Fantasy &nbsp; Setting Summer Dawn

Zazz

*~*~*

It was dark down the passage, that was for sure. It wasn't like the darkness of the Cyndara forest, because in actual fact, count the plants and all the fluorescent animals and birds and it was actually fairly light. This darkness was stifling, broken only by the odd glowing mushroom. There were braziers, but they were unlit and in disrepair. This was how used the tunnel was. I suited the party just fine however, Pyrrhus and Desrick were only hindered a little by the overwhelming dark, and despite the narrow walls, the centaur slipped nimbly through, snaking his body like a cat through tight spaces. There was only a single point where is rump became wedged between a particularly narrow arch.
He wriggled free with some effort, slightly embarrassed.
It wasn't long before they came to an archway that was carved in much more detail than the rest of the passage. The door had been bolted once, but the padlock was gone. Desrick pushed the door slowly ajar and they stepped into the temple.
The ceiling soared, and they came out onto a circular platform, surrounded by a deep chasm, over which stretched a long flight of stairs leading up to another platform, decorated with runes all about it. Overhead there was a massive beam of solid stone and this too was carved intricately. On the back wall was the most spectacular relief of all. A dragon, standing and facing out into the temple chamber, its breath running like a river from its mouth to the ground, scorching a very uncanny replica of the citadel. The stone beam had an enormous iron ring, as big around as a windmill sweep wheel that looked like it was for holding the largest bell Desrick could ever imagine. The bell itself, as they knew, was missing from the entire picture. There were no marks on the stone, nor the walls, nothing to indicate that a house-sized metal object had ever been moved. The front entrance was too small and everyone in Dwerstand would have seen it leaving.
Desrick looked over the edge of the chasm. The darkness down there was wide and yawning, it might have been big enough to hide the bell, but there was no way to get down, and no sign anyone had tried.
Just as Eldrich had said, there was no one in the temple, though light from a distance told them that there had been guards posted outside the main entrance.
Desrick looked back to the others. "What do you think?"

Goonfire

Ms. Sparrow

Flutterby · Aug 11, 2019

Ora frowned regretfully at Lohr's reaction. A thought occurred to her then, that probably should have occurred before. Perhaps it hadn't, because being in Cyndara was refreshing to her. But Sumenna, the rigidity and the sun and the hiding, was probably taxing for the Cyndarans. She decided to blame that for sweet Lohr's outburst. It felt better to do that, than do the work again of acknowledging the unfairness here.
Eldrich watched the drow with interest, glancing at Ora's face to try to read her reaction. Winifred looked at her husband triumphantly, but he didn't seem to notice.
Ora gave Meera a small smile, and said softly, "We can get whatever you'd like, as long as we don't forget anything on Winifred's list."
And then she looked at Crispin. As she took the offered arm, she felt a weigh drift off of her shoulders. She knew it would be back, but the brief relief was so, so welcome.

*~*~*

Ora stepped down into the market, glancing at Winifred's list as she did. She was trying to muster the faux-confidence she usually used on trips to the market, but it seemed she had used her ration for the day. Her stomach was busy tying itself up into knots when Crispin spoke. She half-started, like she had forgotten he was there, and gave an unsure smile.
"We are... an efficient people, I suppose you could say."
She was glancing toward the food stalls, but quickly followed Crispin's gaze to the taverns.
"I think you've answered your own question, dearest. We could try with just about anyone, but there may be.. a few patrons of Madame Horace's that would be better targets." Ora's face twitched momentarily into an expression of disgust. Getting even the drunk dwarves to talk to a rag-tag group of strangers could prove difficult. Someone familiar would be a better idea, even if they weren't exactly a friend.

Goonfire · Aug 11, 2019

Crow scanned along the walls of the temple, running his fingers along the walls of the passage. He kept a small mote of light in the palm of his hand to help him see, which came in handy to view the spectacle that was Pyrrhus’ rump getting stuck in the doorway. Crow stifled a laugh. “Now that is a story for the ages,” he teased lightheartedly, his tone barely above a whisper in case there were any extra ears listening.

