[DM’s note: I’m presuming none of you have ever met before since no one told me to the contrary. Last chance to say otherwise! After the first responses, we’re going with whatever is established.]
It’s getting late in the afternoon. There’s a cool breeze from the east, made even nicer by the hint of lavender being blown in from the lavender fields. Gastove, the tiny kingdom tucked safely in a lush valley surrounded by very inhospitable mountains, has only two things of note: its chief export, lavender; and the renowned Bare Knuckles Tavern.
Each of you has read the lovely pamphlet enough times to know it by heart:
The Bare Knuckles is located in Gastove’s only true city, Ermygon. Named for the Great Sorcerer himself, Ermygon didn’t exist 50 years ago but is now a respectably sized metropolis with a large market district which is itself becoming well known in adventuring circles, one of the best hospitals in all of the Weavarian Continent and, of course, the Bare Knuckles.
Laws in Ermygon take the unique attraction into consideration. Violence between adventurers close to, but not within, the Bare Knuckles is given the benefit of the doubt (boys will be boys, after all). Accidents do happen so adventurers who find they have inadvertently busted a +3 mace over a noncombatant towns person‘s overly thick skull needn’t fear prosecution - so long as they are reasonably close to the Bare Knuckles or circumstances explain the error.
The law also works to protect the locals and the few noncombatant tourists. Violence outside of the very well marked perimeter of the Bare Knuckles is absolutely prohibited. There are two perimeters marked: the outermost ‘free for all’ zone in which a person’s intent to enter or leave the Bare Knuckles is presumed and the innermost ‘Magical Safety Zone’, which is so widely renowned that explanation is unnecessary. Violence in the FFA is tolerated to a point - it’s hard to stop fighting just because you fell over a line and the people of Ermygon realize that - but they also don’t want the streets red with blood - bad for business so it behooves the adventurer to pay attention to the zone markings as they are enjoying the amenities of the famed Bare Knuckles.
Spell casters are notified on entry to the city where they may or may not cast magic neutralizing spells. In the Bare Knuckles itself, no spell is off limits, a testament to the genius of the Sorcerer Ermygon, but no disruption spells are permitted in the MSZ as there a few small areas where such spells could cause difficulties - mostly for the caster but also for the hapless adventurer who is too close when the thing goes off. Offensive spells are not permitted in the FFA for obvious reasons.
Adventurers coming into Ermygon are provided with all the necessary information for a safe and entertaining experience. In the few rare cases where unsavory individuals have tried to take unfair advantage of Ermygon’s permissiveness, their treachery has met with swift and painful response. Ermygon, in its enlightened progressiveness, rarely enacts the death penalty, but their choice to use enslavement as punishment for violent transgressors makes violating Ermygonian law a poor choice for any adventurer.
Gastove has several ‘roads’ leading into it - road being an overstatement in most cases. The high mountain trails are difficult and dangerous which explains why Gastove needs its peculiar attraction to get anyone to come here. Korangar and Davben came in from the Deadman’s Folly Road to the west; Carrik and Twig came in on the Friezian Freeway, named for the insane ranger of the legendary Band of Eight, which is more goat trail than road and comes in from the North. Farley and Marsha ([Spart was kind enough to provide a temporary name for Chris’ character - Maggie Gallagher but even we evil DM’s have our limits...]) Used the Lavender Lane which is the only true road and comes in from the east; Twig alone used the Dwarven Death trail, most of which is underground and none of which pretends to be a road, from the south.
By happenstance, you all arrive the same late afternoon within a few hours of each other. The Bare Knuckles has satellite business offices located in each of the Town Gates. There you each pay your $50,000 gold for the privilege of entering the Bare Knuckles and staying five full days and nights either at the Bare Knuckles or at the St Glenda’s Traumatic Injury Hospital (for as long as need be). All amenities, privileges and those pesky legal warnings are explained in excruciating detail (they don’t like to have dissatisfied customers or unnecessary lawsuits). Food, drink, lodging, 3 healing potions/day and personal attendants are included (tipping is discouraged); gambling stakes and other personal services are at your own expense (the latter being a mere formality - no one comes here for the dancing girls. And if you expect more than dancing, you are in for a very rude awakening - as is very bluntly explained in the business office).
Each of the very polite concierges encourages each of you to check in and place your belongings in the (relative) safety of your rooms. Any valuables can be left in the Town Safe - and probably should be if fragile.
Once again, happenstance takes a hand - each of you arrives in the Grand Lobby of the Bare Knuckles at the same time. The Maitre de assigns rooms and personal assistants.
You are now clients of the Bare Knuckles Tavern - where would you like to begin?
