Necromancer IC- PwntQ

[Maquise]

In the kingdom of Ashcen, magic is feared and hated. The king, Zuhrin the Magebane, has outlawed and lead several campaigns against it.

At the end of the day, that doesn't matter to you. You are a farmer's child, and have no magic that you know of. You live in a small, dirty hut at the edge of a small village called Hackevir. Your mother died giving birth to you; your father cares little for you.


You wake up this morning, April 21 7th Year of the Hammer. The sky is grey and overcast, and you can smell rain in the air. You've worked hard the last month planting, and the rain will be a much desired respite. You struggle to get up off your dirty straw bed. The small, old wooden shack you've called home all your life is currently empty; the embers of a cooking fire smoulder in the fireplace, giving a dull orange glow and a token source of heat in the dank, cold morning.

[PwntQ]

Jorge awakes, and slowly struggles out of his ratty bed. He still feels sore from the work yesterday. But with planting season done, he should have some time to play now. The thought brings a smile to his face. The same can be said with some of the other farm boys his age, and they will have some fun later. For now though, there is still some work to be done. First thing first, he needs to gather some firewood before this rain soaks it all.

[Maquise]

You go outside to gather some firewood. While you are out there, you see your father loading a bundle of grain onto the family donkey.

"Up already, and taking to your chores? That's unusual. Most days I have to whip you into shape before you'll even think about it. I'm going into town. Soldiers have come, and they are demanding a tribute. Stay here, and get the weeding done before it starts raining. I'm not paying for medicine if you catch the ague."

[PwntQ]

Jorge grumbles a bit but not loud enough for his father to hear. That might earn a beating. If he can these chores done in time he should be able to have the afternoon free.

[Maquise]

You put your back into it, and manage to get the weeding done before the rain starts. It's a downpour, one that lasts for several hours. It is mid-afternoon when it finally breaks.

[PwntQ]

Chores done, its time for play. Wester, the neighboring farmers son, should be free as well by now. Jorge will head over to his farm and see if he wants to go explore the nearby woods.

[Maquise]

You head down the muddy road, noting a fair amount of signs of activity in this area; deep ruts from wagons and heavy footsteps in the muddy road. Off to the side, you see a battered old flag, bearing the king's black-and-white heraldry.

[PwntQ]

Wow, one of the kings banners! Wester won't believe Jorge just found it along the road! He hurries on.

[Maquise]

You get to Wester's cottage, to find it empty. The family must've headed into town.

[PwntQ]

Darn hes not here. Jorge heads to town, thats likely where they are.

[Maquise]

Hackevir, nestled beside a river unimaginatively of the same name, sits in the shadows of the Norsepeak Mountains. While the mountains are clearly visible, they are many leagues away still, and the land is still flat. This part of the country is mostly prairie; you pass a few trees on the path.

You arrive at the village proper. You pass several thatched-roofed cottages before the wood shops. Dozens of brigands in black-and-white raiment have seemingly materialized since you were here last. They seem to be the only ones out, walking briskly to their destinations, apparently eager to get indoors. A pair stand guarding a large bell in the town square. A parchment notice is fixed to the wooden frame of the bell, although you are one of few who can actually read it:

The Witch Bell tolls of its own when magic is cast within the village. This bell is a gift from the king to his people to protect them from foul arts.

Notable locations include the smithy, stables, general store, butcher shop, warehouse, tannery, and the tavern.

[PwntQ]

Jorge heads over to the general store. Wester family might just be in town to buy supplies. A careful pat shows the banner securely tucked under his shirt.

[Maquise]

You enter the general store, and find you are the only one in the room. The flicker of candles illuminates the various goods within, along with a counter near the door. The place has an earthy smell, from the many dry goods, mixed with the aroma of burning beeswax candles.

As you browse, you hear someone enter the main room from the back. Tamia, the granddaughter of one of the village elders, is at 15 a couple years younger than you, with a petite form and long, auburn hair. She smiles as she sees you.

