# The Ancient Paths - Path I



## hippocrachus (May 12, 2006)

*Following the Gods*

“I have sent runners to the High Clerics of Tyr throughout the Silver Marches to inquire about this ‘Lost Vault,’”  the flame-haired councilor reports gruffly.
“I would not question your premonitions, High Cleric, but you have told us very little about your vision…” another lets the unvoiced question hang around the Council in the Longhall of Tyr.
“I know as little as you, Brother Beorn,” the High Cleric Hroar Kraki answers solemnly. “That is why I call upon the Just Moot. With the wisest of the Clergy gathered, perhaps we can gain more insight into this escalating danger outside of Silverdown.”
The thick-armed and bearded members of the Council sit in silence for a few moments considering the prospect of the Just Moot; the first since the founding of the Longhall of Tyr in Silverymoon. The other churches in Silverymoon would surely raise a scandal with the Lady Alustriel for allowing so many of the battle priests to meet in the middle of the peaceful city.
“Braggi reports that he has found the cave of Logbrag and has found the ogre dead,” one of the older councilors with a puckered scar down the left side of his face says to break the apprehensive silence.
“Your nephew and his companions have done a great service to the honor of Tyr,”  Beorn comments, “but I think it is time that he return to the Longhall and continue his studies. Hrolf’s faith has been…questionable. I wonder if he follows the Just Father with all of his heart or is only after glory…?”  Beorn was the newest and youngest member of the Council. If anyone’s faith was “questionable,” it was his.
“You slight the High Cleric with your skeptical talk!”
Hroar raises a hand to calm the torrent before thunderheads have time to build.
“Tyr will Judge him.”

~ Hrolf ~

The cleric of Tyr rises from his stony bed in the cavern once occupied by Slazzik Balefire and his personal guards. The flickering torches along the walls provide ample light for Hrolf to see his wounds are nowhere near fully healed. In some places the makeshift bandages still glisten with the red of fresh blood.
Beyond the pain, a new strength can be felt, as if the divine powers of the immortal gods were bottled and stored in Hrolf’s soul. The power of Tyr.
A tingling sensation builds in Hrolf, stretching for release. Afraid the divine energy will boil him from the inside out, Hrolf covers his heart with his hands and prays. The tingling feeling seems to flow out from his hands and round on his heart.
The pain is gone, and all that is left is the strength.


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## hippocrachus (May 12, 2006)

*Following the Magic*

“Get rid of her,”  Ali’Shaun snaps at the bowing servant from behind his reading desk. The book held open in front of him covers all of his expression except for his eyes. The servant twitches nervously at the hate radiating from those orbs and waits to see if the Circle Leader would command anything else from him. The dark-haired woman reclining in the plush chair in a corner waves the slave away, which he anxiously obeys.
“She may be worth more alive than dead, Master Ali’Shaun…” the beautiful wizard consults behind batting eyelashes.
“She will not speak!”  he snaps at his student with no less malice. He quickly clears his throat to get a hold on himself. She was an assassin, even if she was his pupil.
“You misunderstand me,”  she continues with a devious grin. “Resale value?”
Ali’Shaun looks over his book at her in surprise. Sometimes Cithara’s cold demeanor sent a chill even through him, and his heart could freeze a white dragon’s egg.
“You wanted to speak about your message from the Citadel. So…?” he asks, turning his attention back to the tome on his lap.
“Some of the Lords are in an uproar concerning the dissension of Artemis Entreri…” Cithara begins with an expectant look. Ali’Shaun just looks on ineffectually. The Circle Leader doesn’t concern himself with the inner dealings of the Citadel of Assassins. In truth, most of the Red Wizards of Thay only use the Assassin’s Guild as a last resort. A blade of magic in the dark can kill just as effectively as one of steel.
“Lord Hans wishes me to return to Anauroch to do some…field studies,” she summarizes curtly.
“Absolutely not,” Ali’Shaun says without even considering the prospect. He ignores the narrow-eyed stare she returns him. “I have more important quarry for you.”
“Your apostate again?”  Her sweet tone could strangle a darkmantle.
“No. Someone else.”

~ Nae’talis ~

A dream. What else could explain the myriad colors and emotions flowing around the cavern walls?
A face wrought in pain and agony bubbles out of a stalagmite in front of the dreaming Nae’talis. A familiar face. What was his name? Oh, yes. Belgal. The slave.
His lifeless eyes stare at the mage pleadingly, begging for release. For freedom.
Freedom didn’t stack up to what he thought it would, apparently.
Before the young mage could further relish the thought of the dwarven warrior begging to return to a life of servitude, wispy black tendrils creep around his ankles and slowly wrap his legs in a chilling grasp. The mage smirks and sends a stream of magical energy at the tendrils. He’d never done that before. A new spell?
The tendrils aren’t defeated so easily and the mage’s calm look of defiance quickly shifts to one of panic. The black wisps wrap themselves all around the wizard and pull him to the ground forcefully.
Nae’talis wakes in a cold sweat, looking around wildly. Hrolf sits by his pallet, deep in meditation. The elf is nowhere to be seen.


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## hippocrachus (May 12, 2006)

*Following the Shadows*

Syrriel looks at her two Justiciar guards with scorn. She was quite capable of looking after herself. She made it this far, didn’t she?
Braggi seemed the type to be an over-protective father. If he ever had any children of his own, he would find chains only made escape easier.
The blonde Harper was under careful watch ever since Braggi came upon her camp outside of the cave in the night. The half-giant Tyrran went from cruel interrogator, to wizened admonisher, to fatherly guardian in the few minutes it took Braggi to figure out what Syrriel was doing here.
“I am on official business, sir. I cannot allow you to detain me any further!” A lot of good that did; if anything, it only made the towering commander more adamant about her security.
The sun was just coming up over the horizon, and the Tyrran camp was beginning to stir from a collective restless sleep. Something about the cave didn’t feel right. Even the Justiciars seemed nervous about making camp in plain view of its gapping maw.
Braggi and a few of the ranking members of the small legion where standing outside of the only tent in the campsite. One of them was pointing over at the group of mercenaries, barking in the Dwarven tongue about something her elven ears couldn’t make out.
_Send in the fodder. Of course. A good leader doesn’t risk the lives of his men…_ she thinks to herself contemptuously.
“Father Braggi would have you report to him as soon as you are ready, Lady Syrriel,” one of her Justiciar guards, Harad, says between a yawn. The other looks at her as a bailiff would a convicted criminal.
_I haven’t done anything. He couldn’t know the Harpers didn’t send me…_ She bites her bottom lip worriedly and glances between the two pillars of righteousness, considering making a break for it.
“You’re ready enough to run. You’re ready enough for Braggi,” the bailiff booms with a warning glare.
“Yes, I’m ready,”  she says, making it sound as if it were her decision. The guards lead her over to the tent just as the group of commanders begins to disessemble. Braggi peers down at the elven maid from a throne of shoulders.
“You lied, Lady Syrriel.”

~ Hildor ~

Hildor stirs before the others; his elven heritage allowing him to take less sleep than either the mage or cleric.
Feeling restless and not sure how much longer the others would be asleep, Hildor double checks the things they found in Slazzik’s chamber and on the grotesque kobold’s person. The red-gold holy symbol of a foreign god still sits atop the other items undisturbed. Under it rests a set of bracers that seem to glint with magical energy, an exquisite pearl no normal clam could produce, and a gnarled orange wand the spell-slinging kobold leader used so generously.
After satisfying himself of the safety of the others, Hildor begins to wander quietly down the cavern tunnel into the large chamber to the south. In his magical torch light, Hildor can see the silhouettes of stacks of weapons on the far end of the chamber.
A large well-crafted axe of dwarven make rests carelessly on the rocky floor in the center of the room.


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## hippocrachus (May 12, 2006)

*Following the Blood*

“The High Cleric wouldn’t want you going in there alone, Braggi!” the Justiciar veteran pleads to his half-giant commander, two heads shorter than the towering Tyrran. “Don’t let vengeance cloud your judgment!”
“I couldn’t save my boy, but I can’t leave Hroar’s in there defenseless!” the giant man proclaims bitterly.
“Hrolf is hardly defenseless, Braggi. Listen to reason.”
“Send in the sell-swords to scout out the cave, at least,” another lieutenant adds. The ad hoc leader of the mercenary band scowls behind an armored faceplate at the lieutenant, obviously not happy about being the first in the cave.
“That’s what we’re paying them for.”
“Ye ain’t payin’ me fer to get the whole lot o’ me boys gutted and spiked like those poor souls in Silverdown!” the mercenary explains gruffly, pointing at the cave as if it were the bane of mercenaries everywhere. His dwarven features make his grizzled attitude all the more intimidating.
“We’ll double your pay.”
“Done.”
The group of leaders exchange quiet nods and disperse among the camp to rouse the soldiers. Braggi looks to the veteran Justiciar next to him as the elven maid is escorted over to him with a resigned sigh.
“You’re sure the Harpers had no idea?”
“Enellienen didn’t even know Syrriel had returned to Silverymoon.”

~ Dowkan ~

“Gid up, ya louts!” Captain Grogor bellows over the sleeping heads in the mercenary camp situated a little ways away from the Tyrrans’. He puts a boot in Dowkan’s ribs, nudging him forcefully to consciousness. “The battle priests want fer us to explore the cave first. I’ll be double-damned if I’m to go inta tha’ devil-pit, so I’ll offer another ten gold to any who would!”
He reaches down and grabs Dowkan by the scruff of his shirt, easily lifting the younger sell-sword to his feet.
“Good lad. Who else o’ ya?” A few of the dwarves grumble suspiciously about Grogor’s generosity, but none would want the newbie warrior to go in alone, so a few hands raise reluctantly. “Get goin’ then!”
Dowkan and the others breakfast on hardtack and gather their gear for the hopefully quick foray into the cave. At the entrance, a Justiciar guard hands out lighted torches for the dwarven mercenaries.
“Drop them as you go,” he says. He must not be as ignorant about dwarves as they thought he was. “We’ll follow in twenty minutes.”
The group moves into the cave, past a dead ogre in the first chamber, and into a much larger cavern complex beyond. One of the veteran dwarves starts issuing commands among the group and they split up to explore the side passages in parties of two or three.
Dowkan and a gray-haired warrior nick-named Sunder move down a passage leading to the east. The sound of running water can be heard as they make their way up a sloping tunnel.


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## Legildur (May 12, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Dowkan and a gray-haired warrior nick-named Sunder move down a passage leading to the east. The sound of running water can be heard as they make their way up a sloping tunnel.



Dropping his torch, Dowkan smoothly draws a throwing axe in his right hand as the move cautiously along.  "I'm not likin' this," he mutters quietly to Sunder.  "And I'm not just talkin' 'bout th' smell of the ogre either," he adds for clarification.  "Can't be a good sign anytime th' Captain wants to throw good money around for a job.  What's he know that we don't?" he adds, scanning the passage ahead of them.  "It'll probably teach me a lesson to not get volunteered next time." he adds as he spits on the ground.


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## Majin (May 12, 2006)

_Damned elf..._ the thought running through Nae'talis' mind as if a practiced response by now. 

The young wizard balked mentally at the feeling of being sweat-soaked from sleep, a phenomena he had not experienced much in his two short decades of life. _So much yet to accomplish..._ Then he thought of Belgal. His thoughts were simply everywhere and he was certainly not accustomed to such a feeling of disorientation. This simply would not do...

The fact that the dwarf slave had not returned to him by now only left two likely scenarios, neither of them positive. Either he had taken his chance and fled, or perished somewhere in the caves. He had already come to terms with the possibility and what regret he felt he did now allow to show on the outside. It had been many years since he had been on his own. Alone. The Red Wizards would have an advantage now if they came for him, for what little protection this bunch could provide now with Belgal gone. Nae'talis blew air dismissively from his lips at the thought of the elf and as his gaze fell on the cleric he could only shrug. That man hardly said a word; it was as if he wasn't even there half the time anyway. 

So he was alone after all. He had almost forgotten the empty feeling that came with that state of being. Almost. Perhaps it was time he moved on without a servant at his side. He was fully capable of dressing himself in the morning, he just cared not to. The assortment of other tasks that Belgal performed for him were a convenience as well but he was always able to carry them out himself. He noticed with a rare pang of... guilt, was it? It was the companionship he would most likely miss. He grimaced irritably at the thought of admission, even if it was privately, to himself. 

He sighed inwardly as he reached for his spellbook. As he set about preparing his spells for the day he was shocked to discover a multitude of spells inscribed in his book that were not there the day before. His eyes became slits as his suspicions flared. Who could have done this? He quickly dismissed any of his companions. It was not Hrolf's type of magic and he was not even sure that Hildor could read a book much less write in one; far beyond constructing the complex magical runes that filled page after page as the young wizard flipped through with scrutinizing eyes. 

After vowing to stay more vigilant when it came to protecting his belongings and memorizing his spells Nae'talis picked himself up off the ground and walked over to the pile of items relinquished from the kobolds. Kneeling by the pieces he picked up each one in turn, attempting to discern any possible magical properties they might hold. 

[sblock] Spellcraft +9

~

Current buffs: 

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost ***

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor *
Magic Missle **

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher *
Melf's Acid Arrow *
Scorching Ray *[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 12, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

When the young mage opens his spellbook, a sound almost like a soft moaning escapes the crisp white pages. It fades quickly and leaves Nae'talis with the impression that he imagined the whole thing and this was probably all to do with not sleeping in a real bed for some time.
The script the newest spells are written in are not his own for sure; the long flowing hand gives the illusion of movement, the characters seem to writhe and bend in places he glanced at moments before without noticing.
Checking the scrolls in his possession, Nae'talis flips through page after page of blank browned parchment.
If this was a miracle, the gods had better not expect some sacrifice from him. He didn't ask for it, even if it was welcome.
Walking over to the small pile and running a critical eye over the items in it, Nae'talis can tell almost immediately that the large pearl is a Pearl of Power. Most mages in Thay carried a few. For the ugly kobold to have one is a surprise. It is definitely the weakest form of the valuable arcane supplement.
The other items are obviously magical, except for the holy symbol, but Nae'talis can only guess at their hidden powers.

~ Dowkan ~

"Next time ye bloody keep yer ugly face cover'd when ya sleep," the burly veteran grumbles as the two dwarves make it to a subterranean stream.
"Grogor ain't one to notice them that don't wanna be noticed," he continues with a sharp laugh. "He's got an eye fer coin and nothin' more."
Sunder walks up and down the stream cutting the vaulted cavern looking for a safe place to cross. The floor of the cavern has blood stains in areas, but there are no other signs of battle. A cold fire pit is situated in the center of the past confrontation.


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## Legildur (May 12, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Sunder walks up and down the stream cutting the vaulted cavern looking for a safe place to cross. The floor of the cavern has blood stains in areas, but there are no other signs of battle. A cold fire pit is situated in the center of the past confrontation.



Dowkan simply spits again and grunts in agreement to Sunder's words.  "I'll make sure I'm sleepin' further from the Captain next time," he says as he eyes the cavern and then the stream.

[SBLOCK=OOC for Hippocrachus]How wide is the stream?  Dowkan has a +3 Jump skill modifier and would attempt a 10ft running leap with some confidence, if the stream isn't too deep (Swim check -3).

He also has Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7 and Survival (underground) +3 if that matters in this situation to try and identify what they may face[/SBLOCK]


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## hippocrachus (May 12, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Aye, see tha' ya do, Dowkan. Ya see tha' ya keep yerself busy wi' the washin' up too when Grogor is in the mood ta send the lot o' us off on some fool expedition. I dunno what a youngin' like yerself is doin' so far from home, but ya see tha' ya don't get yerself killed, ya hear?"  Sunder had a grandfatherly appeal to him, but what was young to him wasn't young to dwarves 200 years his junior.
Dowkan estimates the stream to reach about 15 feet wide. Jumping across would need a good running start, and the cavern complex had floors slipperier than slime. Most likely, Dowkan would fall flat on his face if he tried to take a stride more than five feet at a time.
A few practically placed stones provide a path across the stream closer to one end of where the water cuts the cavern in half.


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## Legildur (May 12, 2006)

"Come on ya ol' man'," says Dowkan.  "We can build some stepping stones across that slower part there," he adds pointing to a likely spot.


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## ae1vart0n (May 13, 2006)

When Hildor arose in the morning the first thing to catch his attention was a numb pain still in his ankle from the bite he'd recieved the night before.  It had been his first time being injured on this trip and though his companions had suffered greater injury, he couldn't help but accuse himself of carelessness.  Then he remembered the way the kobolds had treated the cadavers, the thing that had set him off.  He'd need to try to put that out of his mind if he wanted to stay focused.

He stood and stretched, and made a quick lap around the cavern.  it was never easy getting up first, and without another elf in the party it became all the more tedious.  Hildor considered waking the mage just to see what sort of condescending phrase he could come up with at this hour of the morning, just to pass the time, but decided instead to check his own belongings and do some reconnaissance.

Being cautious as he was, Hildor moved silently down the southern path.  The damp darkness was almost peaceful.  Upon seeing the pile of weopons and the axe, he thought perhaps this was a training room and kobold had been careless... but then that axe was a little too large for a kobold.  Had he seen that axe before?  Hildor stopped to look around the room and see if he could see or hear anything else before entering.  He wanted to get a closer look at that axe.


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## Majin (May 13, 2006)

Nae'talis makes a fist over the small pearl, also tucking the wand somewhere within the folds of his robes. He then looked down at the bracers. His suspicions told him he could possibly make use of them as well, but he left them where they were as he rose to his feet. They would be magically identified as soon as possible along with the wand. At least on his person though he might have a chance to experiment with it before reaching a suitable town to procure such services. 

He then strode quietly back to his belongings and looked closer at the pearl once more. Sat with his spellbook in his lap, he probed the item with his mind, attempting to glean what potency of spell such a pearl could hold within itself.


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## hippocrachus (May 14, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Sunder grumbles something Dowkan can't quite make out, but the younger dwarf is sure he heard something in there about "greenhorns" and "whippersnappers."
The two dwarves go about plopping stones into the stream unhindered, and in a few minutes, have an easily traversable walkway across the rushing water.
On the other side of the stream, a tunnel continues east.

~ Hildor ~

As he moves further into the large chamber, Hildor can see several rags and furs strewn about that probably served as sleeping pallets for the kobolds.
He creeps quietly to the axe on the floor in the center of the room only to find the masterfully crafted dwarven waraxe is _very_ familiar.
The axe Belgal used.

~ Nae'talis ~

Nae'talis can tell that the Pearl of Power can store a spell only just more powerful than a cantrip.


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## Majin (May 14, 2006)

Nae'talis concentrates again after dicerning the class of spell that the pearl can hold, imbuing it with one of the new entries in his spellbook. After standing up again he casts a spell to protect himself, feeling a bit exposed alone in the chamber with only the currently vulnerable meditating cleric.

[sblock]Storing _Sleep_ in the pearl. Casting _Mage Armor_ on self.

~

Current buffs: _Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost ***

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + 1)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle **
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher *
Melf's Acid Arrow *
Scorching Ray *[/sblock]


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## Dhes (May 14, 2006)

During the Clerics morning meditation, Hrolf found it easier to reach Tyr. _It seems that my path of pain and hardship in the serves of the just father has made me stronger._ 
Taking water from his water skin, Hrolf begins cleaning the blood from a stained piece of bandage. After most of the blood is rinsed out, the young cleric pleases it over his eyes and ties it behind his head. 

As Hrolf get to his feat, he notices that most of the pains have left him.  Looking over his shoulder, he sees the mage studying his book. Walking over to Nea’talis, he gently places a hand on the spell casters shoulder. ”I’m sorry for your lose; I only had the pleasure of fighting next to Belgal for a short time, but I too will miss him.” Looking around, taking in the cavern, ”Where is our skulking elfen companion, I have no love for him but I don’t think it wise if we leave him here. checking if his sword,  I’ll go look for him, call out if trouble should arise.” 

With that Hrolf moves out of the cavern in search of the elf.


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Sunder grumbles something Dowkan can't quite make out, but the younger dwarf is sure he heard something in there about "greenhorns" and "whippersnappers."
> The two dwarves go about plopping stones into the stream unhindered, and in a few minutes, have an easily traversable walkway across the rushing water.
> On the other side of the stream, a tunnel continues east.



Dowkan simply laughs quietly at the older dwarf's anticipated response.  Deciding to annoy him a little further, Dowkan goads Sunder a little.  "Come on ol' man, we haven't go all day," he whispers.  "The sooner we clear this, the sooner I'll be back asleep," he adds, but without a great deal of conviction as his eyes dart about.  With the two of them across, Dowkan leads out down the tunnel, throwing axe ready.


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## hippocrachus (May 15, 2006)

~ Hrolf ~

Hrolf steps out of the lighted chamber into the tunnel to spot a slight glow coming from the impenetrable darkness to the south.
He follows the dark tunnel as best as his human eyes allow him until he comes to a larger chamber cloaked in black except for the kneeling figure of Hildor in its center.
He seems to be kneeling over an axe.

~ Dowkan ~

"Ya keep tha' forge ova spirit in check, boy, 'fore the coals burn ya somethin' fierce," Sunder snaps, catching up to the younger warrior and shouldering him behind the veteran.
The room the two mercenaries come into next shows the dried blood of a past battle, but all other signs have seemingly vanished without a trace. A cooling fire pit in the center of the chamber and a fence made of bones and sticks walling off another room are the only other signs that suggest the cavern was occupied at one time.
The tunnel continues to the east, but seems to veer off to the south. Sunder drops his torch on the ground here and begins to snoop around the cavern that is fenced.
"Keep yerself still," Sunder says as he turns his back on Dowkan and heads past the open gate.


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## hippocrachus (May 15, 2006)

~ Syrriel ~

“I’m sending you back to Silverdown, Lady Syrriel.” Braggi gives the elven Harper a look that dares her to defy him, suggesting in no small terms that he’ll hear none of it. “I mean to see that small bastion of hope become greater than it ever was. Before the Helmites come back in numbers.”
“I would have never suspected you of being such a masterful politician, Father Braggi,” she says in a sardonic yet melodious voice.
“I would’ve never suspected you of being a liar,” he bites back with equal acerbity. The fair-haired elf breaks eye-contact with the half-giant and swallows modestly. “There is hope for you yet. You have a keen mind, and I mean to exploit it.”
Syrriel glances suspiciously back at Braggi. So far, the cleric of Tyr showed more wisdom than she would’ve ever guessed him capable of. Not to mention having a greater vocabulary than she would’ve ever guessed.
“What do you want me to do?” she asks slowly. Cautiously.
“I want you to head the reconstruction of Silverdown.” He puts his hands out pleadingly when her eyes go wide and talks over her protests. “If I trusted any of my men to it, they’d form some council to head up the forming of a council that’ll be in charge of rationing bricks. I want to see results, not paperwork.”
“A masterful politician with a sense of reality. That’s rare…”  she mumbles almost to herself. By the smug grin crossing the huge man’s face, she spoke too loud.
“Your option is to go back to Silverymoon, where I hear the Harpers are not too pleased you didn’t check in with them on your last return.” He gives her another stern fatherly look she wishes he’d stop.
_I’ll just slip out when they're not looking…_
“You will of course be under guard.”
_Damn._
“Harad has taken quite a liking to you,” he says with an approving smile. “He’ll see your orders are carried out. And that you don’t…disappear in the night.”
“When do we leave?” she asks with a resigned sigh.
“Now. I want you as far… I want Silverdown barricaded as soon as possible.”
That slip-up spoke numbers to the calculating elf.
_I knew there was more to this…_


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

Muttering a half-hearted form of thanks, Nae'talis picks himself up off the floor and follows not too far behind the cleric as the quickly come upon Hildor. 

"What is that there?" the young wizard asks, quickly, his hopes raising prematurely at what he figures the axe to be. As the elf rises, the axe in hand, in response to his questioning, Nae'talis recognizes the axe truly for what it is. "Give that to me!" he spits out the words darkly. He grabs at the axe in the elven rogue's hands only to be met with startled resistance. In response Hildor finds his vision blocked by the wizard's hand near his face, Nae'talis' expression, he can just notice, seemingly having lost its normally cool demeanor, replaced by a slightly wild look. 

"Relinquish your hold on it or I will burn your face to a cinder!" he growls, thoughts of Belgal fueling his rising anger.


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> The tunnel continues to the east, but seems to veer off to the south. Sunder drops his torch on the ground here and begins to snoop around the cavern that is fenced.
> "Keep yerself still," Sunder says as he turns his back on Dowkan and heads past the open gate.



Dowkan decides that now is the time to listen to the more experienced dwarf, and says nothing.  Standing still, Dowkan's fingers unconsciously regrip his throwing axe as watches Sunder pass through the bone gate into the walled off room.


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## hippocrachus (May 15, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Ack!" Dowkan can hear the burly old dwarf spit. "There ain't a bloody thing in these bloody caves but rat turds and kobold stink!" Sunder comes waddling out of the gated chamber shaking his head in disgust.
"Whoever was here afore us musta cleaned it out good," he says to nobody, eyeing Dowkan as if he were surprised the younger dwarf did what he told him to. He takes a seat near the burned-out fire pit and grumbles something about "bloody tyrants."
Dowkan hears something like a faint yell coming up the tunnel leading to the southeast. Sunder doesn't seem to have noticed.


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "There ain't a bloody thing in these bloody caves but rat turds and kobold stink!" Sunder comes waddling out of the gated chamber shaking his head in disgust.



"Humph, and you smell better for it," Dowkan adds with a grin.



			
				hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "Whoever was here afore us musta cleaned it out good," he says to nobody, eyeing Dowkan as if he were surprised the younger dwarf did what he told him to. He takes a seat near the burned-out fire pit and grumbles something about "bloody tyrants."
> Dowkan hears something like a faint yell coming up the tunnel leading to the southeast. Sunder doesn't seem to have noticed.



"And I'm glad th' did!" Dowkan exclaims quietly.  Suddenly his head tilts to one side, and without waiting, he immediately hustles towards the other tunnel leaving this cavern.  "Come on ya old goat!  The cleaners sound like they're down here and I want to see them in action!"


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## hippocrachus (May 15, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"What're you goin' on about..." Sunder says, making to get to his feet, then coming to a decision mid-rise and sitting himself down more firmly. "Just you get back over here, ya durned gnome-brained fool. There ain't no one here."


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## ae1vart0n (May 15, 2006)

Nae'talls' sharp response had been unexpected.  It happened faster than Hildor could react.  He had no intention of keeping the axe, though he found the materialism almost cruel.

But still he had no use for it, and it's owner being... missing... there was no point in arguing.  Arguments only lead to fights.

it would perhaps have better use in Hrolf's hands, but that was for the cleric to decide.  Hilder proceeded to search the room, particularly the pile of weopons, and to look for exits.  Was this the caves end?

The end would be a problem.  _How am I to follow that mage if this task is finished?_ he thought.  Hopefully the mage would want to retain his company for a while.  Maybe Belgal's death had served a purpose, as cold it may be.

Hildor also hadn't forgotten his agreement... he should have checked in with Mars this morning, but he hadn't expected the cleric or mage to rise so quickly.

"You'll excuse me for a moment.  I think I left something in the last room," he said, leaving Nae'talis to mourn, and Hrolf to console him.  It wasn't that Hildor felt nothing for the loss of their companion, but he had lost many closer to him than that dwarf, and he had other things to focus on.


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "What're you goin' on about..." Sunder says, making to get to his feet, then coming to a decision mid-rise and sitting himself down more firmly. "Just you get back over here, ya durned gnome-brained fool. There ain't no one here."



"I hears 'em I tell you!  My hearin's a little better than yours," Dowkan responds over his shoulder as he keeps moving.


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

Nae'talis lowered his hand as the elf relaxed his hold on the axe, then used it to support the incredible weight of the thing. He knew it was foolish for him to carry around the bloody thing, but he did not care. It was out of the dirty elf's hands that's all that mattered...

He watched, eyes still dark as the elf excused himself from the chamber and slinked off into the shadows.


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## hippocrachus (May 15, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Ya hear a landslide ya durned fool an' tha's a foretellin' o' me boot meetin' yer backside!" he calls after Dowkan as he continues down the tunnel toward the sound. The older dwarf just rolls his eyes and digs himself into his seated position.

~ Hildor ~

Some of the weapons are in crude stacks. All of them look shoddy and probably worthless. Certainly not worth carrying all the way back to Silverymoon.
Hildor turns and walks back towards the room the three adventurers stayed in last night. As he comes closer to the tunnel, he swears he can hear loud footsteps coming towards him. Only a dwarf could be that loud in their native environment. He glances over his shoulder to see if Nae'talis and Hrolf were following with an unlikely companion back from the dead.
He doesn't see the dwarf doing likewise come barreling into him from the opposite direction.

~ Hildor & Dowkan ~

The dwarf and elf end up in a crumpled heap in the middle of the corridor.

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

The cleric and wizard hear what sounds like a struggle in the direction Hildor went off in.


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> The dwarf and elf end up in a crumpled heap in the middle of the corridor.



"Ooof!" exclaims Dowkan as he runs into the elf and stumbles to the ground.  Scrambling to his feet, Dowkan makes sure his throwing axe is ready, but doesn't raise it threatingly.  "Well ya pansy, whadaya lookin' at!" he demands of the elf.


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

Nae'talis blew air from his nose haughtily as he imagined finding the elf impaled by a spike trap. Nevertheless he follows after Hrolf as the cleric no doubt goes to check on the noise. Picking up his quarterstaff from the floor where it consequently dropped from grabbing the axe he let the axe lower almost to the floor in his right hand, hunched over slightly from the weight of the thing. He was ready to drop the staff at any moment, should the need for a spell become immediate. He would _not_ let go of the axe though, that he assured himself of. 

On closing the distance between him and the elf, Nae'talis' eyes sparked as he noticed a dwarven form on the ground near Hildor. It was too much to hope for it seemed as he quickly realized that it was not Belgal. He quickly composed himself and he was once more his reticent old self but eyed the new arrival suspiciously, the incantations of a spell already in his mind, ready to trigger...


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

The dwarf sees the movement over the elf's shoulder and he wonders if the pig-headed Sunder is still sitting on his butt back in the last cavern.  Licking his lips, Dowkan doesn't even let the elf answer as he adds "And who's ya friend?" as the unarmored person comes into view.

The dwarf's eyes freeze for a moment on the axe the newcomer carries awkwardly, 'obviously not a trained warrior' he thinks to himself.  He sucks his breath in hard enough for the elf and the newcomer to clearly hear, as the axe comes into full view - a dwarven waraxe of exquisite craftsmanship.  He finds it difficult to take his eyes from the weapon, but keeps regripping his throwing axe a little nervously now that there are two of them before him, even if lightly armored.


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

"I am not his friend, dwarf..." Nae'talis replies, speaking over any response Hildor might attempt to utter. Dowkan's eyes on the axe in the young wizard's hand does not escape his notice, but Nae'talis' face is a mask of indifference. "We are a group here at the behest of the Church of Tyr out of Silverymoon," he states simply, leaving it at that, eyeing the dwarf's reaction, gauging him for any sign of hostility.


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

Majin said:
			
		

> "We are a group here at the behest of the Church of Tyr out of Silverymoon," he states simply, leaving it at that, eyeing the dwarf's reaction, gauging him for any sign of hostility.



The dwarf's head tilts to one side to consider the statement and gradually lowers his large wooden shield from the ready position.  The throwing axe is still in his right hand, but the arm now hanging straight down.

"Well, ain't that quaint.  As so am I and me friends, too," he adds, gesturing over his shoulder. (OOC: Gee I hope I have that right, it's not 100% clear to me at the moment)


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

Nae'talis relaxes slightly, but his expression does not change. "So I take it the church of Tyr does not trust in our abilities to accomplish our task without aid?"


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

Majin said:
			
		

> Nae'talis relaxes slightly, but his expression does not change. "So I take it the church of Tyr does not trust in our abilities to accomplish our task without aid?"



"Humph!" scoffs Dowkan as he spits on the stone floor.  "How in the two moons would I know?" he retorts.  "I'm just the hired hand.  They didn' say anytin to me about others being down here."


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

Dowkan can not be sure whether the momentary upturn at the corners of Nae'talis' mouth was a smile or involuntary muscle twitch, for just as quick as it appeared the man's lips are a thin line again. "So another one caught in the throes of incompetance," his eyes dart quickly to the elf next to him and then back. "I sympathize with your plight. I am Nae'talis Ves'Aru. This discredit to the elven race next to me is Hildor," he explains, purposefully dropping the elf's surname.


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## Legildur (May 15, 2006)

Majin said:
			
		

> "So another one caught in the throes of incompetance," his eyes dart quickly to the elf next to him and then back. "I sympathize with your plight. I am Nae'talis Ves'Aru. This discredit to the elven race next to me is Hildor," he explains, purposefully dropping the elf's surname.



Dowkan grunts in agreement at the mention of incompetence.  "Of course he's a discredit.  He's an elf."

"I be Dowkan, and I'm pleased to meet something that I don't have to bury my axe in.  But now I'm confused about what I'm exactly meant to be doin'.  No one said anything about others from the Church being down here."


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

Nae'talis says nothing to the dwarf's further comments about the elf, but he was inwardly amused to see old fashioned dwarf-elf animosity at work in front of him. 

Keeping any number of potential reasons the church might send mercenaries in after them, Nae'talis looks to Hrolf and then back to Dowkan. "Well met, Dowkan. You mention others with you. How many are you exactly?"


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## ae1vart0n (May 15, 2006)

Hildor stands to brush of the dust from the fall and allows the others to speak.  He was stuck.  If he tried to sneak off again they'd get suspcious.  Mars would need to wait.  And this new company made it less likely Nae'talis would want their company much longer.  Hildor could only hope that these new aquaintances wouldn't want to stick around.

[sblock]I don't remember Nae'talis (or anyone else for that matter) ever getting Hildor's surname [/sblock]


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## Majin (May 15, 2006)

[sblock]I could swear he did the first time we met. Ah well, either way, Nae'talis wouldn't use it anyway [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 15, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

Times up.
_What is your current situation?_ a voice sounds in Hildor's mind. Mars. Neither the dwarf or his companions seem to notice.


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## ae1vart0n (May 16, 2006)

In thoughts only:  _Mage next to me, dwarf presumed dead, more tyr folks showed up._

So he didn't have to touch the key.  That made things easier.  Or could Mars hear all of his thoughts?  No.  If so an impatient customer wouldn't bother asking questions.


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## Legildur (May 16, 2006)

Nae'talis said:
			
		

> ...Nae'talis looks to Hrolf and then back to Dowkan. "Well met, Dowkan. You mention others with you. How many are you exactly?"



The dwarf's eyes look to the ceiling as he ponders the question, absentmindedly scratching his bearded chin with the corner of the throwing axe in the right hand.  "Maybe 5 score, give or take.  Most are outside right now.  Me and me buddy are some of a small group sent in to check if it was safe or not."


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## hippocrachus (May 16, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

There is a long pause in the between _sendings_, filled with the introductions of Dowkan, Nae'talis, and Hrolf. Just as Hildor begins to think his curt report avoided him annoying interrogation, another message sounds in the elf's mind.
_What of the dwarf next to you?_ the voice sounded far too knowledgeable. _I will handle the Tyrrans. They will hold a great gathering and they will know my power._
Something was odd about Mars divulging even the slightest bit of his plans.


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## ae1vart0n (May 16, 2006)

_Mercenary of Tyr, different dwarf._

Mars knew about the Tyrrans.  But why did he care about Tyr?  Was the destruction of Silverydown, this cave and the barbaric treatment of the villagers ... was all that Mars?  What about the mage.  The two seemed disconnected.  The Tyrrans seemed unimportant.  Actually the presence of the Tyrrans seemed rather meaningless as well.  This cave didn't deserve an army.  Something very odd was going on.

Hildor needed some answers, but asking would be fruitless.  Mars wouldn't give out unneccessary information upon request.  Hildor wasn't even sure he'd give out neccessary information.

Perhaps questions wouldn't be useful, but maybe an insult.  Maybe Mars would become careless in his anger and divulge more useful information.

_Your scared._


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## hippocrachus (May 16, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

_You're an imbecile. Stick to the plan. I will contact you tomorrow._ If the voice of Mars seemed flustered it was probably at having to put up with Hildor.

~ Ali'Shaun ~

The Circle Leader rubs the bridge of his nose with thumb and forefinger and looks at the raven-haired Cithara with a glum expression.
"Why do you use him again?"  she asks to make conversation. She doesn't really care.
"The Zhentarim. The key. The mage..." he starts counting off on his fingers.
"Radcliff is a landed thief. The key is worthless. The apostate should've been done away with months ago," she answers over top of him. They stare at each other for a few seconds without sharing another word, the assassin with steely defiance, the wizard with growing impatience.
"Do you have the things you require?" he asks her after her eyes flutter to the side. His tone drips with renewed dominance. Cithara had attended him at the Circle Meeting this morning. She knew what he was capable of after the five apprentices imbued their powers into him. Ali'Shaun was being called off to the Rashemen border again to aid Thay in torturing their barbaric neighbors.
A supposedly "random" pick. Ali'Shaun knew better and had been grumpy all morning. Custodian Giomp was getting sick of the Circle Leader's excuses.
"This will give you a chance to strike out, Ali'Shaun." The Custodian wanted whatever Ali'Shaun had been pining after as soon as the apostate and his pitiful band had recovered it.
"Yes, what I have will suffice. What do I do about the wards?" she asks innocently.
"This token will see the wards don't affect you."  He hands the assassin wizard a coin she quickly places in her pocket. "I will contact you tomorrow...after I have dealt with the elf."


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## ae1vart0n (May 16, 2006)

_At least he quit talking._

The attack on the Tyrrans had worried him, but if Mars was going to speak with him tomorrow it was likely this group would be safe from it.  Still, should he warn the Tyrrans?  The benefit of Radcliff's friendship weighed against a slaughter was not a balanced scale.

But the Tyrrans may know of the situation.  And if they were all as single minded as Hrolf, they may welcome it.  If this was the case, warning them would only inform them of Hildor's purpose.

"Who knows why you're here?"


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## Legildur (May 16, 2006)

Hildor said:
			
		

> "Who knows why you're here?"



(OOC: Assuming that this was spoken aloud) "Me boss, for starters, and his boss, and who knows who else.  And all the Tyrrans outside.  And the rest of me merc buddies," the dwarf replies, mentally ticking off groups of people.


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## ae1vart0n (May 17, 2006)

Hildor was taken aback a bit that a hired hand (not unlike himself) would be given information about the task they were hired for, beyond "go there, do that".  He couldn't have been given the true reason.

"And it is?"

[sblock]Yes, light blue text in "quotes" is spoken.  _Dark blue in italics_ is a thought for Hildor[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 17, 2006)

[sblock]If you would do me a favor and follow similar format, Legildur, it would be much appreciated.
Put OOC comments in sblock /sblock tags, thoughts in italics, and speach in color.
It helps keep confusion to a minimum.
I'll have another favor to ask you when we get to combat  

Dhes is having trouble getting onto the boards, so I ask that you guys be patient while we wait for the cleric to catch up...[/sblock]


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Hildor said:
			
		

> "And it is?"



"Ah, now that I don't know," Dowkan adds with a shrug of his shoulders.  "But I'm being paid a bonus for today's risks," he adds, adding a slight frown with it.  "Not that we've seen much yet."

He gestures with his head at Nae'talis.  "What can you tell me of that fine weapon of me homeland?" he asks.  "She's a mighty fine piece of dwarven craft, if I may say.  Under other circumstances, I'd ask to have a closer look and hold of her........."


