The Underdark Primeval [IC]

[silentspace]

In a farming cavern on the outskirts of Eartheart...

Dargo Golden walked the familiar steps of his patrol. He knew it by heart. The farming cavern was always a nice break from the merchant trade routes. Dargo had noticed the Slyth and the Dire Bat entering the cavern, accompanied by that Farmer, Dukir was his name, if he recalled correctly. He watched with a slight curiosity as the Slyth moved through the fields, catching rats for his Dire Bat.

Dargo’s attention drifted to observe an elderly dwarven woman, quite wealthy by the quality of her clothing, possibly an aristocrat, walking through the cavern with a small entourage. They looked to be having an afternoon stroll. Dargo didn’t recognize them, but being so near the trade routes to Eartheart, this wasn’t unusual.

Now where had that Slyth gone to? Scanning the mushroom fields, Dargo spotted the Slyth and Dire Bat again, by the pond, just in time to see a Kuo-Toa emerge from the water, splashing and sputtering in a strange tongue.

 

[Keia]

Dargo Golden Half-Deep Dragon Fighter/Ranger [Gold Dwarf Base]

Dargo noticed the rich dwarven woman and looked around apprehensively. He decided to double check that no one was waiting to attack the woman – so soon after he had just passed that way. He gripped his urgosh and swept his eyes over the cavern.

His eyes came to the slyth and the bat. They looked to be catching mice. He had seen them earlier talking with Dukir – a nice enough farmer that didn’t berate Dargo for his heritage – though he didn’t offer him an ale either.

When the Kuo-Toa arose form the water, Dargo became nervous and excited. ’Kuo-toa this close. I don’t remember Master Tergon mentioning anything about Kuo-toa anywhere nearby, Dargo thought. Master Tergon was his immediate senior in the patrol – even though Tergon had started in the patrol long after Dargo had begun.

With a final glance to the dwarven woman, Dargo started to make his way to confront the Kuo-toa. He looked to find farmer Dukir to let him know what was on his farm.

 

[silentspace]

In a cell in Eartheart Deep Prison…

Moving so quietly and smoothly you barely notice it, the old dwarf slips across the floor to the crying Gloaming. His grizzled face moves to hers, stopping just inches away. The old dwarf stares at Denasa for a moment, his eyes wide with wonder.

“Come come, dear girl,” he says, his voice soft and tender. “Don’t be sad. I thought you were with the others, but you’re not I see. It’s ok, Mactur is here. The first day is always the hardest, but it will get better. Come, dear girl, I will comfort you.” The old dwarf reaches out in a comforting gesture, to embrace the Gloaming.

 

[silentspace]

In a farming cavern on the outskirts of Eartheart...

Dargo observes the elderly dwarven lady. The dwarven lady is wearing simple but elegant robes. Next to her is a young dwarven lass, quite pretty, wearing the clothes of a maidservant. The maidservant carries a pack, and a staff. She also has a shortsword at her waist. Dargo gets the feeling that the staff belongs to the older lady. Walking twenty feet behind the two females is a young dwarven male in chainmail, a heavy axe resting on his shoulder. The young male looks bored, and is kicking pebbles towards the mushrooms.

Dargo sweeps the area around the elderly woman with his eyes, looking to see if anyone was lying in wait to rob her of her riches. What was that? Was that movement in the mushroom fields? It was barely noticeable. Was there something hidden in the fields? Perhaps it was just some burrowing animals, or perhaps a small stray rothe...

The aristocratic dwarves are about 90 feet away. The soft rustling in the mushroom fields came from the other side, about 50 feet from them (140 feet from Dargo). The Slyth and the Kuo-Toa are to Dargo's left, 150 feet away, on the other side of the pond. The Slyth and the Kuo-Toa are about 120 feet from the dwarven lady. (Running is impossible here, due to the mushrooms, but double moves can be taken without difficulty.)

Pwyoolp and Vuoor see the dwarven woman out of the corners of their eyes, but hardly pay them any attention, due to the fact that they have surprised each other.

