Characters

Baltak Bigfist - a male dwarf

You never knew your mother and father. The man you called father was a human. All you know of your true parents is what he told you, and it isn't much. When Jean Clawed found you he was tracking a band of orcs. He found them, however, a little later than he would have liked. They had attacked a small group of dwarves who were trying to colonize the Wedge Mountains. The dwarves lay dead, the men speared to the ground, the women cut to pieces. The orcs (who survived) were busy looting the two wagons of dwarven supplies when Jean Clawed surprised them, and drove them off. He found you, still in your dying mother's arms, her last words, "Please protect my Baltak."

Protect you he did, and he raised you as his own. Jean Clawed taught you the way of the woods for most of your childhood, but because dwarves live so much longer than humans, it was all of Jean Clawed's life. Before he died he left you his only valuable possession, his helmet. He claimed that it was the Elk Helm of Peridu the Mighty. He didn't know who Peridu was, or what made him mighty, but the helmet had been passed, father to son, for generations. It had the power to heighten your sense of smell and the power to let you run like an elk. He wanted you to have it, and his last words were, "I love you, son."

You buried Jean Clawed next to his wife, Mary (she had died during childbirth of the son who died as an infant), by the river Afton. On Mary's gravestone Jean had written this verse:

He loved her so much, he couldn't think of being with another. That is why he had no son of his own to pass on his helmet. He did love you, though, and a tear came to your eye as you remembered the sacrifices he made for you. A feeling of honor welled up inside you as you put the Elk Helm on. It would be a difficult task to live up to Jean Clawed's memory.

Now, being a young, adolescent dwarf (you were sixty, about seventeen in human terms), with no real plans, you began wandering. You met an elf named Miradon Quist. He too had a wandering, mischievous heart. The two of you spent many years seeking adventure, although, Miradon spent most of his time chasing women. In fact, that elf was so fickle, that even after ten years of adventure, the two of you hadn't much to show for it. He was a genius, and a powerful mage, but when women started chasing him for money for their children, you decided that you'd had enough. Perhaps you should settle down, and try to discover your dwarven roots.

You returned to your ancestral home, the stronghold of the Anvaar clan. Once you told the dwarves who your parents were, and what happened to you, the dwarves gave you a cordial welcome and set you up in the forges where some of your distant relatives worked. Being ignorant to the ways of the smithy, work was hard, and you made plenty of mistakes. It wasn't until you took the opening for an exterminator that you finally started to fit in.

The exterminator is a dangerous occupation. The opening, which you filled, was created due to the death of the last exterminator. Your main job was to keep the intrusion of goblins, kobolds and germalaines down. You were fairly successful, and managed to keep the goblins back beyond Widow's Chasm. Widow's Chasm got its name during the great Orc War. The invading orcs were so numerous that even married dwarves were called into service, and so many of them had died there, that it became known as Widow's Chasm. The orcs were successfully repulsed there.

It was then that the terrible earthquake was felt. The earth rumbled quite violently, and instead of rumbling from below, the rumblings came from above. Shortly after that, the goblins came. Not a few raiders or a small war band, but what appeared to be every goblin in the tribe. Women, children and the old were among their warriors charging through the tunnels. Your traps got many, but that did not stop them. They just kept coming, regardless of what was in their way. You barely escaped to warn the clan, but it was almost too late. Those in the mines were overrun, and the living quarters and the smithies were barely evacuated in time. The chief, Bremick, declared the tunnels to be sealed. The main entrance to the stronghold was guarded by several large deadfall traps, which were designed to crush those trying to force their way in. It was never thought that the traps would be used to seal goblins into the ancestral homeland.

You then retreated to the small town of Flanders, which was just down at the foot of the mountain. Flanders was a human town that was friendly and traded quite regularly with the dwarves. The chief, Bremick, had a meeting with the village leader, and apparently no decision could be made without the village holy man who was on some type of journey. The talks delayed. The dwarven scouts heard tunneling activity from within the stronghold. The goblins were trying to tunnel out. Bremick was determined not to be driven back any further by the evil goblins. The village chief, Ferrendar, was thinking of retreat. An argument was about to break out when the village holy man arrived, with another human. The holy man, a human named Secros Herminides, had brought a druid. You had met druids before, with Jean Clawed. They are men whose spirits are tied to the land and forests. Bremick and his council tend to mistrust these folk, but you cautioned him that any help was better than no help. You told him that all the druids you had met were a fairly decent sort, concerned with preserving the land from wanton destruction, and as such, were probably opposed to goblins.

