper gave me some rough directions from the inn, which confirmed my suspicions. In the old world, I was never much gifted in the art of map reading, let alone directions, but thanks to my increased Intelligence I had a much clearer picture in my mind of where the Guild should be.
Soon enough, Taper served us some form of gruel with a dollop of honey in the center. It was a simple and filling fare and Kidu even asked for seconds, counting out three coppers from his purse. We waited for Kidu, who finished his meal with a resounding burp that amused Elwin to no end and then we exited the inn.
The morning light had fully taken the sky now, and with the risen sun, came the sounds of a city waking up. There had been a light rain during the night and the streets were muddy as we started off in the direction of the Adventurer’s Guild. The mud did little to hamper the number of people who were making their way about their daily business.
We plowed on through to the market square as I retraced my steps from the jail to the Adventurer’s Guild. Turning a few corners and passing many yurt-like buildings, we finally arrived at our planned destination. I accidentally stepped into a puddle and sunk down to my ankles, much to the amusement of my companions.
The building was as I remembered it and where Taper had described. The guild hall was carved from large blocks of simple white stone. Over its large heavy wooden iron-banded entrance, hung a sign bearing the symbol of a crossed sword over a wooden burning torch. We entered the building to find the common room surprisingly well-lit with a large fireplace bathing the room with its warmth. The floor was made of worn wood and there were several brushes by the door, which I saw people using to wipe the road from their boots.
The people inside seemed to come from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life. Some were armored to various degrees - from full-plate to ratty-looking worn leathers, and all of them were armed with an eclectic mix of ranged and melee weapons of varying quality and origins. What drew my eye were the few that were dressed in mystical garments of various hues and wielded magical-looking staves and wands.
A man, in a red robe and wide-brimmed ‘wizard’s hat’, patterned with yellow stars, gripped a staff tipped with a scarlet crystalline point and was smoking from a delicate wooden pipe. The smoke from which was so dense that it looked like an extension of his bushy gray beard that reached to his chest.
Serving girls wended their way through large wooden tables, delivering stacked trays full of delicious-looking food and ale. It seemed that the Adventurer’s Guild also doubled as a tavern in this city. A smart move, I thought to myself.
Several groups of people were sitting at tables, discussing amongst themselves, and exchanging information. Not everyone was in a group, and not everyone was human. Alone at a table, a dark-skinned humanoid with the characteristically pointed ears of the elves and platinum-silver hair sat, nursing a drink. My hackles rose at seeing the elf and I had to pointedly refrain from reaching for the flail at my side. I did not have a good first impression of elves.
At the other side of the large hall was a wooden counter where several people were queuing up. Behind the counter, smartly dressed employees in elegantly cut clothes were busy with clerical work as they tallied, counted, and calculated. Next to the counter was a large board with various pieces of paper pinned onto its surface.
“Nice setup they got here,” Elwin chimed in as he whistled in awe.
“It certainly looks like an Adventurer’s Guild, not that I have seen one before mind you,” I commented, making sure to correct myself.
Kidu, taciturn as always, just grunted knowingly.