One Shot in the Dark was created by Jon of the Tale of the Manticore podcast. You can get your copy of the game on DriveThruRPG. Jon is on Twitter, and you can visit the TotM blog and Podbean page to listen to his amazing dark fantasy/D&D actual play podcast.
They found the pit where the barkeeper Asim said they would. The old utility shed was nowhere to be seen, though Charis was almost certain she had found the remains of the structure in the dense brambles nearby. The ladder they were looking for turned out to already be positioned inside the pit, just out of view unless one peered over the edge from the right angle.
"Who's going first?" Charis asked when they had discovered the ladder.
"You've got the lantern," Morrigan replied, slipping her hood off her head. "You go first, I'll follow."
Charis grinned, always eager to dive headfirst into the unknown. She lithely hopped over the edge and began her descent, the half hooded lantern bobbing against her hip with each step.
Morrigan followed, then Galadhri and Belig. The latter smiled grimly as his heavy boots thudded on the stony ground.
"Been too long," he mumbled, patting the tunnel wall affectionately.
"If you're done making nice with the earth," Charis jibed, "it looks like the tunnel turns to the east just ahead. Shall we?"
"Lead on," Morrigan replied, gesturing down the tunnel.
Draw for Location
Dark Delver's Journal
The halfling led the way, her lantern's hood raised fully and casting a warm glow on the granite walls. She reached the bend in the tunnel before the others and stopped short.
The others stopped beside and behind her, staring at the pile of rubble blocking their path.
"Well, this was certainly unexpected," Galadhri said, leaning on his staff.
"We could try to Blast it," Charis suggested.
"No' a good idea," Belig replied, running his gauntleted hands over the stones. "Could be a ton of rock waitin' to fall."
"Then how do you propose we get past it?" Morrigan asked quietly. "There's no other path."
"We can’t Blast it, but we can move the rocks slowly and carefully." Belig lifted a stone from the pile. "Come on then, this will be faster if we all heave to."
It took them the better part of two hours to carefully shift the rocks out of the way. They were all sweaty, dirty and tired by the time they freed up enough space for each of them to shimmy through to the other side.
"That wasn't so bad," Charis said, "Just need a few minutes to catch our breath."
Morrigan gathered her discarded cloak and moved forward into the dim corridor. "We've got a dead end here too," the cleric called back.
"Hang on," she said a moment later.
Draw for Location Result
Delvers Status Update
Draw for Location
The other three adventurers waited for her to continue, sitting on the floor of the tunnel near the rock fall. Finally, Morrigan stepped into the lantern light.
"What did you find?" Galadhri asked, rising as the cleric approached.
"There's a narrow tunnel leading north. It's wide enough for us to go single file, at least the part I can see."
"We should move on, then," Charis said, bounding to her feet and moving in the direction Morrigan had come.
Soon, the other three joined the halfling at the opening of the narrow tunnel. Galadhri held his lantern aloft, illuminating the small crevice for a dozen feet.
"Lead on, Galadhri," Belig said. "Morrigan and Charis could use the light."
Galadhri nodded and slipped into the opening. Charis, then Morrigan, followed. The cleric and thief stayed close to the elf, allowing them to see their surroundings in the bobbing light of his lantern.
Belig brought up the rear, his breastplate scraping along the granite wall with every step. His companions stifled laughs at the steady tirade of muttered curses coming from the shadows behind them.
Draw for Location Result
Draw for Location
Charis heard Galadhri gasp before she came to the end of the narrow tunnel and hurried to shimmy the last few feet through the increasingly narrow space. When she slipped from the tunnel, she stumbled to a stop beside her tall companion. Her breath caught in her throat.
Before them stretched a large cavern. Sunlight filtered down from a rent in the earth sixty feet above her head, illuminating a verdant oasis with a green-gold light. Motes of golden light floated in the air, brushing past the large, bright leaves of various plants and trees. One of the motes landed on Charis's nose, and she could just make out tiny limbs and a small face in the golden effusion.
"Fey! Galadhri, this is a fairy oasis," the halfling whispered excitedly.
