Chapter Twenty Five
Darkest Dungeon Part One

"We begin in a darkened tavern," said Steph, hunched down so half her face was hidden by the GM screen in front of her, pawing at the table with outstretched hands. "It's most famous for the fire that's been going since it was first started more than a hundred years ago; never once has it gone out, and local legends say it'll still be burning even after the world ends."

She sat up straighter, meeting the eyes of everyone around the table one by one.

"The four of you are sitting in a corner, drinking the evening away. You've done a few jobs together already, and right now you're lying low, hoping to pick up a new contract. Go ahead and introduce your characters to the group, starting with…" she pointed to Warren. "You."

He leaned in closer, seeming to almost slither as he bobbed back and forth, hands held up in front of him like claws. "I'm a Lizardkin Barbarian from the jungles of Kiinasha. I'm six-foot-five, three hundred pounds of pure muscle barely hidden under a weatherworn cloak that I use when passing through places that don't take kindly to my type. I look mean and I smash things with my axe a lot, but inside I've always dreamed of being a famous poet. You're the only group I've found that doesn't judge me for what I am."

"Sick backstory," said Steph. "What's your name?"

"You may call me... Feelyx the Cold Blooded."

Max blinked, craning her head back. "Felix?"

"No, not Fee-lix, Feel-ix."

She just stared blankly.

"Moving on," said Steph, and pointed to Drew. "Who are you playing tonight?"

Leaning back, he let a broad grin spread across his face as he glanced briefly at his character sheet. "I'm Renthor, a human Paladin who found religion after a long and bloody war led me to do a little soul searching. I grew up fighting because it was all I knew, but now I do it for a higher cause. And I rock the fuck out of this armor."

Max couldn't help an awkward, mildly impressed grin from appearing. From what Chloe had told her, Drew North was the Big Man on Campus for pretty much the entire time he attended Blackwell, leveraging his athleticism and natural charisma to get a free ride to the top of the food chain. Elements of that person remained etched into him like weathered stone, but from what she could gather, he'd mellowed out considerably since then.

Most of that had to be due to the influence of Steph and Mikey, who contrasted him starkly at first glance, until one learned to let go of preconceived notions and accept that they just plain got along well together, transcending the nerd/jock dichotomy and forming a genuine family unit. Max had witnessed stranger friendships.

"I'm playing a high elven Cleric from the Order of Zanduron," said Mikey. "It is my holy mission to cleanse these barbarian lands of evil, though I must make do with such lowly vessels as these to accomplish that great work."

"Lowly vessels?" Warren said it with enough conviction that it almost didn't seem feigned. "I suppose His Majesty requires a lackey to wipe his ass for him too?"

Mikey chuckled. "I am no Majesty—merely an instrument of the pure light of enlightened civilization. You may call me Sylvano Tal'naidir."

"Sweet name," said Steph, and then they all turned to look at Max, whose brain chose that moment to short circuit. "Go ahead and tell us who you are."

'Okay, this isn't intimidating at all. How am I supposed to follow all that? My character's gonna look totally fucking lame.'

This would normally be the part where her downward spiral into anxiety got the better of her and she would find some excuse to leave, to save herself the embarrassment. But something within her, a voice she hadn't really listened to before, stopped that dead in its tracks.

'No, Max. That's just the fear talking. Life's too goddamn short to be afraid of looking like an idiot in front of your friends. Especially since they're putting themselves out there too. It's just acting. You can do this.'

"My name is Karina Marrowgrim," she said, calmly and with as much confidence as she could muster. "I come from a long line of miners and blacksmiths, but all I ever really wanted was to be an artist. My family wouldn't support me, so I ran away." She looked down somberly, her features drawing into a frown. "But I also left behind my best friend. Now I can't ever go back, because I'm worried she wouldn't forgive me."

"Damn, that's gotta suck," said Warren. "So what's your specialty? What do you bring to the table?"

"I'm a Bard," she revealed. "My art has a bit of magic to it, enough that I can inspire others and help out my allies. It's gotten me this far with you guys. I can't sing for shit, though."

That scored her a quick round of chuckles, but the rest of them nodded acceptingly and moved on, and Max released the breath she was holding. Most of her nerves came down to the fact that, other than Warren, she didn't know the other people at the table very well. On some level she wished Chloe and Rachel were here, but she couldn't confine her social circle to just them, and this game wasn't the real reason she had come. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't try and enjoy it.

"As the evening goes on, patrons come and go, though none catch your attention for very long," Steph continued. "This tavern functions as a central hub, the heart from which the lifeblood flows into the surrounding town of Greymeadow. It hasn't been beating very strongly of late, but there's always the promise of another day, and another opportunity. Feelyx, if you could give me a perception check?"

Nodding, Warren reached for a twenty-sided die and rolled it inside a small box designed to keep it from tumbling halfway across the table. "Eighteen."

