Stackman's Adventures (Chapter fourteen)

[bsftcs]

A Dilemma

Being the fourteenth chapter of Stackman’s adventures

In which the demise of a Stout is close to causing a strife between two party members and in which the anthropological theory of the trolls’ derivation from the Stouts is being substantiated.

The party soon came to the trolley tracks (room F on the level 1 map at Xignal’s Site). The left track to the abandoned mines was operational, but the lever working the right track was missing. The warlock cast the create portal spell, and they climbed unto the left trolley by pressing it. Then they pulled the lever, the gate opened, and the trolley started to move. If they had not “used” the trolley by pressing it, it would have disappeared underneath them. They would then have had to wait until the trolley had reached the end of the track. The lever would then have flipped back automatically and they would have been able to call the trolley by flipping the lever again. If they had been caught between the gates in the middle of the track tunnel, there would have been levers opening the gates. With a sufficiently high athletics skill, any party could also catch up with the trolley by running after it.

The trolleys of the Stout Mines were a key point in understanding the evolution of the larger mammals of the Gael Serran. Several highly esteemed Gael Serran anthropologists and linguists agree that the battle cry of the trolls of the forests of Valeia, “Run, trollie, trollie”, was indeed a distorted version of the song the Stout miners would sing when they went to work, “Run, trolley”. The Stouts and the trolls thus had the same primeval origin.

At the end of the track, an elevator went down. The Stout Mines were very confusing to most people the first time around, but the party knew certain tricks to deal with the problem. There were generally two floors on each level of the mines. Elevators would connect the two floors of the levels, but often these were just shortcuts, since it was the same tunnel that spanned the two levels. Placing flags at each elevator on their map as they explored these, would eventually reveal which elevator would not connect to another place on the same level, but would lead to a completely new level. This elevator, the party found to the south of this level (elevator J on the level 2 map).

To the far east of the level they found an excavation room. Here there were several ore piles that could be chiseled bringing out the gems inside the stone. For this purpose a pick axe was needed. A such also lay here, although by now the party had encountered several of the local inhabitants, the so called crazies who now lived in the abandoned parts of the mine. They had a habit of dropping mining equipment when killed. They had also invented a not very useful pick up line, which they constantly tried on the valkyrie: “Umm – Stew!”. In the north part of the excavation room was a small tunnel leading to a room with a track switch. The party did not turn the switch yet.

They took the elevator (elevator J) down. The next level they explored in a similar matter as the first. In an excavation room to the left (room L on the level 3 & Lava Level map) there was what seemed to be a provisional burial ground. Next to a broken cart there lay a trolley lever. Taking another elevator down (elevator M) they found themselves on the lowest level of the abandoned parts of the mine. A lot of local wildlife was there (mostly bats) but other than that not much of interest. That level was a veritable maze. The party took the elevators and subsequently the trolley up again since the teleport spell would not work in the abandoned mines.

The party then took the right trolley track. At an intersection the trolley turned right, then left. The party then walked through a small corridor and came upon another set of tracks leading further down. But here was no trolley. At the end of the tracks a red glow glared into the track tunnel. It was lava, this was the Burning Cavern. The tracks had spanned a pool of lava, but the beams supporting the tracks had partially collapsed sending parts of the tracks into the lava.

The warlock cast the lavawalk spell and the party took a dive. To the north the lava pool split two ways. At the end of the west section the tracks ended. This was the heart of the mines. This was where the dragon ore had been hewn from the rocks. Using a pick axe on the ore piles in the excavation room furthest to the northwest in the Burning Cavern produced a sample of dragon ore. The barbarian did the chiseling.

A small ledge led back to the tracks where the party had entered the Burning Cavern, but a tunnel also led further south. In a cavern beyond a pool of lava (room S on the level 3 & Lava Level map) was another piece of dragon ore. (The way to find the two pieces of dragon ore is also explained by Moirain Sedai on Page seven of the Best tips).

The bard cast the teleport spell, and the party teleported back to the trolley room. They called the trolley back from the Burning Cavern by flipping the lever. Without waiting for the trolley to come back, they took the left trolley just down into the abandoned mines, where they switched the trolley tracks. They went back up and took the right trolley that had now returned. The trolley now turned to the left at the first intersection.

On this level of the mines there was a long tunnel leading to another trolley switch (room Z on the “Route to Raskalion” map). There was also an elevator (elevator Y) leading down into the deepest parts of the mines where an underground lake had been formed during the years (room X). By the lake was a giant cave crab. Possibly the only one of its kind, the Lonesome George of the Gael Serran. And soon it was extinct. Self defense, mind you, though. A good thing for low level parties that the lake had healing capabilities after that fight.

The teleport spell sent the party back. A quick trip back to the abandoned mines to switch the tracks once again, and they were on their way down the right track again. At the end of the tracks was a lake, the sinking lake, and beyond that stood a lone figure – Raskalion (room AA).

The old Stout had rebelled against the king and gone off to acquire riches on his own (as told by the tavernkeeper of Ishad N’ha (the tavern and governor tips posted on Page eight of the Best tips)). He had dug a tunnel to the king’s treasury, and he was about to loot it. To kill him or not to kill him. This was one of the marvellously created dilemmas of the game. Or rather, it would have been if the game’s original concept of dire consequences in case of breaking the sacred oath had not been omitted in the final version of the game and if the Hidden Circle and the Black hand had been more prominent game factors.

The Black Hand in the form of Scanthril demanded his demise. His death was the prerequisite of the completion of the quest to attain the dubious role of assassin. The Stout King also wanted him dead. And he was such an awfully nice fellow. Raskalion, however, was a member of the Hidden Circle, and killing him would not be to uphold the honour among thieves, as explained by Gorthius. A nicely crafted dilemma indeed.

The assassin, being sworn in by the Black Hand, looked at the bard, sworn in by the Hidden Circle. There was no discussion. Raskalion was killed, and the party went up again without looting any of the king’s treasure. Not because there was any risk of being unpopular involved, rather than the fact that they did not need the money.

NPCs encountered:

Raskalion reacts to following words:

Hidden Circle, Cemetery, Graveyard, Stout Mine, Brinbath, Stout Mines, Freyedies, Dragon, Mine, Writ, Erathsmedor, Burial Ground, Mines, Vault, Treasure Vault, Abandoned Mines, Crazies, Burning Cavern, Kraokendon, Raskalion, Spirits, Sinking Lake, Black Hand.

[Wyvern]

LOL!!! Another terrific chapter!!

This section really had me laughing:

The trolleys of the Stout Mines were a key point in understanding the evolution of the larger mammals of the Gael Serran. Several highly esteemed Gael Serran anthropologists and linguists agree that the battle cry of the trolls of the forests of Valeia, “Run, trollie, trollie”, was indeed a distorted version of the song the Stout miners would sing when they went to work, “Run, trolley”. The Stouts and the trolls thus had the same primeval origin.

Keep them coming!!!

Wyv

[Bungleau]

Run, trolley! LOL! That was a beautiful observation... [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]