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Colostle #1: Leaving the Village

Exploration Phase

1. Eight of spades

The sea (calm)

2. 10 of diamonds

You are captured and taken prisoner

3. Five of clubs

Come across damaged but strange mechanism that operates colostle

4. Three of spades

Come across intact staircase leading to another floor.

5. Queen of hearts

Medium rook (Defense, rumble)

1.2 Seven of spades

A Pirate Ship! Treasure.

     

5.2 Nine of hearts

Melee, reward: rookling

It was time to leave the village. The stares, the whispers—I couldn’t bear them anymore. Even with my face turned to the wind, I could feel the weight of their suspicion. I needed to go. The sea seemed the quickest route of escape, though I had no boat. After bartering away the last of my scavenged parts, I ended up with a small, battered seafaring vessel. Barely seaworthy, but it would have to do. With my rookling by my side, I set my sights on the distant columns of Colostle, standing like giants on the horizon.

The sea was calm, its gentle rhythm pulling me forward, the wind at my back. I aimed for the flickering purple flame, which burned faintly atop one of the towering columns. As we rode the waves, there was a sudden, sharp THUD—the boat lurched violently, throwing me off balance. I looked over the starboard side and saw the cause: a shaft, cold and metallic, jutting out from beneath the water.

Curiosity got the better of me. Something glistened below the surface, catching the sunlight as it shifted gently in the water. I had to know what it was. I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and prepared to dive into the unknown depths.

The water was colder than I expected, wrapping around me like a vice as I dove beneath the surface. The sunlight dimmed as I descended, the world above fading into a blurry ripple. Below me, the shaft stretched deeper into the water, a part of something larger, something hidden. My lungs burned, but curiosity drove me deeper.

As I reached the base of the shaft, I saw it—a half-buried structure, ancient and weathered, the remains of an old Colostle mechanism. Large, intricate gears lay scattered like bones on the seafloor, some encrusted with coral. Among the wreckage, something gleamed. Tucked between the gears was a chest—small, but intact. Its surface shimmered faintly, untouched by time or decay.

My hands trembled as I pried it loose, the chest heavy and cold in my grasp. With my last bit of strength, I kicked back toward the surface, breaking free into the air with a gasp. I clambered back onto the boat, the chest clutched tight to my chest, water pouring off me as I caught my breath.

The rookling watched quietly, its icy eyes tracking the chest in my hands. I could feel the hum of old magic coming from within, a subtle pulse that matched the faint beat of the Rook heart I had scavenged. This was no ordinary treasure.

I carefully opened the chest. Inside, nestled in velvet cloth, was a small but intricately carved sphere. Glistening blue and etched with delicate, swirling patterns, the sphere pulsed with energy—a piece of Colostle’s lost magic, a relic from before the ruin. This was it. A tool, a key… or maybe a weapon.

Before I had time to inspect it further, the wind shifted suddenly. The boat rocked beneath me. I looked up and saw sails—dark, tattered, looming on the horizon. A ship was approaching fast. Before I could react, figures leapt onto my boat, their faces hidden beneath iron helms. They took me before I could reach for my rookling, binding my hands and dragging me aboard their ship.



I didn’t know who they were or what they wanted, but one thing was certain: they knew about the treasure I had found, and they weren’t about to let me keep it.

The chest and the relic inside it may have been valuable, but now it was a curse. As I was hauled below deck, I could only wonder what their intentions were—and what they planned to do with me and the rookling once we reached land.

Bound and thrown into the damp hold of the pirate ship, I had little time to think. The walls creaked with the strain of the sea, the sound of boots stomping above filling the air. My rookling had been separated from me, locked away somewhere else, but I could still feel its presence—a faint hum in my bones. I wasn’t alone. I never was.

The ropes binding my wrists were tight, but they hadn’t taken into account my knack for slipping out of tight situations. I had always been good with my hands—tying knots, and undoing them. After a few minutes of wriggling and pulling, the ropes fell free. I scavenged what I could find from the room and worked quickly, piecing together a small device—a sort of pneumatic pump. Not perfect, but good enough for a distraction. With a sharp hiss, the mechanism sputtered to life, letting off a sudden burst of steam that shot upwards, knocking open the hatch above.

The pirates’ attention shifted. I could hear them shouting, running toward the commotion. This was my chance.

I crept up through the open hatch, my eyes scanning for any sign of my rookling. The deck was in chaos, the crew rushing to deal with the sudden burst of steam. Near the helm, I saw it—my rookling, encased in a makeshift cage. The lock was crude, easy enough to break. I grabbed a rusted piece of metal from the floor and jimmied the lock open.