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## Majin (May 17, 2006)

It was my companions," Nae'talis explains in monotone as he conceals the weapon slightly behind his robes, protectively. "Unfortunately, he is no longer with us... He leaves it at that, eyes boring into Dowkan with an expression that seems impossible to read.

[sblock]I was planning on saving the big discussion and transfer of the weapon to Dowkan until we get to the "safety" of the town. There he can convince Nae'talis of his worthiness.  [/sblock]


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Nae'talis said:
			
		

> It was my companions," Nae'talis explains in monotone as he conceals the weapon slightly behind his robes, protectively. "Unfortunately, he is no longer with us...



"A dwarf?" Dowkan asks.


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## Majin (May 17, 2006)

"Indeed," Nae'talis replied. _How astute,_ he thought to himself. Not even sure if it was simply an observation or a bit of an insult.


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Nae'talis said:
			
		

> "Indeed," Nae'talis replied.



"Aye, to the great forge he be gone then," sighs Dowkan.  "He be a friend of yours then?"


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## Majin (May 17, 2006)

Nae'talis looked at the dwarf for a few moments, his hard expression barely noticeable. "You could say that..." he says quietly.


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Nae'talis said:
			
		

> Nae'talis looked at the dwarf for a few moments, his hard expression barely noticeable. "You could say that..." he says quietly.



"Then me thought are with ya," Dowkan replies solemnly.  "How did he fall when carrying such a fine weapon?"


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## Majin (May 17, 2006)

The young wizard inclines his head slightly in acceptance of Dowkan's condolences. "That is yet to be determined... We have only just come across this weapon. His body is nowhere to be found."


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Majin said:
			
		

> The young wizard inclines his head slightly in acceptance of Dowkan's condolences. "That is yet to be determined... We have only just come across this weapon. His body is nowhere to be found."



"That'd not be a good sign," replies Dowkan.  "No dwarf of stone would leave such a weapon behind.  I'll gladly help you search, if you like"


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## Majin (May 17, 2006)

"That would be most... helpful... yes..." the wizard agrees without any apparent emotion. "But first I think it would be prudent to meet up with the Tyr-faithful on the surface before we continue to search further. If I am not mistaken, they owe us a boon for eliminating the ogre you've no doubt passed on your way here."


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Nae'talis said:
			
		

> "That would be most... helpful... yes..." the wizard agrees without any apparent emotion. "But first I think it would be prudent to meet up with the Tyr-faithful on the surface before we continue to search further. If I am not mistaken, they owe us a boon for eliminating the ogre you've no doubt passed on your way here."



Dowkan arches an eyebrow.  "That was you?" he queries of the two before him.  "Nice work."

"If you are wantin' to head back topside to chat with the powers that be, then so be it," he adds.

"Just let me know if that axe be gettin' a little heavy for ya, and I'll carry it some way," he adds with a grin.


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## ae1vart0n (May 17, 2006)

So he didn't know after all.  It was almost comforting to know he was not alone in being withheld knowledge of his task.  Going to talk with these "powers" might prove useful.  Though Hildor had no idea of Mars' power, it would be good to see what the church of Tyr had planned.  At least they could find out what's going on here.


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## Majin (May 17, 2006)

"It is fine. I will carry it," Nae'talis said stubbornly. "I think it is high time we return to the surface." Not waiting for anyone's consensus, the wizard begins walking, axe low at his right side, quarterstaff in the other supporting him, back the way they'd came. 

Calling back to the dwarf as he walked, Nae'talis added, "If your companion is the type to attack first and ask questions later and you wish that no harm comes to him, I would suggest you keep up."


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Dowkan simply grunts in response and starts to follow the axe carrying man.  He thinks briefly about Sunder and laughs quietly to himself at the thought of the old dwarf stubbornly sitting back in the previous cavern, but vows to collect him as they again pass the way they entered on the way back to the outside.


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## hippocrachus (May 17, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The group come to the room where Dowkan left Sunder to find two Tyrran soldiers talking idly with the gray-haired dwarf. Nae'talis, Hildor, and Hrolf recognize this room to be the one they fought the rats and kobold guards in.
Something was odd about there being no trace of the dead dire rats or dragonkin but the dried blood on the stones at their feet.
The Tyrrans and Sunder hail the group with shocked expressions, Sunder cocking an eyebrow at Dowkan.
"Tyr judge you," one of the soldiers greets, focusing on Hrolf.


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Dowkan simply grins and winks as he sees the old dwarf.  "I told ye I heard somethin'," he says with that 'I told you so' voice.  Scratching his beard, Dowkan waits patiently for the two groups to introduce themselves.  'Not up to me to sort em out' he thinks to himself as he begins visualisation how many ales the 10gp bonus will buy him.


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## ae1vart0n (May 17, 2006)

"I'm Hildor, and this discredit to the human race next to me is Nae'talis".   Hildor wasn't the type to start fights, but he couldn't resist such a perfect opportunity, and Nae'talis couldn't possibly dislike Hildor any more than he already did.

"Why are the Tyrrans here?"  Yes, the bodies missing were unusual, but he presumed the dwarves removed them.  Hopefully they had treated them with contempt.  Hildor was more interested in their purpose at the moment.  It meant a better chance at surviving whatever Mars had planned.


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## hippocrachus (May 17, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The two soldiers exchange worried looks after the elf blurts out an odd greeting.
"Report back to Father Braggi immediately," the taller of the two says to the other before facing the group again.
"You are Hrolf, yes?" he goes on, ignoring everyone except for the cleric of Tyr.


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## Legildur (May 17, 2006)

Dowkan scowls in deep thought at the urgency to inform the Tyrran leader.  But he keeps a low profile and says nothing, wishing to spend a little more time with the three strangers - and to learn some more about the kin axe carried by the human.


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## ae1vart0n (May 17, 2006)

As always Hildor had been ignored.  The best he ever got was a look, or a retort.  This time, not even the latter.  Since his mother and friend had died, there was no longer anyone to confide in.  And there couldn't be.  There was nobody else Hildor could trust.  This agreement he had made with Radcliff was a hope at filling that role.

It wasn't the only thing keeping him from telling the Tyrrans something was going to happen.  The Tyrrans had gathered quite a force.  Hildor wasn't sure Mars was the aggressor in this situation, nor could he prove that Mars was associated with the Kobolds.

Whatever the plans were it was clear Hildor wasn't going to be let in on them, from either end.  While he was uncertain of his role in the matter, he was sure he wanted to survive it.  But what could he do with such little to go on?  All he knew was a battle was going to take place and he was in the center of it.  He had never agreed to fight a war.

What he needed was an excuse.  Some reason for Nae'talis to leave the battleground.

_Maybe if he lost his spellbook._

The chain would make that difficult.

_Or the axe._


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## hippocrachus (May 17, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

"They'll be wantin' ta talk alone," Sunder attempts to whisper in Dowkan's ear. The bulky dwarf makes quite a scene trying to lean over conspiratorally and cover his mouth the wrong way.
"I will need to speak to Brother Hrolf alone," the Tyrran states, doing a good job of acting as if he didn't hear Sunder. He waits, staring at the others, expecting them to leave.


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## ae1vart0n (May 18, 2006)

Hildor didn't plan on walking out of the cave unescorted with so many strangers outside.  They'd had a close enough call when they met the first two in the village.  Nor did he plan on leaving Nae'talis.  As far as Hrolf was concerned though, Hildor couldn't care less.  As long as Nae'talis and some of these dwarves walked out with him, Hildor would follow quietly.


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## Legildur (May 18, 2006)

Dowkan decides to make life a little difficult for the Tyrran and ignores the 'polite' statement.  Standing his ground, Dowkan simply winks at Sunder as he hopes to force the Tyrran to move away if he wants some privacy for discussions with Hrolf.
[sblock=ooc]He's got a low Charisma, so it may as well manifest as a pain in the a*se[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 18, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The Tyrran looks at the stubborn dwarf as a lawyer might a stubborn juror.
"What is you name, mercenary? I will be reporting you to Captain Andri for mutiny," he says coldly. He casts an apologetic look to Hrolf for having to have him see this.
Sunder smacks Dowkan hard in the back of the head.
"There'll be no need o' tha', lieutenant. I'll be sher he gets an earfull from Captain Grogor,"  Sunder says while fixing Dowkan with a warning look that dared the younger less-experienced warrior to protest.

[sblock]Him and Hildor both  [/sblock]


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## Legildur (May 18, 2006)

Dowkan's head snaps back into position after the hefty clip from Sunder.  He doesn't even acknowledge the 'guidance' from the older dwarf, but simply grins and spits on the ground before wandering off, shepherded by Sunder.


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## hippocrachus (May 18, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Ye bloody see tha' I don't either," Sunder continues with the hollow threat as the two dwarves move off down the tunnel at a slow enough pace for the elf and wizard to catch up to. "Waggin' yer tongue in front o' butter bars there isn't gonna gitcha a purse full o' coin, ye durned fool."
Even though Dowkan doesn't remember ever saying anything, the crotchety old dwarf's point was easy enough for him to see.


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## Legildur (May 18, 2006)

"Aye, you have the right of it," agrees Dowkan.  "But you can't spoil all my fun!" he adds with a laugh.


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## hippocrachus (May 18, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Ye had enough fun fer one morning. His Honor back there," he throws a thumb over his shoulder, pointing contemptuously at the Tyrran, "says the lot o' us is movin' off ta Silverdown ta do some architetcher. Or whatever tha bloody puff'd up turkey thinks us dwarves is good fer."
Sunder looks behind him to make sure the other two weren't too far back. He didn't want them to get lost...
"Why didn' ya tell me ya bloody heard them?" he asks the other dwarf with an attempt at a whisper.


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## Legildur (May 18, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "Ye had enough fun fer one morning. His Honor back there," he throws a thumb over his shoulder, pointing contemptuously at the Tyrran, "says the lot o' us is movin' off ta Silverdown ta do some architetcher. Or whatever tha bloody puff'd up turkey thinks us dwarves is good fer."
> Sunder looks behind him to make sure the other two weren't too far back. He didn't want them to get lost...
> "Why didn' ya tell me ya bloody heard them?" he asks the other dwarf with an attempt at a whisper.



"I did, cloth ears!" Dowkan retorts as he shoves the older dwarf in the shoulder with the palm of his hand.  "Architeching?  Why by the two moons would I want to be architeching for?  I just want my ten pieces of gold.  And if they're wantin' architechs then they've got the wrong dwarf.  I might have to start lookin' at me options, I might."


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## Majin (May 20, 2006)

Nae'talis studies the scene quietly for a few moments before turning wordlessly and following the dwarves.


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## hippocrachus (May 20, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The two dwarves, Nae'talis, and Hildor enter into the large cavern echoing with the sounds of dwarves talking loudly in side passages. Nae'talis and Hildor recognize the cavern to be the one where they fought the dire bat and its brethren.
The four of them continue into the chamber Logbrag the ogre called home and further into the light of midmorning. They are greeted by a column of Tyrrans just about to head into the cavern. The tall fellow at the head of the armored ranks pulls off his helmet and stares gawking at Nae'talis and Hildor before finding the words to speak.
"Where did they come from!?!" he almost yells in surprise. He holds out a hand to keep any of the soldiers from making an aggressive move.
"This 'un found 'em chattin' deeper in," Sunder answers, pointing to Dowkan, and easily taking up the command.
The ranking officer turns and hurriedly sends runners off to find his commanders.
"Inform Father Braggi and Captain Andri immediately!" He turns back to the party glaring. "Where is the High Cleric's nephew? Hrolf! Where is Hrolf!?!" he says in an increasing panic.

~ Hrolf ~

The Tyrran watches the human and elf leave with a disgusted yet satisfied stare. When the four are out of sight and their footsteps can no longer be heard echoing back up the tunnel, the Tyrran turns his attention back to Hrolf.
"Why is it that your gods challenge us so?" he says in a voice more grating than before. "The mortals walk about as if they were in control. What arrogance. And these beings that name themselves gods look on in a stupor. We offer new order. New power."
The Tyrran studies Hrolf with a dubious expression, thinking the cleric of Tyr too dumb to understand.
"You have over-stayed your welcome here, mortal!" he says in a suddenly guttural language that Hrolf shouldn't have been able to understand. It was as if the meaning was clear in his head even though the words passed through his ears.
Hrolf shakes himself of distraction just in time to see the sword coming at him. He draws his own sword and meets the downward chop in a block, clashing an inch from his face.
What was once a Tyrran soldier is now a multi-hued unnatural visage of a man in spiked armor and glowing purple eyes. It's as if the same illness that affected the kobolds had twisted the Tyrran into a weapon of evil.
It takes a step back from Hrolf and begins to laugh in its throaty voice. The being's laughter echoes in the cavern as it melts into the floor; its eyes glow maliciously at the cleric of Tyr until they're lost in the stone at his feet.
Hrolf wakes with a start just outside the lighted chamber he had fought the kobolds in the night before.
Nae'talis and Hildor are nowhere to be seen.


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## Legildur (May 21, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> He turns back to the party glaring. "Where is the High Cleric's nephew? Hrolf! Where is Hrolf!?!" he says in an increasing panic.



Dowkan shrugs and looks at the two strangers to see what they reply.


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## Majin (May 21, 2006)

"Hrolf is inside. He has been detained by one of your Tyrran soldiers," Nae'talis replies simply.


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## hippocrachus (May 21, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

"I didn't send anyone in..." He looks to the caped Justiciar leaning against a rocky outcrop by the entrance to Logbrag's cave. "Who besides the dwarves passed?"
"None. I think you are mistaken, Thayan," the Justiciar easily places Nae'talis' stance, decoration, and features to the wizard's dismay.
"A name. Did the soldier give a name?" the lieutenant almost leans forward, waiting for Nae'talis' answer. Something is oddly familiar about the man.
"I be a bearded gnome iffin he weren't you," Sunder says and spits so there isn't any confusion of his heritage. The lieutenant cocks a worried eyebrow at the others.


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## Legildur (May 21, 2006)

"And he sure don't know dwarves," adds Dowkan finally seeing what Sunder is talking about.  "Any man that try and intimidate a dwarf is a wastin' his time."


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## Majin (May 21, 2006)

Nae'talis resists the urge to bring a hand up to his hairline, where his tattoos are just barely covered, at the announcement of his blood by the Tyrran. He regards the lieutenant stonily instead. 

"It would appear that you have a twin wandering about, Lieutenant," he states. "This one speaks the truth," he adds, pointing to Sunder.


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## ae1vart0n (May 21, 2006)

If anyone had bothered to look, Hildor's was grinding his teeth.  Hrolf was incompentent.  He charged in recklessly, underestimated his opponents and had taken the most damage from his own weopon.  He had already judged Hildor.  He had been a convenient excuse to follow Nae'talis, and that was the end of his usefulness.

But why was everyone wasting so much time talking when their friend could be in trouble.

_Talking is meaningless._

Hildor turned and went back down the way they had come leaving Nae'talis with the Tyrrans to follow.  On the way down he drew a sword in one hand an a dart in the other.  He didn't know whether he was for the Tyrrans or Mars, but he knew he didn't like being decieved.

The amount of information shared with Hildor was too little to be diluted with lies.

[sblock]Edit: Just made it Tyrrans not Thayans.  Think everyone figured that out.[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 21, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

"You four report to Father Braggi," the lieutenant says as he turns to face the column behind him. "Get in there and find him!"
The ranks of Tyrrans pass into the cave quickly as the group of three follows Sunder towards the only tent set up in the camp. As they come closer, a man twice the height of any of the smallest among the Tyrrans straightens from doubling-over to exit the gray drab tent. His skin is tinted blue and his frosty blue hair hangs down past his waist. He keeps himself clean shaven and walks towards the group with too much grace for his height.
"I was just informed of your arrival," the big man Sunder and Dowkan recognize as Father Braggi booms above their heads. "I wish to discuss what you know about these caves."
He doesn't wait for their obedience before turning back to the tent. Sunder leans over to Dowkan and attempts another whisper the human can easily hear behind him.
"Ye can take this 'un on yerself, boy. I ain't cathin' no gruff from a giantkin." Sunder speaks up so Braggi can hear him at the distance he puts between the group and himself in a few strides. "I'll be reportin' back to Captain Grogor, iffin it's all tha same to ya, Father Braggi."
The huge man turns his head slightly to look at the dwarf over his shoulder and nods gruffly. Father Braggi doesn't seem to share the same prejudices as Sunder, but he doesn't stop the dwarf from leaving the group either.
Braggi holds the tent flap aside to let the party of human and dwarf enter. When everyone is in, he offers them a seat on wooden stools around a plain planning table.
"Where is Hrolf?"


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## hippocrachus (May 21, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

Hildor turns around, passes the column of Tyrrans, and heads back to where he thought he left Hrolf. The column follows the elf, because he seems to know where he's going, until they come to the startled Hrolf standing outside of a lighted cave deeper in.

[sblock]Per ae1vart0n's post before mine that I hadn't seen before posting.[/sblock]


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## Legildur (May 22, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "You four report to Father Braggi," the lieutenant says as he turns to face the column behind him.



"Didn't he say that just before?" asks Dowkan, gesturing with his head back towards the caves.  "Freaky."


			
				hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Sunder leans over to Dowkan and attempts another whisper the human and elf can easily hear behind him.
> "Ye can take this 'un on yerself, boy. I ain't cathin' no gruff from a giantkin."



Dowkan simply shrugs his shoulders at the comment as the older dwarf makes good his escape.  Walking into the tent with the other two he met in the cave, Dowkan looks around as he picks some breakfast gristle from between his teeth and waits for the others to answer the question asked by Father Braggi.


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## ae1vart0n (May 22, 2006)

Hildor began to sheath his weopons but stopped.  Hrolf didn't seem the type to be startled.  And where was that light coming from?  Something wasn't right.

How could he know this was Hrolf and not another imposter?

Keeping his weopons out he walked around Hrolf to look in the lighted cave, to see where the light was coming from and to make sure there weren't any adversaries beyond.

"A couple nights ago you hurt your leg.  How?"  Surely no adversary would guess he'd swung at himself.


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## Majin (May 22, 2006)

Nae'talis does not openly decline the seat, but remains standing anyway. "He is still inside the caves," the young wizard breathes, quickly tiring of the repeated questions. "Your lieutenant out there seemed rather dismayed when we informed him that his supposed twin was the one who kept him," Nae'talis cocks his head slightly. 

"Are we to assume that he does not _have_ a twin?" he asks. "Most troublesome if he does not," the wizard adds.


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## hippocrachus (May 22, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

Hildor recognizes the lighted chamber to be the one he slept in last night. The two torches still seem to flicker with life, even though they've been alight for over eight hours now. They are quite hot.

~ Nae'talis & Dowkan ~

"I know of no twins in my legion," the half-giant says, stroking his chin ponderously. "There was another in your group before you left Silverymoon. Where is he?"
Braggi must think Dowkan is Belgal.


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## Majin (May 22, 2006)

"He is actually the one missing," Nae'talis replies.


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## ae1vart0n (May 22, 2006)

He wanted to further examine the situation, but he needed to return to Nae'talis, and if this wasn't Hrolf an army of Tyrran soldiers could handle him.

"Didn't your boss tell you to find Hrolf?  Lets bring him back."

Hildor sheaths his sword, puts away his dart, then heads determined toward Hrolf.  Hrolf was apparently in shock.  He wasn't responding anyway.  Hildor looked back at the column that had followed him.

"Something's not right and I'm not sticking around to find out what."

Apparently not all Tyrrans were as enterprising as Hrolf.


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## hippocrachus (May 22, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

The lieutenant looks at Hildor suspiciously. His challenging and quasi-courageous manner didn't seem to fit the elf's bill as far as the Tyrran was concerned. Something he would be reporting to his commanders.

~ Nae'talis & Dowkan ~

"I was told the elf was with you when you exited the cave..." Braggi's eyes narrow in suspicion. "Has he been exhibiting any...odd traits? Going off alone, maybe?"
Braggi's head nods slightly when Nae'talis' face jerks subconsciously in recognition of the rogue's strange ways. He then notices the markings on Dowkan that identify him as a mercenary under Captain Grogor.
"You're not the dwarf I was expecting," he says good-naturedly. "Nae'talis, the High Cleric told me you traveled with a dwarven servant named Belgal. What happened to him?"
After the obvious questions have been answered, Braggi gets down to business.
"I am not one to give out trust where it isn't due, Nae'talis." The comment didn't extend to Dowkan; anyone in the legion was trustworthy. The Justiciars made sure of that. "I do believe you should know that several murders have taken place, and that your survival has earned some raised eyebrows, if you catch my meaning."


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## Majin (May 22, 2006)

[sblock]I protest that Nae'talis would have let such a reaction show on his face. [/sblock]



> "I was told the elf was with you when you exited the cave..." Braggi's eyes narrow in suspicion. "Has he been exhibiting any...odd traits? Going off alone, maybe?"




"Besides demonstrating that he is an incompetant fool at every turn? Not much that is noteworthy. He does act strangely from time to time though. It is generally too bizarre to put into words," Nae'talis explains, stiffly.



> "You're not the dwarf I was expecting," he says good-naturedly. "Nae'talis, the High Cleric told me you traveled with a dwarven servant named Belgal. What happened to him?"




"His fate is even more of a mystery," the young wizard replies, giving a pointing glance down to the axe at his side. "He fell into a fast moving river deep within the caverns and was carried swiftly off. The elf found this in a room not far from where we lost him, but that is all he found,"



> After the obvious questions have been answered, Braggi gets down to business.
> "I am not one to give out trust where it isn't due, Nae'talis." The comment didn't extend to Dowkan; anyone in the legion was trustworthy. The Justiciars made sure of that. "I do believe you should know that several murders have taken place, and that your survival has earned some raised eyebrows, if you catch my meaning."




"Stones could not be any more blunt," Nae'talis answers frostily. "What can I say? I make no apologies for my capabilties. My servant at the time was quite useful as well in keeping me alive, if it will satisfy you," he answers plainly.


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## Dhes (May 22, 2006)

As Hrolf wakes from his -for better words, ordeal. He finds himself under the question of Hildor. As his eyes focus on the elf he also notes a contingent of Tyr’s faithful warriors. ”Where, what….” Griping his word, he takes a last look at the Elf, but dismisses him in his mind. _No …there is an evil I’m him, but he’s no chaos spawn._ shoving past the rogue, he arias himself in front of the soldiers and gives them a scrutinizing look. ”Who’s your commanding officer?”


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## hippocrachus (May 22, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Hildor ~

A man decorated as a lieutenant steps forward from beside Hildor.
"I am. It is imperative that you seek out Father Braggi immediately, Brother Hrolf." He glances at Hildor to include him.


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## ae1vart0n (May 22, 2006)

Somewhat taken aback by Hrolf snapping out of his daze so quickly, Hildor almost trips over himself.  Once again he'd spoken, once again it had done him no good.  He sheepishly follows Hrolf and the others as they return to Braggi.


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## hippocrachus (May 22, 2006)

~ Nae'talis & Dowkan ~

Braggi snorts at Nae'talis' self-proclaimed prowess.
"What'll suit me, is seeing Hroar's boy safely home." He looks to Dowkan. "What is Grogor paying you? I would feel more comfortable if this dwarf traveled with Hrolf. Or another, if you aren't up to it..."
Braggi eyes Dowkan critically. Talking about mistrusting Nae'talis and Hildor openly doesn't seem to bother Braggi. It's hard not to respect someone who will tell you they don't trust you to your face.


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## Legildur (May 23, 2006)

Braggi said:
			
		

> He looks to Dowkan. "What is Grogor paying you? I would feel more comfortable if this dwarf traveled with Hrolf. Or another, if you aren't up to it..."
> Braggi eyes Dowkan critically. Talking about mistrusting Nae'talis and Hildor openly doesn't seem to bother Braggi. It's hard not to respect someone who will tell you they don't trust you to your face.



Dowkan wears the scrutiny comfortably.  "The Cap'n be paying me an extra 10 gold for today.  Otherwise the standard pay," he replies as he scratches at his beard, not even contemplating giving an inflated figure.  "But I'll go where the Church tells me, and do what they wants, while the contract lasts."


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## hippocrachus (May 23, 2006)

~ Nae'talis & Dowkan ~

Braggi considers Dowkan a moment longer before bending behind the planning table, rummaging around in an open chest, and dropping a small leather sack on the table. The sack makes a heavy metallic sound as it hits the table.
"One hundred gold and you'll see that Hrolf survives whatever the High Cleric and Tyr has in store for him." He doesn't wait for Dowkan's acceptance of the fee, thinking it more than adequate. "You two report to Captain Grogor and tell him of your new contract. The wizard hired you. I'm paying with my personal funds now, you hear? The wizard hired you. I don't want word getting back to the High Cleric that I intervened."
He stands, towering well above even Nae'talis' head, and stares firmly at the two until they begin leaving his tent.
"Everyone will be heading back to Silverdown before the midday meal. I will have more to discuss with you there."
Dowkan and Nae'talis find Captain Grogor stomping about the mercenary camp barking questions and orders at those poor souls close enough to feel his breath. When he sees the two approaching, he storms over in a huff.
"Where've you been, boy? I've half a mind to dock you them ten gold fer this sorta thing..."


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## hippocrachus (May 23, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Hildor ~

The unlikely duo heads out of the cavern complex with half of the Tyrran column tailing behind them. When they exit the cave, a Justiciar nods to Hrolf and points him the direction of the lone drab tent standing out amongst the Tyrran camp.
In a hurry to see what his elder cleric wanted to say to him, Hrolf doesn't dally before heading directly to the tent. Hildor considers continuing to follow the cleric who wants nothing of his company, and quickly decides to head towards the tall robed human figure standing out in a camp full of dwarves off to the side. Some of the dwarves, mercenaries all of them, scowl as the elf passes by them. Some even go so far as to spit on the ground ahead of him. Hildor may have never been brought up to dislike dwarves, but by the way they acted towards him, showing a little disapproval probably wouldn't hurt their disposition.
Hrolf enters the large gray tent to find a half-frost giant he recognizes as Braggi bending over a planning table full of papers and broken envelopes. The frosty haired half-giant looks up from studying a folded paper and throws his arms out wide when he sees Hrolf.
"Tyr's Justice supreme! Where've you been, boy?" He strides around the wooden table, grabs Hrolf around the shoulders, and slams him bodily into the Braggi's chest. A proper greeting. "You've had me and Hroar worried sick!"


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## Legildur (May 23, 2006)

Braggi said:
			
		

> "One hundred gold and you'll see that Hrolf survives whatever the High Cleric and Tyr has in store for him."



Dowkan, being no fool, simply pockets the gold silently ponders why Father Braggi would hire him separately when there are plenty of Tyrrans about.  "If Hrolf isn't safe with me, it won't be from not trying on my part," he says simply in acceptance.  "And I got it, the wizard hired me."



			
				Capt Grogor said:
			
		

> Dowkan and Nae'talis find Captain Grogor stomping about the mercenary camp barking questions and orders at those poor souls close enough to feel his breath. When he sees the two approaching, he storms over in a huff.  "Where've you been, boy? I've half a mind to dock you them ten gold fer this sorta thing..."



"That'd be the bonus ten gold you owe me for going into those caves, then?" Dowkan asks.  "And I gots me a new contract - paid up front by the wizard.  So I thank ya Cap'n for your hire, and just maybe I'll be back again when I'm done."

"But I'd best take my pay now before we move on."


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## hippocrachus (May 23, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Hildor joins Nae'talis and Dowkan just in time to catch Grogor's tirade.
"Ye'll get ya another scar down tha ugly face o' yers! Tha's a breach of contract, tha is! There's fees fer tha sort o' thing." Slowly, Dowkan remembers who he's talking to as Grogor expertly crafts excuses not to pay him. "There'll be a five gold surcharge fer incomplete service and term inn-sewer-ants. Three gold fer rationing budget - tha food I give ya costs money! One gold fer drafting, turn-'round, and accounts payable. And one gold 'cause I don' like ya!"
Some of the dwarves sitting around Grogor smile at that last one, knowing full well the gruff captain liked Dowkan just fine and just couldn't think of something else. A few of the others are still adding on their fingers. One took off his boot.


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## Legildur (May 23, 2006)

Grogor said:
			
		

> "Ye'll get ya another scar down tha ugly face o' yers! Tha's a breach of contract, tha is! There's fees fer tha sort o' thing." Slowly, Dowkan remembers who he's talking to as Grogor expertly crafts excuses not to pay him. "There'll be a five gold surcharge fer incomplete service and term inn-sewer-ants. Three gold fer rationing budget - tha food I give ya costs money! One gold fer drafting, turn-'round, and account's payable. And one gold 'cause I don' like ya!"



Dowkan starts to fume, just a little.  "One gold for not likin' me!" he growls.  "Well I guess I'd better give you a good reason for it then!" he adds as he cocks his arm and clenches his fist as if to punch the captain.  Then he slowly breaks into a smile.  "Bah!  One gold deduction for not likin' me... that's a good one!" he says as he starts laughing and drops his fist.  "It's been a pleasure workin' for ya cap'n."


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## ae1vart0n (May 23, 2006)

The spitting and insults didn't bother Hildor.  Short of an aggression, the elf could not be woken from his thoughts.  As Hildor silently approached Dowken and Nae'talis he looked morosely toward the ground.  It was all too much to take in.  The more he knew the less sense it made.

First there were too many players.  Mars, the Tyrrans, the mage, this doppleganger, the kobolds, the mephit and his boss.  Then there was the setting.  First a town in ransacked and destroyed, brutally.  Then the architect of this disaster, goes to the trouble of moving the battle all the way out to this cave.  It didn't seem like someone who would slaughter a village would have come here to prevent casualties.  So there must be something special about this spot.  And there was Hrolfs encounter; why he had come back unharmed.  Had they given Hrolf a message of some kind?  Finally, Mars' interest in Nae'talis was the most puzzling.  Nae'talis was neither a Tyrran nor a Kobold nor did he follow Mars.  He was the only one who knew less than Hildor about what was going on.

He considered sharing information with Hrolf, but it wasn't like Hildor had a reason to care about the Tyrrans, or that Hrolf would return the favor.  The only reason he would alert them to the attack is if Mars could be connected to the kobolds.  Hildor knew he hated the kobolds.  Maybe that was enough.  If the Tyrrans saw Mars coming, they would sustain less injury and have a better time fighting the kobolds.

Hildor turned and started walking, slowly and hesitantly back toward Braggi's tent.


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## Dhes (May 23, 2006)

Hrolf is surprised to see the tall form of the half giant standing in the shade of the tent. After the short but powerful embrace, Hrolf takes one of the folding camp chairs and settles into it. ”It’s good to see you here father, I don’t know what to say but I think there is more behind the destruction of Silverdown than we initially thought.” Taking a deep breath Hrolf conveys the story of their hunt though the cave, ending with his encounter just a few moments ago. ”As you can see father, I don’t know what the connections are but I’m sure that the  -for lack of better a name, Demon, is somehow behind or involved with recent happenings.”  Looking over his shoulder to make sure they are private, ”I also think that the elf knows more than he lets on …his actions in the cave were somewhat erratic and weird.”


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## hippocrachus (May 23, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Hildor ~

Braggi gives Hrolf a significant look when a Justiciar shows Hildor into the tent after he relates his adventures thus far and his suspicions of the elf.
Braggi rises and encourages Hrolf to follow suit.
"It is good that you are whole, Hrolf. Everyone will be leaving for Silverdown very soon; go grab a quick meal before the trek. I'll have more to say to you there in private." Braggi ushers Hrolf out of the tent and offers a seat to Hildor.
"I don't want you to incriminate yourself - Hildor is it? - so I'll tell you truly that your companions have expressed distrust for you. Tyr judge you justly. What do you want to speak to me about?" He sits across from Hildor in a magisterial pose.


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## hippocrachus (May 24, 2006)

~ Nae'talis & Dowkan ~

"Aye." Grogor looks around at the dwarves laughing at his expense. Some of them are wise enough to cover it up as a cough.
Before the sun reaches its zenith, the Tyrrans and mercenaries begin to pack their things for the half-day journey to Silverdown.
A group of armored Tyrrans collects around the cave with their things and begin to set a smaller camp and barrier. Not every one was leaving for Silverdown apparently.


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## Legildur (May 24, 2006)

Dowkan gathers his belongings and returns to a position in the column with Nae'talis and the others.  He figures he may as well start earning his keep now, and stays in the general vicinity of Hrolf, but without giving any real indication that he is trying to do so - using Nae'talis, his 'employer' as a screen.  He spends his time idly wondering about all that is going on, and why a guard is being left in the caves.

"Remember, Nae'talis.  You be lettin' me know if that there axe be gettin' a to heavy for ya ta carry on this long walk," offers Dowkan.


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## ae1vart0n (May 24, 2006)

Hildor sits there quietly for a moment.

"I'm not good with words," Hildor warned.  Once again he was going to get himself in trouble.  "So forgive me if I offend.  I'm breaking a promise of sorts by not being as discrete as I could.  I know they distrust me.  They misjudge me and I don't care."  Hildor looked to judge Braggi's reaction before continuing.  He wasn't required to be discrete about this, but it would be better if Braggi thought he was.

"I'm picky in which jobs I take, so that I'm not required to do wrong.  In this case however, it is difficult to decide who is right.  Nobody on any side is willing to share information.  But I know I don't like the creatures in that cave.  If you're after them I'll tell you what little I know.  I would appreciate it if what I tell you stays in this tent, and I would also appreciate it if you would tell me what's going on in return.  I don't expect you to though."

"I have a customer who doesn't like you.  Your business with him seems completely removed from mine.  He says he will attack you during a great gathering.

Hildor paused before saying anything about the mage.  After all, discretion meant not revealing your purpose, and making sure the one followed was oblivious.  It meant witholding information that would reveal your task.  The attack wasn't pertinent, the mage was.

"It's ironic isn't it.  Everyone thinks I know more, so nobody tells me anything"


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## hippocrachus (May 24, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

"Forgive me if I don't believe you are the one being victimized here, Hildor. I don't think you're being completely honest with me." Braggi seems to relax a bit in his careful scrutiny of the elf. "That you know your...customer is going to attack us is troubling. Things will go hard for you if you are withholding information about this attack. In the meantime, I will put my officers on alert.
All you need to know right now is that the cave is dangerous. I for one don't think you know as much as you think 'everyone' else thinks you do. Which is good for you. See that your self-importance doesn't become more than fantasy."
Braggi stares at Hildor expectantly to see if he would say anything else.

[sblock]The torches were there before Hildor and the others went to bed the night before. They were probably put there by Slazzik. Hrolf wasn't any more dazed when he awoke than Nae'talis was. Let's strike the comment Hildor made concerning those subjects from the record  [/sblock]


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## Dhes (May 25, 2006)

As Hrolf takes his leave of Braggi, he gives one last blank look at the Elf standing at the tent flap. 
Giving nodes and salutes to old friends and companions as he makes his way through the camp in search of Nea’talis. Hrolf quickly finds the young mage already seated at a small camp fire, ”The elf is talking to Braggi, don’t be surprised if we are witness to a beheading before we break camp.”


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## ae1vart0n (May 25, 2006)

Importance?  Meh.  In the scheme of things Hildor knew his place, or rather that he didn't have one.  As speaking went, this had turned out well.  Just a mild warning, no serious threats this time.  He decided he liked Braggi.

Hildor stood to walk out of the tent, but as he gets to the opening, he stops for a second. Not bothering to turn around, but still holding the tent closed,

"Just one thing.  Probably not very useful, but he calls himself Mars."

Hildor leaves the tent and heads to join Nae'talis where he left him.


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## hippocrachus (May 26, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Braggi cocks an eyebrow at Hildor when he mentions Mars. There doesn't seem to be any recognition in his steady gaze.
Hildor finds the others standing around chatting with a few soldiers. Much to the surprise of Hrolf, the elf's head is still attached. Maybe he passed Tyr's judgment after all...
After a short wait, those that are heading to Silverdown break camp and start the half-day journey through the foothills of the Spine of the World to the ravaged hamlet. At one point during the march, the Tyrrans come upon a small goblin camp and dispatch merciless justice on their vile little heads. Random encounters aren't much of a challenge against near a hundred armored soldiers.
Just before the sun sets in the horizon, the party comes to Silverdown. Even in the dying light, the once completely dilapidated hamlet is alive with the sounds of repair. What was once an inn now seems to be the base of operations for the Tyrran reconstruction of Silverdown. Two silhouettes crawl about its roof patching holes and calling down to those passing in the streets to hurry up and grab a hammer. Several ranking men stand about chatting idly outside of its heavy, freshly cut wooden doors.
The largest building, once the Temple of Helm, is alive with torchlight and priests sanctifying the ground in the name of Tyr. Only three of its massive stone walls still stand, and the entire wooden roof has caved in.
Some of the stone foundations of former houses have become the campsites of the group of workers. They wave their comrades over to join them, and slowly the legion disperses into the town.
A Justiciar, Harad, points the party to a smaller building next to the inn. This is where the four adventurers rest for the night.

~ Day VII ~

As the group takes turns waking up and going about their morning tasks of eating, praying, and studying, they're greeted with a golden-haired elven woman holding a whispered conversation with Harad.
Hildor can hear their names being mentioned quite a lot.

[sblock]A short stop in Silverdown and then its back to the caves to complete the adventure. Get some "shopping" and "researching" out of the way while you can  [/sblock]


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## Legildur (May 26, 2006)

"Ya can't say they do things by halves," Dowkan mutters more to himself than those around him as the scale of the rebuilding effort becomes evident.

As the small group settles in to the smaller building, the dwarven warrior excuses himself, figuring Hrolf safe enough in the hamlet, and goes to the damaged Temple of Helm.  Looking across the stonework, he admires the quality of the cut, even if it is below dwarven standards.  And seeing that the rebuilding is in good hands, with competent builders and masons, Dowkan thinks better of giving his advice based on his limited skill with stone, and returns to the others before settling in.

Rising in the morning, Dowkan wolfs down some trail rations as an appetizer.  Stretching for a few moments, he eyes off the magical waraxe lying next Nae'talis, and sighs before lifting his own plain waraxe and moving outside.  With the sun rising gently across the sacked hamlet, the dwarf starts his morning practise with a few swings and moves to limber up further before moving on to the more demanding exercises of his trade.

He watches as an elven woman speaks with the Justicar.  He can't hear what they are saying, but something in him knows that it is the small group with Hrolf that they speak of.

[SBLOCK=Hippocrachus]Did Dowkan have to return the borrowed waraxe to the mercenary company, ie Captain Grogor?  If so, substitute throwing axe in the above   [/SBLOCK]


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## hippocrachus (May 26, 2006)

[sblock]Yeah, but don't worry. Majin is going to flashback to Dowkan asking to take the magical axe off of Nae'talis' hands and hopefully resolve that. He's been...detained of late.[/sblock]


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## Majin (May 26, 2006)

[sblock]Sorry for being absent the past couple of days. So that Legildur doesn't have to edit his post and since he seems to prefer that I give him the axe on Day 7, that's what I'll be doing. [/sblock]

His first stay in an inn since they'd left for the gaves awarded Nae'talis that chance to undress and finally have some semblance of a bath. This he was grateful for, but he could not say the same thing for what had been his first opportunity to dress himself fully in as long as he could remember. Belgal had always been there to wake him on time and assist him, and to personally guard him while he slept. His thoughts then went to the new arrival, a dwarf by chance as well. The young wizard was not so far up himself to believe his relationship with Dowkan would afford the luxuries it did with Belgal, for Belgal's was a special case... 

Pragmatism.

He knew the axe was doing no good in his hands and silently he was disgusted with himself at his selfishness. That settled it then. The axe in this dwarf's hands would boost the party's chances of survival, which in turn led to Nae'talis himself staying alive. The choice was a foregone conclusion now. 

