Evelyn arrives on an old forest path beneath dripping pines. Four large men close around her: a scarred leader in a brown coat, a bald axeman, a red-haired swordsman, and a younger man with a hooked club.
The scarred leader has seized Evelyn by one arm. The others block both directions along the muddy trail, their formation tightening as they begin to pull her toward the trees.
the scarred leader
Easy now, little devil. No need to make this difficult.
Evelyn's horns catch the gray light as she twists against his grip. The bald axeman watches her, grinning, while the red-haired swordsman glances toward the path behind her.
the red-haired swordsman
Someone's coming. Move faster, Rusk.
Rusk hauls Evelyn another step toward the undergrowth. Their shoulders nearly meet across the path, but the closing formation leaves a narrow opening between the swordsman and the axeman.
the scarred leader
Stay out of this, traveler. Keep walking.
✓ Quest Accepted
Go along with whatever they want
“what do you want with me??”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +1)
Evelyn
What do you want with me?
Evelyn's question cuts through the rain. Rusk stops pulling, though his hand remains locked around her arm, and the other men hold their positions.
the scarred leader
A living offering, devil. The baron pays well for your kind, and the chapel pays better if you arrive breathing.
bald axeman
Told you she'd ask. They always do when the rope comes out.
Rusk silences him with a sharp glance. Behind the men, wet branches shiver in the wind, and the red-haired swordsman's attention remains fixed on the path.
the scarred leader
You are worth coin either way. Walk quietly, and no one needs to bruise you. Resist, and we carry you.
“nooooo please don't sell me. I'll do anything for you boys”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Evelyn
No, please. Do not sell me. I will do anything for you boys.
The plea hangs beneath the dripping pines. Rusk studies Evelyn's face, then looks toward the chapel road as if weighing coin against convenience.
bald axeman
Anything? That sounds better than hauling her through this mud.
the red-haired swordsman
And what keeps her from vanishing the moment we loosen our hands?
Rusk
The baron's purse is heavy, but a willing devil may be worth more alive and useful. We change the bargain.
Rusk releases Evelyn's arm. The bald axeman lowers his weapon, and the swordsman steps aside, leaving the forest path open behind them.
Rusk
You walk with us by choice now. Prove your offer before sunset, and no baron or chapel gets you.
✓ Quest Accepted
Prove her offer to the attackers
− Scene Quest Removed
Go along with whatever they want
“I'll do more than walk gentlemen care to see what these hands can do?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -2)
Evelyn
I'll do more than walk, gentlemen. Care to see what these hands can do?
Evelyn raises both hands, palms open. Violet fire threads between her fingers, then spills across the mud in delicate glowing lines that form a precise ward around the camp road.
Rusk
A ward. You can mark a road without leaving a footprint. That is useful.
The sigil flashes, revealing three fresh sets of boot tracks hidden beneath the rain. Rusk's expression hardens as the magic also exposes the men approaching from the chapel road.
the red-haired swordsman
She was not boasting. Those tracks lead straight toward us.
The spell gutters out with a sharp crack. Blood beads from a split across Evelyn's palm, and the sudden flare has announced their position through the trees.
Rusk
You have earned your place beside us. Now keep that hand wrapped, and tell me how many come.
Quest Complete
Prove her offer to the attackers