Chapter 7: Side Quests, Snide Quests

The Highway of Danger, outside Town 277…

            Tariel, Artalax, and Robari (the robber) continued their journey, passing town after identical town. "I wonder why they have to have all these identical towns,"       Tariel asked. "It certainly doesn't say in any of the adventuring books."

"It looks like this town up ahead is different," said Artalax. "Look at the sign."

The sign said: "WELCOME TO TOWN 277, HOME OF SIDEQUEST CENTRAL."

"Let's go there," Tariel suggested. "We can heal up and maybe pick up a few more experience points and gold pieces doing quests. There aren't that many quests around, hopefully this place will have some."

"That's fine with me, as long as them quests don't involve oppressing the proletariat," replied Robari. "We really need some money though. And hopefully we get to pick up one of them females too. Just havin' three male characters is gonna be mighty boring."

At Sidequest Central…

            The three adventurers entered the Sidequest Central building. "Okay everyone, the auction's going to start in just a few minutes!," said a booming voice. "The bidding's going to be competitive tonight, only two quests to bid on!" The adventurers rushed around, trying to find someone who could explain what was going on, since they had never heard of an auction house for quests.

"Okay, let me explain to you how this works. When someone needs a quest done, they put it up for auction, and adventurers can bid for it."

"But don't the people offering the quests pay the adventurers, in the form of the quest rewards, not the other way around? That's the whole point."

"You don't understand. You bid for how much you're willing to do it for. Lowest bidder wins. That way the people who want the quests done can do it for cheaper, since there are lots of adventurers who want to do it. It's supply and demand. Be quiet, the auction's about to start."

The auctioneer began describing the first quest. "The first quest is to kill all the monsters in the Cave of Cravercal, located right here on this map. We think there should be only a few monsters here, most of them levels five through six, but there might be a boss character who's tougher."

"Two hundred gold pieces!" someone yelled. "I'll do the quest for a reward of two hundred gold pieces!"

"One hundred ninety!"

"One hundred seventy-five!"

"One hundred fifty!"

Tariel shouted out his bid: "I'll do it for zero gold pieces! That's right, for free!"

"I guess that guy over there wins it," said the auctioneer. "The guy who wanted it is getting a pretty good deal. Now, on to the next quest…"

"This second and final quest in tonight's lineup comes from Prince Arthanis himself. His sister, or was it his wife – Princess Talia - has been kidnapped by a dragon located in a cave right here on this map. In order to claim the reward you have to kill the dragon and rescue Princess Talia. Be advised the dragon is not known to have any stashes of gold, so take this into account and make sure you bid high. Anyone want to bid? Anyone want to bid?"

All the adventurers in attendance, however, had rushed out of the auction house as soon as the location of the dragon's cave was announced. All the adventurers, including Tariel and his party, rushed toward the cave, hoping to beat out the other adventurers in the race to rescue and marry the princess. They didn't need gold, just the fame and experience points the Princess would give provided plenty of incentive.

Many adventurers would risk their life

But only one can have the Princess as his wife.

She's coveted by heroes across the land:

I guess you could say it's supply and demand.