It was the first dive of many for Banagher — his arrival to the Buried Kingdom a mere moon ago was finally bearing the fruit he so desperately sought. Down in the dungeons is where he could finally make his mark; one not of glory and honor, and certainly not of riches.

The mark upon his brow thrums. Was it just his imagination? Or was it something more?

The dungeons were fantastical. Mystical, even. He had heard plenty of tales from travelers about what the realm below could bestow upon one with the courage to reach its furthest depths. If they were true… if he could become what he so desperately wished to be…?

Karma would come for those who scorned him. He'd be certain it'd be by his own hoof.

He crosses the threshold, just beyond the reach of the light from the dungeon's entrance. Yards ahead, he knows the passage will open up into the verdant landscape of the dungeon's first layer. Light would be gifted in the form of bioluminescent flora, or the energetic fauna… but until then, Banagher is keen to pluck his lantern from his pack to carry.

The rocky terrain underhoof begins to rise, the incline before him the final stretch he needs to cross before the journey truly begins. Yet, as he takes his next few steps, the ground begins to rumble.

With hairs standing on edge, Banagher is quick to back up (lest he get crushed to death), watching in a bewildered awe as the rocks he just stood on begin to knock together and rise. Forming a strange bipedal shape reminiscent of the humans of eld, three stone golems bar his path forward.

Courser and golem stare at each other, both parties perhaps just as surprised to see the other. His mind begins to race with options. Do they speak? Are they hostile? He cannot get past them like this, so what can he do?

One of the golems shifts to rise higher, and with it an opportunity is spotted. Firmly clenching onto the handle of his lantern, Banagher is quick to bound forward, utilizing the ledges that formed one's knees to propel himself higher. Next came the confused swing of an arm to kick off, and as his front hooves land upon the shoulder of the tallest golem, he hoists himself up with a scattering of keratin against stone.

From here, Banagher can see the opening to the cavern he sought. All he has to do? Make the jump.

As the figure below him begins to rumble and bellow, he bundles his energy into his haunches and launches himself the distance, meeting the surface below with a small stumble. He recovers swiftly, and with a single glance behind him at the golems he gallops ahead towards the rest of his dive. It would take far more than that to deter him — Banagher had the determination to know that much was true.

Still, he was a greenhorn. While he poured over tomes and listened to gossip from the more well-traveled coursers around him, he knew he wouldn't be prepared for everything. But damn him if he doesn't try.