[DM’s note: describe your character in your opening post]
It’s getting late in the afternoon. There’s a cool breeze from the east, made even nicer by the hint of lavender being blown in from the lavender fields. Gastove, the tiny kingdom tucked safely in a lush valley surrounded by very inhospitable mountains, has only two things of note: its chief export, lavender; and the renowned Bare Knuckles Tavern.
Each of you has read the lovely pamphlet enough times to know it by heart:
The Bare Knuckles is located in Gastove’s only true city, Ermygon. Named for the Great Sorcerer himself, Ermygon didn’t exist 50 years ago but is now a respectably sized metropolis with a large market district which is itself becoming well known in adventuring circles, one of the best hospitals in all of the Weavarian Continent and, of course, the Bare Knuckles.
Laws in Ermygon take the unique attraction into consideration. Violence between adventurers close to, but not within, the Bare Knuckles is given the benefit of the doubt (boys will be boys, after all). Accidents do happen so adventurers who find they have inadvertently busted a +3 mace over a noncombatant towns person‘s overly thick skull needn’t fear prosecution - so long as they are reasonably close to the Bare Knuckles or circumstances explain the error.
The law also works to protect the locals and the few noncombatant tourists. Violence outside of the very well marked perimeter of the Bare Knuckles is absolutely prohibited. There are two perimeters marked: the outermost ‘free for all’ zone in which a person’s intent to enter or leave the Bare Knuckles is presumed and the innermost ‘Magical Safety Zone’, which is so widely renowned that explanation is unnecessary. Violence in the FFA is tolerated to a point - it’s hard to stop fighting just because you fell over a line and the people of Ermygon realize that - but they also don’t want the streets red with blood - bad for business so it behooves the adventurer to pay attention to the zone markings as they are enjoying the amenities of the famed Bare Knuckles.
Spell casters are notified on entry to the city where they may or may not cast magic neutralizing spells. In the Bare Knuckles itself, no spell is off limits, a testament to the genius of the Sorcerer Ermygon, but no disruption spells are permitted in the MSZ as there a few small areas where such spells could cause difficulties - mostly for the caster but also for the hapless adventurer who is too close when the thing goes off. Offensive spells are not permitted in the FFA for obvious reasons.
Adventurers coming into Ermygon are provided with all the necessary information for a safe and entertaining experience. In the few rare cases where unsavory individuals have tried to take unfair advantage of Ermygon’s permissiveness, their treachery has met with swift and painful response. Ermygon, in its enlightened progressiveness, rarely enacts the death penalty, but their choice to use enslavement as punishment for violent transgressors makes violating Ermygonian law a poor choice for any adventurer.
Gastove has several ‘roads’ leading into it - road being an overstatement in most cases. The high mountain trails are difficult and dangerous which explains why Gastove needs its peculiar attraction to get anyone to come here. Korangar and Davben came in from the Deadman’s Folly Road to the west; Carrik and Twig came in on the Friezian Freeway, named for the insane ranger of the legendary Band of Eight, which is more goat trail than road and comes in from the North. Farley and Marsha ([Spart was kind enough to provide a temporary name for Chris’ character - Maggie Gallagher but even we evil DM’s have our limits...]) Used the Lavender Lane which is the only true road and comes in from the east; Twig alone used the Dwarven Death trail, most of which is underground and none of which pretends to be a road, from the south.
By happenstance, you all arrive the same late afternoon within a few hours of each other. The Bare Knuckles has satellite business offices located in each of the Town Gates. There you each pay your $50,000 gold for the privilege of entering the Bare Knuckles and staying five full days and nights either at the Bare Knuckles or at the St Glenda’s Traumatic Injury Hospital (for as long as need be). All amenities, privileges and those pesky legal warnings are explained in excruciating detail (they don’t like to have dissatisfied customers or unnecessary lawsuits). Food, drink, lodging, 3 healing potions/day and personal attendants are included (tipping is discouraged); gambling stakes and other personal services are at your own expense (the latter being a mere formality - no one comes here for the dancing girls. And if you expect more than dancing, you are in for a very rude awakening - as is very bluntly explained in the business office).
Each of the very polite concierges encourages each of you to check in and place your belongings in the (relative) safety of your rooms. Any valuables can be left in the Town Safe - and probably should be if fragile.
Once again, happenstance takes a hand - each of you arrives in the Grand Lobby of the Bare Knuckles at the same time. The Maitre de assigns rooms and personal assistants.
You are now clients of the Bare Knuckles Tavern - where would you like to begin?
[DM’s note: describe your character in your opening post]
Comment