Nulinus Lightbringer

[Gamling]

Nulinus sat at the campfire, Staring into the dancing flames. He began to speak, to no one inparticular. My last name Lightbringer, has nothing to do with my Paladin vows. We acquired the name, long ago, when Gahei Lightbringer discovered a deposit of glowing mithril in a mountain side near a swamp. We have sold this glowing ore for generations. Thus the name, Lightbringer."

Nulinus took a bite of a of bread from his pack,swallowed it and began to speak once more "It all started when I was a wee lad, Me mother and me father, the head of the clan. They had two and 1 daughter, Nulinus, Vulinus, and Zedika, me and Vulinus would often spend much time together, learning lore from the village elder, Zalhos, and being taught how to use an axe from our father, and being cared for by my mother *pause*, my dear sweet mother."

Nulinus did not speak anymore, until asked by one of th listeners at the fire, as he began to speak, a bard strolled up to a nearby tree. "Well. . .My father discovered a huge deposit of mithril under the swamp next to our clan hold, in a swamp infested by lizards. Me, and my mother tried to dissuade him, while my brother supported the idea. We all knew the mine would collapse, but he was overcome by greed. He built a tunnel under the swamp and the mine, surely, collapsed. Many of our dwarves were killed, as well as lizards. They declared war on us, and thats when the nine hells broke loose.

The bard was already in swing with things, playing music with different emotions and feelings through out the story,This inspired Nulinus to keep telling his tale." The lizards of this tribe had great skills in necromancy and other such evil workings. During a battle in one of our mines in the clan hold, a mummy, summoned by the lizards, slammed into my mother, giving her mummy rot.Nulinus looks up to the raining sky, listening to the bards music with a twinge of sadness in it now " Three weeks later, me mother died..." Nulinus is quiet for a short time while the audience, witch has grown, is silent too.The bard kept playing...

After regaining composure, Nulinus begins to speak."After that my father committed suicide, seeing as he was responsible for the whole mess. My brother did not share my mourning, instead I could feel a happiness within him, for he took the clan over when I refused. Zedika remained in her studies, not caring much of the events. Vulinus then canceled the trade we had had with our neighboring dwarves, and then paid the lizards off to stop the fighting. I was completely useless at this time, still in mourning. My brother than paid the lizards again to attack the dwarves that had been our brothers for so long, for what purpose? I can only think madness. The message was intercepted, and we were attacked by the same dwarves that had been our brothers for years. They attacked the clan hold. My brother and the rest fought.I ran...."

Nulinus returns after a quick break to the exigo trading house for a water skin."More eh? well, I guess I could tell you the last bits." He sips his water skin and begins his speaking while the bard played."I ran so far so fast, I did not even know where I was going until I hit the road.I took up with a caravan to port suffering,is what they called it. I took a boat all the was up to sundren, making stops along the coast.I remember when I took up my vows too. Right before I left the clanhold, I grabbed my mothers holy symbol of Gorm, I held it close to my heart ever since...." Looks up, losing himself in thought, he snaps back and looks at the crowd witch is in silence. "I hope you found my story informative at the least, uh. . ., I must go now" Very abruptly, Nulinus gets up, waves and walks off. The bard stopped playing, and the crowd dispersed.

[Gamling]

In his tiny cell, Nulinus could not remember the events that took place. He was starved, thirsty, and even his hearty dwarven body needed things like food and water after a while. Day after day he would close his eyes and pray to Gorm, for some sort of guidance, so he could save himself and bring honor to his lords name once more.

He did not hear or see the man that had grabbed the three prisoners out of their cell. Nulinus was sure there was some talking, and possibly physical interaction, but he couldn't tell in his weakened state. The next few moments were a blur, being dragged down a hallway and into a door... or a portal? Two of them went in one, Nulinus in the other.

He landed with a thud, in some sort of dirt, or sand. He could not move, he was too weak to even exert the tiniest of force. All he had now was himdelf and gorm, they were the only two things that existed in this.... Nulinus finds the strenght to sit up, looking around. He was flat in the middle of some desert in which he did not know the name.

His hair had been tinted light brown, almost blonde from the heat and sand mixing in with his ragged clothes and beard. For many days he walked upon the sands, tripping, regaining his balance. The journey he was enduring was proving too much for him. No water, no food, it was all too much. After climbing a particularly large sand dune, he suddenly lost his strength, his body could not produce any more energy, he fell in a heep, rolling down the dune where he would then lay at the bottom, a small smile on his face with Gorm in his thoughts,

[Gamling]

Nulinus had walked down the dwarven made corridor hundreds of times, from his quarters, to the temple of Gorm. He would encounter many familiar faces of friends and family on his morning walk, with a confident stride into the temple, he took a knee and began his prayer.

It was a day like any other. When he was finished with his prayer, he arose, smiling to himself and stared at the bronze mask with fire in its eyes hanging from the wall. He blessed Gorm for the protection he recieved daily.

His smile turned to a frown, as the ceremonial candles of the temple blew out, and the doors closed.

