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OLDETOWN

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Traveler’s Pamphlet

Written by J.T. Carlton. Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.

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And then we came to the forest of mouths, and I heard whispers darting between the trees.

Everything in that humid darkness groaned and smelled, and it was not long before I realized,

the rustling sounds weren’t leaves; they were teeth, chattering in the wind. ::

Hello, Traveler. !It is good of you to visit the quiet village of Oldetown. We are humbled by your presence, of course. Such legend, such aura. Your reputation precedes you. !Come, Traveler. Come. We have much to discuss, and much to see. !There are secrets for you here. They wait for you in the forests, the swamps, the mountains and fields. They wait for you in fallen temples, in darkened hallways, in dusty tombs. The people here may pay you no mind, or they may be curious to know your past; we ask that you please respect the other Travelers. It is not every day the denizens of Oldetown encounter an adventurer of your stature. Surely, some will have questions. !Please, Traveler. Check your belongings now. Take a moment to gather your wits. The adventure begins here, and there will be no time for dallying. You’ll want to learn all you can about your new home, here in Oldetown.

Personal Items:

!! !!!There are many lands and landmarks inside the Wall with which you should familiarize yourself. Here, Traveler. Take a moment to glimpse

this basic map…

Now that you’ve had a bird’s eye view, let’s get to know each other a bit. !

What shall we call you?

!!!Personal details are a luxury many of us cannot afford. We’ll learn more about you later. Tell me this, though. What do you remember about your life, before coming to our humble village? !

Memories:

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1 !!!2 !!!3

Write down three short memories. Keep them brief.

Now then, that wasn’t so bad. It’s good to retrace your steps from time to time; it can really save you in a pinch. !There is still much to do, Traveler, and daylight is waning! You do not want to be outside the town proper after sundown. Odd things come about

at night, and folk are known to take on strange behaviors… !!

The first thing we must do is give you a job! Everyone in Oldetown has a job, and you’re no freeloader, I can tell. ! 1 or 14 - Merchant 2 or 11 - Healer 13 or 3 - Dreamer 4 or 19 - Prisoner 5 or 20 - Fortune Teller 6 or 17 - Cook 7 or 12 - Machinist 8 or 10 - Watchman 9 or 16 - Torturer 15 or 18 - ???? !!I think you’ll find it’s rather nice to have a purpose. I had a purpose once, but now I’m just a lowly scrap of parchment. Nevermind that now, though. It’s time for you to meet the Stable Master! !!!!!!!!The Stable Master was once the greatest trainer of beasts in all the world. It was fate, some say, that led him here to Oldetown, and as it turns out, his destiny was to remain a great teacher of beasts, even in this strange land. The Stable Master will give you a Voice. Know your voice, Traveler. Know it well. It may just be the key to your happiness. !!

Roll a D20 to find your job.

The Stable Master has selected a fine specimen of tongue for you! Use a D20 to see which voice will be yours.

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!!! Voice:

!!Ah, very good. I see you’ve found your voice. Don’t worry if you’re not quite sure how to use it just yet. The tongue is a clever muscle. It will find a way. The voice wants to be heard. It is only a matter of time before it comes screaming out. !!!!Well then, Traveler. If you’re quite ready, I think it’s time to set you on your way. Oh, but first, one last little thing. It is customary for each Traveler here to leave one of their possessions in the Keeping Pool. I’ll take you there now. It’s at the center of town. !!Come, Traveler! There’s much work to be done!

1-5 6-8 11-14 15 16-20

EQX c i

As you set about exploring Oldetown, be sure to approach certain areas

with caution. Here in the town proper you’ll find that time feels a bit… different. Your vitality will be stronger here than anywhere else. As you venture out into the countryside, be wary of your decaying essence. If you feel yourself growing weak, be sure to seek aid or drink a potion to restore your strength. These are dangerous times, Traveler. Be sure to keep your wits about you. Here, take this! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Place a picture in this locket for safekeeping. You’ll find that memories aren’t the same in Oldetown, so it’s always best to have something solid to put your eyes on! If you can find a picture of yourself, all the better. Wouldn’t want to be forgotten, now would we?

A simple locket. It looks empty.

Ah, here we are at last! The Keeping Pool. Your journey begins here. The figure in the center gives good luck, if you leave something with him. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Time’s blessings, Traveler.

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Lvl. 1 Complete! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 New Skill Point Available

Appendices

!Rules of play !Ah, yes Traveler. Of course! It is time to learn the law of the land. Play proceeds as follows: !!

1. Wake up 2. Gather your gear 3. Know thyself 4. Explore 5. Survive 6. Find peace

!!That’s all there is to it! !!!!!!!!!!!!What’s that? You want to know more? !Well, I never…

Combat !Should you find yourself in the throws of combat, Traveler, it is wise to know a few basic tenants of battle. !!

