[RPG] Innkeeper's Quest (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy)

[FumblingLinguist]

A stranger in a cloak descends upon the city of Zimar'an. It is just after sunset. The evening star shines brightly in the sky, and the other stars are beginning to join it, though the moon has not yet risen.

The stranger is you. You are a stranger because you have just arrived in Zimar'an for the first time after a grueling, nine-day journey from your home town of Pangang. (People told you it would only take three days. They lied.)

You've come to Zimar'an because Zimar'an is the second-greatest city in the world, second only to the great Kā. And Kā is said to be a strange place, with a strange language. Where the humblest taverns are made of solid stone. Where the people drink water from magic wells, without even mixing the water with wine first. Where the men wear makeup! No, you can't imagine living in such a strange place. That's why, when you left home on your 21st birthday to seek your fortune, you knew your final destination would be Zimar'an.

And you are wearing a cloak because cloaks are wonderfully practical garments. A drunken patron at your parents' inn once expounded to you at great length on the merits of cloaks, claiming among other things that you can hide from an ogre by wrapping a cloak around your head, because ogres are such "dummy wummies" they assume that if you can't see them, they can't see you. You rather doubt even ogres are that stupid, but you have to agree a cloak is a quite useful thing, good for keeping warm at night if nothing else.

You are...

[ ] A young man named Marūr
[ ] A young woman named Marūra

(This decision will not have a single across-the-board mechanical effect, but may have various small effects from time to time.)

You have an annotated map of the city. You don't really understand the significance of much of the information on it, but it does offer a few clear options in terms of first order of business:

[ ] Enter through the south gate. It's the direction you're coming from, and you want to get inside before nightfall.
[ ] Check out "goblin town". Looks like you'd have to pass by it anyway on your way to the south gate, so why not?
[ ] Explore the area outside the city a bit, then enter through the east gate. Surely you've got time, right?
[ ] By Heaven, you've never seen walls like this before! You're going to do a half-circuit around the city, just staring at the walls, before entering through the north gate.

Spoiler: QM Note

I've GM'd traditional TTRPGs before, but this is my first time attempting to do a form quest. I decided to start with two "easy" polls so that if I am missing something very basic, someone can point it out to me before we get too far into it. No GURPS knowledge will be required to participate, though I hope we'll get at least one or two GURPS aficionados in the mix. Character sheet to come.

 

[FumblingLinguist]

You trudge towards the south gate, lugging your enormous backpack. Your parents made sure you'd be well-supplied for your journey, giving you (among other things) camping supplies; two healing potions they'd never had reason to use with the local cleric just down the road and never been able to sell for what they thought the potions were worth; and a weird gnomish arrow-launching contraption for protection (though you feel pretty confident in your ability to defend yourself with nothing more than a broomstick or copper frying pan if it came to that). They also gave you 150 silver pieces, though you had to spend three of that for additional rations and suchlike when the journey took longer than expected. No matter—your parents may not have come from one of the seven great clans of Zimar'an, but you learned a lot about business watching them run their inn, and you expect to soon turn most of your silver into gold.

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Marūra (250 Points)

ST 12 [20]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 12 [20].
Damage 1d-1/1d+2; BL 45 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; Will 13 [0]; Per 14 [5]; FP 12 [0].
Basic Speed 6.00 [-5]; Basic Move 6 [0].

Social Background

CF: Kāian Empire [0].
Languages: Harumānic (Native) [0].

Advantages

Alcohol Tolerance [1]; Attractive [4]; Charisma 3 [15]; Honest Face [1]; Improvised Weapons (Kitchenware) [1]; Lifting ST 3 [9]; Luck (Game Time, +0%) [15]; No Hangover [1]; Pack Rat [1]; Penetrating Voice [1]; Wealthy [20]; Wild Talent 1 (Game Time, +0%) [20].

Disadvantages

Chummy [-5]; Curious (12) [-5]; Impulsiveness (12) [-10]; Greed (12) [-15]; Overconfidence (12) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions) [-5].

Quirks: Deeply invested in "making it" in Zimar'an (not some other town or city) [-1]; Imaginative [-1]; Incompetence (Sex Appeal) [-1]; Responsive [-1]; Will take on hirelings just to have someone to talk to [-1].

Skills

Axe/Mace (A) DX+1 [4]-14; Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-14; Carousing (E) HT+1 [2]-13; Climbing (A) DX-1 [1]-12; Crossbow (E) DX+1 [2]-14; Diplomacy (H) IQ [4]-13; Fast-Draw (Knife) (E) DX+1 [2]-14; Fast-Talk (A) IQ [2]-13; First Aid (E) IQ [1]-13; Gesture (E) IQ [1]-13; Hiking (A) HT-1 [1]-11; Intimidation (A) Will [2]-13; Knife (E) DX+1 [2]-14; Leadership (A) IQ+3 [2]-16; Merchant (A) IQ [2]-13; Professional Skill (Bartender) (A) IQ [2]-13; Savoir-Faire (High Society) (E) IQ [1]-13; Scrounging (E) Per [1]-14; Search (A) Per [2]-14; Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-12; Staff (A) DX+2 [8]-15; Streetwise (A) IQ [2]-13; Wrestling (A) DX+1 [4]-14.

