Choice Results are at the bottom of the page. Good luck!

You are traveling out on the open road, the sun shining above you and the smell of manure thick about the air. After completing another successful quest as a mercenary you cannot help, but feel content with your lot in life and how it has turned out. Escorting the family of merchants through the dreaded forests of Plymouth had been a breeze, with nothing but a few scratches to show for your effort. And now you are finally journeying home to a well-earned rest when you hear shouts and screams coming from your left. At first, you are uncertain as to whether to involve yourself in such matters, but quickly come to the conclusion that you must still investigate if only to ensure that the road ahead is at least safe to travel upon. Steeling yourself for battle you stride up the hill and towards the sound of the shrill voices that cut through the air.

Slowing your step, upon reaching the outskirts of what you assume to be a village. You stop to take a look at what's taking place and see a most worrying sight. For you see before a large pack of Silver wolves the size of horses slaughtering the inhabitants of the human settlement. And although most of the villagers lay dead, their life force bleeding out beside them, you do see a group of villagers in a large grey stone building at the end of town, fending off the beasts with pitchforks and spears. However, the pack of Silver wolves seems unwilling to give up on any prey and have surrounded the building, clawing at the walls with their powerful paws. Each second that passes, the situation in the village grows ever more dire, with more Silver Wolves abandoning the corpses they had been feasting upon to join their brothers attacking the surviving villagers. You know instinctively that without any help these people will surely die.

As you come to this sudden realization, you find yourself studying the surrounding buildings and notice that most of the houses in the village have thatched roofs that could easily catch on fire. You also notice a brazier that still has a few burning logs within it. Not far from the brazier you also see a human guard lying face down in the dirt with his guts spilled out beside him. The fool had probably thought to fight the creatures with fire. A foolish notion since Silver wolves, while fearing fire, will still attack if their bellies are hungry enough. However, your eyes do light up, when you see a loaded crossbow beside the dead soldier. A useful weapon against such creatures, but a weapon that will take time to reload with each shot. Then there is always the option of just looting the nearby houses. After all, who is going to stop you? The villagers? In any case it's time to make a decision.

Choice 1. Do you charge in head first, brandishing a firebrand and attack the creatures head-on?

Never one for planning things out, you throw caution to the wind, pick up the still burning log from the brazier, and charge in headfirst to attack the silver wolves from behind. The furious flurry of blows you deliver with your dagger and firebrand, slashing away at their hind legs, burning their fur, before stabbing them deep into their tough hides. The huge beasts howling in pain as they recoiled backward, before swiftly surrounding you from all sides, their glistening yellow eyes hot with rage as they come at you again and again. The only thing keeping them at bay now is the firebrand in your hand, which you flourish out before you to hold them back, while you attempt to stab them to death.

Not exactly the battle plan you had in mind, however, if you could hold out long enough perhaps the wolves would get bored of you, unfortunately, the extraneous efforts you use to wave the brand from side to side are beginning to wear on you. (- 50 Health Points.)

Throat choked with smoke, silver wolves snarling all around you, you try to hold on just a little longer. The fight all but leaving your arms when you hear a terrific roar of fury come from behind you. (- 60 Health Points.)

Half turning at the sound, you see the villagers charge out of the mill behind you to attack the beasts in a wave of fury. The villagers now equipped with their own firebrands to drive them back. The silver wolves seeing no more easy prey growling angrily before loping away to collect the already dead villagers in their huge maws and disappear back off into the forest.

Lungs aching from the effort, you bend over to suck some air down, wondering how you had survived, when you feel a hand slap you on the back of the shoulder and a gruff voice speak to you from behind, "Thank you, stranger, you've saved our lives. I was certain we'd all die here."

Looking up into the sad old face of a man with darkened leathery skin and pale blue eyes, you shrug your shoulders and reply, "I fear I was too late to save your friends."

The old man smiled sadly. "There was nothing you could have done for them. Please, come inside and rest."

Head lifted back up to look at the suns still hanging high overhead, you shake your head tiredly. "No, I'd better be going. Got a long road ahead of me. If you have any supplies you could spare...?"

The elder nodded his head in understanding, before turning away to face a young comely woman dressed in a blue flock with scorch marks on her sleeves and skirt. "Ellia, could you please fetch some bread and water."

The young woman, who had been staring intently at you this whole time, blushes in embarrassment her light leathery skin becoming a bright sheen of red as she notices you looking at her and bustles away into the mill with a last backward glance in your direction that makes you smile.

Waiting in the stillness and quiet with the elder, you watch the now somber villager break apart to begin the unenviable task of collecting their dead and lay them out to rest, a task no doubt these hardy people were probably used to by now. Living in the Red Lands usually meant there was no certainty of what tomorrow would bring. Still, like most who now lived here, none of them would dare think to abandon their homes.

Minutes passing by in contemplative silence, you see the young lady finally re-emerge with a heavy brown sack in her arms which she carries towards you.

Giving her wink that had her face reddening even further, and the elder huffing angrily, you take the bag from her and look inside to find some cheese, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of water made from a Borel’s hide. You also see a pouch filled with gold pieces.

Feeling in much better spirits with gold in your pocket, you nod your head in thanks to the elder, smile mischievously at the young woman, before spinning around on your heels to head out of the village. All in all, a good day's work for some decent gold.

Battle Results

- 110 Health Points (Remember to take into account your Resilience when calculating the results of this fight.)

Loot

+ 50 Gold Pieces

Item Acquired: Bread which restores + 5 Health Points

Item Acquired: Cheese which restores + 5 Health Points

Item Acquired: Bottle of water which restores + 3 Health Points for each drink (Can be used 3 times).

Quest Complete