Power of the Forge - The Whispering mines

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Kalzaam Ironhand (Timothy) - It's been quite for the past two months on the northern borders of the land, there was snow on the Mt. peaks and on the northern hills and the temperature was low. In The winter months the incidents with the goblinoids were always rare. The Order of the Axe trained lightly so you spent most of your free time helping the stone masons in the area, it brought great memories of past times when you worked as a mason.
One day after another light training, you were asked to face the high cleric of Tyr – Forag Stonebless .
"Greetings Ironband" he hands you a cup of Ale, "Before we start the evening's feast, I must ask you for something" he takes a swig from his Ale and wipe his beard. "The clan elders with me among them and the Prince have heard some troubling news, our scouts are suspecting that someone entered to the whispering mines, you know, those mines in the northern hills that suspected to be hunted, there is an ancient shrine of Moradin over there, before panic and anger spreads among the community they decided to send a group to investigate the mines, I volunteered you in the name of our order" he eyes you a few seconds and then continue
"After the feast, you are to report in the great ruby hall before the elders, now let's go and crunch some Mountain goats"
You start walking together ….


Kragen Stormhammer (Krug) & Alisanos (Ranger Rick)
It was cold outside, there was a snow storm outside, you (Kragen) just returned from a quick patrol with few friends, you accompanied a band of Gnome merchants down the snow covered road a few miles to the north west of Gorgamdur.
"Finally, The Baruch" someone shouted, you see the great Iron gate with the massive stone barricade that marks the entrance to the land, the humans call him "The blessed gate", many dwarves armies passed victorious through him.
You (Alisanos) stood on the barricade, a dwarven band just returned from a patrol, you help your friends from "Bolts" unit to pull the massive chains and to open the blessed gate.
The bolts – a small unit of dwarf's crossbowmen
Your shifts have passed, now you can return to your homes and your doings, Krug – To sculpture the new dwarves statues on the old bridge in the royal fort, Alisanos – to appraise the jewels that were brought as a gift from the gnomes to the royal family.
"Alisanos, come here" shouts the captain of the royal guards, you depart from the other warriors that shouts you to come to "The Mug" tavern later, you see the captain and other dwarf, you recognize him, he is the sculpture and a member of The Bolts – those pathetics – "Krug, Alisanos, I choose you !" he declares, "You ask for what, I'll tell you" and he spits a piece of tobacco on the floor.
"One of the elders came to me with a special request, Bring me two of your soldiers for a royal task, I know you two wanted to prove your self, so I choose you two, you need to report in the evening in the great ruby hall for more instructions, any questions ?

Thimur Urnuham (Skadrian)
Another messy day in the Underground herbs and mushroom cave
, You harvested the herbs, butchered some "Screamers" and collected some unique bugs, you wonder what type of potions your master wants to prepare with this ingredients.
"Bah, my son" he calls when he sees you, "I think I'm onto something, I hope Gubir (the other young apprentice) will come soon with the gems I ordered"
"Come, sit on the chair" he takes a sit in front of you and looks into your eyes with his old eyes "You know that I'm an elder right, and I know that you respect me for that, we, the spellcasters are very rare among our people, thus you shall be respected in the future too, when I was young I did tasks for the king, now my son, you have the chance to gain your respect, from the prince"
He gets up and tap on your shoulder. "The prince requested the help of a spell caster, will you honor me and accept it?"
He then tells you about the task and that you both need to be in the great ruby hall after dinner.


Kaen Biturk (Jkason)
You wave to the gnome band goodbye, "Another great deal" you think to your self while you see them march through the snow covered road with the dwarve's warrior band.
You start walking to your house smiling. After an hour you reach to your house and enter
"what that? A note with "Prince Gorash" sign on it"
you pick up the note from the floor.
Hmmm" you think to your self what's this?
To Kaen Biturk
Please meet us in the great Ruby hall
After sun dawn.
Tarim emerald (the Gem's cutter guildmaster and one of the elders)
On behalf of the prince and the elders


