Desmond descends alone, leaving the wounded scout behind on the upper landing. The stair twists beneath the mountain, and cold air carries the smell of wet stone.
At the first landing, a young adult man with a slender build collapses against the wall beneath a faded gate insignia. His ash-gray coat is torn, his dark hair clings to a pale, sweat-streaked face, and one hand guards his side.
the wounded courier
Do not strike. I am no watcher.
A black iron key hangs from the courier’s blood-marked belt, its shape matching the dying scout’s description. Dust trembles from the ceiling as footsteps echo beyond the next bend.
the wounded courier
George ordered me to open the gate. I obeyed, and he abandoned me here with his scouts.
the wounded courier
He went through alone. The gate is open, but the passage beyond is not empty.
The footsteps pause, then resume nearer, measured and heavy. The courier presses himself beneath the faded insignia, watching Desmond while the black key swings against his belt.
“Using my monkey acrobatics, I move towards the mountain gate”
SUCCESS (Great Acrobatics, rolled -1)
Desmond springs past the wounded courier, planting one grey ape foot against the wall and catching a jutting ledge with both hands. He climbs through the bend in swift, compact bursts.
Loose stones cascade beneath him. One clips his shoulder, and the clatter rolls loudly through the passage, announcing his movement to anyone beyond the bend.
the wounded courier
They heard you. The gate is just ahead!
Desmond swings from the ledge, lands on the lower stair, and bounds across the final landing. The open mountain gate rises before him, black iron doors yawning into torchlit darkness.
Desmond
The gate is open.
His shoulder throbs where the stone struck, but his footing holds. He reaches the threshold with the cost paid in noise and bruising, while heavy footsteps answer from within.
the wounded courier
George went through there alone. Do not let him vanish into the old road.
✓ Quest Accepted
Enter the old road
“Get to George as fast as possible”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +1)
Desmond drives through the open gate, gold-trimmed sleeves flashing as he races along the torchlit passage. His grey ape feet strike stone in a relentless rhythm.
The old road slopes into a vast underground hall. At its far end, George stands beside a cracked stone arch, a broad middle-aged gorilla man with dark fur, heavy shoulders, and a scar across his left cheek. His blunt muzzle, close-cropped black mane, and battered brown coat complete his imposing silhouette.
George
So. The son finally reaches me.
Desmond crosses the hall before the last echo fades. Behind him, the mountain gate remains open, and the courier’s warning disappears beneath the thunder of approaching footsteps.
George
I expected scouts, not a grieving ape in monk’s robes. Your mother’s memory has driven you a long way.
George turns fully toward Desmond, lowering his stance beneath the arch. Torchlight catches the old scar, while the empty road behind him offers no further distance to cross.
Defeat George
Quest Complete
Confront George
Attribute Upgrade: Agility Great→Superb
Quest Complete
Enter the old road