Warning: This story is unsuitable for minors and contains explicit descriptions of sexual activity considered taboo (and illegal) in most (if not all) jurisdictions. If such activity offends you, DO NOT read any further. I do not condone any illegal activity and stress that this work is fiction, fantasy, and in no way meant to reflect reality. Sexual abuse of minors is a very serious issue and I encourage anyone tempted to engage in such behavior to seek immediate help.
Last Updated: 2/12/19
Story Title: Land of Heroes
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Without further ado...
Chapter 14
Leaving the Kaylor mountains turned out to be relatively easy, with my Feather Fall letting us float from rock to rock as we gently drifted closer to the forest below the mountains. The eastern side of the Kaylor range ended in dramatic drops and sheer cliffs, suggesting that it would be exponentially more difficult to climb them from this side than from the side we utilized to reach Molg Elharn.
As we touched down in the dense forest, filled with thick green trees and fast running creeks, Tyler and I marveled at the landscape around us. It was more rugged then the Sleepy Vale, we could tell immediately, and cooler than the peaks of the Kaylor range had been. The air felt fresher, though that had to have been my imagination. Bob let out a grunt of approval and began sniffing about.
Pulling out the Map of the Wanderer, I held the magic trinket up to the light and both Tyler and I studied it for a moment. This side of the Kaylor range had transformed from the greyish outline it had been prior to landing into a lush green area I estimated was about twice the size of the Valcostra Hinterlands. "Crasson Principality," I said, reading the label. "Looks like we are in claimed territory."
Tyler nodded. The map showed multiple cities and hamlets scattered about, with another symbol indicating a capital city. That city was called Nostringham and I estimated it was probably two days away. The forest we were in, called the Greenwood, hugged the mountain range to the west and Nostringham, and various farm lands, to the east. Pointing at the city, Tyler nodded his approval and we began to head north east. It was still mid-morning, the heat of the day not yet beating down on us, and Tyler and I talked as we walked.
"So what do you think Nostringham is like?" he asked. "Or the Crasson Principality?"
"No idea," I responded. "But I bet this kingdom doesn't do much business with Molg Elharn. Look," I said, pointing behind us. Tyler turned, whistling a bit. The Kaylor Mountains really ended in sheer cliffs on this side and, from our vantage point, I could see no way to scale them.
"Guess we're not going back that way, huh?" the boy said.
"Guess not."
We found a road the following day, the map indicating that the road ended in the middle of the forest farther west but leading directly to Nostringham if one followed it east. No sooner had we made the road, however, then Tyler put his hand up.
"Horses are coming," he said, pointing in the direction of Nostringham.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"My Beast Sense ability. Let's me know when animals are nearby." I'd forgotten that new skill of his, as the mountain range had been home to few large animals. Concentrating on Shasta, I peered through my familiar's eyes as he flew above the road and saw that, almost a mile away, a group of three men on horseback were steadily approaching. They were armed but appeared unconcerned about the forest around them.
Relaying my observations, Tyler and I decided to wait for the riders to approach. They appeared around a bend moments later, waving at us as they got nearer.
"Hello travelers," the lead man said, reigning his horse up to us before commanding the animal to stop. His fellows followed suit, none of the men making any hostile motions.
"And to you, friend." I bowed slightly. "We are in the Crasson Principality, yes?"
"You are, Goodman. The western most part, for sure, but still well within King Hansolms realm. You are Heroes?"
"We are," Tyler said. "New to the area."
"Well met, then. Perhaps I could interest you in an opportunity to make some coin?"
I smiled. "Sounds good. What do you need?"
"Farther down this road is an old and ancient stone cairn. Powerful magic, it used to hold, or so the stories say. Maybe a year ago, a vicious tribe of Trolls settled around the cairn. Brutes, for sure, and a bane on the good people of King Hansolm's peaceful land. The King allowed them to temporarily settle there, though, so long as they paid a monthly tribute. We have been sent to collect."
I glanced at Tyler. After the man mentioned the band of Trolls, I sort of expected the quest to involve killing them. But collecting taxes? Odd.
