Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Stronghold

{Right now, it looks like you haven’t cleared out all the enemies,} Gracie started.  {You can’t secure this cavern as your stronghold until after it is . . . well . . . secure.}

Jace was still in his room and looked toward the small apartment where he kept Trixna.  “Does she count?” Jace asked.  He had worked to protect her.  He still wasn’t entirely sure why, but it seemed the right thing to do.  The game wasn’t going to make him kill her, was it?

{I don’t know, but there is at least one more orc warrior.}

“Right,” Jace said, remembering that Esther had told him she had left a guard under Topper’s control.  He moved out of his room and back into the main hall.  He sucked in his breath as he surveyed the gruesome scene.  He had been focused on Carrak and Esther and didn’t notice all the other dead orcs.

Grink lay along the wall right next to the entrance to his room.  His body looked like it had been left in the desert for a week.  It was dry and hollow, with ghostly pale skin.  “Am I going to have to remove all these bodies?  Or will they just disappear?”

{They will disappear in 12 hours or after one night’s sleep.  I recommend you get everything in order quickly, and then you and Esther should sleep through the rest of the night.  That will set her spawn point here, so you won’t have to look for her if she ever dies in the future.  If Snowy dies, she will also come back here.  Also, once you set a spawn point, you can choose to load to that location when you enter the game fresh, assuming we can ever get you out of there.}

Jace looked at the rest of the bodies, wondering if he should waste time picking up loot.  Grink had nice equipment, but none of it was magical.  Still, he picked it up, figuring he could store it in one of the empty chests in his room.  The two females were cut up badly, and he tried not to stare at their mostly naked bodies.  Their knives had caused Esther problems and might be useful, so he collected them as well.

Next, he came to the demon stone.  It was no longer suspended above the pedestal but had fallen down and then rolled off to rest on the ground.  It still pulsed with energy, and Jace didn’t feel like touching it.  He would have to keep it under lock and key but would worry about that later.  He moved on for now.

The dead shaman, archer, and thrall guard didn’t have anything interesting, but they were lying close to the dining room, and Jace remembered Snowy diving in there to escape his totem blast.  The wolf was still inside, standing on the large table and licking the meat dish clean.  She was back to full health, so the food break was beneficial.  Snowy looked up at him and howled her satisfaction.  She leaped off the table and prepared to follow him.  Jace was about to leave when he heard a clatter from the kitchen.

A quick inspection showed two gnomes cowering in fear.  “Don’t worry,” Jace said, but as he listened to the sound of his voice, he remembered he was still an orc.  Now that he was out of combat mode, he generated mana slower, but he had enough to charge his necklace for half an hour.  By the time that elapsed, he would have enough for over two hours.  He just hoped to remember to do it before it failed in front of a group of gnomes.

“I’m sorry,” Jace said once he was in human form.  “I only looked like an orc to blend in with them.  So I could fight and defeat them.  All the orcs are dead.  You are slaves no longer.”

They found that hard to believe, well aware of how powerful Carrak had been.  As they came out from behind the pots and pans they had been using for cover, Snowy stepped into the doorway to have a look, and they squealed and jumped back into the cookware.  Jace didn’t have time for this.  He explained that Snowy was his and wouldn’t eat them and reiterated that they were free to return to their home below.  They didn’t seem eager to believe him, and Jace didn’t try any further.

The tunnel down to the mines was still littered with bodies and bloodstains.  Jace really hoped Gracie was right and all of that would go away.  He remembered that Drescher’s priest, Axilia, had been able to cast a cleansing spell that had removed Wallace’s body and bloodstains.  Maybe one of the gnomes could do that for him.

Topper was waiting at the bottom of the tunnel with his orc bodyguard.  The gnome hadn’t seen him before, but he remembered Snowy.  Still, a human like Jace in these tunnels had to be working with Esther.

“Are you Topper?” Jace asked, knowing he was but having to get the introductions out of the way for the gnome’s sake.  “My name is Jace.  I’m with Esther.”

Topper nodded.  “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, just resting after the battle.  Carrak is dead.  Your people are safe.”

At this news, several other gnomes who had been hiding just out of view cheered loudly.  “We can’t thank you enough,” Topper replied.  “If there is anything we can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Jace didn’t hesitate.  “I am looking for a home.  I am a stone shaman and want a cave system with a few luxuries.  Once the dead orcs are cleaned out above, I believe it will be nice.  With the demon still sleeping below your feet and his stone calling out for new wielders, more enemies will be coming.  With me living above, I can defend your home.”

Topper nodded and huddled up with a few others.  The conversation was brief.  “Of course, that would be no problem.  The arrangement will be mutually beneficial.  We built most of those rooms for Carrak, so please let us know if you need any modifications.”

“I will do that.”

Topper smiled in response, and then his face shifted as a thought struck him.  “Does this mean Esther will be living here also?  I mean, she said she was a student in Crestfall.”

Jace knew infatuation when he saw it and didn’t blame the little guy.  “Yes, I believe she will be staying here.”

