Slove stood next to the other elf.  Also ready, also waiting.

Seeing the rest of his companions not moving Jorn decides to go ahead and throw open the right door, his morningstar already drawn and ready in his other hand in case of any danger;

OOC: How much time has passed, approximately, since the start of our battle with the Star Worm? Not sure how much left for Alter Self

OOC: You should have 30 minutes total duration, so there's still plenty of time. Which room do you want? Webbed-over Room #38, or Room #39, up the stairs? I realised the way I described things, versus the map, it could be either one.

OOC: Un-webbed first. Let the high-ac lizard-dwarf thing bear the brunt of the traps/horrors/evil bunnies from hell.

Jorn grabbed the door and dragged it open, ready to attack whatever lurked within.

He felt slightly foolishly for trying to attack a pile of treasure.

There was a hessian sack lying on the floor, spilling gold and silver coins upon the glass floor. A finely carved crystal statuette of a nude elven female dancer, performing a graceful pirouette. A silver tiara sat upon a black lace corset studded with sapphires, lying upon a folded bundle of grey and blue silk, stitched with elven figures and artwork, perhaps a star elven tapestry. And a single tear-dropped shaped crystal with a smooth, almost slick surface.

This was everything looted by the mercenaries and their monstrous leaders from the elven towers, as well as their pay.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:18, Sun 28 June 2009.

The dwarf's eyes went wide as Jorn lowered his weapon in surprise and wonder.

"By'd gems of Dumathoin..." breathed Jorn, "the fortunes we could carry home..."

Taking a few tentative steps into the room he immediately began inspecting the nearest few coins, asserting its value. The grin on the wizard's face shone as brightly as the rest of the treasure, as Jorn thought of all the good things he and his family could buy back home with this.

Better weapons for one. And some armor...and the spells, runes...

With a practiced dwarven eye, Jorn sifted through the coins and the treasures. Now, how to get all of this past the orcs and hobgoblins upstairs?


OOC: You recall Authiel has a Handy Haversack that should do the job.

And give me Knowledge (Arcana) and Wisdom checks.

Gurgun looks at the collected loot with some interest. He does not seem to be overly interested in the gold and jewels, but does look closer at the figurine and the other items.

16:09, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 12 using 1d20+4. Wisdom.
16:08, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 9 using 1d20. Knowledge (arcana).

15:36, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 17 using 1d20. Wisdom check.
15:36, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 22 using 1d20+8. Knowledge (Arcana).

Jorn picked up the crystal tear; it had caught his attention. Rolling it between his claws, it refracted the ambient light in curious ways, occasionally seeming to appear as fragment of text, or an image of some kind. As he studied it, he realised what it was.

A King's Tear gem.

They were "frozen tears" or "lich weepings." Legends said that were the crystallised tears of ancient necromancer-kings, and that each contained an image of a beloved person or terrible event for which the king wept, or what they loved most in the whole world. Of course, the legends could not be confirmed, nor the necromancer-kings found. But they were incredibly hard, apparently indestructible, and extremely rare. And extremely valuable.

Jorn placed it to his eye and peered and inside, hoping to see an image of the distant past, but was rewarded instead with a dizzying display of elven script, images, arcane formulae, nothing he could work out properly. Apparently, it was possible to record new information into the Tear.

And, he realised, the Tear was just the right size and shape to fit into the slots in the glass elven busts in the library - and in the holes in the shelves. And there must have been thousands of such holes. The mind boggled at the wealth of information, and wealth itself, that had been in star elven possession.

The gem, is it of use to us? Gurgun asked, clearly observing the realization dawn on the dwarf/lizard.

Jorn remained speechless, awed by the sheer amount of knowledge in the gem. The realization that the star elves held hundreds, no thousands, of these wondrous items overwhelmed him.

Finally, after a few moments to the rest but an eternity to Jorn, the dwarf sighed and lowered the gem, mentally drained;

"Aye," he replied, the exhaustion of previous battles creeping through the haze of excitement and adrenaline, "it be worth plenty. A repository of ancient knowledge; to think that so much knowledge was gained...and so much was lost."

Jorn turns to look at the Gurgun, lizard-like eyes staring wearily at the hobgoblin, "so what be our plans now? Shall we bring this here loot back to the orc camps first? Or press on further into the lich's lair? Authiel has a magical haversack to carry all this...though if there be any other suggestions I'd welcome them as well."

This gem, the library, must be protected. Those are the ways of my order. Gurgun will want to record as much as possible. As for gold and gems, Gurgun rather we keep it than the orcs and goblins.

Slove speaks.
"The Gem must be returned to Star Elves.  It's knowledge kept and used for good.  That why we came.  As for money in it self I have no interest but if I am aloud to use some of it as offering to my master.  The it will enhance the armor I am using as special armor."

