Maybe it’s paranoia, but what kind of brain-dead retard wouldn’t rather be safe than sorry? You take out your sword and leave the bed room, checking every corner as you do so. This pays of as you notice a shadowy figure standing outside your bedroom. Is that…Lars?

“Your senses are very good, demon. I knew you were possessed, how else could you have heard me?”

“The annoying door squeak, for one. Also, it's fucking freezing so I knew someone let in the cold.”

“More lies! First you tell me you survived the cold from pure luck, now you tell me your heighten senses are nothing special?

“Lars, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Stop pretending, I know your secret. You’ve been possessed by a demon; how else could you survive the frigid cold?”

Not wanting to fight a former friend, you decide to tell him the truth.

“I haven’t been possessed by a demon, but one did save me. It all started once you left…”

Later

“So that’s why you were at the drunk tortoise? I admit, you’ve never been one to drink.”

“Exactly! I’m glad you understand.”

“What now? You’re going to come clean to the captain and convince him to give me back my job, right?

While the captain may give Lars his job back, you would probably be fired. Coming into direct contact with a demon and living to tell the tale is a no go. He’ll probably think you made some sort of deal to avoid being killed. Regardless of what you plan to do, you say,

“I will definitely do that tomorrow.”

Lars nods but still looks a little unhinged. His hand twitches and he gives you a half grin.

“Ok I’m holding you to it, because if you don’t, you’re gonna wish you froze to death last night.”

You gulp as you have no doubt Lars could kill you if he wanted. He leaves and you hear the door squeak once again. The cold breeze has expanded throughout your house and you could use some heating up. After securing to house to make sure Lars isn’t still lurking, you fall into bed.

You’re super tired and debate whether you still want to see Catia. It’s been a long day and if you have any intention of talking to your captain tomorrow, you should go to sleep.
> You go to sleep and visit the captain first thing in the morning
You close your eyes and drift off to sleep. You dream of a bright forest with playing children. Everything is nice and everyone is happy. Then one day that changes when a portal to another dimension appears in the middle of the forest. Out of the portal comes abominations to mankind. A collection of arms and legs attached on to a giant ball of flesh. This ball rolls around destroying the forest, killing everyone and growing stronger as it does so. The ball then comes rolling at you. You don’t have time to scream before…

You jolt awake and find yourself covered in sweat. As much as you hate nightmares, they do a great job at waking you up. You look outside your window and notice the sun rising. This rising ball of fire reminds you of the ball from your dream. You throw on a clean pair of clothes, grab your sword just in case, and make your way to the captain’s quarters.

It’s an uneventful journey and you arrive within a few minutes. Not wanting to wake the captain, you pull out pen and paper. It goes as follows,

Dear Captain Dario,

I am writing to you regarding the firing of guard Lars. I was on the same shift as him before he left. The windchill was approaching deadly levels and he decided to head inside as a last resort. I stayed out only because I feared the repercussions. As I sat out there, my muscles began to freeze until I could no longer move. I passed out minutes later.

I would have surely died had a traveling merchant not stopped by. They started a fire and warmed me up. I would have died otherwise and thank the heavens a demon didn’t wander by. Due to my own experiences, I recommend you rehire Lars and if anything, fire me for putting my life on the line when it wasn’t needed.

You are in such a rush that you slide the letter under the door before signing it. You decided against telling the truth as Captain Dario is a hard ass for rules. Not only would you have been fired, but also forced to undergo a purging to ward off any demonic influences.

With that out of the way, you decide to head to a local armory. Your city issued sword is no match for a demon, as Catia pointed out. Not knowing if your parents will ever return, you see no problem with using their savings for your protection. You take a stroll to the armory and find it to be quite crowded for this early in the morning.

“I need something that can scare away demons,” a farmer says

“Scare away? Why not something that can kill?”

“Look son, I’ve never been one to resort to violence. I just need something to protect you and the Misses.”

You zone out their conversation and take a look around. They have swords, maces, axes, and even a trident. However, what catches your eyes is a bow painted red and black. It’s the only one in the store and seems rare.

“Excuse me sir, what’s the price on this bow?”

“That would be 500 gold sir,” replies a dwarf with steel encrusted teeth.

“What’s so special about it?”

“We brought it from a dark elf mercenary. They have great craftsmanship, especially when it comes to bows.”

“How is it different than all the other bows for sale?”

He pauses and turns red,

“I hate to admit it, but I’ve always struggled making bows. That red and black one has much finer strings and sturdier wood, giving it a greater firing range.”

You thank the dwarf for the information and continue looking around. Nothing else catches your eye, so you decide to buy the bow.

“Pleasure doing business with ya.”

You leave with your new bow and 500 gold poorer. You hope you still have your guard job as your parent’s money won’t last much longer. You go to the guard barracks and decide to get a meal there. Even if you’ve been fired, you doubt any of the servers will know. You arrive to a mess hall and find it more empty than usual. Two men eat soup together and another man sits alone.

You grab a cup of soup and take another look around. You recognize the two men sitting together as Herbert and Andy. Herbert is an older man with a gray beard who has always been kind to you. Andy is around your age, mid twenties, and is already going bald. Both are good chaps and would be happy if you sat with them.

The man sitting alone is someone you don’t recognize. He is a very thin fellow with patchy hair and missing teeth. You could try to find out who he is, or sit with Herbert and Andy.
> You sit with the skinny man
You walk over to the skinny man and and ask,

“Mind if I sit next to you?”

He is startled by your presence and jumps up a bit. He mutters something incomprehensible before saying,

“I don’t mind.”

The hot soup burns your tongue as you eat a spoonful.

“So what’s this town’s name again?”

“Ashton, why do you ask?”

“You might not believe me, but I came face to face with a demon. When I finally got away, I ran to the city walls.”

“Trust me, I believe you. I encountered a demon while on guard duty.”

You tell him about how you passed out and met a succubus.

“That’s wild.”

“Sure is, now tell me about the demon you met.”

He grits what few teeth he has and begins,

“He wasn’t pleasant at all like the one you met. I was going for a walk in the forest. I know, it’s not the smartest thing to do in times like these, but it's one of my few sanctities.”

His voice gets lower as he describes,

“I knew something was off the moment I entered. An unholy energy made me feel weak and tired. I started hearing voices and couldn’t tell what was real. It was like I was in a trance.”

“Did you actually see a demon?”

“No, but he made his presence known. He tired to coerce me into letting him take over my mind. I almost did it too, but something broke me out of my trance.”

He pauses for dramatic effect,

“A bird fucking shat on my head!”

You stare at his head and notice white flakes clumped in his hair.

“Once I realized what I was about to do I ran like hell. I wasn’t thinking straight and went the opposite direction which I came in. I’m lucky I ended up here.”

His experience is vastly different to your own. You suppose he encountered a demonic sprit, rather than a full fledge demon.

“Perhaps this all was for the best. My city was running low on food, hence my frail appearance.”

“Are you planning on staying in Ashton?”

“I don’t know. I would need to get a job and a place to sleep at night. Would you be able to help me out in any way?”

When your about to answer you hear someone call your name. It’s Captain Dario and he wants to speak with you immediately. You get up and tell the thin man,

“It was nice talking to you.”

“I hope you can come back when you're done. My name’s Eric by the way.”

You wave goodbye and follow the captain into his private quarters.

A rush of anxiety hits you as your still not sure if the captain bought your story. What if Lars told him the truth?

“Please, take a seat.”

You sit and find yourself starring at the gray haired captain. He stares back, unblinking as you both wait to see who makes the first move.

“First things first, you’re not fired.”

“That’s a relief.”

“I’m sure it is, but what I say next may not be. I have no intention of re-hiring Lars.”

“Wait what? Like I said in my letter, he did the smart thing and could have died had he stayed.”

The captain sighs and says,

“While that may be true, I’ve been wanting to fire him for awhile. He’s lazy and incompetent. The only reason he still had a job was because guards are in high demand right now. The problem now is finding a replacement.”

“What happens if you don’t?”

Dario frowns and bitterly says,

“Then I might have to rehire Lars.”

You could mention your new acquaintance, Eric, and vouch for him to replace Lars. On the other hand, who knows how Lars will react if he finds out you played a role in replacing him. There may be no reasoning with him.
> You mention Eric
“I may know of a potential replacement.”

“No need not to not speak in absolutes. Spit it out sonny.”

You stumbled a bit, not because your scared to tell him, but because his syntax confuses you.

“Erm… I—I… his name is Eric.”

“Who is this so-called Eric?”

“He was the man I was sitting with. He’s looking for work and seems like a good fellow.”

“That’s all I need, tell him he’s hired. Oh, and he starts immediately. 11pm tonight tell him to go to the city walls.”

“Tonight? Isn’t this all happening a bit too fast?”

“Nonsense, plus he won’t be doing it alone. He’ll have you to teach him.”

You tense up as Dario continues,

“Lighten up, kid! I took the initiative and brought fur coats for each of you.”

Hell of an initiative considering you almost died two nights ago.

“Thanks for taking the initiative…”

“You’re most certainly welcomed! Now that that’s settled, get the hell out of here!”

You stand up and leave his office. Eric does a one tooth smile as you walk over to him.

“What was that all about?”

You have a sly smile on your face when you say,

“It was about you, congrats you’re now a guard!”

He gives you a look of confusion and asks,

“What the hell are you talking about?”

You explain how guards are in high demand and that you mentioned him to the captain.

“And I almost forgot, you start tonight.”

“Wait what?”

“Don’t worry, I’m on guard duty tonight as well. Plus, I’ve only ever seen demons one time...”

“That one time was last night!”

“Actually two nights ago, but never mind that. Anyways the captain brought fur coats for the both of us so no freezing to death tonight. C’mon, let’s get rolling.”

“Alright but don’t act like this is permanent, if I don’t like it, I’m quitting after tonight.”

“Trust me, it’ll be much easier now that we won’t be freezing. I have a feeling you’ll stick around.”

> You 1 month later
“You really don’t have to do this,”

“Blasphemy, I’ve seen what you can do with my bow, you deserve one of your own.”

“Yeah but you don’t have to help me pay for it. Anyways, I’m not that good with a bow,” Eric says humbly.

“Well you’ll have plenty have chance to practice, let’s get going.”

The past month in Ashton has been quiet, but demon sighting have increased in the nearby forest. Eric and you need to be as prepared as possible for when they strike. In addition, you have grown to like Eric a lot and are happy to help pay for his bow. You’re hoping they have one that’s as good quality as the one you brought last month. You arrive at the armory and note it being a lot less busy than it was last time. In fact, you’re the only two here aside from the dwarf who runs the place.

“Where is everyone?” you ask.

