"Yeah, pretty sure you mentioned that last time." he replies, scratching growth on his chin that was getting long enough to be irritatingly itchy. "My friends already had a taste and I'm not sure how well it's working out for them. Why don't you have some?"
"I tell you what I do need though is some rope, silk rope actually. Know where I can get a few hundred feet of that?"
"I have good quality, silk rope, should you prove worthy of it. How much exactly do you need?"
Wulf smiles baring this teeth. "There is nothing to be afraid of, I should amaze you!" He bangs his chest. "You should be impressed!"
"Three hundred feet. My gold is plenty worthy, I reckon." Ton says matter-of-factly.
"Is it flesh... or metal? Where did it come from? And why are you bothering a poor, unnamed shopkeep with this information? "
Charles, annoyed that he doesn't have some of his siblings' gifts at verbal deception, answers the dwarf. "Just a headache. Didn't think I had that much last night."
Wulf waves the man off. "I don't have time for this, I have to save the town. I have to relight the torch." He steps outside and looks around for the others, he starts to head towards the Black Mountain.
Garfaulk gave Charles a funny look, but didn't want to push him too much. "Fair enough-been there myself, I know how ya can be"
-----
Having little interest in going back to the top of the hill tool he fixed it, Garfaulk had stayed behind with Wulf. The dwarf strokes his beard, thinking. "Say, Sanvil, is there an easy way to tell the difference between a charged silverdisc and a dead one? And do ya happen to have any extra lyin about?
As he asks Sanvil, he thought he heard a yelp in the Copper Coin, but didn't think much of it till he heard a roar from Wulf yelling about being impressive. Sighing, he grabs the flashlight. "Oy. Be right back" as he dashed towards the shop, only to see Wulf coming back out. Relieved, he went up to the shopkeep to ask about the wand with 30 charges
When Garfaulk came in to help Val, she was back asleep and didn't even realize his kindness.
"Bah, fine. Watch Sanvil Trett more closely this time, dwarf."
He fishes around his cart a bit, a comes up with three coins.
"You don't get to keep em this time. You got yerself a charged battery there, see how it glistens in the light? And then the depleted battery. It has some glisten, but not as much. And the standard edition, silverdisk, it has no gleam at all. Looks silvery, but no shimmer. It's dead inside. Got it?"
"You need 300 feet of my high-quality, super-soft-on-the-hands, silk rope. That is a lot of rope. " She pauses and considers.
"This is something I would do for you, if you were brave, like our honorable Black Sovereign. I know that big good-looking man and the polite dwarf are brave. They drank the fluid. I will give you 100 feet for each of their acts of bravery."
"So who else is going to be brave? One more person drinks the fluids, you get another 100 feet of rope. Prove to me that this isn't a weak and fallen generation, but that you can be brave like our Black Sovereign!
Zeke sighs inwardly. He reminds himself that they don't need the rope to rescue Mr. Khonnir; it's only to help Sef and her people return to the Darklands.
The Darklands...
If we can get enough rope, it's possible I could follow them down after we rescue Mr. Khonnir.
But if I drink the fluids and die, who is going to find Mr. Khonnir? I suppose this group will continue without me. Though they might not if they don't get the rope.
Groetus protect me. Live each day like it is your last.
Zeke steps forward and says quietly, "I will drink the fluid, ma'am."
zeke, you brave, foolish, brave soul. roll a d100
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Zeke fills a small bowl with the muddy fluids, pauses for just a second as he contemplates what he is about to do, and drinks it down.
Almost immediately, Zeke's mind begins to burn as it strengthens and tightens. And just like that, the feeling is gone. Something happened... but you are not sure what.
The old lady cackles and hands you all the rope that you need. " Well done, well done! See! You remain standing. Three of your party have faced the Numerian Fluids and have emerged alive on the other side. I am justing brimming with enthusiasm for the next generation."
Wulf turns and spots Garfaulk, heading over to the dwarf he looks upset. "Let's get out of here, we need to find the others they must be up on the hill. This town needs a kick up the arse. We get that torch going and everyone will know our name. They'll beg to see us." He flexes at some woman as they pass by smiling and giving them a wink.
As they leave he reaches into his pack and tosses a small bag of gold towards Garfaulk. "Here are some of my winnings, put it towards some more healing items."
