07:41, June 6, 1329

Hall of Glitnir.

Vanaheim.

If you want to listen, you must find peace. If you seek peace, prepare for war. Study yourself through your craft. Reflect on what I said!

The voice in Liam’s waking mind seemed tired, as though it had been speaking for a long time. Liam shifted, rolling upon the comfortable mattress. A bright light flickered across his eyelids and he flinched as he lifted a hand to shield his face.

Liam’s eyes squinted open to see the dawn sun peeking over the windowsill of a well-appointed sleeping chamber. He lay in a gigantic bed, clad only in his undershirt.

He stretched his limbs, his hands and toes curling as the motion caused a sympathetic reaction from his body, groaning as a deep yawn escaped him.

His mind was far from content, however, experiencing the fractured dissonance of wakefulness. As his mind attempted to break through the fugue, he heard the voice of King David once more.

To comprehend, still your waking mind!

He could not remember if he’d spoken to the spirit during his sleep, having no memory of his dreams - if he’d even had any. His scattered thoughts were confusing as he struggled to escape the fugue of sleep.

He tried to follow the advice, and simply closed his eyes, but immediately felt the urge to roll back over and return to sleep. Knowing that he needed to get back to Ferniegair as soon as possible, he forced himself to sit up and scooched to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs out of the comforting blankets.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked around. “An actual bed!” he exclaimed in wonder, surprised that someone would afford him such a luxury. This was no mere cot or mattress, but a full posted bed wider than he was tall. Looking around the room, he saw that his clothes and armor lay folded and clean. His armor hung from several hooks upon the wall, while his boots shone with a layer of grease and appeared to have been re-buckled.

His sword lay next to his scabbard. Both were freshly polished and oiled. The notches and deep nicks from the previous day’s fighting on Earth were now gone.

The Harp of Bragi stood against the wall next to the bed, and all of his clothing and accoutrements lay upon an armoire next to a bowl of water and a soft woolen towel.

As he was alone, Liam took his time getting out of the bed. Eventually, the fugue that clouded his mind disappeared, and he threw back the exceedingly cozy covers. Standing up, Liam washed himself in the basin provided. As the cool water hit his face, the last vestiges of sleep left him. Liam opened his statistics and realized he had not assigned his available attributes.

He put four points into intelligence, and five into both wisdom and will. His sleep had been dreamless, but as soon as he had looked at his statistics, he’d felt an overwhelming urge to increase his magical attributes. The remaining three he placed into agility and vitality, bringing them to nineteen and twenty, respectively. Once he was done, he gave them a final glance.

Titles: Page, Primus, Guest of Glitnir.

Name: Liam Lamberton

Level: 11

Genetic Heritage: Davidic Scion

Class: Harbinger Page (Davidic Order)

Age: 13

Tribulation Experience: 13/ 931

Health: 200

Magic: 200

Stamina: 100

Attributes:

Strength: 21

Agility: 17

Vitality: 20

Intelligence: 25

Wisdom: 20

Charisma: 19

Luck: 29

Faith: 20

Will: 20

Skills:

Sword: 8

Swimming: 1

Manners: 13

Tactics: 6

Animal Husbandry: 10

Light Armor: 8

Riding: 10

Carpentry: 19

Chivalry: 5

Reading: 9

Stealth: 4

Wood Chopping: 19

Writing: 1

Housekeeping: 11

Languages: 7

Maintenance: 16

Athletics: 19

Mathematics: 1

Harp: 5

Music: 6

Heavy Armor: 4

Spells:

Ward: Level 1

Healing Song: Level 1

Flame: Level 1

Abilities

Feinting Slash: Level 1

Covered Strike: Level 1

Shield Parry: Level 1

As he closed the vision, Liam remembered the tale of Sigurd; a knight who was so powerful in magic that he could slay a dragon. This was exactly the warrior Liam wanted to become! To do so, he would need to continue to increase his ability to control and project magic.

