Along the Road: A Day at the Fair

[Amazing Aardvark]

Along the Road: A Day at the Fair
Well guys, this one will be my most ambitious (and longest) story yet. It’s more of a short, text-based adventure than a story, but it blends in some emotions with some comedy and some good old-fashioned Tom-Foolery. Oh and Casey, or any other developers that read this, I’d really like to know what you think as well. Enjoy!

Upon reaching a small village that stands in your path, you and your men are greeted by a dazzling spectacle of colorful tents, ribbons flapping in the wind, and a busy activity that could only be matched by the trading square of a grand city. Passing farmers who are hurrying on their way pause just long enough to tell you that the Harvest Festival is about to begin!

Looking around, you see almost more than can be taken in. There are covered stables full of prize winning cows, chickens, and pigs. You see numerous booths for games of every sort. There are tables set up for food and concessions, and fires are roaring – cooking all sorts of delicious rotisserie meats. Oh, and then you notice all the stands filled with every sort of down-home-home-made-home-brew! That’s right, beer like momma used to make it! Only this time every mother, father, and brewer for miles around has brought their finest wares to showcase at the festival. The men come to you and begin pestering and begging you like children, asking if they can stay and enjoy the fair for just one day.

Absolutely not! We’ve got work to do! (Click to end event)
Or
Oh, why not! But it’s your money. (Click to continue)
Or
Sure we will. Here, take 10 crowns a piece. Now, go on and enjoy yourselves! (Click to pay 10 crowns a person, put the men in good spirits, and continue the event)

(This is where it gets a little complicated. Below, I’ll have five categories that you can choose that have three mini-adventures in each. At the end of each adventure, you’ll be brought back to the “Well, now what?” screen and prompted to choose one of the remaining options. Once you choose one of the categories, and pick an adventure in it, that category should be disabled for the current fair. This way, in case you run into a fair again, you’ll be able to try 4 entirely new adventures. There are only four because the last option lets you leave the fair. Here are the categories below.)

“Well, now what?”
Click an option to continue
Play a game.
Look for a show.
Grab a bite to eat.
Get a drink.
Round up your men and leave the fair

Category 1. Play a game!

You look around and see a few games that grab your attention. There is an arrow shoot, a game where you try and knock over some mugs with a ball, and your favorite game of all, Dunk-a-Goblin.

(Game 1) Bulls-eye Bow
Walking up to the bowyer, you ask how the game is played.
“Well sonny, for 10 crowns I’ll let you take a shot at that there target with this here bow. If you hit the Bulls-eye, I’ll give you back your 10 crowns and an extra 10 crowns to boot! You in?

Give me that Bow (Click to continue)

After paying the 10 crowns, you take the bow in hand, feel its weight, look at where the wind is blowing, draw back, aim, and…

Shoot (Click to continue)

(There is a 50/50 chance that you hit the Bulls-eye)

The arrow flies true and Strikes the Bulls-eye right in the middle. You collect your 20 crowns from the disgruntled game keeper and…
Or
The arrow flies true to your aim. Sadly, your aim was off, and you miss the bulls-eye. You hand the bow to the chuckling game keeper and…

Ask to play again. (option one: You can play this infinite times)
Or
See what else there is to do. (Click to go back to the categories page with the “Play a Game” category removed)

(Game 2) Beer Toss
“Step right up, Sir. Step right up! Can I interest you with a game of Beer Toss? Ten crowns a throw, but if you can knock all three of those mugs over with this wooden ball, I’ll double your money.

(This is different from the archery game, and here is how. There is a 75% chance that you miss and a 25% chance that you hit the mugs but they don’t fall over. This game is a scam!)

I’ll give it a try! (Click to continue)

“Ten crowns for you, sir. But don’t get too attached,” you say, ”because they’ll be coming back to me soon, and they’ll be bringing some of your friends with them.”
“We’ll see.” Says the game keeper with a sly smile.
You ignore him and with a mighty throw…

RAHH! (Click to continue)

You miss the target, embarrassing g yourself in front of everyone.
Or
You nail the stacked mugs right in the middle, but they don’t fall down! This game must be rigged!

