Dawn breaks--red and angry at being aroused so early.  There's an early frost on the autumn wind, freezing the last of the harvest on the vine.

And it is your sorry lot to be out camping in it.

You could have been back in the city, snug-a-bed in the Hellrider lodge with a whole extra hour of sleep before the drill instructors came a-calling.  But nooo.  Today is your Final Test and that means you've been up all night in ritual prayer and vigil.  Stalwart against the freezing darkness, resolute against the barren wilderness and generally hungry, tired, bored, and all-around anxious to get this mess over with.

You trudge through the woods--a copse of trees barely worth the name--a few miles outside of Elturel proper, following in the footsteps of Instructor Kirkward (a hard-ass of a half-orc made of iron-grey gristle) as he leads you to the site of your test.

"Alroight my duckies!" Kirkward barks, far too cheerful for this early in the morning, "We've made it.  Welcome to the Tomb of the First Riders!"

He gestures broadly to a clearing with a pile of rough-hewn stones vaguely resembling a memorial of sorts, an obvious doorway leading to depths below lies askew...much to Instructor Kirkward's consternation.

He calls for a halt, then goes over and inspects the tomb thoroughly, muttering curses all the while.  After a few long moments he looks up and stalks back to you.

"Right." Kirkward says once back in conversation distance, "Normally, Ol' Tom'd have a big prepared speech about you lot being on the cusp of redemption.  One Final Trial between you and Rebirth.  Blah-de-freakin'-blah.  All that's useless now.  We've got us an infestation in the testing chambers.  Goblins or Kobolds or summat--I don't give a shit.  Point is, you lot have got a much harder test than usual, since in addition to the normal trials, you've got however many vermin to clear out as well."

"Now, you're supposed to clear the tomb by yourselves and I'm supposed to intervene only if you've given up.  But given the circumstance, there ain't no shame in calling it quits for now.  Just help me clean out the vermin and set the tomb to rights and we can call it day.  We'll can always do this again next year.

TEMPTATION POINT: You can either progress through the trial normally with the extra goblins, OR you can forego your trial and just help Instructor Kirkward set the tomb to rights.  What do you do?

Seth supressed a scowl, badly. "Been waiting nineteen years for this already. Screw waiting another one."

He busied himself, strapping on his shield, checking his longsword was clear in its sheath, and taking out a javelin from the sling on his back with a twirl.

"If they're in our way, they won't be for long." He turned to look at his fellow recruits, and rolled his shoulders with a loud crack. "But I can't just speak for the lot of us. Anyone here in the mood to let a pack of filthy goblins just steal an entire year from us?"

Aien shrugs, a serene picture of indifference. He is tired, though.

"A year, a decade, a century... it matters little to me. But at the same time, I know I am ready, and we are here now. I see little reason not to proceed with the trial."

Nodel groans at the mention of more work. "As if it isn't enough for us to be away from our nice warm beds and a warm meal." He was always one to complain anytime he had to "rough" it. But despite his belly aching he wasn't one to quit. More so when there was a chance to profit from something. "Lets just get it done with. I don't see the point in waiting another year just to have to go through this again."

Ila let the softies complain. She'd been on harsher marches when she was three, and those through harsh winter peaks. Delving down into a goblin infested hole seemed little threat. She thumped the butt of her spear into the soil and spoke grumpily, "Seems fine enough. I'd have passed with flying colors anyway. Hardly seems likely some lowlander weaklings will change that." She laughed then and winked at her companions.

Beata stands to the side, examining her fingernails. It takes a moment before she glances up, apparently having just processed what the others were saying.

"Wait, so if we don't do this we gotta spend a whole 'nother year training?" She wrinkles her nose. "Ew. Let's just go, I'm getting bored."