Observing the colossal chamber, he peered over the side, recoiling almost immediately and squinching his eyes shut. “Dear gods, no,” he whispered to himself; thinking about the vague possibility of falling into that chasm made him cringe. The young inquisitor thought to himself for a moment, considering Desrick’s question. What did he think? His eyes measured the expanse of the ravine, wondering if the Dragon Bell could fit down there. “If this was a trick as simple as hoisting it into this chasm, where would it go from there?” he began his line of questions. “If it even fits in there, where would they take it from there? Could there even be an underground tunnel large enough to move it elsewhere in the world?” Finally, he placed his hands upon his hips, letting the tiny light snuff itself. “We know someone who can fly. Maybe we can find her and send her to investigate... unless carrying a mile of rope sounds enticing to you.”

LazyDaze · Aug 14, 2019

Iolas made sure to take in the surroundings when they were in the market. If he were to get close to the elves, simply looking the part wouldn't be enough. The elves who had been stationed here might have subtle changes in their mannerisms. Knowledge that is only common among them. Iolas was confident in his ability to learn quickly and adapt; however, a little bit of "studying" never hurt anyone before the big test. Aside from the fact that fresh air and adventure was always welcome, his reasoning for stopping by on this little trip was strictly business although it looked like he was having a bit too much fun. Iolas listened to Ora as his head swiveled two and fro.

"Efficient indeed," Iolas said as he couldn't help but notice Ora's continued fidgeting. "...Home is such a funny word. Supposedly, it is a physical representation of where you should be, but if measured by the heart your home could easily be on the other side of the world or nowhere at all. Ora this isn't your home is it?" Iolas said in his usual soft gentle tones. He was done speculating and it was something she would have to deal with if she hadn't already. Ever since the word Dwerstand fell from Gideon's lips she had been unnerved.

Baconhands · Aug 14, 2019

Ora seemed to intone some form of magic words; as soon as the last syllable was uttered Meera was suddenly energized. She could get whatever she liked? No questions asked? Well, the dwarf hadn't mentioned that last part but it must have been implied right? The shapeshifter practically bounded off to the market, barely containing her excitement at the mere thought of trying new and exotic foods.
As she walked the streets of Dwerstand, Meera wasn't certain she could call the buildings nice in any sort of way. They were far too uniform for her liking and the architecture, save for the magnificent Citadel which caught her eye wherever she walked, was somewhat dull and uninspired. Not that Meera considered herself an architect in any sort of capacity, but something certainly rubbed her wrong about the majority of the buildings. Even the market itself seemed too orderly. Yes there was the typical hustle and bustle of a trading hub but everything still seemed too orderly.

Despite her reservations, however, the shapeshifter took to frivolous purchasing with gusto. She had a system for trying the various berries and it worked well: sneak one away, try it, come back and pay for a pound of them and the one she had borrowed for testing purposes. There were few that she disliked, and even when she did find one she openly hated guilt compelled her to buy a pound of them regardless.
She returned to the group, laden with bags, and placed them down in front of her, her eyes beaming with pride. "So... I don't think I got carried away, in fact, I might not have tried enough. But in general, I approve of the berry selection here. And we should come here tomorrow."

Zazz · Aug 15, 2019

Out of Ora's home, Lohrithe's dark gaze took in the expanses of carved rock. It was much like his own home, yet... also very unlike it. Where drowish engravings were twisting and elegant, the dwarvish walls were boxy and straightforward. Harsh, yet cut with a keen eye. He had never met a dwarf until Ora, and now he knew her and one dwarven family. He knew their food was questionable, and judging by their market, very... organized. In a rather boring way. Yet, even though it was not like home, unfamiliar, his pale fingers touched the grooves of each wall he passed. He wished Desrick were with him.

The drow leaned in to ask Ora, "Erm... What sorts of things do dwarves trade for?"

Azaria, meanwhile, hung towards the rear of the group. She had finally been able to wash the blood of breakfast from her face, and had braided her long hair in a style resembling that of a traditional dwarven woman; though her hair was sleek and straight, being an elf, the sides were in thin twists to accent the loose braid that took in the hair at the top of her head. Dark tresses hung loose beneath it. At the back of the group, Azaria did her best not to yawn, and mostly stayed out of the way.

SilverFlight · Aug 17, 2019

Crispin nodded, Ora's suggestion was a good one.
"Let's see what you can get out of them. I'll drop a few eaves about the square, see who might be willing to speak about it. I can imagine orcs and high elves will be a prime subject for gossip. Iolas, if you let them assume you're with the Evereach soldiers here, they might give some things away."
He didn't have a chance to speak to Meera before she bounded off, and he decided they had better wait for her before dispersing.
Crispin gave Ora a roguish half smile, and squeezed her hand affectionately before slipping away, using every ounce of the wood elvish grace his people were famous for.

