Garron and Unstoffe bait the Shrivenzale
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Garron and Unstoffe arrive at the tower and begin to prepare for their nighttime operation, with Garron instructing Unstoffe to be cautious.
Garron and Unstoffe remove the metal cover, revealing a hole, and Unstoffe drops a leg of meat down into it, attracting a snarling creature.
Unstoffe expresses concern about always getting these jobs, and Garron reassures him, explaining that he's young and it's part of the task.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
A mix of determined focus and underlying impatience, masked by feigned camaraderie; hides vulnerability beneath sharp, satirical barbs.
Garron kneels beside the hatch, guiding Unstoffe into action with sharp orders and cold pragmatism. He demonstrates urgency and impatience, repeatedly goading Unstoffe with jibes about youth and fear while ensuring the plan’s delicate mechanics—timing the curfew, securing the ladder—are executed flawlessly. His voice carries a taunting edge, yet his focus remains razor-sharp.
- • Successfully distract and lure the Shrivenzale away from the relics using the drugged meat
- • Ensure Unstoffe proceeds with the descent despite hesitation and physical danger
- • Youth and daring are expendable tools—fear holds back necessary action
- • Precision timing, not brute force, will secure the heist
Reluctant and slightly resentful, masking fear with sarcasm and weariness, but ultimately resigned to duty.
Unstoffe assists physically but questions the plan aloud, revealing hesitation and frustration with Garron’s condescension. He climbs down the ladder into the Shrivenzale’s pen with visible reluctance, muttering about age and danger. His actions are methodical but laced with irritation at Garron’s taunts and at being forced into the riskiest roles.
- • Survive the Shrivenzale’s pen and reach the Jewel Room undetected
- • Succeed in the mission despite discomfort and Garron’s psychological pressure
- • His own safety matters less than completing the job when urged to act
- • Respect cannot be bought with cheap flattery—he values experience over Garron’s cynicism
Neutral and focused on duty; likely unaware of the greater stakes beyond protocol.
In the Jewel Room below, the Captain of the Guard concludes his ceremonial tolling of the curfew bell and uses his staff to extinguish the electric lights, leaving only dim candlelight. He seals the room ritualistically and departs, unaware his bell tolling inadvertently triggers the first phase of the heist.
- • Complete the evening lock-up ritual according to protocol
- • Leave the Crown Jewels properly secured for the night
- • Routine procedures protect the artifacts and maintain order on Ribos
- • Institutional rituals are essential to galactic governance, regardless of unseen threats
Drugged and disoriented initially, growing increasingly agitated as the event progresses.
The Shrivenzale, dormant from the drugged meat, stirs at the disturbance. Its claws scrabble against the panel, agitated by the scent of fresh prey and movement in its domain. It serves as a living alarm and distraction—whether for guards or thieves—its presence ensuring tension peaks before the heist even begins.
- • Respond to stimuli and sensory triggers in its enclosure
- • Fulfill its function as a deterrent and guardian of the relics
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Unstoffe’s jethrik bag, strapped across his chest, carries the real jethrik stone he will soon attempt to swap with the fake. It presses against him as he descends, a constant physical reminder of the mission’s value and danger—a burden of trust that must not be dropped.
Unstoffe unfurls and hooks the rope ladder over the edge of the hatch moments after Garron commands him. It becomes the only means of descent into the Shrivenzale’s pen and the Jewel Room. The ladder’s rungs are tested under load, swaying slightly as Unstoffe begins his climb, placing his life in its fragile support.
The suction cup is placed by Unstoffe onto the hatch’s metal surface to stabilize movement and serve as an anchor before climbing. The device adheres silently despite wind tremors and vibrations from the Shrivenzale below, allowing Unstoffe to grip the ladder with better confidence.
Unstoffe retrieves the compact glass cutter from his bag to silently breach the reinforced glass display case in the Jewel Room, preparing to swap the Crown Jewels replica months in advance. The cutter’s precision wheel bites cleanly, a method chosen to avoid sound or detection before full infiltration begins.
The Captain of the Guard uses his spread-eagle headed staff to switch off the electric lights in the Jewel Room, replacing them with flickering candles. The weapon-like staff connects the act of illumination to ceremonial finality, a symbolic gesture signifying the transition from public order to guarded secrecy.
The deep bronze curfew bell tolls loudly across the fortress, marking the exact moment Garron orders the meat to be dropped. Its mournful hum synchronizes the heist with the guards’ ritual withdrawal, creating a fleeting window of opportunity when the Shrivenzale’s pen will be opened and Unstoffe can descend unseen.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Jewel Room lies directly beneath the roof hatch, housing the Crown Jewels in a locked display case. It is a cloistered sanctum of royal relics, now circled by flickering candlelight and the restless agitation of a compromised guardian. The room’s confined space intensifies every footstep, making silence and speed essential.
The Relic Room Roof is a narrow, exposed platform above the Jewel Room where the heist is staged. Claustrophobic and freezing, it forces Garron and Unstoffe to work in close quarters. Snow-dusted flagstones and the open hatch create a treacherous edge, while howling winds and curfew bells frame the peril of being discovered.
The Shrivenzale’s Pen is a dank enclosure adjacent to the Jewel Room, accessible only via the open panel in the wall. It houses the ancient guardian, now restless from the scent of drugged meat. The creature’s claws scraping against the panel create an ominous rhythm, signaling that the heist’s first gamble—luring it away—has either succeeded or failed.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Garron and Unstoffe's preparatory steps for their heist on Ribos immediately lead to their attempt to incapacitate the Shrivenzale with drugged meat, establishing their cunning but morally dubious approach."
Unstoffe ventures into the relic vault"Garron and Unstoffe's preparatory steps for their heist on Ribos immediately lead to their attempt to incapacitate the Shrivenzale with drugged meat, establishing their cunning but morally dubious approach."
Unstoffe ventures into the relic vault