Category Archives: Misadventures in Fiction

NaNoWriMo with a TTRPG Twist: Day 7

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You Meet at a Tavern…

Your adventuring party meets at a tavern. It’s not the first time they’ve been there. The barkeeper swiftly greets them with your typical orders and the party settles in at a table you’ve sat at a dozen or so times before. Tales of adventure are shared before raucous laughter gives way to heart-warming drinking songs. Other patrons offer up quests for reasonable rewards to the party, and thus begins the next round of adventures.

Your adventuring party meets at a tavern. It’s your usual haunt, but something seems off. The other patrons seem apprehensive of the party if not outright hostile. The barkeeper accepts orders with more than a hint of suspicion and after giving no small amount of side-eye. Your party continues about the evening in relative silence before turning in for the night. Halfway through the night your party awakens to the sound of footsteps in the hallway, heavy and menacing. After some time, whoever was paused outside of your party’s room walks away.

Your adventuring party meets at a tavern. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a dagger. Humanoid patrons barely disguised with armor and magic sneer and scowl at your adventuring party. The barkeeper refuses your party service, but not before eyeing them suspiciously. Before your party can leave, however, your all notice Wanted posters with caricatures of each party member’s likeness.

Can your party uncover what is gradually warping this familiar, warm, welcoming place into something monstrous before it’s too late?

GM Tips and Tools

First and foremost, it’s imperative to make it clear in Session 0 there will be some fuckery afoot in terms of characters, location, and familiarity there. Leave enough up to the play through so as to not give all of the details away while making sure players are comfortable with being made to doubt their perception of the situation.

In actuality, the tavern and inn were always a clever product of the barkeeper/BBEG’s manipulations, having observed the party and prepared for this moment for some time. The patrons are all amalgamations of friends of the party at first, then amalgamations of those the party had slighted or wronged in some way, before finally becoming amalgamations of the foes the party had slain in the past.

Only once they manage to unveil the truth about the barkeeper does the real battle begin.

Sit back, enjoy a drink, and don’t end up on a Wanted poster. As always: take care; good luck and godspeed!

NaNoWriMo with a TTRPG Twist: Day 6

Posted on by under NaNoWriMo

Adventure Deja Vu

You meet in a tavern. Your party feels like they’ve been here before, and of course they have. The barkeep is friendly, and clearly knows your party well. The regulars regard you with warm smiles and inside jokes that for some reason don’t fully feel familiar. All is largely well in the Kingdom, even if you can’t shake the feeling you’re being watched.

And all is as it should be.

At least that seems to be the case until your party gradually finds things that are familiar that shouldn’t be. A mighty blade that seems drawn to your Paladin’s hands. A comprehensive book of spells in your mage’s handwriting though they have no recollection of writing it. A small demonic familiar who trails behind your warlock, only just within sight as if expecting commands from their master.

All roads lead back to the King, and the King seems eager to obfuscate and evade such inquiries. What is going on? What does the king know?

GM Tools and Tips

This is a quick route to a higher level campaign by way of a low level start. Leave breadcrumbs helping to indicate the party’s deja vu isn’t simply that – it’s echoes of a past in which they were mighty heroes, powerful and well-equipped, until they suddenly weren’t.

Role play the king as familiar in ways that point to him knowing why the heroes are in the state they are in. Provide quests that take them through their forgotten past until they reach a broken, forgotten citadel in which they finally recall the truth: the King had shown himself to the adventurers as a deposed ruler in need of aid, and so the party as heroic as they were stepped in to aid him.

Upon arriving at the seat of the kingdom, the King revealed himself to be a powerful devil who then sent the adventurers back in their respective timelines, carefully burying details of their identity while leaving some alone so they were none the wiser.

As the adventurers find echoes of their past they then level up and move closer to being who they once were.

As always: take care; good luck and godspeed!

NaNoWriMo with a TTRPG Twist: Day 5

Posted on by under NaNoWriMo

We’re now five days into November, which means we’re five days into NaNoWriMo. This is equal parts encouraging and terrifying. How are you doing? Remember to be kind to yourself no matter what your goal is for the month! (And hydrate and all that jazz.)

