You all arrive in a surprisingly similar dead end tunnel.  Other than the different smell of the air you wouldn't know you had travelled anywhere at all.  The tunnel is the same size, about 20 feet wide and 20 feet high.  The dimensions are very uniform the walls ceiling and floor are all impressively flat, straight, and square, which is uncommon for underground tunnels.

A few seconds after everyone arrives safely the shimmering portal disappears leaving the normal looking stone wall in its place.  There's very little sense of disorientation and you're ready to press onward.  The retriever spider leads the way once more.

Roughly 1000 feet down the tunnel you come upon some construction.  The walls of the tunnel have been extended inward to form a large circle sort of like a doorway.  It is rimmed with a band of metal.  There are large durable metal fittings on one side with very sturdy pins in them.  They look like unfinished hinges.  On the other side of the vertical circle from the fittings are 3 holes drilled through the metal rim and into the surrounding rock.  Each hole is big enough to fit your arm into up to your elbow.

The spider does not pay this construction any attention.  It strides right on through.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:10, Thu 14 Feb 2013.

"This was meant to be a seriously strong door." mutters Farden as he follows their guide.

"It looks like someone was planning on preventing people, or something" Glumr eyes the spider at the word something "from coming through the portal and just walking in.  Must mean people must come this way occasionally.  They could be half expecting us.  We should be extra alert."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:49, Thu 15 Nov 2012.

The party proceeds with caution.  A few hundred feet later you pass a stone and metal door in the left wall.  It's short by your standards.  Squarish instead of rectangular like you're used to.  In passing it looks like it is sturdy, but doesn't get much use.  The spider pays it no attention.  In fact you pass a few other similar doors and side passages along the way, but the spider breezes past them too.

There's light in the distance.  It's the first sign of life down here since the burning wolves' den.  You cover or snuff out your own lights and send Glumr stealthy up ahead.  When he gets close enough to make out the situation he see's that there's no one tending the light.  It glows in the ceiling at an intersection of your 20' wide, 20' tall, tunnel with a smaller square tunnel which is about 5' x 5' instead.  Glumr notices that the floor is slightly scuffed here, which means someone on something comes through here from time to time.  It's hard to tell how recently or how frequently.  He returns to the party to report his findings.

While the group has been moving, Farden has been making chalk marks to mark their path, in case they need to find their way back in a hurry and something's happened to the spider.

When Glumr reports back, Farden shrugs, "We're following the spider. If we meet anyone else, we'll worry about it then. Let's just keep our eyes open."

Glumr thinks about the square doors and checks to see if any of them have been opened recently.  "Do you think we are in a dwarven place?  I met once ones... or maybe he was a gnome.  I was never really sure.  But these are different than what we are used to seeing.  I'm going to peek in one."  He puts his hear against it first to see if he hears anything.

Glumr rolled 7 using 1d20+5. Listen at square door.
OCC - What would I roll to see if the door has been used recently?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:34, Fri 16 Nov 2012.

You put your ear to the door and all you can hear is a low, dull, but reasonably loud hum.  It's a consistent noise and it drowns out whatever else might be going on in the room.  Normally you're pretty good at figuring out what noises are, but today you're drawing a blank on this low hum.

You think that the best way to figure out if the door has been used recently is to check the handle for traces of skin oil, but wait... there's no handle.  You give the door a push and a shove to the both sides, but it doesn't budge in any direction.  How does this thing open?  There are two small oddly shaped holes in the door.  Some sort of keyholes, maybe?

Glumr looks at the holes more carefully, seeing if he can see through them or if they look like anything he has could be inserted into it.  He makes a mental note at the sizes so that he will hopefully recognize the key when he sees it.

For some moments after having passed through the portal Sunna just examines the room the party is in. Did they really travel through to some other place? It looks oddly familiar here.
Still wondering about the place she follows the others and stops from time to time to take a closer look at one of the square doors. "Dwarves? They are rather small and sturdy, as far as I know. Might be."

"Maybe it is a door one can push to the side? That would make these holes some sort of handle to move it sidewards", Sunna muses in a quiet voice but doesn't feel curious enough to try for now.

The holes don't go very deeply into the door.  You've got a good mental picture of the shapes for future reference.

Farden motions everyone to get moving again.  The spider leads you up to the intersection with the light.  It hunkers down and moves into the right branch of the smaller tunnel.  You have to travel single file now.  Unless I hear otherwise Farden goes first after the spider, followed by Hollly because the spider seems to stop if she lags to far behind.  Next is Sunna, then the eye with Glumr and Talita guarding the rear.

You can see another light up ahead.  It's probably another lit intersection.  This time you hear activity too.

Farden is going to ready his sword and shield, and proceed cautiously after the spider.

As you near the intersection you can see a number of short, stocky humanoids approaching the intersection from the opposite direction.  It's hard to tell how many since, like you, they are traveling single file through the small passage.  You imagine that all they can truly make out of your group is the spider and a well armed warrior follow by others.

One of them calls out a short phrase in a language you do not understand.  His voice is powerful and insistent.

"Sorry, I don't understand you." calls back Farden. Then, on the grounds that it was worth a shot, he adds, "We come in peace!"

It was certainly worth a shot.  Farden had never met a dwarf in Rankor Heights who didn't speak Clan Tongue.  Unfortunately, these humanoids do not answer back.  They are slowly approaching.

'Anyone have an understand language spell up their sleeve?' Glumr whispers to his friends as he makes sure his symbols of Ehlonna are visible.  "Friends!  Do you speak the common language?"  Glumr says in a loud voice while showing the sign of peace.

OCC - Assume there is some type of sign to show for peace or good will, such as arms crossed over the chest.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:58, Mon 19 Nov 2012.

"Dwarves?" Sunna whispers to her friends and then remembers a melody to help understanding other people. She continues in a low voice:"There is a spell that makes understanding them possible, but I have to touch one of them first... And it doesn't help with speaking their tongue."

Sunna makes sure that her hands are not on the hilt of her sword and tries to look as if she's absolutely calm.
"Or do you speak the goblin tongue?" the bard asks carefully, speaking slowly and pronouncing the last two words in the goblin tongue.


OOC: I hope speaking Goblin is not an insult in here...
This message was lightly edited by the player at 05:02, Tue 20 Nov 2012.

Farden is going to point his sword down and away from the dwarves - a passive stance, but clearly indicating that he is ready to defend himself if need be.

Glumr, in a low voice so the Dwarves cant hear, says "I hope they dont mistake us for friends of goblins." and gives Sunna a grin and a wink.

Sunna pushes her way past the spider and walks towards the dwarves.  They stop in the intersection and mill around.  There look to be 6 of them.  (You were expecting 7, maybe?)  They call something out to her and say things amongst themselves, but none of it makes any sense yet.  Sunna can see that they are dirty, wearing well worn leather smocks and aprons over thick, durable cloth.  They don't really appear to be armed, but are carrying metal tools and hammers, which could certainly be used as weapons in a pinch.

Sunna is almost two feet taller than the dwarves and has to hunch down in the tunnel, back she can stand up normally in the intersection of these two small tunnels.  The intersection widens out into a 15' x 15' room with an 7 foot ceiling.  One of the dwarfs steps up to her just as she enters the intersection room.  He's about to say something when Sunna starts singing.  This surprises and confuses the dwarf.  He doesn't expect her to reach out and touch his shoulder either.

He says something and another dwarf says something too.  Maybe an answer.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:06, Tue 20 Nov 2012.

OCC - Do the dwarves see the rest of the party?

"You know..."  Glumr whispers to Farden "...considering who sent us on this mission, we might be the bad guys here.  Especially with this spider thing.  For all we know the Dwarves were building that door to keep things like this out so they can just live in peace.  I know the Dwarves north of the Triplefang have a good relationship with the clan.  I'd hate to have this job ruin that.  But considering the portal, who knows where we even are."

You're well illuminated.  They can surely see the spider, probably Farden, and that there are more of you behind him.  It's likely that they lack the details of exactly who and what and how many you are.

Sunna listens to the dwarves and keeps a respectful conversational distance after she has touched one of them. She tries the goblin tongue again, while trying to picture her words with hand gestures.

Please make a d20+CHR bonus roll to see how successful your gestures are.  I'd say DC 15, but 12 or higher will be partial success.

OOC: Sunna rolled 4 using 1d20+3. trying to make myself understandable.
:(

At least it's humorously bad!

You flail your arms in a wide circle and do your best give-peace-a-chance mime, which actually causes you to lose your balance and stumble over.

The dwarves are disturbed by this.  They retreat back the way they came.

Unable to speak dwarven, the young druidess must let the dwarves wander off into the cave.

11:51, Today: Farden rolled 2 using 1d20-1. cha.

Farden tries, and fails, to look non-threatening. So he's going to up the diplomatic effort by putting away his sword, and holding up an empty hand.

"Scottfard...Play some music Dwarves would be keen on." Glumr says to his friend the eye, and with that he pulls out his ever-burning torch and walks towards the dwarves, trying to make one last diplomatic effort.

Glumr rolled 5 using 1d20. Friend the dwarves.

OCC - Me must look like a bunch of threatening jerks.

Before the dwarves wander off the magical musical floating eye summons up a tune to echo through the halls.  It is upbeat and festive sounding, but with a strong drum baseline.  It's certainly non-threatening, but also feels oddly out of place here.  The dwarves stop and look around confused.  There's a lot of chatter that most of you can't understand.

Glumr squeezes past the spider and makes his way to the intersect to try his hand at non verbal diplomacy.  He walks up to one of them bends down and gives him a hug.


The Dwarves look confused but not scared.  (Well maybe a little scared)  They depart back the way they came except for one dwarf who splits away from the rest and takes a different passage from the intersection.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Wed 21 Nov 2012.

"Eh... Dwarves."  Glumr mutters realizing the interaction did not go anywhere near the way intended.  "Well.. Shall we continue on then?"

Farden sighs. "You realize they've probably gone to report a bunch of armed lunatics tromping about their halls? Reinforcements almost guaranteed to show up soon. Let's hope we can find what we want and get out quick."

"Holly, can you tell us anything more about what we need to do here?"  Glumr asks, puzzled about what to do.

"We continue to follow the spider. It appears to be travelling in a set path. Perhaps it is taking us somewhere?" she proposes.

Holly urges the spider forward and you fall back into your hunched-over marching order.  The spider takes the right passage, which is the same way the lone dwarf went.  You're not too far behind him, but he's traveling without a light, so he's tough to spot.

There is some light (and heat) coming from a room down the tunnel.  It's on the left and the door has been slid open into the wall.  The spider leads you up to the door and enters.

Farden and Holly can see into the room before they enter.  It's wide and plenty tall enough to stand up in.  There's an unusual forge and at least two other ovens of some sort.  You can definitely feel the heat now.  The room is somewhat noisy even though the sound did not carry down the tunnel like you'd expect in an echo-y shaft deep underground.  The room looks a bit like an armory.  The items half-finished and completed on racks look to be made partially of metal and partially out of a smooth, semi-clear green crystal.  There are also a number of tools around the room, a set of low shelves, bins of raw material, a stone table, an anvil, and two low workbenches.

There are just two dwarves in the room.  One is the dwarf you were coincidentally following and the other looks like a smith with a strange helmet on the completely covers his head and shoulders.  They turn to watch the large metal spider enter the room.  It rises to it's full height and skitters (if something that big can skitter) into the room and to the right with a purpose.  The helmed dwarf shouts something angrily that reverberates in his closed helm and he gestures to the walls on either side of the doorway, which is part of the room you can't see yet.  The other dwarf, very uncertainly moves in a half-hearted attempt to block the spider's path, waving a two-handed pair of tongs at it.

Farden raises both hands in a calming gesture and says in his most soothing tones, "Calm down, we're just looking for something, we'll be out of your beards before you know it." He knows the dwarves can't understand but he hope his tone of voice will get through.

Glumr enters the room with his hands up, following Farden's lead.  "We mean you no harm.  Can you understand us?"  He asks as  he walks into the room, mostly directed at the newly met Dwarf.  Glumr looks to see what the Dwarf is gesturing at.

Farden and Glumr enter the room in a friendly and peaceful manner.  After saying their piece Glumr looks back to see what the oddly helmetted dwarven smith is gesturing at.

Slowly, from the very stone of the walls to either side of the doorway, emerge two very thick and stocky stone humanoids, each taller than yourselves, but not as big as the spider.  They step away from the walls and into Holly and Sunna's view.  They don't look very friendly.

The spider spews cable all over the tong waving dwarf.

Now is a good time to roll initiative.

Farden grimaces with annoyance and readies himself.

11:17, Today: Farden rolled 20 using 1d20+2. init.

Glumr is starting to think that they are the bad guys in this encounter and it doesnt sit too well with him.

Glumr rolled 23 using 1d20+4. Initiative against dwarves & stone guys.

"I don't think these dwarves intend on cooperating with our efforts." she points to a helm on the shelf. "However, there is the helm that we need."

10:15, Today: Holly rolled 17 using 1d20+1. Init vs. Dwarves.

"On that dwarf?" Glumr asks, puzzled.

Init
----
Glumr 23
Farden 20
Holly 17
eye 15
elementals 7
Sunna 5
dwarves 2

I need round 1 actions for Glumr, Farden, and Holly.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

"Glumr, get the helm, I'll hold these things off."

Once Glumr gets moving, Farden is going to move to F8 (5-foot step). Then go to defense mode (-4 att +4 AC) and attack the one in F7.

Current AC: 23, 24 vs Elemental 1
Attack missed

This message was last edited by the player at 08:56, Wed 05 Dec 2012.

Due to the proximity, Glumr spins and draws his scimitar and takes a slashing swing at the elemental behind him.  "I'm going for it!" he says back to Farden.

Glumr moves to E7
Glumr draws Scimitar
Glumr rolled 10 using 1d20+4. Attack Elemental 1.

Not wanting to harm the dwarves they just happened upon, as they could very well just be protecting their own property, Holly begins by casting a defensive spell. When she finishes chanting the words, her skin tone gets darker- a rich, dark brown similar to that of an oak tree.

Standard: Cast Barkskin.

The eye sounds the familiar opening fanfare that gets you all psyched to kick some butt.  However, the elementals look to be the ones fighting with inspiration.  Elemental 1 clobbers Glumr with two stoney fists hammering down overhand, and Farden narrowly avoids a similar fate only through a feat of incredible defensive shieldwork.  Sunna is equally inspired.  She charges valorously into the melee and hacks a chunk of stone off elemental 1's hip, but that's the end of the inspiration.  The eye's music as well as every other noise suddenly goes totally quiet.


Glumr takes 10 hits of damage.  I need round 2 actions for Glumr, Farden, and Holly.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

12:38, Today: Farden rolled 18 using 1d20+4. spellcraft.

Farden hacks out a chunk from the same target Sunna had attacked, even as he mentally identifies the effect cancelling the Eyeball's music.
"HEY! Over here, uglies!" he cries, as he then moves all over the place, taunting the elementals, before moving back to his original position.

standard action: attack #1
12:42, Today: Farden rolled 23,10 using d20+5,d8+5. attack, damage.

move action: move around to draw AoOs from both elementals before returning to F8
AC vs AoOs: 28 vs Elemental 1, 27 vs others

Current AC:
standard action: 24 vs Elemental 1, 23 vs others
This message was last edited by the player at 07:17, Thu 13 Dec 2012.

Two quick notes:

First off, Farden's taunt comes out sounding like this "...".  It's very quiet all of a sudden.  It's going to be hard to coordinate tactics.  It's a good thing Farden announced his plan the round before.

Secondly, Glumr will be able to safely disengage with the elemental this round and go after the helm without drawing an attack of opportunity, so if Farden would prefer to not draw the two AoOs he won't need to worry about that.  Still, his AC is so high they can't hit him except by a miracle (5%).

Nevermind.  Because the webbed dwarf is still threatening C6, D4, D5, and D6.  Using up the elemental's AoOs will help Glumr.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:47, Thu 13 Dec 2012.

Glumr realizes there must be some magic silencing the whole area.  He waits till Farden engages the elemental and then makes a move for the helmet.  He moves around the elemental and the spider, avoiding the trapped dwarf, to make it to the table with the helmet.  He grabs it from the table and gives it a quick look over.

