Two waves cleared. If you’d like to exit the dungeon, please step through the waiting portal.
A blue shimmering arch sprung into existence in the center of the courtyard. Steam rose from the ice and snow at its base as it hummed to life. The center was cool deep blue light. The outer layers became bright and brighter until the light was a pale white.
CJ made his way over to the keep proper to help extricate his party from within. The torch lights all settled back to regular orange and red flames. As soon as CJ approached the wall of bodies, they toppled into a pile extending toward the center of the courtyard. A blood drenched Elena leapt forth to land in the snow. Her combat boots finding purchase in the semi-melted mixture of ice, snow, blood and viscera. Next Monty scuttled over the mound, ears straight up listening for any signs of monsters. Finally, Jennifer slid on her but down the corpses, pink backpack bouncing the whole way. She cradled her handgun to her chest as her feet hit the softening ground below.
“Glad to see you all made it out alright,” quipped CJ.
“Fuck. Now I have to climb back into the keep,” complained Monty before turning back toward the building.
“Are we leaving? I think we should take the W,” whined Jennifer.
“I’ll leave that up to the rest of you. I’m fine either way. A C ranking won’t be so bad this time. Seems like a pretty difficult dungeon if you ask me. Let’s find out what Rubio wants to do,” replied CJ.
“He’ll want to stay and get an A rank. He doesn’t show it, but it bothered him that we did so poorly in the first bolster dungeon. Can we have this conversation inside the tower? It’s cold as a witch’s tit out here,” chimed in Elena.
They all moved into the tower and closed the door. A few minutes later Rubio came huffing and puffing down the stairs to join them. Seems the Trinchars figured out a private chat channel. CJ made a mental note to ask them how they do that later.
“We did well with the notable exceptions of CJ’s disappearance and you three getting caught outside the tower. The speed with which the fire light changed colors for wave two is a bit alarming. I don’t blame anyone who wants to leave now. I would say I think we can handle two more waves. As long as we do it smartly,” explained Rubio, his arms folded across his chest and leaning against the far wall.
“Speaking of which, what happened to you?” asked Jenn.
“I found that door I was telling you all about and inside was a book, the robes I’m wearing now, and apparently, a demon possessed painting.”
“Did the demon have red eyes and live in a forest?” asked Monty, now standing on his hind legs.
“Yes… why do you know that? What did you guys find?” CJ asked back.
Monty looked at Elena and Jenn. They all nodded at each other before Monty began to speak.
“The mural or wall painting or whatever we revealed with the black light showed a scene of wolves stalking out of a forest. Only they were all walking on two legs and carrying weapons. At the front of the pack was a much larger wolf man with four arms, dark fur and red eyes. The red eyes stood out considering everything else glowed with that black light in a hotel room shine.”
CJ immediately pulled out Liber who seemed to be continuing right where it left off before being stored away.
“—that the Lykin like to climb the tower. Oh hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Liber. My friend here just liberated me from my confinement. I’d love to tell you the story of my rescue by this grand hero—” began Liber before being cut off by CJ.
“Now’s not a good time for a story. We’ve just completed the first two waves. Can you tell us what’s coming in waves three and four?” asked CJ.
“Certainly, rudeness notwithstanding. If I recall correctly, and I always do, the next two waves should be based on chapters nine and ten of the High Examiners Adventures at the Northern Keep. That’s when… forgive me, it’s been a while. Please place me on the ground.”
CJ did just that at the same time his new robes began to shift around his body before he received a new notification.
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Outfit absorption complete.
New robe appearance available: Tuxedo.
CJ’s robes settled around his body in a pristine version of his tuxedo. All pockets and hidden pockets accounted for. Even the items he stashed away within the jacket were found whole. His card decks were still all right where they should be. Internally he sighed with relief. CJ’s biggest fear was the robe would think they were part of the outfit.
“I guess you’ll be telling us about that at some point?” asked Monty before the book on floor flipped open and they were all suddenly surrounded by bright lights.
Once the light settled down, they found themselves outside of the keep. There was no snow in sight, but they were standing toe to toe with heavily muscled and furry wolf men. Some wore tight leather jerkins around their torso’s while others were bare chested. They were all looking up at the walls of the keep that were now manned by soldiers in full armor. Behind them were bowmen aiming down range at the Lykin.
