THE BOOK OF GLINT - [Ch01-Up04] - The Arrival [15.06.2016]

Hi everyone, I'm Evo.

I started a long while ago a forum adventure on MSPA forums called "The Book of Glint". Now recently that mspaforums have experience some issues I decided to restart the adventure here. :) As you may notice from the style, this adventure is inspired by Prequel Adventure by Kazerad. But keep in mind that the style may change during the adventure as I like to experiment with different kinds of styles but this will be the main style of the adventure. Now let's begin.

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Newest update ==>

Your name is Cayla Jozura.

After two weeks of travelling, you've finally reached your destination. Before you lies Citadel, the largest trading port in Candaria and Horizon City's front line of defense against threats from the west. Shortly enough, it is also to be your new home.

You watch as the dockworkers scramble to intercept the airship, and you find yourself marvelling as the city slowly drifts into view. Feeling the wind trace a pattern against your shirt, you press closer to the ship’s railing, thoughts focused solely on drinking in your surroundings. At a glance, you find the streets to be abuzz with the bustle of citizens, each heading straight to who-knows-where. You feel the familiar tingle that you’ve long come to associate with the Dawn of a New Adventure.

This is nothing like anything you've ever seen before.

You take a moment to reflect. Hailing from Garudapol, you set out for Citadel only a short time ago, eager to distance yourself from your less-than-ideal upbringing. Having grown up in an orphanage, you retain few memories of your parents or early childhood, and though you were never explicitly mistreated, you often found life as an orphan to be something of a drag. As a result, you’ve never felt a very close connection to your homeland, or really anywhere, for that matter. Though you still find yourself occasionally pondering the mystery of your heritage, you do your best to avoid dwelling on the past.

Regardless, the fact of the matter is that you’ve arrived at the ripe age of 20. The age at which a ferrath begins her journey into womanhood, and more importantly, the age at which she’s legally considered an adult. Thinking back, it was only a few short weeks ago that you woke up to find the director of the orphanage standing over you, gushing on about an “exciting opportunity” to “fully exercise your independence as an adult.” By that, he meant he was kicking you out.

You were provided with some pocket change and a handful of food tickets before being tossed to the streets. You quickly found your purse to be less than watertight before you even departed, and the airship ate up any of your remaining funds. Basically, you're broke and without a source of income. What an excellent start for the adventure of a lifetime!

Fortunately, you were tipped off by a close friend of yours about a job opportunity here in the city. He was a bit fuzzy on the details, but he explained to you that a fellow known as Marcus would be in need of your services, whatever those services may be. You were warned that it may not be an easy job, but it would definitely serve to keep you busy as you settle into your new environment.

Your friend neglected to tell you where exactly you could find Marcus, but you’re sure you’ll stumble upon him at some point. You make a mental note that you should seek him out as soon as possible, and file it away with all the other important tasks requiring your immediate and utmost attention. For now, you’re going exploring.

You suppose this is it. The beginning of your new life. You must admit you’re feeling rather optimistic.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

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Additional credits

Bin - Editor

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Got all your luggage?

You still owe that cardsharp on the boat half your weight in coin.

leave before somebody notices you stole that other khajiit's ears.

>Uh, what kind of...job, exactly?

What do you have?

Find a gun first. Don't want to be caught unprepared for when conflict inevitably hits the fan.

>Make a breakthrough into the luxurious enterprising career of pickpocketing

Find a gun first. Don't want to be caught unprepared for when conflict inevitably hits the fan.

You'd rather not. You've never been a big fan of guns, what with the awful noise and all. You'd prefer to defend yourself in a more elegant fashion, if possible. Maybe the local market has something up to your standards.

Got all your luggage?

What do you have?

Not a whole lot, you're afraid. You have some leftover food tickets, which will net you a warm meal from a food vendor of your choice. Hooked to your belt, you have your compass, a gift from an old friend meant to symbolize your kinship. Finally, taking up a large majority of the space in your bag, you brought with you a modest selection of books, comprising a variety of genres and styles. You consider yourself to be quite the reader, and you were allowed to pick from a collection upon your departure from the orphanage.

