"Oh," you say, unwilling to delve into the subject. "Hey." You reach out for your beer as Mercer hands it to you. As Mercer sits down, he lets out a low whistle as he sees the money. "Jesus Christ, that's a lot of money."\n\n[["Of course that's a lot of money."|Of course money]]

Your name is Rachel, and you're probably crazy.\n\nLess than a day ago, your sister--your guardian--was brutally murdered. You had confessed to your friend that you thought the murder was committed by a monster, even though there hasn't been a breach in town security for centuries. He gave you a strange look before telling you that two Hunters, by the name of Geoff and Mercer, happened to be in town. But, "for the love of all that's good, do not cross them. Remember, they're Hunters--they won't hesitate to kill you."\n\nBut here you are, standing in the middle of the village tavern at evening, surrounded by people eating and drinking with wild abandon, trying to make yourself look as inconspicuous as possible while searching for some people who you were told could help you. \n\n[[Search the tavern for somebody who looks like a Hunter.|Search tavern]]\n[[Ask the man beside you.|Ask the man beside you]]\n[[Ask the bartender if she's seen a Hunter.|Ask bartender]]\n\n

You nod at him. "I'm getting there," you say, in a voice you weren't expecting to be so defiant. Geoff frowns at you. "Ok, here's the deal. My sister was killed. I am absolutely positive what killed her wasn't entirely human, but others don't agree. They think I'm making it up, my over active imagination or something, but I know what I saw. It was a...thing, a monster, and I want it found. I want it found, and I want it dead."\n\nGeoff and Mercer look at each other before Geoff says, "Typical job, then. Nothing special. Mercer, you're good with this stuff. You ask the questions."\n\nMercer stammers. "R-right. Of course." He licks his lips. "Did you see what it looked like?"\n\n[["Yes."|Describe the monster]]\n[["Well...kind of?"|Kind of]]

"Biest is the most animalistic classification of monster, and possibly the origin of the word 'beast.' They bear absolutely no human attributes besides the ability to learn from example and trial-and-error. Their classifications are far too numerous to list. No Biest, wild or docile, are allowed inside the walls of cities and towns, due to the laws put in place before the development of writing. They're best known for their ability to destroy at a moment's notice."\n\nBack to [[Next Page]]

An entry from a undated article from an unknown source: \n\n"This world is inhabited by hundreds of dangerous monsters of varying shapes and sizes, ranging from the tiny Mekkenbiest to the massive Drakkenbiest. Some are docile and tame, and some are malevolent and savage. We humans have countered with numerous things: massive walls to keep out the creatures, and a class of warriors called Hunters who keep these monsters in check—and work for a bit of coin when the time comes for it as well."\n\n[[Next Page|Next Page]]\n\n

Oh, who are you trying to kid?\n\n[[Let your voice crack.|Voice crack]]

You shake your head impatiently. "No, they're definitely the ones I need to see. But thanks for the concern."\n\nThe bartender sighs. "If you insist," she says, and points to the back of the room. You thank her again. \n\n[[Walk over.|Walk to the back of the room]]

"Jane," you say. \n\nMercer frowns. "That's not your real name," he says, and you decide that it's a bad idea to lie to a Sorgen.\n\n[[Tell the truth instead.|Tell the truth]]

"Of course it's a lot of money," you say, leaning forward. "So I expect you to deliever."\n\n"What kind of Hunters would we be if we didn't?" Geoff says, flattening the map on the table with his palm. Mercer cracks open his beer and takes a long drink. \n\nSuddenly, somebody claps his hand on Mercer's shoulder. Mercer almost jumps out of his chair, spinning around to face him. The man is swaying slightly on his feet, drunk--understandable, it's nine in the evening--and he grins an intoxicated grin. \n\n"Ain't this adorable, seeing you here again?" he slurs. "One hell of a threesome you guys got going on." He looks at you and winks. "How you doing, baby?"\n\nMercer springs out of his chair, twisting around to grab him by the throat and slam him against the wall with enough force to rattle the candle above it. Geoff leans against his chair. But a loud snap alerts you to the fact that Mercer's hands aren't hands--they're long claws, scaled with broken green plates, pinning the man to the wooden walls. Mercer snarls, baring long, yellowed fangs and pale gums. \n\n"Get out of my sight," he snarls, ripping him from the wall and tossing him into the aisle. "And you can tell the guards at North Haven Outpost that Geoff and Mercer send their warm regards."\n\n[[Freak out.|Freak out]]\n[[Freak out.|Freak out]]

