You've gotten past the bulk of the humunculi and the goblins were refreshingly easy, but as you continue forward you shudder to think at what else may lie in store for you up ahead.  This nondescript plateau had dredged on for quite a while and still no sign of Redridge pass.  Suddently you reach a tunnel and you are dismayed to see a large troll blocking access.  Trolls are even stronger than humunculi so you won't be fighting this one anytime soon.  The tunnel represents the only way through to the other side as an inclimbable rockface extends in both directions along the plateau.  You're gonna have to get through that tunnel one way or another. 

 
You remember that the shaman said that the Craxil uses riders to send its orders out to its minions and that these riders are basically human thralls.  Perhaps you could fake it to get past him.  Another option is your bow.  Trolls are very large creatures and therefore pretty hard to miss, even for you.  A final option is to try and distract it somehow.  You reason that you could cause a lot of commotion in the half-dead vegetation nearby to draw him away from the tunnel, then circle around and make a run for it.

You create A Diversion To Lure Him Away, Then Run For It

The troll may be large, but something tells you it would take more than a few arrows to bring this thing down and you have no intention of getting up close to it for a bluff.  It takes time, but after making enough noise from cover you manage to get the troll's attention and lure him away from the tunnel entrance.  The creature lumbers slowly and cautiously towards the source of the noise and you are already working your way around from the other side.  Eventually you see your opportunity and make a break for it.  By the time the troll realizes you are there, you are already behind him and nearing the entrance to the tunnel.  He tries to stop you, but you are already inside and despite his best efforts to stop you, you are already beyond his reach.  He lets out a series of angry grunts and you continue onward through the tunnel.  Clearly all those years of playing capture the flag have served you well.

 
As you emerge from the other side, you begin to see the rocks getting more red and you take it as a sign that you are on the right path.  There was never much foliage in this mountainside but the area you are in now is especially rocky and devoid of vegetation.  You hope you will find the Redrange Pass soon so you can deal with the Craxil and be done with this quest. 

 

You've been traveling a long time without sleep and dawn is starting to crack.  Somehow, the warm beams of sunlight raising up over the distant rocks make you feel sleepy.  As you continnue forward along the rugged expanse of jagged red rocks and dirt you discover the remains of an unused campsite.  The inhabitants are long gone, but the camp is still here.  A cozy warm campfire, soft, cottony sleeping mat, warm blanket, the works.  There are no enemies as far as the eye can see in any direction and you think you would probably be able to think better if you had some rest.  The warmth and coziness of this campsite is calling to you and since you haven't slept in almost 40 hours now, you begin to consider.

You curl Up And Sleep, You May Not Get The Chance To Later

You are going to need to stay awake if you want to keep your mind sharp, and you can't do that if you are sleep deprived.  It only makes sense that you would need to take a break in your journey and catch some much needed sleep.  Besides, the blanket is so warm, the mat is so cottony soft and the sun beams over your face are just wonderful.  You feel as though you could just curl up and hibernate like a bear and continue your sneaky journey at night.

 
Kind of lucky that you just happened upon such a nice, uninhabited camp huh.  I mean, what are the odds right?  Well... they aren't very high actually.  Actually, its pretty damn convinent isn't it.  It's at this point you start to get suspicious but by now it is too late.  The entire camp site dissipates into a thick black smoke and you feel as though you've just aged by 50 years.  You manage to stand but you can barely move.  This is when you notice all the skeletons on the ground that were not here before.  How could you not see them before?!?  They definitely weren't here before.  No way!

 
The billowy smoke takes form and suddenly it all makes sense in a terrible way.  The campsite was just a tempting illusion generated by a wraith.  Its terrifying to think that its intelligent enough to lure you in like this, and now that it has already sapped so much of your strength and lifeforce you know in your heart you are completely fucked.  Fear gives way to anger, which then gives way to desperation followed by pathetic pleading.  The wraith ignores it all and soon you are but a husk of a man and within a few weeks of decay you become just another skeleton adorning his trap.

 
THE END