With a content smile Maureen allowed herself to fall into the simple but clean and comfortable bed at the inn.
She was being escorted by men of noble descent, usually younger sons of titled nobles or the eldest sons of knights who had been meant to build good relations with a duchess during the journey. Such people wouldn't sven consider sleeping outside if they had a choice. And going to an inn while the person they were supposed to protect was sleeping out in the woods was out of the question. What kind of guard would be that irresponsible?
So the officer was footing her bill and those guards she didn't need were taking care of their own expenses.
So everybody who might make a report was convinced she was a poor victim without any financial or other resources quietly suffering under her husband's heartless thumb. She got proper lodgings despite that and most right minded nobles in Ingverstedt would understand when she 'withdrew to her quarters' quickly and didn't show herself again. Everything was going brilliantly.
Of course, the point in time when everything seems to be working out is the point when it all goes wrong.
When Maureen went downstairs the next morning to have breakfast she found three of her guards talking to a group of adventurers. Level 20 at most, they all wore the cheap leather and carried weapons that were obviously of lesser quality, things apprentices made as practice and then sold for little more than the material price. In other words, not her usual customers but the kind of rude youngsters who might do very dumb things because they were teens and didn't have enough excitement otherwise.
Their voices rang through the entire room.
"Oh come on man. You guys are never around here so you must have a special quest!" The loudest was doing his best impression of the impatient fourteen year old he was. Maureen knew that younger kids needed to be accompanied by guardians and couldn't level even as players who would revive, but once they were allowed to they tended to be just as annoying and even more fearless than other kids that age.
The guard looked at the kids like they were insects though. "Sir. If you do not remove yourselves from this premise I will be forced to ake action in the name of the Duchess!"
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Okay, wrong thing to say...Maureen almost groaned to herself as she came ever closer. The word duchess got the kids' eyes to sparkle.
"So we can get the quest from this duchess?" The smallest of the players asked excitedly. A chubby girl with bright green hair that was showing blonde roots already.
Since this seemed to be her cue... while the soldiers bowed to her Maureen gave the kids what they wanted. "Young lady, I am afraid you misunderstood. There will be a royal wedding in Ingverstedt and all titled nobles from three kingdoms are on their way there."
Among 'Really?' And 'Wow, I want to go there too!' There was one response she should have anticipated. "You're a duchess? But you look..."
That particular kid got a slap to the side from one of the guards, probably because he meant well. The slap was followed by a headshake.
Fortunately the players left after that to go and do whatever players did in towns - be it walk around the roofs or robbing unsuspecting farm folk's sheds. Maureen had her breakfast while her guards got active, coming in and out of the inn, preparing horses, buying supplies and washing at the well.
When Maureen left the inn she saw something unfortunate though...the guard who warned the player teen and the kids were standing around, talking with grave expressions, the girl looking at the man with shock and pity...obviously her oh so poor mistreated duchess plan backfired. And judging by those expressions it might not simply backfire. No, this almost looked like the kids might not just let things go.
And if players decided to get involved, even low level players, the direction and speed with which events spiraled out of control could be catastrophic. The desert of Needa was the best proof of what the players called an epic quest going very very wrong. Well, this couldn't possibly be blown that far out of proportion...right? It was just gossip about one banished noble, after all.
Surely, everything was going well! Hopefully.
Inerterlude, online
See.it.all.know.it.all.12345: I told you nobles were, like, you know, like this old 2D show from the 20th century our history teacher showed us.
Notnoobyaaaaaay: 20th century? That was the romans, right?
OPMageDeanina: Notnoob, your an idiot
See.it.all.know.it.all.12345: it's you're
See.it.all.know.it.all.12345: And I meant the show where this one king had, like, 10 wives and had them all killed. The romans were before that
OPMageDeanina: So this Duke has his wife living off grass roots like a beggar and living in a shack in the forest? What'd she do?
ShadoowMastaRob: He didn't even go to his own wedding that one guard said. I'm telling you, this smells like a big chain quest!
See.it.all.know.it.all.12345: Ther is no way you get a chain quest with high nobles in it at level 20!
Notnoobyaaaaaay: Its There! Youre the noob!
See.it.all.know.it.all.12345: *facepalm* that was a typo!
ShadoowMastaRob: Noob, stop messing around. I wrote down the name of the Duke and I'm going to look into it. If you guys don't want to help I'll do it on my own!
OPMageDeanina: Count me in! My big sis is with the Flying Cranes. If this gets big we could get them to take us too in exchange for info on the quest!