A/N: The world of Exile (Avernum) is still the property of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software. Me, I'm just having a bit of fun. When I finish, I promise to return to the game unharmed the following persons: Sulfras, Patrick, Rita, Jade, Cochran, Hathwisa, Marco, Julz Lithgow and Captain Rabin; and places: Sulfras' Lair and Patrick's Tower.
It had been a week since they left Dharmon, even Fort Remote's comfortable beds were memory as they traveled the dangerous tunnels held by the Empire. Concealment when they rested, and hopes that no Empire soldier stumbled across the invisible cabin in which they took their rest. They had passed the blue clearance barricade, and so far their luck held that the troops continued to respect the pass—perhaps not realizing that these were the Avernites who had infiltrated Kothtar and who even now carried the Orb of Thralni safely stowed in Jenneke's pack.
As they continued their northward trek, an Empire patrol caught up with them, accompanied by those horribly mutated giants.
After a few moments of eyeing one another, one of the human soldiers said, "You're a bunch of worms. Worms passing through here have to pay a hundred coin toll."
The other guards started laughing, a sign that this was just another form of Empire harassment of the Avernites they weren't immediately killing.
"Yeah, right," said Jenneke. "There's no toll."
"Suggest you pay, worm," said the spokesman of the group. "We wouldn't want to have to carve it out of you."
"Since you like it like that," said Jenneke, drawing his sword, as the rest of the patrol readied themselves. "I guess we gotta kill ya."
The fight was short, the Empire troops having apparently gotten too soft, relying on the mutated giants who fell before the onslaught of fiery spells.
"There's enough nooks around here," said Jenneke, as they tugged the last corpse out of view, "no one will know until we're long gone."
Continuing north, at last they came within sight of a gray clearance checkpoint. Here, a huge force of soldiers were lounging about the guardpost, clearly bored out of their minds, although they lazily got up at the approach of the Avernite platoon. They seemed convinced that anyone who had gotten this far into Empire territory was supposed to be there.
One of the guards approached, and said, "Gray pass?"
Jenneke wordlessly produced it, showing it to the guard who did not even take it from him to examine. With a shrug, the guard waved them through, returning to the beer and dice game he'd been occupying himself with before they had fully passed the checkpoint.
Finally, coming around the bend, they saw the lair of the once-mighty-now-imprisoned Sulfras. An outer wall ringed a shattered, blasted stretch of caves, filled with magma pools and massive pillars of basalt and pumice. Dust and smoke hung heavy in the air, an acrid grit collecting around the moist parts of their faces.
Moving further in, the harsh smell of sulfur was nearly choking. Bestial cries came from farther in, sounds that couldn't possibly be human or normal animal.
Just inside the entrance, horribly mutated giant guards had been kept in domes which were cramped for them, though spacious for the platoon. Foul, ooze-covered pallets were by the walls, while the platoon made quick work of dispatching the abominations. They continued about carefully, and made their way, encountering only two Empire soldiers, into a massive sweltering dome. There, held to the ground by massive, magical chains was the dragon Sulfras.
Sulfras was clearly barely able to contain her fury, even though she was unable to free herself. As they came closer, she spoke with flame and sulfur billowing from her mouth, "I am Sulfras."
"Why are there no guards in here?" said Jenneke, who couldn't believe how lucky they had been so far.
"The Empire can chain me, but it can't make me helpless," replied Sulfras. "If their pawns get close to me, I remove them from the board."
"Why does the Empire keep you here?" asked Jenneke.
"I know a lot. I give them information about Avernum, about the caves, about magic, and in return, they throw food in here," said Sulfras.
"Why are you bound to that steel chain, great dragon?" said Adrianna.
There was a brief burst of fury as Sulfras jerked at the chain, the force of the tug making the ground tremble, but the chain remained undamaged, holding firm. "I am ..." said Sulfras, "I am kept a prisoner here."
"The Empire captured you?" said Jenneke.
Sulfras breathed a burst of searing flame directly onto her chained claw, and the ground below turned liquid, while the chain remained intact. Sulfras turned back to them and said, "I dealt with the Empire humans, like a fool, and they betrayed me!"
"How were you betrayed?" asked Jenneke.
"They offered me treasures, treasures from the leader for my help. I let them into speak with me. Then they tricked me into this bond. Garzahd tricked me! ME!" she roared with fury, and after a few moments, settled back down. "But I do not like speaking of it. I think instead of rewarding those who give me freedom."
"Can you tell us anything about Garzahd?" said Adrianna.
