Episode 49
"Melee With the Vampire"
(c) Matt Grossman and J. Sage Schreiner
Tron, a desperately lucky elf, Matt Grossman
Norel, a battle-scarred ranger, Tom Morin
Nigil, a mysterious noble from a distant land, Kevin Osborn
Soren, a priest of the war-god Hextor, Paul Skavland
Hawkwind, a spell-caster from the great city of Greyhawk, Bruce Lott
All others, Sage Schreiner
A lonely figure in travel-worn robes stands on the canyon rim above Nightfang Spire. A hawk circles above it and lands on its outstretched hand. The figure cocks its head for a while, as if listening to the bird, then waves its hands and mutters an incantation. It rises into the air and darts swiftly towards the spire...
Meanwhile, in the spire, the party is returning to the surface.
Norel: I could sure go for some spotted dick right now.
Soren: [snicker]
Norel: What? What's so funny about spotted dick?
Nigil: Dude, it was awesome how Soren just ignored the trap and opened the sarcophagus anyway. That rocked.
Laurallie: Tron uses that method to disable traps, too. But Tron does it by accident.
Soren: My fingers are still blue, but I showed you what a bad-ass my god is.
From above they hear Terillian cry out:
Terillian: Who are you? What do you want?
Nigil: Someone's up there!
The party charges up the stairs, weapons ready, and emerges into the foul stench of the top of the spire. Terillian is confronting a man in travel-stained robes. Nigil recognizes the man’s clothes as tailored by some of the finest clothiers in Greyhawk.
Man: I mean you no harm. I have come seeking information about a man named Vodius. Do you know him?
Nigil: First things first. What's your name?
Man: Fair enough. My name is Hawkwind. I am a student of magic from Greyhawk City. I heard that in this spire there was someone who could tell me the current location of another wizard, a man named Vodius.
Do you know him?
Norel: We do. Why do you want to find him?
Hawkwind: I want revenge on him for murdering my companions.
Tron: Sounds like you're our kind of guy!
Introductions are made, and the party explains the situation. They invite Hawkwind to join them, and the mage agrees.
Terillian: Dude, Hawkwind is the name of a bardic group as well. They rock. You should have seen the lightshow on the Hawkestra Reunion Tour when they performed “Green Finned Dragon”. It was awesome. I got the t-shirt and --
Laurallie: Stuff it fanboi.
Hawkwind: (eyes the decaying corpses of the dragon and the octopus) So… uhh... Why haven't you done something about these... things?
Tron: We tried to push the octopus thing over the edge, but it was too heavy. You get used to the smell pretty quick.
Nigil: It covers our stench, anyway.
Hawkwind: Heh. Everyone stand back.
The party quickly backs away from the octopus. Hawkwind mutters “Vas Flam Por” and makes an arcane gesture at the corpse. There is a streak of light and a tremendous, fiery explosion. The party is showered with putrid ichor and smoking chunks of rotting monster.
Norel: Laurallie... water...
Soren: I think most of the corpse got blown off the rim of the tower.
So it was sort of half-successful.
Nigil: I need a bath. This greasy film doesn’t even wipe off.
Laurallie: I think I just threw up in my mouth. You guys are lucky that I have soap.
Nigil: Hey, I have soap too!
Tron: Danic had soap. It didn't seem to help.
Hawkwind: That was awesome.
That evening they decide to burn Nuet. They carry his body down the spire and build a funeral pyre. Terillian has composed a lament for his cousin, which he sings:
The beauty of Torquann is slain,
Beneath thy low places!
How are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Rauxes,
Publish it not in the streets of Edgefield.
Lest the daughters of the infidel rejoice,
Lest the daughters of the goblinoids triumph.
Ye daughters of Bellport,
Weep for Nuet,
Who clothed you in scarlet,
With other delights!
I am distressed for thee,
My cousin Nuet,
Very pleasant has thou been unto me.
Thy love to me was wonderful,
Passing the love of women!
How are the mighty fallen,
And the powers of magic perished!
Soren: Hextor doesn’t approve of that poetry stuff. But watch this. (casts Flame Strike on the pyre) Did you see the power my god gives me? Wasn't that cool? It's not just fire, it's divine wrath. Boo yaa! My god rocks!
Hawkwind: Just wait, I have some other tricks up my sleeve.
Soren: Bah.
