![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
[001] The saga begins...
Dear whoever bought me paid time, you are awesome. As promised, one frivolous poll, coming right up.
Oyster Bay is a quiet fishing-village some sixty miles down the coast from the notorious Port Blacksand. Because it is at the end of a long peninsula reached only by a steep and winding path, the fisherman and their wives are left to lead a simple but content life, away from the monsters and sorcery of the hinterland.
Journeying south from Fang, you decide that you could do with a few days' rest, and knowing of no more peaceful place than Oyster Bay, you urge your horse towards the coast. Besides, an old adventuring friend of yours called Mungo lives there now, and it has been years since you last saw him.
Two days later you arrive at the edge of the cliffs overlooking Oyster Bay. It is a beautiful sunny morning and everything looks tranquil below. Nothing seems to have changed. The cluster of stone cottages nestles between the foot of the cliffs and the jetty, where a dozen fishing boats lie at anchor. You jump off your horse and walk it down the winding path to the village. The first people you see are a group of crying women. As you approach them, several men step out of a cottage and run towards you. One of the four is your old friend Mungo. His weather-beaten face is full of anger. He looks surprised to see you but wastes no time with words of welcome. He recounts the sad events that have befallen the village.
Having no gold or material wealth, the people of Oyster Bay thought themselves safe from raiders attacking their village. But several weeks ago, while most of the men were out at sea, the Lizard Men of Fire Island landed their boats in Oyster Bay and kidnapped several young men. Mungo believes that they are now enslaved on Fire Island and working in chain gangs in the gold mines. Since the kidnapping, two men were left to guard the village while the rest went out to fish. Despite this, the Lizard Men attacked again this very morning, overpowering the guards and taking away more young men. Mungo tells you that he is about to set sail for Fire Island alone because the other fisherman are too scared to set foot on the island. He stares at you in silence until you smile and say that you will aid him in his quest. He slaps you on the back and shakes your hand in gratitude. For the moment the poor fishing folk forget their grief and crowd round you, eager to thank you. Mungo then invites you to dine with him and rest awhile, as the voyage to Fire Island will take several hours. Over a delicious feast of boiled lobster and salad, you discuss your plans.
Mungo tells you that he does not think that humans live on Fire Island any longer, but his knowledge is fairly limited. These are just rumours that pass between fishermen from other coastal villages; however, it is known that Fire Island used to be a prison colony, guarded by a tribe of paid Lizard Men. This was a rather futile attempt by Prince Olaf to rid his land of undesirable characters. The good prince soon learned that it would have been simpler to put his lawful citizens on Fire Island and leave the evil-doers on the mainland; there were just too many of them. He gave up his attempt and abandoned the prison colony. When the Lizard Men received no pay, they took their vengeance out on the prisoners and the island became a place of terror ruled by a Lizard Man prison-guard who proclaimed himself King. They were underfed and ill-treated and many died; that is presumably why the Lizard King is sending out his men to find new slaves. It is known that in order to assert his authority, the Lizard King began practising voodoo and black magic. He also started genetic experiments in an attempt to breed an invincible race of Lizard Men. Most of the experiments went wrong. Grotesque mutants were created, and some of the harmful potions found their way into the water drains, with terrible consequences. The local flora and fauna were affected, with the result that man-eating plants developed and giant beasts evolved. A few of the prisoners managed to escape the island on rafts and were picked up by fishermen, but what has happened in the last few years, nobody knows. Fire Island had almost been forgotten until the recent raids. Success in your quest to assassinate the Lizard King and rescue the kidnapped victims is doubtful, but you must try.
You stand up and walk down to the jetty with Mungo, stepping aboard his small fishing boat. In the sight of cheering villagers, you untie the boat and push out to sea, wondering if you will ever return.
Mungo's years with the fishermen of Oyster Bay have made him a skillful boatman. He swiftly hoists the sail of the small boat and sets a course due west across the silvery-blue sea. The land soon recedes into the distance, and you sit back on the deck, relaxing in the afternoon sunshine. From the stern you hear merry whistling, the creak of the rudder, and Mungo occasionally calling out to a seabird passing overhead. You think about the good times you used to have with Mungo, his constant cheerful nature and willingness to help people in need. You find it difficult to believe that so much evil exists in the land when there live the likes of Mungo. As the hours drift by, you talk and laugh, trying to ignore the dangers ahead. Mungo is always one to tell a tale and he is now telling you about his father and how he used to work in a travelling circus. 'He was a big man, big as a mountain,' laughs Mungo, 'and he would do just about anything for a paying crowd. Wrestle Trolls, have elephants stand on him, and even let a Killer Bee sting him! He was a tough old customer, but he finally met his match in the north. The circus was in Fang as one of the attractions during the festivities surrounding the Trial of Champions. He walked into Deathtrap Dungeon and, alas, was never seen again. He was really too old for such an ordeal, although there was no telling him that. But at least he tried.'
Just as Mungo is about to tell you his next tale, he jumps up and shouts 'Land ahoy!' at the top of his voice, as though he were yelling the news to the crew of a galleon. You look to where he is pointing and see Fire Island in the distance. The island sits on the sea like a green cushion, with a jagged mountain protruding from it. Smoke gently curls up from its top: a volcano's fuming anger waiting to explode.
Mungo steers the boat towards a small inlet at the eastern tip of the island, hoping that it will remain concealed between the high rocks. You both put on your backpacks and clamber out of the boat to begin your quest to find the Lizard King.
