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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7308688" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 105</p><p></p><p>Kurok waited just under the low branches of a pine tree and tried not to think about the sting of the wounds in his side. He shifted his hand to the pair of claws he wore on a throng around his neck, a trophy from the recent encounter.</p><p></p><p>While he waited, he let his thoughts drift back to the brief but bloody fight.</p><p></p><p>Vedaris had been right about the perytons; they were too intelligent to be drawn in to an obvious trap. So Kurok had headed into their territory alone. While under the dense canopy of the forest he was mostly safe, but along the southwestern edge of the valley the trees had thinned as the ground grew increasingly rocky and rugged. His scouts had reported that the entire region was a maze of gullies and ridges, with hidden canyons tucked in along the cliffs and steep ascents that concealed caves large enough to conceal his entire force and more. There hadn’t been any time for them to explore further before they had come under assault by the region’s residents.</p><p></p><p>The perytons had obviously made their lair somewhere in that craggy expanse, likely somewhere atop the cliffs where they would be well-protected from approach by a ground-dweller like himself. But that was all right; he was interested in bringing them to him.</p><p></p><p>He’d planned on drawing attention to himself with a display of magic, but that hadn’t been necessary. He’d barely emerged from the woods when he caught sight of a winged form drifting high over the cliffs. Even from a distance the odd juxtaposition of its features was instantly obvious. The thing seemed to be circling idly, not interested in him.</p><p></p><p>But as it turned out, the monsters had been playing the same game as Kurok.</p><p></p><p>The only warning he’d gotten was a sharp rush of air before two of the creatures had swept down over the treetops and dove toward him. Kurok had fired off a pair of <em>eldritch blasts</em> to disrupt their diving attack and then fled back toward the relative safety of the forest. He hadn’t been surprised when the last of the creatures had suddenly leapt down off a high branch and moved to block him, but it had been caught off-guard by the way he’d veered right into its path. The peryton had adjusted quickly to meet him with outstretched claws, but at the last instant Kurok had flung a blast of <em>poison spray</em> into its face, causing it to veer sideways. It reacted quickly, spinning in mid-air and lunging out with a claw as he ran past, but he had protected himself with the <em>Armor of Agathys</em>, and the jolt of cold the spell inflicted had given him time to break clear.</p><p></p><p>He ran at a full sprint, dodging closer to the trees to give him as much cover as possible and minimize the chances of an unexpected attack from above. His scouts had warned him that the creatures were quite adept at putting their antlers to good use in diving attacks, and he had to resist the urge to glance back over his shoulder as he fled. At least the rocky ground made the undergrowth thinner than it was along the valley floor, allowing him to maintain a swift pace. He knew he could not outrun them, but if he could just get a bit of a lead, then he could enter the thicker parts of the forest where the perytons’ wings would be less of an advantage.</p><p></p><p>As the moments had crept forward without an attack, he began to fear that maybe the creatures had decided he wasn’t worth the bother. But even as that thought had flashed through his head he’d heard a flapping of wings behind him and knew that at least one of the things was in pursuit.</p><p></p><p>A huge fallen tree had materialized out of the forest ahead, blocking his path. As it had fallen it had dislodged a smaller tree, which now formed a ramp of sorts up over the barrier. Kurok hadn’t hesitated, springing up onto the trunk and running up its length before leaping out over the obstacle. It wasn’t much of a jump, maybe six feet from the top of the old tree to the spongy forest loam below.</p><p></p><p>But even as he’d leapt out into the open air a rush of air warned him that his adversaries had anticipated his move. There was no way to dodge, no way to evade the figure that swept low through the trees before it thrust its antlers directly into Kurok’s path. The collision had been violent, tearing through the protection of the warlock’s spell even as it unleashed the last of its stored power as an icy discharge into the creature. Kurok hit the ground hard and rolled. He drew out his mace as he staggered to his feet, spinning to identify the next attack.</p><p></p><p>What he had seen hadn’t been promising. The peryton that had attacked him had recovered and perched atop the fallen log, watching him. A flutter of wings announced the arrival of the others, dropping from above to land on branches all around him. For a moment all four of them just watched him, enjoying the savor of the moment before the kill.