Mega (A Choose Your Own Adventure experience)

[Cadmius Clairmonte]

Info

Name:John
Age: 18-23
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Faith: 0/1

Skills

Alchemy: 1 (0/10)
Alchemy: 2 (0/10)
Athletics: 1 (1/10)
Blade: 1 (0/10)
First Aid: 2 (0/10)
Herbalism: 2 (0/10)
Pray: 1 (1/10)

Abilities

Last Rites: 1 (1/10)
???: 1 (0/10)

Gear

Neck: Daggerhand Amulet (+1 ???)
Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)
Right Hand: Ornamental Dagger (+1 Blade)

Items

+ Uncut Ruby
+ Obsidian Key (1/???)
+ Worn Chisel
+ Red Strange Fruit (2)
+ Purple Strange Fruit
+ Yellow Strange Fruit

John
Patient Friar​

John pockets the suspiciously colored fruits to keep as a last resort to fend off hunger or curiosity. He then gets down on the ground, wishes himself good luck, and begins the crawl through the tunnel.

 

[Apple Thief]

John

+ Explore Tunnel



It's awkward trying to get into the tunnel, but with some wiggling and swearing, you manage to get in a comfortable position and starting moving forward in the tunnel. The mud on the floors and walls is rough and wet and occasionally you feel roots brushing against your skin, but otherwise it's an enjoyable experience; the air in here is damp and somehow fresher than the air in the cell. There's also a wonderful warm breeze that consistently comes through, too. Ahh!

After about ten minutes of crawling, you come across a small stone embedded in the ground with the Daggerhand symbol etched in it. Directly above it, the dirt has been cleared away to reveal a stone tile similar to the ones in the floor of your cell. Further down the tunnel you can see the gray patterns of bricks and stone as well as flickering firelight cast upon them. It looks like the tunnel ends if you keep going that way.

There is also a small tunnel you could potentially crawl through to the side of the embedded stone, but it's not as big in the tunnel you're crawling in right now. It's roughly made and there's animal droppings around the opening and inside of it. Here the air becomes foul and stale; the smell of rotten meat and bones wafts from inside as well, but there is also something else there that catches your eye.

There is a small trail of coins going down the other tunnel.

​

 

[Cadmius Clairmonte]

Info

Name:John
Age: 18-23
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Faith: 0/1

Skills

Alchemy: 1 (0/10)
Alchemy: 2 (0/10)
Blade: 1 (0/10)
First Aid: 2 (0/10)
Herbalism: 2 (0/10)
Pray: 1 (1/10)

Abilities

Last Rites: 1 (1/10)
???: 1 (0/10)

Gear

Neck: Daggerhand Amulet (+1 ???)
Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)
Right Hand: Ornamental Dagger (+1 Blade)

Items

+ Uncut Ruby
+ Obsidian Key (1/???)
+ Worn Chisel
+ Red Strange Fruit (2)
+ Purple Strange Fruit
+ Yellow Strange Fruit

John
Patient Friar​

John never was a material man, but his wandering curiosity would have sent him after the gold if his mind wasn't focused on escape first. He spent a moment testing the tile above him to see if it could reveal another path to explore.

 

[Apple Thief]

John

+ Inspect Tile



The tile above your head wiggles and moves when you carefully test it. It seems loose enough to--

Suddenly, you hear scuffling from the other side!

Before you can react, the tile is lifted up by several clawed hands to reveal a circle of tiny green faces peering down at you! Without warning, the pointy eared creatures chitter and nudge each other excitedly and disappear from sight. After a few moments of scraping and small barks back and forth, a tiny, raspy voice calls out to you,

"Come come now! We ready! Come come!"

