At the square’s edge, Edric intercepts Ghidorah before the ash-marked road. He carries a sealed royal contract beneath one arm and a small crown-issued payment token in his open palm.
Edric Vale
Before you pursue them, great one, the bargain needs witnesses. The seal records the crown’s offer, and this token proves an initial payment, not the full reward.
He lifts the contract so its dark wax seal catches the volcanic light, then keeps the token extended without stepping close enough to touch the dragon’s claws.
Edric Vale
The witnesses will be the townspeople who remain in the square. They must hear that you answer only for the fugitives you find, not for broken doors, scattered carts, or any damage already left behind.
Behind Edric, several shaken townspeople stay near the blackened stalls, watching from a cautious distance. No one follows the trail; the witnesses remain where the riot ended.
Edric Vale
I need your acceptance witnessed before I can name the final sum. The crown will pay for a proven capture, but it will not purchase a new disaster along the road.
Edric’s brass signet rests beside the sealed contract, while the narrow road waits beyond him under drifting ash. The bargain hangs between caution and profit, awaiting Ghidorah’s answer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure a witnessed agreement for the crown's payment
✓ Quest Accepted
Capture the stranger who started the accusation
“I growl for a moment before huffing some flames out of my nostrils. “You people are lucky that I’m a very nice Kaiju…” I then take the contract, sign it, and give it back.”
SUCCESS (Fair Willpower, rolled +1)
Ghidorah growls until the ash trembles from the nearest stall, then huffs brief flames through his nostrils. His Draconic Heritage steadies the three-headed display into unmistakable authority rather than panic.
King Ghidorah
You people are lucky that I’m a very nice Kaiju…
The surviving townspeople shrink back, but none flee. Edric holds the sealed contract forward, his brass signet ready, while the crown token remains visible beside it.
Ghidorah takes the contract between careful claws. His vast heads lower over the page, and the same inherited draconic presence that commands fear lends weight to his deliberate acceptance.
He signs the royal agreement in a heavy, controlled stroke, the mark fitting beneath the wax seal without tearing the parchment.
Ghidorah returns the signed contract to Edric. The courier receives it with both hands, checks the fresh signature, and exhales as the bargain becomes official.
Edric Vale
Witnessed and sealed. The crown owes you the promised final sum upon a proven capture, great one.
Edric closes his fingers around the contract and raises the payment token toward the watching survivors, making their witness part of the completed bargain.
Quest Complete
Secure a witnessed agreement for the crown's payment