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CARNIVAL WORLD CHAPTER 3

“Now where was I?” Bard cupped his hand to his ear as a middle-aged earth man in a loud Hawaiian shirt replied, “The Hobbit Village.”

Just as the man, looking a bit tipsy, turned red, and looked like he was about to shout out the answer, again, Orlando exclaimed, “Yeah. Yeah. The Hobbit Village. Thanks!”
Then Bard continued his tale.
…
I had been warned by a village of Hobbits, not too far away from the area that would become Carnival City, that Mooneye Bandit clan, like most bandit clans, were very territorial and not to visit them. Maybe I will talk about Farshire Hobbit village again later.
The Orc lodges were enclosed and gated like a fort and resembled the Star Portal Edifice great walls but were made of sturdy spike-topped timbers instead of Cyclopean rocks. Several elevated armored guardhouses, around the perimeters, just inside the walls, were connected by catwalks, for mobility in case of attack.
Orcs were territorial like the bandit clans, but would just warn you, with a few choice insults, like “Go home raw milk drinker!” or “Go away you ‘effin’ moron. You ain’t welcome here!” Orcs won’t attack you on sight like bandits, if you approach their fort, but if you toss a bomb or shoot a bolt at them, they will quickly and efficiently defend themselves!

If you meet them along the road, unless they are an individual who has joined a bandit clan, they might insult you as you pass by, but won’t attack unless provoked. Although it is not unheard of for an old male Orc or rarely an unmarried female, to wander the roads looking to “die a glorious death” rather than grow old and lame, which is considered dishonorable. In that case, he or she may ask for permission to fight you to the death. They may even offer you gems, silver or gold to be collected from their pack if you win.

There are two kinds of gold pieces on Carnival World, one, thin and smaller than an earth dime, is always worth one American dollar. The large gold coin, about the size of an earth silver dollar, is worth $20 minimum, and varies depending on its daily valuation at Conner Bank. Some old gold or platinum coins have even higher values if sold to a bank or collector. A purple gem, the lowest valued gem on Carnival World, if in good condition, is worth $25 gold, minus an exchange fee. Ten silver pieces are worth one small gold or one American dollar. Penny coins may be used by earth visitors, but most Carnival World natives won’t accept them.

Inside an Orc fort will be one or two small shops and a smithery, and as far as armor and weapons, those are rarely made of iron, but will be composed of fine steel or Orc Star Metal, better than any metal on Carnival World, except Atlanticean Star Metal. Orcs live in a huge wood and thatched roof building, either along the back wall or in the center of the enclosure. The main house resembles the Native American long houses of earth, but larger, longer and made of sturdier materials.

The chief will have one end of the large building for himself and several wives while the rest of the community will share the other half. Orc Chieftains were polygamous, but the other tribal members were only allowed one wife.
Most bandits will attack travelers on sight. Orcs will not. Occasionally, they may offer a quest to find an artifact, and if you return with the item, and treat the orcs of that clan with respect, that Orc settlement, and only that settlement, will allow you to trade with them.

By the way, those hobbits I just mentioned, had a gadgeteer smith. He tried to sell me several black powder pistols. Too primitive and too heavy. You’d need a brace of them. All “one-shotters” and they’d snag on every bush and branch I stepped through or over. I did buy small, handcrafted binoculars from him.

Although I have read American and foreign history writings, that certain colonials, as well as privateers and pirates, would set themselves up with at least three or four of those flint lock pistols. I don’t think they had to do much ranger stealthing.

Maybe they could pack those oversized toys and ride a rolling deck or charge over a beach into a seaside village or walk along a country road. They are no good for walking through brush or if you must use a sneak skill!

No, if I could use a modern pistol or rifle, yes, but not single shot ball pistols.

Good thing I wasn’t packing my service pistol that first day when I met the Conner Corp advance group. Jail time and maybe an execution for modern rifle and pistol offenses in both the Irish Pub Theme Park and Carnival City Theme Park, right from day one.

