May the hunt begin!
Today is your first time in the tunnels. The recruits to your left and right look worried, afraid they might end up as a footnote on one of the many memorials. But not you. You can hear the bustling liev of th dwarven City above you. Droves of smiths, masons, miners and rune-carvers whose hammers create the unique rythem of Orzammer. Every dwarven bastion has its own heartbeat and you would recognise your hometown from hundreds of meters beneath.
But now you have to focus on the path before you. Your new duty, the very destiny you trained for since you could walk.
You take you trusted weapon from your back.
1. [[Your Greatsword. Made of greysteel and double edged. A giant piece of dwarven craftsmanship. The weapon of a true warrior. You need to get a lot better at wielding it though if you want to use it effectively. Right now you should be able to use it block and slash.->The Greatsword]]
2. [[Your Musket. You spent months building this thing and might very well be the first dwarve to ever use one. The others might be sceptic of the strange contraption, but you would bet a round at the barfing dwarf that it is the inevitable future of warfare.->The Musket]]You heave the weapon from your back. The blade alone is almost your hight and attached to a handle as long as your forarm. Even though its giant proportions it is balanced perfectly.
A medium axe and a small sword hang from your belt.
Most of your companions have equipped their shields by now. You left yours at home.
"Kill them before they get the chance to kill you."
"Bring death and destruction"
The two mantras of your clan. You would mock them if you were ever to use a shield.
[[Next->I'd rather be in the front!]] The tunnel walls are about twenty feet apart. Your company has gotten into position and formed five lines. You aren't really happy to be placed in the third row. A place in the frontline is the quickest way to honor and glory.
[[Next->Enemy approaching GS]]You can hear the enemy now. Heavy boots trampling on rock. Torches lighting up the tunnel walls. About 30 feet in front of you the tunnel makes a turn. You can see their shadows on the wall on your left.
They are coming. Thats it. This will be you first encounter with the evil breed.
You grip your weapons handle tighter and get into a fighting stance. Your heard pounces with anticipation, bloodlust and a little bit of fear.
"So it's your first fight to?"
For a moment you a thrown off. You did not expect anyone to start a conversation seconds before the battle.
1. [[Answer->Answer GS]]
2. [[Concentrate on the fight ahead->Focus on the fight GS]] You equip your range weapon. The steel-barrel ist as long as you are tall and attached to a dark wooden stock. You have already loaded it.
For melee fighting you brought a trusty axe and a smaller sword.
From your shoulder hangs a bag with two compartments. One with metall projectiles. One filled with lighning stones.
Most of your companions have equipped their shields by now. You left yours at home.
"Kill them before they get the chance to kill you."
"Bring death and destruction"
The two mantras of your clan. You would mock them if you were ever to use a shield.
[[Next->I'd rather be in the back]] The tunnel walls are about twenty feet apart. Your company has gotten into position and formed five lines. You aren't really happy to be placed in the third row. In the rear of the fighting party you would have better oversight and more time to shoot and reload.
[[Next->Enemy approaching M]]You can hear the enemy now. Heavy boots trampling on rock. Torches lighting up the tunnel walls. About 30 feet in front of you the tunnel makes a turn. You can see their shadows on the wall on your left.
They are coming. Thats it. This will be you first encounter with the evil breed.
You grip your weapons handle tighter and get into a fighting stance. Your heard pounces with anticipation, bloodlust and a little bit of fear.
"So it's your first fight to?"
For a moment you a thrown off. You did not expect anyone to start a conversation seconds before the battle.
1. [[Answer->Answer M]]
2. [[Concentrate on the fight ahead->Focus on the fight]] "What do you want?", you hiss back unfriendlier than intended. But you are annoyed and rightfully so.
"It's my third tunnel fight. They get the rookies down hear when only small ones got through the outposts. I would rather be in the front line to be honest, I hope at least some of them will even get through to us."
Could that be true? Will your first fight be of rather mild glory?
You are still thinking about what to answer, when the enemy comes rushing around the corner. A horde of small green creatures. The Goblins are equipped with short scimitars and speers. They don't seem to be in heavy armor. Best to strike fast and often and hold back on bigger swings.
[[Next->Sort your thoughts!]]You decide to ignore him focus on the fight ahead. A horde of small green creatures. The Goblins are equipped with shorts scimitars and speers. You can make out about forty of them. A few bigger specimen are among them. Probably hobgoblins. But no orcs, or gnolls. Best to strike fast and often. These pescy vermins should be easy to kill as long as you manage to actually hit them.
[[Next->Hobgoblins sighted]] "What do you want?", you hiss back unfriendlier than intended. But you are annoyed and rightfully so.