</p><p></p><p>Kurok just waited. He turned slowly, keeping his attention divided between all of them, but his focus was on the one that had stabbed him. Hoary frost covered its antlers where the warlord’s magic had stung it, but it would clearly take a lot more than that to stop it. It was obviously the elder of this pack, larger than the others with a hide covered with old scars. It watched him intently, waiting for him to panic.</p><p></p><p>When Kurok finally lifted a hand to unleash a few more <em>eldritch blasts</em>, it had let out a loud screech that had all four of the creatures diving toward him.</p><p></p><p>But instead of attacking, Kurok had summoned a globe of <em>darkness</em> that had filled the clearing. The perytons screeched either in anger or frustration, their wings flapping madly as they sought their prey while trying to avoid colliding with each other. There was a loud rush as the alpha creature swooped through the space where Kurok had been standing as he’d unleashed his spell, but this time the antlers found only empty air.</p><p></p><p>As it realized its mistake the peryton leader spread its wings and tried to swoop back up into the air, but before it could escape Kurok slammed his mace into its flank. The creature let out a violent shriek and turned on him, driving him back. The <em>darkness</em>, bound to his gauntlet, followed him, but the perytons refused to give up their prey. They swarmed around him, slashing at the darkness in an effort to find him. But with his invocation of <em>Devil’s Sight</em> he could see where they could not, and he was able to avoid their blind rush. Dropping low, he rolled to the side and darted toward the cover of the fallen log.</p><p></p><p>He’d almost made it when he stepped on a twig, the sound of it snapping clearly audible even over the violent flapping of the perytons’ wings. Clearly they’d heard it too, for they turned as one and rushed at him together. They spread out, and at first Kurok thought they were just trying to avoid collisions, but after a moment he recognized their tactic for what it was. And as he backed up against the solidity of the fallen tree he knew it had succeeded.</p><p></p><p>“Clever,” he said.</p><p></p><p>The perytons hesitated, perhaps waiting for him to reveal himself again with an attack, but instead of attacking, Kurok raised his hand and dismissed the <em>darkness</em>.</p><p></p><p>The perytons were again caught off guard by the sudden return of light. They were even more surprised by the worgs with goblin riders that formed a second circle around the clearing. About half of the goblins had bows with readied arrows, while the others were carrying crude buckets crafted out of woven branches, leaves, and pine needles.</p><p></p><p>Furious at being tricked, the peryton alpha screeched and dove at Kurok. But the warlock was ready for it, and greeted its charge with a pair of <em>eldritch blasts</em> that tore into its body. The peryton, staggered by the impacts, slammed into the rotting tree. Kurok was already ducking under one of the protruding branches. He’d done his part, and had no interest in risking further injury in the melee.</p><p></p><p>The other perytons apparently had the same idea. Their wings pounded as they sought to escape the trap, but the goblins were already launching their attacks. Several arrows struck home, and as the fearsome creatures rose into the air the ones with the buckets launched their burdens at them. The crude containers burst on impact, spreading their cargo of pine tar onto the creatures’ wings and torsos. The perytons squawked but could not escape, their struggles only causing the sticky mess to spread further.</p><p></p><p>Kurok cleared the branch and was about to circle around to rejoin Usk when a sudden flutter of wings drew his attention back around. It was the peryton alpha. The creature was clearly suffering, its head scorched where the warlock’s blasts had struck, one eye reduced to a bloody mess. But the other eye burned with a furious hatred as it launched itself at its foe.</p><p></p><p>A hint of motion ahead drew Kurok back into the present. The stand of trees where he’d taken cover overlooked a rocky gully where a narrow stream wound back and forth. The movement resolved into a goblin scout who emerged from the cover of the rocks just long enough to wave an all-clear signal. Kurok stepped from the cover of the pine tree and started down the slope.</p><p></p><p>The peryton alpha had been a worthy foe. Kurok’s side still burned where it final gore attack had punched into him, skewering a lung. Fortunately, he’d ordered Usk to bring one of his shamans with him. He still had a healing potion left, but was keeping it in reserve for a time when he didn’t have that outside help to draw upon.