The Flintwalker Saga: The Flintwalker Chronicles

First Contact

You sit in an office, well a space carved out of literal darkness to look like an office anyway.

It’s got all the essentials, a desk, a chair behind the desk and a slightly lower chair for other people to sit so the Admin can look down at them, but it is lacking in the walls department.

There’s a clock above the desk that has captured your attention, it has four hands and there are no numbers just four words where the quarters should be. Here, There, Now and Then

The creature called Admin, it has chosen to look like one of your clan but you know it’s not even from your plane of existence, is sitting at that desk is sifting through papers muttering away to itself

"E...E.D...E.L.....for the love of....Ah! Here we are!"

It pulls a thin folder out, from which it takes more papers than should fit in the folder.

"Flintwalker!Yes."

You nod

"I need audible confirmation please"

"Uh?"

"Are you Flintwalker?"

"Yes"

"There we go! Now as I said you have the potential to be a candidate so we’re going to get some of the preliminary paperwork done before we send you back to your current dimension"

You try to work out how long it’s been since the fey door dropped you between worlds while it marks some things down on the paper.

You realize that’s a pointless exercise and remember something important.

"You still haven’t told me what this is for!"

"Yes I did! It’s to become a candidate"

"A candidate for what though?"

"To be an Applicant"

"An applicant for what?"

"I can’t tell you that until you reach candidate status. Please try to keep up"

You sigh, attempt to slump back in the chair but it becomes uncomfortable fast.

You decide to plough through this experience and sit up properly

"Alright, I’ll play along for now, what do you need?"

"We’re just going to look at pertinent incidents in your life, this can take a while and you’re life is going to be quite interesting if you manage to live through all of it so we may as well work as you go. It will make things faster overall"

"So you know my future?"

"Not at all, there’s a strong potential outcome for your life but all sorts of things could derail it, a butterfly's fart and all that."

"Ah wha... never mind lets get on with it"

"Good, mission oriented, yes" it tick something on the paper in front of it.

"Right then"

It runs it’s fingers down a list.

"Grew up on a mountaintop with a large Clan, never felt like you fitted in, learned to be a druid, Oh I do love magic, it is such a brilliant cover story for shenanigans, only had contact with one other sentient species then left to explore the world.

Good natured departure or were you run out?

Oh it was good natured we had a little party and everything

"Good, good, lawful tendencies" It ticks something else

Spent the next night with the other species...Dwarves, am I saying that right?

"Yes"

"So we’ll start the next day.."

The room swims around you, suddenly your staring at the fork in the road you were at a few days ago.

"The hells is going..."

"I told you we were going to look at incidents from your..." says the Admins voice in your head

"I thought you meant discuss them!"

"No, no I would have said discuss if that was the case, no, we’re just going through your visual memories.."

"I never said..."

You're looking out your own eyes and hear yourself saying

"What do you need?"

"That’s not..."

"This is the way it’s done, we’re not reliving it we’re just looking at it from your perspective, it really is the fairest way to evaluate"

"This is flaming weird!"

"To your mind currently, yes but you’ll adapt"

"I don’t think I can do this for very long"

"That’s alright we’ll just go through the first time you visited a village with other species and call it there?"

"That was a very long day"

"Well lets get to it then"

––––––––

Not even a full day out from the mountain and lost already,

My own fault really, you muse, spent the night talking with the Dwarves at the bottom of the mountain, getting all sorts of advice on dealing with other races and potential problems on the road but hadn’t once asked for directions

There’s a rumbling noise in the distance, a cart you reckon, still some distance away by the sound of it.

There was only one road out from the base of the mountain and where it met the road it was clear which lead had north and south. You had opted for South as that’s where the nearest port city should be.

The road wasn’t straight by any means, created by the passing of many travellers over centuries rather than any sort of planning.

Which was fine as it was still generally heading south and it was a fine day at the cusp of Winter and Spring, everything looking fresh and new after the snows had melted.

