Once over the brow of the hill, Max saw that the cobble road was blocked by a merchant’s caravan. The large ox harnessed to the front of the cart was held down under a large heavy net. The Skarak Warriors surrounding the wagon were trying to force their way in through the timber panels. Max heard a voice calling to them from inside, warning the attackers to leave.
“I’ve got powerful weapons. Powerful magic. Leave or I will destroy you.”
Anita ran ahead, her spear of fire in her hands. The spear tip glowed white hot, the air around it burning with a flickering red flame.
Max counted the forces attacking the wagon. A half dozen Skarak Warriors and a single Skarak Warlock. He checked the stats on the Skarak they were about to engage.
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> Name: Skarak Warlock
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> Status: Hostile
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> Attack: Spell caster
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> Threat level: Dangerous
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> Name: Skarak Warrior
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> Status: Hostile
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> Attack: Melee Attacks
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> Threat level: Dangerous
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Anita stopped a few yards from the wagon and cast a Magic Stone. She launched it from her sling, twirling the sling over her head, and then releasing the bullet. She struck a Skarak Warrior on his helmet. The bullet bounced off the helmet with a heavy clang and knocked the helmet away. Max saw the Skarak Warrior take minor damage, the helmet saving it from worse.
The Skarak Warlock standing on top of the wagon turned to look at the attackers new on the scene. It waved its staff, small rat skulls hanging from the tip. It screeched and pointed at Jahrod and Anita. The Skarak Warriors stopped attacking the wagon and turned to face the attackers.
Max wasted no time in casting his first spell.
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> Max casts Magic Missile at Skarak Warrior causing moderate damage.
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The Warlock cast a spell that spread over his Warriors. The Skarak Warriors shuddered as the spell fell on them, then their eyes burned red, and they screeched as they charged forward.
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> Skarak Warlock casts Frenzy.
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> Skarak Warrior’s threat level increased.
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Max checked stats and saw that the Skarak Warriors were now considered very dangerous, and their attack now had a chance for a secondary strike due to the Frenzy spell.
Max targeted the same Skarak Warrior again.
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> Max casts Magic Missile at Skarak Warrior causing moderate damage.
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“It still hasn’t gone down,” Max said, grabbing his catapult. He checked the Skarak Warrior’s Health as he loaded a bullet. Its health was critical. One more hit, even minor damage, and the Warrior would fall. The creature showed no signs of breaking off its headlong charge into combat, despite its low Health.
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> Max attacks Skarak Warrior causing critical damage.
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> Skarak Warrior has been defeated.
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Max saw the loot spill as the Warrior fell, a few gold coins, not to mention the armor and the steel sword.
The remaining Skarak slammed into Jahrod and Anita, who braced themselves for the assault. Swords clashed with spear and axe as Max’s friends held back the frenzied assault.
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> Skarak attacks Anita causing minor damage.
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> Frenzy spell results in extra attack on Anita causing minor damage.
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Max drew his sword and made ready to charge in and slam into the Skarak attacking his friend. Only Elderon’s firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Use your catapult, and before you charge in, cast Strength and Shield on yourself.”
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> Skarak attacks Jahrod causing minor damage.
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> Frenzy spell results in extra attack on Jahrod causing minor damage.
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Max loaded an enhanced bullet. He took careful aim. He saw in the background the Skarak Warlock twirling his little claws around the end of its staff, the tiny rat skulls glowing. Max knew he was casting., so Max shifted his aim onto the Skarak Warlock.
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> Max attacks Skarak Warlock causing moderate damage.
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> Spell casting interrupted; spell lost.
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“Yes,” Max shouted in triumph, and then immediately regretted his enthusiasm as Anita and Jahrod took damage from the second pair of Warriors to join the fight. The remaining Skarak Warrior was moving around to attack Anita on her rear.
Max shot an enhanced bullet and dealt minor damage, hardly stopping the Skarak Warrior. It drew its sword back at hip height, ready to thrust it forward into Anita’s back. She was too busy fending off the pair of Skarak Warriors to her front to notice, holding off most attacks but still taking minor damage from the bonus Frenzy attacks. The sword in the back was undefended, only her tight leather armor to protect her, yet still she yelled out in pain.
Max cast his final Magic Missile in a second. He’d really planned to hold one back, but this was the best way to hit the Skarak attacking Anita’s flank. He hoped it would hit hard.
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> Max casts Magic Missile at Skarak Warrior causing minor damage.
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Max cursed silently and loaded another enhanced bullet to his catapult.
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> Elderon casts Magic Missile at Skarak Warrior causing critical damage.
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> Skarak Warrior has been defeated.
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The Skarak Warrior dropped its sword and fell to the ground. Anita stepped backward, almost tripping over the fallen Skarak behind her.
