Armed with the polls results I have begun writing in the style that won, which was........ STYLE A. from now on
only lines between paragraphs will be double spaced! Thank you to all voters!
Now back to the Story....
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A week after the events of chapter four...
"Elder!" a young Dwarf shouts ahead.
"Yes? What is it?" Tarum wearily replies.
He had been leading them for a while now. Not even he was certain how much time had passed. The only
certainty he had left was that if he stopped, his people would die. Were-rats never give up a hunt. However,
many dwarves grew weary. They were losing many on their slow, steady climb up to the surface. Already, they
were down to three hundred dwarves. And that was only because of the Elder's knowledge of the route.
"Elder." he starts with some respect," we have traveled so far already. There's been no sign of a rat for days at
least. I... We think its time to turn around and go home." he finished quietly.
"Boy, I've been fightin' these rats since before your gradfatha, stone bless his soul, had a single 'air on 'is chin.
And now ya'think ya'know 'em better than me?" the elder exploded back at him.
Some of the dwarves at the head of the column chuckled tiredly, having noticed that the elder's accent always
grew more pronounced in times of less stress and when he was berating "youngsters".
"Elder its not just me who thinks this way. 50 of us have decided to turn back already and more are joining us.
Look, I understand that you have your... thoughts, but......"
"Be a dwarf and call 'em what you think they are. Delusions ehh? Well if that's what you think of yer elder than
stay behind and die to the damned rats fer all I care. I'm taking as many as I can to safety at the surface!" Tarum
concluded defiantly and turned back to trudge up the maze of tunnels.
The young dwarf huffed and began to make his way back along the column telling all who would listen to stop
following the "crazy old blighter" and turn back to the village.
Eventually, 200 of the remaining dwarves did stop to rest and turn back at the next cavern.
As Tarum passed by them he tried one last time to persuade them to keep going.
"I know many of you are tired, homesick,and agry. But please! I've fought these rats! they'll never give up! Its
only two more days to the surface! I know this road! Please fer yer own sake not fer mine." he pleaded with them.
"You made us climb all this way for nothing!"
"We won't leave or homes behind on your word you old coot!"
"Come on there's no need to listen to him can't you see he's delusional?"
The resting dwarves all jeered back. many had never really respected the elder and the march had brought them
to outright rebellion. Others simplyfelt too tired to go on with what they had been convined was a pointless
struggle. Tarum, seeing this, sighed and said:
" Then thank you for your sacrifice. Come on my good dwarves! We need to move!"
And with one last look at the dwarves who were now beginning to feast and sleep in the ave, Tarum shook his head
and led his people upwards to safety. that was the last time any Dwarf set eye on the 200 refugees.
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20 minutes away from the resting dwarves. Party of 400 wererats
"Senior Scout Twinfang!" a scarred wererat yells out from the front of the column.
"Report," the senior scout commands.
"The dwarves split up," the scarred one says with an evil grin," there's around 200 in a cavern up ahead. And, they
have no sentries or anything! Half of them are even sleeping!"
The wererats had been trailing the dwarves for the past week. They used their superior speed to catch up to them
in just 4 days of travel. Now they were waiting to identify a good ambush spot as, while the 300 dwarves were only
villagers, they could still put up quite a fight as the wererats had seen in the guard's last stand. However, with this
news, they'd found a perfect opportunity.
"Take subsquads fang, tail, and claw through the side tunnel ahead and flank the dwarves. Once you're in position,
we slaughter them..." Twinfang commanded, barely able to wait for the upcoming massacre...
And a massacre it was. The 200 dwarves woke to armed wererats pouring in to their cave. the villagers had at best
knives and small clubs to defend themselves. In the end, all the dwarves were brutally butchered and eaten by the
rats while only 70 wererats were killed in exchange.
"Senior scout Twinfang, what about the other dwarves?" his second in command asked.
"I'll take 50 of your best weres and two week's worth of supplies from these gluttonous villagers and hunt them
down. You take the rest of your forces back down to the warren." the senior replied.
"Two weeks senior? Isn't that excessive?" the second asked confusedly.
"There was also something I wanted to verify on the first level. 3 parties of scouts disappeared in the area recently
and I wanted to eliminate the danger there. Its probably a group of rogue goblins or even a cave troll but 50 elites
should be enough to deal with any reasonable problem." Twinfang replied.
"Very well" the second replied and left to gather the 50 elites. leaving Twinfang alone to wonder what sort of beast
he would be up against on such a high level.
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75 dwarves led by Elder Tarum. level 1 of cave system.
"Elder we can not keep this pace. Even if we make it to the surface, the weres will follow us and we will be to tired
to battle. We need to make a stand somewhere." the panting mayor whispers to the Elder.
