The graveyard of Oakhaven is a sea of jagged slate headstones, cloaked in a thick, unnatural fog. Xarsthos stands amidst the decay, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword.
Gedwyn
You should have stayed on the main road, traveler. The dead here are not the only ones with secrets.
(His eyes narrow at the tavern keeper. Gedwyn smells of stale ale and freshly turned earth, an unlikely scent for a man who claims to be a simple pourer of drinks.)
Xarsthos
Your tavern is miles behind us, Gedwyn. Why are you digging in a place where even the wolves fear to tread?
Gedwyn
I seek a blade that was never mine to lose. A carriage lies splintered in the valley below, and the noble inside paid for my silence with a lie.
A heavy, metallic clatter echoes from the darkness near a tilted mausoleum. A spectral, armored figure emerges from the mist, dragging a rusted broadsword along the stones. It pauses, turning its featureless helmet toward Xarsthos.
Xarsthos
The phantom is not guarding the crypt, it is hunting the man standing beside me.
Gedwyn
Run, or join me in the dirt. It wants the steel I hold!
+ Scene Quest Added
Survive the spectral knight's attack
“I join gedwyn”
SUCCESS (Legendary Melee Combat, rolled -1)
Xarsthos
You worry too much about the dirt, Gedwyn. I prefer to keep my boots clean.
Xarsthos lunges forward, his movement a blur against the grey mist. As the Spectral Knight raises its rusted broadsword for a downward crush, Xarsthos pivots on his heel, his own blade singing as it flashes upward. He catches the phantom’s blow upon his crossguard, the impact sending a shower of pale, spectral sparks cascading across the headstones.
Xarsthos
The chill of the blade is like plunging my hand into a frozen stream, but the strength behind it is hollow. It has no stomach for a real fight.
(A sound like grinding dry bone vibrates from the empty cowl.)
Gedwyn
Stand your ground, fool! If you fall, we are both lost to the fog!
Xarsthos shoves the phantom back with a burst of raw, athletic strength, forcing the creature to stagger toward the mausoleum, its heavy blade dragging a deep gouge into the stone floor. The path to the gate remains open for now.
“I attack the phantom”
SUCCESS (Legendary Melee Combat, rolled +2)
Xarsthos channels the fire of his draconic blood, his muscles coiling like tempered springs. He lunges, side-stepping the knight’s clumsy, heavy strike. His blade hums, a streak of cold steel cutting through the necrotic fog. The strike lands true, shearing through the spectral breastplate with the sound of snapping crystal.
Xarsthos
The mist recoils. That was the anchor point of its form.
The spectral entity shrieks, a cacophony of distorted wind. It stumbles backward, its rusted sword slipping from its translucent grip, clattering onto the frost-bitten earth. The creature’s form flickers violently, translucent limbs fracturing as if trying to hold together against a great vacuum. Gedwyn stares, his hands trembling as he clutches the stolen blade to his chest.
Gedwyn
You... you actually struck it! Finish the wretched thing before it reforms!
The knight clawed at the air, its fingers lengthening into jagged, smoke-like talons. It readies itself to lunge at Xarsthos once more, its cowl swirling with renewed, frantic malice.
Quest Complete
Survive the spectral knight's attack
New Gift: Spectral Resilience