The market was crowded, and there were enough different people here that he went mostly unmarked. He would lean casually against a post, pretending to mind a store, or browse tables and shelves while he kept his ears open.
It only took him half a mark to circulate and pick the best targets.
He returned to the small group just as Meera did, bags laden with berries. He told them what he'd learned:

"The florist and apothecary there is from out of town, she's an excellent gossip and dwarvish too, she's been able to wheedle out quite a bit of information I think on the comings and goings of "strange parties" here in the city. To a charming buyer she'd be more than happy to share it.
There's an old bard at the tavern there who's heard a lot, and he's worked in Evereach for a long while, I think he'd be the best to ask about the high elves and their plans.
The last person of interest is the blacksmith. He's born and raised here in Dwerstand and he's been getting some peculiar size orders for his armour lately, he's very bitter about the stingy prices Evereach is foisting onto him too. He'd be more than willing to complain to a sympathetic ear."

Baconhands
((You can approach each npc, I'll write for them, try and get some info out of 'em XD))

"It's not my fault." Pyrrhus said a little sheepishly. "They obviously don't think of centaurs when they build things like this, but you'd think with all the grandeur of the rest of it they could spare a few inches for secret tunnels..."

Pyrrhus took his turn to peer down into the black depths. "Can you imagine the size and strength of the equipment they would need to move a solid iron bell like that? There would be no way they could get that sort of stuff in and out without someone noticing."
Desrick frowned. "If there's magic that can do this, I don't know it."
Just then Pyrrhus and Desrick both caught something with their heightened sense of sight in the darkness.
"There's a stairway embedded into the rock there!" Pyrrhus pointed.
The stair way was a broad switchback, but each set was hidden by the overhang of the set above. It was nearly invisible even with Cyndaran sight.
"The entrance way is there, in those shadows." Desick started to move.
"Hold on, you actually want to go down there?" Pyrrhus seemed skeptical. "We don't know how far it is..."
"I don't see any other leads for the moment." The orc reasoned gently. Pyrrhus drew in a breath and looked at Crow.
"Well, it looks like we can continue without Meera...just...we should be careful. I don't like this..."

The stairs were wide and long enough for Pyrrhus to manage them well. They seemed to go on forever, and soon Crow's light was the only thing keeping them all from stumbling about in the dark.
There was a gently breeze that sighed past them, changing direction every now and again.
"I wonder if there are tunnels down there." Pyrrhus mused as they continued their descent.
The temple chamber above them was now just a small blotch of light over their heads, and the bottom of the chasm was still obscured in black.
Desrick made a face and took something from his bag. It looked like a small pebble, but when he shook it, light poured forth, revealing it for a seed, something like an acorn. He drew back his arm and flung it as hard as he could. The light flared brighter with the motion and illuminated the chasm as it arced its way downward. The light spilled against the walls and then vanished into the mouth of a huge passage. The only good news was that they were nearly at the bottom, and the acorn hit the stone with a resounding snap, just a few stories below. There was a small stone pathway carved into the living rock to one side of the passage and once they reached it, the breeze seemed to grow stronger, and it was warm.
The passage was long too and it seemed like they had been walking for hours when suddenly, the passage ended and they were met with a wall of solid stone.
"Dead end." Pyrrhus said with a frown. "Even if they could have gotten the bell down here, there's no way out. We came all this way for nothing?"
Desrick frowned. He looked up at the solid wall, deep grooves separating massive angular plates. He didn't know any rock formations that looked like this.
"Perhaps we should have a look around. Just to make sure." The orc suggested.
There was the faint echoing rumble that sounded every now and again, distant, like rolling thunder. It would drag on for a moment and then it was silent.
If anyone looked curious Pyrrhus simply shrugged. "Its possible we're closer to the mountainside than we thought, though I don't think even thunder would penetrate this much stone..."

Goonfire

Goonfire · Aug 17, 2019

The craftsmanship and effort put into hewing these chambers out of the mountain were more than enough to impress Crow. He descended the flights of stairs spiraling down the way, maintaining this fairly low-cost light. “Why would they not have sconces around here?” he wondered. “Perhaps no one was supposed to know about this place.” He noticed the glowing acorn-like object cast into the pit, but didn’t ask about it; that would be a question for another time.