[PwntQ]

"Oh hey Tamia..." Jorge looks away, a little flustered. He always gets that way around her. "Have you seen Wester? There was nobody at his parents farm when I went by to check earlier."

[Maquise]

Tamia smiles at you. "He went to the smithy with his father, to help pick up their cauldron, which cracked last week. I would've picked a slightly less gloomy day, but then I suppose they already had to come into town for the soldiers."

[PwntQ]

"Oh yeah I saw those on my way in. Do you know why they're here?"

[Maquise]

"I've heard rumors, but nothing concrete. Did you see the Witch Bell they put up in town? I think they might be hunting sorcerers."

[PwntQ]

Jorges eyes widen. Sorcerers? Hes heard the townsfolk talk about them in whispers, but didn't think they were real. If the soldiers are here though, they must be.

"I thought they were just stories the older folk told. Thanks Tamia. I'm going to go find Wester. I'll try and stop by later."

Jorge heads back out of the store, but before heading to the smithy decides to take a look at the bell first.

[Maquise]

You examine the bell more closely. There are a pair of soldiers guarding it, in addition to the plaque you read before. It appears to be made of iron, with runes inscribed on it.

[PwntQ]

Huh. Its just a big lump of iron really. Jorge wonders if it evens works. Anyways, he still needs to find Wester. He leaves for the smithy.

[Maquise]

You find Wester at ths smithy, working to help haul the cauldron to his family's ox to take back home.

"Jorge," he grunts, "Didn't expect to see you here..."

[PwntQ]

"Hey Wester. I'm done for the day, so I had the afternoon off. Check what I found out."

Jorge shows Wester the pennant he had found.

[Maquise]

(Sorry, I meant pennant).

[Maquise]

"We've had a buncha those all over town recently. Big ole' army marched in, led by this big knight fellow."

[PwntQ]

"Huh. Need some help with that? I've got the afternoon free."

While hes helping Wester, Jorge asks

"Whos the big knight fellow leading them, do you know?"

[Maquise]

"I think the soldiers called him Sir Pillow or some such. No, it was... Pelleau, I think. Or some other fancy name."

[PwntQ]

"Wonder how long they'll be here for. Anyways lets get that stuff loaded."

[Maquise]

You help Wester get the gear loaded and ready to go.

"Thanks for the help," he says. "I'd stay and talk, but we should really be getting home. Rain could start again any moment."

[PwntQ]

Jorge says his goodbyes, and decides to head home. Wouldn't be fun to get caught out in the rain.

[Maquise]

You head back down the road, getting home before the rain starts. Fortunately Wester's house was on the way. Oddly enough, your father isn't home yet. You wait a few more hours; dusk is approaching and there is no sign of him.

[PwntQ]

Father is probably drunk again and sleeping it off in a ditch or the inn. With little more thought to it, Jorge goes to sleep.

[Maquise]

As you lock up for the night, you see a red bird flitter down from a nearby tree.

"Good evening, sir."

[PwntQ]

Jorge rubs his eyes. He must be sleepier than he thought? A talking bird?

"Uh...hi?"

[Maquise]

The bird nods. Then it continues, "I am here to deliver a message. My name is Sanguineus, and I have come to inform you that you have received an inheritance, Jorge of Hackevir. Your late uncle Lucien von Nehlyvich has left you his estate. I am here to ensure you successfully receive it."

[PwntQ]

"I have an uncle?"

[Maquise]

The raven blinks. "Yes, indeed. That is what I just said."

[PwntQ]

Dad never mentioned an uncle. And it is awfully late. Maybe hes already asleep and this is a dream? Birds dont talk, after all. Unless they're magic. Maybe its magic?

"Am I dreaming or is this really happening? Either way, I'm not going to follow some strange bird to an estate my supposed uncle left me just because it says so. You could be luring me to be eaten by a witch or something."

[Maquise]

"I assure you, there is no duplicity at work here-"

The bird is interrupted by the sight of a cloaked figure with a lantern approaching your home down the road.

