Chapter 1: Violent Awakenings
Hacan gasped, throttled into consciousness by the sudden exasperated grunts and squeals of his traveling companion Orion, a Royal Razorback boar. Through the fog of fresh awakening, Hacan tried to remember where he had been, or even how long he had been asleep. His surroundings were unfamiliar to him. Hacan reached into the pack draped across Orion's back and pulled out a small mithril lockbox. He removed the key from the chain around his neck and carefully inserted it into the lockbox. The box emitted a satisfying click and the lid popped ajar. Hacan reached inside, pulling out a small handful of twinkling purple and blue stones of varying sizes and counted.
"Only 3 left. The scryer was right, I don't have long" Hacan worried to himself. It was only then that he remembered where he was before he woke. The cosmic terror of the nightmare realm replayed in his mind in seizure-like flashes - the ethereal and barely audible cackles of The Imp, the primordial fear that he may never return to the physical realm, the dull ache of his muscles becoming sharper as he slashed through the draping webs standing between him and his target. It was all coming back to him now, though he wished it hadn't. He had slain yet another nightmare wraith. It was becoming clearer to him that each successful bounty took more out of him than the last.
Hacan carefully placed the remaining dreamstones into the lockbox, locked it, and placed it under some spare clothes in Orion's pack. He then placed Somnus' Edge into the large sheath on his back and re-oriented himself with his surroundings. It was time to go get paid.
Hacan traveled the short walk from the Battlemage Mountains (where he had set up camp) to Yellow Wizard Haven. He knew exactly where to find his patron, and he was looking forward to using the coin he received to replenish his supplies. He might even rent a room in a cozy inn, if he could find one that would allow Orion to join him. He could almost feel the warm embrace of the hearth beckoning to him. Life on the road was taking its toll., he deserved at least one restful evening.
Hacan and Orion arrived at the palace and were quickly admitted by the guards. They traversed the winding hallways until they arrived at the library. Inside, a disheveled yellow wizard was sorting tomes on a towering shelf. Hacan stood silently, waiting for the wizard to acknowledge him. After a minute or two of waiting, Hacan realized the wizard was far too concerned with his duties (or perhaps his internal monologue) to notice he wasn't alone. Hacan coughed, and the wizard turned around.
"Ah, Hacan! I knew you could do it! I haven't had a night of sleep that good in decades." Hacan grunted impatiently. He didn't particularly care how well the librarian had slept, and he had places to be. "Of course, of course, I almost forgot your pay" the wizard said. Even at the top of the library ladder, the wizard felt small compared to the brawn of the fully armored Dream Knight standing behind him. The wizard descended and pulled out a moderately sized bag of coin and an ornate tome speckled with blue and purple shards.
"If my boss finds out this tome is gone, he'll have my head, but I just couldn't abide another fitful night worrying about the Quantum Shadow consuming us all. You know it's getting closer every day, right?" Hacan nodded. He felt pity for the wizard and considered how painful it could be to lose your home to an imminent threat. With the job done and pay received, Hacan put the rewards in Orion's pack and ventured out to find an inn with good ale and a warm bed. The trek to the Dreaming Caverns would have to wait until tomorrow.
Entered by: 0xFb36…46CF and preserved on chain (see transaction)