"And how much do they owe?" Tyler asked, catching my eye.
"Seven gold. Are you interested in taking on this task?"
"Sure," I said. The man grinned, and his friends let out a sigh of relief.
"Wonderful! Bring the gold to Commander Jessum in Nostringham and he will certainly give you the bounty he would have given us had we performed this task."
"Why are you offering the quest to us?" I asked carefully.
The man laughed. "We didn't volunteer for this assignment. It was... punishment for a barfight that may or may not have gotten out of control. We didn't really want to have to come out to collect the tribute but it had to be done."
"The trolls won't attack us?" Tyler asked.
The man shook his head. "No, they wouldn't dare. If they did, the army would come out and crush them."
After exchanging a few final pleasantries, the men departed, and Tyler and I looked west. "Weird," I said.
"I thought so too." He responded.
"I want to see what the quest log says about this quest. Hold up," I said fishing out the quest log that Pat had given to us back in Goldenshield. We hadn't used it much, truth be told, because we had never had many active quests at one time that required organized tracking. However, I had glanced at the log several times over the past two months and was aware that it generally did a good job of outlining what our goals were. The book had been blank when I had checked it five days earlier, Tyler and I adventuring east without having accepted any quests in Molg Elharn.
"Tyler," I said, after looking over the first page. "You need to see this."
.........
Tyler and I sat on the edge of the road, looking over the only entry in the quest log. The content was a bit unusual.
"You have been tasked with acquiring seven gold from the T'amak Troll Tribe in the Crasson Principality. This quest is a WORLD QUEST, a unique opportunity for you to influence Aurora in a permanent manner. Both completing and failing to complete this quest will greatly alter the status quo so be aware that your actions will have indelible consequences."
"What do you think it means?" Tyler asked.
"I'm not sure." I responded. "Since we got here, Aurora has felt a lot like an MMORPG. But those kinds of games are static, with the player not really making any changes to the environment."
"Kill a boar, another respawns?" Tyler suggested.
"Exactly. And remember Pip? Back in Goldenshield? He was captured by orcs lots of times. And his brother before that. Over and over again."
Tyler bit his lip. "Same with the hunter and his son being captured by the goblins."
"Right," I said. "I've sort of concluded that this world is semi-static, with changes still happening but not as dramatically or quickly as they would in the real world. Like, Pip took over for his brother who inherited the family farm. It's a change, despite Pip saying his older brother had been captured by those orcs dozens of times when he was younger. People grow old and their roles change."
"That's kinda confusing," Tyler said.
"Yeah, it is. But this," I pointed to the quest log, "feels more like the kind of quest you'd get in a straight RPG. Do X or do Y. Both will have consequences to the story."
"So does that mean the MMORPG type quests are gone?"
I pondered the question. "I doubt it. Maybe this world has a mix of static and non-static opportunities. We should keep that in mind and see if we spot any patterns." Tyler nodded and we stood. "Well, I guess we need to see some trolls about some gold."
I slept fitfully that night, my mind pondering the world quest that we had received and it's relationship to the other kinds of quests we had previously taken on. Aurora seemed governed by rules but I was hesitant to try and articulate them all. Deciding I would start keeping track of the types of experiences we had in hopes of learning to predict future challenges, I finally fell asleep.
After bathing in a nearby pond the next morning, Tyler and I set off to meet the trolls and eventually found ourselves approaching a small makeshift village surrounding a large cylindrical stone that rose thirty to forty feet into the air. Even at a distance, I could see that the stone had a huge hole in the middle that would easily allow someone to walk through it. The whole thing looked like the stone portals from Land of Heroes. Interesting...
As we got closer, Tyler and I exchanged looks of confusion. This village was not what we expected. Only two Troll Warriors stood guard, as far as we could tell, and the tents and yurts seemed rather ramshackle. There were dozens of trolls wandering about, tending fires and cutting logs and patching roofs. Children played between the small buildings. None seemed particularly threatening.
