The Ambitions of a Warmonger Quest

Talk to the people of the tavern, hear there grievances with their lords and masters.

>>1166545
One man stands in front of you.

"We have no lords here, Harbia is a free country, free of oppressors. No lords nor masters and so no grievances with them."

>>1166545
>>1166564
The whole tavern quietens and stares at you. Then they all break out into laughter and continue drinking.

They obviously would not take kindly to the idea of rallying behind a single man as their one and true leader.

Let's go see the Varg and their slaves. Slaves usually don't want to be slaves so maybe we can work with that.

How can we get there or in touch with some slaves?

>>1166671
Varg is a fortnights (14 days) journey north. And you have no coin nor supplies. Do you still want to go?

>>1166684
No, let's start by scanning the bar for anyone getting drunk or already plastered.

>>1166684
>>1166702
also talk to the bartender, ask if anything interesting has been happening around Harbia or on the outskirts of town

>>1166702
Everyone is drinking and enjoying themselves, but one table of men stands out to you; one man is dancing atop the table the others cheer him on in slurred voices, except one who is out cold.

He sings:
"Ooohh! There is an inn a merry old inn
beneath on old grey hill!
There they brew a beer so brown
that the man in the moon himself came down
one night to drink his fill!..." and so on.

>>1166684

do we have weapons? if we do look for mercenary work to get some coin

>>1166717
You ask the bartender.

"Well bandit raids have been more frequent in the north. But that'll soon clear up as it's so near Stromantan territory."

Do you want to inquire further?

>>1166724
You have no weapons except for farm tools at your house. Pitchfork, Shovel, Meat Knife, Plow, Hoe, Pickaxe, Wood-axe, and so on.

>>1166730
No, return home and get the meat knife, wood axe, and all the food/coin we can find. Then we can lurk outside the travel and stalk the drunk home and steal his food and money.

>>1166741
Also make a mask out of sackcloth

>>1166741
>>1166750
You leave the tavern and return home, passing by two newly fashioned tombstones where the earth is still soft.

You head inside and grab the knife and an old sack to cut eye-holes into.
You stow the knife in your belt and grab the last remnants of your last crop (1 potato, 2 carrots and a turnip), and your coin purse (7 copper haffers).

You head back to the inn.

>>1166763
Lurk in the dark near the tarven until some drunk stumbles out, then follow them home.

>>1166763
For reference

5 coppers = 1 steel
5 steel = 1 gold
10 gold = 1 steel ingot (used for trade)

>>1166768
The sun has just set.
You wait in the shadows outside the tavern.
After a quarter hour two men swagger out of the door.

Do you follow them or leave them?

>>1166774
Wait for someone drunker.

>>1166778
You wait another half hour; your joints begin to feel sore from crouching.
A man trips on the door-frame and falls into the dirt, he attempts to pick himself up but seems to be having some trouble.
Drool is coming in a constant flow from his mouth and pooling on the ground.

>>1166788
check what he has on him, but dont hurt him

>>1166792
He's wearing a shortsword, and you can see his coinpurse is at least half full.

Note: you are directly in front of the open tavern door.

>>I'm signing off for the night. will be back in about 11 hours. See you then.

>>1166795
pick him up, act like you are his friend trying to help him out. bring him somewhere out of sight, open his coinpurse and count his money.

>>1166806
This

>>1166806
You offer your help, and he happily obliges.
You lead him out of sight between the tavern and a general store; he is nearly too drunk to see.
He thanks you for your help as you take his coinpurse, (4 steel pieces and 11 copper).

>>1167967
I must assure you that I am the same person, just posting from a different IP address.
In around 6 hours I will be posting from the original. These are the only two IP addresses I will use. Apologies if there was some confusion.

>>1167967
Confirming that this is me. Just to clarify.

>>1167967
>>1166806
He slumps down. Knocked out from alcohol. You still have his purse in your hands.

>>1169310
Take him home, empty the coins into your stash and get rid of the coinpurse. Get him water and place to rest and then go to bed, waiting to talk to him in the morning

>>1169371
You take the coins and begin to drag him out of the alley.
A man sees you as he is leaving the tavern. He finds a masked man dragging an unconscious man out of an alleyway quite suspicious.

He begins to approach you to inquire.

>>1169386
As he approaches ask if he wants to help. If he askes about the mask. Tell him that our face is quite scarred from a fire and don't want to deal with the jives insults and pity from others so we hide it.

>>1169714
As he comes near you say to him:
"Can I help you?"

He looks confused and asks:
"What's wrong wif 'im?"
He points to the unconscious man.

>>1172237
He's drunk want to help me carry him home?

>>1172476
"Oh! Yare I'll 'elp!"

>>1169714
He then asks you what the sack is for, and you reply with.
"My face is quite scarred from a fire and don't want to deal with the jives insults and pity from others."

