18

You decide to go straight away to either of the two inns the cobbler spoke of. It’s far from the evening right now, but the owners are bound to know who Grymtoad is, and may even be able to give you further clues.

You opt to start with H’Rull’s, and start asking your way to it. You’re advised it’s near the market place, and sure enough, it’s in one of the streets leading away from the square. Odd looking place. Its shape suggests it was literally kicked in the face and stamped on by a giant foot, in that order. The front is set into a deep recess so the building looks squashed between its neighbours, a small tavern apparently run mostly for and by dwarves, and The Big Bight, a place that couldn’t be more obviously geared to the more brutish members of the population, with its huge front door and toothed name plate.

Walking inside you find a surprisingly tame clientele, composed mainly of humans and elves, and the occasional dwarf probably visiting from next door. The serving girls (and boys) are mostly human or cross-species with elves. The person who strikes you as most likely candidate for ownership however, looks entirely elven. He spots you and leisurely walks over to you. There’s no indication as to why. Maybe he fancies you.

“Can I help you?” he asks, looking you up and down. There’s no doubting it: he fancies you. You’d know that look in any eye, ape, orc, elf, anything with a fifth leg. You decide to try and use that to your advantage.

Looking him in the eye trying to put on the allure you ask him “Would you mind awfully advising me as to when and where I might find a Mr Genghis Grymtoad? Only I was told he might have a job for me working the cobbles, and they said to seek him here...”

Test your charisma:

1. Roll one die. Add your current PROWESS score to the number rolled. The resulting number is your seductive score.
2. Roll two dice for the elf. Subtract this total from your seductive score. If the result is equal or higher to 4, turn to 26. If the result is lower, turn to 37.