​

 

[Cadmius Clairmonte]

Info

Name:John
Age: 18-23
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Faith: 0/1

Skills

Alchemy: 2 (0/10)
Athletics: 1 (1/10)
Blade: 1 (0/10)
First Aid: 2 (0/10)
Herbalism: 2 (0/10)
Pray: 1 (1/10)

Abilities

Last Rites: 1 (1/10)
???: 1 (0/10)

Gear

Neck: Daggerhand Amulet (+1 ???)
Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)
Right Hand: Ornamental Dagger (+1 Blade)

Items

+ Uncut Ruby
+ Obsidian Key (1/???)
+ Worn Chisel
+ Red Strange Fruit (2)
+ Purple Strange Fruit
+ Yellow Strange Fruit

John
Patient Friar​

And now his curiosity got the better of him. John had never seen such strange creatures before. He only saw them for a moment, but they were... kind of cute? In an ugly sort of way. And even stranger still, they spoke the same language. He carefully pushed the tile up to poke his head out, "Ah... Hello, my name is John."

 

[Apple Thief]

John

+ Enter Room
+ Interact with Goblins



The moment you enter the room, the six goblins lined up against the far wall scream out,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

On cue, a goblin on the end of the line pulls a string that causes a basket hanging above your head to tip over and dump cloth scraps, dead flies, and bone fragments all over you. Hooting and hollering, the little green creatures quickly surround you and begin dancing and singing a strange song-- about you!

Day and night, Goblins cry,
"Where the Big Green In the sky?"
Is he hidin'? Is he shy?
Does he have another eye?"

Then one day a Lady say
"Green will come, Green will stay!
But you see he will not be
A lick of green like you-- just see!"

"Wears a necklace small and flat,
With a dagger on the back.
Holds it even by the blade,
Because Big Green is not afraid!"

There's a couple more stanzas afterwards, but it slowly begins to devolve into the six goblins coming up with their own words before getting into fist fights with each other about which lyrics are the right ones. The little chant ends with the goblins scuffling and brawling across the room, biting and punching and screaming bloody murder. If they didn't sound like raspy little green mongoloids, it would almost seem endearing to see them put this much effort into your arrival.

​

 

[Cadmius Clairmonte]

Info

Name:John
Age: 18-23
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Faith: 0/1

Skills

Alchemy: 2 (0/10)
Athletics: 1 (1/10)
Blade: 1 (0/10)
First Aid: 2 (0/10)
Herbalism: 2 (0/10)
Pray: 1 (1/10)

Abilities

Last Rites: 1 (1/10)
???: 1 (0/10)

Gear

Neck: Daggerhand Amulet (+1 ???)
Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)
Right Hand: Ornamental Dagger (+1 Blade)

Items

+ Uncut Ruby
+ Obsidian Key (1/???)
+ Worn Chisel
+ Red Strange Fruit (2)
+ Purple Strange Fruit
+ Yellow Strange Fruit

John
Patient Friar​

A petrifying wave of disgust washed over John as the 'confetti' landed on his head, but retreated quickly. He calmly climbed into the room with the brawling goblins and took care to remove all of the flies from his hair. His necklace must have fallen in front of his robe while crawling through the tunnel. Nothing to do about it now. Gentle hands fell on the shoulders of two goblins to stay their fight, "Tell me more about this prophetic woman."

 

[Apple Thief]

John

+ Interact with Goblins



As you approach the goblins and stop the fight, all of the goblins immediately stop their scrapping and prostrate themselves before you. The leader of them, a taller goblin with a crown of feathers, raises himself onto a knee to address you. Dramatically raising his little clawed hands, he announces,

"We sorry, Big Green! We real sorry! Big forgive!"

Sensing an opportunity, the other goblins also raise themselves to a knee and each of them apologize in their own unique way; some beg and cry while others clasp their hands together and begin to pray for your forgiveness. After a few moments of goblin repentance, the lead goblin hushes the group and speaks to you again,

"San't Yolee told us abou' Big Green comin'. Nice lady dig hole, come teach us to speak real good like." he explains, "She leave things for you, come come! Yolee esplain! Yes!"

