Choice Results are at the bottom of the page. Good luck!

Without the caravan to slow down your progress, you pick up the pace and soon reach the Bridge of Thorbadon. A massive pale grey structure that spans a huge ravine that leads into the lush green Open Plains; home of the Centaurs. Elegant, and carved with dancing elves along the length of the bridge, it is an impressive sight to behold with its four wings sprouting out from all four corners like a triumphant procession for a returning hero. You take a moment to appreciate this great wonder of Coroleya, before looking over to see if there were anyone on the other side of the bridge. And to your surprise you don't see a single guard standing watch. Only the long the flat green rolling plains that go as far as the eye can see. It'd be quite the picturesque scene if it were not so dangerous. Walking out in the open with no place to hide, is usually an invitation to be killed. Still, it is curious that there are no Centaurn guards posted at the Bridge to guard entry into their lands. The Centaurs of the Open Plains, usually like to keep a tight watch on travelers that wish to pass through their lands.

A worrying thought, that has you increase your pace to be miles away from here when an awful stench wafts towards your nostrils. Accustomed to this stench from your time in the army. You realize there must be an army camped nearby, which explains the lack of warriors guarding the bridge. Deciding it would be best to avoid them, you head in the opposite direction from which the smell is coming from.

You march for another eight or nine square miles upon the Open Plains and find not a single decent spot for you to camp out for the night. With darkness fast approaching you have no choice, but to try and get a few winks of sleep out here in the open. Closing your eyes, you stay half-awake most of the night, and when morning arrives you feel just as tired as if you had never slept. As you rubbing your tired eyes, you see dust flying up in the distance and it is closing in fast. With nowhere to run or hide. You grit your teeth and draw your weapon.

Out of the dust emerges fifteen fully armored Centaurs, wielding their famous Centaurn bows. The Centaurs their eyes upon you, close the gap quickly and surround you from all sides. Their bows drawn and aimed at you. The Captain of the Centaurs a wide-shouldered warrior, with fine long black hair and a face cut from steel stares at you. "This is no place for strangers! What are you doing here?! Are you a spy, working for the necromancer?! Answer me?!" But before you can even reply, one of the Centaurs comes up from behind you and lands a powerful blow to the back of your head. Knocking you out cold.

You awake several hours later in a tent to the sounds of arrows thunking into targets, blades being sharpened and warriors bawling to each other. You take one whiff and you know you're inside a Centaurn war camp. That's also when you realize you are not alone. Sitting at a table is a well-dressed female elf (Fae'lon), who gives you a gentle smile. "Welcome back to the living stranger, before you ask me any questions, let me first explain to you why you are here? A dark mage named Azkan a former member of the Fae'lon Guardians has taken up residence in a tower not far from here. The Centaurs see this as an affront to their ancestors and have gathered an army to fight the undead that guard the tower's walls. I fear Horselord Orkrelan in his haste to protect his homeland has declared you a spy and will surely execute you on the morrow." Seeing your rising panic, she holds up a slender hand. "But never fear, there is a way out of this for you, and a way to prove your innocence, for words alone will not suffice here. I have within me the ability to transport you into the tower, where you can slay the dark mage and prove your innocence. I also can teleport you out of here and away from the Centaurn army. Which is it you desire?"

Choice 1. Do you agree to slay the Dark mage in return for your freedom?

After a brief moment of contemplation, you nod your head in agreement.”Very well, send me to your blasted tower.” Who knows maybe you'll find something of worth inside.

With that hopeful thought uppermost in mind, you watch her make her way around the table towards you, lay her cold palm against your forehead, and in a flash of blinding light that somehow makes you feel dizzy, you find yourself inside the dark corridors of the tower. The walls around you smelling of sulfur and blood, while behind you was a stone staircase that lead further down, and in front stone steps.

Certain the mage must be up there somewhere, gloating or doing whatever mages do best, you thank the elf for not sending you headlong into danger and slowly begin your way up the stairs, your footfalls light as the breeze as you try to avoid making any no sounds.

Cracked and broken in places, you are forced to hop across the gaps in the stonework, and in the places, you couldn’t jump, you slide sideways until at last, you think you were nearing the top of the tower.

Heart thundering inside of your chest, you edge your way closer and closer, till you catch a brief glimpse of a shadow above you.

Teeth gritted to stop yourself from making the slightest sound, you continue upwards, and hold back a gasp of surprise as a creature that faintly resembles a minotaur comes into view. The undead thing swaying from side to side in full plate armor as it dragged behind it a great Warhammer that scraped across the surface of the stone.

With no way past the undead being, you draw your longsword with a quiet hiss and in one lightning-swift movement you swoop up the last few steps to chop off its head. The rancid smell of desiccation hitting your nostrils as the minotaur’s still helmeted skull bounced across the ground.

Flinching inwardly at the noise you’d made, you sprint along the blank un-decorated corridors, reach the next staircase at the other end and take the steps two or three at a time. Your biggest fear that you’d lost the element of surprise proven false as your luck continues to hold out, the vicinity clear of undead creatures guarding the corridors.

Clambering up three more flights that burned your thighs, you see a large doorway ahead of you, the wide hallway leading towards it filled with graphic paintings that depicted the many gruesome ways to die. The mage’s fondness for death making you smile at the sheer irony of it all as you run towards the huge wooden door, stop to listen for a second to see if anyone was on the other side, before carefully turning the knob.

Forced to wait as your eyes adjusted to the gloom, your gaze shoots over towards the figure sitting in the candlelit shadow of a well-crafted mahogany desk with a small library of books and scrolls behind him. The decrepit old elf seated behind the desk wearing a satin black robe with gold skin and polished blue eyes that glare up at you. “I told you imbeciles, I do not wish to be disturbed!”

Almost smiling again, you swallow any regrets you may have had for taking another life, and dash forward towards the elven mage.

Mucher quicker on his feet than you anticipated, Azkan rose from his seat and flicked his fingers towards you, sending a firebolt careening towards your chest.

The ball of fire flying past as you spin sideways narrowly avoiding the blast, when a second bolt strikes you in the chest. The delirious pain almost enough to topple you to your knees, before you will yourself on through the pain, see the mage’s fingers posed to finish you off and hack them apart in spurts of blood. Azkan squealing in agony to recoil backward as you drive the full length of your sword through his gut, and rip out his innards. The elf dying in a pool of his blood.

Your job complete, you take a moment to search the mage's library for valuables, and find a strange ruby stone in the folds of the mage's robes. Then just as suddenly you were back in the tent with the female guardian.

Smiling warmly at you, Sylven kisses you lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, you. You truly are the changer of fates.”

Unamused at the title, you growl, “And just what do you mean by that? Where’s my gold?”

The elf shook her head regretfully. ”I’m afraid I cannot tell you, that is something you need to find out for yourself. Here, take this,” she said handing you a pouch filled with gold, “And know the people of the plains are indebted to you, you.” With that last word, you again feel her warm hand pressed against your forehead...

Battle Results

- 50 Health Points (Remember to take into account your magical resistance for this battle. Also remember that if your playing the redling faction that you have fire resistance and take no damage from fire attacks.)

Loot

+ 200 Gold Pieces

Item Acquired: Vampire Stone (+ 10 Health Points to your base score. Increasing the amount of Health Points you have at the beginning of each chapter.)

Side Quest Complete