You collapse on the rough bed. Whether you fall asleep before your eyes close, you're never sure. \n\nEND CHAPTER ONE

Come to bed? What? You pause by the door, pushing yourself up into standing. Are they...?\n\nYou grab your keys, making sure that your bookbag is still on your back. No, they can't be. You were stupid for thinking so. You walk into your own room, lock the door, and throw your own things onto the floor. \n\nYou are more tired than you have ever been in your entire life.\n\n[[Go to bed.|Go to bed]]

You kneel down--facing the stairs, of course, and in the position to make it look like you're tying your shoes--and press your ear to the door. \n\nYou hear the bags hit the floor. \n\n"What do you make of her?" That's definitely Geoff, there's no way you're mistaking a voice as deep as his. \n\n"I..." Mercer sighs. "I feel bad for her, I really do, but I feel horrible for taking her on as a client. That's so much money, and..."\n\n"It's a win-win. She gets revenge, we get money."\n\n"Revenge doesn't solve anything, Geoff."\n\n"I know, but it makes you feel better."\n\n"Only for a little while." \n\n"I know," Geoff mutters. "Tell me something I don't know."\n\nMercer chuckles, but it's weak. "Yeah. Definitely." \n\nGeoff sighs, and you hear the bed creak. "Just come to bed, you idiot. Get some sleep. You look terrible."\n\n[[Wait, what?|Be confused]]

You sweep your glance around the tavern, but everybody seems to look the same--men and women at tables drinking ale and overall having a blast. \n\nIt doesn't look much like a blast to you, but you decide not to judge. \n\n[[Ask the man beside you.|Ask the man beside you]]\n[[Ask the bartender.|Ask bartender]]

"Alright," Mercer says. He smiles softly. "Two rooms, then."\n\n"I can't pay you for that..." you say, but Geoff grabs the bag of gold you had given him and stuffed it into his bag. \n\n"I think we're good," Mercer says. "All expenses paid."\n\n[["Thanks."|Thanks for the room]]

"The Sorgen Exodus was a period thousands of years ago when the Sorgen living in human society were rounded up and expelled from the settlements. In many places across the world, this is the first piece of written history. Thousands of Sorgen were killed in the Exodus, and has created a violent prejudice against humankind with some of the more feral Sorgen."\n\nBack to [[Sorgen]]

You take a few steps over, hoping that it's in a dignified and adult fashion, and ask him, "Sir? I'm looking for two men by the name of Geoff and Mercer." \n\nHe looks up from his drink, sweeping his eyes over you. He's definitely a gruff character, that's for certain. He leans back in his chair, hooking an arm over the back, and says, "What the hell do you want, kid?"\n\n[[Speak in a dignified manner.|Speak dignified]]\n[[Let your voice crack.|Voice crack]]

"...Rachel," you say. \n\nMercer nods and holds out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Rachel." You shake his hand--it's rough and calloused, exactly the type of hand you'd expect on a Hunter.\n\nAnd with that, he shuts the door.\n\n[[Go to your own room.|Go to room]]\n[[Eavesdrop.|Eavesdrop]]

"It was..." you say, then pause. "It was tall...and green...with scales." When you see Mercer looking at you with a quizzical expression, you say, "I'm pretty sure it wasn't you, though."\n\nHe chuckles humorlessly. "Right," Mercer says. "So it's definitely a Drakken. Whether it's a Rekker or Sorgen is yet to be determined." He pauses. "When did this happen?"\n\n"Last night," you say, a bit quiet. \n\nMercer nods. "It couldn't have gone far, especially in human lands. We'll ask around an outpost later."\n\n[[Ask what your first move will be.|First move]]

You make your way across the tavern, passing the stairwells that lead to the rented rooms above. The bartender is the only person who doesn't look completely wasted. It's a young woman maybe in her twenties, hair pulled back into a bun and a knife at her hip. She sees you and beckons you over. "You look lost, hun," she says. "Can I help you?"\n\nSlightly disoriented from the stench of alcohol and the raucous laughter ringing in your ears, you blink your eyes and focus on the bartender.\n\n[[Ask about the Hunters.|Ask about the hunters.]]

