Dungeons & Dragons - The Earth's Upheaval

[Plainsfox]

Aelgeirr's eyes widen as the hyper little human girl bounces her way up the stairs. He stands up and chases out of her and shouts, "Wait no! Don't!" but the damage is already done.  

[Rain Yupa]

It would not be terribly difficult for Tawny to find the remaining dwarf. The hall at the second floor of the embassy ended with a window, and he was staring out of it towards the mountain. If he heard her rapid approach, he made no indication.

There would be a couple seconds that would pass, before he would turn his head to the side. "Eh?" Turning around, the older dwarf would bring his arms around his back and size up Tawny. He was well over a century old by the looks of it, most of his hair fading from salt-and-pepper to gray, and he was extremely broadly built, even for a dwarf. His beard was wide and came down to the bottom of his sternum. He was still armored, though his armor was damaged and indented at some points. A helm lay on the ground near his feet, which he likely removed due to the swelling over one eye due to a sustained injury. The way he moved indicated he was probably more injured than that, as well.

"Sorry 'bout that, lass. I was lost in thought. Hail, and well met." While he didn't smile, his eyes (well, his good eye at least) did seem to indicate a friendly glint to it, and his tone was polite. "Ye mean, up in Coppersledge?" Looking past Tawny, he'd see Aelgeirr arrive after her, and then anyone else who decided to join her. "Very well. My name is Jhorban Rhinebrow, Sergeant Major in th' Coppersledge army. I was in charge o' evacuating th' noncombatants after th' incident, along with a squad o' newer warriors. Th' wounded ye mentioned. While I'm not privvy to th' full story, I know th' just o' it, at least."

"Y' see, a little longer than two fortnights ago, a visitor had arrived in Coppersledge. We do get visitors, mind ye, but it's infrequent, so each occurrence does tend t' stick out in our minds, especially if they ain't dwarves. Normally, it's traders, or someone visiting family, or th' like. This one time, this gnome had arrived. An archeologist, he said. I didn't see 'im m'self, but I know he had asked to poke around in th' depths o' th' mountain. He was barred from doin' so, but he apparently had enough coin to change some minds. He had gone in with some dwarven bodyguards he hired - I don't know if that was his idea or ours - but a day or two later..."

Jhorban hesitated, though only to think of what to say next. "We were attacked by " he would say, the last word being unintelligible to everyone except Isres (if he were to join the others), who would know it as 'the soul of the earth and stone that dwarvenkind both shares and intuits'. One of those complex words that doesn't translate well into common. "Ah... 'earth spirits', he'd try to clarify. "While we didn't see that gnome or th' dwarves with him again, some creatures o' stone and rock came from th' direction they went. Very violent and malicious, attacking dwarves on sight. Thing is, when we smash them - which wasn't too difficult - th' would just leap out o' them and possess more stone, reforming th' creatures to fight anew." That same word again. "We dwarves do not shy away from battle, but even we need rest, and th' onslaught was ongoing and unending. More such creatures continued to arrive, so their numbers only ever grew, while ours began to dwindle. We had kept them at bay but as soon as we realized all we were doing was holding back an avalanche that threatened to bury us all, we made it so Coppersledge was evacuated. Th' other races that lived there did not understand what was going on, but we forced them out first - it would have been better if they didn't resist us - but after that, we evacuated th' noncombatants I mentioned. Children, th' elderly, th' sick, any women who were with child... but by that point, things had gotten pretty bad."

"Y'see, th' main gate o' Coppersledge is already compromised. My kind, we're all but trapped there now. To evacuate th' ones we did, my squad had to take one o' th' hidden passages that only we know out o' th' mountain... but we were ambushed on th' way out. We lost two honorable dwarves while fighting back th' enemy and withdrawin', but th' rest o' th' squad made it out, but we were pretty badly hurt at that point. When we're able to stand again, we're going back to try and retake th' city. I don't know how successful we'll be, but we've got to try."  

