Joining the Woldian League of Adventurers

Note: The following is the role play used by Jan to allow Vauhwyt, played by Cayzle of the Dirt City game, to join the Woldian League of Adventurers. This document is intended as an example of one way to let a character play the joining of an organization. It also gives a little info for those interested in the WLA in Dirt City.

In the unlikely place (not that there IS a likely place in this town) of the upper level Midnight Bazaar, at the southern edge of a labyrinth of shops and stores, a stone's throw from the Prince of Thieves' domain, is a solid, squat building with a bright blue front door. A metal plaque on the wall is embossed with the letters 'W L A'.

When Vauhwyt started working in the Catacombs, she was entranced with the powerful, wonderful people who came to shop for magic items. They were exciting, wealthy, mostly very nice -- and they seemed FREE, free to do whatever they wanted in life.

Ever since then, Vauhwyt has admired those adventurers, and she has wanted to be one! Now she really could be!

The liontaur's hand shook a little as she walked up to the blue door and knocked. "What if they don't like liontaurs?" she thinks to herself. "What if they say I'm not a real adventurer? What if they take my money and throw me out?"

But she stands and waits at the door, trying not to let her fretting show. Her tail, however, betrays her to the educated eye: it lays forlorn and still on the ground.

The door opens abruptly and bangs against the inner wall.

It reveals a tall, male human and a much shorter male halfling, both apparently in the middle of an argument. The halfling is distinctive -- tall for one of his kind, with spiky white-blond hair. He looks like a boy when compared to the human, who is fine-boned, aristocratic looking. His long dark hair is tied back with what could well have been a ladies scarf, before it became faded and ragged at the edges. Both men have their coats on, dressed as though they were on their way out, and seem so intent on their conversation, that they have missed hearing Vauhwyt's knock on the door.

"I tell you -- it's North West. Whoever told you South is an idiot, and you're an idiot for believing him." The halfling has his shoulders set, determined to argue to the end. "But WHY would Fanshaw lie to me? He's never -- oh --"

The conversation stops, and, quite astonished, both faces look up toward the liontaur blocking their exit. The halfling breaks into a grin. "Well hello there!" he offers as a greeting. With a sharp nudge against his companion's thigh he gleefully adds -- "Liam, it's a bloody liontaur!"

With an exasperated sigh, the human clamps a hand over the halfling's mouth. "Forgive Fiedel here, he has the manners of a sailor. My name is Liam Kent. How may we help you?" The man's accent isn't local, is possibly New Elennian, and definitely educated.

The ever-present dust swirls around everyone's feet.

Vauhwyt is flustered at the sudden commotion (rolled a will save of 8). At first she just stands there. Then she blurts out, "Um, I want to be an Adventurerr!" The upper case A in Adventurer is clear in her voice, and her accent betrays her nervousness.

She tries to get herself together. "Um. Um. I, uh, mean that I would like to apply for, uh, membership in the Woldian League of Adventurers."

"Thank you. If you please."

Vauhwyt's announcement seems to hold both characters speechless once more, but not for long.

"Well," says Liam with an affable smile. "Lunch can wait. Fiedel -- get the kettle on. Please, Miss em -?" A single eyebrow raises slightly before the man continues. "Come in."

The halfling Fiedel disappears inside, and Liam Kent steps to one side, allowing Vauhwyt to enter.

Across the threshold, and a huge, dusty doormat, is a large, high-ceilinged room. The floors are polished wood, the walls are painted a bright blue. The far end of the room holds a large sofa and armchairs, precariously arranged in front of a crackling fire. There are windows, framed by navy velvet curtains that have obviously seen better days. There are cabinets, whose surfaces are piled with all kinds of objects, some of their drawers half open, contents spilling out. In the foreground is a very large table strewn with what look like all kinds of maps -- their edges curled, held down with an assortment of pots, vases, and what looks like an orc skull. The uppermost is a map of what appears to be New Elenna to the east.

The room smells vaguely of tobacco and floor polish. Fiedel reappears out of a side door with a huge copper kettle, which he hangs on a hook and swings over the fire. He gives the liontaur a cheeky grin. "Want some tea?"

Vauhwyt very carefully wipes her paws on the big doormat. She takes in the room with interest, lingering on the maps and the skull. She bows to the two men, bending at the waist.