When he met up with Dowkan in the morning he placed the heavy axe on the table in front of the dwarf with a soft clunk. "This axe as you know belonged to my servant. He kept us alive with it. Since it is clear that you are the obvious replacement for that, you are charged with doing this as well for as long as you wield it." He sat down next to the dwarf and lowered his voice considerably as he added, "Despite the fact that we are completing tasks for them. the church has many spies. Do not think I have ruled out the possibility of you being one as well, but any others that may play voyeur on us may get the wrong idea if they continue to see me keep my hold on this axe. They also should continue to think you are my hired hand as well. Be careful with who you reveal otherwise to. May you do honor to this weapon besides."


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## hippocrachus (May 26, 2006)

~ Syrriel ~

She and the small group that volunteered to begin repairing Silverdown made good time across the rolling foothills of the giant mountain chain. When they reached the abandoned hamlet, Harad made sure her suggestions were carried out with alacrity. She wasn't comfortable using the word "orders," even though Braggi did give her the command.
Before Braggi and the rest of the Tyrrans came, she had gotten more accomplished than she could have hoped for. The volunteers were strong and well-organized, and all she really had to do was tell them where to go next.
Today was going to be a piece of cake. With the dwarves and the reinforcements, Silverdown would be back in working order soon enough. The only problem was that the legion didn't come prepared for rehabilitating an entire town. They lacked the necessary tools and equipment to get the job done.
"And what do you propose to do about it?" Braggi asks her after the sun was starting to breach the horizon.
"I thought you would be taking up the command now that you're here?"
"I may be called back to Silverymoon at any time. These men had better get used to someone else leading them in this matter in case that happens."
"We'll need shovels and barrows and tons of other things if we're going to get this done in a timely manner."
"Grogor and his band have agreed to help us. See to it." He nods in polite dismissal.
_If he has a plan, why doesn't he just put it to use?_
The dwarves were natural smiths and there was plenty of scrap metal laying about the ruined hamlet. One dwarf in particular, "Sunder," seemed over-enthused to help.
"I'll get ye some o' tha boys witha good hammer-stroke. Ye donna worry 'bout it, pretty lass."
_Lass? Dwarves..._
The next question was what to do about the Thayan and his rag-tag band sleeping in her quarters.
"Who let them in here?" she hisses at the handsome Justiciar that seemed too timid to be a commander.
"I did, Lady Syrriel," Harad replies in a barely audible whisper. "They may help you in the planning of Silverdown's defenses. They've had more experience with the enemy..."
He didn't know what she did about Nae'talis Ves'Aru.
She glances over at the dwarf sitting up and munching on rations. He waggles his fingers at her and she flushes crimson.
"See that Sunder has the smithy going before breakfast. We're not going to get anywhere unequipped for the job."
"Yes, Lady Syrriel."
Syrriel watches the Justiciar leave and then turns to the group relaxing on her floor.
"Well?"


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## ae1vart0n (May 26, 2006)

Hildor tries to listen to the conversation, making out what he can before going outside.  In any case it was refreshing to see another elf in the group.

He unceremoniously sniffs his armpits and decides he could put off cleaning a little longer.  Looking around he sees the dwarves hard at work rebuilding shops and repairing their own equipment.  Looking at his own weopons he decides his could use some upkeep as well, and starts looking for a decent smith.


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## Legildur (May 27, 2006)

Nae'talis said:
			
		

> When he met up with Dowkan in the morning he placed the heavy axe on the table in front of the dwarf with a soft clunk. "This axe as you know belonged to my servant. He kept us alive with it. Since it is clear that you are the obvious replacement for that, you are charged with doing this as well for as long as you wield it."



Dowkan keeps chewing his tough breakfast as the arrogant wizard sits down across from him.  But his jaw stops moving as he lays the waraxe heavily across the table.  The dwarf listens as Nae'talis tells his story.  Usually he would have made some caustic remark about a dwarf being a servant, but the lure of magical waraxe has distracted him.  "With this," starts Dowkan, gesturing with his head at the axe lying between them, "Ya and ya friends have bought more loyalty from me than any gold coulda done."  The dwarf then grasps the axe previously wielded by Belgal.  "Ah, my beauty.  We'll cleave many a skull with you!"



			
				Nae'talis said:
			
		

> He sat down next to the dwarf and lowered his voice considerably as he added, "Despite the fact that we are completing tasks for them. the church has many spies. Do not think I have ruled out the possibility of you being one as well, but any others that may play voyeur on us may get the wrong idea if they continue to see me keep my hold on this axe. They also should continue to think you are my hired hand as well. Be careful with who you reveal otherwise to. May you do honor to this weapon besides."



"I be nobody's spy," Dowkan hisses quietly and spits on the floor in emphasis.  "But I see your point about 'appearances'.  And any dwarf worth his blood would do this axe proud.  Have no fear of that!"


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## Majin (May 27, 2006)

Nae'talis nods once, regally. He plans to sit in silence unless somehow disturbed.


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## Legildur (May 27, 2006)

Syrriel said:
			
		

> Syrriel watches the Justiciar leave and then turns to the group relaxing on her floor."Well?"



"Well what?" Dowkan retorts, still munching on some hard tack as he wipes his mouth with his sleeve.  "Ask 'im," he adds, pointing with an elbow in the direction of Nae'talis.  "I just do what he says."


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## Dhes (May 27, 2006)

Hrolf rises from his meditation as lady Syrriel steps into the small hovel that was there night shelter. With Dowkan already indicating Nae’talis as speaker, Hrolf stays silent with hands folded.


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## Majin (May 29, 2006)

Pausing to take in the attractive female bard a moment, Nae'talis rises slowly and adjusts his silk scarf, tossing a stray end over his shoulder before burying his hands into the voluminous sleeves of his robe. 

"It appears that our charge has been passed unto you, fair maiden. What is it you wish of us?" he flourishes, a hint of patronization barely audible in his voice, but placed cleverly enough that the mage was certain a woman of Syrriel's supposed skills at intonation and speech could easily pick up on. _This might be interesting,_ the young wizard muses. _Bards are generally sufficient intellectual company. Let's see if she gets the joke..._


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## hippocrachus (May 29, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Syrriel eyes Hildor appraisingly as he walks past her into the open air. She makes sure he sees her agitated look as he passes.
"I don't like you," she states bluntly to Nae'talis after turning back to the three sprawled around her quarter's floor, "but I assume Braggi has a better use for you here in Silverdown than manual labor, so I'll put up with you, Nae'talis of Thay."
She gives the wizard a smug half-smirk. It must be quite disconcerting to the young mage that everyone and their ancestors knew who and what he was despite all of his efforts to hide it. She looks at Dowkan once.
"Lose one and gain another, I see. You Thayans have no respect for life." Her expression makes it seem like it cannot be helped. "The Justiciars seem to think you might be able to provide us with critical information concerning the enemy. I'm very busy, so if you can't make yourself useful, I'd like to have my private quarters back."

~ Hildor ~

Hildor slinks by Syrriel unconcerned and finds the clanging sounds of what must be a smithy immediately across the street from Syrriel's quarters.
Walking over, he finds a familiar dwarven face barking orders at two other dwarves and a young man who probably traveled with the Tyrran legion. Sunder looks over from pointing the two dwarves carrying an anvil between them to where he wanted it placed.
"What're ya gawkin' at, elf?" he says gruffly. "Yer toothpick arms ain't fer smithin' and I ain't got a need fer an errand boy."


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## Legildur (May 29, 2006)

Dowkan muffles a laugh as Syrriel speaks her mind.  He raises an eyebrow.  '_A Thayan wizard, heh_' he thinks.  "No one LIKES 'im!" Dowkan adds with a laugh.  "But he pays well enough for me.  Now, if ya be wantin' your quarters back, then I see one of two things happenin'.  Either Harad sends us on our way for whatever job he has in mind for us."

"Or you share it with us.  There's room enough," he adds with a leer.


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## hippocrachus (May 29, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Syrriel brushes a strand of yellow bangs from her face and glares at Dowkan.
"Harad is not in charge here. I am. See that you remember it, mercenary." She uses the word with less spite than most. "The way I see it: you can either make yourself useful or make yourself scarce."
She seems to straighten her back expectantly. Whether she expects them to challenge her authority or expects them to cooperate is not clear.


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## Legildur (May 29, 2006)

Dowkan simply grins insolently for a few moments before slowly standing.  "Tell ya what.  I'll go one better and do both!  Best you point me in the right direction as I'm bored and more than happy to help me brothers while we wait for whatever it is we are waitin' on."

[SBLOCK=OOC]Dowkan has got no skills to speak of.  Only a strong back.[/SBLOCK][SBLOCK=Majin, Dhes, ae1vart0n]The OOC thread lists some treasure found, which includes an unidentified wooden shield.  Is anyone using that?  If not, Dowkan gladly would as he currently uses a heavy wooden shield.[/SBLOCK]


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## Majin (May 29, 2006)

_Damn it all, she is quite the little clever one, isn't she?_ Nae'talis thinks in response to Syrriel's "revealing" monologue. An expression crosses the wizard's face that resembles the closest thing to a smile yet as he slowly takes a seat once more, taking his time as if he owned the place, all the while studying Syrriel for any sign of irritation. 

After a long sigh, he asks, You are a bard, are you not? I seem to see a possibility for _you_ to make yourself useful. We have a number of items that I'd like you to take a closer look at, all perhaps magical. I do not have the time, the inclination, nor the space to waste on such a trivial spell and perhaps your unique talents could be of some help. That is of course, if you are capable," he adds. "If anything other than our continued services is required, a small portion of our reward I feel would be payment enough for your time. Do you find this to be an acceptable arrangement?"

[sblock]The shield would be yours then I think, that is unless Dhes wants to fight you for it. [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 29, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Syrriel nods at Dowkan, glad to see the dwarf was willing to work. Her reply is cut short by Nae'talis' arrogant terms.
"That is neither here nor there, wizard. I'm sure I can determine the manner and make of your trinkets you have no _time_ for." Her tone suggests what she thinks Nae'talis is capable of. "I will charge what I feel my time is worth. You may serve the Tyrrans, but I don't. And I certainly don't serve you."
Considering the conversation at an end, whether the adventurers wish it to be or not, Syrriel struts past them into the room in the back partioned off from the main one.
"Leave those things on the bench and I will look into it when I find the time. You can talk to Harad about your reward for the ogre."
A door slams and the group is left in silence.


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## Majin (May 29, 2006)

At Syrriel's departure, Nae'talis leans back, resting the tips of his fingers together, a thoughtful expression on his face. His gaze goes to Dowkan, but he says nothing.


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## Legildur (May 29, 2006)

"Reward?" asks Dowkan as he leers at Syrriel as she makes her way into the back room.  "Mmmm.  A pity I wasn't there for the ogre," he mutters.
[SBLOCK=OOC]If Dhes/Hrolf want the shield, then so be it, because in my view it was acquired before Dowkan came on the scene.  But Dowkan would make damned good use of it   [/SBLOCK]


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## Majin (May 29, 2006)

"Quite," Nae'talis agrees. "We could have used it to purchase more supplies. Perhaps I can barter for our full share, since either way they look at it, Belgal was with us when we killed the ogre, he would deserve his share dispersed among the remaining members, or if they like, the job was completed with one less man, thus awarding the smaller team more in compensation. Or..." the wizard continued, turning to eye Hrolf. "You have sway with your brethren I assume. Either way you were there. Perhaps you can vouch for us and earn us Belgal's salary, hmm?"


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## Dhes (May 29, 2006)

Majin said:
			
		

> "You have sway with your brethren I assume. Either way you were there. Perhaps you can vouch for us and earn us Belgal's salary, hmm?"



”What do you main with sway? I don’t intend to use the trust of my brothers to increase your coffers. I’m sure Belgal still has kin; any money will go to them, if no kin survives all the money will go to the counsel and they will use it to help the poor.”

After arraying their loot on the table for Syrriel to have a look, Hrolf turns to Nae’talis, ”You should show Lady Syrriel more respect, People wiser than you have seen her fit to lead this operation.”

With that he gathers his things and steps out of the hovel, ”We should find the Elf and look for new accommodations”


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## ae1vart0n (May 29, 2006)

Hildor looks disparagingly at Sunder.  The dwarf had perhaps not seen the sword he so quickly dismissed.  It didnt matter.  None of his equipment was so damaged as to require his services.  And Hildor wasn't the one to show off.

Hearing some argument behind him he didn't care to make out, he tried to find a place ot himself where he could consider what to do with this troublesome key.


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## Legildur (May 30, 2006)

Dowkan simply grins as Hrolf and Nae'talis bicker.  "I'll leave it to you to find the accomodation," he says.  "I'm gonna see a friend and then see what I can do to help around here," he adds as he steps out of Syrriel's 'residence', taking his gear with him.

Walking around the devastated hamlet, Dowkan eventually finds the smithy and Sunder ordering other dwarves in a frenzy of activity.  "Good to see ya ain't as idle as ya usually are," he calls to the old dwarf.  After a bit more verbal sparring with him, Dowkan sees if he needs an untrained hand to work in the smithy.  If not, then Dowkan will cruise Silverydown until he finds a place that he can make himself useful.


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## hippocrachus (May 30, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

The "Elf" proves more elusive than either of the two adventurers could've presumed possible in the small hamlet. They do however find Harad who happily gives the party's reward to Hrolf for safe keeping and proper distribution.
"You have done yourself great honor, Brother Hrolf. The Justiciars will always welcome one with your devotion."  The Justiciar lieutenant claps Hrolf's shoulders and marches off in the direction of Syrriel's quarters.
The two adventurers come to the third largest building in Silverdown soon after and enter to find several men being ordered about by a broad-faced woman in legion mail.
"Tyr's justice serve. You here to help, then?" the woman says in a too thick northern accent.

~ Dowkan ~

"Ain't ye got a wizard ta see to?" Sunder jabs at Dowkan's back as he leaves the smithy to those more experienced.
If work is what Dowkan seeks, he can find it plentiful in the reconstruction of Silverdown. Any number of groups of men and dwarves hail the dwarven mercenary to join them in lifting, chiseling, dragging, and chopping. The Temple of Tyr seems the most appreciative of assistance, going so far as to reward those that would help rebuild the Temple a potion with healing properties.

~ Hildor ~

Hildor doesn't wander around long before he hears a familiar cynical voice in the back of his mind.
"Where is the wizard? You tempt me to teach you a sharp lesson."


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## Legildur (May 30, 2006)

Dowkan assists with the reconstruction of the Temple of Tyr.


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## ae1vart0n (May 30, 2006)

_He's here in the town of course._

Hildor wasn't surprised or intimidated by the threat.  Mars' threats were getting old.  Besides, he hadn't told Hildor how to survive the attack, and that was as good as a death sentence anyway.


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## Dhes (May 30, 2006)

Giving a bow to the woman, ”Justice, I was wondering if you could tell us where we could find accommodations. We will be heading back to the caves to  try and find a fallen companion but we will be needing some room where we may store our belongings.”
[sblock]What did we get??[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 30, 2006)

[sblock]1000 gold[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 30, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

The woman shows the two to separate rooms and leaves them to it.
"Do yourself a favor and tidy up the place," she says, refering to the char dust and furniture placed wherever it would fit.

~ Dowkan ~

Dowkan spends the rest of the day helping the clergy of Tyr and is given a potion of Cure Light Wounds for his efforts.

~ Hildor ~

Mars doesn't have anything else to say to the hired rogue.


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## Majin (May 30, 2006)

Nae'talis sighed as he looked up the ruins of his "suite". He turned dismissively and went to seek out Syrriel once more. 

[sblock]Since we have some time, my intent is to take a portion of my share of the reward and purchase the necessary supplies to summon a familiar. As we've worked out behind the scenes that Syrriel will have these supplies on hand somewhere, Nae'talis will be bugging her some more it seems. [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (May 31, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Nae'talis finds Syrriel talking heatedly with Harad in the room he slept in the night before. There is now a display counter in a corner of the small room with the items Hrolf left for the elven bard to identify. Syrriel doesn't seem pleased that Nae'talis has interrupted their argument, but Harad's face is stamped with poorly concealed gratitude.
"I will retrieve the items you require from the Temple, Lady Syrriel," he says to her meekly, bowing to avoid her entrapping gaze. He brushes past Nae'talis and mumbles something about that big stick he's carrying coming in handy.
"I have not found the time to identify your trinkets yet, Thayan," she says coldly. "I will send a runner to find you when I have."


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## Majin (May 31, 2006)

"That is not why I am here," the wizard explains, waving his hand dismissively. "I came to procure the necessary supplies to summon a familiar. That is if you happen to have any on hand?" the mage asks, eyeing the bard pensively.


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## hippocrachus (May 31, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

"To summon a familiar," she repeats dryly. "Have you ever summoned a familiar, Thayan? I hope you don't mean to take care of it as well as you did your slave."
She turns from Nae'talis and the room and disappears into a door in the back behind the counter. A few minutes go by and Harad returns with an ornate bag he holds carefully out in front of him.
"She is inside, yes?" he places the bag on the counter and knocks on the door behind it.
"Patience! I haven't forgotten your bloody familiar!" Syrriel's voice pierces through the wood. Harad turns from the door and grins widely at Nae'talis. The Justiciar and wizard stare at each other for a few more minutes before Syrriel finally comes out of what must be her bedroom holding several mismatched items Nae'talis can guess are spell components. She glances at Harad, places the things on the counter beside the bag, and opens the expertly stitched sack to dig around inside. She pulls out a long black bird feather and gives it and Nae'talis a significant stare.
"You don't choose the familiar, Thayan. It chooses you." She seems to pause for effect. "These things are hard to come by out here in the wild Marches. You'll also need a small drop of your life's essence - but you already knew that, didn't you. It will cost you a hundred and three gold. Poor Harad here had to walk a great distance in a short time to retrieve that bag; I'd like to buy him dinner for his troubles."
Harad raises a finger and begins to say something in protest but is cut off smartly by a haughty glare from the beautiful elf. He coughs politely instead.


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## Majin (May 31, 2006)

Nae'talis hands over the coin, not bothering to complain about the "implied" gratuity amount extra. He takes the merchendise without a word and turns to return to his room in order to prepare.


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## ae1vart0n (May 31, 2006)

It was almost peaceful.  Nobody was bothering with Hildor, and it suited him just fine.  For an hour or so he wandered surveying the reconstruction of the town, and practicing darts against some of the ruins.  After another half hour in which got himself a quick bite to eat, he decided he may as well help with the reconstruction somehow, and wandered toward the new temple to see where they might want him.

He couldn't just stroll into the temple, so he met the first Tyrran he saw.

"I'd like to help now if I can," he asked in a bored and somewhat monotone voice.


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## hippocrachus (May 31, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Nae'talis returns to his room at the building that now has a sign outside with a picture of a balanced scale carved and painted gold on it. The Balanced Scale Inn.
He then prepares for the day-long ritual needed to summon a familiar.

~ Hildor ~

Standing at the threshold, Hildor spots Dowkan lifting large stone blocks onto a mule-drawn wagon. Neither the dwarf nor anyone else working seems to notice Hildor.
The architecture of the Temple of Tyr varies greatly from that of the Church of Helm. The once all stone structure has been striped down to a few courses of stone above the foundation and large wooden beams lay neatly stacked in the center of the building's perimeter. Several men push barrows of hay to a large pile on one side of the building.
Two oxen hauling large timbers, directed by a priest and shirtless soldier, pass around the side and the priest breaks off to speak with Hildor.
"Have you spoken with Lady Syrriel? Your help here would be greatly appreciated, but the Temple has collected quite a lot of volunteers and we wouldn't want to take anymore from those capable of working elsewhere..."  The priest gives Hildor an apologetic smile. "Surely your skills can help someone in need? Speak with Lady Syrriel."


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## hippocrachus (Jun 1, 2006)

~ Ali'Shuan ~

_I will call on you again tomorrow. The Tyrran forces will not gather in numbers around the temple. Keep your target in sight._
_Save your strength. He'll stay indoors until the reinforcements arrive. He isn't going anywhere._
As the husky voice of the assassin dies in his head, Ali'Shuan looks to the summoned elemental standing bound in the center of his tent.
"I have chosen you to deliver a message. You can travel far on this plane, fast. Your cooperation will reward you with nothing more than freedom. You understand, of course."  The living rock formation shifts, only able to understand the wizard's words through the enchantment cast on it and the Circle Leader.
"Find him here," Ali'Shaun points to a pane of glass that shifts between an image of an elf and a map of a country halfway around the world, "and deliver this to him at all costs. Feel free to take your aggression out on him."
The earth elemental seems to absorb the item wrapped in red velvet Ali'Shaun passes to it and the ground beneath the being rumbles apprehensively.
"Go," he waves a hand to release the elemental from the spell circle and it melts into the dirt floor like a rewinding volcanic eruption. The Circle Leader allows himself a satisfied grin.
_Respect is overrated. Fear, now..._


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 2, 2006)

After getting instructions on where to find Lady Syrriel and how to identify her, Hildor realized it must have been the lady he saw earlier, and went to find her.

After some searching, he found her.

"I'd like to help.  A priest told me you might have something other than reconstruction to work on"


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## hippocrachus (Jun 4, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

Syrriel is found kneeling down in front of a wooden display case in the room Hildor slept in last night. She doesn't seem too concerned, and no wonder; Harad watches her from near the doorway. He nods his head at Hildor and alerts Syrriel to her visitor.
"You're the Zhentarim, right?" she asks after rising and appraising her fellow elf. "No. Not from your expression. There isn't a lot to be down besides rebuilding; unless you're good with inventory? I didn't think so. I could use someone to do some odd jobs and errands - Harad is better suited for giving orders, not receiving them. I won't offer you much in the way of repayment. There are too many people willing to help me for free."
Harad and Syrriel exchange glances for a moment that speaks volumes about how many people want to work for free.
"Come back tomorrow. I've gotten everything done that needed it for today."
Not being one for words, Hildor agrees to return tomorrow and leaves the two to find where Hrolf and Nae'talis have kept themselves. He comes to a newly established inn called the Balanced Scale. The proprietor, a very masculine woman, informs him that his friends have locked themselves away in two rooms upstairs. With the sun close to setting, the elven rogue decides its better to just rest than waste his time trying to find something to do for the remaining hour of daylight.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 5, 2006)

~ Day VIII ~

Hildor returns to Syrriel in the morning and agrees to help her for one silver piece a day (he gets the feeling that trying to haggle for a better price would probably only make it worse). His first task is to inform his companions that the items they left with her have been identified.
Nae'talis, busy with other things still, doesn't answer when Hildor goes to him with the news. Hrolf does, and returns with the elf to the bard's now well-organized shop (or what must be the beginnings of one). Syrriel informs the two that the ring set with a gray onyx stone is a ring of protection granting the wearer a very small magical deflection. The large wooden shield is enchanted to allow its wielder a similar power. The set of bracers are enchanted with a minor power that grants their wearer an invisible but tangible field of force. Both must be worn for the ability to take affect. The wand is a wand of magic missiles. It is of the lowest caster level, has 32 charges left, and is activated only after its user has said the command word: Gluhchux. The total cost to the party for Syrriel's services is 440 gold.
Dowkan spends his day continuing to help the Tyrrans rebuild the temple.
At about midday, Nae'talis completes the ritual to summon his familiar. A raven.

~ Day XV ~

A full week goes by before the first merchant caravan arrives at Silverdown. With it comes the few remaining things needed to make the town whole again, excluding a non-militaristic population.
The Temple of Tyr has been completed and is now holding mass every morning. Sunder's smithy, after providing the workers in Silverdown with everything they needed in the ways of metal-work, is now producing inexpensive arms and armor. Syrriel, when she isn't seen directing Silverdown's reconstruction, spends her time gathering magical odds and ends from those willing to part with them and now runs a modest magic shop in her spare time. Harad watches over it when she is too busy to. The Balanced Scale inn is now a decent sized inn, complete with feathered mattresses and burly patrons!
Hrolf has spent his time helping the clergy at the temple along with Dowkan when he isn't working the forges at Sunder's smithy called Sunder's Smithy. Sunder isn't a very creative dwarf, despite his handiness with a hammer.
Hildor has spent the week running errands for Syrriel, and for the past two days, he's gotten the feeling that he's being watched.
Nae'talis has been spending his time training his familiar and studying his spellbook and anything he's managed to purchase from Syrriel's magic shop named The Surreal Harpist's. A wood carved sign that resembles the store's owner playing a small harp hangs above the front entrance.

~ Hrolf ~

"Father Braggi would like to speak with you, Brother," a cleric with a slightly graying beard says to the meditating Hrolf. The silence in the temple, still a few hours before mass, rushes past with the cleric's echoing words chasing.

~ Nae'talis ~

Nae'talis wakes a few hours after sunrise and a few hours before that damnable morning congregation at the Temple of Tyr with his raven familiar flapping its wings earnestly from his bedroom window's sill.
A knock comes on the door.

~ Dowkan ~

"Yer sausage fingers're better suited fer an axe than a hammer!" Sunder barks at Dowkan's back while the younger dwarf attempts his first blade and puts a blunt bend in its middle for Sunder's reproving interruption. "Look at ye! Ye got the concentration of a gnome with a new toy!"
Just as Dowkan turns his head to blame the mistake on the gruff old fool, he spots a Tyrran lieutenant standing behind the front display case that acts as a counter. He pointedly looks at Dowkan to get his attention.

~ Hildor ~

The last few days working for Syrriel have been anything but difficult. Mostly, she just wanted him to deliver messages and the like to the few remaining people that actually obeyed her orders.
Syrriel seems a nice person; when she isn't in one of her moods. She also had a lot of knowledge about an organization Hildor might be interested in joining. The Harpers. She always seemed eager to talk about them with Hildor; and if he didn't know any better, she was one. She didn't seem to want to tell him that she was, like she was trying to keep it a secret.
The area around Hildor seems quiet. Too quiet, even this early in the morning. As Hildor's pace slows to a cautious crawl, the ground beneath his feet begins to shake. Just in time, Hildor jumps to the side as a large mass of stone and dirt emerges from the earth where he stood seconds before.

~ Initiative ~

Hildor - 17
Medium Earth Elemental - 17


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## Legildur (Jun 5, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Just as Dowkan turns his head to blame the mistake on the gruff old fool, he spots a Tyrran lieutenant standing behind the front display case that acts as a counter. He pointedly looks at Dowkan to get his attention.



Dowkan's shoulders slump slightly at the sight of the Tyrran.  Dropping the tongs and hammer on the anvil and ignoring Sunder's loud complaints about having to do the work himself, he wipes his hands on the smithy apron he wears and makes his way across to the lieutenant.  "Aye?" he asks.


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## Majin (Jun 5, 2006)

Nae'talis glances towards the door suspiciously at the knock. Perparing a spell in his mind just in case, the wizard undoes the lock and steps back a few paces. "Enter," he commands eyeing the door cautiously.


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## Dhes (Jun 5, 2006)

Hrolf solemnly follows the cleric to Father Braggi’s summons, knowing better than to question the cleric about the purpose.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 5, 2006)

~ Hrolf ~

Braggi welcomes Hrolf into a furnished room in the clergy's sleeping quarters. He offers him food and drink and takes a seat across from him.
"We haven't had reports from the caves for two days now," the half-giant says solemnly, waving Hrolf to keep eating despite the grave news, "and we need to send someone to investigate."

~ Nae'talis ~

A Tyrran soldier opens the door, but doesn't bother crossing the threshold.
"Father Braggi would like to speak with you immediately." He doesn't wait for Nae'talis to follow before turning on his heel and leaving.

~ Dowkan ~

"You are needed at the Temple of Tyr. Father Braggi has urgent news concerning your contract..." The lieutenant's face asks a silent question about what kind of contract the dwarven mercenary could possibly have with the high ranking cleric.


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## Majin (Jun 5, 2006)

Nae'talis makes no motion to acknowledge the soldier at receiving the message, but instead slowly finishes dressing before heading out, motioning for his raven, Shadar, to perch on his shoulder with a snap of his fingers.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 5, 2006)

In complete shock, as if coming out of a daze from the last few days, Hildor stood stunned at the elementals presence.  This large earthen monstrosity, had it attacked him?  Or was this what Mars had sent against the Tyrrans.

Whatever it was, Hildor wasn't a close range fighter if he didn't need to be.  He needed to put distance between them, if not to get help.  Hildor drew his rapier and ran toward the inn.


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## Legildur (Jun 5, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "You are needed at the Temple of Tyr. Father Braggi has urgent news concerning your contract..." The lieutenant's face asks a silent question about what kind of contract the dwarven mercenary could possibly have with high ranking cleric.



Dowkan simply scowls at the lieutenant and briefly wonders why Father Braggi would have given away the arrangement.  Reaching behind his back, the dwarf roughly unties the leather apron and dumps it on a nearby shelf as he curses quietly, but loudly enough for the Tyrran to hear, "What bloody contract?".  Deciding to take his time, and frustrate the lieutenant a little while he is at it, Dowkan dons his breastplate armor and gathers the rest of his gear before heading out with the Tyrran.  "And I want that sword finished by the time I get back!" he calls over his shoulder to Sunder - making sure he is out of accurate range of any thrown heavy objects.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 5, 2006)

~ Hrolf ~

"Believe me when I say I have the utmost confidence in your faith in Tyr, Hrolf. The High Cleric and the entire collective chose you and the others because they have the same confidence. I shouldn't have waited until now to tell you that you are the only one of the four that made it to Silverdown alive." Braggi pre-emptively hushes Hrolf's outburst with a hand. "My own son, Hrolf. Don't think it doesn't hurt me any more than you. Why do you think so large a force came to the aide of Silverdown? The High Cleric suspects foul play, as do all of us. That is why I can't let you go back into those caves..."

~ Nae'talis ~

Nae'talis is sure the half-giant Braggi will be found with the rest of the self-righteous clerics in their new haven and heads towards the temple. A robed cleric lighting the candles along the walls notices Nae'talis, not a regular patron of the temple, and directs him to where Braggi was waiting.

~ Dowkan ~

"The wizard then?" the lieutenant asks his reply to Dowkan's question. He just shrugs his shoulders and leaves the smithy.
As Dowkan follows him towards the Temple of Tyr, he can hear Sunder yelling curses and outlining in rude detail where he'd put that sword if Dowkan had the melons to show his ugly face in Sunder's Smithy again.

~ Hildor ~

Showing his back to the slow-looking earth elemental after drawing his weapon proves to be a devastating mistake for the elven rogue. Hildor can only hear the lumbering rock formation glide across the ground towards him as he flees. A solid blow to Hildor's back pushes him prone to the ground (8 Damage). Hildor rolls around to face his stoic attacker just as another blow practically crushes his sword-arm's shoulder into the earth beneath him (7 Nonlethal Damage). A few grains of dirt fall into Hildor's face as he stares up at the hulking earth elemental's eyeless gaze.

~ Initiative ~

Hildor - 17 (8 Damage, 7 Nonlethal)
Medium Earth Elemental - 17


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 5, 2006)

Hildor tried to move his sword arm to defend himself.

"What do you want!?"  It hadn't come out well, it was hard to think in this situation let alone speak.  Hildor had no idea if this thing was intelligent, but it was apparent he wasn't going to win in a fight.

[sblock](+5, 1d6+2/18+x2/S, MW Rapier), if its possible for Hildor to move his arm.[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Jun 5, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

Hildor's scream doesn't seem to have an effect on the elemental and the rapier scraping against the being's grouted body doesn't even leave a scratch. The situation doesn't seem completely hopeless though. Hildor can make out two Tyrrans sprinting towards him. They probably heard him yell.
The elemental takes Hildor's incomprehensible plea and fidgeting arm as a sign of resistance and doesn't waste anymore time trying to play nice. The elemental's next blow does enough damage to take Hildor far from reality into a calm world full of bluebirds and sunshine (11 Nonlethal Damage).
Hildor wakes groggily with two soldiers holding their swords out and scanning the area protectively and a cleric of Tyr fretting over his pain-wracked body. When the cleric notices Hildor coming to, he says something to the others Hildor can't make out for the ringing in his ears and they rush off in the opposite direction Hildor was running to.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" the cleric asks in worried tones, holding up three fingers that swivel and blur in Hildor's vision to seem more like six or seven fingers that connect at one joint.
There is no sign of the elemental that Hildor can see.

[sblock]Whoa, my apologies, ae1vart0n. I typed Large Earth Elemental last night and copied its stats this morning before going to work when I meant Medium all along. I was wondering why I had to halve the damage it was dealing...  
I wanted you to at least have a chance...[/sblock]


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 6, 2006)

Seeing more than five fingers Hildor knew something wasn't right.  "Five?" he guessed.  He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath, but even that hurt.

His mind started spinning.  Partly from vertigo, a headache, and a slight ringing in his ears, it was now flowing with theories about how this could have happened.  No theory stood out though.  Hildor knew so little about his situation, he thought that, should he have had amnesia, he probably wouldn't have been worse off.

Moving on, he decided to try to move.  That was a mistake.  It felt like every bone and muscle in his body was trying heal around a pile of broken glass that had somehow penetrated all the way through his body, and was stabbing at him from every direction inside and out.

So he would be stuck here for a while.  More time for reflection.

The first question that came to mind was: _Can I trust the Tyrrans._ The answer was no, not yet.  They still had secrets, but Hildor wasn't ready to open up to them until he knew what they were planning and why.  That included Hrolf.  The others might be more tactful than the cleric, but Hildor suspected they were of a similar mindset.

Dowkan was the best of the group so far.  A mercenary like Hildor.  Still, he was new, and they were going to need to get to know him better.

So what about Mars?  That elemental seemed like it would fit with the inhabitants of the cave, with the Kobolds.  Hildor couldn't prove Mars was behind that, but he had led Hildor to that cave, and that annoying mage.  Still, the long term benefits of a friendship with Radcliff were valuable if Hildor survived this.  After this task was over though, Hildor wouldn't hesitate to act against Mars any more than the Kobolds.

And then there was the mage.  Frustrating, arrogant, pompous.  But he didn't seem to be hiding anything, and that counted for alot.  Hildor trusted Nae'talis, he just didn't like him.  This put him in an awkward position with the key... thats' when he realized it.

"How long was I out?"

Sooner or later Mars would try to use the key.  If one of the Tyrrans had it...


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## hippocrachus (Jun 6, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

The cleric of Tyr furrows his brow in consternation when Hildor guesses way too high. He places his hands on either side of Hildor's head and begins to pray in a soft soothing voice. Hildor feels the effects of the Tyrran's prayers immediately. It almost felt like he was never attacked; the only proof being the itchy feeling in his back and the slight ache in his shoulder.
"You were not out long at all, Tyr serve. The two men that found you called out and I happened to be in the area..." the cleric considers the convenience of that fact and looks at Hildor with renewed worry. "What happened? They said a mound of dirt threw you to the ground and then disappeared..."
The cleric helps Hildor to his feet and, while the elf dusts himself off, the Tyrran hands him something solid wrapped in blood-red velvet.
"You dropped this..."  he says, handing it over to Hildor.


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## Legildur (Jun 6, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "The wizard then?" the lieutenant asks his reply to Dowkan's question. He just shrugs his shoulders and leaves the smithy.
> As Dowkan follows him towards the Temple of Tyr, he can hear Sunder yelling curses and outlining in rude detail where he'd put that sword if Dowkan had the melons to show his ugly face in Sunder's Smithy again.



Dowkan simply grunts at the mention of the wizard, but neither confirms nor denies the association, letting the lieutenant figure it out for himself.  He smiles as he listens to Sunder's inventive curses fade as he walks alongside the Tyrran, fingers strumming the head of the waraxe in his belt.


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## Majin (Jun 6, 2006)

"You requested an audience with me?" Nae'talis states, hardly the sound of a question in his tone. His arms crossed he spares a short glance at Hrolf who is in the room with him and then looks back to Braggi, awaiting the half-giant to speak.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 6, 2006)

In his time in Silverymoon, Hildor had seen some serious injuries dissappear with magic, but he had never been on end getting healed.  It was amazing.



> You were not out long at all, Tyr serve.




They probably didn't have the key then.  That would make things easier, though he had secretly hoped they might just find it and get it over with.



> What happened?




"I don't know much more than that.  It had arms though, and a head.  A faceless one."



> You dropped this...




What?  Hildor didn't carry anything scarlet.  He was curious though, should he claim it?  No, this could be a test, and Hildor wasn't in the habit of taking things that he have a right to.

"It isn't mine"


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## hippocrachus (Jun 7, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Braggi nods his greeting to Nae'talis and offers him a chair beside Hrolf. The half-frost giant sets out a bowl of bread and cheese just as another knock comes at the studded wooden doors and Dowkan is shown in.
"Why am I not surprised that your elven companion is the last to arrive?" Braggi says, shaking his head. "The two of you have been well? I know you have helped the Temple quite a lot in the past few days, Dowkan. A dwarf's loyalty is stronger than a giant." He grins at the dwarven mercenary.
"Who is the new addition to the party?" he asks of Nae'talis, aiming his grin at the raven perched on the wizard's shoulder.

~ Hildor ~

"I found it cradled in your arm..." the cleric says, his look of worry mingling with that of creeping suspicion. Maybe Hildor wasn't quite right in the head after a "faceless" mound of dirt beat him to the ground or maybe the elf was trying to pawn his burden off on the kind cleric. He eyes Hildor like a cautious rabbit surrounded by stalking foxes until he takes the velvet. "Father Braggi requests your audience."
That would explain the cleric being away from the temple.


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## Majin (Jun 8, 2006)

"This is Shadar," Nae'talis introduces the bird. "It is good sense to stay aware of ones surroundings, and this familiar can facilitate that by becoming my eyes and ears in ways that I cannot as of yet."


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 8, 2006)

Accepting the item, and having been healed of his injuries, he sits for a moment, then stands, slowly.

"Thank you," he says.  Fewer words meant less trouble as far as Hildor was concerned.  "I'll head to the temple then."

He stood up, gathered his things, checking his backpack and weopons for damage or missing items.  The scarlet item he placed in his backpack.

He'd wait and show the others.  Hopefully Mars had sent that thing and this box, then Hildor, not knowing it was from Mars, would not be the one responsible for informing them, and his agreement would not be violated.  If he opened it now he couldn't claim ignorance.

The task had seemed so simple in the beginning.  Just follow him.  Nowhere in follow had Hildor heard, 'fight your way through a cave full of bloodthirsty creatures', or 'I'm going to attack the Tyrrans while you're in their company', and especially not 'i'm going to send an elemental to beat you to a pulp'.  That last one was the final straw.  He wasn't sure if that was Mars, but he had a feeling whatever this was the elemental had left for him, it would prove it one way or another.

Still somewhat taken aback by the whole incident, and keeping his eyes on his feet more often than not, Hildor left for Braggi.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 9, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

When Hildor takes the wrapped red velvet from the cleric, he notices the object wrapped inside feels more like a small dagger than a box. It fits inside of his backpack all the same.
The cleric leads Hildor to the Temple of Tyr and shows him to a room where Father Braggi and his companions are waiting inside. The cleric tells Hildor that Father Braggi will be very interested in what happened to him before now. He says it in a way that makes Hildor sure the cleric will tell Braggi if he doesn't personally, and probably not put Hildor in a good light.
The group ceases their idle chat when Hildor is shown in and Braggi doesn't waste any time getting down to business.
"I told all of you that I had much to discuss with you; unfortunately, I haven't found the time until now." The big man seemed to think the unnecessary excuse was in order. Probably to save his own sense of honor. "You four have been a great help to Silverdown, both in securing the outlying wilderness and helping with the reconstruction of the hamlet. But like all things..." Braggi pauses, noticing a subtle apprehension in Hildor. "Is there something you'd like to say?"