[PwntQ]

"Uh huh. Well thats probably my dad right now, so I'll just have to ask him about having an uncle won't I? We'll see then."

[Maquise]

The figure spots you, and quickens her run. You recognize her as Tamia, from the store earlier. Sanguineous darts off to hide in the darkness.

You let her in to your hut. She pulls off her hood, revealing her long, auburn hair. She starts, "I don't know how to say this, but your father is missing."

"He came into town this morning with a cartload of grain. He delivered it to the soldiers, who have taken up Ivor's Tavern as a temporary barracks. He then visited us in the General Store. I overheard him talking with my father. He had little to say, just purchased some candle wax, flour, and a few other basic supplies. According to town, he was last seen heading off on the road opposite your house."

[PwntQ]

"I...what? Why the hell would he do that? It doesnt make any sense."

[Maquise]

"I don't know," Tamia says, "but the soldiers have been acting... strangely as well. Asking questions about you and your father."

[PwntQ]

Jorge glances over at the bird. Is it involved in this somehow?

"So father heard the soldiers asking about him, and ran off with even telling me. Can't say I expected anything else from him."

[Maquise]

"What are you going to do now?" Tamia asks.

[PwntQ]

Jorge glances briefly towards where the bird had hidden. It would seem he has no real choice but to trust it now. He doubts he could avoid the soldiers on his own.

"I have...an uncle I can go to. I'll be leaving quickly before the soldiers come for me. Its best if you head back now, before anyone realizes you came and warned me. Thank you, Tamia."

[Maquise]

Tamia nods, and hugs you. "Well, good luck," she says, and hurries down the road.

Sanguineous emerges. "Well, it would seem most expedient to follow me now."

[PwntQ]

"It seems I have little choice but to trust you now. Lead on."

[Maquise]

"Quite so. Take as much provision as you can; the journey is a very long one, but you will have access to many resources once we have arrived."

[PwntQ]

Jorge nods and makes his way into the hut to gather his meager belongings. A couple loafs of bread, a hard wedge of cheese, his dirk, all into his pack. His two spare pairs of clothes as well, and some bedding.

"Lets go then."

[Maquise]

As you leave, you see several torches moving through the gloom of the evening, from the town and down the road towards you.

"Oh dear," Sanguineous says. "It would seem the soldiers are more belligerent than I expected. What do you know about them?"

[PwntQ]

Jorge picks up the pace at the sight of the torches.

"Not much. They were putting in something called a Witch Bell, and were led by some guy called Sir Pelleau."

[Maquise]

"Sir Pelleau is here?" the bird says, in a somewhat alarmed voice. "That explains a bit. We must move, there is no time to waste."

[PwntQ]

"Just how far do we have to go?"

[Maquise]

"The journey will take about a fortnight, I would venture, and covers some less than hospitable territory."

[PwntQ]

"Well lets go then"

[Maquise]

You move throughout the night, ever tense. Fortunately, the torches of the soldiers makes it easy for you to track them. You thank the stars none of them are rangers.

When morning comes, you find yourself in unfamiliar land surrounded by rolling hills. Hunger gnaws your belly, and you are sore and tired.

[PwntQ]

Jorge eats some of the bread he had brought. Stale and hard, but that's normal fare for him. The hunger eases off but some still remains. Everything around him is new and unfamiliar, but the bird hasn't led him to his death so far. He has no choice but to keep trusting it. After taking a moment to pack up his meager bedding, hes off again.

[Maquise]

You locate a small glen near a freshwater stream, concealed by a grove of trees. You curl up there and rest for a few hours.

You're awaken at noon, and after eating a small meal of wild berries with fresh water, continue on your trek. You eventually find a well-worn road heading-east west. Sanguineous informs you that heading west for a while will get you there sooner.

You walk for some time, when you hear the sound of shod hooves approaching from behind you. About 200 yards back, a mounted soldier approaches. Sanguineous, not yet noticed, darts into the foliage near the road.

[PwntQ]

Jorge keeps on going. The soldier probably saw him but with luck he'll ignore him.

