The Adventure: Chapter 2.5 (Torden's Sidetrek)

Torden watches the barge depart successfully, the winches once again cranking loudly. The tunnels lie before him, a twisting maze of rock that even an experienced navigator can get lost in.

Thanks Jabes. Please describe how the following situations play out:

1. How does Torden make his way back to the city so quickly, despite the challenging path ahead? Does he depend on his faith, his experience, or something else entirely?

2. On his way, he encounters a Goblin raiding party made up of 6 Goblins. They appear to have gotten lost in the tunnels and are bickering about the best way to get back to the Goblin King's lands. How does Torden deal with this obstacle?

Thorin soons finds himself at the edge of the city, the familiar sound and tempo of industry vibrating through the rock. He approaches the Undergate and enters the city along with a work team just coming back from a stint in the Goblin King's contested lands.

As you make your way through the side streets, everything seems more crowded than usual at this time of day. You hear shouting ahead coming towards you. Despite your best efforts, you are unable to disengage and you get caught up in an unruly mob, thirty or more Dwarves in all. They carry white banners with Moradin's hammer and they wield light hammers with white ribbons streaming from them.

You recognize this organization as The Guardians, a militant extremist organization dedicated to protecting the Oathreach no matter the cost. All of them have shaved their beards as proof of their commitment to their cause and demonstration of how far they are willing to go. Their jingoistic rhetoric and unwillingness to compromise has made matters difficult, to say the least. They were absolutely against the mission to Farsky, calling it heresy that Dwarves would look to human fortune tellers to decide if what Moradin had commanded them was true.

They come upon you and one recognizes you.

"Torden Stormhammer! Look, it is Torden Stormhammer!"

A hush falls over the mob, not expecting to have come across a Seeker of the Question. Then insults begin to fly. "Traitor!" and "heretic!" are some of the words that fly in your direction.

How do you deal with this situation, Torden?

Your impassioned plea does not reach past the ear hair of these zealous Dwarves. One of the largest, a cleric of Moradin you gather by the hammer and anvil emblazoned on his shield, strides forward.

"Perhaps Marthammor allows his followers to entertain foolish notions, but Moradin does not. When the All-Father speaks a command, he enforces it fairly and harshly. You might not live among us, but you should know better. I shall dissuade you of your mad mission with Moradin's strength behind my arm."

He straps on his shield and readies his warhammer in preparation while the others form a circle around you two.

Through the light of Marthammor, your words reach the zealous cleric. He lowers his hammer.

"If what you say is true then we have little time. GUARDIANS! FORM RANKS! TO THE GREAT HALL! "

The Dwarves assemble in an escort formation around you and you barrel through the streets, all stepping aside for your belicose honour guard.

You arrive at the Great Hall and quickly locate the Grand Senecshal.She is shocked to see you.

" Torden Stormhammer, What is going on? I know you would not have abandoned the mission for anything but the most dire of emergencies. "

"This is grave news, Torden."

She claps her hands loudly and a lesser Seneschal with a braided beard runs in. She gives him a note bearing her seal and bids the man to take it to the Master of Arms at once.

"Kaled Del falls further in your debt, Torden Stormhammer. Before you go, we must tell you of another disaster that threatens to destroy your mission. An inside agent learned of your travel plans to the surface, possibly as a result of the delay at the docks last morning. We apprehended the traitor, but not before they sent this information to the Moneylenders who rule Issica. They know the names of all the Seekers and Watchers, as well as descriptions of your likeness."

"The Moneylenders are apprehensive that we may choose to stop mining altogether as our mining operations are the lynchpin of the entire region's economy. The Sixth Chancellor has already threatened that they'd rather see the Goblin King kill every one of us if it meant he took over the mines and kept the Mithril coming."

"The mission is in grave danger. You must return to the Seekers at once in case they have been exposed."

She paused for a moment.

"The Academy may be able to help. Although untested, they have recently constructed Kaled Del's first teleportation circle. We deemed it too risky to use to transport all the Seekers and Watchers initially, but now the risks of not using it seem greater."

"Torden Stormhammer, are you willing to take this risk for your city?"

"Well, you see, we haven't actually done any tests with, ehm, live subjects. Just rocks, metals, organic matter. We did manage to teleport a loaf of bread to Rustygate mind you. Rustygate! that was quite the, ehm, achievement don't you think?"

Since you've arrived at the university, the Archchancellor has been preparing the teleportation circle, and inadvertently doing his best to fill you with dread.

"'What's wrong with walking?' Did you know that's what Prefect Anvilclang said to me when we began this project twenty years ago? Now who's laughing, eh? This apparatus is the very saviour of Kaled Del!

"Ah, yes I believe we are ready. Please stand in the, ehm, center."

Just before you go, the Archchancellor says "Tell that bastard Finn I found my wand. Poor Fluffy McGrumpkins will be sore for weeks!"

And then the world becomes a blinding flash of blue light. You manage to hold your mental state and bowel movements together as dissolve and then reassemble again. When the light fades, you see Guildleader Prust in front of you in pink pajamas holding his battleaxe in what looks like a room in the Barge Wright Inn.

"By the Gods!" Prust screams out just as something heavy smashes into the door. Although you don't know all the details, you can infer that you arrived just in the nick of time.

"Oh, it's you, Stormhammer! You have impecable timing!"