NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 1757109" data-attributes="member: 5808">Part the Fifty-SixthIn which: The party runs aground.“I believe she is coming around…”Who is? Lira wonders.You are, boss.Oh.  Right.Lira slowly opens her eyes.  She is in a cave, which surprises her until she remembers that she was in a cave before she passed out, so yes, this fits.  The party appears to have made camp in a small side tunnel.  There is a tiny fire, carefully shielded from view.“How long was I out?” she asks.“Two hours,” Reyu replies. “We have seen no signs of… pursuit since we left their territories.”Benedic glances over at Lira.  “Well.  I see you’re up and about again.”She smiles.  “I’m up at least.”“Excellent,” Anvil cuts in.  “Then we should press on with all haste.  Our objective is near, and we must not dawdle.”“Because Kettenek demands it?” Lira asks, wryly.“Of course.  Does not Ehkt demand no less of you?”“Somehow, I don’t think Ehkt would mind if we rested a little longer before facing this particular challenge.”Hmph, Anvil thinks.  Some god.  But he says nothing, and the party rests for several more hours. Finally, they break camp.  Zrod leads them on.  After several hours, he slows his pace, periodically thumping at the ceiling with his axe.  Eva flinches at the occasional hail of dirt and stone that fall as he does so.  Eventually, he stops.  “Well, this is probably the best place to start excavating.”“Excavating?” Eva asks.“Yup.  I figure we’re pretty close, and we’re only twenty, maybe thirty feet down.  Dirt’s pretty soft here, so it’s the best place to start heading up.  We could keep looking around for a natural tunnel or chimney or something, but there’s no guarantee there’s any around for miles.”“Right,” Thatch says.  “Excavating it is then.”  Dennis steps back to let Thatch forward. “Would you like some…aid?” Reyu asks.“Sure.  Grab a shovel.”“That is not… precisely what I meant,” she responds with a smile.  “Stand back.”Everyone makes room, as Reyu casts.  The rock and dirt ceiling of the tunnel suddenly loosens, transforming into dirt and sand.  A huge quantity of material falls from the ceiling, partially filling the floor of the cavern.“Neat!” Hue exclaims.“There,” Reyu says.  “That should get you on your way.”**********Zrod oversees the excavation, making sure it is handled as safely as possible.  Nonetheless, it takes several hours of coordinated efforts before Thatch breaks through to grass and sweet, fresh air.  It is midafternoon.  The sun shines, and the air has a crisp, November chill to it.  He breathes deep.“Hey, everyone.  Come on up!”The members of the party all climb up, leaving the caves behind.  They are in a grassy plain, a short way from the edge of a forest.  About a quarter of a mile northwest of them is expanse of exposed bedrock, rising up above the plain.  From the midst of it, they see a small column of smoke.“That must be it,” Lira says.  “The home of the Miyen Kai.”Benedic and Reyu fan out, quickly scouting the nearby area.  They find elf tracks indicative of a patrol, but they are a few days old.  Nevertheless, the party stays low, hoping to avoid detection.  They go to some effort to conceal the hole.“I’d say our best bet is to make a dash for the rocks.  Less time out in the open,” Benedic suggests.Lira blanches at the thought of more running, but it does not seem too far.“Out of curiosity, what exactly do we plan to do when we reach the Miyen Kai?” Eva asks.“We shall present him with his invitation, and attempt to evaluate his suitability as a potential Chancellor,” Anvil responds.“And hope he doesn’t destroy us for violating his people’s holy lands?”“Indeed.”“Great.”The group runs for the rocks.  (Editor’s Note: The party runs aground.  Get it?  ‘Cause they’re running.  While they’re on… ground…. Oh, I don’t know why I bother.)They reach the rocks without incident, taking a moment to catch their breath once they reach shelter.  Then, they make for the curl of smoke. It is a difficult trek.  There is no obvious path through the rocks, and neither Benedic nor Reyu can see any tracks.  The group is forced to climb, first up and then down, then up again.  Euro and the Ferret have the least difficulty of anyone, scouting ahead for paths of least resistance.(DM: Give me Climb checks.Bad Monkey Jeff: Can we just take 10?DM: Yeah, I guess so.Spyscribe: That’s good. Considering my taking 10 is a 9.)Thus, it is Euro who first notices the elves. (It is possible that the Ferret actually noticed them first, but chose to keep silent for reasons of his own).Uh, boss.  Looks like we maybe got a problem here.What is it? Lira asks, and suddenly realizes that an answer is moot.Looking down on her from above are ten elven warriors.  All with bows drawn.Ah, Lira thinks.  Here we go again.An unarmed, middle-aged elf steps forward.  Her braids name her as TodoTinkeni, servant of the Miyen Kai.  She cocks her head and looks at the party.  “You trespass on holy ground, strangers,” she says in Elven.  Her tone is more matter-of-fact than accusing.  “How have you come to this place?”The party looks to Reyu.  She sighs and steps forward.  “With much difficulty, honored sister,” she says.  “We have traveled many long leagues to speak to the Miyen Kai.  Please, we ask only to meet with him, and then we shall leave your lands for all time.”TodoTinkeni contemplates this.  “In days past,” she finally says, “you would be slain on the spot for violating our holy lands.  However, since the coming of the Miyen Kai, much has changed for our people.  This many trespassers in the heart of Miyen lands is not the strangest thing I have seen in the three seasons past.  I shall take you to the Miyen Kai.  He shall decide your fate.”She signals to the other elves, who put up their bows.  “Follow me,” she says.The party does.TodoTinkeni leads them through the rocks.  The travel becomes easier, as she takes them through practiced routes.  If there is an actual path, only she can see it, but it is clear that she knows the easiest way to reach their destination.Finally, the party crests a large ridge.  Above them, on a higher ridge, they can see a few more elves, standing like sentries.  Lira notes it odd that these sentries do not seem to be looking in the party’s direction.  In fact, of the four sentries she can see, they seem to be looking inward, not outward, but at what she can’t tell.However, most of the party’s attention is drawn to what is below them, not above.  And that is a small, elven village built on a rocky flat.  There is a large, communal fire-pit, with several benches built around it.  To one side are a series of smaller teepees, to the other side there is one large one.  There are thirty or so elves to be seen, in addition to the ten escorting the PCs.  Most of them are female and, unlike their escorts, do not seem to be terribly well armed.  They go about typical village work.Stairs carved in the stone lead down to the village.  TodoTinkeni leads them down.  She brings the party to the benches.  “Wait here.  And remember, you are being watched.  If you touch your weapons or attempt to cast a spell, you will be dealt with, and there will be no further warnings.”  Then she heads to the large teepee.  She speaks through the entrance flap for a moment, then enters.The party waits.  They try not to make any threatening motions.  Really, they try not to move at all.Finally, the entrance flap to the large teepee opens, and an elf emerges.  He is of indeterminate age, and dressed in long, fine robes.  His hair is long and midnight black, and he bears many beads, extolling his virtues and powers.  He approaches the party and sits on one of the benches near them.“I am the Miyen Kai,” he says in perfect Common.  “I believe you wished to see me?”</blockquote>

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