[Maquise]

The soldier rides up next to you. "Hold up there. What's your business being this far from civil places by your lonesome and unarmed?"

[PwntQ]

"Travelling to my uncles. He has a place a couple days from here. Said I could come over if my ******* of a Pa didn't shape up and stop boozing himself to death."

[Maquise]

"Well watch yourself." He points to a large forest to the north that goes all the way to the base of the mountains. "There's been reports of strange and dangerous beasts in that forest." He rides on.

[PwntQ]

Jorge gives a wave to the departing soldier, then continues on. Well that was easy enough.

[Maquise]

Sanguineous takes you north, away from civilization and into the forest, up to the foothills of the mountains. As you close in on them, you first get a sense of how large and imposing they truly are.

The next few days are harrowing, with the path you are on seeming more like a game trail than a trade road. You are beset by strange noises and eerie phantoms, the oppressive nature of the forest looming down over you. But you know of no where else to go...

"Not much farther, we should arrive by the end of the day. Of course, when I left I was flying, so I may have misjudged the time walking."

"We'll head up this path until it enters a ravine. Then, we'll follow the ravine to a particular cave. Going through the cave, we'll come out on the shore of a lake. The estate border's that lake."

[PwntQ]

Jorge continues along with the bird. On the way though he asks, "Are there any towns nearby the estate? Or any people? And do I need to worry about monsters out here?"

[Maquise]

The bird leads you into the forest. You walk for some time, your trepidation growing as the night grows closer and you see no end to the forest.

As the last rays of the sun dim, you spot a glimpse of amber light emanating from within the forest. You approach to find a bizarre encampment. Wagons are parked in a circle, in the center of which sit a cluster of fires. Around them gather a strange group of people, garbed in bright colored clothes which conceal their unusually diminutive figures.

[PwntQ]

Jorge tries to head around and towards the cave.

"Do you know who those people are?"

[Maquise]

"They are the Naormi, a nomadic people who are shunned and exiled from the Kingdom of Aschen," Sanguineous says. "They are said to be enchanters and illusionists."

[PwntQ]

"Well I just hope they're friendly."

[Maquise]

"Shall we continue then?"

Sorry I haven't been posting as of late; I've had less free time, and have been tired in the times that I have.

[PwntQ]

Jorge nods.

[Maquise]

You continue on your journey, arriving at the shores of the lake at twilight. The air is chill, more so than you are used to. The night sky reflects off the glass surface of the lake. Mountains rise on all sides.

You walk down the seemingly out of place paved road, arriving at a tall Gothic gate set off the beach. Sanguineous flies out of site for a moment, and the gate opens of its own accord.

You step onto the grounds proper. Every thing seems surprisingly well-kept. You round a bend, and get the first sight of your new home.

An imposing, grey Gothic tower stands before you. The outer walls are perfectly smooth, with no sign of mason work. Windows, tall and slitted, are placed at regular intervals, each one framed in wrought iron. The structure is at least 6 stories tall.

You arrive at the front door. It is inset several feet, forming an enclosed front step. You pass a pair of menacing gargoyles. The front door is about 8 foot square, with a set of two black knockers, appearing as grim faces.

[PwntQ]

Well here we are, thinks Jorge. No going back. Lets see what this uncle left him. He reaches up and uses the door knocker.

[Maquise]

Once more, the doors open of their own accord. You enter into a circular foyer. A chandelier spontaneously ignites, flooding the room in light. The floor is smooth marble with a fine carpet laid over it. Verdant plants sit in pots on the edge of the chamber, along with a circular table, upon which there is, amongst other things, a roll of parchment and a bound leather tome. A door leads out of the room on the opposite side.

[PwntQ]

Jorge goes over to read the roll of paper.

