"No we will not split up, Opal is right in the fact that we do already have a mission. Lets try to get a word with that Orc, I didnt detect evil upon him and he might be able to shed light on the man that has just got away. He also might have news about this dungeon that we seek."

After saying this,her words intended to be the final say. She knocks on the door and calls out to the Orc.

"Keep your bow at ready Tellorn and why dont you keep to the shadows Opal."

Opal frowns slightly at the order to "disappear" but shrugs it off, and does as the paladin wants.  She finds a small bush and crouches behind it, not really feeling the need to hide any further.  It's well know that orcs are all stupid brutes, and she's sure that he wouldn't be able to spot her hiding behind this bush, even if it isn't that full.

Opal rolled 14 using 1d20+13. Hide.

As Betha gives the advice Tellorn put's another arrow to the string of his trusted longbow and stand alittle behind the paladin as to secure himself better. Betha is joined infront by Eleniel who tightens the rains on her heavy steel sheild and draw s her longsword wich is one of the true great weapons of the elven people.

Opal enters a small bush at the right side of the house and stays hidden. As Betha knocks on the door you can clearly tell that something is happening behind the door and a orc it seems almost like that of a child, just with the orcish sound to it. Please don't hurt me. Mome always said that elves would hurt me. Yes  humans to humans kill orcs. Elves and humans don't like orcs, just want to kill orcs. Please don't hurt me. I'll be good I'll hurt no one.

Open the door orc, we have questions for you!Betha says sternly

Opal rolls her eyes at the orc's sniveling. "Betha, he's acting like a scared child...  How many orcs have you meant that have actually been able to act like anything besides a brute?  Either he's a really skilled actor, or more likely, he's a retarded orc and he's as scared as he says.  Your talking in that voice I'm sure isn't going to help if it's the later...  Loosen up a bit, then ask him to open the door nicely."

Inside more noice is heard as the shaken voice of the terrified orc is heard again. I'll open if you don't hurt me. Humans always want to hurt me. They burn, they bring pain. PAIN. The last word is shouted as that of a spooked horse.

The door opens very quickly and in front of you all now is the orc. He moves at once towards the corner of what seems to be a simple room with four walls. There is a table and a few chairs as well as a chest. It seems that the orc has moved the table to the left northern corner and stands behind it now. It seems as he actually believe it will give him some protection. He seems shaken and very skinny and not at all much physical force on his body. Surely he would be on the bottom of any orc-tribe system. Well unless he should be gifted in other ways then physical that is. His voice is shaken and shows clear fear for anyone who has ever heard it a man speak in true fear before. What... does you... want with poor me. Does.......you want.. to beat me as... well. All like to beat..... me. Yes all. Orc, human, .eeeeelf, even the small folk...... likes to make me ....hurt
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:38, Sat 21 July 2007.

"Just open up and talk to us, we want to know about the man that just left and have some other questions," Betha says more sweetly

Opal sighs, and moves from her bush.  She walks around the house, just to see if there might be another way in, or a window to look into.

The orc looks strangely at Betha and speaks after a few minutes The door is open. he takes a few breaths before speaking again. Bad man. Likes hurt. Strange stone to mountain. Stone in box. Want me deliver it to mountain. To Caves. Meanwhile Opal goes and searches for other ways of getting out she finds none. All the walls are made of solid stone.

Tellorn had not an ounce of sympathy in him for the pathetic creature, the spawn of Gruumsh himself.  In his time, he had trained to fight them, to repel them from his woodland home, and yet, it seemed one could never get rid of their kind, not permanently.  Following the others to the door, Tellorn stood outside it, not wanting to pass through it, not wanting to have to show mercy to one who deserved none.  Outside the door, he waited, listening to what went on inside, while gazing out into the woods. . .  and the wood elven cleric there, as well.

Making sure she took up a good supporting position on the off-chance there was some trap, Eleniel stood patiently just behind and off to the side of Betha while she began to contemplate the possibilities just opened up before her.  Could some sort of mental defect actually keep an evil being from, well, being evil?  It was certainly something she'd like to pray about and ponder.

As the elf looked around she caught Tellorn looking at her and smiled, nodding her head and lifting her shoulders lightly in a gentle shrug as if to ask what they had gotten themselves into.

As Eleniel stepped into the room the orc jumped into the corner and lay himself into a sort of cruch and holding his hands over his head as to protect his head form a nasty blow from fists. DON*T HURT ME. I'M TELLING THE TRUTH. PLEASE KIND ELF: DON'T HURT ME. he shouts out. Meanwhile Tellorn notice a series of Draconic runes inscribes on the sides of the house. It's strange that he had not noticed them before. They all move across the doorway. All who spill blood by the dragon kings shall be granted sanctury from the wrath of the mighty dragons wrath when the mountain falls to the ground. It shall fall when the  Soul Stone enters the forbidden caves.

As Opal continues her little tour of the house she accidentally moves the rug on the floor. It's not big, but it's whats underneath that is troubles her. Fresh spilled blood into what resembles a dragons head with it's mouth wide open.

Opal steps back from the blood and shudders.  She looks around at the others and says, "Look, let's just leave.  Leave this poor sod to himself.  This place is giving me the creeps.  Plus, if we want to get paid, we need to continue with the job we're being paid to do.  Not mess with some mind-scrambled orc."

Betha realizes that this is futile she was no leader yet she feels like  her companions needed someone to lead the way.  So far she has not found the elves nor the halfling to be very willing to follow proper rules and function.

She looks down at the Orc, "Stand up and quit groveling. Your life is spared I sense no evil in you."

Betha nods at Opal "We will make for the mountains. Orc could you guide us?" She says looking sternly at him.

