REFUGEVILLE

I suppose the farmer would exit in wolf form, suspicious in case this creature tries anything with the cows. One of our female members would exit in human form, maybe to help provide comfort to the creature.

A farmer exits the safety of the house in wolf form, while another villager carefully approaches the creature.



The winged being notices the villager, but doesn’t fly away. Instead, it slowly approaches. It is making an enormous effort not to appear threatening, moving slowly and with its head lowered, almost as if in shame. The creature vomits. A tube falls onto the grass. The creature nudges the tube forward.



Your villager opens the disgusting tube and finds a scroll. She reads as the wolf escort remains alert for any danger:

Meat Box
South

God Box
North

Plant Box
West

Brain Box
East

PROPERTY OF THE SIGNET
DO NOT REMOVE FROM VAULT

This creature… has stolen a scroll from the Signet vaults! The reader gently places her hand on the creature’s face. It is a shame that it cannot speak, only managing squeaking noises.

The other settlers come outside, and they discuss what to do with the winged being. One of them gets an idea: Give it a writing utensil and see if it can write. Though there is no ink, they can use blood from a caught fish. No need to write much, even a word is enough to see if it can speak to them in some form.

By dawn, they get a branch, some fish-blood and a blank plank of wood. It’s not perfect but it will do. The feathered one patiently waited, showing signs that it understood the villagers’ request for it to stay. With a bloodied branch in its mouth, it writes:

ME
AELLO
BORN
WOMAN

Aello. Born a woman. It is clear now that she too is another victim of the Signet, her body twisted for the sake of their curiosity and lust for torment.

Aello is welcomed into Refugeville. Her ability to fly should make her an excellent scout, though she refuses to fly for now. She is afraid of Signet scouts who might be watching the skies for her, as she has only recently escaped. Aello accepts the gift of the hastily-carved stick and plank as her personal writing instruments.

The village priest has been examining the scroll Aello brought. It’s a list of Palaces where the Signet store their prisoners, but only with vague directions. The settlers might have to send out expeditions to explore and find these places.

Dawn arrives.

And so does a walking shack.



A screeching noise emanates from the shack:

“GAMBLE NOW? GAMBLE NOW?”

Kori and Ogot know what it is. It’s the Dice Shack. Possessed by the ghost of a gambler, it roams the world looking for people to play with. It accepts anything as currency, even worthless rocks or dirt. If you win against it, the Dice Shack will happily pay you double the amount that you bet with it. The only real danger comes from not being able to pay back double the amount you bet with it if you lose: The Dice Shack WILL remove an organ from your body as compensation.

So if you bet a crumbit, be ready to pay 2 extra crumbits if you lose.

The Dice Shack only plays one game: Dice roll. Two dice, each with six numbered sides. If the total is odd, the Dice Shack wins. Even, you win. If you tell it to leave, the Dice Shack will sound angry but will comply. This thing will be back again someday, but it is impossible to predict when that would be.

Rimewulf does not forbid gambling, so the people may play with the Dice Shack if they so wish.

What should the people of Refugeville do?

- Tell it to begone.
- Try to make some crumbits.
- Try to increase number of weapons.
- Attack the Dice Shack. With fire.
- Have someone ride the Dice Shack.
- Don’t gamble but give the Dice Shack something for free as a gift.
- Something else.

>_


Population: 9 out of 12 shelter spaces

Wealth: 8 crumbits

Animals:
1 Dog (Relief)
2 Cows (Bilin, Daina)

Plants:
12 tapioca (sapling)
10 mangould (sapling)

Weapons:
Iron Knife x 1 (4 crumbits)
Stone Axe x 9 (2 crumbits)
Stone Shovel x 1 (2 crumbits)
Steel Hooked Chains x 2 (Equipped by Guards, 8 crumbits each)

Guards:
Two Chain-Hook Users

Merchants:
Kori (Miscellaneous Goods)
Ogot (Building Materials)

Stockpile:
323 branches (1 crumbit for 4 branches)
4 mushrooms (1 crumbit each)
1 deer meat (7 crumbits each)
5 rabbit meat (2 crumbits each)
5 fish meat (2 crumbits each)
1 jar of milk (4 crumbits each)
4 loincloths (1 crumbit each)
191 stone

Buildings:
1 stone house (with basement)
1 shrine
1 palisade (half done)

Blessings:

Devoted Wolfpack: Rimewulf’s followers can transform into wolves at night, granting faster movement, enhanced senses and combat strength.

Arara’s Shade: Your people can endure heat that would normally cause heatstrokes. A common blessing for desert-dwellers and those who wish to endure drought.

Curses:

Marked By The Signet: The Signet will never stop sending scouts.