[Maquise]

You break the scrolls seal, opening it. The scroll is written in black ink, with a hastened hand:
Jorge,
There are many things I wished to tell you, but my time is short, and there are important matters to discuss. You have inherited not only my property, but my legacy. I give you the resources I had in life to aid you in this, as my legacy will consume you if you allow it. But prove yourself strong, and you will gain more power than you could possibly imagine. This book is the beginning. Hold it close! Its knowledge is the greatest power on this earth.

Lucien von Nehlyvich.

P.S. Listen to Sanguineous!


You examine the leather tome. The cover is black and featureless, the leather thick and stained with wear. It is held shut by a pale metal clasp. There is a small depression in the clasp, about the size of your thumb. The pages are still white, though.

[PwntQ]

Without looking up from the strange book, Jorge calls out to Sanguineous.

"What is this legacy he speaks of? How long has he been dead? And what the hell am I supposed to do with this place?"

[Maquise]

"That is up to you. Your uncle died recently, and I believe his legacy is this place and all that it holds. It is your home, now."

[PwntQ]

"I hope he left coin aside as well, I don't have the means otherwise to take care of it. Or even buy food." Jorge is reminded of this by a stomach growl. "I'm going to take a tour of the place, maybe find if there's a larder as well. Then I'll take a look at this book."

He makes to leave, but pauses a second.

"So how did he die? What happened to his body? And was he my mothers brother, or my fathers?"

[Maquise]

"Your uncle is in fact interred on these grounds, but he left explicit instructions that you were not to view it until you are ready. The doors to the crypt will not open. He was your mother's brother."

As you explore, you notice the lights seem to respond to your presence, shining and extinguishing as you come and go.
You walk over to the door out of the foyer, and find a circular outer hall. You find a set of guest bedrooms, and small dining room. Then you view the kitchens. A door in the back leads out to a small farm, complete with vegetables and animals. A collection of animated scarecrows tend the farm.

Upon returning indoors, you begin your exploration of the first floor. Off the main hallway, you find a parlor for the entertainment of guests, if you so desired. It is well decorated, with furnishings of silk and gold.
Further down, you locate several guest rooms. Each one is well-kept, although you do note that, as far as Sanguineous is aware, they have never been used; you may be the first person to enter this tower other than its master. "Master Lucien had many estates; he entertained elsewhere."
You find at one end of the hallway a heavy stone door. It does not appear to possess either lock or handle, and you cannot open it. At the other end, is a staircase that ascends.

You arrive at the second floor. Three doors stand before you, one leads to another flight of stairs, one an elaborate study, one the master bedroom. First you examine the study. In it is one massive writing desk, stocked and well organized. The room also contains a private library containing more books, tomes and scrolls than you have ever witnessed. You locate another door, which leads to what looks like a private museum. Paintings of exotic people and places line the walls, and you see priceless objects, both beautiful and strange, sealed in glass cases. A pair of suits of armor stand beside the entrance door.

At last you arrive in the master bedroom. It is, like the rest of the tower, greatly comfortable but a touch spartan considering the obvious wealth of the owner. The bed is four-post and has a silk spread, and is the largest bed you have ever seen.

You notice that, in addition to the wardrobe and other such items a bedroom would have, there is a large, oaken door in the corner of your room. You open it, and are hit with a wave of hot, humid air. As the room is revealed, you find yourself in the entrance to a private bath. The pool is circular, 8 ft in diameter at a guess. A marble dragon stands over, water pouring from its mouth, and a glint that suggests ruby eyes.

[PwntQ]

Jorge is dumbfounded by the sheer wealth of the estate. The biggest building he had ever seen before was the mayors manor, and this place made it look like the small hut he shared with his father. A definite step up in the world, but he really has no idea what to do with it. All he has ever known was his village and farm. He could hunt small game, plow a field, and read a bit, thanks to the lessons the village priest provided. But nothing to prepare him for this. An uncle he never knew existed, the brother of a mother he never knew, had left him a true treasure. But Jorge knew enough about the world that this wouldn't all be free. This 'legacy' is most likely the catch. Still, for the moment a bath does sound nice. He'll take a look at that book first though. And he really does need to ask that bird some more questions.

