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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 249513" data-attributes="member: 143">Book V, Part 13Grolac looked around with a grim sense of satisfaction as his warriors finished shackling the last of the quaggoth captives.  With a lot of prodding, they managed to get most of them up and mobile enough to gather them in a knot near one of the exits to the long cavern where the brief assault had taken place.  Several of them were still comatose, and would either have to be carried by their fellows, or left behind with slit throats if they could not manage to be roused.  “Looks like your blasts were a bit too effective, Kozar, in a few cases,” the duergar said to his companion.  The other duergar shrugged, distracted.  Like Grolac, his skin was a dusky gray, the color of long-dead ashes, and his skull was bald.  Kozar’s skin, however, was criss-crossed by a web of spidery tattoos, markings that seemed to crawl when their owner’s muscles twitched or moved under the skin.  “Others will be coming,” Kozar commented.  “The quaggoth are easily startled, but their responses are quick and violent.”“Yes.  One of their weaknesses is that they are so predictable.”  Grolac paused to issue a few commands to the warriors preparing the prisoners for transport.  They had collected about a score, now; not a huge haul, but not bad for a quick strike.  They’d lost two of their own, both stunned when they were caught within the effect of one of Kozar’s mind blasts.  They would have been fine, but unfortunately a trio of quaggoth reinforcements had chosen that moment to arrive from a nearby tunnel entrance.  Although they had slain the defenseless duergar warriors, now those three were part of the queue that was rapidly forming, their shackles clanging together slightly as they moved.  All were still suffering from the effects of the duergar assault, and had in addition been drugged to make them more docile during transport.  “I am going to check on the status of the second strike team,” Grolac said abruptly.  “You will take command of the first squad, and set an ambush to cover the retreat of this lot.” Kozar’s eyes narrowed.  “My powers are depleted,” he started to protest, but he trailed off when he saw the assassin’s expression. “Let me be clear, Kozar.  I expect to see you return with another train of slaves, or not at all.  Don’t think I am unfamiliar with your ambitions—consider this your opportunity to demonstrate your ability.”The hatred burned clearly in Kozar’s eyes, but he managed a nod of acknowledgement as Grolac took up his satchel and crossbow and moved for a final check of the captives.  He spoke briefly with the duergar that would be shepherding the captives back to their base, then vanished into one of the narrow side tunnels, a pair of warriors falling in behind him.  Kozar turned and saw the dwarves of the first squad watching him, their expressions carefully schooled to keep whatever thoughts they might be thinking from showing.  He could uncover those thoughts, if he wanted to, but he knew that he would have to husband every last shred of power for the inevitable confrontation that would soon follow.  “Notify the scouts, we will set up an ambush here,” Kozar commanded, taking some solace at least in the way that the veteran warriors, each hand-picked by Grolac, leapt to implement his commands.  He turned to see that the train of newly recruited slaves was already departing, the huge beasts plodding along dejectedly under the impetus of their captors.  The deep dwarves barely came up to the waists of their prisoners, but it was clear from an instant’s glance who was the dominant party in their relationship.  “Very well, Grolac, if it’s a demonstration you wish, I will give it to you,” Kozar said.  He reached into an inner pocket of his cloak, and withdrew a small object wrapped in shreds of cloth.  Carefully unwrapping it, he revealed a cluster of crystalline shards trapped in a lattice of loops and swirls fashioned of slender strips of silver.  Although it shed no light that could be seen in the pure darkness of the cavern, it seemed to pulse slightly in his hand as he lifted it close to his face, cradled almost lovingly in his thick, gnarled hands.  He looked upon it for a moment, then returned it to its sheltered place as he turned to monitor the busy activities of his warriors, preparing to unleash a second round of terror upon the hapless quaggoths when they lashed out blindly—and predictably—at the intruders into their lair.</blockquote>

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