“I about ran out of equipment. With how trade has been recently, its impossible to get the material needed to craft weapons.”

You offer your condolences and tell him why you’ve came here,

“You wouldn’t happen to any bows for sale?”

He half smiles, then says,

“I might have a few, but none of my own creation. Those sold out the fastest due to their cheap price.”

Eric gives you a concerned look knowing the cheapest bows are all sold out.

“Well let’s see them,” you say.

He lays out a few bows on a table and describes each of them.

“This one right here was specifically crafted to kill orcs, but it should be fine for just about anything.”

“What about demons?”

“I see no reason why not!”

He shows you a few other bows, mostly made be other local blacksmiths, but one other thing catches your eye.

“Hey what’s that?” you say pointing to a crossbow on display.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she? Crafted by the capital’s smartest black smiths, though its a few years outdated. It doesn't have the most range, but it sure packs a punch. I reckon one shot from it could bring any creature to near death. That is, if you’re a good enough shot to hit your target dead on.”

“How much?” asks Eric.

“800 gold.”

“Are you crazy? That’s more than I made last month working as a guard.”

“Higher prices, higher quality.”

“What about the orc killer bow?”

“Those are pretty common, 300 gold would be a fair price.”

“We should probably just get that one, don’t want my friend going bankrupt.”

> You insist you buy the better bow
You help Eric buy the better bow and he is apprehensive.

“Thanks man, but now we’re both broke.”

“Better broke than dead.”

You leave with the bow and get ready for guard duty.

5 hours later

It’s been a quiet night so far and warmer than usual. Eric stands up and draws his crossbow towards the forest.

“Do you see something?”

“Yeah I do. It’s like a bat but much larger.”

You look where he’s pointing and something comes into view. It’s a succubus, but unlike the one you met before, it no longer resembles a human. It has blood stained skin and humongous bat wings.

“Holy shit.”

Don’t just stand there, fire!” you say.

You and Eric unleash a flurry of arrows at the creature. It manages to dodge almost everything, but Eric hits it dead on.

“Got it!”

It falls from the sky and lands awkwardly. You waste no time laying it to waste with arrow after arrow. You don’t stop until you’re sure its dead, and it soon looks like a half-bat, half-porcupine monstrosity. You did it, you killed a demon.

“That was an amazing shot, I’m not sure we would have brought it done had we brought the cheaper bow.”

“Yeah, thanks again,” Eric says with tears streaming down his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just can’t believe we survived. You hear tales about demons destroying entire cities and yet we were able to bring down one with only two of us.”

“We make a good team.”

“We sure do, we sure do.”

> You epilogue #2: Succubus Slayers
You two are lauded as heroes and given a big pay raise.

“And to think, I almost kept that loser Lars!”

Speaking of Lars, want to know what happened to him? He and his whole family starved to death. Better him than the whole city am I right? On the bright side, you and Eric continue killing demons as sightings become more common. After word of your legacy spreads, a local lord hires you as demon hunters. You decide to take up the name Succubus Slayers as a reference to your first kill. This is a rather ironic turn of events considering you went from being saved by a succubus, to killing them for a living.

Who knows, maybe you’ll have to kill Catia one day?


“You really don’t have to do this,”

“Blasphemy, I’ve seen what you can do with my bow, you deserve one of your own.”

“Yeah but you don’t have to help me pay for it. Anyways, I’m not that good with a bow,” Eric says humbly.

“Well you’ll have plenty have chance to practice, let’s get going.”

The past month in Ashton has been quiet, but demon sighting have increased in the nearby forest. Eric and you need to be as prepared as possible for when they strike. In addition, you have grown to like Eric a lot and are happy to help pay for his bow. You’re hoping they have one that’s as good quality as the one you brought last month. You arrive at the armory and note it being a lot less busy than it was last time. In fact, you’re the only two here aside from the dwarf who runs the place.

“Where is everyone?” you ask.

“I about ran out of equipment. With how trade has been recently, its impossible to get the material needed to craft weapons.”

You offer your condolences and tell him why you’ve came here,

“You wouldn’t happen to any bows for sale?”

He half smiles, then says,

“I might have a few, but none of my own creation. Those sold out the fastest due to their cheap price.”

Eric gives you a concerned look knowing the cheapest bows are all sold out.

“Well let’s see them,” you say.

He lays out a few bows on a table and describes each of them.

“This one right here was specifically crafted to kill orcs, but it should be fine for just about anything.”

“What about demons?”

“I see no reason why not!”

He shows you a few other bows, mostly made be other local blacksmiths, but one other thing catches your eye.

“Hey what’s that?” you say pointing to a crossbow on display.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she? Crafted by the capital’s smartest black smiths, though its a few years outdated. It doesn't have the most range, but it sure packs a punch. I reckon one shot from it could bring any creature to near death. That is, if you’re a good enough shot to hit your target dead on.”

“How much?” asks Eric.

“800 gold.”

“Are you crazy? That’s more than I made last month working as a guard.”

“Higher prices, higher quality.”

“What about the orc killer bow?”

“Those are pretty common, 300 gold would be a fair price.”

“We should probably just get that one, don’t want my friend going bankrupt.”

> You settle for the cheaper bow
You help Eric buy the cheaper bow and he is glad.

“Thanks man, no need to go broke.”

“Better dead than broke,” you say sarcastically

You leave with the bow and get ready for guard duty.

5 hours later

It’s been a quiet night so far and warmer than usual. Eric stands up and draws his bow towards the forest.

“Do you see something?”

“Yeah I do. It’s like a bat but much larger.”

You look where he’s pointing and something comes into view. It’s a succubus, but unlike the one you met before, it no longer resembles a human. It has blood stained skin and humongous bat wings.

“Holy shit.”

Don’t just stand there, fire!” you say.

You and Eric unleash a flurry of arrows at the creature. It manages to dodge almost everything, but Eric hits it dead on.

“Got it!”

Except it does nothing but annoy it. The creature screams and flies at blazing speed towards both of you. You manage to hit it a few times, but it does nothing. You are torn to pieces as Eric watches. He awaits the same fate.


You walk over to the skinny man and and ask,

“Mind if I sit next to you?”

He is startled by your presence and jumps up a bit. He mutters something incomprehensible before saying,

“I don’t mind.”

The hot soup burns your tongue as you eat a spoonful.

“So what’s this town’s name again?”

“Ashton, why do you ask?”

“You might not believe me, but I came face to face with a demon. When I finally got away, I ran to the city walls.”

“Trust me, I believe you. I encountered a demon while on guard duty.”

You tell him about how you passed out and met a succubus.

“That’s wild.”

“Sure is, now tell me about the demon you met.”

He grits what few teeth he has and begins,

“He wasn’t pleasant at all like the one you met. I was going for a walk in the forest. I know, it’s not the smartest thing to do in times like these, but it's one of my few sanctities.”

His voice gets lower as he describes,

“I knew something was off the moment I entered. An unholy energy made me feel weak and tired. I started hearing voices and couldn’t tell what was real. It was like I was in a trance.”

“Did you actually see a demon?”

“No, but he made his presence known. He tired to coerce me into letting him take over my mind. I almost did it too, but something broke me out of my trance.”

He pauses for dramatic effect,

“A bird fucking shat on my head!”

You stare at his head and notice white flakes clumped in his hair.

“Once I realized what I was about to do I ran like hell. I wasn’t thinking straight and went the opposite direction which I came in. I’m lucky I ended up here.”

His experience is vastly different to your own. You suppose he encountered a demonic sprit, rather than a full fledge demon.

“Perhaps this all was for the best. My city was running low on food, hence my frail appearance.”

“Are you planning on staying in Ashton?”

“I don’t know. I would need to get a job and a place to sleep at night. Would you be able to help me out in any way?”

When your about to answer you hear someone call your name. It’s Captain Dario and he wants to speak with you immediately. You get up and tell the thin man,

“It was nice talking to you.”

“I hope you can come back when you're done. My name’s Eric by the way.”

You wave goodbye and follow the captain into his private quarters.

A rush of anxiety hits you as your still not sure if the captain bought your story. What if Lars told him the truth?

“Please, take a seat.”

You sit and find yourself starring at the gray haired captain. He stares back, unblinking as you both wait to see who makes the first move.

“First things first, you’re not fired.”

“That’s a relief.”

“I’m sure it is, but what I say next may not be. I have no intention of re-hiring Lars.”

“Wait what? Like I said in my letter, he did the smart thing and could have died had he stayed.”

The captain sighs and says,

“While that may be true, I’ve been wanting to fire him for awhile. He’s lazy and incompetent. The only reason he still had a job was because guards are in high demand right now. The problem now is finding a replacement.”

“What happens if you don’t?”

Dario frowns and bitterly says,

“Then I might have to rehire Lars.”

You could mention your new acquaintance, Eric, and vouch for him to replace Lars. On the other hand, who knows how Lars will react if he finds out you played a role in replacing him. There may be no reasoning with him.
> You defend Lars
“Lars might not be the best guard, but he’s the best option available. On the bright side, we at least seem to get along.”

Dario’s face turns dark red as he spits out,

“If he’s the best option, then this city might burn in flames tonight. None of us are safe with him on duty.”

“So I take it that you won’t be rehiring him?”

The captains sighs deeply out of frustration.

“Look, tell him he can guard tonight. However, if he messes up one more time, he’s out for good.”

You do a small fist bump out of celebration.

“Not so fast sonny, you’re going with him.”

“Really? Even after what happened the last time we were on guard duty together?”

“You said it yourself, you two get along. Now, get out and get to work.”

You leave in a pissed off mood, however the captain adds one thing before you slam his door shut.

“I brought fur coats for the both of you. They’re in your lockers and it’s best if you wear them tonight.”

You leave in a slightly less pissed off mood and slam the door. Eric does a one tooth smile as you walk over to him.

“What was that all about?”

“Nothing too important. I have to go now, it was nice meeting you.”

Nice meeting you too...”

You leave and head over to Lars house. It’s best to tell him the good news as soon as you can. You get there shortly and he answers the door right away.

“So did you do it? Did you tell the captain what really happened.”

“I convinced the captain to give you your job back, that’s all that matters.”

Lars looks like he wants to argue, but holds back.

“I’m just happy my family won’t starve to death. Oh, and that I won’t have to kill you,” he says with a wink.

“Yeah it’s great news, now follow me. The captain brought fur coats for both of us.”

> A month later
Lars is an incompetent fucktard who can’t even hold a bow. You’re very lucky the last month has been quiet for you, however demon sighting are getting more common. Sooner than later you’re going to encounter one. You put on your fur coat and walk to the city walls.

5 hours later

It’s been a quiet night so far and warmer than usual. Lars stands up and points his sword towards the forest.

“Do you see something?”

