When you get close to the altar, blue beams of light spring from it and wash over you. You feel like you're being probed. Then, suddenly, they fade away. You seem to have passed the test. Piles of dust on the floor indicate that not all are so lucky.
However, this tower is very densely trapped, and they've had considerable casualties penetrating as far as they have. The writer, however, believes they were quite close to the mage's chambers.
There are soldiers possessions scattered all over the floor. In a pack here, you find something fascinating - a journal describing the soldier's time here. It would seem they're here looking to capture a mage named Sixus and his private papers.
The door opens on the tower foyer. It is currently being used for something other than greetings - a large contingent of Empire soldiers have set up camp inside.
There is a body-sized depression in the wall here. Someone or something impacted here with considerable force.
Right here, someone blasted a hole through the tower wall with a strong application of magical force. Rubble is strewn for some distance beyond the gap.
Beyond this door, the floor disappears. Instead, a gaping pit yawns before you. A thin strip of floor runs around the pit - it looks like the floor opened out from under someone. Nasty.
At first, you think the statue in this room is designed to look like its eyes follow you wherever you go. After a few moments, you realize it isn't an illusion - the statue's eyes are following you.
When you get close to the end of the passage, it seems like you cross an invisible line. On one side, you couldn't see the tower right in front of you. On the other side, you can...
It turns out to take a lot of effort. This equipment is built to process molten iron; it's not fragile. However, you do manage to heavily crack its sturdy marble components. The smelter is no longer usable.
You can't make any sense of the book. Pity.
The tome is a spell book. Most of it details really basic rituals, ones you already know by heart. One of the spells, however, is intriguing. You now know how to cast Resist Magic.
The smelting apparatus, sturdy as it was, is a wreck. It'll take some time to rebuild, and hopefully Exiles will be the ones to do it.
None of the looters have found the body of this sentry yet. He probably fell during the initial attack, felled by a fiery blast from a gazer. Unfortunately, most of his supplies didn't survive the attack.
The floor is dominated by a large steel anvil, still hot from constant use. It is large enough for serious, large scale work, especially if the smith had magical skills.
It is much, much colder inside this room than outside. The chill seeps through your clothes and sinks into your skin.
This body is very recently dead, and has the look of an Empire looter. It has no visible wounds, but the expression on its face is one of sheer terror.
You are in the middle of a field of bonfires, sending greasy smoke up towards the ceiling of the huge cavern. They are burning litter, debris, bodies, and other remains of the battle for Cotra, and of Cotra itself.
You are in the middle of several rows of bodies, casualties of the battle for Cotra. There are both Empire soldiers and Exiles, about equal numbers of both. They await burning in the fires nearby, and, considering the smell, not a minute too soon.
There are many piles of ore here. Judging from the sulphurous smoky haze, there is a smelter nearby, waiting to process the stuff.
Accidentally or not, the bookshelf has been destroyed by a fiery blast from one of the gazers. Considering how rare books are, it's a terrible waste.
The padlock is easy to get open. Too easy. As soon as it the metal loop clicks free, the box flies open and shoots flames all over you.
Wandering around this seemingly barren cave, you stumble upon a cunningly concealed tunnel. You peek inside, and see a host of Empire soldiers staring back at you. They don't look pleased at being discovered.
You find a tiny hidden room. There is a peg coming out of the north wall, perfect for hanging a key ring off of.
You hear a clanking noise coming from outside the room.
You slay the fortresses chieftain. It doesn't take long for word of what you did to get out. You hear berserk screams, as the Nephilim slaves suddenly and viciously turn on their guards!
The giants live in here. The cat-people tend to live in very clean chambers. In contrast, this place is filthy. You can almost hear the fleas and ticks marching towards you.
When you grab one of the bottles, the cork on the other pops off! Smoke pours out of it, filling the room. Then the smoke coalesces into several creatures...
The altar is still there, but nothing is left on it.
You are at the entrance to the Nepharim's slave pit. None of the imprisoned Nephilim remain. All that's left are the smoky fire and the thin pallets.
A huge cave rat is roasting on a spit over these fires. You neglect to try any.
Scattered among the hulking, healthy Nepharim are a few scrawny Nephilim, armed with rough weapons. They don't look happy to be fighting.
You reach the entrance to the Nepharim fort, and see a wide variety of the savage creatures inside, working, sharpening weapons, standing guard. They're heavily armed, and ready for defense.
This is an imposing stone door, with a huge padlock. On a hunch, you try your bronze key in the lock. Sure enough, it clicks open.
This is an imposing stone door, with a huge padlock. You smash away at it, but you can't get the lock open.
In the confusion of the escape, this hidden cache of supplies got forgotten. Food and weapons, carefully squirreled away, are carefully stacked throughout the small cavern.
A narrow walkways runs between two deep sinkholes on either side. To the north, you see that the bridge has been coated with slippery, nasty, acrid-smelling filth.
The smell of incense grows stronger. On the floor off to the side is a broken shield. It has the symbol of the army of Exile on it. It doesn't make you feel any better about the residents of these caves.
You cannot help but notice that the totems in the northern alcoves have human skulls on them.
You try to read the scrolls, but they just don't make any sense to you.
This cavern smells of old incense and rot. You hear chanting coming from deep within it. And howls.
You, with difficulty, manage to clear your head somewhat. Inside the room are several ancient, hunched women, beginning to prepare spells. They stand around a bubbling pot, and the bones littering the floor around them are clearly humanoid in origin.
You open the door, and a cloud of fumes pours out. Your eyes water and you get lightheaded. From inside the room you hear chanting. There are growls coming from around you. You start to feel very sleepy...
