Les nains de Grissenwald
General Summary
Après cette nuit agitée, le petit déjeuner est l’occasion de quelques réflexions : qu’est-il advenu du miroir mentionné dans l’étrange missive trouvée sur le corps de Pierson.
Vern , Karl et Rayaar décident d’enquêter dans la chambre du chef cultiste. Là-bas, ils ne trouveront pas grand-chose : tout au plus un mystérieux petit tas de cendres sur le bureau, dans une coupelle. Peut-être, un reliquat d’un étrange rituel ? Ou plus simplement des lettres impies détruites pas le feu ?
Karl décide de prendre une petite poignée de ces cendres dans une petit bourse, pour l’étudier plus tard.
Sans plus d’idée sur la localisation du miroir, le duo d’aventurier décide de prendre congé de leur hôte, le seigneur Rickard Aschaffenberg .
Celui-ci se montre très reconnaissant : « Merci Rayaar, Merci Karl. Votre aide a été très précieuse pour comprendre ce qui se passait ici. Que Sigmar veille sur vous pour la suite de vos aventures. Peut-être nous croiserons nous un jour à nouveau ! »
Le retour vers Kemperbad se passe sans encontre grâce au carosse mis à disposition par le baron, et, en fin d’après-midi, le duo retrouve la ville quittée deux jours plus tot. Ils n’y resteront que peu de temps.
Alors que Karl et Rayaar marchent dans une des rues principales, en direction de la falaise pour rejoindre l’EHR, le magicien sent quelqu’un lui arracher quelques mèches de cheveux. Karl se retourne et ne peut voir qu’un individu avec une chemise pourpre s’eloigner de lui d’un pas pressé.
Il s’élance à sa poursuite mais perdra sa trace rapidement.
« Pourquoi me voler quelques cheveux ? Ces gens vont sans doute vouloir l’utiliser pour quelques sortilèges ».
Après cet incident, les deux aventuriers ne sont pas déçus de quitter Kemperbad. La suite de leur voyage les guide donc vers le sud, en direction de Grissenwald , lieu de résidence d’Etelka Herzen comme indiqué par Heyronimous. Le trajet sera sans encombre et le lendemain après-midi, ils arrivent en vue de la petite bourgade.
Le hameau situé à la confluence du Reik et de la rivière Grissen est un lieu apprécié des marins surtout pour quelques tavernes ouvertes sur les quais.
A peine débarqués, Karl et Rayaar se dirigent vers une auberge pour trouver une chambre pour la nuit mais surtout pour glaner plus d’information sur cette mystérieuse Etelka.
Là-bas, le tavernier ne leur apprendra pas grand-chose. Ce sont surtout les nains installés au sud de la ville qui semblent surtout attirer l’attention. Ils habitent dans des taudis à l’exterieur des murs de Grissenwald et sont montrent souvent agités spécialement lorsqu’ils sont avinés. A la mention du nom d’Etelka Herzen, le tenancier de l’auberge ne se montre pas très prolixe.
« je crois que j’ai déjà entendu ce nom mais je ne me souviens plus ou. Ma mémoire me joue des tours quelquefois »
Rayaar tentera de proposer quelques pièces pour lui rafraichir la mémoire, mais l’homme, honnête, refusera,étant sincèrement dans l’impossibilité de se souvenir.
Les pas de Karl et Rayaar les mènent ensuite sur la place du marché. Le lieu n’a pas vraiment fière allure : il ne s’agit que quelques échoppes de fermiers locaux tentant de vendre leurs légumes et racines aux villageois.
Karl se montre amical avec l’un d’entre eux et parvient à en apprendre plus sur Etelka : « Cette femme riche originaire de Nuln s’est installée dans la région il y a de cela environ trois ans. Elle a racheté aux nains leur mine de charbon aux Crètes Noires, un groupe de collines à une dizaine de kilomètres au sud du village. »
Forts de ses informations, il est temps de retourner diner à l’auberge et de préparer un plan pour le lendemain.
