Code Of The Rats
"From Spuds To Studs"

1. Entry Room

By Dave Dollar
Art by Chris Myers

You awake groggily, at first, aware of the cold flagstones beneath your prone forms. It seems that you are no longer in the witch Rorshia's garden, but are in a barren stone room with a single brass-handled door of polished mahogany in the north wall. The only other notable feature in this room is a wrought iron spiral staircase in the center, ascending through a hole in the ceiling.

As you quickly take stock of yourself, you immediately notice that you are devoid of all your equipment. Not a scrap of what you were carrying before remains on your person. You are wearing a plain robe of white cotton, belted at the waist with a thin rope. Attached to the belt, rope is a flimsy, but serviceable knife in a simple cloth sheath.

A woman with pate skin and long, flowing white hair -- perhaps in her mid-thirties -- is standing at the top of the stairs. She is clad, head to toe, in black. The scowl she casts in your direction makes you think of a lot of places you would rather be.

"You needn't try to explain yourselves." she. says. "I know who you are and why you've come skulking into MY house. You would fain call yourselves, 'adventurers.' 'Thieves and cutthroats,' is far more appropriate. Reason told me I should have killed you on sight, as intruders to my demesne. I'd have been completely justified.

"However, I suspect that my (ahem) esteemed colleague has deceived you as to my motives -- so I shall give you a chance to redeem yourselves." She points. "Through that door is my gauntlet. It is a rite of Passage -- to teach and test. If you can get out of it alive, it shall prove to me that you are (perhaps) worth keeping around. Should you survive, I shall not only give you your leave, but shall also take you under my proverbial wing. Should you choose to accept, I shall be your sponsor. That is your choice. The matter of your going in there, however, is not open to discussion - though I sincerely wish you the best of luck."

Looking a bit forlorn, the wizardress Roshia draws a heavy sigh, "Now get in there, and for both our sakes, please do try to learn something."

As Roshia leaves, a massive stone plug settles itself over the hole, sealing you in.

GameMaster

The stone plug is immovable. The only egress is the door in the north wall. It is here that the players will probably discover, much to their chagrin, that their magic, and near-magical abilities, do not function.

Unless otherwise stated, all the doors in the Gauntlet are similar to this one: a finely polished, mahogany portal with an elliptical brass knob. The hinges of all the doors are strongly riveted, so that the doors may not be removed. I am constantly amazed at the number of players who inquire about the specifics on doorknobs.

Other than the above description, the room is totally bland. The door in the north wall opens easily, on well-oiled hinges. Characters able to. mundanely sense their approximate depth underground will feel as though they are about 200' down.

Score Chart

(no score possible in this room)

More Code of the Rats Introductory Fantasy Adventure

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