"He is the leader of these pathetic Empire humans," said Sulfras. "I long to feel his skull pop between my teeth."
"So, you'd like us to free you," said Jenneke.
Sulfras looked at the chain, and said, "If you can get this thing open, I will give you what little of my treasure remains. I swear it to you."
"What do you have left?" said Jenneke.
"Most of it was stolen by the Empire. But if there is anything you want that I still have, it will be yours," she said, looking at the scattering of items around her. "Look at these pathetic leavings!"
Seeing the black scepter securely held under her foreleg, Jenneke kept his voice from showing excitement as he said, "I have looked carefully at your treasure. May we have the Onyx Scepter?"
The dragon's eyes flashed red with fury, and she seemed about to attack, and then she calmed. "You humans! You are a foul and greedy breed. It would be better if you were forever gone from existence. But I am stuck with you, and I need your help. If you free me, I will give you the Onyx Scepter."
"So how can we free you?" said Jenneke.
Sulfras held up a claw, and said, "There is a key. It is near. Find it."
"Ok," said Jenneke. "Then, if you'll excuse us—we have a bit of looking about to do for a key."
Searching around, they found a bookshelf filled with the account of unsuccessful tactics in an attempt to interrogate Sulfras.
"At least they haven't learned much," said Jenneke. "But it doesn't get us closer to a key."
"Hey, hidden door," said Nigel, "oh shit, magic barrier."
"Not a problem," said Adrianna, and she quickly cast the spell to dispel the barrier.
At the far end of the hidden room was a little crystal box. Jenneke opened it, finding some rough cloth and dented weapons, which he dumped on the floor, and then he picked up a key on a leather thong. The key was a beautiful work of art, carefully carved from a single piece of malachite, and a note attached to the thong.
"Do not take without authorization upon pain of painful death," said Jenneke, reading off the note. "And here I was hoping for something more imaginative like an agonizing death."
"Jenneke!" said Adrianna.
"About sixty years from now," he said, grinning at her. "Let's see if this is the one that fits Sulfras' chain. How many other things are they going to threaten people with death for taking the key?"
"You don't know Empire very well," said Adrianna with a shake of her head.
Jenneke took the key, and they made their way back to the dome where Sulfras was held.
"I think this will work," said Jenneke, examining the keyhole.
He put the key into the lock, and the mighty dragon's face lit up in joy and anticipation of violence. When the key turned, she stood up tall, and when the chain came off, she roared.
Behind them, they heard someone crying out in horror. They turned to see a lone Empire soldier, barely old enough to shave, who had evidently come to see what the noise was about, and now had the expression of one trying to convince himself that he was not about to die.
Looking back to Sulfras, Jenneke saw a small ball of fire hanging in midair.
"Return later for your reward," she said, and roared again, leapt into the air, and disappeared.
Several things happened at once—guards began shouting outside Sulfras' former prison, and Jenneke recognized the ball of fire as it began to expand, ready to consume everything.
"Fuck!" said Jenneke. "Run like hell out of here."
A group of Empire troops blocked the way, and the leader said, "You'll die with the rest of us."
"Fuck, we don't have time for this!" said Jenneke, drawing his sword again, the flames expanding behind him.
They fought their way through those troops, and managed to escape the fort just ahead of the expanding flame, and watched for some time. Finally when the flames had died down, they returned to the fort. The dragon's magic had devastated the place. A few small sections of wall remained, but the rest was blackened rubble. The reek of corpses was hanging heavy in the air.
"OK," said Jenneke, "let's collect the scepter and get outta here."
They stepped into the dragon's dome, the only building still standing, although it had been rearranged, higher now, darker, with white hot coals making the place even warmer than before. Sulfras watched them, her reptilian face difficult to read—a combination of arrogance, disgust, and gratitude.
"I am Sulfras, mightiest master of this fort," she said, standing tall and proud.
"How do you fare, mighty dragon?" said Jenneke.
"I am rebuilding my lair and reaccumulating my treasure. The Empire did much damage, and they will pay," said Sulfras.
"Good luck clearing away the mess," said Nigel.
"It is a massive job. Those humans razed my beautiful palace to the ground to make room for their squalid fort. But I will rebuild it, grander than before!" said Sulfras.
"Where do you plan to get more treasssure from?" asked Thissa.
She ground her mighty teeth in fury, smoke trailing from her nostrils, "They stole my treasure. They took all of it that wasn't hidden away. But i have started building a new trove, starting with the gold and weapons I have stripped from their corpses!" said Sulfras. "I must get treasure, if I am to have status in the eyes of my siblings. And I will get it off the bodies of the Empire soldiers, upon whom I get my glorious revenge. My siblings Khoth, Athron, and Motrax—I am stronger than all of them, but I will have no status in their eyes if I don't have a trove."
