Ch. 1 - The Keep on the Borderlands

Delfarious holds his lantern up to the doorway, but the light only reaches just inside the door before being eaten by shadows.

"Magical darkess!" Delfarious hisses. "See the gloom, how it crowds the light! How it seeks to smother it!"

Turning to his companions, he raises an eyebrow as he holds the lantern aloft... clearly expecting one of them to enter this spooky space...

Morgan stirs then, but not to take Delfarious's invitation. "Hark," she commands, pointing her sword at the south end of the hallway, "something approaches." As she points, a dark shape creeps out of the shadows.

The dwarf stands at the ready, unaware that this dark shape is controlled by a benevolent figure in a other universe, something akin to a god.

Darlene readies an arrow and aims at the darkness.

"Show yourself! Who goes there!?" Delfarious says, turning from the secret passage to shine his lantern to the south.

"Ready with that arrow!" he whispers as he tries to make out the shape...

Her bow and arrow pointing forward, Fenna moves into the area lit by the party's light source, trembling. "Who... Who are you? You are not one of these creatures?" she says. Then she falls on her knees and pleads: "Food! I need food! I have not eaten in days, please!"

"Hold, Darlene, hold!" Delfarious says, putting up his hand to keep the woman from accidentally letting fly.

"You! Girl! Put up your bow! Tell us your name and your purpose here!"

Darlene lowers her bow but keeps the arrow nocked, watching the newcomer carefully.

"First she wants food. Next she'll want a share of the treasure. Show her the door and let's move on," grumbles Kraagor showing no sympathy towards the stranger.

"Wait, Kraagor!" Delfarious says to the dwarf. Taking note of all the bodies on the ground, he adds, "Think! She may be of use to us..."

"It's your job to think, sorcerer," he spits out. "It's mine to crack skulls. If you say she can be of use, then you handle her."

The thief drops her weapon on the ground, showing large, brown eyes at the party while the dwarf and the magic user are arguing. She doesn't cry: it seems there is not enough water in her body anymore for tears to form. Her slim green-black cape's hood is down, making her long, dark hair apparent, and even though she is kneeling, people can see the dark leather armor protecting her. Any other weapon is hidden at this point, to the exception of a short sword scabbard.

She waits, not knowing what to expect, while looking intently at Darlene.

The armor and the blade are telling, along with the bow. This is no lost waif, no imprisoned and then escaped villager.

"You name, girl," Delfarious repeats imperiously. "And your purpose here!"

Darlene looks at the girl, feeling her heart melt. Finally, she says, "I will not let someone suffer needlessly." She offers the girl some water from her waterskin.

Morgan sheathes her sword but keeps and hand on its hilt. She gives Fenna a hard stare while waiting for her to answer Delfarious's questions.

Fenna makes sure to drink first, her throat feeling so dry that she cannot talk before doing that. "Fenna. My name is Fenna. I went here with some fellow... adventurers, because we heard there were... treasures to be found. They all died, the last one to these horrible blood sucking birds. I was able to escape and hide for a few days, not daring to move." She looks down, looking at the same time ashamed and exhausted.

"Ah!" Delfarious intones as he comes closer, his moving lantern making their shadows dance. "A dungeon-delver, then! An explorer of the unknown! We too are bold treasure-seekers, and have found these environs deadly, girl. How well do you know these passageways? If we join forces, is there some treasure that was held just out of your reach? That we could... share?"