The goblins scuttle to a wall where the phrase, "Eta fo jyn!" is carved into a stone along with the Daggerhand emblem. Together, they manage to dig the stone out of the wall before reaching in and producing several items from inside:

+ A small scroll that reads, "Please be nice to the goblins. They're dumb and they can't read, but they got their hearts in the right place. I would help them myself but I'm going to leave soon for something important. If I'm already dead, please bury me somewhere nice. Be careful of the invisible strangler if you try the ceiling first like I did." -Saint Jolee

+ A small wooden figurine of a goblin

+ A tiny velvet box with a fingerbone inside

+ A small pouch filled with 26 gold coins

"San't Yolee come in bad time. We not know what happenin', we hungry, no food to eat. Nice lady show us way out, how to hunt rat for to eat. Show how survive! We thank of you, she make us promise to help Big Green for helpin' us. We agree. We be here since! We no have much problem now, 'cept maybe Brikabrak in the tunnel. But he no bother none if we give shiny stuff."

​

 

[Cadmius Clairmonte]

Info

Name:John
Age: 18-23
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Faith: 0/1

Skills

Alchemy: 2 (0/10)
Athletics: 1 (1/10)
Blade: 1 (0/10)
First Aid: 2 (0/10)
Herbalism: 2 (0/10)
Pray: 1 (1/10)

Abilities

Last Rites: 1 (1/10)
???: 1 (0/10)

Gear

Neck: Daggerhand Amulet (+1 ???)
Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)
Right Hand: Ornamental Dagger (+1 Blade)

Items

+ Uncut Ruby
+ Obsidian Key (1/???)
+ Worn Chisel
+ Red Strange Fruit (2)
+ Purple Strange Fruit
+ Yellow Strange Fruit

John
Patient Friar​

"Goodness I have so many questions. Do you know what this key does? What's this invisible strangler in Jolee's note? Do you know which way she headed? Do you get around only by the tunnel or does this place have hallways and such?"

 

[Apple Thief]

John

+ Interact with Goblins



The lead goblin gingerly takes the Obsidian Key from you and inspects it in the light of a nearby torch. After a few moments, he motions to a squat goblin with a black eye and says,

"Gop! Come come! You smart, looksee this key key. What do? It missin' teeth, just like Hobar! Haha!"

The black-eyed goblin Gop waddles over and begins inspecting the key himself. He immediately grabs the key and puts it into his mouth, blade end first, and begins to clean the key off to better inspect it. As he twists it in his mouth both ways, something incredible happens: Gop's facial muscles immediately clamp down, forcing his mouth to shut against his will. Panicking, he removes the key from his mouth and begins to screech, albeit muffled, at his unfortunate circumstance. As soon as the key is removed, a lock visibly appears and encircles his lips; a lock of obsidian that shines in the torchlight.

"Key don't open door door." The leader goblin muses, "It lock things. Door things, people things... who know? Maybe it lock anything. Oh look, it missing another tooth. Now there only three left! I wonder if can be unlock?"

Brandishing the Obsidian Key, the leader inserts it back into the lock where he successfully removes it after experimenting with twisting and turning it different ways.

"Okay. One both way lock, one tooth gone. Two turn right unlock, get tooth back. Maybe more way."

Handing the key back to you, the lead goblin says, "Hop and Gop inspect key, find stuff. When unlock lock stuff, teeth come back. See? Four tooth now. Also, no-see bad man live up in ceiling hole. Big room, lotta space. Little holes all over floor, lead to room like us. If stay long, no-see bad man kill you. He hunt for us up there. This why San't lady make hole, find new hallway and leave. We have door in here, but it lock. No clue what behind. Tunnel below lead to hall, hall go long way, sometimes monsters. We hunt rat in there and come back, no clue what in hall."

After a few seconds, the toothless goblin named Hobar suddenly speaks up,

"There also Brikabrak home in tunnel. Maybe go to anodda room or hall, we no know. He mean two head rat, we leave alone. Leave shiny for peace. He eat the shiny, maybe."
​

 

[Dubbsy]

Info

Name:Wendal
Age: 45-50
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3

Skills

Coercion: 3 (0/10)

Gear

Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)

Wendal
Conniving Nobleman​

Wendal gave a thoughtful pause in the study of the creature. Perhaps the pathetic man could be milked of his information a little further. "What do these numbers mean and what is the importance of this book?" he asked. Wendal opened the cage door, making sure to let each hinge scrape in a surely noticeable way. "I would think you would find a way to tell me before I grow bored of our conversation and see how long it takes to destroy what is left of the chain holding your cage up." Wendal grinned wickedly. "The more information you provide about this place, the more likely you are to survive our time here together."