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 9, 2006)

"Sorry.  This...," he paused.  He wasn't sure exactly what it was actually.  He decided to give a little more background first.  Not that they would believe it, but if the ones who helped him confirmed it, then he had a chance.  After a deep breath he spit it out quickly.

"I was attacked.  
Two clerics saved me.
This thing came out of the dirt," he swallowed.  The attack still fresh in his mind.

A short look around the room before reaching in his backpack and pulling out the object still in the wrapping.  "They found me holding this.  It's not mine, and I haven't looked to see what it is."


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## Legildur (Jun 9, 2006)

Dowkan becomes more alert as Hildor outlines his encounter.  "Came out of the dirt you say?" the dwarf muses, caring little that he may be interrupting anyone.  "There be a few possibilities for what it may have been.  But most likely it be an earth elemental.  Hornary creatures at the best of times - or so I've heard.  Never actually seen one."


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## hippocrachus (Jun 9, 2006)

Braggi licks his lips and rubs his mouth. He doesn't seem skeptical; if Hildor was lying, Braggi would know soon enough once he asked these "clerics."
"Why would an earth elemental attack you, Hildor?" Braggi asks slowly, worry creasing his brow. The elf had mentioned an attack on the Tyrrans before. Possibly the attacker sought to eliminate Hildor for threatening their plans. Or if he was still their man, teach him a sharp lesson. He nods at Hildor. "Open it."


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## hippocrachus (Jun 9, 2006)

~ Hroar ~

The assembly hushes as the High Cleric Hroar Kraki steps up to the alter in the Longhall of Tyr in Silverymoon. The collective of Tyrran clerics was surprisingly small; most of the Tyrran forces in the Silver Marches were off with Father Braggi establishing a place of Law in an otherwise chaotic wilderness.
The clerics gathered in the Longhall, every one a high ranking member of the clergy, elected High Cleric Kraki as the Prolocutor of the Just Moot. He was the one that had gathered them here after all, and he presided over the Longhall. There were those that fought to refuse Hroar the honor, a younger Father, with hardly the gray hair to be granted such a title, named Beorn, but his voice was drowned by the numbers against him. Hroar was the one that would initiate the Moot and select the speaker because of his new responsibility.
“Tyr’s Justice serve,”  he announces sagely, his prayer is repeated by the hall’s entirety. “A great force of chaos has gathered at the edge of our reality, threatening to envelope all that is just and lawful. For the past few weeks, I have gathered intelligence about the history surrounding the Silver Marches and one place in particular: Silverdown.”
The collective listens attentively as the Prolocutor unfolds his studies and findings, but are most interested when Hroar mentions a powerful ogre mage from a time long passed.
“In the ancient days of the world, Tsathzar Rho was an ambitious sorcerer of considerable power. He forged gates between worlds, bent demons to his will, and cultivated magical abilities the likes of which the world has not since seen. Yet, as the saying goes, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Tsathzar Rho mastered magics of the ninth circle, enslaved the demon-generals of the murkiest Abyss, and shattered the Silver Gate of the Eighth World, yet he still desired more. While his successes grew his power, so too did they cultivate his arrogance. In time, he sought out power and magic beyond the reckoning of men, gods, and even the demons that whimpered at the mere mention of his name. He sent prayers and supplications to the Outer Gods, the Old Ones, the Lords of Infinite Emptiness, and other mighty beings that existed outside of planes. In his hubris, Tsathzar Rho believed he had the skill and cunning to bind such unspeakable horrors. Delving into texts judged ancient even in his distant epoch, he called forth the Keeper of the Gate and demanded that the Outer Ones appear before him. In doing so, he sealed his fate for all eternity.
“The Outer Gods did indeed answer Tsathzar Rho’s call, but they came neither to hear his appeals nor to witness his magic. Their very nature warped and twisted the fabric of reality, causing a tremendous explosion that disintegrated Tsathzar Rho’s tower and turned the region around it into an ashen waste. The local men and elves breathed a sigh of relief and continued with their lives, thankful that the tower’s ominous presence had been expunged from the horizon.
“Ages passed and soon the memory of Tsathzar Rho did too. My sleep of late has been anything but restful. I dream of realms empty and full to bursting all at once. Our reality was permanently scarred by Tsathzar’s meddling, and that scar has begun to resurface,” Hroar’s words become more strenuous and pointed as his voice crescendos. “The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho, holding the secrets of unspeakable and eldritch horrors, has resurfaced. Tyr has shown me what we must do to defend the Realms! To defend the Laws of our existence! Together…!” Hroar’s words strangle off and he grabs at his throat in panic. The hall begins to fill with anxious whispers, encouraging him to continue on, not seeing the danger: the small dart protruding past his finger tips in a slowly weakening grip.

~ Ali’Shaun ~

_It is done._


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## Majin (Jun 9, 2006)

Nae'talis watches on, as Hildor explains himself. Silently he agreed with the dwarf on what most likely had attacked the elf. But he watched more intently as the rogue took out the scarlet wrapped object, awaiting its unveiling...


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 9, 2006)

"I wish I knew."

With hands outstretched he slowly removed the wrapping to reveal the contents of this package to the others.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 9, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Something about the blood-red velvet wrapping is oddly familiar to Nae'talis.
As Hildor removes the velvet, he reveals a thin stiletto dagger. He turns it over in his hands with care, but for all his caution, still manages to prick his finger slightly. His blood smears on the strangely sharp blade and a flowing script glows red down one side of the metal. The elegant hand spells out only one word: "Lesson."
Braggi rises from his chair, takes Hildor's cut hand in his giant grip, and whispers a prayer to Tyr.
"To protect from poison. Does this mean anything to you, Hildor?"


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## Legildur (Jun 9, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Braggi rises from his chair, takes Hildor's cut hand in his giant grip, and whispers a prayer to Tyr.
> "To protect from poison. Does this mean anything to you, Hildor?"



"Yeah, don't play with sharp knives," Dowkan sn!ggers quietly in the background before regaining his composure under scrutiny.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 9, 2006)

Dowkan's reply was oddly comforting.  The thought that this dagger was meant to teach children not to play with sharp objects was a thought that hadn't occured to Hildor.  It was innocent.  This dagger was not.

Hildor reached into his pocket and pulled out the symbol he had used to bid farewell to his mother's grave.  He held it up in the air and turned it around so that Braggi could clearly see both symbols, one a god of poison and treachery, the other of household and peace.  "I assume you understand why these two might not get along well," he was repeating something Ayron had told him, Hildor feared his own words would cause trouble. "They both work through others hands, but in the end they are responsible."  Tyr was now the third he was being forced to cope with.  The lecture had continued about needing to choose between them.  Hildor had blindly chosen Ayron's diety, scratching out his mother's.  But he was just now beginning to realize he hadn't really taken sides.  "I don't know who it's from,"  he re-pockets the symbol and looks at Nae'talis "but maybe he'll recognize the spell?"

The message could only be from Mars.  Hopefully Nae'talis would know something about the man who wanted him followed.


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## Majin (Jun 11, 2006)

Nae'talis looks from Hildor to Braggi and then back again, expelling air in a straight shot through his lips. He slowly approaches the elf, his eyes on the dagger as he moves. He throws up his hands gently, to loose back the sleeves of his robe and takes the dagger from him, using the scarlet cloth as a medium. He examines the markings on the dagger, attempting to discern what he can from it.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 11, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The word "Lesson" is inscribed into the blade in a flowing handwriting much like Nae'talis'. The red velvet alone could have been a coincidence, but the added handwriting made the blade very suspicious. The question is: should he confront Hildor or wait for the elf to confront him?


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## Majin (Jun 11, 2006)

Nae'talis considered the dagger in his hands and looked up at Hildor from under his eyelashes. Knowing he had almost assuredly given too much away already, the young wizard was not about to insult the half-giant's intelligence, who was watching intently not but a few paces away. 

"You shall tell me immediately who you have angered enough to result in such a "gift"; who are you working for?" The mage decided to allow the elf the chance to implicate himself further by lying, rather than lay out his own suspiscions in words. He knew, whether Hildor lied or not, the elf would not come off well now either way. A smile, more like a grimace, that does not reach Nae'talis' eyes appears on the usually emotionless wizard's face.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 12, 2006)

He was smiling.  He knew who it was.  It was Mars.  Unfortunately Hildor did not know who Mars was.  Hildor was afraid of Mars, but the last thing he needed was the Tyrrans after him too.

Looking at Braggi, "I have mentioned him once already.  The only one who I am working for, outside of the Tyrrans, is a man who calls himself Mars.  I know no other name for him.  He has some plan to attack a 'great gathering' of Tyrrans.  He may know I told you."

He wanted to remind them he was still working for them.  Thinking for a second he realized Hrolf would probably remember the incident with the key.  He'd let Hrolf try to remember that though.

"As far as I'm concerned he has broken our contract by attacking me."  Had he though?  It was true, Hildor's contract hadn't included physical abuse, but it hadn't included informing the Tyrrans of the attack either.

Mars had had no reason to tell Hildor about that attack though.  It was somewhat suspicjous that he had.  In any case, he stood by the argument that the information had been given freely and did not fall under his objective.  Therefore the contract did not require his discretion.


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## Legildur (Jun 12, 2006)

Dowkan sits quietly and calmly twisting his beard in one hand.  With a raised eyebrow, he listens as first Nae'talis and then Hildor reveal some awkward truths.  'Maybe the 100 gold pieces he bought me for was a bit cheap' the dwarf silently muses as he continues to listen to the exchange.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 12, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Braggi looks from Nae'talis' threatening stance to Hildor to the sullen Hrolf. Hrolf was being surprisingly quiet during this entire conversation; probably his version of a tantrum due to Braggi telling him he didn't want him running off on some foolish adventure...
"Sit down, Nae'talis," the half-giant says calmly to the wizard before things get out of hand. Hildor's glance towards the younger cleric doesn't escape him, and Braggi can only guess at what the elf was hoping for from Hrolf. Hrolf had told Braggi everything that occured in the caves, including all of his suspicions about Hildor. It was time to have it out for all to see. Nae'talis obviously knew something more about this "Mars," but Braggi doubted the young mage would tell him anything unless it benefited the Thayan directly. If Hildor wants trust, he's going to have to stop keeping secrets.
Braggi waits for Nae'talis to be seated before staring at Hildor sternly. "It's time you gave us the whole story, Hildor."

[sblock]You still with us, Dhes? I hope you didn't catch the Dutch Chocolate Flu. I hear that makes people especially lazy...  [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Jun 12, 2006)

~ Radcliff ~

"Greetings, Radcliff," a disembodied voice drones from somewhere within the Zhentarim agent's darkened bedroom. At an hour like this, it could only be Ali'Shaun. The man had no concern for Radcliff's business hours.
_If he wasn't halfway across the world, I'd teach him a valuable lesson about..._
"You have failed me, Radcliff." Radcliff sits up and looks around apprehensively, something in the back of his mind telling him to find an escape route. A reflex he's learned from many years in the Zhentarim's service. "For the last time."
The master thief jumps from his bed, narrowly missing a bolt of acid shot from the depths of his extravagant room. How the Red Wizard did that without actually being in the room leaves Radcliff dumbfounded.
_The clock!_ he thinks. Ali'Shaun had used it several times as a means of gating into Radcliff's chambers uninvited. _Time I be rid of you for good!_
Radcliff lifts his leg and finds his foot stuck to the ground beneath him. Sticky strands of spider web cling to his feet, leaving the cunning rogue a sitting duck.
"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" The wizard's laugh echoes around the richly furnished bedroom, filling Radcliff's hearing completely. His forehead beads with sweat as he realizes just how much danger he was in. "I have a wonderful new spell I've been meaning to test. You haven't served me well in life, but perhaps you can serve me better in death..."
Radcliff's shrieks replace the mage's laughs as the soul of the Zhentarim is forced from his body and carried through the Astral to a land halfway across the world.

~ Ali'Shaun ~

"Welcome, Radcliff," Ali'Shaun says through a toothy grin at the metallic construct towering in the Red Wizard's tent on the edge of Thay.
The glowing red eyes of the golem flash back at him lifelessly.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 12, 2006)

Should he speak?  He could not lie, he had never been very adept at it.  The others had probably figured it all out anyway.  Except for Dowkan.  Dowkan just got lucky.

So how much should he say.  He could not betray Radcliff, but there was no hope of salvaging his task at this point.  Nor did he wish to salvage it.

He sat staring at his feet, about to betray his friend.  To make an apparently powerful enemy.  There was nowhere to run.  Mars and the Tyrrans would hunt him.  Radcliff wouldn't trust him now.  Lady Syrriel's offer was getting more and more tempting.

But at this moment he had nowhere to go.  He was trapped, and it wasn't worth going down with this ship.

"The task was simple, follow Nae'talis and his dwarf, and carry these two items indefinitely.  No payment up front, only this key.  It seemed harmless and I was bored enough to do it for nothing."  He pulled the two items from his backpack.

"The key turns out to be his way of contacting me.  It's also supposed to provide access to some reward at the end of this, though I doubt if it even exists.  The scroll I haven't opened."

Now it was their turn.  He shot a glare at Nae'talis.

"Now before you send me on my way, I want to know one thing.  Who is he and why is he after you and the Tyrrans?"

It was two questions, but he was upset enough he didn't care to correct himself.


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## Majin (Jun 12, 2006)

Nae'talis' eyes became even thinner slits as Hildor revealed all to everyone in the room. It took all of his self control not to reduce the elf to a cinder right there and then. His eyes shot to the key attached to the rolled up parchment and his memory quickly flickered back to his own encounter with one, the pieces falling into place. 

"I would advise against opening that," he said coldly, without further explanation, as he passed a glance at Braggi for a moment before returning it to Hildor. 

"The Red Wizards," he announces simply to all in the room, bringing up his hands, slightly startling his raven in the process. "You are clearly a larger fool than I thought if you've fallen in with that lot without realizing the implications..." he cuts off harshly, as he paces the room. 

Realizing that he was actually the cause of this after all now, Nae'talis cursed the elf for his foolish nature to not be able to follow simple orders. If the Reds were actually behind this, the elf had to have been belligerent in some form to have received this punishment. In so doing, the elf had dragged all these other people into it as well. Nae'talis sighed harshly.

"They are after me," he reveals, turning to Braggi. "I am what you might call a renegade to my people. Thayans as you may know, generally have a "harsh" way about them. Something that I disagreed with in my formative years. I only wished to spend my time studying and bettering myself, but I was surrounded by fools half the time that made the process all the more troublesome. So I left, taking with me the dwarf that was accompanying me originally. One thing about the Red Wizards is, that they do not take kindly to losing one of their own. They have pursued me ever since. I have attempted growing my hair out to help disguise myself," he explains, pulling the crown of his hair closer to his scalp to better reveal the tattoos atop his head, "but they are quite resourceful when they want to be and it has not helped much to deter them."

The young Thayan pauses for a moment as he looks about the room, gauging the atmosphere, as he caresses a piece of his silk scarf between his fingers. "Why they would plan to attack you I see no reason for. It makes me think they have other motives that just happen to cross with my presence here, so it is doubtful if I simply continue my flight from them that they will cease their plans to attack you, but I will go if it is preferred by your people," the wizard concludes, in a bout of the largest bit of humbleness anyone was likely to ever get from him.


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## Dhes (Jun 12, 2006)

Hrolf listens solemnly to first Hildor's story and than to Nae'talis' his tale. After Nae'talis lays out his history with The Red Wizards, Hrolf breaks his silences. Father Braggi, my judgment says that Nae'talis and yes even Hildor are the victims here. Nae'talis because of his past, and Hildor because of ignorance and lack of judgment." scanning the two briefly, "I would suggest paying Hildor's employer a visit, a threat this close to home can't be ignored."

[sblock]Sorry not sick, just lazy, and playing with my new phone and demanding friends..  [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Jun 12, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Braggi listens intently to first Hildor, then Nae'talis, and then again Hrolf. He rubs his smooth frost-blue chin in concentration before hardening his features and passing judgment.
"Ignorance of the law does not make breaking it any less illegal, Brother Hrolf," Braggi says severely. "I already knew of your...situation with the Red Wizards, Nae'talis. Apparently, your rebellion towards the edicts of Thay has earned you the attention of other organizations besides the Red Wizards. I have half a mind to send you in chains back where you belong." Braggi's eyebrows arch, daring the young mage to question him. "Law is law. Here or in Thay. Tyr does not pick and choose which laws to obey, and neither do I."
He turns his attention to Hildor and gives him a glare no less powerful than the one he gave Nae'talis.
"I have given you more than enough opportunity to right your wrongs, Hildor. You could have died today. Tyr willing, you've learned your lesson. That said, if you mean to have anything more to do with this 'Mars' or the Red Wizards, you can do so elsewhere." He turns suddenly to Dowkan and raises his voice just before a yell. "Do you have something you'd like to share with us? I didn't think so. This is a serious matter, Dowkan, and not one I will allow a surly dwarf such as yourself to make a mockery of by giggling over."
Braggi settles back in his chair, giving the effect of a robed judge residing over a courtroom, and eyes each member of the party in turn.


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## Majin (Jun 12, 2006)

Nae'talis says nothing during Braggi's tirade. He did not expect the half-giant to send him back or chain him or nothing of the sort after what he said, but he knew that if he could escape his brethren and elude them for so many years, it would be a trifle to slip away from anything these Tyrrans could manage. 

Instead he chose to wait, in silence, awaiting the reactions of the others before saying anything further.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 12, 2006)

Noticing Nae'talis had not answered his first question, Hildor began to speak, but was cut short by Braggi.  After the lecture he decided it wasn't prudent to upset the man further.  it seemed his patience, though greater than that of others, had been drawn thin to begin with.  

The lecture had missed Hildor's ear.  The laws had failed Hildor before, and their judgement was too harsh and unforgiving.  The only lesson he had learned here was not to get cornered.

Hildor looked at Hrolf.  He hadn't expected the cleric to come to his defense.  Nae'talis' story wasn't quite what he had expected either.  Turning toward Nae'talis, and then to Braggi, "I have no intention of helping Mars, but I'll deal with Red Wizards on an individual basis if that's ok."  Having dealt with two Red Wizards, he wasn't ready to write them all off.  "If not I should be going."


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## Legildur (Jun 13, 2006)

Dowkan's eyes widen in mild astonishment at what the others reveal.  'A rebel Thayan wizard... of course!' he thinks to himself.  He starts to seriously question his involvement in the whole mess.  His fingers absently thrum on the blade of the waraxe 'lent' to him by Nae'talis, it is a reminder that no matter what happens the opportunity to wield such a fine waepon in battle should not be passed up by any dwarven warrior, regardless if it may cost him his life.  Besides, he had accepted the payment for the service, and so shall he serve.

As the absurdity of the situation struck him fully, Dowkan begins to chuckle quietly to himself, until Father Braggi cuts hims short.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 13, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Seeing that his words didn't have the intended affect on the two in question, Braggi's features harden. Neither of them have any respect for authority and it was about time they have more than a slap on the wrist.
"Give me your weapons," Braggi says coldly calm. "You two will remain incarcerated until Tyr can pass judgment over you."
The half-giant rises from his seat and grabs those weapons proffered to him roughly. He doesn't bother taking Nae'talis' spellbook chained to the mage's waist. If the wizard is foolish enough to try anything on an entire garrison of armed soldiers with a novice repertoire, he deserves the gruesome death it'll reward him.
"Brother Jeof!"  A cleric of an age with Hrolf enters the room with a meek expression. "See these two to the garrison. They will remain there until further notice." Braggi places a hand on Hildor's shoulder as the elf turns to follow his escort. The giantkin deftly removes Hildor's backpack in a flowing motion none would've thought those big hands were capable of.
As the two are shepherded away, Braggi sits back down and looks at Hrolf and Dowkan apologetically.
"I hate to do this, Hrolf, but I'm going to have to place you under house-arrest. High Cleric Kraki wouldn't want any harm to come to you, and I have no qualms taking up his cause."  Hrolf and Dowkan share a feeling that perhaps the High Cleric's cause was really just Braggi's. Their two companions may have just suffered a deserved injustice to further that cause.

~ Nae'talis & Hildor ~

The cell the two unlikely companions share has a wash basin in one corner and bunkbed in the other. A guard sits on a three-legged stool whistling and jingling his keys a few yards down the hall the cell is located in. In the short span of a week, the former inn became Silverdown's first garrison doubling as a jailhouse. The structure is sound, too. The cold iron bars of the cell look as if they have been there for years.
There is no window in the cell.

~ Hrolf ~

Braggi excuses Hrolf and Dowkan from the room, but not after explaining to the young cleric what exactly his sentence of "house arrest" entitles.
"You are not to leave Silverdown, Hrolf; and do not test me on this. I will see that every man know of it."
Braggi states in no small terms that it is better if Hrolf simply stayed within the Temple of Tyr for the time being.

~ Dowkan ~

Nae'talis may be lending him his former servant's axe, but he's contracted to protect Hrolf, not the mage. Braggi reminds him nonchalantly as soon as the younger cleric is out of earshot.
"See that he honors his sentence, Dowkan. It's for his own good."
After that, Dowkan is left to roam around town freely.

[sblock]Not too much longer now. Dowkan and Hrolf are going to have to take responsibility to stock up on healing. Good thing the Tyrrans like them the most  
Hopefully Nae'talis and Hildor can settle their differences in the short time allotted...[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Jun 13, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Nae'talis may be lending him his former servant's axe, but he's contracted to protect Hrolf, not the mage. Braggi reminds him nonchalantly as soon as the younger cleric is out of earshot.
> "See that he honors his sentence, Dowkan. It's for his own good."
> After that, Dowkan is left to roam around town freely.



Dowkan nods slowly, "Aye, I'd not forgotten my responsibilities." With little to now do with the others, Dowkan simply returns to the temple to assist some more in the rebuilding.


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## Majin (Jun 13, 2006)

Having been stripped of his weapons was of no consequence to the young Thayan. He knew he had gotten himself into this situation by revealing what he had, but given the circumstances he saw no other way. The Tyrrans would have been less aware if he had not and that could cost lives. Nae'talis may have been self-absorbed, but he was not genocidal. 

Though there was the case of Braggi having known about his past already, which clouded much as to how much "new" information he had gave him. It also troubled Nae'talis greatly as to how he'd gotten that information. Only Red Wizards should have known. Rarely did they employ outside resources to regain their "property". Even if they had, for it to reach Braggi's ears was quite troublesome indeed. There was even less reason to trust now... 

Still, the fact of the matter was, that he was content to be there so long as they'd left him his book to study from. He was not fool enough to take comfort in the "extra protection" awarded by the Tyrran's guarding their cell. He glanced deploringly in the direction of the solitary whistling guard. 

He ignored the elf sitting across from him as he opened his spellbook and quietly began to read. If things got desperate he could always depend on his familiar, whom he had wordlessly commanded to take flight from his shoulder as they first came out into the open air. The raven had not been trained long, but there were some benefits the bird could provide in a pinch, and it would keep him appraised at to any suspicious goings-on outside. At the moment it was ordered to watch over the building the young wizard had found himself incarcerated in. It might not be enough, but it was something, the mage thought as he started to read.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 14, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

The word around the camp fire was that the merchant caravan that just got into Silverdown this morning was full with aspiring entrepreneurs looking to set up shop in the newly reconstructed hamlet; they may need a strong mercenary to do some heavy lifting. After a whole week of just about the entire population of Silverdown helping with the Temple of Tyr, the building required little in the assistance of outside laborers. Another place that could use a helping hand is in the many labor camps stationed along the outskirts of Silverdown, where the construction of a wall is underway; the only thing that will separate the town from the wild Silver Marches.
If Dowkan doesn't feel comfortable choosing where to take up his time, he can always go speak with Syrriel at her shop. Even though Silverdown is nearly completely rebuilt, the Tyrrans still seem to acquiesce to her commands. The wall was her idea.
He could always venture back in Sunder's Smithy, too...


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## Legildur (Jun 14, 2006)

Seeing the Temple essentially complete, except for detailed masonry for which he was unqualified, Dowkan decides instead to head out to the wall for two good reasons - that the wall made good sense to a warrior for a place like this where they had already once been subject to a raid, and that Syrriel was the intellectual architect and she seemed to know up from down.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 14, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Most of the labor camps are hiring under weekly contracts. Dowkan manages to convince one of the camp leaders to take him on for the day at half the daily rate. Dowkan will be paid three silver for working on the wall for the rest of the day.
Ultimately, his time may be better spent seeing if his imprisoned companions needed anything of him. Dowkan's contract might be to protect Hrolf, but the wizard at least seemed to mean to do the same...in a sense.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 14, 2006)

He sits quietly on a bed.  The guards had taken his weopons and backpack, but they had left him all that was in his pockets.  The symbol of his gods.  The lock picks.  Though he wsa confident (maybe even overconfident) that he could open the door of this prison, the guard made it useless to try.

Sitting there, he decides, quiety that he's not going to trust anyone from now on.  Too many lies, secrets and betrayals.  And deaths.  Thinking back to the cave, those corpses could as well have been tortured for a reason.  Some of the Kobolds had run.  That's what Hildor wanted to do, but just like the kobolds he would be cut down.

Words didn't matter either.  He had tried to tell Braggi he was making an exception for Nae'talis, and he had been thrown in prison for it.  He wouldn't speak again.

If they wanted to use Hildor like a tool for their personal games, he could not stop them, but he wouldn't go out of his way to help intentionally.  The Tyrrans and the Red Wizards were now an obstacle, and nothing more.  If people died it was fate.  If Hildor died, it was out of his control anyway.


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## Legildur (Jun 14, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> Most of the labor camps are hiring under weekly contracts. Dowkan manages to convince one of the camp leaders to take him on for the day at half the daily rate. Dowkan will be paid three silver for working on the wall for the rest of the day.



With the complexity of his position now apparent following the discussions in the tent, Dowkan figures the best way to make sense of it all is to do some plain old hard work.  He spends the rest of the day working on the wall and returns that night to see how the others are faring in their less comfortable surroundings.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 14, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Dowkan spends the rest of the day keeping in shape. At the end of the day, the dwarven warrior decides to check up on Hildor and Nae'talis. As he makes his way to the garrison, he spots Hrolf walking fast away from town. In the fading light, Dowkan can only imagine what the cleric is up to. Duty calls and Dowkan doesn't dawdle in pursuit.

~ Nae'talis & Hildor ~

Just around the time the mage and rogue find themselves getting sleepy, they hear a door open somewhere down the hall and a loud conversation between the guard and a familiar dwarven voice take place.
A few moments later, Dowkan comes bustling down the hall swinging the keys to their cell around his finger.
"We got a sit-che-ation. Our buddy Hrolf bugger'd off and tha big blue feller Braggi wants fer us to go get 'em," the warrior says simply. He looks at both of them with a wide grin and gives them both their weapons and other belongings that were confiscated from them back. Expecting them to follow, Dowkan turns and walks down the hallway.


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## Majin (Jun 14, 2006)

Nae'talis looks at the now open celldoor out of the corner of his eye for a few moments before quietly rising and dusting the back of his robe off. _Horrid. A brand new prison and already it's filthy,"_ he grouses to himself as he quietly begins to follow the dwarf.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 14, 2006)

Why did they send Dowkan to get them?  Sounded like a jail break.  If Hrolf wanted to run off, Braggi would certainly send most of the available forces after him.  They surely didn't need help from a couple of convicts.

Hildor was interested in getting the Tyrrans to let him go without pursuit, but this didn't seem like the way to do it.  So he laid still in his bed and gave a lazy motion with his hand to show he didn't care to participate, then rolled over curled up to get some rest.


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## Dhes (Jun 14, 2006)

[sblock]Hrolf spends his “house arrest” mostly in meditation and the study of law. Not wanting to disobey Father Braggi’s somewhat strange orders, Hrolf stays to himself only going out to go to temple and to make some purchases.

Just as the day comes to an end, Hrolf leaves his inn room for his last prayer at the temple.  As he steps out of the inn, Hrolf sees his three companions exit the garrison. Hailing them, “Nae’talis, did Father Braggi judge you innocent?”[/sblock]


