The wooden door creaks under your hand as you push into the dim heart of the Thieves Guild. The air inside is thick with smoke and the tang of wet leather, heavy with the scent of ale and secrecy. Shadows cling to the rafters like cobwebs, and the murmur of plotting voices echoes off stone walls. Candles flicker in battered sconces, casting more dark than light, and every corner seems to hide a story—or a dagger.
From the far end of the hall, the familiar figure emerges again from shadow, his coat brushing the floor and hood casting his face in deep darkness. That crooked smile is still there, and his voice is low and deliberate.
“Welcome, apprentice. You’ve passed the first test—your hands are no longer clean. But loyalty… loyalty is earned, not whispered. The Guild doesn’t trust the timid or the timid-hearted. You must show us you can handle the work, that you can move in shadow, keep your mouth shut, and your mind sharp.”
He steps closer, eyes glinting with faint mischief. “Three jobs, no more, no less. Choose wisely. Each is a thread in the web we weave across this realm. Succeed, and your place here will be solid. Fail, and… well, the shadows are patient, but unforgiving.”
He fades back into the gloom, leaving you with the murmurs of the den, the scent of smoke, and the weight of choice pressing on your shoulders.
[Complete 3 jobs to prove loyalty then return here before you can continue…]