A Keep on the Borderlands: Consolidation
- Thread starter Dr Simon
- Start date
Arcata frowned. Neither option was particularly good, but that was the choice before them. She didn't like the idea of appearing before the dwarves as refugees after a forced march, with hounds snapping at their heels...but there was diplomatic capital to be earned perhaps in trusting their agent, and in making straightaway to inform them of the events at the waystation.
With a heavy sigh, she nodded.
"We'll go to the dwarves. Rexun, take point with Sha'ah and help keep us on the path."
With a heavy sigh, she nodded.
"We'll go to the dwarves. Rexun, take point with Sha'ah and help keep us on the path."
Dr Simon
Explorer
The dwarf trail leads steeply up rocky slopes covered with pine and rowan, via cunningly contrived steps that are carved from the rock and appear at first glance like a natural gully. After some minutes of exertion the trail levels out to a shelf below steep cliffs.
Sh'aah spots movement ahead, and an armoured dwarf appears from behind a rock, a load crossbow pointed at the group. He says something in the dwarven language, and Rexun steps forwards and replies. There follows a brief conversation in the harsh-sounding tongue.
"I think we're going to be alright sir, ma'am," says Fyfe quietly to Bastian and Arcata. "This Rexun, he's vouching for us as friends."
And so it would seem. The dwarf lowers his crossbow and nods the group past. Rexun leads them around a shoulder of rock and there is revealed an entrance into the cliff face, hidden unless seen from the right angle. There are more dwarves inside, ready for battle (although dwarves are rarely seen out of armour anyway; rumour in the Empire is that they wear chainmail nightshirts). Rexun is greeted with hearty slaps on the back as the group is led down a tunnel into a chamber lit by a small, but warming, fire.
A fat dwarf with striking red hair and beard has a brief conversation with Rexun then turns to the group.
"Menexes Kupferbart at your service," he says. "Cousin Rexun tells me how you aided him, and for that you are welcome to our humble camp. Tell me what you know of the Cobalt Dwarf, Haxmar. And quickly, if you will, we may not have much time."
Sh'aah spots movement ahead, and an armoured dwarf appears from behind a rock, a load crossbow pointed at the group. He says something in the dwarven language, and Rexun steps forwards and replies. There follows a brief conversation in the harsh-sounding tongue.
"I think we're going to be alright sir, ma'am," says Fyfe quietly to Bastian and Arcata. "This Rexun, he's vouching for us as friends."
And so it would seem. The dwarf lowers his crossbow and nods the group past. Rexun leads them around a shoulder of rock and there is revealed an entrance into the cliff face, hidden unless seen from the right angle. There are more dwarves inside, ready for battle (although dwarves are rarely seen out of armour anyway; rumour in the Empire is that they wear chainmail nightshirts). Rexun is greeted with hearty slaps on the back as the group is led down a tunnel into a chamber lit by a small, but warming, fire.
A fat dwarf with striking red hair and beard has a brief conversation with Rexun then turns to the group.
"Menexes Kupferbart at your service," he says. "Cousin Rexun tells me how you aided him, and for that you are welcome to our humble camp. Tell me what you know of the Cobalt Dwarf, Haxmar. And quickly, if you will, we may not have much time."
Sh'aah was amazed by the rock cavern cum stronghold, and it showed as he gazed around at the place. He know mountains and caves, but had seen nothing like this.
The Dwarves he could care less from though. Even in his comparatively short life Sh'aah had been on the receiving end of scorn and hatred from Dwarves more than the small number he had met should imply. Still, there were many of the stunted folk, and warriors to boot. The ranger was relieved that his intuition in staying in Dwarf lands had been right. It had always been right, but it only took one poor choice out in the wilds...
Knowing his place in the hierarchy of things Sh'aah kept to the back and stayed as unobtrusive as his massive body would allow.
The Dwarves he could care less from though. Even in his comparatively short life Sh'aah had been on the receiving end of scorn and hatred from Dwarves more than the small number he had met should imply. Still, there were many of the stunted folk, and warriors to boot. The ranger was relieved that his intuition in staying in Dwarf lands had been right. It had always been right, but it only took one poor choice out in the wilds...
Knowing his place in the hierarchy of things Sh'aah kept to the back and stayed as unobtrusive as his massive body would allow.
As they entered the cavern, Arcata quietly expended a little magic to freshen herself...clean up the little smudges from climbing, give her clothes a little more color and make up for the several days now since she'd changed them. When she stepped up to greet Mexaxes very little of the past exertions or difficulties showed in her appearance.
"Less than I'd like, I'm afraid," she replied. Her voice had warmth in it, but her antipathy towards the Cobalt was plain as well. "He wears an amulet with a blue stone in it. His skin, and the skin of his followers, was tinged blue as well. He was very quick to greet us, and seemed very...interested in me in particular. Not as a woman, you understand, but I think I was important to some plan of his. He was reluctant to fight us...I don't know if it's because he doubted his men against us, or because he was concerned about me dying in the process."
"As for what he wanted me for, I believe it had to do with some kind of strange, pervasive blue light from the cliffs above the waystation. Significant magical power was gathering there for something. A ritual perhaps. I didn't see what was causing it, so I can't be more specific."
"Less than I'd like, I'm afraid," she replied. Her voice had warmth in it, but her antipathy towards the Cobalt was plain as well. "He wears an amulet with a blue stone in it. His skin, and the skin of his followers, was tinged blue as well. He was very quick to greet us, and seemed very...interested in me in particular. Not as a woman, you understand, but I think I was important to some plan of his. He was reluctant to fight us...I don't know if it's because he doubted his men against us, or because he was concerned about me dying in the process."
"As for what he wanted me for, I believe it had to do with some kind of strange, pervasive blue light from the cliffs above the waystation. Significant magical power was gathering there for something. A ritual perhaps. I didn't see what was causing it, so I can't be more specific."
Dr Simon
Explorer
"As I feared," says Menexes. "He's allied himself to some strange magic." He strides across to the fire. "We'll find no help from that quarter," he says, almost to himself. He turns back to Arcata. "Possibly he will be following you now. Another dwarf would be capable of finding the hidden trail. If you can fight, help us. If not, stay out of our way."
Bastian Sangue, human cavalier
"Sir," Bastian says. He hefts his broadsword out of its sheathe to rest on one of his armored shoulders, "Fighting is the one thing I've been certain I know how to do since we got to this little wilderness. If I finally get to hit things, count me in."
"Sir," Bastian says. He hefts his broadsword out of its sheathe to rest on one of his armored shoulders, "Fighting is the one thing I've been certain I know how to do since we got to this little wilderness. If I finally get to hit things, count me in."
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