You have decided to become an adventurer. Three years ago, Portals started appearing all over the world, and those who dared to venture inside received treasures and magical skills. It’s very dangerous, and many who enter never return, but you think it’s worth the risk.
You’ve done your research about the Portals. Many adventurers have written about their experiences, so you have a good idea of what awaits you. Inside each Portal is a dungeon. There are many different types, the most common dungeons can be cleared by killing all the monsters, defeating the boss monster, finding a hidden room, or Solving a mystery.
According to the Internet forums, it doesn’t actually matter which Portal you enter since each one simply transports you to a random dungeon. Therefore, you are here at the one nearest your home. You’ve registered your intent at the government center, and now you’re here with dozens of other adventurers who will each enter alone.
You gaze into the glowing oval of light 20 feet across. At the center is a black void that seems to be full of stars. You take a deep breath and step through it.
There is a brief moment of vertigo, and when it passes you find yourself naked. Adventurers cannot bring anything with them into a dungeon. In front of you is a small, unassuming red door set into a stone wall. The door is made of heavy wood, and it is slightly ajar. Beyond the door is a dark, musty hallway. The hallway is lined with torches, which flicker and cast eerie shadows on the walls. At the end of the hallway is a staircase that leads down into darkness. This must be the entrance to the dungeon.
Behind you is a glowing oval, the exit. Up to this point, it’s still possible to leave, but after you pass through that door, there’s no going back. You give the exit one last, long lingering look before pushing open the door.
You find yourself in a damp and musty hallway. The walls are made of cold, damp stone, and the floor is slick with slime. You do your best to ignore the stench of rotting flesh.
Gingerly making your way down the staircase made of worn, gray stone that looks as though it has been chipped and cracked over the years, you are not surprised to see that at the bottom is a small, cramped room. It has a low ceiling with a mural of a compass rose. You note that the door you entered from is in the east.
In the center of the room is a large, metal cage. Inside the cage is a skeleton, its bones picked clean by rats. Above it hangs a wooden sign with red letters painted on it that read “The Lost Crypts of Gothmog the Necromancer,” but the most important thing is that in one corner is a glowing wooden chest. Inside, you find the adventurer’s basic equipment pack. You hastily dress yourself in the brown shirt, brown trousers, and black boots you find inside the chest. There is also a sword and a backpack containing water, rations, and bandages.
Finally, there is a slip of paper with a short message inked in spidery handwriting: “Find the two keys to open the door to the treasure room.” That is the condition for completing the dungeon and safely exiting the portal. You put the piece of paper in a pocket.
Now you're ready.
There are doors to the north, south, and west.
Patreon
