The Diary of Mikola Ludmilova

Part 7 – text by Tatiana Ludmilova

In which we reach the end of the line…

Moonnight, Deathweek, Earthseason – midnight

We park the caravan in the tunnel whilst the lead group (Tatiana, Irina, Anya, Mikola, Najinsky, Zod and Splitz) advance to scout the station up ahead.

There are two platforms and on one side there is a sloping passage leading up from the platform on the west side. The passage is big enough for the big beetles if necessary but, as we explore up the slope, we come to a metal gate which blocks the way. Beyond is a largish cavern, from which we can hear running water, but we can tell by Darksense that the cavern opens into a much larger area off to one side. The metal gate has been heavily damaged by fire; it is locked and the lock has melted, making opening it fairly tricky. The station seems deserted and we judge that we are still some distance from the edge of Transylvania so we decide not to try to reach the surface here, but continue to follow the tracks underground.

Leaving the station behind, we continue north along the tracks. We note several more signs of fire damage in the tunnel as we travel. We pass through another couple of large caverns in which we find both drinking water and a selection of edible mushrooms to supplement our food supply. We make camp at the edge of one of these caverns and nothing disturbs our rest. It seems that nothing now inhabits these tunnels. Whatever happened with the dwarves centuries ago it would appear that the tunnels have been deserted ever since.

Godsnight, Deathweek, Earthseason

It’s hard to tell time underground (how do the dwarves do it?), but we have rested and fed so we call it sunset and continue on our way, following the tracks north.

After about an hour’s walk we spy what looks like another station ahead and a tunnel branch splitting off to the west. Once again parking the caravan in the tunnel, the scout party move forward to investigate.

It rapidly becomes apparent that this station is a much larger affair than any of the others we have explored. The westward branch of the tracks is merely an expansion of the railway lines in order to allow two sets of double tracks to pass through the station. The station has a platform at each side of the tunnel and a third platform which sits in the middle like an island with the tracks passing on either side of it.

The ‘island’ platform has a tower in the middle of it which reaches all the way into the cavern roof. This is a true fortified tower with a stout door at first floor level and arrow slits all the way up. The other two platforms at the sides of the tunnel are more conventional, like the ones we have seen at other stations. The one on the eastward wall has a loading platform and a large stout door as the only exit from that side.

The westward platform is a much grander affair. The whole station is quite richly decorated, but the westward side is by far the fanciest and consists of a huge decorated and fortified entryway incorporating city-sized gates. A large chaos rune sits above the gates.

There are signs of a major battle here with claw and fire damage all over the place. There are also signs of dwarven explosive weapons being used here, seemingly launched from the tower. It appears, however, that the fortified tower and the gateway have never been breached.

We estimate that we are now under the mountains which form the southern border of Transylvania, so is this a dwarven city under the mountains? Interesting though it may be to explore a dwarf city, we have a mission to complete so we move on past the deserted station.

About an hour and a half later we come across a scene of destruction in the tunnel. There are bits of debris scattered across the whole tunnel and a mangled wagon chassis on the tracks. Upon investigation we determine that something exploded here, possibly an engine. Some of the wagon remains bear magical symbols; we theorise that this has something to do with making the engine go.

Ten minutes walk further down the tracks and we come to a section of tunnel where the walls, floor and ceiling are made of a very different type of stone. Most of the tunnel surfaces we have seen have been either natural rock or worked sections of brick or stone of obvious dwarf origin. Here the tunnel surfaces have been faced with a very pale, almost white, band of different stone. The metal rails in this section have also been removed and laid to one side so that no train could pass this point. This stone band encircling the tunnel is covered in magical symbols, but of a very different sort to those we saw on the wagon remains. Tatiana casts Detect Magic and the stone band glows.

We are hesitant to cross the magical barrier, but Sergeant Trollkin steps up and volunteers to go first – he’s a good lad, I like Sgt Trollkin. We tether a rope around him and cast Countermagic II and Sgt Trollkin walks across the stone band with no ill effects. The rest of the caravan follows safely. We note that beyond the magic stones there are no more signs of fire damage at all in the tunnel.

We march on for another half hour and then we encounter a wooden hut set beside the track and a pole set across the tunnel as a barrier. As we approach the hut, two creatures emerge from it. They are great troll-sized bipedal tailed lizards armed with stone axes – Saurochs! They seem very surprised to see anyone in the tunnel, but we manage to establish basic communication in Transylvanian.

