Beginning

Times have been hard, and no longer is it profitable to do odd jobs around the city. After the town of Baumdol fell and all their citizens came to the humble city of Traust, the work has been drying up as quickly as it comes up, leading to your easy way of living becoming harder and harder to do. People scrabble and fight to clean windows or re-thatch roofs, and it has now brought you before the main guild building, the hub of quests that are put in from around the area. As you push past the small, quaint door, you enter a larger cavernous Inn like room with many tables strewn about. In the rear of the building is the registration desk, the auditors and clerical workers sitting idly and drinking their coffee as its quite early in the morning. To the left of that is a several foot long board, separated into color coded levels of guild orders that go from pewter to diamond in levels of quests that sit within them. As you have never been to the guild or ever registered, you make your way to the rear towards the registration area. The man sitting at the spot you walk up to wrinkles his nose at both your appearance, and your smell. Without any real money or fame behind you, you are given the Pewter rank for a smaller registration fee, which is a simple pewter circle on a loop of cord you have to wear around your neck. It was hard to release the last of your money to the man, who insultingly makes you drop it into a cloth in his hand so he doesn't have to touch it. The man shoos you away from the desk, and actually cleans the pen you used to write down your information while giving you a rueful glare. Sheepishly you make your way towards the quest wall, and walk along the board going from highest to lowest. Subjugating Ogres in the Diamond class, escorting miners in the Gold class, down and down you walk until you reach the very end of the board: The Pewters. Scratched onto the board are tiny slurs to the lower rank, as if you are hazed just for walking up to the damn thing and trying to work your way up. The quests on the board are tacked in place firmly on each corner, with a written description of the quest, location, and reward for when it is completed. You notice that you made more money thatching roofs than doing some of these more boring and obnoxious quests, such as gathering certain herbs in the wilds of the forests or going off and seeking cattle that have wandered too far away and need fetching. You then notice that there is a bulletin reminding pewters to stop and retrieve their starter kits before leaving. The starter gear area is just a rack of shelves with a young attendant, her face fresh and happy as she spoons away at her oatmeal, kicking her feet slowly as she sits on top of a rough stool. When you approach and inquire about the starter kit, she points her spoon at the bags.

"Just grab one of those and off you go, Pewter!" She chirps happily, and smiles at you with at least some warmth.

Inside the bag is a set of light padded armor for your chest, new breeches and leather traveling boots, a small knife, fire starting kit, and a few other small things to help with traveling and keeping yourself alive in the wilds. After donning the gear and tying things where they should be, you walk back over to the board and really give it a closer look over. You need the most money that you can manage before you starve to death, eating the last of your money that morning and selling your tools just to afford the registration fees. Your eyes dance over the titles before you finally narrow it down to two different quests: Gathering Golden Edelweiss in the high hills for 2 silver, or scouting Goblin incursion camps for 10 silver. The amounts are much, much higher than anything else on the board, and you idly scratch at your cheek while you think and read:

"In the high hills are Golden Edelweiss, a highly sought after herb in the use of making wound recovery balms and ointments. The location however is patrolled by hostile creatures of many varieties, but they tend to ignore anything that is swift and quiet that can get in and out before dark. We need as much as you can find, more than 10 bulbs, within 2 days accounting for travel. Reward for this mission is 2 silver. Inquire at the desk"

Your eyes move over to the other quest, which is substantially different in wording:

"THEY ARE ON THE MOVE. NEEDING ALL PEWTERS WILLING TO GO TO THE SCHWARZWALD AND REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS OF GOBLIN TROOP MOVEMENT. ALL WHO RETURN ALIVE WITH CREDIBLE INFORMATION WILL BE REWARDED AND ISSUED FURTHER ORDERS. 10 SILVER PER COMPLETION, TRAUST COMMAND NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATH OR MUTILATION OF CORPSE IF YOU DIE. PLEASE REPORT TO DESK FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS"

What do you choose?