[LANAI] The Rod of Seven Parts: Into the Crucible

[CanadienneBacon]

Rowan neglects to select a mushroom from the platter, so Mazzel puts the plate down, clearly disappointed. Brushing his hands together a time or two, the gnome asks around, "So. Ready, then? Or sommat else?"

 

[Rhun]

OOC: Sorry, missed that last post.


"I'm ready," says the halfling, standing and adjusting his hat. "And perhaps on the way, you can tell us 'bout these fishmen?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Mazzel grabs a small pack meant for day excursions, a pick, and his walking stick. Dungeddin and Fognewtin do the same, only Fognewtin loads up with a supper basket to boot. "Sure thing," says Mazzel, chipper. "Fishmen. Just like you might get from their name, they likes the water, they does. And you wouldn't know it from the way the rest of the city's always dusty and dry, but there's a big aquifer under all this bedrock. The grounds here're under lock an' key, so I don't reckon you know much about Bathmere, but there's a wellspring just south of the keep on the grounds what as makes a nice looking pool. Glassy, smooth water. And clean, has a mossy taste. No fishmen there, but underneath it all, in the dark and cold, that's where you'll find 'em. Carry spears and worship a nasty, slimy frog god of some sort. They'll channel lightening, too. Watch out when they get their priests all lined up holdin' hands, like. They'll whip lightening around like a child's plaything, they will." Mazzel pushes up one of his tunic sleeves and shows off a jagged red burn of a scar. "Hurt like a mug at the time. Still does when there's a storm brewin' up top."

 

[Rhun]

Rowan shakes his head in disbelief. Fishmen under the city? That certainly could not be good. "How many of these fishmen are there? And why did they attack you?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

"Didn't stay down there that long to fully see," Mazzel winks at Rowan, "but what I saw there were enough to make me ill inclined to go back, if you take my meaning. An' just like Thisbe here, I reckon they'll attack just to defend their lair. Territorial little buggers."

 

[Rhun]

Rowan sighs heavily. Why was it always danger and death, the halfling wondered. Why couldn't it be fine ale, good food, and pretty spinsters waiting for him?

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Hearing Rowan sigh heavily, Mazzel grins and doffs the halfling on the shoulder. "Chip up, mate. If you're doing Arquestan's work, you're on the right side, and good always gets Her boon at the end. The Luckmaiden'll see to that, just you watch." The gnome casts a look around his hidey hole and scratches his head. "You all need anything afore we set off? We gots a few odds an' ends 'round here that don't no one use all that much that we could part with. Oh, wait...an' I got this...where is it now..." Mazzel roots through a shelf, sending a spray of knick knacks off to the side to clatter on the floor. Triumphantly holding up a scroll tube, the gnome jabs goodnaturedly at Rowan. "Here now, just a little something, but maybe you'll find it useful sometime. Think there might be a hornung's guess and maybe something else in there, not sure."

 

[Rhun]

"Ah...thank you," stammers Rowan as the scroll tube is shoved into his hands. "That's very kind of you. Very kind indeed."

 

[pallandrome]

Wyleck cracks his tiny knuckles togeather.

"Well, my pappy always tole me, grove rest his spirit, that fishmen were not to be trusted, swam with, or knuckleboned about. I, for one, would be more than happy to thrash some waterlogged sappers!"

 

[hafrogman]

Rhys looks around curiosly at the group.

"So we're intending to go down a strange hole, to a fallen city full of angry fishmen in search of another wand, like the one we have, which we still don't know what it does? I'm not objecting or anything, I'm just checking."