Are these guys dumb or do they not know what happened in the brigands' cave he thought.

OOC -
13:05, Today: Runt rolled 15 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,5,5.  IQ.  Not even close, the die roller hates me, LOL. 

Runt figured that these two must have somehow missed all the activity, though he didn't see how all that noise and activity could have been overlooked.  Maybe they were sleeping or maybe they had a couple of women to entertain them.

"No, I ain't lost.  I never gets lost.  Likes I said, I is just trying to get my friend Sally the Mule and Conal.  Macchus said that they probably put his body in the pit.  An I like to get Rudyard's cart.  It got my stuff on it, an I want to get Conal's lyre to take back to his family in Craine.  Runt began to tear up a bit as he spoke slowly to these two.  "I only gots a little coin, but I give it to you ifin you help me.  But I give you some news 'bout Niall that be lots more important and probably worth lots more.  So will you help me?  Runt finished up, wiping away the tears and looking up hopefully at the two men.

OOC - Yeah, Runt has a scheme in mind.  But he is telling the complete truth, LOL.

Offered the chance to play himself as lost, Runt simply defers.  After all, what good would that do him when he'd have to come back through here anyway?  Better was to simply keep going with the truth, for these toadies seemed stupid, or at least ill informed, which Runt could use if he handled things well.

So he keeps talking.  About Sally and Conal, about Macchus and Rudyard.  And finally about Niall.  It isn't until the last name that Runt fully registers the shift in their demeanor from confusion to anger.

"Grab him!"  The man on the left orders as a lunges forward with an empty hand, though his footwork is foiled by the calf-deep water and he misses the youth badly without even Runt having to take a step out of the way.

The man on the right steps forward too, moving to block Runt from the other shore, circling around him for his own lunge at the kid.

So much for talking his way out of this...

OOC:  Map posted below.  The man on the left (left of your picture) is in CC while the man on the right (above you) is at range one.  Both men have empty hands, they seem to want to hold you rather than hurt you.

Runt just shook his head.  Well that didn't work he thought.

"Geez, ifin you wants me to go with you, you jus' gotta ask.  Ain't gotta be so rough," he exclaimed loudly, stepping up to the guy on the bank and glaring at them both with scorn.  "What am I gonna do?  Go running off out here an get et by wolfs?"

Added - OOC - Sorry about wasting you time working on the map for a combat that didn't occur.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:25, Fri 08 July 2022.

"Gotcha!"  The man on the left grabs Runt's left bicep roughly with a hand barely recognizing Runt's disparaging look and commentary.  Instead, he quickly grips about the bulge at Runt's waist with his other hand, finding the hilt to the large knife.

"And he's armed!"  The man shouts as he finds the weapon, tossing it off to the side where it hits the wet bank with a thunk!

"Little assassin came back it seems!  Elkins said there was a kid with those mercenaries, but I never thought he meant such a wee boy!"

"What?"  The other man returns a shocked glance.  "The ones that sacked Niall's?  You think this kid's a killer?  Wouldn't be much more than a bite for a minotaur, less likely to take up arms next to one!"

"It doesn't matter anyway!"  The first man shouts back, somewhat agitated after the challenge.  "We were told to find out as much as we can about how bad this thing is and this kid says he knows about Niall!  So it doesn't make any sense but we take him back!"

The other man's look of disbelief doesn't alter much, but instead he shakes his head, turning back towards the south side of the canyon.

"'Few say so Ashe.  But I says it's more trouble than it's worth."

"E says he knows something!"  Ashe shouts back in anger, gripping Runt's bicep painfully for a moment as he pushes the youth forward and out of the stream, towards the southern wall of the canyon...

OOC:  No sweat on not using the map.  I just wanted to give context on how close and where they were.  I thought it much more likely for you to run than to fight, and in any case, those maps were easy enough to make in a handful of minutes rather than my normal plodding pace of most of an hour to put one together.

I took your post to mean that you were not resisting, and thusly you have been grappled by one of the men about your left bicep.  He also found your knife through a quick contest of skills (I rolled holdout for you) though he missed everything else on your person.  You are free to keep talking as you walk, and attempting social skills as you see fit, otherwise I'll keep fast forwarding.

Runt glared at Ashe as the ruffian manhandled him.    You be on my list, he thought as he was forced along.  He was only a little bothered by losing the knife.  He'd already planned on seeing if he could trade it for one smaller anyway and maybe get a bit of coin also.  It's not like he could wear it in Craine or even use it where anyone could see it.  At the least it would be taken away and possibly he'd get a good beating or worse for having it depending on who saw it first.  One new thought popped into his mind as he walked along.  Maybe this be a different bunch than the others.

