It was cold, with snowy gusts lifting snow from the ground every so often a weak sun shine down, when Theria arrived through the Portal. She asked the DireBear to be watchful and keep sniffing for a scent, as the landscape looked similar to that of the portal the Gargoyle had gone through. The DireBear stayed alert for either the smell of the Wizard's Tower or whatever snowy rock formation might be a gargoyle or capable of hiding a gargoyle behind it. Theria and the DireBear headed in the Direction of a Large Mountain with an impressively massive scale of ornately carved runes and knotwork entrance to the Fortress of the Goldenrift Dwarves, she could feel the Portal energy radiating off of the place. She guessed it was probably at least a month before the Dwarven envoys would arrive on this continent and longer before they arrived here.

The DireBear Cantered towards the entrance and stopped when they were within hailing distance. Theria dismounted and stood, then shouted, "I am Theria 'BigBear' Adalbern Sceaðaslayer, Clan Leader of the Adalbern, and I desire to speak with you. After defeating the Northern IceKin Alliance, I sent a troop of Dwarven representatives from various Dwarven Tribe allies to meet you. They are currently in the Northern Wastes, making their way here in a month or so. I greatly desire to discuss some matters of State with you; come, let us reason together." The response was silence; they waited half an hour.

Theria asked the DireBear to introduce their presence to the Goldenrift Dwarven, so it roared long and loud. The response was silence; they waited a quarter of an hour.

Theria reached out with her Domain and unleashed Force of Nature: storm surge and Green Lightning Bolts sparked against the Domain barrier of the Goldenrift Dwarves and the entranceway into their abode, and whomsoever they were, now they definitely could not be unaware of her presence. Her response to the silence was more blessings of green lightning, and they waited for ten minutes, and still, the response was silence.

Theria, still clad in purple Adamantine Armour, transformed into a WereDireBear, and the Armour morphed with her into her giant form and still spitting out lightning, she growled long and deep, and the noise reverberated throughout the mountain. She continued to growl hard for some minutes until a horn rang out, and she stopped.

A V-shaped phalanx of Golden Armoured Dwarves slowly emerged, with heart shaped shields resting their spear shaft in the indentation at the top of the heart shape. They marched in Columns and fielded an army of 10,000 Dwarven warriors. The Dwarves golden armour glinted in the sun, their spears had small golden pennants flapping near the tip, both effects combined were distracting making them hard to focus on, by design. Theria transformed back into a human and stood next to the DireBear at 100 yards away; they stopped. A blonde, haired tanned Dwarven warrior broke through the tip of the V and walked closer, accompanied by six bodyguards. Theria sat down on the floor and waited as the Dwarves approached; the DireBear lay down behind Theria, displaying no threat at the moment but ready to leap into action as required.

When the lead blonde long bearded, and moustached Dwarven warrior in golden Chainmail and the golden tri-horned helm was within melee weapons reach, they stopped and gave Theria a hard stare. Angrily and grumpily Thráin shouted, "Who dares awaken High King Thráin Anvilrider, of the Goldenrift Dwarves, who dares trespass on Goldenrift Dwarvenlands, unlooked for, uninvited, unwanted and unwelcome." During the speech, her ring was Yellow, so she felt the words were ritually angry and spoken from strength, but that reason might be possible.

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Theria spoke softly but firmly enough to carry so all might hear, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance and what beautifully crafted Armour you have. I am Duchess Theria 'BigBear' Adalbern Sceaðaslayer, Clan Leader of the Adalbern, Regent of the Kingdom of Fecundity and neutraliser of the Northern Icekin Alliance threat."

Thráin shouted, "We are unacquainted with you and see no reason to change that; idle boasters, thieves, chancers and charlatans are two a penny."

Theria proclaimed, "Perhaps me being a customer ready to spend coin would be more to your liking?"

Thráin scoffed, "It is no secret that Dwarves be friends of Gold. Let us see the colour of your money." During this conversation, the ring of discernment was blue.

Theria scoffed, "Dwarves might be so hard of hearing, not noticing my calling and keeping me waiting for over an hour, but I never suspected I'd live to such a day that Dwarves were so feeble sighted that they were unable to appreciate the quality of dragonforged craftsmanship of adamantine when it was afore their eyes."

Thráin shouted, "Well, yes, I must say you look mighty fine in that outfit, and were I a century younger and not happily married, perhaps I'd accept your sweet talk, but I am deaf to it, and I am still blind to your gold or perhaps since you left home you lost your gold."

Theria called, "After my King and Queen were assassinated, I have travelled the length of the Continent of Ur before traversing through many Portals since I left home, bringing out the true nature of things and destroying a demon that was involved in plotting the assassination and I followed a Gargoyle monster that was in league with the Assasins to your Continent through another Portal." Thráin glowed with a golden hue and stared and looked puzzled.

Thráin called, "I do see mixed up Portalsign about you and your mount, which is odd as normal Portalsign is stable, and the signature of it can help us get a read on the caster."

Theria spoke, "Alas, I can not yet make Portals, but the Demonic Eldritch Nameless Terror had five in his Tower, which we checked out, and then two other Wizards who said they could not teach me Portals formation but were able to show me how to detect Portal energy, then they made Portals for me to take care of some business before I requested to visit you in case you might know of the Gargoyle I hunt or could aid me in learning Portal formation.

Thráin spoke, "The Gargoyle you speak of was seen heading for the Nine Kobold Towns."

Theria spoke, "I would appreciate learning to make portals and visiting the Nine Kobold villages with haste, and I very much wish to interrogate the Gargoyle; perhaps you would care to assist or accompany me in my hunt to avenge my King?"

Thráin spoke, "My bodyguards and I would assist you in the visits you propose and would seek to see your encounter with the Gargoyle; we like a bit of adventure." Theria's ring was glowing green.

Theria spoke, "Please would you scry or portal scout the nine villages to see if we can find the Gargoyle? As I wish to deal with this first, my DireBear may be able to sniff it out if you can open a portal for us. I thank you for considering my request."

Thráin opened nine small scouting portals, and the DireBear sniffed six of them before indicating the sixth one and Theria asking to visit that one, so Thráin opened a Portal in the centre of the village and Theria and the DireBear walked through, followed by the seven Dwarves. Their sudden appearance causes confusion and fear in the Kobolds. Despite this, the DireBear leads the way to a hut on the edge of the village, where Theria finds the Gargoyle and a Kobold Shaman together when she steps into the building, followed by other DireBear companion and the Seven Dwarves.