If a soldier lost a rifle or pistol it would be an automatic thirty days in the brig. It’s a firing squad or hanging for your second offense, if you were caught having sold modern firearms to natives of Carnival World.

Terlo was his name. That hobbit village gadgeteer smith I was telling you about. Married to a dwarf wife, though. His was the only village I have ever visited that offered them old style pistols. To a hobbit it was like a short chubby rifle. To me it would be like a big horse pistol. I could use it. Not as slick as an earth repeating pistol, but… Anyway, no one else on Carnival World seems to want them either.

I do know a student of Sir Elfred Conner, the “the wandering alchemist” of Carnival Theme Park City, who once told me he had a book that explained how to make black powder ball pistols and rifles.

But Professor Kerlyn, even though big and tall for a hobbit, still prefers to use a hand crossbow. He had one horse pistol labeled, “BALL AND CAP, SINGLE SHOT, MUZZLE LOADING, BLACK POWDER PISTOL,” on his dresser, leaning against the wall in his room. The “adjunct” professor had said that he’d shot it a few times to see if it worked but didn’t fancy using one either. They are legal, according to Conner Corp, but who wants one when you can have a fine Elvin bow or an advanced technology elemental rod?

Cedric Kerlyn graduated from Elfred’s Advanced Technology and Alchemy College and became professor at Quetzi’s new Flying Serpent Guild. They call her Lady Q there.
Well, back to today’s Carnival World Historical Cartography lesson.

Just north of the road that splits from the cobblestone roundabout that heads off to the Mooneye Bandits, on the great wall circle, is the sprawling crumbled castle and old cemetery.
Just north of that is Wolf Den Overlook.

Around to the other side, of the great wall exterior, is a wolf den nestled low in a small treeless hollow, under a high rocky gray hilltop, surrounded by a mixed deciduous forest, old and thick. The hilltop itself, slightly higher than the Star Portal edifice, is full of rocks and small patches of rough curly brown grass and is spotted with gnarled bonsai trees.

Once, standing along the great wall, I looked over the cliff, above the hollow, and I watched a trio of young wolf pups dart out of the cave and play tag with each other. I don’t know why, but just looking over and down didn’t seem to bother the pack, but if you invaded that hollow, or you met them out in the woods, you’d better be ready for a tough scrap!

North and a bit east, is the trail that goes past a Ratkin Camp.
Ratkins are very roguish, upright walking rodents. They are human level intelligence creatures, and they have their own language, but are usually at least trilingual. They are much like the Bandit Clans in behavior and personality. They don’t like anyone but a Ratkin or a courier to enter their camp, but if invited by letter to trade at a village or in Carnival City they will gladly fill a wheeled cart with trade goods and if they can safely travel there, visit your city, camp, or village. Although, once, back when Charlie Girl was working for Zales, since they were on the trail that runs passed Carnival City, they asked the guards. They were not given permission to enter, but were allowed to set up their wagon, just outside the gate. Zales told Charlie Girl to grant them permission to visit once per month in that same spot. When the Iris code machines were installed on either side of the archway doors, Zales allowed guards to give two of them, after a quick cart inspection, inside and under, to bring their cart into the city. Ratkins, however, don’t trust human bandits or big Catlings.
There is a road about a mile or so east that splits off and that trail goes passed the Fire Fey village. Far, far to the north and mostly east are the Feathered Serpent Mountains. Those mountains are muddled brown craggy rocked vaults under their white cap of high snowscapes.

The mountain trails there, as far as I have scouted in several years, and it is not far, has great patches where the cobblestones are far and few between, but if you find them, they are ugly shades of black, dark gray and mostly brown to reddish brown.
What I would like to do one day, but probably never will, is travel the Warriors’ Path in its entirety. It has mostly yellow cobblestones, and in fair to middlin’ condition.
Hmm. Now might be a good time to tell you more about the Badlands.