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The gnomes
instantly charge, leaving the drow no time to collect themselves, nor
adjust to the choking dust and closed walls. Before they can assemble
the drow find themselves forced under the lower ceiling of the
remaining structure of the side tunnel. The fierce enemy seems to press
them from all sides.
Finally, the drow commanders are able to gather their men
together and mount a defense. They soon realized their enemy was fast,
but few in number. They lined up to meet the gnomes in face to face
battle. Once the dark elves had remained together and held their
ground, the gnomish attacks slowed.
Zigny knew the drow would overcome them quickly in the
narrow battlefield. He called the gnomes together into a wedge and
pulled his crossbow. Standing at the head of the triangular formation,
Zigny fired bolt after bolt into the drow ranks. His men followed suit,
those without range weapons hurling stun-pouches and firegems. The dark
elves had come to know the tricks of gnomes and felt little effect from
the false fireballs and weak stun powder. This delayed the drow for
only a few moments then they gathered to charge.
Both groups met with a crash, battling for survival in the
enclosed tunnel. The gnomes were skilled in defense and the drow were
just as fast. Few casualties resulted from their struggle, but the
gnomes and elves were tiring. The wedge held as the drow surrounded the
small number of gnomes. Though the gnomes had lost few members, the
wedge was growing smaller. They could not last much longer. To remain
in the tunnel was certain death.
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An
earth-shattering crash threw all combatants to the ground. The gnomes
recover more quickly, having been expecting a crashing entrance on the
part of the purple worms. They attack the slowly rising drow and carve
a path to the rockslide holding them from the Cavern.
Zigny had looked to the rubble at the first indications of
the purple worm's arrival. He noticed a small hole had fallen open from
the tremors. It was to this hole that the gnomes battled. The stunned
drow were unprepared for the attack, leaving the gnomes to rush the
hole.
Before the gnomes could reach the broken rubble, dark
hands could be seen pulling at the rocks widening the entrance. Soon
several dark elves climbed into the tunnel. They were obviously
frightened and ran past the gnomes to the trapped drow. Whatever they
said caused all the dark elves to move far away from the entrance as
more drow fled the Cavern.
Zigny and his gnomes paused, they heard the screams of
drow from the Cavern and knew the cause, but didn't know if was safe
for them to flee the tunnels. Zigny called for his men to wait lined
against the wall, while he investigated the situation in the Cavern.
The men were tense and watched as several stragglers caught up with the
growing number of drow on the far side of the blocked tunnel. They were
glancing at the gnomes, but were concentrating on the rubble at their
end hoping the continuing tremors would allow them to further escape.
Zigny crept up to the hole and looked out.
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