Stopping part way there, Schnickle almost jumped in fright as he came across a fallen dwarf, sudden worried that he'd been spotted. But he caught himself; the dwarf was injured or unwell, and a deep gnome could always rely on a dwarf.

Schnickle crept closer to the dwarf, and leaned close to his ear. He said softly in Dwarven "Hello? Do you need help or are you just drunk?"

The dwarf is unconscious. He appears to have suffered the same wounds as the people by the cart.

OOC: That would be red skin, swelling, etc?

"Look well, you do not."

The gnome frowned at the dwarf's injuries and symptoms, and tried to work out what might have caused them, and what he could do to help the dwarf.


OOC: Heal 14, ascertain injuries. Then see if needs either a healing potion or a patch-up from the healer's kit (Heal 11?). Obviously I'd prefer the cheaper option. :)

You think he might wake up if you managed to patch him up with the kit, a little blast from the smelling salts, etc.

Yes, his wounds are reddened skin, punctures, swelling, he is quite hot to the touch.

"So, what were you telling my friend?" Caitlin said and looked to Quin then fixed the two small ones with a hard stare...

[Private to GM: Detect thoughts (SLA) on the katana halfpint. What's he thinking...]

With not quite expert care, Schnickle set to work on patching the dwarf up and waking him. He suspected the poor dwarf could tell him something that the kobolds would not.

The dwarfs begins to come around, his eyes open, looking up at you, he struggles to get up, "Bah, get away, what, who in the halls of Moradin are you?" He struggles to sit up against a tree and get his bearings.

[Private to Caitlin o'Donnel: the halfpint with the sword is wondering if the big people are going to kill him, after all, just learning to use the katana cost him a finger.]

Caitlin snarls at the halfling with the katana "That is a very dangerous weapon. Put it away before you cut off your own finger!" she didn't like him, in fact she didn't like most of the people she met, but that wasn't the problem right now. She wanted to hear the truth from them.

"So will one of you tell me the truth about what happened here, or will I have to resort to bugging the dwarf until he tells me?" the Illuskan said, guessing that both short ones wouldn't like to hear what the dwarf had to say.

[Private to GM: Continue to concentrate on reading the katana-halfling's thoughts.]

Schnickle drew himself up to the proud height of three foot three and declared "A svirfneblin I am, and the one who saved your life. Now, tell me what happened to you, and what you know of kobolds... Or 'halflings'."


OOC: I don't think you know about the dwarf. Schnickle found him separately in a Private Line. I probably should have kept it private, but PL games usually bug me.

It's just the four of us. And to me it sounds like you could need the help, but if you rather have us on the way again...
Quinlan shrugs.

Loorn remained silent just using his size to look as intimidating as possible.

OOC: the dwarf is a bit off the road by schnickle
"What dwarf? it just these dead humans and the horse and the silver coins. Oh yeah, and the broken wine barrels everywhere. You three look big and strong, and very capable. Will you help us get Lumbie and then help us capture the devil in the Devil Box again?"

"Hey, don't talk about my fingers that way, it was a sparring accident! [Private to Caitlin o'Donnel: lie], not only that, hey, how did you know about my finger?" He begins to eye the party warily, particularly Caitlin. The mean looks from Loorn keep him at least 10 feet away though.

"Halflings? Kobolds? What are you babbling about? Where's the cart? Where is Erasmus and Emily?" The dwarf gets up shakily and looks around. Upon spying the halflings, he begins to stomp his way over, muttering.

Caitlin laughed out loud "Just counting your fingers tells me you lost one, and the way you hold that bread knife tells me you are totally incompetent." she turned to Loorn "Loorn my love, be a dear and show him how a sword ought to be gripped if it is to be any use in combat!" she gave the big man at her side a wide smile and a wink, time for him to look intimidating.

Uh-oh! With little other option, for he could hardly explain what he didn't know to and neither could the dwarf, Schnickle scampered after him, not bothering to conceal himself now. He wanted to see what was going on, and what was going to happen.

Finally catching on to what Shnickle has been up to, Quinlan contends himself by watching the events unfold, not without reminding the kobolds though:
You still haven't told me how you  can be sure this is Lumbie, and where the devil box is.

He shows the letter to Caitlin, and then to Schnickle as soon as he catches up.

Well, I know thats Lumbie because our tribe sold him to the freak show. I know Lumbie when I see him. Narl and Thistlelip, his brothers, are dead, killed in the dark. Lumbie is the only one who has the right lineage to activate The Devil Box, which we have have. It's nearby, it is.

Stonty stomps over to the destroyed cart, kneels next to the dead human and horse, and begins to cry, a manly dwarven cry. He surveys all the broken wine caskets, sniffles.

Oh, Erasmus, how horrible... he mumbles, he looks at the halflings through his tears, Oy who are you fellows? Were you hoping to raid the money from this cart whilst the dead rotted? I'll have you all know, this money will be returned to Erasmus' wife, and his body returned to town for proper burial!

Still with crossbow cocked and loaded, Schnickle followed the dwarf up to the group gathered on the road, then sidled off to join the ones who were currently his allies. "Found him, I did." he said quietly by way of explanation.

And we will be more than happy to assist you in this task master dwarf. Could you tell us more of what happened here? These fellows don't seem to know.

"Or don't want to tell us..." Caitlin added, only briefly looking up from the letter while she read it out loud to Loorn.

ooc: Sorry guys. Heavy workload :(

Loorn nodded listening to what Caitlin said. Stepping up he towered up in front of Stonty and Raspit.


Intimidate: 14

Also sorry, vacation...

do you mean Raspit and Chupo, the two halfings? Stonty is the dwarf.

Yes, sorry my mistake.