thequestgiver | Welcome to the Kingdom!

You've found a book.

Where you've found it depends. The library? At the bottom of an old wooden trunk from an estate sale? Grandma's attic? The seat beside yours on the bus?

It doesn't matter. What does matter is that something about it draws your attention. You pick it up and run a hand over its blue-dyed leather cover, trace the silver thorns embossed along the edges. The spine and cover bear no title, but it hardly matters. You take it home with you because you know it's just the kind of book you want, just what you need. And after all, you can return it later. Right?

When you finally open the book, it falls open on an illustrated page. A detailed ink drawing of a solitary figure standing before a wall of thorns. Who is this person?

A wizard in flowing robes?

A knight in gleaming armor?

A princess in a tattered gown?

Or a wicked person, glorying in the thorns' presence?

Like the book's location, it depends.

As you look closely at the illustration, your sense of balance leaves you. You stagger, look down, and are met with a white void that soon surrounds you. The book snaps shut and disappears in a shower of sparks.

You black out.

When you come around, you're warm and safe, though your surroundings are unfamiliar. The room you're in looks like a guest room in a castle; the walls are stone with a crackling fireplace and an ornately framed glassless window and the bed has an utterly impractical canopy that if you're not careful, you may just wind up getting tangled in as you sit up.

When you look around the room, you see two bells set out on a small table, both with signs in front of them. One says "Ring for attendant" the other had "Ring for King's Introduction" on it, but it was crossed out, with a handwritten "Help me, Hero WanKenobie! I'm just a dope!"

Ringing the first bell will (eventually. Hopefully) bring someone up to the room to answer your questions. The second bell has no clapper, but it covering a small round, red stone.

Threaded | Flat

"Ring once for a fellow Hero, Ring twice for an NPC."

A hand written addition to the card reads: "Ring more than that to be an annoying twit"

Edited 2018-10-12 00:27 (UTC)

The stone begins to glow the moment it's touched, and a moment later, the image of the King appears, hovering over it in a small projected illusion.

"Greetings, all mighty hero! You have been Summoned to our Great Kingdom in order to save us all from the Peril of the Thorns; that which threatens the very existence of our Kingdom!"

The King sits back, the illusion showing the edges of what... looks to be a recliner? Done up in royal colors, but that really looks like a recliner.

The King blinks, looking over off frame. "What? Something more? What more do they need, they're Heros, right? They know what to do!"

Another pause. "Oh! Right! The pamphlet!" He clears his throat, beaming at the camera once more. "Our great Scholars have compiled a Pamphlet with what will serve to be Useful Information to you on our Quest. I look forward to hearing of your Great Success on your return. Off you go now!"

With a wave of his hand, he again sits back in his ~~easy chair~~ thone, grinning widely. There's a long, awkward pause before he looks off screen. "I'm done now, you can end the spell. Was that good? I think it was good." He leans back again, letting out a sigh. "Think the Kitchen is done with--"

The image finally fades and vanishes from view.

The pamphlet (pardon, Pamphlet, the capitalization is important,) is not too far behind the bells and looks.... oddly modern, considering the rest of your surroundings...

In it is a copy of what the King's recording said (minus the parts that should have been edited out if the mage doing the illusion recording knew how,) with some additional information.

Welcome, Brave Hero, to the Kingdom! As part of the Summoning Spell that's brought you here, you have been gifted with a few bonus items, courtesy of the Kingdom's Mages.

First is the Hero's Pockets of Holding (tm)! Now, no matter what you may be wearing, you will find you have pockets of infinite capacity! Yes, even you Ladies with the skirts and dresses where pockets would just be unseamly, you too have been gifted with Hero's Pockets of Holding (tm)! These pockets are invisible, and are able to fit anything you could want. Except a horse. Please do not put your horse in your Hero's Pockets of Holding (tm). They get very upset being put in there, it's just not a nice thing to do.

Included in your Hero's Pockets of Holding (tm) is one Apple Eye-Crystal (tm)! An Amazing Invention of one of the earliest of Heroes! This Crystal allows you to keep in contact with your fellow Heroes without bringing a Mage with you on your adventures! (Please do not put a Mage in your Hero's Pockets of Holding. Much like horses, Mages do not like being put in pockets.)

Please take care with your Apple Eye-Crystal (tm), however, as our dear First Hero was captivated by it and spent many hours simply staring into it, muttering about crushing candy and angering birds.

[[Post here to summon an NPC or fellow hero to do your intro thread. Note in the subject which you'd prefer. If you have a friend already in game that you'd like to do the intro, put their character in the subject line and link them]]

The first bell

The King's Greeting

The Pamphlet

Welcome, Oh Great Heroes!