The guard lunges, his heavy boots clattering against the loose flagstones of the dormitory. Timothy reacts with a fluid, desperate burst of agility, scrambling over the fallen debris of a shattered sconce as the guard’s gauntleted hand grazes his shoulder.
Guard
Timothy You filth. Why do you lurk in the dark like a rat while the kitchens burn? Speak or I crush your skull against this wall.
Timothy
The guard is strong, but he is clumsy in this tight space. I must lead him toward the collapsed corridor where the floor is treacherous.
Timothy
I am only following the Abbot’s command, good sir! He sent me to recover the remnants of the library before the flames consume all. Please, do not harm a servant of the cloth.
Timothy darts through a low archway leading into the scriptorium, his heart hammering against his ribs. The guard follows, his heavy armor clanking rhythmically, oblivious to the precarious state of the rotting floorboards ahead.
+ Scene Quest Added
Escape the guard
“I quickly warn the guard to watch out for the rotting floorboards, thinking it much more important to save him from injury than myself.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Timothy
Stop, good sir! The floorboards are rotten beneath you! Step carefully, for your own sake!
Guard
You... you would warn me after running like a craven beast? Why do you care if a man of the guard falls into the cellar?
He looks stunned. The fear in his eyes has replaced the malice. He does not understand why a servant would value his life, but he is listening.
Guard
Stay still, boy. If this floor gives way, we both tumble into the darkness. Show me where the boards are sound.
The guard halts, his gauntleted hand hovering in the air as he tests the weight of his boot against the wood. A soft, splintering groan echoes from the depths of the scriptorium as the floor shifts slightly. Timothy stands steady, pointing toward a heavy beam that remains anchored in the stone foundation.
“I guide the guard over the safe parts of the floor to make sure that he comes to no harm, then kneel meekly in front of him.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled -1)
Timothy
Please, sir. Follow my footsteps exactly. The beams are strong here. I only wish to serve, not to see you fall.
Timothy moves with the grace of a shadow, his feet finding the solid joists with uncanny precision. The guard follows, his heavy breathing ragged, his hand still gripping his sword hilt as if ready to strike at the first sign of betrayal. They weave through the darkness until they reach the edge of the collapse. Timothy stops, pivots, and sinks to his knees, head bowed, neck exposed in a gesture of absolute surrender.
Timothy
If he strikes me now, the penance is paid. If he lets me live, I am bound to his service until the end of this night.
Guard
You are a strange wretch, boy. Why kneel before the man who hunted you? What game do you play?
Quest Complete
Escape the guard
New Gift: Shadowed Evasion