User:TheKoiFish/sandbox
History
May 2023
May 8th, 2023
The night sky twinkles with a myriad of bright stars, as a cold wind blows an icy breeze that chills you to the bone. In the distance, the largest citadel and capital of Jarvonia, Kallaheim, stands tall and proud, often referred to as the Hollow Light. Though it's still a few hours of marching through the deep snow, the thought of a warm bed and a full belly reinforces your will, and each step feels lighter than before.
As you draw closer to the city walls, you notice two figures engaged in a heated conversation. Despite the sound carrying well over the snow-covered field, you cannot discern what they are discussing. Their tones grow more intense until a bright flash of red illuminates the area, leaving you momentarily blinded. As your vision clears, you see no sign of the figures. Was it all just a dream, or did it really happen? The cold walls of Kallaheim stand unaffected by events, and your belly groans, reminding you of your hunger. You hear wolves howling on the horizon, reminding you that hesitating in cold, dark night is never a good idea.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Continue your way to the safety of Kallaheim's walls 🇧 Investigate the area where the two figures were talking |
🇧 | -- |
May 9th, 2023
As your curiosity overtakes your groaning belly and the howling wolves, you rush towards the spot, each step crunching on the snow. There you find a perfect circle, melted in the snow, with an amulet lying in the middle. You pick up the amulet that is shaped like five point star made from ice. The meaning of it is not known to you as you are not from these lands.
Suddenly, a growl echoes nearby, causing shivers to run down your spine. You turn around to see a lone wolf, who has chosen you as its prey on this cold, dark night. With little time to think, you must act quickly. Thankfully, you have the perfect plan.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Throw salted pork snout from your backpack (Easy) 🇧 Run to Kallaheim (Medium) 🇨 Attack the wolf with your trusty dagger (Hard) 🇩 Play dead (Extreme) |
🇧 | Dice: [d20] Roll: [6] |
May 11th, 2023
Before you can come up with a plan, your flight instinct kicks in, and you start running towards the cold walls of Kallaheim. You throw a glance over your shoulder and see a wolf staring after you. After a few moments, it sets off in a playful chase. With the snow so deep, it's the wolf's domain, and there's no need to rush after a tasty, you-shaped rabbit. You hear its paws closing in, and suddenly, it yanks your leg. You feel a sharp pain in your calf, but the wolf releases you, licking your blood off its lips.
You're pumped with adrenaline, but you can't possibly run any faster through the deep snow. You've made it only a little closer to the walls when you spot two lit torches upon the battlements. You shout at the top of your lungs, "HELP ME!"
No answer. Your shout for help startles the wolf. It rams you from the back, making you fall flat on your face. You feel large paws stomp your back. It growls angrily and tries to go in for a bite, but luckily, you shift under its weight, and its jaws snap into your beloved backpack. It gets opened, spilling your belongings out onto the snow, including your grandma's special roasted pork snout.
The wolf can't resist the salty smell of the tasty meat. You seize the opportunity for escape. You leave your backpack behind and run through the snow towards the Kallaheims gates. You don't dare to glance back, but you know well that your grandma's cooking has saved your life.
Out of breath, bleeding, but thankful that you're alive, you reach the gates where a lone guard sits behind metal bars in the guardroom. "State your business in Kallaheim," it says drily, unimpressed by your rugged look.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 "I'm looking for a job as a lumberjack" 🇧 "I've come here to become a fishermen" 🇨 "I want to do some mining" |
🇨 | -- |
May 12th, 2023
"That's right, we need miners," the guard says, pulling a lever that slowly opens the gates. "There's a new expedition to the Frostbite Mountain Range leaving tomorrow from the Silver Stag tavern." As the gates of the cold city creak open, the warm glow of lanterns illuminates the snowy cobblestone streets, casting intricate patterns of shadow and light and creating an unnerving atmosphere that envelops the entire city.