"You notice that while your companions have been laughing and drinking the night away, a hooded figure at a nearby table has been glancing over at you every so often. They've barely touched their drink, and it looks like they plan on being there for a while."

Leaning in, he adjusted his voice to a low growl, or as low as someone with Warren's vocal register could manage. He gestured with his head. "Someone's watching us. At that table over there."

"As he motions over to the figure, you all see the dark robes, with just a hint of long, dirty blonde hair spilling out of one side. Upon closer inspection the figure appears female, and given your high perception roll earlier, you notice she's holding a scroll and a large purse. Seeing you take notice of her, she stands and approaches your table. What do you do?"

"I sit up straight, and my hand tightens around my mug of ale," said Drew, "while my other hand slowly closes around the handle of my sword. I look at her and say: 'Greetings, traveler. How might we be of assistance?'"

"I draw my hood up tighter and let the holy men do the talking," said Warren.

Max glanced towards him. "I don't say anything either."

"'Well met,' the figure says, tossing the coin purse and the scroll on the table. 'I'm in need of some adventurers for a small endeavor. It's just outside of town, a short way into the woods. That purse is yours if you accept the contract, along with another two just like it upon completion, and all the treasure you can carry. What do you say?'"

"Is it dangerous?" asked Mikey.

"The figure smiles," Steph replied, before changing her voice again. "Well if it were a walk in the park I'd hardly need the four of you now, would I? I also wouldn't be paying as much."

"Forgive my companion," said Drew, laying on the charm. "Might you at least tell us your name? We'd feel much better about this if we knew who we were dealing with. As well as what we would be tasked with doing."

"My name is R'aina. You've all made a name for yourselves already, so no introductions are necessary on your end. As for the job, suffice it to say there's a temple I'd like to see restored, but monsters have taken up residence there and I need you to clear them out for me."

Max narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her nose. "How much is in the purse?"

"Make an investigation check."

She picked up the twenty-sided-die. "So roll this one?"

"Uh-huh. Then add your investigation modifier from your character sheet."

"Okay." She did as instructed, and read the number on the die. "I rolled a fourteen, and my investigation modifier is… plus three. Seventeen."

"Very good. As a dwarf with a family history of dealing with valuable metals, and as a guild artisan, you estimate the value of all the coins in there to be about fifteen hundred gold."

Eyes around the table widened, and Max leaned back. "Wow."

"I also need you to make a will save."

She blinked. "A what?"

"Roll another d20 and add your will save modifier."

"Okay, but what am I rolling against?"

"You're trying to beat fifteen."

Max shook her head. "No, I mean why am I doing this?"

"Because your GM said so. It's a surprise."

"Okay." She rolled the die again, and next to her Warren buried his face in his hands.

"Oh man."

Max frowned at the roll, and was briefly tempted to rewind. It seemed rather petty to manipulate the very fabric of time and space just so she wouldn't have to deal with failure, but Max never claimed to be perfect. Ultimately she decided against it. After all, even if she did rewind, it wasn't like she could choose which number it landed on the second time around. And she knew what could happen if she did it too many times, which she wasn't about to risk over something that had no meaning outside a game of make believe.

"Seven."

A brief chuckle escaped from Steph, who grinned in her direction. "You suddenly feel a very strong urge to take the job. The person in front of you also seems a lot more trustworthy than before."

She squinted with one eye closed. "So am I under a spell?"

"You don't know."

"But I do know. You just said—"

"I mean your character doesn't know. I try and keep a lid on metagaming."

"Metagaming?"

"It's when you use your knowledge as a player to act on things that your character shouldn't be aware of. I'm not gonna bust your chops over it, but it makes for a better gaming experience if you do things based on how your character would act."

"Oh." That made sense. "Okay. I turn to the rest of them and say: 'I really think we should take this job, guys. It sounds like a great opportunity.'"

"Sylvano agrees, and nods," said Mikey. "Praytell, what sort of monsters will we face in this dungeon?"

"Temple," corrected Steph, adopting R'aina's voice, a low, sultry melody pouring out of her throat like golden honey. "And they are of all kinds. The original occupants fled during a war, and the monsters moved in. No one's been able to get rid of them since, though others have tried."

Watching her, Max was transfixed by how good the other girl was at this. If she weren't already head over heels with Chloe and Rachel, she wouldn't mind spending an evening alone with Steph. But it wouldn't make sense to add even more people to an already unconventional relationship. She was still getting used to dating two people at once, and they'd only been official for like a day. Still, in another life…

"Why are you so interested in this temple, anyway?" asked Warren. "Feelyx narrows his eyes, trying to suss out her true intentions."

"Make an insight check."

He rolled, then frowned disappointedly at the result. "Three."

