Chapter 206. Stronghold of Túr Dúlra

-------------- Start of ACT III: The Making of Monsters --------------

The group of four began their adventure by leaving Cerrigar through the western gate and moving north by following the path coursing through the Woodsman's Glade.

From there, they moved west again and reached the Shadow Wood, where they found plenty of Worgen and undead barring their path. Since Evelyn and Neyrelle were highly excited, Michael and Gonk allowed them to clean up, even if it took a little longer.

Then, after passing through that place and reaching the Old Forest Clearing, they were ambushed multiple times by bandits, forcing Michael and Gonk to clear four different dens. Obviously, they didn't allow the girls to dirty their hands with their blood, so they handled it alone.

[We're in the Gaothmar Grasslands now. We'll meet plenty of goatmen, so keep your eyes peeled.](Gonk)

"Anything to keep in mind?"

[Ugh... kill them before they kill us?](Gonk)

The other three rolled their eyes at the Barbarian as they began a proper cleansing process. All 'invaders' found were swiftly executed, returning the grasslands to peace, albeit temporarily.

As they continued their trek to the Stronghold, Michael realized that, unlike the demons, he had no idea where the goatmen came from. They were obviously not demons but had no problem allying themselves with the foul creatures to wreak havoc, as seen with the attack on the Firebreak Manor and the fall of Eldhaime Keep.

[Ahead! I think it's a World Event.](Neyrelle)

[Ugh... Three statues... I think it's an Ancient Syphon Event.](Gonk)

"Damn... I have bad memories with that one."

[The statues look in good condition. As long as we feed them enough blood, they should keep whatever is locked under the soil in place.](Evelyn)

Evelyn's words proved to be correct. Once Michael touched one of the three stone statues, a voice echoed in his mind, leaving behind the words, 'We demand blood.'

Three red circles formed under each one of the statues, and the Sanctuary reacted immediately. 

[ World Event joined - Ancient Syphon

Objective: Survive the enemy assault.

Mastery: Satiate the Ancient Syphons by slaying enemies near them (0/3). ]

Seeing the Event's description, everyone unsummoned their mounts and prepared for the inevitable attack.

[Incoming!](Neyrelle)

[I'll take the front.](Gonk)

"My Golem and Reapers will join. Neyrelle, Evelyn, and my Cold Mages will support you from behind. As for myself, I'll make sure the girls aren't harmed."

[*Pout* As if these goats could do that. If I transform into my werewolf form, I can take care of them on my own.](Evelyn)

"Be that as it may, you promised to listen to my arrangements. So, support only."

[Fine...](Evelyn)

[Make sure to kill them in the circles. Gonk, use your taunts to draw them there, and we'll focus on the ones inside the marked area.](Neyrelle)

As it turns out, the enemies weren't much of a challenge. The only tricky part was killing them inside the circles so the siphons could absorb their blood and strengthen the seals on whatever was underneath.

Ten minutes later, the Event was completed.

[ World Event completed - Ancient Syphon

Reward 1: 16,720 experience points

Reward 2: 2,400 gold coins

Reward 3: 1 Resplendent Chest. ]

A chest rose from the ground with the notification, and Michael had Pathfinder open it. 

Luckily, there were indeed only rewards and no other traps.

"80 Murmuring Obols. We'll split them four ways, so that's 20 each. Four Legendary item boxes, so that's also simple. Gem fragments... ugh... it will probably add somewhere around 100 pieces of each type to each one of us. Do you have any complaints?"

[[[Nope.]]]

Nodding, Michael split the spoils in a fair manner, and everyone jumped straight to opening their Legendary loot. Evelyn and Neyrelle looked unhappy; Gonk looked somewhat displeased, making Michael the only one happy with their harvest.

The item he got was a shield, and it was slightly better than his current one in terms of the Legendary Aspect.

