Hodar and his sister ask to remain at the rest-stop, it can be locked from the inside and they would feel safer there.
The rest of the group proceeds into the tunnels, following the route depicted on the map within the rest stop. After a few tens of minutes you reach the rough area where the new workings are situated. All is quiet and you do not see any signs of life as you descend.
Setesh continues on, oblivious...
perception
"The floor is very dusty."
"Well, it does not look like anyone has been down this way for a while; maybe they stayed down in the inner workings? Let's keep going..."
Setesh then moves on.
Moving a little further into the caverns you find a side tunnel which is filled from ground to surface with rubble.
Setesh looks at the rubble-filled tunnel for a moment, shrugs, and then keeps going...
Not unused to the caves of her mountain home, she knows a cave-in when she sees one. All this dust is from a cave-in. This passage has collapsed very recently.
Tarik concurs with Noor. "No more than two days I would say. I wonder what could have happened down here to cause this." Tarik begins poking about the rubble, interested in the debris.
Jaru looks a bit baffled. "Do you think this was the work of the orcs? I have the ability to magically detect thoughts to try and find the lost miners, but I can't penetrate this much rock."
Setesh shrugs.
"I am no miner; it is possible that it was the work of the Orcs, but I honestly have no idea..."
He then sits down and inspects the rockfall carefully, listening for any signs of life on the other side...
After a while, he pauses, and then says uncertainly:
"I think I can hear movement on the other side..."
He then begins to methodically attempt to clear the blockage.
As Setesh starts to clear the rubble, the remainder of you are able to pick up the sounds on the other side. You gauge that it will likely take you the best part of an hour to clear to them.
Once the sounds get clearer, Jaru casts a spell to detect thoughts beyond the rubble.
Noor pitches in helping move rocks. She contemplates getting larger to move more stones, but the tight quarters and unstable roof convince her to use her nonmagical form.
As the party continues to clear the rubble, Jaru sends his mental feelers out for succor.
Jaru concentrates some moments with his fingertips touching his forehead. "Carefully, but quickly. I'm sensing one mind in the rubble... fading out of consciousness."
Paying careful heed to Jaru's pronouncement, Setesh redoubles his efforts!
"I hope we get through in time..."
After a few more minutes spent clearing the rubble you are able to breach the barrier and open up a small gap. A musty smell of dead air wafts through and you spy two dwarven bodies lying on the other side. One is propped against the wall with his arm held across his body while the second is face down just on the other side of the rubble.
percept
heal
Jaru calls upon the benevolent aspect of Nethys to revive the dwarves.
channel
As soon as they gap is wide enough, Setesh squeezes through, and checks for signs of life.
"They are both alive, but are extremely fatigued, and have been partially suffocated. We need to get them some air!"
He then carefully drips some water onto the cracked lips of the Dwarves, trying to rouse them...
As the intangible threads of Nethys' power flow forth from Jaru, they knot the broken arm of the dwarf whole and return colour to both of their cheeks. The two figures begin to groan and move slightly, though they are still groggy.
"Right, then. Let's get these two back up to the other survivors."
Setesh then moves to assist one of the Dwarves, half-leading, half-carrying him...
Noor helps the other. "A true blessing that we have come upon this complex or four more lives might have been lost."
After dragging the dwarves a good forty feet from the cave-in, one comes round enough to speak opening his eyes blearily "My thanks outlanders, but why have you come to our tunnels? Did my kin greet you above?"
Noor pauses and looks the dusty Dwarf in the eyes trying to convey some fo teh grief she is feeling."There has been a desperate battle above while you have been trapped. You will need to be strong for what you will encounter and especially for the survivors we have found."
Sighing the dwarf responds "I feared as much when no rescue came. The stink of orc has wafted across our valley for some months now. I am Grundin, will he live?" gesturing to his companion (the one that had the broken arm).
As his addled mind savours Noor's words he adds "Survivors? Who remains above?"
As his addled mind savours Noor's words he adds "Survivors? Who remains above?"
"Hodar and his sister are at the rest-stop. Let's reunite you if you feel well enough to walk. How did you end up in the cave-in? Was it the orcs?"