Glumr Wait for Farden.
Glumr move E6, E5, E4, D3, C3.
Take Helmet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:41, Thu 13 Dec 2012.

Glumr picks up the helmet.


I still need a round 2 action for Holly.

Holly is frozen for a moment, not sure what to do.  She glances over to see the eye drifting away down the hall.  She figures that he's fleeing the area of silence and decides to follow.  Sure enough, she can eventually hear the eye's magical music again.  Holly takes to chance to summon up a bear to help cover their retreat, that hopefully happens soon.

The elementals try to hit Farden as he bobs and weaves around, but they have little luck.  One also tries to pound Sunna, who hops out of the way and a stony fist lands harmlessly against the entranceway wall.


With Glumr waiting for Farden and Holly waiting for the eye, the init order has changed a little.

Init
----
Farden 20
Glumr 20
eye 15
Holly 15
bear 15
elementals 7
Sunna 5
dwarves 2

Holly and the bear now receive the eye's inspirational music bonus +1 to hit and damage for whatever good that does this far from the melee.

I need a round 2 action for Sunna.  Remember, you can't hear anything or make any sounds here.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

Sunna waves for Glumr to come back to Farden and her, the slashes at the right elemental again, hoping to get a bit of room for Glumr to slip through. But she's too careful not to hit Farden.

OOC: Sunna rolled 9 using 1d20+3. attack elemental.

Farden takes another hack at the elemental he'd been attacking. Then once more, he plays bait, moving all over the place before coming back to his starting point.

Standard:
11:42, Today: Farden rolled 12,7 using d20+5,d8+5. attack elemental 1.

Move: Move around and return to F8
AC vs AoOs: 28 vs Elemental 1, 27 vs others

Current AC:
standard action: 24 vs Elemental 1, 23 vs others

Summoning up all his strength the tong-wielding dwarf powers his way free of the spider's cables and faces off wearily with the large, shiny arachnid.

Before Farden can act in round 3, he is overcome by a feeling of dread and terror.


Farden must make a WILL save DC 13, or be forced to flee in terror.  On a successful save he will be merely shaken during round 3.

I need Glumr's and Holly's round 3 actions.  Farden is either attacking or fleeing depending on the outcome of his saving throw.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

Save failed.

Unable to control his panic, Farden flees from battle, in the direction of Holly.

OOC: Like to point out, I still draw the AoOs from the elementals. AC will be 25.

Feeling opportunistic, Glumr grabs the two crystal blades, the two glass and bone containers, and the chain and amulet.  With the helmet and goods in his possession, he turns to flee and sees Farden, overcome with terror, exiting the room,
This message was last edited by the player at 13:00, Mon 14 Jan 2013.

Turning to Glumr, Holly steps out of the way to avoid being trampled as Farden flees. Still unsure as to whether or not she wishes any hostility upon those attacking the party, she does her best to stay out of the way as everyone prepares to exit.

Yikes!  The dice went 16 crazy for a while there.

The elementals act too slowly to land a rocky fist on Farden as he bolts away.

The spider swats a spindly metal limb at the dwarf, catching him in the air and shoulder as he tries to duck.  One of the elements turns to assist the dwarf with the gleaming spider.  The element's blow is deflected by the spider's tough metal hide.

The other elemental steps to block the entrance and hammers a mighty blow down on Sunna.  The bard's leathers don't provide the sort of protection the spider's armor does.  The terrible blow hits almost as if in slow motion.  It staggers her badly, breaking ribs and nearly knocking her out.  Adding to the surreal sense of the moment, her howl of pain is absolutely silent.  Somehow, she barely manages to stay on her feet.

Sunna takes 16! points of damage.

I need a round 3 action for Sunna.  (Retreat?)

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:35, Thu 17 Jan 2013.

Surprised that she still has her sword in hand, though she can't feel her hand gripping it because of the staggering pain in her body. Almost automaticly Sunna makes a step back, away from the elemental, and then turns around to get away from it as fast as she can.

OOC: Yes, retreat indeed!

Glumr suddenly feels very alone in the room.  "I'm have to make a break for it" he thinks to himself "Hopefully I can dodge these two stone creatures and find my mates.  I'm not trying to make my last stand next to this machine spider.  Hopefully our return back is not dependent on it as I dont know if it's going to walk out of this room... well not in once piece anyway."

OCC - Just thinking along as round 3 plays out.

I assumed Sunna retreated back towards the rest of the party.  If you wanted to go the other way in the hall let me know.

Holly and Farden can see that Sunna is reeling and badly injured.

The eye and Holly are there, but both Farden and Sunna are surprised to see a black bear here too.  It doesn't appear to be a threat, but it certainly wasn't expected.  It's just sort of standing around.  You have no idea where it came from or what it's doing here.  Farden can ask if he wants to, but Sunna is still deep in the cloak of silence, so she can neither ask nor hear an answer.  Talita sees nearly everyone gathering and joins you, looking around anxiously for Glumr.

Back in the forge room, the smith brandishes a large, heavy hammer and joins the tong dwarf in attacking the spider.  There's much loud banging and clanging but neither of them manages to damage the durable spider.

Farden has always been a man of caution and preparation, not fear.  It's unlike him to let fear rule his actions.  Even this dwarven witchcraft doesn't take hold of him for too long.  He stops in his tracks and turns back.  He doesn't want to return to the frightening room, but he doesn't want to leave his cousin stranded either.

Init
----
Farden 20
Glumr 20
eye 15
Holly 15
spider 15
bear 15
elementals 7
Sunna 5
dwarves 2

Farden can act normally now.  I need round 4 actions for Farden, Glumr, Holly, and the bear.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

"Holly, if you're controlling that bear, send it ahead to unplug the door!" says Farden.

OOC: Delaying action until after the bear, then following it to the room.

Glumr, realizing he's outside of the sphere of silence, yells at his friends "I've got the helm.  Clear the door and I can run out of the room!!  Soon as I move I'm going to be back in the silence!!"

Worried he will have to fight his way out and the situation for himself is looking grim, Glumr decides maybe the items in the room will be of more help than his conventional items, so he dons the helmet and draws a crystal weapon.

OCC - Waiting on door to be cleared then will make break for it.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:52, Fri 18 Jan 2013.

The walls and the field of silence block Glumr's words.

The helm doesn't fit well, but it doesn't hamper your vision enough to be a real detriment either.  The green crystal blade is well made and well balanced.  It looks good and sharp, but feels too light to give you full confidence in its ability to take down a heavy hitting stone man.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:51, Wed 23 Jan 2013.

Holly looks into the bear's eyes.

"Come with me and attack," she says, motioning.

The bear follows Holly to the T intersection where Holly boldly and silently points at the stone elemental.  The bear lumbers forward and swats a paw at the elemental, harmlessly scratching its rocky skin.  The blow does knock the stone creature off balance enough to ruin its counterattack.

The spider takes another whack at the dwarf, but this time the worker predicts the timing and angle perfectly.  He easily knocks the leg away with his makeshift tool weapon.

Elemental1 clobbers the spider, putting a rather large dent in its metallic shell.

Init
----
Glumr 20
eye 15
Holly 15
spider 15
bear 15
Farden 15
elementals 7
Sunna 5
dwarves 2

I need a round 4 action for Sunna, who is still within the field of silence.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

Sunna tries to say something and then realizes that she's still in the field of silence. When the eye lets her pass she'd try to get a few more steps down the way to get out of the field of silence, to cast a healing spell on herself.

Farden indicates with sign language that Holly should have the bear push at the elemental to try and get it out of the way. Farden is going to help with this.

OOC: Aid the bear in Bull Rushing the elemental. My AC vs the AoO is 25.
12:27, Today: Farden rolled 14 using 1d20+3. str chk.

Sunna step past the eye and can now hear its music.  She plays a song of her own to heal herself.  She's still injured, but doesn't feel like she's about to collapse anymore.

Sunna gains 8 hp.

The dwarves pound away on the spider.  The smith lands a good blow with his hammer.  You're not sure how much longer the spider will hold up.

Farden looks back at Holly and makes a pushing motion and then points to where the bear and elemental are fighting.  He's not sure his gestures told the whole story, but figures he'll try pushing on the element and hopefully the bear will figure out his intentions.

The Elemental sees this coming and prepares to pulverize Farden, but the crafty warrior planned a step ahead.  At the very last second he rolls under the elemental's punch and pops back up to shove against the stone humanoid.  The move wasn't very graceful, but it was effective.

I need round 5 actions for Glumr, Holly and the bear.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

Glumr with sword drawn, starts to move out of the room.

Glumr moves to F5 - Action is Total Defense
This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Fri 01 Feb 2013.

Init
----
Glumr 20
eye 15
spider 15
Farden 15
bear 15
elementals 7
Holly 6
Sunna 5
dwarves 2


Farden pushes hard against the elemental, but it literally melds to the floor, immovable.  The bear joins in and almost comically tumbles back after bouncing off the stone elemental.

The big metallic spider sprays a web of cable all over the dwarven smith, ensnaring him.

Elemental1 pounds at the spider's hard shell to no effect, while the other elemental makes a very similar, powerful attack that Farden deflects with his shield.

I need a round 5 action from Sunna and Holly.

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:16, Mon 04 Feb 2013.

Farden waves his arm, signalling that the bear and he should try again. This time, he'll try and co-ordinate the attack so he and the bear move at the same time.

Once more, bull-rushing the elemental, with aid from the bear, AC: 24

10:22, Today: Farden rolled 21 using 1d20+3. str check.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:59, Tue 05 Feb 2013.

Please wait until round 6 to take your round 6 action.  :-)

We need Sunna and Holly to post actions first.

Feeling a little better Sunna inches closer a bit, ready to help a possibly injured friend..

Move to I09

The powerful dwarven smith exclaims something and makes a valiant effort to break out of the cables, falling just short.

The other dwarf whacks the spider solidly with his iron tools.  You're not sure that the spider can take much more abuse.

Luckily, it looks like the elements won't be pounding on it any more.  They both slowly sink down into the floor, melding into the stone in much the same way they had appeared from the walls.  This leaves the room a little less congested and much less dangerous.

I need round 6 actions for everyone.

Init
----
Glumr 20
eye 15
spider 15
Farden 15
bear 15
Holly 6
Sunna 5
dwarves 2

http://zachery.path.med.umich....lefang/forge_map.jpg

Farden nearly falls flat on his face as the elemental he's been pushing against vanishes. Now, he takes a step into the room. Now that no one is hammering on his shield, he switches his sword to his off-hand and gets a javelin ready.

OOC: Free action:
5' step to F8, Holding sword in off-hand (not for combat, just holding it)
Current AC: 17

Move: draw javelin
Standard: ready attack to throw javelin if any of the dwarfs attempts to cast a spell

OCC - I totally posted this in an RPOL technical discussion window yesterday instead of this thread.  LOLs


Glumr, shocked the creatures disappeared, decides it's his chance to hightail it out.  He sprints out of the room, not worried about the spider's future.

Move/Run/Whatever to I11.

"The creatures must have been from magic and only last for a short time...at least that's my guess.  We are lucky.  What should we do?  Do we worry about the spider?"

Sunna lets Glumr pass and motions the others to move, too. She is not worried about the spider, it's some sort of construct and not a real animal anyway.

Move with the others and staying somewhere in the group. If need be she'll cast a Cure Light Wounds on Glumr
This message was last edited by the player at 18:52, Sat 09 Feb 2013.

Glumr says his bit about magic, luck, and the spider but no one hears it.  He promptly hightails it out of the forge room, through the bubble of silence and into the small 5x5 hall.  He squints, hoping his vision will adapt to the darker tunnel, barely able to see anything.  Talita, the eye, and Sunna follow closely behind Glumr.  Sunna contemplates a song of cure light wounds now that she is once again clear of the silence, but she remembers she has already sung her two most powerful songs - one to cure herself, and one to understand the dwarves.  She will have to settle for Cure Minor when things settle down a little.

Back in the forge room Farden covers the retreat.  He awkwardly shifts his sword to his off hand, leaving his shield as dead weight on that arm, but steadily draws and levels his javelin.  He keeps it trained on the two dwarves.  One struggles against the web of cables all around him and the other looks at Farden wearily, metal tongs ready, but takes to offensive action.  The spider, badly damaged whirls around and slips between Farden and the doorway, making its way out.

Holly, the retriever spider, and the black bear fall into line behind the others.

Does Farden join the party in leaving the forge room behind?

Is the group planning to get back to the portal as quickly as possible?

"I can call on Ehlonna to put a ward somewhere so we will know if we're being followed.  Should we try and escape home or explore this place more?  Since we're the agressors already, maybe we could get something to help ourselves out for once instead of whatever this helm is wanted for.  Hopefully we're not aiding the unnatural with this one.  Sure wish I could speak a little Dwarf."  Glumr puffs out as he catches up with friends.

OCC - How hurt is Glumr?  He's got some healing potions still.
13/23 hit points left.  Gonna wait to drink a potion.  Not dire enough.

Does Glumr feel anything special from the helm?

And the crystal sword is +5 where the scimitar is +0, correct?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:09, Mon 11 Feb 2013.

For starters, Glumr is actually leading the way down the tunnel.  It's dark and cramped (the ceiling is only 5 feet high), but there's a light coming from the intersection ahead.  You remember that being a built-in element of the intersection, so it doesn't mean there's someone up ahead.

You're no expert on magic items.  Snow had some sort of spell to tell if an object was magical or not.  Perhaps Holly or Sunna could tell.  Right now you feel no amazing effects.  You'd have to put the crystal blade to use to get a true feel for its effectiveness.

Once everyone else has left, Farden is going to join the retreat, covering evreyone's backs. He's going to sheathe the javelin and get into his usual sword-and-shield stance.

Glumr and Talita reach the intersection where you had the strange encounter with the 6 worker dwarves just a couple of minutes ago.   Sunna and the floating eye (no longer playing music) close behind and arrive in the intersection too.  This 4-way intersection is carved from stone and well crafted.  The walls are flat but still a bit rough, and the floors sport an inlaid pattern.  It's not too intricate, but it certainly more like something you'd expect to find in a palace than in a mine.  The room widens out to 15' by 15', and there's a soft glow of light coming from the center of the ceiling.

Glumr takes a moment to stand up fully, here where the ceiling is high enough, and listen.  The helmet does seem to muffle sound a little, but not enough to keep him from hearing things.  There's some noise coming from the passage to his right.  The portal was down the passage to his left.  Who knows what's down the passage ahead.  All four passages are the small, 5' tall variety.

Glumr tries to make out the sounds.  Do we know if they followed us from the room?

OCC - If needed, I'll take the helm off. It's probably locals.

"Do we make a hasty exit?  Or shall we explore?  Considering the stone work, we might be able to line our pockets a bit if we nose around." Glumr whispers out to his friends.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:00, Tue 12 Feb 2013.

"I feel bad enough already that we had to take something from them", Sunna whispers back. though the dwarves in the room with the helm weren't exactly friendly she can understand why they wouldn't let them just go in and steal things.

Then she tilts her head and listens for the strange sounds coming from the right, too.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:11, Wed 13 Feb 2013.

"We're outnumbered, and on the home turf of a people who are certainly hostile by now. We got what we came for plus a little extra, I say we get the hell out of here."

Holly nods in agreement with Farden and Sunna.

"Let's just get the helm back to that terrible little demon and put this all behind us."

It does sound like several someones are approaching.  While the party decides whether to stay or go the spider takes the lead and exits via the tunnel to the left.  Holly and the bear follow.

Glumr moves down the hall after his friends and calls on Ehlonna's blessing to ward the hall so he will know when the pursuers cross this point and come down the hall after them.

"Leaves on the wind, stones in the ground, if someone comes this way, tell me when they will be found." glumr says silently as he draws an imaginary line across the hallway.  Soon as he finishes he runs after Holly, the mystery bear, and the mechanical spider.

Glumr chooses not to voice his concerns on delivering the helmet just yet.  He still feels that this is aiding the unnatural.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:52, Wed 13 Feb 2013.

"We should hurry and get out of here."
Sunna hurries to keep up with the spider, Holly and Glumr.

