CHAPTER 4.09 - THE SHACKLED WOLF

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Wulfram climbs out the E side through a shattered wall. Climbing down carefully he gets back into the water and discovers he is very close to one side of the massive cavern wall. The edges contain many fallen boulders and debris as though the very earth itself had collapsed down upon this place long ago. As he moves SEE along the edge of the cavern, he avoids discovery but finds the ground treacherous as he steps into a sinkhole ... (20') ... REFLEX 12 ... falling backwards he avoids sinking into it. He bypasses by swimming over or around it, reaching a section of road that ends abruptly at the cavern wall. 20' along the wall you can see the waterline and that the cavern floor rises above it. He swims and wades across to discover the entrance to a second dark dry cavern.

There is no illumination here. As Wulfram steps up onto the dry cavern floor .... he is encircled by ten lizard warriors and there is a deep gutteral chanting sound nearby. WILL 21. Fenris is calling out again ... it is very distracting and causes Wulfram's head to ache. But he shakes the effect off so that he can concentrate on battle.

Wulfram seizes initiative and kills one of the lizard men holding a sword. WILL 26. A magical effect tries to cloud his mind and fill it with horror ... but it fails as Wulfram resists. The other lizards attack ... led by the other one holding the sword. Its unholy blessing bites through and (critical) deals 22 hp damage ... the others use javelins and axes. Most miss, except one who lands a critical blow with it's stone battle axe (12hp).

Wulfram reels from the mighty blow and the lizard men attack again to take advantage. The gutteral chanting can still be heard back in the darkness of the cavern beyond. Then he strikes back against the enemy with the sword (21 plus 10 fire hp); the creature falls dead as the long axe splits it diagonally with the flames igniting the oil secreted by its body. The others snarl out and hiss outraged. Wulfram smiles then almost gags at the foul stench that wafts around him from the lizards. FORTITUDE 32. He recovers.

Wulfram lands a critical on a lizard holding a javelin ... 36 hp as he sweeps through the creatures legs. Five of the lizard men run back into the cave, into the darkness, dropping their weapons (javelins plus an axe). The remaining three holding axes form a defensive line to hold Wulfram back. The chanting inside the cave continues.

WILL 23. Wulfram resists the call of Fenris again.

The lizard men with axes push back and swing with all their might at Wulfram. The one in the centre strikes a heavy blow, doing 6 hp damage.

Wulfram kills the one that hit him (22 hp plus 10 fire). A command issues out of the darkness, directed at Wulfram WILL 22 ... it was nonsensical to him, as it just seemed to be a bunch of hissing and snarls.

Wulfram cuts another warrior down ... 22 hp plus 9hp fire.

The chanting continues and the other warrior tries to hit but misses. Wulfram strikes him down 24hp.

The chanting grows agitated and then the air around Wulfram makes a popping and bursting sound and wounds his eardrums slightly 2hp plus stun (WILL 24). The chanting ceases. There is darkness beyond ... Wulfram quickly lights his torch and strides inward. He illuminates a massive dry cavern near the entrance on each side (50' wide opening) and can see massive iron chain links sealed into the wall itself.

“Son ... free me ... you are near ... set me free ... bring destruction to this world ... I will spare you ...” WILL 22. Wulfram resists the calling. He sees the chains extending out into darkness beyond his illumination.

Suddenly it goes very quiet all around him. Un-naturally quiet. Wulfram moves forward ... 100' feet into the cavern he sees the snout of a massive wolf. The wolf is apparently made of stone, or imprisoned magically within it. Chain links are bound to him and around him, completely securing him. It looks recent. The stone is not aged as the cavern or the ruins have been. The calling of Fenris grows stronger the nearer that Wulfram gets.

WILL 25. Resists.

As Wulfram contemplates why Fenris is imprisoned here - after all he did assist Loki ursurp power in Asgard - he senses movement and at the edge of his torches illumniation the chanting lizard priest appears in midair, levitating and pointing at him.