As for your monetary situation, things could certainly be worse. Six gold coins is scraping the bottom of the barrel, but you’ll have just enough for a night’s stay at the inn, assuming you can settle for less than first class. Just another reason to seek out this job, you suppose.

>Uh, what kind of...job, exactly?

The friend that informed you of it claimed to be a relative of this Marcus, and assured you that he would be in need of a helping hand in his old age. He mentioned that the job might get a bit unpredictable at times, and that you would do well to stay on your toes. The tidbit that caught your attention the most, however, was that the job will almost certainly involve creature handling. That could mean a number of things, depending on the type of creatures you'll be encountering, but you’re ready for any kind of challenge. Bring on the beasts and critters!

You still owe that cardsharp on the boat half your weight in coin.

Well, gotta go.

It occurs to you that you haven't the slightest idea where you're going. Marcus’ location remains an absolute mystery, and you’re not even sure what he looks like. As far as you're concerned, he's a person-sized needle in a city-sized haystack. Might as well head off in a random direction, you suppose.

>Make a breakthrough into the luxurious enterprising career of pickpocketing

You think you'll pass on that one. Citadel's law enforcement is known to be a little more rough-and-tumble than your usual small town police department, and you'd rather avoid spending your first few days locked up in the town prison. Besides, subtlety has never really been your strong suit.

==>

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Additional credits

Bin - Editor

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Author's note: I re-edited this update a bit, I wasn't really happy with the previous version because it didn't really fit in with the rest of the story.


As requested on /co/, here's an album of the art that I had of this adventure's previous version at MSPAforums before it went down: https://imgur.com/a/bjhTr

Ask around for this Marcus. Keep a tight hold on your stuff.

Any chance that Marcus is a less-than-reputable character round these parts? Might pay to be indirect with your inquiries.

Check the prison

Check out the local wares. It's nice to have things to save up for.

Just take a look around, and try not to spend any money, you'll probably need it for the inn.

>Every day is different, you never know what's going to happen, handling unruly beasts? Sounds like kindergarten teacher work!

That painterly image is beautiful, awesome job!

Well golly, what sort of skills DO you have? In a bustling city like this, there must be work somewhere!
Your art and writing already surpass kazerad's. I'm really liking this so far.

Idly consider prospect of renting out body, immediately discard this intrusive thought

Find the inn first, just so you've got somewhere to call a home base.

Go investigate some magical glowing artifacts from that shady-looking lizard woman. Followed by avoiding alcoholic beverages at all costs.

This uh... cat friend of mine benefited from no booze and lizard friends sometime ago.

What sort of skills have you picked up over the years?

Author's note: Sorry that you had to wait this for a while. These last weeks have been pretty busy for me but should be getting better and easier to do these pretty soon.
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Check the prison

You're pretty sure Marcus isn't a criminal, and even if you wanted to check the prison, you wouldn't be able to get in. The prison here is located inside the Dome, directly underneath Citadel's main military fortress. Incidentally, it also happens to be the place in which captured enemy forces are brought for questioning and conviction. You've heard many stories of the unspeakable horrors that occur within the Dome, and you're pretty sure that if you ended up inside those walls, you would not see sunlight for many years to come.

Well golly, what sort of skills DO you have? In a bustling city like this, there must be work somewhere!

What sort of skills have you picked up over the years?

You have very little in the way of marketable skills, other than the run-of-the-mill abilities available to the common ferrath. You're a pretty good climber, and decently agile to boot, which is standard fare for a full-grown ferrath such as yourself.

Not to mention your species’ trademark feature: an extra set of ears, branching out along your upper temples. Though they tend to make hat-shopping a chore at the best of times, the secondary pair allows for significantly improved hearing among members of your kind. You've heard a theory that they were once used to detect predators during ancient times, but you can't attest to the validity of the claim.

