The Revelers of the Woods
Pick Your Peril: The Hero of Mudtown
(This is a series of choose-your-own-adventure articles. If you want to start from the beginning, click here. If you want to revisit the previous chapter, click here.)
It nearly cost you your life getting this far, to turn around and go back to the village now is the last thing you want to do. The Revelers seem like decent people. Could it be that you’ve finally found yourself some good company to aid you in your journey?
They cheer when you announce your intention to join them. The Bard picks up his lute and begins strumming a song.
“This calls for a celebration!”
The three forest men retreat into the woods again, producing a keg, food, cups and dinnerware, even chairs and a table complete with candles.
Everything needed for a party!
They sing along to the Bard’s song as they assemble all the accouterments around the campfire and begin distributing food and drinks. At the conclusion of the song, the Bard encourages his three companions to introduce themselves.
They are all young men of the same age and physique, with only the color of their hair truly differentiating them. There’s Bartholomew the blonde, Richard the redhead, and Jeremiah with a black beard. All of them carefree and jovial, laughing and smiling, except when it comes time for them to talk about home.
Their backgrounds are, unfortunately, very similar as well. All of them were peasants growing up serving the king, until one day when the taxes got too high and the king sent his knights to take prisoners and burn everything down. These three were the only ones to escape their villages, wandering out alone to fend for themselves in the wilderness when the Bard found them and took them under his wing.
Overthrowing the King has become their only ambition, they tell you as they drink solemnly from their cups. They will not rest until another ruler sits the throne. Even if every last one of them was captured or killed.
“Like poor Benedict.” Richard shakes his head sadly.
“… or Eddie.” Bartholomew mutters under his breath.
“What happened to Eddie was an accident!” Richard puts his head in his hands and sobs, “If I had known, I would have never…”
The Bard strikes a chord on his lute.
“Enough! Now is not the time for misery.” The Bard stands, strumming enthusiastically. “We finally have something to be happy about! Another Reveler joins our ranks, let us drink to our good fortune!”
Everyone cheers and raises their cups, drinking deeply to the toast.
You’re curious what the plan is for getting into the castle, but it’s clear that the Revelers only interest tonight is… reveling. Their singing becomes slightly slurred as they drink from the keg, and the Bard’s playing gets sloppier with every cup he consumes. Jeremiah offers you a tankard full of the strong drink, but you hesitate before you partake.
You’re not sure if you want to drink tonight, but you don’t want to offend your newfound friends.
What will you do?