Rogno stoneheart(Jaiaxe)
Another day in the smelting house has passed. "Rogno Stoneheart?" you hear from the outside someone shouts, you see a warrior.
Beside him you see one of the clan elders, the warrior signals you to come. "you must come with us, It's urgent"You close the door and accompany them, after some time you reach the royal halls. You take a sit and someone brings you Ale
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but we have a problem" says the Elder.
"We know that you have been in the whispering mines a year ago, you mumbled something about the talking stones that brought you there, do you remember something from there? Any passages? Something?"
He pauses for a sec. and looks on your puzzled face
"The mines closed 5 years ago and no one ventured into them but you, you had luck that one of our patrols found you near the entrance, they said you bleed from every wound, you were unconscious for two weeks, do you remember anything from that day that can help us?
You say "NO" , The elder looks disappointed, "You know what, maybe you'll remember when you'll be there, The Prince and the elder's council need you, to venture into this mines again, maybe you'll be able to find your talking stones again" he smiles to you
"just come to the great ruby hall in the evening, any questions?"


OOC: mark speech in red, and thoughts with italic

 

[jkason]

Kaen Biturk

Kaen Biturk (Jkason)
You wave to the gnome band goodbye, "Another great deal" you think to your self while you see them march through the snow covered road with the dwarve's warrior band.
You start walking to your house smiling. After an hour you reach to your house and enter
"what that? A note with "Prince Gorash" sign on it"
you pick up the note from the floor.
Hmmm" you think to your self what's this?
To Kaen Biturk
Please meet us in the great Ruby hall
After sun dawn.
Tarim emerald (the Gem's cutter guildmaster and one of the elders)
On behalf of the prince and the elders

When the patron calls, a dwarf's bound to answer, Kaen thinks. With the time before nightfall, he cleans himself to make a good showing at his audience with the prince. Not knowing if the call is simply for information or for one of the missions he'd been warned he might be required to undertake, Kaen also gathers all of his gear, ready to leave on the moment.

Finally, as the sun sets, the trader by day carefully folds the note from Tarim Emerald and places it in one of the many pockets of his cloak, then heads out for the Great Ruby Hall.

 

[Timothy]

Kalzaam Ironhand (Timothy) - It's been quite for the past two months on the northern borders of the land, there was snow on the Mt. peaks and on the northern hills and the temperature was low. In The winter months the incidents with the goblinoids were always rare. The Order of the Axe trained lightly so you spent most of your free time helping the stone masons in the area, it brought great memories of past times when you worked as a mason.
One day after another light training, you were asked to face the high cleric of Tyr – Forag Stonebless .
"Greetings Ironband" he hands you a cup of Ale, "Before we start the evening's feast, I must ask you for something" he takes a swig from his Ale and wipe his beard. "The clan elders with me among them and the Prince have heard some troubling news, our scouts are suspecting that someone entered to the whispering mines, you know, those mines in the northern hills that suspected to be hunted, there is an ancient shrine of Moradin over there, before panic and anger spreads among the community they decided to send a group to investigate the mines, I volunteered you in the name of our order" he eyes you a few seconds and then continue
"After the feast, you are to report in the great ruby hall before the elders, now let's go and crunch some Mountain goats"
You start walking together ….

Kalzaam enjoys the feast, both because a feast is meant to be enjoyed and because he suspects this might be the best meal he will get in quite a while. Kalzaam returns from the feast early and bids farewell to Forag.

Forag, before I stand before you and the others in the great ruby hall, let me thank you for your faith in me and assure that I will do everything in my power to succeed.

May Tyr bless the courageous

After that Tyr fetches his belongings and makes himself presentable. He says a quick goodbye to the other Men of Tyr and leaves for the great ruby hall so that he arives a little early.