Anyway, without further ado as I am le tired:

Luci and the Sky Diamond

The first game/system specific plot hook/one-shot idea! This is specifically for Scum and Villainy, but you can absolutely use it for any game. It was just written with Scum and Villainy (powered by Forged in the Dark) in mind.

The Hegemony’s upper crust—the most powerful elites among the most powerful elites—have secrets just like everyone else. Your Crew has been hired to get some of those secrets and help share them, as sharing is caring. And this kind of caring will help liberate a number of worlds from Hegemony control and cause chaos for the empire.

However, those secrets are stored in a highly secure vault known only as The Sky Diamond, a space station turned fortress of sorts by a curious data broker only known as Lucien.

The Crew must find a way to charter approved transport to the Sky Diamond, make their way in, and access multiple servers undetected, as the unspoken rules of the establishment are that any caught with mischief on their minds are simply ejected from the airlocks.

Can your Crew sneak in Luci’s Sky Diamond, steal the requested data, and escape? Will the other treasures here prove too tempting and derail the plain? This could be the heist of the millennium, but only if you don’t get caught.

GM Tips and Tools

The prep portion of this job is critical for things to work out. Gathering intel on the Sky Diamond, the relevant data vaults the Crew will have to steal from, and the potential VIPs who may be present and on the look out for suspicious sorts.

Lucien is, fortunately, both incredibly vain and arrogant, and so he is easily played in terms of gaining entry.

This can easily, like many one-shots turned campaign, be a great starting point or an adventure to plug into an existing Scum and Villainy campaign.

Stay safe in your travels among the stars; good luck and godspeed!

NaNoWriMo with a TTRPG Twist: Day 4

Posted on by under NaNoWriMo

A Time Without Heroes

The adventurers find themselves facing down their arch-nemesis after a seemingly endless journey riddled with perilous pitfalls and fearsome foes. They square up, ready to fight, as their arch-nemesis gives the fully-anticipated monologue. Time seems to stand still.

That’s when the adventurers suddenly, inexplicably, fall into a trance-like state. Everything goes black. What feels like an instant later, the adventurers blink away their confusion and find themselves surrounded by their arch-nemesis’s minions. One calls out to alert their boss your party has awoken, and they rush over with a curious expression on their face—not one of unexpected victory or devious plotting, but one of concern.

A new monologue begins, far less villainous in nature. All around the world, other villainous sorts shared stories of the adventurers who were about to thwart their plots—the true end goal of most sinister sorts—suddenly falling out of time. Nothing could explain it and nothing could fix it. It was simply a time without adventurers—without heroes. And in that time greater evils than ever imaginable were able to rise up, and all the monsters, fiends, and villains of the world could do was tend to their heroes and hope the cosmic balance would once again right itself.

Your adventurers find themselves in a weakened state, as though they were fresh to journeying forth to best evil, but this is a world in which evil has been redefined. How do they proceed? Do they have what it takes to save the day and restore the natural order of things?

GM Tools and Tips

Taking this approach will absolutely require table buy-in, but approach it vaguely enough to allow for a surprise. Make sure you talk through starting with high level characters that are going to revert back to lower levels. Then build to that point, allowing players to experience being a fully-powered adventurer.

Play the villainous NPCs as ones that aren’t necessarily easy to trust—think like an unreliable narrator when stepping into their shoes. Everything is seen through the lens of what these villainous sorts do being the right thing, for the greater good, etc. They view themselves as the heroes of their own stories, and therefore are trying to proceed as such. But they are also eager to do what they can to help restore the adventurers so things can get back to the standard good versus evil normal they had come to know and love.

This can easily be used as a mini-campaign or a full-lengthy campaign.

Above all else: have fun! Take care and as always: good luck and Godspeed!

NaNoWriMo with a TTRPG Twist: Day 3

Posted on by under NaNoWriMo

The Glass Expanse + Glass Menagerie

Content Warning: Includes horror elements including body horror, loss of self/identity, and death

Your adventurers braved their way across the vast, inhospitable desert and found themselves at a glass city. It is incredibly difficult to traverse due to every surface reflecting its surroundings. Should the adventurers make their way to the heart of the city they would find themselves at a seemingly impossible palace – one that sprang forth from one piece of glass.