Le repas frugal, composé d’une soupe aux pommes de terre et d’un morceau de pain, sera rapidement troublé par l’irruption de deux nains, qui ne visitent surement pas là leur première taverne de la journée.
« Ça sent bizarre par ici, tu trouves pas ? »
Le deuxième en pointant du doigt Karl et Rayaar, « Ouais, c’est les deux là. Ils semblent pas être en bon état si tu me demande. Ils sentent déjà pas bon vivants, alors une fois crevés... »
« Attends, ça bouge. Sans doute pas mort, alors. Deux mort-vivants, peut-être ? »
« Ah s’ils ne sont pas encore morts. Ça peut s’arranger. »
Karl tente de calmer les choses : « Attendez, attendez. Que diriez vous de faire connaissance autour d’une tournée de bière ? »
Les deux nouveaux venus et se laissent convaincre et s’attablent donc auprès des deux voyageurs.
La discussion tourne rapidement autour des mines des crêtes noires :
« Oh Etelka, cette traitresse nous a acheté notre mine il y a trois ans. Que du charbon qu’on y avait trouvé ! Alors nous on a vendu. Et on est v’nus s’installer ici, à Grissenwald… mais c’est pas comme dormir sous les montagnes… Oh mais tu me plais toi ! Si tu veux je te présenterai demain à Gorim notre chef. Il pourra te raconter ! Comment vous vous appelez les deux ?»
« Magnus et Rayaar »
« Et bien, aussi sûr que je m’appelle Ghultrim… si je me souviens de vous deux demain matin, je vous présenterai à notre chef ! Sur ce, nous allons vous laissez, d’autres choppes nous attendent »
Les deux nains prennent alors bruyamment congé, annonçant avoir d’autres tavernes à visiter.
Vient alors le temps de la discussion entre Karl et Rayaar : Que faire demain ? Aller tous les deux aux crêtes noires et tenter de se faire passer pour des voyageurs demandant à parler à Etelka ? Sont-ils assez puissants pour défaire la sorcière qui semble être une mage renommée ?
Ces craintes convainquent Karl d’aller se renseigner auprès du tavernier pour un homme de main digne de confiance.
L’aubergiste reste un peu surpris devant la requête : « Heu, je peux vous conseiller le Gert qui est à la table là-bas. Geeert ! vient voir ici ! J’ai peut-être un client pour toi »
L’homme qui se lève et claudique vers le bar n’a pas grand-chose du fier guerrier que Rayaar et Karl espéraient. L’homme d’un âge certain, s’il est musclé a clairement perdu de vue sa jeunesse depuis de nombreuse année
« Je m’appelle Gert. Je suis un peu un homme à tout faire ici. Je charge des caisses sur les bateaux, j’aide à l’installation du marché ou de la foire annuelle. Je suis quelqu’un de serieux !
Vous auriez besoin que quelqu’un vous emmène aux crètes noires ? Je suis votre homme ! Retrouvons-nous demain à 14h sur la place du marché ».
« Je ne suis pas sûr que ce Gert soit vraiment notre homme. Mais, à défaut de mieux, on va s’en contenter ». Confie Karl à Rayaar.
Le lendemain matin, les deux aventuriers décident de se rendre au quartier des nains. Quartier est un bien grand mot pour qualifier les nombreux taudis qui le composent. Surtout à cette heure matinale, quelques nains sont encore en train de dormir à l’extérieur, sur les coté du chemin, sans doute ont-ils finit la nuit trop éméchés pour retrouver leur cabane.
Karl s’adresse à l’un des rares nains en position verticale : « Nous cherchons Ghultrim, nous l’avons croisé hier dans une des tavernes du port et… »
L’autre ne le laisse pas terminer : « Ah, qu’a-t-il fait encore celui-là ? » et après s’être dirigé d’un pas décidé vers la porte d’une cabane de l’autre côté de la rue, commence à frapper la porte avec vigueur : « Ghultrim ! Bon à rien ! Des humains sont venus te chercher. J’espère que tu n’as pas fini comme la dernière fois ! »
A l’intérieur, après quelques secondes de silence, un grognement se fait entendre, suivit de quelques bruits sourds, une chute ?, un juron dans une langage ancien et enfin la porte s’ouvre bruyamment, laissant apparaitre un Ghultrim bien moins fringuant que la veille, un liquide séché maronnasse souillant sa barbe.
