Its astounding collection of Windmills. Big windmills, Beautiful windmills, Complex windmills, Spiralling Rotating spinning windmills. Just so many windmills. there are even small ones on some people's houses

Buttons. Shiny, special buttons. Fancy ones. Nort kind of has a thing for them, though he's not had much luck acquiring any.

But there's a professional buttonsmith in Rickstill.

A travelling theatre troupe was in town.

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/07/29(Mon)18:21 No. 529381 ID: 067a04
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Nort's brain suddenly lit up! Of course! For one, he always loved to see Rickstill's windmills. From what Nort had heard, the town's founder got poisoned by a Nutterbug when he was hiring architects, and as he went slowly crazy from the poison, he hired three dozen windmill architects to design every single building. The architects, unsure of how to build anything else, simply turned every building into a windmill. (They left when the town's founder abruptly dropped dead soon after he began to force everyone to wear windmill hats. The architects were never paid.)

Yes, Nort always loved to see the windmills, but he also wanted to see the button shop. He had briefly seen it years ago as a child when his father was managing a back-alley bear-baiting arena, and he had wanted to go back and see more of the pretty buttons ever since. He also wanted to see the buttonsmith for practical purposes; his one pair of pants had lost their fastenings, and the only thing currently keeping his (arguable) decency in check was his cloak.

Nort walked up to the door, now sure of his purpose, and knocked on the wrought-iron door. A large, angry-looking face popped out behind the bars.

"Who's there? WHAT! A HOBGOBLIN? What do you want, pest?! Come to steal our babies or poison our crops, no doubt! Why should I ever let you in here, filthy boggart?"

Nort was rather taken aback. Not by the insults or rude implications - those actually reminded him of home. He was just unsure of how to respond. This was, after all, his first time visiting Rickstill alone.

How should Nort respond to the angry doorman?

I am here to buy supplies for my village and be delighted by your wonderful windmills.

Also I need to stop by the button shop for some fastenings.

As for your babies and crops your babies hold no value to me and your crops are out there in the fields.

'cos if you don't let me in t' spend me coins honest like I'll come back in the night and take what I pleases.

>>529384
I like this.

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/07/29(Mon)18:52 No. 529398 ID: 067a04
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Nort decided to settle things like he usually did at home.

>'cos if you don't let me in t' spend me coins honest like I'll come back in the night and take what I pleases.

"Hah! Just you try it, swampbite! Rickstill's security is THE BEST IN THE WOOOORLD!"

With that, the angry man rushes off.

Nort thinks humans are strange.

Nort is also worried. He needs to get inside! If not for the den's supplies, then at least for his pants!

If he remembers well enough from his childhood, the guards of Rickstill are lazy and corrupt, so he shouldn't have any problem once he's inside, but he has no idea how to get past the walls.

Can you think of any way a resourceful hobgoblin might sneak into Rickstill?

>>529398
Grab onto that windmill blade and hop over the wall.

Alternatively: Wait until the night and take what you please. That'll show 'em.

Leave for now, and prepare to sneak in when night falls. You'll need to bring the baby-stealin' sacks.

Use your currently useless trousers to catch the windmill blade and pull yourself up to the top of the wall.

First, try opening the door. Maybe the lazy human didn't lock it.

If that fails, go with this plan. >>529399

(1/2) Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/07/30(Tue)14:33 No. 529651 ID: 067a04
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Aha! Nort's less-than-often used brain seemed to be working overdrive today! He put his worthless trousers to use on the windmill blade, giving the rare grin of hobgoblin genius as he was pulled up by, uh, whatever made windmills turn. Nort wasn't quite sure how windmills worked, but he assumed wizards were involved somehow.

(2/2) Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/07/30(Tue)14:38 No. 529655 ID: 067a04
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He landed with a thump in the alley behind the wall. Rickstill, at last! Now he only had to do... the stuff he came here to do.

Oh, right! Supplies! Nort had to buy supplies!

And a new pair of pants. With shiny buttons.

Nort was remembering stuff all over the place today! He wished the denmother could see him right now. She might even remember his name as she insulted him!

Of course, Nort had forgotten something else, since a hobgoblin's brain is not the best receptacle for information; the denmother had not given him any human money.

How was Nort going to acquire the things he needed if he had no currency to do so?

So you don't have any human money but do you have any hobgoblin money?

Well we could be all lawful and trade services for goods. But that would take time and be boring.

So either steal the items themselves or steal some money and then buy the items. Then steal the money back because hey best of both worlds.

...you were sent to make purchases without human money? That is a problem.

Did they send you with anything? Hobgoblin money? Trade goods? Valuable materials?

If you don't have anything of any value, then we're going to have to steal or earn money to get the things you want.

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/08/05(Mon)18:09 No. 531784 ID: 067a04
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Nort felt out of his element. He was not the hobden's resident thief. That was his fourth-oldest sister Fank. Fank would know what to do! But Nort never paid attention to her lectures. She always seemed to go on and on about her bandit raids and sometimes-bloody escapades; boring, everyday stuff. It seemed Fank could neither speak nor think of anything else, however.

Hobbies weren't much made to think, thought Nort, but he'd rather test the limits of his headmeats than have his headmeats beaten out by his livid denmother.

He reviewed his options, brow furrowing with effort. Nort could try his hand at thievery, though he worried that he might not be very good. He could also try earning the money somehow, or find some other way to acquire the stuff he needed, but that posed the issue of hobgoblins apparently not being the most well-regarded folks in Rickstill.

