The Fall of Durgis Rock V2.6

We rushed as fast as we could to aid Durgis Rock, but what we saw was heartbreaking. There were goblins and orcs every where, the main gate had been shattered, and there were three walking stone statues destroying everything and everyone within reach. We saw many dead and dying, but still heard heavy fighting in many places, hope was not lost yet. We heard a lot of noise coming from the Great Hall area, we hoped that many of the dwarves had moved there to make a stand. The elves said they could attack the horde in the open, but that someone needed to let the dwarves in the hall know that help was here. Croft and I volunteered to deliver that message.

I told Croft to follow me and stay close. I took him to a well hidden crack in the wall and disappeared. After a bit of disorientation, probably from the fairy dust, I led Croft toward the Great Hall. As we were traveling through the marmoset holes, we could hear battle erupting, the elves and the rest of our group must have launched their offensive. We slide our way through several twist and turns, until we were standing underneath a trap door. I was amazed how well Croft could move, almost as well as I. I will keep an eye on him and his buttons. Stealthily we opened the door and scouted around. We saw a single orc picking through what he thought was loot. Together we snuck up behind him and cut him down in a flurry of quick knife cuts, again Croft showed great skill. At this point my blood was boiling I needed to do more than just kill this orc, I wanted to humiliate it. I kicked it over, grabbed it scrotum and sliced it off, I wish he was still alive. I emptied out its contents on its bleeding body, I plan to make a small pouch which I will keep my trophies in it, or maybe I will just toss it away.

We made our way out of the small room into the Great Hall, we heard orc voices coming from the Hall of Heroes, we made our way to the front doors and opened them wide. At our feet was the old silly dwarf, Snurry cut and mangled to the point that I only recognized him because of his over sized leather helmet covering his face. We look out through the rock and I saw Riane casting fire everywhere, orcs and goblins were screaming and running around in total chaos. Devil Horn, Lorn, Wendell, and Duncan came charging toward us. Croft and I motioned for them to be quiet and come this way. We led them toward the Hall of Heroes, where we had heard the orcs. We shut the doors to the battle outside and headed toward the orcs and hoped it wasn’t too late. As we approached the noise we could all take cover with trappings of the hall. We saw four orcs tearing the Hall of Heroes apart. There was about a dozen dead dwarves laying all over hacked up, there was two to three times as many orcs laying dead as well. The remaining orcs were throwing down the books and urinating on them, cutting up the painting and destroying the beautiful dwarven sculptures. What they wanted they were putting in a pile, but mostly they were destroying things out of hatred and ignorance. Croft noticed their weapons and shields were leaned up against a column and he said he wanted to sneak in and move their weapons before we do anything else. I thought it was crazy, but he said, “What’s the worst that can happen they see me, you all charge in and save me.” He said that with a huge smile on his face. Amazingly he just walked right in, moved all their weapons that he could barely lift, smiling all the way. He motioned for us to attack, Devil Horn charged in with his huge axe screaming at the orcs. They looked stunned for about a half a second, they reached for their weapons that weren’t there. Croft laughed, took out his knife and went to work. After about thirty seconds there were three dead orcs and one that was knocked out. We all had taken some hits, but it would have been much worse had it not been for that crazy gnome. We tie up the remaining orc, we plan to question it later, but right now we have to find Wooden. In the pile of dead dwarves we hear a faint hoarse mumble, it’s the Dor’Thain. The Big Guy moves a few bodies both orc and dwarf to get a better look at our leader. He is trying to move, but it looks hopeless. There are six javelins sticking through him in various places, green foam is spewing from his mouth as he coughs up black blood sporadically. Devil Horn bends down and does his best to save his life. Wooden grabs him and thrust a silver tube into his hand, and says to him, “Swear you will personally place this into the Witch Queen’s hands.” Devil Horn takes an oath that he will, with that oath the Dor’Thain of Durgis Rock breathed no more. Duncan and Devil Horn both scream at the top of their lungs for revenge.

Lorn helps up tend to our wounds as fast as we can so we can join with the few remaining dwarves and drive back the invaders. I check on the knots to make sure the orc is secure and we head back into the fray. What we find is devastating, that battle is over, but the price was high, too high. Most of the inhabitants of the Rock, were dead or dying. We begin the grim task of looking for the people we know and hoping they were okay. Most of the males who could fight were now dead. We see the old and the females tending the wounded and ritually decapitated the fallen of Durgis. I find Baylah smashed against the a stone wall, with a stone construct not far away, no longer animated with arrows driven through its body. It looks like he was beaten into the wall like a nail, he lay broken and crumpled. The snow elf who I hoped would be my mentor was no more, I would honor the best I could. I collected his weapons and claimed them as my own. The fighting knives would taste orc blood again, and I would learn to use his bow. The quiver was empty, but I was sure I could fill it again before the day was out. His magnificent cloak was shredded beyond repair, but I still took it as if it was just made. I also relieved him of his armor, it was of an unknown leather and colored red and white. I am not sure what I will do with it, but I would not let his memory fade away. I said my last good byes and cut off his head, I did not want to face him in battle as a walking undead. As I went to find my companions I saw Herg among the dead, I thought to myself I won’t be making those five scabbards for him after all. It all saddened me and reminded me why I was here. This was the second time in my short life that I had two homes completely destroyed.

I found my friends inside the Great Hall talking. They said that the other elves were also dead, but that their heroic fighting had saved a lot of lives today. We decided to wake up the orc and question him, Croft had received the small black rock from Raine and had figured out how to make it work. He thought he could wake up the orc that way by placing it on his head and making it get hot, unfortunately it go to hot and cooked what was left of the orc’s brain. Duncan came in and said the Rock was preparing to leave and head to Silvervein. He said to gather what we could carry and help take care of the dead, Durgis Rock is no more.