An Insult to Your Professionalism

Summary

The protagonist encounters a demon-imp in a tunnel, retrieves items from dead goblins, and confronts Chibby Lorka, who commissioned the quest, only to be met with rudeness and dismissal.

Abstract

The protagonist, having successfully navigated a tunnel inhabited by a demon-imp, retrieves silver pieces and a steel sword from the bodies of two dead goblins. Upon reaching Pinetops Village, they find Chibby Lorka, the merchant who commissioned the quest, in a tavern. After informing Chibby of their progress, the protagonist is met with disdain and rudeness. Chibby dismisses the protagonist, refusing to provide further information about the demon-imp. The protagonist is left with three choices: draw a weapon and attack Chibby, leave and seek information elsewhere, or abandon the quest and return to the Adventurers League.

Opinions

The demon-imp in the tunnel is a formidable adversary, beyond the protagonist's ability to destroy.
Chibby Lorka, the merchant who commissioned the quest, is portrayed as rude and dismissive, showing no gratitude or respect for the protagonist's efforts.
The protagonist is outraged by Chibby's rudeness and lack of cooperation, suggesting a sense of injustice and frustration.
The protagonist is left with three choices, each with its own potential consequences and risks, implying a sense of uncertainty and tension.
The protagonist's decision to retrieve items from the dead goblins suggests a pragmatic approach to survival and resourcefulness.
The interactive nature of the story, requiring paper and dice, and the presence of rules, suggests a game-like format.
The protagonist's journey is described as a quest, implying a sense of adventure and challenge.

Part of the ‘mountain tunnel’ quest

Image by the author using MidJourney.

This is part of a story that works as an interactive game. You’ll need to have some paper and dice at the ready! Click here for the beginning of the Medium Adventurers League, and find a reminder of the rules here. Or return to Part 1 of the Mountain Tunnel quest.

As you reach the end of the tunnel, heart thumping, you glance back. The demon-imp gazes at you for a moment, shimmers, turns back into a spider, then becomes a wisp of smoke. It shoots off deeper into the tunnel. Disappeared, but not gone, you are pretty sure.

The problem remains.

Before you press on, you notice the bodies of two dead goblins whose bodies have not been picked over. You have no way of identifying them, so there seems nothing else for it but to take their belongings…

You gain:

14 silver pieces
A steel sword (using this weapon adds +1 to your brawn)

Then you hesitate for a moment.

It was a merchant called Chibby Lorka, from Pinetops Village, who ordered the quest. But it’s clear to you now that doing what he asked is beyond you. You can’t destroy something as powerful as the demon-imp!

Perhaps you need to find out why it’s in the tunnel..?

You see no choice but to trudge uphill to find Chibby. Before long, you reach a series of logging roads, each narrow and muddy. Fortunately, there are more people around, many of them cutting wood. Logs appear to be piling up — perhaps because they currently can’t be transported to the city.

You ask for directions, and eventually find the village you are looking for.

Chibby Lorka is lounging by the fire in a small tavern in Pinetops Village, cradling a beer. When you tell him that you saw the imp and got past it, he seems surprised, but then he shrugs and spreads his hands. “Fine, then. Have a good day.”

“Wait — I need you to help me understand why it’s there.”

“You not going to kill it? Then get the hell out of here,” he snarls back, looking you up and down. “Anyway, I wanted an adventurer, not a pathetic child.” He turns his back on you and continues drinking.

“I’ve come to tackle your quest,” you say, outraged at his rudeness.

“Get lost,” Chibby replies.

Fiction | Game |Medium Adventurers League ⚔️

An Insult to Your Professionalism

Part of the ‘mountain tunnel’ quest

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