Alex319
2008-09-21, 12:22 PM
OOC thread link for character sheets (for reference): http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90880
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Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom called Altaria.
For hundreds of years the kingdom was beset by turmoil. Evil loomed everywhere and despite the efforts of numerous heroic adventurers, the evil kept coming. The kingdom would be destroyed if this went on for too long.
Just ten years ago, a new leader, Prince Arthanis, came to the throne of Altaria. He made it his mission to rebuild the ranks of adventurers to fight evil. He personally trained hundreds of adventurers, of which you are one.
The plan worked even better than he expected, for the evil has been almost completely driven off. Unfortunately, this means that adventurers are almost all out of work, as are the people who supply them.
There is an old legend known as the "Gate to Carpathia". The legend says that there is a magical portal somewhere in Altaria which leads to a kingdom called Carpathia, a world full of wonders. Nobody knows what those wonders are, because nobody has come back through the portal, and many who have sought out the portal have never returned. With the dearth of work in Altaria, there is renewed interest among adventurers to rediscover the Gate to Carpathia.
But there is more to this story than meets the eye...
---
You have just finished your training with Prince Arthanis, and you are ready to adventure out into the world in search of fame and glory. Unfortunately, he informs you that he doesn't have any quests for you to undertake right now, so you'll have to find work on your own. And it's not just you that's having a problem, apparently, as is evidenced by this front page story in the newspaper:
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According to the latest economic census, the unemployment rate for adventurers and heroes has increased for the 10th straight year to 47 percent, the highest it has been in over 400 years. While adventurers could once count on a steady supply of income from thwarting evil schemes and killing horrible monsters, they are increasingly finding that, in the words of one paladin, “there just isn’t enough evil out there left to fight anymore.” “No kobold! No goblin! No guga-gat! No ouga-douga-bibberbasher!” complained Kreg Grok, a half-orc fighter. Adventurers not directly involved in combat have also been affected. “Everywhere I go in this kingdom, it seems like all the ancient desecrated temples have already been purified,” explained Halia Hieron, a human cleric. “I know, yes, I probably could put my skills to use healing the peasantry, but back at the seminary all they taught me was the basic healing spells, curing spells, and the combat enhancers. None of those would be useful domestically – what I really need is a “Cure Scurvy and Malnutrition” spell or a “Purge Bubonic Plague” spell – those might be useful.”
Nevertheless, while analysts are unable to explain the trend, predictions for the future look grim for adventurers. The trend shows no signs of reversing.
On the political front, reactions to the news were mixed. Many non-adventurers are happy with the situation, praising Prince Arthanis for his “wise and benevolent rule” that has led the kingdom to a state of near-complete peace for the past 10 years. “Since Prince Arthanis came to the throne our farm hasn’t been attacked by bandits once,” explained a peasant. “Now maybe some adventurer doesn’t get his glory, but at least I can eat for once.” While Prince Arthanis has a record-high approval rating of 87 percent among the peasant and serf demographics, many are skeptical about whether his strict “anti-evil” policies bode well for the kingdom’s future. “Unless Prince Arthanis wants to return Altaria to a completely agricultural economy and destroy all progress we have made toward an industrialized society, the fact of the matter is that getting rid of all the jobs for adventurers is simply economic suicide,” said an economist with the Royal Guild of Economists. However, Prince Arthanis says he has a plan to give the adventurers new jobs by “using their prowess in fighting evil to solve the challenges of a new millennium.” In a recent speech, he explained: “For example, thieves who specialize in sneaking into places and stealing other people’s hard-earned stashes are being actively recruited as tax collection agents. So, as you can see, I really do have a plan for leading this kingdom to a better economy. So vote for me next election. Wait a second, we don’t have elections; we’re not a democracy yet. But you can at least not try to assassinate me.
That would be a big help.”
---
===================================
You are currently in Altaria City, the capital of Altaria. It is a small town with a population of about a thousand residents, and the following locations of interest are available to visit:
- Palace (you are already there)
- Tavern
- Fighter's Guild Hall
- Adventurer's Shop
- Library
- Temple Row
---
Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom called Altaria.
