Lion's Arch

Lion's Arch is unlike any city I had ever been to.  A mecca of historians, researchers, and travellers.  Merchants and armorers litter the cobblestones, forges prepared and adding to the humidity of the small ocean port.  The people are different.  Soldiers and townspeople alike relatively uncaring as to why we are here or where we came from.  Some people scoff at me when I ask directions or history of the town. "An Ascalonian asking a Krytan for help? Thats a first" among the most common reply.  Some are friendly enough, but for the most part, no one seems to care.  

I long to explore the beaches and enjoy the sun, but outside the gates the land is hostile.  Creatures I only heard of in tales over the spit exist here, and many dangers are around every corner.  Leaving the citadel is to the risk of the person, and no one will help you when outside but those you leave with. 

The Ascalonians have set up camp under Captain Greywind, who awaited for us in the courtyard.  The camp is to the north, right by the ocean, and has been cleared and protected by those who went ahead of the Prince.  No one has news of Ascalon, or of Adelbern, but I am sure word of Ruriks death must have reached him by now.  He will blame himself for banishing his own son, but he will blame the Krytans unfoundedly for not stopping the events that lead to his death, even though the Krytans were nowhere near the Shiverpeaks.  While exploring, I found something that made me smile. A statue of dwayna, as perfect and complete as the ones I prayed to in Ascalon.  I felt a little at home at last.

The Frost Gate

The magical becaon burns bright here at the gate.  I had a troubled sleep.  We are almost at Kryta, atleast we are closer to Kryta than to the breach.  Come so far, but all we learn of is more and more turmoil in the continent.  If indeed it is the flameseeker, than that means now is the time for our heroes aswell.   Some of these heroes among us may save the world, or we may all perish in titan fire.  The Frost gate is closed.  Its not as simple as lighting some beacons this time, the Summit dwarves have broken the levers and outnumber us in mass.

 We are followed up the mountain by minotaurs.  Rurik and I split up, he is to take the lower path while I take the upper path.  He cannot continue until we slay the ballistae engineers.  It is a slow process, and we can only inch further, our progress depending on that of the princes and he on ours. Garris Nightwatch, a foe ranger dwarf of the summit mocks us while he hides pretty behind a gate, but the look on his face was not so pretty when we killed his engineer, throwing the gate open unwillingly.

 Running through a cave we find Rornak Stonesledge, captured again. He stinks of ale He is no good at this spy job.  He got the information he was looking for though.  The stone summit are attempting to further their Ballistae of mass destruction, but they are not done and the blueprints are easily stolen.  We lead Rornak to a decripit shooter that he will fix, and he will blast the gates to where the plans are hidden.  We sit thier bosses throats and forge on until the last ballistae gate is open.

We finally meet with Rurik.  He tells me that I must fix the lever to the gate mechanisms.  He and his small troop will hold off the wave of dwarves that will spill out when seeing the Frost gate move, and I will lead all the refugees towards the gates of Kryta.  First we must attend to the ballistae. We melt and crush ice beast after ice beast and redden the snow with the blood of dwarves and retrieve Rornak what he was looking for. The Deldrimor Dwarves are finally getting ahead in this rebellion.

I find the gear level directly next to the mechanism. No doubt the planning of a drunken Summit.  Now is the time to open the gate.  Soon we will be overcome, and Rurik will be in danger.  It is time to open the gate. I see three mechanisms I must start in order to open the gate to Kryta.  I begin the first while Rurik readies himself for battle.  I start the second mechanism and Rurik shouts over to me.  I am promoted again.  Probably not the best time, but I see that he's been spotted and the Summit are flying at him en mass.  I run the lever to the third mechanism.  Rurik is fighting for his life.  

 The gate is open, we start leading our refugees through when I hear a great screech.  I run towards where Rurik fights and see Dagnar, Summit boss, atop a great drake.  He yells to Rurik that the mountains belong to him, and his punishment for trespassing is death.  A great avalanche erupts and I run for my prince.  When the snow clears I see he is stuck under debree.  He cannot get out, and I cannot help him.  I am dumbstruck.  He screams at me to take our people to Kryta.  I must obey.  He will not have died in vain.   I get back throug the Frost gate to see him beheaded by the dwarf.  A great man is lost.  We are lost without him.

Borlis Pass

It is indeed dark times. Rurik has not been seen for days, and some fear the worst. It snows nonstop.  Jalis has taken a shine to me, and I am sent to negotiate the safe passage to Groobles Gulch for our people.  The way is covered with centaurs, and the dwarves are in a panic.  They want me to light their magical storm beacons in order to show pacifism towards us.  Ascalon Guard Hayden has the torch.  He fled in the initial charr takeover, and I should be cross with him for abandoning hope but I cannot help but feel sorry for him, leaving one storm only to come upon another. 

There are six beacons in all, and I must light them all.  Maladar is on the other side of the gate, and the Ascalon gate guard Tolis, whom I remember guarding the wall before the searing, waits to open the gate for us.  I give him the magical torch, and we forge on.  Rurik appeared to the guards not three days ago. We are close.  The Stone Summit have an advantage, beasts so large they shake the ground, and knock us off our feet.  There are more gates, and we must end the siege of Krok's Hollow.  Luckily it seems these rival dwarves are not very smart, and they leave pyramids of explosive powder kegs near every gate.  We slay their ballistae engineers, and leave bloody footprints in the snow. Behind one of these gates I find Rornak Stonesledge, ally and friend of the dwarven king.  He tells me the Stone Summit have a trick up their sleeves.  An ice drake, so large it rivals the dragons of old.  I have trouble believing this, and his breath stinks of ale, but I have no choice but to investigate.

Within a cave I see my first dryder.  I've heard of the from adventurers who made it this far, explorers spinning tales in pubs over free mugs of ale. Spindly creatures with 6 legs and fangs the size of my head. They string along our path the ice drake, and Rornak was not lying.   The accursed beast splays over the ice like a troop of yaks at rest.  What the Summit did not account for was a beast of such large breeding would be fat and lazy. Power as he may be, he is idle, and thusly put out of his misery.

More gates, more kills, we make our way to the final gate to the hold.   We pull the levers to open it and with a start we see something we did not expect.  Rurik stands behind the gate.  He has been trapped, much like Rornak, yet not captive.  Now freed and with a cleared path from us, he gives me his praise.  Praise from a prince! I am humbled. He sends me to King Jalis, who gives me the magical flame yet again and asks me to light the beacons at the Frost Gate.  This will ensure that his brother Brechnur allows us our safe passage.  An enemy of the Stone Summit is forever a friend of the deldrimor dwarves. 

Beacons lit, we and the prince march upon the small dwarven community.  They offer us kind housing and ale.   The prince can now congratulate me in true dwarven fashion, should our livers survive it.