Quest Forgotten Treasures

[Lokdrarlig]

He paused, slurping down the remnants of his stew from the bowl. A small burp escaped his lips and Lokdrarlig paused for a moment in thought at the question.

"We left our brethren, the Dwarves, when the other mortal races came along. We didn't trust their new ways and how it affected our culture, so we did was Dwarves did best and dug." He grinned for a moment. Duergar schooling left a lot to be desired. Most of his understanding of his people's history was through various snippets and pieces he'd put together throughout his life.

"The first century was rough. The Underrealm was against us and we fought tooth and nail to carve out settlements. Only a few kept. Those that remained became forts." He considered the history of Vel'Anir. He had never visited the vast mega-forts that they classed as cities, but he had no doubt that his people's home are akin to that.

"We live deep in the depths of the Underrealm, using the magma flows to power our forgeries and furnaces - the metals we employ give our weapons and armour this strange purple hue." He withdrew his urgrosh out for her to inspect, and in the light of the campfire, it retained a strange rippling pattern with a very visible purple colouring.

"I left our capital when I grew tired of war. Duergar civilisation is angry, scorned and battle hardy. You fight for your life and when you can't do so, you die." He winced. His final memories of his home were none too pleasant.

"Where are you from?" He said calmly.

 

[Syvis]

"How fascinating." She muttered, writing down small notes in the journal she had plucked from her satchel. "I would love to visit some day, if foreigners are even allowed in such a place."

Syvis knew that sometimes that was not the case.

The Ixchel Wilds had been difficult to traverse, many of the cultures there being entirely xenophobic towards anyone who was not of the same tribe. She had only managed to survive there due to the city of Mallian, a somewhat westernized place that had grown there through trade.

"I am from the free City of Tollan." She said with a smile.

She had not been home in nearly a decade, but she still remembered it quite well.

"It is not as large as some, but it sits on the coast." A fondness clung to her voice. "We are famed for our ships, built to traverse both sea and river."

Something they were all very proud of. "Most everyone is either a boat builder of fisherman there."

 

[Lokdrarlig]

"You would not. Want to visit that is, even a mage like yourself would find themselves slaughtered if they ventured anywhere within 20 leagues of a Duergar settlement." His gaze drifted into the fire. The light of the low flame, set against the eternal blackness around them, reminded him of his days in the magma flows.

"It isn't personal, my people kill and don't ask questions. It is one of the reasons we might struggle to get assistance in Defrith - I highly doubt any there have had pleasant exchanges with the Duergar." He opened his canteen and tipped a small bit of water into his soup, making some effort to ensure it was clean and, once finished, he set upon the pot he had cooked in.

"Can't say I've heard of it... Don't enjoy the sea though." If Lokdrarlig could get any paler he did now. The idea of boats and shipping had intrigued him when he first ventured to the surface. It was short-lived. Dwarves, and their cousins it seems, do not sail. It does not fit them, the neverending rocking and instability had left him vomiting for days.

"Nice place by the sound of it though, must be nice to be proud of your roots." He paused, packing away the various utensils he'd just cleaned and returned to staring at the flames.

"Would you change it? Becoming a mage? If life had chosen another path for you and you were back home building boats and fishing. The simple things." It was a question he had long asked himself. Of course, if he'd have stayed back home he'd either kill or be killed. He never regretted his choice to leave.

 

[Syvis]

She frowned at his comments, but did not question them. Such things were really not all that uncommon when it came to people like his. It was a shame though, if only for her own personal and selfish reasons. Her head shook, and she decided not to pursue the questions further.

Lok did not seem like he wanted to discuss it, and thus she would not press.

His own inquiry brought a smile to her face though. She remembered her home fondly, and although she hadn't been there in some time she did hold a certain fondness for it. If time allows she would have returned far more frequently.

Unfortunately she was but human, and her life was far too short to wait on Nostalgia.

