choose your own adventure, episode 21b

You wait until the last minute, and then throw yourself sideways. The wyvern tries to follow you, but comes to an awkward landing in the raging flames, wings beating as it tries to stabilize itself. The fire doesn’t appear to trouble the wyvern. The same cannot be said for the wyvern’s orcish rider, who shrieks as his clothes go up in flame.

Then you race across the courtyard, dodging the firebombs flung by the other wyvern riders, and sprint into the monastery’s chapel. The chapel, like the rest of the monastery, lies in ruins. However, the stone roof is still intact, and will provide protection from the orcs’ firebombs.

At least until Vlacht and his soldiers swarm over the wall.

Dietrich hovers over you like a protective shadow, and Caius, Curtwall and Mourner join you.

“You led us here to die!” says Caius to Curtwall, shaking with anger. “Jerome and I kept the last soulblade hidden for twenty years, and now we’ve lost it because of you!”

“We’re not dead yet, old man,” says Mourner with a sneer. “Since you seem ever ready to fall upon your sword and die, why don’t you do it, and save the rest of us the trouble of your…”

“Silence, both of you,” says Curtwall. “We’re not finished yet.” He points at the entrance to the monastery proper. “The monks of the High God were not fools. There is an escape tunnel in the cellar, opening at the foot of the hill. We can take the tunnel and make our way into the mountains while Ulmoch and Vlacht have their attention focused here. It’s only a few hours to midnight, and I can then cast the spell to open the portal.”

“We’ll be out in the open,” says Mourner. “How will we keep Ulmoch from finding us?”

“We’ll shelter the caves,” says Curtwall. “An entrance is not far from here.”

That gives you pause. The caverns riddling the northern mountains have an evil reputation. Tribes of wild orcs live in the caverns. Along with worse things, if the rumors are true.

“Too risky,” says Mourner. “You know why this monastery was founded. The Church of the High God built it to keep watch over Ur Morlemoch. It is a short distance away, and we can take shelter there until midnight. Ulmoch will never dare follow us into those ruins.”

“That is madness,” says Curtwall. “If we go into Ur Morlemoch, we shall never come out.”

You know the name, and your father told you the story. In ancient times Ur Morlemoch was a castle of the Dark Elves. After the Dark Elves’ High Kingdom collapsed, an undead Dark Elven wizard of tremendous magical might remained living in the ruined castle, even as the rest of the Dark Elves perished. The creature lurking in the castle has absolutely no interest in the outside world, and never ventures forth.

But the stories of what it does to intruders…

Of course, Ulmoch might follow you into the caverns, but only a fool or a madman would dare Ur Morlemoch.

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