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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1177097" data-attributes="member: 2292">Several long minutes pass, the waiting dragging out until it becomes torturous.  Everyone becomes intimately aware of their hoarse breath, the pain in their limbs as the adrenaline wears off.  No-one has escaped injury in the gnolls assult, and the sharp pain of open wounds starts to take over now that the instinctual fear of danger and having one's head cut off wears away.Then a lone shout cuts through the ear, calling out in accented Dwarven.“Ho, the fort.  I am Ogath, Son of Argat, Shieldmage of Thorbeck.  We were patrolling this area, and heard the warning horn being sounded.  Stand forth and identify yourselves.”“What’d he say?” Everyone asks, looking expectantly at Halgo.“We found the dwarves we’re looking for,” Halgo says, relief evident in his voice.  “And now it’s time to negotiate.The group emerges onto the top of the tower, looking down at a small platoon of crossbowmen that have weapons trained upon them.  Standing behind the array of crossbows is a dwarf wearing dark breeches and a gray vest, carrying a large shield in one hand.  In the other he holds a short-spear at the ready, obviously prepared to give the order to fire if needed.“Greetings Ogath,” Halgo replies.  “I am Halgo, Wizard of Clan Torke.  I have come as emissary of the Oleg, King of Borr and Leader of the people who dwell on the coast of these lands.  I come representing Borr and the Seldarn Empire that birthed it.  We would make peace with your Clanhold, and come offering an alliance against the savage creatures of this land.”Ogath examines Halgo carefully, studying the dwarven wizard’s aura and paying close attention to the wounds each of the party bares.“Then in the name of Thorbeck I welcome you,” he says finally.  “We have a servant of He Who Lives In Stone in our midst, and would offer you healing.  We encountered gnolls that fled as though the hosts of Thorbeck were chasing them down, and such is rare in these parts.  It would seem that you have a fight worth hearing about, and we would be glad to share the tale.”The dwarven patrol lowers their crossbows, and they move into the courtyard of the ruined fort.  The Copperheads find their way down and meet with them, Halgo making formal introductions for his companions.  The two dwarves are from obviously different backgrounds, and there are differing accents, but the similarities are enough that communication is possible.  “You have had a worthy battle here,” Ogath says, surveying the carnage.  “It speaks well of you that a force so few held out against so many.  Your comrades could almost have been earth-born.”The dwarven cleric heals the party’s wounds as best he can, but he doesn’t carry enough power to stop any but the most life threatening of wounds.  The dwarven warriors sweep efficiently through the compound, removing items of value from the dead and carefully piling them near the wounded party.  Ogath and Halgo talk in serious tones, as Halgo explains the nature of their mission.  Every now and then Geoffrey makes a vague comment about what’s going to happen to the spoils of war, but Halgo ignores him.  As the last of the Gnollish armor and weapons are laid out,  one of the warriors calls Ogath’s name and points.  The dwarven Shieldmage strides over and examines the corpse.“Klegg,” he says with a smile.  “You have done us a great service this day, Halgo of Clan Torke.  One of those you have killed is the son of the creature’s leader, and a great thorn in the side of Thorbeck.  It will bode well when we introduce you to the Thane.”“Ask him about heads,” Blarth mutters.“The ugly one wishes to take the heads of the slain?” Halgo ventures.  Ogath simply nods.  Blarth lets out a grunt of glee, and promptly cuts the head off the gnoll that was identified as Klegg.“Ask him about the loot,” Geoffrey repeats quietly for the fifth time.  “Ogath, my comrade has a request,” Halgo says in dwarfish.  “The tradition of our lands is for the belongings of the dead to be taken by the winners after such a battle, and he seems anxious to know whether he should be allowed some portion of what’s being gathered.”“Their wealth will be yours,” Ogath assures him.  “We are simply gathering their belongings before burning the bodies, and will remove anything which belongs to our people.  Obviously, the blades the gnolls carried were forged by a cruder race than our own.”“We believe that someone among the humans is providing the weapons,” Halgo says.“We know,” Gunnar says when Halgo translates the conversation.  “The guy with the spear?  That was Bjorn.  He was one of the weapon smiths for Borr.”The gnollish equipment is eventually gathered, and the dwarves efficiently gather and burn the bodies.  Both Halgo and Ogath examine the equipment with detect magic spells.  The gnollish arsenal consists of a magic chain shirt, several masterwork weapons, a cloak of resistance and a mithril shield of Thorbeck make that Ogath hands over to Halgo as a gift.  The human that aided them has his magic spear, as well as a set of snowshoes that bare the magic to allow the wearer to traverse snow twice as fast as he could normal earth.  The items are quickly divided, and the bulk of the equipment is loaded onto Blarth for the trip to Thorbeck.“Have you taken what you wish?” Ogath asks.  Halgo nods.“Then let us go.  It is a two day march to Thorbeck, and it would be best to have a head start when the Gnollish King learns of his whelps death.”</blockquote>

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