Corsin and Pelf #2
Solo Shadowdark TTRPG play in my fantasy world of Giathos.
Welcome to the Glyph and Grok - A “weekly” blog-letter exploring topics in the tabletop gaming arena. We explore design, execution, and culture relating to anything played on a tabletop. Start at the beginning of this thread with Corsin and Pelf #1.
The Fire
Pelf - Solmuth 22, 1671
Turns out Corsy has gumption. Didn't expect that when I started talking to him. He looked like a mark hand-picked by Mischief for the taking. As I sit across the remnants of last night's fire from him in his persnickety robes, watching him chew on dried rations with a furrowed brow, I find it difficult to take him seriously. He did keep me out of the ground the other day in that scuffle though. I don't remember much past reloading. The kid did bandage me up and no illness as taken hold, so good on him. I told him I knew it was an ambush, which I kind of did, but I didn't realize there'd be two more devils that close with swords out. I figured seeing the front man take a bolt would send the rest scattering like rats but they just kept coming. Kid said he hit them with a gout of fire, which I know is possible even at lower tiers of magic, but it is infuriating I didn't get to see it, being indisposed and all. Saw the aftermath though... a couple charred corpses. Sometimes when you bet big, you miss big.
You'd think I'd learned that particular lesson by now. I couldn't get a grip on my gambling and now I'm still paying back the guild years later. I did manage to get a death clause added to my contract, so if I expire out here in the wilderness, my debt will be forgiven and they won't go after my family, but I still work for them more than myself right now. I hear stories of poor sods that don't even get a death clause and they saddle a kid, a wife, or a cousin with a visit from a dour soul brandishing a black envelope. Thank the gods of mischief, I got that much done before I met this kid.
I'm not much to look at. Too skinny, thinning mop of hair, my skin looks like it barely keeps rain from reaching my vital organs, but I've got some skill, some stones, and I'm always happy to be underestimated. I put that bolt right between that fools eyes that tried to jump us on the road, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. A little worried about this job though. The missive said to expect others to have received the info about the jade figurine. The guild does this sometimes, just fan it out and see who's hungry - they get their cut in any case.
We are now spitting distance from the cave entrance pointed out by the missive as the best point of entry to sneak into this hidden temple. It happens to be a kind of shrine to Moppel, my particular deity of choice, and he loves to take the form of a smiling monkey. I should ask Corsin if he wants to bet, I am positive the kid has a gold or two to spare and I know figurine is going to be a monkey.
"I don't like to gamble, Pelf" said Corsin as we quietly approached the cave entrance. The purr of crickets and chirp of forest frogs provided an audible background cover for our approach. I slunk out ahead of Corsin and moved to scout out the entrance.
Pelf: 1D20+2 - Stealth => Crit Failure (3)
Oracle
Chaos level 0
Is the cave entrance trapped? (likely) D100 => Emphatic No (5)
Did the other thieves guild party make it here first? (likely) D100 => Yes (45)
As I stepped forward, peering into the darkness of the cave, I became transfixed listening for signs of others in the darkness. I tripped on a tree root and made a loud thud as I rolled forward ass over tea kettle into a swarm of flies. my face was inches from a gruesome mess. Someone has triggered a trap at the entrance to the cave and was skewered spears that had shot out of the ground and through their body. It looks like the spears tried to retract back into their hiding place, but the meat stuck on the spears got caught and held fast. Whomever this indiscernible pile had once been had bones keeping the trap stuck in the sprung direction. Quickly looking over the corpse, there was a tattoo of coins and keys, one of the many "secret" thieves guild marks. Shit, they’re here already.
Chaos level raised to 1
"Are you ok, are you perforated?" Corsin rasped in a forced whisper
I hand canted for Corsin to quietly follow. "Am I supposed to come forward?" he whispered. I shot daggers at him with my eyes and he crept forward.
The cave mouth was not large, maybe 15 feet high and about as wide. The path still had light from outside coming in and followed us down into the soil until we were 30 feet in, and then the cave yawned open to welcome us with an earthy must. The hair on the back of my neck was raised.
I made the hand signal for torch. Corsin looked at me in confusion. I checked the load of my crossbow slung under my right shoulder on a leather thong, and then I slowly let my backpack down and took out a torch and flint.
With a single loud scrape, the torch came to life with flame. The echo of the scrape fired back at us for just a moment, and then all was quiet and still. A lightly tread footpath was before us leading further into the darkness beckoning us forth. I took a deep breath, smelled damp earth and blood somewhere out ahead of me, and stepped forward.
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