</p><p></p><p>As he made his way down toward the stream other goblins emerged out from the trees around them, most of them accompanied by their worgs. Kurok made a mental note to work on his stealth skills; the goblins were far more adept at it than he. The scout had disappeared near a bend in the stream where the water tumbled down over a small cascade of boulders.</p><p></p><p>When he reached the stream he found Usk and several of his riders waiting. “How far?” Kurok asked.</p><p></p><p>“Not far,” the goblin said. He watched the hobgoblin, waiting for orders.</p><p></p><p>Kurok hesitated. He was not the only one to have taken wounds in the brief but bloody fight with the perytons, and his magic was depleted. But on the other hand, the sense of urgency that he’d shared with Vedaros had not been feigned; time could very well be of the essence here.</p><p></p><p>“Very well,” he said. “Lead on.”</p><p></p><p>They crossed the stream a hundred paces above the waterfall and continued south, entering a shallow defile flanked by weed-encrusted walls. The cliffs that ringed the valley rose up ahead of them, tantalizingly close, but Kurok already knew that distances were misleading in this place.</p><p></p><p>But in this case, the goblin chief’s words proved true. They’d gone less than a thousand paces from the stream when the sides of the defile opened to reveal a broad ravine. Directly ahead of them rose a massive mound of stone with sheer sides at least twenty paces high. In the front of that tor there was a breach, a deep cleft flanked by boulders twice the size of a warleader’s tent. Those boulders rose up like pillars warding the opening, but they looked to be entirely natural. From their current vantage Kurok thought he could see something inside the cleft, but he could not be certain. There were a few worg riders scattered around the place, keeping an eye out.</p><p></p><p>Once the perytons had been defeated, it had not taken Usk’s scouts long to find this place. In a way Kurok had expected it to be here, despite the vagueness of Zorek’s instructions. It somehow <em>felt</em> right. He could finish his quest right now, and be gone from here before the humans of the Silverpeak Valley even knew he was there.</p><p></p><p>Usk was watching him closely. The rest of his force was strung out behind them. They’d left only a small force back at their camp for security, with a few other scouts conducting patrols through the forest to make sure that there weren’t any more surprises for them. That left eleven goblins and their mounts, including the scouts keeping watch around the perimeter of the ravine.</p><p></p><p>They made their way forward. As they drew closer to the huge mound Kurok could see that there was definitely something inside the cleft. It looked like an entry of some sort, framed by blocks of stone too regular in their lines to be natural. It had the look of a tomb, or one of the underground dwellings that some giants favored. The dark opening certainly looked tall enough for a giant, though it was narrow, a tall slit filled with deep shadow.</p><p></p><p>“Did any of your scouts go inside?” Kurok asked.</p><p></p><p>“No, Great One,” Usk replied. “If there are any restless spirits in this place, we knew it would take your powers to deal with them.”</p><p></p><p><em>Lucky me</em>, the warlock thought, though he did not blame the goblin for his caution.</p><p></p><p>“Send in a scout,” Kurok said.</p><p></p><p>There was a slight stir from the goblins, but Usk just nodded and gestured to one of his warriors. The goblin slid down off his worg, and after a brief hesitation he picked up his bow and walked down into the ravine toward the cleft.</p><p></p><p>Even with all the rocks and clutter it didn’t take the scout long to reach his destination. He used the rock pillars for cover, slowly approaching the gap in the solidity of the mound. He took his time, scanning the crevice for traps or any other dangers. Kurok couldn’t blame him his caution, but he had to fight off a tingle of impatience.</p><p></p><p>Finally the goblin moved into the cleft. The entry was narrow, maybe five paces across, but then it widened somewhat before it ended at the shadowed doorway. The goblin kept scanning his surroundings as he moved deeper. In just a few moments he would be out of the line-of-sight of the watchers above, and Usk raised his hand as if to issue an order for his warriors to relocate to deeper in the ravine.</p><p></p><p>But he never got a chance to give that command. All Kurok saw was a vague blur; one moment the goblin was there and the next he was not. There was a heavy sound, a deep thump, then silence returned. The goblins all shared a look before turning to Kurok, who continued to stare at the cleft. The scout’s worg let out a plaintive sound, but was silenced by a sharp bark from Usk.</p><p></p><p>Finally Kurok said, “Let’s go.” Without checking to see if the goblins would obey he started down the slope into the ravine. After another moment, Usk and his warriors followed.