Escorted Out
The castle is under siege! Unfortunately, you are its princess. Your royal father and mother are holed up in the throne room in a final stand against the forces of the Dhorn. After some conversing with your maid, Shira, the captain of the guard appears, insisting that you must be taken to safety.
Nota bene: You can argue all you like that you shall be taken to your parents instead of to safety. The outcome is the same.
As you are being transported, surprise, surprise! Shira expires, the Dhorn attack, and your men are slaughtered. As you run away, you are intercepted by a Dhorn commander, who has it in his mind to execute you here and now.
Ability Check: “You point your sword at me, sir?!”
Parry: When you are first intercepted, the commander points a sword at you. If your Parry is 7 or higher (this will require either at least a whopping 16 in Dexterity at the start or a Skill Focus feat), you can get 70 EXP for sidestepping his blade. Otherwise, you will take 2 bludgeoning damage from the flat of his blade for disrespecting him.
Headless Princess
No matter what you do, you will end up in the precarious situation of being bent and ready for a beheading.
Ability Check: "I'm too pretty to die!"
Strength: If your Strength ability score is 15 or higher, you can break free from your captor and net 20 EXP for doing so.
Dexterity: You can kick the Dhorn who is holding you if your Dexterity ability score is 15 or higher. High heels straight to the kneecap gets you 20 EXP.
Tumble: Want to avoid a Dhorn execution? Finagle yourself out of the way if your Tumble is 3 or higher. Would’ve been nice if we could get an accidentally murdered Dhorn, but no. Get your 30 EXP.
Do literally nothing: Takes no skill. You get rescued like the princess you are by a guy we thought was dead, but Hollywood taught us better than that.
A Wacky Chase Scene
The princess is escaping to freedom! Or not. You get conked out by a mysterious man in black named Vico, who does terrible horrible things to you. Dick. There are a couple of options here but they invariably won’t save you.
Ability Check: Disrespect Your Surroundings
Strength 12 + Dexterity 15: Knee him in the balls. You don’t get experience for it but you do get that satisfaction of kneeing Vico in the balls.
Fight or don’t; it all ends the same way.
Nota bene: be careful how much you do fight if you choose to be scrappy. Remember you’re a level one character, and that your HP are limited. You can 100% die in this segment if you’re not careful.
Escaping With Vico
So you have two options here: you can refuse to go with Vico (who will forcibly move the plot forward by conking you out yet again and bringing you to The Bear Pit naked as the day you were born) or you can give up, receiving the dignity of being able to wear clothing before you get to your destination.
Ability Check: Dead Bodies Everywhere
Discipline: Having a Discipline score of 2 or higher will get you 20 EXP for not vomiting at the sight/smell of rotting bodies. These couldn’t have died tonight.
Anyhow. You make it to The Bear Pit alive, meet Master Nathan and Chella, and now have a place to hide from the Dhorn now that your city’s been sacked. Good start!