The adventurers will be greeted and rushed inside by curious creatures with humanoid bodies with ornate mirrors where their heads should be. When these creatures face anyone their mirror-faces instead reflect the face of the adventurers who are interacting with them with perfect clarity.

The adventurers are introduced to the King of this Castle – Lord Claritas Duplicitous – who is eager to wine and dine with them. Everything went well until it wasn’t going well. Can the adventurers brave the Glass Menagerie and escape with the requested wish or will they be doomed to join the mirrored halls and walls for eternity?

GM Tools and Tips

The Glass Expanse and Glass Menagerie – the denizens of the Expanse – act as a foil to the nature of the desert. They should always come across as a twisted, warped version of nature, always imitating it but never quite achieving their goals of coming across as alive. This should all have a very Uncanny Valley feel especially as the players make their way into the palace.

The Menagerie itself, especially Lord Claritas Duplicitous, operate by gradually picking up and mimicking the behaviors of living things. This can be best demonstrated by having an NPC or NPCs. After an extended period of time taking on a character’s traits, the Glass Menagerie NPC steals that character’s face and that character’s face becomes a mirror. In games where Sanity is a factor, this can be utilized. Otherwise, this works well as a Curse.

Battle with these NPCs works best when they are actively avoiding combat while trying to steal the faces of their foes. Should a character whose face has been taken become damaged they must then roll to see how badly the mirror is damaged. Should the mirror break that can either be instant death, but also has potential for the character to be transported to a mirrored version of the world beyond the veil (which, of course, allows for them to be saved).

Upon defeating Lord Claritas Duplicitous (whether in combat or by way of finding the fallen star), the Glass Expanse explodes into a fine, glittering powder and gradually disappears towards the sky.

What comes next is up to you as the GM and the table. As always: take care; good luck and godspeed!

NaNoWriMo With a TTRPG Twist: Day 2

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The Forgotten Starfall and the Glass Expanse

Ages ago, long before the party was soiling wee adventurer diapers, there is a story of a star that fell from the heavens. It was no ordinary star, of course, but a wishing star—the colors that spilled outward from it across the sky as it tumbled to the ground were quite the spectacle, showing any who saw it glimpses of what wonder it could bring to their lives should they manage to retrieve it.

However, the star landed in an especially treacherous desert. None who sought it ever returned, and so the star fell into legend.

Legends, naturally, have a way of creeping back into current affairs, and as luck would have it many years later your adventuring party has been summoned by the Princess of Astertide. The meeting is highly secretive, and your party pledges and oath to not reveal its nature – that she has called upon you brave adventurers to find the star so she may wish her father have a few more good years of life so that the kingdom may ease into his eventual absence.

Should the party agree to this journey, you find yourselves given an abundance of supplies for crossing the desert safely as well as means to get back to Glimmerspire Palace to fulfill your end of the bargain.

The journey through the desert leads to a curious spot not fully depicted on any maps; one where the sand gives way to a place only heard of through rumors and tall tales—the Glass Expanse. This is where the star fell, where its wishes and heat gave way to glass that became a living, shifting castle of illusions and deceptions. Dare you and your party brave a place of reflection and trickery for the sake of the kingdom?

GM Tools and Tips

Begin with the summons to Glimmerspire Palace and allow the players to accept on their terms. Play up the friendly yet guarded nature of the Princess until the meeting begins, at which point her true nature – that of a concerned daughter who wishes more for her father and for the kingdom – is revealed.

The journey through the desert should be challenging, with a number of skill checks to see how the players handle terrain and its denizens that clearly do not want them to be there. This all lets up abruptly upon their arrival at The Glass Expanse…which we’ll cover tomorrow. Stay tuned! Take care; good luck and godspeed.

