- The heroes look at the carnage aftermath of their fight with the devils
- one must be careful when fighting devils, not to become devils yourselves… the heroes resisted the temptation of using the escalation die
- will we be so lucky as we delve deeper?
- Dwarves have delved deep in the past in search of riches, but sometimes they unearth disaster and old evils that would best have laid dormant
- Puki gives thought to this…. is he susceptible to this as well?
- Each of the ehroes are faced with visions of their own personal ambitions
- Idris, Puki & Nidalru gets a sense of what is happening
- Idris is almost incited that his personal thought are being used against him
- Nidalru
- Puki knows
- Merian and Legoin are not so lucky, they’ve drawn something out about this – something about this you want even more than you thought you did
- the thought of doing anything for it… whoever this is… maybe if they could help make this happen… would your friends’ lives be worth it?
- Muradin Tuderk – blacksmith served the Dwarf King for many, many years (centuries) – some even say his skill might rival that of the Dwarf King himself
- “So you made it… how lovely…” now for your reward… the first one to come here and slit this dwarf’s throat will
- Legion: “What I want cannot be given” – oh but it can
ENGAGE!
- The heroes approach Muradin – legion is able to determine he is no devil in illusioned disguise
- Puki breaks free his shackles – he is
- I didn’t know or care what the dwarf king says – you’re a dwarf – you’re a dwarf… panting – everyone knows who ya are – the beardless one – but what most ppl believe is the reason why you’ve been banished – knows of us that knew – swore us to secrecy – but after what you and your friends have don where today – I’ll not be bound by that any longer
- THey said you been outcast for using your powers to heal an orc – i don’t know why you did it, but that’s not the reason why
- No matter why you did such a crazy thing – you just gave them the reason they been looking for – they been looking for a reason for a long time – they jumped at the chance – it’s wrong… it’s wrong I tell ya
- Can ya forgive me for going along with them?
- Puki: It is not your doing, therefore there are no issues between us.
- Muradin – wipes his tears with the back of his hand and says It’s obvious you’ve not been with dwarves for a long time – you’ve even forgotten how to hold a grudge
- Puki: THe grudge I hold is not for you
- Muradain: Shakes his head sadly, “It’s time this was taken care of – it’s time you confront ’em and demand to know why you were forced out. I’ll come with ya – whether you choose to stay or not – whether you want to wage war against king or not – you’ll do it because you’ll knot he truth – the truth about yourself – about who you are –
- Puki: That truth can wait – we have more important things to do at this point. I will ask one thing of you – we have the need to forge an incredible weapon – are you capable of doing this or do you know of a dwarf who can?
- A look of profound disappointment appears on his face – Lad – puts his hands up – the devils cut off the fingers above the first knuckle on all his fingers – I canna hold a smith’s instruments any more. OI wish I could do this for you – I wishing I could…. gain my life back – but I canna even hold a simple mallet in my hand
- Merian “Please, if there’s anything you can do, or is there anyone else like you, or if you could guide us to one that can?”
- *I’ll do what I can, lass, I … I’m in your debt… forever… you didn’t jus tsave my life – what they were planning to do… was worse than death – so whatever i can do.
- Merian bows in shame, “Thank you”.
- Nidalru: What were the devils doing here? What did they want?
- Muradin: They lured us down taking advantage of our desire to find treasures beneath the earth, shakes his head embarrassed that it’s that easy to trick a dwarf, “But they were waiting for us… what they were hoping to find or corrupt – they were looking for something that belonged to the golden one
- Idris: There’s something of that nature down here?
- Muradin: Not that we could find, and we looked… hard. I’m of an opinion that what they were looking for was on the surface, with you lot.
- Idris: can you tell under which section of Hildebrande we’re under right now?
Turns out that we’re not that far from the secret monastery to the great gold wyrm
- Puki: What of the others?
- Muradin shakes his head sadly…
- Idris: They’re all dead?
- Muradin: Aye – we put up a good fight – what you fought was what was left – less than half of what was here originally, I can tell you that.
- Puki: I still have you indebted to us to craft this weapon – your first task then, is to find a way to forge this for us… find a dwarven solution to forge this for us.
- This seems to ‘click’ for Murdan – and he nods, his eyes in thought as to how he might accomplish this, avoiding showing too much emotion
- Puki: We can escort you back to Hildebrande
- Muradin: I appreciate that – I haven’t been up top in quite a while – there is a priestess there that can help me.
- The heroes break the bad news to him
- Muradin looks dejected and says, “Ach.. never trust a hum….” but he stops sohrt.
- Merian: There are tricksters among all the races…
As the heroes return to the surface, they bring Muradin with them
Return to The Freighter bar (Condon‘s establishment) so that Puki can let Muradin stay there while the heroes leave again
Condon is talking with a hooded woman who exchange glances and then seem to indicate they want their attention.
The heroes move to meet Condon, we can hear Condon whispering to her, “No, it’s ok – they’ll handle it they handle everything you were wright to come here, no you were right.”
her shoulders hunched, Condon sees us – he has a look of “Yah they’re here now, they’ll handle it.:”
She draws back her hood – it’s Casila Artalin!
Idris: What are you doing here, Casila?”
Casila – I know… I was supposed to be staying in Eldolan… she shakin… Condon pours her a whisky and she gulps it down – she looks at him and he nods as if to say you’re welcome – She continued “But there were orcs there… they were hidden… and goblins… I got followed one night, and I managed to lose them – I saw them waiting AT the mission the next day! They KNOW I was there… they know I was there… I couldn’t risk anything happening at the mission, so I ran here. I went straight to the temple, and it’s… gone! So I didn’t know what to do, and that nice Gardener man – he found me and brought me here, so I’ve been hiding out here. They work for that orc bounty hunter, don’t they?
Merian: I wouldn’t place much stock in it…. we’ll have you safe… when this is all settled.
Casila: How is that going to happen? I don’t mean to say you’re not doing anything, but how is that going to be able to work again? How is that going to happen so I don’t have to look over my shoulder?
Merian: I appreciate that, but there are a number of things that have to happen before we can tell you that. I can’t give you a timetable
Casila: I don’t mean that… but is it even possible?
Legion & Condon speak at the bar
Heroes decide to take Casila with us when we go to Stoneroost in the morning
ENGAGE!
Legion ⊕ uses a Negative 6 with The Lich King ⊕ to use some of his life force to empower his minion to wrap itself around Nidalru like a cocoon and protect her body from rubble and the falling damage as she is swallowed by the Stone Thief.
Merian ⊕ uses a ___ ___ with ___ ⊕ to deftly use her extremely resistant shield to slide down the rubble like Legolas.
crash down through the stone thief – none are nearly capable to grab onto the side – we go all the way down – orcs, and buildings, and where we end up… we’re not really sure.
