Glade wasn’t sure how long they had been at it, but he finally watched the light of consciousness in Bragden’s eyes disappear as the bald dwarf finally went limp.
Releasing him from a reverse choke hold, Glade turned to face his new blood brother, who was in the process of picking himself up from the ground while laughing merrily.
“By the Mother, ye can fight!” Krazzik said between breaths, beaming with pride. “Ye took on the both o’ us and still came out on top!”
Seeing the clan chief wasn’t about to attack, Glade double checked his status. He had only lost a few hit points during the fight and had no significant injuries, but he felt like he had been worked over like a punching bag. Almost every inch of him hurt, and one of his teeth was precariously loose.
“Vlakas!” Riya hissed, smacking the back of his head before infusing him with the golden light of healing magic. “I warned you not to get involved!”
“What… just happened…” Glade wheezed.
“Dwarven politics at their finest!” Krazzik chuckled as he tried waking his friend with a slap to the face. “And ye handled yerself beautifully!”
“But why did you attack me?” Glade asked, sighing in relief as his pain evaporated. Of everything he had experienced on Veil thus far, he loved healing magic the most.
Bragden groaned, immediately clutching his head. Glade didn’t envy the dwarf. Being knocked out by a choke hold always resulted in a massive headache.
“Some words o’ advice, Captain Glade. Never interrupt a fight between dwarves. They’ll turn on ye faster than a Gnome in a spinning contest.” Krazzik laughed.
“That makes no sense,” Glade said, watching Krazzik help a barely coherent Bragden to his feet.
“Ye ever see a Gnome spinning contest?” Krazzik asked. Glade shook his head. “Then don’t interrupt. By jumping in, ye opened yerself up to fight for your opinion. We naturally agreed, see’n as ye are blood bonded to the clan and all. And ye won! Congrats on learning how politics work!”
“But I didn’t have an opinion,” Glade protested.
“Sure ye did, lad. Ye wanted us to stop fightin, didn’t ye? When ye brought Bragden down, the vote was two to one for stopping the fight.”
“Then why did you fight me from the start!? If we had ganged up on Bragden, it would have stopped the fight sooner,” Glade reasoned.
Riya tsk’d loudly as she moved on to the bald dwarf, who sagged in relief once the golden light enveloped him.
“Aye, that it would. But ye forget, I wasn’t fightin to stop the fight. I was fightin to prove that ye deserved to be in me clan even with your… unique qualities. I be thinkin that ye proved yerself right well,” he laughed, slapping Glade on the back. “Which is why I knew I could cast me vote with ye to stop the fight!”
“You’re mad,” Glad groaned.
“Only on the third and eighth days o’ the week!” Krazzik laughed.
Shaking his head at the insanity of dwarves and knowing deep in his heart that Musketeer would fit right in with them, Glade quickly perused his notifications.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill Unarmed Combat (Mixed Style)! The tools of martial specialists and dwarvish politicians. 1% stamina reduction; +1% to damage, accuracy, and defense.
Congratulations! You have gained skill levels 2, 3, and 4 in Unarmed Combat (Mixed Style)! 4% stamina reduction; +4% to damage, accuracy, and defense.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill Politics (Dwarven)! Tools of the great game are as numerous as the sands of the sea. Some cultures’ tools are more… direct than others. +2% to all dwarven racial negotiations.
Congratulations! You have uncovered a hidden quest, Prove Yourself I. You have proven to both Krazzik and Bragden that you are not afraid to get dirty to prove your point. Dwarves thrive on standing up for personal beliefs. By joining the debate, you have proven to be a man of character and honor.
Rewards: 250XP. You have increased your standing with the Slaghammer clan from Neutral to Accepting. Additional quests, tasks, and training opportunities are now available. You have earned the right to voice your opinion without being ignored.
The hidden quest wasn’t anything Glade thought of as overwhelming, but at least it helped him understand where he stood with his adopted clan.
Once Bragden recovered, he grudgingly gave Glade something along the lines of a congratulatory grumble. After that, they resumed their trek in contemplative silence that lasted all of two minutes.
“Krazzik, what was it you were arguing about with Bragden?” Kerdryn asked. “Something about the King’s council not wanting your clan to succeed?”
