Malgrim watched in suspense and awe as the large stone monolith appeared on the Top of the World at the end of Fall Solstice. The shamans and witches felt the Hallowed Day or the Eve of the last day of the Autumn season had mystical powers. The large building with a single mist shrouded opening was a good indication the prophecies were true. Now, would he be up to the test?
You enter through the doorway, and find yourselves in a dimly lit room with a robe and underclothes on a hangar, and table with a dagger upon it. Across the room from you is an old man, well worn and calloused all over, he wears a simple loin cloth and close fitting shirt.
"Welcome. My first lesson to you is a simple dagger is the a great weapon and tool for all. This well made dagger is your gift for trying to enter the Hall. If you can defeat me, you may move forward. Put on your garments, grab your dagger, and come and get me when you are ready."
The old man has a set of well made manacles.
"I am going to put you in these manacles and shove you back outside if you are not up to the task."
Above you, you notice there is a set of chains running over the ceiling with a winch by the old man. Anyone manacled to the chains hanging from the ceiling should be easily winched back outside through the fog shrouded doorway.
As the monolith appears at the Top of the World, Malgrim strips bare, his hairy dwarven body bulging with corded muscle. His body covered with fine scars, a record of his previous battles etched across his rough leathery skin. He drops his clothing in a heap as he strides forward to the misty doorway.
As the old man greets him, Malgrim slowly dresses, keeping an eye on the threat. "Do ye wish to die, old man? I kin help ye wit tha' if it be yer wish. But I've no wish to see ye dead."
He reaches for the dagger and when to old man fails to attack, he caresses it and moves it around his hands to get a feel of the new weapon. "T'is a fine blade ye've provided." And with that, Malgrim leaps forward and attempts to slash at the calloused old man.
As the dwarf advances, the old man lunges and grabs the dwarf. His grip may have lost some of its sting, but the old man still has some iron in his grip. The dagger strike misses some vitals, and the old man takes a cut in his shoulder.
The old man reaches out again to tighten his hold.
His grip barely manages to pin the dwarf, who still has hold of his dagger.
"You may be in over your head."
As the old man squeezes Malgrim and holds tight, the dwarf begins to lose his temper. "Y'll no put me in chains old man. Not again."
Malgrim's eyes begin to become bloodshot and his muscles bulge.
He growls and attempts to force his way free.
The old man gets a good hold, though not as good as his pin before.
Malgrim breaks free for a moment, only for his reckless anger to allow the old man to grab hold once again. "Ach, so we dance. Who leads?"
The wild dwarf proceeds to stab at the old man with the dagger.
The old man reaches out again.
He pins his adversary again, making a dagger strike impossible, though the dagger is still at hand.
"Gotcha again."
Malgrim roars and attempts to break free.
Malgrim breaks free again. The old man grunts with frustration, and attempts to hold him again.
This time, Malgrim is grappled, not fully pinned.
"Now I gotta pin ya agin."
As you struggle with the old man, he seems to talk between grunts.
"Aye, wrassling around. Who would have thought I could use it to help people and turn it into a career. Once you wrap up a wizard, it makes casting spells a bit hard."
"OR I YOU, OLD MAN!"
The old man pins the dwarf, holding him fast.
"Maybe ye yield, and I send you back home?"
"I will never yield! I will show Gerund my worth."
And once again the dwarf attempts to break free.
"And I be no pansy wizard! Is yer turn old man, let's see who tires first!"
The dwarf escapes. The old man grabs him again.
With a low growl Malgrim attempts to turn the tables.
"Now let's see how you like it!"
Malgrim reverses the grapple, taking control of the hold.
"Draw then!! You may continue."
Malgrim wrestles control from the old man with a satisfied growl and attempts to pin him.
Before the pin, the old man tries to reverse the hold.
After being pinned, he tries to escspe.
Escaping with a quick twist, he nods to the dwarf.
"We are at an impasse."
Malgrim shakes his head. "A draw, BAH!" The fight drains out of the dwarf and he seems to shrink. His shoulders slump just a bit and he looks tired. "Very well. We be well matched at this game. I admit, ye are good at wrestling. Maybe even better than I. T'was fair. At least I be able to go on. Thank ye for a good bout. Ye will let me pass?"
After the encounter with the old man, he waves you through the door. The next room smells of burning wood, sweat, and smoke. The sound of hammering can be heard. A large dwarf with a ruddy face is there to greet you.
"You need weapons and armor if you are to be warriors of any account. Pick from the armor on the rack here, you can get one. It all depends on whether you are after light, medium, or heavy armor."
There is a mithral chain shirt, an enchanted breastplate (+1) and a suit of masterwork full plate.
"I am going to make you three weapons for your journey here. No exotic ones, but I can make pretty much anything. I already made three light hammers and three javelins, you never know when you need them.
Malgrim rests for a minute looking over the armor choices and basic weapons presented by the old man. "Tha' suit of full plate t'is nice, but too much for me. And this chain shirt, while fine work, is pansy and light weight. I'll not be rolling around if'n I kin help it. I'll be take'n this here fine breastplate. It suits me."
As he dons the armor, he turns to the old man, slowly looking stronger and more hale. "As f'r tha' weapons, I think I'd like a greatsword, something good an' choppy. A polearm, how 'bout a lucerne hammer, something to poke in tha' armor. An' f'r the last, kin ye get me a heavy flail? T'is good f'r disarmin' and trippin'."
The dwarf gives you a smile as he makes the weapons for your quickly. The weapons are made with sheaths or slings so they can be easily stowed when not in use.
You prepare to enter the next room.
