Nachtmere 2013/05/27(Mon)18:00 No. 513005 ID: 8e4728
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Your name is Varic Baelon, and you've been on the road for what feels like weeks.
It seemed like only a short while ago when your home town fell to the war. If you think about it, you can still smell the smoke, see the faces of the slain folk you saw day in and day out, mangled and burnt-- needless to say, you don't like thinking about it. You've been avoiding it.
You did what you could. You grabbed the few things you owned-- and of course, your sister, Sybil-- and fled the town. There was nothing a poor boy and his child sister could do to help, after all.
You made it to a nearby town and spent what little coin you had on a ride in the back of a rickety, and somewhat foul smelling wagon, where you've been for days. The journey has been a long one, but you can smell the salt in the air. The brine of the sea is a welcome scent.
It means you're growing closer to the nearest city. It means you're away from the war. And hopefully, it will mean that you and your sister are safe.

What will you do now?

>>513005
Look ahead to check out the city as you come up on it.

Review possessions, skills, knowledge. What do you have to work with here? You're going to either have to make a life for yourself in this city, or continue moving further from the war.

How's your sister? You look generally depressed, but she looks angry about something. Is there something specific bothering her right now, or is that just how she's taken all this?

See if you can't find a place to rest. Check your surroundings as well.

(this looks beautiful already by the way)

hug sister

review what you know of this city to what it is most famous for and what it is most infamous for. (ex: Famous for it's fishing trade, infamous for it's tendency to get hit by hurricanes during the springs)

>>513005
Become a [s]Marine Biologist[\s] fisherman. Then, in many years when you have a successful fishing fleet, hire some mercenaries to take revenge.

ponder about your sister's sexy body.

Become a pirate!

No seriously you should stumble upon some natural hot springs that nobody knows about because reasons.

Nachtmere 2013/05/28(Tue)11:35 No. 513106 ID: 8e4728
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You look ahead towards the quickly approaching city-- though you suppose that you are the one approaching it. It does not remind you of your home town in the least.
The smell of the sea hangs heavily in the cold air as you look on. You think about what you know of the place-- and admittedly, it is not much.
Blacksea Keep, they call it, named for it's dark walls and the dark ocean that looked as if it would swallow it on any day. Needless to say, you know that the city specializes in exporting goods from the sea.
It looks foreign to you, and you're missing home more than ever...

Nachtmere 2013/05/28(Tue)11:37 No. 513108 ID: 8e4728
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... and presumably, so is your sister.
You turn your attention towards Sybil, who looks broodier than ever. Your sister's always been the quiet type. You love the girl with all your heart, but the two of you are worlds apart, in terms of personality-- though as it is, you can't blame her for her bad mood. Your mood hasn't been too great, either. You can't even bring yourself to make a joke about the driver's partial baldness to cheer her up... though that's mostly because you don't want to walk the rest of the way. You consider hugging her, but your sister has never quite been the huggy type.
>Review possessions, skills, knowledge.
You check your bags as the wagon pulls into the city. Sadly, the two of you didn't have very much in the first place.
You brought your [ Blacksmith's Hammer ] and some extra [ Clothes ], as well as what food you could grab; two loaves of [ Bread ].
As for Sybil's possessions, she brought only her [ Books ].

>Check Skills
[ VARIC ]
[ Blacksmithing ]
Your income came from forging weapons for the knights of the keep back at home. You were good at your job and made decent coin, enough to educate your sister and to keep the two of you clothed and fed, and for a roof over your heads.
[ Archery ]
You've limited ability with a bow, having had no professional training but needing to use one for hunting.

[ SYBIL ]
[ Reading ]
Thanks to your older brother, you have a skill that not many poor folk have; the ability to read-- and by the Gods if you're not good at it.
[ Swordplay ]
You've had a little training in how to use a sword, little things here and there you picked up here and there from people back at home.

Alas, neither of you have had experience with the typical job of the locals here, [ Fishing ].

Well, the swordplay and archery might be useful if things go poorly, but they're not skills I would brag about. If the war draws closer, the town will be looking for people to draft into militias and the army- not exactly something you want to sign up for.

A bow is kind of hard to conceal, although you might be able to get your sister a short blade or dagger. It's not a sword, but much easier to not carry openly. ...also, it's not wise for a girl to be completely unprotected in a city. (Although that's not a purchase you can afford just yet).

I note you don't carry any kind of coin. That's not great. You can't count on hospitality to buy you what you need, especially as you are probably not the first refugees to reach this place. Charity will have worn thin.

>books
I would not suggest this yet, but books do tend to be valuable in this era. They require specialized learning and skills to produce, and a great deal of time to transcribe. If we get desperate, you might be able to sell those. This should not be our first choice by any means, since they are precious to her, and would be very difficult to replace.