Aside from your auditory arrangement, you don't have a whole lot else to offer the world. You pause for a moment and consider the fact that your habits (which consist of sleeping incessantly and lazing around like a slob) have done little to improve your prospects. But who knows? Maybe your particular talents will end up perfectly suited for the job.

Idly consider prospect of renting out body, immediately discard this intrusive thought

Though you're not very fond of this particular notion, you make an effort to carefully consider each and every thought that passes through your head, no matter how absurd. Still, you’re inclined to disregard any impulse you find to be particularly out-there on a matter of principle. You remind yourself that today is a very important day, and that you should try to keep your wits about you, at least until you get a job and a place to stay.

Go investigate some magical glowing artifacts from that shady-looking lizard woman. Followed by avoiding alcoholic beverages at all costs.

This uh... cat friend of mine benefited from no booze and lizard friends sometime ago.

Nothing wrong with a cold, hearty drink every once in a while. Builds character. Still, you should do your best to avoid getting smashed for the time being. You're a responsible young adult, after all.

Beverage habits aside, you approach the saurian lady, keeping a tight grip on your coinpurse.

You greet the merchant with a smile and ask her if she would mind explaining the purpose of those trinkets.

These things? She runs a claw along the side of one. These are spirit charms that she assembled and blessed herself. They provide the wearer with a variety of boons, including considerable wealth and good fortune. Available only for three gold each, she tells you. Or perhaps you’ve made some enemies? She might be willing to slip in a curse or two, for a few extra gold.

No thanks, you tell her. You were just looking.

Ask around for this Marcus. Keep a tight hold on your stuff.

Any chance that Marcus is a less-than-reputable character round these parts? Might pay to be indirect with your inquiries.

You ask the merchant if the name Marcus rings a bell, holding out for any sort of clue.

She taps her chin contemplatively. Marcus, you say?

Hmmm… Marcus…

Oh yes, Marcus! She tells you that she's familiar with a man named Marcus. She's seen him shopping for supplies around town.

Great! You're beginning to think that this may not be so hard after all. You ask her if she has any idea where he lives.

She sighs, tilting her head dramatically and drawing out her breath. Unfortunately, as much as she'd love to help you, she can only provide so much information to a customer who hasn't purchased anything. She invites you to follow her around the corner and peruse her wares, on the off chance that something catches your eye.

Fine, you mutter, and follow the lady.

Check out the local wares. It's nice to have things to save up for.

Just take a look around, and try not to spend any money, you'll probably need it for the inn.

If she has information regarding Marcus’ whereabouts, you don't really have a choice. You resolve to buy the cheapest thing you can find and get a move on as quickly as possible.

She asks if you're in need of anything in particular.

You tell her that you just arrived, and that it would be nice to be able to defend yourself properly.

Oh, yes. Citadel can be very cruel, especially at night and especially for newcomers. You need to be cautious of everyone and everything you see, or the city will eat you alive.

You glance around nervously, paranoia rising. She grins. Worry not, she tells you. She has just the thing to keep you safe.

This right here is a brocigam. Within its shell lies powerful magic, waiting to be released. Once crushed, it will provide the wielder with immense power for a brief period of time, fading away only after its duty has been fulfilled. She tells you that this is one of her finest brocigams, and that it would most certainly make any potential adversary think twice. Only 20 gold coins, today only. This is a marvelous opportunity, and you would—

You interrupt her and say you don't even have that much money on you.

Oh. That's rather unfortunate. She tells you to hold tight for a moment while she fishes out her, erm, discount brocigams.

She places them unceremoniously on the counter in front of you. As she brushes them off, she informs you that, though they may appear to be less than pristine, they're still very much in prime condition and ready for use. More or less.

Only two gold coins a piece!

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Additional credits

Bin - Editor

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>Pick the smoking one and ask for discount. It might not work but as long as you can threaten to use it it's almost as good as a new one!

Attempt to bargain the price of one meager brocigam down to a single gold, as at the moment your funds are rather slim.

Or failing this, offer a single gold for the information on Marcus, and the assurance to return with a second gold for the brocigam if the lead is correct.

Examine magic gem.

pay her with beatboxing