The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands

by Dave Willmarth

  Queensbane lived up its name. The strength bonus put even more power behind Helga’s blow. The sharpness enchantment allowed the blade to slice easily through the flesh and bone of the demon’s shoulder. The additional crit chance, combined with the fact that the queen was already partially incapacitated, allowed for a massive damage bonus. The blade penetrated through the queen’s collarbone, severing muscle, arteries, and ribs as it crashed downward toward her heart.

  Demon Queen Voliara

  Level 75 Elite (Boss)

  Health 1,900/20,000

  Alexander cast Trap Soul on the queen as he watched her health plummet. To be sure, he shouted, “Trap Soul!” to the others, in case his spell didn’t take.

  Helga levered her sword up and down as she pulled it from the queen’s chest, causing more damage in the process. The queen attempted to speak, but blood bubbled up through her throat and poured down her chin.

  Gelag appeared next to Helga. The duergar could barely walk, blood running from both his eyes and his ears. He dragged his enchanted sword along beside him. He put a hand on Helga’s arm, a pleading look in his eyes. “Please,” he said, motioning toward the queen.

  Helga nodded and took a step back. She lifted the grey dwarf’s sword arm for him, setting the blade on his shoulder. Gelag stepped forward, using his free hand to grip the failing queen’s good arm for balance. He managed to pull the sword off his shoulder and press it against her chest. Then he leaned into the sword, using his weight to slide the blade into the demon’s heart. “DIE!” he shouted into her face with what strength he had left.

  Level up! You are now level 44!

  Your wisdom has increased by +1. Your intelligence has increased by +1

  You have 26 free attribute points available

  Level up! You are now level 45!

  Your wisdom has increased by +1. Your intelligence has increased by +1

  You have 31 free attribute points available

  Gelag slumped to the floor as the demon queen’s body fell backward, sword still protruding from her chest. Sasha and Lyra, now recovered from the stun effects, threw heals at him, as well as everyone else. Benny was drinking a mana potion so he could do the same. Fibble was shooting everyone in turn with a healing blast from his stick.

  Brick moved over to the queen. Pulling Gelag’s sword from her chest, he used it to remove her head from her body. He grinned at Sasha’s disgusted look. “It be a tradition, lass. We be needin’ a decoration fer the Great Hall!” he said as he stuck the head in his bag. Looking to Dayle, he said, “If ye cut the horns off them demons, they be worth some gold.” Nodding, Dayle and Helga moved off to loot the demons and take the horns. Brick returned Gelag’s sword to him.

  Max looted the queen’s body. “Hey, folks, got a couple good items here!” he called out as he raised the first one for everyone to inspect.

  Psychic Daggers

  Item level: Epic

  Stats: Agility +10, Dexterity +10, Crit +10

  These daggers will inflict physic damage, stunning a target for ten seconds, and causing a bleed effect that blurs vision and dampens hearing.

  Jules looked at them with wide eyes, practically drooling over the weapons. She looked around shyly, waiting for someone to claim them. Finally, Alexander chuckled. “Jules, you’re the only rogue here. They’re yours if you want them.”

  The elfess bounded forward, taking the daggers from Max and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. Alexander felt a twinge of envy.

  Max raised the next loot item.

  Cloak of the Clear Mind

  Item level: Rare, Scalable

  Stats: Armor +1, Intelligence +5, Wisdom +10

  This cloak provides 100% resistance to mind magic, and 50% resistance to dark magic spells.

  “That should go to one of the healers,” Misty said. “The wisdom will give a good mana boost, and the resistance will keep them healing when the rest of us are stunned, like a few minutes ago.”

  Sasha replied, “I agree. Give it to Lyra. I’ve already got some epic gear. We need to raise the abilities of the whole group.”

  “Thank you. I’m not used to guild officers sharing the premium loot,” Lyra offered as she accepted the cloak from Max.

  “Final item!” Max said. “I propose this goes to Warren for his ultimate sacrifice.” He held up a shiny black metal chestguard with a tear in the back.

  Chelok’s Chest

  Item Level: Epic

  Stats: Armor +10, Strength +10, Stamina +10

  This armor was worn by Chelok, consort to Queen Voliara, until she discovered his plot to assassinate her. Whereupon she stabbed him in the back with his own sword. Class Bonus: Warriors wearing this armor will inflict 200% damage when attacking an enemy from behind.

  The description caused some laughter among the group. Lyra accepted the armor on Warren’s behalf. Brick promised to have one of the master smiths at the dragon forge repair it.

  Max quietly handed Alexander a soul crystal.

  Greater Psychic Soul Crystal

  Item level: Unique

  This crystal, powered by the soul of a Demon Queen Volaria, contains her psychic energy as well as her soul energy.

  Charges: Soul charges 600/600, Psychic charges 300/300

  A chuckle from Brick drew Alexander’s attention away from the crystal he was holding. Following the dwarf’s gaze, he spotted Fibble standing in front of the cage holding Baron Dire. The little goblin was yelling at the man, punctuating each statement with a blast from his stick. Being undead, the light was causing the necromancer significant pain.

