>>Pay for the helmet with that coin you found

You offer your vast riches to Eik, who politely turns down your offer. He would feel bad, charging for a present!

And besides, equipment is on the house for the Town Guard. Which, as luck would have it, you have been a member of for as long as you can remember!


>>Go adventuring, search for some precious loot!
>>Get moving to your friend’s abode. You don’t want to be absurdly late. (& maybe you’ll meet a trader who may be willing to trade that helm for a more fitting present? )

Alright! You feel like you’re all set, ready for the not-that-long journey to Felldetta. You stow the birthday hjalmr in your hairdo of holding, and stride towards the town gate.

But before you can make your escape, someone shouts, “Hold it!”

Why, it’s Vordr, Captain of The Guard! He’s beckoning you to follow him.

“René!”, his deep booming voice calls out. “The Jarl’s called for a meeting! Everyone in the Guard’s supposed to get to the longhouse, get over here!”

You do not have time for this.

Before you can voice your complaints, Vordr puts his big meaty hand around your dubiously-extant shoulder and pushes you along, chuckling condescendingly.

“Heh, calm down, you big baby. It’ll only be a minute, and then you can run along to your boyfriend’s party.”

Stupid Vordr. He's always making fun of you. And your friends. And your hair. Honestly, you don’t know why you even joined the dang Guard in the first place with this guy running the show.

Before your retrospective musing can dig up the long-forgotten reason you ended up with the job you did, Vordr unceremoniously shoves you through the door of the longhouse, announcing to the Jarl that everyone is here.

The Jarl glances around the longhouse, making sure everybody is indeed present, as he sits ominously atop his throne as always. His gaze rests upon you, and he begins to speak, slowly but clearly...

“Good, we are all ready. Now then. As you all know, we’ve had little trouble with goblins in the past. They have been minor annoyances, pilfering the occasional coin or loaf of bread from passing merchants and villagers. Nothing they couldn’t deal with themselves.”

“However, lately they have been attacking with increasing ferocity, stripping people completely of their items and leaving them lying penniless in the woods. If this carries on, all of the trade routes through Thornspie will be dead in the water in a matter of days.”

“What's more, the merchants have been telling tales of a large shadowy lobster-creature said to be directing the Goblins from the darkness, further scaring everyone away from our town!”

“Given how ridiculous these claims are, we have decided that YOU, René, will be sent to investigate the woods, find out what is behind all this, and put a stop to it.”

But wait, you have a birthday to go to! You don’t have time to go farting about in the forest hunting legendary crab people!

I mean sure, we’re a fishing village, but this is just ridiculous!

“The Goblin attacks are happening down the road between Thornspie and Felldetta. You’re going there anyway, so we may as well send you out!

And you don’t need to worry about coming back, we will send Eik with you. He will return to tell us how you did, and you can hurry along to your little party.”

You are not pleased.