>plan
You're in some luck. Blacksmithing is a good skill, and one that may be in demand. If people are concerned about a war on the horizon, people will want metal weapons. While you lack the supplies to start your own shop, there may be smiths in town willing to hire assistance. Especially if you posses any real skill or knowledge- someone more than another idiot apprentice may be valued.

Reading and writing is also a rare skill in the lower classes, your sister might be able to find work that requires it (book-keeping, record keeping, scribe work, etc. Or communications, possibly? You'd think in this climate there would be many letter and messages exchanged).

Beyond looking for a source of income, you're going to need to find a place to stay. Churches and the like might offer you shelter if you can't afford anything else.

Information gathering would probably be wise as well. What is the cause of this war? Where is it headed? Etc. Then we will know if you can stay in this town, or if your stay will only be until you can afford to move on.

well you could try and find a black smith around here somewhere, I mean someone has got to make all the hooks and what not for the small time fishers. And since your sister can read there might be something her for her to do as well.

What are your guy's ages anyway.

>>513108
there doesn't exist a city in any imaginable world that doesn't need a blacksmith. if not for weapons then for every day tools.
you can't open your own shop for now obviously, but you can work as an apprentice to an existing one. or maybe check if your previous position exists in this city as well.

about your sister, i suggest that you two have a talk about what happened and about your future. doubtlessly she lost all her friends and her tomorrows are uncertain. she's a kid, she needs support even if she's too withdrawn to accept it readily.

A bit city like this has got to have a library, right? Your sister could check there for work.

doesn't matter, a hug is nice. she may say she hates it, but will secretly appreciate it.

Nachtmere 2013/05/28(Tue)14:05 No. 513148 ID: 8e4728
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>I note you don't carry any kind of coin. That's not great.
Aye, it's not great at all. It's terrible.
Being lower class folk, you struggled with coin since birth, and even moreso with the passing of your parents, having to try to raise your then baby sister on your own. And it was even worse when she grew up and wanted to learn to read-- and then she even needed books to read while at home. Expensive things, they are. You hate to imagine having to sell them.

You consider hugging your sister again-- damn, you really want a hug-- only to realize that she is giving you 'the look'. You get nervous whenever she looks like that. It means that there's a rant on the way. You've never much liked rants. You think that you should maybe ask her what's on her mind, but you're also sort of considering jumping off of the wagon instead. You're not sure if it's worth it.

now a hug is even better idea, could confuse her into forgetting to rant.

>>513148
her friends are dead.
her future is gone.
you're taking her to a new city.
she needs to vent and as her brother you will take it.

no point in avoiding it forever just ask her what is wrong.

>>513148
Talk to her. You want her in a decent mood for the first phase of integration into this new city.

I'd talk to her. She needs it, and heck, you probably do too. And we're going to need her in a better frame of mind as you look for a way to survive in this new city.

Mercifully, you do have useful skills. You might be able to find work in a forge, and in a city there are actual productive uses for reading, moreso than in a small town.

Refrain from the impulse hugging. It doesn't seem the right moment for it, and provoking her probably won't help.

Let the rant wash over you like a little ocean wave

Nachtmere 2013/05/28(Tue)15:04 No. 513172 ID: 8e4728
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You decide to man up and face the horrible, horrible rage of a twelve-year-old girl-- but your sister doesn't look very angry at all, anymore.
"Did you see them, when we left," she mumbles, rocking a little in her seat. "All those women in the streets... all the children, just, dead."
"Of course," you reply. There was the thing you didn't want to think about.
There's a dreary silence between the two of you. That hug sounds better than ever, and you consider it, but Sybil interrupts. "Look, I know you won't like this. You don't like them, but--"
"No," you interrupt before she can continue. You feel rude for doing so, but you don't even want to consider it. "The people in the castles live in there for a reason. They don't want us dirty poor folk getting our grubby fingers on their money."

Sybil looks at you and frowns harshly, and for that moment, she reminds you a little of your mother. "We don't have any money, Varic. We need help. Even if whoever's in that keep won't give us anything, it's not going to hurt to explain our damn situation."
Stubborn as a bull, you don't like the idea at all, but a quick glance around you reveals that the villagers don't look all that starved. Maybe it's worth a try-- you don't like it, either way.

toosle her hair, "fine, but you owe me one."

>>513172
it's ok to ask for help. begging is perfectly acceptable as long as it is only a temporary solution and not your long term plan. you need food until you get a job after all, or until you move on to the next city if that is the plan. do your best to look for work, but don't let your sister wonder off by herself looking for coin. desperate times call for people who are willing to take advantage of desperate people.

You should do it. Maybe the people in the castle are jerks. Maybe they're not. Nobles are just like anyone else- people. Some are better than others.

