[Open] Through the Valley and into the Mountains

[Ebonywood Hellscythe]

Open. Just PM me or tell me first, I'm not gonna say no, but wait for me to give you some extra details first (like notes and stuff). Player characters can come along it they want, although I'm writing Original Secondary Characters. This is sort of a side project, somewhere for me to write when everywhere else slows down, dunno how long it'll get. I'll make an OOC thread if needed. My posts will be whenever, but I don't mind if someone completely hijacks the thread and double or triple posts (nor do I care about post size). Just let me know if you're joining and when you're posting (so I don't start writing at the same time).

In general...

Characters:
I haven't thought about much. For mine, just try to follow of my lead. As long as you don't contradict what they've done, I really don't mind. You can't write them out of character since they don't have a character yet. Just don't kill them off or start and violence without consulting me.

Terrain and area stuff:
Generic medival village stuff, mostly surrounded my unscalable mountains, has a cave that got turned into a mine. There's one clear exit, and that's following through a valley (a river is at the bottom, and to the side of it there's a raised path) for some distance. The valley curves and zig-zags so it's hard to see far. There's a lake at the end of the river on the town side. The town is on fairly low ground, so you have to go up hill when leaving, even through the valley.

Use your imagination for fascilities. It's probably a self sufficient area. There's room for some farms and livestock. Fishing. Starvation usually wouldn't be a problem. Probably a blacksmith, but for mining tools. They likely used to export metals and stuff for rarer materials.

People:
About 200 or so. Possibly more. About as large as it can be where most people will know each other, at least by name. I reckon that since everyone is able to know each other personally (so ignorance of others is very lacking), the few elves or dwarves and such that live there won't be discriminated against in most cases.

TL;DR: Basically, as long as you don't contradict any former posts, I don't mind. Consider this like improv. Which it kind of is because unlike my usual writing I don't know where this'll end up until I write it. That said, I do have some "canon" I want to happen over the next few posts, so PM for stuff on that and joining advice.

James sat on the front of his trading wagon, idly reading a book while his horse did the work. This was a quiet road, hidden along a valley. It would reach nightfall by the time he arrived at his destination, but he wasn't worried about being ambushed. No bandits had deemed this a worthwhile road to patrol - James was the only person that tended to trade here, it was profitable, but even then he only came once a month. Camelot was usually fairly safe in terms of monsters as well, so in his assumed safety, his eyes rarely flickered to the road.

The valley basin was reasonably wide and flat, in this time of summer the river tended to recline on the left side (the right if leaving) allowing him the luxury of simple and easy travel - even if it curved, the general path was still simple. Occasionally in spring, he had to make two trips with a smaller cart. That was hell, but he liked trading with the people. He brought many things to the town, such as books, furs, clothes, potions, medical supplies, occasionally even jewellery if asked for. In return, he took refined metals, coal, tools, and sometimes weapons and armour - this was what he sold later down the line. It was worth much more than the supplies he brought in, yet he was the only person the exploited the route. He didn't particularly see it as unfair, after all, the supplies he gave in were worth much more to the village than what he left with. When he thought back to previous conversations, he realised both he and the villagers felt they were getting an unevenly good side of the deal.

On this particular trip, he had a very small selection of books on farming, mining, and smithing techniques in addition to the large stack of animal furs and writing supplies. As a token of good will, he threw in a few fictional additions. One was a thick, large book - he'd heard good things about it. Another was a smaller book designed to help teach people to read and write, yet accompanied with a small story. And the last one, the one he was ever so close to finishing, was a fun lighthearted adventure novel. It had seemed childish at first, but to him in his uniform normal life, it felt exciting. He was sure some of the town children would love it - if only more of them had got into reading for fun. It was a shame, he thought. A shame how children were beginning to grow up there without seeing the world.

The Omniverse hadn't changed James much. He'd always been a trader, and that continued here. Although he did recognise that one well meaning prime could easily drive him out of business. But he supposed he could always provide transport instead. He'd done that in the past.

Clip. Clop. Crack. Swoosh. Crack. Splash.

A stray rock collided with the stream, ripples hidden by its current. He'd considered trading using the river, but it was only suitable for one-way transport. And was perhaps too shallow. Maybe in spring, but not right now.

In near perfect sync, James closed the book, reaching the ending with a smile on his bearded face while a voice echoed out. 

"Hey, look. James is here!"

