Roasted meat, spilled ale, and minotaur laughter warm the Great Hall as King Hammon bids Clan High Hoof a temporary farewell. Several of Gromm’s kin slam tankards and promise to send more hands for a festive night at the castle.
Gromm
We will come with the next safe wagons, King Hammon. Your hall has earned our cheer.
The heavy iron-bound doors groan open. Blue banners spill in first, then twenty soldiers in dragon-crested armor, wet boots thudding on stone. The hall quiets at once.
Getrin
I am Getrin, wizard of Lord Alon of Cruss Coast. We come for the coast, and for the serpent Ethrosise. My lord sends me to study it.
King Hammon
You enter my hall in order, then. State your errand fully.
Getrin
Observe only, King Hammon. Lord Alon wants the creature measured, watched, and understood. Give us passage, and we leave your walls in peace.
The blue-robed wizard keeps his chin high, but the soldiers behind him spread just enough to claim the doorway. Around the tables, the minotaurs fall silent, reading the tension instantly. King Hammon’s feast has become a test of borders.
✓ Quest Accepted
Collect payment from the visitors
“I say, lord are territorial and this is my territory, you may stay outside the gates for a very small fee and camp or you may use the inn and pay a higher toll for accommidations”
SUCCESS (Great Persuasion, rolled +0)
King Hammon
Lord and liege matter here. This is my territory. You may camp outside the gates for a small fee, or use the inn for a higher toll.
Getrin
A toll, then. Your hall keeps its customs even with strangers at the door.
The wizard’s chin lowers a fraction. Behind him, the dragon-crested line eases from a claim into a wait.
Gromm
That is fair by hill law and shore law alike. A lord should know the value of shelter.
The minotaur’s tankard dips. Around the tables, heads turn from the doorway to Hammon, reading the room as much as the words.
Getrin
Then speak your price plainly, King Hammon. We will decide whether we sleep under stone or under sky.
“I tell them fair prices and that ill send them on their way if they misbehave or test my leadership”
SUCCESS (Great Persuasion, rolled +0)
The hall quiets around the tables as King Hammon lets the price settle into the room like a weight. Even the soldiers at the doorway hold still, waiting on his next word.
King Hammon
The price is plain. Camp outside the gates for a small fee, or take the inn for a higher toll.
He keeps his gaze on the wizard, then lets it slide to the line of dragon-crested men. The warning lands with the same calm as the offer.
King Hammon
If any of you misbehave or test my rule, I send you on your way.
Getrin
A king who prices his threshold and guards it with a steady mouth. That is not a fool's hold.
Gromm
Well spoken. A hall that knows its own worth is easier to trust.
A few minotaurs shift their cups and grin into them. At the door, the soldiers remain wary, but their forward lean fades into a measured wait.
Getrin
Then your terms are understood, King Hammon. We will choose, and we will keep your peace while we do.
“I wait for their answer”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled -2)
The wizard’s answer hangs in the hall, and the room holds with it. Tankards stay lifted, shoulders stay squared, and Hammon’s silence makes the visitors feel counted.
At the threshold, one dragon-crested soldier eases half a step back into line, making space for his master’s choice. The shift is small, but it shows compliance.
Getrin
We take the inn. Your hill is not a place to insult lightly, King Hammon.
A murmur of approval moves through the minotaurs. Gromm’s ears flick once, amused, while he keeps his posture respectful.
Gromm
A sensible choice. Better a paid roof than a proud march into the rain.
Getrin reaches to his belt pouch and sets coin on the table nearest Hammon, not as tribute, but as the toll he has accepted.
The hall breathes again, softer now. Outside, the sea wind presses at the shutters, and the soldiers wait for escort or leave to move.
Quest Complete
Collect payment from the visitors
Skill Upgrade: Persuasion Great→Superb