A CROWN RETURNED GAMEPLAY THREAD

This is where Gameplay will take place.

Falcon’s Hollow is the end of the line for many of its residents—a final destination in a flight from the law, a haven from crushing debts, a sanctuary from abuse, or a new start free from religious persecution. Yet those who dwell in the town know that it has more than its fair share of problems, and many who come to live here soon realise they simply traded one set of worries for another.

Each of you is drawn to Falcon's Hollow however, while growing up here was a real time of struggle, conflict and discontent, returning here is very personal for each of you and for some of you very close to home, striking at the heart of what makes you, well you.

The place hasn't changed much really though the atmosphere is never far from struggle and conflict. You know that Falcon's Hollow actually deserves better than what its getting. One thing you have noticed is that the distrust amongst the community has grown ten fold and you struggle to find a smile, including yours. Everywhere you look, upside down smiles greet you and sideways glances meet you. Somethings going on and its time to sort it out, especially when its personal. Welcome to Falcon's Hollow, welcome to A Crown Returned.

As you return to the town you grew up in, the unfamiliar becomes again familiar as you walk down the road heading in to Falcon's Hollow. It's almost as you left it with a couple of add ons here and there.

Falcon’s Hollow is a logging town through and through. Most buildings have log walls or are finished with wooden siding, their roofs covered in wooden shingles. The town is rough-looking, but some homes feature lovingly wrought ornamentation that shows their owners’ pride: decorative molding, carved cornices, window mullions, and delicate inlays on furniture. Sawmills and lumberyards are the main evidence of industry. Sawdust invades nearly every home, bed, and meal in the community, like sand in a beach town—but locals claim one gets used to it and mock those who can’t stand the dust. Around Falcon’s Hollow, the forest flourishes, dark and impenetrable, seemingly eager to claim the lives of those who endlessly assault its borders.

Walking around Falcon's Hollow at your pace affords you a fairly good idea of the layout of the town and some of its locations.

MAP OF FALCON'S HOLLOW

The sky over Falcon's Hollow was grim enough to reflect the ever-souring mood of its inhabitants while a large sailboat pulled into the river from its passage all the way from Cheliax, through the Inner Sea. The vessel was no pleasure craft, built rigidly and without ostentation as a transport craft for this or that merchant conglomerate. It creaked and groaned as it navigated the river, its hold laden with goods destined for the High Market.

Soon the hulking mass pulled into the docks, imposing itself by way of its girth like a muscular ruffian shoving their way up to a bar. Any other place with a port like that of Falcon's Hollow would be constantly hustling and bustling most hours of the day, but pickings were slim, and few other vessels inhabited the docks at this moment. It wasn't as if the Hollow had much in the way of fishery or other marine products going on.

Finally, the boat shuddered to a stop, almost enough to shake awake one particular denizen of the boat, lazing on a low crate in the hold. A creak and a punch in the arm from one of the deckhands did the rest, and she cracked her eyes open.

"Wakey-wakey, beefcake." The wrinkled deckhand grinned derisively. "Get up and get to work, ya dog."

"Oh, do I have to?" The lounging woman returned his contempt. "I think you fellas have it pretty well in hand." She was lean, well-defined but lacking some of the strength she had before. Roughly cropped black hair framed the angular features of her olive-skinned face, her cheeks still flecked with coal. She'd be fairly attractive, if not for the bad attitude. Traces of polish remained even now, on her bitten and worn-down nails. Far from the lavish attire she used to wear as one of the champions of Almas' fighting rings, she now only wore a blue tunic of frayed silk and baggy pants accessorized only by a small icon of Irori hanging off a red cord. The whole assembly was an approximation of what Tian martial artists and monks were depicted wearing in sensationalized magazine illustrations.

"If you don't quit playing, there's still time to nail you into a box and heave you overboard." The deckhand scoffed.

"Alright, alright..." Now considerably more motivated, the woman leapt to her feet, hoisted the crate she was sleeping on onto her shoulders, and hauled it above deck, down the gangplank, and onto a wagon bound for the High Market. The familiarity of the air hit her almost immediately; the buildings and other features had changed, but the trees and the sky hadn't. It was almost like she was a kid again, running around and getting into all kinds of trouble. With a grunt, she picked up another crate, aiming to finish her job quick so she could get free and head into town.

Fira, you finish your job relatively quickly as others help freely with the same thought in mind, however, theirs is largely to hit the nearest watering hole.

As you stand at the end of the wharf, you see a dusty pathway that leads off in front of you to the Low Market. There's a slight scent of produce no longer fresh enough for the High Market’s favored customers, heavily salted meats, and other questionable foodstuffs, most of which barely survive their trip to the market.

You have heard from your fellow ship mates that there are now weapons, armor, and adventuring gear can be found for sale there, though only weapons and adventuring gear worth 1 gp or less or armor worth 4 gp or less can be purchased at the Low Market.

Jayne, as you arrive at the nearest tavern, The Sitting Duck or 'The Duck' as it is known, you see on the front wooden panel just to the left of the door to The Sitting Duck tavern, a note attached to the panel. It reads ...



The Duck has long been the local hot spot for adventurers, explorers, and other rapscallions looking for excitement. The tavern serves a potent brew of fermented darkwood leaf that’s said to be able to "floor an ogre" in a few tankards.

As you walk into the tavern, As you have arrived in the morning, there are only a handful of patrons. One table is filled with what looks like four mercenary guards just come off a merchant caravan. They look tired, dusty and thirsty.

As you approach the bar and see a human female serving behind the bar. She finishes serving one customer who returns to a table by himself. She turns her attention to you with watchful eyes and says, "Whats. your poison and what will your little lady friend have?" Referring to a Gnome standing next door to you.

Before much of a digression could happen, however, the morning mumbling was interrupted by the doors to the tavern being shoved open by the athletic woman who had just finished hauling crates down at the docks. Much energy had already been spent this morning, and while the spirit was ablaze the body could be doing better.

Which meant this was a perfect chance to try and replenish some of that energy. "Woo! Whose ass do I have to kick to get something good to eat around here? Barkeep!" Fira slammed a gold piece down on the bar counter. "Get me something good to chew on and as much of the darkwood as this'll cover!"

The bartender reaches out to shake your hand Jayne however your hand is quickly ignored when the bartender hears the booming voice of the athletic woman and as she sees the gold piece on the bar. She rushes over to serve the woman instead.

She takes the slammed gold piece first and says, "Right away, my lady!"

With that she pours a large pint of Darkwood Leaf and presents it to her with handle facing this new rich customer and takes off into the kitchen where the smell of freshly cooked pies drifts out and tickles you under the chin. It has the desired effect as your tummy rumbles in anticipation. However, its for the lady instead. Two large pies and pieces of sop bread swathed in butter are presented to the lady on a large serving platter.

She then returns to the kitchen and brings out two trays of pies. One with four pies, and one with one pie. She delivers these to the four mercenary customers and the one sitting alone. She then returns to the bar, fetches two tankards of ale, sets them down before Jayne, reaches out her hand and says to Jayne, "Hello and welcome stranger! I'm Jalene!"

This has all been done so quickly, you would swear the bartender had wings and flew about the place. It would seem that the colour gold brightens everybody's day. Its the type of colour not often seen in this town unless its heading out of the town.