"What do you know of Khoth?" said Jenneke.
Sulfras snorted flame, and said, "Quisling! He aids the Empire! I suspect it was he who told them how to catch me! I will have pointed words with him before all this ends."
"What about Athron?" said Michael.
"The recluse, I have not spoken with her in a long time," said Sulfras. "And do not speak of Motrax. He ages more quickly, and I hope he passes on soon. His weakness gives our kind a bad name."
"We would like the Onyx Scepter," said Jenneke.
Sulfras sighed. Had she meant to, the flames that came out with her sigh could have killed the entire platoon, but she said, "Yes, you rescued me, and I give you fair repayment. Here is the Scepter." She lifted a claw, and Jenneke took it. "This discharges my debt. It is all you deserve and no more."
"Thank you," said Jenneke, "we'll be going now."
As they moved through the center, everything seemed to be covered with a thin layer of ash, fire having killed most of the bodies, while a few showed signs of being killed directly by Sulfras. Moving cautiously through Empire territory, they finally made their way back to Fort Remote, where they offered prayers of thanksgiving at the shrine, and then continued east.
On the eastward trek, they met a group of Avernite soldiers who had been given the honor of guarding the burial grounds. They were surprisingly cheery, as they talked with Jenneke's platoon at some length about the wide variety of evil forces who came to try to steal bodies and make an undead army, while they put a stop to any such shenanigans.
"Dull work," said one of the soldiers, "but it beats staging a last-chance defense against Empire."
"I suppose," said Jenneke. "But then, Empire's gonna lose this war."
"Keep the faith," said the soldier. "They ever break through that line, we'll be done for."
"Yeah," said Jenneke, "but we're the ones who met with the vahnatai. On our way to do another mission now."
"Good luck to ya," said the soldier. "Ain't much long life in that kinda work."
"We've done alright," said Jenneke. "Take care."
They parted company, continuing on the eastward trek. As they continued, Thissa noted the slithzerikai names on some markers.
"It's something for the future," said Michael with a grim smile. "Those buried here fell for Avernum, and now it is slith and human together—may it be so when we have peace."
"Yesss, may it be ssso," said Thissa. "Having common enemiesss helpsss."
"Whose tower is that?" asked Adrianna, pointing south.
"That's Patrick's," said Feodoric. "Sarge, as close as we are, could we stop? Never know but that he might have something useful in the way of information."
"Oh, all right," said Jenneke. "We'll go."
A platoon of Avernum soldiers and mages approached, questioning them briefly as they came to a guard tower. Once satisfied that these were not Empire agents, they let Jenneke's platoon pass on their way to Patrick's tower.
Walking in, they followed directions, and felt a brief chill as they passed through a thin, invisible magical barrier.
A guard said, "You were just checked. You've got Magi Clearance, so you can enter."
"Thanks," said Jenneke, and he led his group into a solemn, beautiful conference room. It had recently been redone in the vahnatai style, although the tiles and such did not appear to be of vahnatai make, as the glow crystals did not actually glow.
At one end of the table, a very old man was sitting, he said, "I am Patrick. Welcome to my home."
"Are we interrupting you?" said Jenneke.
"No. Considering your recent experiences, your presence is quite welcome," replied Patrick. "I was just pondering our brothers below."
"Our brothers below?" said Jenneke.
"The vahnatai. The alien brothers you yourselves introduced us to," said Patrick. "I think about our relations with them, and our experiments."
"Ah yes, the vahnatai are a complicated people," replied Jenneke.
"Life in these caves is such a fragile thing. Nothing should be able to live down here, but we manage, because of magic. It is our magic that created the glowing fungus that gives us light, and thus life," said Patrick. "But I have spoken with this Rentar-Ihrno, and I am worried."
"What did Rentar-Ihrno have to say?" asked Jenneke.
"She is the greatest mage of the vahnatai. We projected our minds so that our thoughts could meet. She told me of the deadly magics she would gladly release to protect her people," said Patrick. "What, I ask you, will happen when we compete with them for limited space and resources? Remember, she knows how to create quickfire!"
"Perhaps Rentar-Ihrno might teach us how to create quickfire," said Feodoric.
