Rough Draft - RotGM V1.1

To make my titling easier, Instead of Vol 1 Ch 1 I'm just going to post these as V1.1, V1.2 etc with the number after the decimal being the chapter number.

But yeah, work has started! Even for a rough draft I feel this one is in really rough shape, but that's a problem for future me.

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A lone wagon was making its way along the Trade Ways, heading west on the long road. It had left the forlorn village of Cransmere and all its problems behind many days ago, and its destination was the comparatively worse city known as Dewhurst. The driver was a portly man. Friendly. Jovial, even. The sort of man you'd never find in Dewhurst. This was the man's job, and he'd made this journey hundreds of times before. It never got any easier.

Out of necessity, the man did not travel alone. Only a fool would do that. Bandits roamed the great road looking for easy marks, and those were the least of one's worries. Monsters of all shapes and sizes made their home on the plains of Arrark, nearly all of which had a habit of looking for easy snacks on those who tread the path unguarded.

As was tradition, he picked up an escort before leaving to keep him and his precious cargo safe. This was his first time hiring a teenaged girl, though.

Sat in the back of the wagon looking out at the rolling scenery passing by was a young girl by the name of Sam. Her eyes were emerald made shining by the late morning light, her rough and tousled hair was the color of sunshine and it was pulled up into two fluffy twintails of surprising size. She was dressed in an outfit which while not uncommon among certain types of adventurers was highly impractical- a set of dreaded red bikini armor that barely covered her curvaceous figure and her rather sizely chest.

As to why she wore such a revealing get up, it was a long story, and she wasn't at all happy about it, but when you're in a hurry what else can you do?

If the armor didn't inspire confidence, the massive bar of iron Sam called a sword certainly did. A greatblade was a titanic weapon wielded by few and mastered by fewer, and Sam had the strength to carry it and walk around with it holstered to her back like it was nothing. That alone was enough to convince the man of Sam's skill, and the fact that she only wanted a ride to Dewhurst and didn't mind pay helped, too.

"Today's the day, huh?" Sam asked, itching with excitement over the prospects that laid before her.

"Yup, we'll actually see it pretty soon, miss. I still can't help feeling wrong about taking a pretty little thing like you to a place like Dewhurst, though..."

"C'mon," the girl laughed. "You think I can't handle myself out there? It can't be any worse than Cransmere." Sam shivered, recalling that eerie little village she had to cross.

"Cransmere is bad," the man agreed. "But Dewhurst is worse. I know I've mostly kept my nose out of your affairs this past journey, but I can't help wondering what exactly your business is there?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm headed for the Guild!"

"The Guild? Last I heard the Dewhurst Guild isn't really in business anymore these days. You should've stayed in Cransmere, their Guild ain't so bad. Though where you really wanna be is the next town over- Perlshaw."

"Hell no. Perlshaw isn't an option..." Sam grumbled. It was too close to the capital, and even if it wasn't, she'd burned that bridge the day she got her license from Perlshaw's Guild Master. An earth-shattering kick to his nuts had seen to that.

"Well, wherever you end up I'm sure you'll make the most of it, Miss.

Sam thought it was good to have options, but a part of her had her heart set on Dewhurst. She'd heard it was THE adventuring town and had built it up in her mind as this amazing place where she'd accomplish all of her hopes and dreams far from the prying eyes of those she left behind. A town of wonder, of adventure, and dreams.

When he called her up to the front of the carriage to have a look at her new home off in the horizon, all Sam saw was a shithole.

The city of Dewhurst was a walled of city build around the dirtied river Gullet, and the skies were gray and thick with bellowing smog. An oppressive gate awaited them at the end of the road, and past it, Sam could see thousands of dilapidated buildings that looked like they'd fall apart at the slightest provocation. To the south there was a small dock where several small boats full of cargo traveled southwest down the Gullet, delivering food and other goods to the far off city of Vurgestrom by way of the Gnarled Woods.

No matter where the girl looked, she couldn't find a single sight that sparked even a modicum of joy.

"Fuck," Sam exclaimed.

"Yep," the main nodded knowingly. "I'm actually headed off to Dawnstead next and they've got a decent Guild too, y'know, so if you're not sure now that you've seen the place-"

"Thanks for the offer, but I still wanna check it out for myself." Sam sighed. As bad as it was, a place this bad only served her intentions all the better. No one would go looking for her in Dewhurst, and even if they did she couldn't think of a better place to hide.

