-10- [Salvecurls] (2) This is heavy...

Traveler's log - I have woken up. Our experiment was a success if I am to believe my surroundings. A room in the exact shape of our teleportation room. Where I am I do not know. Another continent? Another world? Another universe? As I glance around, I see that the place is quite obviously recently inhabited. There are caged pond grabbers and wooden bins of goods, as well as a depot with recently moved trade goods. I readied my crossbow and looked around the staircase that spirals out from this central platform. Even though the room is roughly the same shape and layout as my home, the decoration is very foreign. They grow cave moss in the room, and there are no alchemy stations or experimentation logs. And the platform that I was on just moments ago is flat ground. I'm starting to suspect that my experiments have not sent me a far distance. At least not a far distance in space. As far as I can see around the corner, there is no threat. I can see blinding daylight off to the left, so this must be near the surface of the world, very similarly to my home. I strike off in that direction cautiosly, and start to hear murmurs to the south west.

I shouted out, "Hello there! Identify yourself. I am well armed, and well trained if you mean to threaten me!" The murmurs went immediately silent, then a voice called out, "Be ye dwarven? You sound it, but you taulk kid of veird... Come this way if ye means not herm, for ve mean it not swell, but there es great dinger here!"

I steadied myself to walk in the direction of the light. I guess my experiments have kept me underside more than I should be, because I felt a small twist in my stomach after looking in that direction for a bit. I guess I got a little of the cave adaptation. Well, here's hoping that there isn't any need to do any fighting outdoors soon, or I'll have to aim my bow while vomit flies from my mouth. I head cautiously around the corner to where I heard the voices.

I see a half squad of armored scared dwarves standing in the alcove, surrounded by statues of flies and dwarves. A stout dwarf with a splint haphazardly bandaged to his thigh stepped out of the wooden spears he had been lazily dodging, and reached out a calloused hand.

"Hail! I be Kib Cilobrodum Othilidek Zulban, Militia Commander, Captain of The Gloved Mirrors, vielder of dis vonderul block of metaul," he patted his well crafted iron war hammer, "and hailed as the Veak Brain of Banners."

I blinked involuntarily a few times.

"But jes caull me Kib," moving his hand a bit closer to me.

I snapped into awareness, and quickly grasped his hand in a solid shake. "Where is this place?" I asked.

"Vell dat would depent on vere you be came from! How ded ye get past our defenses?, said Kib with a disdainful look. "Vell, nevaur ye mind. We have more important things to vorry bout. Did ye happen to peer yer eyes out dat entrayway younder?" He pointed a thumb around the corner behind him toward the light that I had seen before.

"I'm afraid I have a bit of the 'daptation," I admitted.

"Vat be 'daptation'?" He looked deep in my eyes. "Aye, I getcha! You be victim of the blindins! Ve get em all de time! Here, borrey me shadespecs!"

He handed me a small object that he motioned to put over my eyes. The surrounding area was effectively darkened when the "shadespecs" were placed on the head. I glanced around the corner.

"Ahh, now do ye see?"

I saw.

"Fourty strong at the least, and dat's the one's we be seein! All mounted up, and all angered fierce."

I moved my finger along the side of my copper crossbow. I know it like I know myself. And we've seen worse.

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Intro Image Album

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TO BE CONTINUED...