Early update today as I have people, and you more or less all voted the same thing
Very well, you decided to be honest with Lord Medah. And, with some variations, you also decided to ask for employment in his service. Maybe about your father if you can. Let's see how it turns out!
19 – Places of Bitak
You move forward with your tale, describing in detail the slaughtered caravan and your journey in the woods. Lord Medah and his aide, whose name is Jacob, often interrupt you to ask some questions in order to better understand some things, focusing on details that sometimes you think trivial.
When you describe what you found in the ruined, plagued hamlet, Lord Medah shakes his head.
"It is a good thing you didn't enter that forsaken place, young man. It is not contagious by any means. In fact, it's not even a disease to begin with. But you seem a curious young man, you might have died. That place and everything in it is tainted. We lost quite a few good men investigating it."
You actually hope that he decides to elaborate further, but he doesn't. Not wanting to sound insistent, you continue your tale and start to talk about Qoor. Here you are asked a huge amount of questions, especially by Jacob. They ask you many things again and again, until you actually feel you understand better what happened there. You are able to describe details you did not think remembering before, like the garments of those horseman, how they kept their weapons, some details on the horses themselves, and so on. You feel you did a good job in reporting everything you saw.
As you finish talking, you see them considering what you said. You gather your courage, and ask Lord Medah if by chance he would be interested in employing you. As you are about to continue and explain you can read and write, he stops you with a short laughter.
"I can always use some competent people. It is clear from the way you talk that you have some culture at least. Farmers and villagers do not talk like that. I assume you can read and write quite well, right?"
After you answer affirmatively, he continues: "I could indeed employ you for a few things at the very least. Literacy is a rare gift. I can have tens of workers, craftsmen and soldiers easily, but people who can read, write and think straight are quite another matter. However, you're very young and inexperienced. That is not a big problem by itself, but I need committed people. You have just reached your first settlement of a certain size, I am not sure you could be satisfied with committing yourself to something while having no experience of the world."
He thinks a few seconds, then talks again: "Why don't we do something like this. You have just arrived, and barely even saw Bitak. Take a couple of days to look around, talk to the people and maybe buy something. If you're still interested after that, come here and ask for old Jacob here. He takes care of most of the work I need done. And for your useful report, here, catch this."
He throws you a small purse with a reward. After thanking him you recover your gear and leave the mansion. You think it went quite well, you can look around and in a couple of days if you're still interested you can come back and talk to the old man. You look into the purse and see that it contains 5 silver pieces.
(You have gained: 5 silver pieces)
You use the rest of the day to look around. Bitak seems very large to you, and it's a novel experience. You walk around, talk to some people, and try to find some interesting places. You are a bit surprised by the fact that people often do not greet others, but you realize that they probably do not even know each other. You're not used to this, but then again before this place you have never met more than thirty people together. When night falls, you turn in for the night in a small inn, and after a hearty meal you go to sleep.
(You have paid 5 copper pieces)
You wake up determined to make the most of these two days. You found quite a few interesting places yesterday. You do not think you'll have time to check them all in detal in just a couple of days....
Where do you plan to go in the next two days? (Choose 4)
1) A clothier. It sells every kind of clothes, from traveling clothes to elegant ones.
2) A tanner. Boots, shoes, leather armor. Anything leather
3) A blacksmith. Weapons, and a few metal armors
4) The church of Adsal. A rather big stone building.
5) The market. Food, and a lot of rumors
6) A general store. Selling everything a traveler would need
7) A shop that sells books and maps.
8) The merchant guild. An administrative, medium-sized building where officials from the guild dispense work orders and regulations
9) The mercenary guild. A small branch of the mercenary guild, with only a few people registered
10) The army barracks.
11) The tavern. A classic place to meet travelers and hear rumors
12) Other. If you want to look for something else, make a proposal and put a number on it.