The temple was bleak, only the sound of a faint wind could be heard bellowing from the many caverns and tunnels in the dwarven clan hold, not a trace of any life in the glum temple, now covered in dust from ages of neglect.

Nulinus looked around frantically, unsure of what was going on, when he heard a voice reverberate through the room. The voice was deep and filled with a familiar tone.

"My son... do not fear..." The voice would grow louder and quieter, cutting out some of the words. The sweat pouring down his face was annoying, he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "They are gone... my power is gone... did not heed my warning... you will."

Gripping his axe, Nulinus watched in amazement as the armor of his mother had floated in mid air from the wall of the memorial of fallen warriors.

The armor began to shake violently, making a gong like noise as the gauntlet the burned two eye shaped holes into the armor with its seering fingers, the armor then fell.

Nulinus could no longer feel Gorms presence as the armor fell to the floor with a thud. He let out a terrible cry, knowing that the fate of his lord was inevitable.

He wept bitterly, placing a hand on the armor of his mothers, when it suddenly turned a horribly black color, which soon spread up his arm and onto the rest of his body.

He jerked his hand away unable to nderstand what was happening he shouted for help, but none came as the black coating covered his head and slid down his throat.

*Ruffle ruffle.* "Find anything?" a mans voice cried out. "Naw, just some necklace of a mask or something."

The other man held out Nulinus's holy symbol of Gorm. "Well maybe it will fetch something, come on back now."

The man lifted himself away from Nulinus's lifeless body in the sand, as Nulinus's hand abruptly shot out and grabbed the mans ankle.

[Gamling]

The man shook his foot hard to get away from Nulinus's grasp, which was relatively easy. With a frightened cry, he jumped back and fell on his back.

"What's goin' on?" The other man dismounted his horse and began walking over to Nulinus, who began to groan in pain from the lack of water and food. "H-he ain't dead." The man who held Nulinus's holy symbol stammered as he returned to his feet.

Nulinus slowly got to his feet, and instinctively walked over to the shorter of the two men, the one with his holy symbol and snatched it from the man who looked like he'd just seen a ghost... or maybe he did.

Nulinus looked upon the men for a short time. The shorter of the two was young and dark skinned, wearing a turban and light brown leathers wearing nothing upon his feet.

The man who now stood in his place, this man was tall, sporting a curving scimitar in his sheath wearing scale mail and a head cover with a sash running down his chest. He wore riding shoes, acustomed for his horse.

Nulinus spoke in a weak, dry voice."I need water...". The larger man nodded to his partner in crime and he darted off toward his horse to fetch a water skin.

"What is a dwarf doing laying face down in the sand of the Calim desert?" The man spoke with a deep commanding voice.

Nulinus's eyes widened in an unbelieving expression. "The Calim desert?" There was no way this could be, so far away from Sundren, how could he have gotten here?

Of course... the prison, the portal, but... why here? So close to... what he used to call a home. He shook his head."I don't know..." Refusing to tell the man anymore, unless he thought he was crazy.

The boy returned with a ater skin and handed it to Nulinus, who took a thankful sip and sighed. The boy had also handed him a piece of jerkey, which he bit out of. "Thank you... it has been so long since I have eaten anything."

The larger man still looked suspiciously upon Nulinus. "You do not know how you came to be here? This place is dangerous, we find unlucky adventurers here all the time." The man motioned to the desert around him and then looked sternly upon Nulinus.

"I walked the desert for many days, with out food or water, to find myself unable to walk anymore, I collapsed." The boy was now preparing the horses to leave, when the man extended a pack filled with provisions, along with clothes suited for the climate.

"Do not mistake this for kindness, it is just rare that I see the dead rise from their graves." Nulinus thought about what he had said for a few moments, before snapping up at the whinny of their horses as they disappeared over the sands.

Adorning the head cover, desert tunic, and sandals they had generously given him, he looked to see what else they had given him. He found a map of the surrounding Calimshan area, with his eyes falling upon the marching mountains.

He rolled it up, placed it in his pack and began his walk to the place where he once called home.

[Gamling]

With a grunt, Nulinus landed some what gracefully on the boulder that held the safest entrance into the clan hold... yet something didn't feel right, and it wasn't the orcs and ogres that made their home in the mountains.

He remembered all too well where the lever was which moved the stone. His brother would often use this passage when we were at war... he shakes his head and pulled the lever, listening to the familiar sound of grinding stone.

He peered into the blackness of the mountain, letting his eyes adjust as he jumped down into the cave. Something did not feel right still, he had heard news that his kin were still alive and mining but where?

He took a left, then a right, remembering the twisting passages that led to the mines. He was careful to pick his path, lest he fall into orc or ogre territory.

The path finally started to narrow, signs he was close to the center of their mines, soon he would see his brothers and sisters again, he smiled. I will have to tell them of-

Nulinus suddenly went head over heels, rolling down a steep tunnel in the ground he did not see. Crack! smash! Ow! He finaly stopped, letting out a sigh he was not hurt too bad, before he quickly let his guard up again as a boulder nearly hit him in the head, that followed him down the tunnel, once more, he sighed.