Equipment

$5,000, 139.08 lbs. (Heavy encumbrance)

Backpack, Frame [Torso] $100, 10 lbs.
Balance and Weights [Backpack] $35, 3 lbs.
Bottle ×2 [Backpack] $6, 2 lbs.
Burning Glass [Backpack] $40, 0.25 lbs.
Caltrops ×6 [Backpack] $30, 1.5 lbs.
Candle, Tallow. [Backpack] $0.50, 1 lb.
Cheap Large Knife [Torso] Damage 1d cut, 1d-1 imp. $16, 1 lb.
Cheap Quarterstaff [Torso] Damage 1d+4 cr. $4, 4 lbs.
Cheap Small Mace [Torso] Damage 1d+4 cr. $14, 3 lbs.
Cloak [Torso] $20, 2 lbs.
Clothing [Torso] $0, 2 lbs.
Cord, 3/16" (10 yards) [Backpack] $1, 0.5 lb.
Crowbar [Backpack] $20, 3 lbs.
File [Backpack] $40, 1 lb.
First Aid Kit [Backpack] $50, 2 lbs.
Foul Pepper [Backpack] $50, 1 lb.
Garlic [Backpack] $5, 0.25 lbs.
Group Basics [Backpack] $50, 20 lbs.
Holy Symbol [Backpack] $50, 1 lb.
Iron Spike [Backpack] $1, 1 lb.
Lamp [Backpack] $20, 2 lbs.
Lockpicks [Backpack] $50, 0.1 lbs.
Mallet [Backpack] $15, 3 lbs.
Major Healing Potion ×2 [Backpack] $700, 0.5 lbs.
Map of Zimar'an, Annotated, Papyrus [Scroll Case] $90, 0.09 lbs.
Monster Drool [Backpack] $20, 0.5 lbs.
Oil, Pint ×4 [Bottles] $8, 4 lbs.
Personal Basics [Backpack] $5, 1 lb.
Pole, 6' ×2 [Torso] $10, 6 lbs.
Pouch [Torso] $10, 0.2 lbs.
Rations [Backpack] $2, 0.5 lbs.
Rope, 3/4" (10 yards) [Backpack] $25, 5 lbs.
Sack ×2 [Backpack] $60, 6 lbs.
Sandals [Feet] $25, 0.5 lbs.
Scorpion, 13.5" [Torso] Damage 1d+3 imp. $150, 6 lbs.
Scorpion Bolts, 13.5" ×12 [Quiver] $24, 0.75 lbs.
Scroll Case [Backpack] $75, 1 lb.
Shoulder Quiver [Torso] $10, 0.5 lb.
Silver Piece ×147 [Pouch] $2940, 2.94 lbs.
Sundial Miniature [Backpack] $40, 1 lb.
Tent, 4-Man [Backpack] $150, 30 lbs.
Wax Tablet [Backpack] $10, 2 lbs.
Whetstone [Backpack] $5, 1 lb.
Wine, Grape, Gallon ×½ [Wineskin] $4.50, 4 lbs.
Wineskin [Torso] $10, 0.25 lbs.
Wolfsbane [Backpack] $5, 0.25 lbs.
Wooden Stake [Backpack] $4, 0.5 lbs.

As you approach the gate, a goblin woman passes you in the other direction carrying two large buckets of something foul-smelling. There's a guard standing watch in a bronze helmet, red cloak, and white tunic, holding a staff. "Peace, sister," he says, "where are you coming from?"

"Pangang."

"Pangang? That's a real place?"

"Of course it's a real place, it's a town over in southern Harumān."

"Ah, over south. You didn't have any trouble with the goblin bandits out in the hills, did you?"

[ ] "There's goblin bandits in the hills? That's terrible!" Though you have no intention of returning home before you have something to show for your journey to Zimar'an, when you do you'll be on the lookout for these goblins.
[ ] "What are you talking about? There's no goblin bandits in the hills." You're pretty sure you would've heard of them if there were.
[ ] "Uh... no?" You're skeptical, but don't want to argue with a city guard.
[ ] WRITE IN

Once inside the gate, will you...

[ ] Just try to find lodging in the first inn you see.
[ ] Head for the waterfront—you figure there will be better options there, or at least more options.
[ ] WRITE

 

[FumblingLinguist]

"That's good," the guard says with a smile. "Word is not everyone's been so fortunate." Then he says "peace" and you continue on.

Once inside the gates you can no longer see the golden glow of the sun from below the horizon, and the sky continues to darken as you make your way through the winding streets of Zimar'an. You do see one otherwise nondescript building with a large sign that says "INN", but you decide to ignore it for now—you want to see what your other options are. Eventually, you reach the waterfront. The harbor is protected by a breakwater, with the city walls extending along it.