“They’re being forced back,” Max said, shooting his bullet, striking a Skarak Warrior on the helmet, and dealing critical damage, the Warrior avoiding utter defeat by the protection of its helmet that had now fallen away.
Elderon cast another Magic Missile, and it defeated a Skarak Warrior in one hit.
Max took aim at the Skarak Warlock on the wagon. He shot the bullet but missed. The Skarak Warlock snarled at Max and began casting a spell.
Anita and Jahrod fought back now that the odds had been evened up. Jahrod delivered heavy damage with one swing of his axe. Anita hit for moderate damage as she thrust the spear of fire forward, the flaming tip adding fire damage to the Skarak that was snarling under the influence of the Frenzy spell.
Elderon was casting again while Max shot a bullet and defeated one of the remaining Warriors. Then the Frenzy spell wore off, and the final Skarak suddenly had a look of terror. It dropped its sword and turned to run.
“Let it go,” Elderon said.
Anita cast a Basic Healing spell on herself and then one on Jahrod.
Then the Warlock cast his spell.
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> Warlock casts Confusion on Jahrod.
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“Look out, Anita!” Max said just as Jahrod swung his axe.
Anita blocked the swing with her spear, but the blow was heavy, and it sent her flying back off her feet. Jahrod stepped forward and raised his axe.
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> Jahrod attacks Anita.
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> Attack blocked; no damage done.
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Max called out, unsure what to do; he felt as if he’d been hit by a spell of fear.
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> Elderon casts Hold on Jahrod.
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Jahrod stood there like a statue, except his eyes were darting back and forth. A wild look in his eyes.
“Attack the Warlock!” Elderon shouted.
Max ran to Anita and picked her up off the ground. Elderon cast a spell of Magic Protection on the pair of them. At that moment, the Warlock cast Confusion on Anita. The spell fizzled over the Magic Protection spell and failed to affect her.
“Are you ok?” Max said.
Anita’s hair was wild, her chest heaving rapidly under her tight tunic, a sheen of sweat on her dusky skin.
“Attack,” she said and ran toward the wagon.
Max cast Strength on himself and then followed. Anita was already climbing up onto the top of the wagon to get to the Warlock. The Warlock had the advantage of height and attacked Anita with his staff as she climbed, jabbing downward, the little rat skulls rattling.
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> Skarak Warlock attacks Anita causing minor damage.
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Max ran to the wagon. He jumped up onto the ox’s back, and his next leaping step landed on the wagon’s front wheel. Another leaping step to the top of the wagon. He jumped up, sword raised above his head, ready to bring it down on the Warlock.
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> Anita attacks Warlock causing minor damage.
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Max landed on top of the wagon and swung the sword down hard.
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> Max attacks Warlock causing heavy damage.
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The Shortsword of True Striking landed a clean blow, and the effects of his Strength spell added extra damage. Max brought the sword back for a stabbing attack.
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> Warlock attacks Max causing heavy damage.
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The Warlock struck Max in the chest with its staff and knocked him from the wagon. He landed on the ground, and the wind was knocked out of him. The Warlock turned and glowered down at him. Max could see that although they had both taken heavy damage, the Warlock had much greater Health than he did. The Warlock was still very dangerous, but Max was almost done for. One more hit for moderate damage, and he’d be close to death, if not totally defeated.
The Warlock was about to leap downward onto Max, his staff raised, when Anita attacked him from behind. She held her spear across the Warlock’s chest, holding him back. The Warlock twisted and writhed, struggling to break free.
Max knew he had this one chance. He was on his feet. He climbed the side of the wagon in easy steps and thrust his Shortsword of True Striking into the Warlock.
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> Max attacks Skarak Warlock causing heavy damage.
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> Skarak Warlock has been defeated.
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> Max gains experience points.
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“I have deadly weapons and powerful magics. You will be defeated,” the voice from inside the wagon called out.
Max jumped down to the road and scooped up the few gold coins that the Warlock had dropped. Among the coins was a ring. It glowed with a strange misty light that told Max it was imbued with magic power. He tucked it into his tunic pocket. The rest of the loot was of no use to Max or any of the party, but the gold would come in handy at some point.
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> Max gains 24 gold.
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Elderon strode over. “Calm yourself, good merchant. The Skarak attackers have been defeated. You can come out.”
“How do I know you are not bandits?”
“Would bandits have fought off these Skarak Warriors and this Warlock for a stranger?” Max said.
After a moment of quiet, there were sounds of bolts being withdrawn and locks being opened. The side of the wagon fell open.
“Thank you, good adventurers. You saved me.”
Max found he was staring into the face of a small man. Smaller than Jahrod, with round happy features. A devious twinkle in his eye.
“A merchant gnome,” Anita said with a smile. “It is our good fortune to have come across you. What wares do you have?”