He changed quickly, finding that he no longer struggled to pull the heavy mail shirt over his head. It settled comfortably on his shoulders and became no more cumbersome than a winter coat once he cinched his sword-belt around his waist. Replacing the sword in the scabbard, Liam picked up his harp and checked himself over to ensure he wasn’t missing anything.

Spotting his helmet and coifs, he picked them up, carrying them within his helm. He strung it from his belt, keeping a hand close by to ensure nothing spilled.

Now dressed and having left nothing behind, Liam left the chamber to find a servant in the corridor outside the room. He quickly asked for directions.

“Excuse me, lady?” Liam asked hesitantly. “I was wondering if you know where I could find Lord Bragi?”

The servant smiled at Liam; she eyed him in a predatory way, seeming to enjoy the sight of him. “Of course, Guest of Glitnir. The Skald is in the feast hall talking with the Lord.” Her seductive smile caused Liam’s knees to wobble. It was hard not to stare. Her beauty was breathtaking, as was her forwardness.

She was by far the most beautiful being he’d ever encountered. Her long blonde hair seemed to glow in the dawn’s light, and her fair skin was unblemished with age or worry.

Not wanting to make a fool of himself, Liam averted his eyes and bowed low to the woman. He rushed in the direction she indicated, ignoring the giggles from behind him.

Bragi noticed him immediately as he entered the hall. “Ah! The mortal has awoken. Come! Sit with us.” He said from his usual spot by the fire.

As Liam approached, he saw that the revelry seemed to continue unabated, familiar faces still drinking and engaging in a variety of activities from dice to storytelling, drinking competitions and feasting; and even wrestling and sparring matches.

Liam sat between the two Aesir, rearranging his armor to ensure a more comfortably seated position. While the designer of his armor had split the skirts of the mail to allow for easier riding, the split only rose to below his buttocks, and so it pulled as he sat. Once comfortable, Liam looked up, about to ask about the spirit voice.

He was curious to know why he had little recollection of the interactions.

“So Liam, how did you assign your available attributes?” Bragi asked before he could speak.

“As you suggested, Lord.” Liam said, bringing up his statistics. “Intelligence, wisdom and will with a few points in agility and one in vitality.”

The two Aesir leaned in close to see his attribute changes, and both smiled as they saw the spells and abilities he had gained.

“Bragi, you were gentle with the lad.” Forseti said. “Only three spells from your Kennings?”

“Bah, his nose was about to bleed. Did you want me to cook the boy’s brains?”

“Hmm, it looks as though they may have already!” Forseti laughed. “He’s been asleep for two days!”

“Two days!” Liam asked, knowing that his friends would have long left Ferniegair for Cadross. “My Lord, please. Give me your blessing so I can return! I will already be far behind them!”

“No, it is too soon for that. Give me another week, maybe a month with the lad and you’ll learn enough to survive the….”

“A month!” Liam said, interrupted in shock. “I cannot stay that long. I need to get back, my Lord, my friends! They are travelling and they’ll leave me. How will I find them if I am gone a month?” He asked. Liam started panicking, thinking what would happen if they forced him to return alone. He may lose his position, his future, and his friendships.

“It has been two days already! They are already long gone. What is a month if they have already left?” Bragi picked up a flagon of mead and sipped at it, assessing Liam’s from over the brim.

“But I cannot stay a month. The king is dying. I must get back to the party of the Lord of Douglas!”

“The Lord of Douglas, he commands you? Does he know the system brought you here?”

“I do not think so, Lord. He only saw the message for a moment, and it did not say where you were, only that it would transport me to your location.” He brought up the quest the harp gave him and showed it to the Aesir as confirmation of his words once more.

Quest: Attuning the Harp of Bragi.

You have recovered the Harp of the Aesir Bragi. In order to complete the quest {Attuning the Harp of Bragi} you must complete three quest conditions:

Receive the Blessing of Bragi. 0/1

Use the Harp to conjure three spells 0/3

Learn how to form Kennings 0/1

Bragi is the Skald of the Aesir court. A kind and wise man, he is known for his deep knowledge of music and magic.

