- Chapter 3: Below Nordberg -
Meanwhile, in the depths of the netherworld, a dark, twisted spire stood ominously in the midst of a massive cavern, jutting from the ceiling like an obsidian dagger just waiting to carve into the earth. Far below the obsidian structure, a swirling mass of lava boiled and bubbled in an endless whirlpool of liquid flame. All around the tower, great chunks of jagged rock could be seen floating through the air, circling the spire like a ravenous flock of birds. An impressive sight to say the least, albeit a far cry from the imposing symbol it had once been.
The same could easily be said about its inhabitants.
"Glib! Glub! Enough of that! The lava pool is not meant for roasting squirrels and you know it!" an irritable, callous voice echoed from within the tower. "Giblet! Don't chew that- oh, confound it all!"
Throwing his hands up in bitter defeat, the owner of the voice, an elderly, goblinoid creature dressed in rags, frowned as he began to pace around the room, shouting at the other creatures.
"Look at you! This is what happens when evil doesn't have something to rally behind!" he lectured. "And to think we used to be considered a scourge upon the land! Bah!" Pausing only to steady his weary self against a wall, the creature sighed to himself. "Oh, how the evil have fallen...!"
"Don't be such a downa'!" a cheerful voice piped up as another creature wearing a jester's hat popped into the room. "Look at the bright side: At least it's not raining!"
"One more word out of you, Quaver, and I'll feed you to the dragon!" the elderly creature growled in response, clearly not in the mood for the jester's antics. "Hell, I might even do it anyway, just so I can watch you burn to a crisp!"
Taking that as his cue to leave, the jester promptly slipped away.
Dragging his hands across his wrinkly face, the creature briefly entertained the idea of throwing himself off the spire when a sudden tap on the shoulder snapped him out of his blissful daydream.
"What is it, Gurk?!" the creature barked angrily as he turned to face the offender. "Can't you see I'm busy wallowing in despair?"
Wasting not a moment, Gurk began to whisper into the elderly creature's ear.
"Humans? Kids? Well, why should I care?!" the elderly creature barked in response. "Oh. Oh? Ooooh?! Really?! All three of you, you say? Interesting! Keep an eye on him, will you, and let me know if anything else comes up!"
As Gurk scurried off to carry out the order, the raggedy old creature turned to gaze at the empty old throne at the centre of the room.
"A new candidate, eh? It's about time." the creature chuckled to himself, rubbing his hands together at the prospect. "Wha- Giblet, spit that out!"