Secros was appraised of the situation and his concerned look did not bring hope to many. He went to his holy place, apparently to ask for some divine intervention. His prayers seemingly worked because soon after, another human arrived. He claimed to be a wizard and Bremick set up a war council immediately.

The 'wizard' had no spell with which to destroy goblins. He did, however, try to explain the events. Apparently a 'falling star' had hit the earth. According to dwarven legends, stars, which are rarely seen by the subterranean races, are the sparks leaping from the forge of Moradin, the Soulforger. Some say they are the glowing embers left from the fire that forged the world. Still others say they are the lost souls of those who cannot find their home forge. The wizard continued to explain that this falling star came from another place that was poisonous to goblins. Having hit their home, the goblins could do nothing but escape. The logical step seemed obvious to you: go get the poison and use it to drive the goblins someplace else. The humans balked at the idea of having poison brought to their homes.

The holy man, Secros, was impressed with your reasoning and suggested that he and the wizard, who was named Perigar Adanac, go get the material. Showing typical dwarven mistrust, Bremick wanted one of his own warriors to go. You quickly volunteered. You knew Bremick would never pick you, because you spent so much time with the Kra-kinden, the outsiders, or non-dwarves. Since you were able to volunteer first, you knew you had to be picked because dwarven culture has it that Bremick would lose face by admitting, in front of people outside his clan, that a warrior brave enough to volunteer was somehow not equal to the task. (It took quite a while for you to understand these dwarven customs, and even now they don't quite fit you.) You also knew that teamwork would be vital to this mission, and the typical suspicious dwarven nature would not prove helpful. Besides, you actually felt comfortable around humans, which the other dwarves found odd.

You knew the journey would probably take two days; the crash site would be just beyond Widow's Chasm. You set off early the next morning leading Secros Herminides, a thin, serious-looking man, and Perigar, a tall, gangly sort, up, and over, the mountain. When you got to the rope bridge over Widow's Chasm, something did not feel right.

"Stay close to me", you ordered as you started over the bridge. Halfway across you smelled something; the old Elk Helm had come through. You caught the distinct foulness of goblins, and they were apparently waiting in ambush ahead of you. With two great leaps (the Elk Helm again), you crossed the bridge and attacked the goblins. There were a bunch of them, but the humans (who you thought you were protecting) charged ahead and battled the menace surprisingly bravely. One of the humans even managed to get one of the monsters off your back.

You continued the journey, and the next day the wizard Adanac went on about some gem he had that was changing colors, and how it meant that you must be close. You could tell you were getting close just by the foul odor of goblins up ahead. Soon enough, you came to a large pit that seemed to cut straight through the mountain cave complex of the goblins. Adanac said that his falling star was down there, so you started climbing down into the pit. Upon reaching the bottom you discovered remnants of a large rock radiating a strange red light.

"According to my gem", said Perigar, "this is the falling star."

"Pretty obvious to me", you said, "and I don't have a gem."

"Look", said Secros, "I'm not feeling sick or poisoned, so let's get some of this stuff and get going."

Upon returning to Flanders, the goblins were about to attack. You quickly moved down, and your idea proved correct. The goblins held up and started moving away. A few members of the dwarven Avalanche Brigade (an elite branch of the army specializing in speed) came out to you, took the goblins' bane, and chased the goblins far away.

With the threat gone, and some humans sent to warn the human army (whose garrison was six days south) of the goblins, you went to the human inn for an ale. There you found Secros and Perigar discussing their magical learnings. You sat down and listened.

Apparently, the wizard, Perigar, had quite a few adventures in store for the right group of brave souls. With the goblins gone (meaning your exterminating career was gone also), you decided to try your hand once again at the life of an adventurer. Adanac wanted to stop some foul demonic degradation in a forest, the Dark Forest of Ewing. He needed a sword, however, that had the power to close 'magical gates'. The sword had a name...Demonbane.

After informing chief Bremick of your departure, you placed one of your more skilled apprentice exterminators, Gorterinar, in charge of the operation. "Listen Gorterinar," you explained. "Just remember your learning. Be cautious and don't take any slag from Bremick. With the goblins gone, your job will be easy until a new menace arrives. Until then, practice your skills. Be ever vigilant."

