<strong>Chapter 1: Journey to the Underdark</strong><br/><br/>The four adventuring ladies strode along the forest path. Around them, dark and skinny trees gnarled and towered over them. In the distance, a desecrated castle that was home to demons was silhouetted against the moonlight. Who knows how long they had been trapped there. By the time they had been rescued, none of them were in their proper minds. Their bodies had been broken and their minds were reduced to shreds. Be it a stroke of mercy from whatever deities above or just their destiny, none of them seemed to remember much of the ordeal. The days had blended together in a never ending nightmare filled with undead and pleasures of the flesh. Their bodies carried the burden of memory, but their minds had been spared. Only Jisoo, who had it worst, could recall snippets of her time in that abysmal hell. Her stomach had been branded with a black pentagram which could not be removed through medicine nor magic.<br/><br/>The party that had rescued them had not revealed much of what they had found. Whether it was out of mercy or just pity, they had spared the girls of recalling their own demise. With just the bare minimum of supplies, they parted ways at the dark castle towards the nearest town. It had been a few days since they had set off, and food was beginning to become scarce. Nothing lived in the dark woods, for it was the domain of the demonic and the undead.<br/><br/>As the thicket of twisted trees began to clear, the air itself began to clear up. The dead and twisted road gave way to a paved one; the girls had managed to find their way out of the dark woods. A few hours further journey landed them in Shifting Sands Town - a small outpost that was a popular den for smugglers and gamblers. Without much choice, the party found their way into the Club and Club, a tavern that also doubled as an underground casino.<br/><br/>For what was left of their finances, the four girls managed to secure a tiny room with two beds between them. It stank of alcohol and sex, and the dank smell of dragonvine smoke wafted up from below. It was a foul smoke that smelled like a mix of dragon dung and cow piss - a favorite of most underground dwellers. Anybody that had spent a decent amount of time in an underground den or casino would be no stranger to the smell. After a brief rest, the girls would be free to spend the night in the tavern and inquire about any potential requests they could take - heavens knew they needed the cash.<br/><br/>After paying for their room and their meals, Lisa handed Choa the bag with their remaining gold for safekeeping and the four girls sat in the corner of the rowdy tavern. The various drunken men and adventurers jeered and whistled at them non-stop, some of them making lewd gestures and licking their lips. Their gold had only managed to buy them all some cold bread and a few slices of cheese, but they couldn't be too picky. The rest of their money needed to be saved for the journey ahead and supplies.<br/><br/>As they ate, a man in some plain brown robes approached them. His face was partially obscured by his hood.<br/><br/>'You must be adventurers,' he hushed, his mouth moving quickly. 'The truth is, I need your help. There is a cave not too far from here that glows a bright emerald at night.'<br/><br/>He scanned the gaze of the four girls, choosing his words carefully.<br/><br/>'I want to acquire a sample of the rocks there for study. I'm an astral researcher, you see..' his voice trailed off, recalling some painful memories. 'Forgive my secrecy, but I have my reasons. If you can give me a sample of the emeralds deep in the cavern, I will reward you greatly.'<br/><br/>The man took out a small but dense pouch of coins and laid it on the table. In it were a handful of gold and silver coins. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to take them all the way to a major city.<br/><br/>'As a token of trust, I'll give this to you first. Please, I really need your help,' the man begged.<br/><br/>Lisa slipped the bag over to Choa, who was looking elsewhere. A man had approached the tavern counter and showed the innkeep a sack of coins. He was then ushered into the back - presumably where the underground gambling was taking place.<br/><br/>'What do you say?'<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>Party:</strong><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>Accept the mission. Use the gold to buy supplies, giving the party +1 to all stats for the next mission and 2 healing potions.<br/></li><li>Reject the mission. The man becomes visibly upset under his hood and storms away, taking his money with him.</li></ul><br/><strong>Choa:</strong><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>After everyone sleeps, take the money and gamble. Head to the underground casino.</li><li>Do nothing.</li></ul></div></div>