We are able to convey to the Saurochs that we are traders and that we are expected in Transylvania. The Saurochs tell us to wait here and, after a brief discussion in their own tongue, one of them disappears north along the tunnel. We wait around for about three hours, taking a rest and some food, before a Sauroch, possibly the same one, though it is hard to tell, returns along the tunnel from the north. He asks us who we are and why we are here before returning northward up the tunnel. Another three hours pass before the Sauroch comes back, this time with a liveried human in tow.

The man introduces himself, in Trollish, as Nikolai, a servant of the Controller. We present our credentials to him and talk to him about the Dwarves. Apparently there was a revolt and the dwarves sealed themselves in and haven’t been heard from in hundreds of years.

Nikolai tells us that we will have to meet with the Controller at Terminus Gate. He questions us closely, seemingly concerned that there are no Zorak-Zorani amongst us. He pays particular attention to the Great Trolls and seems relieved and satisfied that we are almost all initiates of Stygia. The Saurochs raise the barrier across the tunnel and we are allowed to proceed.

We march on north for an hour and a half before we finally reach Terminus Station, which is, of course, where the lines end. Nikolai tells us that arrangements have been made for us to stay in the station hotel and that the Controller will want to interview us.

We are shown into the Terminus Station Hotel, which is a finely appointed establishment if a little dilapidated. There is a single Sauroch behind the hotel reception and he asks us to sign the register, which we do. Nikolai asks if we need help with our bags and the Sauroch hotel manager (named Bazil) disappears behind the desk and reappears with a porter’s hat on.

Nikolai tells us that we have an hour before dinner to get a wash and change and he will be in the bar. At the mention of dinner, Bazil the Sauroch again changes hats to don his chef’s hat and heads for the kitchen. Irina says she will go with Bazil to supervise dinner (I am relieved as I dread to think what Sauroch cooking tastes like). The rest of us find our rooms and settle in. Splitz asks for and is given a room with a balcony, looking out over the station concourse. Tatiana is offered a suite which includes a servant’s room which will do for Sergeant Trollkin.

Irina finds the kitchen to be in reasonable nick and well-appointed. Food has recently been delivered suitable to create a high-quality banquet for humans. Irina, with Bazil assisting, manages to rustle up something we can all enjoy. Bazil, the solitary hotel staff member, excuses himself from kitchen duty, saying he has to tend bar as we all gather in the bar before dinner.

The Controller (or the ‘Fat Controller’ as we come to know him) joins us in the hotel dining room for dinner. The Controller is a vampire, officially the Controller of Terminus Gate which is one of the gates into Transylvania, though obviously not a well-known one as it is underground and only links to a now-abandoned dwarf civilisation.

The Controller is truly hideous to look at. He wears fine clothes and cosmetics, especially on his hair, but he is hugely corpulent, beached-whale white and has a horrible charnel smell about him.

We make small talk with the Controller over dinner and Irina asks him about the magic stone arch we encountered in the tunnel. Apparently it is a demon ward. Controller tells us that the Chaos Dwarves had no access to elementals and so summoned demons instead to do the same sort of jobs. However, they suffered a demon rebellion which led to a period of infighting/civil war which seems to have consumed their society. Everything went quiet from the dwarf tunnels and the Counts of Transylvania decided that the best thing to do would be to seal the tunnel against demons before anything unwanted came through. The Controller has had very little to do ever since. Nothing comes down the tunnel these days and the Terminus Gate has dwindled in importance.

We ask about the Saurochs and the Controller tells us that they inhabit the mountains on the southern border of Transylvania because they believe that the bones of their ancestors are buried there and they are always looking to dig them up. The Counts whose lands are on the southern edge of Transylvania all use Saurochs as border guards.

The Controller is fascinated to listen to our stories (not well told!) of where we are from and what we have seen on our journey here. He also seems very pleased to see us, probably because nobody has used this gate in centuries and his importance has waned at the same time. Perhaps he thinks our arrival will bring him some prestige.

We tell the Controller what we have to trade and he says that he will need to communicate with the Counts to determine whether any of them wish to trade with us. Unless we are invited to enter by one of the Counts then we will not be permitted to proceed through the Terminus Gate.

So we are invited to stay in the hotel whilst we await clearance to enter Transylvania. We rest and recuperate for a week in the hotel and this gives us the chance to contemplate our recent experiences.