"In this low light, with her hood up, her features are difficult to read, especially while concealing your own. But the gold she's offering sure is tempting." Steph grinned, and her voice changed again. "I only wish to see it restored to its original purpose, as a bastion of hope against the tide of darkness that threatens this world."

"Seems legit," said Warren. "What say the rest of you?"

Drew shrugged. "I'm down."

"It will do good to rid the land of this scourge," added Mikey. "The money is an added bonus."

"I'm in too," said Max.

"'Then I shall leave you to your task. This scroll contains the directions to the temple. You may set off whenever you choose.' With that, she leaves the tavern, disappearing into the night, leaving the four of you sitting around the table, plotting your next move. Anything you'd like to do before setting off?"

"Shouldn't we be resting first?" asked Mikey. "The woods are dangerous at night."

"I'm inclined to agree," said Drew. "The contractor was not specific regarding when we would need to accomplish this task."

Max and Warren nodded.

A smirk crawled across Steph's face. "After a brief conversation, you all return to your rooms for a night's rest. Karina, if I could have you roll another will save?"

'Don't fuck me,' Max ordered the die she held in her hands, then scowled when she saw the result. "Uh, it says one."

"A natural one? Really?"

She nodded.

She saw a mix of faces disappearing into palms and smiles like a pack of wolves as she glanced around, the weight of her situation slowly dawning on her. "That's bad, right?"

"It depends on where you're sitting," said Steph. "As morning comes, you all wake up, fully rested. Karina, you feel a slight itch in the back of your skull, almost like a headache, but not painful. You all meet for breakfast downstairs. Anything you'd like to do to prepare for your journey?"

"Renthor has all the supplies he needs," said Drew. "I'm ready to roll."

"As am I," said Warren. "What about you two? Did you sleep well?"

"The beds here are adequate, if lacking in refinement," said Mikey. "I have already completed my daily prayers, and my spells are prepared. I require nothing else."

"I feel kinda weird," said Max, running with the directions that the GM had given her. She scratched the back of her head. "But I should be fine. Let's go."

"After settling your tab at the bar, the four of you make your way out of the tavern and into the town of Greymeadow. It's a quaint place: more of a glorified village, really. Its one claim to fame is the ruined castle overlooking it from the top of the hill, once known as the great Castle Glatisant. Outside the central hub of buildings is mostly farmland, around half of which grow a local crop called the stoneflower. When ground up and combined with an alchemical solution, stoneflowers can be used to make a potion that cures petrification. It's the town's main export for that reason."

Max squinted. "Petrification?"

"Getting turned to stone."

"Oh."

"Following the directions on the scroll given to you by R'aina, you make your way a few miles into the woods. Are you prioritizing caution, or speed?"

"We take care on our approach," said Warren. "She gave us no timetable, after all."

"In that case, make a survival check."

He rolled, then smiled at the result. "Twenty four."

"You manage to avoid a pack of wild wolves along your path by skirting around to avoid them, without losing much time on your journey. You also sidestep various natural hazards and dangerous plant life. After roughly four hours, you arrive at your destination."

Standing up, she pulled the sheet off of the map in the center of the table, revealing something she'd probably put way much effort into. The rest of them stared at it in awe.

"Holy shit, Steph," said Drew. "You raid your dad's model train set or something?"

"Nah, I found it pre-built on eBay. Cost half a paycheck, but it was worth it to see the look on your face just now."

"It" was a scale model medieval building that looked like it belonged at a Renaissance Festival. The level of detail was astounding, down to the small grooves showing mortar between the individual bricks in a pattern that never repeated. Steph hit a button on her phone, and the stage lights above them changed to an eerie shade of blue-green. Creepy music began to play from a large speaker behind her, and Max stared at her in awe.

"You all see before you the promised temple, the sun barely poking through a thick black cloud cover that wasn't there an hour ago. All around you, dead trees sprout from the soil like long skeletal hands, grasping at the sky. Sylvano and Renthor, both of you can feel something evil surrounding this place. You notice it before the others."

"Well that's creepy," said Drew. "Are we sure this lady is trustworthy?"

"She tasked us with cleansing this place of evil," said Mikey. "Surely things will return to a more… pleasant state once we have rooted out the cause of this phenomenon."

"Hope you're right." He looked to Steph. "Do we see anyone else around?"

"Make a perception check."

He rolled. "Fifteen."

"Not a soul. A hundred feet from you is a large wall surrounding the complex, but the woods around you are barren. You'll probably have to head further in to find bad guys."

Mikey looked down at one of his sheets of paper, and nodded briefly to himself. "I cast Detect Evil."

"As the spell takes effect, you feel… nothing."

"Nothing?"

"You're not close enough. The temple is like three hundred feet away."

"Well then I do it once we're in range."