 

[Apple Thief]

Wendal

+ Talk to amputee prisoner



You notice that as you talk the amputee focuses intently on your lips. He even mimics some of your movements and gestures while you're communicating with him. After a minute of struggling to speak, he finally utters something comprehensible and useful to you,

"Book spells. Number, don't know? Puzzle?" the prisoner muses, "Book bad. Hold book, curse. Can't break. Can't burn. Can't drop. Only give."

After holding up a finger, the amputee loudly clears his throat and begins muttering things to himself. After a few minutes of having his own conversation, he turns back to Wendal with more information to share,

"Pit bad. Bad monster. Also way out. Monster blind, deaf. Monster only feel. Have grey shell, have sharp pipe. Purple with teeth and spikes. Claws, tail. Also treasure. Guards the chest, watches door. Also ledge on wall. Tiny lady live there. Sell things. Maybe way out? Not sure. She make things."
​

 

[Dubbsy]

Info

Name:Wendal
Age: 45-50
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Magic: 1/1

Skills

Coercion: 4 (1/10)

Abilities

Absorb: 1 (1/10)

Gear

Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)

Items

+ Weighted Dice
+ Strange Book (Absorb +1)
+ Leather Harness

Wendal
Conniving Nobleman​

Wendal spoke nonchalantly to the wretch and asked, "What kind of power or use does this book have?" Wendal gave the prisoner several moments to respond before glancing at the prisoner and back at the book several times. A barely noticeable smile formed in the corner of his mouth. Wendal griped the book in his hand and loudly proclaimed, "Woebegone!" Wendal stared intently, waiting for his experiment to flourish.

 

[Apple Thief]

Wendal

+ Activate Ogdan's Magical Primer



Something awful happens.

As soon as you focus on the prisoner and speak the command word, the black book begins to shimmer and glow in the dim light. Black energy ripples and surges around the cover of the book and strange red runes begin to glow and pulse all over the primer. The book then frees itself from your clutches and begins to hover in the air in front of you, the air whipping and churning all around it.

Suddenly, the lock explodes and the book violently rips open!

A horde of thick, black tendrils spew from the book in a tide of darkness and swarm the other prisoner's cage. Muffled screams linger in the stale dungeon air as the amputee is enveloped by these dark tentacles and taken, cage and all, back inside of the book. It happens in mere seconds, but the moment will forever be burned in your mind's eye; the power, the sudden rush of vitality and might that flowed through you from the book as the prisoner was absorbed. In a moment, you feel as though you have been transformed and somehow capable of something you hadn't before:

Magic.

After the prisoner is engulfed by the book, you feel a new sensation of energy inhabiting your body. Like suddenly being aware of several new muscles or being able to sense all of the blood in your body flowing at once is the best way to describe it. Using the book somehow tapped into a hidden reserve deep inside of your physical form and dragged it into the light.

Although underdeveloped, you have gained the ability to hold and expend raw magical power. After the process is over, the primer becomes inert and falls to the bottom of your cage as though it is an ordinary object. You also notice that it doesn't feel strange to hold; only now do you realize it was quietly sapping you until you fed it the other prisoner.
​

 

[Dubbsy]

Info

Name:Wendal
Age: 45-50
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Magic: 1/1

Skills

Coercion: 4 (1/10)

Abilities

Absorb: 1 (1/10)

Gear

Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)

Items

+ Weighted Dice
+ Strange Book (Absorb +1)
+ Leather Harness

Wendal
Conniving Nobleman​

Wendal looked at the now vacant space where his "friend" had been. Good riddance, he thought. His usefulness had run its course. Wendal glanced downward wondering what the best path would be to get to the bottom. However, the wretch had told Wendal of another person that could be of some use to him in leaving this less than desirable place. Wendal needed to take a hard look around. Decisions decisions...