NaNoWriMo with a TTRPG Twist: Day 1

Posted on by under NaNoWriMo

I’m no stranger to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), having participated a handful of times (and having succeeded…most of those times? I can’t remember). Unless the calendar is deceiving me, it appears December of 2023 has arrived, and I happened to have an idea that’s not quite a novel but instead a nerdy act of rebellion to both dust the cobwebs off from the bits of my brain that make writing happen and let me indulge in a little TTRPG-related fun.

This year’s NaNoWriMo will instead, for me, be a plot hook or other TTRPG-related thing per day. This allows me to keep it a little more relaxed since I haven’t written at length in…well, in longer than I care to admit. These are written to be plug-and-play with just about any system unless otherwise specified (because I can’t quite quit 5E despite my better judgement and I’m currently obsessed with ink by Snowbright Studios). At any rate, here’s day 1.

It Began with A Letter

Your adventuring party receives a summons from a powerful archmage to the sleepy, small town of Thistlewood. It promises an incredible journey, grand discoveries, and overwhelming treasure should your party accept.

Thistlewood, at least as it is shown on maps, does not exist upon your party’s arrival. A vast, shallow crater occupies where the town should, a series of islands floating above. The undersides of the islands as well as the crater glow with a dull purple aura of unknown magics.

Similarly suspicious: the archmage is nowhere to be found. The party faces a difficult climb upwards to learn what happened to Thistlewood, if the archmage is somehow behind this or was targeted by whoever or whatever caused this curious situation, and if Thistlewood can be restored to its former peaceful state.

Some GM Tools and Tips:

Setting up this adventure is all about building to the surprise of finding Thistlewood in its shattered state. The letter should be interesting enough to grab attention, followed immediately by a scenic but uneventful journey to the town. Play up the scenery, the calm of the trek from where the party is, and so on.

When the party arrives, allow them to explore freely. Don’t speed to letting them know the broken islands at various heights above are Thistlewood. Drop hints based on how they explore—hints about the islands, indications the archmage was indeed here, and that something occurred to cause this curious calamity.

Exploration of the islands should play out as an open-world dungeon crawl. Utilize enemies that are drawn to increased ambient magic—monsters as well as mages craving power—to help keep players on their toes. Additionally, to help build social and exploration aspects: give players a chance to accept quests from the NPCs (townsfolk as well as those who were visiting and find themselves now stuck in the Thistlewood Sky Islands) that encourage exploration and engaging in other NPCs.

Build to a conclusion that allows for a finale you find most satisfying depending on how you role played the archmage. Perhaps in one play through you’ve made the archmage the source of this calamity and therefore they must be defeated in order to restore Thistlewood. In another instance, the town was razed in such a way to trap the archmage high in the sky until they reveal the secret of why they reached out to your party. Perhaps the archmage accidentally caused this and therefore a third party is involved and must be reasoned with or bested so as to return the town to normal. Keeping this flexible allows to play this out for multiple groups at different points in campaigns as well as making it feasible for its own mini-campaign.

Most importantly: have fun.

Happy adventuring! Check back for Day 2. Take care; and, as always, good luck and godspeed.

For a grand adventure, walk The Shield Road

Posted on by under Misadventures in Fiction, Misadventures in Non-Fiction

I was fortunate enough to read an advanced reader copy of The Shield Road by Dewi Hargreaves, although it took me long enough to get around to writing this. Life, as it goes, happens. However, in the time that I wasn’t able to get to writing this review, I read The Shield Road. And then I reread it.

By the time of writing this, I had read this magnificent collection of short stories four times. Without further delay, my review:

The Shield Road is a book, but not a novel. This is important to mention. The stories are all in the same world, and link events together, but are not a novel. This format worked excellently for the stories in terms of pacing, however, with no one story section feeling too drawn out. It worked well with the shifts in perspectives, as there are multiple points of view throughout The Shield Road. Each character’s voice and presence felt unique, with no two characters reading too similarly to one another.

In a word, The Shield Road is bingeworthy thanks to the format in which it was packaged. Fourteen short stories, among which is the Epilogue, play out as standalone pockets of islands of magic all making up a small nation within the sea of The Shield Road overall. Reading this was similar to sitting down and starting a limited run series, and I dare say that from a writing perspective that Hargreaves has created a world and tales within it that could go toe-to-toe with the popular limited series on any streaming service. Look out, Disney+.