And if nothing else, you owe to everyone you knew to tell what happened to them. Maybe someone with some power can stop those responsible. Or maybe at least if the leaders are warned, this town can protect itself. I mean, you think this place is safe, but you never know.

>>513172
Would it hurt to try?

Well, worst comes to worst you might be able to sell the books to the people in the castle.

Of course, you could always try a few odd jobs. Moving crates, Carrying items. Might not pay terribly much, but better than nothing. Ask around.

look around first to see if you can't find something for yourselves first, failing that... well then there is nothing to do but bite the bullet and go through with it.

Noblesse oblige. That's a thing.

Anyway, you're a blacksmith and a person who can read. Those are tremendously valuable skills. I'm sure you'll find people to put you to work real quick.

there is a good chance it will hurt to try. if she's stubborn enough to try it without your help anyway, you might as well follow her to help, but I would definitely tell her that you won't support begging. you have your pride, after all. besides, a keep like this has to have a smithy or five to keep it standing, which with your skillset means you can make a living here on your own terms.

Nachtmere 2013/05/29(Wed)09:38 No. 513337 ID: 8e4728
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You feel extremely divided and are unsure what to do. You explain to Sybil that perhaps it would be better to look for work on your own.
Sybil looks to be done with your shit and proposes a compromise.
"I suggest we go to the keep first. If no one there will help us, we can look for work on our own." She squints at you a little, as if unsure if you're thinking this through, or just looking for a reason to avoid speaking to the nobles. "If the war spreads to here, they'll need blacksmiths to forge weapons for the knights. You're a blacksmith, Varic. A good one."
You frown a little, realizing that it's likely inevitable that the war will reach even here, the city bordered by the sea. While your sister has a point, you can't help but wonder if there's something she's wanting from the visit to the keep, as well.
The wagon is approaching the stables, and Sybil is giving you 'the look' again. You don't think that she's going to take no for an answer.

*Sigh*. Just go for it. She's right, the worst that could happen is they aren't interested in your story, or they don't help you, and you suffer some embarrassment (well, I suppose you could end up dead or in the dungeon if you attacked someone, but you're not that stupid). That's a small price to pay to try and make sure your sister is taken care of, and to do right by everyone who died.

And you could always find work in town even if it fails.

>something she's wanting from the visit to the keep
Revenge, maybe? Get the castle people up in arms over those who killed your home town.

That or she's got some idea with her education she'll do better with the nobles than in the city.

>>513337
Fiiiiiine.

alright alright we'll see the damn keep, But blacksmith would be in some kind of demand even outside of the keep why are you so insistent on going to this one?

Nachtmere 2013/05/29(Wed)11:41 No. 513374 ID: 8e4728
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>Fiiiiiine.
That is your final response to the subject. Your sister perks up a little and gives you a pat on the head-- which, admittedly, you appreciate.
Sybil says that she loves you. You tell her that you love her, too.

Deciding not to let her win entirely, you ask why exactly she wants to go to the keep so badly.
She pauses, hugging her bag to her side, before letting out a reluctant sigh.
"I've read about this place. I've heard the people back home, the educated folk from the castle who taught me how to read-- they said things about the lord of this place."
You stare at her expectedly. With a roll of her eyes, Sybil hops down from the back of the weapon. "The lord's a she. A woman rules this city, Varic-- all by herself!"

Sadly, you don't see the big deal, though it is certainly unusual. Your sister seems to hold some enthusiasm over the subject, however, and she grins a little as she looks to the keep. "I know that you don't get it-- you're a man and all-- but that's incredible. She rules on her own and everyone listens."
You assume that maybe your sister respects this lord a little more than she's letting on to. You can't help but chuckle a little to yourself as you stand up, taking your bag under your arm.

You wonder if you should head straight for the keep or look around first. The old man who'd been driving the wagon gives you a little wave goodbye as he unties his horses.

maybe see if you can find a inn or something before you head to the keep I mean even if they give you a job there they're most likely not going to let you sleep there.

>>513374
look around, get an impression of the city. if its people are starving or hostile i say you move on. also try to see how good their blacksmiths are.

Might as well look around on your way there. I mean, the is keep in the middle of the city, right? You'll have to walk through stuff to get to it.

>Lady Lord
Well, it is unusual, and an accomplishment. Still, a Lady could just as easily be a bad Lord as a man. We'll have to see what kind of person she is when we get there.

Might want to see if there's anywhere you can sorta freshen up first [that doesn't cost money] before you go confront the nobles.

>>513392
Good idea. We should try to make a good first impression.

d'aww, she's a fangirl!

anyway, the fact that both she and your sister both possess uteri doesn't necessarily mean she'll help.

not that you could stop a fangirl who has set her mind on meeting her idol. so you might as well go along.

try to curb your sister's enthusiasm so if the lady is a jerk she isn't crushed as hard.