That night the elves in the party notice a dim reddish glow in the north-western sky.
Tron: It's probably Ratikhill burning.
The next day they head down into the spire. On the way down Soren takes control of a skeleton janitor.
Soren: I love having minions!
They decide to explore the remaining doors on the corridor. The first few doors they open contain sarcophagi. They get some coins and a simple bronze medallion.
Nigil: It looks like it might be magical.
Soren: (casts Detect Magic) It's not.
The next door leads into an empty room, with a door at the far end.
Tron: This has got to be a trap. Send in the skeleton.
The skeleton wanders across the room and falls through a false floor in front of the door, landing in a deep pit.
Tron: Nice.
The elf is able to stand on a ledge in front of the door and open it.
It opens into a room with a statue of a dragon-like creature, holding something shiny in its mouth... the last part of the key!
Tron: I'm not going in there.
Hawkwind: Watch this. (casts Mage Hand and telekinesis the piece across the room. It hands Nigil the key.)
Soren: Bah.
Nigil: Ow! Hey, this bit is covered with some kind of contact poison.
Doesn't seem too bad though.
They open the few remaining doors, finding an ossuary and another trapped room, but no treasure of significance. There is now only one place they have not been. In preparation for the impending battle, Laurallie casts Invisibility to Undead on the party.
The door that is opened by the key is a strange door, it appears to be a conic section that might slide or rotate out of the way when the key is turned. The party takes a position in front of the door, and Tron turns the key. There is a massive grinding and shaking as the wall slowly rotates, revealing a door. The party cautiously approaches.
The door opens into the tip of an inverted cone. The tip appears to be covered with a layer of dirt. In the center of the ceiling, 50'
up, is a trapdoor. It is very cold.
After some discussion, Hawkwind casts fly on Tron, and the rogue flies up to the trapdoor. It opens downward. He listens, and hears a faint tittering which stops suddenly. The elf cautiously opens the trapdoor and "prairie dogs" up through it. As he opens the trapdoor a blast of cold air flows down over the party.
The elf sees a large room lit with a dim purple glow. There is a desk, a high backed chair facing away from the trapdoor, and a strange blue glow coming from in front of the chair. There appears to be a figure in the chair. The purple glow comes from a gigantic heart, suspended 90' in the air above the trapdoor. It is slowly beating. There is a scaffolding built along the walls of the room.
The elf quickly pops down, then ties a rope to the trapdoor. Soren runs over and begins climbing the rope. Tron flies down and reports the situation, then grabs Laurallie and flies back up to the trapdoor.
Laurallie: Tron, move your hand!
Tron: Heh.
The elves fly up through the trapdoor and land. As they do a man dressed in black with pointy teeth stands up from the chair and faces them.
Man: Velcome.
Tron: Are you Gulthias?
Man: I am Gulthias. Velcome.
Tron: We're looking for the crown.
Man: I know. Come to me.
Soren: (climbs up through the trapdoor) Is this the guy we've got to kill?
Tron flies down, picks up Hawkwind, and starts flying back up. At this point Nigil and Norel are on the lower level, with a lantern for light. Both are too heavy for Tron to carry. Laurallie and Soren are on the top level, with light provided by Laurallie's holy symbol, the glowing heart, and the mysterious blue glow from in front of the chair. As a dwarf, Soren has darkvision and does not really need light.
Norel: (Guarding the passageway they entered through) This is too easy...
Draconic Humanoid Monster: (suddenly materializes in front of Norel and attacks)
Norel: Holy crap!
Monster: (breathes fire)
Norel and Nigil are wounded by the blast of flames, and Tron and Hawkwind are lightly singed. The bottom half of the rope is destroyed by the flames. The creature is eight feet tall, and very powerful, with a pronounced snout and reddish, scaly skin.
Above:
Tron: Do you want to be on top or on the bottom?
Hawkwind: Err...
Laurallie: Tron, stop doing that to the new guys!
Tron: I meant... bah.
Soren: (hears the commotion from below) Give me one reason not to blast you to atoms, foul undead!
Gulthias: Hee hee hee!
Soren: Nobody laughs at me! Eat this! [zorch]
The fiery blast consumes "Gulthias"; his true form is revealed as a small draconic creature, which screams as it is consumed by flames.
Soren: Sweet!