You hustle through the small tunnel following the spider, which is now making some metal-on-metal grinding noises as it moves.  You arrive in another illuminated intersection, but this time the cross passage is much wider, about 20 feet wide.  This is the passage back to the portal.  The spider wheels around to the left without breaking stride.


The only light in the tunnel will soon be behind you.  The tunnel is wide and the footing is good, but you'll soon be running blindly, which might not be the safest way to travel in unfamiliar areas.

Farden will be guarding the rear as the party heads for the portal.

"Ehlonna answered me... several are in pursuit of us and just crossed the passage I made the line at. Here!"  Glumr pulls out his everburning torch and light cilendar.  He tosses the cylendar to Farden.  "Better than being blind if you need to start swinging."

OCC - It has rope tied around it so it can be worn around the neck.

So we're like an intersection ahead of them?  That's how I interpreted that.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:40, Thu 14 Feb 2013.

Yes.  That's correct.


You pass the small square doors in the side walls and reach the large circular, unfinished doorway.  Farden looks back over his shoulder and spots a group of dwarves far down the wide tunnel behind you.  You've got a pretty good lead, and dwarves aren't known for speed.  The next stretch of tunnel is 1000 feet or so without any interesting features.  By the time you reach the dead end the dwarves aren't even visible, somewhere in the darkness behind you.

Holly pulls out the copper plate.

"Is everyone ready to go back home?" she asks.

The druid focusses her attention on the plate and relaxes.  The dead end shimmers as if it was made of water.  It doesn't seem as strange the second time (or 4th time for some of you.)  The spider clanks and grinds as it passes through the portal.

Farden is going to keep watch to the rear as the rest of the party files through the portal, then he'll join them.

"Let's get out of here." Sunna glances back the tunnel they came from, nods at Farden and then approaches the portal, eager to leave this place as fast as possible.

Sunna and Glumr step through first and are startled to find the very similar looking 20' x 20' tunnel occupied.  Not only is the damaged Retriever Spider here, but also a second undamaged one as well as a Bicorn, Xyzeryx, and 5 small winged naked humans made of fire flitting about.  It is hotter here than when you were in this tunnel last.

As Talita and the eye join you through the portal Xyreryx, whose back is turned to you gestures in an exaggerated fashion and a 6th fire human appears out of thin air.  This one is male, making an even number of male and female.  The winged fire humans are about half the height of normal humans and quite thin.  Their fiery bodies are not completely solid and you can sort of see through them.  Talita crouches and growls softly.

Next through are the bear and Farden.  Farden is immediately stuck by the danger of the situation.  The party bested this strange teleporting demon before, but now you are tired, somewhat injured, and low on magic.  Additionally, Xyzeryx has 6 little fiery reinforcements this time.

Holly comes through last.  The plate she is holding is suddenly so hot that she drops it out of a mix of startle and reflex.  It bangs loudly on the stone floor.  The shimmering portal closes behind her.

Xyzeryx spins.  "The fleshbag travelers are LATE!" the demon screeches.  His dissonant voice instantly gives you a mild headache and causes the eye to tumbled down to the floor.  "But I like this place.  Xyzeryx has been engrossed."

He grabs the newly created fiery human by the ankle and flings him aside.  He yelps out a puff of smoke, but catches himself midair, hovering with his wings.

"The fleshbags have brought me the helm.  GIVE it to me!"

"Wait!" calls out Holly holding a hand in front of her.  "You said when the spider and Traveler returned to give Xyzeryx the helm the Traveler could have anything."

Holly musters up as much bravado as she can in the face of this demon, but you can tell she's nervous.

"I am the Traveler and I demand a trade."

Seeing the fiery winged human shapes hanging around Xyzeryx Sunna hesitates and galnces at the others, uncertain what to do. When Holly steps forward Sunna takes a deep breath, for a short moment unable to move. Then she gathers all her courage and nods to Hollys words, while crossing the arms over her chest and stepping closer to the druid.

"She is right Xyzeryx" Glumr states in an authoritative tone. "The helm is not yours until you hold up your end of the bargan in which you promised anything to the Traveler.  Are your words not binding?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:46, Tue 19 Feb 2013.

Xyzeryx takes a few steps towards the badly damaged retriever spider, regarding it instead of the Triplefang.

"There can be a trade.  One object for one object.  Xyzeryx has amassed a vast pile of items.  I have no interest in these items.  You may choose one.  What is it these bags of water desire?  Speak!"

"A trade of an item you have for an item we did not?  In all fairness, an even trade is an item plus a service.  For the service, I simply ask that you give us some time in private to discuss what the trade should be for.  You had time to contemplate the object you desired, let us do the same." Glumr responds, still not feeling good about delivering the helm, but if it can greatly help with his own quest then perhaps it is justified.  He wishes he knew more about this Xyzeryx character and what his motives are.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Tue 19 Feb 2013.

"The state of this construct is unacceptable!"  Xyzeryx rants.  "Punctures of the exo-abdomen.  Damage to internals.  Navigation and stealth both compromised.  The meatbags have no concept of the value of these constructs!"

The demon does not address Glumr's request in the slightest.  By default this gives you time to discuss the matter amongst yourselves.

Glumr whispers to his friends "What should we ask for?  An item of wealth to aid us in getting the book?  Perhaps the helmet itself?  I feel like that we are aiding the unnatural by handing this over. Holly do you know more about who he is and why he wants this item?"

Holly shrugs looking out of her depth.  "I have no idea what he is.  He doesn't look like anything I've ever heard of before.  Some sort of sorcerer."

Holly covers her ears and squints as Xyzeryx goes on about the damaged spider in the background.  She uncovers them again and says "Do you think he does that thing with his voice just to drive us mad?  He sure does talk a lot about 'constructs'."

"As for the helmet.  You're the one wearing it," she says to Glumr.  "Does it do anything?"

"I dont notice anything special when I wear it." Glumr says "...the blades feel sharp.  My cousin could use her abilities to sense if items were magical or had abilities, can you do this?" he asks, directed at Holly and Sunna.

"I don't know if asking for the helmet would be a good idea", Sunna whispers back, "he really seems to want that thing, for whatever reason." Sunna glances at the demon, than turns back to her friends.
"I could try and take a look at the blade", she answers to Glumr in a low voice, "but be careful when you draw it, I don't want him to think that we want to hurt him - or one of his.. uhm... friends here."


OOC: Would like to cast Detect Magic on the blade.

You don't need the weapon to be drawn to detect it.  Furthermore, Glumr has merely tucked the crystal blades into his belt, lacking proper sheaths for them.  Additionally, you can look over an area and detect magic throughout that area.  You need not focus on a single item.  Good spell, huh?

Sunna pulls out her fine pipe.  She plays a flighty tune that brings fairies to mind, all the while giving Glumr a good looking over.


Less than 10 seconds into her magical song Xyzeryx takes note.

"Cease that!" he shrieks and lets out a vocal cacophony even stranger than his usual speech.  The noise breaks Sunna's concentration, leaving her dazed for an instant, and disrupts her spell.

"Well, we undertook this whole trip to get enchanted weapons." Farden points out logically. "Thanks to Glumr, we have a sword. Ask him of he has a magically enhanced bow, or maybe another blade. As for the service, ask him for information about that portal plate we've been hauling around."

Glumr whispers "Anything Sunna?...I have these two blades of green crystal.  I can tell they are a very well made but my skills are best with the bow.  An enchanted bow could strongly aid our quest in my hands.  I figured the service was just letting us discuss. I say we make a trade then see if we can get more information from him"

"The blades are both magical", Sunna whispers back, "as is the helm. But I need some more time to find out more. Somewhere where Xyzeryx is not around."

"Then ask him for an enchanted bow, one which is not cursed, and see if he'll talk about the portal plate. And let's get out of here."

"I'm okay with that plan.  I would ask him for a bow that is as worth as much to us, as this helm is to him....well... unless the helm is the object of his undoing and wants to have it to protect himself, which would mean a bow that IS cursed..." Glumr whispers to his companions.

"I feel how we word things is kind of important with this one.  Holly and Sunna.. .Are you okay with that plan?"  he continues "Then we leave here with 3 enchanted weapons.  I dont think he will give us more opportunity to examine the helm.  The other option is to fight our way out with the helm I'm guessing at this point."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:59, Thu 21 Feb 2013.

"Yeah, I don't think that last option's doable." points out Farden.

"Xyzeryx, we will accept an enchanted bow capable of damaging ethereal undead in exchange of the helm," states Holly as calmly and firmly as she can.

The stumpy, claylike demon is silent for nearly a minute, which is a blessing in itself.  He is looking over the surroundings, viewing nothing in particularly, or perhaps something you cannot see.  The small humans made for fire gather into an informal group to the demon's left, some standing and others flying effortlessly.

"YES!  I have such an item.  Completely worthless.  Xyzeryx will be glad to be rid of it.  You can see the bow now."

With that he makes a grand gesture and a horrible sound like a sneeze mixed with a scream and the tearing of a thin metal sheet.  Before your eyes you see a vivid, rotating illusion of...  well it's not exactly a longbow.  There is a bow, but it's sideways and connected to a mechanical contraption.  What sort of infernal device is this?

"This weapon will pierce the spirit.  It is so easy to load even the most feeble fleshbag can draw the bow with an activate word of LANTEENIX," he says with a flourish.  "Xyzeryx will go fetch it so we can conclude this tiresome transaction."

"Thank you," says Holly, relief evident in her voice. She didn't think the party was up to fighting all those strange spirits for their reward. "After that, we'll be happy to get out of your way."

She looks at Glumr, curious to see his reaction to the illusion of this strange device. After all, he would probably be using it for a while.

Glumr is puzzled by the device. It's a mixture of familiarity with other constructed shapes.  He wonders if is a device from other lands like the empire.

Glumr pulls the helm off and addresses the creature.  "If this will stop spirits and the undead, then you shall have your helm Xyzeryx."

Glumr sill has concerns about the transactions, but at this point it appears the party are pawns.  Glumr hopes the help wont end up hurting anyone innocent.  He decides that either way it appears there's not much he can do except play along.

Xyzeryx disappears.  His minions are all still there, though.

One of the fiery humans says something and extends an arm, but you can't understand her.

"I wish we had some language magics." Glumr mutters to himself.  He grins and shrugs and extends his open hand to the fiery human in return.

OOC:  You do, but Sunna has used 'em up for the day.

Glumr gets a little too close to the Firewoman, who flicks a not-very-dangerous amount of flame at him.  Looks like she wasn't being friendly.

Reflex save DC 11 to avoid 1 point of damage.

Xyzeryx appears right next to the already startled Glumr, brandishing the bow device.  It's not loaded.

"Now Xyzeryx can exchange and see no more of the fleshbags!" barks the demon.

That sure was quick.

Glumr rolled 20 using 1d20+8. Reflex - Fire Human's Touch.

Glumr steps to the side to avoid the flame.  "Stupid things" Glumr mutters to himself in jest of it.

When Xyzeryx appears, Glumr is startled from the suddenness of it.   He turns to the creature and extends his hands.  The farthermost empty, the other holding the helm.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Fri 22 Feb 2013.

Glumr and Xyzeryx swap the helm for the bow device.  Xyzeryx cackles with glee and disappears again.  Everyone stands around uneasily waiting to see what happens next.  What happens next is the undamaged metallic spider start off down the tunnel.  The bicorn and damaged spider follow it.  The small fiery humans don't appear to have any interest in going anywhere.

Currently there are four things of note here at the dead-end of the wide, tall, square, very uniformly carved tunnel.

First off there's the eye.  While he's normally floating around, he tailed off to the floor right after coming through the portal and he's still just sitting there.

Secondly, there's the copper plate Holly used to activate the portal.  She dropped it when it was suddenly very hot after going through the portal.  This did not happen going the other direction through the portal, but there's certainly precedent for these plates getting very hot.  It happened at the watering hole, and in Xyzeryx's lair.

Thirdly, there is a bear.  This summoned bear should've disappeared a while ago.  Holly is the most acutely aware of this fact, but everyone has an inkling that the bear has overstayed its magical visitation period.

Lastly, it hasn't been too long since you came into these tunnels, but Farden didn't start marking your path until after you got to the other side of the portal.  No one was paying extra attention because you were following the spider.  You're *pretty* sure  you can find your way out without the spider.  Then again...  who knows.

Holly looks at the eye, concerned. She walks over to it, picks it up, and casts Cure Minor Wounds. She examines it carefully--is it open? She moves it up and down in the air slightly--does it show any sign of being able to control its own movement?

"Are you OK? Blink once for yes, two for no."

The eye seems dazed, but not injured.  This same thing happened before at the watering hole.  Holly turns him to look at her and waits for a response.  Slowly, he does blink, and starts floating upwards until he reaches his typical altitude of about 4 or 5 feet off the ground.  Looks like he's OK.

"Come on, let's get out of here before those dwarfs try to follow us through the portal. Glumr, pass me that blade you picked up? I might as well get a feel for it, since I'll probably be swinging it.

Holly, see if you can get your bear to use its nose to point us the way out."

Sunna keeps an eye on the fiery humanoids while Glumr and the demon exchange the items. Carefully she tries to pick up the plate, hoping that it has cooled down by now. "Do you want to take it again?" she asks Holly.

The plate is still hot when Sunna picks it up.  Her leather gloves get scored where she holds the plate.  By the time Holly is done attending to the eye the plate has cooled down some and Sunna hands it over to the druid.

OOC: Treat the green crystal blades as +1 shortswords.  They are sharper than any other weapon you've held.  They are also small, weighing just 1.5 pounds each.  There are two of them.

The bow device is a +1 light crossbow.  It is a simple weapon that can be wielded by ANY class at no penalty so long as you've taken, say, a half hour or so to practice with it.  Using the activation word, it can be loaded by anyone as a free action that does not draw an attack of opportunity.  Loading still requires two hands.  It weighs 4 lbs. It currently has no ammo.  You'll need to get bolts made by a fletcher or blacksmith.  Crossbows are unknown in clan lands.

Who is carrying each of these weapons?  Please add them to (or remove them from) your character sheet.

Glumr hands one of the swords to Farden.  "It's a match set" He adds with a grin "Anyone want to try their hand with other?"

He pauses and looks at the device "Kind of a strange bow.  If we can find some arrows? that fit it, we could have two archers taking down our opponents.  More so this will aid us when we go to the tower.  I wonder if we could use the match set of blades to be enchanted the same way.  Another masterwork bow and I can enchant mine.  Shall we try to get out of this place?"  Glumr asks rhetorically.


"And what of this bear?"  Glumr has used his gift from Ehlonna already today.  If the bear is still around tomorrow, he can try and speak with it.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:27, Sat 23 Feb 2013.

Holly smiles as the eye begins floating again. "Let me know if you feel dazed again, k?" she says. "Blink rapidly at me, or something."

After accepting the portal plate from Sunna with a quick "Thanks," Holly walks over to the bear and rubs its head playfully. She tries to ask it to lead them out of the tunnels.

08:03, Today: Holly rolled 19 using 1d20+6. Wild Empathy.
08:05, Today: Holly rolled 15 using 1d20+7. Handle Animal.

Glumr tries to see if he can find the way as well.

Glumr rolled 12 using 1d20+9. Track way out of cave.

The bear isn't very energetic or motivated.  It prefers a leisurely, lumbering pace.  The beginning leg of leading you out of the tunnel is trivial.  You started at a dead end, so there's only one way to go.  After leaving the little fire humans behind the tunnel gets dark with just Glumr's small light cylinder hanging around Farden neck for light.  Glumr draws forth his ever-burning torch.  Farden returns the little magical cylinder in favor of lighting up his lantern.  You'll all be glad to get out under vast skies and sunlight again.

You come to the point where the large, uniformly square, carved tunnel is broken on the both sides by a natural cave.  The bear chooses the one on the right, which rings familiar with everyone.  So far so good.  Then, as often happens with twisty cave tunnels, things get a bit disorienting.  There are several branches, shafts, and side tunnels.  At one point the bear tries to take you down a very small passage, where you'd have to crawl to get through.  While this might be a short cut, it's clearly not the way you came, since you didn't do any crawling and you doubt the large mechanical spider could've gotten through that section, Holly dissuades the bear from taking that path.

