Editing User:Phssthpok

<div style="background:#640; float:left; padding:8px;">[[Image:Phssthpok_32x32.png]]</div>
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== high-res tileset ==
 <div style="background:#640; float:left; padding:8px;">[[Image:Phssthpok_32x32.png]]</div>
-<div style="clear:both;"></div>
-== ascii art reward ==
-<pre>
-ccc%ccccc,.,.UU,.U@.,,..,.,.~~~~~~~~
-</pre>
-“Where have they taken the princess?”
-A shining sword point hovered above the goblin's neck.  Sir Salwin had
-tracked the goblin snatchers over field and stream to the ruins of the
-dwarf fortress.  It had been weeks since the princess was kidnapped,
-but the knight knew she was still alive because of the messages she
-had left behind on pieces of her torn garment.  At last he cornered
-the villains in the crumbling mountain castle.  He mortally wounded
-one of them, but the rest had slipped away with the fair maiden.
-“Tell me where Princess Medalla is, and I’ll make your death swift,”
-said the knight.
-The goblin grinned through broken teeth and pointed to a large opening
-in the rough-hewn wall.  “They have taken to the underground.  Yours
-is a quest without hope,” he said.
-Sir Salwin’s team looked on grimly as the knight finished the goblin
-with a quick blow.  The Island Brothers winced in unison.  They were
-not yet accustom to violence, not like Bailnor, the knight’s dwarven
-companion.  The old dwarf had seen a hundred sieges, and now that his
-kind had retreated into the mountains, he stayed on to fight all that
-is evil.
-“Where does that hole lead?” Sir Salwin asked Bailnor.
-“As the goblin said, milord,” said the dwarf.  “It leads into the
-Underground, a vast world of twisting tunnels and great dangers.  If
-they have taken her there, we may never see her again.”
-The knight ran his fingers through his beard, and stared into
-blackness.  “There is no question,” said Salwin.  “We must follow.”
-As they descended, Bailnor pointed out the strange lights in the
-cavern below.  Many of fungi and some of the vermin gave off their own
-light, as the dwarf pointed out.  When they reached the floor of the
-cavern proper, Tolwen, the elder of the Island brothers, pointed to a
-mass of chattering creatures.  They were picking the bones some great
-monster.
-“Crundles,” said Bailnor.  “Often did they plague my father’s helmet farm.”
-“But what was that thing they are eating?” asked Tolwen.
-“It is said that the goblins and trolls passed through these caverns
-when they escaped from the underworld,” said Bailnor.  “I wouldn’t be
-surprised if other monsters didn’t make this place their home.”  The
-dwarf looked at the brothers for a moment.  “You had better stay close
-to master Salwin.”
-The adventurers traveled into the deep, always on the look for some
-sign of the princess.  The ceiling of the cavern hung low with
-stalactites, all crawling with tiny creatures.  As they went they
-found pools of water that grew and joined until it seemed the entire
-cave would be flooded.  Nolwen, the younger of the brothers, took off
-his battered soldier’s helmet to drink.  A clawed arm shot up, nearly
-severing his nose.  Bailnor pulled him away.
-“Never go near the water here,” said the dwarf.  “Pond grabbers and
-worse haunt these dim lakes.”
-The trio looked up as Sir Salwin held up a piece of glittering cloth.
-Bailnor approached him.  They looked down through the winding passage
-that was the road ahead.
-“I know not what madness drove them to take that way,” said the dwarf,
-“but if you choose to follow them, I cannot lead you.”
-The knight looked at him, questioning.
-“Dwarves rarely delve past the first layer of the Underground,” said
-Bailnor.  “To go further is suicide.”
-Sir Salwin looked on into the darkness.  “Once again,” said the
-knight, “there is no question.”
-== another ascii art reward ==
-<pre>
-,..@@|@|
-</pre>
-"Stop!" Kogan shouted.  Mul halted his pick just before it crashed into the ice.
-"There's something in there.  See the outline?  Bomtek got lucky the
-last time, but if this treasure is equally valuable we could become
-very wealthy indeed.  Get the chisels," Kogan said.
-"There have been so many finds in the tunnel this month," Mul
-observed.  "There must have been a great battle here before the
-glacier formed."
-As the dwarves worked carefully with the chisels, the form within the
-ice became more clear.  This was no treasure.
-"I wonder who he was," Kogan said flatly as they continued stripping
-the ice away.
-"He looks to have seen no more than eight winters, though the last was
-far too long," Mul responded.
-When they finally freed the body from its prison, they set it on the
-rough ice floor.
-"The least we can do is set him in a proper tomb," Kogan said.  "I'll
-go get Dorol."
-The boy's eyes opened.
-"They are coming.  Leave this place.  They are coming."
-"You're alive!  Could it be?  Mul, get something warm for him to
-drink.  A volcano whiskey shot from the kitchen," Kogan said urgently
-to Mul before turning back to the boy.
-The young dwarf could not move his limbs, but his lips were trembling
-and there were tears in his terrified eyes.  "They are coming."
-Kogan had difficulty understanding the boy's dialect, but on the third
-hearing, he found the meaning of the boy's repeated words.  "Be still
-now," Kogan said gently.  "You were trapped in the ice.  Nobody is
-coming.  It all happened long ago."
-"They are coming.  They are coming now."
-The boy closed his eyes, and the only sound in the tunnel was his
-frantic breathing.  Even in his heavy furs, Kogan felt a sudden chill
-and the dimly lit tunnel became darker still, as if the torches were
-reaching the last of their fuel in unison.  It was then that Kogan
-became aware of the icy hand resting lightly on his shoulder.
-<pre>
-++@+++@~~&&&&+#####
-</pre>
-Dorl approached the enormous outcropping of rock that protruded like
-the hand of a drowning giant through the sea of ice, the spikes on his
-boots crushing the thin layer of snow which topped the glacier with
-each step.  The miner had heard from the supply caravan that a new
-excavation had begun at the frontier outpost not a month ago, and they
-were still seeking laborers.
-There were no guards posted at the entrance, yet the gate was open.
-The dwarf felt uneasy.  Surely someone must stand to ward off the
-mighty beasts that haunted this frozen wasteland.  Dorl himself had
-slain a great polar bear on the journey, shattering its skull with a
-swing of his steel pick, though it could easily have turned out
-differently.  During this season the giant predators were crazed with
-hunger and often reckless.
-Dorl passed through the gateway and was greeted with a sight of horror
-that sucked the breath from his cold-pained lungs.  The ground was
-littered with desiccated bodies.  There were the guards, on permanent
-watch with shriveled eyes.  A merchant was there, never to return
-home.  The outpost had become a tomb.
-From the shadows enshrouding the passageway to the deeper halls there
-emerged several figures.  They were tall, graceful and tall like
-elves, but their faces were smooth and featureless, save for their
-glaring demonic eyes.  One of them held a leash which bound a dwarven
-child, eyes gaunt, frail but still alive.  The child took a few
-halting steps forward before speaking in a empty monotone, "My master
-does not wish to be disturbed."
-Dorl took a step back.  "I did not mean to disturb your master."
-The child shuffled forward further until the leash strained against
-his neck.  His master did not move.  Speaking again, his voice
-cracking but still without emotion, the child said, "My master does
-not care about your intentions."
-Dorl retreated slowly to the gateway, a profound nervousness marking
-his voice, "I'll be going then.  No need to concern yourself with me."
-"My master's concerns are not yours to dictate."
-"No, no, I didn't mean to imply..."
-"My master does not care about your intentions."
-He was through the gateway.  It closed quietly, leaving him alone with
-his thoughts.