I'm a simple dwarf, named Glorgal. I am often given to solitary wandering, fighting, practicing at various trades. Drinking. Definitely drinking.
The last few days had been quite strange. The creatures of the land had been acting odd. They wouldn't fight. Just took the blows of a thousand blades and hammers without flinching. Perhaps they knew what came.
Even the people of Yliakum were different. I noticed more togetherness. A focus on guilds, and even heavy cooperation among guilds. People did silly things, pointless endeavors, that felt, nostalgic. As if all this effort was really unimportant. Does the gold need to be dug from the hard earth? We thought so. Are iron and coal needed to forge and hammer the swords and shields of war? We were sure of it. The skins of a thousand tefusangs, split and tanned and made into armor? We must have it!
A hundred invitations I received to join various guilds these last few days. I ignored them all. I enjoy the company of me, the smell of single combat and the sound of my breath, ragged as I near exhaustion. "I'm just not ready", I said. In a fit of rage, "Why should I pledge loyalty to one group over another!?" I shouted. "What's in it for me?"
One invite, just before the end, was an invite into evil. I was promised power. Great Power, with a capital 'P'. But I forewent that road. I wanted to warn people. I knew something was up. But I give loyalty to even passing friends, and could not spread a warning. So I ran. Ran. RAN across the land to the Bronze Doors, with a bit of carrot juice for an old man. They can have their fun. I'm not getting involved. I picked up a few Ulbernaut furs someone had dropped. I ran. Past miners, digging for gold. Past Enki, slaughtering rogues and trepor and cutthroats in the wild. I dug for tin! A metal I'd only heard of, never seen. I found myself in a ruined place, asking for directions, and a bit of local fare.
I ran. Past a lake with shining fishes, and perhaps something darker, as well. I heard a voice. Or I thought I heard a voice. "Jardet, you have done well, my son". I look around, for the source of the voice. But noone was there. "Did I imagine that?" With a sense of urgency, I ran. through open meadows of flower, over hills, green and bursting with life. I ran.
And at last I reached the last passage way, and once through the last turning, I saw them in the distance; The Bronze Doors! It's been many days since last I saw them. The waterfall, larger than anything. There, there is dwarf country, where a Stonebreaker can feel the cool stone, dark, and comfortable against his skin. Just that long trek up, and I would soon be where I felt I belonged, more than anywhere in this world. So with lightened heart, I ran! My lungs, pumping furiously, screaming for air. My legs, burning like the throat after a large draught of liquid courage. My heart, aching to be close, in the dark tunnels and corridors of an ever-present night. I ran.
And then, everything went dark. The light was ripped from my eyes. I stopped. I was stunned into inaction. A voice, no THE voice, came again, "The eclipse is approaching...", and fearing the worst, I ran. Madly, headlong into the darkness I ran. Screaming with fury at what was mine being ripped from me, I ran! This isn't fair! I cursed the sky, the trees, the grass. I cursed every singing bird around me. But not the rocks, for they would protect me, if only I could reach them in time. "What is going on?", I wondered. I had read the boooks, in the library, and the citadel. I listened carefully to the lore of ancient times. A darkening of the crystal is natural, I had heard. But why now? The evil. The plans in which I had nearly taken part. The evil of which I did not warn! Could I have stopped it? Or lessened the damage? I ran.
And fell over a cliff! Falling off a cliff isn't the bravest way to die, but it kills you just the same. So I died. And found myself not in the Death Realm, but instead someplace incredibly bright, blinding. Perhaps my eyes hadn't adjusted from the darkness, but wait, there was the death guardian, Stolid and silent as alway. This WAS the Death Realm! The darkened crystal had brightened! And oh, how bright it was! I had to get out, to escape and find out what was going on. But if darkness will kill you, the light will just the same. Slowly, I picked my way through the twists and turns, up the first spiral. And strange! There were so many people there! The Realm was bursting with freshly dead. All shouting and clamoring for answers.
"You, dwarf! What's happening? What did you see? Did you kill any of them?"
"What? Me? Kill who? What's going on? I fell off a cliff in the darkness."
"Monsters!"
"Monsters, where?"
"In the plaza! Terrible things!"
"Don't be ridiculous! The plaza is safe!"
And then, suddenly, nothing.