Another fairy landed on her cheek, then another, like dozens of tiny fireflies they swarmed her. She couldn't see Galadhri just a few feet from her because of the strength of the glow from so many fairies. Inexplicably, she felt the tired aches from the ordeal with the collapsed tunnel fade away.
"Greetings little cousins," Galadhri's baritone echoed in Charis's ears.
Belig's surprised rumble echoed off the cavern walls. He started to swat at the swarming motes, but Morrigan placed her hand on his wrist and shook her head.
"They mean us no harm, Belig. Be at peace my friend."
The swirling motes of fairy light coalesced around Morrigan and Belig. Each tiny point of contact radiated energy into the tired companions.
Time seemed to stand still as the fairies' magic worked on the companions, reinvigorating their tired bodies. Only a few minutes passed in reality before the creatures fluttered away, climbing higher into the cavern, illuminating the moss and lichen cloaked stalagmites high above.
Belig looked down at his armor, a look of surprise on his weathered face. His big fingers moved gingerly over the silver breastplate, as if tracing a line that could not be seen.
"It's like new," he muttered, then shook his head and looked around the cavern. "Looks like we should go that way."
Belig led the way towards a tunnel in the eastern wall of the cavern. His three friends followed, still in awe of the experience they had just shared.
Draw for Location Result
Delvers Status Update
Draw for Location
The companions had only gone a few steps into the tunnel when Belig held up a hand.
Charis crept up beside the dwarf and whispered. “What do your dwarf eyes see?”
Belig frowned down at the thief and shook his head at her antics. “Hood your lantern and keep quiet. There’s someone or something ahead.”
Like all dwarf-folk, Belig possessed excellent vision in the darkness of the earth and Charis had learned to trust his instincts, despite not being able to see in the dark herself. She quickly complied with the dwarf’s command and hung the lantern back on her belt.
“Lead on,” Charis said, and dropped back to inform their companions.
Belig gripped his warhammer tightly in his right hand and led the way into a small cavern with an uneven, broken floor. A small fire flickered to life in the center of the room, and he could see a form hunched over the crackling sticks. He signaled Charis to go around the side, and watched as she slipped along the cavern wall in shadow.
Draw for Location Result
The warrior, cleric, and mage stepped into the dim light of the small fire and the hunched figure straightened in surprise. In the glow of the fire, a thin figure with gray-green skin could be seen. The figure’s form was wrapped in tattered skins and cloth, and it held a gnarled staff in one hand. As Belig came closer, the figure screamed incoherent curses, and the head of its staff began to glow an iridescent green.
Draw a Monster!
Dark Delver's Guide
“Stop him!” Galadhri called out, dashing forward and trying to swat the figure with his own staff. In the green light, it was clear that they had stumbled into the lair of a goblin shaman.
The goblin sidestepped the attacking elf, only to be met with Morrigan’s silver-headed mace. The shaman squawked loudly as it somehow managed to catch the blow on its staff. The wood shivered, and strips of bark fluttered to the ground. Morrigan and Galadhri spun away, leaving the goblin wide open for Belig’s mighty hammer. Somehow, the goblin backpedaled and the hammer sent sparks flying as it impacted with the stone floor.
Suddenly the goblin jerked and let out a long, rattling breath. Two points of steel exited the frail chest of the shaman, and green blood spread over its tattered clothing. A sickening wet slurp echoed in the chamber as Charis tugged her twin daggers from the goblin’s back. The shaman slumped to the ground, lifeless. The halfling flicked the blood off her blades and, with a flourish, sheathed them again.
Dark Delver's Guide
Combat Results
Damage
Enemy Status
Draw for Loot!
Galadhri’s boot hit a glass bottle that was half hidden beneath a pile of dirty rags as he was moving towards his companions. The bottle skittered across the floor until it was stopped by Charis’ foot.
“Looks like a healing potion,” the halfling said, picking it up and tossing the glass bottle back to the elf. Galadhri caught it easily and popped the cork from its neck. He took a long sniff of the brownish liquid.
“A bit out of date, but it should suffice in a pinch.” The elf slipped the potion bottle into his satchel.