 

[Apple Thief]

Wendal

+ Look for potential escape



After a momentary glance, it becomes obvious the number of ways you can escape:

A. If you can reach the wall, you can climb up or down. The spacing between the stones is large enough to wiggles your fingers and toes into and navigate with ease. The hard part is jumping onto the wall and latching on quickly. (Athletics DC 3 to Jump)

B. Your chain is sturdy enough to be climbed. If you can reach the metal grate at the top, you might be able to remove it and climb into the chamber above. (Athletics DC 2 to Climb.)

1) If you decide to climb down the wall, the amputee mentioned there was some sort of ledge or alcove where an escape might be hidden. It's not a guarantee, though. The only certain thing is that some creature that makes things lives there. (Athletics DC 2 to scale the wall.)

2) The pit. If you can somehow keep the creature down there from detecting you, supposedly there's a door down there that leads out into a hallway or something. If you can get away with the treasure down there, you might be pretty well off, too. (Stealth DC 4 to avoid detection.)

3) This may or may not be an option, but the book you're holding might hold a way out-- if you can decipher the strange glyphs and alien letters, that is. Some of it is in common, but it would take time to read and comprehend what that information could even do, too. (Glean common information or Decipher DC 5 to uncover hidden secrets.)


​

 

[Dubbsy]

Info

Name:Wendal
Age: 45-50
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Magic: 1/1

Skills

Coercion: 4 (1/10)

Abilities

Absorb: 1 (1/10)

Gear

Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)

Items

+ Weighted Dice
+ Strange Book (Absorb +1)
+ Leather Harness

Wendal
Conniving Nobleman​

Wendal takes a moment and considers his options. The obvious choice was to find this other living being in the cave system. Not only could they have some information, but items as well. If all else failed, he could feed his newfound power a nice snack. Wendal looked out the cage to find the safest way to reach the ledge.

 

[Apple Thief]

Wendal

Scale the pit wall
Level 1 Skill

+3 difficulty (Geared for skill levels 1)

DC: 3
Athletics Check: 6
Advanced Success!



With a mighty yell, you attempt to scale the wall!

...but before you decide to make the leap, you happen to notice a rather sturdy looking chain hanging between you and the spot on the wall you've been thinking about leaping to. Perhaps it simply missed your gaze earlier as it blended in with the ruddy browns and blacks of the pit wall, but none of that matters-- you have a chain to swing and reach the wall with! As you reach out and wrap your hands around the chain, you notice that it's actually quite long... perhaps it even reaches all the way to the ledge? Nay-- the pit! It's difficult to tell from this height, but it certainly seems to hang down for quite a ways! You can hardly shake it because of all the weight.

Speaking of weight, for a chain this heavy to stand it's own weight, it must surely be connected to the ceiling quite sturdily. After a tug or two, it becomes incredibly clear that it can hold your weight and then some, so it is safe to climb up or down-- the choice is yours!


​

 

[Cadmius Clairmonte]

Info

Name:John
Age: 18-23
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Health: 3/3
Faith: 0/1

Skills

Alchemy: 2 (0/10)
Athletics: 1 (1/10)
Blade: 1 (0/10)
First Aid: 2 (0/10)
Herbalism: 2 (0/10)
Pray: 1 (1/10)

Abilities

Last Rites: 1 (1/10)
???: 1 (0/10)

Gear

Neck: Daggerhand Amulet (+1 ???)
Chest: Tattered Rags (+0 HP)
Right Hand: Ornamental Dagger (+1 Blade)

Items

+ Uncut Ruby
+ Obsidian Key (1/???)
+ Worn Chisel
+ Red Strange Fruit (2)
+ Purple Strange Fruit
+ Yellow Strange Fruit

John
Patient Friar​

The goblins provided a fair bit of information, but John decided it was as good a time as any to gather some more. "Chieftain, you're going to come with me. Let's find out more about this place, the other goblins should stay safe here." Together they went back to the room John woke up to reclaim the obsidian tooth he unknowingly used on the door. For a while after, John experimented with the key. He tried locking the dagger, locking the loose rock in place, and when his mind drifted further he tried lock his hand into a fist.

Then came the real adventure. With the chieftain, John set off to map the hallways onto the back of Jolee's note.