"I know Hrot. I know. I've been keeping my eyes open for a cave with a small opening up ahead." Tarum grimly
replies.
Having barely stayed ahead of the rats for the past day by using all the knowledge the elder had, the dwarves were
now exhausted. They could barely run with children swaddled in their arms and half empty packs on their backs. And
now, the weres were closing in. Their skitters could be heard from behind and even some scouts were even spotted
in side tunnels. Suddenly, up ahead Tarum spotted a side tunnel from the main cavern they were in. It was... strange.
The entrance was an arch of crystal that seemed to continue in veins down the tunnel. The crystal glowed with power
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
and as he stepped under the arch he recieved a warning.
Warning! You are now entering the Crystal Fortress dungeon.
Affinity: Order, neutral.
Relationship with dwarves: neutral (open to discussion)
Relationship with wererats: enemy
Relationship with goblins: enemy
difficulty level: unknown
" A dungeon? what am I supposed to..." Tarum wondered
"Elder!" a voice screamed from the mouth of the cavern. Flickering fires from torches could seen from the tunnels
leading in to the main cavern. sounds of daggers and blades scratching acrross the stone walls could be heard as
well.
Knowing that he was out of time, the elder hopes that a dungeon with a neutral affinity will hear his plea and speaks:
"Mighty dungeon, please shelter my people from the wererats. We need a home desperately and you are our final
hope." He turns to his people and yells," Everyone quick! Into the dungeon! Women and children first!"
Turning back to the dungeon, he begs with tears in his eyes, "please, please, please! I beg of you to keep them safe."
Then miraculously, a window pops up.
The Crystal Fortress dungeon has heard your heartfelt plea. It will protect your people and offer them a
safe home inside its walls, however, in order to enter the dungeon safely according to the laws of the land, they must
bind themselves to the dungeon. Due to the Dungeon offering this deal, its affinity has changed to: Order, Good.
Do you accept this condition?
"For my people, yes I must." he said as his nearby dwarves nodded their heads agreeing to the condition.
For binding themselves to a crystal dungeon, your people have become Crystal Guardians. This is a hybrid race/occupation that connects your people to the mana flow of the dungeon, increases their stats vastly based on each individual's base stats, and allows them all to cast spells.
For having a new intelligent race of crystal beings, the Crystal Fortress Dungeon has now changed into the capital city of the new Crystalline Race. As a new race making its first steps upon the land, the crystalines have yet to choose a god or alignment. Their affinity is: Order, Good. (This is a worldwide announcement)
As 4 rock golems appear from the dungeon walls to lead the dwarves, who have yet to physically transform, safely
into the dungeons depths and defend the entrance, Tarum is left shocked wondering:
"What just happened.....?"
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Alliance (Human, Dwarven, Light Elven) Capital
Diplomacy room.
Kings of the three races are gathered
"Do any of you know how this happened?" A tall dark haired human asks.
"None of our archives or Forest Ancients know of a race of Order and good rising from a dungeon, Artain." a slim,
blond light elf replies.
"Our lore-tellers haven't got a clue either." A brusque, red-bearded dwarf answers with a hint of irritation.
"My people have already begun searching our lands for where this race could have come from." I would suggest
you both do the same, the Elven King continues.
" Aye we're doing the same."
"Yes we are as well. If any of us gain any hint no matter how slim of their whereabouts, we will share it. Agreed?"
king Artain asks.
"Agreed" the other kings reply.
"Very well then let us adjourn"
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The Demonic Citadel
"Find this new race! Corrupt it, and join it with the hordes! If you fail me you will all wish you hadn't been born!"
the Demon Queen screams at 4 greater demons. Each would leave and begin scouting out the location of this
new race.
The war had been at a standstill, but a new race could easily tip the balance in either sides favor. The demon
Queen knew she wanted it to be hers.
"Bring the next one, he better last longer than all the others...."
"Ye-yes your highness" a demon replies nervously while bringing in the next poor wretch....
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Realm of Death Aspects
Break Room
"HAHAHA!! See Pops I told you he'd do great things!" Bob yelled triumphantly.
"That's only because you bought that little assistant for him to help him." His father retorted
"Yeah sure but you sent a cave troll into his dungeon! I think we're both fair on unfair interventions!
Now pay up!" Bob said with a satisfied smirk.
And with a grumbling exchange of credits, they both turned back to watch the bumbling dungeon that could
now actually be called a god....
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Major Plot Twist! Surprise!!!! :D Next chapter will be about what the dungeon was doing during the 2.5 week period from when we last saw it to now. Then I'll be moving on to the young "god" building up his race as it evolves and has far more grandiose battles than just small parties of adventurers. Thank you for sticking with me...
An Infantile Treant.