After a minute or so, she managed to get back up onto her hands and knees. Taking deep breaths, she cautiously peeked over a rock she had previously hidden behind to glimpse her surroundings. There seemed to be nothing nearby, but the silence in the cavern unnerved her. She slowly rose to her feet and moved carefully in case she was wrong about the direction she headed. This was the only thing she hated about the Golem realm: the maze-like cavern she had to cross if she wanted to find out about the ancient scroll. It held the knowledge of the Elemental Convergence. Unfortunately, many dangerous creatures lurked there, many of which weren’t friendly.
She shook her head, trying to banish the memories of her encounter with the giant spider. She pushed open the small tunnel that led outside and peered out, searching for an exit. The entrance was blocked by huge boulders that formed an impassable barrier. Ahead, at the end of the passageway, she heard voices. She peered around the rock, staring intently. A group of three men, clad in simple black armor, stood together on the path. One man walked forward, carrying a shield and holding a sword in his hand. The other two followed, each brandishing different weapons. They appeared to prepare for combat, but she knew that wasn’t the case. There was no need to prepare; they were already prepared.
She watched as their eyes scanned the area for signs of danger. When none came, they turned to face the cave, waiting in anticipation for something. She took it as a sign to leave before they found that she was there. She didn’t want to find out what they would do to her once they discovered her. They were the Old Soldiers, famous as walking shadows in the Golem realm, protecting their people. These warriors, once fierce protectors of the realm, had received a second chance at life through a mysterious mechanism said to be crafted by the gods. With their bodies preserved by enchanted gears and magic, they served as guardians against dark forces.
These Old Soldiers lived in constant fear of an ancient curse—one that turned the mightiest of warriors into mindless shadows, consumed by the very darkness they fought against. The legends spoke of the Waking Shadows, malevolent spirits that preyed on the souls of the fallen, seeking to draw them into an eternal night. To avoid this fate, the Old Soldiers followed a strict code:
The first ceremony honored the fallen. Every month on full moon nights, they held a ceremony to honor their comrades who had perished. They believed that remembrance kept the shadows at bay, as the spirits of the fallen would guide and protect them. The people gathered at a sacred clearing nestled within the forest. The air filled with a palpable sense of reverence as the villagers prepared for the event.
The second involved cleansing rituals. They performed cleansing rituals using sacred herbs and chants, believed to purify their spirits and shield them from the darkness. The rituals were meticulous, with each step designed to reinforce their connection to the light. The third was the Guardian's Mark. Each Old Soldier bore a unique mark, a symbol of their bond to the land and its magic. They renewed this mark under the full moon, a reminder of their purpose and a protective barrier against the shadows. And the last one involved avoiding temptation. They shunned places of sorrow and despair, believing that the shadows thrived in the presence of fear and regret. Laughter and camaraderie became their armor, for joy was a potent shield.
Seren slowly took a step away from the opening and waited until all three soldiers disappeared into the cave before returning to the main cavern, making her way toward the main passage again. She couldn't help but remember the conversation from earlier that day. "What if I ran into them again?" she thought, closing her eyes as a holographic screen appeared in the air.
Character Sheet:
[Armor Class: 18]
[Weapon(s): Sword]
[Hit Points: 30]
[Speed: 30 feet]
Progression Stats:
[Languages: Common, Infernal]
[Damage Vulnerabilities: Psychic damage (assuming her fire powers made her weaker to mental attacks)]
[Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened]
[Challenge (s): 2 (for the three shadow soldiers)]
Skills:
[Acrobatics: +5 (DEX)]
[Stealth: +5 (DEX)]
[Persuasion: +4 (CHA)]
[Insight: +3 (WIS)]
[Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Passive Perception 12]
Attributes:
[Strength (STR): 12 (+1)]
[Dexterity (DEX): 16 (+3)]
[Constitution (CON): 14 (+2)]
[Intelligence (INT): 10 (+0)]
[Wisdom (WIS): 13 (+1)]
[Charisma (CHA): 15 (+2)]
Nimble Escape:
[Could take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on her turn.]
Actions:
1. Firebolt (Ranged Spell Attack)
Range: 120 feet
Target: One creature
Damage: 1d10 fire damage
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
2. Sword Attack
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Range: Melee (5 feet)
Target: One creature
Damage: 1d6 + 3 (DEX modifier) slashing damage
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
3. Flame Blade
Range: Melee (5 feet)
Target: One creature
Damage: 3d6 fire damage
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Strategy:
[To avoid the shadow soldiers, Seren could use her Nimble Escape to disengage from combat and then hide to reassess the situation. Her heavy armor provided solid protection, while her fire powers gave her strong offensive capabilities.]
"I already made quite a mistake. Maybe I should just leave—" Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud thump coming from one of the entrances, followed by several shouts. She looked up, expecting to see the Ancient Soldiers returning, but instead saw a figure emerging from the cave. Her eyes widened, and she quickly hid behind the rocks, watching as the person emerged, looking confused.
"What the heck…" He muttered, taking off his hood to reveal long, wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail, green robes, and a pair of golden bracelets. He wore a silver belt that held various daggers. "What the hell is going on out here?"
"Garrick," she whispered his name softly under her breath.