You are now at Bragi’s Location.

“What do you make of this Forseti? I do not begrudge him the use of my harp, but a blessing is a powerful gift.”

“Indeed, uncle.” The Hall's Lord agreed. “We must find him a task to complete if he is to earn it. An unearned blessing is a tenuous thing indeed, prone to fail when most needed. I believe he has the spells, and you gave him the knowledge of what a Kenning is, yes?”

“No, the Kennings take too long for mortals to wrap their heads around. Although…” Bragi paused, musing. “Liam has a far higher intelligence than most mortals, and his luck is considerable. He will have to create it on his own, however. No-one can help craft a Kenning but the user.”

“So Uncle, what task would you have him complete?”

“What beasts lurk close to Glitnir?”

“Bah! They are all well above his leve… ah!” He paused, catching Bragi’s impatient look. “Yes, a beast would do nicely. Now what would make a worthy foe?”

The Lord closed his eyes for a moment and muttered under his breath. “A dragon would be far too strong. Draugr are a plague and unpredictable, but no… not enough of a challenge. A Troll? Slow, but strong and with.” He paused his verbal musings.

“Maybe…” He opened his eyes and grinned at Bragi. “What say you, brother? If Liam is to slay the Troll of the Glittering Falls, would you grant him a worthy blessing?”

Bragi nodded with a laugh and smiled at Liam. “I had hoped you would send him there!” He turned to face Liam. “Be warned Liam, a troll is no weak beast. Many Einherjer have fallen over the eons to their claws. It will be a great test for you, and even then, it is likely you will fall unless you grow stronger!”

Liam paled. A Troll! he thought. He wasn’t even sure if his sword could kill it. He collected himself. “Where is it?” He asked stoically.

Both of the Aesir nodded, no longer treating Liam as a boy. “That is a suitable response, lad, and worthy of a warrior.”

“The Troll lives upstream from the river’s mouth in the bay. It may take some days to reach on foot.”

Seeing Liam's unhappiness at the news, he smiled.

“Since you are in a rush to test the runes, you may use Skeidbrimir if she will carry you!”

Bragi stood and spread his arms, drawing the attention of many of those in the hall. “Liam speaks with the intent of a true Skald, one worthy of Bragi’s harp.” Bragi said. “Go forth Liam Lamberton! I shall give you a blessing should you return with the head of the Troll of Glittering Falls.”

A quest text appeared before Liam’s eyes.

Sub Quest: Return to Bragi with the Head of the Troll of Glittering Falls

To Attune the Harp of Bragi, you must receive his Blessing. A Blessing is not lightly bestowed and requires a worthy deed to be completed.

Bragi Requires you to slay the Troll of Glittering Falls. You have one week to complete this quest.

Head of the Troll of Glittering Falls 0/1.

Reward: Blessing of Bragi.

Liam bowed and strode to the great doors exiting the hall. As he reached them, a servant approached with two items. One was a round shield of the type Liam had seen Sigurd wielding. Made from a sturdy wood, a rounded metal boss protruded from the surface. Turning the shield to inspect the design, Liam saw the handle was a simple bar of metal extending across the boss, thus protecting the hand even if the wood shattered.

Liam found it remarkably light and practiced some moves he’d learnt from the Kennings in Sigurd’s song.

The second item was a small pouch of food. It contained some dried meat, a skin of water, and a large supply of nuts and dried fruit. Liam hung it upon his belt.

“These are mighty gifts!” He said. “But can I eat these?”

“You can. Our food gains magic from its creation, not in its harvesting. A lowly apprentice crafter prepared these dried meats. They are of no use to us, but may be of value to you. The fruit and nuts are also edible, so long as they are not mixed with the power of the artisan drying them.”

Liam bowed to the servant and accepted the gifts with words of thanks.

On leaving the hall, Liam realized he did not know where the Glittering falls were, or if the river he’d seen when he arrived was the one he needed to follow. He briefly considered returning to Glitnir for directions, but felt that if they had chosen to only give him a general idea of where to go, it was for a reason.