This fork however goes off to the East and West, undoubtedly one would swing south again but which?

Both of the forks seem well travelled but with no signpost for guidance, how was a person supposed to know which way was the right one?

The cart sounds nearer, might be best to wait for it and ask who ever is driving it where the roads go.

You practice a non-threatening smile, the Dwarves had advised a big but not toothy smile and a friendly tone would likely off set the intimidation some creatures would feel meeting a 7’4, 350lb druid in the middle of nowhere.

You move to the side of the road, wouldn’t do for whoever was driving that cart to think you were blocking the road, they could mistake your intentions.

The sound of the cart was drawing closer when the peaceful ambiance is disturbed by an almighty THUNK!, then a CRACK! and much swearing in the common tongue.

You decide to amble back up the road to see what has happened. Rounding a blind corner in the road to see a human (known to be potentially dangerous things) and what looks like a gnome struggling with a cart, rigged to be hand drawn, full of cabbages.

The rear wheel is leaning outward at the top, which is preventing the human from getting the spike out to repair it.

You move toward them slowly and carefully, as if approaching a dangerous animal caught in a snare.

They both stare wide eyed as they notice you approach,

We don't have any valuables! All we got is cabbages the human cries out.

You stop, put your staff against a tree and continue to approach, hands empty and upturned with the non-threatening smile deployed.

Pop, it looks like it wants to help! whispers the Gnome

I do you say in as gentle a tone you can muster

We can’t pay you anything says the human, still eyeing you suspiciously

Ah, must be a trader you think to yourself

No payment required, I just want some directions in exchange

The human raises an eyebrow, looks at the sun, the time of the day seems to persuade him.

Okay, you lift I switch

You lift the small cart up easily and the human repairs it with expert speed and the Gnomes help.

Thanks stranger, we really need to get to the village before dark! says the human with a grateful smile.

Why? What happens after dark?

An odd look passes between him and the Gnome

I'd rather not find out! There's a big beast 'round here with a taste for people so they say he says after a brief pause.

He grabs the bar at the front of the cart and started pushing it along the road. The gnome nimbly hops into the drivers seat,

Shouldn't you have a horse for that?

It got eaten by something a few weeks back

You retrieve your staff as you pass it.

What kind of something

"Only saw it off in the distance, four paws from the tracks, could've been a bear but they're rare 'round here.

Couple of us lost animals to it so we're planning a hunt tomorrow.

There have been a few travellers found mauled and half eaten too"

No Locals?

No, but that said we're usually in our homes come nightfall so it may be because of that

What road were these travellers on?

Oh, either side of the village, bit of a coincidence there, they all chose to press onto their destinations rather than spend the night in the village, then watch patrols found them dead. Months between the kills mind.

So I might be safe enough pressing on myself?

Probably, you don't exactly look like easy prey for anything

You look at the sun, it would be evening soon so the sensible move would be to go to this village and spend the night in some comfort.

That said there was the problem of being a stranger in a country village.

Are strangers welcome in this village of yours?

Of course, we're not on a main highway but the village gets enough travellers to keep Gharesh`'s inn in business. He gets a bit miffed when people choose to press on to be honest

You notice the Gnome looking at you with a quizzical expression for a moment before it produces a book from a bag under its seat and starts flipping through it.

He stops holds up the book, stares again, shakes his head and goes back to flipping

Is there a problem Gnome? you ask in a cheerful tone, apparently the stories of Gnomes inquisitive nature were true.

I'm not a Gnome! he replied outraged I'm a human!

Sorry, I didn't realize humans started so small!

This is my son, gnomea- Norman! says the human with a grin turning his head slightly to keep it concealed from his son.

Ah apologies Norman, what's with the book?

"It's Sentient Races of the World, I can't find anything like you in it, why?

You pull the most grotesque face you can think of

We eat anyone who see us! you say with a monstrous snarl

The child defeats your attempt at menacing him with an Eye Roll of Disdain +2,

*Can only be deployed by a child (any species) confronted by an adult (any species) attempting humour

Oh! Maybe you're under U for unfunny?