As the gates shut behind you, you feel safe but very tired. The adrenaline has worn off, and you feel a burning pain where the wolf bit you. You want nothing more than to fill your belly and hit the bed. You will bandage the wound before sleeping. You locate a signpost showing the direction to the Silver Stag; it's not far from here, and you soon reach its welcoming doors. As you enter the tavern, the sound of people chatting, plates clinking, and dice rolling soothes you.
On your way to the barkeeper, you take a quick look at the message board. You find the poster calling for miners, offering good pay and providing equipment and provisions, leaving at noon, so there's plenty of time to rest. You continue to the bar, where you order a tasty stew, a flagon of ale, and a room for tonight. You produce a small pouch from your belt and pay the bill. You count the coins left, six in total.
As you sit down at a table and enjoy your food and drink, you scan around the room, looking for anything of interest. At one table, you see several men and women playing a dice game. In a shady corner, you notice a woman in long robes studying some scrolls; maybe she knows something about the amulet you found. In the middle of the room, there is a small stage set up, and there's an elven bard hosting a Troubadour's Rendezvous, where anyone can have the stage for five minutes.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Play dice game (Medium) 🇧 Talk to the woman in corner (Hard) 🇨 Participate in Troubadour's Rendezvous (Hard) 🇩 Go to sleep |
🇧 | Dice: [d20] Roll: [14] |
May 14th, 2023
After finishing your meal and gulping down the last of your ale, you summon the courage to approach the woman in the shady corner. She looks like someone that could know something about the amulet you found. You walk across the room, ignoring the dice game and the stage, and sit down at the robed woman's table. She looks at you, slightly annoyed, but once you produce the star-shaped amulet out of your inside pocket, she turns curious.
"You should not have this. Where did you get it?" she says, concerned. You explain to her what happened outside of Kallaheim's walls earlier this night. She listens to you attentively, then she speaks, "Well, the amulet you have is called a Pentafrost. It's a symbol worn by high-ranking Ordained Ones. The red flash blast must have been produced by an Ewerethien mage. They are most proficient with magic. What's happened there, I do not know, and I suggest you better not investigate it. Jarvonia is already dangerous enough. Now excuse me, I have to continue my studies."
You put away the Pentafrost and go to your room, satisfied with getting some answers. You bandage your calf, and as soon as your head touches the pillow, you fall into a deep sleep.
When you wake up, you feel refreshed and ready for your mining career. You have a quick breakfast in the tavern, and soon enough, you find yourself standing outside of Silver Steed, where two wagons are stationed. A bearded man comes up to you. "Welcome," he says and starts giving you things. "Here's your pickaxe, provisions, and an oil lamp. If you are a novice, take a seat at the first wagon. If you're experienced, go to the second. Wagons will set out together, but their destinations are different, and so is the pay and danger."
You consider your options, you've never swung a pickaxe, but the higher pay sounds nice. You already survived yesterday, how much worse can it be?
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Take a seat in the novice miner wagon 🇧 Take a seat in the experienced miner wagon |
🇦 | -- |
May 16th, 2023
You take a seat in the novice wagon, and soon it starts rolling over the cobblestone streets until it leaves Kallaheim. You count twelve eager miners, both men and women of different ages. Some are talking, while others get comfortable taking out crossword puzzles or other things to pass the time, as the expedition leader said the journey will take at least a day.
The ride takes you north, and the roads get smaller and more poorly maintained. Sometimes the wagon gets stuck, and everyone has to help dig it out to continue. It's almost midnight when you reach a campsite at the base of the mountain. Several tents are set up, and warm soup is served. Each miner is allocated a sleeping place.
In the morning, you gather in the middle of the camp and receive a briefing about the expedition. The experienced miners will go to a mine much higher up in the Frostbite Mountain, while you and the other novices will head to a lower one. You've heard a lot of speculation about the dangers that lie in the higher mine, from the ghosts of dead miners to furry, hungry yetis. But the lower one you're heading to should hold no danger. Sometimes even children work in it.
Your mining group is led to the entrance of the lower mine. The bearded man who recruited you back in Kallaheim explains the mining buddy system. You're supposed to pair up with a fellow miner and work closely together to provide some safety in case of any problems in the mine.