Once the smith is finished, Malgrim gathers his newfound armaments. "If'n only ye'd been able ta make me some proper Dwarven weapons. Woulda been nice ta have a good dorn-dergar, or long hammer. But I'll use what I kin get in here." He grumbles.
He arranges his new weapons. Strapping the javalins and greatsword to his back, and letting the rest hang from his belt. He picks up the lucerne hammer last and, using it like an extra tall walking staff, strides towards the next room.
"Thank ye f'r what ye could provide."
After selecting a weapon to carry, and slinging two backup weapons as well as the javelins and light hammers, you move to a dimly lit sanctum. There the icons of the great heroes are depicted on the wall in large tapestries. On a large, wooden mead table are laid out necklaces corresponding to all the heroes.
Gerund, the stout dwarf warrior, was famous for the amount of damage he could take and not fall. Cyndi, the elven ranger, was renowned for ability to dodge and evade the blows of her attackers. Grond, the half orc barbarian, delivered the most lethal blows. Harold, the human gladiator was known for the exotic combat maneuvers he would perform; he preferred to drop, disarm, or hold his opponent helpless before he finished them off. Theris, the true, it was said his strikes never missed his opponents and with an economy of motion demanded every strike be true.
You now have five necklaces with a medallion corresponding to each of the heroes. Besides what you have in your hands, I need to what necklaces your are wearing.
An acolyte explains: "Wearing a necklace is an attempt to seek favor from one of the heroes. Their relationships are complex, and gaining the favor of one may cause problems with another. For example, Cyndi and Gerund are rivals. It would unlikely, but not impossible, to gain the favor of both of them."
Malgrim looks over the table and picks up Gerund's and puts it on. "I came here seekin' only the favor of Gerund. Maybe I was a wee short sighted."
He picks up the medallion of Grond and puts it on as well. Then he picks up the medallions of Harold and Theris and ties them to his belt. "Never had much call for askin' Cyndi's favor. Don't plan on needin' ta duck n' dodge much either. BAH!"
He picks up Cyndi's medallion and drops it on the ground. Without a backwards glance, he proceeds to walk away towards the next challenge.
With your totems on, you are lead to the next door. "There will be a difficult fight, best of luck."
As the door is opened, you are confronted by four skeletal goblins holding long spears. You try to get a jump on them.
Malgrim looks up at the acolyte with disdain, "All fights be difficult, ye just kinnae tell how long they be." And with that, he stomps through the door.
He gets the jump on the big headed little skeletons and steps forward. With his long polearm he sweeps at the undead beast before him.
Although the dwarf misses, two flanking goblins and the two goblins jabbing with spears miss him.
Malgrim growls at the little nuisances. I do be missin' the old man. He at least I could talk to. He swings his polearm at the first goblin skeleton once more.
Malgrim shatters a goblin skeleton with a mighty blow, and the necklace of Grond begins to glow.
Three skeletons are left as the amulet of Grond glows brightly. A deep voice utters: "Grond like big hits!!" that echoes loudly.
Malgrim smiles as he downs one undead goblin and gains favor with Grond. "I like it when they do crumble." He says as he swings at another little beastie.
Malgrim misses and the skeletons try to hit him again. They still haven't got around to flank him yet. All three miss pitifully.
As the skeletons' attacks skitter off of his new armor, Malgrim laughs. "Ye kinnae touch me ye wee beasties. I'll gitcha yet." And he swings his polearm down at them again and again.
Malgrim gets bit by two goblins, almost in the neck, then dodges the trio of goblins again as two flank him.
With a growl, Malgrim swings at them again. "Ach, ye slippery little things."
Malgrim hits a goblin smashing it. Two attack in response, one biting . Malgrim smashes another and the last goblin misses.
Malgrim faces off against the lone goblin skeleton.
"Warriors need to accept that we live in a magical world. We can easily use magic by imbibing simple potions. The most useful typically is the minor cure potions, but we have others here. You can have Grimaldi here make you three potions. He knows the following recipes: Cure Light Wounds, Oil of Magic Weapon, Enlarge Person, and Protection from Evil. You can get multiples of one if you like."
He adds with concern. "You definitely want some healing."
With one last opponent remaining, Malgrim focuses his attacks.
The last goblin barely hangs on. Having missed twice (is Malgrim raging, if so he took 3).
"Stubborn critter, ain't ye?" Malgrim growls as he swings at the remaining skeleton.
After smashing the last goblin skeleton, Malgrim finds the alchemists lab and chooses three potions.
With a look over the array of potions, Malgrim makes his selection. "Yer right, healin' do be useful. But something else too. I think I'll take two of yer healin' potions an one ta make me bigger."
As you get your potions issued to you in an adventurer's sash (see main thread: discussion), the old man comes to you to explain to you what comes next.
"You are going into the arena. Each of the heroes in the test will have their own bugbear to fight. He is basically just a big goblin. In the center is the blind ogre waiting to attack whoever comes to get him on the center platform. The bugbear assigned to fight you will stand down when you go unconscious. When the ogre is incapacitated, the trial is over, and whoever the judges deemed contributed the most to defeating the ogre is declared the winner."
The old man winks and adds: "There is a slight wrinkle. You can't hit your rivals when they are knocked out or after the ogre falls, but if you want, UNTIL the ogre falls you can go after your competition if they are standing."
The old man looks at your amulets. "I heard Harold was a pretty good hero. He wrestled the minotaur of Ugin into submission. I think he defeated Ulamog the Ceaseless Hunger too."
Malgrim selects his potions, decides which ones to drink before his next challenge and steps through the door.