Liam set off with determination, hoping he wasn’t heading the wrong way. Soon, however, he was walking with purpose, gazing in wonder at the magnificent landscape.

Before long he reached the Fjord’s shore, where he watched as a giant eagle swooped down, plunging its taloned feet deep into the crystal blue bay’s waters to emerge with a silver mailed fish. Both were larger than the horse Lord Douglas rode, and Liam felt a rising fear. If the creatures of this world were so massive, he would need to be on guard. He stopped staring about in wonder and kept up a much more wary surveillance from then on.

As he reached the river, he saw that Lord Forseti’s strange eight-legged horse was drinking from the flow. The horse-thing spotted him, and Liam waved, watching as it trotted over.

The Lokijor, as Forseti had called it, was a golden white hue, with silver socks and a mane the color of vermillion. Liam knew that any horse on earth which displayed these colors would be the horse of a king, and so Liam determined to treat Skeidbrimir with the honor of a formal greeting.

He bowed before the animal, and much to his surprise, she bowed back. One set of forelegs stretched forward as the horse dipped its head, curling the other set of forelegs up in a gesture to show respect.

This done, the Lokijor bounded forward and delivered a wet lick across Liam’s face. He laughed as she delivered a second to his neck and, seeing his reaction, she chased him along the shore of the riverbank, delivering sloppy kisses to Liam’s ticklish neck. She reminded him of a much larger version of Lady. Playful, goofy and insistent. A puppy that whinnied instead of barked.

As he ran, Liam knew well that his was not something he’d ever heard of heroes having to deal with. With a laugh, he turned and ducked under her neck, hugging her tightly. Now out of range of her mouth, he patted her neck for a while until she calmed enough for him to step back.

“It’s good to see you too, Skeidbrimir. Your master has said that you might carry me to Glittering Falls. Would that be acceptable?”

Liam was unused to talking to horses, but this animal had clearly understood Forseti.

Skeidbrimir thought for a moment, and then butted Liam. Knocking him to the ground. Liam sprawled, shocked that the Lokijor attacked him. He scrambled back, confused. But Skeidbrimir merely shook its head at him.

Liam only understood that Skeidbrimir would not carry him. Picking up his shield and helmet from where they lay, he trudged towards the River. He glowered at the Lokijor as it sprang in front of him, blocking his path.

He tried to walk around the creature, but she continued to block his progress every time he made toward the river. Eventually, he grew tired of her. “Let me pass, Skeidbrimir!” He demanded. She whinnied in response and stamped a foot.

Angry now, Liam tried to push past her. He sprinted at her, thinking to duck beneath her neck, but she was faster, and in a flash, she had tripped him, sending him sprawling once more. He felt flat teeth latch onto his belt and felt himself carried back to where he’d started.

The ridiculousness of the situation became clear to him and Liam started laughing. He couldn’t even outmatch Skeidbrimir, and here he was, still a boy, thinking he could simply charge off into the wilderness and defeat a troll? The horse was clearly much wiser than he. Even so, he had to try. Bragi would not have given him the quest if there wasn’t some way to complete it.

As she released him back to the ground, Liam stood. “I think I understand. You don’t believe me capable of defeating the troll?” The Lokijor whickered at him and pointed over his shoulder upstream with her nose. She shook her head.

Liam showed her the quest, hoping that her skills included reading. Just in case, he read the text to her. “Lords Bragi and Forseti gave me this quest. They would not have done so if I had no way of defeating it!”

Skeidbrimir stamped her feet, tossing her head and giving him a skeptical look.

“Lord Forseti said that I could take you with me. Would you help?” He asked.

This time, she seemed to think about it a bit more. Eventually nodding.

“Thank yo…”

The Lokijor interrupted him when a set of horse teeth clamped upon his mail hauberk and he found himself lifted off his feet and placed squarely onto the Lokijor’s back, only facing backwards.

