Forty Shades of Black
As you round a bend in a path, you come across a strange man -- a man dressed all in black clothes, wearing a black hat and carrying a black guitar case.
"Excuse me," you say, "I'm looking for the Bla-"
"I know what you seek," says the Man in Black, "and as sure as night is dark and day is light, this will lead you to it." He hands you a map.
"This map is blank," you protest. "Are you sure this isn't a map to the Blank Market?"
The Man in Black chuckles. "Keep your eyes wide open, all the time," he continues, "for the path is fraught with peril. And you cannot reach the Black Market by walking the line -- you must go there as the crow flies."
"As the crow flies? What does that mean?" you ask, but it's too late -- the Man in Black has already vanished.
Oh well. I guess a blank map is better than no map at all, if you pretend that it is.
 | You acquire an item: black map |
This adventure occurs in The Black Forest as part of the first task in the Quest for the Holy MacGuffin.
References
- The title is a direct reference to the 2011 novel Fifty Shades of Grey.
- "The man in black" is Johnny Cash and there are nods to his work throughout the text.
- "I Walk the Line" is from 1956. The lyrics "As sure as night is dark and day is light" and "I keep my eyes open all the time" appear in the first and second responses.
- Johnny Cash was known to have a sense of humor, as well as being helpful to many in the music industry. Giving you a useless map, but also giving a minor spoiler is well in-line with his personality.
