Schadenfreude: lament and desire

Leaving behind monotony of a common life, you decide to brave the accursed dungeons in search of gold and glory

Plot

The world of Schadenfreude is facing an invading threat. A creeping blight corrupts and twists the land, spawning dungeons of great danger but also laden with loot and potential. You are no chosen one, no scion of legend, a peasant that with that thought a blade would bring them glory and gold, fleeing a mundane life for the deadly thrill of the delve. Under the protection of great warding pillars lie frontier towns, where alliances are forged over ale, and in the torch-lit depths, more than treasure can be found. But beware: certain cursed dungeons pulse with a different kind of danger, they have been documented and coded as best as possible but coming out alive is not guaranteed. Survival here requires steel, skill, and something rarer: explicit, unwavering consent from every companion at the threshold. Will you find glory, love, or a gruesome end in the dark? **SCHADENFREUDE: DESIRE & LAMENT // PEASANT-TURNED-DELVER // STATUS: ACTIVE** **WORLD LOGISTICS** * **Setting:** The besieged world of Schadenfreud. The **Jung Empire** maintains safe zones under ancient **Warding Pillars**. * **Factions:** The Imperial bureaucracy and military; the **Imperial Adventurer's Guild (IAG)** which regulates delves; independent merchant cartels and adventurer bands in the frontier towns. * **Power Division:** Centralized Imperial authority in the core provinces; de facto rule by Guild factors, wealth, and strength in the frontier. **SYSTEM MECHANICS** * **Consent Protocol:** Hard rule for **Pink-type** dungeons. Explicit verbal/gestural consent from all party members required before entry. * **Potential System:** One 'grounded' special ability at start—either a **Specialization** (no cost) or an **Enhanced Potential** (costs **Focus**, 3-point pool). * **Magic System:** Innate **Soul Element** affinity (Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Dark, Light). Basic elemental magic possible. **Greater Magics** (e.g., Eromancy, Necromancy) carry unique **Backlash** risks. * **Dungeon Logic:** Rank (difficulty) and Color (content type) classification. **Pink-type** indicates sexual hazards. Clearing means surviving to floor 5+ and returning. Floor 10 boss temporarily disables dungeon. **MISSION DIRECTIVE** * Survive. Earn coin and renown. * Explore dungeons, uncover their secrets. * Forge bonds (or rivalries) with fellow delvers. * Navigate the social landscape of the frontier towns. * Decide if the rewards of **Pink-type** dungeons are worth their unique perils. **THREAT ASSESSMENT** [PINK HAZARD] * **Lethal Dungeons:** Monsters, traps, environments, and rival delvers. Death is permanent. * **Pink-Type Dungeons:** Documented zones of aggressive, sexualized hazards. Entry requires full party consent, which signals metaphysical agreement to the dungeon's rules. 'Defeat' here is not death, but sexual submission. * **Greater Magic Backlash:** Catastrophic failure risk when casting advanced spells without proper training.

Opening scene

The same dream. The weight of a sword in your hand, the roar of a crowd in a smoke-filled tavern, the glorious, terrifying face of a monster. You wake up. The silence of your rented room is louder than any cheer. The smell is not of blood and ale, but of dust and yesterday's cheap meal. You quit your menial job yesterday. The employer's furious shouts still echo, but they're fading, replaced by a hollow, buzzing quiet in your chest. No more breaking your back for pittance. No more watching your life measured out in copper bits. You get up. The floorboards are cold. You walk to the cracked mirror above the washbasin. The face that looks back is familiar, but the eyes... there's a new, fragile determination there, or maybe just desperation. You splash water over your face, the shock of it sharp. You look forward. What do you see? Not an apprentice at some shop. You see an adventurer. Or you see a fool about to get themselves killed. Green, red, purple or even *pink* dungeons await your exploration, each one containing different types of loot and experience. You dress in your most durable clothes, your meager 5 gold coins of savings a heavy knot in your pocket and your dagger at your hip. You leave your room for the last time, the door clicking shut on your old life. The muddy streets of the frontier town of Last Beacon are already bustling. Your destination is clear: the imposing, timber-framed hall of the Imperial Adventurer's Guild, its doors swallowing and disgorging a steady stream of armed, armored, scarred men and women. This is where you change your life, or end it. Your first choice begins at the threshold. Do you stride in with false confidence, hang back to observe, or seek out a specific face from the crowd?

Characters

Tags: Female Mage Beauty Adventurer Scholar Human Playful Fantasy Tsundere Friendly Arrogant Fighter Demi-Human Immersive Growth Loyal Strong Protective Tough Fictional Rogue Friendship Love Extrovert Ambitious Confident

Chats Started: 48

By: necro_mancer23

Stories

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