Liam sighed, and carefully turned himself upon Skeidbrimir’s back so he no longer had a view over her hindquarters.

He gripped her mane in his hands, and she bolted forward, sprinting upstream far faster than Liam had ever seen a horse run. He couldn’t help himself and let out a whoop of exhilaration at the feeling of the wind through his hair.

It was the fastest he’d ever been. A tremendous whinny from Skeidbrimir that shook the land caused Liam to smile through tears of happiness. The astounding feeling of freedom was something he had never felt before, and the comfortable presence of the Aesir steed beneath him gave him hope he could overcome this quest and return to his friends soon.

Having clearly lost any control over their direction, yet utterly grateful to the animal for trusting him, Liam clung to his new friend as the Lokijor raced upstream.

*******************************************

The journey was amazing for Liam. Skeidbrimir needed no direction, giving the young Page ample opportunity to look out over a pristine land of summer fields and rich forests that bordered the river.

Liam knew that this journey would have taken him multiple days had he tried to travel on foot, and yet the Lokijor never tired.

By dusk, the pair came within sight of a large terraced waterfall, broken into three sections. The highest reaches were inaccessible to any but a bird, while the middle terrace seemed to have a series of small and climbable cliffs leading to it. The lowest of the waterfalls was fortunately also the smallest, rising only a hundred feet from the alluvial valley where the river continued its course. A well-worn path led to it from the riverbank, and Skeidbrimir flowed up it with ease.

As they arrived, Liam could see that the basin into which the higher waterfall flowed was quite small, but the middle fall dropped out of sight into a wide stone terrace, which swept in a semi-circle of raised cliffs over which the final waterfall cascaded. It appeared to be about three standard acres in size, and Liam wondered how it had formed. It appeared to be too consistent in both its level and in shape.

Perhaps one of the Aesir had created it long ago? He considered.

He hugged Skeidbrimir around her neck in thanks for the speedy and smooth journey, Liam dismounted, receiving a lick in return. The Lokijor had galloped the entire way, and Liam found that his seat upon the horse’s bare back had been stable and his bones barely hurt at all. Fortunately for him, the last few days of rest had afforded him a great deal of healing from his journeys on earth, and now his behind no longer pained him from the journey out of Douglas.

Retrieving his helmet he had tied on his belt for the journey upstream, he removed his coifs and tied them into place, tying the chin-strap of mail securely over his chin and jaw. Liam then settled his helm into place, pulling the strap so that the mail sat tight beneath his jowls. He limbered up, checking that his sword and shield were serviceable and ready for use. He placed them upon his back for the climb up the cliff and checked that the Harp of Bragi was in place upon his belt. With all his gear secure, he set off.

The Lokijor followed him as far as the first cliff and pushed him upwards to a series of safe handholds to begin the climb. It circled below him and let out a huff of air, settling to watch him climb.

Liam had never tried climbing rock before, but found that the strength the Tribulation system granted was more than sufficient to allow him to swarm up even tenuous holds with ease, even with the mail and weapons.

The climb still hurt his fingers, his joints unused to the intense pressure and abrasions true climbers adapted to. His limbs, however, did not fatigue, and his breathing remained un-laboured. Reaching the first terrace into which the middle waterfall thundered, Liam found himself barely winded as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Liam could make out a large cavern lit with a sickly green glow behind the waterfall, and he carefully proceeded towards it. He could make out no sounds beyond the thunderous roar of the waterfall, and so decided that he could afford to risk a bit of speed. As he jogged forward, he realized something.

He still did not know how to use his magic!

He paused, deciding to figure it out, as he did not know how dark the cavern would be, nor if he could create enough light to guide his way with Flame. Liam walked back to the lake beneath the middle falls and looked about for any sign of the Troll. Seeing no trace of the creature, he sat on a large boulder overlooking the lower waterfall. He could see Skeidbrimir looking up at him from the fields and smiled, waving to her. She capered a bit as she saw him watching, but soon returned to grazing.

He opened his statistics, focusing on each of the spells.