Below:
Monster: (bellows in rage as it hears the death scream of the other creature and retreats down the corridor out of sight of the humans)
Tron: (flies down with Hawkwind) I can still see it! Aim about 10'
past the end of the light, the left wall!
Hawkwind: Fire in the hole!
The mage casts a tremendously powerful fireball, mightier even than the one he had cast the day before. Unfortunately it seems to have no effect at all on the monster.
Monster: Hah hah hah. Do not trifle with Gulthias. (retreats out of Tron's sight)
Tron: Oh yeah, wasn't Ashardalon a red dragon? That thing's probably immune to fire.
Soren: (grabs hold of the rope and slides down, falling the last 20') You're not going to let it get away, are you? (chases after the
monster)
Nigil: Well, it was nice knowing him.
Hawkwind: Take me back up there. I think we have to destroy that heart, and I have a feeling that my fire spells are useless against that creature.
Above:
The elf and the mage fly back to the upper chamber.
Hawkwind: I'll try my magic on that heart! [zorch] Looks like it damaged it.
Laurallie: I'll help! [zorch]
Meanwhile, below:
Nigil: With the bottom half of the rope burned away, we can't get up there.
Norel: Maybe if you sort of climbed the wall...
Monster: (suddenly appears in front of Soren and attacks, draining his life energy)
Soren: Aaagh! What a fearsome creature! But I'll never flee, for the honor of Hextor!
Norel: Soren...
Soren: I'll fight to the death! Avenge me!
Nigil: Soren...
Soren: Save yourselves! I will die on my feet!
Nigil: Soren, you sound like a paladin.
Soren: Oops. (runs back to the fighters) I didn't want to wimp out.
Norel: That's ok. I don’t think Hextor minds if you, uhh... retroactively advance to the rear for redeployment.
Monster: Raaargh! (attacks Norel, draining his life energy)
Nigil: Let's rock! (swish) Dammit!
Upstairs:
Tron: I've got to find Norel's mace! (flies around the chamber and locates the mace on the scaffolding) This is the only thing that can destroy that monster! I've got to get it to Norel!
Hawkwind: I've got to destroy that heart... I know! (casts Dispel Magic on the heart)
The purple glow coming from the heart suddenly dies, and it falls to the bottom of the room, completely blocking the trapdoor. Fortunately Laurallie is not underneath it when it lands. The heart is still beating, however.
Tron: Err...
Hawkwind: Well, two out of three isn't bad.
Laurallie: (starts stabbing the heart with her sword)
Meanwhile:
Nigil: What the... something's blocking the trapdoor!
Monster: Rarrgh?
Norel: Take that! [poke]
Soren: Get some! [zorch]
Monster: Raargh! (claws Norel)
Hawkwind: (polymorphs into a stone giant) I'll move that heart!
Tron: (flies down and hits the heart with the mace)
The heart suddenly stops beating and deflates.
Tron: Hoody-hoo!
Hawkwind: (moves the heart out of the way)
Nigil: Eat steel! [poke]
Monster: Raargh! My brother will avenge me! (turns into mist and flies up through the trapdoor and into one of the blood vessels of the
heart)
Laurallie: It went into the heart!
Tron: Tunnel rat time! (dives into one of the openings) Hey, it's dark in here.
Laurallie passes Tron her holy symbol and the elf crawls around inside the giant undead heart. It has two chambers; one is empty, the other contains several inches of dirt, and the body of the creature.
Tron: [whack]
Monster: (crumbles into dust)
Tron emerges from the aorta.
Tron: I killed it! And I got the crown!
Hawkwind uses his giant-form to rip the heart open. The party makes sure that there are no more monsters in it. Tron has recovered the crown, and they also find a beautiful, elvish dagger and some coins. The dagger has a leaf-shaped blade and says "Purity" on one side and "Revenge" on the other. The top of the scaffolding has many books and scrolls. There is also a giant undead hand pinned out on the top of the desk, which Norel clobbers with the mace until it stops moving. The drawer of the desk contains what is obviously a spell book.
Hawkwind: I'll take that, if nobody minds...
Tron gives the mace back to Norel.
Norel: [snif] I've missed you.
The blue glow comes from a screen which changes every few seconds to show a different scene inside the spire. The party recognizes these scenes as being rooms which had the strange tree symbol in them.
Nigil: There's something kind of hypnotic about this device...
Norel: I could just sorta watch it all day. I guess that’s what Gulthias did to keep from being bored.
