Tales from Tabletop

Session 6.3: Divide and Conquer

Chapter III: Unexpected Meeting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Selene waited a moment after the voices stopped, unsure what to think. Eventually, she decided it best to accept there was some kind of game at play and the voices hoped she would help them win.

Of course, Selene wasn't certain she wanted either side to win in this game, but at least the voices made her realize the wound in her arm was fake. Even if it still hurt, it was no longer affected by moving her arm. She could use it again.

At least that means I can fight now. Should double the likelihood of not dying.

She approached the end of the chamber, listening intently for any sounds outside. After a few minutes of ambient cave sounds, she decided it was safe to leave. Slowly, she made her way out from the now darkened chamber, and returned to her travel through the leftmost corridors.

For a time, she travelled unhindered, but every now and then she would stumble across another group of those humanoid creatures running through the halls in small groups. They were not stealthy, so Selene found she always had time to evade them or hide in between crossroads. She was tempted to use Shadowstep against them again, but she was worried if her body could handle it.

Instead, the old tactics of a thief would have to do.

Eventually the corridor gave way to a more ornate hallway with a high arched ceiling and countless holes along the walls, similar to the one she used to get here.

Huh, this place looks a lot like that temple we stumbled across. Well, before it collapsed.

Cautious, she looked around and peered into some of the other tunnels nearby. She did not see or hear anything, but she did notice that the hallway itself appeared open and unguarded.

Now, I could keep skulking around in the dark tunnels with no way to hide from the monsters, or I could see if there's anything fancy around I could swipe before making my way back to everyone.

It's not stealing if the place is crawling with monsters, right?

A grin, the first since she was separated from the party, tickled her lips. She knew she had to give it a go. Outside her greed, she also considered it may lead to another way above ground, which could be crucial information once she found the rest of the party.

The hall was larger than the area she could see in the dark, so she assumed it might stretch on forever. In reality, it only stretched a couple hundred feet from the hole she left. Past the hallway, she found herself in a large room. She glanced around and saw this room seemed only to lead to a dead end. The only other exit within was a stairway blocked by fallen debris.

Even in the dark, the room reminded Selene of the first floor of Jezran's tower, in no small part due to the contents. Within the room, a wall of decaying tables and desks were strewn about with rotted manuscripts, creating a pungent aroma. Selene paid it no mind, it honestly reminded her of home.

Finally, all those years of living surrounded by filth and decay has paid off. Selene thought dryly as she searched this new room for anything worth taking.

Glancing through everything, there was very little salvageable. Most of the wood and manuscripts were falling apart, which was only exacerbated when Selene grabbed or moved anything in the room.

As she inspected a particularly interesting growth of mould near the back of the room, footsteps came from outside. Quickly and without thinking, she leapt behind one of the dilapidated desks she had been inspecting. Biting back a gasp, she drew both her knives, and waited.