"Don't disturb me, human." "I'm Torgo." You meet one of the fort's guards. 0 stnd 25 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 "" 0 stnd 0 She doesn't sound the least bit sincere. Her expression sours. "The orders say you are to be given all you want. No offense, but we have very little to spare. Still, help yourself to our limited resources. Please. Take all you want." 0 gene 3 "We're too far away from everyone. It's hard to get what we need. However, in your case, we can be generous." 0 supp@stoc 3 She looks from her records. "I look after the supplies of the fort. It's hard to keep everything stocked." She ignores you. 4 1 quar 3 "I'm the quartermaster here." She looks up. "Selar." There is a Vahnatai woman here, inventorying supplies. 0 stnd 3 "I'll ask her about it again someday, but I have little optimism." 0 self 2 "She wanted me to go on some deadly mission. It isn't worth that much to me." 0 pric 2 "Rentar-Ihrno. I asked her to show me how to make it, but she refused. Her price was too high." He shakes his head. "A selfish woman." 0 rent 2 "A wondrous secret. But alas, only Rentar can make it." 0 magi@barr 2 "The deadliest and most powerful of the magical barriers." 0 quic 2 Resigned to the interruption, he shakes his head. "I am attempting to create quickfire." He looks at you in disgust. "Leave me, human! Deliver your spurious orders and leave me alone!" 4 1 crea 2 "Yes!" He is getting angry. 0 deli 2 "Creations are very delicate things!" 0 inte 2 He shakes his head irritably. "You have interrupted my creation, human." "I am Strossen-Ihrno." A Vahnatai mage stares into the glowing crystal with fierce concentration. He seems to be trying to move or create something with his mind. After a few minutes of this, however, he stops. 0 stnd 2 "We should have learned more before me judged. Still, it is not to late to atone and repair the damage." 0 judg@hate 1 "We were too quick to judge, and too quick to hate." 0 wron@were 1 She shakes her head. "I never dreamed of fighting with or for humans. But that only shows how wrong we were." 0 huma 1 "" 112 guar@gate 1 "I guard the gate." "I am Haineux." A Vahnatai mage watches you carefully, and with great distaste. 0 stnd 1 "I am guilty of the attack on you, and of their deaths. And that is all there is to say." He hangs his head, and his arms fall limply to his side. 0 conf@blam 0 "The ones who attacked you thought you were evil beings come to fool us. I wanted to stop them but not, I confess, not enough. I lead here. I am to blame." 0 surp@tric 0 He shakes his head sadly. "Several were convinced it was a trick." "We get little news, tragically little, from our people. All we knew of you humans was that you stole our Crystal Souls and were terribly dangerous. Then you suddenly show up with orders. We were surprised!" 0 grea@remo 0 "Now, our mission is to aid you." 0 miss 0 "A very powerful, though not impenetrable, magical barrier." 0 barr 0 "If they broke down the barrier and passed through, we could not stand against them. However, we could hold them off long enough for our people to prepare their defenses. That is our mission. Or, was our mission." 0 forc@empi 0 "To the west is a tunnel, blocked by magical barriers. Just beyond it are human lands, choked with the forces of what you call the Empire." 0 impo@huma 0 "Fort Haledon, westernmost outpost of our tribe, and easily the most remote. It has become very important, because of the humans." 0 comm@fort 0 "I command this fort. It is a difficult job, because of its great remoteness." He bows his head. "I am Mahr-Tel." You speak with the commander, who is still overwhelmed with shame. 0 stnd 0 "I don't know about that." 50 4 Fort Haledon