“Oh, aye,” Krazzik drawled. “Creating a new clan be hard enough as it is. But if it wasn’t for Bragden here, maneuvering the legal matters like the specialist he is, the council wouldn’t have granted the charter. He outright forced em to approve it. Even so, it was only a temporary charter until the time we can meet all the conditions for a full-fledged clan.”
“Bloody backstabbing thieves, the lot o’ them,” Bragden grumbled. “Outright robbery it was. Never in the history o’ the Great Clan has the council demanded the absolute minimum time and the maximum requirements and payment to sponsor a clan! After we scraped up the fees and found the needed specialists willing to join, we was told we had to carve out a new slaggin home in the wild! Then, just to add a bit o’ flux to the whole slag sandwich, our ship was done taken over by slavers the day we set sail. A ship, mind you, the council had arranged for us.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Kedryn said. “Why would the council go to so much trouble to prevent you from forming a clan?”
“No idea,” Krazzik said with a shrug.
“Bah, ye know as well as I do why they be cutting our legs out from under us,” Bragden scoffed. “They not be wantin a Slagghammer to be a clan chief, pure and simple.”
“Now don’t go mixing metals, ye half-witted buffoon. There taint no evidence that be the case,” Krazzik said.
“I told ye when we first met they’d fight ye every step o’ the way on account o’ yer family name,”' Bragden huffed. “And I showed ye the records. Your forefathers were there with the Three and Five, meanin your family should have been a clan from the very beginning. The Mother take me, ye and your kin should even have a seat on the King’s own council!”
“Bah, now whose tellin the long tales?” Krazzik said, rolling his eyes.
“You mentioned that you have a temporary charter. What do you need to be considered a full clan?” Glade asked.
“Now that be the mithril lined question, don’t it,” Krazzik sighed. “Now that yer part o’ the clan, I can tell ye straight that it doesn’t look good. The first thing is to get these slave collars off, but we can’t do that until either yer channels heal up or we buy our freedom from the guild. We’re not exactly flush with gold, seein as the slavers took it all with em when we was caught. That being said, it would be right helpful if ye could heal up for us and all.” Krazzik said with a wink and smile.
“The next part is we have to find a home for the clan. Somewhere that ain’t claimed by any kingdom or civilization and has access to a mine. Sounds right easy, doesn’t it?”
“It ain’t easy,” Bragden snorted.
“Truth be told, Bragden here found a little mountain range on the edge o’ the Crag’s boundaries. It wasn’t much, but it met all the criteria. But it be the final requirement that’ll likely ruin us. We need to pay the King’s tax,” Krazzik said.
“Bah, now you’re the one not tellin the story straight,” Bragden said. “Typically, when a clan be stood up the council give’s em five years to settle before that tax be due. Not only did we have to pay the temporary charter tax up front, we have to pay the full King’s tax within a year o’ signing the charter. We have five months left.”
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“That sounds like someone’s playing dirty pool,” Glade said.
“What would dirty water have anything to do with this?” Krazzik asked.
“Oh, sorry. It’s a saying from back home. Means someone is making it impossible to win,” Glade clarified.
“Oh, that they be doing alright,” Bragden grumbled.
“Anything we can do to help?” Kedryn asked.
Glade shot the Kid a questioning look.
“Well, now that ye mention it, maybe ye can help seein as Glade be part o’ the clan now.”
You have been offered a Quest: A Chief’s Plea II. The Slaghammer clan is being unjustly dealt with by the King’s council. In order to beat them at their own game, Chief Krazzik and his people must meet all criteria set forth in the terms of their charter. To succeed in this quest, you must help the clan meet the following conditions:
Condition I: Free all members of the Slaghammer clan from slavery before the end of the temporary charter.
Condition II: Find a home for the clan that is not claimed by other political parties before the end of the temporary charter.
Condition III: Pay the King’s tax in full before the end of the temporary charter.
Optional Condition: Find evidence that the King’s council is dealing unjustly with the Slaghammer clan.
Reward: Increased regard from Krazzik Slaghammer and his clan. 50 XP per slave released. Variable rewards are possible depending on the degree of completion.
Do you accept? Yes/No
He shouldn’t have been surprised that Kedryn’s reason for asking if their new friends needed help was to unlock the second chain in the quest line.