>>1172521
/\/\/\-He asks this as he's helping you carry him home.
After a few step down the street you stop and realize, you don't know where this guy lives...

>>1172649
take him to the doorstep of a random house and bid the other man farewell to throw him off

>>1172693
You drop him on the doorstep of the nearest house and bid the other man farewell. After he leaves you open your purse and count your coins again:
4 steel Carts, 18 copper Haffers.

(Reference: a standard arming sword cost at least 10 gold/1 steel trade bar).

5 coppers = 1 steel
5 steel = 1 gold
10 gold = 1 steel ingot

>>1172750
drag him off the stoop, slit his throat and go home.

>>1173056
>>1173056
Now that there are no witnesses around, you decide to kill him.You slip your knife out of your belt and cut his throat.
Blood spurts from the gash onto your tunic and mask.
You leave him bleeding next to the doorstep.

The man has a Leather Belt, a Shortsword, a pair knee high Travelling Boots and a blood soaked Tunic.

Do you want to do anything before going home?

>>1174386
Take all of his shit. Then we go home once it's morning let's go to the market buy some nice black leathers and next night kill more people.

>>1174386
clean up the blood at the doorstep using his tunic and the mask. take the corpse to the woods so hopefully wild animals would devour him. Also take his shortsword and travelling boots. the tunic can be recognized at a glance.

>>1175498
>>1174651
After cleaning up the blood, you drag him out of town and into the forest.

You feel a twinge of regret, but brush the thought aside, as you feel this to be a necessary step in your grand scheme.

You remove his equipment and bundle it up in his tunic.

You return home and again pass the two new tombstones, your eyes begin to tear up, but you wipe them away, thinking only of your great goal.

You enter your house and dump the bundle of loot on your table.
After eating a carrot and half a turnip you begin to undress. You drape your bloodsoaked garment and mask over a chair and fall asleep on yur bed, which is not more than a sheepskin laid over a pile of hay.
Your sleep is restless and full of dreams about your lost wife, seeing her beautiful flame red hair waft in a summer gale causes tears to streem down your face. You hold her hand as she leads you to a clifftop overlooking an endless ocean burning bright with the reflected gaze of the setting sun. The breeze lifts her dress, you both laugh as you embrace. You fall in the grass and make tender love, the way you used to, before the birth of your daughter. She slips away, up the slope to the edge, and looks out across the water.

She turns towards you with tears in her eyes and a child in her arms, they are both soaked in blood, streaming from multiple wounds. You clamber up the slope towards them, screaming and clawing at the grass, crying out to them as they cry back back with muffled voices.

Before you reach them, the groung begins to crack and fall away about their feet, and they fall. You trip and land on your chest right in front of the break. You see them both as they plummet down onto the jagged rocks below. You wail and cry at the edge as they are consumed by the sea. You cluch the grass and tear it away as the rage begins to boil up inside you. You stand and curse the sun and stars, curse the world for this crime. The sun bgins to burn crimson and bleeds into the water, turning the whole ocean a sickly blood red.

You awaken covered in cold sweat, but full of determination.

(Note: I will occasionally go through a large amount of time by myself if I feel it would go too slow if it were otherwise, later on this may mean skipping days, weeks, months or even years.)

Announcement to all contributers to this thread: Please read the whole thread before posting here so you can get an idea of what the character and world is like, this will make roleplaying easier and make the story run smoother.

Thank you.

-Noman.

>>1175594
To the market! Let's go shopping!

>>1175594
what is my battle experience. Am i a strong warrior or do i still lack basic fighting training

>>1178122
You are a farmer, and a failure at that. The majority of your crops have died since you began 11 years.
But the crops didn't fail due to lack of hard work, so you are quite strong, but underfed. You have no battle experience outside of fighting off wolves and foxes, and the occasional alehouse brawl.

>>1178173
ok. since i cant conquer the world with brute strength let's go with cunning. go to the tavern and talk of a rumor "a fisherman close the border of varg saw a small fleet with varg's banner. they're probably preparing to raid a village. possibly harbia since it's the easiest target"

>>1178173
btw where is herbia located. do they have any harbors or are they close to any water bodies. is there a sort of map

File: Map for a Warlord.png (16KB, 768x480px) Image search: [Google]

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>>1178237
Here is a map of the known world.
With added countries that aren't major military or economic powers.

File: Map for a Warlord.png (22KB, 768x480px) Image search: [Google]

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>>1178287
>>1178228

Updated with rivers.
The red dot is where you are.

Announcement: poster with user ID: rnIPLoHm with the name Noman is also me, just posting from a different IP address.
I will be posting using this tomorrow, and during school hours on weekdays.

Thank you.

- Noman

>>1178228
Also Harbia is in no way united. The word Harbia is just a name for the region, as there are no rulers and no form of government or military to keep anyone in line.