Ward: Level 1

Ward is a sung spell, enabling the user to protect the target of the spell from all damage types for 0.3 hours. The ward offers a damage reduction of 2 points to all damage types.

Magic cost: 25

Note: This effect can be dispelled.

This was interesting. Liam wasn’t sure what 2 points of damage meant, but perhaps he could test it. Focusing on the spell, words came unbidden to his lips.

“Hold me safe from wound and sword, from magic and poison, protect me, Ward!”

A golden light sprang from the harp and surrounded him. It was barely noticeable. Liam unsheathed his sword and ran his thumb along it.

Nothing.

He pressed harder and gasped in pain.

“Sod!” He swore.

Checking on the progress of the Quest, Liam grinned. This is more like it, he thought. Finally, he was getting somewhere. The Quest vision had updated. The second part of the quest now read:

Use the Harp to conjure three spells 1/3

He looked at the next spell

Healing Song: Level 1

Healing song is a sung spell. It creates a small healing aura of 1 ft around the target, which heals for 1 health per 5 seconds split between all allies within the aura. The aura lasts for 0.3 hours.

Magic cost: 50

This effect can be dispelled.

Liam sang this spell into existence.

“A wound, a sickness, a deadly wrong, a cut, smash, a curse, anon. Let all be made well with Healing Song”

A vital green glow sprang up around Liam, withered plants bloomed once more at his feet, and within seconds the cut on his thumb had disappeared, healing over without the trace of a scar.

Liam opened the third spell.

Flame: Level 1

Flame is a sung spell. It creates a flame the spell wielder can throw which burns for 1 flame damage per second for as long as there is a source of fuel. Damage can stack.

Magic cost: 10

This effect can be dispelled.

Liam looked at his Magic. He only had 120 left of the 200 available to him. As he watched, it rose by 1.

He waited a while and saw it rise again by 1 a few seconds later. He began a slow count. When he reached six, it went up again. He wondered briefly what attributes granted him the ability to increase the rate of magic regeneration, but a growling roar from close behind made him start.

Spinning about, Liam was just in time to dodge away from the swing of a large spike club. The club shattered the boulder upon which Liam had perched to investigate his magic, and small shards of rock flew at Liam, bouncing off his Ward.

Liam swore bitterly as he looked at the Troll. It stood nearly three times his height, and at full extension he doubted he could reach its stomach with a jumping sword strike. It was a dark green, with a heavyset brow and long pointed ears which were knotted with scar tissue. It wore a loincloth, for which Liam was grateful, and its long arms reached below its bowed legs. From its hands, sharp claws glinted in the fading sunlight.

Liam focused on the monster, trying to gauge its health and level. What he saw was horrifying.

Brukasak, Troll of the Glittering Falls.

Level 48.

Health: 5320 / 5320

Liam’s eyes bugged. Bragi thought this would be an EASY foe? It was over five times his level and had the health of the entire party of men from Douglas combined.

Retreating from the beast, he wondered what he’d be able to do to the monster. He needed to gain distance to come up with a plan.

Skeidbrimir! He thought. She would help!

Liam supposed that now was as good a time as any to use the Spell: Flame. At least it may help him escape!

He strummed the harp as another blow came thundering down. Liam stepped back again and found the Troll had extended its reach, ducking just in time to avoid the blow.

“Mighty cinder, hot with shame, burn my foe, Flame.”

Liam felt a small flame appear before him and he willed it towards the Troll. It surprised him when the magic seemed to resist slightly, but soon it obeyed and smashed into the Troll’s chest. A small flame burned there, and the Troll howled as though Liam’s magic scorched it.

The Troll immediately dropped its club and - ignoring Liam - patted at the flame, gradually putting it out.

Liam was not inactive as it did so. He swung his shield from his back, hooked the harp to his belt and drew his sword. With a yell to embolden himself, Liam charged the creature, slashing a deep cut in its leg. The troll ignored him, and Liam saw the wound healing almost as quickly as he had sliced through it.

