Campaign: “A New Development”
Episode 17: Caught in the Act
April 16, 2025
As the orcs surged forward, Korrin Vale pivoted—boots scraping metal as he vaulted onto the nearest support beam. Szelden was already climbing, her cloak flicking like a shadow up the side of the stone wall. Pipes and iron braces formed a makeshift catwalk above the chaos. She clearly hadn’t expected pursuit.
Korrin climbed fast, pain biting at his side. Blood still seeped from his earlier wound. By the time he reached her, she was crouched atop a wide pipe, one knee down, fingers fumbling with a small glass vial of healing tonic.
Looking up, Szelden hissed, Persistent!
Korrin struck. His blade forced her backward. The vial slipped from her hand and tumbled, clinking as it landed near the feet of a curious orc below. The brute snatched it up, quickly tucking it away. Korrin studied the orc’s face for just an instant before returning to the fight.
The narrow pipe offered no room for error—just speed, instinct, and steel. Relentless stabbing and slicing, the two clashed in a blur of movement. Each rogue contributing equally to the fray.
Szelden’s wounds were catching up to her—every parried strike carried less force, each movement more strained than the last. Her eyes burned with frustration.
Their duel spilled into a wide chamber—a vaulted dome of stone and metal. Below them stood dozens of guild members assembled in eerie silence. Orcs. Goblins. Humans in black leather and gleaming daggers. All eyes were on the duel above.
This wasn’t just a fight. It was a performance.
Szelden’s breathing was ragged. She circled slowly atop the pipework, blade still raised, bleeding. Korrin mirrored her, blood dripping from his elbow. Every step was deliberate. Measured.
He realized the truth. This had always been her plan—a staged fall, a rising successor, a trap set for rival guilds.
Looks like a sold-out show,
Korrin said.
Their blades locked. Faces inches apart. Szelden’s lips curled in a bitter smile, her eyes glassy with pain.
The guild is yours now
she whispered.
The guild watched from below. All Korrin had to do was strike once more. He could end her life—and put an end to the tyranny, once and for all.