Dwarvic Ranger Buulk drew in a deep pull from his long pipe. He gazed at his campfire as he exhaled a long breath. It had been a long, fruitless day. He had been tracking goblin movements in the region for two weeks. He had tracked a large horde of goblins. His masters had received reports of a warchief named Garblack massing forces for an attack on the Dwarvic trading post in the months prior. But due to the complicated way of Dwarvic politics, they had seen fit to dispatch only a single ranger to verify the claims before agreeing to send more of their forces. Buulk had drawn the short straw and thus had been sent out to track the goblins. He didn't mind. He had always loved nature. He was familiar with most of the Heartspine Mountains at this point, so he had begrudgingly accepted his task.
The fire crackled on in the dark night. Suddenly, Buulk tensed, one hand subconsciously lifting a large double-headed axe from the ground. Then, out of the darkness beyond Buulk’s fire, came the sound of footsteps. Too quick to be a dwarf, too slow to be a goblin. Buulk stood toward the sound as he raised his axe to a defensive stance. The footsteps quickly stopped. Buulk's eyes widened as the creature came into the light of his fire. Light drenched the tiny white-robed Mankidd as it stared up at Buulk's face. A long gray beard hung from its wizened old form. Buulk quickly brought up the creature's stats. For a Mankidd, it had the highest intelligence stat he had seen since the fall of the human empires. “What's the matter, little one?” he asked, trying to calm the creature down. The Mankidd squeaked at him, almost as if in reply, high-pitched, panicked little yelps and whispers.
Buulk put down his axe and went back to his fire. He pulled a lump of roasting meat perched on a stick above the fire and offered it to the Mankidd. The creature ran forward, snatching the meat from his hand before looking at him with a look of sheer fear. Buulk nodded encouragingly, and the thing began to eat. Buulk looked down at the little thing. Most of his kind would usually gladly capture a Mankidd this far from the nature reserve to sell on the black markets, but Buulk, over the centuries, had developed a fondness for the little creatures. Buulk relit his pipe and took in another long inhale and stared at the creature now devouring the roasted meat. The reserve was ten or so miles away. Had this one made a break for it or...
Buulk stood up in sudden blur of movement, gathering his equipment with a military precision that had been drilled over the decades. The Mankidd screeched in protest as Buulk lifted a large, dark leather satchel onto his back. Buulk tried his best to convey the direction to the outpost to the little creature through sign language. Then, to the Mankidd's protest, he extinguished the fire and sped off into the night at a low jog.
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Snorri padded through the academic corridors. After the first few scenes of carnage he encountered, he stopped checking each room he passed in the vain hope he would find any survivors. The logic being that gnome left alive would probably scream as he passed anyway. The lighting crystals above Snorri flickered into darkness as he reached the first ben in the maze-like corridor. Apparently someone in the upper level was still alive to switch them off, or simply it was now nighttime and the lighting system was automated. Snorri chose to believe that somewhere above him, the gnomes of the mountain were still up there. The hope gave him comfort in the dark.
The first goblin Snorri encountered didn't put up a fight. caught completely off guard, sword and shield leaned against a wall. Snorri had struck the beast out of the darkness. Sending Arcacop’s long blade darting inbetween the goblin's ribcage. Snorri had merely pulled the blade free as he passed, not slowly, his pace and letting the goblin's body slump lazily onto the floor, an expression of shock carved on his face. Snorri had made it maybe a third of the way to the great hall when he encountered the goblins again.
Three goblins stood beside a goblish green fire. A sickeningly familiar smell wafted down the corridor. Snorri’s mind and heart sung with rage as his enhanced eyesight took in a suspiciously Gnomish-looking piece of meat roasting on the fire. Drawing a length of chain from Arracops Cuff and allowing the sword to dangle limply over the back of his left hand. He struck from the darkness. He flung the chain clean over the closest goblin's head and dragged the creature backward from the fire. After five or so feet, the goblin stopped twitching. Snorri knew it would have been easier to strike them all quickly, but this time he wanted them to know he was coming. The dead goblin rolled away limply. It’s two comrades who let out low-yapping growls at one another as they drew their swords and shields. Snorri cleaned the Arracops sword in both his hands.
The pair of goblins advanced towards Snorri, banging the blades of their swords against the shields as they filled the corridor with noise. Snorri threw Arracop two-handed down the corridor with all his strength. It struck the first goblin in the face. sending a spray of neon green blood and yellowish brain matter splattering onto the other goblish face. Enraged, the first charged towards Snorri, letting out a yelling, shreiking war cry as it came. Snorri pulled as hard as he could on Arracop’s chain, letting out his own defiant Gnomish warcry. but Snorri knew it was in vein. The sword did not have enough time to reach him before the goblin. Arracop spiralled through the air. The goblin's blade sung through the air towards Snorri’s face. The two tiny creatures scream at each other.
Snorri heard the squealing sound of a sword plunging into flesh as he closed his eyes. He felt a spray of blood hit his face, and a heavy goblin collapsed on top of him. Snorri pulled himself up and surveyed the body. Somehow, Arcacop had managed to pierce itself between the goblin’s shoulders. Snorri wiped neon green blood from his forehead with one sleeve before the yapping sounds of approaching goblins echoed down the tunnel towards him.