He look at Hobgoblin as if to say he agree's with him and what saying even if Slove wishes are more specific.

Gurgun nods in assent with the elf.

With agreement reached, the smaller items were carefully put away and concealed from orcish eyes, as well as the precious King's Tear. The sack of coins and tapestry would have to wait until they had Authiel's bigger-on-the-inside haversack.

Now all that remained was to investigate the last, webbed-over door. Clearly, whatever was inside, Savera did not want anyone getting in, or it getting out.

Anyone have a light? Gurgun grunted, indicating the webs and clearly remembering how easy they went up in flames during the battle with Savera. He pulls out and readies his sling, taking post slightly to the side of the door, allowing free view to the archers.

Most of the adventurers had a flint and steel striker in their packs, including Gurgun himself. After a few strikes, they sent sparks shooting into the webs. Slowly, the webbing burnt and crumbled and fell away, all the way down to the waterline.

They readied themselves around the door, with Jorn taking point. Lizard claws grabbed the sliding door, and dragged it across, heavy against the water.

Revealed was a room full of webbing, with sheets of it stretching from wall to wall, ceiling to flooded floor. Faintly visible beyond these layers was a large glass forge, rising up out of the water.

Suddenly, a shriek came from within, and a humanoid figure could be seen stirring atop the forge. She scrambled back to the far edge in a state of abject terror. Clad in stained rags, they saw she was a young woman, pale skinned and with silvery-white hair, and the slighted pointed ears of a half-elf.

And Jorn, Slove and Gurgun recognized her as the form that Savera had taken for her last deceptive attack.

Jorn reacted instantly, drawing his spiked chain and a mixture of a hiss and a growl. Flit, sensing his masters agitation, took to the air, hovering above the wizard. That witch dared to try this trick again? He'd show her-

But wait...Savera was dead right? They killed her. But she'd fooled them before. For all he knew, the elf could be the real victim of Savera...

Confused, the dwarf lowered his spiked chain, approaching within 15ft of the clearly frightened half-elf. His movements still wary, Jorn called out to the prisoner, his eyes glimmering with suspicion;

"Right there lass. We mean you no harm, lest you intend harm on us first. What be your name and tale? And what proof be you give us to guarantee your word?"

She cringed back, full of fear, barely able to answer Jorn. The form of a stinking green lizard-man was hardly the best one for soothing the terrified young woman. At last she stammered out an answer in a hoarse voice. "I- I told everything I knew to that worm... and then to the half-orc lady... Please, I don't know anything more."


OOC: Diplomacy checks, please. The presence of a hobgoblin and a tren will cause some penalties. ;)

Just as a reminder in case you didn't read it, Savera (the yochlol) fled the battle, then appeared elsewhere in the library in the form of this girl, wrapped up in webs and calling for help. When the party went to free her, she tried to stab Slove. Then she, apparently, died.

The room is filled with spider webs, you'll need to hack through to enter. Fire's out of the question, of course.

Jorn looked down at himself, realizing that his presence probably wasn't doing much to calm the half-elf down. Still, he couldn't afford to sacrifice caution...

Instead, the lizard signaled Garel over, indicating the woman with a brief tilt of his head;

"Think'ya could speak to her Garel? Calming stricken elves was never my strong suit."

We slay the half-orc she-demon and the worm. Now we must face the dead that walk to find a way out of here. You should come with us if want to stay with the living. We walk with many elves
Gurgun designates Slove and Nikolai, while making no attempt to disguise his own feral features. He studies the girl closely, determining if here emotions are real or a ruse.

OOC: 23:29, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 27 using 1d20+7. Sense motive.
23:29, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 11 using 1d20-1. diplomacy.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Sun 05 July 2009.

Gurgun examined her movements closely, and it became clear her terror was all genuine. This was not another trick of Savera's, unless he counted the suspicion she had wrought from beyond the grave, merely by taking the poor girl's shape earlier.

It was also clear he had done nothing to calm her fears. She probably thought there'd been a coup in the mercenary group and she was to be moved. One glimpse of Slove's scarred face through the hood hadn't helped, nor had the line about 'staying with the living', which sounded so much like a threat. She was still afraid of them.

The half-elf nodded slightly, but didn't say anything. She shuffled forwards off the forge, dropping with bare feet down into the water, showing that her rags had been a once fine dress now tattered and stained. But the thick spider webs barred the way out, and she stood waiting, trembling with the cold and the fear.

Slove turned to the others.
"I think this is time for elves to speak."

He takes of his cloak and take out some food and water.

"You must be hungry and thirsty.  Please share some food with me half-sister. Take my cloak as gift and sign I hide nothing even scare that my brother gave me in my youth.

Slove sits close to her and start to eat and drink showing her it not poisoned then offering it to her.

Slove, take big sword and cut the spiders web holding girl prisoner! Gurgun not strong enough to pull them apart.