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[h2]Malston[/h2]
Republic of Laith, Samare
Western border of the Explored World

Spring, Archor 22 - Igni
Early afternoon, clear weather
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Within the Republic of Laith, one of Samare's northernmost nations on the Western border, lies the town of Malston, a popular stop for adventurers and explorers as it's the westernmost town within Laith to have an establishment belonging to the League of Explorers. It's a small town, built on a hill overlooking the grasslands of Laith, and is within a days' travel from the unexplored western lands.

Outside of the town, past the farmlands, is grassland with an occasional patch of woods. A small stream runs through the land here, marging into a river somewhere in the unexplored lands. Within one of these patches of forest, to the north, is the ruins of an old temple of some kind. It has already been thoroughly explored, but it's a popular hangout for local kids, though rumour has it that there's a hidden basement that is used as a lair by bandits.

Within Malston, there are few buildings of note. There is an independent inn/tavern, known as the Silver Piglet, a market square, and of course an Explorer's Guild courtesy of the League of Explorers. Beyond that, most other buildings are either townhouses, shops, or farmhouses.

The local Explorer's Guild is of unique design. While most are standard two-storey buildings, with a tavern and stalls to do business on the ground floor and inn rooms on the top floor, this structure has a watch tower League members can use for free. On a clear day, one can see the forest that mark the beginning of the unexplored wildlands off in the distance from atop this tower. Furthermore, it only has one floor, and has traded in the tavern area for just a few rooms, as the building was built with the help of the owner of the Silver Piglet, in exchange for the Explorers' Guild not getting a tavern as to not steal away customers.

The Silver Piglet, meanwhile, is a two-storey building, with the ground floor dedicated to being a tavern/restaurant, while the top floor (and part of the ground floor) housing rooms for guests. Many of it's guests are League members as the Explorer's Guild usually has rented out all it's rooms, though it often is home to independent explorers as well. It is the best place in town to get some food or a drink, as well as getting some rest. Because of it's popularity, it's also common for people to put requests on the noticeboard inside if they are looking for people to do things for them for payment, and often recruiters recruit people for expeditions here.

It is within this town that our story begins. It is this town that everyone's travels have brought them to, one way or another. The day is nice, it's the middle of spring, and the weather is pleasant. There's a gentle breeze, and the sky is clear, no sign of rain. Locals are minding their own business, and the Silver Piglet is quiet during this time of day, with just a handful of people there.