</p><p></p><p>Kurok was acutely aware of the absence of his higher-order magic as he drew closer to the cleft. Unlike the spells cast by a sorcerer like Vedaros, his magic drew from his connection to the Veiled One. Minor workings like his eldritch blasts he could sustain for lengths of time, but his more potent powers were extremely taxing for the caster and could only be managed a couple of times each day. There would be no more mystic armor or supernatural darkness until he had a chance to rest.</p><p></p><p>He didn’t see the goblin scout until he was almost within the shadow of the stone pillars. The creature’s carcass lay in a smashed heap along one side of the cleft, just a few paces from the dark opening. A splatter of blood showed on the rocks where he’d obviously impacted at a high velocity. There was no sign of an attacker or a trap mechanism.</p><p></p><p>Kurok waited until the goblins caught up to him. “Be ready,” he said, then he stepped forward into the cleft.</p><p></p><p>He hadn’t realized how warming the sun’s rays had been until he was in the shade of the narrow opening. He could see now that the interior of the cleft widened to a rough circle about fifteen paces across. The dark slot opposite him appeared to lead to a worked passage that penetrated straight into the interior of the mound; even his darkvision could make out no distinguishing features or other significant details. More of the huge boulders stood against the cliff walls around him, giving the place the air of a great hall, if on a smaller scale. High above the sky was just a narrow wedge of blue, the late afternoon sunlight penetrating barely a quarter of the way down to where he stood.</p><p></p><p>He looked around much as the goblin had, though he saw nothing unusual. But he could feel the presence of <em>something</em>, a tension that sent a prickling sensation up the length of his spine.</p><p></p><p><em>Nothing to be done but spring the trap,</em> he thought.</p><p></p><p>He stepped forward boldly into the small canyon. Hesitation would not be useful here, not with his goblins already hanging on the edge of panic. He fixed his eyes forward, toward the dark tunnel that was his goal.</p><p></p><p>A rumble filled the canyon. A goblin shouted a warning, but Kurok was already darting forward. Something heavy sliced through the air, coming so close to his head that he felt the wind of its passage on his neck. There was a deafening slam, then a vibration that shook the ground under his feet.</p><p></p><p>Kurok spun to see that one of the boulders had come alive.</p><p></p><p>As it rose up he could see that the stone formation had grown arms and legs, giving it a vaguely humanoid appearance. But its “face” was just a blank slab of stone, lacking eyes or ears or any other sensory apparatus.</p><p></p><p>Clearly it didn’t need them, as it turned toward him.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7308688, member: 143"] Chapter 105 Kurok waited just under the low branches of a pine tree and tried not to think about the sting of the wounds in his side. He shifted his hand to the pair of claws he wore on a throng around his neck, a trophy from the recent encounter. While he waited, he let his thoughts drift back to the brief but bloody fight. Vedaris had been right about the perytons; they were too intelligent to be drawn in to an obvious trap. So Kurok had headed into their territory alone. While under the dense canopy of the forest he was mostly safe, but along the southwestern edge of the valley the trees had thinned as the ground grew increasingly rocky and rugged. His scouts had reported that the entire region was a maze of gullies and ridges, with hidden canyons tucked in along the cliffs and steep ascents that concealed caves large enough to conceal his entire force and more. There hadn’t been any time for them to explore further before they had come under assault by the region’s residents. The perytons had obviously made their lair somewhere in that craggy expanse, likely somewhere atop the cliffs where they would be well-protected from approach by a ground-dweller like himself. But that was all right; he was interested in bringing them to him. He’d planned on drawing attention to himself with a display of magic, but that hadn’t been necessary. He’d barely emerged from the woods when he caught sight of a winged form drifting high over the cliffs. Even from a distance the odd juxtaposition of its features was instantly obvious. The thing seemed to be circling idly, not interested in him. But as it turned out, the monsters had been playing the same game as Kurok. The only warning he’d gotten was a sharp rush of air before two of the creatures had swept down over the treetops and dove toward him. Kurok had fired off a pair of [i]eldritch blasts[/i] to disrupt their diving attack and then fled back toward the relative safety of the forest. He hadn’t been surprised when the last of the creatures had suddenly leapt down off a