[Plainsfox]

The High Elf would give a salute as the Dwarf noticed him and introduced himself. "Aelgeirr Afvar" He then rested his chin on his off hand as he thought of Rhinebrow's tale. Dwarf lives are long, but there seemed to be something special about the site if an Archeologist was checking around. Aelgeirr attempted to see if he could bring it to mind.

OOC:
History +11
Results: 14  

[Raganui Minamoto]

"Hmm, 'Earth Spirits' and this Archeologist. Well, it's quite odd to hear this. Are there any myths or legends about anything kept in the depths of the mountain? Tombs or otherwise? There's quite a few theories I could give out on what is happening based on this information, all based on the gnome, and I'd love to thin it out with some more information. After all, all legends contain some nugget of truth." He spoke in a slightly excited manner, reaching into his pack as he went, pulling out a book and a slightly blunt pencil, already writing down what information Jhorban was sharing.

While he did so, he also wracked his brains for ways to repel 'spirits' and other things. Any rituals or wards that could be placed, to help ease the dwarves' problem.

(Arcana +11
9+11=20 )  

[Kowsauni]

Twyla would listen intently to what Jhorban before responding in her usual exuberant manner. "Well Sir, based on the information you gave, this sounds like a situation were the sharp point of the spear would be more effective then the blunt strike of a maul. If the forces in the mountain were too much to be repelled by a dwarven army then perhaps a small group could could infiltrate past the secret entrance to find the archeologist and discover what disturbed the spirits in the mountain."

Tawny would pause to look at the adventures who had helped triage the Dwarves before. They all seemed like capable people, at least as capable as her, if not more! She continued on triumphantly. "I believe my comrades and I would be perfect for such a mission! Do you think you could make us a map from the secret entrance you came from that leads to were the gnome archeologist was last seen?"  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Thork leaned back against the wall, and didn't say anything. It would have been rude to interrupt the others talking.

Nature: +8 "Earth Spirits" = 27  

[Psychofish]

She wasn't exactly trying to be invisible, but with all the noise she probably might as well have been, walking in the shadow of the other's, holding the medical supplies she'd brought up for the elf to work with and calmly listening to one side as he described a strange magic user, ancient unplummed depths with untold secrets that unleashed a power that sounded like it could very well have been the like of some scornful old god, or work touched by them...

Or just as easily not. But one didn't come across her sort of leads very often.

She circled quietly around the others, and started placing the items down out of the way.

"For what it's worth I'd have to agree. If there is a way to slip past the conflict, with a group small enough to avoid much attention, it might be the only way to stop an undying army. I don't know anything about this kind of magic, but give me someone who does and a little bit of spare muscle, and I can slip them into anywhere," the rogue offered, waiting until last to provide a, this time a hint cocky, last word on the matter.

[Rolling Stealth+10 to be unobtrusive following/milling around the group until she speaks, to make her point.
Stealth: 13

...dammit Shi.]  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Aelgeirr:

Nothing immediately comes to mind. Coppersledge has been around for centuries, maybe longer. Dwarven habitation rites aren't really your forte, so you don't recall if anything in particular compelled their ancestors to live here.

@ Isres:

"Oh, aye, but most o' them are stories to keep our younglings from wandering into mining tunnels where it's unsafe. Grimlocks, manticores, dragons, and th' like. I believe humans have similar tales involving th' forests? As far as I know, all that be there are mines fer ore. I'm no historian, just a soldier." Glancing to the window, towards the mountain, he'd add, "Every able-bodied dwarf be up in arms t' defend our home. Everyone's a soldier now. But one more book-savvy might be able t' tell ye more, if ye can get to one."

Regarding ways to defend against "spirits", the ritual Magic Circle would be perfect for it... but you have not advanced enough in your studies for it. If it's like, ghosts and stuff, proton packs force damage may do.

