Arsenal Battlefate paced the great hall in Konigsberg. His head hanged low and his mind was a world apart. His long grey beard nearly brushed the ground as he trod left and then right. All eyes were on him. Gnarl Battlefate sat nearby watching the elder dwarf and clenching the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles went white. The air was thick with fear and gloom. Arsenal muttered to himself though knew that the group gathered would hear.

“There’s not enough of us,” Arsenal grumbled, a hint of desperation in his voice. “We can only hold for so long. We certainly cannot push them back and reclaim the hall. It is not going to work.”

“Then we die trying!” shouted Gnarl rising to his feet and lifting his sword high.

Arsenal swung to face the warrior dwarf and his eyes were ablaze. “No!” he shouted as he lifted his hammer high above his head and slammed it down on his counterpart. Gnarl parried the blow but the force and rage of the old cleric was so great that when his hammer hit the ground besides then a shock wave blasted from the stone sending Gnarl against a wall and tossing the tables and those seated there from their seats.

Everything in the room was frozen in time. The only thing audible was the breathing from enumerable quivering throats. At long last Arsenal lifted his hammer from the cracked stone where it landed; cracked like the Battlefate Clan. He slowly stood straight and gathered his breath, calming the blood that boiled in his veins. Not a soul dared to move.

When Arsenal spoke this time his voice was strong and clear. “The fate of the clan fell to me and I will not allow us to be destroyed. We will hold this city until the last of our strength and then flee if necessary to ensure the blood of the clan survives. We will not fade at the hands of these evil creatures.”

Gnarl crawled to his feat and sheathed his sword. In a low and weak voice he questioned, “Are we to abandon Battlefate Hall? Konigsberg? We are not a weak clan. We are strong and I do not wish to run.”

Arsenal did not look at the captain of the dwarven guard instead he stared off as though trying to envision a time not yet come. “It is true. We are strong and we are proud. We are not finished either, but we do not have the strength to reclaim the hall at the moment. The best we can manage is to hold the city and even that has been difficult. We have recruited as many as we can to help in our defense but it is not enough to push the enemy back. We need more. We need dwarves.”

He shook his head and lifted a table, placing it back where it belonged and then turned to stools and began to replace them as well. The others in the room did the same. In a few minutes it resembled a hall once more and with Arsenal seated at the head everyone took a seat and waited. His gaze was beyond the physical. Arsenal saw images far outreaching what the others could see. His mind searched for answers through a lifetime. All waited in silence for him to find what he was looking for. At last he spoke his voice echoed from a place nearly forgotten.

“When the Battlefate clan was at it’s peak, long before our enslavement by the giants, we dwarves tunneled through the entire mountain range. So large we were that we populated the entire mountain. The giants arrived and the ensuing struggle forever altered our history. We battled for years against the hideous foe and finally in victory we celebrated. By then we were fewer. Many of the tunnels had been destroyed or damaged. No longer could we travel through the mountain. We did not despair however for we were pleased to have survived. We rebuilt and grew. Time passed and many of the memories did with the dwarves who made them. All was nearly forgotten until were got word from some travelers of afar that there were dwarves on the other side of the mountain range. Glorygem they call themselves. They are undoubtedly our kin; long lost cousins of Battlefate. We defeated the giants once before. If we are to do it again, we will need all the dwarves we can find in order to do so. You five heroes of Konigsberg must venture to reconnect with our kin. Find them. I will send you with proof of our kinship. Ask that they join us in our crusade to once again defeat and ancient foe. Remind them of our glorious heritage. Inspire them. Only united will we prevail.”

Arsenal stood, saluted the group and retired to his chambers. All stared from one to another searching for and answer to the cleric’s call. Will you answer his call?