 

[deadestdai]

Moving so quietly and smoothly you barely notice it, the old dwarf slips across the floor to the crying Gloaming. His grizzled face moves to hers, stopping just inches away. The old dwarf stares at Denasa for a moment, his eyes wide with wonder.

“Come come, dear girl,” he says, his voice soft and tender. “Don’t be sad. I thought you were with the others, but you’re not I see. It’s ok, Mactur is here. The first day is always the hardest, but it will get better. Come, dear girl, I will comfort you.” The old dwarf reaches out in a comforting gesture, to embrace the Gloaming.

"I treated you badly, didn't I? I'm sorry, I just don't always think before I act. Legs is always telling me to be more patient, maybe I'll learn some day."

Solli was about to reply to the Gloaming girl, when suddenly and unexpectantly the old dwarf whom he had almost fogetten was in the cell appeared before her and reached out toward Denasa. All at once he was rather suspicious of the old man. (Sense Motive +7)

 

[Erekose13]

"Or perhaps you understand me now?" Morph offers in surface Common, hoping to get some kind of reaction from the Kuo-Toa. It is rather odd that such a creature would be this close to a dwarved settlement. Perhaps it is lost and in distress. "Don't think you understand me now, but it was worth a shot." he says in Sylvan just on the off chance that it will help in the communication efforts.

Looking up from the Kuo-Toa, Morph tries to see if they have been noticed by anyone yet. Seeing the few dwarves wandering about not paying attention to the two of them, he decides it is best to try and keep the Kuo-Toa out of sight and bends down closer to it. He is a little wary knowing that most such creatures are inherrently dangerous, but perhaps with a little kindness they are less violent.

 

[Keia]

Dargo Golden Half-Deep Dragon Fighter/Ranger [Gold Dwarf Base]

Dargo considered his options for only a brief second. As much as he wanted to investigate the Slyth and the Kuo-toa , his responsibility was to safeguard the dwarves on their travels . . . not specifically to safeguard them, but to keep the paths and tunnels free from trouble so that can travel with less fear.

Dargo hustled toward the direction of the disturbance. He didn’t raise an alarm to the dwarves for fear of alerting whatever was in the mushrooms that someone was on to him . . . it . . . them . . . whatever.

OOC: Double move toward the disturbance. Dargo will try cut the angle of approach toward the dwarves from whatever might be in the mushrooms.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*Denasa pats the old dwarf's hand for a moment, tears trickling down her face.*

"I just hate being caged, and I didn't do anything," she murmurs.

 

[Uriel]

Rogoth snorts in annoyance at his predicament. Looking about the cell, he attempts to discern if any of the walls seem irregular.

 

[silentspace]

Dargo moves through the mushroom fields, heading towards the dwarven lady and her entourage. The dwarven lady's entourage looks up and sees Dargo approaching from the northeast. The young dwarven warrior watches the approaching half-dragon suspiciously, and moves to place himself between his charge and the strange-looking dwarf approaching him. Just as Dargo comes within ten feet of the dwarven warrior, creatures jump out of the mushrooms on the other side, coming from the direction Dargo saw the movement in the fields.

Dargo had feared bandits, but the creatures emerging from the fields are 'merely' rats. But these rats are as large as war dogs, and Dargo recognizes them as dire rats. There are seven of them.

-- Surprise Round --

Surprise Initiative
Dire Rats
--action paused--
Dargo

Two rats charge in to attack the Lady, their teeth gnashing. Two sets of rat teeth dig deep into her flesh, and the dwarven lady gasps in shock and pain [8 damage].

A third rat charges the maid, but misses.

The remaining four rats don’t have a clear line to charge. Instead, they swarm into the area.


Across the pond, Pwyoolp and Vuoor witness the purple-highlighted dwarf move through the mushroom fields towards the dwarven lady's party, and sees the dire rats burst out of the fields and attack the party. They are about 120 feet away from the altercation, of which 100 feet of it is pond. The pond is roughly circular, 100 feet in diameter, with Pwyoolp/Vuoor and the Dwarves/Rats on opposite sides.