Dipper cleared his throat, settling into a Dungeon Master's persona.

"When we last left our heroes, Miv the Meddling trapped the great elven wizard Vhernan and the halfling fighter Tyrros in a dungeon filled to the brim with puzzles, riddles, and brain-teasers!" Dipper explained, his hand waving in front of him as a wide grin passed her face. "To reach Miv and end this journey once and for all, they'll have to brave the dungeon's mysteries and escape with their lives intact."

Alice watched, occasionally scanning the character sheets in her hands, as Dipper set two figures on the game board. The former figure, she assumed was Vhernan, was imposing with flowing robes. And the other, Tyrros, was much shorter but poised with a will to prove himself.

"But what would our two heroes find in the first room of the dungeon?" Dipper bellowed, clearly in character. "But a potential ally, just as trapped as they are, who will join them in their quest for freedom."

He placed three figures on the carpet, just to the side of the game board.

"And now you get to choose your character now," Dipper explained. "These are starters with premade templates, so they're good for short-notice additions."

Alice slipped one of the papers out from the stack of three, handing the other two back to Dipper, "I think I'll go with the bard."

"Good one-" Dipper grinned at her. "Bards can use songs to encourage their allies or use their insults to deal damage. I've kinda re-evaluated my stance on bards lately. You'll come in handy if we encounter any undead."

Ford hummed obviously, "Will we?"

"Mayb-" Dipper started to answer before cutting himself off and moving the figure of the bard to the board beside the other two. "Hey- Stop trying to play ahead. What's their name going to be?"

Alice pondered a moment, snapping her fingers, "Odan Summers." She could hear Ford muttering the name under his breath a few times. 

"Alright-" Dipper continued, clearing his throat once more. "Our heroes encounter Odan, in the first room of the dungeon. Odan, what's your deal with our main villain, Miv the Meddling."

"Hmm," Alice mused, tapping her finger against her paper. "Miv promised me eternal glory and amazing skill, but left a dagger in my back."

Dipper explained in turn, that Tyrros shared how Miv once beat him in a duel, an embarrassment because sorcerers aren't known for their prowess in combat. But he waved his hands, turning to his notes.

"None of this matters, because it's time to face down Miv, and escape." He glanced down at his papers and started to set the scene. "Behind you is a plain door. On the far wall of the room is a set of red doors and to the left and right are old stained glass windows, with familiar motifs on them. Having woken up here with no memory of how you got there, you don't know which door you came in, should go out of, or even what direction you should head in at all."

He paused, glancing back up at Alice.

"And now you guys decide what you want to do. You might wanna take a look around first."

"And by that-" Ford interrupted. "We mean rolling a die to see if we can notice anything. The outcome of nearly every substantial choice we make is tied to a roll of the dice."

"Alright," Alice nodded, straightening slightly and rolling her dice with Ford's instruction. "I'll take a look around the room then."

"Nice roll-" Dipper muttered, flipping through his notes. "Tacked to one of the walls in the room is a note that reads 'Proceed with Caution, Homies". Tyrros pockets the note, and you can hear the faint sound of rushing water in the distance. What do you do next?"

"What's the state of the door behind us?" Ford suddenly asked.

"see for yourself!" Dipper sneered playfully at his Grunkle. "I'm still the DM, I can't respond unless you check the door."

Ford's character, Vhernan, cast detect magic, and after confirming there was no magic behind the door, pushed it open.

"As you step through the doorway, it melts," Dipper explains as he moves the figures onto a different sheet of paper. "Seeping into the walls as if it were never there."

"Guess we can't go back that way," Alice said with a smile at Ford.

"The Chandelier overhead ignites, casting the room in a warm orange glow and revealing an impressive door on the far wall," Dipper elaborated. "In front of it is a large cloth-covered lump.

"That's suspicious," Alice chuckled, reaching out and poking her figure away from the paper marked 'door'. "Odan is going one way, and that's straight."

