In this darkest dungeon Men with scars march to uncertainty In promise of wealth and glory Or perhaps for some penance
Silently they ensure grotesque sights Macabre beings by its end Blight corrupting life's blood Time at its cruelest and most ironic But the ticking matches with every heartbeat Their saving grace, the dying torch And their tears, all dried up and wizened
Composure collapses as comrades fall Mind's grip loosening and squealing Insignificance breaking them The thoughts and regrets A spot of hope in the darkness snuffed Just as quick as it came
A thudding heart in the void A thudding madness Where do they tread on now? The chanting grows louder Dry lips, bloodshot eyes. Finally, their tormentor in sight Gnarled fingers tremble in sword grips Bowstrings fiddled with, dirks clanging
Vapors give rise to rage A vile disgust and unfathomable sorrow A dread affirmation of nihilistic proportions But nothing mattered, except the moment. And the screaming of the void halted The beating of the heart stopped They fell to their knees, never the same again.
And finally, it is rain in the forest.
Inspired by the author's fascination with all things Lovecraftian, thus leading to Darkest Dungeon, a *******'s dream come true in an TBRPG. January 2017.