PAINTINGS
The paintings on the wall here fill you with a sense of wonder and adventure. They depict the many wonderful and varied quests of Auberon Greatstag in his younger days. Nearby, a memorial shrine for fallen adventurers has been erected, complete with a donation box for those feeling charitable.
Keenly studying the paintings is the human knight, who glances at you out of the corner of his eye.
Taking in the depictions of Auberon’s old adventures, you feel greatly inspired. You imagine yourself in Auberon’s shoes, battling fierce monsters and facing down incredible odds. From left to right, the paintings are ordered by when they took place, like a timeline of Auberon’s quests.
A wyvern! Now that must have been a great battle! And in the wyvern’s own roost, no less!
A fire giant! You would love to take on one of these head-to-head some day.
As you approach the shrine, you’re greeted by a somber atmosphere. The simple wooden altar, complete with various bundles of flowers, is illuminated by several lit candles casting a warm and inviting glow. At the center of the altar is a small donation box with the words, “For the Fallen” etched on the front. It’s locked with a peculiar looking mechanism, and shaking it reveals the clinks and clanks of several coins within. Small trinkets are scattered around the box, a testament to the love and honor that the adventurers and patrons of the inn have for their fallen comrades. You can feel the weight of the sacrifices that have been made by the brave adventurers who have lost their lives, and it fills you with a sense of reverence and respect. This shrine serves as a reminder of the dangers of adventuring and the need to honor those who have given everything for the sake of quests.
The man before you is tall and handsome with a chiseled jaw and bright, confident eyes that spark with excitement. His knight’s armor is polished to a shine, reflecting the light and catching the eye of anyone nearby. He always seems to be grinning, flashing a perfect set of white teeth that contrast with his neatly groomed dark blonde hair.
“Impressive, aren’t they? The paintings, I mean. The Libraries of Athaica are full of paintings such as this of my own impressive battles. Have you been?”
He speaks in a booming voice, projecting confidence and authority, but there’s a hint of playfulness to his words.
“When you visit, just tell them Federic the Valiant sent you, I’m sure they’ll be happy to – ah, yes, alas, it’s truly dreadful what has happened to our dear friend Auberon. I was merely attempting to take my mind off such unpleasant matters. What sort of thieving scoundrel would do this, and for what reason? If it was for theft, why have none of the artifacts been taken?
It really is too bad. I’ll remember Auberon fondly, of course. After all, he was there with me on one of my most daring adventures, the Siege of the Troal Blesh Swamp! I wrote a very famous book about it, the top selling tale in all of Estrea, to be exact. Have you read it? Yes, Auberon was a great sidekick, assisting me with all such little matters and proving to be a valuable asset on such a grand quest. It’s really too bad he won’t be able to tell you all about it now, all because some dastardly villain did him in!
Now, I’m not one to point fingers, but if I were I might be pointing them at that wily little half-man over there by the artifacts. He’s a known thief, after all. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll be keeping a rather watchful eye on him to make sure he doesn’t try and steal the very trousers off my dearly departed friend.
As for me, you have no reason to worry. I want to catch this fiend as much as you do, and I won’t rest until justice has been served! Auberon and I were friends, battle buddies, comrades-in-arms. Sure, he may have had a slightly different memory of some of our adventures, likely due to getting whacked on the head so many times, but we were a team, a team that couldn’t be shaken – no matter how famous one of us became.”
A wyvern! Now that must have been a great battle! And in the wyvern’s own roost, no less!
A fire giant! You would love to take on one of these head-to-head some day.
As you approach the shrine, you’re greeted by a somber atmosphere. The simple wooden altar, complete with various bundles of flowers, is illuminated by several lit candles casting a warm and inviting glow. At the center of the altar is a small donation box with the words, “For the Fallen” etched on the front. It’s locked with a peculiar looking mechanism, and shaking it reveals the clinks and clanks of several coins within. Small trinkets are scattered around the box, a testament to the love and honor that the adventurers and patrons of the inn have for their fallen comrades. You can feel the weight of the sacrifices that have been made by the brave adventurers who have lost their lives, and it fills you with a sense of reverence and respect. This shrine serves as a reminder of the dangers of adventuring and the need to honor those who have given everything for the sake of quests.
The man before you is tall and handsome with a chiseled jaw and bright, confident eyes that spark with excitement. His knight’s armor is polished to a shine, reflecting the light and catching the eye of anyone nearby. He always seems to be grinning, flashing a perfect set of white teeth that contrast with his neatly groomed dark blonde hair.
“Impressive, aren’t they? The paintings, I mean. The Libraries of Athaica are full of paintings such as this of my own impressive battles. Have you been?”
He speaks in a booming voice, projecting confidence and authority, but there’s a hint of playfulness to his words.
“When you visit, just tell them Federic the Valiant sent you, I’m sure they’ll be happy to – ah, yes, alas, it’s truly dreadful what has happened to our dear friend Auberon. I was merely attempting to take my mind off such unpleasant matters. What sort of thieving scoundrel would do this, and for what reason? If it was for theft, why have none of the artifacts been taken?
It really is too bad. I’ll remember Auberon fondly, of course. After all, he was there with me on one of my most daring adventures, the Siege of the Troal Blesh Swamp! I wrote a very famous book about it, the top selling tale in all of Estrea, to be exact. Have you read it? Yes, Auberon was a great sidekick, assisting me with all such little matters and proving to be a valuable asset on such a grand quest. It’s really too bad he won’t be able to tell you all about it now, all because some dastardly villain did him in!
Now, I’m not one to point fingers, but if I were I might be pointing them at that wily little half-man over there by the artifacts. He’s a known thief, after all. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll be keeping a rather watchful eye on him to make sure he doesn’t try and steal the very trousers off my dearly departed friend.
As for me, you have no reason to worry. I want to catch this fiend as much as you do, and I won’t rest until justice has been served! Auberon and I were friends, battle buddies, comrades-in-arms. Sure, he may have had a slightly different memory of some of our adventures, likely due to getting whacked on the head so many times, but we were a team, a team that couldn’t be shaken – no matter how famous one of us became.”