OOC - No, Runt will not bother engaguing with the two anymore, no real use in it.  Just wait to see what happens.  But he is looking around as he is dragged along to whatever fate awaits.  Fast forwarding works fine for me.  I'm feeling quite guilty about being a delay on the game for everyone else.  Almost a month!

Runt wasn't exactly sure what was happening now, though it seemed quite clear to him that running, fighting, or even arguing seemed out of the question.  At least if he was cooperative, he'd learn more and suffer less... whereas if he attempted escape he'd likely get roughed up and dragged along anyway.

"Fine."  The other man gives in without turning as he continues walking towards the sides of the canyon.  "Have it your way then.  But it's on you if we take it for not checking on Niall's group first!"

"Don't worry."  Ashe responds, shoving Runt roughly forward again.  "They'll want to hear what this one has to say!"

The walk is not far, just around the outside of the shrub that sprawls out in the near perpetual shade at the western edge of the canyon.  Just as they approach the southern canyon wall, Runt picks up a faint, putrid smell of death and he glances along the rim to the east where he picks up sight of a large ditch sunk in the earth some thirty yards down the base.

His company however, keep following the rim the other way towards the west, near all the way to the end and just below the last cave.

"Oy!"  Ashe shouts upwards when the three come to a stop.

Runt looks upwards.  Here the cliff is not exactly sheer, though neither would it be an easy climb.  The cave is some twenty yards up, and here there is no path upwards like there was at the bandit's cave.  Indeed, it doesn't even seem like there is a common climbing path upwards as there isn't any wear in the stone that Runt can tell.

"Throw down the rope!  We got one of em here!"

After several minutes of discussion, during which a length of thick rope is hurled out from the cave opening above, the two men finally agree for one of them to climb up first, then for the second to tie up Runt in a harness and haul him up before lowering the rope back down for Ashe to climb up last.

Without farther ado, the other man begins pulling himself up the rope with long, two-arm grabs before Ashe begins tying the end of the rope around the top of Runt's chest, just below his arm pits.

"And don't think to try nothing!"  Ashe grunts as he pulls the knot tight, cinching hard at the skin at his sides.  "We'll be here at both ends if you do!"

OOC:  I know you said you weren't going to try anything, but as you have a moment where you aren't grappled by anything but a rope, I thought I might give you a moment here as well.  Let me know if you want to try and make an escape.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:55, Tue 19 July 2022.

Runt went along with the two brigands without any resistance, now a bit curious about this other group that Macchus had mentioned.  As the brigand at the top began to pull him up, he got his legs around to partially walk up the cliff face so he wouldn't get all scraped up being hoisted.  I could've done this easy by myself, he thought.

OOC - Nope, not going to do anything, not even mouth off.  Now, if his knife hadn't been discovered, he just might would have tried sticking Ashe somewhere really painful.  He has taken quite a dislike to him.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:51, Mon 11 July 2022.

Though the knot is cinched overly-tight across his chest, Runt does not so much as grumble.  Instead, he lets the man at the top pull him up while he uses his own feet to keep himself upright and stable against the near-vertical stone.  The climb isn't difficult, or at least, it wouldn't be even without the rope, so long as Runt wasn't being hauled up at a jerky pace by the man at the top.  Even as it is, Runt manages to keep himself from taking any real scrapes on the stone.

When he reaches the cave, near sixty feet up the canyon wall, the man at the top unties Runt and tosses the rope back to the bottom, where Runt can hear the labored climb of Ashe as he works his way slowly towards the top.  Though his captor keeps a wary eye on Runt, he does not make any effort to grab or restrain him.  Instead, he simply waits for his compatriot to join them.

The brief moment of respite gives Runt the opportunity to take in the surroundings.  The view from the narrow ledge at the lip of the cave is actually rather staggering.  The canyon itself is bathed in the early afternoon sun, and the wide stream at the middle, or at least those parts not obscured by the thick shrub, is shimmering in the light.  From this vantage, Runt has an easy view of the bandit's cave on the opposite side of the river, as well as the cave at the base of the canyon, which he is just now seeing for the first time at the mouth of the river, though thick grown shrubs and trees obscure the ground for the next dozen yards or more.

As for the opposite direction, despite the fact that the sun is near its zenith in the sky, the majority of the rock face as well as the cave itself is still basked in shadow.  Runt glances towards the cave itself and though he can't see very far in, he notes a single man standing just beyond the entrance, a bow held loosely in his hands and a quiver stocked with arrows hanging loosely over his shoulder.

"Right!"  Ashe heaves in great breaths as he hauls himself over the ledge and onto the ground just a step or two away from where Runt stands.

The man is red-faced as he pulls himself to a stand, though he still grabs Runt around the bicep roughly and shoves him forward to the mouth of the cave.

