Thankfully no, it isn’t the bard. Wiping the sleep from your eyes, you get out of bed and make your way over to the note, slipping your robe on along the way.

Dammit. Well your stuff seems to still be here. That’s a relief. 

“Mornin’, lass! Korodir’s Beard, I heard stories about you wizard folk, but I never imagined you lot were this much fun!”

You whirl around to face the man in the bed. His beard is separated into braids and two beady eyes peer out from his dirty, furry face.

Also he appears to be shorter than you.

A dwarf. Well done, Vyn.

WHAT DO!?

Now THERE’S an idea! Sure, it won’t deal with this noisy Bard, but hey, you’ll probably be too drunk to care! 

“Mead please!”

The Innkeeper nods and slides a pint over to you. One sip turns into several. One pint turns into a couple. Numbers turn into squiggles. You’re shure the Innkeepur wil kut yu off wen yu’ve had tu mush

SOME HOURS LATER

WHAT A NIGHT! You wake up with your head feeling like it got hit by a Golem and your tongue dry as sandpaper. Even with your eyes closed you still feel nauseous, and you’re pretty sure you don’t remember getting a room on the bottom floor. For that matter, you don’t recall sharing one either. Furthermore, you recall having a robe. 

Um.

A muscular man lies next to you snoring loud enough to wake the dead, but hey, it’s better than that Bard. You think you see your robe lying on a chest nearby, and on a table near the door you see a piece of paper from your notebook.

You kinda forgot how low your tolerance was.

WHAT DO?!

Bards, ey? Well no, they seem to be generic travelers for the most part. I mean all they’re doing is making merry while drinking ale and listening to-

Velvan’s BEARD.

GET A LOAD OF THIS HORRID THING. Oh MAN this guy sounds terrible. I mean sheesh, you’ve been living in a castle full of sweaty, awkward wizards for your whole life, but even you can tell this isn’t quality musick right here. You really can’t tell if the other patrons are actually enjoying it or if they’re just too drunk for taste. Ohhhhh man you’re getting pretty riled up. I mean it’s Bards like this that give Bards a bad name, you know? I mean you’ve only seen a couple in your lifetime, but all the good ones are shunned because of performers like these and it’s RUINING THE MEDIUM! IT’S RUINING IT!

Woah, easy there, Vyn. Just.. Just calm down, okay? The Innkeeper gives you an inquisitive look, easily noticing your simmering rage.

What do?

Good point, good point. Wizard or not, knives DO tend to sting a little bit. Sometimes. Anyways, after walking for a little while you find a place that you THINK might be pretty swanky. I mean hell, their sign is engraved. ENGRAVED. Before you sits The Gilded Moose, an in that, as per your initial criteria, doesn’t seem to house ne’er do wells or anything of the sort. With the weight of sleep resting comfortably on your shoulders, you open the door and stand confidently in the threshold. An older man with a red beard sits behind the polished wood counter, while a handful of travelers sit around a large fireplace, ales in hand and spirits high. You swear you can smell a hint of Cinnamon in the air, too. 

“What can I help you with, Wizard?”

You drop the bag of dosh on the counter and ask for some bitchin’ lodgings. The innkeeper counts out some coins from the bag, nods and gives you back the pouch. 

“Right then. You’ll have the room at the top of the house, Ms?”

“Vyn.”

“Ms. Vyn. There’s extra blankets in the closet if you need ‘em, and if you get up early enough I’ll be makin’ some of The Guilded Moose’s famous Waffles.”

ROOM ACQUIRED!

What do?!

Wow. You forgot how big this place was! Well uh… You never really visited, but you HEARD things! After a long walk along a dark road, you finally arrive at the capitol of Keth, Cuthmund City. Two guardsmen stand at the entrance to Cuthmund City, their eyes wearily looking at you.

“Looks like you made it just in time, wizard. We were about to lock up the bridge and swap places with the Night Watch. Go on in, but watch it with that magick crap.”