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## Majin (Jun 14, 2006)

~~~


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## hippocrachus (Jun 14, 2006)

[sblock]Slow down there, killer. Hrolf isn't joining you guys just yet  [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Jun 14, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

With a sound reasoning, Hildor ignores the summons from Dowkan and goes to sleep. If Braggi wants him freed, he'd certainly come himself or send someone with more authority.
Dowkan doesn't seem too concerned anyway; he just keeps moving down the hall with Nae'talis following.

~ Nae'talis & Hrolf ~

As Hrolf comes to the garrison, he spots Nae'talis and Dowkan strolling out, unhindered.
Even after Hrolf hails the wizard and dwarf, Dowkan continues in a rigid path down the street, showing no signs of recognition for the cleric.

[sblock]We'll skip over the "purchasing" Hrolf made for the sake of continuity...[/sblock]


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## Majin (Jun 14, 2006)

Nae'talis pauses to regard Hrolf and gazes at the dwarf strangely for completely ignoring the cleric. He waits behind next to Hrolf until Dowkan realizes he is no longer following.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 14, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

Dowkan doesn't turn or slow to wait for Nae'talis to follow. The dwarven warrior is stubbornly intent on the straight path ahead of him; where it leads, Nae'talis can only guess.
"You coming or what," the dwarf states rather than asks the space in front of him. Nae'talis and Hrolf can only just make out what he says as the dwarf puts more distance between them. Neither notice the slight change in the dwarf's accent.


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## Majin (Jun 14, 2006)

"That's rather peculiar, don't you think?" Nae'talis asks the cleric standing next to him. 

Mentally he calls Shadar to him and asks the bird to report anything of importance.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 15, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Shadar empaths to his master that he remembers seeing the wingless hunters in front of Nae'talis only a few moments ago on the other side of the great gathering.
Nae'talis can almost remember feeling Hrolf leaving Silverdown not far from here with an anything-but-sneaky Dowkan watching after him from the shadows.


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## Legildur (Jun 15, 2006)

Dowkan's brow furrows heavily as he sees Hrolf on a mission to leave the town. 'Tis ain't like him,' he thinks to himself.  But then realises that he doesn't really know the cleric that well to begin with.  Thanking his professionally instilled routine of wearing his armor and carrying his gear everywhere, the dwarven warrior follows him at a discrete distance.  He momentarily considers going to raise the alarm, but knows that Nae'talis and Hildor are in jail, and getting Father Braggi's attention may be difficult and time consuming.  Sighing to himself, he decides to continue trailing the cleric as that is the best way he could protect him should he get into trouble. As he follows, Dowkan loosens his axes in their scabbards so that they are ready for action.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 15, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

After about twenty minutes of tailing Hrolf, it isn't hard for Dowkan to piece together where the cleric was heading. The caves.
Braggi had mentioned earlier that he had not received word from the men stationed at the caves in a few days. Hrolf wanting to come out here and check on his comrades made sense enough, but doing it alone? Then again, Braggi didn't want Hrolf doing it at all. And maybe the cleric knew he wasn't alone. A few minutes back, Dowkan stepped on a branch with a loud crack and was sure Hrolf had to have heard...
It could take all night to reach the caves. Dowkan could turn back now, knowing what he did of where the cleric was heading, or follow the cleric to the caves. Dowkan's gut rumbles inclemently at that prospect. 100 gold is a small price.


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## Legildur (Jun 15, 2006)

Dowkan curses his predicament, knowing that he was hired to guard Hrolf, but unsure which is the best way to achieve that.  Licking his lips he decides to try something.  "Hrolf!  Wait up there!" he calls to the priest as he closes the distance between them.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 15, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Hrolf doesn't respond to Dowkan's plea for him to slow down.
Hrolf isn't running, so Dowkan should be able to catch up to him in a few strides, but amazingly enough, only manages to put more distance between them. The cleric just appears to be further ahead at every leaping step Dowkan takes.


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## Legildur (Jun 15, 2006)

Dowkan stops dead in frustratation and utters some choice curses as Hrolf increases the distance between them. "Sometin ain't right here," he mumbles to himself. Setting his mouth, the dwarven warrior starts back to Silverdown at the run. "Sodden humans!"[sblock=ooc]Dowkan has the Endurance feat and a Constitution of 16, so he should be able to cover the distance at a run.[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Jun 15, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Dowkan gives one last angry look at the figure of Hrolf moving further away towards the caves and turns back to Silverdown. As he brings his head around, he finds Hrolf looming over him. His eyes glow a deep purple and he grabs Dowkan's shoulders roughly in an inhumanly strong grip.
"It's time to wake up."

Dowkan awakes in a cold sweat on a marble floor. The room around him is likewise crafted from marble and circular in shape. Six towering circular portals are spread out equally around the room. One has a puddle of water at its base, another has scorch marks surrounding the marble flooring around it, at the base of another there is a large accumulation of dust and sand, and around one to Dowkan's left, the sound of incessant winds blow. The two others don't seem to have much distinguishing between them.
At a large oaken desk in the center of the circular room, a sagely figure sits studying an open tome. Hearing the panting Dowkan behind him, the figure turns and his eyes go wide in shock.
"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here!" The man rises quickly and rushes over to Dowkan. He helps Dowkan to his feet and begins shepherding the dwarf towards the two plain portals. "You must hurry. Before He returns. No, not that one. That one isn't complete yet." The man leads Dowkan away from the portal in the center to the one next to it. "In here. Quickly!"
The man practically pushes him into complete darkness.

Dowkan awakes on the cold stone floor in the lighted chamber he remembers meeting the others near.
How he got to the caves is a mystery.


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## Legildur (Jun 15, 2006)

In shock from the sudden transition, Dowkan allows himself to be shepherded by the obviously non-agressive man.  His wits slowly start to return to him and he quickly asks "Who?" as he is bundled through the portal.

"This ain't a good sign," he mumbles to himself.  Shaking his head, he stands and looks about him before starting in the direction he remembers the exit to the caves being.  "Ain't no one gonna believe me," he adds as he draws his masterfully crafted waraxe that Nae'talis was generous enough to loan him.


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## Dhes (Jun 15, 2006)

Hrolf stairs in surprise at the dwarf, ”Where is he going, I don’t think even saw.”
“Where is the elf”


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## Majin (Jun 15, 2006)

"The elf has chosen to remain inside. Apparently he does not recognize an unconscious guard and an open cell door as sufficient authority to end his incarceration," Nae'talis says dryly, as he stares at the diminishing figure of Dowkan head for the horizon.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 15, 2006)

Now sitting in the bed in his cell, the curious moon elf in him couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the others.  He wanted to go after Hrolf, but not as much as he wanted the Tyrrans to let him go without pursuit.

He'd see them again in any case.  Either Dowkan's message was legitimate and they'd send another to get Hildor (he didn't think that was likely), or it wasn't and the mage would be back shortly, brought there by the Tyrrans, and accompanied by Dowkan.

Now free of any obligations, his mind wandered to what he was going to do when they let him go.  There was really nothing to go back to in Silverymoon but memories.  He wanted to get revenge for the elemental attack, but at the moment that was beyond his abilities.

_I suppose I should practice._  This group could be helpful to that end, and Nae'talis might even lead him to Mars eventually.  As long as he was doing it for his own benefit, and not for the Tyrrans or the Red Wizards.

Then he reminded himself, _That's when they let me out._  With the Tyrrans sense of justice, the punishment for not showing respect for the laws could be a very long time.

With that the elf laid back across the bed and tried to go back into his trance.


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## Dhes (Jun 15, 2006)

”Unconscious? How did this happen? Even if the cell door was open, that was not the message telling you, you where free to go. If any of my brothers approach use, please stay quiet and let me do the talking” Looking at the quickly retreading form of Dowkan, ”We should get the elf, there is no saying what trouble he will get into if they find him in the presents of unconscious guards.”


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## Majin (Jun 15, 2006)

Nae'talis simply shrugs as he follows the cleric back into the garrison. If it came to question he could always play dumb, thought the thought of it pained him mentally. 

The lazy guard was _sleeping_ for all he knew, and this Dowkan though admittedly highly suspect at the moment seemed genuine in his announcement that Braggi had let them go. Why would he have reason to doubt? Yes, that would be his story if the half-giant meant to put him to the question over this turn of events.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 15, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Dowkan travels the familiar tunnels of the cavern complex towards the entrance. The only sounds of life are of the dwarven warrior himself; the caves are eerily quiet, giving Dowkan an apprehensive feeling of being watched. At the edge of his darkvision, the blackness seems to stir, bubbling in on him, but when he focuses on the disruption, all is still.
After a short time, Dowkan comes to the chamber where the dead ogre Logbrag made his home. It reeks of death and decay, but the body of the ogre has been removed; probably by the Tyrran soldiers stationed to watch over the caves.
The entrance, or exit in this case, to the caves is bathed in sunlight. How long had Dowkan been asleep?

~ Hildor ~

Hildor can hear the sounds of the guard down the hall fidgeting restlessly in his sleep.

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

When Hrolf and Nae'talis enter the garrison, they find two soldiers holding a fast conversation.
"...the other half were asleep at their meals! I knew we shouldn't have left the mage with his book. The Thayan can not be trust...!" The soldier cuts off abruptly when he notices Hrolf escorting Nae'talis into the garrison. "Brother Hrolf. Where did you find him?" He turns to the other and points towards the cellblock. "Check on Ben! The other one might've escaped too!"


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## Majin (Jun 15, 2006)

"The other one is too cowardly to have moved, do not chafe your armor, Tyrran," Nae'talis remarks, as he nudges past Hrolf to calmly walk further into the room, demonstrating that he is not there under duress. He waves his hand dismissively at the soldiers stares, likely at his casual display of freedom in front of them. He leans on his recently reacquired staff and stares at the guards stonily, waiting for them to gather their senses.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 16, 2006)

Hearing the guard stir, Hildor looked to make sure his equipment was where Dowkan had left it on the floor.  He didn't need to be accused of accepting his weopons back, though they might argue he should have helped the guard, it was unlikely.  He hadn't witnessed the attack, and really didn't know what to do for them anyway.  And he didn't plan on arguing.

The safest thing to do would be to return to his rest.  If he wasn't fully conscious when they got to the cell, they couldn't say he had just run back.


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## Legildur (Jun 16, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> The entrance, or exit in this case, to the caves is bathed in sunlight. How long had Dowkan been asleep?



"Whoa!" he exclaims quietly to himself.  "Tat witch Syrriel must have dropped something in ma food.  Either tat, or I dun burst something with all tat heavy liftin'."

Moving forward to the cave exit, Dowkan seeks out the guards left there by Father Braggi.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 16, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

"A good thing you happened along, Brother Hrolf," the Tyrran says, scowling at Nae'talis. "Justice will be served."

~ Hildor ~

Hildor goes back to sleep, mentally preparing himself for the argument he wasn't going to have. A good plan.
In his elven torpor, Hildor dreams of things he doesn't know the names of. Things not of this world. Things hunting for him in his dreams. Hunting his dreams.

~ Dowkan ~

Stepping into the sunlight, Dowkan has to shield his eyes against the bright yellow orb. It's about midday; the sun is almost directly above him.
After a few paces, and his vision adjusts, Dowkan sees the carnage left of the Tyrran camp.
Five human heads stand on crudely carved spikes all in a row; the sun and carrion beasts have made the time of decapitation completely indecipherable. The two-man tents scattered about what was once a camp fire lay in ragged heaps: slashed, torn, and covered in dried blood.
The bodies have been removed.


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## Legildur (Jun 16, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> After a few paces, and his vision adjusts, Dowkan sees the carnage left of the Tyrran camp.



"By Moradin's left boot!" Dowkan exclaims as the full realisation of what has happened strikes home.  Looking about frantically to see if there is anything nearby, he activates the frost ability of the waraxe as he warily looks around "Poor buggers."

'Father Braggi needs to know about this,' he thinks to himself and decides to once again to attempt to make his way back to Silverdown, eyes constantly darting about the place.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 16, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Dowkan should reach Silverdown before sunset, but it doesn't take long before a search party sent for the lone warrior intercepts him and forces him to take a meal. Most of the party is made up of dwarves.
"What're ya doin' out here, ya dolt!?!" Captain Grogor barks at Dowkan when the rescue team comes upon him heading for Silverdown. The mercenary leader shoves Dowkan's shoulder for good measure.

[sblock]Moradin's left boot   [/sblock]


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## Legildur (Jun 16, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "What're ya doin' out here, ya dolt!?!" Captain Grogor barks at Dowkan when the rescue team comes upon him heading for Silverdown.



"Sometin's left an awful mess of the guards at the caves," says Dowkan as he chews on some salted beef. "Poor buggers have got nutin left but their heads on stakes.  Someone, or sometin, is sending a nasty message to stay away."

"I was following Hrolf out here, but sometin really odd happened and then, well, I dunno what happened, but I know that it wasn't Hrolf that I was followin', and that Father Braggi needs to know what is goin on."


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## Dhes (Jun 16, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> "A good thing you happened along, Brother Hrolf," the Tyrran says, scowling at Nae'talis. "Justice will be served."




”Don’t think we should be so hasty brother. I found Nae’talis out side the garrison in accompanied of by Dowkan, one of the dwarven mercenaries hired by Father Braggi.” 
”I’ll stay here with the “prisoners” and one of you go get Father Braggi, if anyone can shed some light on the mater it would be him.”


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## hippocrachus (Jun 19, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Grogor looks around at the others listening to Dowkan's tale, sharing worried glances with everyone.
"Aye. We'll git ye ta Father Braggi double quick. We're supposed ta check up on them that were at the caves, but yer report is good enough..."
After Dowkan and the rescue team have sated their hunger, everyone packs up and begins heading back to Silverdown.

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

The soldier looks at Hrolf with a doubtful expression, but turns to obey his request all the same. The other soldier returns to inform Hrolf that the guard and Hildor were sleeping. The guard's sleep seems unnatural and he is being taken to the sick ward.
After about an hour, Braggi and a few clerics come to the garrison. Two of the clerics go to tend the guard when they're told of his condition and the other is sent to check on Hildor.
"I was told by a labor team working on the wall that they saw Dowkan chasing after someone towards the mountains..." Father Braggi's concern is palpable.

~ Hildor ~

_Hildor!_ the voice calls after him, pleading for him to slow down. The voice of Hildor's mother doesn't match the chaotic abomination chasing after him. Its wiry legs glide smoothly, slowly gaining on the fleeing elf with out-stretched arms that look more like tentacles. _Hildor!_
"Hildor?" a cleric asks, shaking him awake.


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## Legildur (Jun 19, 2006)

Dowkan grunts in agreement, wolfs down the last of his quick meal, and goes with the mercenaries back to the Silverdown.


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 19, 2006)

Startled and confused he bolts upright.  The sweat dripping down his face only lasts a second though and quickly turns cold as his emotions shift from fear to confusion.

Opening his mouth to relate the dream to the cleric Hildor almost speaks, but it never comes out, as he quickly remembers his vow of silence and distrust.  Instead he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.  He shakes his head right and left, as it to tell the dream it did not exist and to shake it out of his head.

Reopening his eyes he scans the room.  Just as he'd left it.  If he was lucky this cleric had come to release him.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 19, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

"Father Braggi is here, Hildor," the cleric says once Hildor is awake. "There has been a...an incident. Please come to the great room."
The cleric leaves Hildor to his own devices.


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## Dhes (Jun 19, 2006)

”Father I saw Dowkan walking away from the garrison just as I came here, I don’t think he noticed me. But I couldn’t see if he was following anyone”


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 19, 2006)

A cleric asking Hildor to report to the great room.  That wasn't exactly freedom, but it was enough justification to leave the cell.  Having taken note of the clerics appearance, he decided to follow instructions.

There was the matter of his equipment.  Most of his inventory was harmless enough, but bringing weapons into the Great Room might cause a stir.  Then again, it was a Tyrran great hall.  He decided to chance taking all of his belongings.

So he stepped out of his cell and started to head up toward ground level.  Presumably he wasn't the only one going to the Great Room, and the hall would be large, so it shouldn't be hard to find.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 19, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Nae'talis ~

"Some of the witnesses claim Dowkan was chasing after you, Hrolf." Braggi doesn't bother with titles for once; he's never seemed comfortable with his own. The half-giant directs Nae'talis and Hrolf over to a large meeting table and encourages them to take a seat.
"Whoever he was chasing, if he doesn't return by sunrise, I'm sending out a team to retrieve him..."


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## hippocrachus (Jun 21, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

In the long silence Braggi, Hrolf, and Nae'talis share, a cleric walks over to the half-frost giant and informs him that Hildor would be joining them. When Hildor enters the great room used by the garrison for large meals and conferences, Braggi invites him to take a seat.
"I believe what happened today and tonight have to do with the attack Hildor warned us of," Braggi says to break the silence, "but I - we - can't go on living in fear of something that may never happen or happen before dawn. I've stayed here longer than I planned to already. I will be taking the Legion back to Silverymoon tomorrow."


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 21, 2006)

_Silverymoon._  The thought brought a smile to Hildor's face.  For a moment he was going home.  There really was nothing to go back to, but at least he could let Radcliff know what had happened.  The smile faded.  It really wasn't going to be that wonderful after all.


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## Majin (Jun 22, 2006)

Nae'talis stood with his arms crossed, a slightly bored expression on his face. He listened to the half-giant declare his upcoming departure and wondered what it had to do with him.


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## Dhes (Jun 22, 2006)

”Father if you are leaving on the morrow.  Discharge  me of my “house arrest” and let me and Nae’talis, -and the elf if he wises to join, go after Dowkan.”


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## hippocrachus (Jun 23, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

"Hrolf, these two must still face judgment, and I am loath to let you risk your neck for a mercenary. I will send a group out as soon as I can gather the right volunteers; Dowkan can take care of himself. You may be needed to tend their trial," he flashes a hand at Nae'talis and Hildor, "which I mean to have before I leave for Silverymoon."
Braggi seems to relax after saying that. He stares at the mage and rogue and strokes his chin with a big blue hand. He looks at the two like he'd say something to them if Hrolf wasn't in the room.
"I might not be able to oversee their trial," he says after his significant exchange with the others. "That means I will need to find another to see justice done in the name of Tyr." He looks at Hrolf. "What would you do in my position, Hrolf?"


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## Dhes (Jun 23, 2006)

”Father, if they can’t have a hearing. Why not let them prove themselves trough their actions. If Tyr would judge them innocent he will guide their actions. “ Touching his signet ring, ”If we are not allowed to go after  Dowkan, set us another task. There is something threatening us, and probably the Silvermarch. What ever happened in the cave can only  prove ill for us Tyrrans ”


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## hippocrachus (Jun 25, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Braggi sits back in his chair and stares at Hrolf in quiet contemplation.
"In the morning, you three will report to Mayor Syrriel. I am leaving the law in her hands for now. She will judge Nae'talis and Hildor more leniently than Tyr or me. That is for your benefit, Hrolf. I sense a stubborn adventurousness in you; no different than any warrior your age." Braggi resigns himself to smile. "You three rest. I will rouse a search party for Dowkan. With any luck, he will be found before I leave in tomorrow..."
Braggi nods at each of the adventurers as he rises from his seat and leaves them.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 26, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Day XVI

Hildor and Nae'talis are allowed to return to their rooms at the inn under the care of Hrolf.
Because of the late hour the group went to bed, it is well into midmorning when the two humans awake.
Hildor shouldn't chance leaving the inn without Hrolf.
Per Braggi's commands, the three adventurers should report to Syrriel.

~ Dowkan ~

When the rescue team and Dowkan are well on their way to Silverdown, Captain Grogor strides up along side of the dwarven mercenary for a little one-on-one chat that the veteran didn't want to have with so many eavesdroppers about during lunch.
"Some o' the teams on the wall say they saw ye chasin' after tha Tyrran Hrolf. Tha don' make a lick o' sense to me, 'cause I heard he was safe as a babe in Silverdown before we left fer to find ye. So what were ye chasin'?"


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## ae1vart0n (Jun 26, 2006)

Following Hrolf to the Inn, per instructions, Hildor immediately returns to his trance.  When he gets up he walks over to the window and spends most of the morning contemplating his new freedom from Mars.  His hopes had risen that that Tyrrans too might leave him be.  Then he'd need to decide where to go.

In the meantime, I'll wait for the others for breakfast.  It'd be boring to watch them eat.


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## Legildur (Jun 27, 2006)

Capt Grogor said:
			
		

> "Some o' the teams on the wall say they saw ye chasin' after tha Tyrran Hrolf. Tha don' make a lick o' sense to me, 'cause I heard he was safe as a babe in Silverdown before we left fer to find ye. So what were ye chasin'?"



"Humph!" grunts Dowkan.  "I'm glad Hrolf be safe then.  That'd certainly explain a few things.  Whatever 'twere that I was a chasin', 'tweren't Hrolf.  Looked like Hrolf, but moved quick and 'twas demonically strong," he adds, rubbing his throat with one hand.

"If I were a gamblin' dwarf, and I be one, then I'd guess at it bein' one of them changelings or doppleganger types.  And it'd be that thing that killed the guards at the cave."


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## hippocrachus (Jun 27, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Aye." Grogor nods his head, obviously having come to the same conclusion before now. "Me and some o' the others were warned by tha big blue Braggi feller to keep a eye out fer anything looking suspicious. Says the elf told him abou' some Red Wizard attackin'." Grogor's eyes go wide for a brief second. "Maybe ye ain't supposed to know tha... No differnt. Whatta ya know abou' tha elf anyways?"


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## Legildur (Jun 27, 2006)

"Me?  Not bloody much.  I can tell you that!" spits Dowkan.  "Ask me again once we've fought side by side.  That always brings fellas closer."

"But the lot of 'em seem to have secrets on secrets.  Not that I care.  I have me own reasons for hookin' up wit' 'em."

"Red Wizards ya say?  Well, it's good to know.  Not sure wot I could do about it in any case," he adds.  "But me t'anks to ya for tellin' me."


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## hippocrachus (Jun 27, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Grogor gives Dowkan a disbelieving look that shows him what the veteran mercenary thinks about his reasons for joining the ragtag bunch.
"Ye can put tha purtty new axe o' yours to good use, fer one. See ya don' go puttin' no fears into me boys wit' tha information. I don' know why them bloody Thayans can' keep their bloody affairs to themselves. Keep it on their side o' the world."


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## Dhes (Jun 27, 2006)

After morning mass, Hrolf returns to the inn for some breakfast and to collect his two companions so they can report to Syrriel.  

As the cleric enters the inn’s common room he sees that Hildor is already seated at a table, apparently waiting for him and Nae’talis. _I should make some effort to befriend the thieving elf,_ Hrolf greats the Elf with a smile faintly touching his lips, ”Good morning, Hildor.”


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## Majin (Jun 27, 2006)

Nae'talis eats his breakfast in silence, keeping a watchful eye out all around, it being apparent now that his brethren were on to him. The Tyrran's were not much better but at the moment they were at least some form of screen between him and the Reds and the young wizard meant to exploit that to his advantage to the fullest extent.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 28, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

As Nae'talis eats his breakfast aloof, he can't help but notice a halfling wearing an ecstatic expression, beaming at the wizard whenever his eyes pass over the little squirt. Because Nae'talis is alone and flashes continuous stares at the halfling - dirty looks that wash over the happy-go-lucky fool like magic missiles to a Great Wyrm - he gets up from his seat and walks over to join Nae'talis.
"This seat taken?" He sits down anyway. "The name's Wizzop," he says, offering a small hand to the tall Thayan. "I'm in the gem appraising business. Mayor Syrriel has taken me on to help her in her shop. Beats the heck outta my last business. I used to work out of Dagger Falls; not many gems in the Dalelands, I'm afraid. I figured I'd try my luck closer to a bustling city like Silverymoon. Plenty of dwarves around these parts. That's the one thing I like most about dwarves: they always have a pocket full of gems and they're always ready to have a good conversation about the proper upkeep and cut. Not many dwarves that close to Cormanthor either. Probably due to all the elves; not that I have anything against elves, mind you. The great thing about elves is they can respect a gem of rare beauty. They can spot the diamond in the pile of magically created cubic zirconia. What about you? You have an eye for precious gems? I can't say I've met very many humans that've found the topic interesting, but humans always seem ready to learn. That's why I like humans the most..."


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## Legildur (Jun 28, 2006)

Grogor said:
			
		

> "Ye can put tha purtty new axe o' yours to good use, fer one. See ya don' go puttin' no fears into me boys wit' tha information. I don' know why them bloody Thayans can' keep their bloody affairs to themselves. Keep it on their side o' the world."



"I hears ya, Capn," replies Dowkan.  "I'll not be tellin' the boys about nuttin I saw."


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## Majin (Jun 28, 2006)

Nae'talis stared at the halfing blandly while he went on with his spiel about gems. The Thayan did not suffer fools glady, and usually it was fools that had more to say than to keep to themselves. Despite his initial reaction to this 'Wizzop' though, Nae'talis did appreciate the beauty of gems as well as their exceptional channeling properties and potential, so he decided not to ignore the small jeweler. 

"I have devoted my life to the pursuit of knowledge, halfing. It is no secret that there is nothing that I'd rather spend my time doing; though your mention of gems does intrigue me. I appreciate them as well," he responds, watching the jeweler to if he would reveal exactly what he was getting at.


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## hippocrachus (Jun 28, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"See tha ya don'!" he reiterates for no better reason than to raise his voice. "Where'd ye get tha axe anyways? Tha ain't a work o' Sunder."

~ Nae'talis ~

The halfling politely adds "Wizzop" over top of Nae'talis when the wizard seems to forget to.
"The pursuit of knowledge, huh? That must be...interesting." Wizzop giggles to himself. "Well, like I said, that's why I like humans best. Always willing to try new things, humans. I had an apprentice once. A boy half your size and probably no more than half your age. Humans seem to learn more when they're younger. How old are you? You must be young, to devote your entire life to learning. Better than most. I can't abide the young going out on 'adventures.' Time better spent learning. I spent most of my time learning about gems, of course. Anything you want to learn about gems? I could talk about jewels and the like for hours. Between meals. During meals. Wouldn't it be great if gems were edible? I heard there are some creatures that do eat gems. Isn't that amazing!?!"
Wizzop pulls a sapphire the size of a small bird's egg out of his pocket and puts it in his mouth. He spits it back out dramatically, laughing all the while.
"Tastes like lint!" he beams at the morose wizard.


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## Legildur (Jun 28, 2006)

Grogor said:
			
		

> "Where'd ye get tha axe anyways? Tha ain't a work o' Sunder."



Dowkan simply winks and grins.  "One o' the perks o' the job."


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## Majin (Jun 28, 2006)

"I am but twenty," Nae'talis answers, simply. Wizzop appeared to be as longwinded as a gnome, something the young Thayan never had much patience for. "Unfortunately for you, I'm sure, I am not poised at the moment to have an indepth discussion about the minerals, unless you have some piece of magical wisdom to impart, pertaining to them. Otherwise, the only reason I could think of to need your services would be to sell some gems that we've come across to you."


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## hippocrachus (Jun 28, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Grogor grunts and marches on without pestering Dowkan any further.

~ Nae'talis ~

Wizzop doesn't miss a beat, oblivious to Nae'talis' cynicism.
"Oh, well, that's what I do. I'm in the business of buying and selling precious gems and stones. Most of my wares are at Syrriel's shop. The Surreal Harpist she named it. Sounds like her name, don't you think? She plays the harp too!" Cheeriness radiates off of the little halfling. "After breakfast, you can come and look around, if you'd like. You wouldn't happen to have any of these jewels on you now, would you? Nothing better than a good breakfast and a new gem to ponder over! Except maybe a good lunch and two new gems!"


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## Majin (Jun 30, 2006)

"I may..." Nae'talis replies, pulling out the gems that they'd acquired in the caverns from somewhere within the depths of his robe. He places them gently on the table before Wizzop, casting a discerning eye of his own on them as the halfling does as well.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 3, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Wizzop spits a spoonful of porridge out of his mouth when he sees all of the tiny jewels Nae'talis puts on the table in front of him. The little gem merchant obviously wasn't expecting so many from the tall scholar.
"Oh, this is. This is..." He grabs up the diamond, pushes himself away from the table, and begins walking out of the inn.


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 4, 2006)

Sitting at the table was reminiscent of the start of this venture.  This time of course the elf could eat at full speed and actually enjoy his food.

As Hrolf approached he did his best to act polite.  Hrolf was a Tyrran and his best chance at freeing himself from their pursuit was to make him happy.  Hildor wouldn't speak for his vow, so he instead looked up and raised a glass to the cleric, motioning him to join the meal.

The rogue was starting to regret not telling anyone of his decision to remain silent before he had gone about it.  _It might be good,_ he thought, _to amend this resolution to allow me to inform others of it._

But that would require some consideration.  The words would need to be chosen carefully so as not to offend anyone.  He decided to take a couple of hours after breakfast to contemplate the matter.


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## Dhes (Jul 4, 2006)

Ordering  some bread, butter and milk, Hrolf takes a seat at Hildor’s table. ”So can you tell me something about your employer, it seems you where put you through more trouble than you initially thought you would had to deal with.” all the while trying to not to show any hostility on his face or in his voice.


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## Majin (Jul 4, 2006)

Nae'talis' face becomes a mix of expressions as the small halfing takes off with the gems. He gets up and silently follows him, keeping pace with the halfing.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 5, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Both Hrolf and Hildor can see as the wizard leaves the inn, his meal half-eaten, to follow an unknown halfling.
Nae'talis follows Wizzop down the main street running through Silverdown all the way to the Surreal Harpist. When he enters, the place seems much different than when he last did to acquire the items needed to summon his familiar. Shelves holding different sized jars and bottles line the wall to the wizard's left, the right wall is decorated with multi-colored tapestries that the elven owner must've placed there more to cover the cracked mortar behind them than to match the furnishings.
There is a small sitting area in the center of the room where a familiar Justiciar, Harad, sits reading a book on crafting. Wizzop can be heard shuffling around behind the counter in the back corner of the room.
"Just a minute, Nae'talis. Just a minute," the tiny high-pitched voice comes from somewhere near the ground. "Harad, did you move my lenses? I can't seem to find them anywhere. I remember specifically placing them next to my emerald collection, and now they've...oh, here they are!"
Harad looks over his book at Nae'talis briefly, but long enough for the two to silently greet each other. Wizzop comes from behind the counter with an appraiser's lens in his eye and the diamond held in front of it.
"I've been meaning to find a diamond like this, to try my hand at gem-cutting. I can't say I have much experience, but I've been reading a lot about it and with the proper tools - which I have plenty of, thanks to Lady Syrriel - it should be a piece of..." Wizzop trails off while he's examining the jewel.

[sblock]690 gold total for all six gems  [/sblock]


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 5, 2006)

He could not speak, but instead looked directly at Hrolf, then back at his plate.  Aware of the polite attempt at conversation, he felt sorry he could not respond and that he had caused any trouble, but any word he could utter would only cause more trouble.

After a short pause, Hildor went to continue eating, but realized he had finished, so he stood, and did the only thing he could think of.  He offered his hand to the Tyrran.  If Hrolf was sincere he'd might formally forgive Hildor, or at least let it pass.  There was nothing more he could say, save to identify Radcliff.


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## Dhes (Jul 10, 2006)

Hrolf look quizzically at the proffered hands. Getting to his feet himself, the cleric looks into the elf’s eyes with distain, “I don’t know what games your playing at ELF, you head is still on the chopping block.”  Ignoring the hand Hrolf sits back down. rubbing his forehead, ”Why is it that whenever I want to help you in some way, you turn around and dig your own gave.” taking up his mug of milk, ”Site back down Hildor, a handshake wont solve you problems. If you want to break free, you need to start trusting people. I don’t know who holds your loyalty, but at the moment that loyalty isn’t helping you much.”


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 11, 2006)

Loyalty?  Meh.  Loyalty is what got him where stood.  Loyalty to Ayron, loyalty to his mother, loyalty to Radcliff and Mars, loyalty to the Tyrrans.  And every one had led to a situation where Hildor had chosen betrayal with a clear conscience.  Almost every one.

Any sorrow he had felt had quickly subsided.

If Hrolf wanted his trust it would need to be earned.  At the moment, Hrolf had the advantage of kinship with the townsfolk, and instead of befriending Hildor he acted like he had some sort of authority.  All the Tyrrans really had was a threat, and at the moment, Hrolf was just another Tyrran.

But it was the Tyrrans he was trying to escape, so he sat back down in the chair, silently, indignantly.  He would not utter another word for them to twist or misinterpret, choosing instead to sit quietly contemplating the rememants of food left on his empty plate.

_How can I explain silence._ he began to think.


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## Majin (Jul 11, 2006)

Nae'talis takes the gold from Wizzop without a word. Giving the halfling a curt nod, the young Thayan turns on his heels and makes to leave, planning on returning back to the inn.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 11, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Nae'talis turns to the door from his exchange with Wizzop, who is still going on about returning for all the wizard's gem needs, to find a familiar blue and yellow silhouette, outlined by the light coming in through the open door, tapping its foot testily. Two teal eyes glare at the wizard between wisps of blond hair.
Somewhere in between Wizzop's ramblings, Harad coughs politely from behind his book.
"I was told to expect you and Hildor under the custody of Hrolf. Why should I not count you an outlaw and have..."
"I believe Hrolf sent him here early to do business with Wizzop,"  Harad comes to the defense of the Thayan. Harad above any others in Silverdown knows how much Syrriel despises Nae'talis; if not why. She focuses her malice on the Justiciar long enough for him to pretend to be embarrassed.
"Who's Hrolf?" Wizzop asks from behind the counter. Harad rolls his eyes in exasperation.


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## Majin (Jul 11, 2006)

Nae'talis looks at Harad out of the corner of his eye, his mouth agape in a sort of half-yawn, then back to Syrriel. His mouth closes and his eyebrows arch in a questioning manner towards the female bard, testing to see if that is answer enough for her.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 12, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Syrriel matches the wizard's questioning look with one of her own, as if she didn't know what the Thayan had in mind. Her frustration gets the better of her and she storms past him in a tizzy.
"Sit down, Nae'talis," is all she awards the wizard before she disappears through the door behind the counter. Harad at least offers Nae'talis a welcoming smile as if the wizard just dropped by for a visit.
"Father Braggi asked that Lady Syrriel oversee your trial, but she has passed the honor down to me. She understands her biases and doesn't feel that she could do it justice..."
"She told me she didn't want anything to do with it. She said it was all just a charade to clear the conscience of 'that big blue oaf' and his..." Harad continues over top of the halfling's spot-on impression of the Harper bard.
"I hope you can respect her decision? I can't say I know either you or Hildor very well, but I believe you are both lawful men." Even though the Justiciar practically spelled out his judgment, he doesn't seem to have any intention of canceling the trial.


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## Dhes (Jul 13, 2006)

Taking the Elf’s silence as another insult , Hrolf downs the last of his milk, ”Have it your way Rogue, I wash my hand clean of you. Pease favor your blade, but I don’t think it will.” with that, Hrolf get up and makes for the door.


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## Majin (Jul 13, 2006)

"Is that so?" Nae'talis says, asking no one in particular. He glances at Syrriel and holds his gaze with her for a few moments to test her reaction. 

Turning to Harad, the Thayan makes a small dismissive gesture with his hand and answers, "That will be acceptable."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 14, 2006)

~ Nae'talis ~

Syrriel is out of earshot by the time Wizzop points fun at her; otherwise he would be sure to earn a verbal reprimand.
Harad nods his head and goes back to reading, glad the wizard was so agreeable.


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 14, 2006)

So silence could cause just as much trouble.  Maybe he was doomed to begin with.

He decides to at least explain himself to Hrolf, as he goes for the door.  "Wait,", he pauses for a half a second to collect himself.  "Everything I say seems to cause more trouble.  Telling you about the key, braggi about the attack, making an exception for Naetalis when I'm told to quit dealing with ..."  Taking a second to look around, thinking he probably shouldn't mention the Red Wizards.  ... his pursuers.  It's just the more I try to do the right thing, the worse off we all seem to be.  And now I'm being held hostage in this village, and I don't even really know why.  What law have I broken?"


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## hippocrachus (Jul 14, 2006)

[sblock]Conspiracy and Espionage are Hildor's crimes, if you're really wondering  [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Jul 16, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

When Dowkan enters Silverdown by one of the partially constructed gates with his rescue party, he can tell immediately that the population as has thinned out considerably. Grogor informs Dowkan that Father Braggi took the better part of the Tyrran forces back to Silverymoon and that in two days time, Grogor would be leaving with any of the mercenaries that extended their contracts for Mithril Hall. Grogor doesn't bother asking Dowkan if he'd want to join him; whatever the wizard is paying the young mercenary is more than when the gruff old dwarven captain would be willing to dish out.
"Ye go find Mayor Syrriel and see tha she knows yer in one piece," Grogor says with a frown. "I got business to attend to, you see. I ain't rushin' off or nothin'. Ye know how it is..." Grogor looks a little forlorn at the parting, in the same way that a mountain looks a little flimsy.


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## Legildur (Jul 16, 2006)

"If ya be needin' a hand with whatever it is Capn, then ya can call on me, as long it don't mean leaving Silverdown without the mage," Dowkan says.

If nothing eventuates, then Dowkan farewells Captain Grogor and goes to see Sunder the old dwarf before following Grgor's instructions to see Mayor? Syrriel.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 16, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Grogor makes a show of waving Dowkan away. He snorts and waves his hands at the younger dwarf as if he said something funny.
"Git on wit ye!" he barks, turning from Dowkan to take his own advice.
When Dowkan enters Sunder's Smithy, Sunder literally drops what he's doing and rushes over to fuss over the mercenary.
"Ye fool dwarf! Whatta ye thinkin' runnin' off like tha? I didn't mean fer ye to go an do tha! I was only foolin'!" Sunder obviously thinks he scared Dowkan off when he left the shop yesterday ahead of Sunder's threats. "Ye whole then? Come an' have a quaff o' ale wit me. You! Git us some ale! The good stuff, not that piss water the Tyrrans're forcin' down me gullet!" he turns from Dowkan briefly to order one of the apprentices. "I knew I could trust Grogor t'find ye. I said: 'he may be a penny-pincher, but he's got a heart fer his fellow dwarf in need,' I said. Now. Wha happened then?"


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## Dhes (Jul 16, 2006)

ae1vart0n said:
			
		

> So silence could cause just as much trouble.  Maybe he was doomed to begin with.
> 
> He decides to at least explain himself to Hrolf, as he goes for the door.  "Wait,", he pauses for a half a second to collect himself.  "Everything I say seems to cause more trouble.  Telling you about the key, braggi about the attack, making an exception for Naetalis when I'm told to quit dealing with ..."  Taking a second to look around, thinking he probably shouldn't mention the Red Wizards.  ... his pursuers.  It's just the more I try to do the right thing, the worse off we all seem to be.  And now I'm being held hostage in this village, and I don't even really know why.  What law have I broken?"




”Your troubles didn’t arise from what you sad, but what you didn’t say.” Turing back to the door, ”Don’t play dumb with me, if you don’t know what you are being accused of, you will be told at your trial.” With that Hrolf marches out of the inn’s common room.


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## Legildur (Jul 17, 2006)

Sunder said:
			
		

> "I knew I could trust Grogor t'find ye. I said: 'he may be a penny-pincher, but he's got a heart fer his fellow dwarf in need,' I said. Now. Wha happened then?"



"I can't stay long," says Dowkan and he gladly sits down for some real beer.  "Gotta go see the Mayor."

"Here's to ya ol' man," Dowkan toasts Sunder as he slugs down a healthy dose of the beer.  "You won't believe me, and I'm not meant to say nuthin' to no one, so you keep it close ya hear." 

"I spied me buddy Hrolf, you know the priestly one, walking off out of the city.  I thinks to meself, 'This is odd', and decides to follow him like.  And it's dark out there.  Anyways, he moves like a horse, real odd from whats I know of him.  It was all I could do to keep up with him as he made towards them caves we's were at.  I decides ta call out to him, but he puts on a burst of speed like I never seen and disappears.  I turns around to come back to Silverdown and then Hrolf, with these purple glowing eyes, has his hands on my throat, and I knows I'm done for as he's terribly strong.  Next thing I know I'm in this room with magic doors and this sage type kicks me out through one of them.  Then I'm in the caves again.  I walk out to find it midday outside and the Tyrran soldiers left to guard it with their heads on spikes.  I scamper out of there quick smart and soon enough find Cap'n Grogor with a platoon lookin' for me.  And Cap'n tells me that Hrolf was in Silverdown the whole time!"

"I can't make sense of it, and not sure I want to!" he says as he finishes his beer.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 17, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Sunder gladly meets the toast, happy to see the young dwarf doesn't hold any hard feelings towards him. As Dowkan goes on to explain what happened to him over the last few hours, Sunder's eyes grow wide in wonder. He gives the empty mug in Dowkan's hand a worried look.
"Ye've been sober too long, me thinks," he mumbles. "I'd say ye was crazy, but I heard from them that knows better that they saw ya walkin' outta town well after them on the wall saw ye leavin'. I tell ye, on me own mother's beard, this place is cursed. Whoev'r heard o' a bunch o' kobolds burnin' down a whole village? Tha don' sound right in me ears; hair, wax, and all..."


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## Legildur (Jul 17, 2006)

"Aye, sober for too long.  And are ya sayin' I left Silverdown twice?" queries Dowkan, shakin' his head in disbelief.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 17, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Did ye? There're them that swears ye helped break tha wizard ye been followin' around out o' jail last night. Can ye be sure tha ye didn'?"  Sunder asks before the dwarf can protest. "There ain't a room full o' magic doors or whatever fer leagues. I heard from that fine lass Syrriel - Mayor Syrriel, sorry - tha there used t'be one. One o' them wizard towers or whatever. Them that used t'live here afore us said the whole area was haunted and whatnot, and I believe them!"