Rubio lifted his rifle in the blink of an eye and aimed at the nearest wolf man standing over Elena. He set his feet and prepared to lean into the shot when CJ gently put his hand on the barrel and pushed it down every so lightly.
“It’s the book. It’s telling a story that we can all see. If you haven’t noticed, it’s still cold as a mother fucker in here. Monty, please raise the temperature a bit.” CJ said in a very quiet voice so not to alarm Rubio.
“Ahem. If I may continue,” sneered Liber.
The scene around them played out with arrows pelting into Lykin as they rushed the walls. Those wearing armor and brandishing weapons were ordering the bare-chested soldiers to climb. Atop the walls became a battlefield where each would give as good as they got. The scene then shifted to the very same staircase they were in right now. A man whose face darkened into a raging storm cloud pounded each step dragging a regal cloak behind him while his crown slid left and right on his head. He was followed by six armored warriors in dark plate mail. Each of the soldiers’ breastplates bared the mark of the Examiners symbol.
Once they reached the wall landing the king needed to stop and catch his breath. The armored soldiers stood stoically awaiting orders. Then the wall door crashed open with a Lykin clawing at an archer. To the archer’s credit he pulled his hip knife and was repeatedly plunging it into the ribs and abdomen of the beast man. They both crumpled to the ground in a heap. The king ordered the soldiers with him to hold this location. Two of them darted out of the door to secure the exterior. Two more tossed the archer and Lykin back out through the door and shut it. Having rested enough, the king began his march back up the tower. Finally, they reached a hatch in the ceiling, and he ordered one of his men to open it.
Atop the tower stood the High Examiner. He was six foot four if he was an inch. His dark robes swirled around his body as he changed an incantation above a very familiar looking tablet.
New Message from Party Leader CJ: Wish I had some popcorn. Oh wait, I do.
“When Salazar!? When will this all be over?” screamed the king loud enough he shook the stained glass windows surrounding the landing.
“Now,” replied the High Examiner before every window shattered outward launching shards of glass into the enemies climbing the tower as well as down into the gathered Lykin below. A bone chilling cold settled in around the keep as the clouds above gathered and started to swirl blotting out the sun. The entire fortress was soon blanketed in heavy falling snow.
The Lykin lines broke as the massive spell churned in the sky. A funnel of grey clouds and ice shards lanced into the ground outside of the walls. In its wake stood frozen bodies of Lykin. Solidly covered head to toe in ice. It all happened in an instant, but the king’s forces were also caught up in the powerful working. Soldiers fell from the walls shattering to pieces as their freshly frozen bodies met the ground below.
“Stop this! You’re killing our own now!” hollered the king as he clutched the back of the High Examiners robes. Moving around to the front of him, the king could see the high examiners eyes were glowing an eerie red light as the tablet in front of him hummed with arcane power.
The king pulled a blade from beneath his cloak and thrust it into the High Examiners gullet. He spit up blood and his arms broke away from the working to clutch the shaft of metal protruding from his stomach. The examiner’s red eyes now turned to the king who gasped in horror. One swift backhand from the possessed High Examiner sent the king careening out the south side window out into the storm.
The red in the High Examiner’s eyes began to flicker as he came back to himself. Once he realized the devastation he wrought, the only thing to do was make sure the demon didn’t get free. This spell would never end now that it had been channeled through the tablet. The only thing he could do is ensure as many survived as possible. Clutching his wound he pounded on the hatch door. It was immediately opened by one of his soldiers. He ordered them to retreat down the stairs and hold the door to the tower closed for as long as they could. Ice was starting to form inside the tower stairwell now. He believed he’d have enough time to get to his office and prepare a contingency. Speaking the words that would reveal the hidden door, he pushed it open watching his life leak out on the floor, but this wasn’t enough for the demon who came raging back into the forefront of the High Examiners mind. Before he lost control of himself again, he turned the picture frame of his beloved daughter over and drew a devil’s trap on it. He empowered it with the last of his mana and red energy poured from his eyes into the painting. Gasping for breath with the world going dark at the edges of his vision, he crawled over to his lectern.
“Liber, tell this story. Ensure no one ever takes the tablet from this place. It will bring the storm wherever it goes.”