Fort Knocks - knight otu judging

[azmodean]

I agree with Brother Eusebius, what we really need to know is the layout of the place, a quick sketch of a map would be most useful. Does anyone have a scrap of paper and a writing impliment?

 

[Sparky]

Not far from the town a group of Hoar Sun archers stand bewildered, looking from curious arrowheads to their tutor as she stands, arms spread, calling to them, "Fire Hoar Suns! Rainca can withstand it!"

A young man with dark hair laughs uncomfortably and sucks at a splinter he got earlier in the day carving the round wooden cap that tips his arrow in place of a killing blade.

Rainca nods encouragingly, "That's right, fire! You must see that it will not hurt Rainca." Her face is firm confident. ...not much, Rainca hopes.

A young woman turns to Andrew, "Hiz, we spent the day gathering wood and carving trinkets. Now she wants us to shoot her? She's mad."

Andrew leans against a tree trunk and smiles slightly, nodding, confirming what the young woman is not quite sure. She shakes her head and turns her eyes back to the barbarian woman who is all of a sudden right on top of her. Rainca snatches the arrow from the young woman's hand and raps it on her own head with a thwackthwackthwack. "Rainca cannot teach the Hoar Suns how to fire into melee if they are scared to fire doorknobs -- yes Rainca knows what doorknobs are - at a willing -- unh!"

An arrow bounces off the barbarian woman's shoulderblade and she spins, eye's flashing. Diane lowers her bow, managing to hide a degree of shock at her boldness behind a mask of confidence.

"There is one who hears the wolf!" She nods and looks fiercely at Diane who returns the look, but is glad when the smoldering gaze sweeps away and Rainca lopes back to her position, spreading her arms wide again, "Learn from Diane Wolfheart, Hoar Suns. Do as she does, listen to the whispers of the wolf and not the worries of the rabbit. Rabbit's wisdom is for another day." She grits her teeth as the Hoar Suns begind to raise their bows and fire in her direction. What has Rainca gotten herself into...

**********

It is not hard for Rainca to track down her other companions at the Apothecary. She thanks the guards and townsfolk that help her along her way and enter's the Candle-marked mortalist's shop. She ducks through the door, wincing and stepping with an uncharacteristic caution. "Rainca greets you, Mortalist." She bows, fingers touching brow, lips and chest - a groan escapes her lips involuntarily as she bends. Straightening stiffly she lowers herself cautiously into a chair. "The Hoar Suns have had quite a day. What have Rainca's companions discovered about our task here?"

She listens thoughtfully while eating the remaining fruit and crumbs from Karn's tray, "Rainca surmises that perhaps these unhappy spirits were trapped by the cave-in. If they were abandoned and not given a proper burial, it is not so surprising that they are angry and seek revenge." It is more an aside to herself than an explanation. She continues addressing the group, "We are here not to kill again these lost spirits, but to find the root of the evil that gives them half-life and calls them back from their appointed rest. And in doing so, seek to make the mine safe for the townsfolk."

 

[azmodean]

If we can find a way to put all of these undead to rest at once, that will be good, but the easiest way to proceed will probably be to take them down one at a time as we search out the cause of the situation. We will not be able to sneak past all of them.

 

[Sparky]

Rainca roars with laughter and claps a hand to her side, regretting the vigorous motion, she coughs, "Rainca does not laugh at you. But at the thought that we could sneak past them. If the stories are true, their dead eyes can see our souls and their rotted noses smell the life in our veins. We would be lucky indeed to avoid even one of them."

 

[dpdx]

The meals arrive: chicken, carrots and potatoes, with two frosty mugs of the local ale. Rurik pronounces it fit for consumption, and both dig in.

Between mouthfuls, Rurik broaches the subject of the mine:

"Have you ever been out there? I mean, when it was running?"

When he's finished, Rurik stands up, and wraps his cousin in a tight bearhug - "Arr, it's SO good to see you again, Brannam. I'll be back after I find out what could possibly draw my entire company away from good ale... Can I get a piece of your floor to sleep tonight?"

And with that, he leaves his empty plate, and the jug with the last mugful of Mom's (he's still got a spare) at the table with Brannam, and walks with his pack to the front door. On his way out, he leans toward a barmaid to ask (softly):

"D'ye know where I might find that apothecary the 'alf-ork?"

 

[Kahuna Burger]

The meals arrive: chicken, carrots and potatoes, with two frosty mugs of the local ale. Rurik pronounces it fit for consumption, and both dig in.

Between mouthfuls, Rurik broaches the subject of the mine:

"Have you ever been out there? I mean, when it was running?"

"no, but I can tell you that the mine has changed hands a few times over the years, and not usually by exchange of gold. Its not even that valuable a mine, but it has a history that, well, I don't suppose we should be suprised to find it has restless ghosts."

When he's finished, Rurik stands up, and wraps his cousin in a tight bearhug - "Arr, it's SO good to see you again, Brannam. I'll be back after I find out what could possibly draw my entire company away from good ale... Can I get a piece of your floor to sleep tonight?"

"Of course, cousin, of course. I should get back to see how far that so called mithrel has settled, and I'll leave the lamp out if I settle in before you return."

And with that, he leaves his empty plate, and the jug with the last mugful of Mom's (he's still got a spare) at the table with Brannam, and walks with his pack to the front door. On his way out, he leans toward a barmaid to ask (softly):

"D'ye know where I might find that apothecary the 'alf-ork?"

She blushes a little for some reason but responds, "He's on west street, just past the furrier. Can't miss it, there's a candle above his sign."

 

[dpdx]

Rurik tips his helm to the blushing barmaid and ventures into the crisp evening air.

Sure enough, Rurik locates the apothecary's shop, and through shadows cast on the draped window, he sees his company inside, the now-familiar silhouette of Rainca engaged in what looks like dancing, maybe laughter. Could be either, I suppose, but they dun serve ale, so I can't imagine why anybody'd be mirthful.

After a second's contemplation, Rurik pushes open the apothecary door. Sure enough, some of the company is there. Also present is the apothecary, and a human Rurik hasn't met.

 

[Boddynock]

"Ah, Rurik, there you are." Eusbius greets his stalwart friend enthusiastically. "This is our host, Karn. He is a member of the Mortalists. And this is Davan. He is from the mining community which was driven out by the restless undead. You are just in time to hear something of the layout of the mine."

Then turning again to the half-orc and the human, he says, "And this is Rurik Demonbane - dwarven artificer, chronicler of great deeds, and doughty warrior of Clan Axebender."

 

[Someone]

"This is our host, Karn. He is a member of the Mortalists. And this is Davan. He is from the mining community which was driven out by the restless undead."

"Yes" jumps Nodis, "he was saying that they mined more from there than they expected, and how they had an undead rush"

Nodis stands stuned for a few seconds by his own wit.

 

[dpdx]

"Please'ta meet ye'... 'Ello, Eusebius, Nodis, ever'one."

Rurik shakes the hands of Karn and Davin, and sits down.

"So, what 'ave ye told of this mine?"