"Wait-" Dipper asked, squinting at her. "What are you going to do about the lump in front of it? It's blocking the door."

"Set it on fire," Alice said with a shrug. "Obviously."

"Woah, what?" Dipper asked, his eyes wide. "Do you even have a tinderbox?"

Alice glanced over her inventory list, snorting and shaking her head. 

"Maybe not then-" She chuckled before Ford leaned forward.

"Hold on," He mused, a smirk crossing his face. "I'm still a wizard with a couple of cantrips prepared. If I can use this can of gasoline in my inventory first, I can cast a spark that will light into a full fire."

"Oh, my gosh... Okay..." Dipper muttered as if they had just ruined his grand plans. "So you light the lump on fire. It burns for a few seconds until the lump shifts and rises with a cry of pain! You suddenly realize it was just a sleeping goblin all along. A bright light surrounds the goblin, and it disappears, whisked away by a teleportation spell, and with him gone, all that remains is the door."

"I cast detect magic on the door," Ford shot out before Alice could stop herself from grinning.

"The door is seeped in magical energy," the thirteen-year-old continued, ignoring Alice's muffled giggles. "You suspect it's what's keeping the door closed. You follow the energy back to its source: a brass knocker in the shape of a lion's head, which begins speaking."

The boy's voice shifted into a mockingly deep tone.

"To unlock what lies beyond, tell me: What is it you desire?"

"Which one of us is it talking to?" Ford asked. Alice could see he was far more into the game than she was, but she didn't mind. It was a little easier to ride his coattails than try and figure out what she was doing on her own.

Dipper smirked, his voice still mockingly deep. "The lion's head looks past Vhernan and Tyrros and towards Odan, its eyes glowing ruby red. 'What is it you desire?'"

Well, I thought too soon. She leaned back, scratching the back of her neck with one hand.

Alice paused, thinking for a moment before she answered. "Nothing."

Dipper grinned at her, "The lion's head is deeply offended. 'Nobody wants nothing, but if you say so, then my purpose is futile. Begone, homies'. The door swings open, and Vhernan, Tyrros, and Odan step forward into the next room."

"What made you choose that answer?" Ford asked her, out of character. His brow was raised, as if genuinely curious.

"I couldn't think of anything sure to benefit the party," Alice explained, setting her character sheet in front of her. "So I forfeited my choice."

"Nothing was actually the answer I was looking for," Dipper said, his grin still wide, and his voice returning to its natural pitch. "You solved my lion's head puzzle, Alice."

"Really?" Alice asked with a raised brow, glancing between Ford and Dipper. But the boy was quick to continue his dungeon, not giving her the chance to get an explanation.

"As soon as you enter this next room," Dipper continued, moving the characters once more. "The wall melds over the doorway, sealing you in. Glancing around, the far wall of the room seemed to be of a different material and color than the rest, though it could just be the lighting. to the left, you see a row of orbs affixed to the wall."

"I'm going to check out the wall," Alice said, moving her figure to the right.

"You look at it," Dipper told her in an overdramatic voice. "And confirm that it's a different color than the rest."

"I figured," She chuckled and pursed her lips. "Can I know about it?"

Dipper smiled at her, seeming to know what she was looking for.

"You knock along the wall and find that one section sounds hollow," Dipper said, glancing down at his notes. "As soon as you realize that, the next knock opens up a gap in the wall, which reveals itself to be a door."

Alice leaned back, glancing at Ford, "I'm going in, how about you?"

Ford chuckled, a sparkle of competitiveness twinkling in his eyes as he leaned back.

"Well, if Odan is going in, then Vhernanand Tyrros are going in."

"Alright then..." Dipper muttered, shifting his papers and refocusing on Alice and Ford. "As soon as you enter the room, you're struck by how different it looks from the rest of the dungeon. This small chamber is elaborate, with colorful cushions, rubs, and a dining table that holds a half-eaten feast. Next to the feast, a mouse examines a few empty goblets on the table. The mouse sees the party and beckons you to enter the room."