Leopold
NKL4LYFE
Ok time to get the ball rolling and post my story hour here. I have been slacking as of late and was going to do this sooner but now seeing as how my players are like “Man this woulda been a kool story hour to read!” I now have to post it. The things I do for them…sheesh.
Info on campaign setting: Bluffiside primary city. 2nd edition converted into 3E modules. If you’ve run it you will know the cities and places in question. If not, sit back, and enjoy the show. As of this posting I am 2 behind the current game. There is so much going on behind the scenes I have to talk to my players to see if I can even post it...they truly are masters of intrigue!
PC’s
Tamarack the Blue-Human ½ blue dragon 10/1 level sorcerer/dragon mage
Valan Durrinheart- dwarvish 10th level fighter 1st level iron bound (hammer and helm book)
Gorax-small raptor creature (AEG mercenaries) 11th level rogue
Savnar Fightreadi-Dwarf 7/3/1 fighter/paladin/dwarven champion (I forget)
Stumpwater Jack-Dwarf 14th level Cleric of a gnome metal god.
Valara Testerosa-Human 13th level Bard
Forrest-Dwarf 13th level druid and Fluffy his awakened barbarian brown bear. (Hasn’t picked names yet, that’s what we call them…make fun of them if you want to, it’s ok).
NPC’s
Quarimust (Zhultannorak) –1/2 elf/fiend 9/3 Cleric of hextor/Dreadmaster
Ballum (Iliumgrax)-1/2 fiendish dwarf 9/3 fighter/fist of hextor
Torkil (Engoryx)-1/2 fiendish dwarf 7/4 fighter/cave runner (Mongoose: quintessential dwarf)
Jenneleth-Human captured and not found (whom party is looking for)
Garyld-Human 5th level ranger protects the town of Milbourne
Tauster-Human 10th level wizard who guards the town of Thurmaster.
Wotrah- ½ dragon/lizardman 7th level paladin.
N/PC’s that have fallen:
Cronos-1/2 Orc 3rd level fighter. Died in raid on keep.
Muru Starslayer-1/2 elf barb/rogue/ranger. Rended by trolls
Roscoe Highhill- Halfling 6th level rogue. Pummeled by a hill giant club while ringing a bell.
Damian-elven 1st level druid. Dazed and wandered around woods lost for all time.
Perandalis- Elven 3/1 ranger/wizard. Rode off in the distance to slay the goblins that destroyed his people’s lands.
Asfrid-1/2 elf 10th level bard. Became one with a water elemental.
Bergthor- human 6th level ranger. Found out that betrayal to the party usually equates to death by said party.
Taiirian-elven 11th level wizard. Water Elemental+Improved grab+thrown into blade barrier=death.
Roscoe-Halfling 9th level rogue (different roscoe, no relation) wonders how in the world his backstabbing a lobster clawed statue doesn’t kill it. The stone still is stained red to this day.
Torkil- ½ fiendish dwarf 10th level fighter. Returning from the dead was once a simple task. Well that all changes when a celestial has her way with you...
Ravaki- ½ celestial monkey (OA) shaman. Realizes first hand why clerics do NOT open the doors before the rogue.
<There’s several more, I’ll add them later when the PC’s come yelling at me later>
Brief overview: Party has been looking for a long lost girl that had been kidnapped many many months ago. In trying to find her they have:
1. Vanquished an outpost of Orcs
2. Destroyed a keep of slave traders
3. Met up and allied with a svirfneblin enclave
4. Discovered a new race of elves
5. Decimated a stronghold of derro
6. Setup a stronghold and made overtures toward a green dragon.
7. Forayed into a heavily fortified and defended Kuo-toan city to free trapped slaves and rescue them with the aid of hired mercenaries.
I am sure there is more but (I’ll add more later) you get the gist of it all. These guys have done allot since they have started and now from what they tell me they are only getting warmed up! Oye Vey!
We open with the group just returning from their first foray into the City of the Glass Pool in an attempt to crush the slave trade that has taken countless people away from the surface and whisked them away to the underdark to do gods know what with them. The sorcerer Tamarack teleporting wave after wave of people to the surface, over a hundred in all to the surface outside the town of Milbourne where they remain moaning and groaning. Some sick with contagion, other’s hobbled; some cannot walk or talk as all are barely wearing what can be considered clothing.
