Schnickle eyed the minotaurs warily. It had been Deepwalker's plan to walk around openly and noisily. Now look what happened. Well, Deepwalker could sort it out himself then, using this 'confidence' and 'honesty' he'd talked about.

Schnickle idly wondered if the minotaurs would like mushroom steaks.

Deepwalker responds, Very well.  I'll leave all the food I carry.  Dropping everything that he had picked up from the fungus cavern.  Turning to the others, I suggest you both do the same.  We can avoid a fight and maybe make a few friends.

The minotaurs look resignedly at the mushroom steaks - as if they'll eat what they can get at this point.

"_{Who now is the coward?}" Schnickle muttered as he put down his pack and retrieved the mushrooms.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 04:54, Wed 05 July 2006.

The minotaurs collect the food, then the leader smiles at you.
"This is our territory, and we don't take particularly kindly to strangers here - if you hadn't noticed. What is a mixed group doing here?"

Deepwalker replies, We travel to carry a warning of a new Mind Flayer colony being established nearby.  We're hoping to some allies to go back with us to destroy it before the Mind Flayers get a foothold on the territory.

"The Devourers, here? They are a foe most dishonorable, and the minotaurs will not allow it. I believe you should speak with our ruler & deliver this news yourself, but be careful - he has been behaving capriciously of late.

The minotaur leads you (if willing) deeper & deeper into the labyrinth. Soon there are not enough pitons in the climbing pit to mark the way, and you wonder whether the minotaurs are intentionally leading you by a windy route or you are merely unable to figure out the direction you are taking.

After some time and occasional small talk, you begin to see more and more frequent minotaur groups.

"We are getting close" grunts one of the minotaurs, leading you down a sharp left turn.

Schnickle followed carefully and cautiously, eyes darting back and forth, ever wary of ambush.

The passage you are being lead down turns into a huge city-chamber - the walls slope at a low enough angle to walk on and are covered in small passages that lead to houses, as is typical of underground cities.

In the centre of the chamber is a large tower that looks as though it arrived there by being thrust down into the earth from above. Minotaurs of various appearance bustle in and out of it.

"Inside the tower, our priest can be found - he is the man you should speak to."

Once shown inside, you are left in an otherwise empty room. "Wait here - you will be called for."

Some time passes before you are finally lead out to the central chamber.

"I am told you have news that is of importance to us - speak of it, if you will." says a huge minotaur you imagine could only be the priest spoken of earlier.

Schnickle observed the minotaur city in awe. Always the svirfnebli had assumed them to be grunting brutes, incapable of such works. Evidentally, they had been misjusdged.

He was getting valuable intelligence here. The elders would welcome knowledge of a strong and previously unimagined threat so close to the deep gnome city. Schnickle resolved to keep his ears, eyes and nose open.

Deepwalker strides up to the large Minotaur and states, I thank you for seeing us.  We bring grave news.  The Mind Flayers are setting up a new colony nearby.  We were hoping that we could ally with some powerful warriors such as you minotaurs to destroy the colony before they can get a foothold in the area.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:10, Fri 14 July 2006.

OOC: You got brought before someone important and asked to deliver whatever news it was you were bringing. Knocking on the door to a tower is probably not a relevant act in that context.

OOC:  Sorry long week at work.  Editted my last post.

Schnickle listen patiently and quietly as Deepwalker handled the negotiations.

The minotaur rests against his staff, and replies "Mind Flayers? I doubt that. Chi'Chitl hasn't tried to expand in living memory, and there haven't been any attacks here. On the other hand, it couldn't hurt to investigate - do you know where this new city is?"

The other minotaurs appear to be staring *very* intently at the staff.

[Private to Deepwalker: The staff is calling you - calling strongly. You want to hold it - it should be yours - it *must* be yours - I WILL HA

You realise that something is pushing your mind to take the staff, although you don't know what manner of compulsion it is. Regardless, your mind is strong enough to stand up to it. The others look unaffected.
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:34, Mon 17 July 2006.

Schnickle recalled the Grimlocks talking about a magical item that the Minotaurs had been fighting over, and figured that it had to be the staff.

Not waiting for Deepwalker to reply, Schnickle interrupted hurriedly. "Know where it is, we do, yes."


OOC:
23:14, Today: Schnicklegulp Stoneswiper rolled 26 using 1d20+6. bluff.

"Then there is no time to waste - you will lead a warparty there with all speed, and we shall destroy the seedling town." replies the minotaur.

Raising his staff, he bellows a war-cry, and within a few minutes fully armed & armored warriors start arriving.

Uh-oh... Schnickle quickly continued. "Better it would be if the city is first scouted. Know defenses we should."

Deepwalker sits back and allows the gnome to dig a deeper hole for himself.  Honesty is always the best policy but now that Schnickle has lied to the minotaurs the effort to be honest is ruined.  Hopefully the gnome is a better liar than a warrior or they were all in trouble.

"Perhaps you do not know of how mind flayers expand. If we look quickly, they will not have time to build their defenses and we can destroy them easily. Their power will grow daily, however. You shall leave immediately, and when you return victorious you will be recognised as warriors amongst us."

He says this as if there is no possibility that you could return if not victorious.

Caught up in the rush, the minotaur warparty of thirty warriors ask you to point them a direction to the illithid city. It seems as though not providing a direction at this point could be decidedly fatal...

Schnickle carefully considered his options at this point.

If the minotaur attack was a success, then the illithids would be destroyed, and all would be well. If it was a failure, then this minotaur city would be greatly ruined, and a potential threat to svirfneblin security removed. Even if it was a draw, with many dead illithids and minotaurs, than both cities would be weakened.

Thus, either way it turned out, this could only be good for the deep gnomes.

The devious little deep gnome pointed back the he'd come, and replied with a straight face "Other side of Dark Lake it is. Miconid Garden it is not far from."

And he could always blame any poor directions on miscommunication.

The minotaurs shout out a warcry as one voice, and forming a guard around you they begin moving. The march is on.