Quest #39 "Lizards And Lovebirds"

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

Seeing that the dwarves won't answer with anything other than a grunt, Elnaerel keeps walking next to Narramore.

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

"It's your carpet so I can't say no. It would be good to have recon of the area, but we can get that and get it fresher when we have the means to rescue. Just remember that I have nothing left today so our only means of protection right now is speed and altitude."

[OGRE MAGE]

Stonegut Additions
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Mid Afternoon, Sunny, Hot, Buggy

After a short rest, Elnaerel and Narramore are forced back to their feet to continue their march to the Stonegut mine. They notice that the area they trek through is as void of wildlife as Beachtown was. It becomes evident quite quickly that the many dwarves have already cleared the surrounding lands of any edible wildlife, and probably anything worth foraging as well.

The journey to the dwarven camp goes by uneventfully, and just before dark, the group arrives at the busy mine clearing seeing Stoneguts everywhere. With no possessions other than their clothing, the pair is forced into a small hut to await their future fate. The dwarves were overly mean along the journey, and that doesn't change once they return. They set 4 guards outside the empty hut, one along each outer wall. "Juss try an escape, elf lover," one of them says to the paladin, "we'd love a little sport." He pats his ax and smiles cruelly.


Keyon follows the group from a distance to the norther edge of the lizards clearing, finally seeing Feanols point. "I suppose you are right. There isn't much the two of us are going to do against an entire clan of evil dwarves. By the way, have you ever even heard of an evil dwarf? If the Stoneguts weren't always like this, I wonder what might be causing this change?"

He looks around the area but decides it might be too dangerous for the two of them to follow such a large group. "If we are going to abandon our friends to their fate, what will we do? If we plan on heading back to Clifftown, we better get started before it starts to get dark."

Actions?

Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 14/18 1st:3/4
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

Elnaerel sits down on the hut floor (assuming it's empty) and sighs. "I think we're gonna be through some rough times before we get out of here. Because we will. Better try to know all we can about their camp and their mine." She whispers this in Elvish.

If there's anything in the hut, Elnaerel will study it.

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

"Sorry, not trying to be dismissive about them, but honestly I'm not sure what we can do until we have a pretty large force. Or, at least enough of the right people to harass them seriously." Hearing his question about the evil dwarves "Well Keyon, I haven't heard of evil dwarves, but I have heard of Dwarves obsessed with a mine and its output to the point they act like this trying to preserve the wealth they've found. Doesn't really matter why they're acting like jerks, they are and it needs to end. We just have to find the right group to end it. Let's head back and get some rest and figure out the next steps."

[OGRE MAGE]

Inevitability
Sunday, 28th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

The exhausted new slaves are given minimal food and water overnight, both are old and stale. They are able to sleep in relative freedom from the ubiquitous insects in the empty wooden hut, but not knowing their eventual fate causes fitful rest at best.

Early the next morning, you are both awakened by gruff screaming in the distance followed by loud, short horn blasts that seem to be coming from pretty close to your location. Peeking through the seems in the boards, you can tell that the guards outside your hut have all run off, leaving you seemingly unguarded. “I bet I could crash right through these boards to get out of here, if you will it.”

El can still use the spells she has remaining from yesterday, but doesn’t currently have the time, or her holy symbol to regain them fully.

Actions!

Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 15/18 1st:3/4

Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477


The day before……

Keyon and Feanol agree to head back to Clifftown in hopes of finding a group willing to confront the dwarves. The former swashbuckler turned adventurer feels so badly about leaving his friends behind that he sheds a few tears as they depart the clearing and head for the trail.

Do you have a preference as to your route back? Or just follow the beach all the way again?

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

"Yes. Do it. We have to get out of here! I don't think we'll be able to recover our equipment, but hopefully... At least my goddess' symbol... Anyway. Let's go. I'll help you if you don't make it at the first try. We can take turns."

For any eventuality:

Normal Skill Check [3d6]=8

Hard Skill Check [4d6]=16

Very Hard Skill Check [5d6]=18

Whichever applies. All versus STR 15

[OGRE MAGE]

Inevitability
Sunday, 28th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Elnaerel doesn't even need to try to help the huge paladin with the nearly inhuman strength as he bull rushes his way directly through the ramshackle construction on the first attempt. With a loud crack and splinters of boards flying everywhere, the wall is smashed enough to allow both prisoners to escape.

Outside the shack dwarves are rushing towards a loud uprising to the north. Two dwarves spot the escape and head towards Narramore, but most of the other dwarves continue rushing towards the commotion. The paladin picks up one of the busted planks to defend himself with as Elnaerel sees the large sack that their belongings were collected in sitting just outside the door to the shack. The horn blowing and the chaos continue to escalate, but there are a few more wooden buildings in between the duo and the excitement, preventing a clear line of sight as to what is really going on here.

Actions!

Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 15/18 1st:3/4

Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

The elf will get whatever's available to defend herself, a wooden club, anything.

She says to the paladin in Elvish: "Let's not fight them. If we start another fight here, others will come. Let's remain on the defensive, get our things and leave."

How well armed are the two dwarves?

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

I'd think Keyon would tend to head back the way we came.

[OGRE MAGE]

Inevitability
Sunday, 28th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Narramore begins swinging his makeshift weapon around crazily at the pair of oncoming dwarves, daring a look at his former cellmate as she searches for a weapon of her own. He responds in elvish. "Agreed! Grab that sack and I will defend you. If it is our gear, equip what you need to make a quick run for it. We need to take advantage of this chaos while we can!"