“Utter waste of resources better allocated for removing us instead of these pathetic slaves. Such is the task you hired us for.” Speaks the alabaster skinned cleric of hextor Quarimust. “I pray we don’t have to do that again, an exit strategy such as this is wholly unadvisable considering the multitude of slaves we rescued.”
“We hired you to free slaves and that’s what we did, you signed the contract, keep to it.” Says Tamarack.
“I will not waste one solitary incantation on these slaves, they have not earned the right of battle and it is not stated in my contract to do otherwise.”
“Fine, wait here with them. Stumpy, stand guard with Savnar and see if you can heal them. I will find Garyld and see if I can get something for these slaves.”
With a snort the Hextorian motions for the two other ‘dwarves’ to come near him so that he may speak to them in private. Dwarves, nay, one can barely call them such. Their beards are barbed and spiked. Skin crackling black and scaly. Eyes flowing and bubbling like fires of burning volcano magma. The ebon eye of the cleric of hextor watches over them and speaks slowly to them in a language none can fathom. They nod as one and move toward the other dwarf in the party Valan Durrinheart and speak to him.
Stumpwater nods his head solemnly, the short grey bearded dreadlocked dwarf has seen this too often before. “This cleric of Hextor has been the worst move we ever did to hire him. He knows nothing about helping people and seeing the rewards of healing those in need.” He reaches down and begins slowly going over each person and removing the chains and bonds. He speaks words of prayer and soothing songs of his dwarven people to ease their pains. Some collapse at his touch in sleep. Others still coughing bile and other noxious fluids beg for aid and mercy. “Tomorrow I can help you now, please sleep and rest, aid is coming.” ‘So much pain here so many to tend to, what about that green scaled beast we rescued?’ he wonders. Several feet away a large green-scaled body breathes softly. It’s feet twisted at unnatural angles not as the gods intended.
Valarea’s soft voice sung gentle tunes to quiet the injured. “Not much I can do for these guys, they rest in the hands of Stumpwater and Savnar. I’ll do what I can, so many have died for so few, how many could we have saved?” Her voice drowns out the coughing and crying of a few but most are still burying their heads in their hands to keep from the bright burning glare of the overhead sun.
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“Keep them away from the town!”
“But they need your help! We freed them and they need something!”
“I have to worry about the safety of this town first! I don’t know who these people are, what they have, what they could do, they could be carrying the plague!”
“But they are slaves!”
“Don’t matter none if they were the next coming of St. Cuthbert and were asking for wooden spoons! The answer is NO! Keep them on the outskirts of town and I’ll see if I can find some blankets and some food for them. Take it or leave it.”
“Fine. You know where we’ll be”
The two men turned around and walked back in their respective direction. One had his hand over his face shooing gawking townsfolk back into the town and telling them to bring some food and blankets to the edge of town for the survivors. Some complained they didn’t have enough to go around already, others hushed him down with and told they would do as asked.
The other stormed back to camp, eyes still blazing like small bolts of electricity. “Fool humans, what’s a small hospitality going to do for you? It’s not like they are going to attack you? We saved this town enough and brought back their cleric! This is how they treat us. Whatever!” he hovers back to the party still caked in gore and smoke from the fight below.
Savnar looks up from his tending of his own wounds. ‘That was a battle!’ he muses to himself, ‘such a display of martial prowess and glory in the name of the father of battle himself would be proud!’ Slowly he remembers those that fell underground and his head hangs down in sorrow and shame, so many of his compatriots are still down there, dead, and not properly buried as befitting a true warrior should be. He looks over the truly sick and picks up his axe and lays his hands upon their wracking frame in an attempt to soothe their pain.
“Tomorrow they’ll give us food and clothes and anything else. Whatever they can muster to provide they will. We have to keep them here under guard. That was what Garyld said.” Tamarack looks at the other party members after drawing them close. His bluish skin itched like mad, already his finger nails were growing longer and drawing blood where he scratched his flesh off. “Stumpy is there anything you can do tonight?”
“Tomorrow I can heal most of them from their wounds. I will have to cast a high level spell upon the lizard creature. His wounds are far to advanced for anything but. Savnar and I can take care of the rest. They are malnourished and half-dead, it will take a few days before they are even ready to move let alone get around. We must feed them sparingly lest they die when overfed.” The dwarven cleric slowly speaks to the collected group. They all nod their head slowly. They didn’t count on their being this many….