A cold fear gripped Liam. It healed faster than he did. And with its massive health, he knew he faced a monster he could not kill alone.

How the hells do I kill this thing?

Liam ran to the edge of the cliff, hoping he could climb down and reach Skeidbrimir. A large green hand slapped the stone before him, dashing his hopes of retreat in that direction. This troll was smaller, but seemed no less deadly.

Spinning to face his first foe, he saw that his flame spell had gone out, and the monster was now lifting its club once more to strike.

Liam leapt the blow, which came towards his legs. He tucked his shoulder so that he rolled as he landed, coming up just below the Troll.

He used an ability.

Feinting Slash lashed out.

Liam positioned himself so that his left foot was forward and leg bracing his shield. He cut forward in a horizontal slash from left to right, feinting so that the troll flinched its hand back.

Thinking itself safe from the strike, it paused, and Liam, understanding what the ability did, took advantage, continuing the pressure by circling the blade over his head. The back edge of the sword slashed through the Troll’s wrist. Its disembodied hand falling to the mossy rock covering the banks of the shallow pool.

Shouting in victory, Liam turned to face the other troll. It had finally clambered to its feet and was rapidly approaching. Before he could act, a back-handed blow from behind him smashed him off his feet. The maimed troll had recovered far sooner than Liam thought possible.

Fortunately, Liam landed in the shallow lake at the base of the waterfall. Unfortunately, the water was waist deep, and it significantly impeded his movement. He began desperately to wade towards the bank, holding his shield and sword out of the water as best he could.

As soon as the harp was clear of the water, he reached down with his sword hand and strummed the instrument while he sang two more flame spells into existence, driving them forward to keep the trolls away.

Knowing the fight was impossible, he changed direction towards the mouth of the cavern. The shore would offer him no sanctuary, but perhaps he could hide within the caves!

The spells blossomed to life, and both hit their targets simultaneously, and the Trolls shrieked, panicking, until they had bathed the wounds in the water. While the flame spells worked wonderfully to hurt the trolls, he was running out of magic, and would soon either need to flee or fight.

He’d nearly made it to the shore of the pool when he saw a taloned hand being swung towards him. The second troll seemed much faster than the first and was also much smaller. Liam activated another ability. Shield parry. It horrified him to see the clawed hand shred the shield and his arm.

The active ability deflected most of the claws as they impacted the angled shield, stopping most of the force. Despite his effort, two of the talons drove through the shield and raked flesh from Liam’s arm. They punched through the mail with ease, rending apart riveted links as though they were paper.

The impact was astonishing in its power, and it threw Liam back, his shield splintering into pieces.

Liam screamed as he landed, rolling across the ground and into the mouth of the cave. He dropped the broken shield and clutched at his arm. Having felt the agony before, he fought through it, knowing it would not break him.

Gritting his teeth, he stood, knowing he had no time. He sang another Flame spell into existence, sending it to slam into the face of the nearest Troll, causing it to flail desperately at its face. Blocking the path of its compatriot.

Turning, Liam ran. Glancing back, he could see the trolls fighting each other. The larger troll quickly won the contest by pushing the smaller monster into the lake.

Liam looked at his arm. The healing spell he’d cast earlier was knitting the flesh back together, but it was taking far longer than the Troll’s regeneration.

Hoping that no more trolls rested within, Liam sprinted into the cave, searching for a place to hide. He heard the heavy footsteps thundering into the rock behind him and knew he would need to find a place to hide or another exit.

Fortunately, the cave mouth opened up into a network of tunnels that ran beneath the waterfall, and soon Liam found a small tunnel through which the Trolls could not fit. Running deeper into the tunnel, he heard the pounding of fists upon its narrow entrance. The thudding sounds continued until a rumble of rock and dust erupted as the ceiling caved in behind him. With no way for the Trolls to reach him, Liam stopped his progress through the labyrinth to assess his status.