Another hour of traveling later, and the wagon had finally made its way to the walled-off ghetto masquerading as a city. An oppressive gate stood before them, so unlike the pristine gates of Imperalis that to compare the two seemed a comedic affair. Sam kept her head down and remained out of sight as the guards checked over the paperwork her travel partner provided them, and let out a sigh of relief once the horse took off and the wagon strolled into Dewhurst proper.

Given that she'd had a look on the town from afar, Sam thought she knew what to expect from the sights heading in. She soon learned that expectations have a funny way of proving themselves wrong. The city was much worse than she thought it'd be.

The cobblestone roads the wheels traversed were cracked, and littered with apathy and horse shit. On the gutters were disenfranchised men and women living in squalor, some drowning in liquor and others in various drugs of their choice. Sam had seen ladies of the night before during the many excursions she made in her hometown, but she'd never imagined a place where they walked so open and brazenly. Most concerning of all were the uncountable thugs that perpetually looked like they were up to no good and actively seeking their next mark- none of them made an attempt to hide their interest in the wagon.

To the northwest Sam could see a shabby looking castle that must belong to the resident Lord, Baron, or whatever presence oversaw this shoddy settlement, but for the most part the surroundings seemed to blend into one depressing blur.

The sightseeing tour came to an end after the wagon crossed a bridge leading into a large, bustling marketplace. Stores were arranged in a circle around the perimeter while an entire shantytown worth of stalls were set up in the middle. Sam's eyes opened with interest at all the interesting things that the scummy folk were selling to each other, and she felt she could get lost for hours just exploring all the no doubt illegal goods. Ever since she first learned to walk Sam had always loved exploring, and in a way Dewhurst presented plenty of opportunities to engage in her passion Guild or no Guild.

“We’re here,” the man warned as he pulled the reigns and pulled over at a large storefront, the horse whinnying as it stopped for a long deserved break.

Sam jumped off the back of the wagon and looked closer at their destinations. The building was larger than its neighbors and in a slightly better condition as well. She got the feeling that it wasn’t newer, but someone recently put the effort into making it look like it was. Given how shoddy and ramshackle the other stores in the area were, it made this ‘Darkwood General Store’ appear downright spic and span.

“Hey, wait a second. Isn’t this the store we left from?” Sam asked.

“Yup,” The driver said as he stepped down from his seat and patted one of the loyal steeds. “This here it is what you’d call a franchise, miss. It won’t be long until there’s one of these One of these stores in every town in the province!”

“Neat,” Sam shrugged. She didn’t understand a lot of how the world worked, which was only to be expected given her upbringing. It would be a long time until everything outside of Imperalis made sense to her, yet her enthusiasm was eager to start picking up the slack.

“Do you want some help unloading everything?” Sam offered with a smile.

The driver looked at her and smiled. “I would hate to keep you here any longer that I need to, but if you’re really offering…”

“I am!” Sam pumped her fist and then withdrew her sword from the wagon, holstering The weapon into a strong leather strap attached to the back of her armor. “You were nice enough to give me a ride and everything, and we didn’t run into any monsters, bandits, or anything else. The way I see it you give me food and ride, and I can’t just take and not give anything back!”

“Bless your heart, miss. You just don’t see folk like you anymore around these days. Let me just go and chat with the manager and let him know everything‘s all good, and then you can-”

“She can fuck off and leave the goods where they are, and you can do the same.” A scraggly voice told them as a group of footsteps trotted closer.

Sam looked over her shoulder, and she saw exactly what she expected to find. Four thugs wearing assorted dirty rags and light leather armor brandished cheap swords made of flimsy iron, all of them pointed at Sam.

“Are you fucking joking?” The girl laughed. “Seriously? Right here and now? There are guards literally right over there.” Sam pointed them out and the leader of the bunch stepped forward.

“So?” He asked, running his tongue along his blade in a Move he obviously intended to come off as threatening but only succeeded in making him appear comical.

Sam gave it a moment until it dawned on her that here in Dewhurst, no one cared about much of anything. The people didn’t care about the state of their city, the guards didn’t care about their jobs or their people, and she assumed that whoever was in charge didn’t care in general.

Fine.

If that was how it was going to be, Sam Was just going to have to do the job she was hired for. While despite her constant insistence and pleading she was never formally taught how to fight, Sam knew her way around a petty brawl. The streets and alleys of Imperalis had schooled her in as much, and she had yet to lose.

Sam scratched her bandaged nose which hid her itchy scar from the world. It always acted up whenever she psyched herself up for battle, and today was no exception. She took a single step forward and cracked her knuckles, a wide smile appearing on her face.

The four men flinched at her approach. Although none of them wanted to admit it, each was beginning to sense they had made a significant mistake in their choice of targets. This wasn’t just some stripper with a bar of metal strapped to her back. Sam was a genuine threat.

