Warm lanternlight washes over the inn as Derick Force steps inside with Garth and Kellan. The room is busy, but the murmur softens when the trio enters with the folded parchment in hand.
Joi pads straight to the hearth and curls near the warmth, finally settling after the climb. Derick stands a moment longer, letting his eyes pass over the room before he chooses where to bring the news.
Garth
You have the look of a man about to steady a whole room, Derick. I can stand behind you, if you want me to.
Kellan
And I can stand beside you. That parchment is proof enough, if anyone in here is willing to read before they argue.
Several locals glance over, then return to their drinks when they see no blade raised and no panic in the door. The innkeeper lingers nearby, cautious but no longer alarmed.
Kellan
We made it this far because we kept speaking plainly to one another. That feels worth preserving, even in a town that barely knows us.
Garth
Aye. For once, I would rather share a table than a challenge. Let the evening be simple for a little while.
The fire pops softly. Joi lifts her head at Derick's approach, tail thumping once against the floorboards, and the three companions settle into a rare, easy pause.
“I ask for a quiet table near the fire”
SUCCESS (Superb Persuasion, rolled -2)
Derick lifts the parchment a little and asks for a quiet table near the fire. The innkeeper catches the request at once and nods toward a tucked-away corner where the benches sit half-sheltered from the room.
Garth
That one will do. Good sightlines, little noise, and room enough for a sword if manners fail.
Kellan
And room enough for honesty, which is the part I prefer tonight.
The innkeeper clears the corner with quick hands, setting fresh mugs down as if to seal the peace of it. Joi remains by the hearth, but her ears angle toward Derick, settled and content.
Garth
You carry yourself like a man who has done what was asked of him and still keeps his own road in mind. I respect that.
Kellan
We all heard the same vow, but none of us have lived it the way you have. What does it ask of you now, Derick?
The fire throws a warmer glow across the quiet table as the three of them gather there, the parchment laid between mugs and hands. The room stays easy, waiting on Derick's answer.
“You take a sip from your mug and feel out the tattoo with your mind, closing your eyes”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +2)
Derick lifts the mug, takes a slow sip, and lets his eyes fall shut. The room softens around him, firelight and voices turning into a warm blur.
His fingers find the Force crest at his right shoulder through the cloth. He breathes into the old line of ink, and the tension there eases under his hand.
A faint pulse answers, not pain, not speech, just a steady, familiar certainty. The vow feels less like a chain now and more like a road he knows how to walk.
Garth
You always look calmer after the hard part is named.
Kellan
Then maybe the hard part is not carrying it, but carrying it alone.
Derick lowers the mug without spilling a drop. Joi shifts by the hearth and gives a small, satisfied huff, tail thumping once against the floor.
Garth
Stay a little longer, then. Tell us what the road feels like when you are not on it.
+ Story Quest Added
Share the truth with town
“"I don't feel like im not on it, but rather that im on it, yet its more of an enjoyable, dutiful march, yet the road will let me know should the terrain become rough. "”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
Derick Force
I do not feel off it. I feel on it, still walking. It is a dutiful march, enjoyable enough, and the road will tell me when the ground turns rough.
The words settle between the mugs and the parchment like a stone placed squarely in a road. Derick keeps his voice even, and the little smile at one corner of his mouth says he means every measured part of it.
Garth
That sounds like you. Never rushing the hill, never pretending it is not there.
Kellan
And not carrying it as if the road is a sentence. More like a choice.
By the hearth, Joi lifts her head at Derick's tone, ears pricked, then settles again when the room stays calm.
Garth
A march with your own feet under you. I can respect that.
Kellan
Then the truth you bear is not just a burden. It is also a way forward, for you, and for the town.
Garth
Tell us this, then, when the road turns rough, what keeps you steady enough to keep walking?
“You call to Joi, and answer Garth while looking deep in Jois eyes, embracing her, and planting a firm kiss atop her head. "What do you think? "”
SUCCESS (Superb Animal Handling, rolled -1)
“You call to Joi, and answer Garth while looking deep in Jois eyes, embracing her, and planting a firm kiss atop her head. "What do you think? "”
SUCCESS (Superb Animal Handling, rolled +0)
Derick eases a hand out toward the hearth, and Joi answers at once, rising from her curled rest with bright, eager attention.
He draws her close against his side, the bench creaking softly, then folds an arm around her in a steady embrace.
A firm kiss lands atop her head, and Joi leans into him as if the whole room has just found its proper shape.
Derick Force
What do you think?
Joi
Her tail thumps once, then again, her eyes fixed on Derick with complete trust.
Garth
That right there, I think, is your truest answer. She knows the road you mean to walk.
Kellan
And she trusts the hand that carries it. That says more than any speech in the hall.
“"Your damned right!" You then laugh softly as you let Joi down”
SUCCESS (Superb Persuasion, rolled -1)
Derick Force
Your damned right.
Derick lets out a soft laugh, the last of the tension slipping from his shoulders as he eases Joi down from his side.
Joi lands lightly beside the bench, then immediately turns in a neat circle and presses close to his boot, still watching him with bright, devoted eyes.
Garth
That laugh, there it is. Means you are still in there under all that solemn steel.
Kellan
And the hound knows it. She follows the man, not the burden.
The parchment lies between the mugs, its folded edge catching the firelight while the small circle around the table settles into an easy hush.
Garth
Tell us the rest when you are ready, Derick. No armor, no performance, just the truth.
“"I will in time. I think even i don't know everything yet, but as i learn i will let you know. I won't keep you in the dark. In the meantime, lets get this parchment to the innkeeper. He will know who to deliver this to. "”
SUCCESS (Superb Persuasion, rolled +3)
Derick gives the parchment a small tap, then slides it free from between the mugs. The table hush holds while he rises with it, calm and plain about the task.
Garth
Good. Let the innkeeper carry it, then. He knows every road in this valley, and half the people who walk them.
Kellan
And he listens. That matters more than most titles.
Joi shifts at Derick's boot, then settles again as if confirming the plan is sound. The circle opens just enough for him to pass.
At the counter, the innkeeper looks up from a cloth and the weight of Derick's approach. His gaze drops to the parchment, then returns sharp and attentive.
The Innkeeper
That seal is meant for someone with sense enough to keep it safe. Hand it over, and tell me where it must go.
Derick Force
I will tell you what I know, and I will keep you updated as I learn more. For now, the parchment needs to reach the right hands.
The innkeeper takes the parchment carefully, tucks it against the counter, and gives a brief nod that says he understands the weight of it. Garth eases back with a satisfied look, and Kellan watches Derick with quiet approval.
Quest Complete
Share the truth with town
Skill Upgrade: Persuasion Superb→Legendary