The Troll Warriors waved as we got close, their eyes flashing towards Bob but otherwise showing no concern at our appearance. Contrary to what was expected, they did not challenge us or issue dire threats. Instead, they nodded to us when we were within ten feet and one asked in a calm and vaguely Jamaican accent, "Are ya here to collect for the King?"
We stopped. "Um... Yes," Tyler said. "We are Heroes and were given this task yesterday."
"Ah! Heroes! Be welcome in our village, then!" said the other guard. "Let me take ya to the Wise One." He turned, then, and began to walk deeper into the camp. Tyler glanced at me and I shrugged. We followed.
The camp was pretty large, I discovered, but we rapidly made our way towards the center where a small log hut was built along the giant stone. The trolls looked up at us as we past, many giving us friendly nods. They were an interesting looking people; the first trolls we had seen in Aurora.
Humanoid, their skin was a deep grey that reminded me of a river rock you might find in the Colorado Rockies and all had long dark hair that was pulled up into ponytails. Their bodies were tall and thin, almost to the point of being gangly, but many seemed to be squatting where they worked and I noticed that their elbows and knees looked unusually knobby. Their faces contained very prominent noses and small tusks that peaked out of mouths filled with sharp teeth. Beastly, for sure, but not monstrous.
There was also a great deal of nudity, with most trolls entirely naked. All of the children I could see were nude, their curious eyes tracking Tyler and I as we followed the guard. It was then that I realized that none appeared female, with every troll I could see clearly endowed with a male member. Was this a hunting party? Where, I wondered, were the females?
An old troll, with a bald head and a long grey robe, stepped out of the wooden building we were approaching and gave a toothy smile. "Welcome, adventurers, to Clan T'amak! We honor ya with well wishes and open hearts."
"Thank you," I said, bowing formally. Tyler followed suit. "I am Ian. This is Tyler. We came from over the mountains."
He nodded, patting the guard on the back before motioning us over to an outdoor table. "I am Ju'mak, Wise One of da tribe. I speak for Chief Nona, my brother's son who is out hunting now. Please, join me for a meal." With that, several trolls approached and placed two loaves of bread, a pot filled with what appeared to be jam, a small round of greenish blue cheese, and a pitcher filled with water. "You are here to collect the money we owe da king of dis land?" he asked as he poured us each some water and handed Tyler a small knife to cut the cheese round.
"Yes," I said. I relayed the story of our involvement to the old Wise One and he nodded, chewing thoughtfully on some of the bread. The food was pretty meager, but Tyler and I ate a little out of deference to his hospitality. He eventually asked us about our own tale so Tyler told him about our travels to Molg Elharn and some of our adventures before that. The old troll asked plenty of question, his easy nature and friendly smile putting us at ease and making us want to trust him.
At the end of the meal, Ju'mak pulled out a small bag and poured it's contents onto the table. There were nine gold coins, several silver, and a few copper. The troll counted seven of the gold coins out slowly, making a little pile with them before looking scornfully at the remaining wealth. Then he sighed, sweeping the unused coins back into the bag before handing us the seven gold. "That, I believe, is what we owe da king." He smiled. "Next month is gonna be... tight."
With anyone else, I might have thought that I was being hustled with the little show that I just witnessed. With Ju'mak, however, I believed that he had no hidden agenda. Glancing at Tyler, I turned and asked the old troll, "So, what can you tell me about your people? Are you native to this land?"
"My friend," the troll elder said, shaking his head with a small smile. "Dat is a long story. Too long to tell. And, truth be told, it is a private story we don't share wit outsiders. At least, not outsiders who have not gained our trust."
"Fair enough," I responded. "I guess we will need to get this tribute back to Commander Jessum in Nostringham, then." I slipped the coins into my bag and looked at Tyler to see if he was ready to leave.
"Can I ask a question?" he said while looking at the troll. Before the troll could answer, though, Tyler pressed on. "Where are the women? I don't see any around here."
The troll let out a belly laugh, then, and took a moment to compose himself. "You've never met a troll, have ya lad?" Tyler shook his head. "Unlike the other races of Aurora, trolls have no women folk. All can deposit their seed; all can grow a life within."
