Strahd's "RttToEE"

[s@squ@tch]

Lenuran of Lortmills

"Ahh, it is so nice to be back in the company of fellow littlefolk."

He oohs and aahs as he inspects the elevator and magic pot, waxing poetic about the bounty that Glittergold bestows upon his faithful.

[sblock=OOC]

Does Lenuran know much about the gnome community in this area? Bardic Knowledge? Or would he know anything since he is 'of Lortmills'?
[/sblock]

He looks out of the tree at the expanse of land in each direction, but particularly in the direction of Hathgar, looking for anything of note.

He then alights upon a small chair and partakes in a cup of tea, as he begins to question the other gnomes about what they do in this area, and have they seen anything out of the ordinary lately -- or even if they've seen anything not-out-of the ordinary.

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Illusions?
Say one of the gnome guards.
Nahh.. Probably the forest is playing tricks on their minds
Say the seemingly leader of the group.
We spied humans and heard reports of other gnomes about cruel undead that try to prey on the living by seducing them into the woods ... crying for help for the intelligent ones is one way to do it.


The woods are haunted
Reply another gnome
The leader nods in agreement and says
You better stay out of them, and if you need to pass them you better circle the entire forest or travel below it.

Admiring the view and scenery, you drink your teas.
An hour later, one ofg the guards returns with some fresh apples and berries. The “tea-serving” gnome takes the berries and squeezes them. Taking their juice, he “orders” the magical pot to produce cold water ... then he hands you a fresh berry-water mixed juice.

This outpost seems to be small ah ?
The “serving tea” gnome chuckles to himself
There is a large community of gnomes around here ... just not where you expect them to be.

[sblock=Lenuran knowledge]
Loren’s ford is a large village of gnomes ... underground village. It should lie below the area you currently are. This gigantic tree is part of the village, but one of several “above-ground” places. There is an extensive network of mined tunnels and roads below the surface of the Kron hills. From the capital of Kron that lays in the east through Tulvar, Osnalbrote and finally Loren’s ford. (These are the four gnome settlement, with Kron being the largest city and the capital, and Loren’s ford is the smallest and mark the western part of the gnome kingdom)
The land of Kron belongs to a large community of rock gnomes. Thought the majority of the denizens of Loren’s ford is forest gnomes. There is a big community of rock gnomes that live among the dwarves of the Lortmills, originally, they were part of the rock gnomes from the Kron – Leurans is part of them.[/sblock]

Questioning about the area and questions about the gnomes’ jobs reveals the following:
They are here to guard and observe anything that might be suspicious, but peace and prosperity came upon the land, so not much of a job to the rangers save for small goblin parties and once a month an evil denizen of the forest decide to scourge the area out of his home in the woods. This place serves like a tower and a refugee place for the pure hearted that wander the land.
As for the area – Nurell ruins lies not far from here, but they are probably home to wild animals and things that better left in the darkness of the temple’s dungeon.
From here, the stream widens to a roaring rocky river with waterfalls. There is an old route that heads west with a rope bridge that crosses the river, but it leads into the woods and to the abandoned hamlet of Valida. Another route goes underground and springs out to the air again 15-20 miles to the west.

 

[Voadam]

"So we can travel through the haunted woods or underground for a day or two then."

 

[stonegod]

The Kid shrugs. Die above ground or die below. Bad options either way. Me, I prefer sky.

 

[Rhun]

"Nuthin' t' be a'feared from walkin' under the stone," says Korbryn. The dwarf shrugs. "But either way."

 

[Voadam]

"The cult favors subterranean depths for their lairs. I expect we will be spending plenty of time underground when we get to our destination. The gnomes warned against the woods, but I would prefer a little more time above ground for the sake of our human sanities. I vote for the woods and abandoned village." the baklunish priest says agreeing with the Kid.

 

[s@squ@tch]

Lenuran of around here

"Friends," he says to the gnomes,"We are on our way towards Hathgar -- which way would you travel, if you were to venture that way?"

Lenuran studies them during their answer, expecting them to be truthful, but none-the-less, he wants to be sure. (OOC: sense motive +10)

"I have to say, this tree is quite a specimen -- I would never have thought to look for gnomes in the sky, of all places," says Lenuran with a wide smile.

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Sky!? Bah..
Say one of the gnomes to Thandis
The canopy of the forest is so thick and tangled that you’ll travel with heavy shadows during the day and total darkness during the night.

Underground, if you ask me
Say the tea-serving one.
Plenty of exotic mushrooms, good for your soup

If you know your way in the forest and how to protect yourselves during the night, you can survive the Ironwood ... but be sure to follow the trail. I do expect it to be bushy and almost unseen. Losing your way in the forest is a certain doom.
Say the third gnome.

It is hard to say ... hard to say.
The gnome leader ranger scratches his forehead.
The roads underground are not guarded and I expect it to be “live” with denizens but only one major passage leads outside. If you stick to the major path, you’ll get out in one piece.

[sblock=Lenuran’s sense]
They do want to help you rather then lie.
The only forest gnome here preferred the forest
The other three rock gnomes preferred the underground passage
[/sblock]

 

[Rhun]

The dwarf shrugs and finishes his tea. "Either way," he says. "Me blade'll keep us out o' harm, if'n we don be fer gettin' lost."

 

[DEFCON 1]

"I like lamp. Er-- I mean-- trees. I like trees." Ithiken shakes his head as if to clear it. "I say we stay above ground for as long as we can."