"We'll take you back to the forest," cries Alora, forgetting to pretend that Aerie is in charge. "Do you know what is in the rooms north of here? Did the bandits bring you that way? Because if they did that might be a short cut. Otherwise we can go back the way we came because we've cleared that of all the monsters and traps and stuff."
"I will of course escort these innocent travelers back to the surface, Miss. It is not only the right thing to do, it is our duty," Ajantis offers, emphasizing the last word as he glances toward Anomen.
*Anomen ignores the Paladin. He knows what his duty and his responsibility is. It is to obtain a vial from the magical pool somewhere in this disgusting place. It isn't to rescue every fool they stumble across. But he bites his tongue and doesnt say a word.*
"So, travelers of the forest," Jaheira said, much more kindly than she'd greeted anybody since the druid in the shoppe, "what more can you tell me of these bandits?" The Harpers would have none of this! For that matter, neither would Khalid. "I would see nature reclaim the lives that she gave them." Bandits and slavers were foul; furthermore, they were as far from the balance as... as... Anomen
The gnomes glance at each other. "They are human," The first gnome who spoke said quietly. "They are mean and rude."
"And dirty!" the young one spits. "They stink like urine and unwashed bodies. They play cruel games and hurt us for their own amusement. They are vile!" He swings around and stares at the wall, very upset.
"You must forgive him," Gildergloss said. "One of the lost was his younger brother. The two of them were… close, and favorite targets for the bandits cruelty." He pauses, sighs, and then goes on. "We were blindfolded when we were brought here. But we fled through a cave with guano on the floor when we ran. We saw no bats, but then, it was night. I was in the lead, and I could take you back there, but the way out is unknown to me. We fought huge centipedes and kobolds, but the Troglodytes were too much for us."
He coughed and heaved himself to his feet. "And now that you have healed me, let me introduce myself properly. Tomoast Gildergloss."
"Randorn Emeraldglint," says the first gnome who spoke.
"Rosebriar Mossbeard," says the second.
"I be Jonolar Treebranch," says a third.
"Delmin Huntswift," says the fourth.
The young one swings around. "I shall have no name until the swine are dead," he says quietly, like he is making a solemn vow.
The other gnomes react with shock and dismay, but don't say anything to him. Finally, Gildergloss nods. "So be it," he says.
OOC: The Gnome with No Name! "D'you feel lucky punk!"
Alora goes to talk to the young gnome. "We'll help you find them. I'm not very good at fighting but Minsc, Anomen and Ajantis are. They spend their whole time smiting evil. And Jaheira can turn into a bear! Those bandits haven't got a chance."
Since, this time, Alora had gotten to see Jaheira's co-natural form, she smirked at that added note. It was something that she would do, in need, for becoming a bear solved some problems, while causing others. It was, as all things were, part of the balance.
"But first we must get you out of here," Aerie reminded them, gazing at the youngest gnome for a long moment. A gnome that forsakes his name... If they did not help him reclaim it, then his future would be grave indeed. "Come, we'll lead the way."
Alora goes to talk to the young gnome. "We'll help you find them. I'm not very good at fighting but Minsc, Anomen and Ajantis are. They spend their whole time smiting evil. And Jaheira can turn into a bear! Those bandits haven't got a chance."
OOC: Well, Arkanis sure drinks like a bard, anyway.
"I offer apologies for the injustices you have faced and I offer my oath that I will give my life, if necessary, to see you freed from this underground hell. With Helm's guidance we shall find a way."
The gnomes follow you back up to the Batcave (na na na na na na na na…) The light is dimmer and bats are flying about in a desultory fashion, swooping and looping through the space. It will soon be night again...
Alora realises that she forgot to mention someone when she was praising the fighters in the party. She goes up to the Gnome with No Name and assures him: "Arkanis is a fighter too. He's probably the best of all of them. He eats bandits for breakfast."
Alora will scout ahead of the party, making sure she keeps away from the noisy mushrooms. While she is looking for the way out she will also search the cavern for anything interesting.
There was that skeleton she saw earlier. It seems to be mummified and mostly covered in bat guano. But the chain mail it is wearing still looks good (as much of it as you can see. The Skeleton's head has been staved in on one side, and it carries a military hammer.
Alora will carefully approach the skeleton - being wary in case it wakes up. She will give it a prod with her short sword. If it doesn't wake up and attack her she will scrape off as much bat crap as she can and then remove the chainmail and give it to whichever fighter wants it. She will also search the skeleton to see if he had any nice, shiny trinkets.
Ajantis watches as Alora approaches the skeleton and murmurs to himself, "Helm, if you have any influence with Lady Tymora please ask her to watch out for our foolhardy thief."
