Chapter 1: Game 7
5 August 2023
Not what you would expect for breakfast
Lokur and Molly woke up and when they got to the dining room, they wondered why their friends Flynn and Lex hadn't joined them yet. It was already around noon. They then decided to investigate...
They knocked on the door and heard nothing. They then went to the innkeeper and asked for the door to be opened. When they entered the room, it was a bloodbath that awaited them.
They were immensely shocked and horrified and immediately asked the innkeeper what on earth had happened there. There was only blood and their friends were nowhere to be seen. The room was in absolute chaos, but it was clear that their friends had either been murdered or taken away forcefully. The innkeeper spoke of other incidents where people had disappeared and directed them to investigate, which they then did. They arrived at a small house down a lane, and when they entered, they saw signs that things weren't quite right.
The strange Inn at the foot of the hill
Upon entering the small keep guesthouse, the ambiance immediately set Lokur and Molly on edge. The air was thick with an unidentifiable, musky scent, they entered and they decided to probably stay the night. Molly again offered her services as bard to pay for their stay and it was an absolute success. She brought the house down, she was as always an absolute hit. She then looked over at Lokur, and the Sea Elf normally very shy, decided to join her on stage. This was a rare moment; many in the party had never seen Lokur perform or even take the center stage. With a deep breath, she began to narrate a story.
Singing for supper
The audience fell asleep and you could here snores here and there. Oblivious to how bad she was, Lokur brimming with confidence ended her story and smiled broadly. She heard a slow clap, clap clap. Molly was quick to protect the naive Elf from the albeit deserved criticism and made a note to keep Lokur from making a fool of herself again on stage.
After the performance, as the crowd cheered and asked for an encore, the innkeeper approached them, offering them the best room in the keep, free of charge, in gratitude for such a memorable performance.
The night was filled with laughter, music, and tales of past adventures. Little did the group know, however, that their stay in the keep would lead to another unexpected turn in their journey.
Getting fresh air
After the local business performance, she felt she needed to get some fresh air. She stepped out because something really felt off. She then stepped back in and decided to put her fears aside, blaming it on the fact that so much has happened that day, the gruesome scene that had greeted them when they woke up, and, of course, the strange happenings and the fact that their beloved travelling companions were still missing, and so much gruesomeness that they had experienced.
Molly tried to shake off the unease, attributing it to the day's traumatic events. The weight of their missing friends, coupled with the horrors they'd witnessed, had taken its toll. She moved to the bar, hoping a drink might help her settle her nerves.
As she sipped her drink, they approached a lone women sitting at a table "You seem troubled," she remarked in a hushed tone, leaning in close. But the women only smiled, not offering any more information.
They decided to turn in for the night, and went to their rooms.
Here now, gone tomorrow
Molly and Lokur awoke to an eerie silence. The bustling sounds of the inn and the morning chatter of patrons were eerily absent. Rubbing sleep from their eyes, they quickly realized that the walls, the rooms, and the very floor beneath them were gone. They were outside, lying on the very spot where the inn had stood just hours before. The once lively keep had vanished, leaving behind only the open wilderness.
Stumbling to their feet, they looked around, disoriented. It was then that they spotted her – the enigmatic woman from the previous night, standing at a distance, watching them intently.
Molly called out, "What happened? Where is the inn? Where are the people?"
The woman slowly approached, her gaze unwavering. "I tried to warn you," she began in a somber tone. "The inn you stayed at isn't of this world. It appears for a night, then vanishes, taking its unsuspecting guests with it."
Loeke's face paled, "Our friends... and what about this inn, that was here last night?"
The woman nodded slowly, "They, like many others, are now trapped in a realm between worlds. The inn is a lure, a trap set by the cult you spoke of. I tried to be subtle, to warn you without drawing attention."
Molly clenched her fists, "How do we get them back? How do we stop this?"
The woman hesitated for a moment before replying, "I can guide you, but it won't be easy. The path is fraught with danger, and the cult is more powerful than you can imagine."
Determined to save their friends and put an end to the cult's dark deeds, Molly and Lokur prepared to embark on their most perilous adventure yet.