Most miners instantly pair up, and you look to see who's still available to form a pair. There's an older man in his sixties who is considered an experienced miner, but his hearing and eyesight are really bad. There's also a girl in her late teens who boasts about her mining skills because she comes from a family of miners, but her father won't let her go to the dangerous mine. The last one is a strong man who has been slinging offensive jokes left and right during the journey and is just unpleasant to be around.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 The experienced old miner 🇧 Teenage girl miner 🇨 Unpleasant strong man miner |
🇦 | -- |
May 18th, 2023
You approach the old miner, and he nods at you with a faint smile. The man and the girl are left to team up, and you can already hear the man muttering, "Of course, the newbie teams up with the old fart. Don't ask me when I have to retrieve their frozen bodies from the mine." The girl adds, "Yeah, I remember when my daddy had to retrieve fifteen miners from the higher cave. He did it alone too! One day, it's gonna be me doing it!"
The paired miners enter the mine two by two, leaving you outside. The bearded expedition guide informs you that he will return and ring a bell when the shift ends, and you'll hear its echo within the mines. After that, he heads back to the base camp. You light your oil lamps and venture into the mines. There, you choose a mining cart, place it on the tracks, and select one of the tunnels leading deeper into the mountain.
You're eager to talk to your buddy, but he declines any conversations beyond saying, "Name's Jarran Greysight. We'll have plenty of time to chat when we mine." He then explains how to locate a rich copper vein, and you set out following his guidance. Before long, you discover exactly what he described. He proceeds to show you the correct way to hold the pickaxe and the best technique to use it. Soon enough, you're mining one ore after another.
Echoing into the mines you hear more pickaxes striking the rock. Both you and the old miner have found a comfortable rhythm and now you decide it would be good time to strike up a conversation.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 His mining stories 🇧 Jarvonia 🇨 His Family 🇩 Weather |
🇦 | -- |
May 20th, 2023
You decide to ask about Jarran's mining career, as a miner of his age must have seen quite a lot. His eyes light up when you bring up the topic, and he eagerly shares story after story with you. Some are mundane, some are exciting, but all of them revolve around the world of rock and stone. However, one particular story strikes a chord within you.
The old man begins, "Once, we were mining in a mountain near Coldington. It was a dangerous mine, with a history of collapses and missing crews. However, it was also incredibly rich in minerals, which made the pay quite absurd. We were a team of twelve miners, and we utilized six carts, much like the setup here."
"One morning, as we prepared our carts, we noticed something strange. Suddenly, there were seven carts instead of the usual six. A new cart had appeared out of nowhere, and we simply laughed it off. One pair of miners decided to take the new cart, and we began our work. At the end of our shift, when we gathered at the mine entrance, the miners who had chosen the new cart were missing. Concerned, we went to investigate... only to find them both dead. Their heads had been torn off, their faces devoured. The cart itself was nowhere to be found."
"Filled with fear, we fled the mine and never returned. It was sealed off permanently thereafter. I believe it was the work of a Dragar, a ghoul raised by the spirit of a deceased miner, never resting, forever stalking the site of their demise."
He quickly apologizes, not wanting to frighten you, saying, "I'm sorry for any unease caused. Don't worry, we are in the novice mine, after all."
As he finishes his story, you look around and notice something that wasn't there before - another mining cart.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Scream 🇧 Run Away 🇨 Attack the cart 🇩 Push the old man toward the cart |
🇦 | -- |
May 22nd, 2023
Surprised by the suddenly appearing cart, you let out a scream. However, before you can react any further, your scream is drowned out by the laughter of a man and a woman. "Haha, look at the newbie screaming like a scared little baby. Did you wet yourself too?" the unpleasant man says as he appears around the curve of the cave. The teenage girl miner standing next to him adds, "Don't you hear the bell? The shift is over. Roll your cart so it doesn't block ours. Come on!"
Now you hear the bell ringing; you were so captivated by the old miner's story that you didn't notice it before. Jarran looks at you with compassionate eyes and gives you a slight smile. You begin to make your way out of the mine, your cart filled with valuable minerals. Not bad for the first day.
