The wagon creaks through the gates of Oakhaven, a bustling market town where the scent of roasted meat and damp wool clings to the stagnant air. Timothy sits among the straw, his wrists raw from the shackles he once wore, his posture obedient.
Slave Trader
We are here, boy. Do not think of bolting, for the town guards are far less lenient than the master you left behind.
Timothy
I gave my word, and I shall see it through to the end.
Timothy
This is the price of survival, to be placed upon the block and sold like common livestock. If I am to be a servant, I must become a fixture of this market, invisible and invaluable, until the moment for true escape presents itself.
Slave Trader
Good. Stay close. We make for the merchant square, where the highest bidders wait.
The Slave Trader leads Timothy toward a central dais constructed of weathered timber, where other unfortunates already stand with hollow eyes.
+ Scene Quest Added
Survive as a servant in the Oakhaven market
“I allow myself to be chained to a post on the central slave auction dais, with my tunic removed so that potential slave purchasers can inspect my frail body.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -2)
Timothy steps onto the splintered wood, his boots shuffling against the rough grain. He reaches for his tunic, fingers trembling slightly as he pulls the coarse fabric over his head.
Timothy
If I am to be sold, I must be seen. Let them look at my ribs, let them measure the fragility of my frame. If they see only a weak boy, they will underestimate my resolve.
Slave Trader
Stand tall, lad. You are not a corpse yet.
The Trader pulls a heavy iron shackle from his belt. Timothy holds his breath, offering his thin wrist as the metal clicks, anchoring him firmly to the iron ring embedded in the dais.
Slave Trader
There. You are property of Oakhaven now.
Timothy
The cold iron bites into my skin, but it is better than a master's rod. I must remain still, keeping my gaze fixed on the crowd as the potential buyers approach. I need to know who is looking at me, and who is looking for someone like me.
“Yes sir, what does the lord of the manor like to do with his slave boys?”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Timothy
Yes sir, what does the lord of the manor like to do with his slave boys?
The Slave Trader pauses, a jagged grin spreading across his face as he leans in close. His breath
“Intimidated by my nudity and by still be shacked to the post in the slave market, I listen fearfully as the man in velvet describes what perversions will be visited on me if he buys me. I use my oratory to continue to project an image of a submissive slave boy well suited to such treatment.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled -1)
Slave Trader smells of stale ale and rancid tallow. He chuckles, a wet, rattling sound that vibrates against your skin.
Slave Trader
The lord wants a soft thing, boy. Someone who knows how to keep their eyes on the floor and their mouth shut while the heavy work is done. You have the look of a pet that knows exactly where to sit.
Timothy
If I keep trembling just enough, he will think I have no spirit left to fight back. I need to make him believe I am the perfect, broken little tool he can sell for a high price.
Timothy
I understand, master. I am small and quiet. I will be
“I look round to see who has just stepped onto the dais of the slave market while I remain trapped by my chains.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Perception, rolled +2)
Your gaze darts past the looming silhouette of the trader. Through the gaps in the crowd, you spot a pair of polished, mud-spattered leather boots stepping onto the dais. A noble, clad in velvet the color of a bruised plum, ignores the trader entirely. His hand rests on the hilt of a silver-chased longsword, and his eyes—cold, blue, and calculating—are fixed directly on your shackled wrists.
Timothy
This one isn't looking for a servant. He is looking for a victim or a tool he can break in private. His grip on that blade is far too tight for a man just browsing the market.
Slave Trader
Ah, Lord Vane. I trust you find my new arrival… sufficient?
Lord Vane
A bit thin, but the eyes are alert. Does he have any fight left, or is he as hollow as he looks?
+ Scene Quest Added
Survive the inspection of Lord Vane
“I use my reasoning to try to work out what behaviour Lord Vane wants to see from me, if he is to purchase me.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled -1)
Timothy
This man is a predator. He loathes weakness, but he despises arrogance even more. He wants a slave who knows his place but possesses the hidden steel of a useful tool. I must look broken, yet capable.
Timothy
I keep my gaze lowered to his polished boots, letting my shoulders slump just enough to suggest exhaustion, but I keep my breathing steady and my posture coiled, ready to move.
Lord Vane
The boy is quiet. That is a mercy. But I need to know if he can handle more than just scrubbing floors. Slave Trader, release his chin. I want to see the spark in his eyes myself.
Slave Trader
As you wish, my Lord.
The trader reaches out
“I look up at Lord Vane trying to show obedience but not weakness, hoping he will buy me so that I can learn to meet his predatory needs.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +1)
“I try to persuade Lord Vane to buy me, assuring him that I would consider myself lucky to be the plaything of such a powerful man.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Oratory, rolled +1)
Timothy
My gaze stays low, fixed on the nobleman's polished boots, though I force my voice to tremble with just the right amount of desperate devotion.
Timothy
Your Lordship, I have seen the way you command this square. To serve a man of such stature would be the greatest mercy I could hope for in this life. Please, take me. I would count myself truly fortunate to be yours.
Lord Vane
He is fragile, yet his words possess a strange, refined rhythm. Such refined speech is rare among the chattel, but perhaps it makes him all the more amusing to possess.
Lord Vane
A clever tongue in a broken bird. Very well. Trader, name your price for this one.
Timothy
It is working. If he buys me, I am at least out of this merchant's hands, and perhaps, with enough time, I can find a way to slip through his fingers entirely.
“I use my willpower to wait quietly while Lord Vane purchases me from the Slave Trader.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +2)
Quest Complete
Survive the inspection of Lord Vane
New Gift: Master of Deception