The Wandering Spire

Ziplocke couldn't believe it. The Goblin fell victim to an Affliction spell, one of his main aspects! Like a Prospect-ranked adventurer, he succumbed to its effects. Ziplocke Shaped the curse out of him and shook his head.

"How long was I running?" He wondered.

Ziplocke snickered as he imagined the look on his face as he ran madly through the corridors. The little Demon was in a hallway illuminated by the pale silver lines along the walls. There was nothing else of importance in his surroundings. Ziplocke could continue going straight or turn back.

"Which way was I going in?" Ziplocke asked himself.

Okay, correction. He could go left or right because he was not sure which direction he was heading in the first place. The Goblin snickered again as he admired the Affliction spell on the trap.

"That was a good one!" He shrieked.

Then he hushed himself with his ears pulled back along his head as he crouched and skulked toward the shadows. He mustn't make any noise unless he wanted to draw attention to himself. Ziplocke had no meat shields, err, teammates to protect him. The Goblin paused to think. He might have over-exaggerated his role in making the Core Tunnels to the humans he traveled with. Ziplocke and his kind did work on the Stronghold, but if he were honest, his contribution was less in the design department and more of a labor role.

"I moved dirt!" He admitted to himself in his shrill voice.

Ziplocke carried tools and removed debris all those many years ago when they built the Stronghold. Why did they make the tunnels so twisty? The small Goblin wondered. Who built the Rune traps? They were a piece of work! Ziplocke acknowledged.

The Goblin thumped his head. "Focus!" He scolded himself.

Ziplocke loped on all fours down the tunnel, his ears raised and alert for danger. The Demon came upon another intersection that branched off into three directions.

"By the Hells!" Ziplocke cursed.

Why did they build so many passageways?!?! The Goblin cursed his kind for being so mischievous. Ziplocke snickered nervously to himself and admitted that it was very confusing. He imagined the looks on his teammates' faces as they wandered aimlessly.

"That's rich!" he squealed with delight.

But, he realized he was in the same predicament and his snickering died down like the embers of a spent candle. It was not as funny when it involved him.

"Where was the knucklehead?" Ziplocke wondered about Jeze.

As if he called her, his ring chimed. The Goblin's ears perked up.

"She's near!" He squealed.

Then his ears pulled back along his head with the realization that he was lost. Plus, he forgot how to use the stupid chime ring in the first place.

"At least the knucklehead is alive," he muttered to himself as he picked a random corridor to go down.

The sound of a man giggling and mumbling to himself could be heard up ahead. Ziplocke hugged the shadows as he traveled closer. The Goblin came upon a sight that was even disturbing for him. One of the cultists, completely mad from the Affliction, was carving up another dead cultist. Ziplocke did not find this funny, and he snuck past the macabre scene.

"That was one helluva spell!" The Goblin acknowledged when he was some distance away.

Ziplocke traveled down the corridor, and he took several more turns. It didn't matter which passageway he took because he was completely lost anyway, he figured to himself. The Goblin paused and Shaped shadows to hide in when he heard a huffing and hissing sound.

"What could that be?" He wondered.

The noise came from just ahead and around a bend in the corridor. Ziplocke hugged the shadows, snuck closer, and peeked around the corner. In the distance, he saw a man sitting cross-legged. The huffing and hissing sound came from the stranger's deep breathing. Ziplocke tilted his head in curiosity. The corridor was long and dimly lit, and the faint details that Ziplocke could make about the man was that he wore thick padded armor and had dark hair. The passage was very wide with a high ceiling, and the man's back was toward Ziplocke, so the Demon decided to creep closer from the opposite wall. The glowing white lines along the walls were dim and staggered. Some walls were illuminated, and others were not. As he got closer, the Goblin saw that the man had set aside a heavy pack, and a Rune-covered spear leaned against the wall.

"By the Burning Hells! That's just my luck," Ziplocke hissed to himself as he neared.

When he was close enough, the Goblin confirmed that the man was no other than Mikal. Of all the teammates that Ziplocke could have encountered, he had to run into the most annoying one. Ziplocke grumbled and considered sneaking past. He paused, though, with curiosity. What was Mikal doing? The Healer drew a Rune circle, and he sat in the middle crossed-legged with his eyes closed, and his chest heaved with deep breaths.

