Book One – Chapter 4

Well, this walkway now served as an elaborate decoy hideout. Yves’ intent was to both challenge and captivate, to exhaust and excite and eventually satisfy those determined enough to come all this way. Anyone who made it this far must possess determination and magical prowess. Yves made sure to cater to their expectations by actually hiding a modicum of genuine treasure, complete with an array of spells. His web of enchantments included an advanced perception filter that rendered these valuable items indistinguishable from mundane mechanical objects such as clockwork and chains that hung everywhere without discernable order or purpose. Yves had also replaced singular bricks with boxes that held fragile trinkets and coin. Set right into the wall at the most difficult places to reach and coated with the right glamour spell, they appeared and, upon touch, also felt indistinguishable from the other bricks. Worthless objects in turn appeared like moderately well hidden treasure. This layer of final misdirection was essential to make this treasure hunt appear coherent. Yves expected an intruder to exhaust himself unravelling these illusions, eventually finding excitement in figuring them out, rake in the decoy rewards and subsequently depart, never suspecting the existence of the real sanctuary lying far beneath.

While the deluded would leave content, only the genuinely skilled and sceptical, those who anticipated and successfully unveiled the hidden underground sanctuary, would prove a real threat. This hideout was Yves’ stronghold, where he safeguarded his most potent and enigmatic artefacts, and where he would prepare for battle against such a foe.