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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
This is a first draft of a story set in the world of Greyhawk.
It is based on a home campaign so some of the people, places and things
may be different. Any helpful comments or suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks
Jason Zavoda
There was a jarring sound, stone scraping against stone. The ogre
came alive and stepped from the column, behind him he left a smooth
curving face of rock. The monster stepped from the pedestal base and its
foot banged against the tiles of the floor. Telenstil, Talberth,
Harold and Little Rat, all took a step back, then another as the ogre's
other foot came down.
"Man-Zo" Telenstil commanded. The ogre stopped and did not move.
"We may have gained a powerful tool." he said to the others.
"A golem do you think?" Talberth asked.
"Yes, finely made." Telenstil was silent for a moment. "Sek-Wa"
he told the figure. "Let us go back to where we entered."
"But there is so much here." Talberth protested. "There is another
figure, the minotaur, it must be a golem as well."
"I think one is enough." said Telenstil. "This one seems to obey
but would two, or will this continue to heed my commands? There is too
much that we do not know."
Telenstil walked toward the entrance of the room, Talberth stood
for a moment but ran to the mages side, the ogre took heavy steps and
followed. Little Rat ran around the walking statue till Harold pulled
him aside.
"If that thing steps on you..." Harold scolded the young orc.
"Look, walking stone." Little Rat said in a voice filled with
awe. "Magic make it walk?" he asked.
"Magic," said Harold, "sure, the kind that we best avoid. Your
knives wouldn't even scratch it, come on let's get out of its way."
Harold had to pull the young orc away by a ragged sleeve.
The ogre pounded across the floor but when it reached the entrance
to the hall it stopped and would not step beyond. Motionless it looked
to be just a statue once again.
"What is the matter with it?" asked Talberth.
"I cannot be sure." said Telenstil. "The enchantment may be on
this room, or an old instruction that my orders cannot countermand. There
is too much that we do not know." Telenstil walked back into the room
and went past the ogre, it swiveled as he passed and followed him once
again while he stayed within the room.
"Maybe another command?" asked Talberth.
"I cannot tell, and experiment may prove dangerous." Telenstil
said. "Since there is no need, at least for now I will leave it be."
"Have you ever built a golem." said Talberth, he circled the
ogre, his eyes taking in every detail.
"No." Telenstil answered him. "That has not been my craft, I have
created very little as a mage, destroyed too much."
"Are all of these pillars like this?" asked Harold.
Telenstil looked at the small forest of columns that ringed the
curving hall. "Perhaps, perhaps, once. Talberth what did your spell
detect?"
"Magic, a small amount in each, but two burned bright with it."
said Talberth.
"I cannot answer." said Telenstil. "Too much power, much too much.
Creatures such as dragons turned to stone just to hold a roof, or golems
of such size. Perhaps they are nothing but stone and finely carved
and only this one and another are animated rock."
As they talked the old gnome joined them. Ivo gave a whistle when
he saw the ogre standing near the entrance of the room.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)