After following the tunnel to the dead end, Crow immediately glanced around skeptically. “A tunnel leading to nowhere? This is all very... curious,” he pointed out, feeling the tunnel walls with the backs of his hands. “I know not of any magma flows in this area, yet this is rather warm for an area so deep underground.” His ears picked up on the thunderous noises, and he stood there for a solid moment while he counted the seconds with his fingers. The noises and silence went in a slow rhythm, almost like... breathing. “I have serious doubts this ‘thunder’ is coming from outside. I’m... not liking this, myself...” At this point, the inquisitor wasn’t eager to find some secret door, though he humored Desrick by intensifying his light, the orb growing from the size of a strawberry to the size of an orange—the largest and most intense he could muster for this particular spell. In his mind, he was eager to leave, though a gut feeling told him this would be his only chance to discover another important piece of this puzzle.

Zazz · Aug 21, 2019

Lohrithe's ears perked up at the mention of the smith. "Oh, I could do with a new, ah, chisel; perhaps the smith might be helpful. Where is he?"

Soon, the drow headed off in the correct direction. He felt quite fashionable in his green paisley shirt, and a kind smile even brought up his features. Even with his dark sclera he seemed the gentle soul he was. Lohrithe approached the dwarven smith's market stall, eyeing the different blades and armour samples.

"A thousand apologies for interrupting, dwen'del," said the drow in his smooth, gentle voice, "but perhaps you might help me." He pulled his old chisel from his pack. He was due for a new one, after all. "I seem to be in need of a replacement."

__

A dark, lithe presence came up behind the drow shortly after, taking up the smith's attention. An elf with a sour, deadly expression and piercing green eyes to match her weaponry. "I require a dagger of these specifications. How long will it take?" Azaria took in the smith's answer with an air of little patience, then demanded it done in half the time. "Half that, or I half your pay."

Lohrithe looked back at her in shock. But he quickly recovered, seeing through her tactics; at least, he hoped so. Glancing between Azaria and the dwarf, he commented, "Surely that is not necessary..."

The halfling merely ignored him and raised her chin in defiance and superiority. "You know how this goes, dwarf."

Flutterby · Aug 30, 2019

Ora turned her eyes to Iolas. She glared at him at first, feeling her chest clamp up. She expected to see him smiling, teasing, poking at her thinning patience. She hadn't quite shaken that impression of him. Again, he surprised her with sincerity.
But her face didn't soften.
"That's not a topic for now." Her words came out icier than she meant, but it didn't bother her. She didn't have the time or energy for his soul-searching, not in this place.
Quickly, she hurried after Meera, paying for the energetic being's purchases and her own as they went. She managed to get Winifred's list and not lose track of the berry-eater, even though she didn't get the prices she normally would haggle for.

Baconhands

When they returned, Ora addressed Lohr's question with a single-shoulder shrug.
"The usual things. Food, tools, supplies. Common wares. Anything more specialized won't be here, though."
Ora waved someone over that was loitering at the edge of the market. Arthur, the Ravenheart boy, had followed behind them with an pack horse. Ora helped him secure their purchases to the animal, gave a few instructions, and then sent him home with smile and a brilliant gold-colored candy she had purchased. The familiarity of it all almost settled her nerves.

Zazz

Ora took a moment to consider what Cripsin said carefully. Her first instinct was the blacksmith- they were on neutral terms, since more of her business had shifted outside of Dwerstand and into more specialty pieces. But Lohr and Azaria quickly took care of that, and she was the most likely to be successful in the taverns.
"I'll go see a bard about a story, then," She said dryly, and then looked at the rest.
"So then, Crispin and Meera for the florist. Iolas could go as well, if you don't think approaching the elves is a good idea." She only hesitated a few moments for a response from them, before she drew her shoulders straight again and headed toward the tavern.

With a carefully guarded expression, Ora slid onto a stool in between the bard Cripsin pointed out and the next patron. She towered over them, comparatively, and had to elbow in a bit, which drew a glare from the patron on the other side. Ora met the glare for a moment, and then turned away.
With a soft, displeased grunt, Ora ordered her drink and said to the barkeep, "Not the same clientele as I remember here."
It earned a small, uneasy smile from the barkeep, but she wasn't really looking to speak to him.

