On his journey, Aden was caught in a storm, eagerly awaiting the moment he could reach a cabin to dry off and spend the night in warmth. But as he approached the house, expecting cozy shelter, he was instead greeted by a chaotic battle scene. Fireballs flew through the air; arrows whizzed past; a two-headed infernal-looking dog was trying to maul a bear-owl, while a tiefling bard, unfazed, stood face-to-face with the beast, actively participating in the fight. A peculiar monk seemed to be in a frenzy, and as a final touch, a goblin dressed in women’s clothing coldly murdered his twin.
Intrigued by the scene, Aden ignored the raging storm and hid in the shadows of the trees, watching it all unfold. The next morning, after the adventurers left the cabin and headed into the forest, he ventured inside to find the mess they had left behind:
- A log was smashed out of the wall (it seemed like they tried to fix it, albeit clumsily, as there was still a hole).
- Puddles of blood were left on the floor.
- In the basement, the remains of a butchered bear-owl carcass were beginning to stink.
- Beds were moved around and left unmade.
- A circular tabletop inscribed with runes was lying on the floor.
- In general, the place was in complete disarray.
Aden was determined to find the adventurers, demand answers for what happened, and ask for compensation to fix the cabin. He followed their tracks (easily visible in the muddy forest after the rain) and, trailing them by about half an hour, found the entrance to an underground dungeon. Curiosity got the better of him, and he slipped into the dungeon, staying in the shadows as he moved through a strange room with glowing algae on the walls and altars. Turning a corner, he found a spot where he could see and hear the group without risking discovery. Just then, a halfling girl ran past, stumbling right near him. She looked at Aden in fear, but without a sound, she got up and dashed away.
Refocusing on the group of five, he couldn’t hide his surprise as he saw them open an ancient chest and pull out a deck of ivory cards, immediately drawing from it. The consequences were immediate:
- One adventurer simply vanished, leaving behind all their belongings and clothes.
- Two others collapsed unconscious on the floor after drawing their cards.
- A dwarf, after drawing several cards, started looking even stranger than before, and with his last card, another dwarf broke through the crypt wall, clad in dirty and dusty armor, and swore eternal loyalty to the first dwarf.
- The only one who hadn’t yet drawn a card was a tiefling girl with a lute.
This parade of absurdity was accompanied by the sound of gold coins falling onto the floor, appearing from nowhere. In the end, a small fortune—an actual mountain of gold, half a meter high and a meter in diameter—was piled on the floor.