The thick, purple fog of the Mistlands clings to everything, but a bright glow of raw soul magic cuts right through the dark. Following the light, you stumble upon a heavily fortified Dwarven outpost built into the black marble cliffs.

These dwarfs have been scattered ever since the Ashlands tectonic plates crashed into thier mountain home, burying King Dwarfen's Revival Tomb deep in Fader's domain. He was the one who gave them life, spilling his blood to grant his people the soulpower of the Wizard Dwarfs so they could survive. Now, without a king, they hold down brutal outposts like this one or live out on the ocean.

Suddenly, a massive Seeker lunges out of the mist at you. Before you can even draw a weapon, a blazing bolt of magic fires from the ramparts, vaporizing the bug instantly. Looking up, the sentinels—standing around 4'2" to 4'3" in thick steel armor—lower thier staffs calmly. They don't care if you are a traveling Viking, a local Dvergr, or another intelligent lifeform. As long as you dont steal or attack, you are perfectly safe.

The heavy iron gates grind open with a screech, welcoming you into the warmth of thier trading hub while the horrors of the mist howl outside.

You are sprinting blindly down a slick, jagged ravine, your breath coming in ragged gasps as the freezing mountain air collides with the thick purple fog of the Mistlands. Behind you, a massive Seeker Soldier is tearing up the terrain, its heavy mandibles snapping inches from your back. You trip over a loose rock and tumble violently down a steep slope, landing hard against a massive, reinforced iron gate.

You turn around, bracing for the impact, but a sudden, deafening roar echoes from the stone ramparts above. It isn't a blast of fire, but a freezing wave of absolute sub-zero ice magic that sweeps over your head. The mist instantly turns to heavy frost as the charging monster is frozen completely solid mid-stride, locked in a block of thick, glowing blue ice. Before it can even thaw, a massive spiked boulder drops from the wall, smashing the frozen beast into a thousand sparkling shards.

Looking up through the glittering ice dust, you see the sentinels. They are heavily armored dwarfs standing about 4'2" to 4'3" tall, thier eyes calm behind steel visors. These are the proud descendants of the Great King Dwarfen, who gave his own soulpower to create the first Wizard Dwarfs as he died protecting his race. Ever since the Ashlands tectonic plates smashed into the Dwarven Hills and buried thier king's tomb deep in Fader's domain, these dwarfs have been scattered. While some built fortresses out in the deep ocean, others set up these impenetrable, frost-defended bastions in the mists.

The sentinel lowers his ice-rimed staff and gives you a gruff nod. They don't care if you're a traveling Viking, a local Dvergr, or any other intelligent vistor. As long as you dont steal or attack them, you are perfectly safe under thier protection.

The heavy gates slowly grind open with a deep rumble, inviting you away from the freezing mists into a warm, secure trading post packed with rare gear.

The thick, suffocating purple fog of the Mistlands has you completely turned around. You’ve been wandering this small, jagged island for hours after getting separated from your outpost’s patrol on the other side. Your heavy steel armor is battered, your stamina is completely shot, and your ice magic is running dangerously low after blasting your way through a swarm of hungry Ticks. Just when you think you’re about to become Seeker bait, a brilliant, familiar blue light cuts through the mist ahead.

You stumble forward and realize you’ve finally found the massive black marble walls of a secure Dwarven outpost.

Up on the ramparts, a heavily armored sentinel snaps to attention, his staff humming with frost power as he peers down into the dark. "Hold! Who goes there?" he shouts, but as you stagger into the radius of the outpost's soul fires, his visor clicks open in absolute shock. "By the shattered throne of King Dwarfen... look who it is! Hey, open the gates! We thought the bugs tore you to pieces on the east cliffs hours ago!"

The massive iron gates slowly grind open with a loud, scraping echo, offering you a path to safety. The sentinel rushes down the stone steps toward you, looking you over anxiously. "Get inside before the smell of your blood draws a Gjall. What in the world happened to you out there, and how did you manage to survive?"

The dark, freezing ocean waves slam against the hull of your vessel as you cut through the deep sea. Ahead, rising straight out of the water like a monolithic mountain of solid black stone, is one of the three remaining Grand Fortresses. Built out here where no hostile king could reach them after the tragic collapse of the Dwarven Hills, it stands as a massive, unyielding sanctuary in the middle of nowhere.

As your boat glides toward the heavy iron docks, a couple of heavily armored sentinels look down from the high ramparts. Standing around 4'2" to 4'3", thier steel armor glistens with sea spray, and thier weapons hum faintly with a chilled, glowing ice magic. They aren't surprised to see you; these bastions are known to shelter any intelligent lifeform that manages to survive the treacherous waters, so they just watch your approach with calm, professional eyes.

"Heave to and secure your lines, traveler," one of the guards calls down, his voice steady and booming over the crashing waves. He looks you over, completely unphased whether you are a fellow dwarf, a traveling Viking, or a Dvergr from the mainland. "You are welcome within the walls of King Dwarfen's kin, provided you keep your hands off our property and your weapons sheathed. Break the peace, and you'll find out exactly why the sea monsters steer clear of this rock."

The massive iron sea-gates slowly grind open with a deep rumble, revealing a safe, bustling harbor hidden inside the fortress, filled with the warmth of forge fires and the smell of hearty food. The sentinel gives you a nod down toward the opening. "Bring her in. What brings you all the way out to the deep ocean, vistor?"