"It is doubtful, but, if you needed quickfire, she is the one you should talk to," said Patrick, and he thought for a moment before continuing. "Come to think of it, the vahnatai were eager for your help. You might ask her about it. She may be willing to sell you the secret of its creation! We're trying to discover the secret of quickfire ourselves, in our laboratory."
"Where is your laboratory?" asked Adrianna.
"Oh, it is well hidden. I should tell you how to reach it. Go to my office and search my desk. There is a button in one of the shelves," said Patrick. "Press it, and the way shall become clear to you."
"So what research are you doing?" asked Adrianna.
"Anything which protects us from the Empire. Anything which helps prolong the lives of Avernites," said Patrick. "Anything which, in my judgment, increases the wisdom in the world and decreases the suffering."
"As adventurers," said Jenneke, "is there anything we can do for you?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. I am engaged in a detailed study of the vahnatai, and it would help me study them if I owned some of their artifacts. Nothing special. Just things they use in day to day life," said Patrick. "Please bring me one of the strange glowing cloaks they wear. I can pay you well for your troubles."
"I think we have one of those," said Jenneke.
Patrick took the cloak, and gave a small pouch of gold over, and said, "Thank you for your time and effort. I will study this item. Return later, and I may wish you to bring me another."
"What vahnatai item will you seek next?" asked Jenneke.
"The strange missile weapons they use fascinate me," said Patrick. "I hope you could bring me one of their razordisks."
"We'll make sure to pick one up when we're in their lands again," said Jenneke.
"May we go see these experiments?" asked Adrianna.
"Certainly, make yourselves at home," said Patrick.
They wandered through a library, finding the information a little too esoteric for their purposes, and then stumbled upon a garden where a heavy-set Moor with an air of self-assurance was working, hands and garb covered with stains of actual dirt.
"Hello, my name is Cochran," he said.
"Amazing," said Adrianna. "That's real dirt, isn't it?"
"You bet," said Cochran picking a fleck of dirt from his clothes. "I'm the gardener here."
"Where did you get the dirt from?" said Adrianna.
"Actual, honest-to-goodness dirt? It wasn't easy. The Empire brought some down with them to grow plants, and we captured a wagon full of it. A rare and wondrous find indeed!" said Cochran. He removed a pouch from his pocket and scraped the dirt from his clothes into it.
"How'd you become a gardener?" asked Michael.
"My job at the moment," said Cochran. "I'm an alchemist, see, so they thought I was the natural choice for studying and working with plants."
"What sort of alchemy did you deal with?" asked Michael.
Jenneke chuckled, thinking that they were in for it now, with Michael off on a discussion of alchemy.
"Before this, you see, I did much research on mandrake. It's the rarest and most powerful reagent known. I developed some complicated recipes for unleashing its magic," said Cochran. "If you would like to buy them, let me know."
"Yes," said Michael, "I'd be interested in any alchemy recipes you might be willing to share."
After Jenneke finally pulled Michael away, they went into the study where Patrick's desk was. Looking about, they found a journal filled with diagrams, notes, fragments of theories, and long, vague ramblings.
"Here's something interesting," said Feodoric, reading, "Garzahd must be dealt with. Too old. Too weak. Would not have a chance. Must be strong. Must be young. How? Ideas? Solberg and Thompson. They have ideas. Solberg trapped near Formello. Thompson in Blosk. Must speak with them. They may help with Garzahd. Can't make out the rest, mushroom wine blurred it."
Searching the desk, Jenneke found the button and pressed it, as he said, "OK, we'll find a way to meet with those two later."
A bookcase slid away, and Nigel said, "Secret door here."
"Guess that's clear," said Jenneke.
They entered to find a small red-headed woman wandering aimlessly between tables, alembics, and the barriers of the laboratory.
Sounding irritated, she said, "I am Jade."
"Jenneke, my wife Adrianna," said Jenneke, "and Thissa, Nigel, Feodoric, and Brother Michael. Why are you wandering around?"
"I was, before you interrupted me, performing my concentration exercises," said Jade, pointing to the magical circle in the corner. "I am struggling to maintain my concentration in the presence of an infernal force. It is not easy."
"I'm sorry," said Jenneke. "Why is it difficult?"
She sighed, exasperated at Jenneke's persistence. "It takes great intelligence and purity of concentration to deal with and resist the dark forces. It is necessary, though. The Empire forces here deal with such creatures and sometimes send them against us."
"How do you kill the creatures when you encounter them?" asked Jenneke.
"We use arrows of light. They are a sure way to deal with such forces. They are very difficult to make, though. We made a number of them, but they were stolen by rakshasi," said Jade. "They were being transported to the front by Baktris, the fool."