As the light of the day is extinguished and Runt steps forward into the smooth-carved stone of the cave mouth, it takes his eyes a moment to adjust to the low light within.  Instead, he is hit first by the shifting temperature... the cold, wet air causing his shirt, already damp with a mild sweat, to stick fast and frigid to his skin.  After a moment, his eyes begin to adjust, and he can take in the red hued stone of the floor which continues some fifteen feet straight ahead of him before halting in a wide, smooth wall where streaks of black cut across the red of the stone at uneven intervals.

To the left, a corridor, some fifteen feet wide appears to go for some ways, perhaps angling slightly upwards into the wall of the canyon.  To the right, the corridor goes for a much shorter distance, only fifty feet or so, before turning abruptly to the left, though there are doors set into the stone of the walls which go both straight ahead and to the right.

It strikes Runt after a moment or so that despite the fact that there are no torches or obvious light sources, he has no trouble seeing quite far in the cave... almost as if there is a natural but dim light permeating through the stone... or an unnatural one that he can't quite make out...  Not to mention an odd sort of halo emanating from himself...

"Now we'll see what this one knows...  whoa... whoa... WHOA!  What the hell is that!"

Before Runt even realizes what exactly is going on, he feels an abrupt tugging at his waist as his oversized pants are nearly ripped off his frame.  It takes Runt a moment to realize exactly what has happened, though it all becomes readily apparent as he sees the lighted stick in Ashe's free hand.  The man had ripped the thin spindle of wood where Runt had hidden it, tucked into his rope belt.  Though the ruffian hadn't noticed it in the bright light of the afternoon sun, the glow, even through his pants, had become quite obvious when they had moved into the much dimmer environment of the cave.

"HE'S A WIZARD!"  Ashe nearly shouts as he holds the stick aloft, startling both Runt and his other compatriot.  "C'mon!  We need to get Norla!  And Leo if he's here!"

Though his compatriot's expression seems rather skeptical, the man doesn't have much of an opportunity to respond, as Ashe is already pushing Runt forward quickly again, the lighted stick casting an etherial glow upon the already inexplicably lighted red stone.

Runt is shoved roughly to the right, heading straight towards the turn in the tunnel.

"Where you going to put him?"  The second bandit finally asks as he finds his voice.

"...We'll throw him in reception."  Ashe responds after a moment's hesitation.  "Nobody's usually in there, and besides..."

As he's speaking, Ashe pushes forward to the door directly ahead of them, though Runt gets a quick look as the corridor turns to the left, noticing that the hallway continues for another several dozen feet as it begins to slope upwards.

"It's only got the one door so..."

As Ashe pushes the door open and shoves Runt neatly through, it immediately becomes apparent there is someone in the room.  Three someones actually.  Standing near the center of the small, thirty by twenty foot room, Runt first notices a man little more than five feet tall, though his waistline bulges out against his flowing white robes nearly as far to the front, and the man leans back slightly at the shoulders as if to offset his extra bulk.  Behind the man and to his left is a much taller, more muscular man of Megalan origin, this one with a chainmail shirt draped over his otherwise naked shoulders and a wide and wicked looking blade pressed against his hip.  Behind him and to the right, a Wazifi woman stands, though she wears a tight fitting leather shirt and pants that make quite evident the contours of her body.  Her face is stern and her hair is long, though is tied in a pony tail at the back of her head, overall a look that Runt has never seen from a Wazifi woman, even from Sajaa who seemed as much of a rule breaker as Runt could imagine from that culture.

Ashe stops for a moment, his grip loosening on Runt's arm.

"Mendel."  Ashe quickly pivots when he sees the trio.  "I didn't know you were here..."

OOC:  Pausing for the moment as it's my bedtime.  When I get a chance I'll continue the story tomorrow.  Feel free to respond, though I'll keep going even if you don't as I'm assuming that you are going to wait for a better opportunity to make your move.

Map of the area you've seen so far is below.  You entered where the map says K1, and the corridor is depicted going left and right.  You entered the door at the top of the map and are in the room beyond. I've cropped mainly to keep all the extra garbage out (stuff that exists in the module but not in this rendition from confusing the issue.  I will do my best though to give you full maps of the area as your photographic memory and absolute direction really deserve more than my poor attempts at description.


This message was last edited by the GM at 01:34, Fri 22 July 2022.

Runt gave serious thought to kicking some rocks or dirt down onto Ashe as the thug was climbing up, but decided to not.  It just wouldn't be a good idea and even though it would be very satisifying, he knew that Ashe would pay him back with interest that would embarrass a loan shark.

He winced as Ashe grabbed his arm and dragged him into the opening.  He took in everything he saw and was mystified by the dim reddish glow from the walls.