(Option 1) Try again (lose ten crowns)
Or
(Option 2) I’ve got better things to do. (click to return to the Category page)

(Game 3) Dunk-a-Goblin

While approaching the stand, all the wonderful memories of your childhood come flooding into your mind. You remember your first fair, and the very first time you got to play Dunk-a-Goblin. Good times. At this fair though, they don’t have some volunteer dressed up as a goblin. No, they have a real live goblin! It’s chained to a chair and is just ripe for the dunking. And by ripe, you mean that you could smell him.
“Might I interest you in a game of Dunk-a-Goblin, Sir?” The game master asks you. “It’s just one crown a throw.”

Absolutely! (Click to continue)

(There is an 80% chance you miss, and a 20% chance that you dunk the goblin!)

You take the ball in hand and size up the small target that you have to hit in order to trigger the release and send the goblin down into the water. You take a deep breath, aim and…

Throw the ball with all your might! (Click to continue)

The ball goes flying past the target and the crowd sighs in disappointment.
Or
The ball smacks the target, and with a squeal the goblin tumbles into the water! The crowd goes wild! In a moment of cleverness and to the crowd’s amusement, you say, “And throw some soap in there with him. I can smell him all the way over here!”

Play again? (Click to continue)
Or
That’s enough fun for one day (Click to go back to the category page)

Category 2 Look for a show.

There are three shows that you think might be interesting, and they each cost 10 crowns a piece. One is called “Orcish Terror!” Another is called “The Amazing Aardvark!” And the last is called “Bertha Biggs: No kids allowed.”
Which show should I go to?

Show 1 Orcish Terror
Entering the closed tent, you and many others are ushered to the front where stands a monstrously sized orc that is chained to stakes in the earth. The announcer goes on for some time about Grog the Bloody, mightiest of the orc warlords, and all the many men he has slain. One drunk, who you learn lost a brother to an orc raiding party, throws a mug at him and starts cursing for a while before he leaves with tears in his eyes. While the announcer gives the people the show they payed for, you can’t help but phase it out and look at the orc. He is large you think to yourself, but seeing his tired eyes and sagging skin, you realize that there is no more fight left in this orc.

Where to now? (CTC: Click to continue)

Show 2 The Amazing Aardvark
“Ladies and gentlemen, might I have your attention? For today, we have a special treat. From distant lands, our contacts have sent us an amazing creature that you’ve never seen before. Are you ready? Behold, the Aardvark!”
With that, the door of a covered cage opens up and a peculiar creature waddles out. It’s about the size of a small dog, and it has short, brownish-tan fur. You notice that it has ears like a mule but a long, skinny snout. It walks around for a moment without doing anything interesting, and the crowd quickly loses its patience. Well, that was underwhelming.

Where is that conman of an announcer? (CTC)

Show 3 Bertha Biggs
While waiting for the show to begin, you find yourself wondering what your mother would think if she knew what you were doing. Shortly, the dark room gets brighter with the light of a few torches, and sitting there before your eyes is the fattest woman you have ever seen… and she is completely nude! Among the hoots and whistles of the men around you, you find yourself wishing that you were anywhere but here right now.

You make a break for the tent flap. (CTC)

But before you manage to escape, you feel a pink, silken sash wrap around your head pulling you back in. The next thing you know you are face to face with and pressing up against Bertha Biggs. The men around you are howling with laughter, and for the next few minutes, which seem like an eternity, you are trapped in Bertha’s strong embrace. You close your eyes and start praying to whoever is listening asking for this nightmare to be over.