  Fully restored, Gelag stood and stepped toward the group. “My people. I must check on them,” he said.

  “Of course! We will accompany you. Max, Jules, can you stay here and search the room? Fitz, you have the baron under control?” Alexander asked.

  Fitz nodded, then growled. “He’ll not escape. I’m sending him back to my tower for a little talk before I kill him.”

  “Please don’t kill him before I get a chance to question him too, Fitz. He has information about the Dark One that we need.”

  The wizard growled, but nodded his head. With a wave of his hand, he sent the cage with the baron inside back to his tower. “I’ll help search the room. Lugs, you mind staying? I would like these thrones smashed.”

  Always willing to smash things, Lugs responded, “Sure thing. How small do you want the leftover bits?” The half-ogre grinned.

  Alexander led Gelag and the rest of the group back out the exit. He removed the wall blocking the stairs, and they headed up with Brick in the lead again. They climbed up further, Alexander removing the wall obstacles he’d placed as they went. Upon reaching the 4th level, they found the last few dozen duergar they’d passed on the way down.

  The grey dwarves were still motionless. Though a quick examination revealed that they’d begun to regenerate their health. The death of the queen must have broken the spell that had been draining them, at least.

  Gelag approached the nearest, a female. He grasped her arms near the shoulders, and gently shook her, as if trying to awaken her from sleep. There was no response.

  Looking to Sasha, he asked “Try to heal one time?”

  Sasha cast a medium nature magic heal on the female duergar. There was a moan of pain, and the grey dwarf blinked once. She focused on Gelag, and recognition lit her eyes. But then her gaze faded back into the distance, and she was once again catatonic.

  “I think we need Fitz. Maybe he knows a way to break the spell without hurting them,” Sasha offered.

  Gelag nodded, and sat down to wait.

  Warren’s voice came across raid chat. “I take it you guys killed her?”

  “Aye. And took her head. I were thinkin we’d mount it in yer room. Fer a reminder.” Brick chuckled.

  “Screw that! I’ll see you guys when you get back.” Warren replied.

  A few minutes later, Lugs appeared with Max, Jules, and Fitz following. The half-ogre had a grin on his
face.

  “We found a stash. Under the floor behind the thrones,” Lugs reported. “We left the gold chunks of the thrones for Gelag and his people. Fitz teleported the rest to the keep.” As he spoke, he looked at the duergar still standing motionless. Alexander could tell he was still wondering whether they’d be killing them all.

  Fitz was already moving toward the female that Gelag had tried to awaken. Sasha filled him in on what they’d tried, and the result.

  “And your healing spell was nature magic?” the wizard asked. Sasha nodded her head.

  “Gelag, I want to try a light magic spell. It might free her. It also might kill her,” Fitz said.

  Gelag considered for a few moments, then nodded his head.

  Fitz retrieved Fibble’s original healing wand from his bag. Pointing it at the female duergar, he fired a minimal burst of light magic into her. When nothing happened, good or bad, he fired a stronger burst.

  The duergar gasped, falling to her knees and barely managing to place her hands in front of herself to save her face from impacting the floor. She coughed, then inhaled deeply. Gelag rushed to her, speaking too quietly for the friends to make out his words. After a moment, he helped her stand. When she stared in alarm and suspicion at the group in front her, he quickly explained.

  She nodded her head, reaching out a hand to Sasha. Sasha shook the grey dwarf’s hand with a smile, saying “Welcome back, neighbor.” Gelag’s translation drew a smile.

  “So, light magic healing spells is all it takes?” Alexander asked Fitz.

  “It seems so. Gelag, may I examine your friend?” Fitz asked.

  “Her name Malaba,” Gelag said. “Okay for you to check her. Make sure magic gone.” He whispered to her as the wizard reached forward to lay a hand on her shoulder. Fitz closed his eyes for a few seconds.

  Removing his hand, Fitz said, “She’s fine. No remaining dark magic that I can detect.”

  Sasha grinned and turned to her goblin protector. “Fibble, shoot the duergar! Shoot them till they wake up.”

  Fibble needed no further encouragement. He merrily hopped toward the nearest of the frozen grey dwarves and began shooting, chanting, “Pew! Pew!”.

  Laughing, Brick, Lainey, Alexander, Lyra and Benny joined in casting light magic heals on the duergar. Fitz handed the healing wand to Gelag to use.

  Alexander paused in his casting to ask, “Gelag, how many of your people are down here?”

  Gelag didn’t hesitate. “One hundred forty-five left after battle.”

  Doing a quick calculation, Alexander produced a small soul crystal. “Your wand may run out. Use this to recharge it. It seems fitting to use the soul of a demon to bring your people back to life.” He smiled.

  Gelag accepted the crystal and moved quickly to wake more of his people. As each duergar woke, Gelag and Malaba spoke to them, quieting their alarm and identifying the guild group as friends.