His father tries to stifle a laugh but fails.

You stare blankly at the child for a moment, stunned at how quickly you’ve been defeated in a battle of wits by a comparative infant.

Now, now Norman, have some manners. The stranger didn't have to help us with the cart

They started it!

And you finished it, let it be.

With a nod of acknowledgement to Norman for a blow well struck you decided to change the topic

So if I pass through this village of yours I might get to hunt a big scary creature tomorrow? you ask the father in a hopeful tone.

Uh, that's one way of looking at it I s'pose

That's the my peoples way of looking at everything! you say with a grin

Well talk to the watch about it if you’re coming, I doubt they’ll have any problem with it but best be sure

You had set out for adventure and boom! One's landed right in your lap! You decide to continue on with the humans.

-

"So looking back at this now what do you think?"

"I think they played me like a damn fiddle"

"Would you have done anything different if you had realised they were influencing you"

You think for a moment

"Not with the information I had then, I’d have gone with it to see what they were up to any"

"That’s a dangerous kind of curiosity"

-

Your little group walk in a comfortable silence for a bit, the land has been cleared and walled off for agriculture, the walls are not of even bricks laid out and concreted but rather rocks piled in no discernible order, held together by their own weight.

If anything this took a lot more skill than the Dwarves methods.

You realize the carts wheels aren’t making any noise, you step closer, it’s been muffled by some sort of magical effect, the normal sounds of the countryside, that gentle hum of life is gone too.

You eye the terrain suspiciously for the source of the magic affect, hand drifting to your dagger.

The humans don’t seem perturbed at all though.

Normally this quiet? you ask after a few moments.

You can nearly see how far your words carry before something smothers them.

The father nods

Yup this part of the road is an ancient battlefield, one side had lots of mages and few soldiers, the other, the reverse. So instead of getting into a hopeless spell war the others just cast one huge Silence spell and had their soldiers kill them

And it’s still in affect today? That’s some power

‘Scholars that have visited he old ruins reckon they used some blood sacrifices to power it.

It’s slowly fading though, in my grandfathers day you couldn’t hear at all and it's effects stretched back to that fork in the road"

Blood sacrifice? Who were the sides?

That’s the odd thing, no one's sure, it wasn’t part of a war, popular theory is that it was some sort of religious dispute but which one is anyone's guess

Now you look at the fields speculatively

Any chance there’s some ancient loot buried out there?

Doubt it, how long ago was it Norman?

Ms Ham says it was 982 years ago, she uses it in sums

You have a school?

Yep the Alliance set them up in every decent sized village, they say it's benevolent but it's really so we can't plead ignorance on our tax forms

You’ve heard of taxes, you agree with the theory of them but you have yet to see the results.

*When the Alliance had surrendered to your clan many years ago, taxation was the first idea Chief had done away with. It was impractical to send collection agents up the mountains anyway he had told them they will just keep falling off the mountain.

Norman pipes up from the cart

Aha! Found you!

Great! What's it say?

Don't get mad!

What?

You're listed as a rare sub-species of Orc, savage man eaters that live exclusively on mountain ranges

Huh.... who wrote this and where do I find them?

Why?

They're going to printing a retraction I when I get a hold of them!

The kid shrugs

The thing on the back says printed by Nathars Printworks in Darkwater city, some one called Sebastian wrote it

The village comes into view, it's protected with palisades and you can make out two guards standing by a large gate.

You decide you better sort out the practicalities now you’re there.

How much is the Inn?

He usually charges a copper a night, you'll likely need the room over the stables for large folk though, that costs two

Seems fair

Oh he'll try to charge more like, but that's what he usually ends up taking says the father with a grin.

As you draw closer to the gate, you see one guard coming to attention and start walking towards you.

The other doesn’t budge, they’re leaning against the gate post, head down, the horns on their helmet are pointing right at you, a tail poking through their armour seems to be acting as a sort of support

Is the other one asleep? you ask the humans.

