AN: The world of Exile/Avernum belongs to Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software. Solberg, Cheeseball, and other persons and places belonging to the game will be put back unharmed when I'm done.
It had taken two days of searching cave walls, prodding at the cracks, before the group finally found the hidden passageway Kelner had spoken of. The tiny tunnel ended in a small cave featuring a large, twisted basalt pillar, and there they waited. As they waited, the image of an old man holding a carved wooden staff appeared.
"Greetings, whoever you are. I am Solberg, of the Triad of the Tower of Magi. I have left this message here, in case there is ever need to find me," said the image. "I hope it should not be necessary to call me back to the tower, for that means it has become even more a place of horrors. But I have my responsibility, and so I leave this message. I have a small hidden tower near the lava pools near Formello. I may be found there, if need be. The password is 'Disaster'. I hope, very much, this need not be necessary."
With that, the shade disappeared, leaving them alone in the passage near the pillar.
"Well, that's certainly an appropriate password," said Jynx, looking at the others.
"So, where do we go from here?" said Brynja. "We just going to skip on going to see the king?"
"Probably should find Solberg first," said Ansel. "I think this demon thing is pretty urgent."
"I agree," said Brother Theo, "and from what I have mapped thus far, I believe we are closer to Solberg's hidden tower than we are to the castle. We may yet need to go to the king for help in this matter, but it would be a shame not to see him, and so perhaps miss information that is of help on the other journey."
"All right, then," said Ansel, "it's settled." And with that, he began leading the group northwards.
Eventually, they reached the entrance to a hot, steam-filled cave. To the south, spires of basalt and pumice emerged from pools of magma.
"I think we can get through that," said Ansel, "though it's going to be pretty uncomfortable."
Eventually, however, they discovered a secret passage that led to a tower without requiring that they pass over the magma. The narrow passage ended at a ledge over a huge expanse of lava and steaming basalt. A narrow land bridge to the south arced over the lava. It was hard to see through all the steam and soot, but it looked like something huge rose up out of the mist at the other end of the bridge--most likely some sort of tower.
"Someone must really have wanted to get away from the world to come out here," said Brynja.
"It matches what we were told about Solberg's location," said Jynx. "I don't know why he'd want to, or whether he would tell us even if asked."
At the near end of the bridge, a sign loomed out of the mist, reading: "Tower of Solberg. Beware the traps. No trespassing. Violators will be poached and/or boiled."
"Hope he doesn't think we're trespassers," said Duncan.
"We've got the password," said Ansel. "That has to count for something."
Edging carefully across the narrow bridge, they arrived at the base of a small basalt tower, precariously perched at the top of the narrow rock outcropping. The deadly lava bubbled and hissed below, as the caldera below threatened to eventually consume the stone beneath their feet--and the tower as well. At the base of the tower was a small iron gate. Approaching the gate, a disembodied voice said, "Password?"
Jynx said, "Disaster."
The gate clicked, then slowly swung open, and they walked into a tiled room, empty, with a door opposite.
"It's locked," said Brynja, with a bit of frustration.
"Go ahead and open it," said Ansel. "After all, I'm sure the gate opened for a reason."
Brynja did so, and the door swung open, revealing a spacious room occupied by an aging bald man in crimson robes, holding an oaken staff shaped as a cobra. He was flushed and sweaty, probably because of the intense heat of the lava outside.
"Why are you hiding in this tower?" asked Rudel. "You are Solberg?"
"I am." His face soured as he surveyed his visitors, and said, "I would like to welcome you, visitors, but your arrival fills me with fear. Let us just say I am here, waiting."
"May I ask why you are waiting?" said Rudel, pressing on.
"For my fellow members of the Triad to complete their business," replied Solberg.
"Oh," said Jynx. "What business is that?"
"A messy, dangerous business," replied Solberg. "They plan to summon a haakai! And not any Haakai, but a Haakai Lord!"
"What do you know of this Haakai?" asked Brother Theo.
"Be careful where you say that word. It has dangerous power. They are the lieutenants of demonkind, powerful and cruel. And my colleagues planned to summon one who is powerful enough to lead them. A chieftain, as it were," said Solberg. "And now this foul deed is done! Heavens help us all!"
"A chieftain?" said Ansel.
"I dare not say his name, but they must be mad to have brought him down upon Avernum. They have great dreams of what they can win from him, but not even they have the power to contain him for long. Nor, I suspect, can they force him back to his home," said Solberg. "No. He must be defeated. Destroyed."
"Who can defeat such a beast?" said Ansel.
"Bold adventurers such as yourselves could destroy him. It is a dangerous, gruesome mission, but one that must be done, and soon," said Solberg, looking at them hopefully. "Should you ever wish to undertake it, return and ask me for the crystal key. They crystal key will enable you to reach where the demon is kept."
"I'd like that crystal key," said Ansel.
"It's hidden through my magical portal. But please, don't take it until you are sure you have the power to fight the demon, for I have no duplicate," said Solberg. "It would be best to wait to take it until you have found 'Demonslayer'."