LazyDaze · Sep 2, 2019

Iolas nodded at Crispin's suggestion. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head after Ora spoke her piece, finally yawning melodramatically as if it was the biggest chore to chose where to go. "I suppose I could be the fourth wheel on a date with the florist," It seemed as if their harmless little shopping ship had seamlessly transitioned into the mission they were all here for. He would be lying if he were to say he wasn't concerned about Ora. She could become pretty emotional although she often came through in the most crucial of times; however, something had seemed off about her for awhile now. She didn't seem willing to talk about it, so Iolas would leave the prodding for later. For now, he had to become a loathsome Everreach soldier again. The last few times had been fairly successful considering they were still alive. However, last time he was posing as a big shot, he had to sacrifice Pyrrhus' best suit. Iolas mentally face palmed at the thought as he managed to subtlety change his demeanor.

"I've been told I can be quite charming, going to the florist would be a splendid detour. Plus it would give me an excuse to extend this shopping trip," Iolas said happily. He paused once more, uncertain about letting Ora go it alone. However, if she could handle herself anywhere it would be here. He had learned not to underestimate his comrades during the short time he has had with them.

Once arriving at the target destination, Iolas walked in slowly and methodically as he observed the surrounding area. Iolas chuckled to himself as he brushed his hair aside only to have it fall back in place. "Forgive me, I don't mean to cause a disturbance; however, I cannot help but find humor in the irony of the universe. A flower selling flowers, and not a hint of elven blood in your veins. Praise be to the Summer King I suppose."

(Well this is a new persona...an Everreach soldier with a thing for dwarves. I am certain it will work out.....)

Baconhands · Sep 5, 2019

With the shopping spree done, Meera felt a twinge of guilt run through her; Ora had been keeping up with her as she had rushed from stall to stall. This was a feat not so easily achieved. Not only that but the dwarf had also paid for all of her purchases on top of the stuff needed for Winifred. As Crispin explained who they were supposed to be talking to next, the shapeshifter mouthed a quick and sheepish, albeit very much sincere, Sorry in Ora's direction. She quickly motioned with an open hand to all of her new collection, openly inviting the dwarf to take whatever she wanted while also silently vowing to pay Ora back later when she had the funds to do so.

Flutterby

Assigned to go and speak to the florist, Meera was to join Crispin and Iolas. The berry-eater followed the other two somewhat clumsily, a full bag of blackberries in her right hand that she dined on as the trio approached the florist. The shapeshifter was not entirely focused on the conversation as her eyes wandered frequently to the stalls and shops around them. She heard a couple of words of Iolas' smooth introduction and her attention slowly found its way to him. Did such an introduction normally work? Meera wasn't exactly convinced but didn't want to challenge him at this critical moment. Instead, she decided to offer the florist an awkward smile and tentatively held out some berries for them to take, hoping that it would somehow assist Iolas's attempt at charming them.

SilverFlight · Sep 18, 2019

Pyrrhus seemed to grow more and more agitated.
He held up a hand a counted the seconds between the slow rumbles. After a moment he frowned, "The rumbling. It's rhythmic."
"What do you mean?" Desrick knit his brow in concern.
"I mean the episodes are evenly spaced in time and about the same length, and Crow is right, it's...not coming from above us...but..beneath us."
That put a hint of worry in the orc's pensive expression. He knelt and placed a hand delicately on the stone floor. Sure enough when the rumbling began again he felt the earth tremor.
"What was that legend about Dwerstand again?"
The look of worry spread to the centaur. "That there was...a dragon sleeping under the city...that would wake when the Dragon Bell was tolled."
Desrick got up. "I think we should--" But he didn't finish. The earth began to tremble. Stones shivered about their feet and the ground heaved, nearly knocking them off their feet. Pyrrhus reached out for Crow to protect him. Suddenly a wall of rock gave way, the rubble cascading down the cavern's side straight toward them.
"Get clear!" Desrick shouted and dove away.

When the dust cleared they looked back to where the wall had collapsed. At first, all they saw was more rock, but this rock had a different texture: straight, long grooves slid down towards the ground, this new rock tapering into a wicked point. It almost looked like...
"A tooth." Desrick brought solidity to what had been floating at the back of Pyrrhus' mind, and now he could see it, etched into the rock, an entire jawline, teeth jutting upwards and down, big as a row of Dwerstand houses.

