A/N: The world of Exile (Avernum) remains the property of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software, not me. Following this bit of fun, I promise to return to the game unharmed the following persons: various Empire soldiers, General Baziron, Ozmo, Alzon, Dalakros, and Zalifar; and places: road to Tevrono, Tevrono, Zalifar's home, Spineridge, Greendale, Bremerton, and the Pit of the Wyrm.
Leaving Gale as they had entered, they did not notice Pasi—perhaps he merely did not choose to reveal himself to those departing Gale via the secret exit, or he had gone somewhere else for a time. Considering the climate of Gale, either possibility was likely.
Taking the road north from Gale, they saw a long, massive stone wall, constructed to keep the lands to the south safe from golem attack. Unfortunately, the wall was nowhere near complete, and the golems could simply walk around it. Judging from the looks of things, it would be months before such a wall would be finished to provide any sort of shelter.
They saw a small fort, abandoned in the face of golem fireball barrages, and little had been left of the construction. Nevertheless, they found it a decent place to make camp on the long journey to Tevrono. Beginning again, they came to a sign at the bridge stating that it was another sixty miles to Tevrono. Crossing the long stone bridge, they saw a heated battle going on on the other side. A band of Empire soldiers, armed with halberds and longbows were decimating a group of golems, although not without apparent losses.
Anicka led her group quickly to join in the fray. As they got closer to join the Empire soldiers, more golems appeared, crawling over the railings of the bridge. It was clear that the simple battle had been an ambush, and a far more intense battle began. The golem was smaller, faster, and more lethal looking than the golems they had seen in Avernum. The face was completely featureless, and made the troglodytes seem friendly in comparison.
After the battle, they helped the survivors patch up their wounds.
The captain said, "The golems have a new tactic. We have to get to Tevrono to tell Baziron about it. Then we can figure out how to react. I do wish to thank you for your help."
"No problem," said Anicka.
"We're under General Baziron, stationed out of Tevrono," the captain said. "You be sure to come up and meet him."
"Actually," said Anicka, "we were headed that way. We heard about him in Gale."
They continued to the north with the soldiers, then, spotting the chopped up remains of a dozen fire golems. One of the golems had the word "Baziron" carved into its blank face.
Continuing further north, a golem blockade stood in a straight line, perfectly still, blocking the path.
Knowing they needed to break through the line, the group entered battle immediately. Breaking through, they continued the northward journey. Finally, they spotted a small, walled town ahead. The walls were cracked and showed the signs of many magical impacts. Smoke rose from the buildings, and not all from cooking fires. The guards patrolling the walls looked gaunt and tired. Yet, despite constant pressure, the fort remained standing. However, a blockade of two dozen golems marched tirelessly around Tevrono.
Anicka led her companions in a charge against the golems. A band of soldiers meanwhile rushed out of the fort, and as the battle began, Avernites and Empire soldiers were fighting side by side—rather than against each other.
As the Empire soldiers began taking the wounded back into Tevrono, a dervish stopped and looked at the Avernite group.
"Thank you for your help in breaking the blockade," said the dervish. "Come inside. General Baziron will want to meet you, I'm sure."
As they approached, the guards stepped aside, clearing the path for the Avernites to enter. The fortified village of Tevrono was a well-defended model of efficiency. Neatly uniformed guards and dervishes were on patrol, but unlike in Gale, they were on the watch for golems, not against the people. The city walls had metal sheets, heavily pitted and scarred, and adorned with parts of slain golems.
Anicka stopped and said, "Excuse me, we've been told we ought to meet with General Baziron. Where might we find him?"
"Building up by the north wall," replied the captain.
Following the path, they reached the building and General Baziron stood and firmly shook hands with each of the group members. "I am General Baziron. Welcome to Tevrono, Avernites." His voice was deep and rough; his skin scarred and sunburnt—the look of a man who had spent most of his life outdoors, much of it in combat.
"You know we're Avernites, and it does not bother you?" said Anicka, taking in the insignia of dervish and general.
