D&D at Cabaret Bara - Chapter 10 - King Sikandar the Great (SFW) (Patreon)

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A HUUUUUGE thank you to JJ for being my beta reader and helping me make corrections on the text. ❤

Chapter 10 - King Sikandar the Great

BEN: Look who finally decided to join us!

NIK: Yeah, sorry. You know… Work.

FINN: Babe! (runs to give him a kiss)

NIK: So, you guys beat the dragons? Or the dungeons? Or whatever?

MARKUS: I must admit I’m taken aback by the lack of dungeons and dragons in this game.

DIEGO: Right, our session has been more along the lines of Titties and Trauma instead.

FIROUZ: Leave it to the gays.

FINN: We were just about to get into a dungeon, you’re just in time. It’s a shame you were held up at the club though, you missed out on a lot of fun.

NIK: Mhmm, I bet. (sits down next to Finn)

FINN: It’s really cool! So, Firouz is playing a smart thief wind-person and Diego made a bard and he just got gangbanged by a bunch of monks.

NIK: Interesting.

FINN: And Markus is a super tall druid dude with healing powers and cool hair, and Jade is a magic demon girl with an electric whip.

NIK: Fascinating.

FINN: And we fought a bunch of monsters too like there was this bounty hunter from hell who caught us with her dog, and I almost died, but I didn’t “DIE” die.

NIK: Cool.

JADE: Your enthusiasm is infectious.

NIK: Well, I’m sorry, I guess I’m just getting in character.

JADE: And what are you playing? A guy with a mouthful of sh-

FINN: Guys! This is a co-op game, let’s not fight, okay?

JADE: Sure, but it would be nice if Mr. Sunshine could refrain from scoffing at every nerdy thing he hears. What did he expect coming to a D&D game?

NIK: Look, lady, I don’t know this stuff. Can you stop busting my balls?

BEN: He’s right, Jade. Welcoming newcomers with animosity isn’t the best way for them to experience the game. The whole point of this game is for us to come together and tell a collaborative story as a team. If someone new comes along and we give them the cold shoulder, they will likely come out with a negative opinion of the TTRPG community as a whole and might never give it another chance. Let’s all be civil and not gatekeep D&D, okay?

JADE: Ugh! Fine, I’ll keep my mouth shut.

NIK: That’ll be new!

BEN: As for you, Nik, Jade is absolutely right.

NIK: Huh?

JADE: HA!

BEN: Being invited to play with us is a privilege. I work hard to DM these games and I’m not putting all that effort in for someone to come into it with bad faith and make fun of my friends and our hobbies. You’re here because your boyfriend asked me to make room for you at the table and I’m happy to. But if you’re gonna join us, you need to do it with the intent to actually participate and not just passively judge us.

NIK: Fine, fine, geez, I didn’t think you guys took this so seriously.

FIROUZ: Never mess with Benji’s D&D night, man, that’s like rule number one.

BEN: Did you prepare your character sheet?

NIK: Yeah yeah, it’s here.

BEN: Then let’s move on so you can join the group.

***

As dawn breaks over Scandalkeep, you awaken from your long rest - with some of you feeling more rested than others. As it was agreed upon the day before, the party reconvenes in the great hall to prepare for the last stretch of your journey. The timid glow of morning fills the large room, casting its rosy shine on the ornate rug and the numerous bookshelves of the area.

Finnigan and Oren explain that upon waking, they did not find any trace of Stein, but that his banishing bell was left - from the looks of it, purposefully - with the fighter’s belongings.

After a quick breakfast and tender goodbyes between Corentin and his new monk friends, you elect to take to the road again, ready to meet with destiny at your next destination: the Clapping Mountains.

***

NIK: Are they-

DIEGO: Yep! They’re shaped like a butt.

***

Fighting off more groups of bandits, goblins, and terrifying beasts, you slowly make your way through the valley and towards the gorge of the Clapping Mountains where your wealthy patron, King Sikandar, awaits.

A few hours past midday, you catch sight of a glimmering edifice in the distance, rising from the horizon like a beacon of opulence and grandeur. The Golden Palace stands before you, a majestic exhibition of the wealth and power of its owner.

Lofty spires, adorned with ostentatious carvings and gilded accents, rise from its heart, reflecting the sunlight in a glimmering dance of radiance. The walls of the palace are constructed from shimmering golden bricks, each one meticulously polished to perfection - probably magically. Many lavish golden accents contrast the smooth surface with elaborate oversized filigree, giving the chateau an exaggerated air of pretentiousness you would expect from a small, gilded jewelry box or a Fabergé egg.