Tarik heaves a sigh as they finally clear out the rubble. As the party ascends once more, he guards the rear, hoping that no trouble comes from that direction.
"We got to you just in time. With a bit of rest, both of you should be fine."
Eyes glazing with tears, Grundin responds "The fledglings are all that remain?...." voice trailing off as he speaks.
Having roused himself, the other dwarf Thorgar responds "The cavein was our own damn fault. Chasing the glint, we didn't shore up as we should have."
"If it is any consolation, the cave-in is probably the only thing that saved you; and at least with both of you alive, Hodar and his sister still have kin to take care of them... Is there anything else down in the mines that needs to be retrieved, or can we now reunite you with the fledglings?"
The dwarves walk with you as you return to the rest stop. The reunion with the fledgelings is both heartwarming and sombre as you are aware of what has been lost. Grundin leaves Thorgar in the rest area to see to the fledgelings while he steps back out to talk.
"For what you've done, ye have our thanks. At least we can draw some light from this darkness. We've nae much to offer given that the orcs have sacked above, but you're welcome to this" handing you a leather wrapped package. Grundin sighs "We'll have to hole up here until the trade caravan comes back tae us, but I'd prefer to see the orcs bloodied for their sins."
Jaru takes a look at the package curious to see if they have something magical. "Where are the orcs from? Do they have a large number?"
Grundin shakes his head "We don't know how many, but they are not far. They came in a few months ago - we have tried to stay out of their way, but obviously not hard enough."
Setesh turns and looks at the others.
"What do you think? I dare say that the Orcs have been weakened by their assault on this enclave; we might be able to destroy them. At the very least, we should have a look at their camp..."
spellcraft
Noor looks determined. "If not our little caravan, they will strike the next one to visit here. It seems we four have already taken on similar challenges. I agree, we should see what state the Orc camp is in after their loses here."
At Jaru's question on the crystal "It is the reason that we are here. We find them in the center of some of the geodes within the mine."
The dwarves assure you that a trade caravan is due to return to them within a week or two, and they will be safe until then. As they hear you intend to see what you can do about the orc camp, they seem truly grateful.
As you depart Grundin proffers this advice "If they've looted our home they've likely come into our stocks of hard liquor might be easiest to hit them during the twilight at either end of the day. If you're able to recover any of our weapons or valuables we'd gladly see you well recompensed for it." clasping your arms in turn by the forearm and shaking your hands with respect.
Taking your leave from the Dwarves with their thanks, the party ascends back to the surface and fills in Bas'rac - who has been waiting with the camel. He listens attentively before asking "What is your plan now?"
Setesh shrugs.
"I would like to see the Orcs dealt with."
He scans the dunes with a calculating eye.
"However, we should probably leave the camels here; it might be possible to hide ourselves amongst the low dunes, but the camels would probably be easily spotted before we got the drop on the Orcs."
Jaru sighs wistfully, "If only I had the power to make us all invisible or conjure choking clouds... perhaps I can summon a creature of the air as a distraction."
Bas'rac ventures "We can find a suitable dune to rest the camel behind closer to the camp to hide their silhouette."
Noor gets near the crest of the dune but the sand shifts and sends her to her knees, her sword clanking on her breastplate.
The group travels through the night and seeks to come upon the camp in the early dawn half-light. Leaving Bas'rac well back with the camel, the group gets within a few hundred feet of the orc camp - taking temporary refuge in a hollow at the foot of a dune where they are out of direct sight.
Noor creeps forward to within sixty feet of the camp itself making a partial review of its status. It is made of a ramshackle collection of tents stiched together from hide and cloth alike, all in a circle and entrances facing inwards. A fire is burning in the center of the camp, though one of the larger tents blocks your direct view. Judging by the number of tents and the dead orcs left at the gorge, you think that between ten and twenty orcs must call this home.
You are just about to turn back to the others when your sword clatters against your armor loudly. Cursing and turning to look at the camp you see that an orc has just stepped out from the tent circle and you think it impossible for him to not have heard the sound.
Cursing softly under his breath, Setesh rushes in Noor's general direction...
Jaru has his crossbow loaded and is listening for any trouble.
perception