Journey to the Castle
Pick Your Peril: The Hero of Mudtown
(This is part of a series of choose-your-own-adventure articles. If you want to start from the beginning, click here.)
The only cobblestone road in Mudtown leads straight to the castle. It’s not that far of a journey, but the day is late and you’ll need to find a place to spend the night. As you travel farther down the road, the tiled roofs of a medieval town begin obscuring your view of the castle in the distance.
This is Stoneville, Mudtown’s wealthier and more fortified neighbor, resting comfortably in both location and status halfway between Mudtown and the King’s castle. You know that the Stoneville tavern is a popular stop for travelers, but you’re positive you don’t have enough money for a room. As you get closer to the town, you see a campfire near the edge of the forest. A big, bearded man sits next to the fire, roasting squirrels, and waves you over with a smile when he sees you.
You approach the man’s makeshift camp and greet him as he motions for you to sit down. He offers you a squirrel, which you politely decline, and asks what brings you this way. You tell him about the disappearance of Mudtown and your family, and how you’re traveling to the castle to ask the King to investigate.
“It’s just as likely the King is the one that took ’em away.” The man gives you an empathetic frown, “You’ll not find much help at the castle.”
You have a feeling this will be the case, but you’ve decided it’s worth a shot just to see what happens. The man tells you they won’t let anyone in the castle after the sun sets and offers you an extra bedroll and a spot by the fire for the night. He seems agreeable enough, even if he asks a lot of questions. The fact that it will cost you nothing is also nice.
The glowing lights of Stoneville are warm and welcoming. It might be worth trying to appeal to the innkeeper’s sense of pity. There could be ways of earning a bed for the night, and you can see if anyone at the tavern will aid you in the search for your family and neighbors. At the very least, someone at the inn could have more information about your missing family.
What will you do?