The Hall of the Makers

The moment they stepped into the Hall of the Keepers, everyone was awed by the magnificent structure. The ceiling that seemed to reach straight into the heavens, the ancient stone walls, the silent floor tiles, and the stone pillars connected to the lofty vault all seemed to speak of the Creator's greatness.

Every brick and stone displayed the grandeur of the creator Titans' architecture.

Every minute detail reflected the Keepers' extraordinary craftsmanship.

Every little part told the oldest story of this planet.

Every trace and mark revealed the passage of countless years.

The two dwarven surveyors beside them, Redul and Selidorin the Lost, both felt an inexplicable excitement. The mysteries and sense of security deep underground still drew them in. It was an instinct etched into their bones ever since the Earthen were created, a primal feeling nothing could replace.

The vault seemed to stand in the sky, as though it meant to pierce the heavens and glimpse the mysteries of the void; the towering Hall of the Keepers extended inward, its marble pedestals intricately carved yet utterly natural, with lifelike white marble reliefs everywhere they looked...

The group slowly ventured deeper. Patrick sensed that they were getting farther and farther from the Dark Iron Dwarves, so he simply dispelled the fading spell.

"We're inside the ruins of Uldaman now. According to the Explorers' Guild's records from back then, Troggs occupy the Hall of the Keepers. We need to find a way to sneak inside. They also have stealth fighters who can detect invisibility, so they won't be easy to deal with." Redul voiced his concerns to Patrick.

It matched the Uldaman in Patrick's memories, and the dwarf had held nothing back. In response to his concerns, Patrick asked, "How strong are those Troggs in combat?"

Redul said, "Their combat strength isn't particularly high. They aren't intelligent, and they're disorganized and completely undisciplined, just like wild beasts."

Patrick casually scattered some arcane magic and released a great deal of spiritual power, confirming that the Troggs were all inside the main chamber of the Hall of the Keepers. Their strength and physical striking power were only around the third tier. There was also a white Trogg behind the main chamber, slightly stronger than those outside. The Troggs posed no threat at all, and Patrick signaled for everyone to keep moving.

That white Trogg should be Revelosh, the first boss of the Uldaman instance, Patrick thought.

Selidorin asked in bewilderment, "Huh? Was that magic just now?"

Lorne Songweaver motioned for them to follow. Thanks to the Sunwell's blessing, high elves were especially sensitive to arcane energy. As elves, both Alleria and Lorne Songweaver could sense the arcane magic gathering around them.

The group slowly ventured deeper and reached the main chamber of the Hall of the Keepers. A few Troggs clustered in twos and threes along the passage. Patrick could not be bothered with them and continued toward the hall, with Alleria and Lorne Songweaver following behind him. Only the two dwarves, wary of the Troggs' numbers, hesitated and dared not advance.

When the Troggs saw Patrick walking toward them, they charged at him, waving their stone claws. But before they could get close, blue-white Arcane Rose vines ensnared them, leaving them struggling slowly forward. Some refused to give up and hurled stone weapons at Patrick, but the flying stone weapons struck his Arcane Shield midway and were stopped.

With a thought from Patrick, the Troggs throwing stones were instantly engulfed in raging fire. Arcane Mimicry transformed the blue roses into flames-Super Arcane Magic: Flames Enveloping the Body. Before the Troggs could even cry out, they stopped struggling and perished in the blaze.

At the sight, the surrounding Troggs began struggling backward to flee, while the two dwarves who had hesitated to advance followed with embarrassment. Though dwarves were strong and brave, with bold, unrestrained personalities, they were also attentive beneath their rough exteriors. They could be stubborn, but they were not fools. Once they were certain there was no danger, they promptly followed the three elves.

Why the hell didn't you say so earlier? I was still trying to figure out how to deal with all those Troggs!!! Selidorin grumbled inwardly.

At the end of the Hall of the Keepers, a white Trogg sat on a stone bench to one side, toying with a staff.

"That's the monster. Back then, he relied on the Troggs' numbers to ambush the Explorers' League and steal many archaeological artifacts from us," Redul said bitterly, his angry breath blowing up several strands of his beard.

Upon seeing Patrick and the others, Revelosh hid the staff in his hand and recklessly charged at them. Patrick turned to glance at Revelosh, and blue roses instantly entwined the white Trogg. Realizing things were going badly, Revelosh gathered Chain Lightning in his palm, but before he could release it, he was engulfed in the flames of Super Arcane Magic: Flames Enveloping the Body.

Lorne Songweaver picked up the staff Revelosh had been toying with earlier. Patrick examined it. This should be the Shaft of Tsol used to make the Staff of Prehistoria, while the Staff of Prehistoria was the key to opening the Hall of Khaz'mul, where the female giant Ironaya resided.

Patrick had no need for the Shaft of Tsol and handed the staff straight to Redul. "I sense what seem to be three dwarves to the south. Would you like to go take a look?"

"Thank you for your generosity, our high elf friend. Three friends of ours were lost here. It might be them." Redul smiled so broadly that his eyes curved.

The five strolled leisurely to Dig Site 2, where they found the three missing dwarven brothers, Erik, Olaf, and Balrog (an Easter egg referencing Blizzard's The Lost Vikings from back then).

The three dwarven brothers were thrilled to see their own kind. "Someone finally found us! Did the Explorers' League send you to look for us?"

"The three of you have been out of contact for a long time. Uldaman has already been occupied by the Dark Iron Dwarves. The League sent many people to rescue you, but none succeeded." Redul was deeply shocked as well. He had never expected the dwarves who had volunteered to come in and clear a path for the League all those years ago to still be alive.

"We've wanted to leave this damned place for ages."

Seeing that the dwarves were about to launch into a long conversation, Lorne Songweaver interrupted. "Save catching up for when we're outside. Right now, we're heading deeper into the ruins."

Olaf looked at Redul. After receiving a nod of confirmation, he quickly took a medal from a chest, readied his weapon, and followed Patrick's party out.

Nif's Medal. That's the other component for assembling the Staff of Prehistoria. His memories of his previous life gave Patrick a thorough knowledge of this place. He let the dwarf keep the medal; he had no intention of fighting the female giant Ironaya.

The group left the dig site and continued deeper into Uldaman, winding through the twisting caves. Razorbeak Bats and Venomlash Scorpids emerged from time to time to harass them. Following Olaf and Balrog's map, the party took no other routes and headed straight for the Hall of the Makers.

The treasure in the deepest reaches was always the most tempting, and here there was something even more tempting than treasure-the Titans' hidden secrets.