Chapter 1.05
1.05
Erin Solstice begins cleaning the abandoned inn, dealing with dangerous local wildlife and succeeding in starting a fire. She flips the inn's sign to 'Open', which attracts the attention of city guards, and the chapter ends with the arrival of a giant, talking insect.
Summary
Erin Solstice woke up to find her hand injury had worsened. Determined to make The Wandering Inn habitable, she began the arduous task of cleaning. Her efforts were immediately met with challenges; she discovered a half-eaten Camouflaged Dinosaur-Bird carcass and was then attacked by an Acid Fly, which splashed a painful acid onto her arm, forcing her to rush to the stream to wash it off.
After several exhausting trips hauling buckets of water from the stream, Erin discovered some useful items left behind, including Goblin Daggers and a Flint and Steel. Using the tools, she successfully started a fire in the kitchen's large fireplace. The warmth and light represented a significant victory, transforming the cold, abandoned building into something more like a home.
Buoyed by her success, Erin went to the front door and flipped the wooden sign from 'Closed' to 'Open', a symbolic act of reopening the establishment. Unbeknownst to her, the smoke from her chimney did not go unnoticed. Miles away on a city wall, a Senior Guardswoman named Beilmark spotted the plume and made arrangements to send two guardsmen, Relc and Klbkch, to investigate.
The chapter concludes as a new and unexpected visitor arrives at the inn's open door. A Giant Insect appeared and, to Erin's shock, spoke to her.
Major Events
Erin is Injured by an Acid Fly
While cleaning a rotting carcass inside The Wandering Inn, Erin Solstice was attacked by an Acid Fly. The creature splashed a burning fluid on her arm, forcing her to wash the painful injury in the nearby stream.
A Fire is Lit in the Inn
After hauling water, Erin used a found Flint and Steel to successfully start a fire in the kitchen fireplace. This act brought warmth and the potential for cooking to the inn for the first time since she arrived.
The Wandering Inn is Reopened
Feeling a surge of accomplishment from starting the fire, Erin symbolically reopened for business by flipping the sign on the inn's front door from 'Closed' to 'Open'.
City Guards Notice the Smoke
On a distant city wall, a Senior Guardswoman named Beilmark observed the smoke from the inn's chimney. She dispatched guardsmen, Relc and Klbkch, to investigate the unexpected activity.
A Giant Insect Arrives
A large, intelligent Giant Insect appeared at the doorway of the inn. The creature shocked Erin by speaking to her, marking the arrival of the inn's first potential patron.
Major Appearances
Small inn where Erin is present; currently occupied by her. Noted by the Watch as having been abandoned years ago but Erin is using it; the Drake and Klbkch enter here to investigate.
aka the inn, Abandoned hilltop inn +13
A young woman from Earth who stumbles into a fantasy world and takes refuge in an abandoned inn.
aka Erin, the young woman +31
Minor Appearances
A tool used for starting fires, consisting of a piece of flint and a steel striker.
A flippable sign on the front door of The Wandering Inn.
aka Closed/Open sign
A species of large, sentient insectoid people; one arrives at Erin’s door with a companion.
aka giant insect, Ants +13
Two daggers left behind by Goblins at The Wandering Inn.
A Senior Guardswoman who supervises the walls and orders a report to the Captain about possible smoke.
aka Senior Guardswoman Beilmark, Beilmark the Guardswoman
Small flies with fat, glowing green abdomens that burst into corrosive liquid when ruptured.
aka acid fly, glowing green flies +2
A large, pterodactyl-like flying creature with green, camouflaged scales.
aka pterodactyl, gigantic bird
An entry-level culinary Skill improving preparation of simple meals.
aka [Basic Cooking]
Entities by Type
Quotes
“Ow.”
“Ew, ew, ew.”
“Right. Well, there’s only one thing to do in a situation like this.”
“Unless they ate horses.”
“Oh yeah. Water. Great. Well, I can just go out and get some. It’s not like there’s a time limit or anything—”
“Yes, [Guardswoman] Beilmark.”
“Eggs?”
“Well, here’s a cauldron.”
“Double double, boil and trouble…into the pot you go.”
“Who knew carrying stuff with one hand was so much of a pain? I mean, everything’s a pain.”
“Feels like it's worse than yesterday. Which is probably my imagination.”
“You. Get off.”