« Qui est là ? » Grogne t’il alors qu’il peine à ouvrir les yeux face à la lumière matinale.
« C’est nous, Magnus et Rayaar. Nous nous sommes rencontrés hier soir à la taverne et vous nous aviez dit que vous pourriez nous présenter votre chef, ce matin »
« Grmph ! Je ne me souviens pas…plus… J’ai dit ça moi ?.. Oh peut-être. Bref, suivez-moi »
Les aventuriers suivent le nain jusqu’à une hutte un peu plus grande et en meilleure état que les autres.
Rayaar et Karl devront malgré tout se baisser pour passer la porte, adaptée à la morphologie des nains.
Une fois à l’intérieur, des torches à la flamme vacillante sont placées le long des murs et emplissent l’air de la cabane d’une fumée aux relents âcres. Le sol est recouvert de peaux de loups rongées par les mites. La fumée est désagréable mais les voyageurs parviennent à réprimer une quinte de toux.
Au fond de la salle, sur une petite estrade, se tient un nain imposant entouré de plusieurs gardes. Au pied de l’estrade, plusieurs silhouettes de nains se dessinent dans les ténèbres.
Le chef prend la parole d’une voix caverneuse «Hé bien, ne restez pas là. Avancez ! Ce n’est pas tous les jours que nous avons des visiteurs de votre race qui osent venir ici »
Après quelques explications sur la raison de leur présence ici, se renseigner sur Etelka Herzen, Gorim donnera plus d’information :
Les nains sont descendus des Montagnes Grises pour s’installer aux Crêtes Noires il y a de cela 30 ans, en quête d’or. Tout ce qu’ils y ont trouvé était du charbon. Ils ont exploité la mine pendant 27 longues années sans jamais trouver la moindre pépite. Lorsqu’Etelka Herzen leur a rendu visite et leur a proposé de racheter leur mine, les nains ont accepté.
Les nains ont alors quitté la mine et sont venus s’installer sous les murailles de Grissenwald, fondant le quartier de Khazid Slumbol.
Loin des montagnes, les nains ont changé leurs habitudes et la plupart n’ont fait que dilapider l’argent gagné dans la vente de la mine dans l’alcool.
Gorim Greathammer est persuadé qu’Etelka a enchanté la mine pour qu’ils ne trouvent rien. Et il regrette maintenant d’avoir accepté de lui avoir vendu. Il estime que ses nains ont perdu leur fierté en même temps que la mine.
Karl tente alors de le convaincre de lui donner quelques gardes pour accompagner leur visite des Crète Noires. L’idée du magicien est d’enquêter sur Etelka et de pouvoir récupérer la mine pour que les nains puissent s’y réinstaller et recouvrer leur richesse perdue.
Malheureusement, le chef nain ne montre bien peu enclin à se séparer de ces quelques hommes de confiance.
« Cette proposition me plait, mais mes gardes resteront ici. Mais si un de mes nains veut se porter volontaire, je ne l’empêcherai pas. Quelqu’un veut se porter volontaire ? »
Le silence se fait alors dans la salle…
Jusqu’à ce qu’une voix se fasse entendre : « Je ne suis pas d’ici mais moi, je les connais et je les accompagnerai ».
Le nain qui a pris la parole a une allure singulière : sa barbe et ses cheveux sont teints en orange vifs, mais ses traits restent reconnaissables : Il s’agit de Thulgrim , le nain artisan ruiné que Rayaar et Karl avaient rencontré lors il y a quelques semaines.
Tout heureux de trouver un allié de circonstances, les deux aventuriers prennent congé.