Varrad also passes over his free silverdisks to Garfaulk (100 gold).
(I put it in the party gold in the google spreadsheet, others could do the same)
Zeke seems a bit confused after drinking the fluids, but graciously accepts the rope from the old woman. He stares at Ton for a moment and then clearly says "This should be enough, you think?" but his lips don't move. He walks beside him back down the hill, pensive, and rejoins the others outside the Copper Coin.
To Garfaulk, Zeke says "I don't think I won anything, sorry-- I can't remember much about what happened last night after we went to Silverdisk Hall. I reckon getting my pistol working took a lot out of me. Oh that reminds me, I made some more black powder for you. I'll keep it in my bag until we get to the other side of the pool," he clearly says without speaking.
"Rather you than me, Zeke." Ton says as the young man approaches the sludge. "Wait, did you say somethin'?
"Rope," Zeke clarifies, again without moving his lips or even looking at Ton'iel, apparently lost in his thoughts as they walk back down the hill together.
"What the f... you're not talking. Do you realise that? I can hear you in my g*ddamned head!" Ton says, mid-limp.
Zeke, puzzled, turns to look at Ton'iel while they walk. "What?" Zeke says absently, telepathically, distracted. "What do you mean?"
"Don't worry about it." Ton says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's probably just me."
See what Wulf makes of this. he thinks, chuckling to himself.
Zeke nods. "I hope Mr. Torstein will be pleased, too. That pistol is a valuable find!" He pauses a moment before continuing, Mr. Wexley seemed awfully interested in that pistol. So did Mr. Sharpstone, if my eyes didn't deceive me. I hope deciding who'll wield it will not be too divisive. I fear our company couldn't survive a treasure dispute, Lord forbid.
Thanking the shopkeep, he grabbed the wand and reunited with the others, holding up the two for Zeke to look at. Garfaulk shrugs "No worries lad, Wulf, Tun, and Varrad all gave enough that we could afford it-which did you wa-" And it was at that point he realized Zeke's mouth hadn't moved. "Aye, how you doin tha lad?" he asked, confused, looking from him to Ton "And where did ya get all tha rope?"
With the group back together, you head over to the Temple of Brigh to get your water breathing spell. Then you make your way to the pond and wade in; much more confidently this time as you know what to expect down there. Everyone continues to cast confused glances at Zeke. Obviously the fluids did something to him, but what?
You emerge from the deep water onto the beach where you fought the fire crabs about a day ago. The stalagmite and stalacite forest is to your east, and an unexplored beach winds around to the north and east.
Garfaulk looked up towards the northern area. "Hey, after we deliver tha rope, I think we should look around in these areas a bit morre before we move on, maybe see if we can find the bodies of a few more locals-plus would hate to come this way battered and bruised and fight somethin we didn't know was there because we rushed ahead."
The party makes its way through the dark cave, past the pool where Pet lived, down past the drawings of the cacti and 4-armed humanoids, and into the larger caves of Sef and her followers. The deep pit to the Darklands yawns open in the south side of the cavern.
Sef turns to you and greets you in her gravely voice. "You have returned. And with rope. Much, much, rope. You have again fulfilled your side of the accord, surfacers. You have much honor, and I feel I have learned much of surfacers by talking to you." She hands the rope over to her followers, who immediately take it over to the pit and start tying the lengths together and looking for a good place to secure it to the various rock formations in the cave.
"And we skulks of the Darklands have honor, too. Do not forget that, surfacers. We will fulfill our end of the accord. You already have the silverdisks and the strange rectangle. Now, you are owners of this! " She pulls back the opening to the ramshackle hut, and the pile of equipment is still sitting there. She leaves you, and walks over to join her clan.
You start sorting through the equipment. You gain three suits of studded leather armor, a masterwork buckler, a short bow with 11 arrows, a rapier, two short swords, a masterwork sap, a sunrod, two sets of masterwork thieves’ tools, a 2 scrolls, two potions, and 185 gold pieces.
And of course, of greatest interest of all, is a pistol, with 10 alchemical cartridges sitting near it, 5 holding a bullet and 5 holding scattershot. The pistol looks fancier than a standard firearm, with its barrel flared outward like a miniature blunderbuss. This is in fact a dragon pistol.