As you suspected, you seem to have a lot of options here. A fair number of sailors seem to be making their way to an establishment whose sign shows a picture of a woman with a spindle. You can hear a great deal of talking and shouting coming from inside, but few other clues as to what the inside might be like. Another establishment's sign shows a picture of a double-bitted axe. A sign outside the door in three different scripts says, Harumānic, "No fighting. No gambling. No making your fellow patron's night harder." The messages in the other scripts are of similar length, though you have no idea what they say—you think one is dwarven, the other you have no idea. There's music coming from inside, though you'd guess this one is less busy. And those are just two of the options.

On the road, this is about when you'd be making camp, though you wouldn't quite be going to sleep. How will you take advantage of what the waterfront has to offer?:

[ ] Go back to the building with the sign that says "INN".
[ ] Check out the establishment with the spinner woman on the sign
[ ] Check out the establishment with the double-bitted axe on the sign
[ ] You have some specific things you're looking for for the night... (WRITE IN details)
- [ ] ...but you're not going to waste too much time looking for it
- [ ] ...and you're willing to take the time to search the waterfront thoroughly for it
- [ ] ...and you'll use your daily use of Luck on any roll for the search if necessary (can be combined with one of the first two options).

 

[FumblingLinguist]

After seeing the waterfront, you decide maybe it doesn't have what you were looking for after all. You return to the inn you saw earlier, where a silver gets you a room for the night and a Kāian pentacle as change. The inn is a roughly rectangular building, built around a central courtyard where food is served, but the courtyard is emptying out at the kitchen is closed, so you're left eating the last of the jerky and hardtack in your pack. Tomorrow, your real adventure will start.

You've been planning on seeking out hired help as part of getting established in Zimar'an. Now that you've actually arrived, you need to decide what kinds of hirelings in particular to look for. You'll also need to decide what kind of pay to advertise—you have a rough idea of the typical going rate for different kinds of work, but you can try to get by offering less, or offer more in an attempt to maximize the chances of finding what you want.

Choose one or more of the following. For each selection, specify the pay you'll offer, and (optionally) any specific requirements beyond the basic job title (possible specific requirements are too numerous to list, so are necessarily "write ins"):

[ ] Basic hirelings (typical pay: 10 silver/week)
- [ ] Guard
- [ ] Laborer
- [ ] Native Guide (can specify terrain specialty at no penalty—"sea" probably makes the most sense given that Zimar'an is a port city)
- [ ] Servant (can specify cook, entertainer, manservant, potion-taster, or weapon caddy at no penalty)
- [ ] Torch-Bearer
[ ] Skilled hirelings (typical pay: 20 silver/week)
- [ ] Agent
- [ ] Apprentice (by default, a wizard's apprentice, but you can roll at a penalty to try to recruit a demonologist, elementalist, or necromancer's apprentice)
- [ ] Archer
- [ ] Brute
- [ ] Cutpurse
- [ ] Initiate (by default, an initiate of one of the accepted Kāian gods such as Karshīm, queen of the gods, or Pīmthūn, goddess of the sea; but you can roll at a penalty to try to recruit an initiate dedicated to druidism, shamanism, or the evil god Kishumzūr)
- [ ] Killer
- [ ] Sage
- [ ] Skirmisher
- [ ] Squire
[ ] Expert hirelings (typical pay: 40 silver/week):
- [ ] Artificer
- [ ] Barbarian
- [ ] Bard
- [ ] Cleric (by default, a cleric of one of the accepted Kāian gods like Karshīm or Pīmthūn, see above, but you can roll at a penalty to try to recruit a cleric of Kishumzūr)
- [ ] Holy Warrior (same god options as cleric)
- [ ] Knight
- [ ] Martial Artist
- [ ] Scholar
- [ ] Scout
- [ ] Swashbuckler
- [ ] Thief
- [ ] Wizard
- [ ] Other (all of which will impose a penalty on the search roll: Demonologist, Druid, Elementalist, Necromancer, Psi, Shaman, etc.)

Spoiler: GM Note

This particular breakdown of possible professions is based on the character temples found in the GURPS Dungeon Fantasy series. There are obvious similarities to Dungeons & Dragons' character class system, though the correspondence is not exact. Familiarity with GURPS shouldn't be necessary to make a choice here, though players who are familiar with the game are welcome to try to write-in proposals to seek out hirelings with very specific abilities from the game, and try to sell other players on said proposals.

Other things to do:

[ ] Try to get caught up on the latest rumors in the city
[ ] Advertise your services as a freelance adventurer
[ ] Go somewhere
- [ ] The Pantheon of Zimar'an: it's one of the more obvious points of interest on your map, apparently located more or less in the dead center of the city
- [ ] The Royal Palace: your map shows it on the eastern side of the city
- [ ] The Old Temple: your map shows it on the northern side of the city
- [ ] Goblin town, also known as "that cluster of ramshackle buildings you passed on your way in to the city"
- [ ] The waterfront:
- - [ ] That place with the spinner woman on the sign
- - [ ] That place with the double-bitted axe on the sign
[ ] Go looking for something else (WRITE IN)

 

[FumblingLinguist]

Spoiler: Voting Results

We got two votes for "guard, 10 silver/week" so I'm running with that, though on topics other than hirelings I decided to incorporate multiple people's suggestions.