"If I had the choice of it? No I would not change it." Syvis enjoyed her work, she enjoyed the magic she could do. There was life and mystery within all of it, and she enjoyed that far more than anything else in the world.

There was a pause though for a second before she began again.

"But if I had no choice in the matter…" Syvis smiled. "I think I could have been a grand designer of ships."

She'd always had a knack for the arts, and an eye for mathematics as well. Both needed in that line of work.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

"Fair enough. I knew a mage once who despised it." He took a moment to himself, his gaze drifting thoughtfully into the blackness.

"Aren't many Dwarf mages, but this one was powerful. Trouble is, dwarves, like to work - they like a challenge to." He hadn't considered his friend for a while. The man had died several decades ago, tragic really - he was good kin.

"His life was too easy, he grew bored. Everything could be achieved too easy. Tried to strip himself of his own magic, tried to make himself normal, didn't work - he died not long after." There wasn't necessarily a point to Lokdrarlig's story. More a curiosity. He wondered inwardly, unable to put into words, whether or not Syvis experienced a similar sense of ease - the loss of a challenge and difficulty, that comes with power.

"Ha! Well, you've got a back up if you ever change your mind at least." He grinned. In the distance a small rumble was felt, he shrugged. Quakes and tremors were common - tunnellers often caused them, if not seismic activity.

"Probably best you catch some rest, I'll keep watch. I'll wake you an hour or so before we depart - give some time to eat and wake up." He smiled pleasantly towards her.

Lokdrarlig was only mortal. He too needed sleep, but he'd been taught an old trick by his people. Those in his order - always at the heart of danger - fighting in the front-lines were trained to sleep with one eye open. Literally. Part of his waking mind rested, while enough of it stayed awake to alert him of any danger.

Needless to say, it made for a terrific sentry.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis nodded her head to his suggestion.

She could not fathom growing bored of life or magic, but she had heard of mages and wizards who did. Perhaps it was because they lose the challenge in their life, or because they flat out refused to take up new ones.

Either way, she would not lose sleep over the fact. Other people could decide their own paths and ways in life, she would not rebuke them for any of it.

A smile touched her lips as she grabbed one of the bedrolls that had come from her instant campsite and quickly set herself up. There was a certain pleasure in knowing that you had constructed your own bed, especially given her current position.

It would have been hell to sleep on the ground.

Without another word the Professor of Elbion began to doze off to sleep.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

Lokdrarlig yawned to himself. The night had proven to be a quiet one, a few tremors in the distance, but thankfully nothing major and they'd been fortunate that no one was traversing this region of the tunnels. It was peaceful and calm.

He didn't know whether to celebrate or be concerned. Even the most remote tunnels - of which this was not - warranted some traffic, yet the route they chose was completely devoid of fellow travellers.

It wasn't worth worrying Syvis, he concluded. The Duergar splashed some water on his face and took out a few pieces of dwarf bread. Tooth-breaking stuff, often cooked with gravel, yet he had grown accustomed to a couple of slices of the stuff in the morning.

"Syvis, we're heading off in a half-hour. Grab something to eat and prepare yourself, we're travelling through some dangerous tunnels today. Kobolds, Goblins, Trolls, traps - should be an interesting day." He said with very little mirth in his voice. The goblin's detour took them through the heart of a small goblin domain, where there were goblins there were often Kobolds and Trolls lurking.

He sighed. It was preferable to roaming minotaur territory, however.

 

[Syvis]

"Wonderful." Syvis said the word as she roused herself from the bed, though her tone of voice made it impossible to tell if she actually meant it or not.

There was always something interesting about the way she inflected certain words and phrases. Sometimes it seemed like she was happy about things that she should not be happy about, other times it would almost appear as it were the opposite.

She had a strange way of speaking.

Before Lok could bother her anymore Syvis quickly went about her morning rituals. A few quiet wards were cast around herself, the campsite was quickly packed up, and a little bit of her rations was quickly squared away in her stomach. "Excellent."

She said finally as she dusted off her hands and returned the cube to her satchel.

