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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
"She is asleep." said Ghibelline to himself. The wood elf
returned to the others leaving Gytha snoring softly rolled up against the
curve of the wall.
They stood facing the enchanted statue of the ogre, Telenstil and
Ivo were a pace back, while Harald had both hands against a granite arm
and pushed. The muscles along his back and shoulders tensed into rigid
lines but he couldn't shift the golem, it would not budge and inch.
"Uhh!" Harald grunted. "Too heavy for me to move."
"Solid stone." said Ivo who reached out and patted the golem's
arm. "Enchanted stone."
"Is it safe?" asked Ghibelline.
"No." said Ivo, then gave a chuckle at the worried look on
Ghibelline's face. "Do not fear, not yet, but don't be too comfortable
around it either."
"Your words do nothing to relieve me." said Ghibelline.
"Harald, has the sun set do you think?" asked Telenstil.
The ranger thought for a moment and measured the passing time
with an internal sense that stone passages could not block. "It should be
getting dark outside."
* * *
The tunnel shrank some more but was still higher than Talberth's
head and wide enough for him to pass with ease. The halfling and the
young orc noticed the shrinking walls though the ceiling was high enough
above that it just seemed far away.
Level floors that sloped imperceptibly began to drop then
plateau out into a landing. Three times the passage sank down and evened
out, it was lower by twice a tall mans height when they reached its end.
Three doors blocked their way, they were set in the curving
walls of the chamber, a half circle with a rounded roof. One door was
iron, it bled with rust, sheets of metal peeled from its surface
parchment thin, layered deep, a pile of dust and flakes was thick before
it.
There was a second door of stone, above it the roof had cracked
and water fell in slow droplets streaming down across its face like tears.
Long fangs of rock had formed above the door, a hard crust followed the
path of the drops, white and glistening, patterned like the veins which
ran over a drunkards nose. Water pooled at its base, a shallow depression
worn into the stone of the floor.
The third door was made of wood, dry and hard as rock. The timbers
had cracked and iron rivets were half forced from where they had been
hammered in. An axe head with a splintered haft was half buried near
the metal latch. The handle was bent, the metal green with age and
scarred perhaps by the axe blade or another like it. The wood near to
the handle was gashed, splinters showed where the blows had taken feeble
bites from the ancient boards.
"We've found something here." said Harald. "Should we go on?"
"We can try a door." Talberth walked into the room.
The halfling gave out a yell, high and loud. Harald pushed the
young orc back but could do nothing for the mage. Iron bars came down,
they clanged against the stone and seemed to sink into the rock.
"Don't touch them!" Harald yelled again.
Talberth spun around, the metal snapped down before him, so close
that the wooshing air whistled past his face.
"Don't move," Harald said, "don't touch anything."
* * *
(To Be Continued...)