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## Legildur (Jul 17, 2006)

"I can be as sure 'bout that as I'm sure me mug is empty!  Tweren't a bad drop of ale but."

"Wizard's tower ya say?" Dowkan says as he scratches his chin.  "That could be what it was I seen.  But how, by Moraddin, did I get there?  Bah!  I'll talk to Syrriel about it and see what she has to say on it."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 17, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Aye. She'd know more on it than meself fer sure. See that ya find yer way back here when ye're done pressin' her; I've got a favor o' sorts t'ask o' ya." Sunder takes Dowkan's empty mug and refills it for him. "Ye bring tha back now, ye hear?"


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## Legildur (Jul 17, 2006)

Dowkan grunts in laughter.  "Aye, I'll bring it back alright.... for a refill!"

"A favour ya says?  I'll come back as soon as I be done with the mayor," he says with a nod and a toast as he turns and walks out of the door.

Turning for Syrriel's place, Dowkan wanders in that general direction, enjoying his ale and trying not to think about the activities of following 'Hrolf', the tower, and the cave.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 17, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Dowkan crosses the main road running through Silverdown to the Surreal Harpist. When he enters, he finds the familiar sun elven mayor lounging in a fine upholstered chair in the middle of the showroom reading. A new face beams at Dowkan from behind the counter in the corner.
At first, Syrriel doesn't notice Dowkan; most of the dwarves that've bothered to enter her little magic shop requested Wizzop's expertise...
"Wizzop, you have another... Oh!" She slams the book shut and jumps to her feet with a start. "When did you get back? Where were you? Are you alright?" A million other questions pour from the flustered elf, leaving little room for Dowkan to respond, but expecting a response to each in turn anyway.


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## Legildur (Jul 18, 2006)

Dowkan suddenly realises that he is still carrying the now empty mug.  Stowing it without real concern, he simply shrugs his shoulders.  "Lady, I mean Mayor, I really dun know what happened.  But I'll be glad to tell ya what I saw.  And if you can make sense o' it, then I'll be glad to listen to ya."

(Dowkan goes on to explain to Syrriel about seeing Hrolf leaving the city, trailing him, calling out to him, Hrolf seemingly walking faster than possible, turning back for Silverdown, having 'Hrolf' with purple eyes start to throttle him, finding himself in a tower with portals/mirrors and being shepherded through one with urgency by some sagely person, waking in the caves many hours later, the Tyrran guards murdered and heads on spikes, that Hrolf was apparently back here in Silverdown the whole time).

"And now I find out that there USED to be places like this room with the portals I was in, but that they now be gone.  So where by Moraddin's left boot was I?"


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## hippocrachus (Jul 18, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Hrolf leaves Hildor to his breakfast and joins Nae'talis at the Surreal Harpist. Harad explains that the trial will be presided over by himself in the garrison next-door. If Hildor hasn't finished his breakfast by the time the others go to the garrison, he will be collected.
Harad takes Hrolf over to the side to discuss the proceedings to make sure the young Tyrran understands his responsibilities as Nae'talis' and Hildor's effective lawyer.
While those two discuss law in the corner, Syrriel comes back from the room behind the counter with the items she identified for the party. She gives them to Nae'talis and explains each of them briefly. She might not like him, but she doesn't think he's stupid...
"Father Braggi will be heading back to Silverymoon this morning. He has left the search party for your...servant," she sneers around the word, "in the hands of the mercenary leader, Captain Grogor."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 18, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Syrriel listens to Dowkan's tale with an increasing hunted look. His final question seems to break her of any worry, and she replaces her fretful countenance with one of stern admonishment.
"Who told you there was anything of the sorts in Silverdown?" Her piercing blue eyes would probably intimidate someone more refined than Dowkan.


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## Legildur (Jul 18, 2006)

"An ol' friend of mine," he retorts.  "One who keeps 'is ears open and looks after his friends."

"Now, what are ya gonna tell me about what I seen?  Sometin's goin' on, and you know sometin' 'bout it."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 19, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Grogor. Or Sunder. Judging by the empty mug and strong stench of alcohol, it's Sunder. One who keeps his mouth open and doesn't look after what comes out of it. No matter. As a member of the Town Counsel, Master Sunder has the right to disclose the history of Silverdown." Syrriel waves Dowkan to the seat across from hers. "I wish he had a bit of discretion," she adds as an ineffectual after-thought.
"To tell you the truth, Dowkan, I'm not quite sure what it is you saw. Your description of this 'phantom Hrolf' matches very closely that of the one given of you after you were seen jail-breaking. One young cleric actually wanted you chased down and tried for the offense; no matter that he saw you leave through the north gate an hour before." She shakes her head at Tyr's justice. "It all seems as if it were from a dream..."
"As to 'what is going on,' I may know more or less than would be good for your own safety to hear. The Silver Marches are far from tamed, Dowkan. The fact that Silverdown survived out here for as long as it did amazes me. Your 'portal room' I might have an answer for. Are you sure you told me everything you can remember about it? Do you remember any particular runes? They would be in Dwarven..."
Oddly, the harder Dowkan tries to remember details of the Portal Room, the cloudier the image in his memory.

[sblock]Let the record show that I rolled a natural 1 for Dowkan's Bluff check  [/sblock]


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## Legildur (Jul 19, 2006)

"Ahhh, so Capn' Gregor be knowing about this stuff as well," he deduces.

"And I don't be seeing how knowing more about all this makes it any less safe for me!"

"I don't be rememberin' any runes.  Don't remember much now at all.  I remember a round room with six portals, most with some element at their foot, and a sagely type who pushed me through one.  But naught else."


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 19, 2006)

After a standing there a moment, trying to understand what Hrolf might have meant by what he didn't say, Hildor gathers his belongings and begins over to see Lady Syrriel as instructed.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 20, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Syrriel rolls her eyes at Nae'talis' silence. She might as well have been discussing the weather for as much interest the arrogant mageling had in Dowkan's well-being.
_Thayans have no respect for life,_  she thinks to herself, turning from the wizard to find Hildor entering the magic shop. She gives him a knowing smile. _A fool caught-up in a wizard's game..._
Harad doesn't waste any time ushering Hrolf, Nae'talis, and Hildor out of the Surreal Harpist and over to the garrison after Hildor joins them. Suspects deserve a quick and speedy trial, whether they want one or not. While Harad shows the three companions to their respective places in a makeshift courtroom, he rambles on about formalities being overlooked due to haste.
"I want to apologize to you both, Nae'talis and Hildor. Proper protocol has been glossed-over to insure you both see justice in a timely manner. I assure you that we have in no way risked the integrity of your innocence...or lack there of."  He eyes the elf and Thayan in turn. "I will start with the list of indictments."
Harad shuffles through a few papers atop the podium he stands behind and the three adventurers have a brief moment to get acclimated to their environment. The room is relatively cramped and chairs are set in a small number of meticulously placed rows and columns with a small aisle between them leading to the front podium Harad stands behind. In one of the back corners, a Tyrran in military garb lounges lazily against the wall. For a bailiff, he doesn't seem too concerned with the proceedings; for him, the act of hindering Justice is simply unthinkable. Another Tyrran sits scribbling on parchment in one of the front corners of the confined room. Ink vials, quills, and all manner of stationary are set out in evenly spaced increments in front of him. The stenographer seems more interested in his work than the defendants.
“Nae’talis, you have been charged with absconding the nation of Thay and its indictments against you; a delinquency punishable by forceful deportation.” Harad looks to the mage. “How do you plea?”


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## Majin (Jul 20, 2006)

Nae'talis stands in silence, his eyes set on Harad, his lips a thin slit. He waits patiently without giving a reply, awaiting the court's reaction.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 20, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Harad waits a few moments to make sure of Nae'talis' intentions.
"Let it be shown that the defendant 'stands mute.' Should the court find you guilty of the listed offense, Nae'talis, arrangements will be made for your immediate removal from the lands governed under Silverymoon." Harad nods to Nae'talis and turns to Hildor. "Hildor, you have been charged with conspiring against the sovereign state of Silverymoon, perjury, consorting with known malefactors, and espionage. These crimes are punishable by incarceration. How do you plea?"

~ Dowkan ~

"Let's just say, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Syrriel flashes a sheepish grin at Dowkan. When they say "unspeakable horrors," they mean it literally. The sun elven bard looks over at Wizzop and nods to him. His impervious grin melts into grim determination and he leaves Syrriel and Dowkan to their conversation. "Before I go any further, I want your word that you won't go running your mouth to any of your drinking buddies or anyone who just happens to lend an ear about what I tell you. Swear it, Dowkan. By Moradin's left boot or your mother's beard or whatever else dwarves hold in reverence, will you swear it?"


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## Legildur (Jul 20, 2006)

Dowkan grumbles something unintelligible under his beard and sighs.  "Alright, I'll swear on Moradin's forge.  But I'll be up front wit ya and say I'll be telling me buddies, Hrolf, Hildor and Nae'talis, IF we be into sometin' bad and IF I be thinkin' they need to be knowing.  That's only fair, if that be alright by you.  But I swear to keep me trap shut otherwise."


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 20, 2006)

Hildor looks at his fingers.  Lets see.

He looks at his index finger.  Conspiring against the sovereign state of Silverymoon.  No, he couldn't think of a thing he did recently which whose motive had anything to do with Silverymoon.

Then his middle finger.  Perjury.  He hadn't really lied to anyone.  He may have misled one particular party, but Mars deserved it.  All he had promised Radcliff was to follow the Thayan.  Technically, he was still doing that.

His ring finger.  Consorting with known malefactors.  That was a point of view.  Tyr didn't like Thay, Thay didn't like Tyr.  In any case Hildor didn't know Mars was a "malefactor" until recently.  Up til then he was just a disgruntled customer.

Espionage.  That was a matter of perspective.  Though he hadn't gone out to do so, he had communicated information to the Tyrrans that Mars probably didn't want them to know.

"Not guilty, Not guilty, Not guilty, and ummm...", he paused for a moment.  "espionage against who?"


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## hippocrachus (Jul 20, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Harad smiles judiciously at Hildor.
“The Church of Tyr and the martial wardens of Silverdown.”


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## Dhes (Jul 20, 2006)

After herring the charges lead down against Nae’talis and Hildor, and hearing there plea. Hrolf stands. ”Your honor, If I may. It is my opinion that the allegations against my charge Nae’talis Ves’aru should be dropped.  It stands as fact that Master Ves’aru did not commit any crimes inside the jurisdiction of Silverymoon. Seeing that my client momentarily resides within the state Silverymoon, he can only be convicted by the Law’s of the state of Silverymoon and only convicted for crimes committed within its jurisdiction.  I am of the opinion that the only legal action that can and should be taken against Master Ves’aru, is an independent hearing to determine if my charge should be given diplomatic protection from his former masters.” 

Steping away from the table to stand next to Hildor, “Your honor, as for the charges laid against Master Tooron. I am of the opinion, -that I formed while fighting next to him in the Ogre’s cave – that Hildor can only be found guilty of ignorance. It’s true that ignorance by itself is not grounds for dismissal, but I do urge the court to take this into consideration when speaking out there justice over him. I am sure that with Tyr’s guides, that Hildor can be rehabilitated into a productive member of the state of Silverymoon.“ with that Hrolf takes his seat and awaits Harad’s verdict. 
[sblock]+6 *Diplomacy*, +9 *Knowledge* (Region)[/sblock]


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 20, 2006)

"Not Guilty then." he finished.

... Hrolf's speech ...

Was that the end?  It was a rather short trial, and Hrolf's argument was better than needing to explain each crime, but Hildor had no interest in "rehabilitation".


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## hippocrachus (Jul 20, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Harad nods to Hildor and turns to Hrolf, signaling for the Defense to make its opening statements. Harad listens to Hrolf's presentation of Nae'talis' case and clears his throat before speaking.
"Under treatises with the nation of Thay, Nae'talis is labeled a fugitive in the Silver Marches. Although he has not been convicted of any crimes in Silverymoon, he is subject to the Thayan Deportation Act and is therefore a delinquent under the jurisdiction of this court." Harad doesn't seem pleased in having to admit that, but friendship cannot deter justice. "Motion to dismiss is overruled."
Hrolf moves on to present Hildor's case and Harad seems to follow along with increasing agreement.
"There is little evidence given for the charges brought against Hildor; and I cannot convict him on speculation alone. Hildor did admit to spying on Nae'talis while in the service of the Church of Tyr, however it cannot be proven that he gave any malefactors information of Nae'talis' whereabouts. Nae'talis identified Hildor's contact as a member of the Red Wizards, an organization recognized in the Silver Marches as malefactors, but I do not believe Hildor intended to consort with them. Withholding information from the martial wardens of Silverdown is not the same as conspiring against them if he was not asked to present it. Father Braggi questioned Hildor without proper jurisdiction and without informing Hildor of his rights, which both dissolves the charge of conspiracy and perjury against Hildor. Hildor never gave an oath anyway. Motion to dismiss accepted." He looks at Hildor sternly. "You may stay for the remainder of the trial, should you be needed in the defense of Nae'talis."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 21, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

Syrriel narrows her eyes in warning when Dowkan grumbles, but he doesn't notice.
"The area around Silverdown, stretching for many leagues, used to be in the power of a powerful ogre mage." Not really that impressive for all the hype and drama she put around it. "Tsathzar Rho was his name. At the height of his power, he would make even the most powerful mage today look a novice. One of his greatest achievements involved creating one of the first gateways into the Abyss; a feat that up until then would drive a normal soul insane before its completion. And he didn't stop there. After leashing the demon lords of the Abyss, he moved on to greater evil powers." All a bunch of wizard mumbopocus. "I could count off a million things his hubris accomplished, but the most important one is his challenge to the Outer Gods. Tsathzar Rho opened a gate to the space between dimensions and called forth Chaos itself to bow before his might and glory. They came, and with them, the power to twist and corrupt our world till it is nothing more than a floating ball of evil. Tsathzar Rho, his dimensional gates, and the tower they were contained in were sucked into the Void before the Outer Gods could step through to our world." Great, no harm done... "Unfortunately, even though the Outer Gods were stopped by their own dementia, a rift was created between our world and the infinite space beyond. The only thing I've been able to guess that's keeping the rift from letting the Outer Gods through is when all of the magics and artifacts Tsathzar Rho collected in his tower were sucked into the Void, they created some kind of block. I think that block is getting weaker though..."


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## Legildur (Jul 21, 2006)

Dowkan sits himself down without waiting for an invitation.  "So you be tellin' me that I was in that tower of Rho's?"

"But how can that be?  That be in tha void by what you say?"


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 21, 2006)

Hildor bows his head to Harad.  It was the outcome he'd been hoping for.

Then, looking toward Nae'talis, he considered his position.  Tyrrans seemed to have a sense of honor so this probably wasn't a trick, and Hildor and the wizard weren't exactly friends.  To add to that he couldn't think of anything he could say or do that would be helpful.  By all rights he could just leave.

But there was still some sense of pity for Nae'talis.  If it hadn't been for Hildor this might not have come up.

He rolled his eyes as he spoke.  "I'll give a minute for the noble then."  Somehow he knew he was going to regret the decision.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 21, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Harad looks from Hildor to Nae'talis and then to Hrolf.
"What were your intentions when you entered the Silver Marches and the lands governed under the state of Silverymoon, Nae'talis?" he asks the mage.

~ Dowkan ~

"Even though the rift has been blocked, it may still be able to alter reality here on Toril. What you saw may very well have been Rho's tower as it was, but most likely, what you experienced was nothing more than a lucid dream... The closer to the rift you are, the more power it has over your reality. If you were dreaming close to the rift, it's possible that it affected what you were dreaming about." She looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Father Braggi told me that Hrolf and the others were sent to the cave to slay an ogre named Logbrag; I think the Tyrrans knew about Tsathzar Rho however. I think they were unwittingly sent to investigate the region for any signs of the rift's opening. Or maybe their facts weren't straight. Maybe they thought Logbrag was Tsathzar Rho come alive again..." She considers the dwarf mercenary and steels her features. "I've answered your questions, yes? Now let us discuss what you can do for me."


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## Majin (Jul 21, 2006)

Nae'talis glanced at Hildor as the elf's case was dismissed. It mattered not either way. The young Thayan would have rather he went, and never returned. It was quite evident at this point that one of them would have to go. Nae'talis did not particularly care which, whether himself or the elf, but he could not be near him now; not with his connections to the Red Tower, no matter how _"innocent"_ Hildor made himself out to be. Though he might not need Hildor's "curse" to be near him to send him back to his brethren if this trial did not go his way.

_Once you mixed with the wizards of the Red Tower, you were not done with them, until they were done with you..._

Nae'talis had fought for the past few years trying to prove that addage wrong. It might all come to this. He felt pity for the Tyrran's if they indeed planned to honor the Thayan Act. Even acknowledging such a thing when you were in another land brought you into the Reds' grasp. These "men of justice" would be further enthralled if they chose to make the contact necessary to return him to his lands. The wizard knew that explaining this to the Tyrran's would do no good. To them, Justice was blind. 

Looking up to regard Harad and his questioning, Nae'talis answers in a low, serious voice. "My intentions were solely to get away. To put as much distance between the tower and myself so I could pursue my studies in peace and at my own pace. I did not appreciate their strict rules structures. This may abhor you, _Justice_, but I am a man that follows his own set of rules, no one elses. I follow my own code of laws." 

Nae'talis pauses for a moment to let the statement sink in before continuing, "At the moment, and throughout the foreseeable future, I am only interested in furthering my knowledge. To reiterate, back with my own kind, I felt stunted when it came to this and so I left. Did I know that this was not allowed? Yes, but I did not care. Just like I suspect that you do not care. So why must I be asked to go on like this? It certainly seems like you have all the information you need to make your decision, so I suggest that you get on with it."


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## Legildur (Jul 22, 2006)

Syrriel said:
			
		

> She considers the dwarf mercenary and steels her features. "I've answered your questions, yes? Now let us discuss what you can do for me."



"A dream ya say?  Well that still don't explain how I ended up in the caves now, do it?" he grumbles, but says nothing further.  "Now what could an axe wielding dwarven mercenary possibly do for you?"


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## hippocrachus (Jul 22, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

"You are subject to the laws of the land, no matter your code; whether you choose to obey them or not is the difference between being an abiding citizen and a criminal." Harad eyes Nae'talis suspiciously. Whatever the Justiciar thought of him before, blatant disregard for the law wasn't winning the wizard any wars. "You have just admitted to willingly breaking the law. You are guilty." Harad shakes his head in disbelief. There is nothing he can do to prevent Nae'talis being booted from the Silver Marches. "Bailiff? Muster a guard to escort Nae'talis to a holding cell. He will wait there until arrangements can be made for his departure."
The bailiff straightens from the wall and walks out of the courtroom, carefree. All in a day's work.

~ Dowkan ~

"Do you know how long you were dreaming, Dowkan?" Syrriel asks the still confused mercenary. "Maybe the Hrolf phantom was more than a phantom. Maybe he carried you there..." She lets him think on that for a moment before getting to business. "I need you to convince the others to...investigate the caverns further. Hrolf and Hildor might be willing to help me, but I can't trust Nae'talis to be so altruistic. He might if you ask..."


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## Legildur (Jul 23, 2006)

"What is it that you would expect us to find in the caves?" asks Dowkan.  "If it be something magical or powerful, then maybe Nae'talis could be convinced."

"I'm sure he'd go there if he knew more of the history of this palce and you be a thinkin' that there be a connection with them caves."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 23, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"The last thing I want is that arrogant fool thinking I owe him something or worse, that I need his help!" she says in something short of a bark. She clears her throat and smoothes her features before going on. "The truth is, I was going to do it myself, but I was...taken in by Braggi and the Tyrrans. Now I have a duty to Silverdown..."
_Until I find a chance to leave!_
"Your dream is the bridge I have to make any connection by. I'm not certain by any means, but I believe there is more to those caves than a solitary ogre and a band of crazy-eyed kobolds. I need you to make certain of it."


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## Legildur (Jul 23, 2006)

"Aye, well then, I'll do me best, milady," Dowkan replies and sketches a short bow before leaving to find Sunder.


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## Majin (Jul 23, 2006)

Nae'talis' facial expression did not change as Harad laid down sentence, but the mage immediately communicated with his raven familiar who he had let fly about outside his current location, as usual. 

_Follow from a distance. Scout out possible escape routes. Stand ready nearby,_ he told the raven.

He would not sacrifice his dignity by making a scene. But he would constantly be on the lookout for an oppurtunity to slip away. He was not certain what his brethren would do to him when he was back in their hands, but he did not believe it to be pleasant. His studies were likely to be setback years; that is, if he managed to survive the return into their hands at all. 

He stared hard at Harad, studying the man, but did not say a word. He had thought the man predisposed towards his innocence, which was peculiar to begin with. Perhaps his claim of following only his own code pinched a nerve with such a man of "law". _Rather a sheep, than a shepard,_ the Thayan concluded. A reaction he should have known better to expect anyhow. He mentally filed the thought away and vowed to only speak in such an antagonizing way with authority in the future when his pride was on the line. Otherwise, they would be told exactly what they wanted to hear.

He sat, waiting patiently to be led away, and hoping that Shadar would have luck finding a route of escape.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 24, 2006)

*Following the Music*

“A toast! To Justice!” Ali’shaun touches the rim of his wine glass to that of the wizard assassin’s sitting beside him. Cithara meets the toast with a full-lipped grin. “There’s nothing more poetic!”  he says and takes a sip. He launches the still-full glass at the iron golem standing guard silently in the corner. Yes, Radcliff still had his uses.
“The Spellguards will be able to trace the gate back to here…” she remarks on the magical door she used to travel from Silverymoon to the Rashemen border.
“What can they do? Start a war?” He laughs bitterly. “Let them come; I have more important things to worry about. With the Tyrrans out of the picture, the ogre mage’s phylactery is as good as mine. That is if that fool boy stops dawdling and retrieves it!” An unseen servant brings him another glass of wine.
“He may prove loath to part with it; if it’s as powerful as you say…”
“It is,” he states, giving her an annoyed sideward glance. “To think, my mere presence near the rift could create the tear that would ruin the whole of Toril.”
“Are you sure your apostate won't now?” she asks, taking pleasure in weaving doubt into her teacher’s schemes.
“If he would stop taking his damn time about it… No. He is still too weak to force the block free. And the phylactery will prove too great an oddity for him to willingly destroy. As if he could. He will bring it from the caves and I will take it from him. It is as easy as that.” He looks at Cithara with malicious suspicion. “Stop it.”
“Stop what, Master Ali’Shaun?” she asks, feigning innocence.
“Don’t you have someone to kill? I’ll contact you again when I need you. You are dismissed.” Cithara rises with a smirk on her face and rolls her eyes as soon as her back is to the lounging Circle Leader.
“What about the token?” she asks, fingering the small golden coin in her pocket; the token needed to cast magic unhindered in Silverymoon.
“Keep it. I can have more made.”

~ Sabriel ~

The two-and-a-half day ride to Silverdown from Silverymoon goes smoothly, with special thanks to the Tyrran foot soldiers Sabriel meets heading in the opposite direction. Father Braggi, a half frost giant and the leader of the battalion, stopped her to ask the usual questions, but sent her on her way with his blessings. Far be it from him to stop an official envoy of Silverymoon. When Sabriel enters Silverdown through the west “gate,” more like a fence with half-built watch towers on either side, it is closing in on sunset.
Enellienen, a High Harper in Silverymoon, gave specific directions to Sabriel to search out the “Surreal Harpist,” where Syrriel was playing at being a store clerk and mayor.
The nice young Tyrran at the gate points Sabriel down the main road, towards the local garrison and blacksmith. The Surreal Harpist is close by.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 24, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The bailiff returns with two off-duty guards in tow. They walk over to Nae'talis with a set of manacles between them, but before they can clamp them shut on the wizard's wrists, a familiar, talkative voice calls from outside the courtroom. Harad quirks an eyebrow and motions for the bailiff to see what the raucous is about. As the door is opened just a crack, Wizzop pushes through brandishing a rolled up parchment like a god would a lightning bolt.
"Hold it! Hold it!" he bellows in between pants. "I have official papers here! A pardon signed by the Mayor herself!"
An observant eye might catch Harad crossing his arms with a smug expression and shaking his head at the halfling. Wizzop marches down the aisle, past Nae'talis and his two would-be imprisoners, kicking anybody's shins who isn't fast about moving, and places the paper on Harad's podium.
"It's official!" Wizzop reiterates, just proud to be apart of "official business." Harad unrolls the parchment and reads it with disinterest.
"Yes, it certainly is," the Justiciar intones. "Release him," he says to the two guards.


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## kirinke (Jul 24, 2006)

Sabriel pats the neck of her horse as she looks at the half-demolished or rather mostly demolished town, she amends to herself after taking a more through look at the place. "Blessed Lurue, the High Harper didn't say just how bad the attack was," she said, half to herself and half to the horse as she dismounts and ties the reins to the hitching post in front of the shop. "Stay," she orders the horse and walks into the shop.


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## Majin (Jul 24, 2006)

Nae'talis masks his surprise well as his pardon is given. Without a word and just a glance at Harad, he turns and walks swiftly to the door, ignoring Hildor as he passes. He had little interest in exactly why Syrriel had pardoned him, but he still needed to retrieve the magical items she had promised to divine for him. He mentally cancelled Shadar's vigil and sent him back to his usual routine as he made his way to speak with the mayor.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 24, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

When Dowkan leaves the Surreal Harpist, he notices a silver-haired woman on horseback coming up the main road from the west gate. Crossing over to Sunder's Smithy, he finds Sunder hard at work at the furnace again. The grizzled dwarf nods at him and looks to make sure Dowkan has the mug he borrowed. He hands off a glowing orange piece of steel to one of the apprentices and comes over to join Dowkan.
"Ye hear enough then?" he asks, refilling the mug. "I ain't one fer to talk abou' wha I ain't suppos'd t', so I left it fer the Mayor. I told ye the place wer haunt'd like."

~ Sabriel ~

Sabriel enters the modest magic shop to find a golden-haired sun elf kneeling in front of a display case. Syrriel.
"We'll be closing soon," she says over her shoulder. Rising and turning to face the new-comer, her eyes go wide and shift from side to side briefly before the rogue Harper agent smoothes her countenance. "What are you doing here?" she asks cautiously.


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## Legildur (Jul 24, 2006)

"Aye, you were right enough 'bout it," curses Dowkan as he slams the mug onto the bench.  "Me head spins with all the guff that's been shoved in there of late."

"Tell me then, what's this little favor you were to ask me?"


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## kirinke (Jul 24, 2006)

It had been along time since she had seen the elf. In fact, she had been just a child of ten, wide eyed as she had watched Syrriel call light from just a few hummed words. "I'm sorry Harper Syrriel, but High Harper Enellienen has tasked me with bringing you in for questioning regarding the situation here in Silverdown. They want to know what's going on." she said, looking apologetic.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 24, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Aye! Ye agreed t'help her then? Good on ye!" he slaps Dowkan on the shoulder, but coughs politely when some of the ale is spilled from the sudden jolt. "There're them that went fer t'searchin' out tha wizard o' yers in the caves tha said there was a fine vein of mithril ore to be had by an aspirin' enty-pruner like meself in there. If'n ye go back there, ye hava looksie aroun' fer me? Maybe I can get a bit o' it fer free like, instead o' havin' t'deal with them durned merchants. I'll cut ye a break on any o' me wares fer it, and maybe throw in a bit o' the profits!" Sunder gives Dowkan a hopeful look. It really isn't asking a lot from the younger mercenary, but Sunder probably still thinks Dowkan has a reason to be mad at him...

~ Nae'talis & Sabriel ~

"That's it then," she states more than asks. "Well, you can run back to Silverymoon and tell Lady Enellienen I'm busy with important matters." She purposefully leaves out the title of "High Harper." Nobody with nosy ears should be rewarded with information about the Harpers if it can be helped. Syrriel doesn't look pleased that Sabriel is so forthcoming; among other things. "I will return when my duties here in Silverdown are complete..."
Nae'talis enters the Surreal Harpist just in time to interrupt the two womens' exchange. Syrriel gives him a look that borders between a glare and a welcoming smile. It's obvious to the wizard that he interrupted Syrriel in a tight spot.
"Of course you're welcome to stay here in Silverdown! Whoever heard of a traveler asking permission..." she trails off with a laugh for both of them.


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## Legildur (Jul 24, 2006)

Dowkan looks seriously at the old dwarf.  "I dunno 'bou that....." starts Dowkan, shaking his head slightly from side to side.  "Of course I will ya ol' goat!" he adds with a gruff grin and a hearty slap to the shoulder of Sunder.  "But you'd best get me a decent pick like to dig som' out should I find som'."

"To old mates finding riches," he adds, spitting into his palm and holding it out for Sunder to shake to seal the deal.


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## kirinke (Jul 24, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> ~ Dowkan ~
> "That's it then," she states more than asks. "Well, you can run back to Silverymoon and tell Lady Enellienen I'm busy with important matters." She purposefully leaves out the title of "High Harper." Nobody with nosy ears should be rewarded with information about the Harpers if it can be helped. Syrriel doesn't look pleased that Sabriel is so forthcoming; among other things. "I will return when my duties here in Silverdown are complete..."
> Nae'talis enters the Surreal Harpist just in time to interrupt the two womens' exchange. Syrriel gives him a look that borders between a glare and a welcoming smile. It's obvious to the wizard that he interrupted Syrriel in a tight spot.
> "Of course you're welcome to stay here Silverdown! Whoever heard of a traveler asking permission..." she trails off with a laugh for both of them.




"Aye," she said smoothly. "But permission to go is sometimes harder to get once the road is blocked," she said, her tone clear that she wasn't going to give up so easily and for the elf in front of her, easy to read the conversation under the lines. "Perhaps we can catch up on the past ten years my old friend, it has been awhile," she said, knowing the elf would catch the hint that she was willing to listen to what the rogue harper had to say before she made any decisions. After all, she may be brushed aside, but others won't and it would be easier to go along with the young human, than what may come after her.

Sabriel grinned at the harper, easily hiding the tension beneath a mask of youth and cheerfulness. "Anyway, I'm hungry and parched. Anyplace to take care of both those problems?"


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## Majin (Jul 24, 2006)

Nae'talis looks back and forth between the two women before deciding he did not care what they were on about as he proceeded further into the room. "I have come for the items I left in your charge. I trust they've been properly divined?"

Pausing a moment he begrudgedly adds, "The pardon you've issued me... was appreciated... but puzzling. Why did you do it?" he asks plainly, looking the elven bard in the eyes.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 24, 2006)

~ Dowkan ~

"Aye, let me get ye a pick!" Sunder says, shaking Dowkan's hand vigorously. Sunder instead gets a chisel and hammer for Dowkan. A pick may prove cumbersome in the long run, and Sunder really only needs a small sample for proof of its quality.
Sunder will drink and chat with Dowkan as long as the young mercenary likes; discussing plans for the future of Sunder's Smithy and hiring some miners if the ore works out.

~ Nae'talis & Sabriel ~

Syrriel looks from Sabriel to Nae'talis with the beginnings of a plan showing on her features.
"You'll be glad to know Dowkan arrived here safely while your trial was taking place," she says to the wizard, not thinking he'd care either way. "Sabriel, this is Nae'talis. A _Thayan_ wizard." She manages to make Thayan sound like murder. "Nae'talis, this is Sabriel. She is a student of lore from Silverymoon; she's dropped by to say hello. No doubt she is very happy for me and my new _responsibilities_." She manages to make that sound like a command. "Let me go retrieve your things, Nae'talis..."
Syrriel leaves the two considering how easily she just ignored their questions. One way to gain the upper-hand in a conversation is to simply pretend the other person doesn't exist.


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## Legildur (Jul 24, 2006)

Dowkan slips the hammer and chisel into his belt and turns his mind back to the real business - Sunder's ale!  Knowing that the others will find him once they are done - assuming they are not in jail - Dowkan sets about chatting with ol' Sunder and drinking his ale until he is quietly sloshed (unless he is interrupted, of course).


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## kirinke (Jul 24, 2006)

"Elves. Never met one that wasn't full of themselves," Sabriel muttered, low enough that only the wizard could hear her. "I have a feeling this stop by is going to take longer than I thought," she looked at the wizard. 

"Well met Sirrah Nae'talis," she said politely, "I am Sabriel Imaide as Syrriel has already said." she grinned ruefully. "I'm afraid, I may need to find a place to stay the night. Does this town have something resembling an inn?" she asked, hoping that there would be. If not, it wouldn't be the first time she camped out under the stars.

_*A Thayan wizard in the SilverMarches? Hmmm. I suspect I should keep an eye on him, see if he's up to anything, but on the otherhand, it does no good to make an enemy where there really isn't one to begin with.*_ Sabriel thought herself.


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## ae1vart0n (Jul 24, 2006)

Taking the opportunity afforded by the conversations going on, Hildor decided he had had enough.  He walked quietly, toward the door only stopping to be mindlessly kicked in the shin by Wizzop.  Apparently his luck was failing once again.

His next stop would be to return to Silverymoon and check on his old friend Radcliff, and to tell him what had become of his errand.



Spoiler



The end.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 24, 2006)

~ Hildor ~

Hildor walks off into the sunset, never to be heard from again.


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## Majin (Jul 24, 2006)

"Yes, there is one," Nae'talis replies, offhandedly. "If you could call it that," he adds, recalling his short stay in the makeshift inn that had been assembled rather hastily.


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## Dhes (Jul 24, 2006)

After the confusion created by the loud half-ling. Hrolf stairs at the retreading form of Nae’talis, after his pardon was proclaimed. 

Getting up and approaching Harad before he can leave. “Master Harad, my I know on what grounds Nae’talis was pardoned. I seems that Master Nae’talis isn’t interested in the rezone, but I as his defense counsel am. “


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## hippocrachus (Jul 24, 2006)

~ Hrolf ~

"Sometimes a petty criminal has to be over-looked to catch a felon," Harad says to the younger cleric of Tyr with a sagacious smile. The Justiciar hands Hrolf the rolled up parchment with a nod to open it.
The paper is blank.


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## kirinke (Jul 24, 2006)

"Anything is better than a bush or cave," she said, laughingly. "And as long as it has half-way decent food and drink, I'm not one to complain," she grinned. "Lucky me, I can even sing for my supper,"


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## Majin (Jul 25, 2006)

Nae'talis eyes Sabriel, noticing her heritage. "I was... unaware that a plane-touched's tastes could be so... pedestrian," he comments, expelling a quiet blast of air from his nostrils in mild amusement.


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

Sabriel looked at him and grinned. "Well, I'm mostly human and was raised by humans. So I like music and such 'pedestrian' things as well as the next person," she looked at him pointedly. "So why does Syrriel seem to dislike you? Not that it much matters, most Gold Elves I've met think that everyone is beneath them." she chuckled. "They're sorta like cats in that regard, only not as cute and cuddly,"


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## Majin (Jul 25, 2006)

Nae'talis brushes a finger past his lips as he considers Sabriel's words. "Well Ms. Imaide, I am fully human and find that no excuse to settle for anything but the best for myself and others, if it pleases me. As for music, it can either be pedestrian, as you say, or regal, depending on its performers. Things of such variation are always subject to a fine eye for criticism," he nods, considering the matter closed. 

"As for Syrriel, she apparently has her reasons for disliking me so. Perhaps she is so basest as for it to be simply about my blood, which would be doubly fitting for her, as a Gold Elf, and I, as a Thayan. But she is a clever girl, I can tell as much. Her reasons no doubt run far deeper than that, but what they are in detail, even I cannot say. It is no matter though, as I plan to make myself scarce quite shortly. I only wish to be left alone, and those that take such a disliking to me in quicker time than the little we've spoken, make me suspicious..."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Nae'talis & Sabriel ~

"Just as Sun Elves are stereotyped by their race, Thayan's are stereotyped by their culture," Syrriel says as she comes out of the back room with her hands full. She looks at both of the adventurers with a reproving sneer for their racial slurs. They remembered that Sun Elves are snooty, but they forgot that a Sun Elf is still an Elf. The ears and all...
"Here are the items." She places them on the counter in a pile and begins describing the items and their magical properties to the wizard. "Where's Hrolf and Hildor?" She secretly doesn't feel comfortable giving all of the items to Nae'talis. Treachery is a common trait among the stereotypical Thayan. Sabriel seems to be out of her mind at the moment; the faster Nae'talis is out of the picture, the faster she can send the Harper envoy back to Silverymoon.


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

"Just Sabriel if you please, I'm not much for formalities," the bard said with a quick, easy grin. "And as far as disliking goes, we've just met, hardly enough time for me to form any opinion either way." she shrugged. "If you would be kind enough to point me in the direction of whatever passes as an inn in this place, I'd be quite grateful indeed." 

She looked at Syrriel. "And if you do not wish to be judged by sterotypes my old friend, do not live up to them," she said seriously. "If you want, we can talk tomorrow in private." she smiled, but there was steel underneath, hinting that the air-head act was just that, an act. "We have alot to 'catch' up on, I think."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Nae'talis & Sabriel ~

"No, no, Sabriel. There will be no need for you to leave," she says, pointing sternly at a furnished chair in the middle of the room. The envoy may have the backing of a High Harper, but she was still a student and probably still subject to Syrriel's authority... Maybe.


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

ooc:
I suspect that Syrriel may have the advantage of home base, but Sabriel has the advantage of Harper authority backing her, she isn't going to be easily intimidated.

IC
Sabriel grinned to herself as she sat down. She had scored a point against the elder harper, hopefully with the act she put on with Nae'talis, he'd consider her harmless. Another point in her favor. Like one of her teachers said, the more harmless you look, the easier it is to pick a pocket or lift a purse off a mark.


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## Majin (Jul 25, 2006)

Nae'talis quietly sifts through the items laid before him as the females exchange words. He straps the bracers on quickly and lets the long sleeves of his robe drop back down into place, hiding them from view. He then tucks the wand into the folds of his robe and hefts the magic shield carefully. He palms the ring as well.

Not caring much to begin with, he gives up on getting any further information about his pardon from Syrriel and steps outside into the open air. Spying Dowkan across the square making a raucous with Sunder at his smithy the young Thayan makes his way to his dwarven companion. 

"I believe this belongs to you," he states, offering the dwarf the magical shield. Once taken, he also reveals the ring in his upturned palm. "I also believe the most intelligent course of action would be for you to wear this as well. If your task is to protect me from harm, said harm can be avoided if the threat does not manage to get through you to begin with," he explains, eyeing the dwarf carefully, gauging his reaction.


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## Legildur (Jul 25, 2006)

Dowkan cocks his head to one side and eyes the mage thoughtfully for a few moments.  "Aye, what ya say makes sense ta me," he says finally, taking the wooden shield and ring and nodding his head in thanks.  "But what have the others to say 'bout it?"


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## Majin (Jul 25, 2006)

Nae'talis nods as Dowkan accepts the items. Without pause he responds to the dwarf's concerns. "The others I trust will see reason. If not, I shall bring them around to it. Hildor should be no trouble, being particularly spineless. I do not plan to associate myself with him for much longer anyway. Hrolf though appears to be a fair man. I find little reason to suspect he will disagree with this arrangement either."


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## Legildur (Jul 25, 2006)

Dowkan raises a single eyebrow at Nae'talis' harsh words of the mage's companion.  Considering the Thayan for a few moments longer, Dowkan's face resumes it's usual postuer.  "Aye, I bets you can."

"Let's find the others and sort out what we's be up to.  I've got me some ideas that you might be wantin' to hear."


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

As soon as the wizard leaves, Sabriel blew out a breath and laughed softly. "Lurue bless, I can't believe I laid it on that thick," she said, shaking her head and then became more serious as she leaned back into the chair. 

"Syrriel, I really don't know much about what's going on down here, or why the Lady Enellienen wants to question you. " she waved her hand towards the fairly ruined town. "Whatever happened here, it was bad and I have a hunch you are in up to your ears in all of this," she said. "You need to tell me what's going on at least, before I decide anything."


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## Majin (Jul 25, 2006)

The wizard nods again and gestures with a hand for Dowkan to lead on. "Last I saw him, he was still in the garrison where our trial was held," he mentions, indicating himself and Hildor.


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## Legildur (Jul 25, 2006)

Dowkan grunts and starts in the direction of the garrison.  "Obviously it went well if ya be standin' out here t'en."


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## Majin (Jul 25, 2006)

"Yes..." the wizard breathes. "That's what I find peculiar. It seems Syrriel has done me the courtesy of awarding a pardon on my behalf after I had been nearly on my way back to Thay. When I questioned her just now, she avoided giving an answer as to why. I am just glad to be rid of that mess and could care less when it comes down to it, so I did not press her. Her reasons are her own and I suppose they shall stay that way."


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## Legildur (Jul 25, 2006)

"I'll not be trying to figure that lass out," he says as they approach the garrison.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Syrriel ~

"You certainly have grown presumptuous since I last spoke to you," she says, eyeing Nae'talis' expeditious retreat. She turns her head slowly back to Sabriel and studies her with a furrowed brow.
_Old friend? I can't have known of the girl for more than ten years... Half her life... Humans._
"Do you have any idea...? No. I suppose not."  Syrriel pulls an ethereal harp out of thin air and begins plucking a few notes. She casts a spell on the room to prevent eavesdroppers from listening in, magical or mundane. "I don't need to tell you anything. In fact, I would imagine that High Lady Enellienen would flay both our hides if I did." She shakes her head in exasperation. "You need to spend more time with the elves and less with the gnomes, Sabriel. Your tact is severely lacking."
Syrriel was never a forgiving teacher; always quick to admonish and quicker still, to punish those that didn't learn fast enough for her tastes. That's probably why she wasn't around very often; always out on field missions, having adventures and seeing new and exotic realms. Much better than spending hours teaching little brats the complicated histories of lands they'd probably never see...