“Maybe, unless the booze is fucking with my vision. It looks like a bat but much larger, and...sexier.”

You look where he’s pointing and something comes into view. It’s a succubus, but unlike the one you met before, it no longer resembles a human. It has blood stained skin and humongous bat wings.

“Holy shit.”

Don’t just stand there, defend yourself.”

“Nah fuck that,” Lars says while running away.

You unleash a flurry of arrows at the creature as Lars makes his escape. It manages to dodge almost everything, but one arrow grazes its foot.

“HOW DARE YOU!”

The succubus releases a bolt of dark energy at you. It hits you in the chest and you collapse. As you sit there about to pass out, a thought comes to you. One month ago a succubus saved your life, now another ends it.

“Tell Catia I said hi...”


You close your eyes and drift off to sleep. You dream of a bright forest with playing children. Everything is nice and everyone is happy. Then one day that changes when a portal to another dimension appears in the middle of the forest. Out of the portal comes abominations to mankind. A collection of arms and legs attached on to a giant ball of flesh. This ball rolls around destroying the forest, killing everyone and growing stronger as it does so. The ball then comes rolling at you. You don’t have time to scream before…

You jolt awake and find yourself covered in sweat. As much as you hate nightmares, they do a great job at waking you up. You look outside your window and notice the sun rising. This rising ball of fire reminds you of the ball from your dream. You throw on a clean pair of clothes, grab your sword just in case, and make your way to the captain’s quarters.

It’s an uneventful journey and you arrive within a few minutes. Not wanting to wake the captain, you pull out pen and paper. It goes as follows,

Dear Captain Dario,

I am writing to you regarding the firing of guard Lars. I was on the same shift as him before he left. The windchill was approaching deadly levels and he decided to head inside as a last resort. I stayed out only because I feared the repercussions. As I sat out there, my muscles began to freeze until I could no longer move. I passed out minutes later.

I would have surely died had a traveling merchant not stopped by. They started a fire and warmed me up. I would have died otherwise and thank the heavens a demon didn’t wander by. Due to my own experiences, I recommend you rehire Lars and if anything, fire me for putting my life on the line when it wasn’t needed.

You are in such a rush that you slide the letter under the door before signing it. You decided against telling the truth as Captain Dario is a hard ass for rules. Not only would you have been fired, but also forced to undergo a purging to ward off any demonic influences.

With that out of the way, you decide to head to a local armory. Your city issued sword is no match for a demon, as Catia pointed out. Not knowing if your parents will ever return, you see no problem with using their savings for your protection. You take a stroll to the armory and find it to be quite crowded for this early in the morning.

“I need something that can scare away demons,” a farmer says

“Scare away? Why not something that can kill?”

“Look son, I’ve never been one to resort to violence. I just need something to protect you and the Misses.”

You zone out their conversation and take a look around. They have swords, maces, axes, and even a trident. However, what catches your eyes is a bow painted red and black. It’s the only one in the store and seems rare.

“Excuse me sir, what’s the price on this bow?”

“That would be 500 gold sir,” replies a dwarf with steel encrusted teeth.

“What’s so special about it?”

“We brought it from a dark elf mercenary. They have great craftsmanship, especially when it comes to bows.”

“How is it different than all the other bows for sale?”

He pauses and turns red,

“I hate to admit it, but I’ve always struggled making bows. That red and black one has much finer strings and sturdier wood, giving it a greater firing range.”

You thank the dwarf for the information and continue looking around. Nothing else catches your eye, so you decide to buy the bow.

“Pleasure doing business with ya.”

You leave with your new bow and 500 gold poorer. You hope you still have your guard job as your parent’s money won’t last much longer. You go to the guard barracks and decide to get a meal there. Even if you’ve been fired, you doubt any of the servers will know. You arrive to a mess hall and find it more empty than usual. Two men eat soup together and another man sits alone.

You grab a cup of soup and take another look around. You recognize the two men sitting together as Herbert and Andy. Herbert is an older man with a gray beard who has always been kind to you. Andy is around your age, mid twenties, and is already going bald. Both are good chaps and would be happy if you sat with them.

The man sitting alone is someone you don’t recognize. He is a very thin fellow with patchy hair and missing teeth. You could try to find out who he is, or sit with Herbert and Andy.
> You sit with Herbert and Andy
You head over to sit with Herbert and Andy and listen in on their conversation.

“I can’t believe she would do such a thing,” says Herbert.

“I don’t know how she could just lie after all I did for her. She’s been pissed at me ever since we last had sex. I can’t even talk to her anymore.”

“I know how you feel, women sure are a pain in the ass. Hey new guy, did you hear what Andy’s girlfriends been doing?”

You stop blowing on your soup and glance at Herbert.

“I haven’t, what happened?”

“So this fucking bitch named, what was her name again Andy?”

“Julia.”

“Yeah so this bitch named Julia has been spreading lies about him ever since they broke up. She told the captain that he raped her!”

“I guess she wants to get me fired. Rather get revenge against me for something I didn’t do then have the city be safe.”

“Julia...what’s her last name?”

“Why does it matter? She’s a fucking liar and that’s that,” says Andy.

“Sorry I thought I might know her...I had a childhood friend named Julia.”

“Well I hope you don’t still consider her a friend after what she did to Andy. That skank deserves to live a life alone.”

You sit in silence as you take this all in. If this is the Julia you think it is, there’s got to be a reason she said what she said. You never knew her as the type of person to lie, even as a child. When you’re about to prod further, you hear someone call your name. It’s Captain Dario and he wants to speak with you immediately. You wave goodbye and follow the captain into his private quarters.

A rush of anxiety hits you as your still not sure if the captain bought your story. What if Lars told him the truth?

“Please, take a seat.”

You sit and find yourself starring at the gray haired captain. He stares back, unblinking as you both wait to see who makes the first move.

“First things first, you’re not fired.”

“That’s a relief.”

“I’m sure it is, but what I say next may not be. I have no intention of re-hiring Lars.”

“Wait what? Like I said in my letter, he did the smart thing and could have died had he stayed.”

The captain sighs and says,

“While that may be true, I’ve been wanting to fire him for awhile. He’s lazy and incompetent. The only reason he still had a job was because guards are in high demand right now. The problem now is finding a replacement.”

“What happens if you don’t?”

Dario frowns and bitterly says,

“Then I might have to rehire Lars.”

You could talk about Herbert and Andy, they might be able to take over Lars’ previous guard duties. On the other hand, who knows how Lars will react if he finds out you played a role in replacing him. There may be no reasoning with him.


“This is the last time I’m saying this Greg, immortality is not worth cutting off your cock. What’s the point of being immortal if you’re deprived of the best feeling in the world?”

“Ey’ maybe he’s lacking in that area. No wonder he wants immortality if all he has to do his cut off an inch or two worth of pecker.”

Greg suddenly stands up, drawing your eyes to the bickering trio. They’ve been arguing random hypotheticals since you’ve gotten here. All you wanted was to get a quiet drink before meeting with Catia. As long as these buffoons are here, that’s impossible.

Even as Greg stands up he’s shorter than the other two sitting. It’s no wonder they pick on him, he looks pathetic.

“Can you both just shut the fuck up? I mean, god damn. All I’m saying is living forever outweighs the downsides of not having a dick,” he says in a whiny voice.

The other two laugh uncontrollably at his pitiful attempt of defiance. One manages to calm down and spits out,

“Maybe when it’s smaller than a gnome’s toothbrush, but for the rest us it’s not so easy.”

Queue more uncontrollable laughter as Greg’s face becomes redder than demon blood.

“I’ll shove a gnome’s toothbrush up your ass if you say that one more time! C’mon, let’s move on to another question.”

The trio quiets down and you zone them out. You take a swig of whisky and start to remember the reason while you’re here. Oh yeah, the succubus. She wanted you to drink a bit before meeting her. You didn’t necessarily jump at the idea of getting drunk before meeting with a demon, but she promised you she would make it worthwhile. You’re pretty sure that means…

Your thoughts are interrupted by the thickheaded trio once again.

“You’re telling me you’d prefer your child be retarded and kind than ingenious and mean?”

“Yes Connor, I would.”

“God damn it, Greg! You want to spend an eternity with no dick while taking care of a retarded child? Pathetic. I would kill myself after a week.”

“Har har har! I would kill myself in a week if I had to live Greg’s life as it is. No, scratch that, a day!”

“Fuck you Tom. I can’t be the only one who thinks this…”

Greg glances around nervously looking for a savior. Eventually he turns his gaze towards you and his eyes light up.

“Hey you over there! What would you rather have, a dumb, but kind child; or a smart, but cruel child?” he says while pointing at you.

You stare blankly ahead and breathe a deep sigh. This is beyond stupid. You briefly consider just ignoring him and getting the hell out of this place.

“Why do you think that man would agree with you? He’s a soldier. Surely, he recognizes the benefits a genius could provide for society. Especially when you consider the need for mages regarding the growing demon problem.”

Soldier? Shit you forgot to change out of your uniform. So much for staying inconspicuous. You can thank your lucky stars none of the other guards are here to see you in this shithole.

“Now now, let the man speak. Just because he’s a soldier doesn’t mean he agrees with you,” says Tom.

“Fine, what do you think...and hurry up! We don’t have all day.”
> You say "I have no preference."
“No preference? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” says Connor.

“He must think he’s not having any children. I guess he’s into dudes.” Replies Tom.

“Yeah I think you’re right. I swear I saw him eyeing Greg.”

You feel the bile rising in the back of your throat. They think you’re attracted to that disgusting little worm? People usually don’t get under you skin so much but this time it’s different. You’re about to fuck a hot demon bitch and the idea of being attracted to Greg is NOT what you need right now.

“Do you really want to know why I don’t give a fuck about your pointless hypothetical?”

“Well, yeah.”

You take a deep breath and begin to describe your recent encounter with a succubus.

“Well it all started when I fell asleep during guard duty”.

One convoluted story later.

 “And that’s why I came to this tavern,” you say with a cheeky grin.

Your story gets mixed reactions.

“You’re not actually going through with this are you?” asks Tom.

“Ok so you’re attracted to some demon bitch. I still saw you eyeing Greg for at least the past hour.”

And strangest of all,

“Wait aren’t succubi immortal? And they don’t have dicks! Well, at least I assume they don’t”.

You don’t engage with any of them and feel compelled to go home. Although, Tom’s words are giving you second thoughts. Should you wait a few days before even thinking about seeing the succubus?
> You stay and think it over
The trio starts arguing but you quickly interrupt them.

“Hey wait! Why shouldn’t I go through with this?”

Everyone turns towards you as if confused to why you’re still here. Tom let’s out a long sigh and asks the question that has been on everyone’s mind.