"Ser Liam Kent, Ser Fiedel. I am honored to meet you. I'm Vauhwyt." She smiles. "As you noticed, a liontaurr."

"And I would be glad to have tea, thank you."

She follows the human into the building. "Please forgive my nervousness," she adds, making a conscious effort to keep her tail up. "I have been looking forward to coming here for the longest time."

"Please, don't be nervous," says Liam, "sit down. Scones, I think, Fiedel, and strawberry jam." "What did your last slave die of, then?" fires back Fiedel with a wink. The halfling disappears into the back while Vauhwyt and Liam move to take a seat in front of the fire.

"So. You've obviously heard of us, mind if I ask -- ?" Liam stops as the spiky white-blonde haired halfling returns. There's a clatter of teacups and plates -- as tea, scones, with butter and jam are handed around to everyone. "I get these freshly baked from the halfling quarter," states Fiedel, mouth half full, waving his scone and dropping crumbs everywhere. "They're very good."

His human companion sighs and rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "As I was saying," he continues. "Mind if I ask you a few questions? Namely where did you hear about us, and what do you know of our goals and ethos? What makes you wish to join us?"

Vauhwyt sips her tea and gathers her thoughts. "I have always wanted to be an adventurerr," she begins, with her accent audible as she pauses. "So when I heard someone mention a league of adventurers in passing, I wanted to find out more. A chance remark, but a happy chance, I would say."

"Your goals? I only know what I have heard. The league is a haven and home across the Peninsula for people who risk life and more to explore, to champion the weak, to fight wrong-doers, to go questing, to seek treasure and power, to test themselves, and more. The League offers these folk incredible training and services that they need. The League can also call on members in service at great need."

"As for me, I want to be a real adventurer. When I was a child, I lived in bad circumstances and at the mercy of sadists. Now I want to be free of that, free to live my own life, with the wealth and skills I need to help other children avoid what I went through."

Vauhwyt looks a little abashed -- as if she has offered more personal detail than she would have liked. She blushes, and her tail jitters nervously.

Liam Kent puts down his cup and saucer and leans back against the couch.

"Well yes, that's more or less it, in a nutshell. Through the League, we exist to protect the innocent, and take a stand against the evils of the Wold. We ARE able to provide services and training to our members, yes -- even a roof over their heads if they're in need of one.

"I have to tell you, its not all swashbuckling and heroics. A lot of our work involves gathering information, and there we help one another -- traveling, discovering, reporting back. We explore new territory, draw maps, meet people. Although we do not delve directly into the politics of a particular area, it helps to know the power structure nonetheless -- who's in charge, what their aims are, who and how strong their enemies are. We listen to gossip, and try and discern fact from fiction --"

"I have some gossip about Corell," interrupts Fiedel, with a cheeky grin.

"Shush," growls Liam. "As I was saying -- dagnabit, Fiedel, I've lost my train of thought. Now where were we?" He leans forward. "So -- gut reaction tells me your heart is in the right place, Miss Liontaur Vauhwyt. That, and talk in the City about one such as you. You seem to be somewhat of an adventurer already from what I hear."

He grins, good-naturedly.

"Can I tell --?" Fiedel interjects, stopping mid-sentence as Kent holds up a finger. The halfling sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Seeing as Fiedel here is so eager," says Liam, winking at Vauhwyt. "I'll let him go over the finer points of being in the League with you. In the meantime, there's something I need to figure out."

The man stands, walks over to a desk, and begins to rummage through piles of papers.

Meanwhile, Fiedel scoots over to sit alongside Vauhwyt, and begins to explain the fine details of belonging to the Woldian League of Adventurers -- structure, ethos, how much it costs, etc etc.

"Ask me anything," adds the halfling as they go through everything. "By the way, want to know what I heard about Corell?"

When Liam mentions that he has already heard something of Vauhwyt, she blushes red. "Oh, no, not really an adventurerr ... yet."

She listens to Fiedel eagerly, trying to commit all he says to memory. She asks a few questions about the details, and her enthusiasm just about matches the halfling's! If being an adventurer is not all "swashbuckling and heroics," even the mundane details seem fascinating to Vauhwyt.

She does ask about what obligations a member has, in terms of being called up for duty or service. Is there a requirement in terms of time devoted? Are the members more like soldiers who take orders or like comrades and equals who are free agents?