When Ashe snatched the light stick from where he had it secreted he felt the short length of rope holding his trousers up snap.  Grabbing desperately, he barely keep his trousers from falling, holding them up with his free hand.  "Hey, I ain"t no rent boy," he shouted, pulling away as much as he could. Wizard, what he be talking 'bout, he thought as he was shoved along down the passageway toward the door at the end.  He got his other hand on his waistband to help with his wardrobe mishap.  Inside the room, he took in the three people already there and was not encouraged by what he saw.

OOC - No problem, very interesting.  And don't worry too much about maps, I managed to figure out where he is, but any help is helpful.  Not sure what move if any he is going to make.  I'm almost thinking that he just might be taken along with the bandits when/if they abandon the complex now that it's known about to the authorities.  Unless a miracle occurs, I just can't see them letting him go as he has seen too much.  Oh well, an interesting adventure to come.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:49, Wed 20 July 2022.

Runt simply stands and watches, his small frame leading the other two men from the narrow opening to the room beyond.  The fat man narrows his eyes at Ashe's comments, taking several moments before he chooses to respond.

"I wouldn't be...  but I hear there's something amiss down below.  I don't much enjoy sitting around when there are things I could do, but it didn't seem prudent to head out too quick..."  The fat man eyes Runt briefly before glancing back up at Ashe.

"You the babysitter then?  Didn't know there were any kids brought over."

"No!"  Ashe spits reactively before biting his tone back, his next words softer again and more evenly measured.  "This is one of the mercenaries that rolled through earlier...  a wizard."  Ashe's tone rises slightly as he elongates the word, no doubt trying to impress this man Mendel, though the fat man's skeptical look down at Runt does not make it seem that the effort is successful.

"We was going to use reception to hold him while we went to get Norla, you know...  To check him out..."  Ashe waits for several moments before continuing and Runt manages to steal a glance back, noting a look of uncertainty on the ruffian's face.

"We haven't gone through to look at the extent of the situation yet, but the storage doesn't seem much bothered."  Ashe continues.  "But... we're pretty sure that they took out all the prisoners...  Elkins says they killed near about everybody in Niall's cave before he ran for it, and we saw 'em leading out a whole troupe when they left..."

Mendel's visage immediately sours and he spits on the floor with distaste before interrupting Ashe.  "You fucking morons!  Did you do anything?  Or did you just let them walk out with a dozen able bodied slaves?  That's gold that you let walk out!  What the fuck do you think I do!"  Mendel's nostrils flare as his eyes eyes bulge.  "Come on!"  He turns his head and shouts at the two behind him.  "Let's go see how bad the damage is."

Then three take their leave, Mendel shoving roughly past Ashe and his two companions walking silently and sternly behind him.  The room is silent for several moments after they leave before Ashe shakes off the moment and turns to Runt, his face souring back into a look of stony resolve.

"Listen...  You ain't got no shot at getting out of here, so don't even try it.  We'll be watching you... and Norla will be here in no time anyway to sort you out.  So no wizarding.  No fucking funny business."  Ashe narrows his eyes and thrusts forth his chin in an expression that reminds Runt vividly of Deng's attempts at intimidation as he thrusts forth the lighted stick a few inches from Runt's face.  The look only lasts a moment though before Ashe turns and walks towards the door.

"You watch him Hugh.  I'll be back in a moment with Norla."

The other man, his expression still unreadable, looks at Runt for a moment, though he seems uninterested in staying.  He adds quickly "Don't try nothing funny." Before turning quickly himself to follow Ashe out the door.

The solid wood catches back in the frame with an audible click!

Runt looks to his left and his right.  There is no light... or at least no light source that Runt can see, yet the red and black stone walls stand out clearly in his vision, his own hands clearly visible in front of his face.  There's not even any light leaking in from the seams of the door.  Instead, the room is illuminated by a ghostly half-light that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere.  Thankful at least to not be in darkness, Runt now finds himself now alone, though far more isolated than he had planned.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:44, Sun 24 July 2022.

Runt stood there for a moment, taking several deep breaths, trying to not break down into tears.  He had no idea why there was still light in the room but was glad there was.  Once he composed himself, he worked to fix the broken rope he used to hold up his trousers.  That done he explored the perimeter of the room carefully.  No way out that he could find.  With nothing else to do, he sat with his back in a corner, pulled his knees up to his chest and tried not to think of what was going to happen next.

OOC - Put Runt in the southwest corner.  That way people will have to come all the way into the room to find him.  Looks like he's going to be on the way to a slave auction soon.

Runt waits, his chest thrumming and his breaths coming shallow and fast, he finds himself struggling just to keep back the tears.  This was not what he had expected!  Would he now be sold into slavery?  He had seen the slaves in Craine, almost always tasked with the most grueling of labor... the loading and unloading of ships, street cleaning... but those had always been men.  What horrors would await him as a young boy?