Before accepting the quest, Glade shot the Kid another, but more subtle, questioning look. The last time this happened, Kedryn had accepted the quest on his behalf and doubled the rewards. Telepathy would have made this conversation so much easier, but the barely perceptible nod from Kedryn was all Glade needed.
He returned the nod with one of his own.
“Chief Krazzik, Captain Glade is graciously allowing me to accept this quest on his behalf. Your people’s plight have not fallen on deaf ears, and we will make certain to assist you in any way we can. I swear it…”
“Wait!” Riya cried.
“…upon my house’s good name.”
Attention! Due to your Shared Bond, Bei’Kedryn Serevlir has accepted the quest - A Chief’s Plea II on your behalf. Furthermore, he formally declared acceptance upon his house’s honor, and by the power of the bond, your honor. All rewards are now doubled. You must do your utmost to assist the Slaghammer clan to achieve its full status or lose one level of renown, amongst other penalties.
Krazzik gave the three of them a massive grin as Riya covered her mouth in shock.
“Ye did it, ye slag for brains,” Bragden said shaking his head. “I can’t believe ye went and did it.”
“Like I told ye, I like this royal! He not be afraid to answer any call for help, even from a down on their luck clan chief!” Krazzik laughed.
“Why do I feel like we just got swindled?” Glade asked.
“Because the Mede over there just committed both you and the entire royal elvish house in helping Krazzik establish his clan,” Riya sighed dramatically. “I don’t know why I even try to help you two. When will you learn to ask before committing to something?”
Krazzik laughed all the louder, slapping his second in command on the back.
“I really hate ye, ye know that, right?” Bragden grumbled. “Yer playing with forces ye know nothin about by roping the elvish royal house and someone with all 8 brands to help us.”
“Risk and reward, my friend, risk and reward,” Krazzik sang out, leading the group on.
“That sneaky, two timing…” Kedryn began before Glade interrupted him.
“Stand down, Kid,” he chuckled. He couldn’t help himself. The entire situation was ludicrous to begin with, but Krazzik’s daring had caught him completely off guard. “I’ll take the blame and the responsibility since I gave you the go ahead. At least we know not to accept any more quests on behalf of the elvish royal house moving forward.”
Krazzik laughed all the harder.
They walked for another 15 minutes, the cold slowly seeping into their bones. Oddly, Glade found himself missing his time in the lower tunnels. While it had been dangerous, it had been warm, with some excitement around every corner. This place was more like a tomb.
As they rounded the next bend, Riya’s hovering ball of light revealed a pile of bones covered in layers of dust and cobwebs.
“What have we here?” Krazzik said, edging closer as the others tensed, their weapons raised.
Days of living in a constant state of vigilance where something as innocuous as a ball of slime could kill had conditioned the group to be cautious.
Glade readied his borrowed spear as Kedryn conjured two flames. Even Riya increased the intensity of her light in case there might be other dangers lurking in the shadows.
Three more remains were revealed, each covered in dust and cobwebs.
“What are they?” Kedryn finally asked, breaking the silence.
“Dead bodies, son, and from the looks o’ them, they’ve been here a good while. Mayhap they hold a secret or three,” Krazzik responded, using his repurposed slavers club to poke through the closest pile. “I don’t see any traps, which means they should be safe enough to take a closer look.”
Bradgen moved forward next, using a crossbow bolt to poke through another pile.
Kedryn stepped forward to join them, but Glade grabbed his arm.
“We need someone to keep a rear guard. I’ll move to the front and see what’s ahead.”
Kedryn’s face fell. “But they’ll get all the loot!”
An arched brow was enough to silence the Corporal.
“Ah ha!” Krazzik whooped. “Some good coin on this one!”
“Same over here,” Bragden called out, removing a handful of tarnished silver. “Though it be older than any I’ve seen before. Definitely elvish make. Ye can tell by the silverthread on the back.”
“Aye, that ye can. But can ye make out who the ruler is on the other side? I’ve never seen that one before,” Krazzik said, squinting at one of the silver pieces in Riya’s light.
“Not right sure,” Bragden said. “Which means it be older than any I’ve read about. That puts this here find at least 1100 years or older by my reckoning.”
“How could these remains have lasted for that long?” Glade asked as he carefully made his way past the dwarves.