Hawkwind produces a small chest from his robes, which grows into a full size chest at his command. The party places most of the books and scrolls in there.
Hawkwind: I can make it small again tomorrow.
Nigil: It would be more effective to carry the money in there. The scrolls are lighter.
They search the room but find nothing more.
Norel: Do you think that was Gulthias?
Tron: I guess. I wonder what he meant about his brother?
The party discovers that they can pass items through the blue screen, so they wait until it displays a scene near the top of the tower, then pass the chest through. Then they head back up the tower the regular way, in case the screen cannot pass live creatures.
They retrieve the chest and emerge onto the top of the spire.
Nigil: I can't believe that we're finally done!
Soren: You know, we didn't see any "janitors" on the way up. I wonder if those undead in the chasm are destroyed now.
Tron: D’oh!
They go back down into the spire and discover the undead at the bottom of the chasm are all dead. Tron climbs down and does a brief search, but finds nothing. They also go to the girallons:
Tron: We killum Gulthias.
Girallon: Wagh.
Tron: We be for leave spire now.
Girallon: You be heap mighty. Now we be blood brothers again.
Tron: (sigh)
They go back to the top of the spire.
Hawkwind: I can't believe you licked that monkey things arm.
Soren: Again.
Tron: Bite me. Hey, I can’t get this hair out from between my teeth. Can you see it?
They examine the treasure in more depth.
Terillian: Hmm... I have heard of this dagger. It was created a thousand years ago by an elven smith of renown. It was used to avenge his brother’s death by a beholder. It has a special power to destroy abominations; monsters like beholders, for example.
Soren: Hey, these scrolls are written in ancient Oeridian. I can puzzle this out...
Hawkwind: Yeah, that's some sort of political study of the Great Kingdom. This is a bunch of genealogies, and that one's an essay on necromancy. I always liked languages.
Soren: Bah.
Tron: Reading is dangerous.
Norel: See if Gulthias shows up in that genealogy.
Hawkwind studies the genealogies and discovers that one family, the Malakan family, had one woman who gave birth to two children, a Vodius and a Gulthias. The father of Gulthias is not listed. However, death dates are given for both.
Hawkwind: According to this they both died young.
Norel: I guess it doesn't prove anything. It is kind of suggestive though.
Nigil: We need to talk to that sage, Yesha. The one who's an expert on the cult of Ashardalon.
The night passes uneventfully, and the next day the party leaves Nightfang Spire, hopefully for the last time.
Terillian: I guess our paths will part here. Farewell, until we meet again! I will go south, back to my family.
The remaining party members head for the dwarf caves. After marching for about an hour:
Hawkwind: My hawk says that a black bird is approaching from the north. It looks like it's looking for something.
Tron: Is it a raven?
Hawkwind: Hmm... yes.
Soon the raven comes into view. When it has almost passed the party, Tron waves at it. The raven swoops down and lands in front of the elf. It looks exhausted and wounded. It starts speaking in broken Aerdi:
Raven: Fire! Fire! Death! Death!
Soren: (heals the bird)
Raven: Caw. Shiny! Shiny man! Shiny man send to you! Me!
Tron: Is the shiny man Lord Crawford?
Raven: Caw! Crawford!
Norel: Have the orcs attacked Ratikhill?
Raven: Fire! Fire!
Tron: Have the orcs taken Ratikhill, or is it still standing?
Raven: Caw! Many fight! Many die! Food! Much food! Shiny man send me! Me! Caw! Shiny! Caw!
Tron: I think that Ratikhill is still standing...
Soren: How can you understand that thing?
Raven: Caw! Message! You! Me! Message! Shiny man!
Nigil: Tell Lord Crawford that we will come.
Raven: Caw! (flies off, heading north)
Norel: That was confusing.
Nigil: Crawford still thinks Gabriel is good. What if Gabriel asked Crawford to send the bird?
Tron: This sucks. If we have to go running off to save Ratikhill, we won't have time to train.
They continue. After a couple more hours, around noon, they see a dust trail to the east. The hawk reports that "many bad man creatures" -- probably orcs -- are approaching from that direction. Also the hawk reports that there is a storm many miles to the south coming this way, with creatures fleeing in front of it. The storm is still hours away.
They hide and wait for the orcs. It turns out to be a column of several hundred orcs, of all ages and sexes. They appear to be heading for the pass.