As you exit the mine, the sky full of bright stars greets you. The bearded expedition leader stands with a bell in his hand. "Good work, everyone. Load the ores onto the sled wagons." You all follow his instructions and soon reach the base camp. There, he hands everyone their pay, 10 coins. You enjoy a warm stew and spend time with the old miner you've grown fond of, but the camp seems uneasy. It has been a while, and the experienced mining group has not yet returned.
The bearded leader explains that he made an agreement with the veteran miners that they would end their shift on their own, but it is well past that time. He is going to investigate and offers anyone who wants to accompany him. A few miners step up, including the unpleasant man and the girl. The old man says he needs to rest and that he would be no help anyway.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Join the group to investigate 🇧 Sneak behind the group and follow them (Easy) 🇨 Stay and steal from miners who left (Medium) 🇩 Stay and rest |
🇦 | -- |
May 24th, 2023
Veteran miners are in peril, and you feel obliged to help them. You would want the same if you were in a sticky situation. So, you decide to join the group. The unpleasant man says, "Hey, newbie, you got scared by a mining cart earlier. What if there are more of those up there?" The teenage girl laughs, but the joke doesn't land with anyone else. Nevertheless, you all fill your oil lamps and begin your ascent up Frostbite Mountain.
The cold, harsh wind howls in the night as you walk with the group. Doubts start creeping into your mind, making you wonder if coming to the mountain was a mistake. You could have been fishing on a frozen lake or cutting wood with the woodsmen. However, as you reach the higher mine, you shake off these doubts.
Instantly, you notice that the duty oil lamps have gone out, plunging the mine into total darkness. The bearded leader takes a step into the mine, his hand extended with an oil lamp in front. The unpleasant man explains that he will stand guard at the entrance, and another miner joins him. It's you, the bearded leader, the teenage girl, and three nameless miners who venture into the mine.
You march forward slowly, illuminating the dark mine with your oil lamps. Your leader calls out to the miners, but only his voice reverberates in the mine. As you reach the first mine fork, you stop to decide whether to split up or stay together. However, before you can come to a conclusion, a loud noise from the direction you came interrupts you. You also feel tremors in the ground. After the dust settles and the tremors subside, you hear a deep, slow laughter resonating through the air. However, you struggle to determine its source or origin.
The bearded man quickly makes a decision to form pairs. He pairs up with one of the miners, while the other two miners group together. You are left to pair up with the teenage girl.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Investigate the way you came from 🇧 Take one of the paths forward 🇨 Stay put |
🇧 | -- |
May 27th, 2023
There are three paths you can take, and three mining pairs have formed. Therefore, you decide to explore different paths and meet up back here later. You step up to take one of the paths that leads deeper, while the two unnamed miners take the other path. The bearded expedition leader with their pair will check out the way they came, as they are afraid the entrance has collapsed.
You and the girl venture forth. As you walk, you feel the girl gripping your arm tightly. She has lost her arrogant attitude and whispers, "I'm scared. Are we going to be alright?" You don't know, but you nod approvingly. Your oil lamp illuminates the tunnels, casting shadows that transform into eerie beings. Eventually, you reach a larger opening in the mine and spot four lifeless bodies on the ground. Their faces have been ripped away, and blood covers the rocky terrain. Only a single mining cart remains amidst them.
You glance at the girl beside you and notice her frozen in fear. As you turn your gaze back to the scene, you see a menacing, demon spider-like figure standing on multiple legs where the mining cart was. It is lean, sinewy, and it's large mouth full of teeth. It appears ready to pounce.
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 Fight it (Extreme) 🇧 Shove the girl towards it (Hard) 🇨 Run away (Extreme) |
🇦 | -- |
August 5th, 2023
Text
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 opt 🇧 opt 🇨 opt 🇩 opt |
🇦 | -- |
August 5th, 2023
Text
| Options | Chosen | Dice Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦 opt 🇧 opt 🇨 opt 🇩 opt |
🇦 | -- |