"Is that a Purification Ritual?" Ziplocke wondered and then snorted, "Of course, the holier-than-thou snobbish Healer would know a Purification Ritual!"

Mikal was clever, though, the Goblin had to admit. If one did not know how to work the Affliction aspect, then they were left with two choices when confronted with a curse. They could rely on their Will to resist it, or they could perform a Purification Ritual. Ziplocke never really saw one done and he moved closer to inspect the Runes on the floor. They did not represent any Aspect that he was aware of, but from what Ziplocke knew about Purification Rituals, they worked mostly on holy symbols and faith.

"Pure gibberish and nonsense," The Goblin muttered to himself.

It was not real magic, but it could strengthen one's Will. Red tendrils of Affliction energy began to rise out of Mikal's body and hovered above him.

Ziplocke shrugged with acknowledgment. "Even if it was silly mumble jumbo, it worked," he stated to himself.

The Goblin paused and considered disfiguring the crude glyphs on the ground. His lips pulled back into a mischievous grin. What would happen? Ziplocke rubbed his hands together and let loose a giggle.

"The look on his face!" He wondered.

It wouldn't harm the Healer. The worst thing that could happen was that the Affliction reentered his body, and Ziplocke could Shape it out in a pinch.

"I smell you, Demon," Mikal growled with his eyes still closed.

Ziplocke paused and sniffed himself.

"Your stench of sulfur and sweat is unmistakable. Leave me be," Mikal stated.

The Goblin scowled and snapped, "You smell worse! Besides, I could help you, you know?"

Mikal opened his eyes, looked away from Ziplocke, and responded, "I swear Demon! If you interfere, I will flay the skin from your bones. I will then use your skin to make mittens. Cute mittens! I will bake delicious pies and use your mittens to serve the pies to people. To children even! Think about that? For all eternity, you will be mittens that bring joy to others!"

Ziplocke gasped with a hand over his tiny black heart. That was the meanest thing anyone had ever said to him! Mikal could be cruel! The Goblin relaxed as he realized that the Healer was still afflicted with Madness as he was talking to the wall.

"I'm over here, you numbskull," Ziplocke grumbled.

Mikal's head snapped toward him and the Healer muttered something incomprehensible to himself. Yep, Ziplocke thought to himself, the Healer was still under the Affliction spell.

"Leave me be," Mikal ordered.

The Healer closed his eyes and resumed his deep breathing. More red tendrils rose from his body as the Affliction aspect left his body. Ziplocke tilted his head as he studied the energy. He removed the same curse from himself earlier, but it just occurred to him.

"This was a really powerful spell," the Goblin observed.

Normally, an Affliction spell would dissipate and fade away like any other Rune aspect, but yet this one still lingered. Ziplocke had Shaped the curse out of him, it was not easy, but it was manageable. That confirmed to the Demon that the Affliction was Summoned and not native. But still, for it to last this long meant that the original caster was extremely skilled. The red energy left Mikal completely and hovered just above the Healer. The curse was broken, but the raw Affliction energy remained. It was slowly dissipating, but it still was potent. Mikal opened his eyes and they did not show any signs of Madness.

"I am done," he stated.

"Be careful," Ziplocke warned and then suppressed a giggle.

Mikal turned to scowl at the Demon, "Of what? I have defeated this curse."

Ziplocke was about to point out the red energy that was still active above the Healer but stopped himself.

"Yes, you did. That was most impressive," the Goblin said with a bow and a snicker.

Mikal tilted his head and demanded, "What is so funny?"

"Nothing," Ziplocke responded, and then giggled some more.

"You are a foul beast. I do not have time to waste on you. I need to find the others," Mikal growled.

Ziplocke was not insulted at all as he watched with much anticipation as the Healer rose up from the ground. Mikal's head brushed the edge of the residual Affliction energy. Ziplocke nearly shook with eagerness to see what would happen. The Healer's eyes went wide. The Goblin clapped his tiny hands and squealed in delight.

"Uh oh," Mikal muttered as his stomach growled.

The Healer tried to resist the curse, but his Will was weakened from his recent ordeal. Mikal doubled over while holding onto his stomach. It growled louder.

"Oh no!" Mikal rushed to the corner and quickly pulled down his pants to squat in the shadows.

Raw Affliction energy can take on any curse that, includes Madness to other uncomfortable maladies.

Ziplocke squealed in delight, "I can't believe it! It turned into the Poop curse!"