You shake your head. "No," you say. "Sorry." Mercer nods and walks off towards the bartender. The one you assume is Geoff watches him leave for a second before turning back to you. \n\n"You know," he says, "we're gonna need something in return. This ain't an easy job."\n\nYou raise an eyebrow "Of course," you say, surprised that your voice doesn't break once more. "Wouldn't expect anything less." You stuff your hand into your faded backpack and pull out a hefty sack of gold coins, almost slamming them on the table. "I trust this should suffice?"\n\nGeoff whistles under his breath. "Damn, girl. You shouldn't be carrying this around. Where did you get it?"\n\n[[Answer him.|Answer Geoff 2]]\n[[Acknowlege Mercer's return.|Acknowledge Mercer's return 2]]

Sorgen: Chapter One

"Excuse me, sir, but have you seen two Hunters around?"\n\nHe looks up at you and wipes a bit of food off his chin. He looks you up and down with his scrutinizing gaze. \n\n"Unless a girl like you is trying to get 'erself killed, no, I 'aven't," he says. "Get out of here. Ain't no place for a girl like you."\n\nThat pisses you off a little bit. \n\n[[Search tavern.|Search tavern]]\n[[Ask the bartender.|Ask bartender]]

"Kind of?" Geoff says. "C'mon, seriously. Did you see it or not?"\n\n[["Uh..."|Describe the monster]]

"Yeah, I know," you say. "But it's a really important matter. I don't really have much of a choice."\n\nThe bartender nods. "If you're sure," she says, and points towards the back of the room. "They're back there, dear. Good luck."\n\nYou smile at her.\n\n[[Walk over.|Walk to the back of the room]]

You approach the back of the room, shuffling with the backpack slung over your shoulder. A few people watch you go by. \n\nYou catch who they are rather easily. There are indeed two of them, sitting across from each other at a table by the back wall. They're talking to each other over a map and drinks, gesturing at the map every now and then. \n\nThe one on the left is probably in his late thirties. He's thick and heavy, with dark-brown hair and a beard cut close to the jaw. There are crude tattoos running up and down both arms, and his eyes are dark, with a flicker of what seems to be hostility. While he's covered in scars, there's a particularly prominent one on his left cheek that leaves a gash in his beard. \n\nThe one on the right is smaller and leaner (but nothing close to scrawny), in his mid-thirties at the latest. His hair is blond and a lot longer than his partner's, and his eyes lack hostility and is replaced by a quiet contentness. \n\n[[Address the one on the left.|Address left]]\n[[Address the one on the right.|Address right]]

You follow Geoff and Mercer up the tavern stairs, the two of them talking and chuckling between themselves. Mercer suddenly says, "You jackass!" and gives Geoff a gentle shove. You can't help but watch them laugh and joke around. It's strange. \n\nOnce upstairs, Mercer unlocks his door, letting Geoff go in before leaning against the doorframe. "Hey," Mercer calls to you before you open your own door. "I never got your name."\n\n[[Tell the truth.|Tell the truth]]\n[[Lie.|Lie to Mercer]]

