Survive your first day

Overwhelmed by otherness

  The screams of injuries caused by violence cut through the air, the first sounds you have heard since you were made mute by the crystal running up and solidifying around your body.   The players awaken in a dimly lit cave, the cool air tinged with the scent of damp earth and stone. They find themselves in a carved-out storeroom, its rough-hewn walls and low ceiling indicating it was not part of the original cave but fashioned for a specific purpose. The storeroom is cluttered with crates and barrels, some sealed tight, others broken open to reveal a variety of supplies—food, tools, and old weapons, now coated with dust and cobwebs.     The archway leads into a courtyard, the stone floor uneven and cracked, illuminated by the eerie glow of a large, swirling portal. The portal shimmers with a malevolent purple light, casting ominous shadows on the courtyard walls. From this portal, monstrous creatures are emerging—dark, twisted forms with glowing eyes and slavering maws, each more horrifying than the last.   Positioned around the courtyard, perched on makeshift platforms and behind stone barricades, are archers. Their bows are drawn, and they fire arrows in rapid succession, aiming to stem the tide of monsters pouring from the portal. The air is filled with the twang of bowstrings, the hiss of arrows, and the guttural roars and shrieks of the invading creatures.   The players can see the archers are under immense pressure, their faces etched with determination and fear as they battle to protect the cave from being overrun. The courtyard, once perhaps a place of gathering or respite, is now a battleground, the ground littered with the bodies of fallen monsters and spent arrows.   The storeroom feels relatively safe in contrast, but the sounds of battle are unmistakable, and the urgency of the situation is palpable. The players must decide quickly: explore the storeroom for useful items, attempt to fortify their position, or venture into the fray to assist the archers in their desperate defence against the encroaching horrors.