[ Coldbringer's Aegis (*currently equipped)

Legendary Shield

417 Item Power

-----------------

313 Armor 

* 50% Blocked Damage Reduction

* 20% Block Chance

* + 80% Main Hand Weapon Damage

* + 56 Thorns

------------------

* +5 to All stats

* +14.5% Maximum Minion Life

* +3.5% Healing Received

* +3.0% Barrier Generation

Legendary Aspect: Every 8 seconds, your Skeleton Mages cast a blizzard that deals 360 Cold damage and continuously chills enemies for 8% over the duration of 6 seconds. (Necromancer only) ]

[ Coldbringer's Bone Shield

Legendary Shield

575 Item Power

-----------------

431 Armor (+118 when compared with the currently equipped item)

* 53% Blocked Damage Reduction

* 20% Block Chance

* + 80% Main Hand Weapon Damage

* + 140 Thorns

------------------

* +4.8% Basic Skill Attack Speed

* +3.3% Lucky Hit

* +7.0% Healing Received

* +116 Maximum Life

Legendary Aspect: Every 8 seconds, your Skeleton Mages cast a blizzard that deals 606 Cold damage and continuously chills enemies for 8% over the duration of 6 seconds. (Necromancer only)

Empty Socket ]

By swapping items, he would lose some minion Life Points and 5 of each attribute, but the Aspect would pretty much double in damage compared to the currently equipped one.

Its Armor points were also higher, making it an obvious choice. However, for now, he decided to keep things as they were and make the changes only after he modified the shield with Zivek and Deyman's help.

Continuing their travels, they reached the Ancient Woods, an area very close to the Stronghold of Túr Dúlra.

The monsters they had to face were extremely large snakes called Corpsewinder, the exact types he faced when searching for the dead hunters to offer them the Passing Totem.

Evelyn and Neyrelle were disgusted and used their most powerful skills to evaporate the poor creatures, making Michael think of the expression 'nuke them from the orbit.'

Then, they finally reached a bridge. Behind it stood the tall walls of Túr Dúlra.

[This place looks a bit... wreaked.](Gonk)

[Something is strange, but I can't tell what...](Neyrelle)

"Hmm? Evelyn? What's wrong?"

[Everything... I can hear the cries of nature all around me. They are burning!](Evelyn)

Hearing the word 'burning,' Michael immediately thought of Astaroth and had everyone enter battle formation with the girls in the middle, Gonk at the front, and Michael bringing up the back.

Unfortunately, before they could advance, they found their path obstructed by a strange root. It was only half a meter tall, but it seemed to have generated a strange barrier blocking the way forward.

[ World Stronghold Event joined - Túr Dúlra

Objective: Explore Túr Dúlra. ]

After backtracking, Neyrelle was the first to spot a side path leading under the steep cliffs on which the Stronghold was built.

Through descending the hidden path, the party found themselves under the bridge. What once was probably a small camp was now tattered and burnt to the ground.

"What happened here? The whole place is in ruins. Actually... ash is more appropriate than ruins..."

[Here, hatred burns eternal.]

The sudden voice caught everyone by surprise, but they couldn't see anyone in their surroundings.

Furthermore, the feeling Michael got from that voice was extremely similar to the one he got when facing Astaroth. The demonic energy was incredibly close to the Duke's but slightly less intense.

"Be on your guard. It's a demon for sure, but I'm not certain if it's a shadow of Astaroth or some minion of his. But if that bastard messed with this place, then it's understandable why you're sensing the pain of nature burning... After all, you've seen what he's done to Cerrigar."

[That doesn't make sense. Túr Dúlra fell during the Days of Ash, according to my knowledge.](Neyrelle)

"It did? And they didn't recover it?"

[No. The Druids felt this place's corruption and didn't approach it anymore, choosing to forsake it. It was Astaroth who brought it to ruins back then since it was the bastion of the Druids in Scosglen.](Neyrelle)

[I didn't know that. Neyrelle, you're so amazing!](Evelyn)

Smiling at how close the two girls got, the Necromancer paused to ponder what the hell was going on. If the Stronghold fell during the Days of Ash, which was over 40 years ago, why were the demons still clinging to this place?