Goonfire

~*~*~

The blacksmith seemed surprised to see a dark elf at his stall, he was about to open his mouth to reply when Azaria began her part. It worked like a charm. The dwarf scowled and nodded, but said nothing, though it looked like he wanted to say a great deal.
"Bloody Evereach..." he muttered when Azaria was out of earshot, "if their noses were held any higher Summabrynde would burn 'em right off. I'd like their plans to backfire on 'em just once. They're playing a dangerous game..."

Zazz

The florist was just setting out a fresh bunch of sunflowers when Iolas' voice caused her to raise her head, then her eyebrow.
"Well! I suppose that would pass for a compliment with your lot." She was stout and plump but with a cheerful face, though she wasn't smiling at the moment. Crispin had followed behind as Ora had instructed him and observed in silence for the first part.
"What my companion means to say, is we were told of the quality of your wares, but we had no idea their merchant would outmatch them!"
He stepped in front and gave a polite bow and a look of mock dismay. "How will we ever choose now?"
The florist paused, and for a moment Crispin was afarid he'd overdone it, but suddenly she brightened. "You're not with the other lot are you?" She looked this way and that and then leaned in conspiratorially: "Can you keep a secret?"
Crispin glanced back at his companions and then nodded seriously.
"I know why Evereach is here."

Baconhands

The bard, a half-elf, his golden hair threaded with silver, played skillfully on a lute, entertaining a few patrons early into their cups. Several of them were Evereach, though they seemed to be paying little mind to him.
When Ora sat down and spoke to him, he continued to play, though he glanced over.
"Oh much has changed in a very short time...and this used to be such a pleasant crowd. The high elves, half of my heart, have been causing quite a fuss. They've tried to keep it all hushhush, but that's hard with the scale of it all...I've heard, Evereach is going through with their fool war. They've certainly been gathering the numbers for it..."

Zazz · Sep 18, 2019

SilverFlight said:
The blacksmith seemed surprised to see a dark elf at his stall, he was about to open his mouth to reply when Azaria began her part. It worked like a charm. The dwarf scowled and nodded, but said nothing, though it looked like he wanted to say a great deal.
"Bloody Evereach..." he muttered when Azaria was out of earshot, "if their noses were held any higher Summabrynde would burn 'em right off. I'd like their plans to backfire on 'em just once. They're playing a dangerous game..."

As Azaria left and the dwarven blacksmith began muttering, Lohrithe chuckled; it wasn't a terrible description of the high elves. "Oh? What sort of game are they playing? I'm afraid I'm not current on the news." His tone was entirely conversational, and he curiously leaned over to peer at the paper Azaria had left for the smith. "Well, that's a rather.... large handle..." The drow looked at his own hand, as if sizing it up.

SilverFlight · Sep 18, 2019

The blacksmith's voice became low, as if he was afraid of being overheard:
"I know they've brought strange beasts with them. Warriors big as oxen, fierce. The sort of orders I've been gettin' from them. Armour that wouldn't fit man nor elf...and supplies too. More food than an army could eat. I saw one of 'em once. Had tusks like a boar he did. They're keepin' these monsters in the citadel..."
The smith trailed off, like he knew more but was almost afraid to say.

Zazz · Sep 18, 2019

Lohrithe listened to the man with rapture, leaning in to hear. The drow nodded interestedly, even though his heart hurt to hear Desrick's kin referred to as monsters. Though, as a Cyndaran, he very much knew of their reputation. He had practically been raised by them, after all. But he kept to the act. They needed information, and the blacksmith seemed to have it. "In the citadel? How many orcs could possibly fit in the citadel? Assuming they are orcs, that is," he added, catching himself. "Could be minotaurs, or perheps even..." he listed off random animal names if drowish that he sincerely hoped the dwarf would not understand; beetles and rats were most certainly not giant warriors. Lohrithe shook his head. "What are they planning? I didn't think the high elves associated with dwarvenkind."

SilverFlight · Sep 19, 2019

"They weren't no animals." The smith replied. "I dunno what an 'Urk' is, but you seem to, and if you ask me, the number that I saw go in, place should be bursting with 'em. No dwarf but those of the Dwerstand noble family has been allowed in since the elves showed up. Cousin of mine was ordered to deliver one of my orders last week, didn't see a tusk in sight, they went somewhere, but they didn't leave the citadel. Can't say what happened..."

