Turn 2D -- Ortho's Journey Turn 2D -- Ortho's Journey Ortho stepped around yet another curve in the ever twisting tunnel of the Underdark. His booted footfalls the only sound in the darkened tunnel, he curses softly as a sharp pain bore into the heel of his right foot. Stopping to lean against a low-lying stalactite, the dwarven priest pulls off his worn-down boot, turning it upside down to shake the pebble out. Looking at his tattered shield and gnarled hands, Ortho thinks back to the last time he was this far underground. It had been well over a hundred years since the Red Feather Company had journeyed to the vast expanse known as the Underdark to find the missing girl Jelenneth. Now his long beard was entirely grey and the weariness of traveling seemed to invade his joints faster than ever before.
Sighing deeply, he places his boot back on and taking up his shield, starts back down the narrow tunnel. Walking forward again, he remembers the day they found the girl Jelenneth and then returned her to her pompous fiance, Andrenn. Of course he never liked the boy, but the girl was honest and didn't deserve the fate that awaited her with the illithids. All of the companions were dead now, the last being Druckner a decade ago. Attacked by a band of Zhentarim scum who were angered at the success of the merchant company Druckner had started upon retiring. Ortho chuckles softly to himself as he remembers the mighty trading empire Druckner had forged.
Now Ortho had taken up his shield and axe and donned his armor once again. The dwarven race was finally all but extinct, the last remnants of the once proud race now living in the mountains around Arabel far to the north. Having never found the wizard Pericles Vendray, he had taken up the search once again five years prior; intent on finding the mage or his studies in the hopes of rescuing his dying race. His travels had brought him here, to this darkened tunnel, once again deep underground.
Looking several yards ahead, Ortho notices that the passageway ends in a large set of oaken double doors. Hefting his shield high, he clutches his axe tightly in his right hand as he walks forward. Cobwebs hang from the edges of the frame, several layers of dust lie on the large handles of the door. All along the edges of the doorway appear several runes, many of which Ortho finds unrecognizable. A few he notices pay reverence to Moraddin and he finds this bit encouraging. Seeing no clue to indicate what lies beyond the doorway, he decides to find out for himself.
Shifting his axe to his left hand, he grabs the large doorknob and pulls back on the door. A loud creaking can be heard as Ortho grunts at the unmoving door. A centuries worth of dust falls from the handles and frame of the doorway as the large door begins to move. Putting all his weight into the effort, Ortho finally manages to open the door completely. A large rush of wind moves past the dwarf as the air rushes into the chamber for the first time in countless centuries.
Turning to peer inside, Ortho quickly sees that there is nothing beyond the chamber that could be a threat to him. Nothing out in the open anyway. His heightened senses quickly take in the chamber beyond as he shifts his axe back to his right hand and holds his shield up before him. Steeling his courage, he walks through the doorway and into the chamber. As he walks past the doorway, the large door slams shut behind him. Too late to react, fear rises in the throat of Ortho as he tries unsuccessfully to push open the door. He quickly turns to face any possible threat rushing at him and his fear subsides somewhat as nothing comes forward.
Moving through the chamber, he quickly notices that what he has entered is a burial tomb of some kind. The central chamber is perhaps thirty feet square and in the center of the chamber is a large sarcophagus. Looking at the tightly sealed coffin, Ortho notices that the features are definitely dwarven. The image of the entombed dwarf is surprisingly familiar to him. Someone deep in his past. Moving to the head of the coffin, he looks at the name of the dwarf entombed there: Kerak Trollslayer!
Ortho's pulse races as he recognizes the name of the fabled dwarf who originally returned with the story of Pericles Vendray and his study into the reproductive nature of the dwarves. Ortho looks around the chamber, his hopes rising as he looks for any sign of the wizard Vendray or any further clue. Finding nothing in the central chamber, Ortho moves to look down each of the four side tunnels. All of the tunnels are nearly one hundred feet in length and all rise to a height of well over fifteen feet. All of the tunnels have entombed in them the bodies of other dwarves. Four rows of tombs rising up each side of the tunnels. Ortho's heart sinks as he reads the names of the dwarves entombed here. A lot of names that he easily recognizes: Druckner Brombreath, Bruenor Battlehammer, Gnore WitherCourage, Gareth Stonehands, Garth, Snagger, Ol' Grizzler, the list going on and on.
Walking back into the central chamber, tears flow freely from the eyes of Ortho as he collapses beside the tomb of Kerak.
"All dead..." he mumbles, allowing the tears to flow unabated, the centuries of futile searching finally wearing him down.
After many hours of sitting beside Kerak's tomb, not caring any more whether he lived or died, Ortho finally rises to face the sarcophagus.
"Ah failed ye Kerak. I could'na find Vendray."
Shaking his head sadly, he notices for the first time another doorway leading from the chamber. Hidden in shadows, he walks over to look upon the unadorned exit. Although covered in dust and cobwebs, this doorway has none of the ceremonial markings of the entrance to the tomb of Kerak. Hoping for some clue on the other side of this exit, Ortho lifts the rung in the center of the door and pulls softly.
The doorway opens easily and Ortho peers forth into utter darkness. Knowing no other options and having little desire to stay behind, he steps into the doorway and the chamber beyond. He pays little heed as the door slams shut behind him. As soon as the door closes the chamber becomes fully light, as bright as day. Ortho squints as his eyes adjust to the light, having become accustomed to the darkness from the months he'd spent belowground. As the blindness slowly passes and he can make out what is in the chamber, a deep anger begins to grow inside of him. Seated inside the large chamber are several orcs and ogres seated around a large feasting table. The orcs and ogres all laugh heartily at the dwarf standing before them as they greedily feast on the meal before them.
The knuckles on his right hand go white as Ortho grasps the shaft of his axe, his anger rising beyond limits. Looking around the chamber, he sees that pinned to the points of numerous spears lining the room are the heads of dwarves! Women, children and men alike, all have been placed on the tops of the orc weapons.
"Greetings Pestkiller!" bellows the large ogre at the head of the feasting table to Ortho. "Come join our feast. Your people are now dead. You are the last!" The ogre's laughter fills the chamber, quickly followed by that of his feasting comrades.
Tears flow again from the eyes of Ortho as his vision begins to blur. Hefting his axe and shield before him, he lets out a mighty cry of "PESTKILLER!" before running and jumping up to the table. Slowing none, he steps over the food, heading for the laughing ogre at the end of the table, his mighty axe swinging wildly over his head. He makes it perhaps halfway down the long table before a dozen or so spears are plunged into his body. The orcs and ogres at the ends of the weapons laugh as Ortho struggles on to the ogre chieftain. Blood flowing from dozens of wounds in his body, he tries to push on, ignoring the spears and swords as they are repeatedly plunged into his body. Finally reaching the end, his strength and energy all but gone as the lifeblood slowly flows from him, his body a veritable pin-cushion he collapses to the table.
****
Ortho woke screaming from the dream, sweat drenching his body, his underclothes, and the sheets of the bed. "Moraddin's blood!" he curses as he rises from the bed to splash water on his face from the pan on the nightstand. His hands shake as he tries to dry them on his undershirt, finding that impossible as it is soaking wet. Looking out the window, he sees that it is only a few hours past midnight. Returning to the bed, he tries to slow his racing heart and return his breathing to normal.
"Too early ta get up," he mumbles as he closes his eyes to try and sleep some more, praying as he does that he won't dream any more this night.