When last we visited the adventures of the wizard Gwenwen, he had just begun his first foray into the depths of the mysterious Dungeon. It looked as though things were about to take as violent turn when they stumbled onto a group of orcs, but Gwenwen's quick-thinking helped the group avoid bloodshed. Hoping to leave the pig-faced brutes behind, they forged ahead into the darkness.
This narrative is based on a play session of the solo RPG system Four Against Darkness. It's designed to simulate the experience of an adventuring party exploring a fantasy dungeon. A PDF copy of Four Against Darkness can be purchased at DriveThruRPG. I will continue to ask you to forgive my poor drawing skills!
The corridor carried us forward without pause or turn for perhaps an hour. It could have been more. We had not been in the Dungeon for long, but I found it hard to measure time without the aid of the sky or sun.
We eventually came to a large circular chamber. The walls were smooth and nondescript, but there was a round hole in the ceiling, like the entrance to a vertical tunnel with no end that we could see.
“We should rest here for a bit,” Lem suggested. The dwarf unslung his pack, not waiting for me to agree. I had no mind to argue. Whether we had been in the Dungeon for long or not, I was tired and my stomach was grumbling
I took a drink from one of my water skins and then walked to the center of the room to take another look at the hole. A hand fell on my shoulder.
“You shouldn’t stand underneath that,” Nanoc said, his face furrowed as he too peaked up at it. I nodded and followed him away to a spot closer to the wall. We sat down and pulled our rations from our bags.
“Do you think there’s something up there?” I asked.
Nanoc shrugged and ripped into a strip of dried meat with his teeth. “No idea,” he said, still chewing. “But in my experience, it’s best to keep your distance from mysterious holes.”
He chucked loudly to himself at that, and I suspect he intended it as innuendo as much as advice. I caught a glimpse of Lem rolling his eyes. If Swipe was even listening, he showed no sign of it.
Nanoc and I chatted for a time. I talked about my father and my dreams of exploring the Dungeon. He nodded along as I spoke, asking questions here and there to learn more. Sharing so much made me realize I knew very little about him.
“What about you?” I asked. “What brought you to the Dungeon?”
“Nothing particular,” he grunted. “The Northlands are cold and barren and I was bored. I left five years ago and my path led me here.” He paused to pick at his teeth with a knife. “Helping you seemed as good a use of my time as anything else.”
I considered that. “Well… thank you.”
Nanoc laughed. “Believe me, lad. It wasn't out of the good of my heart. You did pay us.”
“Regardless,” I said, allowing myself a moment of perhaps unwelcome sentiment. “Thank you all.”
We moved on soon after and shortly came to another chamber that looked like it might have held something once, but no longer. An empty chest was pushed up against one wall, and the remnants of four smashed crates lined another.
“The place was probably ransacked ages ago,” Lem commented morosely.
That stirred more questions in me about the nature of the Dugneon, but I decided to leave them in the quiet. While I still held my father’s advice firmly in mind, my Dwarvish associate seemed to be growing more and more sour the longer we stayed here. I didn't want to test his patience with my inquiries.
“We should keep moving,” Swipe said, suddenly. “There’s something unsettling about the air here.”
None of us asked what he meant, but we heeded his advice and returned to the adjoining corridor. It continued to stretch onward for a time, and I began to fear that the strange magics that governed this place were playing some sort of trick on us. I would see a familiar shape in the stonework and wonder if, somehow, we were walking in circles.
It was all nerves, of course. I know that now. Stones can’t help but look similar and none of my more experienced companions seemed anxious. Lem grumbled from time to time, but Swipe was calm and Nanoc couldn’t have been less bothered. He even started singing at one point – some guttural tune from his frigid homeland.
When the scenery around us finally changed, we came to a sight that drew the breath from me. It was a massive hall, bigger than any construct I’d ever seen before in my life . Pillars of carved stone rose up from the floor to a high ceiling far above us. The hall was so wide that I could barely see the outline of the exit in the distance.
“This is old Dwarvish work,” Lem said admiringly. He approached one of the nearby pillars, peeling off his leather glove to run a bare hand against the ancient stone. His lips curled into a slim smile. It was the first time I’d seen his face marked by any sort of happiness. I couldn’t help but smile, too.
There was no such grin on Swipe’s face. I heard him draw his daggers and turned to see his eyes darting searchingly around the hall.
“I’ve been here before,” he whispered. “We need to move quic-”
A strange screech split the air. A dissonant roar that sounded like a mingling of three bestial voices bellowing in rage.
Steel-song sounded as Nanoc pulled the greatsword out from the sheath on his back. Lem drew out his warhammer. I pulled out my own dagger, though it felt feeble in my hands. My thoughts were a jumble and my heart raced in my chest.
“Make ready with whatever wizard’s tricks you have, Gwenwen,” Nanoc said, his body slipping into a fighter’s stance. “There won’t be any cleverness to save us this time.”