For hundreds of years the kingdom was beset by turmoil. Evil loomed everywhere and despite the efforts of numerous heroic adventurers, the evil kept coming. The kingdom would be destroyed if this went on for too long.
Just ten years ago, a new leader, Prince Arthanis, came to the throne of Altaria. He made it his mission to rebuild the ranks of adventurers to fight evil. He personally trained hundreds of adventurers, of which you are one.
The plan worked even better than he expected, for the evil has been almost completely driven off. Unfortunately, this means that adventurers are almost all out of work, as are the people who supply them.
There is an old legend known as the "Gate to Carpathia". The legend says that there is a magical portal somewhere in Altaria which leads to a kingdom called Carpathia, a world full of wonders. Nobody knows what those wonders are, because nobody has come back through the portal, and many who have sought out the portal have never returned. With the dearth of work in Altaria, there is renewed interest among adventurers to rediscover the Gate to Carpathia.
But there is more to this story than meets the eye...
---
You have just finished your training with Prince Arthanis, and you are ready to adventure out into the world in search of fame and glory. Unfortunately, he informs you that he doesn't have any quests for you to undertake right now, so you'll have to find work on your own. And it's not just you that's having a problem, apparently, as is evidenced by this front page story in the newspaper:
----
According to the latest economic census, the unemployment rate for adventurers and heroes has increased for the 10th straight year to 47 percent, the highest it has been in over 400 years. While adventurers could once count on a steady supply of income from thwarting evil schemes and killing horrible monsters, they are increasingly finding that, in the words of one paladin, “there just isn’t enough evil out there left to fight anymore.” “No kobold! No goblin! No guga-gat! No ouga-douga-bibberbasher!” complained Kreg Grok, a half-orc fighter. Adventurers not directly involved in combat have also been affected. “Everywhere I go in this kingdom, it seems like all the ancient desecrated temples have already been purified,” explained Halia Hieron, a human cleric. “I know, yes, I probably could put my skills to use healing the peasantry, but back at the seminary all they taught me was the basic healing spells, curing spells, and the combat enhancers. None of those would be useful domestically – what I really need is a “Cure Scurvy and Malnutrition” spell or a “Purge Bubonic Plague” spell – those might be useful.”
Nevertheless, while analysts are unable to explain the trend, predictions for the future look grim for adventurers. The trend shows no signs of reversing.
On the political front, reactions to the news were mixed. Many non-adventurers are happy with the situation, praising Prince Arthanis for his “wise and benevolent rule” that has led the kingdom to a state of near-complete peace for the past 10 years. “Since Prince Arthanis came to the throne our farm hasn’t been attacked by bandits once,” explained a peasant. “Now maybe some adventurer doesn’t get his glory, but at least I can eat for once.” While Prince Arthanis has a record-high approval rating of 87 percent among the peasant and serf demographics, many are skeptical about whether his strict “anti-evil” policies bode well for the kingdom’s future. “Unless Prince Arthanis wants to return Altaria to a completely agricultural economy and destroy all progress we have made toward an industrialized society, the fact of the matter is that getting rid of all the jobs for adventurers is simply economic suicide,” said an economist with the Royal Guild of Economists. However, Prince Arthanis says he has a plan to give the adventurers new jobs by “using their prowess in fighting evil to solve the challenges of a new millennium.” In a recent speech, he explained: “For example, thieves who specialize in sneaking into places and stealing other people’s hard-earned stashes are being actively recruited as tax collection agents. So, as you can see, I really do have a plan for leading this kingdom to a better economy. So vote for me next election. Wait a second, we don’t have elections; we’re not a democracy yet. But you can at least not try to assassinate me.
That would be a big help.”
---
===================================
You are currently in Altaria City, the capital of Altaria. It is a small town with a population of about a thousand residents, and the following locations of interest are available to visit:
- Palace (you are already there)
- Tavern
- Fighter's Guild Hall
- Adventurer's Shop
- Library
- Temple Row