DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

 invaders of the underdark

VOLUME 1

the heroes' gathering

 he village of
Drinduron was a peaceful place with food aplenty and scarce on incidents. The
High Elf wizard Durloc lived here. He founded Drinduron decades to the past,
and resided in the village ever since, watching it grow and prosper. For that
long, no serious trouble was caused or aimed at the village, and everyone lived
happily and without worries.

  However, peace always would be
broken.

  Durloc entered his chamber of
divination and looked into the bowl of water. He saw the reflection of himself
slowly distort as a scene looking up at the town of Drinduron appeared to
replace his face. The scene seemed peaceful and normal - just as any other view
of the village. However, Durloc sensed something troubling stirring within the
image. Sure enough, he soon saw a hand reach out from the ground. He first
thought it was the undead - zombies and mummies - but then he saw that he was
wrong. They were people of the Underdark - member of the dark society located underground
near the Abyssal areas, filled with fiends and monsters. Soon more and more
Underdark people rose from the ground. They have somehow found a way to dig
their way up to the common world. Underdark dwarves led ahead as other
Underdark citizens such as evil tieflings and grick trailed behind them. They
attacked villagers of Drinduron and took their homes and belongings, as well as
their lives.

  Durloc forced himself to watch
the repugnant scene in horror, until his instincts gave in and he recoiled away
from the bowl. He knew that this bowl was looking into the future, and now knew
that in the future, Drinduron will be destroyed by people of the Underdark. For
days, he had searched through his mind for solutions, until it hit him - he
would gather experienced adventurers to fight the Underdark citizens before
they attack!

  However, very few were
experienced at all in adventures among the villagers of Drinduron. Therefore,
Durloc decided to leave the village for a while - though he was afraid that the
Underdark will strike whilst he was gone - to look for adventurers to save his
town.

  For two tendays, he rode his
horse to the nearest populous town of Wenwickham. When he arrived, he was
greeted by guards protecting the gate into the town.

  "State thy business!"
one of the guards would holler.

  "I am here to seek
employees for my work," Durloc answered.

  "Specifically what type
of 'work' is it thou speakest of?" another guard inquired.

  "I am seeking to protect
my village from a horrible prophecy that the Underdark people will attack by
striking them first," replied Durloc.

  "Very well, then... do
you have proof about thy reason?" the first guard questioned.

  "I do not. But I suggest
you rely on a High Elf wizard's statements," advised Durloc.

  The guards did not speak for a
while.

  "Alright... Open the
gates!"  the first guard boomed.

  The gargantuan gate would
slowly lower down over the moat to connect together the land with the town.

  "I am grateful,"
thanked Durloc.

  "Do not make
trouble," the second guard warned.

  When Durloc finally crossed
over into the town, he saw a swordsman.

  "Hello, swordsman!"
he would greet.

  "Why, hello, there, old
man," the swordsman would greet back.

  "I am to ask you if you
may join my quest to fight gainst the Underdark."

  "The Underdark, you
say?"

  "Yes, indeed, I speak of the
Underdark..."

  "Hm... well, I do have a
certain grudge against them."

  "And what might that
be?"

  "Some Underdark urchins
have kidnapped my childhood sweetheart years ago. She was a brave girl, alright,
and had attempted to fight them. But of course, she was no match for the
monstrous Underdark dwarves."

  "A sad story, indeed... I
will do my best to find her, even if you do not join me, when I go into the
horrid place."

  "I thank you. I offer
fifty gold pieces and an Axe of the Dwarvish Lords."

  "An Axe of the Dwarvish
Lords?"

  "Yes. I have acquired it
as a trophy of winning against the Dwarvish King of Enduron, King Sturdan
Brokenheel."

  "Quite
impressive..."

  "And you do not need to
worry about finding my childhood sweetheart..."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I will myself. I
agree to join your party! I will still give you the rewards for taking me into
the Underdark and helping me find her."

  "Thank you, swordsman!
Thank you!"

  "My name is Cendorin
Vidleia, a half-elf rogue."

  "You were not a
swordsman?"

  "Well, I am a rogue, yet
I am proficient with swords better than daggers."

  "Quite interesting. Well,
I am Durloc Treidein, a high elf and wizard. I have founded the town of
Drinduron, which I am aiming to protect by attacking the Underdark before they
attack my village, which I have seen in a prophecy from a bowl of water."

  "How unfortunate."

  "Well, we've no time to
waste. I need at least three more in this party!"

  Soon, while walking around the
village, Durloc had found a street urchin beating a young child.

  "I know how much silver
pieces you have," he growled at the child.

  "What a rascal!"
Cendorin exclaimed.

  Suddenly, the urchin caught
sight of Durloc and Cendorin, and he approached them.

  "What is up with this
party?" he asked.

  "We are here to attack
the Underdark - " Cendorin was going to explain, but after the first part,
he was cut off by the urchin's enthusiastic request.

  "MAY I JOIN YOUR
PARTY?" he bellowed.

  "Uh, of course,"
Durloc answered, "but why?"

  "First things
first... my name is Caid Grytter. Second, I want to join... because... my
family was killed by those of the Underdark. I will avenge them..."

  "Depressing business,
indeed!" Cendorin exclaimed. "As long as you no longer cause any more
trouble for us and other people - well, excluding our enemies - you should be
allowed to join!"