 

[Jaiaxe]

Rogno stoneheart(Jaiaxe)
Another day in the smelting house has passed. "Rogno Stoneheart?" you hear from the outside someone shouts, you see a warrior.
Beside him you see one of the clan elders, the warrior signals you to come. "you must come with us, It's urgent"You close the door and accompany them, after some time you reach the royal halls. You take a sit and someone brings you Ale
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but we have a problem" says the Elder.
"We know that you have been in the whispering mines a year ago, you mumbled something about the talking stones that brought you there, do you remember something from there? Any passages? Something?"
He pauses for a sec. and looks on your puzzled face
"The mines closed 5 years ago and no one ventured into them but you, you had luck that one of our patrols found you near the entrance, they said you bleed from every wound, you were unconscious for two weeks, do you remember anything from that day that can help us?
You say "NO" , The elder looks disappointed, "You know what, maybe you'll remember when you'll be there, The Prince and the elder's council need you, to venture into this mines again, maybe you'll be able to find your talking stones again" he smiles to you
"just come to the great ruby hall in the evening, any questions?"

“No, I’ll be there…” but deep inside... i'm so confused... 2 weeks?... mines?... wounded?... I could I forgot… talking stones… as he catches some stones from the pile, he asks “I’ve so much to learn with you, I’ll try once again, even if I can’t remember our last encounter… I’m listening to your chorus, and I know that you need me there, so I’ll take my steps from here so I can be prepared enough to help you…” as I softly drop the several small stones into a bag, he looks around looking for Greystone, chanting him a well known song “The stone cries, the stone bleeds, the stone talks of "His" needs... the stone crawl from the mountain, the stone cries, and still crying, when she bleeds, no more words, no more breed.” Greystone walks to him licking his hand, “good boy, did you listen, we need to be prepared, I need your help, and I swear that I’ll protect you, and so Skadi and His stones, and Moradin and His hammer”. He place the leather barding in Greystone, he doesn’t like It much, but he knows it’s for the best!
Rogno packs his equipment, sharing it with Greystone, testing the leather barding, as well the right weight that each one can carry, so none of them is too heavier.
Before meeting, in an usual ritual, 5 stones in a circle and his hammer in the middle:
“...a stone for earth and Skadi, that in it allows us to walk on it, a stone for fire, that in it allow us to keep warm, a stone for water that in it allows us to survive, a stone for air, that in it allows us to breed, and a last stone for the path that we will follow, cause that in it allows us to dream… and at last but not least, a hammer for Moradin, keeper of all dwarves, protect us, as we protect the ones who follow your path… I claim for mother earth to share her powers with your humble servant”
I think I’m ready to go… Greystone, I’ll see if I can manage a place for you in the meeting, but if I can’t I want you to be peaceful and wait for me, ok?
Rogno, closes the smelting house, walking with Greystone by a side, calm as a child, in the way, he goes to the stonecutting shop, saying a hello to his brother and a goodbye too, explaining him the whys and what’s of the unknown mission…

… the great ruby hall… Rogno heart beating increase as he approaches from the steps…

OOC: Prepared spells (lv 1- Magic stone, calm animals. Lv 0- D.Magic, C.M.Wounds, Guidance, Read magic.)

 

[Krug]

Smoking some mouldweed, Kragen muttered. "As long as it not be escorting Gnomes again. Endless 'WHAT IS THIS? CAN DWARVES REALLY DO THAT? CAN I SHOW YOU MY PET FERRET?' If not for Alisanos here I'd be sticking some bolts in their kisser," the dwarven bolter grumbles. "I'll be there, fer sure."

 

[Ranger Rick]

Alisanos FTR

Smoking some mouldweed, Kragen muttered. "As long as it not be escorting Gnomes again. Endless 'WHAT IS THIS? CAN DWARVES REALLY DO THAT? CAN I SHOW YOU MY PET FERRET?' If not for Alisanos here I'd be sticking some bolts in their kisser," the dwarven bolter grumbles. "I'll be there, fer sure."

Alisanos looks at Kragen, "And what is wrong with escorting gnomes? I kind of like their questions. They make me look brilliant. Why would you want to shove Olaf down their throats? What? Oh yes questions....hmmm I think I know one. Uh....Why does there seem to be a lot of water seepage at the 125 meter mark in tunnel #12? What? Sorry I forgot what you called us over for. RIGHT THEN! To the Ruby Hall."