high branch and moved to block him, but it had been caught off-guard by the way he’d veered right into its path. The peryton had adjusted quickly to meet him with outstretched claws, but at the last instant Kurok had flung a blast of [i]poison spray[/i] into its face, causing it to veer sideways. It reacted quickly, spinning in mid-air and lunging out with a claw as he ran past, but he had protected himself with the [i]Armor of Agathys[/i], and the jolt of cold the spell inflicted had given him time to break clear. He ran at a full sprint, dodging closer to the trees to give him as much cover as possible and minimize the chances of an unexpected attack from above. His scouts had warned him that the creatures were quite adept at putting their antlers to good use in diving attacks, and he had to resist the urge to glance back over his shoulder as he fled. At least the rocky ground made the undergrowth thinner than it was along the valley floor, allowing him to maintain a swift pace. He knew he could not outrun them, but if he could just get a bit of a lead, then he could enter the thicker parts of the forest where the perytons’ wings would be less of an advantage. As the moments had crept forward without an attack, he began to fear that maybe the creatures had decided he wasn’t worth the bother. But even as that thought had flashed through his head he’d heard a flapping of wings behind him and knew that at least one of the things was in pursuit. A huge fallen tree had materialized out of the forest ahead, blocking his path. As it had fallen it had dislodged a smaller tree, which now formed a ramp of sorts up over the barrier. Kurok hadn’t hesitated, springing up onto the trunk and running up its length before leaping out over the obstacle. It wasn’t much of a jump, maybe six feet from the top of the old tree to the spongy forest loam below. But even as he’d leapt out into the open air a rush of air warned him that his adversaries had anticipated his move. There was no way to dodge, no way to evade the figure that swept low through the trees before it thrust its antlers directly into Kurok’s path. The collision had been violent, tearing through the protection of the warlock’s spell even as it unleashed the last of its stored power as an icy discharge into the creature. Kurok hit the ground hard and rolled. He drew out his mace as he staggered to his feet, spinning to identify the next attack. What he had seen hadn’t been promising. The peryton that had attacked him had recovered and perched atop the fallen log, watching him. A flutter of wings announced the arrival of the others, dropping from above to land on branches all around him. For a moment all four of them just watched him, enjoying the savor of the moment before the kill. Kurok just waited. He turned slowly, keeping his attention divided between all of them, but his focus was on the one that had stabbed him. Hoary frost covered its antlers where the warlord’s magic had stung it, but it would clearly take a lot more than that to stop it. It was obviously the elder of this pack, larger than the others with a hide covered with old scars. It watched him intently, waiting for him to panic. When Kurok finally lifted a hand to unleash a few more [i]eldritch blasts[/i], it had let out a loud screech that had all four of the creatures diving toward him. But instead of attacking, Kurok had summoned a globe of [i]darkness[/i] that had filled the clearing. The perytons screeched either in anger or frustration, their wings flapping madly as they sought their prey while trying to avoid colliding with each other. There was a loud rush as the alpha creature swooped through the space where Kurok had been standing as he’d unleashed his spell, but this time the antlers found only empty air. As it realized its mistake the peryton leader spread its wings and tried to swoop back up into the air, but before it could escape Kurok slammed his mace into its flank. The creature let out a violent shriek and turned on him, driving him back. The [i]darkness[/i], bound to his gauntlet, followed him, but the perytons refused to give up their prey. They swarmed around him, slashing at the darkness in an effort to find him. But with his invocation of [i]Devil’s Sight[/i] he could see where they could not, and he was able to avoid their blind rush. Dropping low, he rolled to the side and darted toward the cover of the fallen log. He’d almost made it when he stepped on a twig, the sound of it snapping clearly audible even over the violent flapping of the perytons’ wings. Clearly they’d heard it too, for they turned as one and rushed at him together. They spread out, and at first Kurok thought they were just trying to avoid collisions, but after a moment he recognized their tactic for what it was. And as he backed up against the solidity of the fallen tree he knew it had succeeded. “Clever,” he said. The perytons hesitated, perhaps waiting for him to reveal himself again with an attack, but