Though it had seemed that Ashe had expected to return quickly, Runt finds the minutes building on in the otherworldly half-light of the cave.  He sits himself back in the corner, tucking his knees close to his chest as his eyes focus on the single door.

It seems like an hour or more before anything happens...

But whoever Runt expected to walk through the doorway, whether it was Ashe, or Hugh, or some other rogue, it is something quite different that eventually opens the door.

It's a woman, firstly... and she's very pretty.  Her hair is long and black, though it seems to glisten with a red sheen that's reflected from the burgundy stone in the walls and ceiling.  Her skin is quite pale, which sets off the rest of the color in her face in shocking contrast.  Her lips are rose-petal red, her eyes the blue of crystal clear mountain water...  The whole of her body is covered in bulky black leathers and she uses a staff as a sort of walking stick, though it is oddly shaped indeed, a pale white sort of wood that is uniform in the middle but bulks out at the ends in knobs, sort of like the fist at the end of his forearm.

As she steps in the door, the woman quirks her head to the side, giving Runt an appraising look before she begins to step closer.

"Dear child."  Her voice is a soft soprano, melodic like a lullaby.

She steps forward, not quite all the way to Runt's corner, but stops short some few yards, kneeling down on one knee so that her face is only just above Runt's eye level.  She sets the end knub of her staff on the stone with a hollow click that echoes through the room.

"Dear boy."  She says again, her eyes searching towards Runt though her lips curl up in a tentative smile.  "They've said you killed twelve men.  They say your a wizard."

The woman's lips curl upward even farther, the single breath of a suppressed laugh barely audible from her.

"But I wonder."  She quirks an eyebrow and tilts her head.  "Perhaps you do know something about that...  For instance, who cast that spell upon your stick?  And perhaps who it was that came to the caves, and why?"

The woman pauses, letting the questions hang for several moments before she continues on.

"My name is Norla.  I can help you.  But I need to know why you are here, and what you have been doing."

OOC:  While you are free to react to Norla in any way you see fit, you have a very strong inclination toward her.  Your natural reaction is to want to trust her.  In game terms, it seems that she has quite a lot of charisma, not to mention she's beautiful (though that probably affects you less than normal, as you are 7).

Runt managed to avoid crying, just barely.  The bit of water that leaked from his eyes didn't count, that was from dust in his eyes, or at least that's what he told himself.  He startled a bit when the door opened and certainly didn't expect who came walking in.  A woman, a beautiful woman, even better looking than the highest-class ladies in the best sporting houses in Craine.

As she talked to him and asked her questions, he felt a lot better and calmer than he had before.  She was a lot nicer and friendlier that Hugh and especially Ashe the Bully.  He was willing to answer her questions, at least the ones that she had asked thus far, but figured that he should be careful and not reveal too much.

"I be called Runt, Mistress Norla," he started, speaking as politely as he knew how.  "I done told Ashe and Hugh this two times," he continued, holding up his hand with thumb and index finger extended.  "I be here to get Sally the mule and the rest of the animals that Niall and his bunch stoled from us yesterday.
 And Master Rudyard's cart cause it got my stuff on it.  And I wants to get my friend Conal's body to take to Three Corner's and bury it proper and right.  And I wants to get his lyre to take back to Craine to give to his family."

He paused for a brief moment thinking and then continued.

"I was with Master Rudyard an his caravan when Niall and his gang attacked us yesterday.  I ran off an hid an they was too dumb to find me so after they took all the guys an stuff from the caravan, I follows them back here an then I went to Three Corners an found the others an told them what happen an they came an rescues everyone."

He paused again, a frown forming on his brow.

"But no one wanted to come an get the animals an stuff so I came back to get them but I got seen by Hugh and Ashe an I tell them but Ashe start yelling at me an grab me an calls me a assassin an wizard.  I ain't no assassin or wizard.  Iffin I was a wizard I would of turned em into frogs," he exclaimed.

OOC - He might be just seven, but he still knows beautiful when he sees it.
 Yeah, he's not going to get released.  ;-)  Oh well, at least they probably won't kill him out of hand.  I hope. 

"Yes."  Norla agrees with a knowing glance when Runt pauses for a breath.  Her voice is soft and unimposing, though Runt finds himself waiting nevertheless to hear what she has to say.  "I'm afraid Ashe can be quite a bad listener."

She does not continue but waits for Runt to finish all the while holding Runt's eyes with her own.

"You brave, brave boy."  She finally says as Runt finishes.  "You came back by yourself to rescue the animals and bury the dead?"  Norla's head quirks slightly to the side, her eyes narrowed slightly as she pauses for thought.

