There is a castle so huge no one has walked from one side to the other and returned to tell the tale. It houses forests, mountains and seas, rooms within rooms, and cities and civilisation that has never gone beyond the four walls of their room. Beyond the villages, towns and cities there are the vast wildernesses of the Roomlands where dwell many dangers, including the walking towers known as the Rooks that are mysterious and strange.
Welcome to the world of Colostle.
Previously: Aret fights a Rook on her own and is reunited with Trundle.
The Book of Aret #6:
Aret spent the night tucked in a small hollow between two trees, with Trundle patiently standing on guard through the small hours. The background grumble of the squat Rookling had quietened as they trudged on their way (or perhaps they had simply run out of things to grumble about) and Aret had been relieved when night fell and Trundle had taken up a post a little way from her sleeping place. She had forgotten how comforting the little thing could be and felt guilty for being glad Trundle hadn’t been with her when she had met the camp of people two days before. It had been easier to talk with people without having to worry about it popping up and causing chaos, to be herself without shame, and yet it was her longest and loyalist of friends. She could never abandon it, and yet she felt the weight of knowledge that people distrusted Rooklings lie heavy in her stomach. She had never learnt how to sit with that discomfort, and after being on her own it felt strange to once more have her shadow. And yet, she was glad it was there watching over her.
She rose from her hollow and made herself some breakfast. Trundle came closer and stood at her shoulder, watching as she went through the regular motions. One might almost think it had missed her and would have been leaning against her if it had been human. But instead, she just had a chunky rocky shadow and as they set off on their way Trundle trudged along beside her like it had never left. They walked most of the morning, coming at last to the edge of the tree line and out onto the rocky ridge that swept up the mountainside and down into the valley. Aret took a moment to pause and revel in the view, but Trundle waddled on. Aret let it get a reasonable distance away before deciding to catch it up, and then at last they came to the second rise and looked down the scree field onto the city of Perpetua.
The sight took Aret’s breath away – so many people all crammed into one spot. From the distance, it looked like someone had collected a series of blocks and thrown them onto the ground, but as they skidded down the mountainside and the blocks grew bigger, the details became clearer and the scale continued to grow. She saw towers and high buildings of various architectural types trying to outdo one another in their shabby splendour. Broken pieces of Rooks had been incorporated into the outer wall and there seemed to be a constant buzz and hum the closer they got, with people flitting in and out of the open gateway like ants or bees at a hive. This was nothing at all like her quiet little village in the woods – how was she to find word of their missing friend?
The main gate led to a market place, where traders and merchants plied their wears with great voices and gusto. Streets spread out like a fan from this hub of activity, and Aret’s head spun as she looked this way and that. Trundle kept close at heel, clutching at her bag when it thought she wasn’t looking so as not to be lost in the press of people. She tried to ask about unusual Rook sightings with some of the merchants, who were chatty at first – until they realised she wasn’t about to buy anything from them and then became tight-lipped. She spent much of the afternoon trying to find someone who could help, or who would at least help point her in the direction of someone who might know a thing or two about Rooks, but to no avail. Worn out she plonked herself down by a drinking fountain and stared out at the mass of people feeling utterly hopeless, Trundle curling up behind her like a stone seat. Together the pair sighed and wondered what they could do next.
What happened next was a stroke of luck. A curly-haired man, with a scruffy attempt at a beard, came to the drinking fountain and quenched his thirst and spotted Aret looking despondent. After asking her what was wrong, and getting a tired and emotionful rant about how unhelpful everyone had been, he interrupted by asking had she gone to speak to the Lapidarist in the the Artisan Quarter. Better yet, had she been to speak to the Hunter’s Guild? She answered honestly and the man dramatically encouraged her and her companion to come with him to the Guild to ask what they knew about the matter. This led them on a long meandering trip through the market (for their guide was on chores of his own), ending up carrying a heavy pile of groceries at his request and getting entirely turned about when they entered the Guilds Lodges, but at last they were standing before the Hunters Guild with their guide making small talk with every passerby. The building was old, and the walls were littered with scars of a past of postings and nails, but it seemed defiant in the face of the sleek buildings around it. It seemed itching for a fight. It seemed unafraid of anything. Aret liked it.
Their guide led them inside with their bundles and packages, pausing to speak to most of the patrons in turn and hand out something from their shopping trip to each and every one. When at last they reached the large wooden table with its back to an impressive wooden notice board covered in fluttering bounties and calls for aid, Aret had begun to suspect they were in the presence of the Guild’s resident errant boy. Trundle concurred, but they were both surprised to learn their scruffy guide was no other than the local Guild Master, who might be able help them on their hunt for their stolen friend if they were to undertake a job for him. Some of the locals had been complaining about sources of stone and old Rook husks disappearing, and there was a suspicion that someone was hoarding it. Only problem is that these items are vanishing overnight, many of which are too large to move without leaving some form of sign. People are afraid that something sinister is afoot, but the Guild have been too busy hunting dangerous Rooks to be able to send a member after them. If Aret was able to take a look, the Guild Master might be able to ask amongst his own contacts for information. She would also have taken the first step of becoming a full member of the Guild, and gain access to their lodgings across the Roomlands and network of contacts and trusted suppliers. The only question is, will Aret take up this generous offer? And what might the catch be?
This adventure was generated using the solo journalling game Colostle, created by Nich Angell. The game is played using a notebook, your imagination and playing cards to create prompts during your Exploration phase and to resolve Conflict should it arise. For more information or to purchase your own digital or hardcopy of the rules, visit Colostle.com. Further modules are available through the Colostle Patreon, in “The Roomlands” or in the latest expansion “Kyodaina“.
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