James looked up reactively at the sound, his short black hair shifting slightly. The voice was young, and a tad deeper than one might expect. It was hard for him to remember everyone's names, so to the annoyance of James, he didn't recognise the child. He did, however, manage to identify some of the other faces in the crowd. David, a stern looking middle aged bloke. Much gruffer than James, and with rugged black hair and a beard to fit the image. He was the formal mayor of the town. Lyra, David's daughter, a growing girl soon to be on the verge of adulthood, probably in her mid teens. She was easily recognisable by her overly long mess of blond hair, always asking if James brought books for her. Garreth, an old balding man with wisps of grey hair was the last key face James's eyes met. He had a bent back and walked with a cane, generally being respected by most due to his knowledge, enough to warrant the unofficial position of Village Elder.

Upon travelling through the wooden arch, signifying entrance to the town's boundaries, it was early than he expected. Yet the mountains shielded the location from light. The sky was turning orange, yet the ground was mostly dark with the exception of the illuminating torches. Pleasantries were exchanged between the adults while Lyra impatiently waited for a gap in conversation. Seeing this, James smiled. "Perhaps we should finalise the details of trade tomorrow when we're all rested. For now, I could do with something warm to fill my belly and a good night's rest," he hinted. Continuing, he raised the bonus selection of books between his hands. Lyra perked up, anticipating what was going to happen. "Also, Lyra, I've got a little something for the section of the library you seem to dominate." Garreth chuckled at this while Lyra jumped forwards snatching the stack out of James's hands, looking at them with beaming eyes.

David sighed slightly, shaking his head and lightly pushing the girl's shoulder. "Don't you have something to say first?"

Lyra wobbled, her focus was entirely on the books. After steadying herself, she sheepishly looked up. "Umm... oh. Sorry... Wait! I meant to thank you!" She paused and mumbled something about being unsure whether she needed to apologise. "Thanks for the books! And sorry for umm... grabbing them. But thanks, and-"

"It's OK Lyra, I appreciate the enthusiasm. Just remember to share." James grinned, cutting off her erratic array of comment. In truth, he didn't know if she would even need to share, but he hoped she would. Not to take books away from her, but he wanted reading to become more common place. It was a good pastime.

From there, the usual routine continued. They ate together at the Inn. While it was more often used as an informal town hall, on select days, and those where James was due, it tended to open. People ate slightly more than usual, some had ale to drink but James usually refused. Today, however, he accepted. He had no plans to leave in the following morning, and business could always be done in the afternoon. The Inn was fairly full, with perhaps a few dozen people filling the tables. It was a rare occasion, as the cost made it unaffordable on a regular basis. The town used standard copper coins for currency instead of bartering with goods as they had in the past. While they acted more like tokens due to the roughly equal pay most people received, James had to spend some time explaining basic economic concepts to David to insure the system stayed stable. Garreth already knew much of what James had said, so he'd felt assured at the time that it would work out.

Amidst the chatter, banter, and friendly telling of stories, Lyra interjected a comment into the conversations. "Take me with you."

James blinked, turning his head. He'd expected her to have already retired for the night. Although, before he could reply or even consider what she was likely asking, David snapped a response. "No. That's out of the question. We've already talked about this. You are safe here. You can be happy here. And I need you to be my heir." He sighed. "I know you want to explore the world, but it's dangerous. You're a smart girl, and it would make me happy to know I have someone to rely on."

"But you have Garreth!"

"Garreth is old. He may be wise, but he's old. And I want to be able to join him with no regrets, eventually."

Lyra crossed her arms. "But Dad, you're not even that old, so you don't need me yet."

David smiled at the first comment, before adopting a more serious expression for his response. "What if I get injured? What if I get sick? What if there are two issues at once, and I can only attend one of them? I need you here, Lyra. Even if you're not a leader yet, I need you to learn." 

James stayed silent, people were beginning to visibly listen in on the conversation, staring at the argument.

"Then you can get someone else to do it! Come on. Just one month. I'll be back with James next time. Please."

In truth, James agreed with Lyra somewhat. David could be a very controlling individual, so even if she agreed with him, she was likely disagreeing or arguing out of principle, just to see if she could. She was at that awkward age after all. Although, he didn't know how interesting she'd find it. Travel wasn't always as fun as in the books. Still, he planned to head back to Minas Tirith and perhaps even Dalaran before his next visit here, so if she stayed near him and didn't get lost, everything should be fine. James wasn't usually very good at dealing with children though, especially teenagers. It was only due to Lyra's intellect and respect for him that he was able to work with her.

"No. That doesn't change that fact that it's dangerous out there, isn't it James?"