"Oh," Tyler said, someone dumbly. I made a mental note to explain a few things to him later. I stood, slinging my pack onto my back.
"One more question," Tyler said, still not standing. I rolled my eyes.
"Go ahead, little barbarian," the troll said with a grin.
"You said you don't share your story with outsiders you don't trust. How do we gain your trust?" My eyes widened, having not carefully considered what the troll Wise One had said.
"Dat is an excellent question," Ju'mak replied. "Da answer is... Tasks."
.........
Tyler and I walked east, along the road and towards Nostringham. The sun had begun to set behind us but we paid it little attention. When we had left the troll camp, the two of us dove into our conversation and reviewed everything we had learned from Ju'mak. There was something big going on, we agreed, and the clue that the Wise One dropped, about not sharing their tale until they trusted us, had me thinking.
"So back in Land of Heroes," I said, "all the NPC's were grouped together into coalitions. The coalitions might be based on race. Or maybe political. Or maybe something else. For instance, all the NPC's in the Shadowrealm were part of the Deamonspawn Coalition. The thing is, many coalitions did not immediately give you quests. You had to earn the right to get quests from them.
"How?" asked Tyler.
"By gaining Coalition Respect. Respect was earned by completing mundane quest-like things called Jobs that were often repeatable."
"Repeatable?"
"Yeah. For instance, the Gnomish Inventors Coalition wouldn't give you any quests until you got enough Coalition Respect. The way you did that was to collect mechanical items, which could be found in just about every dungeon, and turn them in to the gnomes. It was a well-known Job that a player had to undertake in order to be able to eventually get quests from the GIC. For every ten mechanical items you turned in, you gained fifty Coalition Respect. Once you acquired five thousand Coalition Respect, then you became an associate of the coalition and all the quests were open to you."
"So..."
"So maybe these Tasks are the same thing, right? What did Ju'mak say?"
"He said the village needed Wolf Pelts, Stag Steaks, and Pepperberry Seeds."
"But he didn't tell us how many, right?"
"No." Tyler scrunched up his face in thought. "So how many should we get?"
"I'm not sure. Let's get to Nostringham first, turn in the money quest, and then see where we stand."
.........
"Wow," Tyler whispered in awe.
"Yeah," I said, equally stunned.
We had crested a small rise in the Greenwood, knowing we were almost out of the forest and close to Nostringham and the more civilized lands of the Crasson Principality. Unprepared for the sight that greeted us as we left the trees, both Tyler and I stopped in our tracks. Nostringham was a massive city, far larger than any we had seen before. For a moment, I imagined I was looking at the New York skyline from New Jersey, a huge collection of buildings off in the distance and filled with endless possibilities.
From where we stood, I could make out farmland surrounding the city proper and spreading off into the distant east. The city itself stood proudly in the sunlight, a solid wall surrounding the city and protecting the hundreds of buildings nestled inside. Towers could be seen at this distance, as well as an easily recognizable castle at the heart of the capital city. It was like something out of a big budget movie. Tyler and I looked at each other and grinned. This was going to be quite an experience.
It took almost two hours to make our way through the surrounding farmland and up to the western entrance to the city. Of course, a guard stopped us at the gate and informed us that Bob, Tyler's bear, would not be welcome in the city. The tiny barbarian didn't argue, simply whispering in the bear's ear before the large creature turned around and loped casually back toward the Greenwood. The two of us inquired as to Commander Jessum's location and we were told that we would find the commander at the central administration building. The directions we received were easy to follow and we soon found ourselves meandering through the city.
As we walked along the broad avenue, Tyler and I marveled at the buildings that surrounded us. They were generally three stories, with shops and businesses interspersed with large and stately homes. People moved about in droves and, while many took a moment to look at the two of us, none approached. I was a bit surprised that Tyler, in his tiny thong, boots, and cloak, did not draw more attention but I put it out of mind.
The city reminded me of so many fantasy novel cities, filled with stone and brick and people. The smell of cooking food and spices permeated the air, and I was grateful that the smell of unwashed bodies was not nearly as strong as I expected. People laughed merrily, going about their day and living their lives. There were, to my surprise, small parks scattered about and the city was cleaner than one would have suspected. There were guards standing on most street corners, though, so tidiness might be a law of the land.
