Onyx's Choice: Start

Part 1 (Start)

Work has become increasingly hard to come by. Most cities and city-states have enough willing bodies and readily turn away individuals like yourself; but Stonebridge has proven itself to be different, to be ready and able to take on new artisans to fuel its booming economy.

Unfortunately, “artisan” implies some form of skilled labor. Untrained and inexperienced, you have only one career path available to you – one that those of your disposition have inherited generation after generation: mercenary work. It doesn’t take much to lob a sword at someone; and by the same logic, it takes an equally low about of training to lob a sword at something.

Kelly, the Lord of Stonebridge, singled you out personally with an assignment the moment you passed through the gates. The details were unquestionably vague: there was a creature that lived a few miles west of the city that was causing problems for the populace. For all he told you it could be a rabid squirrel, a feral wolf, or a towering grizzly; but he promised you would “know it when you saw it!”

Reflecting back on the job several hours later, you realize it was far too good to be true. The nobleman had paid you well: enough gold coins to eat for a week up front with an equal amount promised after the work was done. Kelly had armed and armored you with basic leather armor, sturdy boots, and a newly crafted sword. You had even received a complimentary mug of ale and a sizable lunch before having been set on your merry way.

But the Lord of Stonebridge’s subtle promise had held true. You did know the creature when you saw it – and you knew that it was a lot worse than a grizzly, wolf, or mouth-frothing squirrel.

The creature’s lair was a cave, hollowed out of the interior of a large mound-like hill. The interior glowed dimly against the fading light of sunset, casting long and eloping shadows across the cavern’s walls and out onto the forest floor beyond.

One such shadow was that of a monster: a being with a roughly human shape but far, far larger. The details, even as you stand and watch, are lost to you – but wings and a tail protrude from the creature’s back, marking it as something feral and sinister. It isn’t just a nuisance, it is a public threat: you have been contracted to kill a dragon.

But, as the sky continues to darken, you realize you are left with an ominous choice. You can confront the creature directly, storming madly into the cave in some vain hope of success. You can sneak in and perhaps take the dragon by surprise – or, at a minimum, learn what exactly you’re getting into before you jump in head first. Or, with luck, you can retreat – take your money and your life and try to make a living somewhere else.