Of Gnashers and Horrors

More tunnels led us to a series of rooms. One was just like all the other rooms we saw, empty, with a few remains of tools or life scattered here and there. The one next to it was similar in structure, but was ravaged throughout. Columns and walls had what appeared to be claw and teeth marks on them.

Moving on to the next room we came onto one of the strangest sights I have seen. Cocoon-like shapes dotted the floor, upright and spaced evenly. In the dim light I could not make out what was in them, but I saw Ahmok lean in close and mutter, "they look like big heads." Somebody then remembered reading about these creatures, called Gnashers, and it was quickly decided to do something about them before they could move. We started dousing them with lamp oil, while Jarl was preparing his Flamestrike spell. Just as he was about to cast three of them broke through. It was a nasty sight indeed - the creatures consisted of one massive jaw, with absurdly small limbs in comparison, and eyes and ears thrown in as an afterthought. They jumped on us immediately. More of them broke through their cocoon and we had a hard time keeping them at bay

The fight dragged on. There must have been between ten to twenty of them, it was hard to tell at first in the gloom. Suddenly we all felt what must have been a divine aura. I later remembered that it was forewarned by the tinkling of hammer on anvil as if from a distance, but then I had trouble making sure if it was a real event or an embellishment of my memory. Ivor had just felled one Gnasher when he stood upright, eyes burning red. He swung his hammer slowly in an arc, and where it pointed a wall was formed, effectively trapping half of the creatures behind it. We had no doubt that they would eventually eat through it, but it bought us precious time to finish off those near us and regroup. With the help of a narrow corridor and judicious use of Icy Surface we managed to overcome the last of them as well.

Catching our breath and recovering our health, we continued northwards, keeping to the right of the large amphitheater chamber. Somehow we felt safer delaying the inevitable. In such ways work the feeble minds of men. And dwarves, t'skrang, windlings and elves.

After some time we came upon another series of three-disc shaped rooms as we had encountered previously. Before we had time to fully explore them, a figure walked out from one doorway. Tall, imposing, and with wriggling worms instead of flesh, we believed we had met our first horror.