“Looks like the only way is south,” Belig said.
“How do you do that?” Charis asked, slapping the dwarf on the shoulder.
“Dwarf-folk have an excellent sense of direction underground.”
“Must be the lodestone propped up on your shoulders that does it.” Charis laughed at her own joke. Even the stalwart Morrigan’s eyes glinted with humor. Belig rumbled a laugh and swatted the halfling on the back.
“Don’t tell that to one of the elders. You don’t have enough inches to spare, and you’d lose several for that.”
“I ain’t scared of no white-beards. They’d have to catch me, and we both know they are too fat and slow for that!” The halfling and dwarf shared another laugh.
“Come on then, you two,” Morrigan chided. “We’ve got work to do.”
“Right ye are, cleric,” Belig said, still chuckling. “Come then.”
Draw for Location
Belig led the party down a tunnel and into a small, dimly lit room. In each of the room’s four corners was a large, wood and rope cage. Three of the four cages were completely empty. In the fourth, Morrigan spotted a dark form laying in the shadows.
“Belig,” she said, and pointed to the cage with a long finger.
The dwarf didn’t speak, but raised his hammer and bashed through the wooden poles of the cage door. Three solid blows split the wood asunder and allowed Morrigan to slip inside.
On the ground, she found a half-conscious adolescent boy. His face was a mass of purple, yellow and black bruises. Half of his curly blonde hair had been ripped from the scalp, replaced by dried blood. The boy’s eyes were swollen shut and he flinched as Morrigan touched his cheek.
“It’s alright, you’re safe now,” she whispered. “Can you walk?”
The boy nodded and, with Morrigan’s aid, hobbled out of the cage.
“Are you from one of the nearby villages?” Charis asked the boy.
“From Bricewold. My da’s the lumberman.”
“We were sent here by Akim, the tavern keep, in Bricewold.”
“I’m glad you’re here. They were going to sacrifice me!”
“Who’s they? The goblins?” Morrigan asked.
“No, there’s people further down. They use the goblins to bring them slaves and sacrifices.”
“Where are the goblins now?” Galahdri asked, towering over the boy.
“Don’t know. Bunch of them left a while ago. I know they sleep down that tunnel,” the boy said, pointing at the only tunnel in the room.
“Do you think you can make it back without us?” Charis asked. “We have to see if any others are alive down here.”
“Maybe?” the boy answered with uncertainty.
“We ye can’t stay ‘ere, boy,” Belig rumbled. “No tellin’ when the goblins’ll be back.”
“The way to the surface is clear,” Charis offered.
“I…I think I’ll try.”
Charis grabbed one of the torches from the sconce on the wall and handed it to the boy.
“There’s a large cavern not far from here with some water and a fair bit of green. When you find it, look for a narrow opening on the south wall. That’s the way out.”
“Thank you!” the boy replied as he took the torch and began to walk slowly up the tunnel.
Draw for Location Result
Draw for Location
The companions soon find themselves at the entrance to another large, dark cavern. Ahead, maybe sixty feet away, a bright glow illuminates another room. The floor of the cavern is covered in bat guano, and the chirp and flutter of bat wings can be heard overhead.
“Follow me,” the halfling whispered, leading the others into the cavern and to the other side without disturbing the residents of the cave.
Dark Delver's Guide
Saving Throw
Draw for Location
The illuminated chamber proved the boy’s words true—the goblins did sleep here. The smell of sweat, rotting meat and vegetables, and manure was so strong in the chamber that Morrigan began to cough. Galadhri offered the cleric a handkerchief and pointed across the room.
“Looks like a stairs,” the elf said. “Guess we’re going down?”
Draw for Location Result
Draw for Location
“Be on your guard down there,” Morrigan replied, her voice muffled behind the cloth. “Whoever can cow a tribe of goblins isn’t someone to take lightly.”
“Whatever or whoever is down there,” Belig said while looking down into the gloom below. The dwarf didn’t wait for his companions, taking his first step into the unknown depths of the Dungeon. “We can handle them.”
The Caverns Map
What will our intrepid Delvers encounter on the next floor? Check in next week for the second entry!
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