With his advantage in height and weaponry, Renato was confident he could kill the duergar captain through swordsmanship alone.
Yet he had deliberately used Touch of Dakoul, making no attempt to conceal his spellcasting ability.
In a place as chaotic as the Underdark, only strength could earn respect and fear.
His gamble had paid off. The duergar bore no hostility toward the evil spell itself. On the contrary, they had acknowledged his power as a spellcaster.
The surrounding duergar soldiers kept their distance, watching the two of them leave.
The effects of Touch of Dakoul were certainly striking. Kevora had been no weakling, and killing him so quickly had earned Renato a fearsome reputation.
Viewed from a distance, this so-called "new" Rolling Stone City looked little different from the Commoners' District Ruins Balin had taken him to earlier.
The only difference was that the ground was intact, without any cracks. A newly built, rudimentary stone wall encircled the city, with duergar sentries patrolling its top.
At the gate, Balin handed over two bags of dried mushrooms before they were allowed through.
"Madra made that rule." Balin rolled his neck. "Everyone entering the city for the first time has to pay fifty pounds of food. Those two bags of dried mushrooms you gave me happened to be just enough."
"Is there anything else I should watch out for in the city?" Renato asked. Several duergar along the road stared at him as though he were some rare animal. "Are humans that uncommon in the Underdark?"
"There aren't many rules. Just don't go around killing people... at least, don't drain anyone dry in front of others." Balin paused. "You're the first living, full-blooded human I've ever seen in the Underdark, Renato."
The crack of a whip sounded nearby. A duergar soldier was