Immediately, the endless pit in the heart of the city catches our eye. Merchants still conduct business and people meander, but the hole dominates.
We’re not allowed to wander, though, without guards insisting we see the Duke. The nobles’ district is unchanged, and I enter the castle grounds and go up to the royal solar. I’m immediately confronted. “You met with the dragon! You conspired with it to wither me and usurp my seat as duke!”
Finally I get a good look at him. Yikes, buddy.
Notice that the Duke assumes I did as he did. I abandoned my love in order to rule, he believes. That I killed the dragon is not something he can accept.
And then the crazy old man raises his sword and attacks me. He’s pretty easy to defeat, although we’re both knocked through the window and out onto the balcony.
Run. The guards don’t do much damage, and the Pawns fight them all, but it’s constant harassment through the city. Eventually they back us up against the edge of the pit. A cloud of harpies come from within, and I lose my balance and topple over the lip.