The rookling stirred, its icy hands reaching out, forming a defensive wall around me as the pirates began to close in. Its magic flared, the air around us chilling as ice spread across the deck, creating a slick barrier that sent several pirates tumbling to the ground.

But we weren’t out of danger yet. More pirates advanced, their blades drawn. I had no choice but to fight. I grabbed a broken mast pole from the deck and swung it at the nearest pirate, knocking him off balance. The rookling’s ice walls shielded me from the rest, but the pirates weren’t giving up easily.

Just as I thought we were cornered, the ship lurched violently. Something had hit it from below—a staircase (Three of Spades) had risen up out of the sea, a part of the Colostle’s shifting structure. The ship was perched precariously on top of it, tilting dangerously to one side.

With the pirates distracted by the sudden upheaval, I saw my chance. I darted toward the edge of the ship, rookling at my side. Together, we leapt overboard, plunging into the sea below. The icy water embraced us, but the rookling’s magic kept me warm as we swam toward the ruins nearby.

The pirates didn’t pursue. They had bigger problems now—keeping their ship from capsizing.

I swam as quickly as I could toward the protruding staircase. The structure had already begun to shift again, part of the endless, unpredictable movement of the Colostle. I reached for the ledge just in time, gripping it tight as the stairs heaved me out of the water. Gasping for air, I lay there for a moment, feeling the weight of exhaustion in my limbs.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted my icy rookling a few steps below. It glided along effortlessly, ice forming beneath its feet, keeping pace with me as the staircase continued to spiral upwards. We were safe—for now.

I forced myself up, taking a deep breath as I gazed ahead. The staircase wound up and up, disappearing into the clouds above. There was no other choice but to climb. The pirates might still be out there, and even if they had stabilized the ship, I couldn’t risk going back down. I started to ascend, the spiral seemingly endless. Hours passed—or so it felt—but the shifting skyline reassured me that I wasn’t walking in circles.

The air grew heavier as I climbed higher, thick and stifling. It was harder to breathe now, every step more difficult than the last. But the top was close. I could see it—a final few stairs, just ahead. With one last push, I sprang forward, stumbling as I crossed the threshold onto the upper platform. I collapsed, breathless, my hands gripping the ground beneath me.

But when I looked up, my surroundings had changed completely. The open sky was gone, replaced by a dense jungle of thick, twisting vines and towering trees. The air was humid, the ground beneath my feet soft with moss. I barely had time to process the transformation when—

BOOM!

RUMBLE!

A rook appeared, crashing through the foliage up ahead. It towered over me, easily 7 or 8 feet tall, its body crackling with defensive energy. I froze.

The rook was massive, its form shimmering with layers of protective magic, each step sending shockwaves through the ground. I wasn’t ready to fight—not after barely escaping the pirates. My rookling stirred beside me, its icy hands raised, forming a defensive barrier. But I knew it wouldn’t hold for long.

I had to think fast.

The jungle was thick, full of places to hide, to disappear. I glanced around and spotted a narrow passage between two trees, vines cascading down like a curtain. If I could just get there, maybe I could slip away unnoticed. The rook hadn’t fully seen me yet—it was still scanning, its eyes glowing with a dull, watchful light.

I whispered to the rookling, signaling it to follow me, and then we moved—slow, quiet, slipping into the shadows. I could feel the rook’s heavy presence as it rumbled forward, scanning the area where I had been just moments before. Its massive arms raised defensively, blocking anything that came near. I wasn’t going to win this with force.

Suddenly, a branch snapped underfoot. The rook’s head snapped in my direction, its eyes flaring with awareness. It charged, its defensive magic bristling as it closed the distance between us.

I ducked, weaving between the trees as its massive frame crashed through the foliage behind me. The rookling reacted instinctively, throwing up walls of ice, slowing the rook’s pursuit just enough to buy me time. I darted toward a narrow stream running through the jungle, hoping the water would hide my scent.

The rook slammed into the ice barrier, its powerful limbs smashing through, but the delay had worked. I had made it to the stream, diving into the shallow waters. The rook seemed confused, scanning the area for movement. It stomped past, unaware of my hiding spot beneath the vines hanging over the water.

After a tense few minutes, the rook rumbled off into the distance, still searching for me. I waited, holding my breath until the sound of its footsteps faded.

I had evaded it—barely.