“Are you sure any of that was even real?”

You scrunch your eyebrows and consider the possibility. No, it can’t be fake. The rush of it all was too great for it to be a hallucination. It was either real or nothing is real.

“Yeah your dumbass was probably just hallucinating from the cold,” Connor jeers.

That can’t be it. You know it was real, although they couldn’t possibly understand. They weren’t there.

“If I had to guess, I’d say a good Samaritan helped you when they saw you passed out. You might have mistaken their torch for that of a demon,” Says Tom.

“Yeah and they probably told you to go to the tavern to warmup. That’s what these two did when they first found me,” says Greg.

For the love of god! Now even Greg is gaslighting you. Enough of this nonsense. You can either leave right now or waste your night away here.
> You leave RIGHT NOW
The trio begins arguing again. Something about how demon immortality is different than regular immortality. You don’t time to dwell on it and make your way home. You find yourself grinning the whole walk back. This isn’t just a happy drunk feeling. You feel like this is your purpose. It’s time to see Catia.

You find yourself exiting out of the slums and into the residential part of the city. Most guards sleep in the barracks, however, since your parents never returned from their trip their house is all yours. If they ever return, you hope they don’t mind you bringing a demon inside the house. Although, they were always bugging you about finding a girlfriend, this might not be what they had in mind.

You arrive at your parent’s old home and twist the doorknob. The wooden door squeaks loudly as you open it.

“Some things never change,” you whisper to yourself.

You immediately start making yourself more presentable. You change out of your soldiers’ uniform and put on a loose-fitting black tunic. You probably should take a bath but you're too excited to see Catia that you forget to. Do demons mind odor?

“Catia.”

A dark cloud appears in your room, dispelling a toxic fume. You start violently coughing as you vision blurs indiscriminately. Your eyes shut close and you feel you grip on reality slipping away from you.

“Ah shit,” you whisper before passing out.

Your eyes jitter open and you’re greeted by Catia stroking your face. Her palm flushes the coolness off your face. Beads of sweat drip furiously down your neck as she continues caressing you.

“Couldn’t wait a single day before seeing me again? How cute.”

She crawls onto your bed and moves closer to you. Her aura is all consuming and you feel your free will being drained away. Yet, the whole process is extremely pleasing to you. She moves her mouth to your ear and whispers,

“Do you want to see everything I have to offer?”

You bite your tongue to avoid instinctively shouting yes. This may be your last chance to not go through with this. At the very least, it would give you chance to ask her a few more questions.


The trio starts arguing but you quickly interrupt them.

“Hey wait! Why shouldn’t I go through with this?”

Everyone turns towards you as if confused to why you’re still here. Tom let’s out a long sigh and asks the question that has been on everyone’s mind.

“Are you sure any of that was even real?”

You scrunch your eyebrows and consider the possibility. No, it can’t be fake. The rush of it all was too great for it to be a hallucination. It was either real or nothing is real.

“Yeah your dumbass was probably just hallucinating from the cold,” Connor jeers.

That can’t be it. You know it was real, although they couldn’t possibly understand. They weren’t there.

“If I had to guess, I’d say a good Samaritan helped you when they saw you passed out. You might have mistaken their torch for that of a demon,” Says Tom.

“Yeah and they probably told you to go to the tavern to warmup. That’s what these two did when they first found me,” says Greg.

For the love of god! Now even Greg is gaslighting you. Enough of this nonsense. You can either leave right now or waste your night away here.
> You waste the night away
“Fuck all of you, let’s talk about something else. Bartender! Get me another drink,” you say.

A couple hours later.

“All I’m saying is it’s a bit hypocritical to complain about demons capturing human when we capture orc children on the regular.”

“What do you mean we? Last time I checked you’re the only one in the army,” says Tom.

“Yeah plus it’s different. Orcs are uncivilized barbarians who kill all those they meet. When’s the last time a human killed a demon unprovoked?” asks Connor.

“Did you forget how this whole demon war started? We tried to wipe them off the face of the earth and they retaliated. Jeez Connor, you say orcs are barbarians, but I’ve met orcs smarter than you,” Greg says.

Connor slams his fist on the table making everyone jump a little bit. Although all he says is,

“Yeah, I’m sure you have.”

Connor has been a lot less hostile to Greg since you came here. It’s probably because Greg finally has someone who agrees with him on some issues. Oh, and the fact you could kick Connor’s ass without breaking a sweat.

The three of you continue discussing the demon war and the implications it as on the empire. Recent news of the capital being overrun has set the whole empire into a panic. You begin discussing the possibility of fleeing the city before its too late.

“I don’t have much confidence in Ashton keeping us safe, but it’s more protection than outside the city walls,” you state.

“I don’t want to wait here to die,” Connor says while slurring his words.

“You must know better than anyone being a soldier and all. Do you think the city guards could even kill a single demon? I know it’s just rumors, but word says our army is ill-equip to fight in the winter, let alone against demons.”

How the hell does a guy like Tom know that? You stare at him trying to gain insight into his mind, but all he does in shrug. Damn, might as well give him your honest opinion.

“I’ve never seen a demon. Well, other than that succubus and she wasn’t fighting me.”

“So, is that a yes or no you bitch?” slurs Connor.

“I don’t know.”

There is an awkward silence as you all realize how up in the air the future of this city is. The capital was supposed to send reinforcements to any city that sighted demons. Though with it being under siege that possibility lessens by the minute.

“Has anyone even seen a demon? I mean—” Connor says before downing another drink.

“Has your dumbass forgot already? This man right here saw a succubus!” Greg says.

Finally, someone believes you. Perhaps he agreed with you from the beginning and was too scared to admit it?

“Like I said before, it was probably just a hallucination. Plus, why would succubi be needed to conquer the city?” Tom says.

Just as you're about to answer that the question a man walks in the tavern. You turn to see who it is and wish you hadn’t.

It’s Lars.

It’s inevitable he notices you and when he does, he wastes no time telling you why he’s here. He got caught abandoning his guard duty last night and has been let go. When he tried to argue how unfair that was because he lacked equipment to handle the conditions all he was told was.

“That’s your own damn fault! The other guard did it without complaint.”

He came here to drink until he passed out. Without the money from his guard job he has no way to support his family. He appears a bit more unhinged than usual because of that.

“I fucking hope the demons break down the city walls and storm the captain’s quarters. I don’t care what happens next. All I want is for him suffer a slow and painful death. That’s what he sent me to last night and blamed me for saving myself.”

You sit in silence not knowing what to say. He continues,

“Speaking of which how the hell did you survive last night? When I left it looked like you were about to pass out.”

Well he’s got that right. You briefly consider telling him about your encounter with Catia but the rabid look in his eyes tells you that’s not a good idea.

“Just lucky I guess.”

He doesn’t second guess you and continues his rambling. You pay little attention to his words and when you do it’s clear he’s gone off the rails.

“Then they’ll rape his family and have him watch. It’s what he fucking deserves, and he deserves what he’s going to get.”

As Lars drones on and on you realize how late it’s getting. You better go home and get the hell away from this guy. You tell him you must go, and he just continues on talking to himself. It’s like he doesn’t know you’re here.

That’s probably for the best. As you leave you give him one last look, and he looks back at you with a huge smile and twitchy eyes. That’s creepy. You make your way out of the tavern and are hit by the freezing winter breeze. You’re going to have to get home fast lest you pass out again. Best to take the alleys as not only is it faster, but it also provides protection from the wind.

You don’t even get a few steps before you tumble to the ground, but not because of the cold. You are whacked in the back of the head with a glass. You fall face first, mouth agape, breaking teeth instantly. Blood seeps out of your head as you press your hand on the back of your skull. It’s more caved in than usual.

You start hearing laughter. This isn’t your first time hearing it either.

“As if I believed you survived by pure luck. You’re lucky I don’t just kill you now. Now tell me the truth, demon!”

It’s Lars and he looks completely unhinged. You try to say something but just start coughing blood. It comes out in chunks resembling mushy cherries.

“You really thought you could get away with it, didn’t you? HAHAHAHA! I know you’ve been possessed by a demon; how else could you survive the frigid cold?”

Clumps of blood continue flying out of your mouth as you fail to speak. Lars crotches down next to you and strokes your face.

“It’s ok, calm down. Like I told you before, or at least the non-possessed you, the city could use some heating up.”

Where is this going?

“I want to make a deal with you! Kill the Captain and I’ll let you live. Hell, I’ll even give you something in exchange. Perhaps a part of my soul? If there’s anything left in there.”

Your vision blurs as Lars grins widely at you. Saliva drips down his face like a feral beast.

“Decide now! Don’t make me kill you to reveal your true self.”


“No preference? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” says Connor.

“He must think he’s not having any children. I guess he’s into dudes.” Replies Tom.

“Yeah I think you’re right. I swear I saw him eyeing Greg.”

You feel the bile rising in the back of your throat. They think you’re attracted to that disgusting little worm? People usually don’t get under you skin so much but this time it’s different. You’re about to fuck a hot demon bitch and the idea of being attracted to Greg is NOT what you need right now.

“Do you really want to know why I don’t give a fuck about your pointless hypothetical?”

“Well, yeah.”

You take a deep breath and begin to describe your recent encounter with a succubus.

“Well it all started when I fell asleep during guard duty”.

One convoluted story later.

 “And that’s why I came to this tavern,” you say with a cheeky grin.

Your story gets mixed reactions.

“You’re not actually going through with this are you?” asks Tom.

“Ok so you’re attracted to some demon bitch. I still saw you eyeing Greg for at least the past hour.”

And strangest of all,

“Wait aren’t succubi immortal? And they don’t have dicks! Well, at least I assume they don’t”.

You don’t engage with any of them and feel compelled to go home. Although, Tom’s words are giving you second thoughts. Should you wait a few days before even thinking about seeing the succubus?
> You leave now!
The trio begins arguing again. Something about how demon immortality is different than regular immortality. You don’t have time to dwell on it and make your way home. You find yourself grinning the whole walk back. This isn’t just a happy drunk feeling. You feel like this is your purpose. It’s time to see Catia.

You find yourself exiting out of the slums and into the residential part of the city. Most guards sleep in the barracks, however, since your parents never returned from their trip their house is all yours. If they ever return, you hope they don’t mind you bringing a demon inside the house. Although, they were always bugging you about finding a girlfriend, this might not be what they had in mind.

You arrive at your parent’s old home and turn the door knob. The wooden door squeaks loudly as you open it.

“Some things never change,” you whisper to yourself.

You immediately start making yourself more presentable. You change out of your soldiers’ uniform and put on a loose-fitting black tunic. You probably should take a bath but you're too excited to see Catia that you forget to. Do demons mind odor?

“Catia.”