Flanked by white marble statues of majestic, winged lions with lavish golden manes, the grand entrance beckons, inviting you to step into the realm of luxury and extravagance behind its oversized doors. As you approach, the sheer scale of the palace transforms its gaudy, overly ornate appearance into a spectacle of stunning craftsmanship.

The large doors, as if they were responding to your very presence, slowly open on a magnificent hall.

***

MARKUS: Wait… the doors open on their own?

BEN: Yes.

DIEGO: Haha, you're not used to fantasy worlds yet. It's probably all magic.

MARKUS: No, I get that… But… The guy’s a king, shouldn't he have guards? A butler at least? Hell, just someone to open the door and greet visitors?

JADE: That's actually a good point.

BEN: It is.

FINN: Woah! Look at you, Markus, you're picking up on stuff!

MARKUS: I'll make sure to add “picking up on stuff” as a skill on my resume haha!

FINN: Hold on, are you leaving Cabaret Bara?

MARKUS: N-no, of course not, I meant… It was a joke.

FINN: Phew! Thank God! We'd miss you so much.

MARKUS: Oh… Well… Thanks, it's nice to be… Appreciated. (melts into a puddle)

***

As you step through the grand entrance of the Golden Palace, you are greeted by a scene of breathtaking opulence. The hall is adorned with shimmering golden pillars, each intricately carved with scenes of triumph and glory. Velvet draperies, embroidered with gilded patterns, hang from the walls, casting a rich tapestry of colors across the marble floors.

Despite the grandeur, an eerie stillness hangs in the air, accentuated by the absence of guards, servants, and caretakers. Only the soft echo of your footsteps breaks the heavy silence as you roam the ghostly halls. You begin to wonder whether there is anyone at all in this castle.

“Anyone here?” Finnigan calls out.

But the call remains unanswered. The hall is entirely devoid of life, but a row of decorative armors with gilded halberds stand unmoving on each side of the hall. Their humanoid shape adds to the eeriness of the castle as their soulless presence and their eyeless gaze serves as a perpetual reminder that you are likely the only people here.

***

DIEGO: Creepy!

MARKUS: Maybe it’s a Beauty and the Beast situation and the castle staff was turned into objects?

DIEGO: Or maybe they’re all animated armors just waiting for the right moment to kill us.

FIROUZ: Do the armors and halberds look expensive?

BEN: Yes, very! Everything you see is decorated with what looks to be genuine gold, but since they’re more decorative regalia than actual armor and weapons, you can easily deduce that they’d be too heavy to bring along and impractical in combat.

FIROUZ: Ugh… Fine then.

DIEGO: Doesn’t mean they won’t animate and attack us.

FINN: I wanna go verify to make sure we’re okay.

BEN: Of course. Roll investigation.

FINN: Oh… Oh no…

NIK: I take it that rolling one isn’t good?

FIROUZ: It’s a critical failure…

***

Finnigan approaches one of the armors and in an attempt to goad a possible monster into revealing itself, he knocks on its chestplate. In doing so, one of the armor’s arms swings loose and the halberd it carried falls on his shoulder-

***

FINN: OH NO I’M LOSING AN ARM!?

***

-falls on his shoulder before hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Thankfully, as the halberd was intended as decoration only, its blade was fairly dull and didn’t bite into his pauldron.

You take 1 point of bludgeoning damage.

Thankfully, the armor remains motionless afterwards and you’re all confident it’s only an armor.

***

FIROUZ: Finn, try another one, just in case.

FINN: Okay, I’ll try another-

JADE: Finn, come on, he’s kidding!

MARKUS: Let’s move forward, maybe we’ll find someone if we go deeper into the castle.

***

Walking past the entrance hall, you find yourselves standing before the throne room, its massive doors left ajar. Stepping inside, you are met with a sight that sends a chill down your spine: King Sikandar, seated upon his golden throne at the far end of the room, his regal attire a stark contrast to the desolate atmosphere.

The throne room is vast and extravagantly decorated, its walls lined with ornate tapestries depicting scenes of conquest and valor, telling the legendary tales of generations past and highlighting the king’s Aasimar lineage. Large windows framed by velvet curtains let in the warm glow of the golden hour, but the sunlight does little to dissipate the cold and lonely aura that permeates the room.

As you approach the large golden throne, the king's steel gaze pierces your heart, his eyes betraying a hint of weariness and resignation. You can't help but feel a sense of unease as you bow down before the solitary monarch. Amid such luxury and splendor, the emptiness of the palace feels all the more haunting, instilling an unsettling sense of foreboding in you as both your group and the king seem to be left without words in the deafening silence.