"No. At first, I thought that the golems might be the work of your kind. But I fought you in the Avernum war, and I came, in some small way, to know you," said General Baziron. "You are disloyal to us. You are foes. But you are not monsters. You would not make those things. And since we have a common foe in the golems, I will work with you."
"It's not that we're disloyal to you," said Anicka. "It's that we are loyal to Avernum. We were born there. Our group—we were all children during the war. But we have learned that Empire isn't the monster of our childhood nightmares. Our perspective is different. However, that has not stopped us from helping, as we did on a bridge south of here, when the golems ambushed."
"Ah yes, a new golem tactic, the water approach. They start using these new tricks sometimes. I will soon have a retort for this, some sort of trap or ambush, and we will no longer be vulnerable," said General Baziron. "But where are my manners? Thank you for saving my people. It is a surprising and unexpected kindness, especially coming from Avernites."
"So what are your responsibilities in this town?" said Anicka.
The general sighed, and said, "It has fallen to me to lead our forces against the golems. We, I'm afraid, are their only effective opposition."
"Why isn't there opposition from the other towns in this province?" said Anicka. "I don't understand the attitude we encountered in Gale at all."
He frowned, and said, "Those fools in Gale, they don't realize that the golems are a different foe, and need different tactics. We out here in Tevrono have been the only troops who've had any luck against those things. We use tactics that are good for us. Probably nothing that'd help you, but I'll give one example of how we've been able to defeat them. The golems are not smart like living things, they act only in a certain way, and they can't adapt to new situations. So, if we study how they behave in a situation, we can find a weakness in their tactics, and they can't figure out how to deal with it. For example, consider how they bombard our walls. they walk out, approach to eighty feet, throw fireballs and ice bolts, and flee. However, if we sneak up behind them and attack just when they're firing over the walls, it takes them a long time to react. They're dead by then. If the fools in Gale saw this, the war would go much differently."
"You don't have much respect for the leadership in Gale, either," said Daniel.
"Tis not wise to criticize the leadership in Gale too strongly. But they won't listen to us, and they won't support us," said General Baziron. "That's the reason I wanted to speak with you."
"Why did you want to speak with us?" said Anicka.
"We're doing all right against the golems, but we need help. We're chopping at them, and slowing them down," said General Baziron, "but we don't have the strength to find and assault their source."
"You would like us to find and assault the source of the golems?" said Anicka.
"I've heard of you. You have had luck infiltrating and destroying the enemies' fortresses," said General Baziron. "I would like you to do the same thing here. I can't tell you where the golems are coming from, but I can tell you one valuable fact."
"What can you tell us about the golems?" said Anicka.
"There are mountains to the southeast. Far up in them lives a mage. He visited us, flying down from the sky like a bird. He said someone should go up to see him. He knows much about the golems. Why he wanted us to go up there, we don't know," said General Baziron. "But I thought you might want to know. You may be our only hope against the golems."
"Why didn't you send someone to visit this man yourself?" said Anicka.
"He lives at the top of a tall cliff," said General Baziron. "He can fly. None of my men can."
"Anything else we can do?" said Anicka.
"I am a practical man. I never turn down an offer of assistance in a difficult situation," said General Baziron. "South of here, there is a bridge spanning a river. West of there, across the water, there is a band of golem scouts. I believe they are watching our movements and using the information against us. I don't know how. But if you could destroy them, it would set my mind at ease."
"Do you have any supplies to spare that could help us in the fight?" said Anicka.
"No, we barely have enough to keep fighting here," said General Baziron. "But you can rest here. The inn is closed, but you can find a space to sleep."
"Thank you," said Anicka.
They left, and entered the inn. A man sat here, working on a map, the only unarmed man that they had seen in the town.
"I am Ozmo," he said, "Nice to see civilians."
"What happened to this inn?" said Anicka.
"Closed. The owner fled," said Ozmo. "You can rest in one of the back rooms, if you want."
"Why are you sitting in here alone?" asked Daniel.
"I'm a mapmaker. I'm stranded here, I'm afraid," said Ozmo. "I've been here for months. I came here on a mapmaking trip, just before the golems made a major advance and circled Tevrono. Now, I probably can't get away without risking death. So I just sit here, wait, and make maps."