Nigil: Ohhh... this sucks. We finally meet something my keen sword will effect, and we can't fight them.
Norel: There's too many of them.
Soren: Come on, let me get them! I'll tackle them single-handed!
Tron: No.
Laurallie: I can't believe that Tron is the voice of reason here.
As the column passes, they see two orcs fall out and head towards a stand of brush.
Norel: Looks like that orc's gonna have him some fun...
Nigil: No, I think the big one's female. See, boobs. I think.
Hawkwind: That's more than I ever wanted to know about orc mating habits.
The column of orcs passes out of sight. The brush starts shaking.
Norel: Come on, Tron.
Tron: (readies his bow and begins to sneak towards the brush)
Soren: Good idea, we could interrogate them.
Nigil: Interrogate?
The rogue and the ranger approach the unsuspecting orcs.
Tron: Don't move!
Male orc: Aiee!
Female orc: Raargh! Elf! Hate! Kill!
Tron: Can't... control... bloodlust... [twang twang] Female orc: Urk.
Norel: [spuck]
Male orc: Glug.
Tron: Wait, didn't Soren say something about "interrogate"?
Norel: This one's still alive. (bandages the unconscious female orc)
Tron: Dude... that bandage was clean.
Soren: They're returning... and it looks like they have a prisoner.
Norel: (tosses the unconscious orc to the ground) This one's alive.
Hawkwind: I didn't know you could live with an arrow through your skull.
Tron: They don't have much inside there. See? (wiggle)
Nigil: This is a waste of time. [spuck] We know why these orcs are heading for Ratik.
Laurallie: Just as well. I didn't want to touch it anyway.
They hide the corpses of the orcs and continue. Soon the dust storm is clearly visible. The party begins to look for shelter. The hawk reports that there is a low stone building a mile away. The party decides to check it out.
Hawkwind: I also have a spell which will enable us to hide in an extra-dimensional space. It will last about 10 hours, so we might be in trouble if the dust storm goes longer.
Norel: A building will probably be more comfortable.
Tron: This storm looks like evil magic.
Norel: Maybe. But since the Bonemarch was overrun and denuded by Orcs a century ago, dust storms are not uncommon. They are very dangerous.
They arrive at the building as the wind is beginning to pick up. It is a windowless sandstone structure, built into the hill-side. The door is carved with a symbol. It is about thirty-feet wide and fifty-feet long.
Soren: Hang on, I think I know this one...
Hawkwind: It's the symbol of Farlanghn, god of travelers.
Soren: I knew that.
They enter the building, which turns out to be a simple temple. There is a statue of the god, a small back room where the priest apparently lived, and a hole in the ceiling to let smoke out. It looks as though it was a shelter built for the use of travelers.
Norel: There's some writing on the steps...
Soren: It says...
Hawkwind: Ahem. "Enter all with need, and tired feet, and peaceful intent." I guess that's us.
Laurallie: I don't know about Tron.
Soren: It probably just means intent in the shrine. Farlanghn isn’t one of those retarded do-gooder gods. I, uhhh... hope.
There is some firewood in the building and the party builds a small fire in the center of the room. They notice that there are a number of cracks or holes in the wall, and as they settle down they hear a strange squeaking.
Nigil: There's something in here...
Tron: I knew this was too good to be true.
The mage sees a small humanoid face appear in one of the holes. It flashes an unpleasant grin and disappears.
Hawkwind: There's some kind of creatures living in these holes.
The walls of the temple are five feet thick and made of soft sandstone, so it does seem possible that there might be tunnels in them.
Tron: I want a look at these things. (tosses a piece of beef jerky near the hole)
There is more squeaking and suddenly a small humanoid pops out of the hole, as if shoved. It is naked, with grey skin and standing about two feet tall. It stands blinking and twitching its bulbous nose for a second, then grabs the beef jerky and dives back into the hole.
There is the sound of a scuffle and furious squeaking.
Norel: I've heard of these things. They're called Jermlaine. They are cowardly pests.
Nigil: They better not steal our stuff.
Norel: If we keep a good watch it should be ok. I'll cast my alarm spell to warn us of anything sneaking around. [BRANG BRANG BRANG BRANG AWOOGAH AWOOGAH MAAAP MAAAP MAAAP MAAAP BRANG BRANG] Never mind.