"I suppose I'll need my staff if today will be as dangerous as you say." Her lips pursed in thought.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

"We'll try to avoid the danger where we can, but just assume every shadow, every noise and every movement is an enemy." His tone was level and moderated. Lokdrarlig had packed all his utensils and camping equipment an hour before and now set contentedly on a rock.

A slight hiss and scraping sound was heard from his position as he ran his whetstone against the spearhead and axe-blade of his urgrosh. He had prepared his weapon earlier in the day, but the movements were therapeutic and gave him a chance to think about their approach today.

Settling on one of the routes, he stood up, beckoning the mage to follow after him. "Goblins and Kobolds are loud, should be able to hear them before they hear us... Trolls are the same. Keep an ear out."

The duo should be safe for the first few hours if his knowledge of the area held out. After that, they began to tread on less frequented soil. In the Underrealm, that meant dangerous ground.

 

[Syvis]

"Will do." Syvis said almost chirpily as she pulled out a small leather pouch from one of her bags.

Unwinding the string around it she opened it up, and then turned it upside down. From the bag a pole began to drop, and with a quick sweep of her hand she began to pull out a near six foot tall staff before replacing the bag on her hip.

It was a simple thing, made up of a strange gnarled sort of wood that looked more like steel than anything organic. A simple red gem sat at the top of it, encapsulated by what appeared to be the roots of a tree.

Once that was done, and everything else was packed away, Syvis and Lok began their trek. The trip, just as he had suggested, was a quiet one for the first few hours. It was only when they reached a small bridge over a massive chasm that their progress slowed.

Her lips thinned as they approached. "There is...something wrong here."

She said quietly, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

He was surprised at how long it had taken her to be ready. Lokdrarlig had worked with humans many times during his time above ground and humans, human females, in particular, seemed to take an inexplicably long time when getting ready. He shrugged, it made his life easier.

The journey was uneventful, Lokdrarlig stopped a few times to cover their tracks and even, on occasion, retrace their steps. While he was certain they weren't being followed, he was all too careful and wanted to ensure it stayed that way.

Eventually, however, they reached the bridge. Something struck him as odd as they reached the cavern containing the chasm. It seemed too uniform, too recent - cleared of any obstructions and possessing none of the geological structures that were commonplace within the UnderRealm.

"This is artificial, the cavern... Someone's made this. The next cavern isn't for another while." He paused, he knew they weren't lost, yet he couldn't quite explain where they were.

He didn't need to. Faint giggling was heard in the distance and, suddenly, a brief Ting as something small bounces off his armour.

"Sviirf's, shit. Don't get hit by their darts and, whatever you do, try not to get your brain fried." He spoke calmly, drawing his urgrosh and glancing around the cavern.

He hated Sviirfs. Horrible creatures that could blend themselves in with the very rocks themselves. Their tendency to use powerful illusions and poisons made them a gruesome foe.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis immediately tapped her staff on the ground.

Something odd seemingly shifted about her, an odd pale glow that ran over her skin and clothing. It encapsulated her, and then suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. "What is a...Svirrf?"

She did not pronounce it correctly.

The Underrealm was something completely foreign to her, and these monsters were something she had never encountered before. A sudden burst of light radiated from around her as a dart struck whatever Syvis had created around herself.

The dart fell onto the floor, and she recoiled slightly as the bulb of light over her shoulder began to glow a bit more brightly.

They would have to fight it seemed.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

"Gnomes, evil ones. Mindless, all they care about is violence and misfortune." He paused, stepping behind Syvis momentarily as her shield provided some respite from the darts.

"Use illusion magic and potent poisons, pit... This whole cavern could be an illusion for all we know." He glanced around the area. Sviirfneblins could camouflage themselves, that he knew, even his potent vision would be rendered useless here.

Lokdrarlig closed his eyes and breathed. His mind flashed terrible images of his past before him, imagines designed to awaken his anger, imagines designed to send him insane.

