Rapuso II!

We begin our tale in the land of Caldera, a land of sand and dust.


You stand at the entrance to a rather decrepit looking mine. The clearly ancient structures that denote its presence are crumbling and rotten. The door you face is a heavily reinforced wooden barrier; it seems to be sturdier than most. Upon opening the door, a wall of stagnant air hits you like a wet blanket. The air is musty and dank. Stepping cautiously forward, you peer off into the darkness. Only one torch is illuminated, casting light enough to see a door some ways down the corridor. The walls that the torch is mounted upon are moist, riddled with years of moss and vermin. The corridor itself is narrow and somewhat claustrophobic, but the darkness that deepens up ahead is indicative of a larger clearing. You are faced with two choices: Do you investigate the doorway, or pass it over?

Fortor grunts, shrugging off the atmosphere of the mine. He's seen plenty of dwarven cities kept in such poor conditions.
Being driven by the rumors of possible treasure, he swaggers toward the doorway, intent on searching all corners of the long-abandoned place. After firmly removing the torch from the post in which it sat, the dwarf turns abruptly, and with the grinding of his plated armor, he faces doorway.

The doorway before you is shut, but does not appear to have any sort of keyhole. A simple latch rests over the closing mechanism. As you move the torch forward, you see to the left a branching corridor, which you cannot see the end of. There is another door close by, but not within reach. The area behind the door is quiet, and dark. The latch also seems rusty.

Deciding that it's too early to go busting through doors, Fortor proceeds to examine the illuminated areas brought into view. With luck, the distant door will be free of locks -- though, he also wishes to view the apparent corridor!
After clearing his mind of a brief confusion regarding what to do, Fortor settles with standing at the entrance to the corridor, so that he may have a proper vantage point of both areas of interest.

You look down this new corridor, your torch spilling light into realms unknown. At the very end, there is an open doorway. In fact, it appears to be naught but an empty archway! The hallway is none too long, but the torch is small. All that is visible is the first few feet into the room, which reveals a small stretch of featureless stone floor. The door beside you is locked, this time by what seems to be a more recently added lock; this one does not look degraded as the previous one. You do not currently have any means to open it.


*Hint*: Black area is unexplored, but still part for the map. Dark blue area is nontraversible.

(POINT OF VIEW CHANGE, INITIATE)

As I naturally do, I mutter to myself, "Another locked door? By m'beard, Lolth, if y'were incarnate right now, ye'd be missin' yer nose. Guess I'll be havin' to tr'verse this hallway, here."
I laze about for a moment, until a creepy spider comes into view. Freaking out, I scuttle into the hallway as fast as my dwarven legs can scuttle while supporting a body clad in onerous plate armor. Which is pretty much my normal speed, anyway.

You skitter to a halt in the doorway of the open room, panting with the effort of running down the hallway at such a gait.. Glancing around, you quickly survey the room. The room is actually quite well-stocked. There are numerous crates and barrels lining the walls, their contents sealed within. Several bags lay scattered around the containers. The canvas sacks have been slashed by some sharp instrument, but it is difficult to discern what it was. There is also a small rack, apparently designed to hold weaponry. Fortunately, the previous users were kind enough to leave behind a small warhammer. The intriguing aspect of the room, however, is the small fenestration on each wall. The small squares dot the center of the four walls. They are perhaps a foot square, and dark.






(Map so far)

While the patterned walls spark a slight interest in me, my taste for golden loot is truly my motivational force. Utilizing the warhammer found laying about, I smash at all of the containers visible.
Hey, maybe there will be something to do with those squares in one of these crates -- I'll use that as an excuse to make a royal mess out of everything even an orc would honor.

In your smashing spree, you note that the containers are primarily filled with fruit and wheat. Feeling a slight wind on your back, you turn. The previously dark holes have begun to glow ever so slightly, and the shards of wood and crushed wheat begin to swirl in a circle on the ground. Rising slowly, the pile of tan cyclones upwards until it is nearly up to your chest. A light appears in the center of the mass, increasing in volume and brightness. Two armlike projections begin to bud from the torso, now, and the thing assumes a strange stance. The wind is now constant, and it seems to be fueling the miniature cyclone that keeps this entity alive. You have no idea what it could be, or why it is appearing; but you know it is slowly approaching you.

I freak out, then remember to keep my cool. Good lord.
I settle on shoving a loaf of bread into one of the holes.

The cyclonic being wafts its way over to float next to you. It lashes out with a flung piece of wood, but the shard glances harmlessly off of your armor. You shove the bread into the hole; it sticks, and the gale from within seems to quell.

I shove more bread into another window.
Whatever it is, it seems to be powered by these square holes...

Although lacking in bread, you pick up more produce and attempt to jam it into a hole. However, as you do, the fenestration puts forth a mighty blast, dislodging the food. Your inattentiveness has also provoked an attack from the wheat cyclone. It slings another wood shard, this time hitting you across the face for 2 damage.

I roll for intuitive divine support. (AKA, I pray for knowledge from the gods. I guess it's a common thing that dwarves do.)

You receive a burst of insight, fueled by divine means. You know that this creature is a Wheat Elemental. It is commonly known to guard pantries and the like, and will fight to ensure its produce brethren's safety. It needs a source of wind or some sort of propulsion to keep it alive, though. If it stagnates, it will die. This particular one is small, so it will give you no trouble. Additionally, the glowing core of every elemental is solid and very fragile.

I stand in front of another fenestration in an attempt to choke off another fourth of its "life".

Your broad shoulders efficiently clog the hole from which the elemental's power is seeping. It falters momentarily, weakened by having half its life cut off. You can tell this might be a good time to strike.

It's clearly growing weaker, but I know I can do better than this.
I roll to throw my small war-hammer into a third hole, while keeping the presently blocked one covered with a shield.

The warhammer rattles around in the hole for a moment, before being flung out again by the coursing winds. The elemental now takes a swing at you with its sharp fragments, but clatters in vain against your armor.

...Ah, well. I roll to strike at the core of the elemental.

You swing at the beastie with your shield (having thrown your weapon) but the elemental nimbly dodges your strike. The ethereal cyclone has no better luck in the counterattack, however, swinging blindly into thin air.

GWAAHGH
I roll to throw my shield at the wretch!

You fling your shield at the elemental, dealing a cracking blow across its glass hull. The beastie reels back, but is confused after being struck, offering no counterattack.

Cracking my knuckles, I proceed to asphyxiate the manaspawn.

Grabbing the orb around the already cracked spots, your hands easily find purchase in the crystal. You pull, and it splits in your hands. The wind suddenly ceases, and the bits of wood and wheat drop to the floor. You gather your weapons again, victorious. The room lies motionless; no more elementals seem to be in line.

Alright. Time to do some bustin'. I return to the first door I encountered, and roll to smash my way in.