[ World Stronghold Event updated - Túr Dúlra

Objective: Approach the Great Tree. ]

After searching for a while, the party found a zipline crossing the chasm under the bridge, leading them to a portion of the cliff that could be climbed.

It wasn't easy, and Michael slipped four times, making him the least athletic in the group, but after some perseverance born from embarrassment, the group made it to the top.

There, they saw an incredible sight.

"This..."

[That's the Great Tree? Damn, it's huge...](Gonk)

[The demonic energy... it has infected it.](Neyrelle)

[It's here! The voice I heard came from this Tree! *Gasp* Look at its bark!](Evelyn)

The young Druid found a portion of the bark outside the party's initial field of view, where the trunk was hallowed out by what appeared to be a powerful blow.

Now, in the hole carved, demonic flames burned brightly.

"Something is odd... That flame is brimming with demonic energy, but it feels illusory."

[I feel the same. I really don't like this place...](Gonk)

[Michael, we need to do something. This is the Great Tree... we cannot leave it like this.](Evelyn)

[Mhm. There should be lots of tomes and scrolls holding ancient knowledge here as well. Let's clean this place up.](Neyrelle)

A decision was reached, but neither knew where to start from. That was when the Great Tree shone with pure white light, dimming even the demonic energy corrupting it.

After its shine dimmed, something strange appeared in front of the party. White illusory figures stood in front of the trunk as if to protect it from an incoming threat.

[Túr Dúlra will not fall to you, Astaroth!]

Michael immediately recognized a fourth silhouette, remarkably different from the other three blueish-white ones. It wasn't only the dark red color but also because it was something—or rather, someone—he had previously fought. 

Astaroth!

[What was that!?](Gonk)

"An illusion? But with the function it serves... it should be something else. If I'm not wrong, it should be..."

[A memory.](Evelyn)

Looking at the trembling little Druid, Michael frowned and activated his energy vision. Fortunately, she wasn't afflicted with anything, but her state was not normal.

[Evelyn...](Neyrelle)

[I can feel it... Their anger, their sadness, their fear... their hopelessness. The Druids who died during the Days of Ash... Astaroth did something to them!](Evelyn)

Looking at the Great Tree, Michael pondered silently for a while, waiting for the Sanctuary to intervene.

Sure enough, moments later, the update came.

[ World Stronghold Event updated - Túr Dúlra

Objective: Find the Druid Spirits. ]

A bit more solemn than before, the group moved north of the Great Tree, searching for traces of demonic energy. 

With Michael's energy vision, it didn't take long until the first cluster was found. The swirling mass of dark red was so thick that it was impossible to miss even if you wanted to.

The scene they arrived through was so gut-wrenching that even Gonk winced. Many types of demons were surrounding one of the phantoms they'd seen in the memory shown by the Great Tree, as a strange ritual was torturing it.

Three of the party members reacted with disgust and pity, but Evelyn was an exception. Hearing a growl from behind him, Michael turned and saw her eyes turn red as she turned into a werewolf and pounced on the demons.

The type of anger her entire body was exuding was enough to frighten her companions, especially since it looked like she lost control of herself. Fortunately, the ones to suffer her wrath were the demons who were literally ripped to pieces.

But something was wrong.

[Why the hell are the demons crying in pain!?](Gonk)

"This... that's the first time I've heard that as well. I didn't even know it was possible to begin with."

[Something is wrong with her!](Neyrelle)

Michael turned on his energy vision and saw a phantom root reaching from under the ground, feeding energy to the little Druid. The energy was pure, but after being imbued into Evelyn's claws, they could somehow target the demonic energy the demons were made out of.

[Their souls! She's somehow affecting their souls!](Neyrelle)

With that revelation, Michael watched as Neyrelle beat an Elite to the ground and began disembowling it. The roars of pain produced by the demon were enough to prove Neyrelle's assumption as it writhed under the Druid in unbelievable pain.

Worried that she might be possessed, the Necromancer approached her just as she was finished dealing with the last demon.

"Evelyn. Are you okay?"