Section 84 In desperation you jump away from the edge as the ground subsides, vast gouts of loose dirt and ash funnelling up the shaft as its depths are pounded by the falling rock. Within this cacophony of grinding stone and thundering echoes you crawl out of the way, until finally you find safety at the cavern's edge. Covered in dust and soot you find a small shelf of rock and look dismally out upon your unintentional handiwork. Before you the far edges of the cavern have collapsed inwards, the shaft consuming almost half the floor area of the chamber, the air a choking miasma of smashed stone and grit. In the distance you can hear echoes of the collapse thundering through unseen passages and halls, its spread a deafening chorus that recedes swiftly into the rest of the Deep Ruins. You shake your head and wonder if you could have devised a better way to make your presence known in these halls. Experience tells you that any predator within earshot will now be on the move, and that you must now journey here with even greater care. As the air clears there is some hope that you can still move forward, however. The other half of the cavern appears stable, and carefully you move back onto the floor. When you reach a point where the footing proves solid you dust yourself off and consider which of the exits you should take. It is then that you see the remains of a camp spread about a small area of cleared ground. Considering where you are it is surprising to say the least. Options: You may search this camp if you wish before continuing to one of the two exits available here. If you find anything of value record it on your character sheet before continuing, then turn to the Room Generation Tables to determine where your chosen exit might lead. Room Generation Tables | Modifier List | Encounter List | Search List | Room Finder | Player's Guide | Home The Torchlight Text Edition is the intellectual property of the author, Wayne F Densley, and all rights are reserved by him. Any questions regarding this title, or any other book in the Chronicles of Arborell series can be answered by emailing the author at densleyw@shoal.net.au