A l’extérieur, Thulgrim leur explique que, grâce à l’argent qu’ils lui avaient laissé, il a pu permettre à sa famille de subvenir à ses besoins, mais que lui, trop honteux d’avoir déshonoré son nom, avait décidé d’embrasser la carrière de tueur. Depuis cette décision, il parcourait l’empire à la recherche de missions dangereuses pour tenter de prouver sa bravoure ou au moins perdre la vie de manière glorieuse.
Il est maintenant temps de retrouver le dernier larron du groupe : Gert, l’homme rencontré la veille qui attend à la place du marché.
Une fois les présentations faites entre l’homme de main et le nain tueur, la fine équipe se met en route vers le sud.
Le voyage se fait sans problème, un chemin assez large traverse la forêt et bientôt, de sombres collines se dessinent entre les arbres.
« Ce sont les crêtes noires. L’ancienne mine des nains est là-bas. »
De temps en temps, le chemin se scinde en plusieurs branches, certains se dirigeant vers des fermes aux environs, mais l’objectif est clair : aller vers le Sud.
Pendant une partie du trajet, Karl semble inquiet. Il fausse quelque instante compagnie au groupe pour assouvir un besoin pressant dans la forêt.
Environs deux heures après avoir quitté Grissenwald, le groupe arrive en vue des Crêtes Noires. A quelques centaines de mètres devant eux, on distingue une tour, sans doute de construction naine et un peu plus loin, l’entrée de la mine…
After a restless night, breakfast is a time for reflection: what happened to the mirror mentioned in the strange missive found on Pierson's body? Vern , Karl and Rayaar decide to investigate the cultist leader's bedroom. There, they don't find much: at most, a mysterious pile of ashes on the desk, in a bowl. Perhaps the remains of some strange ritual? Or simply unholy letters destroyed by fire? Karl decides to take a small handful of these ashes in a small purse, to study later. With no further idea of the mirror's whereabouts, the adventurous duo decide to take leave of their host, Lord Rickard Aschaffenberg . The latter is very grateful: "Thank you Rayaar, thank you Karl. Your help was invaluable in understanding what was happening here. May Sigmar watch over you as you continue your adventures. Perhaps one day we'll cross paths again!" The return journey to Kemperbad goes off without a hitch thanks to the carriage provided by the Baron, and by late afternoon the duo are back in the town they left two days earlier. But they won't be there long. As Karl and Rayaar walk along one of the main streets, towards the cliff to reach the EHR, the magician feels someone pulling out a few strands of his hair. Karl turns around and can only see someone in a purple shirt hurrying away from him. He sets off in pursuit, but quickly loses track of him. "Why steal a few hairs? These people will probably want to use it for some spells". After this incident, the two adventurers are not disappointed to leave Kemperbad. Their onward journey takes them south to Grissenwald , home of Etelka Herzen as indicated by Heyronimous. The journey went smoothly, and the following afternoon they arrived in sight of the small village. The hamlet at the confluence of the Reik and Grissen rivers is a popular spot for sailors, not least for the taverns on the quayside. Having just disembarked, Karl and Rayaar head for an inn to find a room for the night, but above all to glean more information about this mysterious Etelka. There, the tavern-keeper won't teach them much. It's the dwarves living in the south of town who seem to attract the most attention. They live in hovels outside the walls of Grissenwald and are often seen to be restless, especially when they're drunk. At the mention of Etelka Herzen's name, the innkeeper doesn't say much. "I think I've heard that name before, but I can't remember where. My memory plays tricks on me sometimes". Rayaar tries to offer a few coins to refresh his memory, but the honest man refuses, being genuinely unable to remember. Karl and Rayaar's steps then lead them to the market square. The place doesn't really look much: it's just a few stalls of local farmers trying to sell their vegetables and roots to the villagers. Karl makes friends with one of them and manages to find out more about Etelka: "This wealthy woman from Nuln moved to the area about three years ago. She bought out the dwarves' coal mine in the Crètes Noires, a group of hills some ten kilometers south of the village." Armed with this information, it's time to head back to the inn for dinner and a plan for the next day. The