Hell's Glitch (initial draft)

2:28 Third Floor

Sam continued up the grey stone spiral stairs at a slow pace so that his feet didn't make a sound.

So, the boss is on the second floor. I can go there anytime to challenge him, it looks like.

There was an open room right in front of the stairwell. The third floor was scarcely lit by the same magick lamps as below which made Sam wonder if the golems around the castle actually needed the light to see. Perhaps they did, but that was weird considering they didn't have eyes. He waited and watched down the corridor to see if anyone was patrolling. He stepped out of the stairwell and peeked around the corner of the room to see if anyone was down that corridor. After seeing no one, he stepped into the long room which appeared to be an infirmary.

Three rows of bloody cots lined the room from wall to wall. There were only a few dried-out bodies still on a few of the cots. Each of the bodies had items with or near them, three in all. He got a Claymore sword—which he handed to Melbern—under the cot of the first body, then found two soul items from the other two—a Field Mage's Soul and a Captain's Soul.

He went to leave the infirmary via the southern entrance until he saw a knight standing guard in the hall to the south. He avoided a potential bad situation by heading back north and looping around to the next room via the empty corridor.

The next room over was some sort of alchemy lab, but there was nothing he could really get out of it. He picked up a Wishbone, an item that could randomly pair him with another player. He left the room, disappointed, and continued to the northern rooms. He next stopped at the one in the middle of the floor and slipped into what looked like a sleeping quarters for mages. There wasn't much inside except for identical sets of robes. He skipped those and went for an interesting looking ring he'd found in one of the drawers.

Babel Ring

Wear to speak any of the known languages.

A legendary ring crafted and enchanted by the eminent linguist, scholar, and mage Letraym. To pursue her lofty ambitions, Letraym often sought funding from other nobles. She crafted this ring to prove her abilities to them and was showered in money from the richest noble families of her age, each requesting their very own ring. Letraym obliged, finding the request to be a useful distraction for what she would really spend the money on, endeavors that the close-minded nobles would find odious at best.

Weight: 0 .01 lbs

Sam pocketed the ring, hoping he'd find a use for it later, and continued exploring the rest of the floor. Further north, he found a lavish residence that had to belong to someone in the royal family. Ornate red and gold couches and loungers were in several places throughout the room along with a lavish poster bed fit for a king.

Is this the king's chamber?

His suspicions were proven surprisingly false when he looked a gold plate that had fallen in front of the door. The words inscribed on the plate read, "Master Mage's Quarters." On the nightstand, he found a pouch of Soothing Aromas an item even more potent than the Calming Aromas. He pocketed them for when he'd need to restore his Soul Power in a pinch.

There were several paintings hanging on the wall of familiar valley scenery in a more vibrant age. Only one of the paintings was of a person, a tall grey bearded man in deep blue and silver robes. The man's grey eyes danced with delight and his face was covered with laugh lines though here his smile was more subdued. The picture was odd for a number of reasons, chief among them it's placement directly next to the bed.