The three of you journeyed to the city of East Lansing to find out where to start looking for Demonbane. Evidently, there was a man in Bremen, a city far to the south, who was said to know. Before you left for Bremen, Perigar insisted on bringing a 'thief'. He and Secros thought that a thief's skills might prove useful. You knew that thieves were often lazy, and more trouble than they were worth. However, you finally consented and a halfling by the name of Louie Bentfoot was hired.

Apart from encountering a pathetic halfling kid, and having to convince Louie that you would not become entangled in his illicit business dealings with a Baron Pixel, your trip to Pittsburgh and then on to Bremen, was uneventful.

You traveled to the Ice Axe Bar in Bremen and found Rudolph Smoothtongue, a Skald and scholar on the whereabouts of magical weaponry. He told you to go see his dear friend, Utrek Skinflint, a furrier in the town of Novgorod. He supposedly knew of a troll who guarded the sword. You journeyed to Novgorod and visited Utrek and asked about the troll.

"Ah, that piece of trash," Utrek began. "I hope somebody gets him someday! He gave me this." He opened up his shirt, and across his chest was a great scar. "Sure, I can tell you where the troll's cave is. But you gotta be careful, that troll is crafty. All right, you go twelve miles south by southeast to a tower with a big blue demon head on it. The troll cave is a mile due east of there."

Following Utrek's directions was easy enough, and when the cave was in sight, Perigar suggested sending the thief up ahead to scout. You agreed; it was about time that he earned his keep. After a while, Louie Bentfoot returned.

"There's nothing up in dat cave," he said. "Nothing but wrecked stuff."

You looked Louie over to see if he was carrying anything that he wasn't carrying before he went to the cave. He looked 'clean'. You all decided to check out the cave. Louie was right; the place had been ransacked, and by the look (and smell) of things, maybe only a week or so ago. Perigar and Secros claimed that magic had been used. You agreed; the place reeked of the stuff. Perigar started blathering about a new gem he had that apparently could locate magical weapons like Demonbane. You nosed around outside the cave and found some interesting tracks. Perigar said that his gem showed that Demonbane's path had followed the tracks you had found, so you followed the tracks.

The tracks led you to a large stone tower. Perigar thought that he might have recognized the tower, but Secros seemed to disagree. The group decided that Louie would sneak you all in at nightfall. It seemed fairly easy for Louie to sneak past all the traps he claimed infested that foul place, and he eventually brought you to a large iron door. The door had no handle or hinges (that you could see), but it did have thirty evenly spaced holes forming a rectangle, five holes by six holes. The holes did not go all the way through the door, but were about an inch deep, and a little smaller than your finger. Perigar and Secros were just as puzzled as you. Louie, however, stared at it for a moment.

"I think I recognize this," he said. "It looks like a lock based on an old gnomish system. The system was so big in ancient times, that the gnomes made a kid's game about it, to help show their young'uns the basics. Other peoples started stealin' the system, and the gnomes came up with other lock type devices. Luckily, I traveled with the great gnomish thief, Tolfl Sluumnemeny, and I have a game wit me." He pulled out some small wooden sticks, and moments later, the door yielded to Louie Bentfoot's skill.

What lay beyond the door was a maze created by foul magics, which housed a vile creature. The creature was large and had numerous arms, each ending in vicious claws, several tentacles and a head that housed a mouth full of serrated fangs. The battle with the beast was truly horrible. Perigar had his legs crushed and Louie Bentfoot was bitten in half and perished in the belly of the beast. You were finally able to slay the creature after Perigar and Secros cast spells on you to make you faster and more powerful. The sword Demonbane was recovered from a lead, rune-covered crate.

The return journey to East Lansing was dangerous. You were attacked by pirates on the high seas, and then, by a group of bandits on the highways. Both of these groups would be plaguing only the dead from then on.

In East Lansing, Perigar was given the best healing your group could afford, but a limp still persisted. The wizard was adamant about completing the mission. He was equally adamant about finding another thief. Perigar commented that although Louie Bentfoot (may the Soulforger have mercy on him) was skilled, he was not particularly hearty. A tougher thief had to be found. Marcus Kramlick seemed to fit the bill. A dwarven locksmith, he had served in the dwarven army of Gortan the Delver in the Deep Wars. Perigar also researched some new spells with the aid of a laboratory granted to him by The University of East Lansing. Apparently, some research he had done had won him some award. You then continued your quest.

