| 352 You are trapped! About you the Morg form a semi-circular wall of bodies, arms gesticulating wildly and screaming unspeakable curses as they close in. As far as you can you back up to the cliff's edge, the look in the eyes of these tiny creatures as murderous as you have ever seen. Tightening your grip on your sword you ready yourself for a battle you know you cannot win. As you stand awaiting the inevitable combat you feel a strange, painfully hot, sensation at your side. The heat is coming directly from the dagger you acquired previously on your journey. For a moment you forget all about the dozens of creatures before you and try to get the dagger out of your belt as quickly as possible. The Morg look as confused as yourself, all their bloodlust evaporating as they watch you jump from side to side trying to wrest the knife from its sheathe. With a deft flick of your fingers the red hot dagger falls to the ground and buries itself up to the hilt in the solid stone of the cliff's edge. Breathing heavily you look closely at the dagger, feeling its heat and massaging your slightly burnt hand. About you the Morg move in, they too are staring intently at the strange weapon and wondering what is going on. Then in a moment of terror the answer becomes clear. With a shudder that knocks all who are close to the ground, the knife changes, growing and forming into a misshapen stone beast that immediately lashes out with its long arms. You are the closest, and it hits you with the full force of its strength, throwing you up over the Morg and into the underbrush some fifteen metres from the cliff's edge. Staggering to your feet you can only watch as the Shifter wades into the diminutive Morg and starts a slaughter that leaves you sick at heart. The Morg try to escape but the Shifter hammers them down, there is nothing they can do but turn and fight the beast. Using their small size, the Morg dance about the huge creature, trying to confuse it and send it backwards over the cliff's deadly drop. The Shifter is having none of it however, methodically and ruthlessly it picks a victim and crushes it, then moves onto the next. You decide you aren't going to stay around and find out who wins. Quickly checking that you have not lost any of your equipment you turn from the scene of the battle and make your way back into the depths of the forest.
| The Shifter's blow has taken four points from your endurance rating. Record this on your character sheet and turn to section 348.
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