Dungeon Champions

We started with the easiest task on the list.

The Miller’s Daughter, as it turned out, wasn’t a person, but a place. And not just any place—it was a brothel. A very excellently named brothel, too. It had the look of an old Victorian house, with a wide wraparound porch that was furnished with mismatched rocking chairs and swinging benches. Everything was draped in colorful, handwoven blankets and absolutely brimming with brightly colored pillows. Ornate gingerbread trim looped along the porch’s edges and eaves.

Big stained-glass windows in reds, golds, and purples depicted subtly suggestive feminine forms without being overtly crass or lewd. It looked like erotic art turned to its purest form—a play of light and shadow to suggest the curves without actually displaying them.

The front door was massive. It was twice my height and made of two slabs of solid dark wood. Etched into the wood were the looping curls of wheat stalks, each one perfectly carved. And once I saw them there, I saw them everywhere. The gingerbread trim looped into wheat stalks, the windows had them built in, and even the pillows were embroidered with them.

There was very little ambiguity about where we were.

At the insistence of my party I went inside with Sadie on my shoulder. Apparently she was a more trustworthy chaperone than Skullie. The cat just curled up and went to sleep, which seemed about right.

Because it was midday, the brothel was relatively quiet. Someone—somewhere in the massive three-story house—was giggling, but it was a distant sound. A bored man sat next to the door, perusing a leather-bound book that seemed to be full of magic symbols.

I coughed politely and he looked up.

“Pick or house?”

“I’m… sorry?”

The man gave me a bored but stern look. “Do you want to pick a girl or let the house decide?”

“Oh.” I paused. “OH. No, I’m not here for patronage. Sorry. Gate Guard Sirun—”

His eyes narrowed. “We’re closed.” He pointed to the door.

I kept going anyway. “—sent me to pick up a book that got left here?”

“Oh. Right.” He closed the book and shoved it across the little table he was sitting at. “Here you go.”

I tried to stifle a laugh. “Do you know who it belongs to? The quest doesn’t say.”

“Front flap.”

Opening the front cover, there was a page with a tight, rigid script in the center. It read: “If found, please do not read. Instead, return to Scholar Landon.”

My tablet buzzed with what I intuited was just an update to the quest. I ignored it.

“Do you have any idea where Scholar Landon is?”

The man looked up at me with a glare, like I should have known this. “Try the academy.” Before I could open my mouth, he waved a hand through the air. “Two blocks over, six down. Black building that stands out because it’s so damn ugly.”

“Is it the obsidian building?”

“The what?”

I frowned. “Cooled lava rock? Looks like it’s made of black glass but it’s stone?”

“Yep. That’s the place. Why did you ask if you already knew?”

I kept my mouth shut and thanked him for his time. He looked a little put out—either because I took away his reading material, or because I’d had the audacity to bother him in the first place—but I exited the building to find my party relaxing in the various mismatched seats and sipping some beverages.

Lemonade, by the looks of it.

“Would you like some?” Zuri held her glass out to me, and I took a sip. It was cool, refreshing, and just a little tart. Not too sweet, either, which was perfect for me.

“Good stuff,” I said. “Where’d you get it?”

“A very lovely lady came by and gave us all glasses. She was very…” Nym paused and held her hands out in front of her chest. “Pretty.”

“Well, this is a brothel. I assume a lot of the folks here are…pretty.”

“Did you get what we came here for?” Merielle asked with a conspiratorial whisper, almost as if we were exchanging stolen goods.

In response, I held up the book. “We just need to take it to that black rock building.”

“The one made of obsidian?”

I frowned at her and instead just started walking.

The streets of the Upper District were busy with midday traffic—merchants hawking their wares, nobles in fancy carriages, and the occasional group of students hurrying by with armloads of books.

From toward the docks, I made out what looked like a traveler barge unloading. A group of oversized women who looked like they had minotaur blood surrounded a gnome. I took them to be a normal adventuring party before I saw the gnome casually reach out to squeeze the thighs of each member of the group.

It looked like he was reassuring them. One even blushed and wiggled her hips suggestively.

Wow, Zuri was telling the truth. Harems are common in the Wilds.

“So what exactly is this book?” Britney asked, interrupting my observations as she fell into step beside me. “Anything juicy?”

I shook my head. “No idea. The inside cover just said not to read it and to return it to Scholar Landon.” I paused. “The guy at the front door was reading it, though, and it looked like it might have some magical writing in it.”

“Ooh, mysterious.” Nym’s tail swished through the air as she looked at the book with curiosity. “Maybe it’s a spellbook full of forbidden magic!”