When night falls they organize the watches and begin to settle in for the evening. Only the sounds of the dying and injured are heard.
“Do you think any of them are worth training?” the husky voice says low into the fire.
“Some, I cannot promise how many will survive. They are weak and ill trained. Most will not be worthy of the greatness I shall show them.” The other voice speaks. The crackling of the wood can be heard and the husky voiced one looks around slowly.
“You have shown worth in my lord’s eyes. He has noticed your progress and has taken heed. I see by your tale from what happened and from our being here” his mouth spreads wide and sharp fanged teeth can be seen smiling in a wicked grin, “should be proof of that. It is power you seek, and power he has shown you. More will come in due time. Serve him as I have told you and you will see what true power is. We must be journey now so that the ceremony can commence and then you shall see the light that is His and shed this form and transcend into the glory that is His.”
‘Might, Power, all things that is necessary to rule. All things needed to solve the riddle and come face to face with my destiny! Through my vision he has shown it to me, I shall serve him now and forever, or perhaps until the time has come for a new order. All in due time.’ the other voice thinks to himself.
The fire crackles though out the watch as others turn and sleep fitfully. Some for the last time…
As dawn breaks a soft voice can be heard chanting praises. Valan looks up and sees the cleric of metal praying to his god. “This out to be good, let’s see what he’s doing.” He straps on his armor and moves toward the priest.
“What spells you cooking up today, priest?” he says
“I plan on curing all of these of their ailments today. I shall gather all the horribly sick and dying and cure them all. Much simpler than curing each one in turn. Takes up less time better devoted to drinking, huh?” the cleric intones and smiles.
“True, very true. It’s been too long since we sat down with the crew and had a good dwarven party! What’s say we do that when we get back from Bluffside today? Valera is keen on going and so is Tamarack to drop off all that loot we found when we ransacked the kuo-toa’s and derro.” He says
“Another time, for the Bluffside trek. I have to finish here; Savanar is tending to that lizard creature we found. Funny thing is, I can’t understand a lick of what he says, but I figure with a good dose of healing and a couple of spells myself and Tamarack can talk to him and find out what his deal is.” Stumpwater replies.
“Do that and tell me what he says. I don’t trust that scaled beast farther than I can throw them. And Finslayer isn’t to keen on scaled creatures either. Are ya?” Valan says
“What are you talking about child? Does she have scaled sticky skin like kuo-toa? Nope! Where be they? Why’d we leave so soon! Back we must go!” comes a voice from behind Valan’s back. He reaches back and pulls out a mithril axe and delicately holds it.
“In time, in time, they aren’t going anywhere. I took long enough to find you, I am sure you can wait a few more days till we recuperate and then go back to deal with those wretched creatures.” Valan says aloud.
“Sure, sure, anything you say chief. Sooner I can sink my blade into their fishy hide the better I feel!” a voice radiating from the axe.
“Now if you two are done could you leave me to my work? I have much to do and then we can get on with the rejoicing and dancing.” The cleric says.
Valan smiles and walks over to Tamarack already in discussion with the cleric of Hextor.
“Yes we are going back to Bluffside, shortly. You want to go too? Why?” the sorcerer asks.
“I want my cut that was promised in my contract as is my dues. I want to fairly met out and come to see that my share is properly accounted for and that no misappropriations are made. I know that we are selling quite a bit of magical gear as befitted the human woman who spent many a minute field stripping the bodies. You think I didn’t know that? You know my price, I want it.” The cleric says evenly.
“And you shall have it. I will not sit there and let you disrupt the relationship we have already with the shop keep! You can sit there and listen but don’t say a word. Understand?”
“Of course, My lord. Such is your wish” the cleric nods his head.
“Mind if I go too? Nothing here for me to do and I wouldn’t mind exploring Bluffside a bit more. I have some things I must do of my own.” Valan chimes in.
“Anyone else want to go to Bluffside? Anyone? Last Call” the sorcerer bellows. He notes that Savnar and Stumpwater are busy. Valera is off talking to the town pulling food and blankets for the people. “Well I got the bags with the treasure. Let’s go!” With that he speaks a hissing word and whisks the companions away.
