D100 Dungeon: Game 01 Quest 1 - Turns 9 to FINAL

Turn 09 - South - Green Room

I replenished my lantern, and the flame roared back to life, rekindling my senses.

Descending cautiously on the smooth ice, my boots trod into a cavern adorned with walls glistening in a pale blue light, akin to captured moonlight. The vast expanse was covered in a swirling mist, stealing my breath away. Stalactites adorned the ceiling, forming pools on the floor, while at the center, a colossal statue of a female figure stood carved from white ice.

Curiosity enveloped me. Approaching cautiously, the only sound in this vast cavern was the crunch of my boots. A glint of metal caught my eye – a lever partially swallowed by the ice at the statue's foot. Its handle, polished bone.

Risking the unknown, I pulled the lever, bracing myself for the consequences.

(Found 1 lever)

Turn 10 - East - Red Room

As soon as I pulled the lever, the cavern groaned, the ice shuddered, and a chorus of hoarse squeaks erupted from the shadows. Giant rats, hungry and with gleaming eyes, swarmed from every crevice.

The first rat lunged, aiming its fangs for my throat. I was faster. My baton hit its skull, and it fell back into the horde. I delivered a mighty blow, crushing its torso and causing panic among the other rats.

I felt a sharp pain in my arm as their teeth gnawed at my flesh. I grimaced, grateful for the ice drake pavise on my arm. The attack was partially deflected, but the ache remained.

I continued with a roar of defiance. The rats fell one by one, their bodies littering the frost-covered ground. The final rat, cornered and desperate, lunged for my throat, but I caught it mid-air and snapped its spine with a sickening crunch.

Silence fell. The distant drip of glacial tears was the only sound. I surveyed the carnage. The cavern had tested me again, but I had emerged victorious, albeit slightly gnawed.

Among the fallen rats, I found a larger one to skin. I knew the village would find some use for that. With 3 monster body parts in my backpack and the weariness of the plague taking it's toll, I decided to retreat from the caverns, restock, and heal up.

(HP 16 / Shield 3 total damage / Chausses 1 total damage / Gained - Skin / Quest Complete)

Return to the Village

I emerged from the Frostfang Peaks a different dwarf. The gnawed flesh on my arm, a souvenir from a pack of rabid rats, was a reminder of the frozen labyrinth's bite. But the clinking weight in my belt, heavier than it had been in months, told a different story. A story of hard-won treasure.

Back in the village, the air tasted sweet, alive with the familiar scent of wood smoke and ale. Even the wind, usually a harsh bite, felt like a welcome slap on the face after weeks of gnawing ice. Inside the blacksmith's den, I hawked my haul: a gnarled bone, a serrated tooth, a sheet of ratty skin, and an iron key. They weren't much to look at, these trophies, but the smith seemed keen enough, coughing up 66 gold from his pouch.

Then came the real prize. The forgotten magic I'd snagged from the depths of the labyrinth turned into a fortune; 2400 gold that felt almost unreal between my calloused fingers. Enough to buy a hut, maybe, but all I craved was something to even the odds against the next ice beast or cursed tunnel.

So, I splurged. An arbalest, heavy and deadly, promising to keep any critter with teeth at a safe distance. My trusty pavise shield found a temporary home strapped to my pack. Wounds healed, gear polished, I felt whole again, ready to face whatever the Peaks threw at me.

Potions, too, felt like an insurance policy, a Potion of Lesser Healing and another for that damned disease, tucked safely into my belt pouch. Food, oil, the basics, all weighed down my pack in the best way possible. By the time I finished, a lot of gold was gone, but what remained – 1352 shimmering coins – felt like a small victory in itself.

Now, with a mug of ale warming my gut and the firelight dancing in my eyes, I take some rest. But, as they say, there's no rest for the wicked, and when you're a walking blizzard of scars and gold, well, that saying ain't far wrong. So, I raise my mug, letting the warmth chase away the lingering chill of the Peaks. Tomorrow, the labyrinth.

I enjoyed playing through Quest 1. This was a chance to learn the game and now I want to start a new game with a different character using Book 2 as well. I plan on having shorter journal entries. The new character will last as long as they can!