"What are your maps of?" asked Anicka.
"That's my trade!" said Ozmo, sounding cheerfully. "I"ve been making maps of the area to help Baziron and his troops. If you want, you can purchase a map of Monroe Province."
"So what do you think of Baziron?" said Phaedra.
"Only general who's had any success against the golems," said Ozmo. "In my book, he's a hero."
"I guess he's a hero to a lot of people," said Daniel. "We were hearing all about him in Gale."
"And for food and drink, well, take what you want," said Ozmo. "Isn't that great, but ... you know how it is these days."
"That's all right," said Anicka. "We'll manage."
They moved to the other table, spreading out the newly purchased map and breaking out some of the food that they had been carrying with them, while Ozmo continued filling out another parchment with his map.
"All right, I guess that lady wasn't as stoned as I thought," said Angarahad. "Seems that the mage she was talking about is the same one who visited the general. We probably should go there."
"Certainly can't hurt," said Anicka. "At least I feel like I'll be safe overnight in here."
"So, we spend the night, then start heading southeast?" said Daniel.
"Yeah," said Anicka.
They spent the night in Tevrono, the sounds of a town under siege barely breaking through their rest, and then they left to look for the wizard they had been told about. After another day of travel, they found a valley which ended at a cliff, too high and steep to climb. Nevertheless, a pathway was visible at the top, as was a line of smoke trailing into the air.
"Good thing we got this orb," said Anicka.
The others circled her, and she rubbed the orb, and they all flew up until they reached the path above. Then, in a most implausible location, they saw a large, lovely stone house.
"Home of Zalifar," read Anicka from the sign. "All who come in peace are welcome. Well, I guess that would be us."
They entered the house, finding an empty foyer, with doors to the right and left.
"Which way should we go?" said Anicka.
"Let's try right," said Daniel.
"This one's locked," said Anicka. "Let's try the other one."
The other door was unlocked, and there they saw a wizard, currently living a hermit's life in the mountains of eastern Valorim, although he did not seem reclusive or unhappy to see the group—in fact, pleased and relieved looked more like it.
"I am Zalifar," he said. "Welcome to my home."
"Hello. I'm Anicka, these are my companions—Dan, Frrrrrr, Phaedra, Angie, and Nathan. Why do you live in such a remote area?"
"I live up here, experiencing my wizardry and the joys of flying," said Zalifar. "Alas, while in the sky, I see many of this land's troubles."
"What do you know about the troubles in Valorim?" said Anicka.
"The land is being overrun by golems. Nobody below knows where they come from. I do," said Zalifar. "If you assist me, I will give you the location of their lair."
"What sort of assistance can we give?" said Daniel.
"I wish you to assist me in dealing with a drake," said Zalifar. "An enormous drake lives in the mountains southwest of Greendale. You can only get there by flying. It's west of a large field of rubble which is south of Greendale. We saw each other frequently when flying, but had a sort of truce. Until recently."
"What happened recently?" asked Anicka.
"Recently, it has started to chase me, actually trying to kill me. It seemed maddened. Go find it, and do something to ensure it will never attack me," said Zalifar. "In return, I will give you assistance in finding the golems."
"How can we keep it from attacking you?" asked Anicka.
"That is up to you. Of course, if it is killed, it will not attack me anymore. But it is a wise and mighty creature, and I hope it will not come to that," replied Zalifar.
"It was difficult to get up here," said Phaedra. "We had to fly."
"Ahh, how nice. I live here because it is an easy place from which I can fly about. I could rhapsodize for hours about the joys of the wind, of the heights, of soaring far above the land. However, that's not why I'm glad you're here," said Zalifar. "I've been waiting for someone to come here, so I can discuss the land's troubles. I study many subjects. Lately, I've been studying the alchemical herbs that grow in these mountains. For example, I have found an interesting recipe for the exquisite balm of life."
"Would you teach me that recipe?" said Nathan.
"Gladly," replied Zalifar, and for a few coins, he taught the recipe.