Inside the city lies a labyrinth of boulevards and buildings. Most of the windows are dark, but some taverns and houses still have lights on within. You’re pretty tired from everything that happened today, but you’re pretty sure you could get more stuff done if you wanted to. After all, it’s been a while since you’ve had a good pint. Of course, it might not be a bad idea to find a place to lie down for the night. It’s getting kinda chilly and the streets are more or less empty.

WHAT DO?

An ENCHANTMENT STAND! Perfect! You spend a little while collecting various pine cones and pebbles along the path and rip a page from your notebook. After a few seconds with your pen, you’re convinced this is the best sign for a questionable roadside enchantment stand you’ve ever laid your pretty eyes on. 

1d100 Dice Roll: 88

Just when you’re about to give up, a lord’s caravan passes on the way to Cuthmund City. Intrigued by your…. Entrepreneurial savvy, the lord stops the carriage and sends his valet out to greet you. With a professional flourish, the man clears his throat and speaks.

“Greetings Miss…Ter…Ess…Errr… Wizard? Um.”

You kindly inform him that you are a she.

“AH! Well um… My sincerest apologies, miss, it’s always difficult to discern what with the robes and- I digress. My master Lord Cribrige seeks to purchase some of your trinkets. I assume you can provide some?”

With an enthusiastic nod you hold up a pile of glowing green pine cones. The valet raises his eyebrow in confusion, but perks up when you give him one. Feeling the healing energy flow through him, he takes the pine cone over to the carriage and whispers a few things to the lord inside. After a few moments he returns. 

“My master is pleased with your trinkets, enchanter. He’ll take the whole bag. Will this suffice?”

The valet drops a pouch of coins into your hand. You don’t even need to count them to know that this will get you the best room in the inn and a few flagons of ale. Before you can thank the lord, his carriage is already far down the road towards Cuthmund.

INVENTORY UPDATE!

ACQUIRED BAG O’ DOSH

By the time your inventory updates, the sun has crept below the horizon. Darkness begins to settle on the land and the already creepy Kosvar Woods looks even spookier than before. With a cold shudder, you pack up your storefront and scamper down the road towards Cuthmund City.

AUUUUUGH! This decision is so tricky it hurts! Collapsing to your knees in indecision, you grip your head and writhe dramatically. The guardsman isn’t amused by your tomfoolery.

“Look, I know you’re a wizard and all, so if you think you can protect yourself, go for it. Otherwise I’d advise finding a place to bunk up until morning. It’s not an order, just advice. Take care, citizen.”

The guardsman trots away on his horse, leaving you at the crossroads with nothing but a rapidly-falling sun. 

It suddenly occurs to you that you have no money. Oldivar operates mostly on donations by the surrounding governing bodies and service from alumni and students. As such, you’ll probably have to sweet talk some peoples to get room for the night. Of course, being a wizard, you’re sure SOMEone could lease their barn for the evening.

The treeline of the Kosvar Woods beckons you. 

WHAT DO?

FIRST DECISION DECIDES!

RAHAHAH INDEED IT DOES! It’s still quite a long ways away, though. Whistling a merry tune you continue down the road past Oldivar Hamlet, nodding amicably to the peasants toiling in the fields. Life could definitely be worse. The road is clear for the most part, and after a few hours of travel you come to a crossroads. At the corner sits an old wooden sign. The left road leads to Cuthmund City, Capitol of Keth, and to the right lies Kosvar Woods, the stretch of wilds between you and the Nasher Mountains. Beyond those lies the coast, and somewhere around there is Angvald.

As you contemplate the sign, a Keth Guardsman approaches on horseback.

“Travelling, eh? Well I don’t know much about magick, but here’s my two cents: you don’t want to travel through Kosvar at night. There’s a few lodges about an hour away in Cuthmund City if you don’t mind spending a few coins. If you still wish to travel through Kosvar, be warned: Night is when the hunters come out, but there are more than enough perils during the day too.”

