THE STORY OF GHAVAKAZ

In the corner of the room, an old dwarf sits at a table lonely. He's drinking a large pull of beer, and staring into the room. As soon as the dwarf notices you're looking at him, he frowns and looks quite questionable at you.

"I guess you guys 'd surely like a drink from me? Sit down, this first one is on me." After the waitress (short skirt!) has brought the beer the dwarf starts talking.....

"I saw you guys walking into the pub and thought, those guys will surely appreciate the compagny of an old lonely dwarf. But let me first introduce myself. I am Sakhaz Sanez, Head of the Dwarven Engineer Guild of Altdorf. This great honour has passed on to me from my father who had be master engineer, as well has his father and grandfather. My great great grandfather was one of the first dwarven engineers to settle in Altdorf. Unfortunately the number of dwarfs willing to continue our profession has been decreasing the last few decades. But I won't bother you guys with this rather dull analysis. Would you care for another drink? After another barrel of beer is brought to the table, the old dwarf continues his story.

"If you don't mind I'll tell ya a story of a legendary giant slayer, the tale was told to me by my father, who had heard the story of his own dad. It's the sad story of a dwarf in his 'tweenish'. Would you like to hear this story?"

"Okay, then."

The Story of Ghavakaz

"The story I'm about to tell you, really happened some 500 years ago. It's the story of Ghavakaz, a young dwarf as sturdy as him is rarely seen. But yes, he too fell for the charmes of a girl. A bright little girl named Ankha. Ghavakaz would have battled an army for her, but she didn't like him. Afraid to hurt his feelings to hard, she told him to prove his love for her. To do this he had to complete 3 tasks Ankha gave him. The first task was to bring her the head of a Gobbo. Ghavakaz returned within 24 hours and shocked Ankha, this wasn't a joke anymore. After a week she gave Ghavakaz his second task. She told him frightening stories of dangerous beasts living in the lower levels of the tunnels under the city. Ankha told him to investigate and find out what creatures dwelled there. Ghavakaz disappeared, and after 2 weeks Ankha started feeling troubled on her actions. One week later Ghavakaz returned to the surface, clad in heavy armour with dried blood over his entire body. He also carried a bag full of Lizardmen's claws, they won't roam the tunnels anymore...

Completely overwhelmed Ankha declared the last task was to ask her parents permission to marry her. The next week they together left for Karak-Azgal, where the girls' parents lived.

Fate decided to let them run into a group of Savage Orcs near Lake Black Water. Ghavakaz fought like a mad man and spilled the blood and entrails of many Orcs before they decided that the dwarf was no match for them. Ghavakaz chased the Orcs several 100's of yards before returning to Ankha. He found her lying on the ground, bleeding heavily from a wound caused by an arrow. She had already passed out, a teardrop on her cheek rolled down onto Ghavakaz' bloodstained hands. Ankha died in his arms. How long he sat there, facing the lake with his beloved one at his lapse, the story doesn't tell. The next day Ghavakaz carried the body to Karak-Azgal, where he met the parents of Ankha. They called him names and cursed him for 'killing' their daughter. That night Ghavakaz disappeared, never to be seen again.

After some time rumours were told of someone raging through the Black Mountains and destroying all which stood in his way. Hunderds of dead Greenies were found during a period of years, afterwhich all ceased at once. The last thing which was seen of Ghavakaz les near lake Black Water. A huge, rune inscribed skull lies on some kind of altar, next to the spot were 500 years ago a love was broken by an arrow. The translation of the runes was never discovered, but lonely travellers claim to have seen a ghost wander near that place.

That's the end of a nice piece of dwarven history, which is actually written down in Karak-Azgal."