I’m sorry mother. I’ll never do it again! (Click to return to the category page)

Category 3. Grab a bite to Eat

Surveying the many tables of food, you find yourself craving something to eat. There are three foods that really look good. Saur Kraut and Sausage, Bratkartoffeln, and Schlachteplatte. Decisions, decisions…

(You can choose any of the three and the all will direct to one of two places. There is a 50% chance that you’ll love it and a 50% chance that you’ll get sick)

(First Possibility) “Wow, that was the best meal I’ve had in a long time. Tasted just like mother’s.”
Gwendell, the elderly lady that made you food gives you a sweet smile and says,“Awww, thanks darlin’. Now remember, you’re welcome back any time!”
Or
After downing the fatty, greasy food, you begin to feel the slightest bit queasy… and it doesn’t get better.

I need to find an outhouse! (CTC)

Category 4. Get a Drink
As I don’t know anything about alcohol, I’ll leave this section to Casey and the Germans that made this game.

Category 5. Round up your men!

Well, I’ve had a grand time. Hopefully, we’ll run into another fair somewhere down the road. Now, where have my men gone?

Begin the search. (CTC)

(All of these options are chosen randomly up to a limit of three per fair. Any of the names are just placeholders for the names of random Battle Brothers)

You find Delmar Drinks-a-lot near the alcohol stands. “Hi, Shir. Waht can I do for you thish lovely day?”
“Time to go Delmar, the fun’s over.”
“Awww, I wush just -hic- getting shtarted. Shir, I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m ashzz skunk as a -hic- drunk. HAHAHAHAHA!”

(sigh) Let’s go find the others (CTC)

Searching near the shows, you spot Billy Kid coming out of Bertha Biggs’s tent. He is wide eyed and as pale as a ghost.
“Sir, I need to lie down. I don’t feel very good.”

It’ll be okay, son. (CTC)

At the food court, you find Bjorn Beer-belly surrounded by a crowd of onlookers and sitting at a table with ten other men, each with a meat pie in front of them. As soon as the game master shouts “Go!”, they all grab a pie and start eating! It isn’t long before your man polishes off his pie and licks the pan clean. The crowd erupts with applause, and your man walks away heavier- weighed down with pie and with the crowns he just won.

Continue the search. (CTC)

You find Sigbold Sticky-fingers at the game tables. Apparently, he has spent his day wisely by scamming all the scam artists.
“Hail sir, I’ve won a lot of money today! But we need to leave… like, right now.”

Let’s get out of here. (CTC)

You find Average Fan in the stables.
“Look at these fine animals.” Average Fan says, “Have you ever seen so many purebreds in one place? (sigh)
I wish we had horses…”

Me too, friend, me too… (Click to end the fair)

Anyone reading this, what else could you find your men doing at the fair? Leave a story below! This has been a Day at the Fair. I hope you loved it!

[Love Gun]

No-fan here again. ;P

Some ideas, that cross my mind right now:
(The return of the anteater^^)
Since the anteater is also a part of the hunting story. Maybe you can make it that after you saw the show, and when you visit the fair another time, it is stated, that “The Amazing Aardvark” escaped.

There could be goblins coming to free their kin/shaman.

One of the merc could ride a pony/donkey and is thrilled.(much like the passage about “I wish we had horses”)

Or the band could act a little bandit-like. Stealing one of the prize winning animals(or make a snatch buying the second place cow from her disgruntled owner at an extraordinary low price), getting food. Take revenge on the scammer, by robbing him in the evening/night.

Furthermore you could write something about a juggler, a fire-eater, some ambigous talk about a sword-swallowing artist, a theatrical performance, who-dares-to-challenge-the-strongman (in a fight), strongman games or a merc losing his heart to the belle of the village or anything else relating to the village, that could be transferred to the fair(e.g. robbers that use the fair to clear the villagers houses of all their valuables, while they are enjyoing the fair. And maybe it turns out, that the robbers work together with the travelling people or that is what the village people do believe and you as the merc captain have to judge.).

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