You journeyed to the forest to the northwest. Using one of Perigar's newer items you were able to pinpoint the location of the 'gate' to another infernal plane. Apparently, the plan was to enter the infernal plane. You were then to hold Demonbane in the gate while Secros and Perigar cast some spells. The gate would then begin to close. Secros, Marcus and you would then hop through the gate, escaping back to your own realm. Perigar would then cast a 'spell of binding' to permanently seal the gate, and then return home using a scroll that he had. Since Perigar's scroll could only bear himself back, he would be alone in that hellish place for quite some time. You knew it would be necessary to scout the area and try to be sure that Perigar would be safe during that time. Preparations were completed and you stepped through.

You and Marcus searched the area quite thoroughly. Apparently you were in some sort of dungeon or prison. Marcus found a lock on a door, which he could jam to keep out any intruders. The otherworldly lock was in the shape of a demon head and was fairly difficult for even Marcus to jam. After that, things got dicey. Secros cast his spell, Perigar started his ensorcellment, and the gate began to close. The events that followed now seem a blur. You moved through the gate, a tunnel that was slowly collapsing, with Secros right on your heels. Behind you, you heard a loud crashing sound followed by a bestial roar. You quickly glanced back to see the jammed door bursting open, and a malevolent demon striding into the chamber. Brave Marcus launched himself between the beast and Perigar. You tried to turn back, to help, but Secros was yelling "keep going, keep going" as he shoved you forward. The last thing you saw on that foul world was a demon fist erupting through Marcus' back and an enormous claw tearing his head off. A split-second later, you and Secros were face down in a pile of leaves in the Dark Forest of Ewing. You looked back and nothing could be seen of the gate, the other realm, Perigar or even poor Marcus.

You sprang to your feet, yelling at Secros, "What have you done! Why didn't you let me go save Perigar or Marcus?"

"Calm down, Baltak", said Secros, picking himself up. "Perigar told me that if anything were to happen, that I was to make sure that you didn't stay to die. He knew that you never would have agreed to that. He knew that you're too damn loyal. Besides, your axe could never have harmed that creature; it's not enchanted. We can only hope that Perigar's protection spells will last long enough for him to finish his spell, and then read the scroll."

You stared at your axe. It was a stout dwarven double-bladed weapon, with its name carved in dwarven runes on the head. Dwarves hold axes (and hammers, too) to be semi-holy items, and each axe borne from a forge gets a name. Your axe was named 'Gach'lethek Dor', or 'That Which Brings Death To Goblins'. It had served you well, but now, under Secros' revelation, it seemed an impotent lump of metal. It fell from your grasp with the realization that not only did a brave dwarf die today, but one of your friends was probably gone also. The next few minutes seemed like days. Finally, a shimmering light slowly appeared, and eventually, Perigar materialized. He immediately collapsed in a heap. Secros quickly administered healing magics, but you could tell by his face that Perigar was in bad shape.

It took two months of rest (along with Secros' healing capabilities), before Perigar was up and about. Something, however, was wrong. Perigar seemed to have lost his memory. Secros suggested taking him to the more capable temples in East Lansing. You agreed. You and Secros brought Perigar to the most learned healers and clerics in the city, and probably in the entire kingdom. To your surprise, Perigar was not suffering from a wound, but rather a curse of some sort. It took a consortium of mages and priests to even attempt to undo this powerful curse. The curse, however, could not be completely removed for although Perigar gained his memory back; he would never again cast another spell.

Perigar would not be beaten, though. He took an opening at the University of East Lansing as a Professor of Planar Mechanics, and the suggestion was made for you and Secros to take some time off. You were to meet back in a year to check on Perigar's condition.

Secros went back to teach at the School of Thoth in Bloomfield, and you went back to your clan stronghold in the Krinklecut Mountains. You thought you would check up on your one-time apprentice. Gorterinar was doing well and handling the new germalaine menace with astounding skill. The mines were reopened, the forges rebuilt, and work on the previously collapsed entrance was proceeding quickly. The weaponsmiths were using remnants of the 'falling star' in the making of their axes. The dwarven priests would then bless them such that the stronghold armory now held a few enchanted axes. After what had happened, you knew you had to get one. You asked for an audience with the chief, Bremick.