"What are rakshasi, and what did they do to Baktris?" said Adrianna.
"Baktris was slain by a band of the foul, illusionist tiger-beasts. There is a colony of them to the west, and they took the arrows. It is a shame, but we don't have the strength to slay them, so that is that," said Jade. "We'll just have to make more." With that, she resumed humming and stalked away.
"Ooohkay," said Jenneke.
Looking about the laboratory, it seemed they had a good deal of experiments going on, but of little interest to those merely casually observing, and so they passed back the way they had come.
Moving into a well-kept garden, they met an aging woman whose hair was waist-length, black, without a hint of gray. She embroidered as she walked, and seeing them, curtsied, and said, "I am Hathwisa, lady of this tower."
"Is there anything you can tell us about this tower?" asked Jenneke.
She thought, and said. "Normally, I would not say this, but you have shown yourselves to be exceptional people. The Castle has hidden an artifact of unusual power under this tower. I suspect that it would be very useful to you. If you were interested in obtaining it, the Castle would be the right place to start. Don't ask Patrick about it, though. He doesn't have any control over this item, and it vexes him."
"What can you tell us about the item?" asked Jenneke.
"Nothing, nothing at all," said Hathwisa, "I am stretching the rules merely by telling you that there is something to be found."
"Well, thank you," said Jenneke. "We'll keep it in mind, but say nothing."
Seeing a sign marking the office of a magical attaché, they decided to enter, and found within a pale, friendly woman, sitting behind a desk covered with herbs and toadstools, bowls and powders.
She looked up and with a broad smile, said "I'm Julz. Welcome."
"You seem unusually cheery," said Jenneke.
"What, exactly, would be the point in being otherwise?" said Julz.
"Not much, I suppose," said Adrianna. "What are the books to the south for?"
She smiled mischievously, and said, "Those books contain powerful knowledge. And who, in my position, would not want to keep it private? I wouldn't share it with anyone who didn't help me."
"So, what are your responsibilities here?" asked Feodoric.
"I'm the person who coordinates what the mages here do with what the Castle wants them to do," replied Julz. "But that's not what I'm worrying about now. I'm worrying about a potion."
"What kind of potion?" said Michael.
"I can't tell you what it is for, but I can tell you I'm short on ingredients. But I see you're adventurers," said Julz. "I can reward you well if you can obtain certain substances for me."
"Sure," said Michael, "we'd be willing to get any substances you might need."
"Ah! You'll help? Wonderful. The first thing I need is a borgia toadstool. They're very rare. They only exist in the lower caves. Very low caves. Perhaps some grow in vahnatai lands. It's worth a look."
"We'll be sure to look next time we're that way," said Jenneke. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to check in with Captain Rabin."
With that, Jenneke stepped out of Julz's office, and into the next, where a bitter-looking soldier slouched behind a desk with a three day growth of stubble on his face.
"Hello, sir," said Jenneke. "Sergeant Jenneke here."
"I'm Captain Rabin," he said, giving Jenneke a blank look.
"Who do you command, sir?" said Jenneke.
"I run the garrison here. Such as it is," said Captain Rabin.
"I take it that the garrison is small," said Jenneke.
Captain Rabin chuckled, and said, "Yes, I take good care of my scattering of soldiers."
"Scattering of soldiers?" said Jenneke.
"I have fifteen soldiers under my command. Not many, and mostly green," said Captain Rabin. "All the seasoned troops are at the front, where I should be. You may think I'm stupid, wanting to be at the front, where I could get chopped, instead of at my nice boring job here. But think on this! We break at the front, and we all die! The Empire will butcher us all! If I'm going to die, I want to be up there, where I can fight the real fight. It's that simple." He grimaced in frustration.
"I understand, sir," said Jenneke. "We should be going—we're on a mission that should help Avernum."
"Yes, I've heard of you," said Captain Rabin, "enjoy it ... good soldiers like you, getting the chance to strike some solid blows against Empire."
"Yes, sir," said Jenneke, even as he was thinking this wouldn't be such a bad part of Avernum to settle in with Adrianna and their child—war or no war.
Gathering his platoon together, Jenneke led them on to the east, and then once in their boat, they started rowing to the north.
"Just getting to this place is going to be tough," said Jenneke, "sure we got all the supplies we need?"
"Yes, we'll be fine," said Adrianna. "Don't worry so much."
"It's not easy," said Jenneke.
Tucking their boat in a well-concealed spot, they began heading west for the first Empire checkpoint of this journey.