Garrick glanced down at the floor, seemingly checking to see if he spilled something, but his eyes focused solely on the large boulder in front of him. He stepped closer to the boulder, raising his arms above his head, extending his hands outward until they touched the boulder. His palms glowed a bright yellow, matching the glow emitted by his staff. He closed his eyes and began chanting a strange syllabic language, his lips moving quickly. Soon a small stream of sparks erupted from his hands and flowed upward, reaching toward the ceiling of the cave. After a few seconds, Garrick opened his eyes again and released the stream. He immediately jumped backward, shaking out his hands before he looked down, examining the ground for any traces of footprints. Seeing that there were none, he sighed before turning around and leaving the cave.
"Garrick, down!" Suddenly, he heard Seren's voice and he turned around. In an instant, a firebolt came down on Garrick. He fell to the ground and hit his head. His eyes shot open suddenly, revealing a dull orange color. Garrick felt pain surge across his body, but before he could react, a massive explosion of light erupted behind him. Seren had used one of her spells; she was so close, and yet Garrick missed his opportunity.
"No!" Seren screamed, watching helplessly as Garrick crumbled to the ground, his eyes remaining lifeless.
Garrick lay there dumbfounded for a moment until he finally recovered. He got up slowly before dashing after his opponent. Seren ran toward him and dragged him away.
"What have you done?" he yelled angrily.
"What happened?" she wondered, glancing around at the smoke-filled cave.
"Why did you attack me?" he growled, trying desperately to pry himself free.
"You weren't paying attention, and those walking shadows tried to attack you, and I just saved you," Seren said proudly. "You should thank me."
"By attacking me with your firebolt," Garrick mocked sarcastically. He looked around at the wreckage around him. Everything seemed destroyed. Flames rose from the walls of the cave.
"So? Did I win?" she asked.
"Yes, you won." He sighed as he looked at his condition.
"But now the guards would come and take care of us. Why did you not fight with your magic? Didn't you realize that this was a trap? They'll kill you," her eyes softened as she looked at him.
"Who cares? What does it matter if my life is forfeit? We already lost everything," he sighed, "It doesn't matter anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Seren asked.
"This is the 110th time, and I tried to awaken my Golem, but it never worked. This is my fourth day in this cave."
"Are you serious? I don't understand how you stayed here for four days?" she asked, shocked. "Aren't you worried about being caught?"
"I didn't think the guards would risk it since we were clearly not a threat, and even if they did, what was the point? They already knew I was a sorcerer who was soon going to awaken a Golem," he laughed.
Suddenly, the sound of voices reached their ears. Garrick pulled Seren behind a large rock. It was two guards carrying torches.
As they walked past the cave, both stopped and peered inside, scanning the area for any sign of activity. They continued their walk, eventually disappearing through another opening farther down the path. "They were up to something that time," Garrick whispered. Seren nodded in agreement.
"They probably returned later to check the area," Seren observed.
"They better have gotten back early if they expected to get anything that night," Garrick chuckled darkly.
"What did you mean?" she asked.
"When the sun set, there was no one left to protect us," he explained grimly.
"How did you know?" she questioned.
"Didn't you know about Elemental Convergence?" he asked seriously as he leaned against the wall. "After the dawn of morning, there was nothing but emptiness, darkness, and hunger. No light nor heat. And when night fell… the only things left alive were the shadows that lived within the depths of the earth, where they remained until sunrise."
Seren listened silently, thinking to herself about the consequences of what he said. This was what her village Elders talked about—the dangers of the world outside—and soon everything was going to end. Only she knew who was doing this and why they wanted to destroy every living creature in this realm. Maybe she could help them.
"You could stop hiding," Garrick spoke, startling her out of her trance. "We were safe here."
But that was merely a thought. As soon as they came out from behind the rock, one of the walking shadows attacked them. The guard quickly threw his sword and blocked it, sending sparks into the air. Garrick drew forth the dagger that he kept in his silver belt, using the tip of the blade to deflect some of the blows thrown at her, but one managed to graze her thigh with ease, making her yelp. Garrick slashed across the face of his attacker, making it retreat. Before Garrick could finish him off, the other guard came running over and slashed a slash across his chest, causing him to fall to the ground. Seren rushed forward and attempted to stab the soldier's arm, but the guard was quick to block, and retaliated by slamming a fist into her stomach and kicking her in the chest, knocking her backwards. She fell onto her hands and knees. "That one hit really hurt," she groaned.
She pushed herself up and rolled to the side. The guard was ready for her next move, but she didn't make it. To save herself, she quickly threw the fireball right into the guard's chest, sending him flying backwards. Once she was on her feet again, Seren quickly dashed around, attempting to dodge the remaining swordsman. He spun around and delivered another blow, forcing her to jump back. A series of attacks quickly followed, each one hitting harder than the last. But Seren was too quick, dodging all the incoming strikes without even realizing it, until she was able to land a powerful uppercut, which sent the guard crashing down. The guard got back up quickly and launched an attack towards Seren. However, she easily dodged and kicked him in the jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground.
As the other guard recovered, Seren looked at Garrick. "Do you need healing? I didn't have many potions, but I would try to find some." Garrick simply shook his head and grabbed his staff, charging it up once more. He pointed the shaft of the staff at the remaining guard, sending a wave of thunder rushing toward him. The flaming sphere quickly encased the figure in flames, burning him to death. With one down, Garrick returned to the center of the room, staring down at his opponent and glaring as much as he could.