The following morning, the you find that the pentacle you got in change the previous night gets you a hot morning meal. A bit expensive, but at least it was served with decent olive oil—thankfully this isn't one of those places that claims to have the finest oil in Harumān and then serves something suitable only for burning in lamps.

While eating in the courtyard, you strike up a conversation with two men in drab traveller's garb. "I'm Razīm, of Clan Balṣar", one of them says, "and this is my man Qadir. I've come to the city to petition the Censors to enforce my late uncle's will. Some of my relatives aren't too happy about the will's terms, you see. And you?"

"I'm Marūra, and I've come to the city to seek my fortune," you say. "Say, do you know of any adventuring parties that are hiring?"

"You mean like a raider-hunting ship?"

"Maybe," you say. You've got no experience sailing, but you figure you're strong enough to make a good rower, and maybe a group of sailors could benefit from your business sense. "But it doesn't need to be a raider-hunting ship. And I'm not sure I'd want to be on a big ship. I wouldn't want to have to split the loot too many ways."

"You're not thinking about doing something like that guy, whatshisname, that guy who led that group into the Hills of the Dead, thinking they'd find loot left over from Karīshsakmīn's Wars. I don't think I've heard of anyone trying anything like that since, when was it, just after the harvest year before last? Yeah I don't think I've heard of anything like that since that group disappeared."

That's interesting—you're a little fuzzy on the history, but you know Karīshsakmīn was Empress Regnant of Kā some generations back, and was famed as a war leader. You thank Razīm and go to talk to the inn's proprietor about striking a deal for longer-term accommodations. He says he's willing to do room and board for eight and a half silver pieces a week, but you're pretty sure there are places that would give you a better deal than that, and say so. The proprietor replies that while he can't get go any lower, if you're going to be in the city for some time and are looking for something less expensive, you might try Thalīra's Women's Boarding House. He's even nice enough to point it out on your map. Thalīra's is near the center of the city, which is lucky for you since you'd been wanting to see the Pantheon.

You head to Thalīra's first. In the courtyard there, you encounter a human woman and a dwarf arguing about something. The dwarf, with a leather vest and an axe hanging from a belt, barely comes up to chest hight on you, but has shoulders twice as broad as yours and even broader hips. Between the hips and the fact that you're in the courtyard of a women's boarding house, you're pretty sure she's a woman, in spite of the thin mustache and scattered chin hairs. You manage to pick up that the human woman—who is, in fact, Thalīra—is trying to get the dwarven woman to leave her axe behind as a bond while she comes up with more money to pay for a room. This gives you an idea.

"You know how to use that axe in a fight?" you ask the dwarf.

"Yes! Of course! All dwarves are good with an axe."

"So I'm new in the city, I'm by myself, and I'm thinking I could use someone to watch my back..." You turn to Thalīra to work out the price of a shared room and board for two. She initially seems hesitant, but after you pull out a handful of silver to prove you can, in fact, pay in advance, she agrees to fifteen silver a week. Good enough.

"If you'll be my bodyguard, I'll pay your way here and give you two and a half silver pieces a week on top of that. Deal?"

"It's a deal! Oh, and I'm Lathir."

"Marūra."

"Good to meet you Marūra. And before you ask—the Emperor in Kā says all dwarves are legally male, but Thalīra says if I have tits I can stay here. Well, tits and silver, and thanks to you I have silver. Ha!"

---

The Pantheon of Zimar'an is a massive, four-level step pyramid with staircases on all sides providing access to the upper levels. The outer walls are richly decorated with murals of the Kaian gods and goddesses. As you approach one of the doors of the temple, you overhear a man in a white cloak with purple trim talking to another man who you think is a temple functionary of some sort, something about wanting to thank someone for helping his nephew.

You decide...

[ ] ...to approach the man in the purple-trim cloak and try to find out his story.
[ ] ...to enter the Pantheon through a different door, so as to not bother this important-looking man (WRITE-IN any details of what you want to accomplish here, etc.)
[ ] ...that while you're glad to have seen the Pantheon in all its impressiveness, you don't really have any business here. So...
- [ ] You go back to the waterfront, and see who's hiring there
- [ ] WRITE-IN (just about any option from the previous post could apply here, I'm not going to re-list them all).

 

[FumblingLinguist]

"Do you know who that man in the cloak with the purple trim is?" you ask Lathir.

"That's Ranis Kas Mirzahar, he's the censor for Clan Mirzahar. Hey, what are you doing?"

You don't break your stride as you confidently approach the censor. From a distance, you could see he was a few finger widths shorter than the other man, but up close he seems quite small, not at all how you imagined such an important man looking in person. He doesn't look that old either—no older than your parents, you'd guess.