Not much long after that you reach the first intersection where Glumr originally looked for tracks and found none on your way in.  Future trackers might find not only evidence of humans passing this way, but various four legged animals (a fox, a bear, and a bicorn), as well as scratches from large, multi-legged metallic monsters.

Next the cave slopes upward and curves.  The burning wolves den is the last thing you pass through before stepping out into fresh air.


It's late afternoon.  You're about 5 days from Pliffa south, and just over a week from Sloss Hinterplatz to the north.

Just a refresher as to why you were heading to Sloss Hinterplatz.

Here is what the Enchantress Coal told you regarding the spirit weapons you wanted created:


You still have 940 pieces of Ferisedian gold left over from the reward the harpers gave you for returning the songbook.

Holly sighs in relief as she steps into the afternoon sunlight. She pats the black bear on the head. "Thanks," she says softly. "Tomorrow, maybe we can figure out why you haven't disappeared yet. It's nice having you around."

At this point, Holly looks around at her other companions. "I guess we should keep heading towards Sloss Hinterplatz. Is everybody doing OK? Obad-Hai has granted me a little more healing energy for today."

"By the way, what weapon does everyone want to ask Coal to enchant? We have two of those long knives, now, so we could enchant one of those. I have a sickle and a spear that we could use, too. I use my sickle more, but I'd rather make sure the rest of you have magic weapons before enchanting my sickle. I mostly rely on Obad-Hai's blessings in battle."

"I think we already have enough enchanted weapons for all three of us martial types. True, I'd prefer a longsword, but that's a minor detail. Do we really want to head to Hinterplatz? Our main reason for going has already been achieved. I'd much rather hold on to our gold for other things, like holy water."

OOC: We originally wanted enchanted weapons so we could go ghostbusting.

Holly glances at the long knives and the strange mechanical bow. She looks thoughtful. "I guess that depends on what kind of magic those weapons have. Xyzeryx said that the bow would work against ghosts, but we don't know much about the other two weapons. Either way, we need to get Coafie here back to the Cabell lodge as soon as we can. She's been through an awful lot. We can worry about where we're going and what we're doing tomorrow."

Besides, thinks Holly, I'd like to see Moonlight.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:17, Tue 26 Feb 2013.

"Don't we need the moonstone anymore?" Sunna asks, sounding a little confused. "We now have one bow able to hurt ghosts, but that's only one weapon for us four." Not having a single enchanted weapon herself doesn't bother Sunna overly much, at least for now, but if the others decide to begin the ghost hunt she'd like to be prepared.

Holly knows that Coafie went back to the lodge with Sjorri and Bavit, so she wouldn't have said this.  Lets strike it from the record.  You probably should go back there anyhow.  Pretty much all your food is back there with the cart.

OOC: Thank you, I missed that.
21:16, Today: Holly rolled 7 using 1d8+4. Cure Light Wounds - Glumr.

Holly touches Glumr's shoulder briefly, healing him a little. On the way back to the Cabell lodge, she pets the bear on the head again. "As long as you're here, you need a name," she says. "How about Ebony?"

"Didn't one of you detect magic on these shortswords? If they're magical, they should work as well on ghosts as the bow." points out Farden.

Know: religion check to remember what sort of weapons work on ghosts.
10:42, Today: Farden rolled 22 using 1d20+2. know: religion.

"There are two types of magical weapons," Farden explains.  "Those enchanted with goblin magics, and those imbued with the blessings of the gods.  If a weapon is blessed by a god that stands for good it should harm the undead no matter what the blessing is, assuming the blessing is strong enough to overcome the evil of the undead.  This includes Pelor, Ehlonna, Moradin, and Garl Glittergold.  Also Obad-Hai, though neither good nor evil, abhors the undead, so weapons blessed by him would also harm the undead."

You're are surprised by Farden's deep understanding of this subject.

"The dwarves as a race are resistant to goblin magic.  I've never heard of a dwarven sorceress like Snow, Coal, or Cordelia, so I believe these blades were made magical by the divine.  I believe that the smith we fought was a priest of either Moradin or Garl Glittergold."

Farden continues.

"There's a chance that the smith was evil, or these blades were made magical by someone else, but I'm willing to bet they'll work on ghosts."

The party returns to the Cabell lodge for the night.  After a restful night's sleep Grumr has fully recovered from his wounds, but Sunna is still hurting.

OCC - The Cabell Lodge is where Coal is, correct?

"We should see if Coal can tell us about these weapons. If they are enchanted to hurt the undead, then we have 3 weapons.  If not, we can turn the pair into an enchanted weapon based on the rules Coal told us."  Glumr address his friends in the morning, feeling better from yesterdays chaotic adventure.

"If we go to the tower, maybe we should purchase another masterwork bow to be used with the enchanting.  That way I can use my bow, and someone else can use the new magic mechanical bow we obtained.  Likewise we still have to find some arrows that fit it."  Glumr pauses "If the dwarves are not the ones we've attacked yesterday, then maybe they can help us obtain the enchanting materials and maybe even can craft some arrows for the new bow or whatever you call it."

In the morning, Holly checks on the party and uses Cure Light Wounds on Sunna. "Feeling better?" she asks. "I'm going to go find some berries with Moonlight before we head out, wherever we're going. Let me know if you find out anything more about the new weapons."

Holly smiles at Moonlight. "Miss me, boy?" she asks, patting the horse's flank affectionately. "It's good to see you, too. Today we're going to go look for some berries."

She enjoys herself immensely, spending the early morning out in nature, with Moonlight. With her own skills and Moonlight's keen sense of smell, Holly finds and enchants 15 berries. "That should feed everyone except you for today, plus a little for tomorrow. We won't have to spend quite as much on food, this way," she explains to the horse as they return to the lodge.

OOC: Take 10 on Survival (20 total).
07:29, Today: Holly rolled 15 using 6d4. Goodberry x 3.
07:28, Today: Holly rolled 9 using 1d8+4. Cure Light Wounds - Sunna.

OOC: Coal is not at the Cabell lodge, she's back in Triplefang lands, but Farden is agreeable to heading back, since that's what he wants.

"Yes, let's head back and check in with Coal. If she passes the weapons, we'll have saved ourselves a lot of agony sourcing the materials for enchantment."

"It would be better to know what we truly need in terms of supplies for enchanting before we go to the dwarves" Glumr adds. "Plus we're only a few days from her as is"

Holly nods. "That makes sense. But maybe I can study the weapons with magic, so we can know a little more about them before we visit Coal. I think Sunna tried to do this earlier, but Xyzeryx stopped her." Holly casts Detect Magic and studies the auras of the three weapons.

Holly borrows both of the green crystal blades.  She examines them.  They are very sharp, sharper that steel.  Perhaps they have a specially keen edge.  she sets them on the ground a sits near the blades.  With a short magical phrase and a windlike gesture she casts a divining spell.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:12, Tue 26 Feb 2013.

Holly continues concentrating and examines the crossbow.

Holly studies the strange bow.

Holly looks up from the weapons. "Well, I can't tell exactly what they do," she says. "Their magical auras are kind of medium-strength, and the bow is stronger. I can tell that the daggers have some kind of defensive magic on them, but the bow is harder." Holly wrinkles her forehead in concentration. "It's similar to the magic I use to summon monsters or create water from nothing. Maybe it summons a spirit to guide its arrows, so that they can hit other spirits. I'm not really sure."

Holly looks at her companions. "Either way, it wouldn't hurt to go ask Coal for her advice. Maybe we have everything we need!"

"Right. Back to Coal we go, then! Let's get moving. I'm hoping to finish this quest before the winter snows."

When Holly gets back from gathering berries, you set off south back to Pliffa.  The weather is warm and clear with winds that ripple the dry grasses all day long.

The next morning you awake to find Ebony gone.  Holly asks Glumr to see if he can find any tracks.  None are found.  It's as though the bear just disappeared.  Later that same day Sunna spots a band of goblin warriors.  You decide to ride them down.  Without much difficulty you kill their hobgoblin sergeant and two goblins, and scatter the rest.

In the evening of your fourth day you ride into Pliffa.  You stable the horses and go pay Coal a visit at her tower.  She is entertaining a young cooper's apprentice named Leith.  The two of them have just finished dinner and are having drinks, but Coal invites you to join them.

"You're back sooner than I expected.  Has something gone wrong?" she asks.

"Not wrong, but unexpected." Glumr starts off "We were diverted and required to do a quest by a creature named Xyzeryx.  During it, we offended some dwarves and obtained some items.  We hoped you might be able to tell us something about all of the items.  We have some weapons we hope will help us with the creatures at the disappearing tower.  I want to know if you think the dwarves we saw are the same at Sloss Hinterplatz as well."

Glumr gives her the description of the dwarves they encountered with the Helm while he pulls items out and puts them on the table setting them next to each other.

First he puts the Crossbowand the 2nd crystal blade.

Next to those he sets the two ornate containers made of gleaming white bone and the glass tube containing maybe a pint of red liquid.

And then next to everything he puts the chain of brass or gold or electrum with a jeweled amulet down.

"We know the blades are enchanted and hope they will harm the spirits.  We were told this mechanical bow will do the same, but we need to find the special arrows that fit it, or make some.   And I was hoping these other items may be enchanted somehow.  Perhaps this is a potion to give us some aid, and perhaps this amulet holds an enchantment?  If not, then their value will aid our quest."

"We used this plate to travel to the dwarves' forge," adds Holly, holding up one of the two portal plates the group had discovered.

Glumr smiles and pulls his out "And in the past used this one to travel to a sea of sand and sun where troglodyte lizard men worshiped a dragon god."

OOC: The two ornate bone containers each hold a glass tube of blood red liquid, so there's no separate glass tube.

The young woman gets up from her chair to look over the items you laid out on one of the high tables.  She absently fluffs a hand through her hair, which you notice she has styled differently since you were here little over a week ago.

"So you obtained this all from some dwarves?"  It does look dwarven to me, she say nodding.  "Far be it from me to say whether they were Hinterplatzian dwarves from your descriptions, but you didn't have time to travel all the way there, much less there and back."

"Hold on," Coal straightens up and smooths her dress.  "I'll give these a quick examination."

Leith stands up too and moves to where he can get a better view of Coal.  She casts a quick spell and focuses on the objects one by one.

"This," she says of the chain and amulet "is not magical."  She slides it to the side dismissively.

"This contraption shines of teleportation."  She's talking about the crossbow, but taps one of the copper plates.  "Similar to these."

"The blades are protected.  Perhaps from dulling or shattering."

"And these..." she says of the bone, glass, and blood containers.  "Are necromantic.  No surprise there.  I'll bet you could tell that yourself just by looking."

Coal ends her concentration and smiles at you all.  She claps her hands side to side as if she were knocking dust or flour off them.

"If you need more information I'll need a thousand silver per object.  I hate to always be talking silver, silver, silver, with you.  I'm not a greedy girl, but the components are expensive.  Then I can tell you exactly what the enchantments are."  She shrugs.

"Now who or what is the Scissor-kicks creature?"

Holly sighed as Coal explained what she saw. Coal was using the same spell that she, herself, had used to study the weapons. Holly had hoped the enchantress knew some stronger magic--but apparently this stronger magic required more materials.

"Xyzeryx?" Holly says. "I'm not really sure who or what he was. He was short, red, and sort of spiky. His voice was jarring and could interrupt our magic sometimes, and he called us flesh-sacks. I wondered if he was some kind of mad sorcerer who had transformed himself with magic. He said this bow could hit ghosts and spirits, but I'm not positive we can trust him."

Coal moves closer to Holly a puts her hand on the druid's shoulder.  "I have never heard of any short, red, spiky, mad sorcerers, but I will make note of it.  We'll see if any of the visiting dwarven merchants know anything about him.  Some of them have been around for hundreds of years, and I'm...  well, pretty new at this."

"Maybe I can help you a little more with the weapons."

She pats Holly and walks back to her chair to sit down.

"The weapons I am going to enchant for you will have spirits bound to them.  The spirit will guide and enhance your weapon so they can cut through the spirit realm itself.  That's different from that mechanical bow.  I'm guessing it actually transports the arrow into the spirit realm to hit its target.  Neat idea, huh?  One word of warning though.  If a spirit gets its hands on your bow he can take pot shots at you from the spirit realm.  Arrows will just appear out of nowhere!  My advice, take good care of that bow."

"Of course I'm just guessing based on what I've seen and what you've told me.  The madman could be a liar.  The magic could just make arrows go faster.  Being hit by one might even teleport you to the crazy little red guy.  I can't be sure."

"I don't sense any spirits in the little green swords.  Their magic might help when you hit a ghost, but you'll be waving them around blindly with nothing in that realm to guide them.  Still, they are VERY nice.  I could take one into the spirit realm as a bribe and fetch a major spirit."  Her eyes grow big with excitement and she grins as she says that.  "I could bind that on top of the magic that already exists.  Guess what...  That'd take even more silver.  Maybe you're better off selling the little swords."

Coal folds her hands in her lap and waits quietly to see if you have more to say on the subject before offering you some wine.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:05, Fri 01 Mar 2013.

Farden groans. "So we're going to Hinterplaz anyway to trade for the ingredients you need to make blades capable of combating spirits. And here I was hoping we'd saved ourselves a trip. At least we have something to trade with. Say, comrades, I think we should leave the bow here with Coal. Coal, can you get some arrows to fit the bow while we go get you ingredients for enchanting the blades? We'll pay you when we get back."

"If you are weary or wary of a long journey to Sloss Hinterplatz, Silvergate is a little closer and a lot quicker trip.  You wont need to worry that you might've stolen their swords either." Coal suggested to Farden.

"I need to go there myself, sometime," says Leith.

Coal looks startled and scolds Leith teasingly.  "Not so fast.  Your trip can wait."

"Uh, yeah.... let's go to Sloss. Somehow I think we'll be even less welcome in Silvergate."

Sunna looks a little disappointed when Coal states that the magic weapons won't be enough to really help with the ghosts, but quickly finds back to her more cheerful self.
"What would you need to find out what that bow really is? And could we get that in Sloss or Silvergate, too?" she asks Coal. "As practical as this thing looks I do not trust his former owner one bit and would feel a lot safer knowing if it's dangerous or not."

With a smile at Farden Sunna says: "I think you're right about that. Sloss Hinterplatz sounds like the better plan." And even more interesting than Silvergate.

Coal nods.

"I can get arrows made for that thing.  I want to see how it works, anyhow.  I've got everything I need to isolate its exact enchantment right here in the tower, it's just...  expensive.  If you want me to make sure, I will."

"Thanks for explaining everything," says Holly. "I think we should test the crossbow's magic, just to be sure it's what it's supposed to be. And that it isn't cursed. Then, let's travel to Sloss Hinterplatz and get the materials we need, so we can make sure we have enough weapons to fight the ghosts."

Holly looks around at her companions. "I don't think it's worth it to test the short swords. We know they have a little protective magic, but nothing especially effective against ghosts or spirits. We can figure out what they do by trial and error, or we can sell them. I also don't think they'll be cursed."

"All right, Coal. We'll leave you with enough money to finish identifying the bow and get arrows made for it. Who's holding the money?"

OOC: good question.  So far I've been keeping track of it.  You pay Coal 100 Ferisedan gold.  You know have 840Fgp left from the harpers reward.

"Oh, don't worry about the arrows.  I'm sure our local fletcher and blacksmith can make some custom arrows to help out fellow Triplefang."

She does, however, accept the 100 gold.

"Please bring back extra moonstone or quicksilver if you can.  I'll be happy to reimburse you.  It would be good for me to have some on hand,"  Coal asks.

You thank the enchantress and head back to town to sleep the night in the longhouse.  You head out for the Cabell lodge once again early in the morning.

The last few days Holly has been trying out an old Druid traveling technique.  Just after dawn she and Moonlight go out in search of berries. At this time of year the berries tend to be dry and hard, but they still seem to work for her magical spell.  It transforms the berries into filling meals.  She is able to create enough magic meal berries (Holly calls them Goodberries) to feed everyone each day.  Still, everyone prefers to each *some* real food each day.

