The iron bolt of the chamber door shudders under a heavy blow. John Smith plunges into the darkness of the secret passage behind the tapestry. Gaston follows, his breathing ragged as they scramble down the damp stone stairs.
They emerge at the riverbank, the chill night air biting at their skin. The Seine flows black and sluggish before them, reflecting the dying embers of a nearby watch fire.
John Smith
The guards will be on the other side of that wall within seconds.
Healer Gaston
The boatman is late, John. If we remain on this bank, we are trapped.
A low whistle drifts across the water from the shadows of a moored skiff. John grips the hilt of his rapier, his knuckles white, as a hooded figure stands in the boat, holding a long oar.
The Boatman
One extra passenger costs double, and I do not have all night.
+ Scene Quest Added
Secure passage on the skiff
+ Story Quest Added
Deliver the incriminating paper to safety
“Pay the boatsman and climb aboard witg the healer”
SUCCESS (Legendary Strength, rolled +1)
John Smith
Keep your coin. Just get us across the water before those dogs reach the bank.
The Boatman
A man of action. Step lightly.
John Smith lunges forward with unnatural ease, one hand catching the skiff's gunwale to stabilize the craft as he swings himself and Gaston aboard in a single fluid motion. The wood barely rocks beneath his weight.
Healer Gaston
He is stronger than the tales suggest.
The boatman digs his oar into the silt. The skiff pulls away from the muddy shore, slipping into the dark current just as shadows emerge from the cathedral gate.
John Smith
The city fades into the dark. We are clear.
Quest Complete
Escape the city via the river
Quest Complete
Secure passage on the skiff