"Tell us about 'Demonslayer,'" said Ansel, remembering it had been mentioned by the madwoman, Linda.
"A mighty sword, brought down by Karzoth, leader of the first--doomed--expedition down here. When he was slain by a Haakai, the sword was broken into three pieces. Long have we tried to find the pieces, but all we have are clues," said Solberg. "That reminds me. The scepter was also brought down by the First Expedition."
"What scepter?" said Duncan, not following Solberg's mental leap.
"An onyx scepter, which supposedly gave great power to the mage that wielded it," said Solberg. "We recovered it, but couldn't figure out how to use it. They used it as bait to lure the Haakai to the Tower."
"Where might I find the pieces of this demonslayer?" asked Ansel.
"When the sword was broken, the creatures that slew the humans took the pieces as trophies. The slithzerikai took a piece to their holy shrine, in a swamp far to the south. Another piece was taken by a lich, to an ancient den of undead far to the west," said Solberg. Of the third piece, we know nothing. But some believe the nepharim took it."
"Nepharim?" said Jynx. "I've heard of the nephilim--we've fought a few, even."
"Nepharim are worse," said Solberg, with the characteristic lack of cheerfulness with which those who had long been in Avernum spoke of the other species with which they shared the caves. "Bigger, stronger... the only good thing is that, from all reports, they are sterile."
Brynja said, "Why can the Triad not deal with this demon?"
"Ah, because we are divided. The Triad rules the Tower of Magi--custom from up above, you see. There is myself, Linda--the initiator of this foolish operation, and X--who is too lost in bizarre schemes to do anything about it. Oh the Triad is a sad thing these days. It almost makes me long for Erika's return," said Solberg. "Almost, but not quite."
"Who is Erika?" said Ansel.
With a sad smile, Solberg replied, "Erika Redmark. Wizard without par. Banished into Avernum by the fools above. Consumed with utter hatred. But without her, we would all be barbarians, rooting about in the filth."
"How did Erika keep us from becoming barbarians?" asked Rudel.
"It was she that created the strain of mushrooms that grow quickly and are so nourishing, and the other special plants as well. It was she who used her powers to steal things from the land above, like tools and books," replied Solberg. "She built the Tower of Magi. She led us. Then her hatred drove her away."
"Hatred for who?" asked Ansel.
"For those who cast her down. The mages above, together, were strong enough to curse her," replied Solberg. "She would suffer instant, painful death should the light of the sun ever touch her. When she realized she couldn't break the curse, she began to plot."
"What was she plotting?" asked Ansel, showing signs of great interest.
"Ways to bring doom to the surface world. She began to perform strange experiments and consort with dark forces. Soon, all she was good for was planning her revenge. So we asked her to leave. She now lives far, far to the west in a huge tower," replied Solberg. "And, to tell the truth, I'd rather not know what she is up to."
"Should we try to seek her out?" asked Ansel.
Solberg was silent for a time, clearly thinking. Then, in a voice tinged with sadness, he said, "Perhaps. Perhaps you should. I sense a great destiny in you, and I feel that she is the only person who can help you achieve it. So find Erika. She can give you a path. But that path may have great horrors at the end of it. Beware."
There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Jynx said, "What do you know about these plants? They seem marvelous."
"Erika created the trees that grow in stone, so we could have a meager supply of wood. She summoned down several plants from above, and changed them so they'd grow down here. The one thing she didn't make was the glowing fungus on the cave ceilings," replied Solberg. "It's amazing, magical stuff, and was already here when the Empire found these caves."
"Does anyone know who grew the fungus?" asked Rudel.
"I have no idea," replied Solberg. "We suspect that some sort of intelligent race lived down here long before humans arrived, but we know nothing of them. Nothing, that is, but that they seemed to like crystals."
"Really?" said Jynx. "Crystals?"
"Yes. Many Avernites have found finely carved crystals. Some of them were even enchanted. All of them are very old. Who made them? An excellent question, and I eagerly await the day when we find out," said Solberg. "They must have been very intelligent, and I hope that should we ever meet, our first contact will be a friendly one."
"I must say," said Brother Theo, "that I had been wondering about the plants we've seen since we arrived."
"Erika discovered that the heat of Avernum's many volcanic vents could replace the light of the sun as a source of life energy for plants. Then she modified plants smuggled from the surface to enable them to live down here," said Solberg. "After that, it was simply a matter of tinkering with them to make them useful. Easy for her. Nearly impossible for everyone else."
"Well, I do thank you for your time," said Ansel. "We've learned much, but I think we should be going and searching for those sword pieces."
"I wish you luck in your endeavors," said Solberg. "You may be destined for greatness, but that will not come without tremendous struggle."
As they left, moving through the oppressive environment around Solberg's tower, Ansel said, "Well, that was quite interesting."
"Indeed," replied Jynx. "So, where shall we go next?"
"I think it is time," replied Ansel, "that we go visit the king."