In the daylight the ebon dwarves can be seen talking to others of their kinds. Words are exchanged as well as some bits of food. Hope, or is that greed, shines in some of their eyes. Each one nods to the other in silent understanding…
Info on campaign setting: Bluffiside primary city. 2nd edition converted into 3E modules. If you’ve run it you will know the cities and places in question. If not, sit back, and enjoy the show. As of this posting I am 2 behind the current game. There is so much going on behind the scenes I have to talk to my players to see if I can even post it...they truly are masters of intrigue!
PC’s
Tamarack the Blue-Human ½ blue dragon 10/1 level sorcerer/dragon mage
Valan Durrinheart- dwarvish 10th level fighter 1st level iron bound (hammer and helm book)
Gorax-small raptor creature (AEG mercenaries) 11th level rogue
Savnar Fightreadi-Dwarf 7/3/1 fighter/paladin/dwarven champion (I forget)
Stumpwater Jack-Dwarf 14th level Cleric of a gnome metal god.
Valara Testerosa-Human 13th level Bard
Forrest-Dwarf 13th level druid and Fluffy his awakened barbarian brown bear. (Hasn’t picked names yet, that’s what we call them…make fun of them if you want to, it’s ok).
NPC’s
Quarimust (Zhultannorak) –1/2 elf/fiend 9/3 Cleric of hextor/Dreadmaster
Ballum (Iliumgrax)-1/2 fiendish dwarf 9/3 fighter/fist of hextor
Torkil (Engoryx)-1/2 fiendish dwarf 7/4 fighter/cave runner (Mongoose: quintessential dwarf)
Jenneleth-Human captured and not found (whom party is looking for)
Garyld-Human 5th level ranger protects the town of Milbourne
Tauster-Human 10th level wizard who guards the town of Thurmaster.
Wotrah- ½ dragon/lizardman 7th level paladin.
N/PC’s that have fallen:
Cronos-1/2 Orc 3rd level fighter. Died in raid on keep.
Muru Starslayer-1/2 elf barb/rogue/ranger. Rended by trolls
Roscoe Highhill- Halfling 6th level rogue. Pummeled by a hill giant club while ringing a bell.
Damian-elven 1st level druid. Dazed and wandered around woods lost for all time.
Perandalis- Elven 3/1 ranger/wizard. Rode off in the distance to slay the goblins that destroyed his people’s lands.
Asfrid-1/2 elf 10th level bard. Became one with a water elemental.
Bergthor- human 6th level ranger. Found out that betrayal to the party usually equates to death by said party.
Taiirian-elven 11th level wizard. Water Elemental+Improved grab+thrown into blade barrier=death.
Roscoe-Halfling 9th level rogue (different roscoe, no relation) wonders how in the world his backstabbing a lobster clawed statue doesn’t kill it. The stone still is stained red to this day.
Torkil- ½ fiendish dwarf 10th level fighter. Returning from the dead was once a simple task. Well that all changes when a celestial has her way with you...
Ravaki- ½ celestial monkey (OA) shaman. Realizes first hand why clerics do NOT open the doors before the rogue.
<There’s several more, I’ll add them later when the PC’s come yelling at me later>
Brief overview: Party has been looking for a long lost girl that had been kidnapped many many months ago. In trying to find her they have:
1. Vanquished an outpost of Orcs
2. Destroyed a keep of slave traders
3. Met up and allied with a svirfneblin enclave
4. Discovered a new race of elves
5. Decimated a stronghold of derro
6. Setup a stronghold and made overtures toward a green dragon.
7. Forayed into a heavily fortified and defended Kuo-toan city to free trapped slaves and rescue them with the aid of hired mercenaries.
I am sure there is more but (I’ll add more later) you get the gist of it all. These guys have done allot since they have started and now from what they tell me they are only getting warmed up! Oye Vey!
We open with the group just returning from their first foray into the City of the Glass Pool in an attempt to crush the slave trade that has taken countless people away from the surface and whisked them away to the underdark to do gods know what with them. The sorcerer Tamarack teleporting wave after wave of people to the surface, over a hundred in all to the surface outside the town of Milbourne where they remain moaning and groaning. Some sick with contagion, other’s hobbled; some cannot walk or talk as all are barely wearing what can be considered clothing.