Nort was at a loss, a bit tired after all of this thinking. So, let's ease his burden somewhat: what should Nort do now?

Go talk to the merchants that have the stuff you want. Find out how much you need to raise, and if they have any jobs they need doing.

Perhaps we could rustle up a clever disguise? or even a not so clever disguise?

so first step is gather information, scope out the market place/district/stalls

Then gather available materials. Basically nab anything that's not nailed down and that no one seems to care about. We shall use these supplies to pull off DARING PLANS so it is very important that you place it all behind a dumpster or something so that other like minded individuals will not nab what we nabbed.

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/08/14(Wed)08:45 No. 534345 ID: 067a04
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Hoping to figure something out, Nort decided to see if he could earn the supplies. It didn't take Nort too long to find a more affable merchant than the guard at the door. The merchant was very excited, speaking almost faster than Nort knew how to understand. Humans were always so energetic. Nort didn't know how they kept that up.

The merchant told Nort that a rich, magnificent Wizard was visiting Rickstill within the day, and every trader in town was raising their prices in the hopes that the Wizard would buy their goods. Nort's hopes sank. If everyone was raising their prices, that would make buying pants difficult! Oh, also the supplies, the supplies would be harder to get too.

Still, Nort was in luck! The excited, big-headed merchant offered Nort a job: waking the town's oracle and getting her to help prepare for the Wizard's arrival. So far, everyone in Rickstill was too reverent and fearful to wake the diviner, but the merchant hoped a rude hobgoblin wouldn't be too put off by the task. In return, Nort would be given enough Humoney to buy a quarter of the supplies!

Nort considered this. His dad (who was eaten by bears) always said that magic folk were trouble. Did Nort really want to mess with an Oracle?

>>534345
Let's wake the oracle. I mean what's the worst she can do, scry you to death?

Go and wake her up. You can learn why your dad thinks they should be avoided firsthand.

Oracles just see the future, you won't die or nothin'. Let's go be rude.

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/08/25(Sun)16:48 No. 537514 ID: 067a04
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Nort, not put off by his late father's warnings of magical doom, agrees to take the job. Per the merchant's instructions, he heads to a small, secluded spot in the town, where a few odd trees and shrubs look uncomfortably gloomy.

The mystical hut he finds does not seem very welcoming.

Nort isn't actually sure how to approach this situation. Should he knock? Should he sneak around back and break in? He's not sure what the proper human etiquette is here.

What's a good plan for Nort to follow?

Sneak around, break in through the window, and then gnaw on their furniture. It's a sign of respect for their taste in interior decorating.

You're just supposed to wake up the oracle, so try knocking loudly.

Be as polite as you can for a Hobgoblin. Messing with magic users stuff tends to end up getting you cursed.

So just go knock.

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/08/25(Sun)17:53 No. 537538 ID: 067a04
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Nort decides to be polite around the magic person.

He tiptoes toward the door, pulls up a fist to knock-

A voice suddenly screeched from the other side of the door.

"Get out of here! I'm not going anywhere near this disaster-to-be, I tell you, not on my life!"

Nort hadn't even touched the door! How did she-

Oh right.

Nort hesitates. He needs to bring the Oracle back to the merchant to get paid. What's he supposed to do now?

You were told to ask her to help prepare. If what they're preparing for is a disaster to be, isn't the oracle supposed to warn that? Prophesize doom and all that? That's what oracles do! You may just be a hobgoblin, but even you know that.

Stand there and breathe heavily. Maybe she'll pity you.

>>537538
It's her job to prevent it from becoming a disaster then.

>>537538
Oy whatcher talkin about, diviner? Aintcha supposed to be helpin people prepare for the Wizard?

Ask her what you should do then.

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/08/25(Sun)18:42 No. 537551 ID: 067a04
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>"Oy whatcher talkin about, diviner? Aintcha supposed to be helpin people prepare for the Wizard?"

"I'm not going to watch that monster do his business, you hear?! And I'm not going to try to stop it, either. Whenever you mess with destiny, it always turns out way nastier than it was before! Just let it all go bang, boom, kablooie, 'cause that's what I've seen, and you can bet my crystal balls that I don't want to see it again."

Tell her all you cares about is gettin paid so's you can buy whatcha came for an' get back home.

Then tell her to divine a way for you to get paid. (honestly, if the oracle won't even mention when shit's about to go down, much less help, then she is pretty much useless to the town.)

Nort !5tTWT1eydY 2013/08/25(Sun)20:09 No. 537602 ID: 067a04
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>"All I cares about is gettin paid so's I can buy what I came for an' get back home."

"Wait a moment. You sound... familiar..."

There's a brief silence. Then the door opens. The Oracle shoves her face right up to Nort's.

"...damn it, Is it my destiny to mess with destiny? That's kinda surreal. But it's the only thing I can think of that will explain why I keep accidentally mucking about with fate." She sighs. "What are you doing here, Nort?"

Nort is a bit taken aback. He's not exactly sure how to respond. He's pretty sure he's never met this lady before.

I just wants some buttons. An supplies. Now who are you an wots wrong with yer FACE?

Maybe she divined someone saying your name, or maybe she is one of those oracles who respond to unasked questions (ensuring they won't be asked) and never seem to care about the paradox involved in doing so.

Anyway, you were hired here to bring her to the merchant so she can help prepare for the wizard's arrival. She could just walk away again after he gets payed if she wants.

>>537602
nice eyepatch.

she's an Oracle, as far as she is concerned there is no fist time meeting someone.

...have we met before?