frugal meal, consisting of potato soup and a piece of bread, is quickly disturbed by the arrival of two dwarves, who are certainly not visiting their first tavern of the day. "It smells funny around here, doesn't it?" The second, pointing to Karl and Rayaar, "Yeah, that's these two. They don't look too good if you ask me. They already smell bad alive, so when they're dead..." "Wait, it's moving. Probably not dead, then. Two undead, maybe?" "Ah, if they're not dead yet. That can be arranged." Karl tries to calm things down: "Wait, wait. How about getting to know each other over a round of beer?" The two newcomers are convinced and sit down with the two travelers. The discussion quickly turns to the Black Peaks mine: "Oh Etelka, that traitress bought our mine from us three years ago. All the coal we found there! So we sold it. And we moved here, to Grissenwald... but it's not like sleeping under the mountains... Oh, but I like you! If you like, I'll introduce you to Gorim, our boss, tomorrow. He can tell you all about it! What are your names?" "Magnus and Rayaar" "Well, as sure as my name is Ghultrim... if I remember you both tomorrow morning, I'll introduce you to our chief! On that note, we'll leave you to it, there are other mugs waiting for us". The two dwarves then noisily take their leave, announcing that they have other taverns to visit. Karl and Rayaar discuss what to do tomorrow. Do they both go to the Black Peaks and try to pass themselves off as travelers asking to speak to Etelka? Are they powerful enough to defeat the witch, who appears to be a renowned mage? These fears convince Karl to go and ask the tavern-keeper for a trustworthy henchman. The innkeeper is a little surprised by the request: "Uh, I can recommend Gert who's at the table over there. Geeert! Come here! I might have a customer for you. The man who stands up and limps towards the bar doesn't look much like the proud warrior Rayaar and Karl were hoping for. The older, muscular man has clearly lost sight of his youth many years ago. "My name is Gert. I'm a bit of a handyman around here. I load crates onto boats, help set up the market or the annual fair. I'm a serious person! Do you need a ride to the Black Peaks? I'm your man! Let's meet tomorrow at 2pm on the market square. "I'm not sure this Gert is really our man. But if nothing else, we'll make do. Karl confides to Rayaar. The next morning, the two adventurers decide to head for the dwarf quarter. Neighborhood is a very strong word to describe the many slums that make it up. Especially at this early hour, some of the dwarves are still sleeping outside, on the sides of the road, no doubt having finished the night too tipsy to return to their huts. Karl addresses one of the few upright dwarves: "We're looking for Ghultrim, we met him yesterday in one of the port taverns and..." The other doesn't let him finish. The other doesn't let him finish: "Ah, what's he been up to now?" and after striding towards the door of a shack on the other side of the street, starts banging on the door vigorously: "Ghultrim! Good for nothing! Some humans came looking for you. I hope you didn't end up like last time!" Inside, after a few seconds of silence, a grunt is heard, followed by a few thuds, a fall..., an expletive in an ancient language and finally the door opens noisily, revealing a much less dashing Ghultrim than the day before, a brownish dried liquid staining his beard. "Who's there?" he growls as he struggles to open his eyes against the morning light. "It's us, Magnus and Rayaar. We met last night at the tavern and you said you could introduce us to your boss this morning." "Grmph! I don't remember...anymore... Did I say that?... Oh, maybe you did. Anyway, follow me." The adventurers follow the dwarf to a hut a little larger and in better condition than the others. Rayaar and Karl still have to bend down to get through the door, which is adapted to dwarf morphology. Once inside, flickering torches are placed along the walls, filling the air with acrid-smelling smoke. The floor is covered with moth-eaten wolf skins. The smoke is unpleasant, but the travelers manage to suppress a coughing fit. At the back of the room, on a small dais, stands an imposing dwarf surrounded by several guards. At the foot of the platform, several dwarf silhouettes stand out in the darkness. The leader speaks in a cavernous voice: "Well, don't just stand there. Keep moving! It's not every day we have visitors of your race who dare to come here". After some explanation of why they're