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Quest Objective

- Travel to Caldasher and put an end to her brother's plans.

Side Objective Added

- Survive the coming trials.

In a strange new set of circumstances, the demon you'd been hunting has forced you into her service, making you her champion. Guided by her words, you will need to journey to Caldasher, and find a way to kill her brother Tazrael.

***  

After trekking through the swamp for most of the day and night, sweat dripping off your face and down your neck. You start to wonder where all the trolls have disappeared off to? The blighted creatures would never pass up an opportunity at a free meal, especially ones that have wandered so deep into their territory. Yet you haven't come across a single troll. Not that you mind, but you do wonder where all the creatures have gone. 

Trolls by nature were unscrupulous  beasts that live for the sheer pleasure of killing other creatures, they were notorious throughout the Dwarven and the Minotaur lands for raiding and pillaging villages of all their livestock. You'd also heard stories of a time long ago, when the trolls had followed Kings to war against the Minotaurs for seventeen long grueling centuries. Which only ended, when the werewolves from the Isle of Neeven had come to the Minotaur's aid, halting their march inland and forcing them back into their filthy swamps. 

But all of that had happened years ago, back during your father's time. The odd thing was, in the stories you'd heard tell by dwarven scholars was that before trolls had gone to war there had been a great stillness within the swamps. Now you don't necessarily believe for a second that a troll army was gathering within the swamps, but the swamp was never this quiet...

Gorrack his ever watchful gaze shifting back and forth uneasily, had his battleaxe out and was looking worried, maybe he too was starting to realise the danger they had gotten themselves into. 

While Lorna on the other hand was more interested in the insects and creatures that inhabited the swamp, pausing every now and again to study them. Even going so far as to try and catch  one of cliks in her fist, but judging by look of disappointment on her face, she still hadn't succeeded in catching one yet. 

You however, never liked insects, cliks, mugz, grubers or blooters they were all the same to you. Although blooters to your mind were the worst with their green pustulent bodies that were able float in the breeze. Allowing them to stalk their prey silently, before gently landing on their backs to latch onto their flesh and never let go, their tube like claws sliding into your skin like needles.

You've lived through that experience once in your life, while out scouting the forest for a company of adventurers looking for troll loot, but never again. Which was probably the main reason, you really didn't want to come back out here into the marshy swamp.

Keeping your head on a swivel, your eyes darting left and right, watching for any signs of the god awful insects, when Gorrack holds up a fist and points to a large patch of ground that looks a bit like an island in the middle of the swamp. 

Glad to be heading towards dry land even if's its only for a short break, you hurry a little careful to not slip on the slippery surface of the stones beneath your feet and release a huge sigh of relief upon reaching firm soil beneath your feet. 

Wading out from the mucky green water that has utterly drenched your clothing and left you smelling like rotten eggs. You walk over towards a distracted Lorna, who is sitting cross legged beside a large upturned stone, staring at something in her her hand and take a seat not far from her. 

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

You then tug off the small sack you've been carrying around on your shoulder and pull out some dried hob meat to suck on, until it's soft enough to start chewing. The cold breeze chilling your bones.

Gorrack deciding to keep watch, leans up against a massive tree trunk, his battelaxe back in it's sling, but never far from his hand. 

After awhile of staring out into the darkening marshland, you begin to wonder what Lorna's looking at? So you lean over to see what's in her hand and flare your nostrils in disgust, upon seeing a dead clik in her palm and blurt out, "Seriously, why?"

Lorna without looking up at you, continues to study the tiny insect. "Why?... well why not? Cliks only exist in the swamplands and yet they produce an inky substance that is pretty much used in every single potion that's ever been made on our world. Haven't you ever wondered how the potions  you use to heal your wounds works? Well, it's because of these marvelous insects."

Losing your appetite from seeing her play around with the dead insect, you toss aside the meat you were chewing on and stand back up to walk over to Gorrack. "You see anything."

Gorrack nods his head and points towards an overgrown tree several miles away from where you are that must be at least fifty feet tall and ten feet wide with long sweeping branches that stretch out for miles overhead. Having never seen the legendary Hearth Tree before, you cannot help but feel awe at it's great size and strangely unnatural beauty that entrances you. 

But what has you licking your lips hungrily is the treasure chest that is nestled inside the hollowed out part of its tree trunk, which glints invitingly in the starlight, urging you to walk towards it.

(Click here if you wish to walk towards the treasure chest and open it up.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

With eyes only for the chest, you walk towards the tree and feel Gorrack try to grab your shoulder, calling out for you to stop, but you can't hear him over the drumbeat of your own heart. Which for some reason feels so loud, it's like its banging against the insides of your brain. Oblivious to the water that splashes up to waist and the insects that fly around you. You keep walking, when you feel something hard, hit you on the back of the head.(- 30 Health Points) Blacking out into topple forward into someone's arms, then darkness... 

...Groaning you wake up a few minutes later back on the island, your head aching like it's hit with a rock and look up into the face of a concerned Lorna,who lets out a heavy sigh of relief upon seeing your eyes flutter open. "Wha--What happened? Where's the treasure?"

Lorna quirks her eyebrow up in mild annoyance. "How in the world have you survived this long being so dense? There was never any treasure to be had. The Hearth Tree creates whatever mirage will entice the adventurers close to her, before tearing their body apart to fertilise her roots. Your lucky, Gorrack here caught up to you in time,before anything serious happened to you." 

Nodding your head in thanks to big orc for the timely rescue, you stand back up, feeling slightly embarrassed and eager to be off again.

Wishing with all your heart to be away from you here, you clear your throat. "Hrrmmm, well I think it's just about time we get going again." Gorrack nods his head an agreement and gestures a hand towards Lorna, who reluctantly gets back up, pocketing her insect. 

Moving together as a group, you walk back into the smelly swamp. However this time you decide to take the lead pushing off ahead of Gorrack, who snorts his nostrils amusement and shakes his head at your eagerness. 

Choosing to ignore him, you wade out deeper into the green frothing water that now reaches your arms and struggle your way forward. Insects buzzing all about, causing your arms to flail every now and then to get rid of them. The stillness of the swampland somehow closing in around you to make your mind wander. Your thoughts returning to the demoness and her plans to use you against her brother. Which to your mind still sounded absolutely ridiculously, after all why would a demoness need you to do something she should be able to do herself?Or why not send one of her minions? It just didn't make any sense. 

Wiping the sweat from your forehead, you briefly look up to make sure your still moving in right direction and curse underneath your breath.

Thousands of glowing lights shine in the distance, stretching for many miles in both directions, blocking their path forward. You think briefly of going around, but that could take a lot more time. Turning you hold up a finger to your lips to make sure your companions stay quiet, and cautiously walk towards the light. 

Much closer now to the lights, you can make out hundreds upon thousands of  campfires on islands like the one you were on before but much larger with thousands of trolls moving about the camp site. Sharpening weapons on grindstones and equipping themselves in armor made from the bark of the swamp trees, clearly preparing for war. 

Stung by the revelation that you had been right all along, you try to come up with a plan of action to get past the creatures.

1. See if Lorna has a spell that can distract the camp?

2. Wait for the trolls to go to sleep, assuming they have to sleep?

3. Attempt to battle your way along fringes of their camp, where there are fewest of them?

4. If you still have a combust ball, you can use it to create a distraction? (Quest Item Needed)

5. It could mean a much longer journey, but you can attempt to circle the troll camp?