Stepping forward and towering over the pair of ill equipped Stoneguts, the paladin can see fear in their eyes. They don't even come close enough to be hit by the holy warrior, allowing Elnaerel around to the area with the lumpy sack.

It is obvious at this point by all the horns and shouting that something is clearly goin on along the edge of the mine clearing. The pair can see several more dwarves rushing towards this activity, almost none of them even looking in their direction as they charge away from their position. Elnaerel peers in that direction and sees more buildings, a large contingency of dwarves, and what appears to be a fight of some kind going on.

Once she grabs the sack, the cowardly dwarves scream and yell that the prisoners are escaping, but they don't get any closer to the huge paladin.

Actions!

Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 15/18 1st:3/4

Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477

[OGRE MAGE]

Feanol

I'd think Keyon would tend to head back the way we came.

After an uninterrupted trip back across the beach, the duo return to Clifftown on the flying carpet just as things are heating up.

viewtopic.php?p=588371#p588371

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

"I've got, it William, let's go!" She says in Elvish. And starts running for it towards the less crowded and most forested area of the camp, where it seems there's more chances of escaping.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Chase
Sunday, 28th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

With his immense size and musculature, Sir Narraamore frightens one of the dwarves away before he even attacks, causing the other to rethink his position of fighting all alone. With an aggressive shout, the paladin frightens the second dwarf away as well, though both of them continue to call out and point.

Elnaerel grabs the sack of gear noticing that it isn't nearly heavy enough to hold 2 sets or armor and all their weapons, but she takes off with it anyway. Narramore charges along behind her as she makes her way to the closest patch of jungle she sees in the distance.

With a half dozen dwarves chasing them now, she makes it to an area of the clearing where she can beyond a few of the buildings, now witnessing the chaos first hand. She sees many dwarves rushing into the jungle north of her position. She also sees a man dressed in orange robes waving a wand around at the ones getting close to him. (I don't remember if Elnaerel has ever met Chauncey before, but if she has, she would recognize the human.) The wand shoots out a stream of molten lava that burns away friend, foe, and anything that was growing in the area as well. Hearing their screams and seeing the destruction the orange mage is causing, it becomes obvious to the elf that this episode is definitely what has th dwarves in such an uproar. The very same uproar that might just save her life.

Actions!

5F5AEFEB-BB36-4FB4-876F-68938B02FD49.jpeg (82.12 KiB) Viewed 441 times

Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 15/18 1st:3/4

Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

Distracted for a fraction of a second by the powerful mage throwing fire at the dwarves, Elnaerel goes quickly back to her senses and keeps running into the jungle, seeing no other option than running as deep into the jungle as they can in order to distract their persecutors.

She regrets not having taken a moment to check if she got all of their equipment back, which seems unlikely given that it's just a large sack what she's taken, and not an extremely heavy one at that.

They haven't had the pleasure yet

[OGRE MAGE]

The Chase
Sunday, 28th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

With the 6 dwarves still hot on their heels, Elnaerel and Sir Narramore press their way deeper into the thick jungle. Knowing that there cant be any armor or large weapons in the sack, the elf pushes on anyway, unwilling to stop to let the dwarves gain on them.

Moving at about the same speed as the Stonegut followers, Elnaerel thinks she could outdistance the pack, but to do so, she would need to leave the much larger and slower moving paladin behind. With no plan in mind, they continue moving south towards the beach several miles away.

Narramore looks at the elf and proclaims, "Save yourself! I will stop to fight them so that you may flee! Is there anything of use in the sack?"

Actions!

Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 15/18 1st:3/4

Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

Elnaerel refuses to leave the paladin alone, so in an attempt to frighten the dwarves, she says: "You don't know where you're getting into!" And, pointing to the first in the line, she says: "Die!" And casts command on him. She gets ready to continue fleeing in the hopes that that might distract then a little bit, or even get them to trip on the one dwarf who falls.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Chase
Sunday, 28th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Elnaerel stops long enough to command the lead dwarf to die, causing him to fall to the jungle floor in a comatose state. Two of the dwarves following him suddenly stop, but three others continue the chase.

Narramore pulls out a dagger, his long sword being to large to swing in the enveloping vegetation. He yells again. "Save yourself if you can! I can take these runts!"

Just before the tangled melee begins, you hear a loud dwarven voice echo through the jungle. "WE HAVE YOUR FRIEND HERE! AND WE ARE GOING TO KILL HIM AS PAINFULLY AS POSSIBLE UNLESS THE HORN IS RETURNED TO US IMMEDIATEY!" Then you hear someone cry out in pain as if he were just stabbed or hit.

Actions!

Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 15/18 1st:2/4

Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel

The elf understands that honorable deeds are the bread and butter if a paladin. With a tear in her eye, she keeps running away. She won't make a turn in the general direction of the shouting. Her feelings and morality conflicting with her survival instinct, she doesn't want the sacrifice of the Paladin to be in vain, and also feels strongly for the people that are now being captured by the dwarves.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Chase Is Ending
Sunday, 28th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Leaving him only a single dagger from the sack, Elnaerel takes off into the jungle, abandoning the unarmored paladin to deal with the six dwarves all alone.

She also ignores what she hears from the other group, since their situation isn't sounding so good either.

With her elven sense of survival taking over, she continues fleeing through the jungle.

Actions?

I would really just need a direction at this point.

Elnaerel (CL2) AC:3 15/18 1st:2/4

Sir Narramore AC:3 12/12 LoH
Keyon AC:4 3/12
Feanol (MU2) AC:10 6/8 RM, CL, DM 0/2
overall map: viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477