“Utter waste of resources better allocated for removing us instead of these pathetic slaves. Such is the task you hired us for.” Speaks the alabaster skinned cleric of hextor Quarimust. “I pray we don’t have to do that again, an exit strategy such as this is wholly unadvisable considering the multitude of slaves we rescued.”
“We hired you to free slaves and that’s what we did, you signed the contract, keep to it.” Says Tamarack.
“I will not waste one solitary incantation on these slaves, they have not earned the right of battle and it is not stated in my contract to do otherwise.”
“Fine, wait here with them. Stumpy, stand guard with Savnar and see if you can heal them. I will find Garyld and see if I can get something for these slaves.”
With a snort the Hextorian motions for the two other ‘dwarves’ to come near him so that he may speak to them in private. Dwarves, nay, one can barely call them such. Their beards are barbed and spiked. Skin crackling black and scaly. Eyes flowing and bubbling like fires of burning volcano magma. The ebon eye of the cleric of hextor watches over them and speaks slowly to them in a language none can fathom. They nod as one and move toward the other dwarf in the party Valan Durrinheart and speak to him.
Stumpwater nods his head solemnly, the short grey bearded dreadlocked dwarf has seen this too often before. “This cleric of Hextor has been the worst move we ever did to hire him. He knows nothing about helping people and seeing the rewards of healing those in need.” He reaches down and begins slowly going over each person and removing the chains and bonds. He speaks words of prayer and soothing songs of his dwarven people to ease their pains. Some collapse at his touch in sleep. Others still coughing bile and other noxious fluids beg for aid and mercy. “Tomorrow I can help you now, please sleep and rest, aid is coming.” ‘So much pain here so many to tend to, what about that green scaled beast we rescued?’ he wonders. Several feet away a large green-scaled body breathes softly. It’s feet twisted at unnatural angles not as the gods intended.
Valarea’s soft voice sung gentle tunes to quiet the injured. “Not much I can do for these guys, they rest in the hands of Stumpwater and Savnar. I’ll do what I can, so many have died for so few, how many could we have saved?” Her voice drowns out the coughing and crying of a few but most are still burying their heads in their hands to keep from the bright burning glare of the overhead sun.
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“Keep them away from the town!”
“But they need your help! We freed them and they need something!”
“I have to worry about the safety of this town first! I don’t know who these people are, what they have, what they could do, they could be carrying the plague!”
“But they are slaves!”
“Don’t matter none if they were the next coming of St. Cuthbert and were asking for wooden spoons! The answer is NO! Keep them on the outskirts of town and I’ll see if I can find some blankets and some food for them. Take it or leave it.”
“Fine. You know where we’ll be”
The two men turned around and walked back in their respective direction. One had his hand over his face shooing gawking townsfolk back into the town and telling them to bring some food and blankets to the edge of town for the survivors. Some complained they didn’t have enough to go around already, others hushed him down with and told they would do as asked.
The other stormed back to camp, eyes still blazing like small bolts of electricity. “Fool humans, what’s a small hospitality going to do for you? It’s not like they are going to attack you? We saved this town enough and brought back their cleric! This is how they treat us. Whatever!” he hovers back to the party still caked in gore and smoke from the fight below.
Savnar looks up from his tending of his own wounds. ‘That was a battle!’ he muses to himself, ‘such a display of martial prowess and glory in the name of the father of battle himself would be proud!’ Slowly he remembers those that fell underground and his head hangs down in sorrow and shame, so many of his compatriots are still down there, dead, and not properly buried as befitting a true warrior should be. He looks over the truly sick and picks up his axe and lays his hands upon their wracking frame in an attempt to soothe their pain.
“Tomorrow they’ll give us food and clothes and anything else. Whatever they can muster to provide they will. We have to keep them here under guard. That was what Garyld said.” Tamarack looks at the other party members after drawing them close. His bluish skin itched like mad, already his finger nails were growing longer and drawing blood where he scratched his flesh off. “Stumpy is there anything you can do tonight?”
“Tomorrow I can heal most of them from their wounds. I will have to cast a high level spell upon the lizard creature. His wounds are far to advanced for anything but. Savnar and I can take care of the rest. They are malnourished and half-dead, it will take a few days before they are even ready to move let alone get around. We must feed them sparingly lest they die when overfed.” The dwarven cleric slowly speaks to the collected group. They all nod their head slowly. They didn’t count on their being this many….
