A Keep On The Borderlands: Arrival

Kaodi · Mar 1, 2013

Comoray regrets now not having prayed for spells to detect magical auras and traces of poison. Something about the way the dwarf rubbed his amulet after taking a drink makes him very suspicious. Lesson learned for any future hospitality encounters. The priest supposes he will have to make do with what is on hand. Picking up a mug and the pitcher of ale he pours a drink that he then passes to Cassie. "Here you go," he mumbles, thinking that were Trooper Fyfe not their dwarven translator he would have been his first choice as test subject. As for himself, as much as Comoray may dislike passing off the risks to another, his abilities will be needed more if it comes to a fight.

Dr Simon · Mar 6, 2013

Cassie is engaged in a contest with Bastian as to who can glare with the most distrust and hostility at the dwarf, Haxmar, and she turns this baleful look on Comoray for a moment, before taking the proffered ale and taking a swig. Her face soften somewhat.

"'S good stuff," she says. "Guess it's true what they say about dwarf beer. You should try some, Father," she passes the mug back to Comoray. Haxmar grins and fills some more goblets.

"There's plenty to go around," he says, "Never fear!"

Meanwhile, as Sh'aah walks away from the dwarf guard he has been tormenting, the dwarf's face contorts in rage and he has to be held beck by one of his comrades from charging at the half-orc. Sh'aah reaches the far tower at the same time as two dwarf servants are entering with a large platter of roasted goat.

Axel · Mar 10, 2013

Sh'aah

The big half-orc was relieved that the Dwarf hadn't taken matters further. Would've smashed him. But looks bad for the lady...

Finding himself back near the rest of the group, and the strange looking Dwarf, he stood at the back - arms folded and legs wide apart as was his custom when nothing else was going on. The goat did smell good, though he had little desire to take food from these Dwarves. This place still smells wrong. And food is very lucky in timing...roast goat takes hours. Or they know we are coming.

Sniffing again, partially to inhale the roast meat odours, which were mouth-watering, Sh'aah tried to pinpoint what was troubling him. Is goat! Where are other goats? I cannot smell them. Or hear them. Goats are stupid. Not hide good. He frowned, trying to see them.

Kaodi · Mar 10, 2013

"Oh, I am not a Father," says Comoray gently as he takes the mug back from Cassie. "Just a Brother. We are mostly all Brothers, and Sisters, in my Order." He raises the mug to his lips and takes a small gulp before lowering it again. He will try to nurse this drink for as long as he can.

Shayuri · Mar 11, 2013

Arcata accepts the offered drink, but doesn't drink any right away. There are more important things on her mind...until she notices the change in Cassie. Of course, it might just be very good drink, or she might be the sort of person who warms quickly. But none of those things rang true in her mind. She didn't need a cantrip to know when things were amiss.

"We came not just to re-establish ties," Arcata says, holding the cup as if she was about to drink from it, then lowering it at the last moment. As she did, she watched Haxmar intently to see if he reacted. "but also to give you warning. Though beastmen had overrun the Keep's walls, it was not beastmen who defeated its last holders. They were led by a cunning creature. One of the fey; a creature that can take the appearance of its victims. When we retook the Keep, this fey managed to flee the slaughter of its minions."

She gestures with the cup, almost taking another drink again, but seems too distracted by what she's saying to do it. "When I learned of your fortress here, I realized that they might try something like that to you. It's why I brought our good Brother along. There are ways to ferret out dark fey magic, and reveal all guises, all tricks, and all treachery they can wreak."

"As the wretched fey are too cowardly, and honorless to fight openly, these ways are our only way to strike at them. With respect, I offer you our aid in rooting out any such efforts by them to invade your hearth and home. We must stand together, or they will defeat us one by one."

As she speaks, she continues watching Haxmar; trying to gauge how he's taking her words. She's dialed up the rhetoric considerably past where she would normally have spoken...trying to provoke a reaction of some kind. If this was really Haxmar, even beguiled by fey charms, he would most likely still believe himself to be the enemy of the fey and react as such. If this was another pretender, then its reaction might well be very different. Arcata wasn't sure if fey would care about being accused of cowardice and lack of honor, but if nothing else it should prove instructive. She was now very glad she'd not revealed her spellcasting, and now had a chance to imply strongly she had no such ability. Surrounded by a fortress of potentially hostile dwarves, they would need every edge if things went wrong.

Dr Simon · Mar 14, 2013

Haxmar is giving nothing away; his blue-tinged face remains impassive as stone as he listens to Arcata, with a few neutral nods and gestures to indicate that he is listening. Try as hard as she might, Arcata can't penetrate the dwarf's inner thoughts through his outer demeanour. He'd be a good opponent in games of bluff.

"Well, all the better that you have come," he says. "I trust the good Brother will put his skills to good use in helping us." He smiles, but it is a smile that barely registers in his eyes. "In truth we haven't been here long - King Eisenbart lost contact with the garrison some months ago and sent us to investigate. We found it the ruin that you see now. An attack by organised beastmen would make sense - perhaps these dark fey defeated our defences as they did yours."

As the roasted goat is placed in the table, Haxmar tears himself off a generous portion and sets to eating it, dribbling grease down his beard and fingers.

"So tell me, My Lady, you propose an alliance? What are your terms? Please, eat, all of you. I will have my steward prepare chambers for you for tonight."

Sh'aah has seen no domesticated goats in the compound, but he has seen signs on the way up to the waystation of wild goats.

Axel · Mar 15, 2013

Sh'aah

Sh'aah grunts as he recalls the wild goat spoor from late yesterday. Stupid... He sits heavily, at the back of the group, chain mail jingling, and grabs a horn of ale for himself. Still no food...don't like fancy eyes dwarves.

Dr Simon · Mar 27, 2013

The rest of the evening passes and, although none in the party can shake off the sense of unease about Haxmar Schattenstein and his strange blue-tinted dwarves, none of the food or drink seems to be poisoned or drugged, and Haxmar is nothing but courteous, moreso than the gruff reputation of the dwarves had led most to believe (even Fyfe whispers to Bastian that these are not like the dwarves he has met before).

The courtesy continues as Haxmar offers use of the watchtower over to Arcata and her party, although as they later learn guards are posted on the curtain wall and outside the groundfloor door. Discretely, and nothing says that they are not the usual sentries, nor that their duty is to protect the guests. Nonetheless, they could also be there to make sure nobody escapes.

In the small hours of the morning, something wakes Sh'aah and Brother Comoray. The air is chill with mountain night, the sky is clear and brilliantly dotted with stars, and a gibbous moon shines through the window. Half-orc and priest hear nothing for a moment, then there it as again, a faint noise like moaning or a muffled shout, somewhere below them.

Kaodi · Mar 27, 2013

Brother Comoray twists his head around to see if anyone else is awake. When the sees that Sh'aah also stirs he breathes a small sigh of relief: the half-orc may not appreciate his religious ways much, but he is perhaps the best person to have around when things get "interesting" out here on the frontier.

Signalling to Sh'aah for silence, Comoray quietly climbs out of bed and immediately goes for his shield and sword. Unfortunately he will be vulnerable without his armour, but it would take far too long to don without making a huge racket. He then goes to stand at the ready by the entrance.

Axel · Mar 28, 2013

Sh'aah

Sh'aah sat up with a faint jingle of armour - he had taken to sleeping in his chain shirt - as some animalistic danger sense woke him. Still don't like this place...strange noises... Glancing across at where Comoray was reaching for his weapons, all the uneasiness he first felt on entering the stronghold returned. He could feel it before too.

He frowned as the noise came again, then stood up on his bed to get a good view out of the window.