After what feels like an eternity of contemplation, the king finally speaks: “Few travel to my domain these days. Could it be that one of you is the hero who was foretold to free me from this misery?”

“I saw your offer at the Tipsy Unicorn inn in Otters’ Gate.” Finnigan explains. “I’m here for the job.”

“And these are your companions?” the king asks, gesturing towards the others.

“Yes. Together, we will free your palace of the monster that haunts its catacombs.” the fighter announces proudly.

***

JADE: Hold on, we should probably ask where the staff went.

FIROUZ: Yeah… It’s kinda sus that everyone would go, and the king would still be there.

***

“Your majesty,” Corentin begins with his usual charming tone, “Would it be too bold of us to inquire as to the whereabouts of your court? Your servants? Your guards?”

“The monster has claimed many lives already and I let the survivors go.” the king explains coldly. “This foul beast is my curse to bear, and I cannot force it onto my subjects. I am bound to this palace by dark magic and can never leave. Not before the dark creature is exorcized from my ancestors’ tomb.” He sighs. “My royal wizard left me with a prophecy of hope, promising that a hero would put an end to this evil. Alas, all the brave souls who have entered the catacombs have never returned.”

“N-never returned, eh?” Corentin repeats with a frightened gulp

“I would not hold rancor towards you if you were to turn back now.” the king adds. “Desperate as I am, I still do not wish for you to lose your lives in this impossible quest.”

“But if we succeed, we will be rewarded handsomely?” Azad remarks, raising his brow in skepticism.

“Yes. You will have more than you could spend in a lifetime.” the monarch adds.

“I may not know much about the world of men.” Oren declares. “But I know that whatever evil lurks beneath your home is spreading to other dwellings, including my own.”

“It’s true, your majesty.” adds Finnigan. “We have seen it with our own eyes, even the Everhard Woods are affected by this monster. If nothing is done, it might even spread to Otters’ Gate.”

“I see that you are all determined to conquer this challenge.” the king concludes. “So be it. I will not stand in your way if you are truly willing to wager your lives.”

***

FINN: Jade, I thought you wanted to ask him about the demon thing.

JADE: Yeah… But I don’t know… I have a weird feeling. I think we should play our cards close to the chest.

FIROUZ: Agreed, something’s not right.

NIK: If the guy is under a curse, how trustworthy is he anyway?

DIEGO: Look who’s getting into the D&D spirit!

MARKUS: You think that his curse might make him lie on top of being stuck in the palace?

NIK: I think that when someone is in a desperate situation, they might resort to desperate measures.

JADE: You’re not wrong… Have you noticed? It almost feels like he’s trying to convince us to turn back too.

DIEGO: Right… If I was in his place, I’d wanna get out ASAP.

FINN: Maybe he’s really just worried that we’d be in danger.

FIROUZ: But he doesn’t even know us. Would you sacrifice your freedom to protect a bunch of randos?

FINN: I mean…

FIROUZ: People don’t normally do that.

MARKUS: Maybe we should proceed to the catacombs but stay vigilant. Can I roll a… Huh… Insight check?

BEN: Of course!

MARKUS: (rolls a natural 20)

DIEGO: Woah a crit! Oren is gonna have a full-on “That’s so Raven” vision.

***

Oren can’t quite put his finger on it, but something about the situation feels off.

You get a strong intuition that King Sikandar is hiding something from you, but that pressing him further will not be fruitful. You even have a feeling that venturing inside the catacombs might be safest as it would allow you all to speak openly, far from the prying ears of his majesty.

But of course, staying in the throne room and questioning him further might break his will and push him to reveal his secrets eventually. Or it might very well antagonize him.

***

JADE: I’m itching to see what’s down there anyway.

DIEGO: Are you guys, sure?

FIROUZ: Let’s stop wasting time and go.

NIK: I’m sure if you guys push him more, he’ll crack.

MARKUS: Finn, you’re kind of our unofficial leader. What do you say? Should we keep questioning the king or go down to the catacombs?

FINN: I think we should check out the catacombs. If the king is being weird, maybe breaking his curse will make him not weird anymore.

BEN: Fair enough. So…

***

As you walk down the stone stairs to the basement, you find an old iron door. Its modest design almost seems to clash against the ostentatious decor of the upper floors, but it is unmistakable from the king’s indications - it’s the gate to the royal catacombs.

After taking a deep breath, Finnigan pushes the door open…

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