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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 448059" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chinese Take-outChapter 23, "A trip through the mountains", September 17, 1018, 12:00 P.M.  They party explains to Hiroshi’s daughter Kim-Sung what their mission is all about, and the information that they are seeking  regarding the castle construction.   Kim states that before they can access the Clan’s vaults they will first need permission from the Clan Chief, her grandfather.   She says that she will take them to him.   Before leaving the Mitsubishi-Ming home they are joined by the halfling Chin-Tang, who is now wearing a hooded cloak.  Chin says, “Hiroshi thought that I might be of assistance.”  “On the mission or just to protect his daughter from these three?” Serita comments, gesturing to Duegar, Lannon and Mojo.   “Both,” the halfling replies.  The party heads deep into the interior portion of the home, and exit through a great oaken door into a busy underground street, off from which many other dwarven homes are situated.   During this time the three love-struck party members debate which of them is best suited to be Kim-Sung’s protector.  Narg comments “Geez, was I ever this bad?”  The entire party replies in unison “Yes”.   The conversation degenerates into a discussion among the three as to which one has the greatest stamina, with references to the time spent at the Ale House two nights earlier.  Chin-Tang tells Narg “I guess I didn’t have to come along after all.  Those three are going to kill any chance they had with her on their own.”  They hear this, and immediately change the conversation back to a debate about their other positive qualities.The party does not travel far, and are soon at a large stone archway, with half-a-dozen dwarven guards in platemail.   Kim says to the guards “Hi guys,” as she leads the party through this.   They go through many vast chambers, soon reaching an ornately carved doorway, with massive oak and iron doors.   Seated at a desk by the doorway is an elderly gnome, attired in robes and with a colorful hat.  The gnome is writing on a scroll.   Kim says, “Hello Xhang-Chou Shang, is Grampy free?”  “I’ll check”, the gnome says, and exits through a very small doorway cut into the wall about ten feet to the right of the other doors.    A few rounds later the massive doors open, being pushed open from inside by a pair of burly dwarves.   Xhang-Chou is standing on a mauve carpet, and formally announces to the party “Please follow me for a private audience with Cho-Ming, the Chief of Clan Ming.”   The party follows into the next room.   This room looks like a typical throne room, with an elaborate gold and jewel encrusted chair sitting on a stage at the far end of the room.   However, nobody is seated in the chair, and based upon the dust and cobwebs on it, it looks to be seldom used.    Instead, they see a dwarf in platemail standing alone by a table near the door, looking at some sort of diagram.   Sitting on the table is the man’s helmet, along with a tankard of ale and a bowl containing some sort of meat.  He gestures for the party to join him.As there are only two chairs by the table, the group continues to stand.   They see that the diagram is some type of architectural drawing for what looks like a metal windmill.  An inked quill sits on the table besides the drawing.  The dwarf turns around towards them.  He is a human equivalent of fifty years old, with an eye patch covering his right eye, and the dents on his plate armor showing evidence of that it is functional rather than ornamental.  A sheathed shortsword hangs from his belt, and from the wear on the handle, also looks to be functional rather than ornamental.  His beard is tucked down inside of the armor, which covers him up to his chin.   Kim says “Grandfather, I would like to introduce you to the Silver Moon adventurers.   They are associates of my father and have just returned him to us.”   He bellows “Friends of Hiroshi!  And you rescued him from those humans!  Excellent!  I am Cho-Ming, welcome to my home.”  He thrusts his hand out first to Lannon and Duegar, shaking so firmly that he makes their own hands sore.   He then does the same for the other three men, getting a surprisingly strong grip in return from both the elf Mojo and half-elf Narg.    Kim explains about how they are on a quest to vanquish great evil, and fear that the evil they seek may have come to this land.    She tells of how they suspect the evil is now living at the place known as the Summer Palace of the Giants, which Clan Ming had helped to build.   Cho-Ming comments “Summer Palace, huh?  Never seen it myself, but yeah, a long time ago our family helped a bunch of giants build it.  We probably have information about it in the Clan vault.”   Kim asks, “With your permission, I would like to take them there,”   “Sure, go right ahead,” he says, and tells the gnome “Write them what they need Xhang-Chou.  Good to see you again Kim-Sung.  Interesting group you Silver Moon people have there.  Come back if you need anything else. ”  He then turns back to the looking at the drawing as the party exits, picking up an inked quill to mark on it.   They return to the desk and the gnome writes them out a note.They leave the building and go to the end of the street, to an intersection with another street.  This street has a pair of metal rails running down the center of it.   This particular underground street also has a smoky smell to it, and lumps of coal can be seen in the dirt near the rails.  Kim points to a stone bench, and tells the party to have a seat.    What follows is a Three Stooges routine of the game musical chairs, as Duegar, Lannon and Mojo each wait anxiously for Kim to sit down, jockeying for position to sit next to her.   Unfortunately they all lose, as both Chin-Tang and Serita see what these three are doing, and ask Kim to sit between them instead.    After around a turn Narg asks “What are we waiting for, my feet aren’t tired.”   “That” Kim answers and points down the street, as they see a distant pillar of smoke coming towards them.  A metal contraption approaches, the likes of which only Mojo has seen before.  Kim explains how it is a dwarven machine, originally built for transporting ore through the mines.  Mojo says “Yeah, on the planet Carvel they are called trains.” [Carvel is a 20th century superhero world that Mojo’s player is the DM of.]  The train itself is actually rather small, consisting of a small engine with a lone engineer; a coal car to shovel coal into the steam powered machine, and three flat cars with metal hand rails behind it, each capable of holding three or four people.   The group climbs onto the carts.  Kim tells the engineer that they are going to the Clan Vaults.  The train starts up, and brings them another two miles through the mountain, with a couple of long wide turns.  At one place they have to pull onto a side spur to allow another train to go by heading the other direction.   They eventually stop by a side street, off from which are several stone staircases.   Kim thanks the engineer, and asks him to wait until they return. Kim leads the party up one of the staircases, and then through a long tunnel, ending at some guarded iron doors.   The dwarves on guard duty are handed the paper, and then begin unlocking the door.   The party follows one of the guards through a metal hallway, behind which the first door is locked prior to a second door being opened.    They continue down stone walled tunnels and then pass several armed dwarven guards as they reach a guarded intersection.  She gives the head guard the paper, and he leads them down one side of the hallway, which is unguarded.  The group notices that the other direction with is filled with dozens of guards, going back as far as the group can see.  “What is that other way?” Narg asks.  “Most of the Clan’s wealth” Kim replies.  “I’m glad we didn’t bring Lono,” Mojo comments.  “They soon reach a wooden door, above which “Clan Records” is written in both dwarven and Chinese.</blockquote>

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