A dark cloud appears in your room, dispelling a toxic fume. You start violently coughing as your vision blurs indiscriminately. Your eyes shut close and you feel you grip on reality slipping away from you.

“Ah shit,” you whisper before passing out.

Your eyes jitter open and you’re greeted by Catia stroking your face. Her palm flushes the coolness off your face. Beads of sweat drip furiously down your neck as she continues caressing you.

“Couldn’t wait a single day before seeing me again? How cute.”

She crawls onto your bed and moves closer to you. Her aura is all consuming and you feel your free will being drained away. Yet, the whole process is extremely pleasing to you. She moves her mouth to your ear and whispers,

“Do you want to see everything I have to offer?”

You bite your tongue to avoid instinctively shouting yes. This may be your last chance to not go through with this. At the very least, it would give you chance to ask her a few more questions.


You look through the window from the observation room, down onto the Object placed at the heart of the chamber. Protruding from the walls are all manner of scientific gadgetry, so that the tests can be carried out remotely, and hopefully more safely, from the observation room.

It has been two and a half months of all manner of tests, such as bathing the Object in various forms of radiation, scanning it with all manner of sensors, trying tests in normal air and in a vacuum, and that sort of thing. So far, the Object has just sat there. It could continue to do nothing at all. It could just be a solid chunk of lifeless metal for all anyone knew. That's what you are beginning to think, anyhow.

Of course, the Government and Military representatives were "completely positive" that something would happen eventually. And they got to monitor the tests from another facilitiy eighty kilometers away - just in case the Object happened to be a bomb of some sort. That was really reassuring for you.

"Come on, Jones, let's get to work," Hammond says, the doors to the observation room swishing shut behind him as he arrives.
> You say "Sure. So, what are we going to do to it today?"
"Okay, we're doing Gamma Radiation today. Why don't you get us started, spin the dial to five, will you?" Hammond says, leaning over one of the consoles, and peering through the window at the Object below.
> You turn the dial to five.
"Here goes nothing," you say as you turn the dial to five.

Both of you look out through the window at the Object in the chamber beyond. A long mechanical arm unbends from the wall, with a large emitter on the end. It slowly powers up, and you watch a counter slowly tick up from zero. Invisible gamma radiation begins to bathe the Object from the emitter.

As the counter begins to pass four, something happens!

There is a flash of light, almost blinding your eyes, and then-
> You (continue)
Hammond yawns, leaning back in his chair. "Well, there goes another day of useless tests, Jones," he says.

"What the-" you stammer, looking around you. The clock on the wall says it is early in the evening outside. You glance at the dial for the gamma radiation emitter, and it is turned off, set to zero. Out through the window, the Object just sits there doing nothing, as usual.

Hammond notices the look on your face, "What's wrong?"
> You tell him what happened.
"Hammond, what just happened?" you ask him, bewildered.

"What do you mean? We just completed another day of the same old boring tests that seem to have achieved nothing at all," he answers.

"You know what? I think something happened!" you say, confusion giving way to excitement. Something was finally taking place!

"What are you talking about Jones?" he says, tired and in no mood for games.

"The last thing I remember, I was turning the gamma radiation dial to five. The counter passed four, and there was a flash of light! The next thing I know, I was standing here and the day was over!" you explain, bursting with excitement.

"Is this some sort of joke," he says, standing up, and getting his things, ready to go home. "Look, Jones, we tested it for gamma, we zapped it with more x-rays, we doubled the air pressure, we tried to cut it open with lasers! Nothing happened, no lights, no sounds, no anything. Look, you're probably just tired, imagining things. There's nothing so boring as staring through a window at a block of metal that just sits there, for hours on end."
> You stick to your version of what happened.
"I'm telling you Hammond, one moment we were standing there performing the test, the next it was the end of the day!" you exclaim, beginning to feel angry. You're sure of what happened. At least, you think you are...

"Look, Jones, maybe you saw a flashing light, maybe not. It only takes a few minutes to run the gamma radiation test. If you want, we'll throw it back up to five and see what happens. Will that make you happy? Maybe then I can go home and get some sleep," he grumbles.

> You perform the Gamma radiation test again.
"Yes, Hammond. That would make me happy. Let's do the test again," you say.

"Okay, by all means. Turn the dial back to five," he says, shaking his head tiredly.


"Hammond, what just happened?" you ask him, bewildered.

"What do you mean? We just completed another day of the same old boring tests that seem to have achieved nothing at all," he answers.

"You know what? I think something happened!" you say, confusion giving way to excitement. Something was finally taking place!

"What are you talking about Jones?" he says, tired and in no mood for games.

"The last thing I remember, I was turning the gamma radiation dial to five. The counter passed four, and there was a flash of light! The next thing I know, I was standing here and the day was over!" you explain, bursting with excitement.

"Is this some sort of joke," he says, standing up, and getting his things, ready to go home. "Look, Jones, we tested it for gamma, we zapped it with more x-rays, we doubled the air pressure, we tried to cut it open with lasers! Nothing happened, no lights, no sounds, no anything. Look, you're probably just tired, imagining things. There's nothing so boring as staring through a window at a block of metal that just sits there, for hours on end."
> You maybe you just imagined it?
You yawn. Actually, it does feel like you've been working for a whole day. Maybe Hammond was right, maybe you're just tired. Day after day of repetative tests could indeed make everything seem to blur together, after a while.

"Yeah, maybe you're right, Hammond. I guess I should drive home and get a good night's sleep," you say.

"Rest up, and I'm sure you'll feel better tomorrow," he says. "Well, see you later then, I'm off."

Hammond puts on his jacket and heads home.
> You leave the Facility.
You grab your jacket, flick off the lights, and walk out through numerous corridors and doorways. Finally, after passing through two security checkpoints, you reach the garage. Taking your car keys out of your pocket, you hop into your Toyota Aurion V6. You sink into the comfortable seat with a smile. Ah, the perks of your job.

Switching the car on, you pull out of the multi-level garage, and head out onto the road. The Facility was mostly underground, but a large boxy building juts up from the barren surface. Your temporary home, for the duration of the tests, was a house the company purchased in a relatively modern country town an hour's drive away.

It's getting dark outside, but the sky is clear, the moon and stars bright above you. You flick on your headlights, and there is a flash of light as they turn on...
> You waking up to more confusion.
You wake in your bed, in a house that the company has purchased, about an hour's drive from the Factility. Stretching, you get up out of bed. What an odd dream... Something had happened out at the Facility, but you couldn't remember what. Dreams tended to be like that. You were in your car, or something?

Stretching your arms above your head, you bend to each side, stretching your aching muscles, then reach out and open the door to the ensuite.

A fierce, hot wind assails you, and you stumble backwards, your sleepy limbs not prepared. For a moment you just stand there in your underwear in shock. Outside your bedroom, looking through what should be the door to your ensuite, was the desert! You glance out the bedroom window, and it's still there! Bleak, barren desert sands and rocks stretch off to the horizon. Where is the town? More importantly, where is the rest of your house!
> You step outside
Astonished and confused, you open your main bedroom door, to see more desert outside. You step outside, onto the hot sand, to see if it is real or an illusion.

The sand is hot beneath your feet, and you quickly step back inside. Perhaps you should get dressed first?
> You get Dressed
Your clothing lies scattered across the floor around your bed.

(Click on objects to put them in your inventory)


Childhood

A fist thuds into your face, knocking you to the ground. Gruzub stands over you, laughing.

"Mazkil! You are as weak as a Shepard!" He laughs, as you leap to you feet.
> You punch him
You swing your fist, but Gruzub quickly ducks and elbows you in the stomach, knocking the wind from your lungs. He gets two more punches in before you manage to roll away and get back into a fighting stance. As you prepare to charge him, you hear a deep voice.

"CHILDREN! Your mother struggles to soothe the little one while your brother hunts sheep. This is no time for playing. There is work to be done! Inside!" Your father bellows.
> You go inside
You quickly hurry inside, followed by your twin brother. You live in a small village of small huts. Luckily enough, you father is Chieftain Magrash, which entitles you to sleep in the Chieftain's Hut, the largest hut. As you enter, you see your father sitting in a rough woolen tunic, sharpening his greatsword. In front of him is his heavy steel plate armor, as well as several trophies from his battles.

"Mazkil, Gruzub, you fight too much. Mama is trying to put Dagden to sleep."

"Yes, papa." You both reply.

"Who won the fight?" He asks.

"I did!" You both say, before glaring at each other.

"You don't know? Perhaps you're not fighting enough. Gruzub, go down to the river and fetch water for the stew. Mazkil, sharpen my sword. I need light the hearth."

You go over to the sword, and begin to sharpen it against the whet stone, while looking over your father's trophies: An Elven Dagger, a Shrunken head, a battered golden shield, a shattered battleaxe, a studded mace, a series of Tribal Necklaces and a Dragon Skull.

"Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me about your trophies?" You ask.

"I've told you many times about my trophies."

"Tell me again."

Papa chuckles, a harsh sound you've come to love.

"Which would you like to know about?"
> You elven Dagger (Elves)
"Ah, the dagger. One of my favorite. The Elves are a race of "beautiful" and "perfect" creatures who don't know a battleaxe from a wood-axe. Death to them all. They're stupid in things like how to start a fire and how to hunt, yet seem to love philosophy and reading. Death should take them. Still, they're fast with a blade and good with a bow, which I found out while hunting a party of them that came into my territory. That knife nearly went into my throat before I impaled the little bastard wielding it."


You quickly hurry inside, followed by your twin brother. You live in a small village of small huts. Luckily enough, you father is Chieftain Magrash, which entitles you to sleep in the Chieftain's Hut, the largest hut. As you enter, you see your father sitting in a rough woolen tunic, sharpening his greatsword. In front of him is his heavy steel plate armor, as well as several trophies from his battles.

"Mazkil, Gruzub, you fight too much. Mama is trying to put Dagden to sleep."

"Yes, papa." You both reply.

"Who won the fight?" He asks.

"I did!" You both say, before glaring at each other.

"You don't know? Perhaps you're not fighting enough. Gruzub, go down to the river and fetch water for the stew. Mazkil, sharpen my sword. I need light the hearth."

You go over to the sword, and begin to sharpen it against the whet stone, while looking over your father's trophies: An Elven Dagger, a Shrunken head, a battered golden shield, a shattered battleaxe, a studded mace, a series of Tribal Necklaces and a Dragon Skull.

"Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me about your trophies?" You ask.

"I've told you many times about my trophies."

"Tell me again."

Papa chuckles, a harsh sound you've come to love.

