After tending to the horses on the groups’ first return to the to top of the stairwell, Rask approaches the rest of the group:
“This,” he gestures all around them, “what… I’m not even sure where to start…”
“Hadonis… those giants… this… that five-eyed thing…” he gestures downward, and looks to Alexis, Ethelred and Gustav.
“You’ve explored dwarven ruins before, right? How are they different or the same? Were they this infested with magic? What do you make of all this? Anything Ca’armine and I should know?”
Alexis turns from the view and adjusts his hat.
“We’ve been in one other dwarven ruin. The Twins. Upper half was taken by Yeegoth the Mighty and his orcs… successful ones, too. We didn’t push into their territory, so I can’t tell you what that looked like.”
“The lower half was a burial chamber. Access to the deep works. That’s where we met actual dwarves. Where we killed a dragon living under the mountain.” He flips a silver coin across his knuckles. “Found treasure. Took some of it. There’s more if we go back.”
The coin vanishes into his palm.
“Nodden-Torr’s nothing like that place: Dura-Intün. We can’t reach the upper levels here.” He tips his head toward the mountain overhead. “And down below? One level so far. Too simple.” He shrugs. “Doesn’t feel right.”
“Only other dwarven hold we know is in Mt Sutheron. Don’t even know its name. But a few days ago, I’d have bet money Nodden-Torr was there, not here in Mt Llanos.”
Rask nods appreciatively when Alexis says this place doesn’t feel right.
When Alexis mentions another dwarven stronghold in Sutheron, his head shift quickly with an insight.
“Thul-Bal-Dor perhaps?”
He shakes his head ruefully,
“No matter, I didn’t hear you say anything of magic and traps in… Dura-Intoon, is it fair to say that this place is more trapped and more magical? Any sign of a great battle there like there is here?”
“Do you mean Thun Buldohr?” Alexis asks, wondering if that’s what Rask meant. “Where did you hear that name?”
“Dura-Intün had clearly been invaded. There was a 50 foot passage burrowed through the mountain into the soft underbelly of the fortress. I’m thinking that the invaders got the upper portion, but the under-portion remained fortified and secured.” Alexis gives a shrug.
Alexis looks into the openings of the mountain and tilts his hat back slightly “More magical and trapped…?” Alexis thinks for a moment. “Hard to say. Nodden-Torr has clearly been less invaded. Dura-Intün was plenty dangerous and trapped, but I wonder if the magics has been syphoned off with all the traffic in the mountain. Still unsettled spirits of the dead in Dura-Intün. The undead spirits in Dura-Intün cared about the fall of Kobos. Mount Kobos? The city of Kobos? Mysteries still to be uncovered.”
“The biggest difference to me between the two fortresses so far: the directional writing in the corners of Nodden-Torr. Alexis gestures to where they are under the mountain. It’s unsettling.”
“Thoon Bull Door” Rasks says, trying it out. He nods, and looks down a bit ashamed.
“Zrithak. He said he killed the Dwarf King there… Dug up the dwarves secrets and fed them to the dark…”