Choice Results are at the bottom of the page. Good luck!
Piling together some branches and tying them up in a bundle. You light up your makeshift torch and enter the dark, cold tunnels. Weapon and torch ready in hand you slowly make your way into the cave. The long narrow tunnel stretches out before, widening ever so slightly the deeper in you go in. The rank of the odor of desiccation and decay tickles your nostrils, causing you sneeze. A sneeze that echoes for miles, before fading away into the impenetrable darkness ahead of you. Nerves on edge at the overwhelming sense of evil that pervades every inch of this place, you creep forward, lightly stepping upon the stony ground. When you hear something crack beneath your feet. Warily you look down and see piles upon piles of bones; scattered throughout the tunnel. Reminding you that beasts must dwell here. You look back the way, you've come in the hopes of turning back, but the entrance to the cave has disappeared. In its place you hear a harsh, ragged breathing that grates upon the senses.
Controlling your rising panic, that something is behind you, blocking your way out of here. You press on ahead deeper into the cave. All the while hoping that whatever was behind you has already had it's full of meat for the day. Almost immediately, as if to deny your wish, the groaning behind you becomes louder and closer. Heart pulsing rapidly, you speed up your pace, until eventually, the underground cave widens out, and you can no longer hear the harsh breathing. Heart still racing, you pause for a minute to calm yourself down and look around. Hanging above you from the ceiling are thousands of pointy stalagmites, that look just about ready to fall off and kill you. You also see some type of drawing scrawled into the side of the cave wall. Bringing your torch closer to the wall to examine the drawing, you conclude it must be a Dwarven marker. Placed here to guide would-be travelers to their city. Unfortunately for you most of the marker has faded away over time. However, you can make out Dwarven words engraved at the top that could prove important.
You step away from the markings on the wall, glance back the way you've come, before putting your head down and setting off once more; using the makeshift torch to guide you. Minutes pass by within the deathly silent tunnels, the smell of desiccation growing stronger and stronger, the further in you go. Worried by what's ahead of you, you notice the torch begin to flicker as it nears the end. Instinctively you stride forward even faster, almost running, when you trip over something and slam into the ground; your arms and hands grazing the rough stone floor. You looking back to see what had tripped you, and see four skeletons huddled together upon the cave floor, their arms wrapped around each other with a fifth skeleton, small as a child lying in the middle. Not sure, how these creatures had died, you quickly dust yourself off and get back up. No time to dwell on what happened to them. You pick up the torch, you had dropped, burning your fingers and continue until you reach a massive, open-spaced chamber that is eerily filled with a pale white light.
At the far end of the chamber you see another tunnel that probably leads deeper into the underground cave system, but between you and your goal is lies a group of maybe twenty to thirty creatures dressed in ragged clothes worn out through age sleeping pressed against each other upon the cold hard floor. Dwarflike in appearance and stature, you realize these must be the feral dwarves. Rabid creatures that have lost all sense of themselves, they will be difficult to face in battle without seriously getting wounded. You look about the chamber hoping to see another way forward and see a crack in the chamber's wall. Big enough, that you might be able to squeeze yourself through. You also notice that the creatures are sleeping directly beneath stalagmites that look ready to fall. Lastly, at the edges of the chamber, you do see some decent places, where you could hide as you creep your way around the chamber to the other side.
Choice 2. Do you search for a way to drop the stalagmites on top of the Dwarves?
(Click here if you have Doren as a companion.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Not really interested in a direct fight with these blighters, you quickly scan the cavern searching for a way to bring the stalagmites crashing down upon the dwarves and find your eyes drawn to a large stash of rusted weapons and armor that lay hidden away to the side of the cave with what looked to be the remains of a hundred or so other would-be adventurers gathered together in a small mound of bodies. And among them a sizeable Warhammer.
Gesturing to Doren to stay where he was, you slide your way over to the heavy weapon, and haul it up onto your shoulder. The damn thing probably weighing more than you did as you try to make your way quietly back over to Doren where you could at least take cover from the falling debris.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Bracing yourself for what comes next, you swing the Warhammer with all your might into the base of the cavern, and hear an audible crack as the stalagmites splinter above, the sound echoing back and forth across the chamber. The stalagmites wiggling from side to side, but not enough to bring any of them down.
Hands trembling as you hear the ferals shrieks of rage, you desperately strike again and again. Each time thinking the place would come crashing down, but instead, the ceiling remains intact.
Almost panic-stricken now, your palms wet with sweat, you grip the Warhammer tighter, and throw your entire weight behind the next blow with enough force to send a powerful jolt running up your arm. The loud cracks you hear above finally bringing down the stalagmites in a thunderous crash of sound when you suddenly realize too late that you were still too close to the falling pieces of rock that shoot down towards you like spears.
(Flip a coin to see check the results.)
(Click here for heads.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
A little too slow to react, you try to throw yourself further back into the tunnel, when you're caught by a stalagmite that narrowly piercing your shoulder and knocks the wind out of you, throwing you back as a spray of stones flies into your face.
Battle Results
- 100 Health Points
Loot
None
(Click here for tails.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Quick to react, you throw yourself back deeper into the tunnel, and narrowly avoid the falling stalagmite, the spray of the rock shards catching you across the cheek and arm.
Battle Results
-15 Health Points
Loot
No
(Click here if you do not have Doren as a companion.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Not really interested in a direct fight with these blighters, you quickly scan the cavern searching for a way to bring the stalagmites crashing down upon the dwarves and find your eyes drawn to a large stash of rusted weapons and armor that lay hidden away to the side of the cave with what looked to be the remains of a hundred or so other would-be adventurers gathered together in a small mound of bodies. And among them a sizeable Warhammer.
Taking a deep breath, you slide your way over to the heavy weapon and haul it up onto your shoulder. The damn thing probably weighing more than you did as you try to make your way quietly back over to Doren where you could at least take cover from the falling debris.
Bracing yourself for what comes next, you swing the Warhammer with all your might into the base of the cavern, and hear an audible crack as the stalagmites splinter above, the sound echoing back and forth across the chamber. The stalagmites wiggling from side to side, but not enough to bring any of them down.
Hands trembling as you hear the ferals shrieks of rage, you desperately strike again and again. Each time thinking the place would come crashing down, but instead, the ceiling remains intact.
Almost panic-stricken now, your palms wet with sweat, you grip the Warhammer tighter, and throw your entire weight behind the next blow with enough force to send a powerful jolt running up your arm. The loud cracks you hear above finally bringing down the stalagmites in a thunderous crash of sound when you suddenly realize too late that you were still too close to the falling pieces of rock that shoot down towards you like spears.
(Flip a coin to see check the results.)
(Click here for heads.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
A little too slow to react, you try to throw yourself further back into the tunnel, when you're caught by a stalagmite that narrowly piercing your shoulder and knocks the wind out of you, throwing you back as a spray of stones flies into your face.
Battle Results
- 100 Health Points
Loot
None
(Click here for tails.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Quick to react, you throw yourself back deeper into the tunnel, and narrowly avoid the falling stalagmite, the spray of the rock shards catching you across the cheek and arm.
Battle Results
-15 Health Points
Loot
No