Syrriel shakes her head again for good measure. The gall of the girl to demand she tell her anything.
"What I told you will do. I have a duty to Silverdown now."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Dowkan & Nae'talis ~

The dwarf and mage leave Sunder gawking at how well they _seemed_ to know each other after such a short time and head toward the garrison. When they enter, Nae'talis leads them to where the trial took place. The doors are open now, and the only people inside are Hrolf and Harad. Probably still talking about law.
Hildor is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was a phantom all along...


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## Legildur (Jul 25, 2006)

"Oi! Hrolf!" calls Dowkan, forgetting his (nonexistent) manners and interrupting he and Harad. "Com' on, we gots us work to do.  Where's tat whip of a boy Hildor.  We'll be needing him too?"


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

[sblock]







			
				hippocrachus said:
			
		

> ~ Syrriel ~
> 
> "You certainly have grown presumptuous since I last spoke to you," she says, eyeing Nae'talis' expeditious retreat. She turns her head slowly back to Sabriel and studies her with a furrowed brow.
> _Old friend? I can't have known of the girl for more than ten years... Half her life... Humans._
> ...



[/sblock]

Sabriel snorted. "Aye and that may have worked on me when I was ten. But not now. Lady Enellienen would surely flay _my_ hide if I did not return with you and I do not wish to endure her lectures," she grinned at the elder harper. "I am much more intimidated by her than by you. She could take us both on without breaking a sweat." she said calmly and factually. 

"I am doomed either way to a 'skinless' existance by your stance, so I would rather know what is going on. If I do not succeed in my task, Lady Enellienen will most likely send someone else, someone with more experience to extract you and one who is not as willing to listen as I,"

ooc:
Gather Information 7
Diplomacy 7
Bluff 7
Sense Motive 4

Diplomancy to maybe sooth Syrriel's ruffled feathers, Bluff and Gather Information to get her to talk, Sense motive to make sure she isn't lying or evading the truth (althogh in this case, it'd take a blind mole-rat not to miss that.  )


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Sabriel ~

It's glaringly obvious that Syrriel doesn't like what she's hearing from the younger bard. Sabriel does however succeed in mistakenly convincing the Harper agent into believing Sabriel is putting on a show, and a good one at that. Sabriel is a pleasant enough person that Syrriel considers her before blowing her eardrums out. Magically or mundanely.
Syrriel doesn't seem to be lying; Enellienen will most definitely not be pleased when she finds out Sabriel was trying to badger information out of Syrriel.
The sun elf stares at Sabriel as if wondering what she will do next. The performance thus far was simply that stunning.


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

OOC
[sblock]
Gladja like it   [/sblock]

IC
Sabriel tapped her fingers on the long chair arm. "You're probably right though, Lady Enellienen would not like me to know everything, but going into a situation blind isn't pleasant to say the least. And that's exactly what I'm doing, blundering around an unfamiliar room, blindfolded." 

She sighed, looking frustrated. "And what if I returned with 'I have a duty here to Silverdown now' Do you honestly think Lady Enellienen would accept that? It's along the lines of ahh, I got jumped by that gang of kobolds on the way to class ma'm and they destroyed my homework assignment. _Again_."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Sabriel ~

"Why exactly _are_ you here, Sabriel?" she asks slowly, easing herself in a chair across from the aasimar. Syrriel thought the Harpers had finally gotten sick of her never showing up to meetings and making reports on her findings and sent the student of lore to deliver a summons. Sabriel seems to think otherwise. "The High Lady did tell you why you were coming to Silverdown, right? I hope they wouldn't send a novice out into the Marches without telling her why..."
Maybe the woman just needed something to eat after the long journey. Just in time, a halfling enters the magic shop and gives a surprised start at seeing the strange silver-haired woman.
"Wizzop, can you fetch our guest something to eat?" she asks, looking at Sabriel.


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

Sabriel smiled gratefully at the mention of 'food'. She hadn't eaten since lunch and that meal consisted of a bit of dried meat and fruit and hard tack followed by a little water to wash it down. Hardly appetizing. 

"She didn't tell me much, only that the situation down here was bad and that she wanted to question you about it." the aasimar held out her hands in apology and supplication. "She always was one for letting you sink or swim in a situation." she shrugged tiredly. "I suspect she thought it would be a simple assignment."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Sabriel ~

More like she doesn't know just how bad the situation is herself...
"Things have been quiet since Tyr took over," Syrriel says, waving Wizzop to hurry with the food. The halfling entered with a proud look stamped on his cherubic features, but now that his thunder has been taken, he just looks abashed. "There's a cavern up north in the foothills of the Spine of the World; a kobold tribe living there is the cause of Silverdown's woes, but no news of them has come back to me since I became mayor. I've asked the wizard, Nae'talis, or at least one of his companions, to go back to the caves and investigate them...for any signs of the kobolds. I can't return to Silverymoon until I'm sure they no longer pose a threat to Silverdown..."
Wizzop brings the two women a basket of crackers and cheeses and offers Syrriel an extra grin.
"Thank you Wizzop. How did it go?" she asks politely. He beams.
"You were right! Harad played along without any questions! I barged in and stormed down the aisle and dared anyone to challenge my - your authority! And they listened!" Wizzop rambles on a bit longer, over-embellishing his appearance at the trial.
"You're very brave, Wizzop..."


----------



## Dhes (Jul 25, 2006)

hippocrachus said:
			
		

> ~ Hrolf ~
> "Sometimes a petty criminal has to be over-looked to catch a felon," Harad says to the younger cleric of Tyr with a sagacious smile. The Justiciar hands Hrolf the rolled up parchment with a nod to open it.
> The paper is blank.




Hrolf frowns at master Harad, ”Does that mean that we are using Nae’talis as bait? I feel that in any just way, that it’s wrong. What lesser evil’s will we tolerate to fight a greater evil. If we as Tyrrens would follow this reasoning, wouldn’t we get trapped in a never ending spiral down, tolerating more and more till the distinction between petty crime and murders fades away.” Shaking his head,  ”Master Haran, please give me your blessing to watch over Nae’talis till the treat to Tyr and Nae’talis is abolished.



			
				Legildur said:
			
		

> "Oi! Hrolf!" calls Dowkan, forgetting his (nonexistent) manners and interrupting he and Harad. "Com' on, we gots us work to do.  Where's tat whip of a boy Hildor.  We'll be needing him too?"




Hrolf turns around and gives a slight smile at the loud dwarf, ”Yes we do,  pausing a second, ”I haven’t seen him but if he is still around than the sneaky elf is probably hiding in a some corner of the inn.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Harad nods at Hrolf, impressed he was looking at the issue from all angles.
"That is what you must always consider before making the decision, Hrolf. Discretion is as much a responsibility as it is a privilege."
Harad looks confused when Hrolf asks for his blessing.
"You don't need permission to protect those you deem innocent, Hrolf. It is Tyr's judgment you will face, not mine."


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## kirinke (Jul 25, 2006)

Sabriel thanked the halfling and Syrriel herself before taking some crackers and the proffered cheese and eating them with real pleasure.

"Syrriel, you yourself have said that it is most quiet before a big storm and from what I remember from my studies, aren't kobolds cowards for the most part? It would take a strong will to get them to attack a town like this, they're more likely to pick off a few wanderers than storm anything," she shook her head and swallowed another bit of cheese and washed it down with some tea Wizzop helpfully provided. 

"I dunno, I guess staying here and making sure that the town is safe leaving is alot more important than haring off to SilveryMoon." she sighed.


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## hippocrachus (Jul 25, 2006)

~ Sabriel ~

Sabriel notices Syrriel glance at her quickly out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes, exactly."
Wizzop sits down on an ottoman, chomping loudly on a green apple.
"I've never been to Silverymoon before. I've spent most of my life in the Dalelands, out west. I hear Silverymoon is a splendid city though; that's where I was headed before I found a need for my services here in Silverdown! This place is practically a safe haven after crossing through Anauroch. I don't suppose many merchants travel all the way from Dagger Falls to Silverymoon though; what with all the bandits along the roads. You don't suppose the bandits helped the kobolds, do you? That would explain why the kobolds ventured so far from their hiding place. Do you think Nae'talis and the others will go back to the caves now that Hildor's gone...?" Syrriel turns her head sharply to look at Wizzop.
"Gone where?"
"I saw him walking down the road towards Silverymoon. He's a quiet fellow, isn't he? Seems nice enough. He helped me polish the display cases..." Syrriel chews her lip while Wizzop goes on about random things. The difference between a talkative gnome and a talkative halfling is that a gnome knows what he's talking about.


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## Dhes (Jul 26, 2006)

Hrolf noods his thanks to masters Harad, before leaving to join Dowkan and Nae’talis. ”What is this work we’ve been tasked with?”


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## Legildur (Jul 27, 2006)

"I dunno what's really goin' on 'bouts here, but somethin' be afoot," starts Dowkan, taking a nearby seat and making himself comfortable across from the cleric and wizard.  "No Hildor?  We can get him up to speed later if you two see things ta same way as me."

"Anyways, backs to whats I was sayin'.  Braggi got me guardin' you Hrolf, right?  So he must be expectin' ya to be goin' off and doin' stuff.  With me so far?"

"And things been pretty weird 'round here.  From what's I've heard, Braggi gots you lot to clear out that ogre and make a start on the kobolds in the cave."

"Then there's me 'experience' with the not-Hrolf thing and landin' in the caves again."

"Now that I think back on that, that not-Hrolf thing had me dead by rights, yet here's I be.  I 'twas following not-Hrolf towards the caves.  'Twas only when I turned backs to Silverdown that he jumped me.  It's got me to thinking that there's more to that cave and that I was meant to be there for somethin'.  And the Tyrran guards were all slain when I cames out of 'em.  Ya see where I'm goin' with this?"

"This place, Silverdown and nearbies, has a long histry 'bout magics and stuff.  I be reckoning that the caves are somethin' special."

"I also reckon that whatever it is, it probably ain't real good for Silverdown, and I'm expectin' that Hrolf here be a lookin' out for Silverdown."

"So what I reckons, is that we gear up, we heads back to them caves, and we check the whole thing out good and proper."

"What say yaas?"


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## kirinke (Jul 27, 2006)

Sabriel looks thoughtful. "Well. About the only reason why you're here is to make sure that Silverdown is safe and you won't leave until it is right? And it's not like I can 'make' you do anything. I mean, you could wipe the floor with me no problem." she grinned impishly. 

"Well, in order to bring you in like I'm supposed to do, I guess the right thing to do is help you." she leaned back. "The sooner Silverdown is safe, the sooner you'll be willing to go with me back to SilveryMoon." she bit into a small wedge of cheese and chewed thoughtfully. "Question is, how am I supposed to help you?"


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## hippocrachus (Jul 27, 2006)

~ Sabriel ~

Syrriel ignores the aasimar's obsequiousness, but brightens at her conveniently placed, insightful question.
"I do not know. Truly a dilemma," she says in a monotone. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of a third wall being broken is heard. "Maybe you could join the party going to investigate the caves..."


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## Dhes (Jul 28, 2006)

Hrolf quietly listens to Dowkan’s torrent of information. He is more than puzzled to hear that Dowkan was following what appears to be a clone of himself that almost lead to the dwarves demise. ”If we really are going back into the caves, we should check with lady Syrriel first, I’m sure she has the supplies we need.” Wanting to find out more about this “not-Hrolf” as fast as possible, the cleric turns on his heels and walk to Syrriel’s quarters.


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## Majin (Jul 28, 2006)

Nae'talis' eyes stare, downcast at the floor, as he scratches his chin thoughtfully, a less than cheerful look on his face as he considered the implications of staying nearby any longer. "I can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect of sticking around here too much longer, but the situation that you've experienced intrigues me. I am willing to remain for a short while yet..."


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## hippocrachus (Jul 29, 2006)

~ Hrolf & Sabriel ~

Syrriel stares at Sabriel expectantly - if she were less refined, she might be on the edge of her seat - until Hrolf barges into the room causing her ward against eavesdropping to dissipate. She turns to the cleric with her mouth agape, but quickly closes it when she realizes. Syrriel obviously didn't think the cleric would be joining her again this day.
"Hrolf! What a pleasant surprise!" she says a bit too enthusiastically. She had hoped by explaining the situation to Dowkan, the one least likely to ask any more than the most pragmatic questions, that the dwarf would be able to convince the others without them coming to ask her more questions. She worked very hard to collect the information she has and still doesn't know all there is, something she isn't happy about admitting to - even to herself, and everyone seems to want to pick her brain.
_I need to get out of here,_  she thinks to herself, _before someone thinks to ask how I know so much..._


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## kirinke (Aug 1, 2006)

The silver-haired bard turned to the stranger. "Hello," she said politely, for lack of anything better to say.


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## Dhes (Aug 1, 2006)

As Hrolf enters Lady Syrriel’s, –for lack of better words, shop.  He notices that Silverdown’s ward is in the company of striking, silvery haired young woman. 
[sblock]*+9 Knowledge* Region, to determine to see if Hrolf knows by looking at here that Sabriel is a Aasimar.[/sblock]
Directing a bow to Lady  Syrriel, ”My parden Lady Syrriel, is wasn’t my intention to disturb you. We could come back at a more convenient time. We only wanted to ask you for some supplies, to aid us on our journey back to the goblin caves.”


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## hippocrachus (Aug 2, 2006)

Assuming Dowkan and Nae'talis have joined Hrolf...

~ The Adventurers ~

_Strictly business..._ Syrriel keeps herself from slumping in relief.
"There'll be no need for that, Hrolf," she says, standing up a bit straighter and managing a regal air. "This is my associate, Sabriel. She is a student of lore from Silverymoon."
Syrriel looks at Sabriel expectantly, raising an eyebrow just enough for the bard to notice the unvoiced question.

[sblock]Hrolf is not capable of placing Sabriel's unnatural beauty. The idea of having superior genes this far north isn't alien to the cleric however. You dirty Hollishman  [/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 2, 2006)

Sabriel smiled, nodding slightly in answer to Syrriel's unspoken question. "It looks like you could use some extra help in this place and I have no pressing business elsewhere. Perhaps I could join your party in investigating these caves yes? I know a bit about locks and spotting traps as well as disarming them. I also have some bardic talent, though I'm by no means as skilled as the Lady Syrriel here." she grinned this time in a friendly, cheerful sort of way. "I'm also a fair hand at the shortbow and longsword, so you won't have to look after me too much," 


ooc:
If she survives, I'm going to make her into a language monkey. Hee Speak language is a bard skill!


----------



## Legildur (Aug 2, 2006)

The heavily armored dwarf simply grunts as odd looking lass introduces herself and offers her services.  "Dowkan," he says simply with a nod.


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## Dhes (Aug 2, 2006)

Giving Sabriel a deep bow, ”Hrolf Kraki, cleric of Tyr and student of Law. If you have a interest in Lore, my Lady, you should visit our halls. The clergy of Tyr keep a record of all judgment they have pass. I’m sure that they would let you use it for reference if you would ever need it.” 



			
				kirinke said:
			
		

> Sabriel smiled, nodding slightly in answer to Syrriel's unspoken question. "It looks like you could use some extra help in this place and I have no pressing business elsewhere. Perhaps I could join your party in investigating these caves yes? I know a bit about locks and spotting traps as well as disarming them. I also have some bardic talent, though I'm by no means as skilled as the Lady Syrriel here." she grinned this time in a friendly, cheerful sort of way. "I'm also a fair hand at the shortbow and longsword, so you won't have to look after me too much,"




”I and the church of Tyr would like to thank you for your faller dear Lady. I’m, sure that your bounty of skills will come in handy.” 

Turning back to Syrriel, ”Thank you Lady Syrriel for you strong “Words” in the defense of Master Nae’talis. Tyr’s blessing on all that aid justice.” Pausing for the words to sink in, ”Following you example, If taken is upon myself to assure Master Nae’talis his safety for the duration of his stay in the region.”


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## kirinke (Aug 2, 2006)

Dhes said:
			
		

> Giving Sabriel a deep bow, ”Hrolf Kraki, cleric of Tyr and student of Law. If you have a interest in Lore, my Lady, you should visit our halls. The clergy of Tyr keep a record of all judgment they have pass. I’m sure that they would let you use it for reference if you would ever need it.”




IC
"I've always enjoyed learning new things." Sabriel admitted. "I suppose that's been a failing of mine since I was very little, overwhelming curiousity about everything."


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## Majin (Aug 2, 2006)

Nae'talis stands near the door, away from the commotion of introductions and pleasantries. He grimaces at the notion of adding another possible liability to the party, despite the fact of having apparently lost another, but he does not protest. He fought to not pass judgement on this girl so quickly, but so far she had not impressed him, eerily parrelleling the Thayan's initial exchanges with Hildor. Some people just rubbed him the wrong way; more often than not it seemed lately, but the thought of relaxing his standards did not cross his mind. 

He stood quietely in thought, only breaking his silence to acknowledge Hrolf's promise of protection. _Interesting times are ahead, Shadar,_ he communicated to his familiar. _Interesting times indeed... that is if I manage to survive long enough..._


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## hippocrachus (Aug 3, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The naturally chaotic Harper bard just nods at Hrolf and Tyr's blessing, not realizing that Harad informed the young cleric of how little she actually did.
She turns from the party while they converse and brings a few choice items out from behind the counter. An exquisitely embroidered velvet sack with a feather stitched on the front, a white wand wrapped with a red leather strap, and an assortment of potions all sit on top of the counter. Other things are still in the counter cabinet, but the sun elf doesn't seem to think the party will need any of them.
Shadar empaths a strong feeling for the need to survive to Nae'talis. Pictures of flocks of carrion birds picking at the dead and flight from bigger scavengers get the point across.

[sblock=OOC]Bag of Holding Type I
Wand of Cure Light Wounds
Potion of Bulls Strength
Potion of Invisibility
Potion of Spider Climb
Potion of Barkskin +2
(2) Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds
Anything in that price range is also available.[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 3, 2006)

ooc:
Hyp, are those items she brought out gifts, loans or things we're going to have to buy? I don't know about you guys, but some of those things, we won't be able to buy and Sabriel is saving her coppers for a set of Masterwork Theive's Tools. 

Maybe Syrriel will be willing to let her use a set as long as it is for the good of the town (not that Sabriel is planning on doing any illegal breaking and entering anyway, she prefers to sing for her supper. )


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## hippocrachus (Aug 3, 2006)

[sblock=OOC]If the right person haggles with Syrriel, the party can afford any of the items she has out for purchase.
A character's Charisma modifier goes a long way, as do personal relationships and the like.

Current Party Funds:
Platinum - 7
Gold - 2081
Silver - 868
Copper - 1047[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Aug 3, 2006)

Dowkan simply grunts in mild amazement as Syrriel brings forth the treasure trove.
[sblock=ooc]No way is Dowkan going to try and negotiate! Heaps of good stuff there, but he'll leave it up to the others as it was their money and he has already benefitted substantially from joining them.[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 4, 2006)

ooc:
[sblock]Whatever we buy, I suggest the wand of cure light wounds, preferably two. Sabriel will be glad to do some haggling for the group. Also, that bag of holding type 1 is very useful if we're going into caves.[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Aug 7, 2006)

[sblock=OOC]Will the party be purchasing two wands of Cure Light Wounds and the Bag of Holding Type I then?

Going once...[/sblock]


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## Dhes (Aug 7, 2006)

Hrolf looks through the array of magical items Syrriel, not wanting to spent too much money on some one-shot positions. The cleric puts two of the divine wands and the bag they came out of to the side and nodes  to Lady Syrriel. ”What price would you give use on these three items, good Lady”
[sblock]I don’t think we would use any of the other stuff people tend to forget them during combat. Feel free to jump in Kirinke, after Syrriel has told us the price. Maybe Sabriel can knock of some gold.[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 7, 2006)

"Um, it might also be a good idea to invest in some masterwork theive's tools. The set I have is ok, but if we're going into caves, I'll need all the help I can get in disarming any traps we might find as well as picking any locks down there." 

She winced and looked at the Tyrran cleric. "I give my sworn word that I won't use them for anything illegal." she adds hastily, but also sincerely.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 8, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Syrriel brings a second healing wand out of the bag, this one also white, but with scarlet runes engraved into the shaft and a red gemstone set into the tip.
Syrriel smiles at Hrolf when he places the items aside and asks their price. Knowing he means well, she can't possibly charge him full price.
"Three thousand and eight hundred gold pieces for the three items," she says tritely. Money isn't an object for the beautiful sun elf. When Sabriel asks about a well-crafted set of metal picks, she points the aasimar in the right direction. "I like to think I run a respectable magic shop here, my friend. You might ask Sunder at the smithy across the street for such things..."

[sblock=OOC]I don't think the party could afford both a wand and the bag even if everyone put in their personal funds, and that's assuming Sabriel does the talking who will get a 25% discount because of her high charisma and her relationship with Syrriel.
Bag of Holding Type I and Wand of Cure Light Wounds = 2437 gold 5 silver[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Aug 8, 2006)

Dowkan deliberately says nothing, knowing full well that any further interest on his part would be simple greed given what he already received in such a short time with the group.


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## kirinke (Aug 8, 2006)

[sblock]







			
				hippocrachus said:
			
		

> ~ The Adventurers ~
> 
> Syrriel brings a second healing wand out of the bag, this one also white, but with scarlet runes engraved into the shaft and a red gemstone set into the tip.
> Syrriel smiles at Hrolf when he places the items aside and asks their price. Knowing he means well, she can't possibly charge him full price.
> ...



[/sblock]

Sabriel grinned at the elf. "Well, there are very respectable uses for lock-picks and such sundry items," she joked. "Seriously though, we will need them for down below. No telling what sort of tricks and traps are down there,"


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## hippocrachus (Aug 8, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

"That may be, but I don't have a use for them as far as my desired clientele goes. I'm sure Sunder can have a set made for you; I doubt very much he'll have such things in stock. His crafts are more geared for less...nimble hands," she explains, puffing up like a prized rooster.


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## kirinke (Aug 8, 2006)

"And the sense not to stay out of the way of stray arrows and those intent on causing bodily harm?" she jibbed back. "Aye, I get your well placed hint my friend. I suspect a visit to this Sunder is in order then after we are done here, yes?" she looked expectantly at the others.

Sabriel haggled good naturedly for the goods and sighed when she couldn't get any lower. 

"My friends, I think we will need to decide over whether or not to get the wands or the bag of holding. My vote is for the wands, those are probably the most important things to have, especially if we are cut off from the surface or need immediate medical attention. The bag of holding is nice but we can always save up for it," she said, realizing the practicality of the wands verses the mmmmm goodness of a bag of holding.


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## Legildur (Aug 8, 2006)

Dowkan simply grins lopsidedly at Sabriel and nods in affirmation with the thought of returning to see his old friend.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 10, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Day XVII

The party's sleeping arrangements are again covered by the Temple of Tyr at the Balanced Scale inn. Breakfast is conveniently uneventful.


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## Dhes (Aug 10, 2006)

After the business of the day is settled,  the cleric retires early.
Hrolf awakes before the sun has set to give him time for prayer and contemplation on their upcoming trial. 
_Just father, please grant me strength and guide my hand. By your will justice will be served. Suffer not the spawn of chaos to live._
With that, Hrolf gathers his necessities and goes down to the common room to await his companions and to enjoy what might be his last normal breakfast in what could be a long time.  
[sblock]
Here’s my stuff and spells for the new day. 

*HP:* 25
*AC:*  16, *Touch:* 10, *Flat:*16
*+6 Melee*, Long Sword, 1D8+2[/B]
*Wand of Cure Light Wounds:* 25 charges

*Lvl. 0*
 Detect Poison 
 Detect Magic  
 Light  
 Light 

*Lvl. 1*
 Magic Weapon  
 Magic Weapon  
 Sanctuary  
 Summon Monster lvl.1  
 Protection from Chaos (Law Domain) 

*Lvl. 2*
 Bull’s Strength  
 Bull’s Strength  
 Summon Monster lvl. 2  
 Calm Emotions (Law Domain) 
[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Aug 11, 2006)

Dowkan arrives in the breakfast area and joins Hrolf.  He eats a hearty breakfast, knowing full well that they'll be on hard tack from here on in.


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## kirinke (Aug 11, 2006)

Sabriel joins the others and taking their cue, orders and eats a good breakfast with enjoyment. "So, how bad is it in those caves?" she asked, figuring pretty bad.


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## Majin (Aug 11, 2006)

Nae'talis sat quietly in a corner eating his breakfast. The notion that it was his Naming Day today crossed his mind. He did not plan on sharing this information with his companions though. He remembered the extravagant parties that were thrown for him as a youth growing up a nobleman's son. That all changed though, once the Red Wizard's noticed his aptitude and potential and he was whisked off to begin his tutelage. He would surrender the fact that the parties were fun, at the time, but since, he had never put much enthusiasm behind this day.

_Another year gone by, one year less to be part of this mortal coil,_ he thought. A human shell did not last long in this world, or most others. The young Thayan had decided long ago to make up for that handicap with the only thing he could: _ambition_.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 13, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The party leaves Silverdown through what is shaping up to be the north gate with little more than two guards taking note of their departure for ceremony. The builders must be working elsewhere today.
They travel through the hilly plains for roughly half a day before they come to the familiar foothills of the Spine of the World and the cave. Instead of the scene of carnage Dowkan had promised would greet them outside the cave's mouth, the ground is barren of any signs of the Tyrran encampment, mangled or otherwise.
While the adventurers go about trying to find any signs of the murdered soldiers, Dowkan, Nae'talis, and Sabriel spot two glowing purple eyes staring at them from the shadows of the cave's entrance. The spy lets out a strangled squawk when it realizes it's been found out and flees to the caverns.

[sblock=OOC]Who's taking on the role of "Lightsource" from here?[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 14, 2006)

ooc:
I vote the party meatshield. Sabriel doesn't need a lightsource due to her darkvision as well as being the party sneak. Lightsourcing would only hinder her. 

IC
Sabriel lets fly with an arrow aiming for the general area of the purple eye guy, hoping to hit, but not holding her breath either.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 14, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Sabriel hears a resounding clack as her spent arrow chips a rock inside of the cave. The sound of the spy's scampering footfalls fade as the bard's bowstring stills.

[sblock=OOC]Hopefully Hrolf or Nae'talis can provide a spell? I doubt Dowkan would give up his shield for unnecessary light...[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 14, 2006)

"Blast it. Now they know we're comin," she grates as she retrieves her arrow, on the alert for possible narsties.


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## Dhes (Aug 14, 2006)

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure that the creatures inside the cave would have been alerted to our presence soon enough.”

Putting his backpack down, Hrolf takes out a torch and flint. Taking a minute to light the torch. ”Master Nae’talis, I know It will hinder your spell casting but would you please be the one to caries the torch.”


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## Legildur (Aug 15, 2006)

Dowkan grunts at the suggestion of carrying a torch.  "No self respectin' dwarf needs no torch," he mutters and moves into the cave entrance.


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## Majin (Aug 15, 2006)

Nae'talis stares at Hrolf for a few moments, considering him, before nearly yanking the torch from the priest's hand. "I'll humor you this once, Tyrran, because of your help earlier, but we are hiring a torch bearer at our earliest opportunity," the wizard remarks, as he holds the torch out before him, avoiding the dripping bits as best he can.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 15, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The party travels the now familiar tunnels of the cavern complex, across the stream, past the bonework gate, and to the once lighted chamber. Everything seems empty, as if the former residents packed up and moved, leaving no proof of their existence behind. Continuing on to the large cavern where the others met Dowkan and Sunder, the adventurers find the makeshift armory and barracks equally barren. Which leaves the sharply sloping tunnel at the other end of the chamber.
Following it brings the group to a rocky subterranean beach with a dock. The dock extends eight feet into the water. Tied to the dock is a raft built from giant mushroom stalks, tied together with rope. Two long, wooden poles are set on the raft, which seems capable of holding up to six people.
To the right of the dock is an underground falls; the incessant cascading sound of chilly water drowns out all other noise in the area. The pool of water at its base runs quickly into a continuing stream flowing to the west.


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## Legildur (Aug 15, 2006)

"Is across the water the only place ya ain't been?" Dowkan asks, obviously hoping that he doesn't have to get into a boat!

"And where'd dat spy go?"

OOC: Have we got a map somewhere?  I had a quick look, but no success.


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## kirinke (Aug 15, 2006)

Sabriel shakes her head. "I have no need of a torch." she said and followed the dwarf into the caves.

The bard looks at the waterfall thoughtfully. When she was a child, she remembered how her parents would sometimes hide blemishes on the walls with a hanging of somesort. Could this apply to falling water?

"Master dwarf?" she calls to Dowkan. "When I was a child, my parents would hang tapestries and wall-art to hide blemishes on the wall itself. Could the waterfall hide a cave or a passageway in a similar manner?" she asked.


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## Legildur (Aug 15, 2006)

"Maybe a cave big enough for someone ta hide in," agrees Dowkan.  "But no more than that," he adds as he moves across to explore the waterfall.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 15, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The only way to reach the waterfall is by boat or swimming thirty feet out, both against a strong current. Dowkan finds that the semi-circular shoal beach dies into cavern walls on either side of the adventurers.

[sblock=OOC]Legildur: Nope, no map... Belgal would be able to tell you guys that the stream you crossed earlier in the caves connects with the waterfall, but Belgal is probably dead.[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Aug 15, 2006)

"Well, if we ain't got no where else ta go, then it's in the wee littl' boat we go," says Dowkan as he unreadies his shield and secures it to his back, freeing both arms for action.  The dwarven warrior moves across to the dock and the most interesting boat and prepares it to head toward the waterfall, looking to see who else will join him. (ooc: ranks in Kn (dungeoneering) and Swim, and +3 modifier in Survival (underground))


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## Dhes (Aug 15, 2006)

Securing his shield to his back, Hrolf takes up position on the other side of the craft, with poll in hand. ”We should try and follow the wall, the current will be less there. If there really is a passage behind this waterfall, than approaching it from the side will hopefully keep us somewhat dry”


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## hippocrachus (Aug 15, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

After a few minutes of getting used to the poll-propulsion and fighting the current, Dowkan and Hrolf are able to bring the raft close enough to the waterfall for the party to tell there is no way a tribe of kobolds would fit back there. The only way left is downstream, and the current is happy to take the adventurer-laden raft in that direction, slowly pulling the mushroom stalks as soon as Dowkan or Hrolf relax.


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## Legildur (Aug 16, 2006)

"I've seen some big mushies in me time," Dowkan whispers. "But nuttin like dis one we be ridin' in."  The dwarf keeps his eyes peeled for anything interesting, a loaded sling sitting on the seat.


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## kirinke (Aug 16, 2006)

Sabriel snorts. "Big mushrooms are probably the least wierd things we're gonna see on this three hour trip," she cracked as an old rhyme about a sea capn and a small fishing ship came to mind.


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## Majin (Aug 16, 2006)

Nae'talis sighs inwardly and looks about the cavern, preferring to stay quiet until a real decision presents itself to be made.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 17, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Dowkan and Hrolf pole the fungus raft downstream until it ends in a large subterranean lake. The water spans well out of Dowkan's or Sabriel's darkvision, but on either side of where the stream meets the lake, a dock of mushroom stalks extends from rocky beaches.
While the cleric and mercenary keeps the boat still, a splash disturbs the water a few feet from the edge of the torchlight. Dowkan could swear he saw a crossbow bolt. Before he has time to voice his claim, a bolt clangs into the shield on his back and another splashes closer to the raft. They seem to be coming from the beach to the right.


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## Dhes (Aug 17, 2006)

Hrolf grabs his shield from his back and crouches down behind it, making himself as small a target as possible. ”Master Nae’talis, Lady Sabriel, take up position behind Dowkan and me.” Peering to far side of the lake trying to determine where the bolts are coming from, the cleric only sees darkness.  ”Lady Sabriel, can I have one of you arrows please, I think I know a way to shed some light on our assailant.” Taking the arrow in his only free hand, Hrolf says a quick prayer over the arrow making it light up. _Blind father, please shine the light of justice down upon us._
Handing the glowing arrow back to Sabriel, ”Would you please shed some light on our enemies.”
[sblock]casting Light on arrow[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 17, 2006)

Sabriel takes the arrow back and launches it in the direction of the afore mentioned beach.


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## Legildur (Aug 18, 2006)

Dowkan steadies the boat and tries to keep a low profile behind Hrolf - there being no glory in being skewered by a bolt from an unseen enemy whilst poling a mushroom raft on an underground lake.  "Maybe you'll get lucky and hit the sly dog firing the bolts," he muses.


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## kirinke (Aug 18, 2006)

"Oi, and maybe pigs can fly without the aid of magic," Sabriel quips back. "I can barely see the bloody shore, much less the snarky arse who blew us a kiss," she said, using the rather unrefined language of the thieves and pick-pockets she had hung out with as a child, mostly in frustration at not being able to see much in the inky dark, not that there was much to see in anycase. She peered out over the water towards the beach, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever it was and when she did, boy o boy, was she going to launch one straight at his... 

ooc:
I assume that the beach is somewhat out of range of Sabriel's darkvision when she said it... Seems reasonable anyway.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 18, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

When Sabriel scans the beach to the right, she sees what looks like a crude wall made out of boulders. The wall is within her supernatural vision, but details are harder to discern at a distance. Whatever is firing at the party is keeping itself hidden long enough to reload, but Sabriel waits to see a target before firing at what looks like three kobolds.
The bard draws the light-enchanted arrow and shoots it across the inky blankness like an arcing fireball at the battlements. The missile bounces off of the rocks and lands on the ground a few feet away, allowing the two humans to see a portion of the wall.
Three quarrels retaliate from the shadows, two splashing close to the raft and the other sticking with a resounding thunk into the mushroom stalks.

~ Initiative ~

Dowkan - 18
Hrolf - 14
Sabriel - 12
(3) Kobold Archers - 12
Nae'talis - 9

[sblock=OOC]It'll take about two rounds for someone to lever the raft over to the beach and at most, two rounds to cross the beach to the boulders...safely. It's a wet cavern, remember; you'll probably fall if you run.[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 18, 2006)

After lobbing the arrow of light, she begins to sing, her alto voice ringing clear and true.

"By the light and the flame, by the courage that cannot be tamed, let our arrows and our weapons see the battle through!" 

Inspire courage +1


ooc:
Not exactly Chauncy, but tis the best I could come up with on the fly as it were.


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## Legildur (Aug 19, 2006)

"Bloody kobolds!" mutters Dowkan as he starts poling the mushroom raft across to the wall. (ooc: are we standing or kneeling in the raft?  Kneeling grants a +2 bonus to AC against ranged attacks)


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## hippocrachus (Aug 19, 2006)

[sblock=OOC]I'm sure Dowkan has enough combat expertise to know of that extra defense, but the others might only duck out of instinct. Either way, it's up to the individual if the fighter gives them advice.[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 19, 2006)

Sabriel is kneeling.


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## Legildur (Aug 19, 2006)

"Keep low!  Hrolf you wanna swap with me!" he suggests.

(ooc: If Hrolf verbally agrees, then Dowkan will ready his shield and take over the cover role.)


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## Dhes (Aug 19, 2006)

Hrolf gives a nod to Dowkan and slowly makes his way to the other side of the craft, all the time trying to stay low. ”I’ll give them something else to focus on, I don’t what to have to run a gauntlet when we get to the shore.” Closing his eyes, Hrolf empties his mind and draws forth a image of a candle, letting the flam of the candle envelop him the cleric reaches out and calls for the aid of a winged ally.
[sblock]Summon Monster II, Giant Bee After summoning Hrolf will send the Bee out to attack/distract the Archers.[/sblock]


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## Majin (Aug 19, 2006)

Nae'talis curses as he crouches down behind Dowkan. He mutters the words to a protection spell as the raft floats ever closer to the shore.

[sblock]Casting _Mage Armor_

~

Current buffs: 

_Mage Armor_
_Inspire Courage_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost ***

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + *)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle **
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher *
Melf's Acid Arrow *
Scorching Ray *[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Aug 21, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Dowkan steers the boat over to the rocky beach while crouching in front of the others. Hrolf begins the complicated gestures and chanting required to summon a being from the heavens. Sabriel bellows a bolstering war cry, preparing the others for the beach invasion to come.
The kobolds fire a flurry of bolts to answer the bard's cry. One clangs loudly off of Dowkan's shield, the second splashes harmlessly in the water some feet behind the raft, and the third never makes it over the wall. All the adventurers can hear is one of the kobolds squeal in surprise; the diminutive dragonkin must have shot its bolt right into the stone, causing it to ricochet off and strike the creature (Critical Miss - 3 Damage).
Nae’talis casts a spell to insure himself some extra protection for the next few hours.

~ Initiative ~

Dowkan - 18
Hrolf - 14
Sabriel - 12
(3) Kobold Archers - 12
Nae'talis - 9


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## Legildur (Aug 21, 2006)

Dowkan maintains his position as cover for the others whilst Hrolf (or someone) continues to pole the mushroon raft towards the shore.


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## kirinke (Aug 21, 2006)

Sabriel fires off another of her precious arrows, aiming at one of the kobolds. "Try to keep one of em alive, we could use the information they may have," she tells the others and sensibly ducks down as soon as she fires her arrow.


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## Dhes (Aug 22, 2006)

Hrolf stays focused on his prayer and keeping save behind his shield. ”We should try and get to cover when our reinforcement arrives. Hopefully they will focus on the treat above there head instead in front of them.”
[sblock]Hrolf will send the giant bee to attack the archers, when the bee is attacking he will try and get to safety, using his shield to protect himself and the person behind him. 
Ps. I was under the impression the Dowkan was doing the steering.  [/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 23, 2006)

ooc:
Dunno. I know Sabriel wasn't. Boat steerage isn't exactly her forte.


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## Legildur (Aug 23, 2006)

ooc: posts #435 and #436 indicate that Dowkan was going to take over defensive duties and Hrolf was going to steer.  Hrolf then cast Summon Monster I (move action to swap with Dowkan and then standard action to cast).  I presumed Hrolf would then resume steering.


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## hippocrachus (Aug 23, 2006)

[sblock=OOC]Dowkan is capable of keeping his shield up (standard action) and steering the raft with a pole (move action). The current is carrying the vessel towards the beaches; the pilot gets to choose which one. Anyway, as far as the last round was concerned, Hrolf couldn't summon a creature and steer, so I assumed Dowkan would keep at it. For this round, I have Hrolf pegged as steering. His spell will be finished at the start of the round and doesn't seem to be doing anything else... That leaves Dowkan able to shield the others and draw his weapon to prepare for the beach invasion. More to come after I wake Majin up  [/sblock]


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## Majin (Aug 24, 2006)

Nae'talis stands cautiously back, behind his companions, as he warily looks ahead, for an opportunity to catch a glimpse of their attackers.

[sblock]Readying action in case they come out of hiding.[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Aug 24, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Dowkan keeps his shield up to protect the others from the next volley. Hrolf steers the mushroom raft closer to shore from the rear. The summoned giant bee pops into existence as close to the rock wall as Hrolf can see. It immediately goes to attack two of the kobolds closest to each other and stings the weaker of the pair (1 Damage 3 Constitution Damage). The giant bee pulls back from the kobold, leaving its stinger inside the rapidly dying dragonkin, and falls to the ground, spasming in its final moments of life. Sabriel lets fly another arrow at the kobolds behind the wall, but the missile strikes rock and shatters on impact.
A kobold quarrel strikes Dowkan's shield right in the center, rattling the dwarven fighter. The other kobold fires aimlessly at the giant bee that seemed to appear from nowhere and misses. The bee is dead anyway; it served its purpose.
Nae'talis manages to place himself furthest on the raft from the kobold archers and studies the boulders' silhouettes, waiting for a kobold to show an opening.
The raft coasts into the semicircular beach just as Nae'talis gets to the back of the craft. The sudden jolt of the mushroom stalks hitting land shakes the adventurers. Luckily, Hrolf, Nae'talis, and Sabriel manage to maintain their balance. Dowkan falls forward onto the beach, keeping himself from going prone with his empty weapon-hand.

~ Initiative ~

Dowkan - 18
Hrolf - 14
Sabriel - 12
(2) Kobold Archers - 12
Nae'talis - 9

EDIT
[sblock=OOC]I almost forgot. What action are you readying, Majin?[/sblock]
EDIT PART II
[sblock=OOC]All the Celestial Bee stuff. Sorry, Dhes. That's what happens when you wake up, go to work, and slap a post together before having a cup of coffee  [/sblock]


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## Legildur (Aug 24, 2006)

"Blast this wet sand!" curses Dowkan as he hustles (double move) towards the rocks, drawing his waraxe (free action during move with BAB +1) as he does so.


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## kirinke (Aug 24, 2006)

Sabriel keeps on firing arrows and using whatever cover she can to do it with.


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## Majin (Aug 25, 2006)

Nae'talis will keep cover behind his companions until his opening presents itself. He will then cast magic missile when he is able.


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## Dhes (Aug 28, 2006)

”Keep low and keep behind me and Dowkan. Nae’talis, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you but keep a spell ready to bring them justice, if any of them try showing themselves. “ Trying to get behind his shield as much as possible, Hrolf makes a steady advance for the nearest cover. 

[sblock]Dam didn’t think about the fact that Bee’s are Kamikaze.. [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Aug 30, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Dowkan hustles over to the boulder fortifications while drawing the magical waraxe Nae'talis "loaned" to him. He reaches the wall in short order and has enough momentum to vault over a lower portion. Luckily for him, the kobolds didn't seem to notice him once he reached the wall.
Hrolf strolls over to the cavern wall upon landing on the beach and makes his way steadily to the boulder wall. Sabriel fires an arrow to distract the kobolds from Dowkan's advance and chooses her path to the wall carefully. The arrow careens off into darkness, but at least they didn't attempt any potshots at the bustling dwarf.
As soon as one of the kobolds pokes his head up to fire, Nae'talis sees the opening he needs and launches magical balls of energy at the confident dragonkin. The first kobold is hit by the magical missile squarely in the face and flies backwards from the wall, dead before it hits the ground (4 Damage). It's loaded crossbow triggers and a bolt catapults into the sky; where it lands, nobody knows. The second kobold pops up over the wall just in time to have the second of the mage's magical balls plow into its ribs (3 Damage). It recovers quick enough to take a shot at the cleric, but misses.