The leader of the brigands dies painfully. This band won't be harassing any more refugees.
You find a room hidden in the thick walls of Silvar. Brigands have painstakingly hollowed themselves out a little lair here.
You are at the center of Silvar's famous park. Delicate cavewood trees rise around you, and the burble of the spring nearby is wonderfully relaxing. You rest for a few minutes before getting on with it.
This building is full of refugees. They let you in to pour thanks upon you for slaying the brigands that were harassing them. They're poor and almost without food, but thanks to you they're not totally without hope.
This building is crammed with refugees, unarmed and destitute. However, when they see you, they grab clubs and muster at the door to protect their meager possessions. You back off to avoid slaying them.
This corner of Silvar is filled with recently built but already crumbling stone buildings, piles of garbage, thin, worried people, and a rank smell. This must be where they're sticking the refugees from Cotra. It's a grim sight.
The guardhouse is abutted by a tiny storeroom.
This building is a small but busy shipyard. Several long, flat-bottomed boats are in various stages of construction. The ballistae being installed on their prows would seem to indicate these ships are intended for the war effort.
Athron wheels around with a mighty howl, and charges. The air suddenly fills with a strange keening noise, coming from all around you. Creatures are waking...
The voice sounds resigned. "All right. I will reward your persistence. Come see me, but beware. Disturb my inner sanctum, and I will slay you!" You are brought before Athron...
"Aaarrr! Why are you so insistent on disturbing my privacy! Take this, and suffer..."
"Not you again! You are starting to irritate me! Pester my minions instead..." You disappear.
The voice groans. "Not again! I told her I did not wish to speak with her, and I meant it. Perhaps this will dissuade you from disturbing my privacy!" You are teleported...
"That is as may be, but it doesn't make me wish to speak with you. Begone!" You are teleported...
With a loud grinding noise, the walls to either side of you lower slowly into the floor.
Athron was clearly prepared for interlopers who would interfere with his eggs. The glow covering the eggs expands to envelop you. Your hearts explode inside your chests.
The gazer dies, its corpse still bobbing gently in midair. This band of brigands just became a lot less threatening.
You hear a loud 'RUTCH' to the north.
This is very odd. You've heard there are brigands in these caves. Yet, the magical traps hiding the entrance must have required more magical skill to create than most brigands possess. Very odd indeed.
You quickly peruse the books on the shelves. You quickly find that the brigand's tastes run less to the cerebral and more to the pornographic.
Living underground for several years tends to inure one to beautiful natural formations. The gorgeous, glittering quartz crytals sprouting from the walls would have really impressed you ten years ago. Now, you have better things to think about.
The lava grows far too hot to continue.
The rest of these caverns have smelled very unpleasant. However, the odors elsewhere were paradise compared to the flesh-wrinkling stench wafting from the south.
You make your way along the narrow ledge, just barely keeping from falling into the lava. You see similar ledges line the flow for some distance to the north.
Whoever lives here has been killing your people for sport, and putting their remains on display. This foul behavior has to stop.
The sight to the west chills you to the bone, despite the heat being put out by the lava behind you. The wide passage is lined on either side by totems covered with broken armor, weapon, and heads. The armor was clearly taken from Exile soldiers.
There isn't anything valuable in the Vahnatai cabinet. What's interesting is that this is definitely a Vahnatai cabinet, in human hands. Odd.
To the west are the soldier's garbage pits. You notice they've thrown away good leather and bottles, now broken and ruined. No citizen of the underworld would ever be this wasteful.
Suddenly, and noisily, the fences in front of and behind you slide into the floor!
You hear a clanking noise from the south.
You find a deck of cards, some sticks, and some silverware. Nothing valuable.
You find the treasure room. This is where the soldiers store booty looted from citizens of Exile.
Suddenly, flames shoot out of the walls! You jump back and avoid being totally baked, but the heat still sears you a bit.
The turgid fleshy sex drones of Almaria sweep down upon you, hauling you away to pleasure-soaked realms beyond human comprehension. You immediately forget about Exile and its troubles, and well you should!
The cold is still there, and the grim green glow is still on the walls (although fading). However, the dark core of this place is definitely gone.
The darkness is definitely becoming deeper.
Beyond the barrier, you see a field of slaughter. The dead soldiers before you wear the armor of the Empire, but at least a century old. Many of the frozen bodies have wounds, but many don't. You feel hostile spirits flit through the air around you.
It could be your imagination, but you would swear the cavern is becoming darker.
You find a band of adventurers, unpleasantly killed and well-preserved in the icy cold of the cavern. All their valuables have been stripped away.
The air here is icy cold. Frost forms long, delicate traceries on the walls.
The darkness becomes absolute and all-consuming.
The spirit of the mage is still here, just as dark and malevolent as before. However, it has no more energy to throw at you or undead to summon. For now.
You immediately get a very bad feeling about this cavern. It's too dark, and too quiet, and too cold. Something evil lives here.
The cell has fallen into extreme disuse. Between the dust and all the webs, you can't make out much inside.
You find yourself at the north end of a narrow, cramped corridor. There are two reinforced cell doors in the east wall.
This is the yard where Empire prisoners are kept while waiting to be traded or otherwise dealt with. Dirty sleeping mats are scattered around a feeble bonfire. A few prisoners stare at you listlessly.
You hunch over and walk into this cramped silo. Bags and barrels of mushrooms and dried meat are heaped haphazardly to either side. The smell is so thick you feel like you can taste the stuff from where you are.