"I shall send someone to look after Sally and your things, although I'm afraid if the animals were taken yesterday it's more likely than not that they have already been taken away.  You see, this valley and these caves are no place to hold animals and there simply isn't enough grain to keep them here."

"Your things I think will be much easier to locate."  Norla continues, shifting herself down to a cross legged sit as she lays her staff across her lap.  "Apart from Conal's lyre, what else are you missing?"

Once Runt has answered, Norla nods, taking a moment to think before she continues on.

"What can you tell me of the others you are talking about Runt?   The ones who did the rescue with you?  I'm very interested in them.  It seems they were quite right to attack Niall and his men if they had been stealing and killing, but I wouldn't want them to think that we had anything to do with it."

Runt listed every single thing that was his on the cart and included the big knife that Ashe had found and tossed.  "He jus threw it down; dint even keep it.  That be dumb," he said with scorn in his voice.

He cocked his head to the side, trying to think how to describe the others in the group.  "Well, I don't know them much.  Jus met them yesterday in Three Corners.  They was nice to me, got me food an fix my arm that got hit when master Rudyard's caravan got attacked."  He held up his arm to show Norla.  "But there is Sir Magnus.  He be a Bullman.  An there be Princess Mitra, she be real nice.  I think she want to make me her fetch boy or something.  Then there be Mistress Terry, she was quiet.  An there be Master Gustav an Master Giles.  Maybe they be free swords.  Don't really know.  An then there be Master Rolf, he be the one who make the magic light stick and heal up my arm and then heal up me when the big man-eating monsters snuck up an almost kill me."

OOC - She is good at this.  Not really pushing on the interrogation, and everything she is asking is put in a very reasonable way so as to not trigger any suspicion from the kid.  He will have listed every single little item that was in his stash, I think I have it all still written down somewhere, including his money (either $103 or $108, I can't remember) and how he had marked the coins.  Very interesting.

Runt describes his possessions.  All of them.  The broken broomstick handle he used as a walking stick, his torn blanket, his seven lengths of chord, his spoon, mug, and bowl, going into detail about the broken handle of the spoon and the individual nicks and cracks on his utensils.

Norla begins to smile as Runt goes on, seemingly impressed by his description, though Runt is far from finished.

His clay marbles, exactly twenty one of them, a bronze ring that was smashed in the middle so you couldn't actually put it on a finger, a bronze thimble likewise crushed, four small shards of glass, red, blue, orange and yellow taken from pains of stained glass, a few fragments of a marble statue including the bent knuckle of a pinky finger, eight linen bags, and a skin for water.  But most importantly his flute.  His flute in its case.

Not to mention his knife that Ashe had thrown away like a buffoon.

And his coins...  86 farthings and 5 pennies marked and stuffed into one of the linen sacks that he had already mentioned.

By the time Runt is done, Norla's broad smile has nearly spread from ear to ear.

"Clever boy."  She says in her soft voice.  "That's quite a memory you have, that will make it very easy for us to find your things, I'm sure."

She sits back a moment, casting her eyes towards the ceiling as Runt begins to describe his comrades.

"Mitra?"  She asks when Runt finishes.  "That has the ring of a southern name...  Perhaps I know her, do you know where she is from?"

"You see, Runt..."  She starts again when Runt finishes.  "There's one thing I don't understand.  There are many caves here in this canyon, though I suppose some are harder to find than others.   How did you know where to go?  How did you know where to rescue your friends?"

OOC:  I've got all your items tracked, although I forgot to put in there how you had marked the coins (though I do seem to remember you mentioning it before) so no need to try and dig things up.  Based on your perfect memory, you obviously remember all of it too.

Runt thought for a moment, "I think Princess Mitra be from al-Wazif.  But nobody told me."  He thought some more on her other questions.  "I follow Niall's gang to the canyon after they got Master Rudyard's caravan and then walked to Three Corners.  Then I showed them where the canyon is.  But we not go to the gang's cave first.  Didn't know which it was.  It was the third one we went to.   He held up a thumb and two fingers.  "We goes to the one with 'scaped slaves.  Least I think they be 'scaped slaves.  Then we go to the one with the two giant man-eating monsters.  But it was kinda the same cave.  Then Hamish got Mistress Terri captured an Master Rolf figure he was a rat an they grabbed him an make him tell what happened and where Niall's cave was.
 Princess Mitra was gonna cut off his man parts to make him tell," he finished with a shudder at that thought.

OOC - Glad you had everything down, I could have recreated it all except for the money.  Yeah, he had marked the coins, not that it really matters.  I'm really enjoying this.
 You're really taking advantage of his naivete.  Very well done there!