Zazz · Sep 19, 2019

The drow's brow came together. There must be space underneath the citadel. Or... tunnels. What if they were digging to Cyndara? Surely that was absurd. "What in Cyndabrynde's name are they up to," he muttered. He tapped his palm with his old chisel. "Well, I'm sorry to hear. That must be difficult to deal with." He held out his chisel for the dwarf. "Might you have something similar?"

Goonfire · Sep 19, 2019

In a sort of knee-jerk reaction, Crow took Pyrrhus' hand and used their difference in weight to his advantage, pulling himself in and away from the falling rocks and coming to rest against the centaur’s front. His light spell grew faint as his concentration waivered, returning to its original small size. It took a moment to comprehend the significance of this ‘rock formation’, but the realization smacked Crow over the head at roughly the same time. To confirm the theories, he bit the finger of his glove and pulled it off with his teeth, then reached out with his bare hand to feel the warm air. To him, it seemed a bit more intense, the rumbling had grown louder, and the humidity seemed to increase slightly.

Withdrawing his hand, the inquisitor whispered, “I think the legend is based on fact. This will be worth reporting to the others.” While talking, he crouched and maneuvered his head around to see if he could make out any other shapes through the hole.

Flutterby · Sep 23, 2019

Ora gave a soft grunt, her eyes sliding over the elves nearby. The bard was half-blooded, and it brought a small pang to her chest. She hesitated, then spoke again.
"I was hoping that the rumors I heard- there are rumors, all over Bryn- weren't true. Evereach in Dwerstand, I never thought I'd see the day." Ora took a long sip, and then tossed an apologetic look at the bard.
"Kin isn't always the easiest thing." As if to emphasize her point, her tail flicked softly, brushing the edge of his chair. Ora's eyes wandered again, this time sweeping the entire place with concern.
"It feels like just a few round-marks ago, rumors were that Dwerstand would buckle down if trouble came, but now.." She gave a disappointed sigh, trailing off with a shake of her head.
"Rumors of monsters and the Bell and darkness.. I always fancied myself good at puzzles, but even I can't figure out what is truly to be gained here.." Ora's eyes flashed to the bard, as if embarrassed to have said as much, and then dropped quickly to her cup.

LazyDaze · Sep 24, 2019

It took all of the resilience in Iolas' soul in order to refrain from rolling his eyes. Instead he continued to look at flowers as if Crispin's excellent save was inconsequential. It was a wonder as to why they weren't best friends already. Crispin was the complete opposite of Desrick; however, they could learn a thing or two from each other. If they ever seriously worked together they would probably be unstoppable...unstoppably humorous. Iolas chuckled after his train of thought derailed and with almost perfect timing the florist legitimately surprised Iolas...that wasn't easy to do. Iolas froze for a split second and slowly turned his head. What level of intuition and perception must one attain to achieve such a feat. Had she been wrong she would probably be locked up or worse. Moreover, this was beyond being sure of yourself. This was bordering clairvoyance.

Without looking at his "target" Iolas sniffed a flower when she inquired about their ability to keep a secret. "Who knows...I never had one to keep," Iolas said almost playfully as he finally turned in her direction, implying that he would take any information to the grave. He had questions for the mysterious florist, but would save them for the moment. He was interested in what she had to say. From what she already displayed, it was almost certain that the information would be accurate.

Baconhands

SilverFlight · Sep 29, 2019

The smith examined Lohr's tool. "Hmm, I think I might have wha' you need."
He vanished behind a curtain for a moment and returned with something that looked very much like Lohr's chisel.
"I can make adjustments to fit your hand if you give me a day." The smith offered. "Two coppers more."

Zazz

The bard gave a sigh, "Evereach has always gotten what they wanted, and right now, there's something in the citadel that they want. Something to do with all the strange folk they marched in there a few days back. None of them have left. They've stopped all entertainment going into the citadel too, no musicians, or performers, they have internal servants stop provisioned wagons at the gates and take them in themselves. No servants from outside the citadel are permitted in nowadays. Strange though. They did once admit a map-maker, old dwarf who used to map the mining tunnels South of the city. Haven't seen him since."

