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Chapter 6: Fort Roguelike
The journey out of Noob Valley passes uneventfully - the most notable thing to the three adventurers is that the smell gets better as they gain altitude, and once they crest the rim of the valley, the air is once again clear and fresh. They descend the hillside and take a break at the stream to refill their canteens.
“That’s a nifty gadget,” Vector says on seeing Phyr use his purification ray.
When they reach the crossroads, they can see the start of the sunset through the trees, and the shadows are getting darker.
“Hey,” Vector says, “Think we should stop off at Noob Town for the night?”
Pannych and Phyr consider this, but decide not to, on account of Rayla and Aqu still being at large. They turn South at the fork and head toward Fort Roguelike.
The woods become thicker and darker as they make the trek, but the road is wide and in good condition the whole way. Right at dusk, with the Sun’s last rays fading to the West, the forest opens up into a large clearing around a massive and dilapidated stone fortress. It’s broad and squat, with no windows and a single visible entrance beyond a lowered drawbridge over a thirty-foot dry moat. There’s a tower at each of four corners, and a crenellated parapet runs the perimeter of the outer wall.
They draw their weapons and approach with caution, Pannych on point and the others flanking. About ten yards from the drawbridge, Pannych says, “Keep an eye out for traps, no telling what we’ll run into here.”
Phyr thinks for a moment and says, “I can do you one better. Determine Belt Item!” He reaches into a pouch and pulls out something shaped kind of like a hand mirror. In green glowing letters, it says, “NO TRAP DETECTED.” Pannych admires the gadget with a nod. Phyr keeps the trap detector in his left hand while he holds one blaster in his right.
A few feet before the drawbridge, the letters abruptly change to red and read, “TRAP DETECTED.” Phyr announces this to the group, and they stop in their tracks.
“Uh, where,” Vector asks.
“I don’t know,” Phyr says impatiently. “Dammit, I just thought of a trap detector, not a trap pointer-outer.”
“Well, what’s the range,” Vector asks.
“Dunno,” Phyr says, “Hold on.” He fishes out the tablet of identification and has Pannych read it while he looks at the trap detector.
“Trap detector,” she says. “Detects traps within twenty yards.”
“Well, that’s super useful,” Phyr groans.
“OK, sarcasm noted,” Pannych says, “But it actually is. It’s a warning for us to make some Observation checks, and we’ll probably get a bonus for knowing that there is in fact a trap around. And when there’s not, we can know with confidence that there are no traps within sixty feet.”
“Sure, but that could be two floors down, for all we know,” Vector says.
“True,” she admits. “But still, forewarned is forearmed, and all that. And it just went off, so we know it’s about twenty yards ahead, which is right about at the entrance past the drawbridge.” Phyr and Vector shrug their assent, and the three of them proceed confidently toward the entrance.
Halfway across the drawbridge, Pannych stops and raises her hand to the others, saying, “Wait - I see a tripwire. There, just past the gatehouse - can you guys see it?” They nod and approach along the walls, Pannych and Vector on the left, Phyr on the right, seeing nothing through the arrow slits on either side of the passage. Pannych takes ten to get her footing right a safe distance from the tripwire, and leans over it to look up at the backside of the gatehouse. Sure enough, there’s a spiked log suspended a ways up. She gets the others’ attention with a Psst!, and points up to indicate the direction of the trap, then carefully steps over the tripwire to the other side before the others follow.
They survey the interior of the fort: to the left is a practice yard and a small, squat building that is presumably an armory; to the right, a stable and barracks. The forward towers appear to be in relatively good condition, but the rear are not - one has had its entrance collapse in a pile of rubble, and the other is almost completely destroyed below the parapet. Directly across from the entrance is a large iron double door that presumably leads deeper into the fort, with a few arrow slits to each side.
The three resume formation and proceed further into the courtyard. About ten paces in, they hear a shrill, throaty yell from above the gatehouse, and turn to see a goblin raising a crude iron blade in one hand and a fine leather spyglass in the other.
“The fuck-” Phyr says.
Instantly, the two tower doors burst open, and a dozen goblins from each begin pouring out into the courtyard, waving iron swords and stone-headed war clubs in the air. A dozen more appear on the parapet, raising crude bows and arrows. Ropes descend on the far side of the gatehouse, and a dozen more goblins slide down, cutting off their retreat.
(image will be updated when illustration is complete)
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