Fantasy is a tricky beast. There are more serious, high fantasy stories (along the lines of Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire) and there are fantasy tales with judicial helpings of humor to them (think along the lines of Terry Pratchett’s works). The Sword Road is a rare treat in the fantasy genre, not taking itself too seriously and not leaning into the humor too much, but instead allowing moments of levity and fun while also following a narrative surrounding dour prophecies and separate yet converging journeys along the titular Sword Road. The naming conventions are not impossible to pronounce (with no surprise apostrophes splashed in for flair). The characters read like real people, who lived real lives. The heroes were not without flaw, but it was hard to not root for good to triumph over evil in the end (and, oh wow was that evil quite so–no spoilers, however).

Ultimately, I rate The Shield Road a glowing five stars but with an asterisk appended to that rating. The storytelling is compelling, fun, and accessible. The characters are all fully realized and could easily stand on their own without acting as plot devices to move the stories forward. The setting is immersive and easy to get lost in. My chief complaint? I wanted more by the time it ended, and that book hangover was only amplified by multiple reads despite knowing what was going to happen. These complaints don’t impact my rating of this book, however, as they are purely prescriptive and out of a desire to read more about these characters, the world of The Shield Road, and what trials and tribulations they experienced–before, during, and after the events of this book.

The Shield Road by Dewi Hargreaves can be purchased here and is available in both paperback and Kindle formatting, and would make an exceptional addition to any library.

Wanted Adventurers – A Small Measure of Destiny

Posted on by under Wanted Adventurers

The Measure of Mettle was a small, unassuming shop among its towering neighbor’s in Ankheim’s shopping district, which had resumed its late afternoon business after the excitement had subsided. No shop door was closed for particularly long with the constant flow of traffic, save for Mettle’s.

“I like the look of that place,” Aranza said.

Temperance started to suggest one of the other armorers nearby, but Aranza had already reached for the small, plain handle on the similarly small, plain door. It opened without her touching it, and both Aranza and Temperance hesitated.

“Perhaps an enchanted door to seem more welcoming?” Temperance suggested.

The ceiling seemed impossibly high compared to the unassuming exterior of The Measure of Mettle, and grand chandeliers made of patchworks of material–some carefully shaped ironwork, some meticulously carved stone, and some made from bones of indeterminate origin–bobbed lazily at various heights, held not aloft by chains nor rope but instead anchored to the floor.

“Looking for anything in particular?” rumbled a voice from the opposite side of the shop. A half-giant stood behind the counter, her attention fixed on a set of plate armor as she hammered it into shape though her tools made no sound.

“Hail and well met, shopkeep,” Temperance said, taking the lead. “We’ve come to Ankheim on official Guild matters and find ourselves in need of new armor for my traveling companion.”

The half-giant shopkeeper looked up over half-moon glasses, her left eye a pool of silver and her right one white from edge to edge with a long, angry red scar crossing it from her forehead down to her jaw.

“Guild doesn’t make Ankheim its business much these days,” the shopkeeper said. She pointed at Aranza. “You the companion in need of armor?”

Aranza nodded. “Went for a bit of a swim and my kindly Paladin was insistent we make use of our funds to replace this old thing,” she said with a gesture to her waterlogged armor.

A hint of a smile tugged at the shopkeeper’s lips. “Plenty of other shops that could provide for you,” she replied. “Why pick this one?”

Temperance furrowed her brow and considered the question, which allowed Aranza time to step in and respond.

“It’s got character,” Aranza replied. “Something about it called to me, and when I reached for the door it just opened.”

The shopkeeper nodded. “Good enough for me,” she said. “Let’s get to work on something for you.”

“Get to work?” Temperance said at last. “I’m afraid custom armor isn’t quite within our budget.”

The shopkeeper stepped set down the plate she was shaping and stepped over the counter. Up close, she was easily twice as tall as Temperance, even slightly hunched down to avoid the chandeliers.