His Urgrosh went limp in his hand, his breath became dogged and laboured. Suddenly, and without warning, the Duergar's eyes snapped open and he stepped out from under Syvis' protection.

Carefully, he listened out - a faint rustle here, a giggle there - and he bolted. In a single bound he cleared an impossible distance and released a powerful bellow that reverberated across space.

His Urgrosh slashed through what appeared to be thin air, except moments later, two halves of the same gnome fell into view.

He hadn't wished to enter a fury so soon, but neither had he expected to encounter a gnome ambush. That said, his mind was blank. Lokdrarlig no longer possessed a conscious mind, instead, he was the epitome of rage and fury. Pure, unfiltered, primal rage.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis couldn't help but feel slightly sick as she saw a gnome quite literally split in half.

She had seen death before, she had taken part in battles, but there was something about visceral gore that just made the Professors stomach turn. Her lips thinned, and her eyes were forced to drag away from the body as Lok fell into his rage besides her.

Teeth sank into her lower lip, gaze flickering as her staff began to glow. "I will reveal them."

Her voice was quick, breathing already hastened. Fingers tightened around her staff, grasping the wood as magic coursed through her veins. Her lips parted, and she whispered a quick spell before suddenly raising the staff and then slamming it into the ground.

The earth seemed to shake, then a pulse rushed out from Syvis. The magic around them shifted, wavering and then suddenly snapping into nothingness.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

What had formerly been a large cavern, set with a bridge and an endless ravine, revealed itself to be yet another narrow corridor - much the same as the ones they had been following for the last two days.

Lokdrarlig didn't care. Lokdrarlig's mind, body and soul were tied to violence, to combat - everything else was second in his mind. He had a mission, he had a charge, he would protect her and maim all those who would stand between him.

The Duergar released a ferocious roar as several gnomes were revealed at once. They look confused, bewildered, and took several moments to realise what had happened.

They were never given those several moments. Lokdrarlig closed the distance between himself and the pack in a moment. He moved at an incredible speed for a figure in heavy armour.

The spear blade of his Urgrosh pierced through one gnome, then through a second. He breathed deeply, twirling the weapon around in his hand with two limp corpses still impaled on.

The axe blade fell savagely onto the remaining gnome, causing an explosion of gore and innards as it split him in twain.

Lokdrarlig remained motionless, glanced around for any more foes, before breathing deeply.

His eyes closed, his breathing steadied. The depths of rage and fury that had consumed him slowly abated. Several long minutes passed as he calmed himself and reigned in his emotions.

"They shouldn't be so close to the surface Syvis. There were only four here, but they move as a tribe... I worry that there may be several ambushes or traps between us and Derith." He spoke as if the battle itself had never happened. His mind was elsewhere, focusing on what was ahead. It was clear the duergar was troubled, he was worried.

 

[Syvis]

The rage that Lok expressed was...something else.

She had moved to help him, had stepped forward to aid in the fight with a spell or two, but...she had caught herself utterly enveloped by the sight of the Raging Duergar. Her lips were thin as the slaughter continued, and she couldn't help but feel ill.

The Gnomes were savaged, cut into pieces and torn apart like they were nothing at all. By the time it was all over blood splattered the walls and caught on the ground. Syvis frowned, wondering if these people had known what they were walking into.

"It is likely." Syvis said perhaps a bit too softly.

The Professor suddenly realized that this would likely be the entirety of their trip.

Lok had warned her of that fact, had told her the realities of this place. Her stomach sank slightly, and she slowly shook her head as though regretting not having brought more.

"I will keep a ward around us." She told him. "It will exhaust me...but it feels necessary."

At least magic wouldn't touch them.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

As the two pressed on into the caverns, Lokdrarlig was aware of the pregnant silence that had been growing with each passing moment. He grimaced, trying to find the words to excuse his actions in protecting them.

