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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4424353" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 11</p><p></p><p></p><p>The halfling’s question during their lunch break had affected Mara more than she’d let on. Distracted by thoughts of her youth, and her first encounter with her uncle Torvan, she let her mind wander, and so didn’t see Jaron’s signal until she was almost on top of him. </p><p></p><p>They’d emerged from a sparse woodlands a few hours after their break into more gently rolling hill country. They were heading more west than south now, trying to find the site indicated on the map that Elevaren had drafted from the comments provided by the townsfolk in Winterhaven. The eladrin’s designs were simple but elegant, evoking variations in the terrain with just a few strokes of ink on the parchment. Mara hadn’t really doubted that they’d find the site that Douven Staul had sought, but she did wonder whether they’d find her friend and former mentor alive. </p><p></p><p>Still, she reproached herself angrily for letting her attention drift from their task. They’d been heading up a soft rise when Jaron had suddenly stopped, his right hand extended in the signal that she should have caught instantly. She hurried forward just as a familiar lowing sound indicated possible trouble, and her hands reflexively fell to the hilts of her swords, loosening the blades in their scabbards. Elevaren and Beetle hastened to keep up. </p><p></p><p>They joined Jaron at the lip of a depression that was partly natural, party deliberate excavation. Steep cliffs bordered off the area, save for three rocky, difficult slopes that provided a more reliable route down to the floor of the pit below. A roughly square area had been set off in the middle of the area with small white stones; a few pale bones jutted from the dirt in this separate zone, confirming that this was the burial site that Douven Staul had been seeking. </p><p></p><p>But she didn’t recognize any of the people that were there now. </p><p></p><p>The noise she’d heard came from a pair of guard drakes, compact bundles of scales and violence that stood on the side of the excavation facing them, a mere thirty feet or so distant. Beyond them around the edges of the dig were four rough men, the sort of rabble that Mara knew well enough from past encounters. They wore ragged leather tunics and had wooden billets stuck through their belts. They certainly looked menacing enough, but Mara’s eyes were drawn to the last member of the company, a gnome whose face split into a wide smile as he saw them. </p><p></p><p>“Ah, guests have come to join our dig! Welcome, friends. You can’t fully appreciate what we’ve uncovered from up there. Come down toward the dragon bones, and see what the workers have discovered.”</p><p></p><p>None of those in the pit had made any threatening moves, but Mara was definitely not interested in moving down into the depression. She deferred slightly to Elevaren, knowing him to be a better speaker. She saw that Jaron had moved slightly to the side, behind a low rampart of tangled roots, and nodded inwardly at his caution. “We come seeking a friend of ours,” the eladrin said. “We do not intend to disturb your activities here.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, we have not seen anyone else all day,” the gnome said pleasantly. “Your friend, what is his name?” The drakes shifted, hissing softly, but did not change their position. </p><p></p><p>“His name is Douven Staul,” Elevaren replied. The drakes shifted, hissing softly, but did not change their position. </p><p></p><p>The gnome’s expression shifted slightly. “Why, we know old Douven quite well! In fact, he has been assisting us with our dig! He went off with another of his team just a short while ago, but we expect him back shortly. In the meantime, why don’t you come down and take your rest. I’ll have a tarp set up to give us some shade from this damnable sun.”</p><p></p><p>Mara looked at Elevaren; the eladrin shook his head slightly. Jaron held an arrow against his bowstring, but seemed willing to defer to them. </p><p></p><p>“Kraven, help them with their things,” the gnome said. One of the human men started toward them, but he’d barely made it around the edge of the dig site when Beetle, standing in Elevaren’s shadow, made a quick motion with his hand. There was a flash in the air, and then Kraven screamed and crumpled. Mara caught a quick look at the hilt of the knife jutting from his left eye before he fell to the ground and rolled over. </p><p></p><p>For a moment, everyone just stood there in shocked surprise. </p><p></p><p>“Kill them! Kill them all!” the gnome finally yelled, and everything went bad in a big hurry.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4424353, member: 143"] Chapter 11 The halfling’s question during their lunch break had affected Mara more than she’d let on. Distracted by thoughts of her youth, and her first encounter with her uncle Torvan, she let her mind wander, and so didn’t see Jaron’s signal until she was almost on top of him. They’d emerged from a sparse woodlands a few hours after their break into more gently rolling hill country. They were heading more west than south now, trying to find the site indicated on the map that Elevaren had drafted from the comments provided by the townsfolk in Winterhaven. The eladrin’s designs were simple but elegant, evoking variations in the terrain with just a few strokes of ink on the parchment. Mara hadn’t really doubted that they’d find the site that Douven Staul had sought, but she did wonder whether they’d find her friend and former mentor alive. Still, she reproached herself angrily for letting her attention drift from their task. They’d been heading up a soft rise when Jaron had suddenly stopped, his right hand extended in the signal that she should have caught instantly. She hurried forward just as a familiar lowing sound indicated possible trouble, and her hands reflexively fell to the hilts of her swords, loosening the blades in their scabbards. Elevaren and Beetle hastened to keep up. They joined Jaron at the lip of a depression that was partly natural, party deliberate excavation. Steep cliffs bordered off the area, save for three rocky, difficult slopes that provided a more reliable route down to the floor of the pit below. A roughly square area had been set off in the middle of the area with small white stones; a few pale bones jutted from the dirt in this separate zone, confirming that this was the burial site that Douven Staul had been seeking. But she didn’t recognize any of the people that were there now. The noise she’d heard came from a pair of guard drakes, compact bundles of scales and violence that stood on the side of the excavation facing them, a mere thirty feet or so distant. Beyond them around the edges of the dig were four rough men, the sort of rabble that Mara knew well enough from past encounters. They wore ragged leather tunics and had wooden billets stuck through their belts. They certainly looked menacing enough, but Mara’s eyes were drawn to the last member of the company, a gnome whose face split into a wide smile as he saw them. “Ah, guests have come to join our dig! Welcome, friends. You can’t fully appreciate what we’ve uncovered from up there. Come down toward the dragon bones, and see what the workers have discovered.” None of those in the pit had made any threatening moves, but Mara was definitely not interested in moving down into the depression. She deferred slightly to Elevaren, knowing him to be a better speaker. She saw that Jaron had moved slightly to the side, behind a low rampart of tangled roots, and nodded inwardly at his caution. “We come seeking a friend of ours,” the eladrin said. “We do not intend to disturb your activities here.” “Well, we have not seen anyone else all day,” the gnome said pleasantly. “Your friend, what is his name?” The drakes shifted, hissing softly, but did not change their position. “His name is Douven Staul,” Elevaren replied. The drakes shifted, hissing softly, but did not change their position. The gnome’s expression shifted slightly. “Why, we know old Douven quite well! In fact, he has been assisting us with our dig! He went off with another of his team just a short while ago, but we expect him back shortly. In the meantime, why don’t you come down and take your rest. I’ll have a tarp set up to give us some shade from this damnable sun.” Mara looked at Elevaren; the eladrin shook his head slightly. Jaron held an arrow against his bowstring, but seemed willing to defer to them. “Kraven, help them with their things,” the gnome said. One of the human men started toward them, but he’d barely made it around the edge of the dig site when Beetle, standing in Elevaren’s shadow, made a quick motion with his hand. There was a flash in the air, and then Kraven screamed and crumpled. Mara caught a quick look at the hilt of the knife jutting from his left eye before he fell to the ground and rolled over. For a moment, everyone just stood there in shocked surprise. “Kill them! Kill them all!” the gnome finally yelled, and everything went bad in a big hurry. [/QUOTE]
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