James blinked, briefly meeting eyes with David. "It can be, yes. You never know what kind of person you'll meet. Especially here in the Omniverse. But, Camelot is one of the safest places there is right now, I haven't met any monsters since coming here, and the only time I was almost robbed, guards stopped it. People are after the cargo, not the person. So, really, I wouldn't mind taking here. I can't assure her safety fully, I'm not a fighter, but I'd do my best." James stopped, seeing Lyra grinning at him. "The decision doesn't lie with me, however."

"No. It doesn't." David frowned, not getting the answer he wanted, nor expected. "The fact is, I need you here. And outside is more dangerous than being in our village. You're staying, and that's final."

Lyra huffed, turning around and leaving. The mood was broken shortly but soon repaired itself as the chatter continued.

The following day, business went about as usual for the town. People farming, mining, fishing, tending to livestock. There wasn't really much battering with James's trade here. It was simply an "I'll give you everything I brought and you give me everything you have to offer." If he wished, James could definitely have exploited the village more, but he didn't want that. He was good at heart, and both sides were happy with it. By the evening, James's wagon was filled mostly with tools and other pieces of metal. He'd spent much of the day walking around the town and catching up with some of the other locals, but Lyra was nowhere to be found. David had commented she was likely sulking somewhere, probably in her room.

The day after, thick clouds filled the sky, shading the landscape. It was grim and grey, but it was time for James to leave. After attaching his horse to the covered wagon, he waved and said he goodbyes as he rode out of the arc. He was a bit disheartened Lyra never got to say goodbye to him, but he figured he would still see the girl next time. A month didn't feel long to him anymore, but it probably would for her. He just hoped David wasn't too hard on the girl, the man was well meaning - just overly protective. 

As before, James paid little attention to the path ahead of him, only glancing idly. Sadly for him, he didn't have a book to read. He'd only just passed the first of many bends, blocking his vision from the few people that remained at the arch to wave, yet he was already bored.

Crash.

---

Lyra had a plan. It was a good plan, but one her father wouldn't approve of. James would though. He'd even said he would take her with him, he just couldn't because David wouldn't let him. It was a fairly simple idea, she just had to sneak under the covering of the trading wagon until James had left the village. The day prior she prepared a bag full of her supplies and belongings, and then very early on the day of the event she set up some snacks and food for herself to last some days. She didn't think James would have much extra food with him. 

It worked reasonably well at the start, although the hard metal tools pushing against her were sure to leave bruises, she was certain it would be worth it. She wanted to see the world, at least some of it. She was responsible enough to leave a written message that she knew Garreth would probably be reading within the next half hour. The man always checked on her at the library at that time, so would surely find the letter the left.

Crash.

Lyra shuffled, hearing the sound of rock colliding with rock. Whatever it was shattered and sprayed into the river, evident by the following scatter of plops and scraping sounds.

"What the..." She heard James's voice speak in confusion, although it was muffled by the thick fabric cover.

The cart jolted forwards, the horse attempting to run as fast as it could, yet slowed by the heavy metal it had to drag behind it.

"Dammit." The voice was much more frantic this time, panic filling the tone. It scared Lyra, she didn't know what was happening, but the shunt had buried her under some of the metal, making it hard for her to move. She'd tried to speak but the pressure against her lungs starved her of breath.

"Oof." A few tearing sounds followed James exhale as a weight shifted off the cart. "I'm gonna miss you, buddy." Lyra faintly heard the man's rugged mumbling as the cart began to slow down.

"No! Stay back! Leav-" Two screams followed James's final cry.

That of a horse, and that of its rider.

Lyra froze in the still moving cart, crying of fear.

Slam.

The cart stopped abruptly, Lyra's head slamming into the wooden side - dazing her. It tipped, rolling onto its side after crashing into the uneven rocky valley wall. The covering fell, yet under the crushing mass of tools the girl could barely see anything besides an inhuman shape. Her breath caught in her throat as she froze, staring at the monster. Red liquid dripped from its body.

It swung a limb at her. She could see little, and couldn't even make out the colour of its body from the shaded early light, yet through the newly formed gaps, she saw what she perceived as its head turn back along the valley, towards her home.

As more of a token gesture, it swung again, this time causing a hard piece of metal to crash into Lyra's head. Her body fell limp as the pile slowly fell out. Should anyone have been looking, mere seconds after her loss of consciousness the monster was gone.

Long post because I'm setting the setting. Later ones will probably be shorter.