By the time you are leaving the Cabell lodge, Holly has stored away 50 Goodberries even though you've been only consuming about 25% of your normal food.  In fact you've saved so much food that you decide to give some of it away at the lodge.  Even so you're each saddled carrying 25 pounds of food when you leave.  You like food a lot better when it's on the cart instead of your back.  With the change in terrain and without Moonlight around to accompany her on her morning gathering missions, Holly gives up on the berries for the next leg of the trip.  You slowly eat through all but 5 of magical berries along the way.

The second day of travel into the mountains is the peak of the a full moon.  It's visible during the afternoon, but is gone most of the night.  The days are hot and windy and the travel is slow.  the slow, but constant ascent is tiring.  You have to rest more often and backtrack occasionally.  Having to carry all you food, water, and gear isn't helping either.  Maybe you should've gone to Silvergate instead.

By the fifth day the party has settled into mountainous traveling habits.  You're covering more distance now.  You're starting to adapt, but you're also getting into thinner air, so you're still very tired at the end of each day.  The higher elevation does take some of the heat out of the summer air.  The winds have also died down to pleasant breezes, so the weather is quite comfortable.

A day later Sunna slips on a patch of slick moss and tumbles off a small cliff.  You all hurry down to see if she's alright.  She is still awake, but dazed, and has broken her shoulder.  Holly tends to her wounds.  She makes her a sling for her arm and casts a healing spell on her while Glumr and Farden gather up her scattered belongings.  You decide to take a break and have a meal before continuing on.  Sunna assures you that she's felling well enough to press onward.

About an hour after noon on the eleventh day of traversing the mountains you crest a ridge and spot the entrance bridge of Sloss Hinterplatz.  It's not what you expected.  From here you can see no city at all, just a bridge, presumably leading up to a tunnel in the mountain side.  It looks nothing like Rankor Heights.

As you get about half way to the bridge you run into 2 dwarves coming the other direction.  They look quite weatherbeaten and rough.  These are not the first travelers you've passed, but they do look like they've been traveling longer than any of you.  However, they both sport well-worn blue coats of arms that look quite official.  They are both armed and armored.

"Ho there!" one of them calls out to you in accented but clear clantongue.

Both dwarves hustle to get to better speaking distance.

"Human visitors. By the look of you I'd say two Triplefang, a Ferisedan, and Plains Eagle, a fox, and…" he squints at the floating eye. "A baby beholder."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:10, Thu 06 June 2013.

"The eye? It doesn't have any eyestalks or a mouth," says Holly. "Is that normal for a baby beholder? I've been wondering what sort of creature our little friend here is. If it's a beholder, it's the friendliest one I've ever heard of." She smiles at the eye fondly.

"Anyway, my companions and I are hoping to do some trading here. We're looking for moonstone and quicksilver, and maybe some finely crafted weapons. Do you have any suggestions for where we should go?"

"Why would a thing that's just a big eye need eye stalks too?  A mouth might come in handy."

"Not sure where I'd put it," pipes up the other dwarf.

"That puzzles me too."  The weatherbeaten dwarf shrugs and moves on.  "Moonsilver, quickrock, and weapons you say.  That's a champion shopping list you have there.  Krissle's downright the top dwarf in the stronghold when is comes to obscure gemstones, minerals and the like.  We can take you to him dead-away.  As for fine dwarven weapons, I'll be assuming you mean ones with a more human balance to them.  We have smiths with such experience as to make your minds boggle.  It's hard to go wrong no matter who you choose."

"My name's Garmin, and this is Biedriv," he adds, turning aand waving you to come along.

"Well met," says Biedriv with a slight bow.  "We'll take you newcomers into the splendor of the stronghold."

You can tell why they call it a stronghold.  A very defensible bridge leads to a well-guarded entranceway with a huge iron gate (currently up) and large metal reinforced doors (currently wide open).  The dwarven warriors that guard the entrance are encased in thick metal armor that makes even Farden's unusual breastplate look minor.  A little further down a statue and banner lined tunnel are another open set of strong doors.

Biedriv waves goodbye at the second set of doors.  He turns back to go back outside while Garmin continues to guide you into Sloss Hinterplatz.

The city itself is a marvel to behold.  There is an entire city underground, in a giant cavern, sloping upwards with row above row of homes, workplaces, and businesses.  You see pools and fountains, and two rivers running through town.  Bridges and stairs lead everywhere.  It is quite dark compared to the bright daytime sunlight you're used to, but it's still lit up better than Triplefang towns are at night.  The grandeur of the stronghold is dulled only a little by its relative lack of color.  Everything is muted shades of grey, brown, and dark orange.

"I'll take you over to Krissle, like I told you, and then back to Humantown.  After that you're on your own.  Follow me."

There don't appear to be many streets in Sloss Hinterplatz.  Garmin leads you along a few walkways and up A LOT of stairs.  Just when you've caught your breath from climbing one set of stairs it's time to start on another.  You're worn out by the time you reach Krissle's Emporium.  It makes you wish you would've been able to drop off your traveling gear first.  Inside the establishment there are a half dozen dwarves all dressed exactly alike.  One walks up to Garmin and your group.

"Ho Garmin, who have you brought me this time?" asks the store worker.

"You know," Garmin says, rubbing his beard.  "This bunch has been in such slack-jawed awe of the stronghold that they haven't gotten around to tellin' me exactly who they are, but I can tell you this.  They are customers.  What did you want again?" he asks Holly.   "Moonsilver?"

"We're travelers from the Triplefang clan, and we're interested in getting some moonstone and quicksilver. We might also be interested in buying or selling some high-quality weapons, but that depends on your prices," says Holly politely. "You have a beautiful city, here. It must have taken hundreds of years to create."

She glances at her allies, and it suddenly occurs to her that she doesn't know how much their magical weapons are worth. She'd have to ask her friends later if they knew.

"I'm sorry Miss Triplefang, Krissle doesn't barter in weapons.  We deal in precious minerals and dabble in mining and prospecting supplies.  Are you aware that there are over 600 different known minerals?  Stones, crystals, metals, and even a liquid or two like your quicksilver.  Its more than enough to keep the emporium busy.  You do have some coins or gemstones to exchange, don't you?"

The salesdwarf shows you some samples of Moonstone, and lets you examine them through a lens.  The gems are considerably more expensive than you expected.  You explain to the dwarf that you are looking to smash the stones into powder and you are more interested in quantity than quality.  He is perfectly happy to oblige you.  It's an opportunity for the shop to unload flawed or less desirable stones.  This brings the costs into line with what Coal had told you - 250gold for each enchantment's worth, so 750gp if you are looking to get 3 more enchanted weapons.  Coal would be happy if you could bring back more (and would buy it from you).  Same goes for the quicksilver.

"Quicksilver and Brimstone are common ingredients in alchemy.  We sell quicksilver in sealed vials for 50 gold.  The vials are quite durable, but you should consider crating them up anyhow."

You'll need 6 vials per enchantment.  900gp for 3 enchantments.  These minerals are expensive!  You bet Krissle is one rich dwarf.  You currently have just 840Fgp in your coffers, but you also have some items to sell.

"Yes, we have coins," says Holly. "But I'm not sure we have enough to buy what we need. We might need to sell some things and come back. Do you know anyone who might be interested in unusual weapons or magical items?"

Afterward, she turns to her companions. "What all do we have to sell? And do any of you have a good guess as to how much our items are worth?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:03, Thu 07 Mar 2013.

"Pandrick is the armsmaster over in Humantown.  He'll give a look at unusual weapons.  Magic, that's more up Penn's alley," says Garmin.

"Pandrick does know his humans, true, but Isla's a better armorer if you ask a dwarf," adds the salesdwarf.

Farden has been quietly listening to the dwarfs. He says to Holly: "The magic blades Glumr picked up are valuable, but not immediately useful to us. I bet if we trade one of them we can get enough materials for 3 enchantments, and some top-notch blades to go with."

Glumr pulls out his amulet that was recently accuired.  "What can you tell me about this?" He asks the dwarf.

The salesdwarf gives the amulet and chain a once-over.

"It's a dwarven piece of old style construction.  Might be ancient.  Deepbrass lasts forever and will never weather.  The gems look authentic.  I'd have to take this piece to Krissle himself to judge its full value.  Are you interested in selling it?"

Sunna looks at the stones and minerals on display and is tempted to buy some of the really pretty looking flawless gems Krissle has to sell. The price, however, keeps her from actually buying anything.
"I think selling or trading both of the blades could make for a better price", she muses, "at least if they know someone able to use two blades of the same kind."

"I think we are," Holly answers the dwarf, looking at Glumr for his response.

"You're probably right," Holly says to Sunna. "I think we should wait to decide for sure until we find out how much one of them will sell for. If it sells for a lot, we may be able to keep it and learn more about its defensive magic."

"This business with Krissle might take a while.  I suggest that one of you stay here to keep an eye on your jewels while I take the rest of you to Humantown to settle in and have your weapons appraised,"  offers Garmin.  "You will be staying overnight, right?"

"Sounds like a plan. But we should travel in pairs. I'll stay here for the moment, who's with me?"

"Is Penn in Humantown?" asks Holly. "I'd like to go with whichever group is visiting Penn to get our portal plates appraised. My knowledge could be useful, one way or another. I'd be able to activate them, at least."

She hesitates, and then says, "Also, I may as well let whichever group is going to the weapons dealer try to sell or trade my spear. It's very well-crafted, but I only used it the one time, when we fought those wolves. I usually rely on my scythe or my powers. So, unless somebody else wants to use it..." she trails off, feeling a little silly.

"Penn?  No, not Humantown.  He lives on the upslope, with the gnomes.  Penn does quite well what with spells and mystical knowledge.  You Triplefang came with a breadth of interests to attend to, I see."

Garmin notices Sunna admiring various gems and settings.

"Why don't I take you, and this fellow here," he says to Holly and Glumr.  "To Humantown?  I think this lady would like more time to browse Krissle's wares."

That sounds like an acceptable way to split the party for now.  Farden and Sunna hand off any unnecessary gear and Holly and Glumr follow their rough-around-the-edges dwarf guide back entranceward.

Even though the short journey is mostly down hill there's still some stair climbing.  Is this how dwarves stay so bulky and strong?   Humantown isn't directly at the entrance, but it is at the same basic elevation, off to the right and over one of the city's two streams.  You can immediately tell it's different.  Even though the buildings are made of the same materials, they are shaped differently.  The windows, walls, and doors are taller and higher.  The area is small compared to the contained sprawl of the rest of the city, but it's not as dense and it's all on the same level - no hills or stairs.   There are about the same number of humans as dwarves here.

"That's Pandrick's forge," Garmin says pointing a stubby finger at a gated courtyard, as you pass it.  You hear the loud banging of metalworking and see a human in a blacksmith's smock, but were under the impression that Pandrick was a dwarf, so that's probably not him.

He takes you into a building that feels far too thick and sturdy to be a simple inn.

"Ho Hillis, I've brought you a fox, an eye, and two Triplefang.  There are two more, Triplefang on their way later.  Do you think you can find them cots and grub in exchange for some Triplefang silver?"

"I don't know, Garmin.  What do you feed an eye?  Eye candy?"

Hillis is clearly an old man, but he still looks fully mobile and in excellent health.  He shows you to a row of identical beds.  There are no private rooms, but Hillis offers to store your equipment in a large cupboard in the downstairs pantry.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:03, Mon 11 Mar 2013.

Farden addresses whoever is left in the shop with them: "So, how long will it take Krissle to appraise our stuff?"

"Come with me," says the salesdwarf leading Farden and Sunna out the front doors they just barely don't have to duck to pass through.

"You bring an unusual piece.  It's old and well crafted, but I see no maker's mark on the piece.  I could give you a value based on the gemstones, but only Krissle will know its true value as a complete piece of jewelry."

He enters the darkened front hall of the neighboring building and calls out.

"Sir!  Some Triplefang humans are looking to sell an old dwarven amulet.  I thought to bring it directly to you."

Not long afterwards a finely robed dwarf with a braided black beard enters the room.  You squint and strain your eyes to make him out in the darkness.  He greets you with a short Dwarven phrase before switching to Clantongue.

"I am Krissle," he says, lighting a bright lantern on the table near the center of the room.  The salesdwarf hands the amulet to him and he sits on a bench to examine the amulet close to the light.

"Who do I have the pleasure of doing business with today?"

After you introduce yourselves he asks "How and where did you acquire this amulet?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:52, Tue 12 Mar 2013.

Holly and Glumr drop off most of their gear and take a short stroll over to Pandrick's.  They look over some of his handiwork.  The weapons look to be high quality and the thick metal plated armor is unlike anything you've seen.  You also notice that none of his weapons use even the least bit of the strange green crystal.  However, you do see strange dwarven metal here and there that looks like the metal used on the blades and the amulet.

"Hello," says a very muscular dwarven blacksmith with a funny accent who must be Pandrick.  "You like the edge on that axe?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:41, Tue 12 Mar 2013.

OCC - you mean Holly and Glumr?   (Sorry was out not feeling well yesterday)
(Opps.  Fixed. - Fritzholm)

"Greeting.  You must be Pandrick?  We are travelers from the lands of the Triplefang and we thought you might be able to tell us about some of our items."  Glumr greets the dwarf.   "I am Glúmr's, son of Hólmfastr Triplefang.  This is my cousin Hollykahn.  We are pleased to make your acquaintance."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:43, Tue 12 Mar 2013.

"Well met, Glumr and Hollykahn Triplefang.  What do you have?"

Glumr takes out the green crystal blades and shows them to the smith.  Pandrick looks startled.

He exclaims something quietly in dwarvish and then revert to clantongue.  "Glass swords," he says with some measure of awe.

He swishes one of the swords through the air twice and then looks closely at the hilt.

"These swords were created by a dwarven smith for house Callivari.  Do not take this as an accusation.  I am going to have to take them to Captain Homkern to see if they've been reported stolen or missing.  You may come along or stay here in Humantown.  Either way, do not attempt to leave the stronghold for the time being."

"We're pretty tired from travelling," says Holly, thinking quickly. And they might recognize us. "But if these do turn out to be stolen from House Callivari, we would want them returned to their rightful owners. I thought these were freshly created."

"Of course we will stay.  We have no ill will toward this dwarven stronghold and will cooperate fully.   Before you go, we had another item to ask about if you have the time"   Glumr is nervous about the glass swords and hopes that a peaceful resolution will be found.  At the very least, Glumr doesnt think any dwarves were harmed during the acquisition of the swords and that could help them out if this was the stronghold they robbed.  He gives Holly a glance, knowing she is thinking the same thing.

Pandrick nods.  "Don't worry.  We'll get this all straightened out.  What was the other thing you wanted me to look at?"

Not sure what Glumr had in mind, Holly speaks up, pulling out her spear. "Well, for one thing, I have a finely crafted spear here that I hoped I could trade for a sickle--paying the difference in gold. I need the sickle to be high-quality, too, and large enough for a human to use." She turns to Glumr. "What did you want to ask about?"

Pandrick examines the spear.

"Excellent balance.  Strong.  Sharp.  This is a worthy weapon to be sure.  I could give you 200 gold for it, maybe a bit more if you were exchanging it for another superior weapon.  I've got axes like the one you were looking at earlier, hammers, spears, a few swords, and a couple of bows, but a sickle is an uncommon weapon.  It would take me and my assistant 4 or 5 weeks to create one for you of the quality you request, if you have the time.  If you're in a hurry you could shop around at some of the other armories.  They specialize in weapons weighted and balanced for dwarves.  I doubt you'll find what you need," says Pandrick with a shrug.

He has a point.  However, you might not *need* it to be balanced for a human.  The masterwork weapon is to be used as some sort of spirit bribe.

"I'm sorry, but I had mixed up Penn and Pandrick..   But yes, the balance does not matter as much as the craftsmanship.  We could trade this against a masterwork weapon."

OCC - I'm not sure what weapons we would need off hand.  I have a masterwork bow. Not sure what else we have.

"We could trade the spear for a bow for you, Glumr," says Holly.

Pandrick laughs heartily.  "This is sure to be the first time I've ever been confused with that grey beard!"

"Let me go talk to Captain Homkern about these glass swords.  You two sit tight at Hillis' Hole in the Mount or grab a few beers.  I'll be back in no time and we can conclude this spear trading business."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:22, Fri 15 Mar 2013.

"Sounds good.  We will await your return." Glumr says with a grin, hiding that he's a bit worried about the outcome.  He figures they can talk their way out of whatever will come from it.