Zeke is very quiet and pensive while the party is traversing the caves again, and he keeps casting everyone uncomfortable looks as he realizes he can speak directly into their minds. When they reach Sef and she says they have honor and have fulfilled their end of the bargain, Zeke looks at her and speaks to her telepathically.
Sef, this is me, Zeke. Ezekiel. I also come from the Darklands, as does my mother. One day I mean to return there, and to find her I might be willing to make another accord with you. How would I find you again once you go back?
Sef, who was walking away, stops in surprise. She does not turn around, but thinks:
Comes with us now, surfacer. If your mother is down there, we will help you find her. You have much honor, and you seem to have power. You would be welcome with us.
Zeke stares after the skulk leader with great yearning. Unbidden, his dream from last night plays in his heart-- he can see his mother reaching to him, and the image is so powerful he involuntarily shares it with Sef. Now is my chance, he thinks with hope and enthusiasm, and he even takes a step towards the skulks.
But... the thought rises, iron-clanging in his chest, Mr. Khonnir! You promised! After everything he did for you, you would abandon him to his fate here, to die beneath the mountain?
"No," he whispers quietly, sad. My friends will find him. The bounty... he thinks to himself. But he knows it is not enough. He must be there when they find him. He owes the old wizard at least that much, if not more. So much more.
I... I cannot go with you now. I have a... I have made another accord that I must honor. I wish I could, I... I want to come with you so badly. His thoughts are thick with emotion. Please, he continues, Please tell me I can find you again, that I can follow you?
The Darklands are deep and wide. It is not likely our paths shall ever cross again. Still, I can tell other skulks I see that the white-haired half elf is a skulk-friend. When you are ready to come back to your home in the Darklands, perhaps you will not die horribly. Perhaps. Good-bye, surfacers.
By this point, the skulks have the rope set. They grab onto it and start agilely climbing down, hand-over-hand. Sef is the last to disappear. She looks at the party one more time, nods her head, and then she too disappears.
Watching as the other creatures left down the rope, he looked to Zeke, who was quietly staring at the leader-must be a conversation. Waiting till they were gone, he looked over at the hole. "Tha's a deep hole leading to a dark place. Perhaps we should pull the rope back once they've gone, ay?"
Garfaulk gives the potions and scrolls a once over, but is a bit distracted by the beauty shape of the dragon pistol. "Th-the craftsmanship. The amount of gold it would take me ter afford makin sumthin like that..." A single tear appeared in the corner of his eye, which he wiped away quickly "Tha's a mighty fine piece of engineering tha is. Blows my lances out of the water, tha's fer sure." Looking around, he smiled at his allies, clearing his throat a bit. "Question is, who gets it? I'd like to throw my hat in the ring on tha one."
Wulf grunts at them as they start to leave, he held his hammer at the ready not sure what to expect when they got back. He was happy to see them leave, he looks at the pile not seeing anything he really wants.
He then steps over to the hole grabbing the robe and shakes it, checking they are off and he begins to pull it up. ”Good point Harfaulk and Good riddance, we can at least get the rope back. If we continue on we will need this.”
Luckily for the skulks, they are extremely fast climbers, able to rope-climb about 500 feet in a few seconds, and as Wulf pulls up the rope, he doesn't hear any screams or splatters.
Ton had been on the wrong end of a pistol not entirely dissimilar to the one now offered. The memory of that, and it's legacy, is all too fresh.
He respected the raw power of the things, but he didn't feel ready to wield it himsef just yet.
"Take it Garfaulk. You two look made for eachother." the elf says dryly. Instead he picks up the scrolls and potions and examines them instead.
The first scroll is a scroll of shield; the second scroll is unknown, the two potions are potions of cure moderate wounds.
Wulf watches closely as Ton stares blankly at the gun. His own thoughts cast back to that day, he scratches at his bare chest for a moment snapped out of the moment by Ton's words.
"I'll carry the rope, let's pile up the loot no one wants and we'll take it with us when we leave. Now let's move on, I really want to get a good fight down here. It was a shame they held up to their end of the bargain." He laughs.
The party looks around the cavern, deciding what to do next. There are four places here that you could check out more thoroughly.
1. The north beach right by the entrance.
2. A south tunnel from the place where you saw the cacti and 4-armed humanoid drawings.
3. A door in the strange metal wall where you fought the gremlins.
4. A door in the strange metal wall next to the skulk camp.