Port Llast - The Quarry

[hedgeknight]

After breakfast, your group heads to the Quarry, only a couple of hundred yards away. A burly looking Dwarf with a grey beard and hard helmet is waiting for you at the entrance to the Quarry. About a dozen others are standing around with him, some huddled around a barrel fire, warming their hands, while others are talking quietly. All are watching your approach.
The burly Dwarf steps forward with a nod.

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"Morning gents! Trell is me name. Hal said sommat about a group from Mithral Hall coming to help with our...erm...situation. I'm bettin' that be you, eh?"

[Rex]

Moan

"Yup, that be us. Mind filling us in on what you know?"

[gurusql]

Mag

Not wanting to evoke and dwarf-elf negative feelings will keep his position and smile waiting for the answer from Moan's question.

[Edeldhur]

Thurm

"Thurm. At your service Master Rockbreaker" - the fighter bowed.

[Computer +1]

Well met Trell, I'm Grumble. Here to lend our aid

[shaidar]

Barin

Barin nods at Trell "Barin Rockfist at your service."

[Darithe]

AriClose.jpg (16.75 KiB) Viewed 451 times

Ari

"Well met sir!" giving a slight bow, "I am Arilynne Vyldove and we are here to offer assistance if needed."

[hedgeknight]

The Dwarves in the group are greeted a bit more warmly than the others, with downright glares and whispers directed toward Mag. Cu growls low in his belly, perceiving the mood of the quarry men and they stop their whispering. When Ari speaks up, their mood lightens somewhat, and the bard notices one of the rough edged miners is a woman. She is short and squat like the rest with fuzzy sideburns, her calloused hands holding a pick nearly as tall as she. She nods to Ari and slightly smiles.
Trell clears his throat and says, "Foller me."
He leads the group into the quarry, past piles of rocks, old mining tracks and caves. One of the tunnels seems a bit newer than the others and he hands a lantern to Moan, pulling back its hood. "Ye can't see in the dark can ye?" he chuckles, and then walks into the hole in the hillside. Assuming everyone follows along, the mine shaft is at least 50 yards into the hillside, whereupon a ladder is bolted into the stone, leading down. There are two lanterns hanging here, giving off a greenish light. Trell takes the ladder and begins to descend into the hole. "It's only ten feet or so. Foller me."
At the bottom of the ladder is a small cavern that has been chiseled out by the Dwarves. It is roughly a 10x10 chamber, big enough to work in. Set inside one of the walls is a large piece of iron resembling a vault type door. "This be the reason we sent fer help," Trell whispers, as if his voice might alert whatever is on the other side.
In the lantern light, it is easy to see the runes chiseled into the iron. They are quite old, but still can be seen:

Uthgardt Runes.jpg (545.02 KiB) Viewed 434 times

"Can ye make heads or tails of it? We think it be important."

[Darithe]

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Ari

Ari returns the dwarven woman's smile and follows the group to the runes, she will stand back allowing the others to look first before moving close to examine them herself. Clearly they aren't dwarven, but she runs a slim finger over the first couple trying to recall if she has seen them before.

[Rex]

Moan

Moan will examine the runes carefully to see if he recognizes any of them.

[gurusql]

Mag

Mag will also study the runes to see if he knows them, and wishing his master had taught him a Comprehend Languages spell.

"The first symbol looks like a warning, the second one looks like a binding symbol and the thirds seems like it could be the name of the warrior bound here, perhaps a female warrior."

"Trell was the quarry started by the dwarves? Or was there a lesser group of miners that started this place?"

[Rex]

Moan

"Some sort of prison then. Very strange I was expecting a grave perhaps but anything you would in prison is much darker."

[shaidar]

Barin

"The only runes I know is that of the dwarves. Is there anyone in town, or known in a nearby settlement that knows the ancient languages of the region?" Barin asks of nobody in particular.

[hedgeknight]

Mag will also study the runes to see if he knows them, and wishing his master had taught him a Comprehend Languages spell.
"The first symbol looks like a warning, the second one looks like a binding symbol and the thirds seems like it could be the name of the warrior bound here, perhaps a female warrior."

At first, a few of the Dwarves balked at Mag approaching the door, him being an Elf having something to do with their disgruntled attitudes; a glare from Trell silences them. And once Mag reveals what he thinks the runes mean, the Dwarves of the quarry actually seem somewhat frightened, backing away and whispering the name of their gods for protection.

"Trell was the quarry started by the dwarves? Or was there a lesser group of miners that started this place?" Mag asks.
Trell shrugs and says, "This hole has always been here. We been mining it for nearly 100 years! What could possibly be shut up in there? A warrior ye say?"

Moan - "Some sort of prison then. Very strange I was expecting a grave perhaps but anything you would in prison is much darker."
"A prison for what?" Trell asks, taking a step back himself.

"The only runes I know is that of the dwarves. Is there anyone in town, or known in a nearby settlement that knows the ancient languages of the region?" Barin asks of nobody in particular.
"Not sure," Trell replies, stroking his beard. "Old Nelda may know. Hell, this whole region used to be settled by giants and barbarians and worse!"

[Rex]

Moan

"Something nasty I reckon. Can you tell Mag if it is still sealed?"

[Darithe]

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Ari

Ari thinks back to see if there is any legend she can recall that fits Mag's description, though nothing springs to mind. When she hears the name Old Nelda she asks, "Who might that be?"

[gurusql]

Mag

"I want to be clear, that I speak 13 languages, but not this one. This is my best guess of the runes meanings.

Moan, I cannot tell if it is sealed. Does someone have a Detect Magic spell, that would great about now.

Ari I like where you are going, could this Old Nelda know these runes?"

[Rex]

Moan

"No spells at all from me."

[Computer +1]

Grumble doesn't recognize the runes but he does recognize the wisdom the Mag shows. A warning is a pretty logical guess, but a warning about what exactly?

Grumble echoes Moan's thoughts, Better hope that if this is a warning that the way out is still sealed.

He asks Trell Aside from this entrance here, you run any other tunnels that mighta intersected whats beyond? We could be looking at a sealed front with a wide open backdoor.

[Edeldhur]

Thurm

The warrior was out of his element when magic was involved, so he just stayed aside and let others more versed than himself have the discussion.