Finn's Let's Play 8 - A Treasure Map
Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac
Finn,
Time to move on to Vintner’s Row. Your old buddy, the bullfrog, Jeremiah, has asked that you secure something there to improve his favorite wine (and your healing). So you wander into town, now having a magical fiddle which you are amazing at playing (naturally), and a strength and dexterity weapon. I suggest visiting the blacksmith first to tip your rapier with silver. Trust me.
You see, on the night following your arrival, Vintner’s Row is all excited about burning a witch. How very typical. Now, it is true Rhiannon is a witch. However, her only crime is falling in love with the mayor’s son, Dusty Dawnbreaker.
Seems the mayor was murdered, and Rhiannon is blamed for the crime. As Mayor Dawnbreaker did not wish his son to be betrothed to a witch. Meandering through Vintner’s Row, you hear tell how the mayor was ripped limb from limb. You think, to yourself, being quite clever, that this is not the manner in which witches do murder. You always heard that poison and charm are their vices. Not such animalistic violence.
Stop at the tavern, a song plays about Rhiannon from a band from another world, in their prime, as they were when their music first lit up the cursed world they have escaped only to find another cursed world. Sad in its theme. Sung by another formidable witch of that distant world.
She is like a cat in the dark And then she is to darkness She rules her life like a fine skylark And when the sky is starless All your life you've never seen Woman taken by the wind Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win?
Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac
Enjoying a pint, you talk to the patrons about Rhiannon and the mayor’s murder. It seems Dusty broke off his engagement to the blacksmith’s daughter, Selene Amory when he fell helplessly in love with Rhiannon.
The blacksmith is in the tavern for a quick pint. He tells you that his daughter, Selene, has never been quite right since her older sister married a noble from Destiny Wood. Jealous. Always jealous, you see. And she was madly in love with Dusty so when he turned his eye to Rhiannon. Well, you can imagine.
So naturally you will attend the pyre to see what is up with Rhiannon.
When Rhiannon is lead in chains to her inevitable death, just as the moon rises, the village is attacked by undead (zombies, werewolves, and vampiric like creatures) who seem intent on saving Rhiannon. Odd? What will you do, Finn? If evil, undead side with Rhiannon, do you also take up her cause? Rhiannon is unnaturally beautiful - not typical of witches that truck with the undead.
You must fight the undead because they give no quarter. Good thing you tipped your rapier with silver and improved your healing potions (they now cure lycanthropy and vampirism). You did, right?
Finally, probably having to restart at the tavern several times (this is a REALLY tough fight), you vanquish the undead. And hopefully have saved the blacksmith who reports that his daughter, Selene, has run off into the Dusk Forest to hide and he is afraid for her.
Blacksmith Amory feels great sympathy for his younger daughter, so often scorned. He tells how his wife left him with the two girls when they were young. Selene had always been sweet and lovely, he says. However, Selene’s older sister, Daphne, was perceived in their village to be a great beauty so Selene was always in the shadows. He laments he has not been a fit father for little girls. He blames himself. He should have given Selene more attention to balance things out. You try to console him, tell him you will do what you can for Selene.
You convince the crowd, using the charm of the fairy’s fiddle, to release Rhiannon. The now freed witch claims that the creatures that have just attacked were sent by the actual murderer. That she is blameless. Mostly. She claims they were not trying to save her, but trying to get her treasure which she gives to you. It is one half of an invisible map. Yippie. What a bother. What good is a half of an invisible map?
Rhiannon explains Dusty Dawnbreaker has the other half and the key to reveal the whole map. That this map is the most valuable thing in existence in this world for the treasure it reveals.
You question Rhiannon about her relationship with the mayor’s son. She reveals that Dusty can be found in the forest. Selene likely ran to be with him there. She tells you it is over with her and Dusty. However, she warns, Selene should be kept far away from Dusty. She does not belong with him. Dusty is not the man Rhiannon or Selene fell in love with. Rhiannon will speak no more of it and turns into wind and blows away. As if she were never there.
This play through of Finn’s Quest will serve as a kind of backstory for the game that will be. I will never be able to use these songs as I would have copyright violations out the wazoo. They are more in way of inspiration and a way to tell the story that will lead to my studio’s first game attempt. More information will be coming in 2025. First, Book Two of A Rooke’s Tale must be sorted. Looking forward to all of this. It would be super helpful if I could get a few more reader reviews and ratings of Salvation Taverns on Amazon, Goodreads, Apple, etc….