"Peace, father. May the gods bless your brother's son. I hope he is well."

As he turns to face you you see he has a sword in a sheath hanging from his belt. It has a bronze hilt, wrapped in leather and decorated with dark-colored beads. Between that high-quality hilt and the length—a bit longer than your forearm, you'd judge—it's unmistakably a sword. A commoner seen wearing something like that inside the city walls would be in trouble, and wouldn't be able to get away with claiming it was just a carving knife.

"Peace, daughter. It was my brother-in-law's son, actually. And... physically he's well, though I fear his recent adventure made him no wiser. But who are you?"

"Marūra mirth Marūr. I'm from Pangang."

Your eyes flick towards Lathir, hoping she knows how to talk to nobility too. "I'm Lathir. I'm from here. I'm her bodyguard." Close enough.

"What happened to your brother-in-law's son?" you continue.

"Why do you ask, daughter?"

"I'm new to the city and, I—so I don't know a lot, a lot about Zimar'an I mean, but my parents are very smart about business, and they made sure I learned to be smart about business, so I'm here to go into business, and—"

You're not sure what to say next, but Ranis saves you by smiling and turning to the man he'd been talking to and saying "we'll talk later". Then to you, "follow me."

You're too terrified to ask why or do anything but follow. Lathir follows a bit behind. The three of you walk into the ground story of the temple. It's a huge space, with a ceiling supported by numerous columns of varying widths. The smallest columns appear to be more than six feet thick, and all are as colorfully decorated as the building's exterior. Curtains on portable frames mark divisions in the space you don't fully understand. And it's full of people, temple staff and petitioners from around the city. Some sit quietly, but many are moving around, talking, making noise.

"My brother in law's son is named Ganīm," Ranis tells you quietly. "A young man from Clan Qanīr accused Ganīm of saying Zadūr Kas Qanīr was an illiterate drunk who was leaving the membership records of Clan Qanīr to be maintained by slaves, and demanded satisfaction from Ganīm."
You're not sure who this Zadūr is. When you look at Lathir, she just shrugs—a gesture Ranis seems not to notice.

"They were not able to negotiate a peace, so they met for a duel. Somehow, the two young men managed to stab each other simultaneously. Thank the gods, Mikhal Kas Tirum, yes that Mikhal Kas Tirum, was nearby and heard the youths' friends calling for a healer. Mikhal cast some healing spells and brought them both here. The priest who examined him told Ganīm he was lucky he didn't need a much more difficult spell, but, and this is true, Ganīm declared he had won the duel because his opponent had collapsed, but he remained on his feet, if just barely."

"Wait, so is it true? What your nephew said about Zadūr?"

"What he was accused of saying, you mean," replies Ranis, still speaking softly. "Zadūr is well-liked by the other censors, for the most part. A nobleman must be strong and courageous, yes, but also learned and wise. Having an uneducated fool for a censor would be a dire problem, not just for his clan but all of Zimar'an. Such a thing could not be countenanced."

You're pretty sure that was a long-winded way of saying, "yes". "How does the king feel about this?"

"The king is in Kā at the moment. You don't know, do you? The whole world has faced many difficulties since the Dragon War, and it has been our part to have our king taken away from our city for long seasons to advise the Emperor. Yes, he speaks regularly with his servants via communication spells, but in many things we can only do what is right in our eyes. Such is the fate the gods have decreed for us."

Lathir is nodding vigorously in your direction, but you're not sure what that's meant to communicate. You'd known about the Dragon War. It happened quite a few years ago, when you were just a kid. Dragons from the east had attacked Ka. And you knew King 'Ishar Khabīri was a powerful wizard, so maybe it makes sense the Emperor would want him in Ka. Still, you hadn't counted on him being anywhere but his palace when you arrived in Zimar'an.

"That brings me to what I wanted to tell you. Zimar'an needs clever young people. Have you heard of a text called 'Among the Various Parts Animals Have'? I have a copy of the text but my copy is missing most of the original's illustrations. I'd be willing to pay 15 silver pieces for a copy with all the original illustrations. If you're 'very smart about business', as you say, you should be able to find one for less than that and pocket the difference—and then I might have other work for you. What do you say?"

That was a lot to take in. You're thinking... (check all that apply):

- [ ] The notion of Zadūr being an illiterate drunk actually does seem very unlikely. So why won't Ranis deny it outright? What's he playing at?
- [ ] A Zimar'anese aristocrat being totally incompetent at his job, and making slaves do the work for him, sounds typical. Ganīm spoke the truth, even if Ranis thinks saying so outright was unwise.
- [ ] Regardless of what Zadūr is really like, Ranis clearly wants to audition you as someone who could help him bring down a political rival—and you bet he could pay you well for it.
- [ ] If Zadūr is fond of drink, he'll appreciate the skills of a good bartender. You smell a business opportunity here.
- [ ] Maybe Ranis shouldn't look down on his nephew. Running around having duels sounds a lot more fun than trying to hunt down rare books.
- [ ] Ugh, aristocrats. You want little to do with any of them.
- [ ] Ugh, aristocrats. If you could figure out a way to scam them out of all their silver, it would serve them right.
- [ ] You have no idea what to think of any of this.
- [ ] WRITE-IN.