That would never be tolerated in your clan and this village was far more open to an attacking force.

That's Leiana, best not disturb her, she's a barbarians temper, probably the best fighter in the village too

Is she a wizard too Pop? asks Norman

Not that I know of, why?

Isiah said she turned the last bandits into women

Isiah thinks he's funny, I wouldn't pass to much heed of him lad

Who goes there? The approaching guard calls though from the tone he seems to know the answer and isn’t too worried about it.

Ho there Narish, only us and this stranger, helped me fix a wheel on the road

A burly looking human, in scale male that's obviously seen combat, tilts his spear in your direction.

What's your business here big jobs? he asks with a mirthless smile.

They told me there’s a monster hunt happening in the morning. I’d like to sign up

Aye, there's sum'it 'round 'ere needs manners put on it, Some folk going to try and track it tomorrow, if you're about. There's no pay mind, and the village gets the remains but it might be a bit of fun

The Father pipes up

Ah I’m sure there will be a few pints at the inn afterwards

Good enough for me you reply with a smile.

You seem to be making friends, this is a good start to your adventures.

"Good, here's the rules for entering the village, surrender all piercing weapons, bar eating tools to Leiana over there, you get 'em back when you leave.

No stealing, fighting or other criminal behaviour.

You sleep at the Inn.

If there's a problem, you find a guard, don't deal with it yourself, understand?"

Seems reasonable to you.

Understood

You go over to Leiana, as you approach you realize the horns on her helmet are actually poking through! Part of her, not the helmet!

She lifts her head up as you approach, stares at you balefully for a second, resentful of having her rest disturbed with work apparently.

Then she opens a lock box, stands back, gestures at the box with one hand and produces an unfeasibly large crossbow with the other.

Weapons

She watches you thoughtfully as you disarm

You down for the hunt?

It does sound like fun you say with a grin.

Ah you are from the mountain! I thought so

She lowers her voice

"Listen, everyone who was attacked or lost cattle, had a row with someone in the inn beforehand.

Different people every time mind, but if you'd oblige by having a row with someone we might draw it out before these idiots hunt!"

Why would I do that? I’d be cheating people out of a hunt and maybe doing myself out of a warm bed for the night, I know it sounds mercenary but what's in it for me?

Her eyes widen with sudden rage

What's in for you? How 'bout protecting the innocent? How 'bout avenging the fallen? How about I won't show you my famous magic trick, you greedy shite!

Her voice is low but the fury in it is barely contained. She aims the crossbow, low.

OH! says Norman I get it!

Just as quickly as it appeared the rage disappears at the sound of the child's voice

How about if you like that kid you might want to help, so I don't have to go tell 'im his idiot father got eaten hunting a monster

Behind you, Norman is having a giggle fit over the Magic trick.

You ponder this for a minute, your new friends might be upset about missing a hunt but they would be alive to be upset.

However the sudden aggression makes you feel like you should extract some sort of price for your egos sake more than sense of avarice.

I want it's hide you demand, keeping your voice as low as hers.

She shrugs

Sure, I want this thing dealt with, what happens to it afterwards is up to you. On your way

You head in to the village with the humans.

We're going to the stables to pass this load on to the daft dwarf if you want to come with? says the father.

The daft Dwarf?

Yeah, he’s a brewer that’s convinced he can make beer from cabbages

Uh, he hasn’t brought samples has he?

Probably he answers with a rueful smile

Yeah... I should probably have a look at the stores and see if they have any equipment I might need tomorrow

Coward he says with a grin

Inns down there he points off to the right.

We stay with friends so if we aren’t there later we’ll see you in the morning. If you go straight ahead there’s a square, there’s only a few merchants but you might find some interesting things. There’s a tour of the original settlement too, though I’m not sure that’s open today

Fare thee well for now then

Aye, we’ll see you soon enough

-

You make your way over to the village square.