Anicka then said, "Well, I must wish you a good day, as we need to be on our way."
"Good luck to you in your travels," said Zalifar.
They went back to the cliff edge, and using the orb once more, returned to the level ground below. Continuing on the road, they came into Spineridge, where they met one of the Empire's seemingly endless supply of bureaucrats. She had the haggard look indicative of long periods of much work and far too little sleep.
Shuffling through her papers, she said, "I am Alzon."
"What responsibilities do you have?" asked Anicka.
"I am in charge of supply for large parts of Monroe Province's internal structure. In addition, I am the jobs dispatcher," said Alzon. "If you would like some courier work, let me know."
"We're always interested in courier work," said Anicka.
After taking a couple commissions, Daniel said, "Even at times you still do all that paperwork?"
"Of course. It's even more important now, since I've lost contact with my superiors. Eventually, they will emerge from Blackcrag, and they will want to know what has been happening. And I will be able to tell them. It is difficult though. I haven't been able to get new supplies for some time," said Alzon. "I'm running short of paper, mainly. Paper, pens and ink. If you had something like that, I could pay you for it."
They left, finding the rubble field, and then the drake, who told them he was starving, and agreed not to hunt humans as he had been if they dealt with the golems who had consumed his usual food supply. Sensing that there was little time to waste, they hurried back to Zalifar.
"We met with the drake Dalakros," said Anicka. "He is hungry, and said he would not attack if the golems are dealt with. And so we are back to you."
"All right then. I will aid you," said Zalifar. "When I was flying over certain areas, I saw a large spire. I must give you information about it."
"Where is the spire, for starters?" said Anicka.
"The golem's spire is directly northwest of Tevrono. It is magically hidden. It's in a large meadow, and you will need to look at it and concentrate for some time before you can see it," replied Zalifar. "Also interesting are the stone circles."
"What's this about the stone circles?" said Anicka.
"The spire is surrounded by four stone circles, two in the woods, two in the mountains. I'm sure they have something to do with the golem spire," said Zalifar. "One of the two in the mountains, I could reach by flying there, but one I couldn't. Maybe there's a tunnel to it from somewhere."
"Thank you," said Anicka, "you've been most helpful."
They left, flying back down, and began tromping through the forest, searching out these stone circles and spire of which Zalifar had spoken. As they tromped through the brush, suddenly, they were surrounded by Empire soldiers.
Anicka looked them over with relief, as they weren't deserters, and weren't making a move to kill them. They were led by a dervish, well-equipped and professional.
The dervish came through the circle, and bowed, and said, "I am Dervish Merchant. Your reputation precedes you. We would like to request your assistance in a small matter regarding the fight against the golems. Before you can come to our camp, however, I am afraid we must blindfold you. Will you agree to this?"
Anicka said, "All right."
The soldiers quickly blindfolded the Avernites, and then they carefully marched along several long, winding paths. The soldier at Anicka's elbow seemed to be making an effort to keep her from stumbling, and she could hear the other soldiers helping her companions. Eventually, they arrived at a busy encampment in the forest, and the blindfolds came off.
"Our division operates under General Baziron in Tevrono," said Dervish Merchant, approaching the group again.
"We've met him," said Anicka.
"Good. We're in charge of following and ambushing isolated golem groups. The problem is, we're sort of isolated here, and I can't spare a single soldier," said Dervish Merchant. "I'd like you to convey a scroll back to the general. I'm sure he'll reward you when he gets it. Will you do that?"
"Yeah, we can do that," said Anicka.
Dervish Merchant handed her a small, sealed scroll, and said, "We know you're Avernites, but we've all heard that you can be trusted. Don't let us down. General Baziron needs to get this."
They ate together, and then the soldiers blindfolded the group and took them back to where they had first met.
"OK, let's find our way back to the road," said Anicka, "and take this up to Tevrono, and then go looking for circles."
"I sure never expected to be working with the Empire like this," said Daniel.
"Nor did I," said Anicka.
It had taken another two days, but at last they reached Tevrono and came to General Baziron's office.