He found that aside from his arm, he’d only suffered some bruising. His health was still resting at about 90%, meaning that the wounds upon his arm were superficial at worst, and would heal with time and magic. He suspected he would not even need to cast Healing Song again.

Looking around, it surprised him he could still see. The entrance to the cavern had been dark and shown only a sickly green light, but the interior of the cave system glowed brilliantly in a variety of colors. Blue, green and red mosses all shone in a luminescent pattern of astonishing beauty, allowing Liam to see. The light glittered as though it were a green or gold treasure, and Liam understood the name of this place.

The moss upon the rock of the waterfall was the same type as this, but the light of dusk had still been too bright for him to see its glittering glow. Were he not being chased by Trolls, he would have loved the opportunity to see the Glittering Falls at night. He suspected they were a sight to behold.

Using the light, Liam looked about. Behind him, the collapsed tunnel showed a significant amount of debris. Far too much for him to move on his own..Ahead, the cave opened into a wider tunnel. The hands of a troll did not make this! The ceiling rose only a foot above Liam’s head, and the walls were smooth and evenly cut

He followed the tunnel as far as he could, finally coming to a sheer cliff that rose towards a distant opening, far above. It appeared as though someone had once built a series of ladders to traverse the cliff face, but they had long since broken apart.

Deciding that it would be pointless to stay within the caves, Liam climbed the cliff. He moved slowly, stopping to rest and ensure that his injured arm was healing. To be safe, he cast Healing Song once more.

As he progressed, he noticed the light above was growing, allowing him to see the rock face in finer detail. He gulped as he realized that he’d been climbing over a variety of ores. Strands of silver, gold and other metals ran throughout the rock in quantities far greater than any he’d seen before.

Summiting the next cliff, Liam pulled out his belt knife and chiseled out a block of gold from a thick vein of the material running through the wall. It fell out freely.

He was rich!

Well, he would be if he could escape these caves, kill the trolls and find his way back to Douglas!

The reminder of his quest diminished his gold-lust and desire for riches, and he reluctantly left the ore upon the ground. It would do him little good right now, and he still had a long way to climb.

For the next hour Liam ascended the cliffs, his limbs eventually feeling the fatigue of exertion. He monitored his Stamina, not wanting to fall to his death if the system deemed his body required rest.

With four stamina remaining, Liam clambered out of the cave and out into the afternoon light beneath a cliff next to the river which fed the waterfall. Erosion from the river, which lapped at the rocky shore had clearly formed the cliff beneath which he stood. Above him, a winch system hung, drooping from its supporting beams. It seemed obvious to Liam that whoever had once worked this mine had left long ago.

He felt grateful for their work. Without it, he would lay dead beneath the waterfall below at the hands of the Trolls.

I need to find a way back down to Skeidbrimir. He thought tiredly, looking about. But for now, I need to rest, and discover another way down.

He looked around.

Across the river, meadows lay, with spring grasses covering rolling hills. Liam turned around, wondering who would have built ladders to this location, and soon found his answer. A large round tower stood beside several smaller huts not far away.

Nearing exhaustion, Liam stumbled towards the huts, hoping to discover somewhere to rest. A notification sprang up before him, and in his fugue state, he accepted it. Another notification sprang up and this time, Liam read it.

You have entered the Glittering Falls Crafting Dungeon.

The Glittering Falls Dungeon is a mid-Tier crafting dungeon.

You cannot leave the Dungeon until all requirements are complete.

Explore the workshops to begin your crafting journey.

Dungeon completion will occur when participant:

Liam Lamberton

Has reached Journeyman level 1 in any craft class.

Dungeon is time locked.

Based on your current Classes and Skills you have

4 years.

To complete this Dungeon.

Upon completion, time will resume as normal.

He couldn't leave?

He looked around. A light blue translucent dome had flashed into existence around the area, extending at least a few hundred meters beyond his current location. Outside the dome, Liam could see that the river no longer flowed. A bird, just taking off from its nest was frozen in time, half-way through its wing-beat. Looking up, the dusky sky was unchanging.

Liam was trapped.