The are only allowed to continue to exist in this way by Stromanta and Varg because they don't pose any military threat and their exportation of iron and food.

Rolled 1 (1d20)

Let's go shopping buy some new diggs and then go to the tavern and recruit some peeps to fight bandits with us.

>>1178373
I have 4 steel pieces and 11 copper. How much is a single mercenary for high for a month worth? Also start heading north. I need slaves

>>1178929
>>1178373
for hire* and go to a nearby shop to get some grub and a horse

>>1178929
>>1178930
18 copper and 4 steel. Including the money you started with.

Your tunic is caked in dry blood, it would be unwise to wear it in public.

>>1179940
What are you talking about we spilled wine on it and are in the market for a much nicer one.

>>1179940
it seems i forgot to say to bury the tunic and mask with the man but no worries. Burn it on the stove. get some clothes and go to any nearby shop

>>1179995
You don't have a stove. But there is a hearth in the middle of the floor.

You throw the man's tunic and the mask in the fire.

Updated Country Descriptions. With only information that you would know.

Stromanta:
The largest and most influential Kingdom with the largest army and biggest fortresses. Despite having the most sea access they have very small naval presence.

Varg:
Raiders and ship builders on the north-western coast. Verocious warriors with a prosperous slave trade.

Nomilo:
They hide between the cover of two great mountain ranges. They are the smallest tribe and only survive because they excel at ambushing and surprise attacks, and their allegiance with Stromanta.

Harbia:
Mostly farmlands and forests. They have no standing army nor any real governer, but are ready to rally under any banner in order to defend their homeland.

Krithil:
A great trade centre in the east. With free cities where you can buy nearly anything. They are defended in most part by highly paid and skilled mercenaries.

Sheriv:
A heavliy fortified city-state in between Varg, Harbia, Stromanta and Krithil. They are the main obstacle for Vargian raiding parties travelling to Harbia.

Jartonhol:
A grey wasteland with small forest scattered around. A few warlike tribes are strewn about, all under the rule of a single Great Chiftain.

Olvush:
Many port cities are spread acroos the long beaches. Most are great trade centers that mosly deal in fish, salt, and many substances that are contraband in other countries.

Klushka:
A great steppe that stretches to the end of the known world. The nomad tribes that live off of this land are generally peaceful, save for a few farther to the north who would kill you for your shoes.

Garedel:
A lush, green, heavily forested land. There are very few inhabitants, who mainly live at the edge of the country near Nomilo. There are rumours of a great bounty of ores near the heart of the forest.

>>1180304
wear some clothes. take the pouch along with the traveller's boots and sword. take the rest of the food in a small sackcloth and torch the house. I have no use for memories of the past

>>1180321
>>1179995
>>1178930
You throw the stained tunic and mask into the hearth.
You gather your last scraps of food, and change into your spare tunic and slacks. You slip into the traveling boots, grab the wood axe and slip it into your belt. You sling the scabbard belt over one shoulder and sheathe the shortsword.

You leave the house with a burning piece of tinder on the bed.

You reach the market.

>>1180410
Ahh. My Adventure begins now.

MY WIFE. MY CHILD. LOOK AFTER ME AS I
JOURNEY TO RULE THE WORLD. (this is me screaming out loud)

Go to the nearest tavern

>>1180429
The market was just a half kilometer up the road.
There are a few stalls mostly selling various foodstuffs.
There is a blacksmith and armourer in one corner and a fletcher, and also a weaver.
You walk straight past all of that and enter the tavern.
Your friend Affol greets you solemnly and offers you a drink.

>>1181269
take the drink. down the cup in one go and tell him
>I'm leaving this town, Affol

spend some coin for a hearty meal. who knows when you will be eating like that next

>>1182016
>>1182883
He leads you over to a table where two women are sitting, you recognize them as Affol's daughters.
You sit down and he leaves to get both of you drinks from the bar.

Affol's daughters are both beautiful in their own regard, and strong, they help him around on their farm.
Their names are Sidra and Faril.

>>1183466
why doesn't he inquire as to why i'm leaving the town?
anyways

>Sidra, Faril, you've both grown to be beautiful women
Also call out to affol to get as much food from the barkeep, the tab will be on me

>>1183501
Affol hears you and grabs two bowls of soup while the tender carries two more over to the table.

Affol sits down across from you, his face stern and ridged in a grimace showing each line and crease on his weathered face. He is at least a decade older than you.

"Now what's it you said before? Leaving town? I saw some smoke down the south side of town before, was that your doing?"