The excitement on Topper’s face was impossible to miss.  Jace decided to help the gnome out.  He felt safe going into his inventory before the scout and immerged a moment later, holding the four knives he had taken from the females.  He squatted down to get more at the gnome’s level and spoke in a hushed tone.  “Esther is the one who killed Carrak.  I couldn’t have done it without her, and your people would still be enslaved.  If you built the rooms up there, you must have some craftsmen in your group.  It would mean a lot if you could try to upgrade these for her.  She really likes diamonds.  I imagine in a mine like this, that shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

Topper understood exactly what Jace was saying, took the weapons, which looked like short swords in his hands, and turned again to his brethren.  Topper could do nothing with them, but Jace watched several older gnomes nod their heads and race down to the mines with the knives.

“Do you also have a priest?” Jace asked.  “The orcs left a terrible mess upstairs, and I know there are holy spells that can cleanse it.”

Topper shook his head slowly.  “The orcs killed our priests and wizards immediately, fearing they would summon stone elementals, which we surely would have.  We only have fighters, craftsmen, and me left.”

Jace shrugged.  It had been worth a shot.  “Well, I do need your help,” he said.  “We need to get this orc out of here.”  He motioned to the bodyguard.

“Are you going to kill him?” Topper asked.

Jace couldn’t quite tell if the gnome was hopeful or apprehensive.  “Not if I don’t have to.”

Topper seemed to accept this, and they walked back up the tunnel.  The orc walked placidly beside them with Snowy racing up ahead.  At the top of the climb, the two kitchen gnomes were getting bold enough to ease out of their hiding place, but the sight of Snowy and the tall orc marching up the tunnel sent them back into hiding.  Jace would let Topper talk to them later.

As they moved through the hall, Topper wrinkled his nose at the dead bodies, and Jace wondered if he turned his Environment settings higher if he wouldn’t smell the foul odor too.  It was approaching midnight outside, and the group walked a short distance into the night away from the entrance to the cavern.

“Tell him to drop his equipment and anything he has in his inventory,” Jace instructed, and Topper complied.  Jace still didn’t have enough mana to charge the bracelet for himself and truly did need the gnome’s help.  Apparently, his inventory was empty, as he only dropped the axe and shield.  Jace walked up to him and removed the collar.  The orc was instantly aware, but his time as a slave wasn’t lost to him.  He had heard everything that Jace had said earlier, that Carrak and the rest of the orcs were dead, plus he had seen the carnage.

“You will run far from here,” Jace said.  “Do you understand?  I am in control of the demon stone now, and I will kill anyone who comes looking for it.  You run to the west and keep going.  Never speak of this place again.  Do you understand?”

The orc nodded mutely.  By Jace’s side, Snowy growled at the beast.  “My wolf has your scent,” Jace added.  “If she ever detects it around this mountain again, I will have her hunt you down and eat you.  Understand?”

He nodded again.

“Good, now run.”

The orc disappeared into the night, and Jace hoped he wasn’t making a big mistake.

“That was a noble thing to do,” Topper said as they stood there for a few moments in the peaceful night, appreciating the cool air.  “And probably very stupid.”

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Jace asked for the magical bracelet from the gnome, intending to return it and the collar to Esther, and the group walked back across the bridge to the heavy wooden doors of the cavern.

{Jace, wait,} Gracie said.  {It looks like you can make this your stronghold now.  Stay outside for a bit.}

Jace stopped, and Topper looked back at him.  “What is it?”

“You go on inside,” Jace said.  “Find the kitchen and convince the cooks it is safe.  I have some things I need to do out here.”  The gnome looked hesitant about returning alone to the cavern with several dead orcs lying around.  He wasn’t as sure more weren’t hiding in the rooms somewhere.  “Snowy,” Jace finally said.  “Go with him.  Keep him safe.  Check on Esther.”

Snowy nodded, and Topper was suddenly more open to the suggestion.  Jace watched them return inside, careful they did not lock the heavy doors behind them.  There was a brace on the inside, and Jace felt the barricade should stand up to any bashing attempt an orc or goblin could make.

“Okay, where do I go?”

{Follow the path away from the entrance,} Gracie said.

Jace did as he was told, walking back across the bridge and down the slope.  He found the side trail they had used earlier that day to approach the entrance but stayed on the main path.  He kept looking over his shoulder to make sure the door was in sight, and as soon as it dipped out of view behind a rocky ledge, he found the travel node.  It was about a two-minute walk from the doors of the cavern.

{This is another entry point for this map,} Gracie informed him.  {There were other options to wait for the next ore delivery from the orcs, and then you could have fast traveled here to meet with Carrak in his “Garrison” disguise.  Anyway, log in to the node, and you should see a new option.}

Jace activated the travel node and saw “Establish Stronghold.”  He selected it and gasped a little as he was suddenly given a satellite view of the mountain.