He had gotten up and dusted himself off, looking around in awe. He was home alright... but now how he remembered it.

The walls, grey and covered in cob webs. The mines were empty, spiders and other cave dwelling bugs crawled under his feet.

The place he had experienced child hood was something of a nightmare, grunts and growls could be heard in the distance.

This is terrible... he thought. Where could they have gone? Surely they wern't.... killed? He shook his head and ran away from the sounds of the growls, down a familiar path, towards the temple of Gorm.

He was breathing heavy, with the feelings of hatred and anger rising up in his throat. He let out a yell, with tears in his eyes.

It was clear this gutteral growling sound was following him, yet he did not care. He had to get to the temple.

When he arrived, the noises were louder than ever, almost deafening squeels and roars.

He slowed, and eventualy stopped, his head guard gone from the fall, and missing both his sandals.

He stared upon the temple, without a look of surprise, it was gray, drear... dead, like his dream.

Nlinus quickly ran inside, looking around the familiar room. It was just like his dream, cob webs, the rusted weapons and armor, the pews were covered in dust...

And his mothers armor lay on the ground, with the two eyes of Gorm burnt into them. Thay shone to him like a beacon of light, he walked over, the screams and roars almost to the door.

Nulinus slowly fitted the plate, regret in his eyes, anger, hatred. He walked to the weapon rack, picking up a rusted over dwarven war axe, then a tower sheild.

He stood in front of the door, not saying a word, waiting... waiting to exact his revenge on whatever was behind that door.

In his mind he thanked Gorm for the oppurtinity to come back to this place, to realize his brothe had been lying the whole time. This place was yet another clan hold that had fell to the feral beasts of the mountain, killing another piece of Gorm.

He could not wait, he roared and charged the dfoor, flinging it open with his sheild. He began to hack at the "createures" Behind the door, not letting up, kept swinging.

Blood sprang up from their bodies and splashed him in the face, a spear easily fir through the hole in his armor, but he paid no mind.

All that mattered now, was his revenge. This was the vent he needed for all of there misfortune.

He swung his axe till nothing more moved, and he was covered in... orc, goblin, and lizard blood. He dropped to his knees instantaneously, weeping to his lord and savior, Gorm.

[Silas North]

"Nulinus Lightbringer lives!..." the town crier called out.
"You forget the hear ye." Osclow said with minor irritation, arms folded and foot tapping. The crier looked back to the bard with wide eyes silently questioning the seriousness and, to a lesser extent, the sanity of this man.
"Hear ye!.."
"More feeling!" Osclow interrupted again.
"What?!" the crier turn to the bard again, about ready to tell him off.
"This is a joyous announcement. Sir Hano and sir Sehron did well to gather more devotion from you."
"But I..it's rather late."
"It is barely midnight. More feeling!"
To hells with this. This damned bard was treating this like a play and was taking upon the role of a rather deranged director or playwright. A rather short argument lead to Osclow taking the task upon himself.
"Hear ye, Hear ye. Sir Nulinus Lightbringer, follower of Gorm and dwarven champion of the people of Sundren has returned, alive and well!!! Let the shadows tremble as the light is reinforced with its old ally!!"
"Shut the hell up!" came the voice of a rather angry, and now awoken, citizen.
"Spread the word!" The bard looked up to him with a smile, before taking cover to an onslaught of shoes, flower pots, and heavy books

[Gamling]

The journey from Calimshan to Sundren, and all the excitement inbetween was enough to leave the dwarf ragged. With a thud, he plopped on the ground, halfway between the gate of the Sunderer and a while from the city. It was a cold night, he needed a fire. Nulinus began gathering twigs and pieces of wood , with a more than exhausted strut,to light the fire with.

The shoel that had served as his weapon on his journey was in his right hand, gripped strongly, Setting the wood into a neat pile, big pieces on the bottom, smaller ones on top. It did not take long for the wood to catch fire, and the dancing flames were welcome to the dwarf, as they kept him entranced, locked in a contemplative state.

He began to relax, feeling the fatigue come over him, he leaned back on to his pack, which was nearly empty. Putting his hands behind his head, he nearly fell asleep, when the vision of his old home struck him, causing his nose and eye brows to twitch. He could imagine his kin being slaughtered by the orcs and ogres that now dwell there."Perhaps they were not all dead, maybe they had fled." Trying to reassure himself.

A hopeful smile spread across his battle torn face, as he dug himself into the dirt, to make himself comfortable, the fire cracked and popped, making him feel all the cozier."There hadn't been any bodies, or skeletons of the dwarves to damn them to a fate such as death..." He suddenly loses his cozy feeling, abandoning all hopes of sleep, as he was now wide awake as he sprung up quickly in frustration.

"Where could they have gone?! They leave the place to the many evil creatures in that mountain... where could they be?" His expression saddens as he stomps out the fire with anger, masked with reason. He took up his shovel and slung his pack across his back, leaving the smokey ashes of the wood behind, as well as any doubts of his clan's survival.