1. Determine Your Target 2. Know Your Target’s Weaknesses and Resistances 3. Roll 3D6 4. Add any applicable abilities and focuses 5. Determine the results

!!There, now. That wasn’t so bad, was it? !!When using weapons and armor in combat, it is wise to know the item’s stats! Stats are what determine an item’s physical strength, defense, durability, aura and resistance. Stats allow you to calculate things like hit points, damage, curse, decay, and things like that. If you should

wish to do so, that is…

Common items !Every item is a common item, if you’ve picked it up! !Then again, some items will be very hard to find indeed. It will all make sense in time. Here are a couple tools you should look for as you set out to find your purpose:

A surgeon’s kit.

A basic journeyman’s kit.

Stats !Th e r e a r e t w o b i t s o f information you should know at all times. These are your current Life Points (LP), and your Essence (E). Everything else will come and go, but without Life and Essence, you’ll be doing only going. When you first begin your adventure, you will have 30 Life Points and 10 Essence. As your Essence falls, your Maximum Life Points are reduced by -3 for each Essence point lost. Essence may never be more than 10. !

Leveling !If you want to gain more experience, you’ll have to do some exploring first. Why don’t you venture outside the main village a little bit? Just be back before dark! You know those pesky Trishrieks come ‘round

at night… !You can increase your self worth by completing tasks for other villagers, helping with town restorations, and by fighting off varmints wherever and whenever they arise! Speak with various folks around town to learn more about the different ways in which you can be of service! !Of course, you can always just do your job in peace. No one would ever flog you for that!

Life Points !!!!!!!

Essence !

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Ending the Game !What’s that, Traveler? You think you’re done with this place? !!Oh, ohhh, ah ho! You slay me! !!Of course, there is no way out of Greater Oldetown. You may venture as far into the countryside as you like, but I think you’ll find it quite difficult to reach the Wall; and even if you do reach it, the Wall is impossible to climb. Trust me, Traveler. I think you’ll find it quite lovely here, once you get used to the idea of staying. ! !!!!!!!!!!

N PCs !As you explore more of this sprawling oddity we call Oldetown, you will likely encounter all sorts of wonderful and hideous folk. Be sure to approach every N PC encounter with caution, and an open mind. Many of the villagers are quite harmless, I think you’ll find! !As you discover new N PCs, feel free to keep a journal of your encounters here in these pages. After a while, it gets hard to put a

name to a face… !Met N PCs

Excerpts from a guide for the curing of common ailments.

Some figures are hard to make out.

This page reads: ! “Often it is the case with transplants that the mind comes and goes. While surely this incongruous state could lead to permanent insanity, it is presently believed that the imposition of self-image via a forcible sensory overstimulation device, like the one shown here, is a surefire method of resuming identity in patients suffering from acute memory loss, headaches, tremors, partial amnesia, paralysis, numbness of the cheeks or tongue, resonant sadness, or loss of vision. It is not known at this time how these devices affect the patient’s aura, although the outcome thus far appears amicable at worst.

Not much is known about this treatment, although it is believed to be a method of removing undesirable dreams. You can almost see the relief in the patient’s eyes!

A simple guide for the tying of knots.

A simple guide for the reading of leaves.

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signs of doom

signs of longing

signs of nature

signs of bleeding

strength of aura (counted top to bottom)

A simple guide for the torturing of prisoners.

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A partial blueprint for a Machinist.

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A simple guidebook for the preparing of edibles.

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Boiled Pumpkin Eyes - ! ????????????????????????????????????????????????? !Breath of Mushroom - ! Once you have the mushrooms, simply close your eyes and squeeze. You may want to keep your mouth closed. !Wild Starve Berries - ! Oddly enough, eating these berries will cause starvation. !Horse Fat Borscht - ! ????????????????????????????????????????????????? !Trishriek Stew - ! The legs of a Trishriek are required, fresh on the first night of the kill. Not much else is known. !Screamer Bits - ! Getting the bits is the hard part. !Simple Mead - ! Mead can be purchased in taverns, or from some merchants throughout Oldetown.

Places to Visit !l Northwell (Wishing Pond) !V The Sea of Fingers

(view-tower) !X Forest of the Singing Trees !R Southern Bogs !1 Temples of the Beloved !7 Grave of Spiders !8 Trishriek Fields !t House of Orphans !b Autumnal Pits !s Penniless Hollow !w Chariot of the Dead Sun !u Room of Standing Dragons !!!!!

a Goldside Glen !y The Church of Herr Prottweir Savior of the Disinterred !z Red Stone Temple !e Starve Berry Briar !0 Vanishing Stone Path !3 Smiling Scarecrow !2 Stray Sanctuary !j Offering Place !h The Dancer’s Roadway !g Dr. Sight’s Infirmary !d Slipping Cave !f Warhorse Manor !!

Enjoy !

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Your Stay!