||EVENT|| NPCS GALOOOOORE
The fleet of human ships breaks free of the swamp and sails, through rain that ranges from drizzling to pouring, across an open lake and then along a shoreline, mostly shrouded in mist. As with any journey, the end of it seems the longest; the shore drags on apparently to eternity.
Finally, the ships sail through a slightly narrower part of the lake and out into an open cove. Mage City is just ahead.
The city is wrecked. It's in ruins. That much is clear, as soon as the ships get close to shore. Landing parties go, one by one, soldiers grateful to get out of cramped quarters and onto land. It's a mass of confusion, with worldwalkers unloaded just as perfunctorily as infantry.
Frederick rides off into the city, with a retinue, and, from here, on land, there are lights visible in the open fields outside the city.
On closer inspection, or on exploration, the layout is thus:
Mage City is wrecked. It's burned, flooded, looted from the three battles that have taken place there in the past year and a half. What inhabitants there are hide from anyone who seeks them out. [Roll a 15 or higher on a D20 to corner one of them long enough to talk.]
To the north of the city, the goblins are camped out. There are dozens of different factions, uniforms, colors. They're painted for war, and, no matter where you are in their camp, you can hear the beat of the drums. If foreigners enter, they will stare, but will be willing to talk.
To the west of the city, the demon army. Some of this will be familiar to the worldwalkers. They're racially diverse, including nymphs -- dryads, naiads, oreads -- sylphs, humans, dwarves, demons. But, what's unfamiliar, now, is that the bulk of the demon army, here, is short, hulking brutish creatures that answer monosyllabically, if at all. These may have been glimpsed, on occasion, in Jhelbor, but they were not common. They are orcs.
To the south of the city, quieter than the goblins and demons but no less present, is the Elf army. On first glance, the Elves seem to have a much smaller group than the goblins or demons. However, they are given a wide berth.
The human army, gradually, moves into the city itself, between the other three, occupying open squares and empty buildings.
Word spreads around that there's going to be a conference of the leaders late that night.
[Notable NPCs present and available for tagging are: Frederick, September, Titus Dangerfield, Thrace, Lhoral, Quahl, Aleas, and Niko. Feel free to tag new NPCs! There are dozens of goblins, demons, humans, elves, etc. all around. The narrators will make NPCs as necessary. We apologize for any delay in answering tags that require creation of new characters.]
Finally, the ships sail through a slightly narrower part of the lake and out into an open cove. Mage City is just ahead.
The city is wrecked. It's in ruins. That much is clear, as soon as the ships get close to shore. Landing parties go, one by one, soldiers grateful to get out of cramped quarters and onto land. It's a mass of confusion, with worldwalkers unloaded just as perfunctorily as infantry.
Frederick rides off into the city, with a retinue, and, from here, on land, there are lights visible in the open fields outside the city.
On closer inspection, or on exploration, the layout is thus:
Mage City is wrecked. It's burned, flooded, looted from the three battles that have taken place there in the past year and a half. What inhabitants there are hide from anyone who seeks them out. [Roll a 15 or higher on a D20 to corner one of them long enough to talk.]
To the north of the city, the goblins are camped out. There are dozens of different factions, uniforms, colors. They're painted for war, and, no matter where you are in their camp, you can hear the beat of the drums. If foreigners enter, they will stare, but will be willing to talk.
To the west of the city, the demon army. Some of this will be familiar to the worldwalkers. They're racially diverse, including nymphs -- dryads, naiads, oreads -- sylphs, humans, dwarves, demons. But, what's unfamiliar, now, is that the bulk of the demon army, here, is short, hulking brutish creatures that answer monosyllabically, if at all. These may have been glimpsed, on occasion, in Jhelbor, but they were not common. They are orcs.
To the south of the city, quieter than the goblins and demons but no less present, is the Elf army. On first glance, the Elves seem to have a much smaller group than the goblins or demons. However, they are given a wide berth.
The human army, gradually, moves into the city itself, between the other three, occupying open squares and empty buildings.
Word spreads around that there's going to be a conference of the leaders late that night.
[Notable NPCs present and available for tagging are: Frederick, September, Titus Dangerfield, Thrace, Lhoral, Quahl, Aleas, and Niko. Feel free to tag new NPCs! There are dozens of goblins, demons, humans, elves, etc. all around. The narrators will make NPCs as necessary. We apologize for any delay in answering tags that require creation of new characters.]