We eventually made it to the administration building and found our way inside. A few questions led us to the well apportioned office of Commander Jessum. His secretary, a man in his mid-twenties, looked us up and down before inquiring as to our business with the Commander. When we explained that we had the money owed to the king by Clan T'amak, he gave us a curt nod and slipped into a back hallway. Moments later, a big burly man in his forties entered the room.
Clad in thick chain mail and metal greaves, the man was a mountain and I took an involuntary step back as he approached. His beard, which covered much of his face, was a dark brown that matched his eyes. It didn't look like he was smiling.
"You two brought the tribute owed to the king?" he asked, his gruff voice hard as steel.
"We did," Tyler responded, unaffected. The boy pulled out the coins from his bag and handed them to the commander, the man glancing down at them before nodding his head.
"Trolls give you any trouble?" His question caught me off guard, not because of the words but because his tone almost hoped for an answer in the affirmative. Like he wanted an excuse to go punish the trolls.
"No," Tyler said, his own voice firm and uncompromising.
The man grunted before turning to go. Without another word, he disappeared into the back hall. The moment he did, a flash of light surrounded both Tyler and I. Pulling up my UI, I saw that I had reached level twelve. Tyler confirmed he had as well a second later.
Grinning at Tyler, I quickly withdrew our quest log to see what had changed. The previous quest was gone, replaced with a new prompt. "While you have turned in the requisite gold to Commander Jessum, you are still aware that Clan T'amak has several Tasks that need to be completed. Do so to continue the WORLD QUEST."
Interesting...
We spent the rest of the day selling the various loot we had acquired since leaving Molg Elharn and exploring the city. There were a lot of interesting shops but neither of us decided to buy anything. Our gear that we had received when we passed our level ten training suited us just fine and both of us thought that saving money was the prudent course of action now. No idea what trials and tribulations might be just around the corner.
To our surprise, though, we did find a forestry shop that sold Wolf Pelts, Stag Steaks, and Pepperberry Seeds. Deciding to stock up, we spent three gold and added six Wolf Pelts, nine Stag Steaks, and thirty-two Pepperberry Seeds to our combined inventory. The proprietor of the shop, when we asked, suggested we room at the Bursting Sunflower Lodge several blocks over, indicating that the inn was where he directed his own out-of-town kin to stay when they came for a visit. We thanked the man and left the shop.
The sun was already down when we entered the street and it took the two of us a moment to orient ourselves. Then we headed in the direction of the Bursting Sunflower Lodge. We made it two blocks before the buildings that surrounded us took on a decidedly naughtier appearance and I realized that we had found ourselves in what appeared to be the red-light district of Nostringham. Signs for sex, companionship, and kinks appeared everywhere and I had to put my hand on Tyler's shoulder to keep him from stopping and staring.
"Hey boys," a husky male voice called out from the entryway of an obvious brothel. "Interested in some fun?" The man was in his late twenties, clad only in very tight shorts and leaning seductively against the door frame. The bulge in his pants left little to the imagination.
"Exotic dancers!" called an older man half a block down, his sign indicating a building whose windows were spilling light into the street. "Fully nude!"
"Boys for rent! Girls too! All ages! All experts!" crooned a woman as we passed, motioning us towards her. We didn't stop, though part of me was actually very interested in exploring this part of the city. Moreover, this was the first time I had heard anyone mention sex with females in any positive light since coming here; having accepted, as fact, what Gus said back in Peaceford about women only being used for procreation and men having no other interest in the fairer sex.
Strange...
We eventually passed through the red-light district and into an area filled with taverns and inns. It took little time to find the Bursting Sunflower Lodge, as the large structure had a giant sunflower painted across it's entire street front. The orc behind the counter was courteous, charging us three silver for the night, and we gladly paid him. After eating a nice venison stew, Tyler and I headed into the bathing room to clean up. We were asleep in our room a short while later, though I did have to explain the purpose of a red-light district to the boy as we slipped under the covers.