And like a true daughter of the city she has adopted as home, Vauhwyt is not one to shy from good gossip. "Oh surre," she says when Fiedel mentions the Prince of Thieves again, "what about him?"

"Like soldiers? Liam looked up from his pile of papers over on the table. "Gargul's bedsocks, no. Not in this town, at any rate."

Fiedel grins. "Notice the regret in his voice?" says the halfling. "Nothing he'd like better than a thousand WLA members, marching to war against evil, with him at the helm. In a secret life, he's a Woldian general."

He offers a mock wince, having been given a withering glare from Kent.

"Right now, we're too few to have a proper organization structure," continues Fiedel. "So -- although we have a ranking system, on a practical level, we're more like the comrades and equals that you mentioned. Now and then we might ask you to do something, find out something, but there's no formal structure as such. You kind of get a feel for what needs to be done after a while. Especially in Dirt City. I suspect we're nothing like our Plateau City counterparts." He raises his hands and wiggles his fingers spookily. "Wooooo, we're all cloak and dagger."

A sigh escapes from Liam Kent over at the table. "This place gets to you after a while. But you must never let it distort what you know is right and good. And we will have visits from time to time, from other members who are used to a more formal structure. We'll need to respect that. Are you listening, Fiedel?"

"Yes, Sir, Commander Kent."

The halfling and the human share a grin.

"Anyway, get this about Corell, our Prince of Thieves." Fiedel hunkers down, his voice lowered to conspirator level. "He keeps getting visits, from a Soulseeker, of all people. A VERY spooky lady; you know what some of those Gargul people are like." The halfling shudders. "You know, he was all set to marry a girl from the House of Keys, I think it was. The Soulseeker told him not to. Just like that. And so he didn't, which isn't like him at all. He's very strong-willed. You've met him, right? Anyway, it makes you wonder, doesn't it, what the Gargul priesthood is up to?"

"Or what they've got on him," adds Kent, in a manner that suggests he isn't taking the subject too seriously. "They're probably just giving him good advice. Enough Fiedel." He clears his throat. "Very well, Ms Vauhwyt, are you ready to take your vow?"

The entire room appears to don a very solumn mantle all of a sudden. Even the fire stops its vibrant crackling, and the flames simmer low above the coals. Fiedel stands as he and Vauhwyt are approached by the Outpost Commander. Kent turns his lapel to reveal a red pin with three tines. Fiedel does the same, revealing a blue pin, nestled in the lining of his waistcoat.

"Vauhwyt," asks Commander Kent, "do you solemnly swear to uphold the ideals of the League, to protect the innocent and combat evil wherever you may find it?"

Vauhwyt stands up straight. "Yes," she declares, "in memory of pure hearts cast too soon into the Lands of Rest, and in honor of all who labor in cruel slavery, I swear to protect the innocent, to fight evil wherever I find it, and to help victims punish wrongdoers who hurt them, amen!"

Liam Kent smiles. "Welcome aboard." Both he and Fiedel shake Vauhwyt's hand, and Liam hands Vauhwyt a small pin, very similar to the one Fiedel wears. "That's your badge. Anyone seeing that will know what you stand for; to wear at your discretion of course -- discretion being the better part of survival in this town. Very well, on to business."

Kent beckons everyone over to a map of Izen spread out on the table.

"Right now we have nothing specific for you, but -- we're always after information. There's an evil mood afoot, and plots to knock Corell off his pedestal. Not just the local nonsense either, so keep your ears and eyes open. We've heard rumours of some co-ordinated tribe in the centre of Izen, but we've also heard rumours of something coming out of Aisildur. I find it hard to believe Aisildur is at the back of all this, but you never know."

He points to the border of the two realms.

"Here. This forest. No one seems to know a thing about it. We're hoping to know a little more, quite soon, but if there's something brewing up there, we need to know, so if you're ever in that neighbourhood, or hear anything about it -- make notes." Kent gives a sigh. "I'm sorry we don't have much to go on, but anything you can do that will give us a bigger picture, we'd be very grateful for."

"You'll always be welcome here, Vauhwyt, and this is your refuge, should you ever need it."

"Wanna go for a beer?" asks Fiedel, shattering the formality with a cheeky grin.