When Pandrick leaves and he and Holly are alone, Glumr pauses to quietly ask her "You never told us what happened when Xyzeryx took you away.  Why did you agree to get the helm for him?  It seems like we may have stirred things up here."

OCC - I know this may be outside of our new players knowledge but seems like the appropriate time to wonder about things.

"Apart from his death threats, and the possibility that he would follow us by magic to make sure we did as he asked? I didn't know what the limits of his power were." Holly smiles grimly.

Holly and Glumr walk back to Hillis' and plunk down on stools at a wobbly table.  A few minutes later Hillis joins you.

"I'm sorry for the service, but my stewards are out gathering.  Can I bring you some bread, stew, or ale?" asks the old man.

You opt for the ale for now.  The innkeeper returns with 3 mugs.

"Tell me," says Glumr.  "How did you end up running an inn in a dwarven stronghold?"

"Ah...  I get asked that a lot.  It happened a long time ago, but doesn't everything around here.  The dwarves take the seasons like you and I take day and night.  I roamed a lot when I was younger.  I saw the Dark Woods, and the West Seas.  I went to the Rocks of Chaos, and Daneland.  I've even ventured to the Land of the Giants!  How many men can say they've seen a giant with their own eyes?"

"On one of my stops here I must've looked worn out from my journeys.  They could tell I'd traveled enough.  None other than Meister Volker himself paid me a visit and asked if I wanted to run my own inn.  They were getting more humans around here and figured folks would like it better with one of our own to look after them.  They just up and gave me the place.  I suppose it suits me."

The ale is pretty unremarkable.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:45, Sun 17 Mar 2013.

"Thank you," says Holly. She smiles as the old man talks. "You must have been quite the adventurer. Do you have any stories? What were the Dark Woods like?"

"Creepy.  You'll see things there that make you think you've drawn your last breath.  Almost glad to see goblins.  I don't recommend going there unless you absolutely have to," Hillis cautions.

"There was once a mad goblin sorcerer on the loose in the Dark woods.  He could shoot flames out from his hands and bring fire crashing down from the sky.  Every time the maniac disappeared someone would turn up roasted.  Not only were my crew and I scared of him, but the goblins were too.  This one time he'd been missing for days and everyone was sure he was lurking around somewhere ready to strike us all down.  You know what?  This goblin had night blindness.  He was afraid of the dark and his magic light failed on him.  Bad place to be scared of the dark...  even in the daytime it's pretty dark there.  I guess you could tell that from the name.  So he wasn't stalking anyone then.  The goblins found him curled up and whimpering."

After a little more small talk Pandrick strides through the inn doors.  He comes over to you and sets the crystal swords on the wobbly table.  Hillis looks at the swords with no small amount of wonder.

"There are no reports of any glass swords being lost or stolen.  They are exactly the sort of thing you'd report, so I figure they are clean.  Homkern is going to mention them to house Callivari anyhow."

Pandrick declines an ale and takes a seat on on of the stools.

"Let's get down to business.  Do you want to sell the spear and the glass swords?  Are you interested in buying other weapons?  How about armor?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:46, Sun 17 Mar 2013.

Holly listens to Hillis's story attentively. "I guess everyone has a weakness," she says, smiling at the story's end. "The Dark Woods sound fascinating, but I'll be sure to prepare well if I ever have to go there."

She lets out a little sigh, relieved that the dwarves they'd stolen from aren't from this area. "I think we'd like to sell the spear and buy a finely crafted longbow and longsword," says Holly. "If we decide to sell the glass swords, how much would you pay for them?"

"The swords are very sharp and well made as well as old and in excellent shape.  They are also made of exotic materials.  I'd pay extra for the pair, say 1,000 gold for the set."

This sounds a little low to both of you.

"They're enchanted," offers Holly hoping this will raise the price.

"Oh are they?  How would you know that?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:46, Fri 15 Mar 2013.

"Both myself and a Triplefang enchantress named Coal studied the swords for magic," Holly answers. "We're not sure exactly what the enchantment is, but it's moderately strong, and it's a protective spell of some kind. It could keep the blade from breaking, or maybe it protects the wielder. I don't really know."

"You're a magician?" asks Pandrick.

Being someone outside of your race as well as culture, it's hard to tell if he's impressed, skeptical, or if there's a stigma attached to the word.

"That's more than a humble smith can judge.  We should consult an expert first."

"A druid," says Holly. "And showing these to one of your own experts seems wise, so we can make sure we're trading fairly."

"Druid?  Hmmmph.  All the more reason to get a second opinion."

Pandrick looks to Hillis, who was also a little surprised when Holly said she was a druid, and then to Glumr.

"Since you mentioned him earlier, why don't we take them to Penn?  I'll see if I can set up a meeting tomorrow.  Until then, enjoy your ale."

Pandrick gets up and heads out the door.

"Are you really a druid?" Hillis asks after the dwarf leaves.

"Are you a druid too?" he asks Glumr.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:49, Sun 17 Mar 2013.

"Meeting with Penn in the morning would be fine," says Holly, a little surprised by the dwarf's reaction. "Thank you for your help."

Holly nods to Hillis. "I am. I guess you probably don't get many druids up here, in the mountains."

"It was a deed done by druids before my travels that fuels the dwarves' ire.  They are very slow to forgive and forget.  I'd suggest letting someone else do the talking when you see Penn.  Maybe even stay here when your friends visit him," suggests Hillis.

Holly and Glumr go over some numbers together.  If you're going to have Coal enchant 3 spirit weapons you are going to need 3 more masterwork weapons - about 900 gold worth.  You'll need about 750 gold worth of moonstone, and 18 vials of quicksilver which will cost another 900 gold.  You will also need to reimburse Coal for the sulfur she uses up.  The best way to do that would be to bring her extra moonstone and quicksilver and let her pay you for the extra.  It all comes out to around 3100 gold with a little to spare.  If you'd like to enchant a 4th weapon just in case the strange bow is not as Xyzeryx claimed, that would put the costs over 4000 gold.  You sure hope the blades are worth more than the 1000 gold Pandrick offered. Otherwise you are going to be woefully short on coins.


Farden and Sunna make their way back to Humantown with some good news.  They were able to sell the amulet for 800 gold.  If you count your remaining harper reward money, the gold from the amulet, and the gold Pandrick offered for Holly's masterwork spear you're over half way to your goal.

Is there anything else you'd like to do today?

Glumr laughs "Oh no... It's by chance this Druid was adopted by our clan when she was a young age." Glumr says, trying to get past the stigma. "and I am just a simple Triplefang traveler devoted to Ehlonna in her preservation of the natural order.  It's funny about your goblin story.  I had a run in with some goblins and found the fire magic came from some enchanted gloves the goblin would wear.  I hate those vile creatures."

OCC - I'm willing to see if the crossbow works.  We can test if first opportunity and know.

Pandrick returns late in the afternoon the next day.

"Penn is curious to meet the humans with old, enchanted, dwarven glass swords, and to set his eyes on an actual druid.  Come along."

It another long walk up endless stairs.  The upslope, as they call this part of the city, has many large, lavish estates and is at a higher elevation than the part of town where Krissle's Emporium is.  At least this time you're not burdened with all your traveling gear.  The view up here is stunning, but you are starting to miss the sky.  You are also losing track of day and night.

Penn's home is a wide one-story building that quickly disappears back into the rock face.  The four of you and Pandrick enter the main hall where you are greeted by two dwarves.  They are both robed in a similar fashion, but the younger of the two sports more simple robes.

The older dwarf says something in dwarvish, peering at Sunna and Holly.

"Triplefang, I will be speaking for Penn," says the younger dwarf.  "Penn says 'Greetings to armorer Pandrick and four gracile, shortlived persons.  Which one is the druid?'"

Glumr raises an eyebrow and grins.  He bows in greeting and waits for Holly to speak up.

OCC - Is a bow appropriate?  What would be the formal greeting gesture in these lands and age?

OOC: Triplefang often clap each other solidly on the left shoulder, but there's no real expected formality in greetings especially between different clans, cultures, and races.  A bow works fine.

Holly steps forward and bows. "I am a druid, but I hold no ill will towards the dwarves. I am sorry for any past conflict between the dwarves and the druids. Your home here in the mountains is beautiful."

She looks at the translating dwarf, and then she looks at Penn, hoping she seems honest and nonthreatening. "I can sense some magic in these blades, but I can't tell exactly what they do. We hoped that a real expert, like you, could tell us more."

Glumr nods.  "Holly has been adopted by my clan since she was a child.  Can you tell us of your concerns?  I know little about the druids or dwarven pasts."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:03, Tue 19 Mar 2013.

The younger dwarf translates your words in dwarvish, and translates Penn's reply to clantongue.

"Tell me, druid, what you know of Geomancy?"

You hand the crystal blades over to the old dwarf.

"Pandrick told me you had axes to verify."  This appears to be some sort of mistranslation referring to the obviously non-axe crystal blades.  "Yes the magic is authentic."

Pandrick makes a puzzled exclamation in Dwarvish, and Penn replies in a calm but condescending tone.

"The armorer is puzzled why Penn did not give more information.  Penn says 'The axes are sharp and magical.  Will they cut any differently for you knowing pointless secrets?  I tell you all you must know.'"

Penn waves his hand as if the matter is closed, and says a short phrase in dwarvish.

"He asks 'Do you have more treasures for me to view?'" says the translator.

"Geomancy?" asks Holly. "I don't know anything about it. What is it?"

Penn laughs.

"This druid is far too young, Pandrick.  Worry over other troubles," translates the younger druid.  "The earth holds more power than the seas and the wind.  2 of 5 elders think more than the gods powers.  The very wisest know how to direct the flow of earth power.  They can bring miracles!  This is Geomancy."

"What else did young ones bring?"

"For one thing, we're curious what you can tell us about portal plates." Holly gestures to the plate that Glumr is holding. She is hesitant to offer up the portal plate that would lead the dwarves to the place they "liberated" their magical swords from.

Holly wrinkles her forehead. "Are you a geomancer, Penn? Or did the old druids fight the dwarves with that power?"

Penn sets the plate down in front of him as the translator asks him your questions.  He looks it over more completely than the swords.

"This druid knows what is most important of this disk.  It brings a portal active.  This druid knows more than nothing of Geomancy.  This disk is full of magic!  A portal from the East Mountains, I read.  Do young ones know where?  I bring maps."

Before the translator has even finished Penn leaves the room, and returns a few minutes later with several reed tubes.  He uncaps one tube and unrolls two maps, one of which he lays out in front of you all.  After a while you place the landmarks and orient yourself.  It's strange to think of dwarven and clan lands as they are pictured on this map.

"Bring your finger to where the portal from the East Mountains."

The grammar of the translation is a bit strange, but you get the idea.  You see where Gollag is and can estimate the location of the portal cave from there.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:35, Fri 17 Apr 2015.

"So this is Geomancy," says Holly to herself, wondering how it fit into the natural balance of the world. With Geomancy, I could see Moonlight more often, or spend a night running through the grasslands, when we are travelling in mountains or deserts, she thinks. We could flee from battle, or trade more quickly. But I don't think this plate will help us any.

"We would be willing to sell you this plate, if you want it," says Holly, pointing to the place where the portal leads. "How much is it worth to you?"

Druids are often secretive, but she sees no purpose in keeping this particular portal plate's power a secret. A path known to one is a tool of war, she thinks. A path known to many is a tool of peace.

Wouldn't the same be true of language itself?

She speaks up again, as several ideas hit her at once. "Is there a place where I could buy some maps, or perhaps a book on the Dwarven language?"

"One moment." says Farden. He'd been silent so far, content to listen, but now he is moved to speak. He addresses Penn: "You say the blades are magical but we already knew that. Can you explain what is the nature of the magic? As in, what purpose does the enchantment serve? To strengthen the blade, to make them effective against a particular enemy, to make them easier to wield - what is it?"

Penn looks very pleased when Holly offers to sell the plate and points out the portal location on first a large scale map and then a more finely detailed map.  He smiles broadly for the first time since you've met him.

"That you are selling the disk brings me a cheerful satisfaction.  Will you accept ten hundreds of gold coin and the maps of your interest that brings me the disk?  Is the second disk also on offer?"

This question surprises you momentarily.  You have not taken the dwarven forge portal plate out yet, nor referred to it.  Then you realize that the plate's aura would be visible using detect magic, but you haven't seen him cast anything.




"Human clans do not care to learn dwarvish.  Few who do care, do not care to read a book."

He's got a point.  The Triplefang have a strong oral tradition and don't much care for books.

Penn's smile disappears when the translator tells him that Farden wants more detail about the swords.

"Did this young one not hear me speak to this armorer?  The details are only details!  Can explain, yes.  Will not."


Then Penn points to Glumr.

"This young one has more," translates the younger dwarf.

Holly smiles. "That sounds like a fair trade for this plate, but I can't offer you the second plate." If they were to sell the Dwarven Forge plate, Holly would want to be sure that anyone who used it was far away from the swords and amulet that the group had taken. The talk of war between dwarves and druids in prior generations was making her very wary of creating further conflict.

She is a little disappointed that she can't use a book to learn the Dwarven language. Maybe someday she'll take the time to learn it from a dwarf in person.

"Wait... I must ask how you know we have another plate."  Glumr asks Penn, suspicious thoughts in his mind.  "We made no mention of the items we carry"  It makes him hesitant about showing the bone containers, but he realizes the Dwarves have been nothing but friendly and fair in coin.  It still puzzles him  how the dwarf seems to know more than he should and he waits for the response before displaying the containers.

Penn is pleased that you accepted his offer for the Trog Portal Plate, even though he can't buy the other plate.  Next the translator relates Glumr's question to him.

"I sense the magic assortments you bring me as you would smell them if they were of flame.  You have more.  Show me."

Glumr accepts this as he can follow things through the brush by seeing clues that are unperceivable to others.  He Smiles.  "Of course.  The other items are these".  Glumr pulls the 2 Ornate Bone Containers with Glass Tubes of Red Liquid out of his gear.

"I would like to know what this liquid is and the value of the containers"

OCC - Glumr has a potion of reduce size, also red.  How does this compare in color and consistency to that?   If it's different, then that's all Glumr will say.  If the two are nearly similar, then Glumr will add:

"I have a potion to reduce one's size that looks the same as this liquid.  Is this the same?"

Having used magic similar to Penn's, to sense magical auras around her, Holly is not disturbed by Penn's abilities, although she is surprised that he could use such magic without gesture or word.

She looks with interest at Glumr's potions, as curious about their contents as he is.

Penn studies the bone and glass containers full of red liquid.  He is quiet for several minutes, turning them over in his hands and looking at various parts in great detail.  Then he looks over the more mundane vial of red liquid.

"These two are further excitement!  This young one brings two dwarven phylacteries.  Each hold a dwarf soul.  The dwarf did not die.  In magic bring into the phylacteries.  That red is blood.  The gold?  Value for Triplefang is none.  No power.  Value for soul inside.  Everything."

Pandrick and Penn says a few things to each other.  Penn stands up and points at the younger dwarf, who does not translate the exchange.

Penn then continues.

"This is different.  Alchemy for drinking.  It can be two hundreds of gold coin.  Not dwarf magic."

"I am sorry.  The potion is not for sale, only comparison." Glumr tells them, wondering what that exchange was about.  "What can I do with these Fi-Lack-Terries?" Glumr asks, not really understanding what they are.  "Can they aid me against the unnatural we have seen rising in our lands?"

Holly stares at Penn in shock, not sure whether to be revolted or impressed the dwarven magic. "These are souls? Are they conscious? Do many dwarves keep their souls from passing on this way?"

Penn thinks for a little while, humming as if trying to recall a tune.

"Let me ponder my thoughts.  A necromancer can bring the soul in a sacrifice or curse.  He can bring the soul to a living body or golem.  He can bring the soul to the place of ether to ask questions.  This phylactery can neither see nor hear.  This phylactery aids this young one in no ways against unrising nature."

"Phylactery is a feature of very rare desperation or foresight.  When time brings a choice of death or phylactery most choose death.  Not all."

"Unusual assortments Triplefang bring me.  Time for gold?"

