The city of Dragoncliff lies on the eastern shore of the land of Argonia. It is the largest city for hundreds of miles in any direction, but even it can't compare with the great coastal cities of the North or the plains cities of the west.
Its name comes from the fact that eight hundred years ago a small city which was here was attacked by a great Dragon. The people tried to fight it off, but in only weeks what was left of the populous were forced to flee from the nightly onslaught. The dragon settled in what was their amphitheater, built near the cliff so that the sea and the rising sun could be the backdrop for the plays held there. For the next several hundred years other dragons settled there, laying eggs and increasing their number. The people tried to fight them back and reclaim the area, but they rarely slew more than a few per generation.
Then, nearly three hundred years ago, the Adventurers Guild decided to put an end to the pointless slaughter of the nearby people. They gathered an army of over one hundred adventurers and laid siege to the Dragon's nests. For weeks they fought, funded and resupplied by the local Lords and Kings and, when they were done, it was the few surviving Dragons that fled the city.
The Adventurer's Guild wanted to ensure that the area would remain protected, so they built a training facility around the amphitheater where the largest of the Dragons had made its nest and where its body now laid, slowly being harvested for anything of value. There they stationed some of their strongest members and used the money made from the sale of the Dragon parts to build a great wall, marking off an area for a new city to be built. In time the city grew, thanks to the fame they had won and its strategic location along the coast.
A group of Trainee Adventurers now gathers within that same amphitheater, where briefings for the larger missions were held and where lectures were given to those that came here to learn. Now, at high noon, an old Wizard walked onto the stage. Standing directly center, beneath the skull of the Dragon that once called this very spot its home, he motioned for those gathered to be quite. When the noise died down, he spoke.
"Greetings, I am Bendis, of the village of Ironcliff, to the North. I trust that if you are here then you have been assigned to Blue Group for your testing. Assuming that is true, I will now tell you what you need to know to assure that this mission is a success. First, the reason we were assigned this mission and not another is because I am the one who hired to guild to take it in the first place. My village was attacked by bandits and our protector, my brother Demis, Crusader of the god of metallurgy and the forge, Seril, could not protect us."
"Normally a skilled Crusader, even one that was sixty-five years old could have stood against mere bandits, but they had hired a Priestess to aid them, one who served the dark god of torment, agony, and torture, Vrediln. She killed my brother, then the bandits killed my son, who went to fight beside his uncle, and, when we refused to hand over our valuables, my wife. I gave them what they wanted and they left. The next day, after my wife's funeral, my grandson and I left for Dragoncliff to be trained as adventurers. That was eight months ago." He wiped a tear from his eye. "My grandson had wanted to take my brother's place as Protector of our village. It saddens me to think of the circumstances of his advancement to the position."
"He is in the village now, but we pooled the money we earned as Adventurers to hire the Guild. When the only Adventurer we attracted was a priestess of the harvest goddess Leall, one who had fallen for my grandson as they trained here together, I feared that we would not have our Justice. Three days ago, however, the Guild's dispatcher told me that I would be allowed to lead a group of trainees on this mission." He stood up straighter, as if he was trying to emulate a leader. "Now, are there any questions?"
Its name comes from the fact that eight hundred years ago a small city which was here was attacked by a great Dragon. The people tried to fight it off, but in only weeks what was left of the populous were forced to flee from the nightly onslaught. The dragon settled in what was their amphitheater, built near the cliff so that the sea and the rising sun could be the backdrop for the plays held there. For the next several hundred years other dragons settled there, laying eggs and increasing their number. The people tried to fight them back and reclaim the area, but they rarely slew more than a few per generation.
Then, nearly three hundred years ago, the Adventurers Guild decided to put an end to the pointless slaughter of the nearby people. They gathered an army of over one hundred adventurers and laid siege to the Dragon's nests. For weeks they fought, funded and resupplied by the local Lords and Kings and, when they were done, it was the few surviving Dragons that fled the city.
The Adventurer's Guild wanted to ensure that the area would remain protected, so they built a training facility around the amphitheater where the largest of the Dragons had made its nest and where its body now laid, slowly being harvested for anything of value. There they stationed some of their strongest members and used the money made from the sale of the Dragon parts to build a great wall, marking off an area for a new city to be built. In time the city grew, thanks to the fame they had won and its strategic location along the coast.
A group of Trainee Adventurers now gathers within that same amphitheater, where briefings for the larger missions were held and where lectures were given to those that came here to learn. Now, at high noon, an old Wizard walked onto the stage. Standing directly center, beneath the skull of the Dragon that once called this very spot its home, he motioned for those gathered to be quite. When the noise died down, he spoke.
"Greetings, I am Bendis, of the village of Ironcliff, to the North. I trust that if you are here then you have been assigned to Blue Group for your testing. Assuming that is true, I will now tell you what you need to know to assure that this mission is a success. First, the reason we were assigned this mission and not another is because I am the one who hired to guild to take it in the first place. My village was attacked by bandits and our protector, my brother Demis, Crusader of the god of metallurgy and the forge, Seril, could not protect us."
"Normally a skilled Crusader, even one that was sixty-five years old could have stood against mere bandits, but they had hired a Priestess to aid them, one who served the dark god of torment, agony, and torture, Vrediln. She killed my brother, then the bandits killed my son, who went to fight beside his uncle, and, when we refused to hand over our valuables, my wife. I gave them what they wanted and they left. The next day, after my wife's funeral, my grandson and I left for Dragoncliff to be trained as adventurers. That was eight months ago." He wiped a tear from his eye. "My grandson had wanted to take my brother's place as Protector of our village. It saddens me to think of the circumstances of his advancement to the position."
"He is in the village now, but we pooled the money we earned as Adventurers to hire the Guild. When the only Adventurer we attracted was a priestess of the harvest goddess Leall, one who had fallen for my grandson as they trained here together, I feared that we would not have our Justice. Three days ago, however, the Guild's dispatcher told me that I would be allowed to lead a group of trainees on this mission." He stood up straighter, as if he was trying to emulate a leader. "Now, are there any questions?"