"Of course."  Norla smiles as Runt mentions his suspicions of where Mitra is from.  "Though I suppose of course it is a rather big place.  Hard to know if she's a Mitra I've met before I suppose."

Runt continues on, telling more of the story of how they made their way to the caves.  Norla keeps her quiet up until the end, right to where Runt mentions that Sajaa was going to cut off Hamish's manhood.

"Was she?"  Norla asks, her eyes widening slightly.  "But you haven't told me of Hamish!"  She protests quietly before Runt can respond.  "Who is he and what happened to him?"

OOC:  I'm quite enjoying this too.  It's definitely a different spin from the norm on roleplaying.  There are definitely pros and cons to being a small child in an adventuring world.  The cons definitely make things quite dangerous for you if anyone gets aggressive, though the flip side is that you aren't really intimidating to anyone so people (you're lucky it's people and not monsters) overlooking the danger you pose is much more likely.

"I guess, I ain't never been there," he replied concerning the size of al-Wazif.  "I ain't never been out of Craine till last week when I got on Master Rudyard's caravan by accident."

He jumped a bit at Norla's question about Hamish.  "Sorry," he apologized, cringing back into the corner.  "Guess I figured you knows who he was.
 He was one of Niall's gang I think.  Guess Niall put him in Three Corners to hear bout stuff to rob.  Like some of the lightfingers gangs do in Craine," he stated matter of factly.  "They said they vote on letting Hamish go or killing him if he told them everything where the prisoners be an he told them everything I guess and then Hamish got dead anyway."  He looked up at Norla, hoping that his answers were sufficient.

"I gots a question," he said timidly.  "How come the walls got light in them?  Is it some magic stuff?"

OOC - Yeah, there is a lot of danger for him in regular adventuring.  Between the lower HP and no armor for DR, he is at a serious disadvantage in combat.  But, in the right environment, I think he could do well.  Just not sure what that is yet.  Still thinking that he's going to end up being hauled off to be sold.  Still, this part is very interesting.

Surprised by Norla's escalation, Runt huddles himself back in the corner and lowers his eyes to the floor.  He answers the question to the best of his ability, only peering up at the end to gauge Norla's reaction.

Though she is not looking directly at him, more so just staring into the space in front of her, Runt notices for the first time a hint of steel in Norla's eyes.  The cool blue pools of her irises now seem as if frozen ice.

"So much he deserved then."  She whispers.

But the look only lasts a moment.  Norla's glance returns to Runt and her eyes soften, her smile widening back and her face warming like the flame of a candle.

When Runt asks about the light, Norla is well back into her normal, kind self.

"You're quite right."  Norla smiles after glancing up and around at the ceiling and walls around her.  "It is magic, though not quite like the stick that you brought along with you."  Norla grips her staff with both hands again, pushing the end down into the floor as she rises up to a stand turning from Runt and walking the few steps to put her hand against the red and black streaked stone of the wall.

"You see, most mages use mana from their own body, or from their breath or spirit if you will, to change the environment...  to make a stick light up for example, or to light a campfire.  But there are other ways.  Some gifted mages have an ability not just to hurl their own mana, but to modify the spirit of the materials they are using, to mold the mana of other things around them.  Such is the case with the marble here.  Its own spirit has been shifted to give off this beautiful light... forever."

Norla smiles, looking back down on Runt.

"I can teach you all about it if you like."  She adds, letting her staff rest in the crook of her arm as she appraises Runt yet again.  "You see, Ashe was right about something.  Though you didn't cast a spell upon that stick, you are a mage... though I wonder if you new that?"  She quirks her head, her gaze probing all across Runt's face.

"Your spark of magic is small, barely even there, but it is unmistakable.  It may grow with time, though I can't say for sure for magic is a fickle thing...  But I believe you have helped me greatly Runt and I would like to repay the favor.  Would you like me to teach you something of magic?  Some of the things I have learned that might help you?"
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 18:22, Tue 26 July 2022.

Very glad that her anger wasn't directed at him, he relaxed a bit.  He was sure that if Hamish was there right now, his fate would not be pretty.

As she explained about the magic light from the walls, he became confused, and it showed on his face.  There were a bunch of words she said that he had no idea what they meant.  He figured that they must be wizard words like Rolf had used to make the magic light stick.  But the real surprise was her saying that he was a mage!  His jaw dropped at that.  Maybe that was why he could remember everything so well.  As she continued and offered to teach him, his mind raced, the thoughts all swirling and jumbled.  He finally closed his mouth, and focused on the most important thing, her offer.

"You can teach me to make it light up an make fires," he asked?  "That be good stuff to know."  He nodded his head in agreement, slowly at first but then faster and with enthusiasm.  "Yes, I like to learn magic!"