"It's my third tunnel fight. They get the rookies down hear when only small ones got through the outposts. I would rather be in the front line to be honest, I hope at least some of them will even get through to us."
Could that be true? Will your first fight be of rather mild glory?
You are still thinking about what to answer, when the enemy comes rushing around the corner. A horde of small green creatures. The Goblins are equipped with short scimitars and speers.
[[Next->Fire, for the stones sake]] You decide to ignore him and focus on the fight ahead. A horde of small green creatures are aproaching. The Goblins are equipped with shorts scimitars and speers. You can make out about forty of them. A few bigger specimen are among them. Probably hobgoblins. But no orcs, or gnolls.
[[You could focus on shooting the bigger hobgoblins->Shooting the Hobgoblins]]
[[You could try to shoot as fast as possible.->Rapid Shot]]You aim at the nearest hobgoblin. He is in the second row and particularly ugly. You decide to get your first shot in before the rows clash.
The explosion makes the troops around you flinch. But they have heard you practice and knew what was comming.
The Hobgoblin on the other hand did not. The bullet hits him square in the forhead. The goblins behind tumble over his dead body. A few fall down. They had not much af a formation before, but now they are in complete chaos.
You decide to
[[Reload->Reload]]
[[Grab your melee weapons->Into the brawl]]
You scramble trough your bag for a lightning stone. Your are shaking as you try to put it in the barrel. Naturally it slips through your fingers and falls to the ground.
Do you
[[Try to pick it up->Pick it up]]
[[Take out a new one->A new bullet]] You try to pick it up. Right when you reach down the horde crashes into the first row. The whole company is pushed back a few staps. When you look up again you stand in the front row.
[[Next->Point-blank]] Right in front of you is a clearing in the enemy lines where a few goblins are trying to get back on their feet. Right across you see another Hobgoblin towering over the smaller Goblins. This time you aim for the chest, since your target is moving.
He tries to jump over them, when the projectile plows through his chest, ripping a hole in his torso and spraying those behind him with blood.
Another reload would take to long.
You hang the rifle on your sholder and draw your melee weapons.
[[Next->Brawl]] You lost your focus while you thought about your companions words. You aim at the first goblin you see and fire. The bullet goes right through his chest and into the one behind him. Nice shot. You scramble through your pouches compartments for another lightningstone and bullet, when the horde colides with the frontline.
[[Next->Too slow!]] Your short sword in your right and your axe in your left you lunge into the enemy lines. The axeblade finds its prey and cuts deep into a goblins neck. Almost simultanously you block a scimitar aimed for your wainst with your short sword, befor you swirl around and burry your axe in the attackers skull.
Some of your companions push past you, driving the goblins back. You are overcome by sudden courage and storm forward with them.
It does not take long and the pitiful rest of the greenlings stumble back down the tunnel in panic. Few of them make it to safety.
[[Next->Jeii you won!]] The company is pushed back a few feet on impact. You didn't take a proper fighting stance while reloading. Your frontman collides with you, sending you crashing on the floor backwards.
"Hobs", someone shouts. The next second a tall green monster towers over you. How did you not see the Hobgoblin among the small green Goblins.
There is no time to react. It hurts a lot when his spear pierces your chest, but not for long. Your vision fades to black. You're with the stones now.
Game Over
[[Back to Start?->How it all began]]You need to think about this later. When the horde collides with the frontline it catches you almost off guard. But you manage to steady your balance.
The company is pushed back several feet, but manages to grind the rush to a halt. Now comes what dwarves are best at. Grinding down enemy numbers in a tight formation until your manage to overpower them in a brawl.
Do you
[[Push forward->In the front row!]]
Hold your positionYour keen eye makes out a few enemys that stand taller then the goblins. The seem to stoop, maybe so they are harder to spot, but you can make them spot them clearly. Hobgoblins!
Those are no easy targets. You will need forceful strikes and rather try to evade their attackes then block them.
It will only be a matter of seconds before the horde collides with the companies frontline.
Do you
[[Push to the front->To the front!]]
[[Brace for impact->Third row]]You try to get a piece of that sweet frontline glory and push forward. The horde colides with the company just a few moments later, with more force then you thought. The whole company is pushed back several feet.
[[Next->In the front row!]]You find yourself in the front row. The company is holding formation. To your left and right a shield wall is keeping the greenlings from breaking through. While your greatsword is a perfect weapon to produce carnage, it is less than ideal to use in defense.
It seems you are the weak spot in your ranks.