When night falls they organize the watches and begin to settle in for the evening. Only the sounds of the dying and injured are heard.
“Do you think any of them are worth training?” the husky voice says low into the fire.
“Some, I cannot promise how many will survive. They are weak and ill trained. Most will not be worthy of the greatness I shall show them.” The other voice speaks. The crackling of the wood can be heard and the husky voiced one looks around slowly.
“You have shown worth in my lord’s eyes. He has noticed your progress and has taken heed. I see by your tale from what happened and from our being here” his mouth spreads wide and sharp fanged teeth can be seen smiling in a wicked grin, “should be proof of that. It is power you seek, and power he has shown you. More will come in due time. Serve him as I have told you and you will see what true power is. We must be journey now so that the ceremony can commence and then you shall see the light that is His and shed this form and transcend into the glory that is His.”
‘Might, Power, all things that is necessary to rule. All things needed to solve the riddle and come face to face with my destiny! Through my vision he has shown it to me, I shall serve him now and forever, or perhaps until the time has come for a new order. All in due time.’ the other voice thinks to himself.
The fire crackles though out the watch as others turn and sleep fitfully. Some for the last time…
As dawn breaks a soft voice can be heard chanting praises. Valan looks up and sees the cleric of metal praying to his god. “This out to be good, let’s see what he’s doing.” He straps on his armor and moves toward the priest.
“What spells you cooking up today, priest?” he says
“I plan on curing all of these of their ailments today. I shall gather all the horribly sick and dying and cure them all. Much simpler than curing each one in turn. Takes up less time better devoted to drinking, huh?” the cleric intones and smiles.
“True, very true. It’s been too long since we sat down with the crew and had a good dwarven party! What’s say we do that when we get back from Bluffside today? Valera is keen on going and so is Tamarack to drop off all that loot we found when we ransacked the kuo-toa’s and derro.” He says
“Another time, for the Bluffside trek. I have to finish here; Savanar is tending to that lizard creature we found. Funny thing is, I can’t understand a lick of what he says, but I figure with a good dose of healing and a couple of spells myself and Tamarack can talk to him and find out what his deal is.” Stumpwater replies.
“Do that and tell me what he says. I don’t trust that scaled beast farther than I can throw them. And Finslayer isn’t to keen on scaled creatures either. Are ya?” Valan says
“What are you talking about child? Does she have scaled sticky skin like kuo-toa? Nope! Where be they? Why’d we leave so soon! Back we must go!” comes a voice from behind Valan’s back. He reaches back and pulls out a mithril axe and delicately holds it.
“In time, in time, they aren’t going anywhere. I took long enough to find you, I am sure you can wait a few more days till we recuperate and then go back to deal with those wretched creatures.” Valan says aloud.
“Sure, sure, anything you say chief. Sooner I can sink my blade into their fishy hide the better I feel!” a voice radiating from the axe.
“Now if you two are done could you leave me to my work? I have much to do and then we can get on with the rejoicing and dancing.” The cleric says.
Valan smiles and walks over to Tamarack already in discussion with the cleric of Hextor.
“Yes we are going back to Bluffside, shortly. You want to go too? Why?” the sorcerer asks.
“I want my cut that was promised in my contract as is my dues. I want to fairly met out and come to see that my share is properly accounted for and that no misappropriations are made. I know that we are selling quite a bit of magical gear as befitted the human woman who spent many a minute field stripping the bodies. You think I didn’t know that? You know my price, I want it.” The cleric says evenly.
“And you shall have it. I will not sit there and let you disrupt the relationship we have already with the shop keep! You can sit there and listen but don’t say a word. Understand?”
“Of course, My lord. Such is your wish” the cleric nods his head.
“Mind if I go too? Nothing here for me to do and I wouldn’t mind exploring Bluffside a bit more. I have some things I must do of my own.” Valan chimes in.
“Anyone else want to go to Bluffside? Anyone? Last Call” the sorcerer bellows. He notes that Savnar and Stumpwater are busy. Valera is off talking to the town pulling food and blankets for the people. “Well I got the bags with the treasure. Let’s go!” With that he speaks a hissing word and whisks the companions away.
In the daylight the ebon dwarves can be seen talking to others of their kinds. Words are exchanged as well as some bits of food. Hope, or is that greed, shines in some of their eyes. Each one nods to the other in silent understanding…