It's a small but busy place, there's a smithy, a general store/messenger post, an old well with a sign beside it, a small book store, a church, an Alliance bulletin board in front of a small barracks.

Wait! A bookshop! You’d heard of these places but to finally see one!

You have to crouch to enter the shop. Floor to ceiling bookshelves line the walls, there's a mound of books in the centre, you presume there's a table under it. This is exactly what you thought one would look like! Oh happy day!

A small creature appears from behind the central mound.

Welcome to Hedges & Fruits! I'm Bobkins! How may I help?

Okay, now this one has to be a gnome you think to yourself though it’s skin is much darker than the illustrations of them you have seen.

You remember your dithering at the fork in the road.

Got any maps?

The gnome stars scurrying around the shop throwing books of various sizes on the mound in front of you.

Maps? I have many maps! Nautical maps! Road Maps! Maps of trade routes! Maps of ancient kingdoms and lands that exist no more!

How about one of the world as it is now

Most recent world map book we have is 30 years old and 3 gold a Map of the Continent is only a silver!

This continent isn't the world? you really don’t have a grasp of the geography, you knew there were countries and they were part of a continent but after that you were lost.

Gaining knowledge about that sort of thing is one of the reasons you left the Clan in the first place.

Not at all! Tis but one of seven continents on this planet, though it is easily the best, despite what the lizards say, but I digress. Are you looking for a particular place?

The Isle of Monsters

Ah due south east! The Map of the Continent is what you need!

You know something, I plan to travel for quite a while, I’ll take the World map book

If you have the money for it, it’s all yours

I do, now do you have anything about the different races..

You talk for what seems like an age with this enthusiastic little gnome.

He is knowledgeable, quite interesting and a hell of a trader

By the time you leave the store with a large tome*

*Even by your half giant standards. You're pretty sure you could kill something with it.

and a few other books, the last two of which you really just bought to talking to Bobkins about books and the world, you find it's grown dark, the gate guards are moving through the town lighting torches, curtains are drawn, the smithy is closed up and there are shutters being put on the store

You wander over to have a look at the Alliance bulletin board.

The board holds notices about tax changes, regulations about cart axle size and other minutiae.

There are appeals for information on the Unknown Creature and a warning about travelling solo while it's at large. There's a few wanted posters too, mainly for bandits and murderers which you memorize just in case you come across them in your travels.

It’s gotten too dark to read the smaller notices, the square is now bathed in the dim light of the torches the guards lit earlier, but you don’t see any people around.

It’s enough to see where you're going but that’s about it.

You’re a bit surprised at how much darker it is at night in the village than it is on the mountain top.

In the distance you can hear people in the inn, the strains of a stringed instrument and laughter. Makes sense to you that they would congregate there, besides the church there doesn’t seem much else to do of an evening around here.

You decide to check out the well before you head over there.

The sign beside it reads

"Old settlement Tours

1 silver per head

Ask in General store"

In large letters, in much smaller writing below that, it says

Unguided access is punishable by a fine, ask at watch house for details

As you approach, you realize it's disused, no bucket and rope, the mechanism's still there but it's old and rotten looking.

You feel disturbed ground at your feet and that leads you to notice rope marks on the side of the well.

Someone has climbed down there recently.

The general store is closed, so you couldn’t really ask them for a tour now and there doesn’t seem to be anyone about, looks like there's a chance for a little adventure before bedtime.

You unlimber your pack, putting away your books and getting your climbing gear out.

Your imagination is alight with the notion of finding some ancient loot.

As you unwind your rope a voice come from behind you, causing you to jump slightly.

I wouldn't do that stranger, there's a big fine for people who go down to the old fort alone

It's Bobkins from the bookshop, he’s wearing a coat and an odd little hat, must be on his way home.

Whys that? you say once you’ve regained your composure somewhat

It's a safety thing mainly, just ask at the store and they will bring you down

Have people been hurt?