Jorge has a bunch of questions. I'll just plop them all out to speed things up.

"Are there any settlements nearby?"
"What other estates?"
"What is this legacy exactly?"
"How did my uncle die, and why were soldiers after me? Or even know to find me?"
"Is there anyone else here? Besides those scarecrows?"
"What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

[Maquise]

"This manor is very isolated; your uncle wished to keep secret that which he had here, as this place contains much power. He had other holdings in several cities throughout the Eight Kingdoms, though most have probably been seized by his enemies by now. The legacy is all that is before you; the entire contents of this Tower and your uncle's memory. Sir Pelleau was your uncle's greatest enemy, and must've caught up with him and slain him, then learned of you, his heir. The tower looks for its own needs."

At the last question, your stomach grumbles. "Perhaps you should order food prepared while you bathe."

[PwntQ]

"Uh..yeah. Do I just ask the tower or...?"

[Maquise]

"You may address the Tower directly."

[PwntQ]

"Tower, I'd like my meal now."

[Maquise]

You hear noises coming from the kitchen, and shortly thereafter the most appetizing scents you've ever smelled come wafting through the halls.

[PwntQ]

Damm that smells good. With the bathing done, Jorge heads back to the dining area he saw earlier. As he sits down and waits, he tries to open and read the book that had been left for him.

[Maquise]

You find, leafing through the white pages, that not all of them are blank. Some do, in fact, have writing on them. Pages covered in eldritch symbols and writings describing esoteric rituals. All seem simple enough, at least in practice. You find, to your amazement, that the longer you study these pages, the more their contents seem to make sense.

Sanguineous looks over your shoulder. "Ah, I see you have begun the study of spellcraft. Your uncle has left some basic pointers for you to get started. But before you start practicing, maybe we should start by getting settled in? It is late, after all, and we both have spent much time on the road."

You walk over to the door out of the foyer, and find a circular outer hall. You find a set of guest bedrooms, and small dining room. You enter, and the largest chair at the table moves out of its own accord.

As you continue to wait, the sound of stringed instruments is heard. You look around, and see a set of instruments in the corner of the dining room. They appear to be playing themselves. The music is beautiful, calm and soothing as opposed to the boisterous tavern music you are used to.

A cart wheels out of the kitchen towards you. A pair of white gloves place a plate of delicious looking appetizers in front of you. It consists of steamed mushrooms and shrimp, with some sort of sauce.

The meal continues, each course just as rich as the last. After eating your fill along with a sampling of some of your uncle's excellent wine, you are satisfied.

[PwntQ]

Belly bulging with rich and wonderful food, Jorge realizes he could grow to like this. He's never eaten so well before. Leaning back and patting his full belly he replies to Sanguineous.

"That sounds great right now."

[Maquise]

"Very well."

Do you go to the hot bath, or straight to bed?

[PwntQ]

Jorge heads straight to bed.

[Maquise]

The bed has fine silk sheets, and is softer than feathers. You sleep the best you ever had, and wake up the next morning feeling better than you ever have.

[PwntQ]

Jorge elects to spend the majority of the day further exploring the tower and its grounds. Come evening, after a long day of poking around, he returns to the study and focuses on his uncle's book. Magic? He knew little of it. All tales differed, some spoke of great evil, others of great good. They all agreed it was power. The king did even, by the way he feared and banned it. Jorge had never had much ambition in his life but he didn't want to have his head chopped off by the kings soldiers anytime soon. He'll need that power if he is to avoid that fate.

[Maquise]

"Don't try to take things on before you are ready for them," he says. "And be very careful who you trust."

You take your breakfast in the study, investigating the tome and referencing several other books in the process. After breakfast, you begin exploring the tower.

The door to the basement is a large stone door, without any obvious means of opening it. You assume it requires magic to get through.