Thanks to your quick pace, you’ve reached Kosvar with still some sunlight left. The sun is gradually beginning it’s descent, but it might be quicker to head through Kosvar now. Then again, Keth Guardsmen aren’t known to be weak. There would be much less risk in heading through Kosvar in the morning.

WHAT DO?!

What do?!

Before long you’re ready to head out! Armed with your trusty sword, potion kit, sunrod and locket, you’re ready to hit the road! Bidding a silent farewell to your dorm room, you slip out through the doorway and scamper down to the gatehouse of Oldivar Castle. In the gatehouse sits a fairly bored-looking Wizard, Journeyman Trells. As you approach he looks up and gives you a half-hearted wave. 

“Community Service, eh? Wish I was going with ya. What’s the quest?”

“A Magickal disturbance in Angvald. No biggie.”

You hand Trells your Travel Voucher. He glances at it and with a poof a bindle full of cheese, sausage, and various vegetables plops onto the counter.

INVENTORY UPDATE!

ACQUIRED PROVISIONS!

“Magickal disturbance, eh? Nice. I remember my roommate back in my first year had to deal with a troll infestation. That was a nasty piece of work.”

“He must be pretty skilled to do that for his first assignment.”

“HAH! Not bloody likely. Poor guy got torn to shreds. All that was left was a fine stain on the ground, apparently. Anyways, keep an eye out for trolls out there and have fun.” 

With an uneasy nod, you leave the gatehouse and wait for the drawbridge to lower. After what feels like an eternity it lands with a thud revealing the verdant Farandir landscape before you. As you take your first steps into this strange and unfamiliar world, the drawbridge lifts back into place. Oldivar Hamlet lies directly in front of you as does a winding road leading far away into the mountains. Somewhere beyond those lies Angvald, a small village near the coast. The sun hasn’t set yet, but it’s already midday.

WHAT DO?!

Ah yes, your ole’ sword. Oldivar doesn’t put much emphasis on sword training; they leave that to those Spellsword guys in Cuthmund City. All the same it’s saved you a few times before, it’ll do so again. Plus it’s pretty compatible with most enchantments. You fasten a scabbard around your robe and sheathe the sword. 

The potion kit is pretty small, all things considered. It comes with some flasks, a mini mortar and pestle and a few recipes to boot. It’ll probably be worth it a lot more in the long run if you make potions rather than buying them. You toss the kit into your travel satchel and make a mental note to learn what plants are and aren’t poisonous.

The sunrod resembles a crystalline wand of sorts, the crystal black on the bottom and becoming more translucent towards the top. With a quick tap, the sunrod springs to life and illuminates your room. Keen! With another tap the sunrod goes out. You toss it into your travel satchel, making sure to keep it in a compartment that you can easily reach.

The old locket feels cold in your hand. You didn’t get to see your parents when they died; you were too busy at school celebrating the end of finals with a bit too much mead. You recall the courier saying that your parents probably didn’t die too painfully. Unless they were wizards in which oh shit I’m sorry um so feel better and they’re in a… Oh dear. You keep the locket around to remind yourself of what you’re at Oldivar for. Also if it really came to it you could probably pawn it off somewhere. Point is, it’s sentimental, okay? Sheesh! You manage to find a suitable string for the locket and fasten it around your neck. Luckily it has your name inscribed on the front so if you DO die, at least everyone will know who you were. Unless the locket gets eaten. Or disintegrated. Or… Well, whatever. Not gonna happen.

With a quick “Thanks”, you snatch the Telekinesis spellbook from the small tower in the initiate’s hands and immediately start looking at it. It’s a fairly easy spell; you could probably have it memorized by the time you leave Oldivar’s Countryside. You copy the runes and incantations down into your logbook and save it for later use. 

MAGICK UP!

VYN LEARNED: TELEKINESIS!