“Or maybe it’s a front,” Zuri said. “What if it’s a steamy romance novel the scholar was too embarrassed to be seen with? It was at a brothel, after all.”

“Whatever it is, it’s none of our business,” I reminded them. “We’re just here to complete the quest and gain some experience.”

A few streets later, we rounded the corner and the obsidian building came fully into view. It was as the brothel doorman had described — a stark black structure that stood out sharply against the surrounding architecture. Intricate carvings adorned its surface, glinting in the sunlight.

“Well, that’s certainly...eye-catching,” Merielle said.

“I think it’s neat.” Britney crossed her arms over her chest when Merielle looked her way. “What? It looks unlike anything I’ve seen back in Celestia, which makes it interesting!” She looked away. “Our buildings are all white and clean and boring.”

I led the group up to the entrance, where two stern-looking guards stood at attention. I cleared my throat and addressed them.

“Excuse me, we’re here to return a book to Scholar Landon. Could you point us in the right direction?”

The guards exchanged a glance before one of them spoke. “His study is on the third floor. Take the stairs to your left, then follow the corridor to the end. You can’t miss it.”

We thanked them and entered the building. The interior was just as impressive as the outside, with polished black marble floors and intricate magical runes etched into the dark walls. Students and scholars bustled about, many of them carrying stacks of books or engaged in animated discussions about arcane topics.

We reached the third floor and followed the corridor as instructed. At the end, we found a large wooden door with “Scholar Landon” engraved on a brass plaque.

I knocked firmly.

“Enter,” came a gruff voice from within.

We stepped into a cluttered office filled with bookshelves, magical instruments, and stacks of parchment. Behind an oak desk big enough to be mistaken for a boat sat a young man with styled brown hair and a five-o-clock shadow despite it being early afternoon. He looked up at us with piercing green eyes, his gaze immediately locking onto the book in my hand.

“Ah, you’ve found it!” he exclaimed, jumping up from his chair with surprising agility. “I’ve been looking everywhere for that blasted thing.”

I stepped forward and offered him the book. “We found it at The Miller’s Daughter.”

The scholar snatched the book from my grasp. “Yes, well. I must have left it there during my research. Purely academic, of course.”

Nym let out a barely suppressed giggle, which earned her a gentle elbow from Merielle.

“We’re glad we could help,” I said diplomatically. “Is there anything else you need?”

Landon peered at us with a thoughtful expression. “You’re not students here, are you? New adventurers, perhaps?”

I nodded. “That’s right. We’re just getting started in town.”

“Hmm,” he mused, stroking his stubble-lined chin. “Well, since you’ve done me this favor, perhaps I can offer you some advice. The academy always has odd jobs for capable individuals. If you’re looking to build your reputation, you might want to check the notice board in the main hall.”

I filed that information away for later; we had plenty to do now with the rest of our quests.

Our Tablets updated, and I checked it on the way out.

Quest Update: 25% to first quest milestone completion.

Our next task to complete was the yard work for someone named Annabelle. It didn’t take us long to ask around and figure out where her home was. We arrived at Annabelle’s modest home on the outskirts of the Upper District. The young woman greeted us warmly, her soft face beaming as she ushered us into her overgrown yard. She had dark brown hair piled into a bun on the top of her head and cunning brown eyes.

A group of seven men, each a different race - including an elf, dwarf, human, and rock creature I guessed was a golem - but all extremely old, sat on rocking chairs on the rickety old porch. They watched us approach, expressions blandly interested.

“Oh, bless you dears for coming,” she said, obviously putting on an accent for us. “These old bones just can’t keep up with the weeds anymore.”

Britney seemed inclined to ask—Annabelle was obviously young and spry—but I shook my head at her. There was something about the woman’s smile that seemed…dangerous. Like a villain in a fairytale.

I surveyed the yard. It was a mess of tall grass, tangled vines, and wildflowers gone rogue. This would take some work.

“No problem,” I said, avoiding looking at our aged audience on the porch. “We’re happy to help. What exactly needs doing?”

Annabelle waved a hand around vaguely. “Oh, you know. Trim it all back, pull out the weeds. There’s a vegetable patch over yonder that needs tending too. And if you could prune the fruit trees, that’d be lovely.” She grinned. “There’s a path under all this somewhere, and some old ornaments. If you can clean it, we’ll consider that a bonus.”

My companions asked her a few questions, and when it was clear we all had an idea of what we were going to do, Annabelle wandered back inside. The seven remained in place, slowly rocking and watching us.