"Of course it's a lot of money," you say, taking a sip of your beer. "So I expect you to deliver."\n\n"What kind of Hunters would we be if we didn't?" Geoff says, flattening the map on the table with his palm. \n\nSuddenly, somebody claps his hand on Mercer's shoulder. Mercer almost jumps out of his chair, spinning around to face him. The man is swaying slightly on his feet, drunk--understandable, it's nine in the evening--and he grins an intoxicated grin. \n\n"Ain't this adorable, seeing you here again?" he slurs. "One hell of a threesome you guys got going on." He looks at you and winks. "How you doing, baby?"\n\nMercer springs out of his chair, twisting around to grab him by the throat and slam him against the wall with enough force to rattle the candle above it. Geoff leans against his chair. But a loud snap alerts you to the fact that Mercer's hands aren't hands--they're long claws, scaled with broken green plates, pinning the man to the wooden walls. Mercer snarls, baring long, yellowed fangs and pale gums. \n\n"Get out of my sight," he snarls, ripping him from the wall and tossing him into the aisle. "And you can tell the guards at North Haven Outpost that Geoff and Mercer send their warm regards."\n\n[[Freak out.|Freak out]]\n[[Freak out.|Freak out]]

"Oh," you say, unwilling to delve into the subject. "Hey." You reach out for your beer as Mercer hands it to you. As Mercer sits down, he lets out a low whistle as he sees the money. "Jesus Christ, that's a lot of money."\n\n[["Of course that's a lot of money."|Of course money 2]]

"I, uh, need--" Your voice falters slightly at 'need,' causing the man with the tattoos to snort and the man with the blond hair to frown in worry. "--I'm in need of your service as Hunters."\n\n"Well, we could've figured that out," the tattoos says. He sighs and turns to his friend. "Mercer, get us another round, would you?"\n\nThe blond one--Mercer, you assume, stands, with a groan betraying that he hasn't done so in a while. \n\n"Do you drink?" he asks you.\n\n[["Yes."|Yes 1]]\n[["No, sorry."|No 1]]

"Oh, I'm, uh, looking for two men by the name of Geoff and Mercer? I was told they would be here. They're, ah, Hunters." You're trying to keep your voice level, but it's not working.\n\nThe bartender gives you a dubious look. "Honey, are you sure you're talking about the right people? They're not people a girl like you should be near, let alone talk to."\n\n[[Agree|Agree with the bartender]]\n[[Shake your head|Shake your head at the bartender]]

You nod. "Yeah," you say. Mercer gives you a strange look, then nods and walks off towards the bartender. The one you assume is Geoff watches him leave for a second before turning back to you. \n\n"You know," he says, "we're gonna need something in return. This ain't an easy job."\n\nYou raise an eyebrow "Of course," you say, surprised that your voice doesn't break once more. "Wouldn't expect anything less." You stuff your hand into your faded backpack and pull out a hefty sack of gold coins, almost slamming them on the table. "I trust this should suffice?"\n\nGeoff whistles under his breath. "Damn, girl. You shouldn't be carrying this around. Where did you get it?"\n\n[[Answer him.|Answer Geoff 1]]\n[[Acknowlege Mercer's return.|Acknowledge Mercer 1]]

You take a few steps over, hoping that it's in a dignified and adult fashion, and ask him, "Sir? I'm looking for two men by the name of Geoff and Mercer."\n\nHe looks up at you and smiles. It's a warm, cheery smile. While he's definitely a rough-looking character, he's definitely not as much as his partner. You feel a bit safer talking to him. "Yes?" he says. "Can I help you?"\n\n[[Speak in a dignified manner.|Speak dignified]]\n[[Let your voice crack.|Voice crack]]

Are you kidding? People are always keeping things from you, why wouldn't they? \n\n[[Eavesdrop anyway.|Eavesdrop]]

"Monsters have evolved alongside humans for hundreds of thousands of years, a predator-prey dynamic that forces evolution. There are three kinds of monsters: Rekker, Sorgen and Biest."\n\n[[Rekker|Rekker]]\n[[Sorgen|Sorgen]]\n[[Biest|Biest]]\n[[Close Book|Close Book]]

"The Rekker classification of monster is a subclass of Sorgen that lacks the ability to assume human form. In all honesty, they are vaguely humanoid Biest, and many zoology experts believe that the Rekker and Biest class are one and the same, with only Sorgen separated due to their shapeshifting abilities. It's unknown whether Rekker or Sorgen came first."\n\nBack to [[Next Page]]