here, undersand who is Etelka Herzen, Gorim will give more information: The dwarves came down from the Gray Mountains to settle in the Black Peaks 30 years ago, in search of gold. All they found was coal. They mined for 27 long years without finding a single nugget. When Etelka Herzen visited them and offered to buy back their mine, the dwarves accepted. The dwarves then left the mine and settled beneath the walls of Grissenwald, founding the Khazid Slumbol district. Far from the mountains, the dwarves changed their ways, and most of them simply squandered the money they had earned from selling the mine on alcohol. Gorim Greathammer is convinced that Etelka enchanted the mine so that they wouldn't find anything. And he now regrets having agreed to sell to her. He feels his dwarves have lost their pride along with the mine. Karl tries to convince him to give them a few guards to accompany their visit to Black Peaks. The magician's idea is to investigate Etelka and get the mine back, so that the dwarves can resettle there and regain their lost wealth. Unfortunately, the dwarf chieftain is reluctant to part with his few trusted men. "This proposal pleases me, but my guards will remain here. But if one of my dwarves wants to volunteer, I won't stop him. Does anyone wish to volunteer?" The room fell silent... Until a voice is heard: "I'm not from here, but I know them and I'll go with them." The dwarf who spoke had a singular appearance: his beard and hair were dyed bright orange, but his features were still recognizable: he is Thulgrim , the ruined artisan dwarf whom Rayaar and Karl had met a few weeks ago. Pleased to find an ally of circumstance, the two adventurers leave their room. Outside, Thulgrim explains that, thanks to the money they had left him, he had been able to provide for his family, but that he had decided to take up a career as a killer, too ashamed to have disgraced his name. Since then, he's been scouring the empire in search of dangerous missions to prove his bravery or at least lose his life gloriously. Now it's time to meet up with the last of the group: Gert, the man they met the day before, who's now waiting in the marketplace. Once introductions have been made between the henchman and the killer dwarf, the team heads south. The journey goes smoothly, a fairly wide path cuts through the forest and soon, dark hills emerge between the trees. "These are the black peaks. The old dwarf mine is over there. And Etelka as well!" From time to time, the path splits into several branches, some heading for nearby farms, but the goal is clear: to head south. For part of the way, Karl looks worried. He briefly distracts the group to satisfy a pressing need in the forest. About two hours after leaving Grissenwald, the group came within sight of the Black Peaks. A few hundred meters ahead, they can make out a tower, probably of dwarf construction, and a little further on, the entrance to the mine...
After a restless night, breakfast is a time for reflection: what happened to the mirror mentioned in the strange missive found on Pierson's body? Vern , Karl and Rayaar decide to investigate the cultist leader's bedroom. There, they don't find much: at most, a mysterious pile of ashes on the desk, in a bowl. Perhaps the remains of some strange ritual? Or simply unholy letters destroyed by fire? Karl decides to take a small handful of these ashes in a small purse, to study later. With no further idea of the mirror's whereabouts, the adventurous duo decide to take leave of their host, Lord Rickard Aschaffenberg . The latter is very grateful: "Thank you Rayaar, thank you Karl. Your help was invaluable in understanding what was happening here. May Sigmar watch over you as you continue your adventures. Perhaps one day we'll cross paths again!" The return journey to Kemperbad goes off without a hitch thanks to the carriage provided by the Baron, and by late afternoon the duo are back in the town they left two days earlier. But they won't be there long. As Karl and Rayaar walk along one of the main streets, towards the cliff to reach the EHR, the magician feels someone pulling out a few strands of his hair. Karl turns around and can only see someone in a purple shirt hurrying away from him. He sets off in pursuit, but quickly loses track of him. "Why steal a few hairs? These people will probably want to use it for some spells". After this incident, the two adventurers are not disappointed to leave Kemperbad. Their onward journey takes them south to Grissenwald , home of Etelka Herzen as indicated