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While your first instinct is to escape from the fortress, and leave this place far behind. Your not so sure you want to leave without at least searching for your belonging. Losing everything you've gained up until now, would be a heavy blow. Not to mention all the gold you'd lose. With that thought uppermost in your mind, you ask Dywin, if he knows where the mercenaries have taken your gear. The old dwarf rubs a hand through his white beard thinking, before replying that he did see a couple of black robed mercenaries heading to the upper levels of the Stronghold with some equipment. Which could be your belongings.
Dywin familiar with the fortress's interior, also explains to you that you are on the bottom level of the Stronghold, and that if they want to get out of here, we'll either have to pass through the sewers, which will be heavily guarded by the Silver Wolf Company, who are famed for having skilled archers and mages. Or get moving up to the third level, which is equally dangerous if not more so with Ancients roaming the halls, and a demon hiding in the shadows. Normally you'd do all you could to avoid danger, but retrieving your belongings must be your first priority. Lorna is also very adamant in retrieving her possessions, although she won't tell you why. All she will tell you is that she is a mage of some kind with a few spells up her sleeves and that Gorrak can transform into a Berserker at the sight or smell of blood. Useful tools to remember, while exploring the Stronghold. Although it might be best to keep an eye on them, who knows what they're really here for and why.
As for Dywin, he seems harmless enough, an ancient old dwarf with a easy going manner that makes you want to trust him, but sometimes you catch this look in his brown eyes. This cold calculating look, that makes you wonder, who he really is too? In any case, you wave your hand forward and tell Dywin to lead the way, while you stay a few steps behind him.
After passing through a dozen or so barely furnished rooms, you come across a wide open- spaced room with column after column of book shelves lined up neat rows, with writing pedestals spread out all across the wide open space and mosaic an ancient Dwarven king built painted into the flooring.
Dywin after gazing around him for a moment informs you that this the library, where most of the scholars reside and keep their records. Curious to see what you can find here, you begin searching the entire library looking for valuables, while Lorna stares at you in consternation, muttering something under her breath about the greed of your kind to her companion. When you come across a hidden alcove, where you find a small chest nestled in between the stone wall. Retrieving it from it's hiding place you bring it over to a empty table and place it down, wiping the scowl off Lorna's face.
Slowly you crack open the chest, when the trap is triggered. (If you have dagger and use it to pry the chest. You receive no damage.) If not, you feel a jolt of lightning shoot up your body -20 Health Points. Inside the chest you find several spell scrolls that Lorna snatches out of your grasp, saying it would be useless for someone like you to have them. Infuriated by her superior tone, you clench your teeth to keep your anger in check and ask her what the scrolls can do at least. Rolling her eyes at you, she says one is a spell scroll called Fire Fists, which launches a barrage of fireballs. The second is a spell scroll of invisibility, and the third is a scroll for Demon's blade, which summons a wicked blade that wields black flames called forth from the pits of the underworld.
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Satisfied you've searched the entire library, you continue on through the doorway ahead of you, and enter a long, curving hallway.Where paintings of great dwarven battles hang upon the walls, illustrating their many victories in battle. Gorrak snorts in derision at the sight of dwarves butchering Orcs upon a crimson field, and flexes his muscles threateningly. Causing Dywin to tug his beard nervously and back away. Rolling your eyes in amusement, you continue along the broad empty corridor, wondering where it leads, when a voice whispers through your mind, insinuating itself in your brain. "I did not think I would see you again warrior, but it seems we two are fated to meet once more. I long to see you and show you my true new form..." Quivering uncontrollably you spin around searching for the source of the voice, and see your companions staring at you strangely.
Unconformable with their gazes, you turn away from them, in time to see hundreds of feral dwarves burst out from the opposite end of the corridor to come charging towards your position. Thinking fast on your feet, you command Gorrak to stand by your side and order Lorna and Dywin back. Your formation set, you look over towards the feral dwarves and see one of the creatures holding back. Much larger, and thinner than its kin, with grey flaking skin and big round black eyes. It stares at you from the across the hall, with a keen intelligence that belies its appearance. A feral dwarf that thinks? Impossible, and yet there it was watching him.
1. Do you charge into battle alongside Gorrak to take the brunt of the assault using his Berserker abilities to win the battle, while Lorna and Dywin to provide whatever support they can from behind?
Pounding your chest to get the blood flowing, you shoot Gorrak a bloodthirsty smile, which you see mirrored in his face and nod your head at him. Then grinning like a pair of blood hungry fools, you charge together into the midst of the feral dwarves, knocking them backwards, and lash out at the nearest beasts to come rushing back at you. Striking swift blows in quick succession, you lay about yourself with a ferocity that sends many of them crumpling to the carpeted stone floor, and feel their filthy claws rake into your body in reply. Blood pumping, you cleave your way forward through the corridor, alongside Gorrak, who uses his fists like hammers. Cracking the skulls of his enemies like overripe watermelons.
Behind you, you see Dywin darting about the corridor after you, cleaning up the mess you and Gorrak have made. Stabbing a blade he'd hidden up his sleeve into the throats of the wounded creatures, while Lorna blasts magical word after word into the enemy stunning them briefly to create opening in their ranks.
Hedged in from all sides and badly cut up by creature's stabbing claws, you continue advancing up the hallway, driving forward towards the strange creature at the back. All the while using the openings Lorna provides for you to smite another beast down, when all of a sudden you feel the halls quake beneath your feet. Looking over, you see that Gorrak has finally transformed into a Berserker. Mouth foaming white, and blood dripping down from his crimson red eyes. The huge dark skinned warrior sweeps his arms about him, crushing the puny feral dwarves beneath him like insects, before rampaging down the corridor. Accidentally clipping you in the tight confines of the hall to smash hard against the stone wall. Head ringing, and back aching. You gingerly get up and see the corridor littered with dead feral dwarves, and the strange dwarf disappear down another corridor with the surviving feral dwarves.
Battle Results
- 50 Health Points
Companion Reputation + 3 (Gorrak, Lorna and Dywin are pleased with your actions.)
Loot
With no place to carry any feral dwarf ears you reluctantly leave their ears behind, while you search their bodies and find 18 gold pieces.