Few people over the years, The old fort gets tight in places and there's always a danger of tunnel collapse, it's prone to flooding too. The storeman's clan mapped it out centuries ago, they give tours for a silver

So no loot?

After centuries? I doubt it but you never know. I'll leave you to it, anyone asks I saw nothing

.He winks and heads off towards the gate on the other side of the village.

You have a quick think, you left your clan for adventure and all you’ve done so far was get confused at a fork in a road and bought some books.

Besides you have money and fines just mean it’s okay if you can pay.

You drive a spike into the ground, secure your rope and begin to descend.

Your eyes adjust to the darkness about halfway down, after about 30 feet you reach the bottom.

There are two exits from here, to the right there’s a small hatch you'll have to crawl to get in and to the left another, bigger archway.

As you ponder which way to go, you hear voices above

'ere pull out that spike

We could just ask 'em to come up

Things bigger than an Orc! I'm not fighting it! Chuck the rope down and when they call for help the guards will sort 'em

Your rope falls down around you.

You suppress a bout of swearing, deciding it would be best not to be at the bottom of the well if the watch are coming. You may be able to bluff your way out of trouble later.

That said if they come down they would likely go through the larger opening, so you opt to crawl through the small hatch to the right instead.

Gathering your rope, you crawl through the hatch to the right. The cover closes behind you with an audible click. You can’t turn around anyway so you have to keep going.

You soon have to go down on your belly and pull yourself along but eventually you see an opening ahead.

The tunnel narrows even further ahead, you take off your pack and wrap the straps around your right leg.

Turning on your side you drag yourself and your pack along, using your staff to gain a bit more purchase, soon you can just make out an opening ahead.

You start to relax a little when you suddenly feel a wave of cold air, followed by the noise of..

The opening ahead fills with a surge of rushing water, you're almost totally immersed before you can act. The water is freezing cold, it’s a shock to your system, you drop your staff as panic grips you.

Your pack is being propelled backwards by the water and you with it!

You fight to free yourself as the water swiftly starts to cover your head, you have to stop trying to untie it!

You pull a dagger and slice the strap, you push off and bang your head of the tunnels ceiling, your head did break water though!

You manage to flip onto your back, you feel your lips break water for a mere second. You get to inhale one breath before the tunnels is completely filled.

Your fingers can't gain purchase on the slimy surface of the roof, but pushing your palms against it you manage to propel your self towards the chamber ahead slightly, gaining inches each time.

Push!

Your joints start to hurt.

Push!

Your muscles start burning.

Push.

Your ears fill with a high pitched whine, the urge to exhale is over whelming you.

Push..

Your vision starts to blur, your eyes feel like they are going to Pop

Pus,,,

Finally your lungs give up, the breath you were holding explodes out of you, your last words a garbled no...

and the water disappears.

You scramble the rest of the way out into a small stone chamber, gasping and soaking wet,

After a few minutes of retching and swearing you start to recover enough to take in your surroundings.

You notice there's one way out, a door with a flame carved on it.

Carved in the common tongue on the wall opposite are the words

What Sustains Can Destroy

Paranoid now and trying to keep busy so you can generate some heat, you hunt for any sign of traps.

Pressure plates or trip wires, oddly coloured stones anything that could trigger a second flood.

You don't find any traps, there are however, tiny holes all over the walls but there's only mildly cold air coming out of them.

You look back into the crawl-way and see that you staff had turned sideways and wedged against the sides of the tunnel stopping your pack going all the way back down to the entrance.

You quickly crawl through and recover it.

Having retrieved your gear you feel better despite being cold an damp.

You decide to check the door out for wires or other trap indicators but you find nothing.

The room gets ever colder,

You notice there’s no handle on the door

It gets even colder.

You try shoving the door it doesn't budge, you start to shiver.

OH! You realize that this isn't a trap room but rather a puzzle room. You used to love reading about these! You were always good at spotting the flaws in the design.

Now that you have figured out what the room is, the solution is rather dull, whoever designed it left you to