“That’s for all of you.”
“Huh. So that’s what flint and steel looks like. It actually does look like Minecraft!”
“Dammit.”
“This is how it starts, right? You leave the fireplace on while you go on a vacation for a few days, and the next thing you know, your inn’s burned down. A classic cautionary tale.”
“People used to do this every day? This is why plumbing was invented, you know. Who puts a stream so far from an inn? What happened to a good well?”
“No. No. You deserve at least a sandwich. Or eggs and sausage.”
“Hot!”
“But it’s a better day, right? A bit of a better day.”
“Skeleton? Goblins.”
“Another weird creature. Wonderful.”
“I really should have brought a bucket.”
“I’m an idiot.”
“It could just be nothing, Senior [Guardswoman].”
“Oh. Oh wow.”
“Huh. ‘Closed?’ Is that English?”
“I’ll deal with you later. For now, I need dough.”
“Too bad I don’t have something refreshing to drink as well. A nice glass of juice would go down great. But y’know, it’s not like I…can…”
“Hi, can I help you?”
“At this rate, I'm going to start a collection.”
“That’s definitely a bug. And it’s really ugly. If I could take it to a scientist back home, I bet I’d be famous. Since I can’t—go away, would you?”
“[Basic Cooking], huh?”
“Dried grass…check. Broken chair…check. Fire?”
“It does look like—smoke. Maybe it’s a traveller. Or bandits. Or whoever’s been robbing the farmsteads.”
“Is that a…pterodactyl? No way.”
“Huh. So people speak English here. Good to know!”
“Forget bread. It’s pasta time.”
“Blue juice?”
“Greetings. May we come in?”
“No skeleton? No problem. I hope.”
“…Why’s it got four legs? I thought bugs had six.”
“Sticks. You hit sticks together. Or rocks.”
“Ow. Hot!”
“Or Goblins. I’ve seen them creeping around now and then. Do we send out a patrol?”
“Camouflaged dinosaur birds. Now I’ve really seen everything.”
“Hold on. What’s this word?”
“Oh. Oh god. Why are there red lines—?”
“Nah. Blue fruit juice? That’s more like it.”
“What's that smell?”
“Ahh! Owowowowowow!”
“Right. Rummage time. I know I saw a shelf full of weird stuff somewhere…”
“Damn. It went out.”
“Not a full one, and that’s not our call. I’ll tell the Captain. You just keep an eye on it. I think she’ll put our best patrol on it. Punishment detail for breaking all those windows yesterday.”
“Gotta wash these sometime. But that means I’ll be walking around naked. Is that an issue? And what’s that smell?”
“This was an inn once. But someone abandoned it. And they left a lotta useful stuff behind.”
“It was alive. There was a baby inside.”
“Mm! Sweet! This stuff’s like syrup! Chunky syrup! Or…a smoothie.”
“This. This is disgusting.”
“Acid flies. Okay, that’s completely wrong.”
“Let’s see. Frying pan? No. Tongs? No. A saw? Why does a kitchen need a saw?”
“Fire! Call me Prometheus…Promethea.”
“Ooh. I’d hate to be Relc. Klbkch didn’t do anything, though. But he’s…eugh.”
“Huh. I guess without many trees birds get lazy. But what a big nest. And what’s that inside—”
“…Well, finders keepers.”
“Right. Normal eggs actually hatch. Right. This isn’t a store, so of course they’d be living—but they must be new eggs. Not full of half-born chickens, right?”
“Hm. Chewy. Tasty! Pasta is the greatest food in the entire world.”
“I could bury it. If I had a shovel. And I could burn it. If I had a way to make fire. Or…I could leave it over there.”
“Great. My hand hurts, and now my arm hurts.”
“Is that…a horseshoe?”
“Okay. Pain. But now I can make bread! I’ve got all the ingredients. Right? Right. I just need flour, yeast, butter, a bit of salt and sugar and—”
“That’s Senior Guardsman Klbkch to you, rookie. Send a street runner to tell the Captain.”
“Okay. At least I know where all the normal birds go. Inside the dinosaur-birds.”
“Now, where can I get a piece of chalk and write ‘no Goblins allowed’?”
“Sorry, baby dino-birdlings. But I really need to eat. And you look nice and doughy right now.”
“Hm. Fork…fork! Am I missing anything?”