Farden mutters to Glumr and Holly. "If it's all the same, I'd rather not carry trapped souls around with me no matter how harmless. Ask the dwarf if he's willing to take charge of them."

"I agree.  I dont know what worth they would have for us."  Glumr says to her. And then louder and clearer to the dwarves "Yes.  Time for gold.  Will you trade gold for the phylacteries as well?"

Penn isn't very interested in buying the phylacteries.  He brings out 5 pouches with 200 gold coins each for the plate.  He'll give you 100 more gold for both phylacteries if you'd like.

I also need to know which maps Holly was interested in.

Just after you leave Pandrick says "That sure was interesting.  You Triplefang are full of surprises.  Looks like your weren't kidding about the swords being enchanted.  I'll tell you what.  If you sell me the two enchanted crystal swords and the finely crafted spear, I'll give you my finest sword and longbow and 2000 gold."

Holly is looking for maps that expand on her knowledge of the lands around Triplefang land, Sloss Hinterplatz, and the land between them. She's also interested in a large map that gives a general idea of where everything is in connection with each other--where the Dark Woods are, where the oceans are, and possibly even where the Dwarven Forge is. She doesn't expect to get every possible map, but she's hoping to at least learn a few more things.

Holly doesn't say anything about the phylacteries. On one hand, they could learn a lot from them if they managed to find a spell to communicate with them, but on the other, the magic seems unnatural to her.

She thanks Penn and Pandrick each for their help, and then turns to her companions. That gives us all the gold we need for the moonstone and quicksilver, with a fair amount left over. Do you think it's worth it to pay for the spell to learn more about the Xyzeryx crossbow? We could also buy a little extra moonstone and quicksilver in case we end up needing to enchant a fourth weapon. I don't trust him."

OOC: We'll need 2025 gold worth of materials (900 quicksilver, 750 moonstone, 375 sulfur) for 3 weapons. We'll need an additional 675 (2700 total) for a fourth weapon. If we spend 1200 on quicksilver and 1000 on moonstone now, for a total of 2200 gold, then we'll have everything we need from Sloss Hinterplatz to make four weapons, and if we just need three, then Coal will buy the extra quicksilver and moonstone off of us. Casting Identify on the crossbow costs 100 gold.

We just got 2000 gold + 800 for the amulet, + 100 if we sell the phylacteries.

Just a couple of notes about the above finances and calculations:  You've already paid for the identify in msg #165. Also you still need to pick up a masterwork sickle or shortsword.

Penn equips Holly with two finely crafted maps and a cylindrical map case (weighs a half pound) - one general large scale map and one more detailed map of the lands along the northern mountains.  The detailed map gives a +2 bonus to appropriate Survival rolls in the northern lands, and both maps give a +2 to Knowledge Geography rolls (does not stack).  They also allow the Knowledge Geography skill to be used with no ranks.

Someday soon I hope have the improved game map finished and uploaded.

Sunna eyes the phylacteries suspiciously. Who would choose to transfer his soul in such a container - and why? "Is it possible to find out whose souls are in there?" she asks.
"Just curious, I'm not too keen to carry them with us, either", she quietly adds in the direction of Holly and Farden.

OCC - Can Glumr use the Maps for his Survival check?
Are potions Alchemy?

"I just gabbed them as it looked like it was worth something or perhaps a potion of sorts.  They arent and I dont see how they would be use to us. Let us leave the Dwaves with the Dwarves." Glumr adds.

He addresses Penn "Give us a bit to discuss our plan my friend.  We may be willing to part with these fine blades.  While we are walking, I met either a dwarf or a gnome in Rankor Heights by the name of F'drick.  I'm not sure I understand the difference between the two.  Might he hail from this stronghold?"

"Markings on the bones," the younger dwarf translates Penn's answer.  "I can bring these symbols to the records.  Might discover names."

It sounds like the party is willing to part with the phylacteries.  We'll say that Penn bought them from you for 100 gold unless I hear objections.


OOC1: Anyone that uses the maps can get the skill bonuses.  They aren't any help for Tracking rolls, though.

OOC2: Rules-wise potions are not alchemy.  According to the rules alchemy is used for making stuff like acid, thunderstones, and sunrods.  However, in the game world alchemists are the ones who create potions, so yes they are considered alchemy.  For example, Eldress Elana is an alchemist as is some unnamed fellow in Silvergate.  Neither of them is an enchanter like Coal, but they can make potions.  Cordelia Ferisedan is also an alchemist.  She casts spells and makes scrolls and potions, but claimed not to enchant weapons.  You're not sure whether temples like Golden point have alchemists to creat holy water and healing potions, but it would stand to reason.  Maybe you should ask Farden.  He knows a lot more about religion than you thought.

OOC3: I think Glumr is asking Pandrick (the armorer) not Penn (the mystic) about gnomes and F'drick.

"Names like mine are common for dwarves - Pandrick, F'drick, Samrick, Culdrick, Elrick, and so forth.  I don't think I know the fellow personally.  If you're asking what a gnome is, they're followers of Garl Glittergold.  Gnomes worship wealth.  That's not to say they're greedy or miserly.  Most gnomes are fair businessmen with an eye to the coin.  Other than that they're dwarves same as me.  We're walking out of gnome central as we speak."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:19, Mon 25 Mar 2013.

"Thank you.  I never quite had that figured"  Glumr says with a smile.

OCC - You are correct.  I didnt realized I mixed them up.  If you said "Who is Glumr talking to" I'd answer Pandrick.

Sunna nods to the explanation with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Then I suppose they are best left here."

After the group discusses things for a while, Holly addresses Pandrick. "We'd like to give you the fine spear and one crystal sword, in exchange for your best longbow and longsword, and 750 gold. Does that sound like a fair trade?"

"I'd rather buy both," says Pandrick.  "But if you're just selling one, how about one sword and the spear for the longbow, longsword, and 500 gold?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:54, Thu 28 Mar 2013.

OCC - I think you mean 'how about one sword and the spear'?
(DM: You're right.  Fixed.)

"Farden, I believe we should just part with both blades.  They dont suite our style of combat and the coin would greatly aid us in our end goal.  That is how I feel but I will defer to your judgment."

He turns to Pandrick "Let him ponder, either way it sounds like we will be making some trades.  Might I take a look at this longbow.  I'm anxious to see it's fine craftmanship."

OCC - Or would it be fine craftdwarfship?
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:53, Thu 28 Mar 2013.

You discuss the deals on the way back, but still haven't come to a decision by the time you reach Pandrick's forge.  The dwarf shows off the masterwork longsword and bow.  They are both very well made.  The pull and release of the longbow is smooth with almost no kick or post-shot vibration.   The longsword is weighted nicely, has great edges and point, and feels very solid.  After swinging it a few times, Farden actually prefers the dwarf crafted longsword to the one he's been using.

Pandrick shows Farden a longsword fighting style where the off hand is held back.  This technique is interesting.  It could lead to better defensive positions, but Farden is used to the shield, which is a much more reliable defensive asset than the dwarven armorer's technique.  Glumr takes interest in the fighting style because his off hand is typically free, but Pandrick explains why it wont work well with the strangely curved, single edged scimitar.  Sunna watches, a touch envious of how quickly the two warriors pick up the technique.  When she gives it a shot the complexity of it overwhelms her.  That shouldn't be a problem for her.  Her mind handles music with much greater complexity than this.  Perhaps it is more a matter of training and muscle memory than mental acuity.

Holly watches, intrigued. Her own skills with a sickle are inferior to her allies' capabilities with a weapon, but their grace and strength is impressive.

Just because he's not likely to use it doesn't mean Farden is uninterested in the dwarf's fighting style. He'll pay close attention, if only so he knows how to counter an enemy who fights similarly.

After the demonstration, Farden says: "I think I'll say yes to your offer: the longbow, the longsword, and 500 gold for one of the magic crystal blades. I'd like to hold on to the other one for now, but if we do decide to sell it later, we'll keep you in mind as a customer."

He turns to his comrades: "Is this all right?"

After giving the technique a try - and failing several times - Sunna sighs and lowers the weapon she's been trying the technique with. "I thought it would be like doing complex dancing steps, but it seems that there's more to it. Maybe we could practice that a bit on our way back?" she asks Glumr and Farden.

Sunna nods to Fardens question. "Fine with me."

OCC - Waiting to see the outcome of the out of character discussion.

Glumr smiles at her.  "I've been liking the curve and appearance of this blade I carry" he says, patting the curved scimitar on his belt.  "But one handed or two, neither are going to be much against this new bow." Glumr grins, pleased with the quality of the new bow.  "..but of course, I'm always up for some practice around the camp fire."

The party concludes its business with the armorer and returns to Hillis' Inn.  You now have 840Fgp and 2400gp from your recent sales of various items in Sloss Hinterplatz.  You still need to buy the moonstone and quicksilver, as well as find another masterwork sickle.


Are there any other things you'd like to accomplish before heading back to Pliffa?

Buy moonstone and quicksilver?

OOC: That wouldn't qualify as "other" things.  Buy moonstone and quicksilver was one of the two things already on the list.  :-)

"Once we have our moonstone and quicksilver, I'm ready to go get our enchanted weapons," says Holly. "Although I'll need to buy a sickle somewhere, for Coal's magic."

She summons Ebony, her black bear companion, and plays with him while the rest of the group finishes their business in Sloss Hinterplatz. "I wonder where you go when you're not here," she says to the bear.

OOC: If there is something like a dwarven book of stories (and legends) Sunna would pretty much like to take a look at that or even buy it. If dwarves are known to have a tradition in writing down stories, that is.

"A sickle is a farm implement, I doubt anyone would bother to make a masterwork of it unless we pay them to. Trouble is, a job of that quality takes months, time we don't have."

OOC: A masterwork weapon takes a master smith (level 10 NPC) something like 6 weeks to make. I think Holly had better learn to use the crossbow or the spear.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:58, Sat 30 Mar 2013.

"Good point," says Holly. "I guess a dwarf-sized weapon should work for the bribe, though; they just need to be high quality. Maybe they've got something here. Dwarves are known for their crafting, so maybe one of them branched out to make an unusually good sickle."

Holly looks around Sloss Hinterplatz for a fine sickle of any size, now followed by a large black bear.

Farden and Sunna head back to Krissle's Emporium to buy the moonstone and quicksilver.

Enough moonstone for 3 weapon enchantments will cost 750gp.  18 vials of quicksilver costs 900gp.  That comes out to 1650gp.  If you'd like to get enough of both for a 4th enchantment it'll cost 2200gp.  You can get even more than that if you'd like.  You left Holly with 500gp for her sickle (should end up costing a lot closer to 300gp) so you have 2740gp with you, counting the Ferisedan gold, which I expect you'll spend last.  Just tell me how much you want to buy.



Back in Humantown, Holly summons a bear.  She's playing with it in the common area, which causes some hushed talk amongst the other customers at the inn.  Hillis eventually wanders in.

"Thunderation!" he exclaims.  "Where did THAT come from, and how in Volker's name did you get the guards to let the beast into Sloss Hinterplatz???  Foxes and bobbing musical eyes are one thing, but a full grown bear is yet another."

Just when Hillis says "foxes" Talita scurries through Glumr's legs just as he's coming in from outside.  The ranger looks around puzzled.

"What's going on?" Glumr asks.

"I say we buy enough material for 4 enchantments. The rest of the cash we keep as emergency funds, and the the any ingredients we don't need Coal will pay us for."

"Do we want to get Coal any extras?  She said she would reimburse us for it." Glumr asks, wanting to help the nice enchantress out but isn't overly concerned.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:18, Mon 01 Apr 2013.

"Oh, Ebony has a way of finding me when I want him," says Holly mysteriously, petting the black bear on the head. "Don't worry, he won't hurt anyone."

"I think we ought to just buy enough materials for four weapons, and then we can have Coal reimburse us for the extra materials if we decide to use the crossbow and enchant three," she says to her companions.

"Miss, you have clearly spent most of your life in the wilds, so I'll take it you don't know much about towns.  You cannot keep a bear in this inn and there ain't no place to stable one either," Hillis stammers.

For a while he's at a loss for what to say, but he composes himself enough to offer a suggestion.

"It might be best if you escort your friend outside the stronghold before someone official gets bent out of shape about it."



Farden hands over 2200 gold for enchanting ingredients.  It seems almost shame to let such a fortune go for some stones and silvery water, but it'll be worth it when Coal enchants the weapons.

Sunna slips a question about history books into conversation with another customer at the Emporium.  The gem buying dwarf believes that such a book is probably somewhat common here in town as books go, but you'll have to get it from a private collection.  There's nothing quite so formal as the Harper's guild here in Sloss Hinterplatz, but the dwarf is able to recommend a couple of individuals who might be willing to part with such a book if you're interested in following this further.

After purchasing her small, but exquisitely crafted sickle, Holly and Ebony leave town. She tells her companions she'll wait outside the stronghold for them, and she thanks Hillis for his advice. She had been so caught up in the excitement of playing with Ebony that she hadn't realized he could seem threatening to the people here. "City life is unnatural," she mutters, as she leaves.

In order to avoid suspicion, Holly makes sure to be friendly and cheerful with the guards as she leaves. "Just heading out! I don't believe you've met my friend Ebony? He can find me anywhere." She chuckles, as if large, dangerous animals following her to inconvenient places, regardless of high-level security, is a totally normal part of her life.

Holly hands 500 gold pieces over to Glumr on her way out so he can procure a masterwork sickle for her while she's out.  The Druid has done this before, so Glumr understands.  She can only take so much of the city.  Even in Rankor Heights she had to escape out to the farms after a while.  Holly didn't last as long this time, but the dark, always night enclosure of Sloss Hinterplatz is all the more claustrophobic.

The guards do not hassle Holly and her bear, but she does get a few surprised looks.  Dwarves back away a step or two as she passes.  Outside it is very early afternoon.  It is good to see the sky and the sun to the west.  She and her bear head off across the bridge to find a good place to camp.



Glumr remembers the salesdwarf at Krissle's emporium mentioning another armorer named Ilsa.  This seems like as good as any place to start looking for a fine sickle.  He asks Hillis about Ilsa, and the innkeeper gives him directions to her workshop.

It's a little strange to see a female dwarven blacksmith.  You've seen a few dwarven women walking around the stronghold but Isla is the first one you've met in person.

"What ya gawking at, highbelter?" the blacksmith asks, scratching her neck.



OOC: Is Sunna still interested in tracking down a history book?

Farden is going to make sure the magic components are carefully packed and protected against jostling and moisture. After that he's basically going to tag along while the others finish shopping.

Holly runs and wanders and plays with Ebony.

"Greeting. I am Glumr Triplefang.  I am a bit taken back a bit from meeting a lady smith is all.  We dont meet many out in the wilds of the triplefang lands.  My apologies."  Glumr bows to her with a smile.  "I'm in the market for a masterwork tool..  A sickle to be exact.  Was hoping you might be able to help me"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:01, Tue 02 Apr 2013.

"That sure is a strange weapon.  Doesn't sound as practical as an axe, or pick, or hammer."

Isla is short even by dwarven standards, but everything in her workshop is lower and well placed.  She acts with an economy of movement, not expending any more effort than need be and is more still than other dwarves you've met.  Looking over her goods, even the average weapons and armor appear to be of very high quality.  There is an incredible level of attention to detail in her work.

Glumr explains the need for masterpiece level workmanship so it can be used for an enchantment.  He mentions that his group will not be staying in town long, so they can't wait for a masterpiece weapon to be created, and asks about other merchants who might have such a weapon in their stock.

"You're unsuited to make the search, outsider.  Come back in two days.  I'll ask around.  If there's a fine sickle for sale in Sloss Hinterplatz I'll find it for you."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:21, Tue 02 Apr 2013.

Though there's no place like the Harpers Guild here Sunna is still interested in finding such a book. If she's able to purchase it is another matter, but she would hate it if she didn't try at least.

Sunna and Farden track down a sculptor with a small collection of books, including a relatively common dwarven history book.  He had the copy made because it details two heroes he was commissioned to carve statues of.  He shows you an illustration of one of the heroes and explains that the other is only described, but was enough for him to go on.  The sculptor was keeping the book around partly for its own sake and partly in case he had to research another hero.  However, he's willing to sell it to you out of dwarven pride.  It's good to see humans take an interest in long term history, especially a charming story teller.