No. I know not the way to mountain caves. Know Mountain to the north. Caves east of mountain. The orc still covers from Eleniel he does not even look up at Betha as she speaks. Tellorn still stands near the door on the outside while Eleniel has taken up a positionas to be able to react quickly should the orc try anything. Opal stands not to far away at the eastern side of the room near a table and a rug at the floor.

For a long moment Eleniel studied the pitiful creature but finally relented and sheathed her weapon with a soft sigh.  She knew that there could be good found in a normally evil race, but she had never expected to encounter it.  Still she trusted that the paladin's senses would tell them if the orc was evil and so she knew that she could not harm it unless it did something to her companions.

"If it cannot lead us then we should go quickly.  I care not for being in this...place," Eleniel said quietly, uneasy with this entire experience.

"Agreed", Betha says turning and heading outside. She waits for the others to join her then says.

"We will make for the caves as fast as we can, Opal you will lead the way keeping your eyes open for trouble I will take the rear, you two may  walk between somewhere. If you have wilderness training keep a look out for a defendable campsite as we approach nightfall. If this trip proves to be more then a days walk we will want a good vantage as we rest.'

Giving the child-like orc one last, sad look, Eleniel followed Betha out, smiling tensely at Tellorn when she saw him again.  "Agreed.  But while I love the wilderness and outdoors, I will not be much help with a campsite, though I will surely do my best.  Let us make haste, please."

Opal nods and thinks to herself.  'Finally!'  She then takes the lead following once more the directions that Zindar had given them.  'I knew I should have just skirted us around that place.  It took too much of our time...  Much too much of our time...'  As she moves along, she fingers her daggers, feeling restless, and ill at ease.

Tellorn cast a single glance back at the house, not at all convinced that the orc deserved to live.  But, that was not for him to decide, and he decided to let it go, and hope it would not prove to be a fatal mistake later on.  Walking next to Eleniel, his eyes kept wandering among the trees, as if expecting a horde of orcs to leap out at any moment. . .

The door is quickly closed behind you and the familiar sound of a lock being closed. The house disaapears behind you as behind a vail of trees. The sounds of the woods animals makingf there normal sound. In a little clearing you spot a stag that runs away as soon as he hears you. Other then that the trip goes alright. It's eventless and night soon falls and drag a cloak of darkness with it. The only light left is the rising moon that is in a fullmoon. Soon there is a lot of wolfs howling at the lady in the sky. Movement will be hard with the lack of light. Atleast for the two none elves.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:42, Mon 20 Aug 2007.

Betha makes for a place she saw on a previous rise, she tells Opal to stick with the group and not get to far ahead and thebn will lead them to the spot she saw and set camp.


OoC:
Find a Camp Spot
22:25, Today: Betha Brightwood rolled 19 using 1d20+2. Survival.

As Betha shows them to a camping spot, Opal follows quietly.  Still frustrated over her first 'encounter' as an 'adventurer' she seems to be quite out of character.  The normally gay halfling hasn't said a word to any of her companions in hours.

As they reach the spot Bertha found, she pulls her cloak off, gives a flick as she mumbles a word, and the cloak forms itself into a tent.  She looks at each of her companions briefly before heading into the tent and shutting the flap.  Inside she finishes her day's rations that the cloak provides, and drinks from the flask of hot tea before trying to go to sleep.

As they had travelled together for quite some time, Eleniel quickly set to work doing 'her' typical chores when she and Tellorn camped.  She began to gather small branches for kindling since Tellorn, despite her bring the stronger one physically, did not like for her to do the heavy lifting.  So she left that to him, gathered the kindling, and then selected some rocks to place in a ring around where they would build a campfire.  When that was ready, she looked for Tellorn, making certain he was safe and nearby before heading off to kill something to cook for dinner.  Those awful rations were growing old, and she wished to eat well for once.

AS night grows older things seem to happen an owl is heard in a tree. The fire is warming anyone near it and the night seem to be a quiet one and people start going to sleep and gets a peaceful night sleep. AS the sun starts to rise once more bringing more light. You feel cold as the campfire is now reduced to ashes and a few burning remains of what was once wood, but that is quickly changed by Eleniel who gets the fire burning strong and good again.

The weather is cloudy and a little sun. There is a little wind, but the trees blocks most of it for you. You eat well of what remains of the rabbit that Eleniel caught last night. The weather turns worse as the day passes. You reach the edge of the woods before night once more set in. The great plains are in front of you with  tall grass and far in the distance you see the mountains rise majestically in the horison. Betha once more finds a nice place to rest for the evening at the edge of the woods. Eleniel gather as last night small kindling while Tellorn gathers some more wood while Eleniel is out hunting, but this time comes back without fresh food. The fire burns and the night goes without any special event. You wake up the next day to find out that the weather has indeed turned worse then it was yesterday. It has started to rain and you all find yourself wet and a little tired after the days of walking.

By the end of the day you reach the mountain and you go trough your normal preparations as you have gone every night, but still Eleniel has been unsuccessful in  finding prey to catch. You where lucky enough to find some place to keep dry. At least now you have a fire to warm yourself and get dry. It's a small cavern that Opal stumbled across. There is still room for around 2-3 people more inside.  The night pass uneventful. You find yourself quite dry this day, but the weather still keeps you wet to the bone. Around halfway into the day something again start to happen. A arrow come and and strike into the chest of Eleniel, but luckily the force was to weak to penetrate the clerics armor and fall to the ground. You see a man in a cloak standing around 110 feet away holding a bow. The ground makes it impossible to charge him and some places you may expect to have movement halfed because of mud and uneven terrain.

OCC:
Okey people we are one once again. Init to beat is 13 for the bad guy or guys.

Will have a map up soon.