"Sorry about that... Among my people, I was a warrior, one of the elites... We're trained from birth almost to eliminate with overwhelming force. Sviirfs, in particular, need to be given no time - the longer you leave them to channel the more likely someone's brain will be destroyed." His words were hollow. He suspected the enemies they encountered were almost as surprised as they had been at the ambush. While he knew his foes were dangerous, years of living in the surface taught him some restraint and remorse.

He shuddered, suppressing the feelings and emotions to the depths of his mind. He needed a clear head, especially if there were more gnomes on the cards. Any emotion was a weakness they could exploit.

"I've got some troll powder, if we take it and march for the next day without resting, we can be at the oasis sooner." He did not enjoy taking stimulants. Yet he knew that such a venture as the two had chosen might require marching non-stop. These particular ones were a milder form than the rage-inducing ones he knew they took. Instead, they prevented tiredness and allowed someone extraordinary feats of stamina for a period of time.

That said, he wasn't quite sure how they would react to a human - as opposed to a dwarven - metabolism.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis considered the words. "You have no concerns from me."

That wasnt exactly true, but he didn't need to know that. The man was whom she'd hired, and even though he'd fallen into that Rage....she could sense he was still a good man. That being said, it would have been a further lie to say she was entirely comfortable.

Rage and anger were something that even the best Barbarians struggled to control. She had read accounts of Berserkers going mad and slaughtering their own people as though they had been the enemy all along.

The stories were always terrible.

"No thank you." She said about the troll powder. "I'm unsure of what it will do to me, but I have something that will work just as well."

Magic

An advantage that she held over many beings. "Do not worry. I will keep pace."

Syvis offered him a smile.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

He nodded, it was probably wise she had decided against it. He couldn't blame her really.

Lokdrarlig withdrew a small pouch from his back, inside was a murky brown powder. The duergar carefully popped a small bit of the substance under his tongue and waited several moments.

The effects were subtle and not immediately apparent. There was no sudden high, no rush of adrenaline. Instead, the aches and pains of his body simple dulled, he felt a small - yet noticeable - bump in energy.

"Will you be alright? You're already using magic to keep us safe?" He wasn't clued up on how magic worked, but he had heard some mages could burn themselves out if they weren't careful.

While he spoke, he kept his grip tightened around his weapon, glancing at the long and seemingly neverending set of caves and caverns they passed through - his eyes ever peeled in case of trouble.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis nodded her head. "My magic does not tired me as much as most might think."

College Magic was handy that way.

Though her abilities were not limitless, Syvis relied mostly upon verbal and somatic components. The staff in her hand and the energy of life around them was what allowed her to manipulate things with magic. It was only when she attempted more complex spells that she would begin to tax herself.

One such was the one she would use to move at the same speed as Lok. Slowly the Professor breathed in and out, a small word whispered under her breath as she gathered herself. There was an odd sheen over her skin, a flicker, then her eyes popped open with a vibrant blue at their center.

"Let's go." She urged with a smile. "This will only last a certain amount of time."

And a part of her was eager to see a village in the underrealm.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

"Understood." The Duergar was not one to mince his words. With the renewed energy and the aches and pains of old age behind him, the figure picked up the pace and moved several paces ahead of the professor to keep point.

In the distance, he heard the odd giggle, squeal and cry. He hoped that the sviirfs were not aware of the party, although he wasn't particularly sure how they could be.

After a couple of hours, the pair broke out into a natural cavern with a deep ravine, down below a silvery river churned through the split in the earth. Lokdrarlig breathed a sigh of relief. This break in the endless tunnels was expected and, unlike their previous encounter, was not merely a conjured mirage.

"We follow this, it'll lead us straight to Denrith. Don't ease up though, they'll be bandits monitoring this - all the easy paths in the Underrealm are plagued with criminals lying in wait." He spoke solemnly then directed the pair to follow upriver.

Even in the distance, Lokdrarlig could make out some shadows further up. He signalled Syvis of their position.

 

[Syvis]

The moment Lok pointed out the gnomes Syvis there her hand up.

