The portal of Fishing village spat out another mercenary hurrying to report his latest success to the guild. Then, suddenly, it burst in a bright flash, and produced an unusual pair of humanoids. A wizard with panted breath and his turban moved on the side of his head, and an undead picking his magnificent teeth that even a living could envy, after having consumed a toadstool for traveling safely through the portal.
Tolgar resided in Kingdom Castle since he volunteered to restore the rich land devastated in Empire's longest war following an exhausting siege of the Great Wall. The two rented stallions from a local merchant and arrived at the Castle lands in silence within a quarter of an hour.
Sorish followed the Necromancer, pondering on recent events. They have discovered a key to a crypt enclosure, the moon key, but Feurlis declared he knew more. Yet, instead of talking for himself, he suggested to visit the dwarves... Sorish did not like to be outdated; he was valued by the wizard king for his aspiration to stay most informed about the events not only in the Empire - the archmage was a true explorer and often set to explore the nearby lands. In one such expedition he had found the now lost Empire...
Luckily, he was about to cover this little gap in his awareness.
They noticed Tolgar from afar. He was standing at the entrance to his residence, scolding an assistant of his. The two dismounted. Feurlis' steps were almost completely silent, and the wizard unconsciously stepped to tiptoe. Soon, they were able to distinguish what Tolgar was saying: "Crypt? Nay, haven't heard of crypts over yonder. Get mah battle ursus ready. Wanna take a look. Wait! Mount it yarself and deliver the news to Her Majesty. Aye, you, to the Capital, in person".
Tolgar noticed the visitors walking toward him and muttered something about scoundrels. The dwarf rushed to fulfill his master's order, and Tolgar motioned the two to approach with a nod of his head. Feurlis, following an old habit of noticing the tiny details, remarked that the envoy's boots were all covered with brown clay. Tolgar glued his eyes on the necromancer. This uncanny councilor of theirs, he had such a disturbing look. Ever since those fugitives arrived, Tolgar could swear he felt the look on his back in most unexpected places of Empire outskirts... Game of a sickened imagination, or?..
"Master Tolgar", the wizard bowed graciously. Tolgar already managed to forget he had two visitors, not one. "Archmage", he nodded with dignity. "Please, speak. What has brought you to me?"
Feurlis took the trinket out of his pocket. "I believe you know what this item is?"
"I do", both visitors noticed slight frustration in his voice. "It is the moon key to the crypt's enclosure. Now what?"
Feurlis stammered. Both Sorish and Tolgar had their looks fixed on him now, expecting an explanation. He was not going to narrate how over a year ago he tortured a captive dwarf to extract information about the crypt. Not willing to reveal that the dwarf died shortly after sharing that information. And certainly not planning to make known that that dwarf had near resemblance with Tolgar, clearly indicating that the two were relatives...
He remembered how heroic Quetlisse shared her observations with him back then. "When he talked of their king I noticed something, Feurlis", she said. "Something that might one day bring us much trouble. It was unconcealed filial pride in his voice". Was he the son of a dwarf King? Probably. Was he Tolgar's son? Most probably not. But this was becoming dangerous, especially now when Feurlis was yet to make discoveries in Tolgar's bloodline and the events were outrunning him.
Feurlis had to say something. Tolgar knew nothing about the calamities, he could see that clearly. He had told Sorish that dwarves could reveal information. "That's bad. They will ask what dwarf told me that, eventually they will. But for now, I guess the details about calamity keys are enough", he thought to himself.
He narrated that those keys represented natural events and disasters, or so he was told by the dwarven kin. Some believe that whenever an enclosure is unlocked using those keys, as many calamities happen somewhere randomly in the world, he explained. The dwarf who told him that, he seemed very wise and weathered, Feurlis added, having realised that Tolgar was rather conceited. It worked; praising his kind distracted him and prevented him from asking the inconvenient questions. Sorish was not that easily fooled. He gazed at Feurlis with an interested cunning look, then said: "You will excuse me, noble ones. I must deliver the news to my king. I look forward to continuing our conversation, councilor", he emphasized before teleporting away.
Feurlis quickly bid farewell, leaving Tolgar to his thoughts that were soon interrupted by a herald's proclamation:
"Heroes of the Empire,
A group of dwarf archaeologists have discovered ruins of a Crypt in Ungovernable Steppe. Its contents are unknown, but we may safely assume that it is full of unseen Undead, and that it has enclosures inside which contain certain artifacts. The quality of the artifacts is to be discovered.
All heroes of combat level 5 and above are summoned to arrive at any location adjacent to Ungovernable Steppe to lend their weapons to lay the Undead to rest.
Should you be victorious in battle and remain in the battlefield by keeping any army alive, you will be able to use Calamity keys looted from the Undead to unlock crypt enclosures.
For the Empire!" |
