1. Journals

The runesmith's tale.

Session 4

We had lived in harmony for several hundred years, building our great empire here in the twin peaks.

Our trade with the neighboring civilizations was going well, and we had all the ale and riches we could ever wish for.

But one day, everything changed.

We struck an underground vein of mitral which led into a cave system under the mountain, from within there, the Dero emerged from the darkness.

They seemed friendly at first and my father decided that 1+1+1 could equal 1 as 1+1 had before. But alas, he was wrong. The dero magister tainted the mind of my fathers closest advisor, and secretly they plottet against us all.

Over several years, the dero convinced our people to close the gates, their weakness to the sun made it impossible for us to strike up an alliance with them with the gates open, and so, they were shut.

After several decades of scheming an uprising came. My clan went to war against my father and later the Druegar. Those who had long been our allies. But my clansmen were thirsty for power, wealth was not enough.

The dero magister D'klar taught us a twisted experiment, where we could endlessly enhance runic energy into a vessel, as long as we could keep it alive. That is why you see this Roper here in this twisted state.

After having split our alliance, and Dero started picking off us dwarves, one by one people were sacrificed for alleged crimes, to feed their life essence to enhance the roper and tap power to create powerful artifacts.

Most of the Dero have gone back underground, leaving only a few back to maintain the ritual and keep me alive.

My time is short, i have grown old and weary, and i doubt i could handle leaving this place.