instead of attacking, Kurok raised his hand and dismissed the [i]darkness[/i]. The perytons were again caught off guard by the sudden return of light. They were even more surprised by the worgs with goblin riders that formed a second circle around the clearing. About half of the goblins had bows with readied arrows, while the others were carrying crude buckets crafted out of woven branches, leaves, and pine needles. Furious at being tricked, the peryton alpha screeched and dove at Kurok. But the warlock was ready for it, and greeted its charge with a pair of [i]eldritch blasts[/i] that tore into its body. The peryton, staggered by the impacts, slammed into the rotting tree. Kurok was already ducking under one of the protruding branches. He’d done his part, and had no interest in risking further injury in the melee. The other perytons apparently had the same idea. Their wings pounded as they sought to escape the trap, but the goblins were already launching their attacks. Several arrows struck home, and as the fearsome creatures rose into the air the ones with the buckets launched their burdens at them. The crude containers burst on impact, spreading their cargo of pine tar onto the creatures’ wings and torsos. The perytons squawked but could not escape, their struggles only causing the sticky mess to spread further. Kurok cleared the branch and was about to circle around to rejoin Usk when a sudden flutter of wings drew his attention back around. It was the peryton alpha. The creature was clearly suffering, its head scorched where the warlock’s blasts had struck, one eye reduced to a bloody mess. But the other eye burned with a furious hatred as it launched itself at its foe. A hint of motion ahead drew Kurok back into the present. The stand of trees where he’d taken cover overlooked a rocky gully where a narrow stream wound back and forth. The movement resolved into a goblin scout who emerged from the cover of the rocks just long enough to wave an all-clear signal. Kurok stepped from the cover of the pine tree and started down the slope. The peryton alpha had been a worthy foe. Kurok’s side still burned where it final gore attack had punched into him, skewering a lung. Fortunately, he’d ordered Usk to bring one of his shamans with him. He still had a healing potion left, but was keeping it in reserve for a time when he didn’t have that outside help to draw upon. As he made his way down toward the stream other goblins emerged out from the trees around them, most of them accompanied by their worgs. Kurok made a mental note to work on his stealth skills; the goblins were far more adept at it than he. The scout had disappeared near a bend in the stream where the water tumbled down over a small cascade of boulders. When he reached the stream he found Usk and several of his riders waiting. “How far?” Kurok asked. “Not far,” the goblin said. He watched the hobgoblin, waiting for orders. Kurok hesitated. He was not the only one to have taken wounds in the brief but bloody fight with the perytons, and his magic was depleted. But on the other hand, the sense of urgency that he’d shared with Vedaros had not been feigned; time could very well be of the essence here. “Very well,” he said. “Lead on.” They crossed the stream a hundred paces above the waterfall and continued south, entering a shallow defile flanked by weed-encrusted walls. The cliffs that ringed the valley rose up ahead of them, tantalizingly close, but Kurok already knew that distances were misleading in this place. But in this case, the goblin chief’s words proved true. They’d gone less than a thousand paces from the stream when the sides of the defile opened to reveal a broad ravine. Directly ahead of them rose a massive mound of stone with sheer sides at least twenty paces high. In the front of that tor there was a breach, a deep cleft flanked by boulders twice the size of a warleader’s tent. Those boulders rose up like pillars warding the opening, but they looked to be entirely natural. From their current vantage Kurok thought he could see something inside the cleft, but he could not be certain. There were a few worg riders scattered around the place, keeping an eye out. Once the perytons had been defeated, it had not taken Usk’s scouts long to find this place. In a way Kurok had expected it to be here, despite the vagueness of Zorek’s instructions. It somehow [i]felt[/i] right. He could finish his quest right now, and be gone from here before the humans of the Silverpeak Valley even knew he was there. Usk was watching him closely. The rest of his force was strung out behind them. They’d left only a small force back at their camp for security, with a few other scouts conducting patrols through the forest to make sure that there weren’t any more surprises for them. That left eleven goblins and their mounts, including the scouts keeping watch around the perimeter of the ravine. They made their way forward. As they drew closer to the huge mound Kurok could see