Soren: The Jermlaine must be setting off the spell constantly. But if they poke their noses near me, it's whack-a-mole time.
Outside the storm builds in fury. Although it is not nearly as fierce as the storm the party survived in the Yencro isles, it is clear that anyone going outside would take damage from the abrasive and choking dust..
The party prepares to rest for the night. Laurallie's glowing holy symbol and the embers of the fire light up the inside of the temple well enough. The squeaking of the Jermlaine is annoying, but the party does not see them again.
Later, during Tron's watch, the light from the holy symbol suddenly goes out, then comes back much dimmer. The temple seems to have changed somehow too.
Tron: Wake up!
Norel: My pants! Uhh, what's happening?
Nigil: The statue... it changed. It looks like an orc now.
Hawkwind: The writing on the stairs has changed. It says "Enter the weak and needy, and suffer the fear of Beltar". I think that’s bad.
Soren: Beltar is an orc god of malice and caves. It's a trap!
The characters form a circle in the center of the room. Dust sifts down from above, and the wind howls.
Laurallie: Something just moved past me!
Norel: I have a bad feeling about this...
Nigil: I felt the air move!
Tron: (finds himself facing the statue, which shows a cloaked orc leering menacingly) Bah. (steps forward and pushes the statue over) Take that!
Nigil: Aren't you going to pee on it?
Tron: Good idea.
Suddenly a distended floating creature with multiple mouths and swolen tentacles appears in the air in front of the elf. Its mishapen eyes glow with a hellish, demonic light.
Monster: Raargh! (attacks Tron, then goes invisible again)
Tron: Aieee! (pees his pants and runs for the door, overcome with
fear)
Nigil: Concentrate all fire on that demon!
Soren: By the power of Hextor! [fwabooom]
Hawkwind: Hang on, let me activate my cloak of displacement...
Norel: (rushes to attack the monster) Don't let Tron open the door!
Laurallie: (tackles Tron) Sit!
Monster: (appears again and attacks Norel)
Every time the monster becomes visible, all of the characters who are looking at it are struck with a deep fear. If they are unable to shake it off they flee in terror.
Hawkwind: Aieee! (runs for the door)
Soren rushes at Hawkwind to stop him opening the door, but is confused by the mage's cloak of displacement and slams into the wall. Norel and Nigil attack the monster.
Nigil: Get some! [swish] Dammit!
Norel: This is how you do it. [hack chop whack saw saw saw]
Monster: Raaargh!
Tron is still trying to flee, but is unable to escape the much weaker priestess.
Tron: Let me go! Let me go! You're hurting my arm!
Laurallie: Oh yeah? How about this? [twist]
Tron: Ow! Ow!
Monster: Raaargh! (claws Norel)
Norel: Aieee! Run! (runs up the stairs to the door)
Hawkwind: (forces the door open and runs into the storm)
Norel: (also runs into the storm)
Soren: Wusses.
Tron: Aiee! Aiee!
Laurallie: And that's for killing me! [whack] And that's for mocking Obad-Hai! [whack] And that's also for killing me! [twist] And that’s for anything I don’t remember! [noogie]
Monster: Raargh! (attacks Nigil)
Nigil: Looks like it's just me. [spuck]
Monster: Urk. [thud]
Nigil: Wasn't that awesome? Hey, wasn't anyone watching?
Laurallie: And that's for being such a jerk! [wedgie] Whose your da--
Soren: I think you can stop now. Nigil killed the monster.
Laurallie: Monster? Oh, right.
Tron: Ow.
When the monster was killed the temple changed back to the way it was originally; the broken statue of Beltar becoming once again a (now broken) statue of Farlanghn. There is no further trouble that night. Norel and Hawkwind soon find their way back to the temple. The party hears the sounds of tiny drums and heathen mourning rites from inside the walls, but the Jermlaine appear to be cowed by the death of their god. The dust storm continues for all of the next day, finally abating late on the night of the 2nd day.
The party continues their journey through the dust-sweapt foothills and arrives later that day at the dwarf gates. There, from the entry-watchers they learn that Ratikhill has been besieged by the orcs, and that hordes of orcs and ratmen are pouring through the pass into the defenseless low-lands of Ratik. However, it seems that Ratikhill's defenses are strong; apparently a knight named Gabriel has been leading the defense.
Nigil: Firkin ding blast!
Tron: At least it sounds like we have time to train.
TO BE CONTINUED...