  When they finished with the few dozen duergar on that level, they all moved up to the third level chamber where the vast majority of Gelag’s people stood frozen. As there were now more awakened duergar to help explain things to the newly awoken, the group split up. Each of the healers took a couple duergar with them and began to bring back more than a hundred of the Stoneburner clan members.

  It took less than an hour for all the duergar to be freed from their bondage. There was much hugging, and animated discussion. Fingers were pointed at the Greystone group as they all gathered near the doorway that led up to the higher levels.

  Gelag approached the Greystones with five older looking duergar at his back. “This be Stoneburner clan council. We wish to thank you for saving clan.” He bowed, and those behind him did the same. Followed by every grey dwarf in the room.

  “It is always good to be able to help neighbors in need,” Alexander replied. He waited while Gelag translated. “We have a keep on the surface above, very near the lake that covers your entrance. We are fighting servants of the Dark One, like the demons we just killed, and Baron Dire, the man we put in the cage.”

  He waited while Gelag translated all of this. There was some discussion among the council.

  Gelag turned back to Alexander “We help. Not many warriors alive after battle. But we fight dark ones. Owe your clan great debt.”

  “You owe us nothing,” Sasha interjected. “We ask only that you consider us friends, and allies.” She smiled warmly at all the council members as Gelag translated. She whispered to Alexander, “We really need to get them more pendants.” Alexander nodded and handed a fist-sized chunk of obsidian to Brick, who began to break it and shape into pendants. Lainey reached into her bag for more leather strips.

  Gelag finished his chat with his colleagues, and said “Yes. Allies. Friends.” He nodded his head.

  “Would you like to come with us to our keep? We have some supplies that we can share. And we can talk about how our clans can help each other,” Alexander offered.

  Gelag nodded. “Three go. Three stay to help our people.”

  Brick finished the last of the pendants, handing them all to Fitz. The wizard cupped them in his hands and cast the translation spell. Lainey then took them, ran a thong through each, and handed one to each councilor as they were finished.

  Alexander addressed them all. “My name is Alexander. I am one of the leaders of the Greystone guild, and owners of Dire Keep. Our domain includes all the lands above you. We welcome the Stoneburner clan as friends and allies, and invite you to our home for a meal. These pendants are humble gifts, to allow us to better understand each other.”

  Two council members joined Gelag as three others headed back toward their people gathered a short distance away.

  And elder female duergar introduced herself as Brega. The other councilor was younger than Gelag and Brega. His name was Morig.

  As the duergar were still a bit unsteady on their feet, Alexander simply teleported the entire group back to the keep.

  It was still an hour before sunset, so Alexander led them to tables near the kitchen. Lainey and Sasha headed into the kitchen to get some food for their guests. Alexander waved to Silverbeard, and asked him to pass the word that the duergar were friendly.

  Alexander began to explain when they were all seated. “Our clan is about the same size as yours. We are a mix of races, being human, dwarf, elf, gnome, ogre, dragon, and even troll. We have occupied this keep, and rebuilt it after it was destroyed by Fitz. He was hunting the man who sat on the throne next to the demon queen. He is a servant of the Dark One. We are war with the Dark One, and have chosen to make a stand here in Dire Keep.”

  Sasha and Lainey returned with food, which the duergar dug into gratefully. It had, after all, been three thousand years since they’d had fresh fruit or meat.

  Alexander gave them time to fill their bellies. They were in no hurry, after all.

  Once they’d had their fill, Alexander began to lead the councilors around the keep. He showed them the future site of the auction house, and bank. He showed them the chapel, where they bowed their heads and touched the altar with reverence. He then took them through the inner gate and out into the fields. He pointed out their herd of livestock, the fields that had begun to be plowed. He showed them the outer gatehouse with the now completed drawbridge over the fully filled moat.

  The moat reminded him of the lake, and he teleported them near Lars’ stone pier. Walking them out to the end, he explained how they’d drained the lake to fill the moat, and discovered the duergar’s entry door. The lake had, by this point, mostly refilled. So only the very top of the doorway was visible near the water’s surface.

  Brega spoke up. “When we built our home, there was no lake here. Only small waterfall and stream.” She looked up at the falls. “We are trapped under lake now.”

  “No, not trapped. There is a teleportation mirror that will allow you to leave, for now. We’ll move it to a structure here.” He pointed toward Lars’ shack. “And we’ll help you create a new exit. Someplace hidden,”
he added.

  “Thank you,” Brega replied. “Greystone is very kind. Could have killed our clan when we could not defend.”

  “We need friends more than we need experience and treasure,” Alexander replied. “We are allies with the human Kingdom of Stormforge.” He pointed toward the city. “And with the Broken Mountain dwarves. Many of their people have joined our clan. I invite the Stoneburner clan to join as well. You would become Greystone. Take an oath to defend the clan and the keep. Your people could live and work among us, and benefit from the food and other resources we gather.”

  As he spoke, Lars raised a net filled with maybe twenty fish. Alexander quickly moved to help the man lift it up onto the pier. Once it was set down, Lars began to pull the fish from the net and drop them into the holding box.