Ethan arrives at the abandoned copper mine as a wounded caravan guard stumbles from the dark entrance. Behind him, stolen crates lie split beside the mine track.
Copper dust powders the stones, but strange silver coins gleam among the wreckage. From the mine mouth comes the measured tread of pursuit.
the sellsword
Stop there, guard. The fey debt is due before anyone leaves this mine.
The sellsword emerges with her blade raised, its edge catching the gray daylight. Her cloak is torn, yet her stance remains steady and deliberate.
the caravan guard
Please! I carried no curse into these tunnels. She took the crates, then marked me for payment.
the sellsword
You broke the bargain when you opened what was sealed. Gold will not settle it. Someone must answer.
The guard falters near the split crates, one hand pressed to his wound. The sellsword keeps him covered, while the silver coins shimmer soundlessly in the dust.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure the caravan survivors
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn what was opened
“Is the guard hiding what he opened? that might be suscpious”
YES (Likely, rolled 14)
The guard's pressed hand slips from his wound to the inside of his coat. A narrow iron key glints between his trembling fingers.
the caravan guard
That? It is only a keepsake. Nothing opened. Nothing that concerns you.
The sellsword's blade lowers a fraction, not in mercy but in recognition. Her eyes fix on the key's black teeth.
the sellsword
You carried the seal-key out after all. Tell him what you opened, or let the mine tell him itself.
the caravan guard
I found it beneath the copper shrine. The door was already cracked. I only looked inside.
Far below, something answers with three slow knocks. Dust sifts from the mine arch, and the silver coins turn toward the darkness.
“I place myself between the sellsword and survivors”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled -1)
Ethan steps across the mine track, placing his body squarely between the sellsword and the wounded guard. His boot crushes silver coins, and their chime rings into the dark.
The sellsword's blade stops with its point angled toward his chest. Behind him, the guard retreats against the split crates, clutching the iron key.
the caravan guard
Do not make yourself part of this. She is not asking for your blood.
the sellsword
Move aside. The debt belongs to the hand that broke the seal, and he stands behind you.
A tremor passes through the ground. The three knocks come again, louder now, while the sellsword shifts her footing and searches for a clear line around him.
Ethan Graves
The blade is close enough to draw blood without reaching the guard.
the sellsword
Very well. You have chosen a place in the bargain. Speak, or the mine will judge all three of us.
“I order the sellsword to lower her blade”
FAILURE (Fair Willpower, rolled -1)
Ethan Graves
Lower your blade.
The sellsword's eyes harden. She lowers the point from Ethan's chest, but keeps the sword raised across her body, still barring the guard's escape.
the sellsword
I lower it when the hand behind you releases what it stole. Not before.
The guard flinches at her answer and closes his fingers around the iron key. In doing so, he exposes a black rune stamped into his palm, identical to the mark above the mine entrance.
the caravan guard
That mark was not there when I entered.
The rune pulses once. A hairline seam appears in the rock beside the arch, outlining a narrow door that the dust had concealed.
the sellsword
There is your opening. The seal-key may close the debt, or show us what he awakened. Choose quickly.
“Is the rune controlling the guard?”
YES (Likely, rolled 50)
The rune answers the question before anyone moves. Its pulse travels up the guard's arm, and his fingers tighten around the key against his will.
the caravan guard
I cannot release it. Something inside the mine is holding my hand.
A second pulse bends his wrist toward the narrow door. His boots scrape across the dust, though his shoulders strain backward in refusal.
the sellsword
The mark is a leash, not a seal. The thing below has made him its bearer.
the caravan guard
It is pulling me toward the door.
The concealed seam brightens with dull red light. Three knocks sound from beyond it, and the iron key turns once in the guard's trapped grip.
the sellsword
Now you know what stands behind him. If that door opens, the mine chooses its next servant.
“I offer the sellsword another way to collect”
FAILURE (Fair Reasoning, rolled -1)
Ethan Graves
There is another way to collect this debt.
Ethan offers the alternative without stepping aside. The sellsword studies him, while the guard's trapped hand jerks toward the glowing seam.
the sellsword
Then name what you place against it. Coin will not satisfy a debt written in a living mark.
Before Ethan can make the offer concrete, the rune flares. The iron key tears free of the guard's grasp and strikes the narrow door, but does not enter its lock.
the caravan guard
It took the key. It wants the door opened from this side.
The key hangs in the seam, held by red light. Its black teeth reveal a second, smaller notch beneath them, shaped for a different lock.
the sellsword
Your offer failed to reach the debt, but it has shown us a choice. Find that second lock, and we may collect without feeding the mine another servant.
“I offer the sellsword the guard's safe restraint”
SUCCESS (Fair Willpower, rolled +2)
Ethan Graves
I can restrain him safely while you find the second lock.
Ethan steps behind the guard and takes hold of his marked wrist, guiding the trapped arm away from the glowing seam. The guard's struggle eases under the firm restraint.
the sellsword
Do it. No bruises, no blood, and keep that hand clear of the key.
Ethan binds the guard's wrists with a loose length of harness strap from the scattered crates, securing him against the timber post without tightening across the rune.
the caravan guard
It is not pulling now. I can feel my hand again.
The red light steadies. Suspended in the seam, the iron key hangs motionless, while the sellsword crouches near the threshold and examines the smaller notch.
the sellsword
Good. You bought us a breath, and the guard remains himself. Now hold him there while I test the hidden lock.
Quest Complete
Secure the caravan survivors
Attribute Upgrade: Willpower Fair→Good