The first floor has the foyer where you entered. You first view the kitchens, as the dishes from your meal are being cleaned. Sure enough, all of the cookware seems to be cleaning itself. A door in the back leads out to a small farm, complete with vegetables and animals. A collection of animated scarecrows tend the farm. Off the main hallway, you find a parlor for the entertainment of guests, if you so desired. It is well decorated, with furnishings of silk and gold.
Further down, you locate several guest rooms. Each one is well-kept, although you do note that, as far as Sanguineous is aware, they have never been used; you may be the first person to enter this tower other than its master. "Master Lucien had many estates; he entertained elsewhere."

The second floor has the study, first library, museum, and Master Bedroom and Bath. Ascending to the third floor, you find a Map Room, Alchemy Lab, and a balcony with a Rare Herb Garden on it. In the Alchemy Lab, you find a second set of stairs leading upwards, to a locked door. Above the locked door, it says, "Alchemy: Advanced Studies."

You continue up the main flight. Most of the doors are locked; the names of these that most stick out to you are, "Library of Conjuration," "Hall of Testing," and "Necrotorium."

Most of the doors on the upper floors are locked, except the one at the very top. On the pinnacle of the tower, you find an observatory, equipped with all manner of astrological devices.

[PwntQ]

Not really sure what Jorge is supposed to be doing at this point. I was thinking there would be a time skip during which he trained in the tower and became a wizard.

[Maquise]

(There is. I was wondering if you wanted to do anything else.)

Life in the Tower is at once new everyday, and terribly monotonous. You study, explore the grounds, and try to learn more about magic. Still you wish that there were more people to talk to than just Sanguineous.

Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. With nothing else to focus on, you find that your talents with the arcane blossom. Soon you have mastered the cantrips from the black tome, and begin studying your first true spells.

[PwntQ]

It had been a long couple of months, but here he was. Magic! Real magic! The stuff of stories and now it was his. While he only knew the basics now, it wouldn't be long before he could cast actual spells. The other books in the library had started to actually make sense now, except for some of the more advanced ones which still hurt his head. Jorge decided to take the rest of the day off. Not that there was a whole lot to do here. They were pretty isolated here at the tower from the rest of the world.

As he takes a stroll around the tower grounds he can't help but think about why hes doing this. Sometimes it seems like he's doing it for its own sake. To be honest he did find magic fascinating and enjoyed his studies though. Other times he felt like he was preparing to overthrow the king, since he could never be entirely safe until the man was dead. Either way, at the moment he was just bored.

[Maquise]

"Now that you have settled in and begun to learn magic, what will your next course be?" Sanguineous says.

[PwntQ]

"Hmm...well I will need to fight the king at some point. I don't know how long we'll be safe here from him. Or maybe he'll never even find it. But I don't plan on living the rest of my life here. I want answers. And I'm prepared to fight to get them. So for now I need to get allies? I don't know. I'm supposed to become some great ass wizard and use this legacy I don't even know about to do..what exactly? Why did the king even outlaw magic?"

Jorge realizes hes started yelling in his frustration and shuts up in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I'm just frustrated. I need to get better at magic, gain allies, and gain an army. The answer to the first lies here in the tower. The second lies outside of it. And the third lies with both I assume. For now, allies."

[Maquise]

Sanguineous pauses, and then speaks. "My lord, the Wyrmwood is a dangerous place, especially off the paths we traveled to get here. If you wish to explore it, you would be advised to research the perils first."

[PwntQ]

"You're right. It would be wise to do research on the surroundings first. My uncle will surely of left books on the matter, given how close they are to the tower."

[Maquise]

(Do you have a character sheet yet?)

[PwntQ]

(No not yet. I didn't see any rules for character creation yet.)

[Maquise]

(Right, sorry. Level 1 wizard, 25 point buy, max hitpoints at level 1, regular starting GP. You can take 2 traits, and buy up to 2 more with drawbacks.)

[Maquise]

You find out that your Tower is in the depths of a forest called the Wyrmwood, because the legend is that dragons once dwelled here in great numbers, and some people claim to see them still. Aside from the usual inhabitants of forests, it is populated by monsters such as barhgests, trolls, basilisks, and other beasts.