Kalshi Forest breathes in damp shadows. Austin Ithens jolts awake on a bed of roots, the taste of moss in his mouth, and a muffled cry cuts through the brush nearby.
Between the trunks, White Devils drag two young elf girls toward a cave mouth sunk in black stone. Their lanterns bob, their boots grind leaves flat, and the cave seems to swallow what little light reaches it.
Before Austin can rise fully, a figure drops soundlessly from the canopy.
Striker
Stay still. Tell me why you are watching the slavers.
Twin short swords flash into place at Austin's throat. The elf is tall, obsidian-skinned, with silver-white hair and violet eyes that do not blink.
Striker
Answer quickly. I have no patience for White Devil kin or their lookouts.
Austin Ithens
The blade is close. Too close.
One of the girls stumbles and chokes back another cry. Deeper in the trees, the slavers hurry, unaware for now that the forest has turned on them.
Striker
Speak, or I cut you down and move on.
✓ Quest Accepted
Convince the hooded elf of your innocence
“You raise your hands and tell her you are not involved, just a normal human. You plead with her, explaining that you just woke up from a nap and heard the screams.”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled -2)
Austin slowly lifts both hands, palms open in the moonlight. He keeps his voice low and steady, and the swords stop a hair from his throat.
Austin Ithens
I am not with them. I am just a human. I woke from a nap and heard the screaming.
Striker
A human, alone in Kalshi, and not running toward the cave. Hm.
Striker
Then why are you here at all?
Her blades remain raised, but the angle eases. In the background, the girls keep shuffling toward the cave, their lantern light jittering through the brush.
Striker
If you lie, you die. If you tell me what you saw, I might believe you.
Austin gets his explanation out cleanly, and the elf does not strike. The cost is immediate, though, his raised hands start to tremble from the strain, and the slavers are still close enough that any shouted word could carry.
“"Please, I'll tell you everything I know. The slavers are called the White Devils and they have a base somewhere in these woods. I... I can help you. Please, just hear me out." You beg her, not daring to make a move.”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +0)
Austin keeps his hands high and gives the hooded elf the White Devils in a low, even rush. The name makes her shoulders tighten, but not against him.
Austin Ithens
Please. I tell you everything I know. The slavers are White Devils, and they have a base somewhere in these woods. I can help you. Just hear me out.
Striker
White Devils. Not a hunted human making excuses. That changes the shape of this.
Striker
If you are lying, I will know it. Speak, then. Tell me how you found them.
Her blades lower from Austin's throat by a handspan. Behind them, the lantern glow wobbles deeper toward the cave mouth, still distant but not gone.
Striker
And those girls, if you saw them dragged here, say so plainly. I am listening.
“"My father, he was a herbalist. We used to live close to the forest and one day, we just stubbled upon them. They were nice... nice enough for slavers at least. Though, I was just a child. Anyway, I know the general layout of the land. I can help you find a way into the cave. It shouldn't take long. I can use magic too... well, not exactly magic but I can use spirits."”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +0)
Austin Ithens
My father was a herbalist. We lived near these woods, and we came across them by chance. They were kind enough for slavers, I suppose. I was a child then. I know the land around their cave, and I can help you get inside. I can use spirits, too.
Striker
Herbalist, child, spirits. Hm. You speak like someone who has survived being near liars.
Her swords dip fully from his throat. Not lowered enough for comfort, but enough to breathe. The lantern glow at the cave mouth wavers, still deeper in the trees.
Striker
If you know the ground, then prove it with something useful. Where do they keep watch, and where is the weak point?
Austin Ithens
The cave path branches twice before the entrance. The slope on the left hides in brush.
Austin’s answer lands cleanly. The elf’s posture changes, one shoulder easing as her attention sharpens into planning.
Striker
Good. Then you are not dead weight. Show me the way, and stay behind me until I say otherwise.
Quest Complete
Convince the hooded elf of your innocence
Attribute Upgrade: Willpower Great→Superb