A Story of Paladin, Sage, and Thief
At the start of the year, I kicked off a weekly newsletter project called Dungeon Delve. The intent was to create a regular round-up of tabletop RPG news and finds from across the web. In the midst of this project, I wished to tell a story with this regular digest; one that was improvised week-by-week.
Its the story of three adventuring fools; a thief, a sage, and a paladin. Each of them seeking a bit of fortune in an uncertain world. Its run-of-the-mill pulp fantasy; nothing ground-breaking. A story of dungeon exploration and strange witnessings.
Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a fun romp? Yes. … Quality is mostly irrelevant; I write it for fun. Still, it was never settled whether it was adding or removing from the newsletter, and you may notice there are a number of issues without any story excerpt.
This past weekend, I thought… why not gather together the first twelve excepts into its own round-up? So sit back, grab a tea, and read some piecemeal fantasy!
The Story So Far...
Ruins of a towering citadel stand before you, the sealed gate engraved with ancient symbols. Your band of adventurers observe its twisted majesty as the wind blows around you, kicking up waves of dust across the long forgotten plaza. As the sage lifts the runic pendant, a crack like thunder echoes over the sounds of the wind. The gates heavy doors begin to open, revealing what once was a welcome hall with a statuary foyer. Latent magics cause braziers and torch sconces to light as the doors cease to move. With courage in your hearts, you step into… the first chamber.
– Dungeon Delve #1: The Quest Begins | December 31st, 2024
A massive vaulted chamber hangs above our adventurers. As the door closes with a thunderous boom, small floating spheres with concentric rings animate, spinning faster and faster. Spectral tendrils flow from their surface and solidify, taking the shape of antique chandeliers, their lights illuminating the room.
The floor is a polished engraving of stonework in the form of the realms surface; a world map. Many of its landforms and monuments are unfamiliar. To the astute sage, it is the ancient world, long lost in myth but now revealed. Yet, the rogue notices a stone which seems out of place. A trigger perhaps? Once emboldened, and party readied, they place a pack upon the pressure plate.
The world reforms. No longer is it the surface of an antique world. Rather, a subterranean network of countless caverns and tunnels, some known, but most not. At the site of the ruins, a sprawling labyrinth, far more complex than even the sage could have anticipated.
Our adventurers realize how unprepared they are for the Umbral Depths; a colossal beast that could swallow them whole. A terror is felt; one of being lost in the darkness, forever forgotten.
The paladin speaks. To not go forward at all would guarantee their story be forgotten. With bravery, they press onward…
– Dungeon Delve #2: Charting a Course | January 7th, 2025
Long corridor. Increasing heat. Discharges of chaotic magick. Our sage speaks a word of caution, the knight huffs in denial, and the thief trails behind in case of a timely getaway.
Before them, a grand forge of enchantment, collapsed by a recent quake and molten steel having erupted in rainbow fires. A continuous jet of flame cycles about the room, its motions uncontrolled by level at the height of the forges low wall. Beyond it, the next corridor…
After witnessing the oddly predictable pattern, the adventurers look between each other. The knight sighs before lowering prone, and beginning to move across the tiled stone. The rest follow.
– Dungeon Delve #3: Crawling Through Flames | January 14th, 2025
Through hallways that branch, twist, and curve, a moment reveals the way forward is lost. Stubborn, the paladin presses, on despite the worry of the sage and the thief.
A wisp of light appears around a corner, halting them in their path. Listless it hangs, until a chime of bells can he heard as if acknowledging the intruders. Slowly it floats away, prompting our adventurers to saunter in its trail.
After a labyrinthine journey, one final turn unveils an open archway. Beyond, upon balcony of bronze rail and bannister, the room opens into a splendorous mirage of bookends and shelves, several floors up and down, and a hundred fathoms deep. Across similar balconies, fellow wisps float and chime, their light revealing dimensions of dull reds, greens, and raw umber.
The paladin sighs. The thief spies. The sage’s mouth drops with glimmering eyes.
– Dungeon Delve #4: Into the Haunted Library | January 21st, 2025
Hours into the sages library book-binge, the paladin returns to prayer. Utterances of the “Glory Gods” splendor are entwined with pleas to cease the sages incessant raving. The thief rolls their eyes, having had enough of the pious and the knowledge hungry ruining the fun.
Through a maze of aisles, the thief wanders in search for exits, or undiscovered chamber entrances. Anything to keep from boredom. … Instead, the young thief finds “Sid”.
Mohawked. Leather vested. Riveted collar. Yellowed cigarette in their lips. Tattoos and piercings abound. Sliding bits into the revolving base of a strange contraption reminding the thief of a blackpowder cannon, but small, silver-chromed, and well fabricated.
Upon turn of the corner, the thief’s eyes go sharp as daggers. The relaxed rebel finishes loading, snaps the base back, and looks up to the thief. A clever grin crosses their expression, as a shimmering gateway opens up to the thief’s left.
“Spacetime, slick.” they say standing. “Gotta dodge the corpos any way y’can!” Sid steps into the gateway as it closes behind them, leaving the thief speechless. … Yet oddly inspired!
– Dungeon Delve #5: Convicts vs. Corpos! | January 28th, 2025
Manuscripts. Codexes. Tomes of ancient knowledge.
Weathered by time as the sage may be, the interior of the dungeonous library fills them with a frolic. The sentient orbs of light begin to emit an amber glow, the air itself filling with the glimmer of lovely motes floating upon festive currents. Outlines of humanoid beings emerge around the orbs, animating into forms of studious and inspired pupils in academic wear. Chimes tingle. Strings crescendo and float gaily. The smell of hot cocao and the texture of vibrant conversation tantalize the inquisitive yet cozy mind of the sage to a warmer time.