There's just one problem.  The book is in Dwarvish.  Still, both the Harpers and Proctor Limon would be glad to have such a book and Pelor's scribes could translate it into clan tongue when they made copies.  The sculptor is asking 25 gold for the book.  The parchment and binding alone is worth well over half that.  Books aren't cheap.

Farden has no particular objections if Sunna wants to purchase the book.The party is flush at the moment.

Even if it is in Dwarven, it's too good a chance at buying such a book. And since there are no objections from Farden...
"We'll take it. In a few months even humans will know about dwarven heroes and there deeds, I am certain", Sunna says with a smile to the sculptor.

Farden, Sunna, and Glumr gather back at Hillis' Inn for dinner.  You've pretty much concluded your business here other than getting the sickle, which might take a couple of days if it happens at all.  Glumr tells the others that Holly summoned a bear and left.  She didn't head back to Pliffa or anything, just didn't stay in the stronghold.

Is there anything anyone wants to do tomorrow or should I skip ahead?

OOC: Farden has nothing that needs doing. Feel free to skip ahead.

The adventurers spend the day relaxing, drinking ale, eating food with abnormally low dirt content (from a Dwarven perspective), and maybe some random training with their weapons and equipment..  All and all a day without danger and peril to make the body feel rejuvenated again.

Yes, the next day passes as Glumr narrated.  Holly drops in sans-bear the day after that to check on how things are going and see if everyone is ready to leave yet.  You might be ready to go very soon.  You planned to check with Isla just after lunch to see if she found a sickle.  If so, that would conclude your business in Sloss Hinterplatz.

As you're having lunch a very well dressed female dwarf enters and walks over to the table.

"Ho travelers, you are the Triplefang, no?" she asks.

You tell her that you are.

"Excellent.  My name is Boniface of House Callivari."

She lifts the hem of her dress just a touch and lowers and raises herself like some sort of dance move.

"Mind if I join you?"

She pulls up a stool, climbs onto it, and orders thick mead and any sort of cheese Hillis happens to have.

"There's quite a little collection of amazing items popping up in the stronghold in the past couple of days - ancient swords and jewelry and a pair of age old phylacteries.  Any one of these would raise my interest.  Who has brought these dwarven treasures?  A quartet of humans, strangers to the stronghold, and not very shrewd entrepreneurs either."

"I don't mean any offense by that," she adds with a look of mild worry.

You're not even entirely sure what the word means anyhow.

"I only mean, why would anyone bring such extrodinary rare and unusual items to the very place they are most common and mundane?  Surely they would fetch more gold further from the race who created them, right?  Furthermore, I've been told that these four humans have been very agreeable to accept some rather low, but possibly fair, first offers.  Exactly who acts that way?  And how did they come to be in possession of items no dwarf could boast?"

This line of inquiry sure is strange.  Is this lady dwarf some sort of detective?  From her manner she doesn't expect you to answer her questions.  It's as if she is asking them just to herself with you all as spectators.

"Tomb raiders would thirst for gold.  They would appraise and heckle and bargain, and they would not bring these items to the stronghold unless they were fools.  No.  I think I am dealing with treasure hunters with a conscience.  They found priceless items and returned them to their rightful owners, more or less.  You're not in it for the gold, are you?  You want to do what's right.  That makes you a rare breed of treasure hunters indeed."

"I bought up the glass sword and the amulet.  I'd be interested in the other sword too, and can offer you a good deal more than Pandrick did, by the way.  Ah, but it is the phylacteries which are the real prize."

Boniface's eyes gleam as she says that and she smiles broadly.

"The phylacteries are already out of our hands, you'll have to take it up with Penn. The glass sword's not for sale at the moment. As to the rest of your questions, forgive my bluntness, but its none of your business." replies Farden coolly. His danger senses were tingling. If this woman was here to simply buy the last sword, she was talking way too much.

Cursing silently for not paying more attention, Farden leans back and pretends to relax, while in reality he is surveying the rest of the inn, to see if there were any customers paying undue attention to their group. Especially ones who came in within the last few minutes. He's also checking the exits, and trying to remember any back ways.

Sunna eyes the dwarven woman curiously, smiling at her when she sits down at the table. "Maybe the treasure we found is not the treasure we sought?" Sunna says to Boniface, trying not to show the nervousness she's beginning to feel. It's the question for the phylacteries that makes her feel uncomfortable. "But, if I may ask, what's so interesting about the phylacteries?" It's not very hard to actually sound interested for Sunna, since there might be a good story behind it. Hopefully a true one.

Holly also feels a little nervous, until Boniface calls them "treasure hunters with conscience." She smiles at the dwarf woman's guesses, but says nothing. She feels that this will probably turn out all right--assuming the Dwarven Forge was far enough away to prevent free communication with Sloss Hinterplatz--and leaves the talking to the more charismatic members of the party.

She doesn't understand Boniface's or Farden's collector's mentality--attachment to an object because it is rare or interesting, even if it is not likely to be useful--but she tries to keep an open mind.

Farden makes a quick security check of the area.  There are only staff and a few harmless regulars.  Lunch is not a busy time at all.  Thankfully, Boniface doesn't appear to have any backup.  She doesn't look all that formidable herself.

Boniface frowns unintentionally when Farden flatly rejects the notion of selling the second glass sword.

"The phylacteries are interesting because of who's inside.  Well, one of them, at least.  The other *could* be someone important, but we'll worry about that later.  I don't suppose the name Renny means anything to you, but he was one of the most successful gnomes in house Callivari history.  You'll note the past tense and 'history', for he was thought to be no longer with us.  It has been so long than none that now live knew him.  Armed with his phylactery, we can now remedy that."

Hillis brings over the food and drink Bonaface requested and she hands him some coins.  She bites into the cheese wedge while looking you over.

"You..." she stops herself, still chewing, wipes her mouth and starts again.  "The four of you don't have a leader, do you?  How queer.  How do you work together?"

Holly sees an opportunity to cement Boniface's perception of them. "We're opportunists with similar goals," she says simply. "We work together to solve problems for people around us, at times, and to explore, find treasure, and destroy aberrations and monsters."

"You can bring your ancestor back?" Sunna asks with disbelief in her voice.

She nods to Hollys description. "And so far we're working together quite well. Though there are of course times when there are different opinions on a matter."

"Why do you care how we work together?" growls Farden. "I already told you we don't have the phylacteries anymore, so who was in them is irrelevant. As for the blade, we might change our minds about not selling if its a good enough offer. So stop wasting time and make your bid."

Boniface regards Holly as she describes the party.

"That is perfect.  Adventuresome opportunists are just what I need, human opportunists to be exact, to find treasure and destroy aberrations.  In this case the treasure is a focus, a small gem owned by Renny himself.  The aberrations are guardians left to watch over the honored dead."



"Yes.  Not me personally, but I can arrange it.  It takes just 4 parts.  The phylactery, which I have.  A young gnome to become Renny.  I'm sure we will have many volunteers, so that is but a matter of choosing our favorite.   A wish granted by Garl Glittergold, of which our house has been promised a few.  And lastly the focus.  It is a piece of wealth uniquely his.  Renny was entombed with it.  This is where you can help again.  Dwarves are forbidden to ever enter the sealed parts of the Halls of the Dead, but nothing forbids humans.  True it was probably an oversight when the laws of death were crafted, but that should not stop us from exploiting it."

"You see?  This all fits together very nicely if you agree to help.  If you turn me down, it will be less elegant and take longer.  I will simply find some other qualified non-dwarves to do the job.  No hard feelings.  I would still be interested in buying the second sword either way.  Would you accept 2800 gold coins for it?"

The gnome swigs back several mouthfuls of mead and bites into the cheese anew.

Holly glances at Farden when Boniface makes her offer of 2800 gold.

Interesting, she thinks, as Boniface explains the process of reincarnating a dwarf from a phylactery. And a little disturbing. Young dwarves would willingly give up their identity--perhaps even their soul--to become some ancient dwarf? "If we did help you," she says, a little hesitant, "What would we get out of it?"

Boniface hastily swallows down a chuck of cheese that could've used more chewing if there hadn't been talking to do.

"An excellent question.  There's the hook right there.  I looked into what I could tempt you with.  You've bought up lots of alchemy supplies and weapons fit for enchanting.  It could be that you've got everything you need in that respect.  If not, I have access to all manner of rare occult bric-a-brac.  Perhaps you can suggest something you're having a hard time finding.  More likely we resort to the base currency - gold.  You can literally never have too much of it.  How does 1600 gold strike you for returning the focus?  I know that sounds a little small after I just offered to buy a sword for more, but services and commodities often have disparate values.  The task will not take long, but there is also danger of injury of death, thus the princely sum."

"You say there are guardians to watch over the dead. I suppose it is not common, or wanted, to see a group of humans wandering in there and clearing the place of its guardians? They certainly have a reason for being there."

Sunna thinks for a moment and then adds another question: "What happens to the volunteer once he becomes Renny? Is everything else, everything not Renny, lost then?" As understandable as it might be to get back an important ancestor, there's still a living being to be offered in exchange. Sunna glances at Farden, curious as to what he's thinking about this job offer. The offer for the sword is a good one, Sunna is certain.

"If we are to even considering going tomb raiding, we'll need your assurances that we won't get in trouble afterwards. We'll need written permission from the mayor or whoever is in charge of such things before we take a step into the tombs." interjects Farden.

Glumr has been silent, but speaks up.  "Will there be ghosts or undead to contend with?  Our purpose in coming here was to trade the goods in our possession for materials to enchant weapons that we need for a quest.  In this, we will encounter ghosts or the undead or what have you and needed enchanted weapons.  My concern is what we will encounter and if our weapons will be of any use as they are not enchanted."  Glumr pauses.

"All that being said, Gold is what drives us.  We need a large sum of it to allow us to continue forward in our fight against the unnatural.  The items we have for trade, the reasons we need the enchanted weapons, currently most of what we do is for gold as gold is all that will be accepted by the hurdle we must overcome."

He adds "You are right.  We are poor entrepreneurs.  We are simple people who have been shoved into a world run by business and gold.  We fight for what is right and for the natural balance.  We brought these items here as we thought the dwaven folk would be best to tell us of them.  I am happy we have returned such valuable items to your people, but I am a bit disappointed that we have missed our opportunity to earn some extra coin from it's value.  As I said, we need gold to overcome an obstacle , and not to line our pockets."

"I cant speak for my companions, but if they do not object, I would be interested in the task of returning the focus.  But you say services and commodities are different.  Tell me what is the difference in trading gold for the object you desire.   If I had it now, would you offer more for it than for the service of it's return? It would seem the focus would have more value than the exotic blades."

OCC - If we dont NEED the cash, I wouldnt mind holding on to the blade and using that over my scimitar. (Or could trade cash out for it down the road for fairness)

Boniface furrows her brow and pauses a while before fielding your questions and concerns.

"House Callivari has considerable pull with Meister Volker.  However, there are rival houses that would not be happy to see one of the great gnomes return to run our house.  While I would argue that Renny's success would be a rising tide that lifts all boats, they would see it as rats fighting over limited scraps - the bigger bite we take the less left for them.  Asking for Volker's permission would be risky unless we could prepare leverage."

"You're right.  The guardians are there to stop just this sort of thing from happening.  Leaving that hall unguarded is not good.  Once word gets out there will be outrage.  In the end the pragmatists will simply replace the guardians and reseal the hall.  What else can they do?  The area will still be forbidden to dwarves, and few if any would leave the task of moving the entombed to a new location to outsiders.  This will be one of Renny's first problems, not one of yours.  I can promise you that House Callivari will shield you from any sort of backlash.  If you need that promise on paper that can be arranged.  Strange request for a human.  The clans tend to count words on paper as worthless."



She looks at Sunna and glances at Holly too, and then speaks with greater conviction than before.

"Here begins the moral outrage over things you do not understand.  Yes, a personality will be lost when Renny assumes the host body.  We are not going to bother saving it in a phylactery either.  That's is all but pointless.  You might think this is an atrocity, but it is nearly the opposite.  A gnome sees this as an investment and the return is incredible.  The volunteer is not a victim.  She, or more likely he, understands full well what is at stake."

Boniface can tell that you still have moral reservations, and looks frustrated at this.

"Let me put this in terms you will understand - War.  If one of your bright, young warriors volunteered to heroically lead a charge into certain death to win the day for your clan, would you wring your hands and worry that it was not right to make the sacrifice of a single life for the greater good?  No.  You would applaud this hero's valor and sing songs of it for generations."

Boniface sighs, but quickly regains her previous demeanor.



"What?  No.  That's...  well there's a certain crazy ironic poetry to guarding the Halls of the Dead with foul undead."

She shakes her head smiling at the idea.

"The guardians are not from this world, but they are not ghosts, I assure you.  For a while our ancestors toyed with using constructs to guard the Halls, but that was abandoned.  Traditional methods are often the best.  They have stood the test of time on a scale you can scarcely comprehend."

"As for services and commodities.  I am not paying you for the gem because it does not belong to you.  It is Renny's gem.  True you might be able to sell the gem on its own value to some crooked fence or Empire profiteer for more, but that is not your style.  If you had it now you would hand it over to me for no reward at all and be glad not to be thrown in the mines for life."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:24, Mon 08 Apr 2013.

Holly listens carefully. She hasn't forgotten what Hillis said about an old battle between druids and dwarves, and she is anxious to maintain the balance of the world. Reincarnating Renny could lead to a war, if he held a grudge against the druids and rose to power among the dwarves. The druids did not need another enemy, what with the unnatural aberrations appearing in the world. But if she assisted in Renny's rebirth, then he might be willing to assist the druids in their quest for balance.

"I have a suggestion," Holly begins, looking at each of her companions and then letting her eyes rest on Boniface. "We take your quest, and you give us each of my companions 400 gold--1200 total. If we get Renny's gem without permanently damaging the guardians, then you give them double that number. I do not want gold for this task."

"For my own price," she continues, "I want a service for a service. I want you to either travel with us or persuade or hire another dwarf to travel with us, for a while, to teach me the Dwarven language, as well as any of my companions who are interested. And when Renny is reborn or reincarnated or whatever you call it, you will tell him that a druid named Hollykahn Triplefang was among those who made it possible for him to return, and that she did so without being paid a single copper piece, as an act of friendship to the Dwarven people."

"Does that sound fair?"

A thought strikes her, and she looks at Boniface carefully. "You're sure you have the right phylactery?"

"How can I know whether you've damaged the guardians or not?" she asks, doubtful.

"The teacher should be easy enough to arrange."



"No.  It could be a clever forgery, but it IS a phylactery.  Someone is inside.  It defies my ability to guess who would masquerade as a long gone gnomish hero's soul."

"Is there a human you'd trust as a witness, who's not going to profit in any way from this?" Holly asks. "Perhaps Hillis can check for you?"

Glumr listens to everything Boniface has to say and understands and agrees with all her points of view. He understands what it means to sacrifice yourself for the greater good of your people.  That is how his father died.  In service to the Triplefang in raids. He pulls out some of his sweet leaf and rolls a smoke together while he listens.   He takes his flint out and sparks it up.



"I am intrigued and would like to see the guardians for myself.  " Glumr says to her.



"I agree that is not our style, and I hope that you would be just and determine how and why we had posession of it before you enslaved us for life."

Glumr is annoyed with her view on this, but then he grins and lightens his tone. "But that is neither here nor there as we do not have that gem.  I accept your view point on the value.  Mine is that I value my own life more than a gem or gold is all.  The value of the gem is nothing if I perish in retrieving it."



Glumr interjects "I do not wish to risk Hillis's well being as he seems content in running the inn and leaving his adventuring for stories of his past.   But I have no objections to him coming if he wishes to dust of his gear.  I do like Holly's proposal.  I feel it is will allow us both to benefit beyond the exchange of gold and items."  Glumr takes a long pull from his leaf, the smoke lazily circles him as he talks.

"Boniface... My companions have come here and have been nothing but honest and forthright.  Just as I would accept your word of protection from backlash, I would hope you would take mine on condition we leave the guardians in.  I know gold is driving our actions, but hear me when I say that gold will not break or falsify my word." Glumr says in a very serious tone.