The paladin tries to keep watch over his allies and the gnomes.
The skeleton falls over. It's a little difficult to remove the chain mail, but Alora manages at last. It wants a good cleaning, certainly. The hammer is also able to be removed, but the hammer head is loose on the handle, making it useless as a weapon.
The gnomes lead you west, to a small outcropping of stone. "There was a door, through this," Gildergloss says. It is but a moment's work for Alora to find the door and open it, and then you are in a small corridor heading south-west. It bumps up to the north for a bit, and the continues heading almost straight west. After 60' of travel from the bat cave, Alora finds another secret door to the south, that opens when an outcropping of stone is turned like a dial. and you see a corridor leading south. "This is where we were imprisoned," The young Gnome says.
"That means the bandits could still be around," says Alora, trying to sound insightful. "I'll sneak down the corridor and see if we can surprise them." Alora heads south down the corridor, checking for traps as she goes.
OOC: Not only is Anomen covered in shot, he's full of it too.
*when Alora hands him the armour*
Yuluck. Thanks, but I am not putting that on till I find a stream to wash it off in. Lets detour back to the ice cold water. The munchkins can wait another five minutes for their freedom.
Alora gives Anomen a hard stare. He gets the full works: an eyes narrowed, arms folded stare. She then turns on her heel and gets on with searching the corridor.
Comments
OOC: A play on "Gorion would have none of this!
"And dirty!" the young one spits. "They stink like urine and unwashed bodies. They play cruel games and hurt us for their own amusement. They are vile!" He swings around and stares at the wall, very upset.
"You must forgive him," Gildergloss said. "One of the lost was his younger brother. The two of them were… close, and favorite targets for the bandits cruelty." He pauses, sighs, and then goes on. "We were blindfolded when we were brought here. But we fled through a cave with guano on the floor when we ran. We saw no bats, but then, it was night. I was in the lead, and I could take you back there, but the way out is unknown to me. We fought huge centipedes and kobolds, but the Troglodytes were too much for us."
He coughed and heaved himself to his feet. "And now that you have healed me, let me introduce myself properly. Tomoast Gildergloss."
"Randorn Emeraldglint," says the first gnome who spoke.
"Rosebriar Mossbeard," says the second.
"I be Jonolar Treebranch," says a third.
"Delmin Huntswift," says the fourth.
The young one swings around. "I shall have no name until the swine are dead," he says quietly, like he is making a solemn vow.
The other gnomes react with shock and dismay, but don't say anything to him. Finally, Gildergloss nods. "So be it," he says.
Alora goes to talk to the young gnome. "We'll help you find them. I'm not very good at fighting but Minsc, Anomen and Ajantis are. They spend their whole time smiting evil. And Jaheira can turn into a bear! Those bandits haven't got a chance."
"Nice to meet you. Me name is Arkanis. We'll try to help you." OOC: and i'm the party's dumb bard
"I offer apologies for the injustices you have faced and I offer my oath that I will give my life, if necessary, to see you freed from this underground hell. With Helm's guidance we shall find a way."
"So these bandits... just how many of them are here in the caves?"
Arkanis asks from the gnomes.
Anyhow…
"There were at least twelve," Gildergloss says. "They said they were meeting up with more, but if they did, we didn't see them.
"Be careful of the mushrooms," Delmin Huntswift says. "They are shriekers- they emit a loud noise if you come too close, but are otherwise harmless."
Soon, there was a noise as the bats poured out of the cavern en masse. Within a mere ten minutes, the huge cavern was left empty once more.
*Anomen will cast sanctuary on himself if there are still bats flying around in the cave*
Neera will poke at the Skeleton's skull with her staff and if it doesn't move then she will try to take it's Warhammer away.
Ajantis watches as Alora approaches the skeleton and murmurs to himself, "Helm, if you have any influence with Lady Tymora please ask her to watch out for our foolhardy thief."
The paladin tries to keep watch over his allies and the gnomes.
The gnomes lead you west, to a small outcropping of stone. "There was a door, through this," Gildergloss says. It is but a moment's work for Alora to find the door and open it, and then you are in a small corridor heading south-west. It bumps up to the north for a bit, and the continues heading almost straight west. After 60' of travel from the bat cave, Alora finds another secret door to the south, that opens when an outcropping of stone is turned like a dial. and you see a corridor leading south. "This is where we were imprisoned," The young Gnome says.
*when Alora hands him the armour*
Yuluck. Thanks, but I am not putting that on till I find a stream to wash it off in. Lets detour back to the ice cold water. The munchkins can wait another five minutes for their freedom.