"You're a freak!" you stage-whisper. Mercer's nose wrinkles. \n\n"I'm not a freak," he says, voice almost slipping back into a growl as he takes a drink of his beer. "I'm a Sorgen, there's a difference."\n\n"And you showed yourself?" you demand. "In public?"\n\n"Since I'm a Hunter, it's allowed," Mercer says. "It's an unwritten rule."\n\n"S-sure..." you say, glancing between Mercer and Geoff. Geoff raises an eyebrow at you, then says, "Okay, look. Enough of this. You still haven't told us what you want, kid."\n\n[[Explain.|Explain]]

"Well?" you say. "What's our first move going to be?"\n\nGeoff stands up. "Our first move," he says, "is going to be to get some sleep and go out for supplies in the morning." He chuckles, starting to pack up the map. "Mercer, rooms, would you?"\n\nMercer stands. "Of course," he says. He turns to you. "Do you have a place to stay?"\n\n[["No."|Need a place]]

You close the book. Dust rises from the cover. \n\n[[Start Adventure|Start Adventure]]

"Sorgen is a classification of monster that is the best known for their ability to assume a human form. Many may possibly live among us, spending their entire lives in human skin. Those that live peacefully hidden do not dare show their true form unless they're ready for violent opposition. Many fear humans due to the [[Sorgen Exodus|Sorgen Exodus]]. \nEach Sorgen has a patron, a Biest which they most closely resemble--a Drakkensorgen's patron is a Drakkenbiest, while a Raelsorgen's patron is a Raelbiest.\n\nIf you look closely, you can see hints that may point to an individual being a Sorgen, such as eyes or patterns hidden under skin. Sorgen who wish to have a peaceful life will go to great lengths to hide these giveaways."\n\nBack to [[Next Page]]

"Got it a lot of places," you say as Mercer comes back to the table. He's holding two beers. He gives one to Geoff. \n\n"Here you go," Mercer says, sitting back down. "Jesus Christ, that's a lot of money."\n\n[["Of course that's a lot of money."|Of course money 2]]

"Got it a lot of places," you say as Mercer comes back to the table. He's holding three beers with no trouble at all, and he sits one in front of you. \n\n"Here you go," Mercer says, sitting back down. "Jesus Christ, that's a lot of money."\n\n[["Of course that's a lot of money."|Of course money]]

"No problem," Mercer says, taking a few gold coins out of Geoff's hand and walks over to the bartender again. Geoff snorts and slings both bags over his shoulder. \n\n"How'd you hear about us?" he asks. \n\n"A friend told me," you reply. \n\n"Hmm," Geoff says. "Yeah. Seems how everybody learns about us. Not good form for a Hunter to advertise."\n\nMercer comes back, holding two keys. He hands one to you. "Here you go."\n\n[[Follow Geoff and Mercer upstairs.|Follow GM upstairs]]

It wasn't like there was any other choice. \n\nWhen Mercer turns back around, his face is pushing itself back into its human shape, snapping and folding in on the scales and swallowing them under flesh. The other patrons are staring, and a quick glare from Mercer suddenly tells them that their meals are far more interesting than the wheezing man or the small group in the corner. \n\nAnd when Mercer sits down, you're hyperventilating. \n\n"What the HELL was that?" you demanded. "You...you...!" \n\n[["You're a freak!"|Freak]]\n[["You're a Sorgen?"|Youre a sorgen]]

disturbedmartyr

"You're a Sorgen?" you say, somewhere between shock and horror. "And you showed yourself? You--"\n\nMercer nodded. "Yeah. Sorry." He looks down at the map, as if studying it. Geoff looks up at him. "I mean..." Mercer says. "Since I'm a Hunter, I mean, I can get away with it. It's kind of an unwritten rule around here."\n\nGeoff sighs. "Okay, look, enough of the exposition. You still haven't told us what you want, kid, and the money's still on the table."\n\n[[Explain.|Explain]]