The newcomers all bore obvious traits of the Underdark.
Or rather, obvious traits of Zelandia miners.
Years of grueling mining had given them physiques far sturdier than ordinary men's. Their arms in particular were probably thicker than Herbert's legs, and those fists were truly the size of sandbowls—enough to make one's eyelids twitch just looking at them.
What astonished them was that the leader was also a Duergar, and an old acquaintance of Iron Hammer Bronzebeard's.
"Hey, Nuoli. So it's you. I always thought you planned to stay underground until you turned into a piece of stinking, hard iron ore yourself. This little party is under my protection, Iron Hammer's protection. If you're looking to rob someone, I suggest you find somebody else. Otherwise, even if we were once brothers in the Golden Miner Brotherhood, we'll still have to throw down."
Though Iron Hammer said this, he also pulled the other hand axe from his back and assumed a guarded stance.
He simply knew the ways of these fellow Underdark natives all too well.
Kindness was no virtue in the Underdark. Kindness without principles made survival all the harder.
By that measure, there were few truly law-abiding folk in Zelandia. Even those adventurers who had been snatched from caravans or raided from the surface had long since grown accustomed to the Underdark's law of survival of the fittest.
It was only after Li Wei established Hogg Mining in Zelandia thirteen years ago that they had gained another way to live decently—one that did not require oppression and plunder.
The Duergar named Nuoli had been one of the guards at Old Tiger's side back then.
When Li Wei had led a bunch of Gnoll thugs to collapse the lower mining district and kick Cavens Rats around, it had been this dwarf's