"Something like that."  Norla offers in response to Runt's question, her own face brightening to match Runt's enthusiasm.

"Good!"  She steps away from the wall, stepping towards Runt and offering him a hand.  "Then shall I give your first lesson now?  Here, take my hand and close your eyes...  I want you to empty your mind... think of nothing but what you can feel."

OOC:  Obviously, feel free to follow along with Norla here or not, though in either case please give me roll against Will.

Runt followed Norla's instructions, closing his eyes and taking her hand.  He tried his best to clear his mind of the excitement rushing through his mind.  I be a MAGE!  And Mistress Norla's gonna teach me! he thought.

OOC - 20:41, Today: Secret Roll: Runt rolled 11 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,2,3.  Will roll.  Just missed it. :-(

Runt takes Norla's hand and closes his eyes as instructed.  The excitement of the moment overtakes him and makes it difficult to clear his mind, though he tries as best as he is able.

"Good."  Norla says, her voice smooth and soft.  "Just relax, that's the easiest way for the magic to come to you."

And come the magic does, but not in any way that Runt had expected.  He had seen Rolf cast lights upon objects, and heal terrible wounds, and he had always imagined that something had been happening inside the mage's head to make those things happen, but it was hard to believe that it was something like this!

The best way to describe it perhaps was a fuzziness.  A fuzziness in his brain and his ears that made it difficult to think, difficult to hear.  His thoughts felt extra mushy, it was extremely difficult to focus...  but maybe she was helping him keep his mind clear!

Runt thinks to ask the question, though the intent seems to be lost somewhere along the way, the mushy thought discarded somewhere in his brain like so much refuse.  Instead, he simply sits where he is, in his corner, remaining quite silent.

He thinks to open his eyes, though again it seems, the thought is lost somewhere along the way.  His body remains stock still.  It's almost as if his thoughts now have become completely disconnected from his body's actions.

"Open your eyes."  Norla's voice seeps into his mind through the fuzziness, and though Runt knows she is still right next to him, for he can still feel his hand in hers, her voice seems like it's traveling through a rainstorm, barely audible through an ocean of noise.

And though Runt thinks to open his eyes, he finds that his body is reacting far faster than his thoughts, his eyelids shooting open even as his brain is trying to process what Norla is saying.

Though Runt finds that even with his eyes open, just seeing is far more difficult than it should be.  The fuzziness has enveloped the whole room like a fog, obscuring the red and black walls entirely.  Even Norla, who stand but a foot or two away appears as if shrouded in mist.  Only her hand, her soft fingers which are still locked around Runt's own, truly break through the haze such that he can see it clearly.

It occurs to Runt that this should be concerning but it's difficult to muster the emotion.  Instead, Runt feels rather pleasant... relaxed.  As if there's nothing in the world he'd rather do than whatever Norla asks.

"Good."  Norla says in her soft voice.  Runt can feel her (more than see) kneel down next to him, and he sees her face break through the fuzziness, her pale features setting a contrast against her bold smile.  "Now tell me Runt.  Where are your friends, where are they going, and do they plan to come back here to this canyon?"

OOC:  I have to say, excellent roleplaying of your character up to this point.  I award you a hero point for the spot on play of your character and quirks.

If it isn't clear, Norla has cast a charm spell upon you.  I imagine the next several posts will strain your ability to role play much more so than those up to this point, though I assure you all is not lost!  I'm not in the business of foregone conclusions and your fate have much to do with your decisions from this point as well as your dice rolls.

Here's how I plan on playing the charm spell:

Firstly, your perception of everything that is going on around you is vastly degraded.  On a scale from 0-10, with 0 being no ability what so ever and 10 being no degradation, your sight is about a 1, your hearing about a 5, and smell about an 8.  Touch and taste seem unaffected as you can tell.

Secondly, you may resist Norla's requests at any point even while the spell is active.  This will break the hold of the spell, which may or may not alert Norla. Note that it is going to be a contest of skills between your will and the margin the charm spell was made by, so please don't assume you make an action just because you have succeeded a single will roll.

Thirdly, if you want to do anything on your own that isn't specifically resisting the spell (like concentrate on seeing your surroundings through the fuzz) then you must make a normal will roll for each action.  I'll make the final call if something breaks into the realm of 2. above.

Finally, while it's mostly just for flavor, Runt would not have any idea what is going on.  While you are free to play your character's thoughts in any way you want, the overriding emotion here would likely be confusion.  If you play this part well I will reward you for it (because I think role playing challenges are fun!)  If it turns out to be too much, no worries, and I'll look for a different way to cut the mustard.

To get us started, please give me 3 will-4 rolls, the first labeled "talk," the second "spell," and the last one "name."  If you make any of them, I'll fast forward up until the point where you can choose to resist the spell.