"Yes?" said General Baziron.
"We went to visit the wizard," said Anicka. "And encountered those golem scouts you mentioned. They have been chopped up."
"Was there anything that would tell how they communicate what they gather?" said General Baziron.
"No, we didn't see any signs of that," said Anicka.
He looked disappointed, but said, "Thank you, you have done us a kindness. I'll wish you the best of luck in future battles against our golem foe."
"While we were following up leads from the wizard, we met some of your men near Greendale ... at least, nearer there than here," said Anicka. "They gave us a message to deliver to you."
"Excellent," he said, after reading it carefully. "My troops have scored a fresh series of successes against the golems. They will get the reinforcements they desire. Thank you for bringing this to me," he said, and handed over a pouch of gold.
After another rest, they began searching again, but found themselves nearer Bremerton, and suddenly found the apparent ruins of a base inside a cave. They found a diary, written by someone named Dariad who, the sign had said, was in charge of the place.
"Day one—arrived at site. Had a dozen men, three of them mages, and thirty strong Empire-altered giants for excavations. Very exciting. Who knows who might have created this site?" read Phaedra. "Day five—things are going well. Found signs that this is indeed the crypt of Sairios! Recovery of his legendary crossbow would be a great triumph for our expedition. Plenty of precious ores, too. Will defray cost of expedition. Day twelve—Going well. Have broken into a strange shaft, leading down. Found traces of odd slime. Intriguing! Day twenty--Things continue to go well. The slime attack that felled poor Sason could happen at any site, and the odd behavior of the giants does not worry me. T he mutant creatures are legendary for their loyalty."
"Legendary crossbow?" said Anicka. "I think that's what that one healer was talking about. Any sign as to how long ago?"
"No," said Phaedra. "Day thirty—almost to lower level. Things continue to go well. The giant that attacked Esther was swiftly punish, and the general moodiness of the giants will pass. They seem to be making carvings in their off time. Anything to relax them. Day thirty-five—Things continue to go well. Yet the strange dreams we have begun to have are making us slightly edgy. One of the giants refused an order today! She said something like "I follow the wyrm". Punishments will be meted out tomorrow. And that's the last entry."
"Wonder if the giants are still about?" said Daniel.
"I didn't hear them, but they probably are," said Anicka. "Guessing, the giants turned out to be not quite as loyal as expected."
"Serves 'em right," said Angarahad.
"Well, let's explore," said Anicka. "We paid to find out about this place, and here it is."
They moved further, past the human base ruins, and saw one of the Empire's most horrid and powerful shock troops—the mutant giant.
Fighting the giants, they noticed obelisks with odd carvings of snake-like beings, and then found their way into an ancient place that looked as though it had never been discovered by the imperial excavators.
Despite its age, the room they found was still completely intact. At first, the purpose was uncertain, but frescoes on the wall made it clear—there was a sacrificial pit, and from it, several creatures oozed out, hissing and eating away at the stone as they trailed along.
They fought off the slimes, and continued down, finding that the giants had continued their work after slaying the humans, and broken into a lower level which was infested with horrific wyrms.
Finally, fighting off crypt zombies, they pulled a lever which revealed the entrance into the actual tomb of this person who had been named Sairios. A gigantic skeleton lay upon a massive marble bier, surrounded by many of its weapons in life. Most had rotted or rusted, although one amazing crossbow looked like new. They took this crossbow, and started to leave, finding themselves under attack by a few more dark wyrms, but at last, they made good their escape.
"Oh gods," said Anicka, breathing heavily as they reached outside. "If I'd had any idea how hard it would be to get this thing ..."
"Yeah, but it does look amazing," said Daniel. "Does it feel any different when you fire it?"
"Not really," said Anicka. "But it did seem like I was dropping those wyrms faster."
Nathan said, "Here, drink up. We probably should hurry back to the golems."
"Thanks," said Anicka, taking the potion. "And you're right."
After recuperating, they found their way back to Greendale, rested for the night, and then went back into their explorations of the woods, searching for the circles Zalifar had spoken of.