The Balloon Man

**The Balloon Man** is a random event where an old man asks to take a hero on a ten-year balloon journey over the corruption.

## Outcome summary

### Special cases

* Send the hero
	+ The "Ghost Balloon" outcome will not occur if the hero doesn't have an heir at the end of the journey. "An Unfamiliarly Familiar Face" will occur instead.

## Start

The Balloon Man

An Old Man with steady eyes stands before you. "I have been beyond the corruption," he asserts. "I have built a hot air balloon for this purpose and I have seen what can't be seen, but nobody will trust my word. I ask to take your hero, hero name, on a new expedition to prove that insanity lies not within me, but out there in the expanse. I guarantee it will be a most illuminating experience."

* Let hero name go. We need to know more about what's out there.
* Threaten the Old Man with jail time unless he tells you what he saw.
* Turn the Old Man down. We can't spare anyone.

The hero will be randomly selected from those in the retinue that do not have a Leg Injury. If there are no such heroes, the event will not trigger.

## Send the hero

Balloon Hero

hero name jumps into the giant balloon contraption with the Old Man, who whoops and promises that this will be like nothing the hero has ever seen before.

hero name will be gone for 10 years.

### Five-year outcomes

There are three possible outcomes that occur after five years, all equally likely. All three have the same name. The first two versions progress on to the one of the ten-year outcomes, but the last version ends the event.

Word from the Void

A Dart Falcon arrives with a few short messages from hero name: "Everything is gone. No animals. No buildings. Only ruins. Feel like I'm going insane. Yesterday I thought I saw someone walking alone in the nothing. Old Man says there is still more to see."

Word from the Void

A Dart Falcon arrives with a few short messages from hero name: "At first I could see the shapes of old keeps and towns rising out like islands but now there's nothing. The corruption is an endless tide washing everything away. Saw a bird though. That was something."

Word from the Void

A Dart Falcon arrives with a few short messages from hero name: "The Old Man died. I don't know how to get home, but will try. Light a candle for me or something, please."

This version of "Word from the Void" ends the event with the hero never returning.

### Ten-year outcomes

There are two possible outcomes, both equally likely.

An Unfamiliarly Familiar Face

A familiar balloon drifts into the Capital's courtyward with a stonefaced hero name still in tow. hero first name jumps out and refuses to say anything more to you than, "We're on our own." "I said it wouldn't be like anything you've ever seen!" the Old Man laughs as the local tavern gains another patron.

hero name has returned and gained the Nihilistic and Worldly personalities.

Ghost Balloon

A farmer arrives with a package and note addressed to you from hero name. The balloon drifted into her field and apart from those two items it was completely empty. Opening the package first you find hero first name's weapon, while the note only has two hastily-written words: "I'm sorry."

hero name has been lost but the Relic will be passed on.

## Threaten jail time

### Outcomes

There are three possible outcomes, all equally likely.

Bluff Called

The Old Man spits into his satchel and holds his arms up to be led away. As your heroes escort him out, he yells back to you, "You wouldn't have believed me anyway!"

Prehistoric Relic

The Old Man reaches into his satchel and pulls out an incredibly weathered weapon that looks like it's been through dozens of masters. He hands it to hero name and leaves without another word.

hero name has gained a Relic.

Hot Air Mishaps

After refusing to say anything, you motion for the Old Man to be taken away but he shows surprising agility and sprints out of the Capital to his waiting balloon! hero first name gives chase and manages to grab onto the basket as it lifts off. 30 feet later a string of curses ring out and your hero falls onto a chicken stand. You pay the proprietor for the damage, but hero first name will not be so easily mended.

hero name has gained the Leg Injury status.

## Refuse

### Outcomes

There is only one possible outcome.

Letting the Air Out>

The Old Man nods and politely leaves. Later that night you learn that he enjoyed several nightcaps at a local tavern after your meeting, so much so that he began to ask those nearby if they'd like to see his \"balloon.\" It is not clear what happened next, but at some point the balloon was set on fire and the Old Man is now missing.