After having a more emotional goodbye with Tantus than Ralph anticipated, Alva Tuul ended up being the next island to dock at the transfer station. There was a representative from the Tower waiting to pick Tantus up. Another Gnome with wild hair and a robe covered in strange writing. Tantus expressed how much he still wanted to help and gave Ralph a new set of communication stones before hugging the swordsman. That also came with a warning. Ralph was cautioned not to give one to Deacon since it was not Tantus’s best work. Not long after, Ralph found himself back in the rail car traveling down to the city proper. Ralph sat alone in the passenger section as no one else was traveling back down at the time of boarding.
From the window of the rail car Tantus could see for miles. Looking left he saw the massive overhang of the mountain side. Beneath it was the fort that served as the Monument to the Fallen. Beyond that was the expanse of shadowed cave and grey rocky terrain that led to two massive doors. Even from here Ralph could see the intricate carvings on their surface. He hoped there was powerful magic that kept the doors sealed. As the local entrance to the Deep Caverns, it is said there are some truly dangerous creatures if you go far enough down.
Around the halfway point of the trip there came an echoing boom. It was loud enough that it shook the rail car. The car began to slow its progress before coming to a halt.
“No worries. We’re just going to put the brakes on until the tremor passes. Sometimes being attached to a large rock edifice means you must be prepared for some tremors,” called the Gnome driver.
The sun finally set over the ocean and fire lights could be seen from town. As Ralph watched the street lamps all lit up like fire serpents winding through the city. The rail car driver began twisting some knobs and was about to pull on the brake release when an even larger boom came from the direction of the fort followed by the cracking of stone.
The doors to the Deep Cavern bent outward as flashes of light running up the frame burst before sputtering and dying. Ralph had seen that before. Once back when Deacon met Tantus for the first time and every time he touched a lower tier magic item after. Whatever enchantment was on the doors had just failed spectacularly.
“Get us on the ground now!” yelled Ralph.
“Standard operating procedure is to wait until the tremors stop. What’s got you so nervous, human?” asked the gnome driver.
Ralph didn’t answer, instead he ran up to the pilot’s section and forcibly turned his head toward the cavern. The shriek that came from the driver was high pitched enough that Ralph had to clap his hands over his ears. Then he lost his footing as the brake lever was released and the rail car was launched at double speed back to the city below.
----------------------------------------
Typhus was organizing the backup he received from House Bloodbeard. Even Breem, the attendant, showed up dressed in all leather armor looking as out of place as possible. Typhus took pity on him and assigned him to the message relay crystals he was having set up in the officers building. Typhus had around one hundred House Bloodbeard troops and another two hundred bodies from the Adventurer’s Guild. Some of them had their own parties and Typhus knew full well that would be cluster without clear direction. Oddly enough he found himself wishing Ralph were here. He did a fine job back in that small town and Typhus believed those leadership qualities should be cultivated. Even going as far as suggesting that a few days back to Sophie.
“I was just thinking of you,” commented Typhus as Sophie walked in.
“All good things I hoped,” said Sophie.
“Any idea where the swordsman Ralph is?” asked Typhus.
“He was supposed to meet me at the guild. When it was time to leave, I left word with Velmar to send him this way. I assume things above have taken longer than—” Sophie was cut off by a bone shaking boom.
There was a mad dash outside and up onto the walls. The gathered forces roughly three hundred strong all looked down mouth of the cavern toward the dirt and debris falling from the roof of the cavern. Some light chuckles began to spread through the crowd. Some people even began to disperse but Typhus’s eyes were laser focused on doors. There was light beading along the massive frame. The doors themselves were over fifty yards tall and twenty yards wide. Covered in complex carvings that meant more over a hundred years ago than they do today.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Have we gotten word back from the military? Will they be sending any Rune Guards?” asked Typhus looking back at Breem.
“There has been no response from the Generals office. This is very troubling young master. They should at least be responding to our requests. Something dastardly is afoot. Your father is Irate and has called an emergency session of the Stone Council.” answered Breem.
“More red tape and politics. Breem, I got an eyeful of their forces when forced shut a runic gateway several days ago. This is not enough to stop them. Get on the crystal to father, tell him we need more help as soon as he can secure it. Now go,” commanded Typhus.