“Every piece in this place is made for someone,” the shopkeeper replied. “And anyone who is someone who has business in my shop has armor waiting for them. It’s a small matter of doing Fate’s work, and as such for the sake of my own skin and sanity I do not charge additional coppers over the matter of what you called custom armor.”

“Aranza,” Aranza said, holding out her hand. “Aranza Twinblade of Tidalreach.”

“You’ll learn to not give your name so willingly to strangers, I think, in due time,” the shopkeeper said. Her expression softened. “Call me Faen. It’s not my true name, but it’ll do for the sake of this transaction. I do believe we’ve got something that will be just right for you.”

“Forgive my asking,” Temperance interjected, “but where are your wares? The ones fated to be sold to rightful owners, I believe you’d suggested.”

Faen raised an eyebrow. “Nothing here for you,” she said. “Not yet, anyway. As for you, Aranza, I’ll ask you to hold on tightly.”

Faen picked up Aranza as if she were little more than a piece of parchment and put her in a small pouch slung over her back.

“There’s a tear or two I’ve been meaning to mend, so if you’re not careful you’ll fall out,” Faen explained. “Don’t want you to hit the floor and make a mess now, do we?”

The floor wasn’t too terribly far down, or it wasn’t until Faen began to climb the length of rope tethering a crystalline chandelier to the floor. She moved swiftly, hand over hand, and reached the brightly lit top before Aranza could finish cursing.

“You roguish types prefer your armor to remain a little on the squishier side these days, yes?” Faen asked in a way that sounded more like a statement.

Aranza blinked a few times. She was standing on a solid floor, or something solid at least, but when she looked down she saw the top of the chandelier.

“Don’t think about it too hard or you’ll break the spells and fall,” Faen said absentmindedly, her focus on the many armor-outfitted dummies in front of her.

“Ah, here we are,” Faen said, retrieving a forest green tunic from one of the dummies. She handed it to Aranza, and then turned away.

“Let me know once you’ve got it on,” Faen said. “I’m sure I know what you’ll have to say about it.”

Faint, and from far below, words echoed up. “Do you require my aid?” Temperance shouted, though her voice was barely a whisper once it traveled the distance from the floor.

Faen chuckled. “Is this her normal demeanor?”

Aranza laughed in response. “That’s a safe I haven’t quite cracked yet, but I think there’s good in her deep down.”

“I like to hear that,” Faen said. “She doesn’t seem like a Guild sort. Take care of her and she’ll return the favor, I’m sure. Best way to do that with a Paladin is through honest, open, and honest communication.”

Aranza finished pulling the tunic top over her head before she responded. “You said honest twice, you know.”

“Did I?” Faen said. “How curious.”

“I’m ready,” Aranza said. “It fits…”

“Perfectly?” Faen said as she turned around. The tunic looked as though it had been made for Aranza, and only for Aranza.

“Check the pockets,” Faen said. “This bit’s my favorite part.”

Aranza did as she was told, and discovered her belongings were all where they ought to be.

“Don’t get used to it, though,” Faen said. “One time cantrip, used up once the wearer puts on the new armor for the first time. I never even learned that particular spell, so I can’t help you there.”

Aranza nodded. “What’s the damage?” she looked downwards again, and added, “Don’t suppose we could…” She pointed towards the floor.

“In a moment,” Faen said. She disappeared between two of the dummies. Aranza could hear her shuffling along, but couldn’t see her despite how tall the half-giant loomed.

“Thought as much,” Faen said, having reappeared behind Aranza. She held a rolled up piece of leather, held shut by a simple knotted piece of rope, between her fingers as if it was a handkerchief. Before Aranza could ask, however, Faen had plucked her from the floor and leapt from the place above the chandeliers.

Aranza screamed by reflex as air rushed upwards around them.

Faen landed with a delicate thud, only a step or two away from Temperance.

“Gods damn it, was that necessary?” Temperance snapped before regaining her composure.

“Yes,” Faen said, setting Aranza down.

Temperance looked Aranza over and nodded. “That suits you quite nicely,” she said. “Sturdy leather made to look inconspicuous and crafted to allow for silent movement.”

