The Great Hall of the Kingdom is dimly lit by flickering torches, the scent of stale incense and cold stone thick in the air. The heavy thrum of the generator vibrates through the floor, a stark reminder of how thin the line is between order and decay. King Ezekiel stands by the dais, his regal posture contrasting with the weariness around his eyes. He is hunched over a spread of maps, a sharp contrast to the polished image he usually projects.
Seth
King Ezekiel, the armory breach is worse than a simple structural failure. I found Whisperer markings near the fuel line, and we are running out of time before they decide to push for the gates.
Seth
The King looks like he is aging ten years every hour, but he needs to hear the truth, even if it breaks his composure.
Ezekiel
You speak of ghosts and madness, Seth. We are struggling to keep the lights on, and you want me to declare a war we are not prepared to win.
Seth
If we don't fight them in the tunnels, they will bring the horde right into your throne room. I have the location of their primary rally point.
“King Ezekiel calls Men in then orders them to block off those tunnels and get ready for a fight just in case the whispers are coming”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled +4)
Ezekiel
If they are truly at our doorstep, then we do not wait for the sun to rise. Guards! Seal the eastern tunnels and barricade the lower sector. Whatever is coming, we meet it with steel and defiance.
The guards snap to attention, their heavy boots thundering against the stone as they scramble to execute the order. Ezekiel turns back to the map, his hand gripping the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles whiten. He looks to Seth with a grim, renewed intensity.
Seth
The King is finally listening, but sealing tunnels is only a temporary fix. If the Whisperers are already moving, we have to strike first or spend the rest of our lives buried under this rubble.
Ezekiel
You have navigated these paths before, Seth. Lead the vanguard to the barricades. If there is blood to be shed, I will not have my people caught sleeping in their beds.
+ Scene Quest Added
Lead the vanguard to the barricades