Regardless, your next course of action is...
- [ ] Agree to find the book for Ranis, and begin searching for it.
- [ ] Try to persuade Ranis to support an expedition to the Hills of the Dead instead.
- [ ] Decline Ranis' offer, and see if you can arrange a meeting with Ganīm.
- [ ] Decline Ranis' offer, and see if you can arrange a meeting with Zadūr.
- [ ] WRITE-IN.

 

[FumblingLinguist]

Spoiler: Voting Results

We have two conflicting votes for next action, so I flipped a coin to determine what will happen first, which is seeking out Ganīm. This doesn't rule out taking on Ranis' job later.

You aren't quite sure what to make of Ranis' story, or his request. "Well," you say, "tracking down specific books would be a new line of business for me—but if I find it I'll let you know. Peace, father."

"By the way," you say to Lathir as you walk away, "who's Mikhal Kas Tirum?" She hadn't seem confused when Ranis mentioned him.

"One of the other censors," Lathir says. "I'd forgotten Zadūr's name but I remembered Ranis because he's scrawny even for a human, and I remember Mikhal because he's both a censor and a priest of Karshīm".

"Huh." Then you explain to Lathir that before you go looking for Among the Various Parts Animals Have, however, you want to go looking for Ganim.

Spoiler: Search Roll

Search rolls can be made against IQ or a relevant skill, but you don't have any particularly relevant skills here (at least not ones you know at 14+). Searching for a specific individual in a decent-sized city isn't easy, so the roll is at -2. But I rolled 3d6 and it came up as a 6, so you succeed. A roll of 12 or higher (> IQ 13 - 2) would've failed.

You begin asking around, but it isn't long before you realize tracking down a specific individual in Zimar'an might take awhile, so you go back to Thalīra's to grab your lamp, your knife, and your broom (hey, you can tell people it's a walking stick). Eventually, you meet someone who claims to know one of Ganīm's favorite drinking spots—a small tavern towards the eastern edge of the city. You arrive there fairly early in the evening to find several men singing a song about the fall of Qadhimār. In this particular version of the tale, on the night before the city fell, the residents all knew Karīshsakmīn's soldiers would storm the city the following day and there was nothing they could do about it, so they decided to spend the night drinking every last drop of wine in the city, so at least the Kaians wouldn't be able to enjoy it.

When there's a pause in the music, you approach one of the most enthusiastic—if not the most talented—singers, a broad-shouldered man who looks used to working with his hands. "Peace, I'm looking for Ganīm Kas Mirzahar."

The broad-shouldered man turns to one of the two men sitting next to him. "Hear that, Ganīm? This maiden is looking for you!" Finally!

You explain you heard about his duel with a member of Clan Qanīr, and Ganīm doesn't seem to find this strange—he acts as if it's the most natural thing in the world that you would seek him out after hearing of his victory. You introduce yourself, and Ganīm introduces the other two men. "This is my friend Ṣadin Kas Mirzahar, and this"—indicating the broad-shouldered singer—"is Ghathur, who challenged me to a wrestling match earlier. I beat him." Ganīm is obviously pleased about that—it may have been a bit of an upset, given Ganīm's more average build.

"He's a tricky one!" Ghathur laughs.

Ganīm encourages you to have the last of the wine jug at the table. He seems charmed by your brags about how Zimar'an will make you rich. He calls for a bottle of brandy, and pays to silver for it. You think to yourself that the small bottle can't have more than a silver piece's worth of liquor in it, if that, but say nothing.

As you, Lathir, and the three men drink the brandy, the three men swap rumors. (You don't have much to contribute here—oh there's what the guard at the gate told you about the goblin bandits, but you're not sure you believe that one.) Ghathur reports that while Kadhūm Kas Ḳarīm is supposed to be dealing with pirates, he's actually secretly seeking Mū, the island of the minotaurs. Kadhūm (according to Ghathur) believes that finding Mū will be the first step to finding where the minotaurs get their silver and tin and other valuable commodities, so that he can get rich off the trade routes instead of the minotaurs. "I wonder what the place minotaurs come from is like?" says Ṣadin. He takes the opportunity to talk about things he's heard regarding lands far to the south, including a place trapped in an endless, frozen night by an evil enchantress' curse.

Spoiler: Roll for Intoxication

Yes, GURPS has rules for this! The roll is against HT+2 thanks to your Alcohol Tolerance perk. I rolled a 14 on 3d6, so you just barely avoided being hit with penalties for intoxication, for now. Note that a glass or two of watered wine with a meal won't trigger this roll, but you've had a bit more than that.