"Which would you like to know about?"
> You shrunken Head (Necromancer's Army)
"Ah, that! I took that off a large bastard with a sword twice as large as you.That damn Necromancer, I can't remember his name, rose Zombies Ghouls, Skeletons, Wights, Death Knights, Specters, Ghosts and who knows what else in his quest for power. He led a small group of Death Knights up here to add some Ork Zombies to his collection. He ran faster than a deer when he saw what a true Orc can do! Ha!"


You quickly hurry inside, followed by your twin brother. You live in a small village of small huts. Luckily enough, you father is Chieftain Magrash, which entitles you to sleep in the Chieftain's Hut, the largest hut. As you enter, you see your father sitting in a rough woolen tunic, sharpening his greatsword. In front of him is his heavy steel plate armor, as well as several trophies from his battles.

"Mazkil, Gruzub, you fight too much. Mama is trying to put Dagden to sleep."

"Yes, papa." You both reply.

"Who won the fight?" He asks.

"I did!" You both say, before glaring at each other.

"You don't know? Perhaps you're not fighting enough. Gruzub, go down to the river and fetch water for the stew. Mazkil, sharpen my sword. I need light the hearth."

You go over to the sword, and begin to sharpen it against the whet stone, while looking over your father's trophies: An Elven Dagger, a Shrunken head, a battered golden shield, a shattered battleaxe, a studded mace, a series of Tribal Necklaces and a Dragon Skull.

"Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me about your trophies?" You ask.

"I've told you many times about my trophies."

"Tell me again."

Papa chuckles, a harsh sound you've come to love.

"Which would you like to know about?"
> You ask about the Dragon Skull (Dragons)
"Ah, the skull. Dragons are fearsome creatures. They come in many colors, all with powerful skills. They speak Dragontongue, and many speak our language. Some are intelligent, while some are incredibly feral and wild from years of isolation. Their flames tend to be tinted the same color as their scales, with an afinity for hoarding treasure and waging war and destruction. They're solitary creatures, Dragons. If you ever slay one, Gorgok will look upon you with joy."


You quickly hurry inside, followed by your twin brother. You live in a small village of small huts. Luckily enough, you father is Chieftain Magrash, which entitles you to sleep in the Chieftain's Hut, the largest hut. As you enter, you see your father sitting in a rough woolen tunic, sharpening his greatsword. In front of him is his heavy steel plate armor, as well as several trophies from his battles.

"Mazkil, Gruzub, you fight too much. Mama is trying to put Dagden to sleep."

"Yes, papa." You both reply.

"Who won the fight?" He asks.

"I did!" You both say, before glaring at each other.

"You don't know? Perhaps you're not fighting enough. Gruzub, go down to the river and fetch water for the stew. Mazkil, sharpen my sword. I need light the hearth."

You go over to the sword, and begin to sharpen it against the whet stone, while looking over your father's trophies: An Elven Dagger, a Shrunken head, a battered golden shield, a shattered battleaxe, a studded mace, a series of Tribal Necklaces and a Dragon Skull.

"Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me about your trophies?" You ask.

"I've told you many times about my trophies."

"Tell me again."

Papa chuckles, a harsh sound you've come to love.

"Which would you like to know about?"
> You stop asking about Trophies
"I'm finished, Papa!"

Papa picks up the blade, and licks the edge.

"Yes... Sharp enough to shed dragon blood. Well done, Mazkil. Now, go fetch gather fruit."
> Four years later...
"You've been on this planet fourteen years, and you haven't learned a thing, boys, unless you've seen me and Dendar take out a boar!"

You walk with Gruzub, your older brother Bagig and his friend Dendar, out in the woods. You have a small iron knife at your belt and a bow clutched in your hands. So far in your short life, you've only subsided on deer, goat and chicken, but after today you'll be able to feast on the boar you've helped kill.

"On your first hunt, it's tradition to eat a deer's dropping to gain it's scent." Dendar remarks. "Everybody knows that."

Dendar and Bagig pause, dropping to one knee, pointing to some small droppings.

"Go on, Gruzub, Mazkill. Dig in."
> You eat the droppings
You drop to your knees, close your eyes, and quickly swallow a small piece of dropping. Bagig pats you on the head, and nods to Gruzub. Gruzub does the same, and with that, Dendar bursts out laughing.

"You two are idiots!" Mazkil and Gruzub Youngblood, eating deer droppings."

They chuckle as your face reddens. You open your mouth to yell at them, but then freeze. You spot a beautiful deer just at the edge of a small creek out of sight. You grab your brother, and point to it.

"Ah, well spotted, Mazkil Shiteater. Let's catch it, Dendar."

"We can't get distracted. We came here to hunt boar."

"We'll catch the deer and the boar!" Bagig cries, charging off after the deer.

The Deer bursts off running, with Bagig and Dendar quickly following.

"Stay there!" Bagig yells at you as he leaves.
> You stay there
You stand patiently with Gruzub, who looks at you.

"Just so you know, Oraal is mine." He says quietly.

You ponder this for a second. Oraal is a fat, lazy girl who's the daughter of a swordsmaker.

"Oraal? Has her father promised you a fine blade if you crawl between her legs?" You giggle.

"Hey! She has proclaimed her...!" He begins, before his eyes widen.
> You ask what's wrong
You open your mouth to speak, but you're hit in the back and sent flying through the air. You hit the ground, your head knocking against a tree root and drawing blood. You shakily stand, drawing your knife, as you're faced with a large boar preparing to charge again.

"Watch out!" Gruzub yells, running to help, but it's clear he's far too slow.

The Boar charges at you, it's tusks looking deadly sharp at they near you...
> You roll to the side
You roll to the side, narrowly dodging a goring from the beast's tusks. As it runs past, you leap forward with your knife, cutting through thick fur and drawing a fair amount of blood. It squeals, before running forward and turning around once more for another charge.
> You dodge again
As the boar charges, you try to roll to the side, but it's prepared this time. You yell as it's tusks slash your side, causing a massive wound.
> You continue
Gruzub charges over and stabs the boar in the side with his dagger, giving you ample time to leap up. You charge at the boar, stabbing it repeatedly in the neck. It squeals, but it's easily killed before it can resist. It falls dead at your feat.
> You rejoice, for the enemy is vanquished!
You rest your foot on the boar's tusks, laughing.

"Ha! I've slain the boar!"

"Hey!" Gruzub yells. "I helped."

Dendar and Bagig burst trough the trees, a deer straddled between them.

"We caught the deer. I bet..." They pause, noticing the boar. "Cursed Reaper, is that a boar?"

You nod proudly.

"Death's Head, Mazkil, you've impressed me. No longer will you be called Mazkil Youngblood, now you'll be Mazkil Boarsbane!" Bagig laughs.

You smile proudly, knowing you will feast on boar meat tonight.
> One year later...
"Mazkil Boarsbane! Gruzub Fastfoot! Let's go." Papa yells.

You quickly follow your father out of your small home and onto the small dirt road that interconnects the village.

"Boys, you've done well. I was so proud when I saw you best Harkor Clawfist in a fight, I got you a present."

You smile fondly. Harkor had insulted your brother Bagig and Dendar. They had only been recently killed by a Death Knight from the remnants of the Necromancer's Army, and you made sure that Harkor suffered for his insult. By the time you and Gruzub were finished, his face was half-caved in.

Your father hands you each a small amount of gold coins.

"Dendar Arroweye is heading down to Riverton today. He's taking the cart to pick up some goods to help us get through the winter. Take the cart, go enjoy yourself."

You thank him, and eagerly count your coins. 25 Gold Coins, all shining proudly at you.

"Go now, boys. Enjoy yourselves."
> You head down to Riverton
After a long ride to Riverton with Dendar who mostly insults you and Gruzub, you eventually arrive at the small town. You eyes immediately find multiple ways to spend your precious coins. There's a brothel in the poorer section of town, a large shop full of delicious foods you wish to sample, a small gambling ring and a tavern.
> You leave Riverton
Once you've spent your gold coins, you make your way back to Dendar's cart. Unfortunately, you find yourself in the poorer part of town, clearly having taken a wrong turn. As you make your way through a side street, a voice cries out.

"Hello! A little lost, are we?" A voice cries.

You turn, and are faced with a trio of men holding knives.

"Fuck off." You grunt angrily.

"'Fuck off', he says. What an angry orc."

A voice from behind you says.

You turn, to see two more men wielding knives.

"Listen, sir. Give us your coins, and we'll see you find your way to where you're going."
> You charge the men
You run forward, swinging your blade. You slash the throat of one of the men and he topples backwards. The second man cuts your shoulder deeply, and you grab his head and smash it repeatedly against a wall, crushing it into a pulp. You feel another knife slash your back and you yell, twisting around to jab another man through the eye and kill him. The two remaining men seem nervous, but one runs forward in a burst of courage. He dives forward, sticking his knife through your arm, causing you to drop your knife. With your other hand you grab him, and push your thumb through his eye as he screams, before stomping on his head until he's a smear on the floor. By then, the final man had left, running as fast as he could.
> You collapse
You fall to the ground with a thud, and lose consciousness. When you wake up, you're in the back of Dendar's cart, with Gruzub next to you.

"What happened?"

"You killed a lot of people, collapsed, and I dragged you here."

"Ah. I'm still alive, then. Good."

"We'll get you medical help when we get back to the village."

"Good." You grunt.

"Well done with the thieves, Mazkil. You've proven yourself a true Orc."
> One year later...
Orc Tribal Customs are simple. The Chieftain's sons fight, and the winner takes over for him when the Chieftain is killed or reaches forty. Papa has just hit forty, so something you've been preparing for all your life. You sit next to Gruzub in front of the Shrine of Gorgok, the Warrior God, praying silently.

"I'll try not to kill you, you know." Gruzub says quietly.

"I'll try not to kill you." You reply.

"Papa killed his brother." Gruzub notes. "Death is quiet likely for one of us."

"Grandpapa didn't kill his brother." You add.

"Fair point. Whatever it comes down to, I love you. You are my brother, and I would be proud to be killed by you."

"Well, I'm great and mighty. Everyone I kill should be proud of it." You chuckle.

"I take it back, I'm killing you, you prick."

You both laugh, as Papa arrives. He quietly removes his tribal beads, and drapes them around the Shrine.

"Ah. My neck feels bare." He sighs. "Boys, tomorrow is going to be the most important day of your life. One of you will become the victor and chieftain, the other will fall and may die. I just want you to both know I feel nothing but pride towards you."

You struggle not to tear up, and by the way Gruzub is tensing, you know he's also struggling.

"I've always treated you as my father treated me, stern but loving. Whatever you become, be it Chieftain, Warrior, Mercenary or even a whining baker, you will be the greatest at it there's ever been."

Your father nods, and lays his great sword in front of the Shrine.

"It's late. Go, sleep, rest up."