{This is your new stronghold,} Gracie said.  {You can set up new travel nodes that only you can access and make portions of the map public or private.  You can set up spawn points for different animals or creatures.  Basically, you can do anything you want.  When you travel outside of the area you now see, it will be a hostile zone, but since this is a MIM, you won’t meet any PCs in that area.  You can prevent orcs or goblins from randomly wandering into your zone or set the maximum number of hostiles at any given time.}

Jace listened to Gracie and got to work.  He set up spawn points in the woods surrounding his mountain for deer, elk, bears, and several other game animals.  He limited how many there could be but ensured they would never be short on food.  He didn’t have an archer in his party yet, but Snowy could always fill in as a hunter, and Esther would need practice throwing her new knives.

Jace zoomed in on his cavern home and saw the layout of all four bedrooms on the upper level.  Carrak’s was significantly bigger than his, but he had already settled on his room and figured he would give the larger space to Esther.  The other two rooms looked the same size, slightly smaller than his.  They all had a smaller adjoining room, and Jace wondered what had happened to the females for the other lieutenants.  He set all the rooms to private and other areas within the cavern semi-private, giving Gracie’s login access.  He didn’t need the Germans watching Esther sleep or bathe.  And if he needed a private meeting with his group, he didn’t want the Germans listening in.

Gracie spoke up as Jace began setting up goblin spawn points within his territory.  {What are you doing?}

“Snowy needs to eat too,” Jace replied with a smirk and was careful to limit the number of goblins to four at any time.  Keeping a little danger in the area could be helpful at times.  He was able to set the type of goblin that spawned and made them level 5 fighters with poor stats.  It was enough to scare townsfolk away, but nothing he and Esther couldn’t handle in their sleep.

Fifteen minutes later, Jace was done and tried out the new travel node he had set up in his bedroom.  He vanished from the mountainside and found himself standing in his doorway.  Unsurprisingly, Topper and Snowy were there, standing beside his bed and staring at the still form of Esther sleeping.  “Have you talked with the cooks yet?” Jace asked, startling the gnome badly.

“Uh, um, no,” Topper stammered.  “I just thought, I mean, I wanted to see if she was, I guess, no, I will . . . I will go do that now.”

“Good,” Jace said.  “Because she will be starving when she wakes up.”

“Right,” Topper agreed.  “I will get on that.  Don’t worry about a thing.”  The gnome raced out of the room.

Jace laughed as he watched him.  As long as he gave him tasks related to Esther, Topper would do anything.

“She is very powerful.”

Now it was Jace who was startled and spun around at the voice and saw Trixna standing in her doorway.  The orc looked Jace up and down and smiled at him.  Despite the human illusion, he could tell she knew exactly who he was.  “Do you have any other outfits?” he asked.

The female looked offended and struck a pose in her sheer nightgown.  “You don’t like what you see?”

“You are beautiful,” Jace confirmed.  “But I asked if you have any other outfits.”

She shook her head.  “Carrak insisted I wear this all the time . . . or nothing.”

“I am not Carrak,” Jace replied.

“No,” Trixna agreed.  “No, you are not.”

Jace led her out of the room and told Snowy to keep watch over Esther and let him know the moment she woke up.  He watched for the orc’s reaction to the dead bodies as they entered the hall, but they didn’t seem to faze her.  She had expected this.  They moved quickly through the vaulted area and toward Carrak’s room.  Jace had already seen the layout from above, but it was still impressive to enter the palatial room in person.  Why a single orc needed this much space was a mystery.  Couches stood in front of a large fireplace.  A deep stone bath stood on a ledge beneath a huge window that looked out east.  A table with seating for six stood along one wall beneath a candelabra.  The bed was much bigger than a king, and several chests and storage racks sat close by.

They moved through the room toward the adjacent apartment.  This was designed for two females, so it was much bigger than Trixna’s room.  Jace had seen those women wearing more clothes (if barely) than Trixna now wore, and after a short search, he found what he was looking for.  Once he had given the clothes to the orc, she was disappointed but put them on anyway.  Soon she was wearing a tight halter that covered down to the bottom of her ribs, a pleated leather skirt that almost touched the tops of her knees, and comfortable boots that the other females had likely used to sneak around the cavern.

“Is this what you like?” she said, spinning about so the skirt flared up.

“You said you wanted a change,” Jace replied.  “That your old life of waiting to see if Orgalph was killed each day was boring.  Now I offer you that chance.  This cavern will be filled with interesting people, and I will do interesting things.  You have a skill set I need, and I give you the freedom to move around inside and out whenever you like.  If you are bored, you may leave, but I cannot guarantee your safety if you do.”

Trixna grew serious at the offer and nodded.  “What skills do you think I have?”

“Did Carrak ask you to clean up around the cavern?”

She frowned and nodded.  “They made a mess every time they ate.  Is that what you want me to be?  A house orc?”

“I want those bodies and bloodstains gone,” Jace replied.  “I assume you have spells that can do that.  I also need the demon stone locked away with wards to keep other enemies from coming and looking for it.  I will not ask you to do menial tasks around the cavern.  Everyone living here can clean up after themselves.”

Her expression changed.  “I can do that.”

“Good,” Jace replied.  “Then let’s get started.”

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