No sooner did Breem take his first steps than a cacophonous cracking could be heard followed by an even louder crash. The magics surrounding the doors below flared up and failed in an explosion of sparks. The doors actually began to bend outward from the frame holding to the rocks.
“Breech!” screamed Typhus.
The doors continued to bow outward as two massive onyx colored hands pushed through and gripped the outside edge of the door. The nails on the creature were sharpened to a point and they dug into the metal of the doors. Then it began to heave them open. First the left door buckled in its frame and bent open. Then the hands moved to the right door.
The only light that traveled down into the wide mouthed cavern was from the torch lights along the walls of the fort. Typhus barked orders and rows of Deep Dwellers created a shield wall just in front of the fort to either side of the kneeling inert statues facing the doors. Once the doors were fully opened, they could see what was coming forth. There was a forty foot tall cyclops with blackened hands and feet. The dark color coated its forearm up to the elbow before fading away to dull orange skin. Its hairy chest had the symbol of Hipag painted on it. The shoulders of the creature had old scars scabbed over. Its thick neck held its massive head upright. A head that contained jagged and broken teeth. The nose was a horror show, like it was sliced off only leaving the two nostril slits. Then it had one big red pupil swimming in a sea of black with orange veins for an eye. It just stood there gasping for air in the doorway. Between its legs streamed hundreds of goblins with forged weapons showing a level of discipline unheard of. They lined up in columns and had standard bearers waving the flags emblazoned with the symbol of Hipag, deposed God of War and Cannibalism.
“Where are the Smitehammers?” asked one of the Deep Dwellers on the line.
“What about the city’s army? Why are we all out here?” questioned another.
“I heard rumors about goblins, but I would never have believed they were so disciplined,” commented an Adventurer before looking back at his fellows. One of them tilted his head quickly back towards town getting a nod of acknowledgment from the rest of his team.
“Hold your ground!” called Typhus shadow jumping to the front of the line.
This seemed to put more rigidity in their spines as he began to pace back and forth.
“The defenders of the Shattered Sky. That’s what you are right now. Until the city gets its act together you are the only thing stopping that madness from knocking on the city’s doors. Do you want to be known as the cowards that ran from Goblins? Of course not. They are better equipped than most, but they are still goblins. There is priest of Hipag named Pumus. I’m offering a one hundred gold bounty on him to anyone that brings him down. He looks like a stretched out goblin, easy to pick out. If you bring him to me to deal with, I’ll double it,” explained Typhus, that last bit appealing to the greed of the Adventurers.
“What about that big fuck off Cyclops?” asked one of the soldiers.
“I suggest you leave him to me, master Typhus,” said Alfred’s voice emerging from the War Golem on their right.
The War Golem stood up slowly shaking off a century of dirt and grime. Its eyes blazed with sapphire energy. At its full height it was just under seventy-five feet tall. In its right hand was a long pole arm with a spear tip. There was no creaking of joints, no stuttering of gears as they missed their tines. The body moved perfectly as Alfred rolled its shoulders. The gathered defenders were in shock.
“How?” asked Typhus squinting at the monument turned active combatant.
“Master Deacon used the golden relic to repair this platform before departing. Said it was his insurance policy should something go wrong. I believe this counts, does it not?” asked Alfred with all sincerity.
“Deacon. Of course. Well let’s put this good fortune to use. Alfred, if you’d keep that monstrosity from reaching the city, we will do the rest. Also, it wouldn’t hurt if you stepped on some Goblins on your way,” replied Typhus, before frowning at his slate messages
Regional Event: Goblin Raid, All or Nothing- Your city has been raided by Goblins who worship the deposed God Hipag. Repel the goblins to put an end to their mischief once and for all.
Rewards: Massive reduction in the population of Goblins in the Deep Cavern, exploration of the Deep Cavern will be unlocked, and a sharp reduction in Hipag’s foothold on this world.
Cost of Failure: Destruction of both the Deep Dweller and Gnomish races, loss of the Shattered Sky, the Vasilly Empire will be unimpeded in the east.