There are foolish men who believe they have safety through numbers alone, and these thugs believed the same. Scary or not scary, this was just one girl. The first of them darted in trying to pierce her exposed abdomen, but as soon as he got within range his vision went black and he fell to the ground.

Sam had punched him so hard and so fast that it didn’t even register to the other thugs. One moment their little leader was charging, and in the next he was flat on his ass missing what little teeth his rotting mouth had left.

Sam loved this part. It was always so thrilling when idiots realized they were getting more than they bargained for, and she didn’t waste time making the next move.

A second later she kicked the sword out of the next man and headbutted him hard enough that his forehead began to bleed upon his collapse. For the third she kicked his ankles out from under him and then stomped her red boots down on his precious jewels.

She wasn’t the type to get off on the sort of squeals this disgusting man made, but they were pleasant enough to hear all the same.

Then, there was the remaining thug. Her favorite part. He couldn’t even move as she walked towards him- which Sam used to her advantage as she advanced slowly and threateningly. Poor guy was about to piss himself, she reckoned.

Sam got up in his face and leaned in. Her hands were on her hips. “You guys made a big mistake today,” she observed.

“Yes, ma’am, we sure did!” He nodded in agreement with great haste and urgency, as if that might somehow placate her.

"You strike me as the kinda folk who go around making mistakes often," Sam clicked her tongue. "That sound about right?"

The thug held his tongue, unsure what the correct answer was and daring not to risk it.

"That's what I thought. Man, talk about lame." The girl shook her head and clasped the thug on his shoulder. "Let me be straight with you. I catch you guys fucking around like this again, then next time, I'll have to draw my sword." Sam held back a laugh as she gestured at the hilt with her thumb.

His knees shook and he dropped the weapon in his hand onto the ground, now well and truly terrified of this young girl who ruined their heist without even expending effort. It was all he could do to run.

"Hah! Guess it doesn't matter what town you're in, thugs will be thugs." Sam declared, dusting off her gloves and turning to face her threatened friend. "Looks like you really weren't kidding about this place, huh?"

"That was amazing! And you say you're just now becoming an adventurer?! Goddesses Above and Below, the bards will be writing songs about you in only a year or two!" The driver looked at her in astonishment and thanked her profusely, which as it just so happened managed to stoke the flames of her ego.

"More like in a few months," Sam struck a pose and turned her nose up at the man, blushing with pride. "Now are you gonna go talk to the manager or what? I've got a Guild to find!"

The curious onlookers who had gathered to watch the theft dispersed as it was firmly established Sam was not to be messed with, and the man disappeared into the store. He returned a few minutes later and brought with him the manager himself, who thanked Sam with direction to the Dewhurst Adventurer's Guild. After she helped bring in all the boxes with the aid of a partimer, the girl was let loose on her way, free to explore the city to her heart's desire.

There'd be time for that later, Sam decided. After days of idling around in the back of a wagon, she was eager to get things in motion and really start her career. That was assuming she'd survive the streets here, of course. The Guild lay on the southeast side of town in its own little isolated area, and she had quite a way ahead of her.

Luckily, the worst Sam got was dirty looks on account of her choice of attire. Sure, there were a few indecent men who approached her and asked how much, but there were few problems Sam believed couldn't be solved with a devastating kick to the balls.

Around the halfway point of her little stroll, Sam came across a sight that concerned her and she was forced to take a slight detour. Outside of a small garrison of the town guards was a bulletin board with hundreds and hundreds of bounty posters. It was a cynical thought, but Sam wondered if there was one for every person in Dewhurst. There certainly seemed to be enough of them.

Yet, it wasn't any of the criminals depicted that caught her attention. It was the illustration of the Crown Princess posted first and foremost at the center of the board. Sam ripped it off and gave it a look, dismaying at what she saw. There was no bounty listed, so that was a relief at least.

"Someone had a little too much fun with this," she grumbled, feeling somewhat self conscious over the artist's choice to exaggerate Sam's tits to the extent that they did. Sure, she was stacked, but this picture would have you believe her highness was smuggling watermelons under that fancy dress of hers, and that nose of hers was all wrong. The scar was in the wrong place.

Whatever. Sam decided that any inaccuracies they made to her likeness would only benefit her in the long run. She crumpled the paper up and tossed it into a nearby alley, then continued along her way until finding herself on a long dirt road that led to a large, dilapidated building that loomed overhead like a menacing shadow.

"What the...?" Sam muttered to herself upon first glance.