Suddenly, Ṣadin is interrupted by a voice bellowing from the tavern's entrance. "What in Kishumzūr's name!?" An unfamiliar man stalks towards your group, eyes with a dark fixed on Lathir. As he comes within arm's reach of her, he pulls back an arm as if to strike her—and then loses his footing to a wet spot on the floor, nearly toppling over. What do you do?

- [ ] Try to defuse the situation, whatever it is (roll against Diplomacy)
- [ ] Yell at the guy to back off (roll against Intimidation)
- [ ] Take a swing at him while he's off-balance (Brawling)
- [ ] Try to grab the intruder and wrestle him to the ground (Wrestling)
- [ ] Pick up your broom from where it's leaning against the table, and be ready to whack him with it (Staff) if he doesn't back off.
- [ ] Draw your knife, and be ready to slash him with it (Knife skill, duh) if he doesn't back off.
- [ ] WRITE-IN

Spoiler: Note on Combat Procedures

Combat rounds in GURPS represent a single second. Because that isn't much time, if a fight happens I'm going to try a riff on an idea found in GURPS Martial Arts and run 2d6 seconds of combat automatically before giving y'all another decision point.

 

[FumblingLinguist]

Everyone at your table—and a couple patrons seated elsewhere—immediately stand up. You grab your broom, but not fast enough to stop the interloper from regaining his balance and taking a swing at Lathir, who goes sprawling to the ground. You smack him in the gut with the handle of your broom, and he goes down.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

The attack roll was an 8, enough to succeed vs. Staff-15. The damage roll was 5+4=9 damage.

"Tramp!" You turn towards the source of the shout and notice one of the patrons has grabbed a glowing wooden table piece carved in the shape of a sword and is coming at you. You prepare to defend yourself. You take a swing at him but he somehow stumbles out of the way in time to avoid the might of your broom handle.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

Attack roll of 6, but the guy made his Dodge roll. Note that all the rolls in these spoiler tags, except damage rolls, are 3d6 rolls.

He swings the glowing table piece wildly, but hits only air. He's obviously quite drunk. Unfortunately, another patron, partly bald and missing teeth, shoots first left and then right, and manages to grab hold of your broom.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

I handled this as an All-Out Attack (Double), with the first attack traded for a feint. Your roll to resist the feint was an 18, failure by 3, while the attacker succeeded by 7, so while you'd normally only need a 13 or less to parry the second attack, you're at -10. You roll a 13 and fail. Since missing your roll by 10 would normally call for a roll on the Critical Miss table, I assumed you'd use Luck to re-roll twice and take the best result. The rolls come up 7 and 13, not enough to count as a successful defense but enough to stop you from dropping your weapon or similar. It's good to have Lady Luck's favor.

Thankfully, you're able to wrench your broom free of his grasp.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

Quick contest of ST. Lifting ST 3 and Wrestling at DX+1 gives you an effective ST of 16. You roll a 13, succeeding by 3, better than the other guy's margin of success.

The guy with the glowing table piece is still swinging it, and once you have control of your broom again you take a swing at him, but miss.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

Attack roll of 6, again, but the guy made his Dodge roll, again.

The balding guy with missing teeth makes another grab for your brook, but this time you manage to put an end to it with a good smack to one of his hands, causing him to curse in pain.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

Same mechanics as before, but you roll a 10 to resist the feint and the other guy rolls slightly less-well as well. You're only at -1 to defend, and roll a 9, which succeeds. Because you parried an unarmed attack with a weapon, you get a free attack on him, rolling an 11 on your attack roll and 2+4=6 damage. Ouch!

Then you bring your broom's handle up into the crotch of the guy swinging the glowing table piece. He collapses in pain and drops the thing.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

Attack roll of 10, and this time his active defense roll failed. I rolled 7 damage, and also rolled on the random hit location table, getting "groin" as the result. I love random hit location tables.

Now you have a moment to catch your breath. The guy who'd been waving the glowing table ornament begins to get back up, but makes no motion to pick up the ornament or any other potential weapon. You see Lathir is back up, as is the original attacker. Ghathur, who had rushed to help Lathir, has some blood on his mouth, but any fear you may have had that the other guy may have gotten the better of him disappears when said other guy collapses rather suddenly. Another tavern patron, who you hadn't paid any attention to until now but is standing rather close, stares wide-eyed at the man's collapse. Ganīm and Ṣadin are staring down two more men who've circled around you, but who aren't attacking at the moment.

You...
- [ ] ...suggest to Lathir and your other allies that you make a speedy exit.
- [ ] ...suggest to your attackers that they make a speedy exit.
- [ ] ...suggest to your allies that you all resume drinking, confident that no one will trouble you further after that demonstration.
- [ ] ...demand answers about who attacked you and why.
- [ ] ...attempt to help Lathir's fallen assailant.
- [ ] ...attempt to rifle through the collapsed man's possessions.
- [ ] WRITE-IN

 

[FumblingLinguist]

"Hey Ganīm," you say, "do you think we could get another bottle of that brandy?"

"Sure thing," he replies. He pays another two silver for the bottom, and Ṣadin chips in an extra silver by way of apology for the mess.