Flutterby

The florist smiled at Iolas and began pulling flowers from this or that vase to make an arrangement as she began.
"I heard from a cousin, who was a servant in the entourage of one of the Dwerstand nobles that attended that fancy party in Brynson. She said that they presented some strange, sunlight-stealing crystal. Well, what if I told you that there's one of the very same things hidden right in the citadel!"
Crispin's jaw nearly dropped, and it took every ounce of his will to turn it into a casual yawn.
"You don't say!" He exclaimed in a breathe.
"One of the rumours is that there's a crystal hidden at the very bottom of the castle. Doesn't look like much in the dark, but old stories say that sunlight magic fails around it."
"That is most certainly worth remembering." Crispin took the bouquet as it was offered and handed her a few coins.
He stepped back and examined the flowers with a satisfied grin.
"These look wonderful. Top notch work. And the conversation was better than that! Thank you."
The florist giggled. "On your way now, and mind none of the guards catch you repeating it!"

Baconhands

Crispin lead the way back to where they had started, he tried to catch the eyes of the others as he toured the market, letting them know that he, Iolas and Meera had uncovered something.

Baconhands

Zazz

~*~*~

Pyrrhus was still holding onto Crow tightly after the shaking stopped and the last rocks rolled to a lazy halt. He was staring straight ahead, at the jagged row of teeth, and the rock that was distinctly not rock anymore, but scaled skin.
"Of all the stories I have wished were true...this...this isn't one of them." He seemed genuinely nervous, "an honest to goodness dragon...Cyndabrynde give me strength it's the size of Dwerstand!"
Even Desrick looked shaken. "The sotry says only the dragon bell can wake it...but I'd rather not test the theory. We should go."

Very carefully now, Desrick led them back. They found the steps, and then it was just a long, arduous climb back out of the cavern.
"In all honesty, I hope the information dug up by the others is far less cataclysmic in nature..." Pyrhus muttered nervously.

It took them a while to return to the mansion, and when they had there was food and drink provided. Pyrrhus lay himself in a corner of the room on cushions now prepared for him, and began tuning his lute anxiously. "So now we know, that the superstition isn't ill-founded. There really is a dragon to wake, one that could collapse the entire city, it would only need to roll over!"

Goonfire

Goonfire · Sep 29, 2019

Things began to make more and more sense as the three retreated quietly. The trek back was littered with nervous mumbling and thoughts regarding the others’ findings. Before Crow took a seat at the villa, he accepted a tea set. The mutt’s hands shook slightly, though he managed to pour the tea for his comrades without spilling it.

Pyrrhus was right; there was no way such a massive dragon could wake without leveling the city. “I must admit, my nerves are a tad... frayed by this realization,” Crow noted aloud. “Thanks for holding me back. Dangerous as the situation was, I fear my curiosity would have led me to make a very poor choice.” Casting his usual seriousness aside, he made an attempt to lighten the mood by trying his hand at humor and puns. “People would have said, ‘curiosity killed the crow.’” A pained grin gradually formed; he thought his remark was awful, and that comedy would never be his strong suit.

Zazz · Sep 29, 2019

SilverFlight said:
The smith examined Lohr's tool. "Hmm, I think I might have wha' you need."
He vanished behind a curtain for a moment and returned with something that looked very much like Lohr's chisel.
"I can make adjustments to fit your hand if you give me a day." The smith offered. "Two coppers more."

The drow nodded, visibly pleased. "Yes, that would be much appreciated. Please." He dug out his coin pouch - Desrick had been kind enough to split some Sumennan currency with him - and shook it a little. Sumennan and Cyndaran coins alike clinked within, as he had but one pouch for coins. Lohrithe paid the smith, and even gave him one lunaris(?), "in case you ever find yourself in the Mystlands."

Lohrithe dipped through the shops on his way back to the start where Crispin stood, waiting. Azaria, merely a shadow against the cold stone walls, could be seen, if one looked, heading back towards the villa.

Baconhands · Sep 29, 2019

The conversation had run through Meera's mind in the blink of an eye; words began in her left ear and sprinted through to the other before her brain could even begin to process them. All she knew was that the florist had not taken her up on her berries, and as Crispin took the bouquet and turned away, the shapeshifter offered the florist a disappointed frown and then went to follow the orc.
She walked alongside him, trying to keep pace without breaking into a jog or losing any berries in the process. Clearing her throat, she tried to get his attention before she asked, "Were we successful? I don't know if we were. I... kind of got a bit distracted." A pause followed, before she added quickly, "I know a crystal was mentioned. And something else. About magic. But... is that a good thing? Do we need to go and get that now? Would it be safer in our hands?"