Choice Results are at the bottom of the page. Goodluck!

Boarded by an entourage of officers in heavy mail, the orcs inspect the ship, speak to the Captain and crew, then pull away to allow them through to bustling docks where you gain your first sight of Orkeylium, a bustling metropolis of strange sounds, noises, and unfamiliar scents that float across the breeze. The small port city holed up in wide cove that curls up around you with hundreds of shanties made of driftwood dotting the shoreline. The place reeking of fish, sweat, and salt.

Nose cringed up at the unusual sights and smells, you’re escorted down the plank by the Captain, who upon reaching the docks holds up a hand before you leave. “Here, I was meant to give you this package once you arrived in Ryzak.” The orc stated in a blunt voice, before shoving the package into your arms, and storming back onboard.

Curious to see what was inside you quickly open it up to find a small pouch filled with 10 gold pieces, a fragment of a map, and a hastily scrawled message that said, “Speak to Hasgraw.”

Half smiling at the challenge ahead of you, you look up and feel Yazrul at the back of your mind. “Looks like you have a starting point, but where to begin?”

Choice 4. Do you search for the nearest merchant?

In much need of supplies, you head through the middle of town in search of the marketplace. The sound of their voices drawing you towards an intersection where dozens of merchants sold their wares.

Perusing their goods for anything of value, your eyes spot several books that immediately pique your interest. The orc, a wiry young merchant with jet black hair tied in a knot, and an uneasy smile.

“Ahhh, I see you are a scholar like myself, please, take a look at my wares, I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.”

Hesitant to lose even a single gold piece, you pick up one of the books, feeling it’s hard-backed leather in your hands.

Through Fire and Blood by Angmar Toloso, speaks of the devilish cults that plague the land.

Local Legends by Wigrum Karstock, goes through the many legends that are whispered to the children before they sleep.

The Account, is a tale by a long-ago dead soldier who speaks of a cave shadowed by darkness and death.

(Click here to purchase a copy of Through Fire and Blood by Angmar Toloso? Price: 1Gp.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

There are three passages that interest you:

“...In the dark days when we worshipped these foul demons as our gods, it said we were touched by something almost divine, ancient, and powerful, a being able to control the very Winds of Fate and change time itself. We called her, ”The Mother...”

“...Not much is known of The Mother, but as for her devil spawn there are many tales. Sezrath being the oldest among them is said to be the most ambitious of the three and is named as the cause of most of the Demonic Wars that have spread out through the ages...”

“...Sezrath, Lord of Death, goes by many names and even now is worshipped in the darker regions of Orkeylium as a God who can only be appeased by blood and sacrifice...” (10 XP Gained.)

(Click here to purchase a copy of Local Legends by Wigrum Karstock? Price: 1Gp.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

There are two passages that interest you:

“...in the borderline villages that guard the realm against goblin incursions, there is a tale of a heroic orc who wielded such devastating magics that he birthed new mountains to protect his home. However, what is most unusual about this tale is the mention of a black staff that he always carried with him…”

“...In the dark whispers of gathering night, mothers would caution their children with stories of Grimvar, a devilish beast that haunted the land stealing children in the dead of night and leaving their bones in front of their homes. It said that for years, this terrible beast moved from town to town feasting upon wayward travelers, until one day it vanished. The only other accounts, speak of a gateway to the underworld that had been closed that same year...” (20 XP Gained.)

(Click here to purchase a copy of The Account? Price: 1Gp.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

There is one passage that interests you:

“...In the weeks following our defeat at the hands of the Ogrekan, we retreated for thousands of miles. Our feet shredded by sharpened stones, and our numbers culled by hunger and disease. We had lost all hope, and in the days that followed, we saw many of our warriors simply disappear into the dark never to return.

“I had thought that I would die there, but instead I saw something that would forever darken my soul.

“As we took shelter in a cave, Colvar found something at the back, some sort of Gateway that led to nowhere. Idiotic fool that he was, he touched the stone inside the circle and vanished through it.

“We shouted till our voices were hoarse, but our friend never returned. Fearful, I told the others that we had leave, but they would not listen. They preferred the warmth of the cave to cold and rain.”

“Too much of a coward to stay with them, I went out alone, abandoning my friends when they needed me most, and that’s when I heard their screams.

“I ran back as fast I could, but by then it was already too late. All that had remained of my company were dead, butchered into tiny gobbets of flesh, and strewn about cave floor, their innards ripped out and displayed upon poles.

“I cannot remember much of what happened next, only that I ran and kept running. The ghosts of friends taunting me every step of the way...” (10 XP Gained.)

Continuing on through the marketplace, you stop at a merchant selling packaged meals that would definitely come in handy on the road. (Each meal will cost you 1Gp and give you 1Hp.)

Done with the marketplace, for now, you ask around about Hazgraw, but the mere mention of the names gets you nothing but death stares with two of the town’s guards watching you with hostile glances. Which meant you would have to look elsewhere to get your answers.