>>1183589
yeah. sorry. if you want the farm...you can have it I guess? should've thought of that first.

here's masterplan
>spread rumor varg is going to attack herbia by crossing river
>go to varg and buy slaves (also start rumor at varg that herbia has good shit)
>take slaves to garedel and mine some good minerals
>sell minerals at krithil, stromanta, sheriv or ovlush
>using cash to buy a small mercenary army
>take army to herbia and tell them of incoming varg raid
>rally herbia under my banner to defend against varg
>successfully defend and proceed to conquer varg
things may not happen like this but just laying it out there

>>1183766
"Hey? Blast the farm! Blast the town! I'm goin' with you!"

Both of his daughter look at each other, shacked.

>>1184808
"Da? This is unexpected. What shall we do without you?" Says Sidra.

"Father! At least give us time to settle our affairs!" Says Faril.

>>1184814
"stay with your daughters. they need you as their father. even more so than ever with the coming crisis

>>1184959
"Coming crisis? What are talkin' about? Anyway my girls'll be alright on there own, they practically run the farm anyway."

Faril interjects "If you're going dad, then I'm going too."

Sidra gives Faril a quick look "I can't run the farm by myself! I'm goin' as well."

"Hah! I knew it! You two can't wait to get a taste of the world!
Waddaya say friend? Also where are we going?"

>>1185168
Hmm, this changes my plans a bit

>"I'm goin' south. to garedel. heard there's precious stones 'er. need to get as far away south from varg before they start invadin'. heard rumors they were 'massing a large fleet"

>>1185299
"We'll need horses fer that friend. What's troublin' you? Thinkin' 'bout your wife?" Affol implores as he sips his beer.

>>1185594
"I have a few coins saved up. all of me and me wife's savin'. can't live here no mo' everything reminds me of 'em" Show him everything i got while eating some food

>>1186745
>>1185299

He sees all the money you've piled on the table.
"That's'n't be enough for a lame mule and a wagon wheel! Hey! I tell ya what, I'll buy ya a horse an' cart fer you an' ya luggage.
Ay, an' Garedel you say? There's not there but rumours and ghost stories, why not Krithil or Stromanta? There's good trade in those parts, an' the coin flows like water."

>>1187211
hmm. Krithil and stromanta

while kithril probably would yield more profit it is a bit far away. stromata it is
"hmm. stromata does sound good. but wouldn' a roof cost quite a bit o'er there?"

>>1187479
>>1178363
Affol furrows his brow in thought "Well if it's coin ya're after, ya'll might needs ta live out of a tent fer a fortnight or two. 'till you can start turnin' a profit."

"Why are you leavin' anyway? As in what do you plan to do?" Asks Sidra.

>Currency conversion table

1 copper haffer = 1 attel
1 steel cart = 5 attels
1 gold helm = 25 attels
1 ceramic chektol (only used in Krithil) = 100 attels
1 steel ingot = 250 attels

a = attel

>Reference: Average Price of goods in Harbia:

Arming Sword: 225 a
Hand Axe: 150 a
Spear: 100 a
Short Bow: 75 a

Standard Arrow: 6 a

Wooden Round Shield: 35 a
Wooden Kite Shield: 50 a

Pot Helm: 90 a
Chain Hood: 50 a

Studded Leather Vest: 35 a
Chain Shirt: 100 a
Travelling Boots: 75 a

Mule: 100 a
Draft Horse: 125 a
Riding Horse: 190 a

Two Wheel Cart: 100 a
Four Wheel Cart: 225 a

Cheap Meal: 4 a
Standard Meal: 12 a

Mug of Ale: 2 a
Keg of Ale: 50 a

>>1188148
"I's plannin' to move around. visit lotsa cities and explore the big world. but to do that i needs money. need to start somewhere. so what do ya say affol? we go buy the horses for the journey?"

File: Affol_Drunga.jpg (120KB, 541x640px) Image search: [Google]

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<<Affol

>>1188437
"Aye! That seems like a plan. So off ta the market I say. Buy usselves some gear an' horses ta carry it."

>>1188437
>>1190436
You all rise and leave the tavern (the meal cost you 4 haffers).

The market place is bustling with the usual townsfolk, buying and selling the necessities. The blacksmith is working away, a horse whinny's in the stable, the smell of old hay and manure wafts around.

After handing you six helms for supplies, Affol goes off with Sidra to buy some horses.

You currently have:
A Shortsword.
A Wood Axe.
A Long Knife.
-
A pair of Travelling Boots.
Two Leather Belts.
A Tattered Tunic.
-
Half a Carrot.
One Potato.
One Turnip.
-
14 copper haffers.
4 steel carts.
6 gold helms.
=184 attels total.

>>1193699
You should probably buy some supplies for the road ahead.

>>1193699
>>1194121
What you buy here, and take with when you leave, will be very important later on in the story.

This is one thing I will not decide.

>>1195001
>>1195001
Leather vest, wooden shield, chain hood, what we have left should go to food, enough to last the trip