What Lies Beneath

YOU wake up in a dungeon with no memory. Yeah, it’s a plot device that’s been used a lot. But at least you’re not being sent on yet another wizard assassination, going it alone because sending the army is too much trouble.

As you make your way out of the dungeon, you will be touched by good and evil, and you may start to remember your name. And you will definitely run afoul of shape-shifting goblinfolk wearing red beanies. And if you make it out of the dungeon, you still have to find your way home… if you know where that is.

But the good news is that there is no single truth, no single home to find your way back to. You can find peace and health at a retreat, or stage a coup, or get a good job with the government, or maybe a few other things. But chances are you’ll die in the woods.

Enjoy!

Review and Opinion

Errors

From 70 you have three choices. If you go into 80 (barracks) you are given an option to back out… but only to the bone crusher (47) and not to the double doors (80) which were present.

Page 88 when you are beaten down, asks about item GHJ. Item GHJ is not mentioned in the appendix.

Making your way into the woods, the options for finding assistance are inconsistent. If you sleep in the barn, the woods are on page 117 and you can make a Wit test to recognize your location. If you run for the forest through the sunlight, the forest is 150 and you can use item PFA1 to do some ethereal scouting. If you go back inside for food and end up in the forest at 196, you have neither option. Doesn’t make sense that these three “you are in the woods” have different behavior, when the three paths are the same.

In the dark labyrinth (79) and the observation window at the end (65) you are asked if you have tag MESC. As far as I can tell, that’s impossible since MESC is leaving the monastery. Even if you re-enter, you either exit back to the woods (196) or are captured (6 or 7) which leads to the monastery exit 100 if you escape. How can you get MESC (leave the monastery) and still get to this tunnel?

Maps

Publication

Written by Chris Scaffidi

Illustrated by Jason Glover

2023

Other Playthroughs and Links

• Fervent Workshop’s page for WLB