Faen nodded, smiling. “You know your stuff better than you let on,” she said. She held out the roll of leather. “This is for you. You’ll know, I think, when the time is right. Not yet, though. And as for you…Payment.”

“What do you mean ‘payment’?” Temperance demanded.

Faen held up a finger, and Aranza nodded in response.

“Temperance, I need to tell you something,” Aranza said. “I was the one who destroyed the dam.”

The two were suddenly outside, back on the street in front of a storefront-shaped gap between buildings.

“I’m sorry, you said you did what?” Temperance replied.

Piece 21 – A Little Light Trespassing

Posted on by under A Puzzling New World

Sophia maintained a modest distance. Curian had slipped into the shadows and disappeared entirely, a feat that proved even more impressive given how greatly the snow magnified the sun’s light. Every so often there would be a quick flash of silver–the signal they’d agreed upon–followed by nothing.

Sophia paced, rubbing her hands together for warmth. The gloves she’d brought for the journey were doing well enough, but the Rhimeghast Mountains were known for their supernaturally brutal chill, and she was learning that the stories were far from exaggerated.

“Where has she gotten to now?” Sophia muttered to herself.

The light of day gradually began to fade, and Sophia’s pacing had worn a small valley in the snow. “Gods damn it, where is she? She better not have gotten spotted.”

“Is that concern I heard?”

Sophia fell backwards into the snow, looking around wildly. Curian stood over her, smirking as she offered a hand. Sophia accepted, begrudgingly, and then pulled Curian into the snow.

“That was a rotten trick, you know,” Sophia said as she stood up.

Curian had leapt to her feet and dusted herself off, smiling and clearly pleased with herself. “I mean, you did sound concerned,” she said.

“Did you find anything?”

Curian’s smirk grew more mischievous, a twinkle present to her eye that Sophia had gotten to know over their somewhat short time together.

“There’s a window to one of the upper chambers,” Curian said. “It took a bit of looking around, but I spotted it. There’s a subtle glamor keeping it from sight, but I think it may be our ticket back inside.”

Sophia raised an eyebrow. “And what if it’s a trap? Or heavily guarded?” She paused. “Or it could drop us into the vast abyss inside of the palace.”

Curian blinked. “Ever the optimist, aren’t you? It’s our best option, and one I think that’s worth exploring. Come on, last thing we need to do is linger out here after dark.”

As if in response, something in the distance let out a guttural shriek that pierced the air.

“Yes, let’s keep moving,” Sophia said, switching to a brisk jog to keep up with Curian.

The prospect of sneaking in became less appealing once Sophia saw the section of wall the hidden opening occupied. The air shimmered ever so slightly around the space along a sheer outer wall above a gap in the walkways.

“I don’t suppose you know how to fly, perhaps, and that’s how we’ll get up there,” Sophia said.

Curian laughed in response, but her expression quickly grew serious. “Do you trust me?” she asked.

Sophia looked around, attempting to maintain a poker face in response. Another shriek in the distance shattered that illusion.

“Do I have a choice?”

Curian shrugged. “Sorry before the fact, I suppose,” she said. She grabbed Sophia’s hand and laced her fingers tightly between her compatriot’s, and reached into a pocket with her free hand. There was a soft popping sound.

“Hold on tight,” Curian said.

The ground beneath fell away rapidly, and by the time Sophia realized she was no longer standing on terra firma she was falling through the gap in the wall. Her face contorted as she tried to hold back a shocked scream.

The space beyond the hidden entrance, however, was as devoid of a landing place as the outside, and the two fell through the air downwards.

“Ah, shit,” Curian said. “At least I got to find out what that bottle of captured wind was good for, so not a total loss all things considered.”

Sophia’s eyes grew wide. “You didn’t know what it would do?”

“Isn’t learning new things the real spirit of exploration? Only true pursuit in life?” Curian said, grasping at straws as Sophia’s anger only became more apparent.

The world slowed to a stop around Sophia and Curian, and the duo found themselves suspended in air and unable to move.

“You know, it would’ve been far easier to have just demanded entry,” Lady Rhimeghast said. “But you’ve got my attention once again…Now to determine what to do with you.”