Oyster Bay is a quiet fishing-village some sixty miles down the coast from the notorious Port Blacksand. Because it is at the end of a long peninsula reached only by a steep and winding path, the fisherman and their wives are left to lead a simple but content life, away from the monsters and sorcery of the hinterland.
Journeying south from Fang, you decide that you could do with a few days' rest, and knowing of no more peaceful place than Oyster Bay, you urge your horse towards the coast. Besides, an old adventuring friend of yours called Mungo lives there now, and it has been years since you last saw him.
Two days later you arrive at the edge of the cliffs overlooking Oyster Bay. It is a beautiful sunny morning and everything looks tranquil below. Nothing seems to have changed. The cluster of stone cottages nestles between the foot of the cliffs and the jetty, where a dozen fishing boats lie at anchor. You jump off your horse and walk it down the winding path to the village. The first people you see are a group of crying women. As you approach them, several men step out of a cottage and run towards you. One of the four is your old friend Mungo. His weather-beaten face is full of anger. He looks surprised to see you but wastes no time with words of welcome. He recounts the sad events that have befallen the village.
Having no gold or material wealth, the people of Oyster Bay thought themselves safe from raiders attacking their village. But several weeks ago, while most of the men were out at sea, the Lizard Men of Fire Island landed their boats in Oyster Bay and kidnapped several young men. Mungo believes that they are now enslaved on Fire Island and working in chain gangs in the gold mines. Since the kidnapping, two men were left to guard the village while the rest went out to fish. Despite this, the Lizard Men attacked again this very morning, overpowering the guards and taking away more young men. Mungo tells you that he is about to set sail for Fire Island alone because the other fisherman are too scared to set foot on the island. He stares at you in silence until you smile and say that you will aid him in his quest. He slaps you on the back and shakes your hand in gratitude. For the moment the poor fishing folk forget their grief and crowd round you, eager to thank you. Mungo then invites you to dine with him and rest awhile, as the voyage to Fire Island will take several hours. Over a delicious feast of boiled lobster and salad, you discuss your plans.
Mungo tells you that he does not think that humans live on Fire Island any longer, but his knowledge is fairly limited. These are just rumours that pass between fishermen from other coastal villages; however, it is known that Fire Island used to be a prison colony, guarded by a tribe of paid Lizard Men. This was a rather futile attempt by Prince Olaf to rid his land of undesirable characters. The good prince soon learned that it would have been simpler to put his lawful citizens on Fire Island and leave the evil-doers on the mainland; there were just too many of them. He gave up his attempt and abandoned the prison colony. When the Lizard Men received no pay, they took their vengeance out on the prisoners and the island became a place of terror ruled by a Lizard Man prison-guard who proclaimed himself King. They were underfed and ill-treated and many died; that is presumably why the Lizard King is sending out his men to find new slaves. It is known that in order to assert his authority, the Lizard King began practising voodoo and black magic. He also started genetic experiments in an attempt to breed an invincible race of Lizard Men. Most of the experiments went wrong. Grotesque mutants were created, and some of the harmful potions found their way into the water drains, with terrible consequences. The local flora and fauna were affected, with the result that man-eating plants developed and giant beasts evolved. A few of the prisoners managed to escape the island on rafts and were picked up by fishermen, but what has happened in the last few years, nobody knows. Fire Island had almost been forgotten until the recent raids. Success in your quest to assassinate the Lizard King and rescue the kidnapped victims is doubtful, but you must try.
You stand up and walk down to the jetty with Mungo, stepping aboard his small fishing boat. In the sight of cheering villagers, you untie the boat and push out to sea, wondering if you will ever return.
Mungo's years with the fishermen of Oyster Bay have made him a skillful boatman. He swiftly hoists the sail of the small boat and sets a course due west across the silvery-blue sea. The land soon recedes into the distance, and you sit back on the deck, relaxing in the afternoon sunshine. From the stern you hear merry whistling, the creak of the rudder, and Mungo occasionally calling out to a seabird passing overhead. You think about the good times you used to have with Mungo, his constant cheerful nature and willingness to help people in need. You find it difficult to believe that so much evil exists in the land when there live the likes of Mungo. As the hours drift by, you talk and laugh, trying to ignore the dangers ahead. Mungo is always one to tell a tale and he is now telling you about his father and how he used to work in a travelling circus. 'He was a big man, big as a mountain,' laughs Mungo, 'and he would do just about anything for a paying crowd. Wrestle Trolls, have elephants stand on him, and even let a Killer Bee sting him! He was a tough old customer, but he finally met his match in the north. The circus was in Fang as one of the attractions during the festivities surrounding the Trial of Champions. He walked into Deathtrap Dungeon and, alas, was never seen again. He was really too old for such an ordeal, although there was no telling him that. But at least he tried.'
Just as Mungo is about to tell you his next tale, he jumps up and shouts 'Land ahoy!' at the top of his voice, as though he were yelling the news to the crew of a galleon. You look to where he is pointing and see Fire Island in the distance. The island sits on the sea like a green cushion, with a jagged mountain protruding from it. Smoke gently curls up from its top: a volcano's fuming anger waiting to explode.
Mungo steers the boat towards a small inlet at the eastern tip of the island, hoping that it will remain concealed between the high rocks. You both put on your backpacks and clamber out of the boat to begin your quest to find the Lizard King.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7
Now what?
View Answers
Scramble round the rocks to the beach in the cove to your left.
2 (28.6%)
Clamber over the rocks on the other side of the inlet to the beach in the cove to your right.
5 (71.4%)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Leather Armor
Backpack
Provisions (10)
Potion of Fortune (1)
no subject
no subject
no subject