~ Initiative ~

Dowkan - 18
Hrolf - 14
Sabriel - 12
Kobold Archer - 12
Nae'talis - 9


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## Legildur (Aug 30, 2006)

(ooc: not exactly sure what Dowkan sees, but I think his intent is pretty clear) Dowkan sees the Kobolds and rounds on them, charging into the fray with a blood curdling dwarven warcry (ooc: setting up for Cleave if there are two or more of them).


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## hippocrachus (Aug 30, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Dowkan rounds on the closest sign of life in the monochrome space behind the wall. He charges and brings the enchanted axe down the remaining kobold's head with a sickening crunch, leaving only an unidentifiable bloody heap in his wake (14 Damage 2 Cold). The dwarven warrior looks up from his kill to find no other enemies left standing. Seems like an awful lot of defenses for three kobolds...


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## Legildur (Aug 30, 2006)

Dowkan spits in the ground and waits for the others to join him, wary of the situation.

[sblock=ooc]Do we need a map?[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Aug 30, 2006)

Sabriel keeps to the back, bow up, looking for trouble and is quite ready to dive for cover and start firing arrows if the situation demands it.


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## Majin (Sep 1, 2006)

Nae'talis says nothing as the last kobold falls, deciding to adjust his silken scarf instead as he waits for his companions to finish up with the creatures. Not really caring which direction is taken, the Thayan will stick a few paces behind Dowkan whichever way they go.


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## Legildur (Sep 2, 2006)

With them regrouped, Dowkan makes a quick search of the kobolds for any valuables.  Eyeing the carcass of the dead giant bee, Dowkan raises an eyebrow and looks at Hrolf.  "This be you?" he asks.

"The tunnel east?" he suggests as a way forward.  If so, then Dowkan will ensure that the mushroom boat is secured before they head in to the tunnel.


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## kirinke (Sep 3, 2006)

"You probably know more about underground places than I." Sabriel told the dwarf with a grin. "Whichever way is good to me. Or bad as the case may be."


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## Legildur (Sep 3, 2006)

Dowkan shrugs.  "I only say east, as we've 'ready landed and the tunnel is the only exit I see without gettin' back inta that boat."


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## Dhes (Sep 3, 2006)

”I don’t feel much for being some chaos spawns target practice, I agree that leaving the barge where it is and going on a foot. Would you do use the honor of taking the lead Dowkan “


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## Legildur (Sep 4, 2006)

"Yep," Dowkan agrees readily.  "It'll gimme first crack at any other kobolds we find," he adds with a malevolent grin.  Without further ado, the dwarf heads into the tunnel.


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## hippocrachus (Sep 4, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

A chill breeze blows down the eastern passage as the group passes through, eventually coming to a large, circular chamber of uncarved stone. Six human skeletons are neatly arranged on the floor here, each reassembled and all six deposited in graves carved six feet deep into the rock. The graves have all been recently dug up, as evidenced by the rocks and dirt piled along the walls of the cave and beside the graves. A single, emaciated ghoul leans over the head of one of the graves, caressing and licking the skull of the skeleton within and quietly chattering to itself.
On the left side of the chamber, a wooden door is set into a portal carved into the wall. The door is obviously old and battered, and the doorway around it was crudely carved into the rock many years ago. Beyond the ghoul is a tunnel leading deeper into the caverns.
The ghoul doesn't notice Dowkan as he enters the room, but it soon notices the torchlight cast by Nae'talis and turns its sunken eyes on the party. It stands slowly, drops the skull into the grave at its feet, and looks at the fresh meat with a slavering, wild-eyed glare. The ghoul shrieks in rage and charges at Dowkan.
"Flesh!" it screams in an unholy voice. "I will rend and rip and grind and feast!"
Answering groans come from the tunnel leading further east.

~ Initiative ~

Nae'talis - 18
Sabriel - 16
Ghoul - 13
Dowkan - 11
Hrolf - 11


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## kirinke (Sep 4, 2006)

Sabriel curses and shoots an arrow at the foul thing._* Not that it's going to do much more than annoy it....*_ she thought as a jittery kind of fear-excitment skitters up and down her spine, somehow helping her focus more in a wierd sort of way.


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## Legildur (Sep 4, 2006)

"By Moradin's beard!" curses Dowkan as the abomination spies them.  He raises his waraxe, icicles seeming formed on the blade of the masterwork weapon, and attacks the creature when it closes (ooc: I'm assuming that it will reach Dowkan this round on its charge).


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## Majin (Sep 4, 2006)

Thinking quickly, as per usual, Nae'talis side-steps out from behind Dowkan, dropping his staff and torch, sending both clattering to the cavernous floor, the torch no doubt casting wild shadows about the room. He fans his hands in front of him and mutters the last few words to trigger a spell. 

[sblock]Five foot step. Casting _Scorching Ray_ at the ghoul. To speed things along in case I can't get to post, if it's enough to take it down, in the following round, he'll position himself by the hallway where the groans are coming from, and if the threat appears to be the same or likewise to the ghoul, he'll send an Aganazzar's Scorcher down the corridor.

~

Current buffs:

_Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost ***

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + *)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle *
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher *
Melf's Acid Arrow *
Scorching Ray [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Sep 4, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The battlemage doesn't waste any time in completely annihilating the charging ghoul. Nae'talis places his hands together in the air and fires a trailing beam of hot magma at the unholy being (15 Damage). The ghoul is sent backwards into a grave, where its body is disintegrated by the magical fire.
The groaning from down the corridor gets louder.

[sblock=OOC]Scorching Ray: no wizard should leave home without it 
Alright, I've got Nae'talis readying an Aganazzar's Scorcher at whatever it is coming up the tunnel... Anyone else?[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Sep 4, 2006)

Dowkan's eyes widen as the scorching ray obliterates the abomination!  "Jumpin' goblin heads!" he exclaims.  Seeing the wizard position himself and stare into the tunnel, Dowkan positions himself to protect the mage, without getting in his way, until he can see what comes. (ooc: Ready action to step in front of Nae'talis and attack if creature closes within 10ft of Nae'talis)


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## Dhes (Sep 4, 2006)

Hrolf stands aw struck at Nae’talis’s display of arcane power.  Only hiding a small grimes, thinking that so much power was wasted on just the one Chaos spawn.  Hurrying over to Dowkan, the cleric closes his eyes and mumbles a quick prayer under his breath and finishes with  lightly touching Dowkan on the shoulder, infusing him with Tyr’s strength. ”Accept Tyr’s gift master Dwarf  and make good use of it.” 
After casting his spell, Tyr takes up a protective stance next to the archer mimicking  Dowkan.
[sblock]
Casting  *Bull’s Strength *

*HP:* 25
*AC:*  16, *Touch:* 10, *Flat:*16
*+6 Melee*, Long Sword, 1D8+2[/B]
*Wand of Cure Light Wounds:* 25 charges

*Lvl. 0*
 Detect Magic  
 Detect Magic  
 Light  
 Light 

*Lvl. 1*
 Magic Weapon  
 Magic Weapon  
 Sanctuary  
 Summon Monster lvl.1  
 Protection from Chaos (Law Domain) 

*Lvl. 2*
Bull’s Strength  
 Bull’s Strength  
 Summon Monster lvl. 2  
 Calm Emotions (Law Domain) 
[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Sep 5, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Nae'talis sees two ambling figures making their way up the tunnel, two human zombies by Dowkan's darkvision, and sends a trail of fire after them. The first zombie lights up like dehydrated pine tree, futilely waving its arms to put out them flames (8 Damage). The second zombie, the intended target, trudges through the snaking trail of flame unhindered (7 Damage).
Dowkan positions himself between the wizard and the still burning zombies while Hrolf blesses the dwarven fighter with a bull's strength. Sabriel lets fly an arrow at the leading zombie from behind the others. The missile strikes the undead human where its heart would be; a fatal wound to a living creature, but a flesh wound to the zombie (6 Damage).
Just as the adventurers think the slow moving onslaught will be dispatched quickly, the portal door to their right slams open. A ghast, wearing tattered silken robes stares at the party with glowing malevolence. In life, the ghast was a half-elf woman. Her long, flowing hair has turned gray but still remains in place. Like the ghoul, she is emaciated and gaunt, much like a starving person on the verge of death. At one time, her raiment might have been worth several gold pieces; now torn and covered with blood stains, it is utterly worthless. She charges out of the door just as Sabriel looses her arrow. That's when the stench hits the party. The stink of death and corruption surrounding the creature is overwhelming. Hrolf and Dowkan sick-up from the fumes as the ghast gets closer.
And when all hope seems to fade from the adventurers' hearts, six skeletons begin rising from their shallow graves.

~ Initiative ~

Dowkan - 21
Hrolf - 14
Nae'talis - 11
Ghast - 8
Sabriel - 7
(2) Zombies - 2

[sblock=OOC]The skeletons will be joining you in the next round. They're currently climbing out of their graves.
I've searched the PHB, DMG, and MM for the "Sickened" effect write-up the ghast gives off and have found no description. Technically, Hrolf and Dowkan are "sickened" for a couple of minutes, but I don't know what that entails, so for this battle, I'm just going to say you two are really unhappy.
Does anybody know what being "sickened" actually does?[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Sep 5, 2006)

ooc:
Ever open up a pack of sea food that's been in the heat for a week? That's probably what they meant, smelling something utterly gross and rotting and not being able to get away from it. Then added to the smell, having the whole rotting, shambling horror of it come towards you. Light-headedness, disgust and nausea for starters would be a good guess. If this gets much worse, we may have to retreat.   

IC
Sabriel backs up, her face a mask of horror and disgust as the full impact of the foulness that is the undead half-elf reaches her. She let's loose an arrow, praying to Lurue to guide her strike, not hoping for much and then praying for a way out of this mess.


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## Majin (Sep 5, 2006)

Nae'talis covers his nose with his scarf in disgust as the stench reaches his nostrils. He does his best to ignore the added repulsiveness of his companion's vomit added to the scene as he moves to put as much distance from the ghast as possible. He then concentrates as he incants the trigger words of another spell, a green glow beginning to emanate from his finger.

[sblock]Casting _Melf's Acid Arrow_ @ Ghast

~

Current buffs:

_Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost ***

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + *)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle **
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher
Melf's Acid Arrow
Scorching Ray [/sblock]


----------



## Legildur (Sep 5, 2006)

Dowkan hacks up some phelgm as the ghast's stench overwhelms his senses.  With mucous pouring from his nose and mouth, the dwarven warrior relies on his discipline, rather than instinct, to maintain a position to protect Nae'talis and Hrolf. (ooc: Delay Poison removes the Sickened condition - a cleric with ranks in heal would know that   )
[sblock=ooc (action)]Ready action to attack ghast once it closes[/sblock][sblock=ooc]Hip, it would be useful to have ranges inserted in the description to allow calculation for charging, range of spells etc. eg ghast is 40ft away, skeletons 50ft away. <edit> I guess the ghast is right next to us?[/sblock][sblock=sickened]The character takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.[/sblock][sblock=saving throw?]Did you include Dowkan's +2 racial bonus against poison in his saving throw?[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Sep 5, 2006)

[sblock=OOC]The room is only about 20' wide in either direction. The ghast is about 10' away (the whole Stench thing), the skeletons vary from 10' to less than 10' away, and the zombies are about 10' down the corridor.
Saving Throw: Yup, I'm pretty sure I did. I rolled like a 1 or 2 for either Dowkan or Hrolf; I can't remember now.
Sickened: You mind pointing me in the right direction book- and page-wise?

On another note: I'm pretty confident in the party's capabilities; don't sell yourself short.[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Sep 5, 2006)

[sblock=ooc]Link here: sickened.  And my only concern is the paralysis stuff.  I reckon Hrolf can easily turn the skeletons and teh rest is about 2 rounds of work (assuming no paralysis).[/sblock]


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## Dhes (Sep 5, 2006)

Hrolf drops to his knees as the stench of the undead washes over him. With his sword point grounded the cleric pushes some of the sickness fogging his mind.  Letting is shield drop to the floor, Hrolf extends his left hand towards the undead. ”Tyr commands you to stop, return to the abyss of chaos when’s you came from.”
[sblock]*Turn Undead*  +2 Turn Check, 2D6+3 Turn Damage

I think you should add the -2 for the “Sickened”, if so than my Turn Check is +0.
Sorry, does that look stupid, I don’t want to imply that you don’t know that 2-2 = 0 

I really wanted to say “You shall not pass” but I didn’t wane get into trouble.[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Sep 6, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Dowkan prepares himself to chop at the ghast when she gets closer.
The six skeletons climb out of the exposed graves and make their intentions clear with wicked grins.
Hrolf raises his holy symbol of Tyr to shield off the undead attackers to great effect. The strength of the greater god compels the ghast and five of her skeletal companions to flee Tyr's vengeance.
Nae'talis flicks the dart used as his spell's focus from his wrist and it morphs into a speeding arrow of acid on a collision course towards the ghast. The magical shaft strikes the undead half-elf in the shoulder (5 Damage).
The ghast hisses at Hrolf's faith and the magical acid melting a hole in her underarm, and begins backing away to the room she came out of.
Sabriel fires an arrow from her short-range bow at the retreating ghast and over-shoots; the arrow bounces off the cavern wall behind the ghast.
While the adventurers have their attention on the departing ghast and skeletons, the two aimless zombies creep up to Dowkan's and Nae'talis' position and take swings at the pair with splintered clubs. Both miss, but it reminds the wizard and fighter of the very real threat they pose.

~ Initiative ~

(6) Skeletons - 20
~ (5) Turned (9 Rounds)
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (59 Rounds)
Nae'talis - 11
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (49 Rounds)
Ghast - 8
~ Turned (9 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
(2) Zombies - 2

[sblock=OOC]The six skeletons joined the battle and only one escaped being Turned. Those five will retreat down the corridor the party came through, towards the rock wall.
The ghast never got a chance to get close to Dowkan, so his readied action was a dud. She is currently retreating through the wooden door to the left (10'-0").
Let me know if you need any of that big tangle of Initiative explained...[/sblock]


----------



## kirinke (Sep 6, 2006)

Sabriel turns her attention to the two Zombies. Her expression screws up in disgust, but she stands firm, fitting another arrow to her bow and biting her lip in concentration. She looses another arrow.
_*Holy water. Next time, insist bringing on holy water.... Hmmm. Holified Alchemist fire sounds neat too... *_ she thought in a jittery kind of way.

ooc:[sblock]
I figure that Sabriel has never really encountered any undead before. I mean, she's read about them, but the reality is far worse. Hope her reactions are ok for this.[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Sep 6, 2006)

Dowkan sighs in relief as the ghast and skeletons back away from Hrolf's faith.  He moves into a position to slay the zombies and skeleton and to protect the others. (ooc: positions for use of Cleave feat and Power Attacks for 1)


----------



## Majin (Sep 6, 2006)

Nae'talis steps back from the attacking zombies and watches his companions attack the undead around them. If any of the un-turned remain alive he will cast at it.

[sblock]5 foot step away from zombies. Will delay action until after Sabriel's attack and cast _Ray of Frost_ if anything is still not down.

~

Current buffs:

_Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost **

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + *)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle **
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher
Melf's Acid Arrow
Scorching Ray [/sblock]


----------



## Dhes (Sep 7, 2006)

Getting back on his feet, Hrolf hefts his shield and turns his attention to the two remaining skeletons.  
[sblock]*+4 Melee,* 1D8
I don’t know if the Wand would remove the “Sickened” effect, can’t find it in the books, or I’m not looking hard enough. If it would do the trick than I would like to change my action from killing Skeletons with my sword to healing Dowkan. [/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Sep 8, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The one skeleton that didn't flee Hrolf's divinity tries to scratch the cleric in retaliation, but misses. The other skeletons leave the room through the tunnel to the west.
Hrolf swings his longsword at the skeleton, but only slices air where the undead's stomach would've been.
Nae'talis steps back from the zombies and prepares to launch a cantrip at whichever of the sepulchral monsters is left standing.
Dowkan takes a swing at the zombie in front of him and opens an instantly freezing gash right in its mid-section (9 Damage 4 Cold). The zombie falls and the dwarven fighter uses his swing's momentum to bring his axehead into the other zombie's ribcage (5 Damage 2 Cold).
The ghast disappears in the room off to the side, scratching and hissing at things like a cornered badger and the acid in her arm burns out (6 Damage).
Sabriel fires an arrow at the zombie Dowkan just pulled his axe out of. The arrow passes through its throat and the zombie falls to the ground, deader than it was before (3 Damage).
Nae'talis casts his cantrip at the skeleton. Ice crystals form along its pelvic bone and lower spine, but is useless nonetheless.

~ Initiative ~

(6) Skeletons - 20
~ (5) Turned (8 Rounds)
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (58 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (48 Rounds)
Ghast - 8
~ Turned (8 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2


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## Legildur (Sep 9, 2006)

Dowkan moves to finish the skeleton (or if it is already deader, then he'll move in to slay the ghast).


----------



## Dhes (Sep 9, 2006)

Hrolf doesn’t relent, presses on his attack. 
[sblock]*+4 Melee,* 1D8[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Sep 9, 2006)

Sabriel fires at the nearest undead thingie, her face set with concentration.


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## Majin (Sep 11, 2006)

Nae'talis watches the battle unfold, repeating another spell if any undead still stand.

[sblock]Casting _Ray of Frost_ again if any are still alive.

~

Current buffs:

_Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost *

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + *)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle **
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher
Melf's Acid Arrow
Scorching Ray [/sblock]


----------



## hippocrachus (Sep 11, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeleton still in the room scratches at Hrolf again, but the cleric is able to dodge to the side and avoid both sets of its bony claws.
Hrolf swings his longsword at the skeleton and manages to slash some of its ribs off, making a loud cracking sound with each break (5 Damage).
Dowkan enters the room the ghast retreated into only to find a scene that pales in comparison to the stench of the undead half-elf. The rock here is blood red and all along the walls, the stone seems to bleed. Despite the semblance of life the walls radiate, the room is frigidly cold. A drop of cold blood-like liquid lands on Dowkan's cheek as he spots the ghast cowering next to a boulder a few feet away; the boulder must have been moved there at one time. Dowkan moves the remaining feet to the ghast and raises his axe to strike her, but the fight is taken out of him as another bout of vomit surges from his belly (Critical Miss!).
The ghast stares up at the dwarven fighter with a mixture of fear and hatred. Combined with the fresh dwarf puke, the scene couldn't be any more horrid.
Sabriel fires an arrow at the skeleton facing-off with Hrolf and the missile flies off to shatter on the cavern wall.
Nae'talis follows behind Dowkan into the room with the ghast, in search of a target for his freezing cantrip. He steps into a puddle of cold dark liquid as he crosses the threshold and waves his hand at the undead beast (2 Damage). The frost from the spell forms red crystals between the ghast's thigh and the boulder she has it tucked behind.

~ Initiative ~

(6) Skeletons - 20
~ (5) Turned (7 Rounds)
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (57 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (47 Rounds)
Ghast - 8
~ Turned (7 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2

[sblock=OOC]NEWS FLASH: Skeletons are immune to Cold Damage!
Sorry, Majin, I must retract the 3 Damage Nae'talis' cantrip did last round.
In other news, Nae'talis knows better than to try the same failing trick twice, and instead of attacking the skeleton, I had him find the ghast![/sblock]


----------



## Legildur (Sep 11, 2006)

Realising that the Ghast won't fight back, Dowkan wipes the vomit from his mouth with the back of his right hand.  "Moraddin won't lemme miss twice!" he snarls at the creature before swinging the waraxe at it again.


----------



## kirinke (Sep 11, 2006)

Sabriel fires again, trying to give the others some ranged support and making damnably sure those walking bone-things didn't get near her.


ooc:
She's brave, just not suicidal.


----------



## Majin (Sep 11, 2006)

Preferring to conserve the rest of his spells, the Thayan draws a small crossbow from the confines of his robes, unattaching it from a strap that emerges with it. Nae'talis aims for the ghast and fires.


----------



## Dhes (Sep 11, 2006)

Dodging the bonny fingers of has foe, Hrolf raises his long sword for another mighty blow.

[sblock]*+4 Melee,* 1D8[/sblock]


----------



## hippocrachus (Sep 12, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeleton fighting Hrolf lunges forward again to claw the cleric of Tyr, but is easily batted aside with the young man's steel shield.
Hrolf pushes the skeleton to the side with his block, presenting an opening in the undead's flank. The cleric swings to take advantage, but only strikes the skeleton's swatting wrist (1 Damage).
Dowkan brings his axe down on the ghast where Nae'talis' magical bolt of acid melted a hole in her shoulder. The weapon sinks into the undead's flesh, just stopping short of severing the arm (7 Damage 4 Cold). The undead half-elf's appendage hangs limp from her body, held together only by a frozen tendon.
The ghast flails her working arm at Dowkan in a panic to ward the dwarf away. For all the good it does her.
Sabriel fires another arrow at the skeleton, taking careful aim so as not to hit Hrolf, and clips the walking science project in the skull, just above the temple (2 Damage). The bone proves resistant to the arrow's malleable head, but the skeleton staggers anyway.
Nae'talis pulls a crossbow from under his robes, desperado-style, and fires at the incredibly helpless ghast. He shoots her in the foot (1 Damage).
Shadar caws in his master's ear from the wizard's shoulder.

~ Initiative ~

(6) Skeletons - 20
~ (5) Turned (6 Rounds)
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (56 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (46 Rounds)
Ghast - 8
~ Turned (6 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2

[sblock=OOC]Coup de Grace?[/sblock]


----------



## kirinke (Sep 12, 2006)

Sabriel fires again, using care now that her friends are in the thick of the melee.


----------



## Legildur (Sep 12, 2006)

Dowkan winds up again to deliver a hefty blow against the ghast (power attack for 3).

[sblock=coup de grace]Turned undead who cannot flee instead cower, suffering a -2 penalty to AC and losing Dex bonus to AC.  This does not, however, make them helpless, which is the necessary condition to atempt a coup de grace.[/sblock]


----------



## Majin (Sep 14, 2006)

_Quiet you. You'd have done no better,_ the wizard projects to the bird, as he reaches for another bolt.

[sblock]Reloading and firing at the closest living target when possible.[/sblock]


----------



## kirinke (Sep 14, 2006)

[sblock]Don'tcha mean unliving? The only things that have a pulse in that place are our characters!    [/sblock]


----------



## Majin (Sep 14, 2006)

[sblock]Splitting hairs, are we? Annoy Nae'talis enough and that statement won't have any holes in it. [/sblock]


----------



## Dhes (Sep 19, 2006)

Finding his attacks all but ineffective, Hrolf leads is attack with his shield hoping to bodily force the skeleton down and making it a easier target. 
[sblock]Doing a trip attack, my sword isn’t doing a lot. So hopefully someone will have a better chance  when it has a -4 ac penalty.
Ps. I have my office working, was waiting on a windows update to fix it. Sorry but really need office to post. Well don’t need it, but feel more comfortable  if I do. [/sblock]


----------



## hippocrachus (Sep 19, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeleton beats both of its claw-like hands against Hrolf's shield as the cleric surges forward to attempt to knock the undead creature off its feet. The cleric of Tyr stumbles in his push, sending himself and the skeleton into one of the open graves in the cavern floor (Critical Miss!). The skeleton tries to claw Hrolf as they plummet into the hole, but again only scratches the rim of the man's shield.
Dowkan raises his axe up over his head and brings it down on the cowering ghast's (11 Damage 1 Cold). Coagulated blood sprays the dwarven warrior like a shower of half-dry mud to reward him for his kill.
Sabriel fires an arrow into the grave Hrolf and the skeleton now share when she thinks she sees an opening. The arrow sticks into the thick clay making up the walls of the grave.
Nae'talis leaves Dowkan to clean himself up and turns to the jumble of bones and armor that is the grave of his cleric companion. He walks over, points his crossbow at the back of the skeleton's skull, and pulls the trigger. The quarrel breaks through the bone and pokes out of the skeleton's mouth (1 Damage). The undead human grabs at Hrolf's shoulders in its last throes of undeath and falls to the grave floor in a pile.

~ Initiative ~

(5) Skeletons - 20
~ (5) Turned (5 Rounds)
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (55 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (45 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2

[sblock=OOC]Of course I take some liberties when telling the story, but it always reflects the die roll  [/sblock]


----------



## Majin (Sep 19, 2006)

Nae'talis, frustrated, sighs at the repetition as he lowers his crossbow in one hand and raises his other to the next injured skeleton. _To the nine hells with it,_ he thinks, sending a pair of glowing magic missiles in its direction.

[sblock]

~

Current buffs:

_Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost *

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + *)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle *
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher
Melf's Acid Arrow
Scorching Ray [/sblock]


----------



## Legildur (Sep 20, 2006)

Dowkan gestures 'go' with his shield arm as Nae'talis as he gags on the ghast ichor.  Taking a few moments to gather himself, Dowkan then looks around the room.  Usually he'd be in hot pursuit of the skeletons, but not in his current state.


----------



## kirinke (Sep 20, 2006)

Sabriel looks around, spying a rock in the right place. She concentrates on it and chants softly. "How quickly you fly, how softly you glide, strike at the dead, strike with wings of light," she says, casting mage hand, hoping to use it against the undead critters. 

ooc: [sblock]
Casting mage-hand to 'throw' a rock at the walking bone-heaps.[/sblock]


----------



## Dhes (Sep 21, 2006)

Hrolf flinches as he hears the rapid succession of cathunks while trying to fend of the clawing attacks of his undead foe . looking over the rim of his shield, as the clawing on his shield ceases. The cleric is greeted with the pointy end of a cross bow bolt. 
Pushing the now dormant bones off himself, Hrolf climbs out of the open crave. Only to find himself being relived from his morning meal, due to the sickening and excursion.


----------



## hippocrachus (Sep 23, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Sabriel and Nae'talis hustle down the cavern corridor towards the fleeing skeletons while Hrolf and Dowkan sick up.
As soon as Sabriel comes within range of a skeleton, she lifts a decent sized rock with her cantrip and sends it speeding off at the undead's head (4 Damage).
Nae'talis spreads a hand out in front of him and releases two glowing, magical balls in an exceptionally strong surge of arcane power. Both seek the same target, but by the time the second reaches the skeleton, the creature is already a puff of smoke in the air (5 Damage). The second missile passes through the bone dust cloud and pulses into the next skeleton (5 Damage).

~ Initiative ~

(4) Skeletons - 20
~ (4) Turned (4 Rounds)
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (54 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (44 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2


----------



## kirinke (Sep 23, 2006)

ooc:
[sblock]
The first chance Sabriel gets, she's investing in a bloody sling.   [/sblock]

IC:
As soon as she spies another decent sized rock she focuses in on it.  "So hard you look, so quick to hit, strike out at the dead on wings of light and song." she chants. It wasn't great poetry, but it would work.


----------



## Legildur (Sep 24, 2006)

Dowkan recovers slightly.  Leaving the room he slaps Hrolf on the shoulder.  "C'mon!  They'll get themselves inta trouble witout us to hold their hands!" he says as he starts after the other two.


----------



## Majin (Sep 26, 2006)

Nae'talis looses his last remaining _magic missile_ at yet another skeleton.

[sblock]

~

Current buffs:

_Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost *

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + 

*)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher
Melf's Acid Arrow
Scorching Ray [/sblock]


----------



## Dhes (Sep 26, 2006)

Hrolf pusses himself to his feet and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Still somewhat unsteady from the exertion. The Cleric makes his way over to the last skeletons and attacks one of them  with the last of his strength.


----------



## hippocrachus (Sep 27, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeletons begin to put more effort into fleeing from the adventurers when the bard and mage catch them up. When the reach the rock wall separating them from the pebbly beach beyond, the skeletons begin to try and amble over the rocks in unlikely places, the fear of god addling their wits.
Hrolf and Dowkan collect themselves and hustle down the corridor after the others; they catch up just in time to see the skeletons begin trying to find ways over the rock wall.
Sabriel convinces another stone to leap at the undead with her poetics, and deals a glancing blow to the skeleton with a wobbly ribcage (1 Damage).
Nae'talis fires off another duo of arcane orbs, confidently targeting one at the injured skeleton and another at a new enemy. The first magical bolt pulses into the injured skeleton, pushing it forcefully into the boulders it desperately tries to get over (4 Damage). It hits the rocks and clatters to the floor in a pile. The second bolt hits a skeleton in the shoulder as it reaches up to find a handhold on the rocks (3 Damage).

~ Initiative ~

(3) Skeletons - 20
~ (3) Turned (3 Rounds)
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (53 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (43 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2

[sblock=OOC]I figure the skeletons have enough of a lead on Hrolf and Dowkan by this round, so their actions will be saved for this next round coming.
I'll just wait for Kirinke and Majin before posting the next round's development...[/sblock]


----------



## Legildur (Sep 27, 2006)

"Save ya bleedin' spells!" cusses Dowkan as flem/phlegm flies from his mouth.  He charges a skeleton (or hustles over and attacks if charging is not possible).


----------



## kirinke (Sep 27, 2006)

Sabriel's snarls wordlessly as she uses up her second to last spell on the walking dead and draws her sword, running up and swinging at the nearest one and quite ready to duck back if she has too. 

ooc
[sblock]Definantly gonna invest in a sling. Arrows against bone-heaps aren't real good.   
Masterwork Longsword (4lbs)
~Type: Slashing
~AB: 1 + 1
~Damage: 1d8+1
~Critical: 19x2

AC: 15
~ Touch: 12
~ Flat-Footed: 13

Blooded (+2 to Initiative and Spot)
Sneak Attack (1d6)
[/sblock]


----------



## Majin (Sep 27, 2006)

Nae'talis smirks at the dwarf's comment, not knowing whether it was directed at him or the girl, or both. His last offensive spell would do no good anyway against these fiends. His spells would be replenished soon enough. There would be need, and time enough for rest after such a battle, especially if both the dwarf and the priest's conditions were any indication. Instead, the Thayan went over to where he had previously dropped his staff and picked it up, moving to swing it at the nearest skeleton at his earliest opportunity.

[sblock]

~

Current buffs:

_Mage Armor_

~

Spells Remaining: 

*Level 0* (4 + 1)

Detect Magic **
Ray of Frost *

*Level 1* (2 + 1 + 1 + *)

Color Spray *
Mage Armor 
Magic Missle
Sleep *

*Level 2* (1 + 1 + 1)

Aganazzar's Scorcher
Melf's Acid Arrow
Scorching Ray [/sblock]


----------



## hippocrachus (Sep 27, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeletons scramble at the rock wall as they sense the power of Tyr channeled through Hrolf grow nearer. With no way to escape the cleric's imposed justice, the skeletons turn to fight, a force lifting off of them like a popping bubble. The injured skeleton goes after Sabriel, swinging a boney hand, but misses. The other two skeletons turn to challenge the man that had them fleeing, teeth rattling in a wicked grin as they creep over to fight. The first skeleton grabs Hrolf's arm and squeezes needle sharp finger bones into his flesh (4 Damage). The second scratches Hrolf's side as he raises his arm to fend them off (2 Damage).
Hrolf swings his sword at the skeleton to his right and chips the undead's pelvic (2 Damage).
Dowkan swings at the same skeleton, it being closest, and breaks a few ribs off (5 Damage). The frost magic of the axe just seems to absorb into the skeleton.
Sabriel draws her sword and swings at the injured skeleton facing her and hits it with a hollow thunk. The skeleton doesn't seem phased.
Nae'talis slinks by Dowkan to go and retrieve his staff.

~ Initiative ~

(3) Skeletons - 20
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (52 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (42 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2

[sblock=OOC]Majin: I'm not sure where Nae'talis dropped his staff, so I'm assuming it's back in the room with the open graves...
Legildur: Sorry about that, I know you asked me to give some better distances in battle, but I forgot. I'm probably not always going to remember either, but don't hesitate to ask out of character.
The corridor is wide enough for Hrolf and Dowkan to walk abreast of each other. The distance between the edge of the corridor and the rock wall is pretty much the same; almost as if it serves a dual-purpose...[/sblock]


----------



## kirinke (Sep 27, 2006)

Sabriel swings again, striking at the undead. "Lurue bless! These things are narsty!" she shouts.


----------



## Legildur (Sep 28, 2006)

Dowkan grins maliciously as the skeletons turn to fight.  He swings the waraxe into the nearest bag of bones.


----------



## Majin (Sep 28, 2006)

Nae'talis returns to the room with the open graves and bends down to pick up his staff from the cold, hard ground. Dusting any grave dust off of the polished wood, he returns back to the scene of combat. Surveying the tight squeeze that is the fighting situation at the moment, he doubts he will manage to get a swing in, but will attempt to if the opportunity arises.

[sblock]In the open grave room, right you are. [/sblock]


----------



## Dhes (Sep 28, 2006)

The added agony in his arm gives the cleric a brief clarity, enough time for Hrolf to trying and  batter the skeleton out of the way and fallow trough with his sword.


----------



## hippocrachus (Sep 29, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeleton facing Sabriel swipes its claws at her, but the graceful aasimar steps aside and the skeleton stumbles forward a step, leaving its backside open briefly (Critical Miss!). The skeleton in front of Hrolf slashes the clerics face with one hand and bangs its other against his shield uselessly (3 Damage). The broken skeleton to the cleric's right turns to Dowkan and flails uselessly at his aegis.
Hrolf swings his longsword down where his opponent's shoulder blade was a split second before.
Dowkan takes a horizontal swing at the skeleton's mid-section and severs its spine above the hip (6 Damage). He carries the swing over to the skeleton in front of Hrolf and cracks an arm off at the elbow (5 Damage).
Sabriel takes advantage of the injured skeleton's misstep and brings the hilt of her sword down hard on its back (2 Damage). It windmills another step, rights itself, and stares at her with eyeless malice.
Nae'talis retrieves his staff and makes his way back down the corridor in time to see the dwarven warrior's feat in battle.

~ Initiative ~

(2) Skeletons - 20
Hrolf - 14
~ Sickened (51 Rounds)
Dowkan - @8
~ Sickened (41 Rounds)
Sabriel - 7
Nae'talis - @2


----------



## kirinke (Sep 29, 2006)

The young bard sings softly, a war chant as she swings her sword in an arc, the blade a punctuation to the song itself.

Do not go gently into that night, do not go forth without a fight.
The shadows may draw us, we laugh at their faint guile. 
Do not fear the sword of death, do not fear the light of life.
Both circle around each other, dancing, twirling and swirling....


----------



## Legildur (Sep 29, 2006)

Dowan grimly sets about destroying the last two skeletons (positioning for Cleave if necessary).


----------



## Dhes (Oct 2, 2006)

Hrolf screams in pain as he feels bonny fingers carve crevices on his face.  Taking a step back, the cleric goes into a more defensive stance waiting for the new mindless attack of the skeleton.
[sblock]Total defense  +4 AC[/sblock]


----------



## hippocrachus (Oct 3, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeleton facing Hrolf and Dowkan flails its arms out wide at the two adventurers, tearing a long gash in Hrolf's forearm with its skeletal hand (3 Damage) and banging a severed elbow against Dowkan's armor. Sabriel's foe doesn't have any luck striking flesh.
Hrolf shrinks back and raises his shield to prevent another scrape.
Dowkan steps to the side, positioning himself between the two injured skeletons, balances on his toes, and round-houses the undead with his axe. The skeleton facing Hrolf ends up facing a rock as its head is sent careening into the shadows (3 Damage). The skeleton facing Sabriel collapses to the ground after the dwarf's axe takes a leg (2 Damage).

[sblock]Low Damage rolls and he still managed to kill both of them...
Aftermath: Hrolf is still sickened for five minutes. Dowkan is still sickened for four minutes.

EDIT: L00T[/sblock]


----------



## kirinke (Oct 3, 2006)

Sabriel laughs shakily as the dust settles, more an adrenilan release than anything else. "Well, something here certainly doesn't like us much, that's for sure." She said, wiping bone dust from her sword on a piece of rag before sliding it back into it's scabbard. "Next time we're in the city, remind me to invest in a sling. Arrows are fair useless against skellitons." 

She said, trying to sort out the confused jumble of emotions she had from her first serious, life-threatening fight. Mostly, she felt relieved that she and her new-found companions were mostly intact.


----------



## Legildur (Oct 3, 2006)

Dowkan spits on the remains of the abominations. "Not so undead now, ah ya!".

"Hrolf, next time you be stayin' clear of them undead ya scare, ya hear me?"

[sblock=<edit>]OOC: Loot? What loot?[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Oct 4, 2006)

Dowkan wipes the ghast ichor from his face.  "Let's go an' see what these blighters were up to," he suggests.  First searching the skeletons (and encouraging the others to do so), he then heads back to the chamber.  Starting with the other remains, and then the graves themselves, Dowkan eventually moves on to the ghast's room with it's blood like liquid coating everything.  Moving the boulder is one of his actions.
[sblock=ooc]The initial decription of the chamber mentioned the portal door on our left (north), and then ghast emerging from a portal door on our right (south).  I presume that there is only one door given only one was mentioned in the opening description?[/sblock]


----------



## kirinke (Oct 4, 2006)

"Sirrah Dowkan! Do not go poking around in that room, no telling what sort of mouse traps the previous owner set in it!" Sabriel called out. "Wait while we finish with these bone heaps. Then I will help search the room. I have a better chance of finding traps and tricks than the rest of you,"


----------



## Legildur (Oct 4, 2006)

Dowkan grunts as Sabriel's words cause him to pause.  "Aye lassy, it be all yours then."


----------



## hippocrachus (Oct 4, 2006)

[sblock=OOC]Dowkan springs a trap when he moves the boulder! Just kidding  
You are correct, Legildur. In the room with the open graves, there is a door on the left side, a tunnel on the south side leading deeper into the caves, and the tunnel leading back to the beach at the entrance.[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Oct 4, 2006)

The young woman helps the others gather what loot there was and moved towards the room. "Stay out of the room until I give the 'all clear', better one caught then all if I trip a trap by mistake," she warned and cautiously entered the room, covering up her nose and mouth with the scarf about her neck, grimancing at the narsty smell.

"Gah... That thing is rank," she muttered, searching for anything amiss as well as anything interesting.

ooc: [sblock]
Disable Device 5
Open Lock 7
Search 5
Spot 8[/sblock]


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## Majin (Oct 4, 2006)

Nae'talis keeps his usual silence while the rooms are searched, not to mention a sizable distance from the sickened pair, his nose burning at the traces of vomit still about them. He wishes he'd of memorized a Prestidigitation spell, and makes a mental note to do so in the future.


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## Dhes (Oct 4, 2006)

Legildur said:
			
		

> Dowkan spits on the remains of the abominations. "Not so undead now, ah ya!".
> 
> "Hrolf, next time you be stayin' clear of them undead ya scare, ya hear me?"



Trying to put a grin on his face, ”How else am I going to kill the creations of Chaos is I don’t get into the fray. holding  hand up in acquiesces, ”Next time I’ll let you do your job master Dwarf. The rest of us will just have to be satisfied with the scraps you leave us.”
Kneeling on the ground, Hrolf puts his sword and shield down and starts prying. _Just father, pleas heal our hurts so we may continue fighting chaos in the name of Law and Justice._
[sblock]Casting  Cure light wounds
Will we be resting before we go on? That comment in ooc saying that the next fight should really help in the XP department sounds scary  [/sblock]


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## kirinke (Oct 4, 2006)

"Those skellitons aren't exactly chaotic my friend. They don't have the minds for it," Sabriel comments as she searches the room for tricks and traps.


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## hippocrachus (Oct 5, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

The skeletons leave nothing of value in their wake and the zombies are outfitted in moth-eaten hide armor and splintered wooden clubs.
Sabriel makes a round of the slimy red chamber that now serves as the ghast's _final_ resting place. She doesn't find anything suspicious around the boulder, the door, or the crimson dripping walls.
Dowkan, knowing a thing or two about mineral deposits, discovers that the walls are not truly dripping blood, but merely leaking nitrate-stained water. The water is bitter to taste and clearly not for drinking. The dwarf wipes his hands of the murky water and pushes the boulder out of the way to reveal the ghast's treasure horde!
Sitting in a pile of gold and silver is a longsword that shines blue in the torchlight and a gold ring with an emerald setting.

[sblock=OOC]28 gold, 52 silver, a longsword, and ring...
The fight that comment referred to was this one, Dhes  [/sblock]


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## Legildur (Oct 5, 2006)

"Humph. An elf toy," Dowkan comments about the long sword as he looks into the hoard. "Nae'talis, would the sword or ring be magic?"

"How are we lookin' if we push on?" he asks of the group. "Nay even a scratch on me hide to show for the efforts today.  But poor Hrolf here got himself a bit cut up.  What ya say ta havin' a squizz down the tunnel a we bit?"


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## Majin (Oct 5, 2006)

Nae'talis frowns thoughtfully as he palms the ring and hefts the sword in his hands, making a rather extravagent show of it all, unnecessarily. He studies the items himself firstly, and if that fails, he'll cast a magical detection spell to discern any potential abilities they might have.


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## kirinke (Oct 5, 2006)

After the wizard takes a go at the items, Sabriel will attempt to discern what their general function is.

ooc: [sblock]
A bard may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his bard level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the bard has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.)
A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. 

(3) Knowledge (History): 2 + 1 + 0
(3) Knowledge (Arcana): 2 + 1 + 0
(4) Decipher Script: 2 + 2 + 0
INT: 15 (2)[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Oct 11, 2006)

[sblock=ooc]I'm away for 4 days - no net access. Hip, please NPC Dowkan[/sblock]


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## Legildur (Oct 15, 2006)

[sblock=ooc]Back now.  But no activity??[/sblock]


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## hippocrachus (Oct 16, 2006)

~ The Adventurers ~

Nae'talis runs his hands above the swords blade to sense any magical auras, but can't discern the blade's magical properties past an obvious minor enchantment that leaves it shining blue in the torchlight. Casting detect magic reveals that the sword is the only magical item in the ghast's trove.
Sabriel studies the treasures with a knowledgeable eye and can place the sword's age to several hundred years ago of elven make. The ring is newer by comparison but still older than anyone in the party. It seems to be an engagement ring with an inscription on the inside written in flowing Elven.
_A Promise, Deo_
A sepulchral draft billows up through the tunnel to the south, breaking the eerie silence for only a moment.


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## Legildur (Oct 16, 2006)

"A promise, heh!" mutters Dowkan. "Well, what's it to be, do we push on down the tunnel?  Or sit tight here and rest a bit?"


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## kirinke (Oct 16, 2006)

"One of my teachers said when adventuring tis best to rest while you can, because you never know what's around the corner till it's too late and you're out of spells." Sabriel said. "We probably need to rest, I know I need to. What little spells I have are tapped."


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## Majin (Oct 19, 2006)

Nae'talis rolls his eyes at Sabriel's comments. "You've got quite a proverb there," he says sarcastically, and looks again at the sword, inwardly frustrated at his failure to identify the simple enchantment upon the weapon.

_I must accelerate my studies,_ he orders himself as he carelessly dumps the sword into the nearest person's arms.


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## Dhes (Oct 19, 2006)

“I agree, we should rest. I’m out of main spells and we could all use some rest. Dowkan, would you take the first watch?”  Taking a candle out of his backpack and marking it a third of the way. ”Wake me when the candle burns down to the mark.”


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## Legildur (Oct 19, 2006)

"Aye, happy to do it.  Any fool can see you lot need ya beauty sleep," Dowkan says with what might be a grin through all the beard.


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## Majin (Oct 30, 2006)

Nae'talis sits quietly in a corner flipping through his spellbook. Giving his bird a silent order to guard him while he studied he went to work, concentrating on going over what he planned to memorize when he awoke.

[sblock]I'm still here as well, obviously. Perhaps we can get a dialog going between some of us while we wait for Hipp's return?[/sblock]


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## kirinke (Oct 30, 2006)

"Beauty sleep? You jest," she replied with a wry grin as she settled down. "Like the man says, sleep now, for you may not be able to when you need it," she said and suiting action to words, closed her eyes, humming an old lullabye to herself, almost as if she were teasing the dwarf.


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## Legildur (Oct 30, 2006)

"Harrumph!" Dowkan replies.  "You soft types get ya sleep, for on the morrow we go a huntin'!"

"I'll be takin' da first watch."
[sblock=OOC]Dowkan will sleep in his breastplate armor courtesy of the Endurance feat.[/sblock]


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