The orc shaman sat down on a nearby stone, clearly exhausted, still holding the glowing green Arcane Eye in his palm.
Bob, eyes locked on the artifact, grinned. "So, great! We know where it is, now you just gotta—"
The shaman raised a hand, cutting him off. "I cannot give you the Eye. Not yet."
Jim sighed. "There it is."
Derek crossed his arms. "What's the catch?"
The shaman exhaled slowly. "We are cursed."
The group blinked.
Bob tilted his head. "Like… bad luck?"
The shaman shook his head. "No. A real curse. Some of my warriors do not even realize they are afflicted, but I can see it with the Arcane Eye. Their strength is being sapped, their instincts dulled. If not for this, your group would have stood no chance against us."
Silence.
Jim blinked. "...Wait. We only won because your guys were nerfed? Are you saying you guys are that strong even under a curse?"
The shaman nodded.
Bob frowned. "That's rude."
Derek sighed. "No, Bob. That's concerning for us."
Kain, arms crossed, frowned. "Curse magic is rare. It takes skill to hide a spell so well that even the victims don't realize they're affected."
Marcus nodded. "Which means whoever's behind it is dangerous."
The shaman continued, "If I give up the Arcane Eye now, we will be completely blind to the curse's effects. Without it, I cannot protect my people."
Bob scratched his chin. "So, let me get this straight—you want us to track down and stop the curse user?"
The shaman nodded. "If you eliminate the source of this curse, I will consider giving you the Arcane Eye."
Jim raised an eyebrow. "Consider?"
The shaman smirked. "I said consider."
Bob sighed. "I hate that word."
Bam, watching the glowing eye, finally spoke. "Have you noticed any patterns in when the curse strikes?"
The shaman nodded. "It happens randomly… but ever since rumors spread about the Arcane Eye, more humans have been showing up. Travelers. Mercenaries. Thieves." He paused, then narrowed his gaze at them. "Like you."
Bob raised his hands. "Hey, hey, we're different."
Derek muttered, "Not by much."
Kain sighed. "So this could mean one of these outsiders is responsible."
The shaman nodded. "Possibly. But I cannot leave my people unprotected to investigate. If you wish to claim the Eye, prove your worth—find the curse user, and stop them."
Jim took a deep breath. "Alright. Time to go curse hunting."
Bob clapped his hands. "Great! We'll just track down a mysterious, unknown enemy using curse magic that we barely understand."
Marcus sighed. "This is going to be a nightmare, isn't it?"