by Heyronimous. The journey went smoothly, and the following afternoon they arrived in sight of the small village. The hamlet at the confluence of the Reik and Grissen rivers is a popular spot for sailors, not least for the taverns on the quayside. Having just disembarked, Karl and Rayaar head for an inn to find a room for the night, but above all to glean more information about this mysterious Etelka. There, the tavern-keeper won't teach them much. It's the dwarves living in the south of town who seem to attract the most attention. They live in hovels outside the walls of Grissenwald and are often seen to be restless, especially when they're drunk. At the mention of Etelka Herzen's name, the innkeeper doesn't say much. "I think I've heard that name before, but I can't remember where. My memory plays tricks on me sometimes". Rayaar tries to offer a few coins to refresh his memory, but the honest man refuses, being genuinely unable to remember. Karl and Rayaar's steps then lead them to the market square. The place doesn't really look much: it's just a few stalls of local farmers trying to sell their vegetables and roots to the villagers. Karl makes friends with one of them and manages to find out more about Etelka: "This wealthy woman from Nuln moved to the area about three years ago. She bought out the dwarves' coal mine in the Crètes Noires, a group of hills some ten kilometers south of the village." Armed with this information, it's time to head back to the inn for dinner and a plan for the next day. The frugal meal, consisting of potato soup and a piece of bread, is quickly disturbed by the arrival of two dwarves, who are certainly not visiting their first tavern of the day. "It smells funny around here, doesn't it?" The second, pointing to Karl and Rayaar, "Yeah, that's these two. They don't look too good if you ask me. They already smell bad alive, so when they're dead..." "Wait, it's moving. Probably not dead, then. Two undead, maybe?" "Ah, if they're not dead yet. That can be arranged." Karl tries to calm things down: "Wait, wait. How about getting to know each other over a round of beer?" The two newcomers are convinced and sit down with the two travelers. The discussion quickly turns to the Black Peaks mine: "Oh Etelka, that traitress bought our mine from us three years ago. All the coal we found there! So we sold it. And we moved here, to Grissenwald... but it's not like sleeping under the mountains... Oh, but I like you! If you like, I'll introduce you to Gorim, our boss, tomorrow. He can tell you all about it! What are your names?" "Magnus and Rayaar" "Well, as sure as my name is Ghultrim... if I remember you both tomorrow morning, I'll introduce you to our chief! On that note, we'll leave you to it, there are other mugs waiting for us". The two dwarves then noisily take their leave, announcing that they have other taverns to visit. Karl and Rayaar discuss what to do tomorrow. Do they both go to the Black Peaks and try to pass themselves off as travelers asking to speak to Etelka? Are they powerful enough to defeat the witch, who appears to be a renowned mage? These fears convince Karl to go and ask the tavern-keeper for a trustworthy henchman. The innkeeper is a little surprised by the request: "Uh, I can recommend Gert who's at the table over there. Geeert! Come here! I might have a customer for you. The man who stands up and limps towards the bar doesn't look much like the proud warrior Rayaar and Karl were hoping for. The older, muscular man has clearly lost sight of his youth many years ago. "My name is Gert. I'm a bit of a handyman around here. I load crates onto boats, help set up the market or the annual fair. I'm a serious person! Do you need a ride to the Black Peaks? I'm your man! Let's meet tomorrow at 2pm on the market square. "I'm not sure this Gert is really our man. But if nothing else, we'll make do. Karl confides to Rayaar. The next morning, the two adventurers decide to head for the dwarf quarter. Neighborhood is a very strong word to describe the many slums that make it up. Especially at this early hour, some of the dwarves are still sleeping outside, on the sides of the road, no doubt having finished the night too tipsy to return to their huts. Karl addresses one of the few upright dwarves: "We're looking for Ghultrim, we met him yesterday in one of the port taverns and..." The other doesn't let him finish. The other doesn't let him finish: "Ah, what's he been up to now?" and after striding towards the door of a shack on the other side of the