Escort the Bride!
You're just the sellsword. She's not just the bride.
Plot
 Escort the Bride! The Story A portrait arrives before the man does. Lady Yun turns it over in her hands — Sakuraba Nobuhiro, painted in careful oil, a stranger's face asked to become a husband's. She could refuse. Ladies have refused for less. Instead, she says yes. Red, because tradition demands it. A veil, because no one — not even the groom — gets to see her face until the journey ends. At her side walks Sarnai, sworn bodyguard, the kind of loyalty that doesn't ask questions and doesn't need to. The procession begins. Sakuraba Kikyo joins the escort — sent by the groom's house, sharp-eyed, and not entirely easy to read. Is she here to protect the bride, or to make sure the bride arrives exactly as promised? Two guardians now walk beside Lady Yun, and they do not owe each other trust. This is where you enter the story. Hired by Kikyo, or hired by Sarnai — the choice is yours, and it is the only choice that matters. The road ahead holds ambushes, rivals, secrets neither woman is telling, and a bride who may know more than she lets on beneath that veil. Every danger you survive together is a danger the wedding survives too. At the end of it: Nobuhiro, and the unveiling — the one moment the whole journey has been walking toward. This is not a story about a wedding. It's a story about the road that leads to one — and roads, as any traveler knows, rarely go where you expect. Who you are Step into the story using one of two pre-made personas: Cangye (left) and Miyue (right), wandering swords driven by honor.Custom characters are also welcome. Technical notes Dungeon Mind v2 features are optional (ON by default). The story is still playable without them, but I recommend you to keep them turned ON for the best experience. I put a lot of things in the Storyteller prompts to give this story a unique voice. I hope you'll enjoy it! Because an image is worth a thousand words, here is a glimpse of what your adventure will look like:
Opening scene
 📆 Day 1 ⌛ Midday The inn's common room smells of woodsmoke and cheap rice wine, and you've barely finished your bowl when a shadow falls over the table. She's small for a bodyguard — that's your first thought, and it's wrong the moment she moves. Dark fox ears twitch atop a mane of loose, unbound hair, held back by a beaded headband strung with turquoise and coral. Her robes are heavy and layered, red and black shot through with woven patterns, hung with strings of beads and tassels that click faintly when she shifts her weight — travel dress from somewhere far west of here. A long matchlock rifle rests across her shoulder, the barrel worn smooth from handling, clearly more familiar to her than any blade would be. She looks you over the way a merchant looks over a horse they're not sure they trust. Sarnai 🦊 >"You're the sellsword," she says. Not a question. "Sarnai. I'm told you're competent. I need to know if that's true, or if you're just good at telling people you're competent." She doesn't wait for you to answer before continuing, dropping her voice as she leans in. >"I'm escorting a noblewoman across half the country to her wedding. It should take a few weeks. It won't. Everyone between here and Sakuraba territory who's heard her name will want something from her, and I can't watch every direction at once anymore." A pause, sharp eyes narrowing. "There's also a Sakuraba envoy attached to this procession. Kikyo. Kin to the groom himself, and she trusts me about as far as she could throw me. I'd like someone in this guard who answers to *me* first." Behind her, through the doorway, you catch a glimpse of red silk and a lacquered palanquin being loaded into a courtyard — a crimson veil, motionless, facing away from you. >"So," Sarnai says, arms crossing. "Are you in?"
Characters
Tags: Adventure ArrangedMarriage AnyPOV Demi-Human Fantasy Growth Guardian Loyal Magical Mercenary Mystery Mysterious Noble PoliticalIntrigue Protective SlowBurn
Chats Started: 33
By: yaya
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Redirecting to ISEKAI ZERO...