“The tunnel here was sealed up nice and tight, which means little moisture. Fortunately, there seems to be a bit o’ ventilation or else we would have suffocated hours ago. That and most everythin on the person was likely saturated in mana, even the bodies. Mana be a natural force against decay,” Bragden explained, pulling out another coin.
Glade caught a glint of gold in the next pile of bones, steering Riya toward it. She knew far better than he or Kedryn what to look for.
“I’ll keep a look out front. Can you let Kedryn or myself know if you find anything useful?” Glade called over his shoulder, stepping around the corpses with his spear raised.
“Depends on what ye’re definition o’ useful is,” Krazzik said, moving onto the next corpse. “A handful o’ silver and a gold so far. The armor and weapons be rusted beyond use. Aside from that, all I can tell ye is the poor wanks have been dead for longer than the current elvish court’s been in power.”
“They were elves,” Riya said, her voice reverent as she knelt next to the corpse Glade had pointed out to her. “You can tell by the shape of their skulls. They were either light elves or from the royal house.”
“How can you tell?” Kedryn asked.
“Wood elves don’t wear metal armor. Goes against their nature. My people couldn’t have afforded such an extravagance, even a thousand years ago,” she said, the look on her face a mixture of profound sadness and reverence. “The other houses don’t have standing armies, and these…”
Riya trailed off, lifting what appeared to be an ancient dagger. The blade was much wider than Glade was used to, with a handle that looked ready to fall apart if gripped too hard.
“Shadow elves,” Riya breathed. “These were shadow elves!”
Krazzik and Bragden stopped their search, turning to Riya with wide eyes.
“Yer joking,” Krazzik said, glancing between Bragden and Riya. “Tell me she’s joking.”
“What do mean?” Kedryn asked from behind.
“Because everyone knows that shadow elves arn’t real,” Krazzik said. “They be ghost stories to tell yer kids so they don’t go out in the middle o’ the night and do somethin stupid.”
“Not like it stopped you,” Bragden muttered, coming to look over Riya’s shoulder. “What makes ye believe they’re shadow elves?”
“Before my people were banished, we were the trusted right hands of the royal line. The shadow elves were the left hands, also known as the unseen will of the Ri. Because of their respective relationships to the royals, the ancient Ki’s of my house worked closely with the Ki’s of the shadow elves. This mark has been thoroughly documented in my peoples' histories,” she said, holding up the blade’s sheath for everyone to see. “Either this elf was a potential heir to the house of shadows or the Ki himself.”
Everyone immediately turned their gaze to Glade who kept watch at the edge of Riya’s light.
“Why is everyone looking at me?” Glade asked.
“Asks the one with all 8 brands,” Bragden snorted, going back to searching the remains. “O’ course the corpses would be long dead fairy tale elvish assassins made real, one o’ which was likely the bleedin Ki or the heir o’ the house o’ slaggin shadows itself. Because why not? Things like this happen every day, they do. All we be needin now is a legendary quest to pop up asking us to figure out what happened or something equally none o’ our business.”
No sooner had Bragden finished his speaking than a quest popped up, and from the surprised looks of everyone present, Glade wasn’t the only recipient.
Your group has been offered a Quest: The Lost Heir I. You have found the resting place of the House of Shadows long-lost heir. For centuries, the Ki’s of the hidden house of elves have searched for the heir apparent in vain. Will you be the ones to bring closure to the aggrieved?
Success Conditions: Bring proof of the long-lost heir’s death to the Ki of the House of Shadows or one of her appointed representatives.
Reward: 5,000 XP for all participants. 2,000 Gold to be shared between party members. Variable rewards possible depending upon the degree of completion.
Do you accept? Yes/No
“By the Mother,” Krazzik whispered, as the dwarves openly gawked at him. “It be a chained quest!”
“Stupid, freakin brands,” Bragden grumbled, pointedly glaring at Glade like this was all his doing.
“How is any of this my fault?” Glade asked.
“It ain’t so much as being yer fault,” Krazzik replied, to which Bragden snorted. “But this here coincidence is somethin right out o’ the stories o’ legends and myths. But…”
“But what?” Kedryn asked after the clan chief had trailed off.
“But, if ye look on the bright side o’ things,” he gave a big toothy grin. “It means we stand to get some great loot!”