that there was definitely something inside the cleft. It looked like an entry of some sort, framed by blocks of stone too regular in their lines to be natural. It had the look of a tomb, or one of the underground dwellings that some giants favored. The dark opening certainly looked tall enough for a giant, though it was narrow, a tall slit filled with deep shadow. “Did any of your scouts go inside?” Kurok asked. “No, Great One,” Usk replied. “If there are any restless spirits in this place, we knew it would take your powers to deal with them.” [i]Lucky me[/i], the warlock thought, though he did not blame the goblin for his caution. “Send in a scout,” Kurok said. There was a slight stir from the goblins, but Usk just nodded and gestured to one of his warriors. The goblin slid down off his worg, and after a brief hesitation he picked up his bow and walked down into the ravine toward the cleft. Even with all the rocks and clutter it didn’t take the scout long to reach his destination. He used the rock pillars for cover, slowly approaching the gap in the solidity of the mound. He took his time, scanning the crevice for traps or any other dangers. Kurok couldn’t blame him his caution, but he had to fight off a tingle of impatience. Finally the goblin moved into the cleft. The entry was narrow, maybe five paces across, but then it widened somewhat before it ended at the shadowed doorway. The goblin kept scanning his surroundings as he moved deeper. In just a few moments he would be out of the line-of-sight of the watchers above, and Usk raised his hand as if to issue an order for his warriors to relocate to deeper in the ravine. But he never got a chance to give that command. All Kurok saw was a vague blur; one moment the goblin was there and the next he was not. There was a heavy sound, a deep thump, then silence returned. The goblins all shared a look before turning to Kurok, who continued to stare at the cleft. The scout’s worg let out a plaintive sound, but was silenced by a sharp bark from Usk. Finally Kurok said, “Let’s go.” Without checking to see if the goblins would obey he started down the slope into the ravine. After another moment, Usk and his warriors followed. Kurok was acutely aware of the absence of his higher-order magic as he drew closer to the cleft. Unlike the spells cast by a sorcerer like Vedaros, his magic drew from his connection to the Veiled One. Minor workings like his eldritch blasts he could sustain for lengths of time, but his more potent powers were extremely taxing for the caster and could only be managed a couple of times each day. There would be no more mystic armor or supernatural darkness until he had a chance to rest. He didn’t see the goblin scout until he was almost within the shadow of the stone pillars. The creature’s carcass lay in a smashed heap along one side of the cleft, just a few paces from the dark opening. A splatter of blood showed on the rocks where he’d obviously impacted at a high velocity. There was no sign of an attacker or a trap mechanism. Kurok waited until the goblins caught up to him. “Be ready,” he said, then he stepped forward into the cleft. He hadn’t realized how warming the sun’s rays had been until he was in the shade of the narrow opening. He could see now that the interior of the cleft widened to a rough circle about fifteen paces across. The dark slot opposite him appeared to lead to a worked passage that penetrated straight into the interior of the mound; even his darkvision could make out no distinguishing features or other significant details. More of the huge boulders stood against the cliff walls around him, giving the place the air of a great hall, if on a smaller scale. High above the sky was just a narrow wedge of blue, the late afternoon sunlight penetrating barely a quarter of the way down to where he stood. He looked around much as the goblin had, though he saw nothing unusual. But he could feel the presence of [i]something[/i], a tension that sent a prickling sensation up the length of his spine. [i]Nothing to be done but spring the trap,[/i] he thought. He stepped forward boldly into the small canyon. Hesitation would not be useful here, not with his goblins already hanging on the edge of panic. He fixed his eyes forward, toward the dark tunnel that was his goal. A rumble filled the canyon. A goblin shouted a warning, but Kurok was already darting forward. Something heavy sliced through the air, coming so close to his head that he felt the wind of its passage on his neck. There was a deafening slam, then a vibration that shook the ground under his feet. Kurok spun to see that one of the boulders had come alive. As it rose up he could see that the stone formation had grown arms and legs, giving it a vaguely humanoid appearance. But its “face” was just a blank slab of stone, lacking eyes or ears or any other sensory apparatus. Clearly it didn’t need them, as it turned toward him. [/QUOTE]
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