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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carlo-One" data-source="post: 8039428" data-attributes="member: 7015827">Chapter VIII: Dwarven DepthsAnother Message in a BoxSome time later, the dwarf and the ranger arrived at the Glees inn and saw Aerikoth and Shanni deep in conversation. Shanni had already arranged for an ale for Darrow, knowing his proclivities, while Dermot went and got something for himself. The four sat together and – this time, more calmly – discussed how they had felt about the assault on the Beast’s manor, clearing the air among them. Undt, who had been solicitously attending to his important (for the village) guests, suddenly exclaimed he had (almost) forgotten something had been delivered for them. The innkeeper went to the back and soon returned to present them with a medium-sized box.Just as Undt was about to speak further, Rahnee walked through the inn’s door. She hung up her cloak, glanced in surprise at Shanni, then a brief look of horror came over her face as she contemplated the box – no doubt remembering a previous such delivery, which had contained the head of their former companion Aratae. The innkeeper explained that two dwarves had left this box for Helm’s Shadows, saying that the adventurers would know what it was about. In response to a question from Darrow, Undt said he could not tell if they were Ironhelm dwarves or not. Aerikoth queried when it was delivered and the innkeeper said it had been left with him just the day before, with no further explanation. He also indicated that the box’s seal was still intact.After Undt stepped out of the way, Dermot drew a small knife to open the box, but at Rahnee’s urging deferred to Darrow to perform the task. The dwarf picked the box up and from it removed a gleaming axe which was a copy of Haelgrim, the legendary clan weapon that Darrow carried. After Darrow had examined it more closely, he saw dwarven runes that read: “The true one is needed for the clan, to save us from a pretender.” He explained to his companions that it must mean Haelgrim was needed at Ironhelm. Undt peered at the axe and commented that the two dwarves who delivered it were acting strangely, not wanting to give their names or to stay overnight. The innkeeper then wandered back to the kitchen as the party speculated as to what exactly was going on and the meaning of the axe.Dermot questioned why the dwarves had not stayed to speak to Darrow, a point which Aerikoth concurred was important. Darrow told them that he had learned long ago not to try to understand the priesthood or the delve’s leadership, evidently not considering them practical thinkers. Rahnee wondered if this was a way of calling Darrow home as the Ironhelm Prince’s champion. Darrow explained to Dermot and Shanni that he had been allowed to carry Haelgrim after digging it up, in order to do heroic deeds with it. There had also been a political angle, with the dwarf describing the axe and his own presence in Ironhelm as a “hot potato” while the clan leader was sick and had no obvious heir. Regarding the runic message, Darrow perspicaciously observed that who was a pretender and who was rightful “might depend on where ye sit.”Aerikoth observed that it had been close to a month since Darrow had departed Ironhelm with the axe; the wizard also noted the extravagant method of delivering the cryptic message. Rahnee said it appeared they had a trek to make to Ironhelm lands and welcomed Shanni back. The small rogue sniffed, looking a little contrite, and informed Rahnee that she’d had to be rescued again. Darrow and the others continued to speculate over who had sent the axe, its symbolism, and why they had chosen “Helm’s Shadows” as the recipient rather than Darrow. Darrow offered to take on the issue alone, since the axe was his responsibility, but the others quickly demurred and insisted on accompanying him to Clan Ironhelm territory. Aerikoth mentioned that the only business they had pending in Westgate was with Losifan Urdo at the Mercenaries Guild, and he was not expecting them for perhaps another six days.The wizard offered to teleport the group to the inn in the village of Mountaingate, located near Ironhelm in the Giant’s Run mountains. Darrow grinned evilly and noted that the inn’s proprietor there would no doubt be glad to see them, the dwarf alluding to the last bloody encounter there with a group of mercenaries. Aerikoth explained, however, that he had only one such spell memorized, so the group would therefore have to strip all weighty items off and place them in bags of holding for the spell to work. Shanni mentioned that she unfortunately did not have one, then started sorting through her inventory along with Dermot. Rahnee and Darrow took out their magical bags and the party attempted to work out a method of pooling their items, but in the end they were unsuccessful. (In popular accounts of great wizarding adventures, mundane details such as these are either overlooked or deliberately ignored, in favor of grand magics that occur instantly and without apparent cost. The grubby reality of adventuring is rather different and even strong magic has its limitations, however un-epic that may be to relate. --R)Aerikoth then offered to take Darrow alone with him, returning later for the others, but the party was uncomfortable being split in this manner. It was decided that there was no immediate urgency for traveling to Ironhelm, so the wizard declared he would hole up in his room for the day and study the necessary spells, in order to transport everyone that evening. After some drinks at the inn, the others decided to trek back to Tallwell in the interim, although not before Darrow tried to peek into Aerikoth’s room and was chased off by Zeluth, the wizard’s raven familiar. After making it to Tallwell, they left some of their excess equipment with the local garrison, including weapons previously seized from the Night Masks, to aid the village’s defense. Rahnee chose to remain in the village and ensure that the defenses were strengthened to her liking, while the others returned to Glees.</blockquote>

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