"Okay then. You feel—"

"Hold up," said Warren. "We're just gonna walk right up?"

"That's a good point," said Mikey. "Is there anything to hide behind as we approach?"

"Not really. The trees don't have leaves, and within a hundred feet of the outer wall there's nothing growing at all. On the other hand, because the sun is blotted out, you do have a bit of darkness to work with. You can make stealth checks if you want."

They nodded.

"Okay then. I'm gonna have you guys roll a group stealth check. That means we take the average of everybody's rolls."

Max grabbed the appropriate die and rolled, as did the rest of them. "Sixteen."

"Twenty-three."

"Seventeen."

"Thirteen."

Steph nodded, then did a some quick math in her head. "Okay, so rounding down, the average stealth roll is seventeen. Good to know."

"We're probably in for a fight once we get in there," said Warren. "Anything else we should do to prepare first?"

"How many potions do we have?" asked Drew, and they all looked at their character sheets. "I've got three regular and one greater."

He nodded, quirking his lips to the side. "I have two greater healing potions."

"All I have are healing spells," said Mikey.

"I have one regular and one superior healing potion." Max turned to Steph. "Why do we all have something different?"

"Because an adventuring party as experienced as yours wouldn't all have the same distribution of items," she replied. "But you're free to redistribute them as you see fit." They all shrugged and muttered among themselves, but ultimately nothing changed hands. "Are you all moving forward, then?"

"Aye," said Mikey. "As soon as the temple is in range of my spell, I cast Detect Evil."

"Well the range of your perception with the spell is sixty feet, so you'd have to get right up against the wall to really capture most of the temple in that."

"Then I do that."

"Okay then. As the incantation leaves your mouth in a hushed tone, you feel a burning inside your scalp, pointing in three different directions. One to your ten o'clock, one to your two o'clock, and one straight ahead."

"Can I detect what sort of creatures lie within?" He sorted through a few pages, quickly navigating to the one that held the description of the spell. "It says I know the type and number, but not their identity."

Steph smirked. "Well first off, they're all undead. The strongest concentration is the one that's furthest in, straight ahead of where you currently are. There's seven in that group. The one to your left contains three, while the group on your right only has one."

"I relay this information to the group."

"The one on its own has to be the strongest," surmised Warren. "If we take that one out first, the rest should go down easy."

"I suggest we do that quietly," said Drew. "While the undead are not the most intelligent of creatures, like anything else they'll come running if they hear the sounds of battle."

He squinted, concerned. "All that armor might be a problem, then. Maybe the quietest of us should scout ahead."

"But you'll need our divine magic if you want to stand any chance against the undead," Mikey reminded him. "We've gotten this far undetected, and as long as we make quick work of our foe it shouldn't attract too much attention. Also, I can make most of them turn tail and run if it comes to it."

"How?" asked Max.

"Turn Undead. It's a skill I have as a cleric. Basically the power of my god causes any undead who fail their saving throw to spend their turn running away until they either take damage or save from it on another turn."

"Good thing we brought you, then."

"On to the next order of business, then," said Drew. "How do we get inside?"

"There's a large gate about fifty feet from where you pressed up against the wall for Sylvano's spell," answered Steph. "But if you want to look for another way in, go ahead and roll a perception check."

He did so, and threw up his arms as a smug grin overtook his face. They all leaned in to look.

"Natural twenty."

Steph beamed as she dropped back into her chair. "Okay, then. The temple is old and decrepit, but most of the walls are solidly made. You manage to find a weaker portion a few feet away from the gate on the left, which looks to have been breached before and quickly sealed. A high enough strength check should be enough to collapse it again, without bringing the whole structure down on top of you."

Wordlessly, Drew gestured towards Warren with both arms, then moved them in the direction of the imaginary wall. Warren took the cue and rolled, smirking at the result. "Twenty-five."

"With one strong, reptilian kick, you shatter the hastily patched-over mortar that wouldn't have held together on its own longer than a few more years, opening up a big enough hole for the rest of you to move through. Can I have a marching order?"

Warren nodded. "I'll go first."

"Me next," said Drew.

"I'll watch the rear," said Mikey.

"And I'll go third, I guess." Max leaned in closer as Steph moved all the miniatures inside the temple.

As Steph opened her mouth to continue narrating, a phone started to ring, and all of them glanced around. Drew produced his phone from his pocket, glancing at all of them apologetically.

"Sorry about that. You mind if I take this real fast?"

"Not at all. This is a good place to take a break anyway. I want more of that pizza."

Drew tapped the screen to answer and bolted out of the auditorium, and Max stared suspiciously after him. The rest of them started to redistribute the food, but her eyes didn't leave the double doors. After a minute or so he still hadn't returned, and she reluctantly allowed herself to be drawn back into what was happening around her.

'I hope Rachel and Chloe are having better luck.'