Fingers sprawled out wide and her eyes closed for just a brief second as she spoke a quick spell. Before her pal a glyph appeared, bursting into lift as though it had been carved from the very sun itself.

From the glyph sprang four odd line sof magic that shot forth in an instant. They rushed through the hair like vipers, darting quickly towards the position Lok had point out and smashing into the ground there. Explosion of rock and debris erupted where the bolts struck, the chittering of the gnomes quieting.

"We should move faster." The Professor said as her walk broke into a small jog.

There wouldn't be any stealth henceforth.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

Lokdrarlig smiled wryly at the sight of the mage blowing up the ledge that hosted the now deceased gnomes. It relieved him to no end to note that she did not hesitate in the face of danger. Likewise, it helped to have a competent ranged fighter, a weakness he sorely noted in himself.

He nodded towards her at her suggestion and held the urgrosh levelly at his side, whilst breaking out into a similarly light jog.

The diminutive dwarf took the chance to bolt ahead - a few paces at least - of Syvis. He knew that however bright her illumination spell was, it would still ultimately be consumed by the neverending darkness.

That's where his eyes came in. His pale off-white eyes pierced through even the darkest of tunnels and he was able to steer the pair away from several potential threats.

Up ahead, several figures descended from the ceiling. Sviirfs, no doubt, yet far too many for Lokdrarlig to deal with effortlessly. He sighed. It wouldn't do his body any good to enter a rage so soon after the initial burst.

The second they landed, the ward around the pair thrummed and hummed. Invisible bolts, spells and the like pinged off the shield - yet it did not falter.

He breathed, eyes closed as he awaited a break in the barrage. He found the pattern moments later and, once able, the Duergar leapt headfirst into the crowd of gnomes.

Lokdrarlig had chosen the right end of the group, leaving the other half up to his comrade.

He wasted no time getting his weapon bloodied.

 

[Syvis]

There was no fancy magic, no flashy spell, nothing that would draw anymore attention that a single glyph that flashed in the air. There was a slight flicker, and then half a dozen bolts appeared just like the few she had sent forward.

The magic rushed forward, impaling, piercing, and then exploding into thousands of shards that rushed through the gnomes and obliterated them.

The sight made Syvis cringe.

She did not enjoy violence. Though War Magic was something she had taken up at the College, it had never been because she enjoyed it. The practice were not entirely abhorrent, sometimes they were necessary, but she was no Dreadlord reveling in the deaths of others.

Her magic cut through the Sviirfs like a knife through butter, carving a swath as quickly as a Giant's hammer.

It was a brutal display, and it cost her more than the weight of her magic.

 

[Lokdrarlig]

Lokdrarlig twirled his urgrosh through the last of the Sviirfs. His spear blade punched a hole through the final gnome's head and caused a literal explosion as brain matter, skull fragments and blood spurted forth from the wound.

The Duergar stood unscathed surrounded by mutilated corpses, yet despite his skill and speed, his armour seemed to have received several new dents, scratches and cuts in several places. Equally, it took him significantly longer to deal with the threat than Syvis had managed.

However, Lok knew it was not a competition, it was simply survival. That said, what they had encountered would simply be a scouting party - he knew the Sviirfs had greater numbers and their warriors were not to be underestimated.

"We're a few hours from the Oasis. We're lucky, we've not encountered any of their mage-breakers or warriors yet - let's hope it stays that way." He nodded, shaking off a few flecks of blood from his Urgrosh and continued walking along the ravine as if nothing had happened.

He did not want to dwell, he hoped the duo had not been already located and found by the greater Sviirf forces. While he was confident in Syvis' abilities, he knew she could not keep up her magic forever. Additionally, he knew the Sviirfs had developed their skills against mages - constant wars between Drows and Tieflings had honed their anti-magic.

In the pit of his stomach, Lokdrarlig hoped that the Oasis was still there. He hoped the Sviirfs hadn't destroyed it. He shuddered.