street, starts banging on the door vigorously: "Ghultrim! Good for nothing! Some humans came looking for you. I hope you didn't end up like last time!" Inside, after a few seconds of silence, a grunt is heard, followed by a few thuds, a fall..., an expletive in an ancient language and finally the door opens noisily, revealing a much less dashing Ghultrim than the day before, a brownish dried liquid staining his beard. "Who's there?" he growls as he struggles to open his eyes against the morning light. "It's us, Magnus and Rayaar. We met last night at the tavern and you said you could introduce us to your boss this morning." "Grmph! I don't remember...anymore... Did I say that?... Oh, maybe you did. Anyway, follow me." The adventurers follow the dwarf to a hut a little larger and in better condition than the others. Rayaar and Karl still have to bend down to get through the door, which is adapted to dwarf morphology. Once inside, flickering torches are placed along the walls, filling the air with acrid-smelling smoke. The floor is covered with moth-eaten wolf skins. The smoke is unpleasant, but the travelers manage to suppress a coughing fit. At the back of the room, on a small dais, stands an imposing dwarf surrounded by several guards. At the foot of the platform, several dwarf silhouettes stand out in the darkness. The leader speaks in a cavernous voice: "Well, don't just stand there. Keep moving! It's not every day we have visitors of your race who dare to come here". After some explanation of why they're here, undersand who is Etelka Herzen, Gorim will give more information: The dwarves came down from the Gray Mountains to settle in the Black Peaks 30 years ago, in search of gold. All they found was coal. They mined for 27 long years without finding a single nugget. When Etelka Herzen visited them and offered to buy back their mine, the dwarves accepted. The dwarves then left the mine and settled beneath the walls of Grissenwald, founding the Khazid Slumbol district. Far from the mountains, the dwarves changed their ways, and most of them simply squandered the money they had earned from selling the mine on alcohol. Gorim Greathammer is convinced that Etelka enchanted the mine so that they wouldn't find anything. And he now regrets having agreed to sell to her. He feels his dwarves have lost their pride along with the mine. Karl tries to convince him to give them a few guards to accompany their visit to Black Peaks. The magician's idea is to investigate Etelka and get the mine back, so that the dwarves can resettle there and regain their lost wealth. Unfortunately, the dwarf chieftain is reluctant to part with his few trusted men. "This proposal pleases me, but my guards will remain here. But if one of my dwarves wants to volunteer, I won't stop him. Does anyone wish to volunteer?" The room fell silent... Until a voice is heard: "I'm not from here, but I know them and I'll go with them." The dwarf who spoke had a singular appearance: his beard and hair were dyed bright orange, but his features were still recognizable: he is Thulgrim , the ruined artisan dwarf whom Rayaar and Karl had met a few weeks ago. Pleased to find an ally of circumstance, the two adventurers leave their room. Outside, Thulgrim explains that, thanks to the money they had left him, he had been able to provide for his family, but that he had decided to take up a career as a killer, too ashamed to have disgraced his name. Since then, he's been scouring the empire in search of dangerous missions to prove his bravery or at least lose his life gloriously. Now it's time to meet up with the last of the group: Gert, the man they met the day before, who's now waiting in the marketplace. Once introductions have been made between the henchman and the killer dwarf, the team heads south. The journey goes smoothly, a fairly wide path cuts through the forest and soon, dark hills emerge between the trees. "These are the black peaks. The old dwarf mine is over there. And Etelka as well!" From time to time, the path splits into several branches, some heading for nearby farms, but the goal is clear: to head south. For part of the way, Karl looks worried. He briefly distracts the group to satisfy a pressing need in the forest. About two hours after leaving Grissenwald, the group came within sight of the Black Peaks. A few hundred meters ahead, they can make out a tower, probably of dwarf construction, and a little further on, the entrance to the mine...
Report Date
13 Apr 2024
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