When you saw Bremick, before you could even make the request for an enchanted axe, he embraced you with the Clasp of Heroes: a hug, with a kiss on each cheek. He declared a feast in your honor, as Hero of the Battle of the Great Goblin Plague. At the dinner, Hyllek Vroodahl, Bremick's high chanter, sang the first performance of 'Klollack Gach Tron Baltak', or 'Vanquisher of Goblins is Baltak the Relentless'. When Bremick offered you a gift, you knew immediately what it would be, an enchanted axe. Bremick did not hesitate; he ordered one to be specially forged for you. This was a high honor. You would be a part of the process every step of the way. When building the forge, every rock was blessed. The tools for mining were blessed, and the mines were blessed. The smelter was made specifically for the blessed ore. You were a part of the whole process. The axe was finally forged with you working the bellows. Finally, very near the end of the process, the time came to name the axe. Since it was to be your axe, you had to name it. You chose the name 'Vloak Dor, Axe of Woe'. The name held two meanings for you. First, for how you felt back in the Dark Forest of Ewing. Second, for how those who would stand in the way of you helping your friends would feel.

The year was about up (it took quite a while to forge the Axe of Woe), so you headed back to East Lansing to join, once again, with your friends. The reunion's joy was stifled only by the news that there was no change in Perigar's condition. "There is still a lot of important work to be done", said Perigar over dinner one night. "You two can still try to carry out our work. My continued research shows that this world is in for some real danger from extra-planar forces. My assistant, Tyric Saxondell, is an accomplished mage. I'm sure you two will find him an adequate replacement for me. We need only find a thief to round out the troop."

It was decided that Perigar was indeed correct. Dangers like the gate in the Dark Forest of Ewing should be dealt with, and even though Perigar was the smartest man you had known, people still seemed to resist his warnings. Tyric Saxondell was a confident, youthful human mage, and once Tommy Bigbags was brought on as a thief, you were ready to go.

You had many adventures together. Tommy, however, fell to his death while harpies on the Cliffs of Insanity were attacking the group. Another thief, Carlton Kesselwump, was turned to stone and then disintegrated by Xealachtl the Mad, a powerful beholder in the lands of the north. Still another thief, Elias Brokentoes, was consumed by a pit of green slime in the tomb of the ancient mummy king, Lord Abraxus of the Darkness.

Through it all, you were quite successful, in spite of losing thief after thief. Items, gates and creatures that posed a plane-wide threat were found and dealt with. The Rod of Inversion was destroyed. The Temple of Silvanus, the old god of decay, was found, the minions of Silvanus were banished from this realm, and their gate to the plane of Ash was destroyed. Even the Foul Gem of Hrolmadar the Busy, ancient king of the mountains, was crushed. Perigar sent you on all of these quests with items to help you locate their 'planar residues', and those items always seemed to work. Perigar's genuine concern about the dangers of planar energies has sent you to many locations, and together, your adventures have saved the world on many occasions from the evil use, or misuse, of powerful magics.

Now, Perigar has asked a special favor of you, Tyric and Secros. It seems that Perigar has uncovered what he believes to be the greatest danger this world will ever face. In the very center of East Lansing there is a Great Vault which stores all of the items recovered from the Great Hunts. Perigar has told you that the danger lies in the fact that this Vault contains so many powerful magic items of such varying powers in such close proximity to one another. His formulas indicate a cataclysm of epic proportions, with 100% certainty, unless the Vault is dismantled. The only way this can be accomplished, however, is for Perigar to become the Pooh-bah of East Lansing, the most powerful political office one can hold. As Pooh-bah, and leader of the Great Council, he would be able to dismantle the Great Vault. Perigar has asked the three of you to be on a team for him, in the Great Hunt. The Great Hunt is a dangerous scavenger hunt that East Lansing uses to decide who will become Pooh-bah and sit on the Great Council (the same hunt which brings items to be stored in the vault). Many have died on these quests, but Perigar feels that the only way to dismantle the Vault is for him to become Pooh-bah.

Perigar has chosen three other candidates as well. They are college students, and two of them are on the school Blood Bowl team (Blood Bowl is a vicious, full-contact sport that demands quick thinking, good reflexes, strength, agility and determination). Perigar has a keen eye for adventuring talent, so these three don't worry you. Perigar did say that he was trying to line up a 'special' thief. You only hope that this poor recruit doesn't end up dead, like all the rest.