The Hammer of Grimmold (Part 3)
                           by
                     'Stormbringer'

@~Continued from Issue 8 of SynTax

Smashing down the  door had  vented some of the  anger I had felt 
when I was unable to re-enter the Inn previously.  Upon  entering 
the  Inn,  I  could  see the result of the  noises  I  had  heard 
earlier. The place was a  shambles and in the middle of the floor 
lay  the  landlord who had helped me earlier.  I  went  over  and 
examined him.  I discovered he was dead,  but in my search I also 
found  the keys to the cellar which lay beneath the  trapdoor  in 
the floor.

I  looked  around the room before going down and  found  a  black 
hood, the same kind that Valk's men wore. "That might be useful," 
I thought to myself as I slipped it over my head. I then unlocked 
the trapdoor and went down into the void below. In the cellar was 

an  old chest,  which luckily opened with one of the keys on  the 
cellar  ring.  In the chest was an ancient Sunstone,  I had  only 
heard  tales that such things existed,  but I  knew of its  magic 
powers. I  put it over my head and the Sunstone hung  comfortably 
around my neck.

I  made my way out of the cellar and left the Inn,  heading in  a 
roughly  northeasterly direction. It wasn't long before  I  could 
make  out strange sounds of hammering and sawing to the north  of 
me.  Heading  north,  I  soon came across a huge  Troll  guarding 
several  dwarves  who were  busy  repairing  a  bridge.  From  my
knowledge  of the  Sunstone  and what  the Landlord  had told me,
I knew I just had to cast the light  of the Sunstone at the Troll
and  he  would become  stone.  This I did and I then hit  the now
immobile  Troll with  the crowbar and he crumbled like dust at my
feet.  I scooped up the  dust knowing full well that I would need
it to defeat Valk.


Before approaching the dwarves and the bridge I decided to try my 
luck  in  the cave to the east.  Once inside I lit the  lamp  and 
proceeded  eastward.  I  soon  came across a  hooded  figure  who 
acknowledged  my  presence  with  a  wave and  then he moved  off 
further  into  the inky blackness,  but as he did  so he  dropped 
something; a knife. I hastily picked up the article,  and made my 
way  out  of the cave before he came  back.  Going  back  to  the 
bridge,  I said "Grimmold" to the dwarves and they recognised the 
king's name and greeted me heartily. I offered  the  dwarves  the
coffin lid, and they thanked me as it would finish the work  they
were doing.

The bridge now repaired I headed north across it, then working my 
way to the northwest I discovered a wizard tied to a mighty  tree
by means of a rope. "Don't waste your time trying to untie me" he 
said, adding "The  rope  has magic  powers  that not even  I  can
overcome". Not one to be put off,  I decided to try the Sunstone.
The rope dropped  from around the wizard's waist and  fell to the 
ground.  "You  might as well have this" he said, thanking  me.  I 
gratefully accepted the rope and headed northwest again.

I  soon arrived at a cliff-face upon which sat a  Roc's  nest,  a 
bird legend in these parts for thieving pretty  objects.  Curious 
to  see what this one had been up to lately I threw  my new-found 
magic toy, and hastily climbed up into the nest ...........

@~To be continued in the next issue of SynTax