You nod, and stand and begin heading to the hut. As you walk, Gruzub begins to chuckle.

"What?" You ask.

"Do you remember the time when we were boys when we tried to make a glider out of chicken feathers?"

You laugh.

"And we were standing on top of the mountain, with you about to jump." You add.

Gruzub nods, smiling.

"And you yanked me back when you realized chickens can't fly." Gruzub smiles.

"Ha! You would've died! Remember when we caught our first boar?" You smile.

"Yeah. I ate so much boar that night I almost puked."

"That was the mead, Gruzub."

"I miss those days."Gruzub nods.

You arrive at the hut, and you grab Gruzub in a hug.

"Good luck tommorow." You say.

"Good luck."

You both go to bed, scared and nervous about tomorrow.
> The next day...
You stand, fully armored in plated steel, next to Gruzub and the Shrine of Gorgok. Priest Jinser stands by the shrine, holding two short swords.

"Gorgok! Watch over this fight and please bless these warriors. Watch over this fight and see that the greatest Chieftain is chosen!" The Priest wails.

He holds the two swords out, and you grab one. Gruzub grabs the other.

"Let the fight commence! First to render the other unable to stand wins!"

You take up a fighting stance, as does Gruzub. You slowly move forward, before you both swing your blades. Sparks fly as they collide, and the battle commences. You land the first blow, smacking into Gruzub's chest as he stumbles backwards. He draws blood first, slashing open a small bit of unprotected arm. It's obvious that you're the far superior fighter, with Gruzub struggling to avoid your attacks. Then, the Fates pluck your string.
> You pluck
An eagle, far above you, drops a small turtle from a great height, hoping it's shell will shatter on the ground. The turtle smacks into your head, knocking you backwords. Gruzub takes advantage of your confusion, stepping forward and thrusting his blade. The blade enters you chest, Gruzub carefully avoiding your organs but thrusting deep enough to cause you to scream. When he withdraws, blood spurts out, and you struggle to stand.

"The Fates seem to dislike Mazkil." The Priest notes loudly, though you barely listen.

Gruzub continues to attack, and you barely manage to defend yourself. Eventually, he kicks your leg and you fall backwards. This leaves your throat exposed, for Gruzub to easily slash your throat and make sure you fall and never get up.
> You try to regain a fighting stance
To your surprise, Gruzub hesitates, before taking up fighting stance again, allowing you to gain a defensive position to defend your open throat and stop your demise. Your energy waning, you decide to take one final effort to defeat Gruzub. He swings his sword at your legs, attempting to floor you, but you block the shot and head butt him. He falls backwards, and you swing your blade, smacking into his head. His helmet flies into the air, leaving his head and neck unguarded. You know you don't have enough energy to continue fighting.
> You behead Gruzub
You swing your blade down with a roar. You sword connects with his neck, and his head falls to the ground. You drop to your knees, looking at your dead brother. You barely comprehend the Priest grabbing your hand and holding it up, loudly proclaiming you the victor. Papa walks over, draping the Tribal Chieftain beads and necklaces around your neck. Mama walks out and gently kisses your head, before closing Gruzub's eyes on his decapitated head. The Priest has the body taken away to be burned to ensure it makes it to the afterlife. You struggle not to weep for your brother, while Papa kneels down to talk to you.

"You are Chieftain now, Mazkil. Chieftain Mazkil Redblade, leader of the Red Blades. You will lead the tribe to greatness. Tonight, we celebrate. We celebrate your ascension to chieftain, we celebrate the great fight, we celebrate your brother's journey to the Afterlife. He fought so well I'm sure Gorgok himself is Gruzub's cup-bearer."

You nod. The path you're going down is set. Gone are dreams of becoming a mercenary or a raider. Now, you are a Chieftain.
> You continue
The Path of the Chieftain

You sit on the small wooden Chief's Throne in the Main Hall. Tribal Necklaces and Beads are around your neck, feeling a lot heavier than they are thanks to the guilt and grief from Gruzub's death. Papa has vacated his role as chief completely and given all his responsibilities to you, taking Mama and leaving to a small farm up the mountain, leaving you in charge. Still, he's left you with two lieutenants and advisors, Elder Doct and Thraka Flameborn.

Elder Doct is an aging Orc, the oldest in your village. She is a traditionalist, who had fond memories of the old days when warriors fought duels for honor and farms were farmed by hand with hoes rather than with mules and donkeys. She values older values like honor, isolationism and keeping the village moral and traditional.

Thraka Flameborn is the polar opposite of Doct. He is one of the few Orc Mages, specialized in pyromatics and flame-based magics. He is a very modern and progressive orc, who wants for the industrialization and modernization of the village as well as a better relationships with the outside world.

The pair enter the Main Hall, and begin approaching you. Elder Doct is in ancient, dusty armor from his days as a warrior, and has a face like a wrinkled, rotting prune, while Thraka Flameborn is a younger, smaller Orc who looks like a child playing dress up with his father's red Mage Robes.

Huh. Perhaps you are still bitter and angry at the world because of your brother's death.

"Congratulations at you ascension to Chieftain, Chieftain Mazkil." Elder Doct says happily.

"My brother just died."

"Oh... Yes, sorry, Chieftain." Doct apologizes.

"What's the issue?" You ask.

"Raiders have been spotted at the Eastern Woods, by Jagik Longstride. She says they've been camped there for at least three days, raiding surrounding farms and market caravans." Thraka says.

"What am I to do, then?" You ask.

"You should grab your sword and lead our warriors to wipe them out." Elder Doct says.

You grab your father's long sword, or your long sword now. It's a massive steel blade, the blade inscribed with Orc Runes. It's been handed down your family for four generations, when your great grandfather shattered his family sword on an Elven Shield.

"Where are the men?"

"Down at the armoury." Thraka adds.
> You head to the armory
You sling the sword over you shoulder, and begin marching towards the armory. The Orcs are all standing around, wearing plate armor and chainmail, wielding swords, axes and maces. They respond to your arrival with eagerness and bloodthirstiness.

"Ah! The Chieftain's here! Time for battle!" One of them says gleefully.

Because of your age, you know you quickly need to take charge and show your dominence.

"Alright men! We had killing to do! On my lead!" You shout.

You begin marching towards the Eastern Woods, followed by the the Orcs. With that, you begin leading your War Party towards bloodshed.
> Two Hours Later...
You spot smoke just in the distance, where the raiders are presumably camped.

"Orcs!" You loudly whisper. "To arms! We'll wipe out the fiends to the last man."

You move forward slowly, further through the woods. You arrive at the edge of a small glade. There is a large opening where there's several dozen tents. A group of around thirty Orcs wearing chainmail armor and wielding axes, short swords and maces. You give a few hushed orders to various Orcs to target the various flanks to make sure not a single raider survives. Then, you raise your sword.

"CHARGE!" You roar, sprinting forward.

The Raiders are quickly taken by surprise, grabbing any nearby weapons and raising them in defense. You swing your sword, which bites into one of their necks and beheads him in one clean sweep. You kick a second to the floor with one swift kick to the head, knocking him to the floor. You raise your sword and stab downwards, going through the raider's stomach. Within a few seconds, the fighting is over. The raiders have been quickly wiped out to the last orc, leaving none alive.

"This was quicker than I had hoped." One of the Orcs remarks.

"Orders, Chieftain?" Another asks, turning to you.

"Burn the tents, the bodies and take anything worth taking." You reply.

"Yes, Chieftain Mazkil."

Your men quickly begin removing armor, weapons and jewelry from the dead Orcs, and wrapping their corpses in tents. Once this is finished with all the corpses, they set the wrapped corpses alight, which quickly begin burning. You sniff the air, and smell the delicious smell of sizzling flesh.

"Chieftain! I counted the amount of beds versus corpses. Twenty dead raiders, but there's over eighty beds."

"There's more! We believe there's at least sixty more raiders off on a mission at the moment. Orders, Chieftain?"

One of the Orcs, one of the very few archers you've brought, Kanim Darkwit, steps forward.

"Sir. The Raiders will be hungry and tired. They'll be here soon. We can lay an ambush. There's a good vantage point in one of the trees..."

"Coward! Where's your honor, boy?" Another Orc, Jakku Bearsbane, roars. "We're not abandoning all honor and reason in favor of hiding like does! We find the raiders, and wipe them out to the last man."
> You return to the village
"Curse the Gods, I'm not wasting my time out here in a freezing, empty forest waiting for what could be days, weeks even, for the raiders to return, all while subsiding on nuts and berries like a fucking chipmunk. We head back to the village for a warm meal and a large drink."

"Yes, Chieftain." The Orcs all bark back.

You wipe the blood off your longsword on the wet grass, and turn to begin the long walk home.
> You head back to the village
The next day, you walk along the street, Thraka and Doct off managing your work for a while. You survey your village. Children are brawling in the streets, the elders are drinking and the adults are working. Everything's good. You think to yourself. You notice a young Orc woman who's name you haven't learnt, and feel a pang in your heart as you notice how beautiful she is. You feel a pang in another place, but that's neither here nor there. You realize that one of, and perhaps the best, duty of the Chieftain is to have a heir to the throne and get married. You'll try find someone soon enough. Not today, though. You continue strolling around the village, before you notice at the edge of town, a trail of caravans approaching. You raise an eyebrow, as there are no scheduled caravans set to arrive over the next few days. You walk up, and to your surprise, notice the caravaneers are not the Orcs you're used to seeing. They're all men. Usually there's a few men mixed in with the Orcs that run the caravans. You walk over to the caravan.

"Hey! Who are you, then?" You ask loudly.

The Humans on board are wearing red cloth with gold Eagle symbols embroidered on them.

"Greetings! I am Giorgio Lates. I am a merchant from the Kingdom of Mankind."

"I recognize the sigil. What do you want?"

"I am a merchant, kind sir. Orcs are famous for their steelwork, and I had the pleasure of working with some Orc Mercenaries. They're blades, axes and maces are unrivaled, except for Elvish blades, which are as easy to find as an honest merchant. Which, you so happen to have found." Giorgio says, winking.

"You wish to buy blades?"

"Buy? Not exactly. I doubt you have much use for my gold. I wish to swap, to barter, to trade."

"For what?"

"We have much to trade. Food, Drink, Steel, Iron, Wool, Jewelry, Gold, Silver and much, much more. We wish to open up a trade route between here and the Empire." Giorgio grins.

You frown. Traders are prone to take advantage of humble villages like yours. The Village is also dedicated to crops, farm work and general self-sufficiency. To increase your smithing and weapons production, you'd need to sacrifice your self-sufficiency. Still, it could increase your village's profit and the standard of living.
> You agree to trade with the Kingdom of Man
"Yes. Yes... I like this plan. I will expand the blacksmith's, and begin producing weapons for the Kingdom of Man."