@ Thork:

Could he mean, like, earth elementals? You would think if anything, a dwarf would be familiar with them, but Rhinebrow did not seem to indicate this was the case. Stone golems were also a possibility, if the gnome was a golemancer (or perhaps freed one that was imprisoned). But neither of them really had "spirits" as he seemed to indicate. An actual poltergeist, maybe? That would seem to fit the behavior better, but poltergeists, while malicious, tended to lean towards personal possessions for objects of... well, possession. At least, that's what Kassandra taught you.

Until you see it in person, you won't know.

@ Tawny & Shi:

"Ach, ye'd be willing to do that? Ye barely know us..." he'd say, reaching around from his back to stroke his magnificent beard. Several tiny pebbles would fall from it. "Th' attacks started so unexpectedly, and there seems to be no rhyme nor reason fer it, so there really hadn't been any research into how to stop it, 'sides waiting it out. A poor tactic in hindsight, with painful lessons learned, but 'twas not my call." At the request of a map, he would nod. "If ye can get me a piece of parchment, I can try."  

[Raganui Minamoto]

He continues writing as the dwarf talks, nodding. It definitely made sense. Now if he could only find a historian. Muttering to himself, he stopped and blinked when the dwarf asked for parchment. Looking at the blank page across from his notes, he walks forward and hands the tome and pencil to the dwarf. "Here, just add it in, if it's enough room. If not, we'll find something bigger."

Also, where was he to find a Magic Circle ritual this far away from any big city?  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"Mother tell Thork, if Thork go into forest without Mother, Mother beat Thork. Thork test, and never go again... 'till orb go missing. Thork want to listen to tale dwarf parent tell youngling about earth spirit." he would state before adding, "and why Jhorban not go back to other dwarf warriors?"  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Isres: Just so you know, Coppersledge IS a big city. Just in a mountain. Thousands upon thousands of dwarves live there, in addition to the other non-dwarf races. Well, lived.

--------------------

Though Rhinebrow would not answer Thork himself, the answer might come to him on his own.

Isres would hand the book to the dwarf, who knelt down to place it on the floor. Bringing his right arm around from his back and taking the inkpen in his hand, he would go to draw the map, struggling to do so. His arm would not stop shaking and its motions were clumsy, and his grip on the feather was lacking, dropping it twice before frowning in frustration. "I don't s'pose any o' ye are good wit' th' lay o' th' land, and I can just instruct ye on where to go?" he would say, a tone of defeat in his prideful voice.  

[Kowsauni]

Tawny would put her fist to her chest. "I am Tawny Tonson of the Church of Corellon. It is my duty to protect the great works of this world and slay all those who would despoil them. I can think of no greater deed then to save a city carved out of the very mountain itself. I truly wish to see Coppersledge in all its glory and I cant do that with an undieing army of earth spirit mucking it up, now can I?" Tawny would smile at the dwarf , but her face would then become serious once he saw he cound't even draw the map.

"Sir, would it be alright if my comrade and I looked at your wounds? We have already treated the rest of you men and feel we might be able to help you as well."  

[Rain Yupa]

"Nay, me wounds are just scratches and bruises, it is nothing fer ye t' worry about," he would say, his expression neutral after his decline.  

[Plainsfox]

Following first with the medical train of thought, Aelgeirr would keep to a gruff approach. "But your kids, they're gonna worry if they even THINK their old man is hurting. Let a couple of outsiders look after you, so you can show a strong face to them."

If the dwarf allows Aelgeirr and Tonton to tend him, the high elf would follow up, "I"m sure your city would be appropriately grateful if we went down there and turned things around for you guys, eh?"

OOC:
Dip check to get Rhinebrow to let them heal him
1d20+2 (Dip)
Results: 8  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"Orc tribe Thork came from treat all wounded warriors unable to fight as bad, and leave them naked in woods. Thork no think this good technique for dwarf warrior to follow. Dwarf warrior can teach new tribe members, inspire younglings with stories, and lead force, but not if injured not treated." The orc spoke calmly trying to help the short human and Aelgeirr

Occ... attempt at Diplo. +3
Will edit post after roll

If this fails, I say wait until we got all we can from him and knock him out.