The Gaming Den

It takes your eyes a few moments to adjust to the gloom after the bright sunshine outside. Then you see that, although the ceiling is festooned with cobwebs, the floor is fairly free of dust. There is a table with a wooden bowl and spoon on it, and a crudely made stool tucked underneath. Will you leave before the occupant of the hut appears, or look around?

When you move further into the hut, a shape detaches itself from the deep shadows of one of the corners and shuffles towards you. At that moment a beam of light, which is pouring through a small hole in the roof, illuminates your helmet. Immediately, the shape stops its shuffling, and you can now see that it is a human hermit or beggar or some kind, and he appears to be fascinated by your helmet.

The next instant, the hermit drops to the floor and grovels at your feet, like an abject servant before his master or mistress. "They told me," he whimpers, half in ecstasy, half in fear. "They told me you would come." This is a bit alarming. "Who told you?" you ask. "The voices, the voices," is all the reply you get.

The poor man is obviously crazy. Will you leave before the owners of 'the voices' find you there, or question the hermit further?

You can get nothing more out of him, but while you question him, he sidles off to the side of the room and, cringing, brings back a bundle of rags, which he offers to you. When you unwrap them, you discover a magnificent scepter. It is made only of iron, but is clearly of great age and has an aura of regal authority. You want to ask the old man about it, but he has collapsed unconscious on the floor. As you are stowing the scepter safely in your pack, you notice that it is inscribed with runes, which you translate as 'There should be just one ruler.' Then you leave.

Will you investigate the main shaft or, if you haven't already done so, the collapsed hut? Or will you leave the area altogether?

JourneymanN00b wrote:and to eat a Provision.

Not only has the roof collapsed, but, as soon as you step inside the hut, the floor collapses too, rotted away by years of damp and deathwatch beetle. And creatures worse than beetles occupy the cellar into which you have fallen. Rats and gigantic millipedes scutter and writhe when you land with a crash on the ground. Then the are all over you, before you can get to your feet. You brush them off, but will have to fight to make enough space to reach the joists and haul yourself back up. Treat them as a single opponent.

VERMIN SKILL 5 STAMINA 6

If you win, you pull yourself out of this hell-hole, but a rat bites your dangling ankle for 1 STAMINA point of injury. Will you now investigate the main shaft or the more solid hut, or will you leave the site altogether?