Chapter 10: Where's Snow White?

*We join Travis and Dayn*

Travis: I can't believe you used a Targeted Scroll of Peace... You should have just pai-

Dayn: If you say Child Support, I will knock you out... no, not just knock you out. I'll evescerate you and fill you with methane, then toss your corpse to a pack of ants.

Travis: That'll involve touching my rings though...

Dayn: Uh-huh. Really. Listen buddy, I am the master of quick strike swordsmanship. I can target your vulnerable areas within a half second and slice them open in the rest of said second. I'm accurate enough so that I won't even come CLOSE to touching those cursedoomed rings.

Travis: Wanna test that theory?

Dayn: Yes, I do.

Travis: Okay... *drops shield and the shield/sword combo... thing* I'll stand right here, and you can-

Dayn: WAit wait wait wait wait, that tower shield was cursed. How the hell did you drop it?!

Travis: Yes, was cursed. I uncursed it with a scroll of uncursing.

Dayn: But what about the rings? Don't they curse everything you touch?

Travis: No, just me... I just happened to get a cursed shield, happens to everybody.

Dayn: Oh... well what were you saying?

Travis: We're gonna test your theory of slicing me.

Dayn: OH YEAH!

Travis: Okay, slice me sword boy.

Dayn: =D *swings sword at Travis, who moves his hand so that the blade connects with his ring, causing Dayn to be shocked*

Travis: Yep, very accurate...

Dayn: Luckily I was wearing uncursing gauntlets and the sword I was using was easily replacable. *drops both* Used up now, though, just regular gauntlets. How the hell did you do that?

Travis: I have a high dexterity score, mister basher. I know about this thing called "finnesse".

Dayn: Really. *hefts longsword, kicks large rock into the air, hacks it into a perfectly cut stone block before it falls to the ground*

Travis: ... okay, now, I have to admit that was impressive.

Dayn: Again, I am not a mindless basher.

Travis: Yes you are.

Dayn: *sigh*

Travis: Hey, a down staircase. Let's go.

*Dayn and Travis set off down the stairs*

Dwarf: Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to work we go! *dwarf goes up the stairs*

Travis: That was weird...

Dayn: Hey, do you see lights up ahead?

Travis: Yeah, it's dim though... getting brighter.

Dayn: You think we're coming up on some kind of underground dwarven city?

Travis: Of course not! What kind of race builds their cities under... ground...?

*Travis and Dayn step out into a glassy, smooth-cut, pleasantly-lit city in a large cavern where dwarves bustle about, mining away in side tunnels.*

Dayn: Obviously Dwarves do...

Travis: I stand corrected.

Dwarven Guardian: Hello, noble travellers! Welcome to our city!

Dayn: Whoa. How big is it?

Dwarven Guardian: Actually quite small. There are only about a hundred of us or so, and our cavern is modest. Still, it is home! You are both humans, correct?

Travis: I am, but I'm not so sure about Dayn here...

Dayn: Hey! I'm bona-fide human-fighter!

Dwarven Guardian: Ah, I see. Regardless, please excuse my and any of my comrade's interest. We don't get surfacedwellers here much, and usually not humans, either. Except for that guy... what was his name? Passed through here... Khellyvaster or something.

Dayn: KHELAVASTER?!! HE CAME THROUGH HERE?!

Dwarven Guardian: Aye, that be it!

Travis: Who the hell is Khelavaster?

Dayn: He's the sage who unraveled the tale about the Coming of Chaos! It's why I came to the Drakalor Chain!'

Travis: Huh? I heard something about that, but I just came because I got launched out of a giant slingshot in Hurthvilla and ended up landing here. Apparently I was, in that time, an orc-magnet and ended up bringing about ten orc raiding parties into the city.

Dayn: Yeah, that would get messy.

Travis: Oh, it was very messy...

Dayn: So anyway, Khelavaster came through here?

Dwarven Guardian: Yeah, he- gurllkkkk...

Dayn: *notices that the DG is growing horns and is looking rather twisted* Um.... are you okay?

Dwarven Guardian: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH- *mutates into a Writhing Mass of Primal Chaos*

Travis: What the hell?!!

Dayn: O_o Ummmmmmm...

WMoPC formerly know as Dwarven Guardian: Spoot. Glorb. *scoots towards Dayn and Travis*

Dayn: Ummm... Travis...? It's coming towards us... Travis? *turns around and notices Travis is gone*... I hate him...

WMoPC: Fweeee. *hits Dayn with a pseudopod*

Dayn: AAAAAAGH! *attacks it with a longsword but gets hit eight times in quick succession* HELP!

WMoPC: Glorbaggle.

*Dwarven guardians swarm the WMoPC and kill it in a flaying of chaos parts and pseudopods*

Travis: Back ^.^

Dayn: You alerted the rest of the town?

Travis: Yep. Apparently, this happens all the time... The city is built on the infamous 10th floor...

Dwarven Guardian: Aye. Do you know about the effects of Chaos and Corruption?

Dayn: No...

Dwarven Guardian: These are the Caverns of Chaos. Below us is a massive source of chaos, far below the earth. We are far from it, yet it's corruption still reaches us. Granted, it is very weak, but over the years some residents eventually become too corrupted...

Dayn: But what's Corruption?

Dwarven Guardian: It's a natural response your body makes when Chaos infiltrates it. It manifests itself as random mutations, which might be beneficial at first, but they will always bring doom eventually... for when one becomes too corrupted, they turn into a writhing mass of the essence of Chaos itself, leaving their former life behind.

Dayn: Ah. I see. Can I ask you a question?

Dwarven Guardian: Aye?

Dayn: WHY THE HELL DID YOU BUILD THE CITY HERE THEN?!!!

Dwarven Guardian: Er... well... we didn't realize... that... the place was corrupted... when we dug it out.

Dayn: ... do some surveying next time.

Dwarven Guardian: Yes, sir...

Dayn: So anyway, what can we do here, besides get corrupted? What kind of facilities do you have?

Dwarven Guardian: Oh, many! We have quite an economy! Check out the shop over there. Also, see Thrundarr, our village elder. He could easily have something he might wish ye to do. You might also want to see Bart, our warrior. He could train your abilities, for a price.

Dayn: Excellent!

Travis: Awight! Thanks!

Dwarven Guardian: No prob- *mutates into a writhing mass of primal chaos*

Dwarven Guardian 2: Dammit, not again! *DGs swarm the WMoPC* Sorry about that.

Dayn: Damn, that's rough. Oh, by the way...

Dwarven Guardian 2: Yes?

Dayn: Where's Snow White?

*WHAP*

Dwarven Guardian: How rude!

Dayn: X_X

Travis: Don't mind him, he's just upset because he has to pay so much child supp-

Dayn: AAAAAAAAAAARGH!! *kicks Travis in the stomach, sending him flying back against the shop wall*

Travis: *slams against the wall, slides down it slowly* ....... sorry.......

Dwarven Guardian 2: Odd fellows... I wonder if I can get a restraining order...


What will our heroes do in this new city? What quests does Thrundarr hold for them? Will Dayn ever pay that child support? (Sorry! Wait, what are you doing with that stick?!! NO, DAYN, STOP-! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!) Are we overusing that joke? Find out in Chapter XI: I hear Thrundarr...

© 2006 Travis Prue and Daniel Muir