"Ah! Fantastic, Sir!" Giorgio replies happily. "I promise, you won't regret this. I'll increase the amount of caravans coming up here, and have the first few stuffed with a little... gift, a show of appreciation. I've you've never had Elk, or Trout, or Lamb, you'll enjoy the caravans."

"It'll take us some time to begin producing weapons, but once we're started we'll be able to produce quite a bit."

"Ah, good, good." Giorgio grins.

You negotiate the smaller details and offer the merchants each a bed and mead, but they politely refuse to head back down the mountain. Despite Giorgio's friendliness, it's quite obvious most of the other merchants and guards were unnerved by being so deep in Orc territory. Still, you think this trade deal with greatly benefit the Red Blades.
> Three Days Later...
You sit on your throne in the Main Hall, in the midst of a feast to celebrate the death of Chieftain Dadic, your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather, who was brutally stabbed to death by Elven Assassins. Despite being unarmed, surprised and quite old, he put up a grand fight. Twenty Elves entered this very great hall to assassinate him, three went out. Thraka and Dokt stand on either side of you. For once, they both agree on what you should do, although Thraka's much more brutally honest.

"Find a girl to fuck." He says.

"What Thraka Flameborn means is..."

"To get your dick inside a girl." Thraka laughs, to Dokt's embarrassment and frustration.

"Chieftain, every Chieftain needs one to share their soul with. You need a mate." Dokt says.

You survey the room. You spot a young Orc girl dancing in the crowd. She's small and cute, and you briefly make eye contact. She gives you a flirty wink. A pretty girl would do good to help you survive the cold winter nights.

Making use of the drink and food is a tall warrior. Her head is cut short and she has a large, impressive blade on her side. A warrior is someone you could relate to and respect as a mate.

One the opposite side (both of the room and orientation), a youngish Orc stands quietly, a leatherbound book in his hands. He looks intelligent, but also has soft features and a nice smile, which he quickly flashes at you.

Finally, there's a massive beat of an Orc holding a blade that could cleave horses in half with one blow leans against a wall. You recognize him as Ironsoul, a fantastic warrior notorious for spending large amounts of time in brothels in the company of Orcs who choose to have an adventurous life working in the brothel rather than on the battlefield.
> You talk to the dancing Orc
You walk over to the dancing orc, and smile.

"Hello."

"Hi." She replies cheerfully.

"I am Chieftain Mazkil."

She giggles.

"Obviously. I make sure I know the name of the Chieftain."

"Ah. Good." You reply, awkwardly.

You realize while you're very skilled and courageous in the art of warfare, you suck at flirting. Thankfully, she's better and very interested.

"I am Sarunt. So, do you want to get a drink, Mazkil?"

You nod eagerly, and head over to the drink stand.
> You continue spending time with Sarunt
You spend the next few hours talking with your newfound mate. Sarunt is quite intelligent and flirty, almost your exact opposite. You'll make sure that your relationship continues and develops into what could be a prosperous marriage.
> Four Weeks Later...
You sit on your throne, resting your head on your blade as Thraka Flameborn and Elder Dokt tell you about the village's state of affairs.

"There's been a change in the management of the College of Alexandria. They've begun to accept Orc students." Thraka says to you.

"Well, this is very good for racial relations, but what do the Red Blades care?"

"There are many more profitable jobs that can be found if you work in the College. We could greatly improve their lives."

"These jobs would take these people away from profiting the Red Blades, cost massive amounts of money, and mots likely they wouldn't receive these jobs for being Orcs. These students wouldn't be able to get the jobs, and they wouldn't be taught how to farm or fight, so when they came back here without jobs, they couldn't work here."

"The Elder exaggerates greatly. There's plenty of work ot be found, especially with Orcs. Learning at the College of Alexandria would mean that our children would have better lives."

You briefly consider the thought. Perhaps the Young Orcs would have better lives in and after the College, but it would definitely take away from the tribe's size, and perhaps the Orcs would be left untrained in manual labor or the ability to find actual work after discrimination stops them from finding educated work.
> You send young Orcs to the College
You decide to send these young Orcs to the College. You want them to have a better life than you and your ancestors have had, and make sure the Orcs aren't left out in the education world.
> Five Weeks Later...
You sit on the Throne, looking over hunting cycles. Gemin's Point is good hunting ground, but it could lead to fighting between the Dead Bone Tribe, who also uses the area. You could send hunters there, not send hunters there, or the third and by far the greatest option, fall on your own sword and end the painful trial worse than any other Orc has endured of doing crop rotations or hunting areas.

You hear yells outside, and the doors to the town hall is kicked open. A group of six Orcs appear, dragging a brutally beaten man with them.

"Chieftain! We have found a man in our territory, the goat fucker." One of the Orcs yells, tossing the man in front of you. "He's been hunting our deer and boar for weeks, it seems."

"Explain yourself, human, before I release my warriors to tear you apart."

"Sir, please." He says, begging. "I'm from the village of Eckleglade. It was destroyed by an Elvish Assault Party, and we were forced to flee. Many of us headed to the hills and mountains, to hide from Elvish attacks, and formed small camps up there. I was only trying to hunt to feed my family."

"Sir, orders?" One of the Orcs asks you. "Shall I take his head?"
> You have the Trespasser executed
"Hmmm... Where are the camps, trespasser?"

"Sir, if I tell you..."

"Don't preside to know who I am or what I'll do, trespasser."

"They're at the Morinspeck Mines, sir."

"Good."

You stand, and swing your blade. The Man doesn't have time to blink before his head falls to the ground, rolling onto the floor. You turn to your men.

"Send warriors up to Morinspeck Miens. Force them out, and kill anyone who resists or refuses to go."

"Yes, Chieftain." They say cheerily, running off to find armor and weapons.

"Well, that takes care of that problem." You think, kicking the head aside.
> Five Weeks Later...
"Chieftain! Chieftain!"

"Yes?" You ask.

You're met with a young Orc, a cousin of yours, who reminds you of Gruzub. You feel a twang of guilt, before deciding that in honor of Gruzub, you're going to kill this Orc if he brings up something like the placement of the new well or whether to build the new stable of stone or wood.

"There's a disaster up at the Kes Nests."

"Disaster? That's a strong word."

"It's accurate. A group of Zombies have engaged a Red Dragon perched on the mountain."

"If Death and Destruction met on a Road." You quote, remembering one of the few books you read as a child.

"What?" The Orc grunts.

"The Poem, where the Grim Reaper meets the Mother of Dragons on a road. They debate their roles, with the Grim Reaper saying how his job is necessary ot prevent overpopulation, while the Mother of Dragons says that she prevents empires from wiping out all... What the fuck am I doing? I'm not explaining a children's poem to you."

"Sorry Chieftain. The Warriors are suggesting you lead a party up there."

"To do what?"

The Orc shrugs.
> You lead an army up to the Kes Nests
"Assemble the warriors." You say. "Get me a group of sixty warriors who are hungry for blood."

You have the group assembled, and quickly begin making your way up the mountain. About halfway up, you begin to regret it.

"It's cold, my feet hurt and I'm fucking tired." You grunt as you trudge up the mountain.

"Damn right, Mazkil." Urug Eaglebow says.

You look further up the mountain, and hear the howls and rasps of the dead as well as the roars and screeches of the dragon. There's few dragons up here, so you presume this Red Dragon fighting is Mont Pre'Igni Rubrum, a near unpronounceable name, or the Volcano of Gargarum. The Undead are no doubt deserters from the Necromancer's Army. You reach the top of mountain, at the edge of a crater. At the center, a large group of two dozen undead soldiers armed with spears and swords are attempting to kill the dragon. It seems the undead are very unmatched.
> You fight both the Dragon and the Undead
You charge forward, your blade swinging.

"Go! Send the dead back to their graves and the dragon to Gorgok's Trophy Room!"

You behead one of the undead, its rotting skull flying through the air. You feel a blade slash your back, before a jet of flame sets you alight, melting your skull.
> You death
You let out a pitiful scream as your life is taken from you.


"Assemble the warriors." You say. "Get me a group of sixty warriors who are hungry for blood."

You have the group assembled, and quickly begin making your way up the mountain. About halfway up, you begin to regret it.

"It's cold, my feet hurt and I'm fucking tired." You grunt as you trudge up the mountain.

"Damn right, Mazkil." Urug Eaglebow says.

You look further up the mountain, and hear the howls and rasps of the dead as well as the roars and screeches of the dragon. There's few dragons up here, so you presume this Red Dragon fighting is Mont Pre'Igni Rubrum, a near unpronounceable name, or the Volcano of Gargarum. The Undead are no doubt deserters from the Necromancer's Army. You reach the top of mountain, at the edge of a crater. At the center, a large group of two dozen undead soldiers armed with spears and swords are attempting to kill the dragon. It seems the undead are very unmatched.
> You attack the Undead
"Send the dead back to their graves!" You roar, charging into battle.

You swing your blade, beheading a rotting head and sending it through the air. You stab another through the heart, killing him instantly. You headbutt another, with such strength that the spine breaks and the zombie collapses on the ground. The undead are so unmatched that they're wiped out within seconds. You turn, to the snarling face of a dragon. It's voice, a low growl, shakes your very core.

"Orcs... Why have you come to my home?"

"I... I came to help." You say nervously. "I wanted to make sure this fight doesn't move into my territory."

"A wise move, mortal. Your assistance was unnecessary, but polite. Please, let me give you a gift."

The Dragon turns and stomps away into a cave. A few minutes later, it comes back. It opens its mouth, letting golden coins and gems fall out. Not a massive amount, but enough to fund the building of a new well and to get new bows for the hunters.

"Thank you, mighty dragon." You say.

"Of course."

You bow, and begin trudging down the mountain.
> One Month Later...
You walk up a mountain, trudging through the harsh snow. You're cold despite being wrapped in furs and leathers, and you really need to piss, but you know that if you tried, your dick would freeze off. You lost three farmers and a dozen goats to a Frost Troll wandering down from the mountain in the cold, icy winter that's just started. You're taking a five war parties of twenty warriors each to wipe out any trolls up in the mountains. You lead the main war party of the best warriors who wish to target the cave system most likely to hold sheltering trolls. Wind and snow begins to block your view. You know you need to find shelter soon.
> You hunker down in the cold
You drop down, putting up whatever tents you have. You crawl inside, wrapping furs and leathers around you.  You hope the storm clears up soon. Within an hour and a half, the cold is so brutal that you lose all feeling. The snow's bad you have no idea where you're going. After four hours of waiting, you feel a sudden sensation of warmth. You begin unstrapping your armor to cool down. You're hot and tired. A quick nap in the snow would be nice...