It was a dark, wooden building with an east and a west wing, all of which had seen better days. The planks were in rough shape, its windows dusty or shattered. Behind it, there was a long stretch of land followed by a small grove of trees that went on until hitting the walls of the city. If there hadn't been a sign out front of the property which read 'Dewhurst Adventurer's Guild,' Sam would've assumed she took a wrong turn and ended up at the manor of some long forgotten noble house, or perhaps a Vampiric lair of some sort.

Sam wasn't afraid of much, if anything, but this place came close to giving her a chill. There was just something about it that seemed off to her, something she couldn't put her finger on. It was abandoned in a way that the rest of the city somehow wasn't. Maybe it was that it was so far off the beaten path that it made it feel like Dewhurst was ashamed of it, or maybe it was the soulless way it stood there ravaged by time. Whatever it was, Sam weighed all of her options.

It didn't seem as if there was a point to going in and making a cursory check on whether or not it was still open for business, the place spoke for itself. The only people who lived here were likely vagabonds of the most unscrupulous sort. If Sam wanted to, she knew she could head back to the Darkmoon General Store and tell the man she'd changed her mind and resume their escort deal. Dawnstead was too risky for her to lay low at, but Roselake might be nice.

Yet, Sam didn't make that decision. Whether it was destiny that spurred her on or her own adventurous spirit, she pushed forward with intrigue, opened the door, and poked her head in.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Sam called out only to be met with the echo of her voice.

The young girl stepped forward into what must've been a rather grandiose room in its time. A long red rug was stationed below her feet. Four long dining tables sat on each half of the room, and at the far end of was a reception desk at the center and a bar in the right corner. Sam could also see a door to the kitchen beside the bar, a large set of stairs on the opposite side of the room, and the beginnings of hallways that led to the two separate wings.

Sam continued walking down the long red rug, looking for any signs of life all the while. This wasn't her first time exploring an abandoned building, and she'd learned to always keep your wits about you less some hobo throws a bottle of liquor at you- or worse. It was hard to see because of the scant light coming in through the windows, but as she made it to the reception desk she noticed that the dining table to her left stood out compared to all the others. There was a portion free of dust and grime, room enough for a single person to take their meals. Someone's been eating here, and recently.

She reached the dusty reception desk and amid scattered loose sheaves of parchment, opened reference books on monsters and dungeons and empty bottles of booze she saw there was a bell to ring. She wondered what sort of monster might be summoned if she were to press it. The worst case scenario was that it would act as an alert system for whatever transient laid in waiting for her, and she would be attacked.

Sam liked to live dangerously, so she pressed the button.

"Hey, seriously! Is this place open for business, or what?" She shouted.

Silence answered back, but only until she heard the dismayed grumbling of a man coming from the room behind the reception desk. Stumbling footsteps crept toward the door and it began to open with a loud creak. Before Sam knew it, an empty bottle of liquor was flung on a collision course with her face.

"Fuck!" She jumped out of the way and reached for her sword, ready to pull it out the second she needed to.

"Get the fuck out," the stranger said. "Shouldn't you lot know by now that the Guild is closed? Here's a suggestion, try solving your own fucking problems."

Sam felt it coming. She was close to entering one of her 'moods' again, and as much as she wanted to stop it, she couldn't help sounding off and acting out. "Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to in such a tone? Do you even know who I am?!" She asked with indignant rage.

"No, and I must've missed the point where I should give one iota of a shit," the man clapped back, fully stepping into open view in all his disheveled glory.

The man was nearly naked save for a pair of ruffled boxers and a pair of golden-rimmed rectangular sunglasses with dark red lenses, completely at odds with the dusky darkness of the Guild. He was poorly shaven, his face red and his skin clammy with sweat. Short black hair, greasy. The scent of booze clung to him like the worst of perfumes, so strong that it would've nearly overpowered Sam's senses were it not for the familiarity she had with the scent back home. In his left hand he clutched a piece of parchment lazily.

He was also sporting a half chub which his boxers did nothing to conceal.

After he looked at the girl in greater detail, his angered expression seemed to soften into one of confusion. Sam wouldn't have guessed why, she was too surprised he could actually see through those glasses, but whatever he saw made him do a double take at his parchment and then at Sam before staring at her in silence.

For a first impression, it went as poorly as it could have gone. Neither party knew at the time how significant this meeting was, nor that it was the single most important event of their lives. There, in that rundown Guild, Sam met the man who would lead her and many others to glory. A man who would climb his way to the top of the world through the power of his own excessive desires.

But that part of the story is a ways away. In order to rise, one must be at their absolute lowest of lows, and that is where we find the Guild Master of the Dewhurst Adventurer's Guild at that very moment.