Before you can regret the decision that got you in this position, one of the green monsters attacks you. It is taller than the other. As its scimitar comes down on you, you
[[block the blow with your sword.->Block the hit]]
[[try to doge the hit->Slay the Hobgoblin]]You try to block the blow with your greatsword. If yur enemy was a regular Goblin that would have worked. This one however is a Hobgoblin who nocks your oversized weapon right out of your hands. Well, who saw that comming. Such a giant weapon, so little use.
Fortunatly one of your companions stabs your oponent and probably saves your life and probably saves your life.
You take out your other weapons. A axe in the left and the shortsword in your right you jump back into action.
[[Next->Into the brawl]]Hit, parry, counter, repeat. With both your melee weapons swinging you plow through the enemies, leaving dead goblins left and right. Suddenly you feel a tuck on your sholder. Your swiril around almost decapitating the dwarf that tried to get your attention.
You realice quickly, that the rest of th company is not doing well. Before you can protest, the dwarf drags you with him into the formation.
You need to retreat. At first you are pulling out as a coordinated unit, but soon it turns into running. Eventually you make it back to a stronghold.
You survived, but the fight is lost.
Game over
[[Do you want to try again?->How it all began]]You did it! You won your first fight in the tunnels.
Glory and honor may be bestoed on you, especially because your ingenuity, keen eye and fast reaction saved a lot of lives today.
May the stones be ever in your favour.
Congratulations, you won the game.
[[Do you want to restart and explore the other choices?->How it all began]]You cock your gun, take aim and fire your first shot between the shoulders of your allies. They flinch, but they have seen, or rather heard you train with the musket before. They hold the line, while you reload the firearm.
You have seen the bullet hit one of the smaller enemies, which is already overrun by the hoard.
[[Next->Second shot]]You manage to fire the second shot before the lines clash. Another green fiend goes down.
When the Goblins run into the front row, the whole company is pushed back several feet. The back of the man in front of you crashes into you and sends you to the ground flailing. Your musket falls onto your chest forcing the air out of your lungs. Just as you look up, one of the Hobgoblins breaches the rows in front of you. You struggle to get up, but to slow. Hisdrives his spear right through your chest.
The battle is ultimatly won, but you will not live to celebrate. Sorry.
Game over
[[Do you want to try again?->How it all began]]You reach into your bag for another bullet. The lightning stone in the chamber schould be able to fire another two, or three.
As you grab a bullet, you feel it's different, heavier than the first two. This is one of your special bullets. You are not sure if it's the right moment for it, but there is no time to rechoose. You slide the projectile in the barrel and take aim again, but before you can shoot, the hoard colides with the frontline. The companie is pushed several feet back and you find yourself in the second row.
[[Next->Front row]] You manage to raise your musket above the shoulder of the man in front of you and fire. You shoot above the Goblin right in front of you, but he was not your target anyway. The bullet hits a Hobgoblin a few rows behind and, with a deafening bang, explodes. A ball of flame reduces a hand full of Goblins next to him to ashes. Most of the others are knocked over by the shock-wave.
The blast has exceeded all your expextations. You could not be more proud of your creation. At the same time, the idea that you carried this thing around in your bag with a bunch of lightning stones.
You draw your melee weapons and charge with the reast of the company.
The enemy does not stand a chance. The dwarven hammers make quick work of those which cannot flee fast enough.
Today you are a hero and those by your side will never forget, that you most likely saved their lifes today.
[[Next->Jeii you won!]] You brace for impact. The hoard colides with the frontline and the company is pushed back hard. The formation would have collapsed if it wasn't for you, steadiing the backs of those in front of you and mitigating the blow for those behind you. The battle wages back and forth until a Hobgoblin breaches the shield wall. The large green monster towers over your fellow dwarves. dashing out strikes left and right. You decide it is a suitable enemy and you shove your way towards him.
The other soldiers have formed a circle aroud it when you reach the monster. You lunge forward. The Monster swings it's primitive scimitar at you.
[[Next->Slay the Hobgoblin]]The Hobgoblin swings it's scimitar at you. At hairbreadth you evade the blade and thrust your Greatsword forward. It instinctivly turns its chest away, but that is not where you aimed at. Your sword cuts through the flesh right next to its right knee, capping the hamstring. As the Hobgoblin goes down on one knee, you swing fast and hard. The blade diggs greedily into the beasts neck, killing it on the spot.
Some of the Goblins recoil at the sight of one of their headmans beeing slaughtered. Your allies, on the other hand, gather new courage. You lead the charge and manage to drive the enemies back into the tunnels. At least half of them are slaughtered and a good handfull injured enough, that they won't make it back to their layer.
[[Next->Jeii you won!]]