Meanwhile, behind the illusion, the paladin looks on as the sage dances in the dust of the long forgotten halls,… clearly off their rocker!
– Dungeon Delve #6: Zinemonth Rises! | February 4th, 2025
Strawberry trees clash with orange mountains, prismatic streams, and stars with rainbow trails. Glyphs, letters, and magical phrases dance like fireflies across a panorama of luxurious spires of a magic academy of uncanny grandeur. Stepping through platinum gates, and into great hall doors engraved with swirls, the sage basks in the sight of a masquerade. Students in academic robes and beautiful white-dressed humanoids with fey-like features waltz to an enthralling ensemble of satyrkin and sprites. At the back of the great hall, a tall white-haired lord in a regal coat of deep purple and gold, wearing a large black feathered mask over the top of their face, sits upright in observance of their subjects.
Meanwhile, the paladin yells out. The thief turns, realizing something amiss. The sage lies upon the floor of the haunted library, forehead burning in fever heat and eyes rolling back in a blissful trance as the wisps hover over the three. “I told you we shouldn’t have stopped here!”
– Dungeon Delve #7: Zinemonth Resurrection! | February 11th, 2025
“Delight in my library, dear sage?” the masked fay king speaks. “Or have you come to intrude upon my guests? Tell me what you seek?”
The learned yet daunted sage surveys the mingling of strangers and carnal fay revelry before clearing their throat.
“I…” the sage starts before the chin caress of a wandering nymph nearly pulls them from focus. “I… I must return to… my friends.”
“Friends. Yes. They are such rare a treasure in this world.” the fey king rises, and gestures to the party. “But not here. Perhaps you should stay. Make new friends.”
———-
The paladin shakes the sages delirious body to no avail. The rogue, however, digs into their pouch. “Had an inkling that magic smelling salts would prove useful. Stand back!”
– Dungeon Delve #9: Aint that a Kick in the Zine!! | February 11th, 2025
The sages nose twitches.
“Endless tomes. Eternal youth. A masquerade of beauty and whimsey. You need only step forward, my dear. There are no forbidden fruit within my court. Only trees full of ripe, colorfu…”
The sage sneezes. Once. Twice. Thrice putting hand up toward the fae lord. The lords eyes peer, first a graceful gold, then a haunting and fierce yellow.
“E-excuse m-” the sage lets out another sneeze. “I don’t m-mean to be rude. I can’t leeeeave my c-c-colleagues behin… My word!”
————————–
“They’re sneezing quite an awful lot for being smelling salts. Are you sure you grabbed the right vial?” the paladin weighed into the thief, who exchanged a nervous chuckle.
The sage burst up from their trance with a massive single sneeze, lacing their beard with sinus ugliness, along with the faces of their companions. The wisps surrounding them halt at once as the sage blinks, laying eyes upon compatriots with a smile. Then, the orbs glow a sanguine red, an angry buzzing filling the air.
The thief gulps. “We have to go…”
– Dungeon Delve #10: Don’t Insult the Fae! | March 4th, 2025
The party is in flight, and so are the books. Rushing through a storm of papers slicing through the air, they reached stairs to ascend the path they came. Wood cracks, as like a see-saw, the case topples forward, tumbling the three to the floor.
The paladin, thief, and sage sung a chorus of groans and bruisings. As they rise to their feet, a crimson glow flows in the volume between the outlined balconies of the multi-storied library. The wisps, conjoining into a large angry orb, emerged round the corner to glare upon their offenders in scorn and malice.
A frantic thief darts their eyes down toward the lowest story, noticing the doorway leading out. “Bottom floor!”
Scrambling into sprint, they rush round the corner as tomes flew from their bookcases to pummel as they passed. A ripple of exploding papers and parchment followed in their wake. As they descend another set of stairs, the paladin raises their shield as projectile quills sink their way into the steel.
“We’re done for!” the sage yells out. “We’re not go…”
“Is that so!?” the paladin responds. “Maybe don’t go on a fae-fueled vision quest next time, professor frolic!”
– Dungeon Delve #11: Turn Your Back and Run! | March 11th, 2025
A mad dash for the exit. Bookcases collapsed behind the three. A furious mote of light sent psionic thrashes in every direction throughout the haunted library.
Suddenly, the open stretch of marble felt like a hill climb. The center of gravity tilted, as the world became a flattening sphere of vision, the doorway seeming an impossible distance as an unnatural pull tugged at the paladin, thief, and sage.
As the floor became an increasing slope, balance was lost, sending them grasping with flat palms. The thief and sage panicked. The paladin gritted teeth. “To the hells with this.”
Mid-slide, mid-mantra, the paladin unsheathed their runed great sword, kicked themselves from the tilting floor, and lunged down upon the giant wisp, blade emblazoned and pointed to its target.
– Dungeon Delve #13: The Giant Leap! | March 25th, 2025
Shimmering steel pierces into the event horizon. A mind shattering storm of lightning spills from the ethereal wound of the mass of dark fae energy. The entire library is consumed in a blinding flash, pitch darkness, a negation of sound and color. … The thief and sage slide and fall into the storm, centered round the paladins stab into the collective conscious of the fae lord and their prized souls.
The floor buckles. All begin to descend as the structure hiding the surrounding chasm begins to collapse into it. The rest… is a vanishing of consciousness, visions blurring in and out amongst the fall. A world upside down…
– Dungeon Delve #14: Upside Down | April 1st, 2025
Photo / Thumbnail by Aleksandar Pasaric @ Pexels.
Such a strange subterranean situation our sage, scoundrel, and sinbasher see themselves in! … Me-ow!
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