Scroll down for specific information on the encounters.
Vlydyga is on the Rear Continent of the world of Wregin.
Once upon a time, several hundred years ago, only the main continent of the world of Wregin was civilised. The citizens of the six cities on the main continent honoured the Preserver; rural people more often honoured the Creator. Those people who insisted on honouring the Destroyer, a chaotic evil deity, were exiled to the rear continent, which was full of monsters and ruins.
These exiles settled in the only vaguely habitable place, a remote and defensible location between swamps and mountains on the second continent. They founded the dark and dismal city of Vlydyga.
The climate is also inhospitable: Vlydyga is always cold and damp. However, the temperature is stabilised by the wet hinterland (swamps in one direction and mountain lakes in the other), so it is rarely sub-zero.
Despite the inhospitable terrain, the city has grown. Nowadays, Vlydyga is no longer dark and dismal. Although still a dangerous city (particularly after dark) and far from law-abiding, Vlydyga's bright lights and loose morals make it attractive to tourists, and it has recently become a popular tourist destination.
Usually, it is the bright lights of the city centre which attract people. Major NPCs of various chaotic alignments turn up from time to time in the city centre.
The nearby ancient stone circle, believed to have magical properties, is also popular and attract tourists with druidic tendencies. Several major NPCs of neutral or neutral good alignment turn up from time to time to see the megaliths, either for their own religious purposes or as guides for druidic groups.
There are lochs immediately outside the city, and throughout the mountains and swamps in all directions. Diplodoci are to be found in some of the more distant lochs. Really adventurous tourists might want to observe the diplodoci mating, a unique and truly amazing sight.
If the character walks back through the megalith, click here to follow.
If the character joins the third group of druidic tourists, click here to follow.
If the character joins the fourth group of druidic tourists, click here to follow.
The first inn is a typical adventurers' inn.
The NPC whom the player meets is Thinceeticart Daipez.
Daipez's job offer is suitable for a lone player character acting as a spy. Unfortunately, I haven't written it up yet.
The job offer advertised in the notice is another way to the Tavern, and ultimately to the underground maze, a hack-and-slay dungeon suitable for medium to large parties. The other arrivals may be other player characters or NPCs; if they're NPCs, they are good at looking tough but they are still only first level.
If the player wants to leave the inn without accepting either job, drop a few hints that the city looks rather unlawful.
I forget what the second inn originally was. I can't find it in my notes. It's too far from the outskirts of the city for adventurers, and too far from the city centre to get involved in the bright lights. Maybe it was something seedy like an assassination plot.
To fill the gap, I've added a link which could take the player character to Salta. That's suitable for anyone interested either in small-scale military action or in wilderness adventures.
What is actually happening is this:
Priejkouxlia is younger sister of the ruler of Ja Wigenzaicia, a City-State on Salta. She wants sex. Unfortunately, the man she wants sex with, Villyjos, is a high-ranking officer of the City-State's army. If the two of them were seen to be intimately involved with one another, people would interpret it as a conspiracy, perhaps even a plot to overthrow the current ruler.
[AD&D-Specific] Priejkouxlia, human female, born on Salta. Str 7 Dex 10 Con 11 Int 15 Wis 9 Cha 17. Align CG. Hp 20. Enchantress, level 11.
[AD&D-Specific] Villyjos, human male, born on Salta. Str 15 Dex 17 Con 15 Int 8 Wis 14 Cha 11. Align NG. Hp 74. Ranger, level 12.
To get around the problem, Priejkouxlia arranges for missions to other worlds which give her and Villyjos a legitimate reason to be away from Ja Wigenzaicia at the same time. This supposed "recruitment campaign" is one such. Villyjos and Priejkouxlia will make some effort to recruit warriors for their City-State's army, but the campaign's real purpose is to allow Villyjos and Priejkouxlia to have sex together.
In principle, Priejkouxlia is staying at an up-market inn in the centre of Vlydyga, while Villyjos is staying in a cheaper inn between the city centre and the stone circle. In reality, she is there with him. They were eating together when the player character entered. Since the player character was obviously looking at everyone in the inn, Villyjos and Priejkouxlia naturally thought he might be there to spy on them.
Evil-aligned people might simply kill the player character just in case, but Villyjos and Priejkouxlia do not have that option. Instead, Villyjos approached the player character and started a conversation, while Priejkouxlia read his/her mind.
Having given his cover-story (which is not actually untrue, just secondary), Villyjos now has no option but to recruit the player character if the player character wants to be recruited.
If the player character accepts the adventure, he/she will meet Priejkouxlia again, but she will have changed her appearance enough to make it impossible for the player character to recognise her as the woman who was with Villyjos. Priejkouxlia could do this on her own, but receives assistance from Xukry, with whom she is on good terms.
If the player turns the adventure down, drop a few more hints that the city looks rather unlawful.
The third inn gets the character involved with a group of itinerant performers. Corny, I know, but there is a twist.
See here for what is actually going on.
This is a good starting-point for bard, illusionist or enchanter characters, for thieves looking to improve acrobatic skills such as juggling or tightrope-walking, and for characters in general who are looking to pick up singing and dancing proficiencies.
Nylchrinie is a 1st-level NPC with little or no experience. It is possible that in due course she might join the player character as a henchwoman, so choose a character class for her (thief, bard, illusionist or enchantress) which complements rather than duplicates the player character.
Click here to follow the player character to Rajeya.
Niearma is exactly what he appears to be: a good guy, but extremely busy. He is one of the major good-aligned NPCs in the Fifty Worlds.
The player character will end up in one of the following cities:
Atlantis
Megalopolis
Omnatia
Rajeya
If the player character really pushes the point, it is possible to remain in Niearma's home city. However, this will not appear until phase 2, which may never be written up, so I do not advise it. This option is only available to characters of neutral good alignment who are:
The character has turned down at least five opportunities for adventures, and the player can't take hints. The knife in the back is entirely deserved IMO.