The Crimson City reeks of spiced wine and rot. Dax presses his back against the cold, damp stone of an alleyway, watching the torchlight flicker across the marble pillars of the inner sanctum.
The Exiled Prince
They think they can bury their secrets in the vaults of the Order. They forget that I know every shadow in this palace.
Dax
The iron hinges on that side door are worn thin, likely from recent use.
The Exiled Prince
Steel your blade, sellsword. The purge has begun, and if we do not reach the princess before the bells chime thrice, her soul will be forfeit.
The Exiled Prince
He looks capable enough, but one man against the entire Order is a fool's errand.
A sudden, frantic tolling rings out from the distant cathedral. The Exiled Prince draws a slender, notched dagger and glares at Dax, his hand trembling as he points toward the heavily guarded archway.
+ Scene Quest Added
Reach the princess before the bells chime thrice
“Stealth around to find the princess location”
FAILURE (Good Stealth, rolled +0)
Dax slips into the darkness of a side alley, his boots silent against the slick cobblestones. He keeps his head low, tracking the movement of the guards near the main archway.
A loose stone skitters under his weight, clattering against the base of a fountain with the force of a thunderclap.
The Exiled Prince
Fool. You have alerted the entire garrison.
The Exiled Prince
I should have hired a professional, not this clumsy brute.
The guards pivot instantly, their halberds leveled as they begin to march toward the sound of the disturbance.
The bells ring a second time, louder and more insistent than the first, echoing through the claustrophobic space.
“Prepare for the fight”
SUCCESS (Great Melee Weapons, rolled +2)
Dax stands with fluid grace, his grip tightening on his sword as the first guard rounds the corner.
Dax
The angle of their spears leaves their ribs exposed.
With a burst of speed, Dax lunges, his blade finding the chink in the lead guard's armor with surgical precision.
The Exiled Prince
By the gods, keep moving, the path to the vault is clear now.
The guard falls, his keys clattering to the wet stones directly into the reach of Dax's boot.
The remaining sentries recoil in terror, watching as their comrade hits the floor, and for a moment, they hesitate to engage.
“Tell the prince to take the keys and I fight more guards to get the princess”
SUCCESS (Great Melee Weapons, rolled +0)
Dax
Take them. Get to the vault and find the princess. I will hold this pass.
The Exiled Prince
You are a madman, Dax, but may the old gods grant you their strength.
The Prince snatches the heavy iron ring from the stones, his fingers brushing the bloodied collar of the fallen guard.
The Exiled Prince
He fights as if he expects to survive the night. I must not waste this opening.
Dax pivots, his shield rising to deflect a desperate spear thrust from the second guard.
A third sentry lunges from the shadows, but Dax parries with a brutal, rhythmic clang, forcing his enemies back into the narrow throat of the alley.
“Take the opening and catch up to the prince”
SUCCESS (Fair Agility, rolled +0)
Dax breaks contact with a savage shove, his boot sliding on the slick cobblestones as he pivots.
Dax
The prince is moving fast, he will be at the vault door before the echoes die.
He vaults over a collapsed wooden crate, ignoring the shouts of the confused guards who stumble over their own feet in the wake of his sudden retreat.
The Exiled Prince
Dax, the heavy latch is lifting. Move your feet, man, the third bell is shivering in the air.
Dax lunges forward, catching the prince by the shoulder just as the heavy iron door begins to moan open.
Within the dark void of the vault, a faint, rhythmic pulse of crimson light flickers, illuminating the shadow of a seated figure waiting in the gloom.
+ Scene Quest Added
Investigate the seated figure in the vault
− Scene Quest Removed
Reach the princess before the bells chime thrice
“Investigate the seated figure”
FAILURE (Fair Perception, rolled -1)
Dax steps over the threshold, his boots scraping against the cold flagstone. The red mist swirls around his greaves, clinging like grave soil.
Dax
The seated figure is motionless, draped in robes that seem to drink the torchlight.
Dax reaches out to grasp the figure by the shoulder, expecting a response or a struggle.
The Exiled Prince
Do not touch it, you fool. Look at the way the light bends around the seat.
As Dax lunges forward, his hand passes clean through a shimmering distortion of air. The seated figure is nothing more than a projection of solid light.
The Exiled Prince
The alarm has already been tripped. Hear that grinding behind the walls?
“Push forward to the princess”
SUCCESS (Fair Agility, rolled +2)
Dax
The sound is coming from the floor beneath the dais.
Dax ignores the prince's warning and lunges toward the rear of the chamber, his boots finding a seam in the flagstone. He throws his weight against a raised portion of the foundation.
With a metallic screech, a floor panel slides away, revealing a hidden, downward-sloping chute illuminated by a soft, amber glow.
The Exiled Prince
You found it. The true passage leads beneath the city streets.
Dax leaps into the chute, sliding smoothly past the heavy gears. He drops into a small, dust-choked chamber and discovers the princess, shackled to a low iron ring in the center of the room.
The Exiled Prince
Quickly, Dax, the gears are reversing. The vault is sealing itself above us.
Quest Complete
Investigate the seated figure in the vault
Attribute Upgrade: Perception Fair→Good