Elderon stepped up next to Max. “Gnomes are famed for having the best, the rarest goods in the whole of Eveirea.”
The gnome jumped down to the ground. Max checked his stats.
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> Name: Merchant Gnome
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> Status: Friendly
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> Attack: Small dagger
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> Threat level: Minimal
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“Alas, I have no wares for you, good Druid,” the gnome said to Anita.
“A merchant gnome with no wares?” Anita said, scoffing. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
The gnome went to the ox at the front of the wagon and started cutting the heavy net holding it down.
“I am empty handed,” the gnome said. “I have nothing left in the world, only Ermentrude here.” The gnome stroked the ox as he freed her from the heavy net. “But I do have this very fine heavy netting for sale. One gold only.”
“I thought the Skarak had put that net over the ox,” Max said. “Is that your net?”
The gnome looked up at Max with a smile. “It is now, and it can be yours for only one gold.” He held it up for Max to get a closer look. “Look at the quality: strong enough to hold down an ox.”
Ermentrude let out a worried mooing and stood up.
“But I don’t need a heavy net like that,” Max said.
The gnome bundled the net into the wagon. “Oh, well, someone will want it.”
“Is that really all you have for sale?” Anita said. “The net the Skarak used to attack you?”
“Alas, it is so,” the gnome said. “All my wares have been taken from me.”
“You sold them all?” Anita asked.
The gnome climbed up onto the top of his wagon. “No. Stolen. I was in the city of Ralynn. Good King Glynn has always welcomed honest merchant gnomes such as myself. But there is something wrong in the king’s castle. The good king was not himself. A darkness has spread through the castle. It was always friendly and welcoming, but now it is filled with darkness, and his guards stole all my wares. I appealed to the king, but I was thrown out of the city. I was lucky they didn’t throw Ermentrude on the grill.”
Ermentrude let out a long, worried mooing.
“I must be on my way.” The gnome picked up the reigns. “Would someone be so good as to move that dwarf from the road?”
Max looked back along the road. Jahrod was still frozen in place. He ran back to Jahrod, whose eyes were still wild. Max was worried that removing the Hold spell would mean he would continue to attack them.
“Maybe we should stay out of his way,” Max said.
“He’s ok,” Elderon said, “the Warlock spell has worn off. I will cast a Remove Magic spell, and he’ll be back to normal. Better stand back though, I don’t think he’s going to be too happy.”
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> Elderon casts Remove Magic.
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“What in the name of the dark deeps happened?” Jahrod said. He stepped aside to let the merchant gnome trundle past on his wagon. Ermentrude mooed a farewell.
“There is something truly wrong with good King Glynn if this news is true,” Elderon said, “and I have no reason to doubt a merchant gnome’s report. The darkness is spreading its influence. I am shocked it has come this far so fast. We must make haste to Ralynn City and free good King Glynn, or all the Kingdom of Faregent will fall to the dark.”
Jahrod nodded in agreement. “If we move fast, we can be there before nightfall.”
Anita scouted ahead. Max walked beside Elderon.
“Why did you not cast Shield on yourself when you attacked the Skarak Warlock?” Elderon asked immediately.
Max walked along, hardly breaking his stride. “There just wasn’t time. Anita was in danger, and I had to move fast.”
“And you did move fast. It was impressive how you climbed the side of the wagon so easily. Your high Agility is a bonus skill indeed.”
Max nodded.
“What about this ring?” Max showed Elderon the glowing ring that the Skarak Warlock had dropped.
Elderon took it and turned it over in his hand. “It is a ring of extra spells. If you wear this ring, you will increase the number of Level One spell slots in your Mage Book. You will have two more spell slots available.” He handed it back to Max.
Max slipped on the ring excitedly, and he was about to pull out his Mage Book to prepare extra spells, but he feared it might prompt Elderon to check his Mage Book.
“Are you not going to prepare your spells now?” Elderon said.
“I’ll do it when we get to the city. I won’t be able to do much with them until we rest anyway, and I have used all my active spells.”
“Except for Shield,” Elderon said.
“Uh huh,” Max said. He pointed along the road. “I’ll go and scout ahead a bit, see if Anita is ok.”
“Anita is ok,” Elderon said. “You stay close by me, young Mage.”
Max nodded, hoping that if he was as quiet as possible, Elderon would not ask to see the Mage Book again. But he knew he could only avoid the inevitable for so long. For some reason, Max hated to disappoint this old Mage.
Then Anita appeared from a dense clump of spiny bushes at the edge of a thicket to their left. She moved through the tight tangle of thorns easily without getting scratched or snagged up, but she was breathless.
“We are being watched. Stalked.”
“Make ready to cast that Shield, young Mage,” Elderon said. “Who knows what we will encounter next?”