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Forag, before I stand before you and the others in the great ruby hall, let me thank you for your faith in me and assure that I will do everything in my power to succeed.

May Tyr bless the courageous.

I bid you Farwell, May Tyr's courage will bloom inside you in desperate moments.
He hands you a tiny book, a small version of Tyr's code.
read it every morning, it will inspire you
Forag then departs and leaves you alone.

OOC: I'll wait for Skadrian to post and I'll continue to the Ruby hall

 

[Skadrian]

Thimur Urnuham (Skadrian)
Another messy day in the Underground herbs and mushroom cave
, You harvested the herbs, butchered some "Screamers" and collected some unique bugs, you wonder what type of potions your master wants to prepare with this ingredients.
"Bah, my son" he calls when he sees you, "I think I'm onto something, I hope Gubir (the other young apprentice) will come soon with the gems I ordered"
"Come, sit on the chair" he takes a sit in front of you and looks into your eyes with his old eyes "You know that I'm an elder right, and I know that you respect me for that, we, the spellcasters are very rare among our people, thus you shall be respected in the future too, when I was young I did tasks for the king, now my son, you have the chance to gain your respect, from the prince"
He gets up and tap on your shoulder. "The prince requested the help of a spell caster, will you honor me and accept it?"
He then tells you about the task and that you both need to be in the great ruby hall after dinner.

It would be my duty and honor to serve the prince and bring renown both to you and to my own breed, and not trying to be rude, but I got a little tired of the mushroom caves. I hope you can still go on with your discoveries, it would be a shame if they would have to stop now, but I think Gubir can be a great help for that.
Thimur goes to his rooms to prepare for meeting the prince and leaves for the great ruby hall after a good last dinner in honor of him leaving.
It is my honor to serve you sir.

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

The Great Ruby Hall

The Great Ruby hall, One of the most fascinate structures of the dwarves, This enormous tall Hall (33 ft. high – 11 meters) is supported with 100 stone pillars, Inside the pillars are a lot of Ruby veins which give this hall his name, long chimney like tunnels goes up from the ceiling up the mountain and outside to world, the sunshine comes from those tunnels and hit the ruby veins and gives the hall a red glowing. A lot of Ancient Stone statues of dwarf's warrior scattered around, This is the meeting place of your clan – Korkadur clan. On the most western corner of the hall there is the royal section of the great ruby hall and the entrance to the royal fort. Before the entrance you see the most respective statue of Moradin. Few royal guards that some of you know personally flank the massive wooden gate of the royal fort.
Few elders – among them you recognize Forag Stonebless the high priest of Tyr, Tarim The gem's guild master, Sela the high priest of Moradin, Even arcanerock the clan's wizard (Thimur's master) and others.
"Oh, they are here" someone of the elders say, "let's go inside"
They lead you over the royal bridge, you can see the far and deep lava streams of the mountain, the lead you into an impressive stone chamber, a Huge unfinished statue of Prince Gorash greybeard supports the dome like ceiling.
A huge wooden table sits in the middle of the chamber, a lot of chairs, kegs of fine ale scattered around and plates with fresh fruits are on the table.
"Please sit" someone asks the elders, "the chosen ones please come forward" says one of the prince's counselors, after he manage to achieve some quite from the eating and drinking elders he starts
"Greeting Elders, those are the ones who will venture into the whispering mines" the ones of you who hear this for the first time get chill – this hunted place was abandoned a few years ago
After – some say – the dwarves dug to much deep and released an ancient evil.
"We suspect that an elite group of goblinoids took resident over there, we must secure the place, recover ones and for all the holy altar of Moradin from there and seal the entrance to the deep mines with rocks and stones, This is your task my friends, we pray for Moradin to protect you" he then comes down to you and gives a small pouch to each of you. "Use it wisely, this potion will heal your wounds" – 2 cure light wounds to each of you - "Any questions? , If not, Let's Drink"

 

[Skadrian]

wow, this hall truly is impressive, it stuns me everytime I see it
It is a great honor that you put this task upon my, and our, shoulders. I could never have suspected that I would do something this important this early in my carreer, but I am more then ready and willing to do so