Meanwhile, a hunchbacked goblin has emerged from a back room and begun cleaning up shards of broken pottery off the floor. Two bar patrons are getting ready to carry Lathir's fallen assailant out of the tavern. One of them shouts "Hey, Bahir! Qadir! We're going to the Pantheon, you guys coming?" evidently indicating the two guys who got a taste of your broom. (Neither of them look like Qadir you met this morning, but it's a common enough name.) They all exit together, leaving just one of the guys who'd been on the other side of the brawl scowling over his cups.

Spoiler: Die Rolling

Your roll to avoid intoxication is a 10, another success!

After the second bottle of brandy is finished, Ganīm offers to walk you and Lathir back to Thalīra's, and you accept. Ghathur comes along too, leaning on Ganīm and Ṣadin the whole way, evidently holding his liquor less well than the rest of you. The men of clan Mirzahar promise to get Ghathur home safely.

You've earned 1 character point for holding your own in your first bar brawl, and 1 character point for making friends and learning your way around the city. What do you want to do with them?

[ ] Save them—possibly for a bigger "power up"
[ ] Save 1 point, spend 1 point buying Area Knowledge (Zimar'an) at IQ
[ ] Spend 2 points on HP +1
[ ] Spend 2 points raising Carousing by a level
[ ] Spend 2 points raising Merchant by a level
[ ] Spend 2 points on Area Knowledge (Zimar'an) at IQ+1

Spoiler: QM Note

This is a short update, and a bit late. I meant to have it up this weekend, but I got sick. Don't worry, more is coming soon!

 

[FumblingLinguist]

Spoiler: QM Note

So, my thinking I was over being sick turned out to be a bit premature, but I'm actually better now and hope to return to an update at least every weekend, if not more frequent.

When you and Lathir wake up the next morning, the courtyard is a lot busier than when you arrived mid-morning the previous day.

"Peace Lathir, who's your friend?" asks a young woman, really barely more than a girl to your eyes.

"Peace Sahira, this is Marūra. Marūra, this is Sahira. And this" Lathir says, gesturing to another woman whose blue hair and pointy ears mark her as an elf-blood, "is Nawitha."

"Nice to meet you, Marūra," Nawitha says, "I'm sorry, I should be going." The apology seems as much directed at Sahira as anyone. "Peace."

You take your seats, along with the last two loaves of bread that were sitting in a basket on the table.

"You almost missed breakfast," Sahira comments. "Are you new in town, Marūra? Don't worry, you'll get used to waking up without the cock's crow soon enough."
"Oh," says Lathir. "Actually, we were out drinking last night."

That reminds you, "Hey Lathir, what was the deal with that guy who attacked you last night?"

"What!?" Sahira asks.

"I have no idea," Lathir says. "Never saw that guy before in my life."

Whoops. You'd just assumed she knew what the deal was.

"But I'm fine," Lathir reassures Sahira.
"I was just talking to Nawitha about the demon attack on the Pantheon last night. I heard about it from a wineseller who came by earlier this morning. Something's wrong with the city. Demon attacks never happened in my village growing up, but here they happen all the time."

Sahira's home village sounds awfully peaceful—back in Pangang your priest was attacked by a hellhound about a year ago. On the other hand, you have to admit you didn't expect to be hearing about a demon attack on your third day in Zimar'an.

Then, Sahira lowers her voice. "I think it might have something to do with the king. You know he used to be called Taz'ar Khabīri?"—that is, Demon of Shadow, rather than Man of Shadow, something you had heard about, though you rarely hear people make a big deal about it. "Nawitha thinks he's great. She thinks he's a secret elf-blood using magic to disguise himself. But I think he might actually be a demon."

You barely remember life before King 'Ishar Kabīri. You were a small child when you heard King Mizarshām mir Rōmis had died and that the nobles of Zimar'an had elected a new king. Occasionally, someone from your parents or grandparents generation would say that it was weird to have a wizard for a king, but for the most part there wasn't much discontent.

Lathir begins murmuring sympathetically at Sahira's comments. Then you say...

- [ ] "Thank you! That's what I've always thought. It's so obvious, why don't other people see it?"
- [ ] "If Nawitha thinks he's an elf-blood, maybe he is. Doesn't it make sense that an elf-blood would be able to identify another elf-blood?"
- [ ] "I think he's just a wizard. I grew up in a tavern, I always heard all the best gossip—if King 'Ishar Kabīri was anything but human, I'd know."
- [ ] WRITE-IN

Regardless, after you finish morning meal, you will
- [ ] Return to the tavern where you met Ganīm and see if you can figure out why Lathir was attacked.
- [ ] Go to the Pantheon, and see if you can find more information about the demon attack.
- [ ] See if you can find Nawitha, to get her perspective on recent events.
- [ ] Stay at Thalīra's awhile longer, you never know who you else you'll meet.
- [ ] Try to find that book for Censor Ranis.
- [ ] WRITE-IN.