I turned to my party with a grin. “Let’s divide and conquer. There’s something here that each of us can do to make this go faster. Merielle, you take the grass cutting and the weeds. Your superior strength will be a big help there. Zuri, you handle the vegetable patch. I didn’t see any gardening skills on your character sheet, but I’m sure you can spot what’s rotten, and what’s food or a weed. Nym and Britney, you two work on the obvious overgrowth. You can also use some of your cleaning magic to help, maybe? I’ll tackle the fruit trees.”

Everyone nodded and set to work. I grabbed some pruning shears and headed for the gnarled apple trees at the back of the yard.

As I worked, I kept an eye on the others. Merielle was making quick work of the grass with her strength, swinging the scythe in wide arcs. Zuri was carefully tending to the vegetable patch, plucking out weeds. Nym and Britney were working side by side, though I noticed Britney was doing more complaining than actual work.

“This is peasant work,” Britney grumbled, pulling half-heartedly at a stubborn dandelion. “This is beneath me.”

Nym gave the celestial a flat smile. “The sooner we finish, the sooner we can move on. And if you’d just do it right, it’d go faster.”

I watched as Nym patiently showed Britney the proper technique for pulling weeds. “See, you have to grab it close to the base and pull straight up. That way you get the whole root.”

Britney huffed but mimicked Nym’s actions. The weed came out cleanly, and the look of surprise on her face was priceless. “Oh. Well, I suppose that does work better.”

As they continued working, I noticed their conversation becoming less strained. Britney even laughed at one of Nym’s jokes about a particularly stubborn weed. It was good to see them bonding, even if it was over shared misery.

Meanwhile, Zuri had transformed the vegetable patch. Neat rows of tomatoes, peppers, and squash now stood proudly where weeds had once reigned. She wiped her brow, leaving a smudge of dirt on her forehead. “I think I’ve got everything sorted here,” she called out. “Anything else that needs doing?”

I glanced around. The yard was looking much better, but there was still work to be done. “Why don’t you help Merielle clear that path? I think I see some stone peeking through near the porch.”

We finished up the last of the yard work and I noticed how much more relaxed everyone seemed. Even Britney, who had started the task complaining, now had a satisfied look on her face as she surveyed our handiwork.

Annabelle came out to inspect our work, her eyes widening as she took in the transformed yard. “Oh my, you’ve done a marvelous job! I hardly recognize the place!” She clapped her hands together in delight. “The garden looks lovely, the path is clear, and even the fruit trees look healthier. You’ve truly gone above and beyond.”

I smiled. “We’re glad we could help. Is there anything else you need?”

She shook her head. “No, no, you’ve done more than enough. Here, let me get you something to drink. You must be parched after all that hard work.”

Annabelle disappeared into the house and returned moments later with a tray of cool tea. We gratefully accepted the refreshing drinks, sipping them as we surveyed our hard work. As I drank, I couldn’t help but notice the strange woman looking me up and down. Her eyes flicked to one side, suggesting the presence of a Tablet. Out of my periphery, I noticed several of the ancient men mirroring her expression, suggesting a team-based conversation.

“You know,” Britney said, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, “that wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. It’s actually quite satisfying to see the results of our labor.”

Nym nodded in agreement. “It’s nice to do something tangible, isn’t it? To see the immediate impact of our efforts.”

We finished our drinks and prepared to leave, but Annabelle stopped me. She pressed a small pouch into my hand. “For your hard work,” she said with a wink. “And a little extra for going above and beyond.”

I thanked her and we left, feeling accomplished. When we were a respectable distance away from Annabelle’s house, I opened the pouch to find a handful of coins and a small gemstone.

Quest Update: 50% to first quest milestone completion.

Bonus Reward: 5 gold coins and [one] [small] [Cryseth gemstone]

“Not bad for a day’s work,” I said, showing the others. “We’ll split this evenly.”

Skullie peeked over my shoulder, eyes lighting up at the sight of the gemstone. “Ooh, that’s a nice little bonus. Cryseth gems are great for illusion magic.”

“Illusion magic?” I said, resisting the urge to glance back where we’d come from.

“See?” Nym nudged her playfully. “Sometimes peasant work pays off.”

Britney rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “I suppose you have a point.”

As we continued down the street, I pulled out our list of remaining tasks. “All right, team. We’ve still got to find Professor Ryd’s glasses and the missing hammer. Any preferences on which we tackle next?”

Merielle shrugged. “The glasses might be easier.”

“Good thinking,” I agreed. “Let’s see what we can find out about Professor Ryd.”