The fungus has a pleasant earthy flavour which gives the Auroch stew more subtle yet complex notes that compliments the taste of the beef. The stew is flavourful and warming, reminding Hedran of coming to a warm fireplace after a long rainy day.
Nigel gets Handiss to start rounding up some troglodytes as test subjects for the stew, and they pretty much appreciate the stew. "Hé, ez nagyszerű! Hozzon nekünk többet ehhez az ételhez?"
One of them, Thrix, goes so far as to weep for joy after trying the stew. "Ó, ember, úgy érted, hogy ez volt az egész, ami hiányzott nekünk?"
Hey, this is great! Are you going to serve us more food like this?
Oh man, you mean this was what we were missing all along?
Handiss pets her shoulder comfortingly, "Ott ... nem olyan, mintha elegendő tűzifa lenne órákig főzni."
There,there..its not as if we had enough firewood to cook for hours.
"Please pass us more stew. Actually, I'd like to place orders for another 18 bowls tomorrow." Handiss tells Nigel.
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Nigel nods.
"Sure thing. Ve'll just need to be careful - ve don't vant to use up *all* ze fungus growing in ze cave; but if you stop eating it raw, ve vill be able to harvest it in a sustainable fashion, and incorporate it into ze dishes ve make for you."
He then grins.
"If someone is feeling particularly bold after a vhile, ve could even try teaching zem how to do it zemselves!"
"Oh, no problem. Once they've tried the stew, I guarantee they'll never go back to eating it raw." Handiss claims.
"Ah I know. I volunteer Thrix." He grabs her by her shoulders and shoves her forward with a grin on his face. "
Thrix, megtanulod tőled, hogyan készítsd el a pörköltet."
Thrix, you're going to learn from them on how to make stew.
"Bb-de ... én-én nem tudom, hogy h-hogyan beszéltem ss-urfacer t-tongue-t!" Thrix stammers, as she's being pushed forward.
Bb-but....I-I ddon't k-know h-how t-to s-speak ss-urfacer t-tongue!
"Oookay. Megtanulok beszélni szőke nyelv. És taníthatlak drasztikusnak." Thrix ventures hesitantly.
Oookay. I will learn to speak surfacer tongue. And I can teach you draconic.
"Yeah. Grab whatever fungus you need, just keep the fungus dishes coming, and teach Thrix how to cook them too. We'll just be eating a lot more fish for a while." Handiss answers.
Seeing the matters well in hand, Hedran removes himself from the 'kitchen' and moves to the tunnels entrance, to help with the guard duty.
Eventually the refugees get settled down in their new cave homes, with Veld, Azriel and the sunflower leshies, opting to stay in the above ground. Father Noelan manages to get Daniel to fashion a nose protector for Cavall, filled with pine needles.
Father Noelan gathers the party in the room with tiny intricate carvings that forms great columns of text."All right, I've put this off long enough. Reaching into the Boneyard isn't easy at the best of times, and I'll say that I'm definitely not up to scratch."
He then goes to get Fizzbang's body, lays it out, then puts his hands on his chest, and closes his eyes chanting a prayer to Erastil to let him reach into the Boneyard. Beads of sweat drip from his forehead and he begins to breathe heavily, his face turning pale. At the end of 10 minutes, he speaks in a strained voice, as if the effort wearied him, "Fizzbang..Billowbranch, I'm.. Father.. Noelan... I'm.. sorry.. but you..died.. on..your..watch." Father Noelan pauses a while to catch is breath. "We..brought..your..murderer..to..justice..." Then he grimly soldiers on, "Do..you..wish..to..come..back...to..us?"
Fizzbang's mouth opens, his voice echoing hollowly, "NothankyouitsscarywithallthosehorriblethingshappeningoutthereandI'mhappysi nginganddancinghere!"
Then stretched to the limits of his endurance, Father Noelan passes out, falling on the chamber floor.
Robert picks Father Noelan off the floor and puts him in a chair.
"Here, Father. Drink this." Robert says, handing the Father a cup with a little bit of wine in it, after he recovers consciousness.
A few minutes later, Father Noelan's eyes flicker open. "Sorry...and..thanks..." He takes the cup from Robert carefully and sips from it as he slowly regains his strength.
After resting for another 5 minutes, he looks at Fizzbang's body and attempts to get to his feet, then decides against it and gets back seated as a wave of dizziness washes over him.
He looks at Grenwold, "Could you do Fizzbang's service? He was a gnome, and he's in Shelyn's domain now."
Having a few minutes to spare, Robert takes the Lynx to a quiet corner of the cave and sits down. He then casts Speak with Animals.
The speckled lynx sounds like a squeaky door hinge.
"Hello big one. I was called Pila, but you can call me anything you like. What do they call you?"
The rest of the party gets to hear Robert meow like a cat.
Father Noelan gives Hedran some insight and Hedran is able to identify the gold belt as a belt of incredible dexterity. The boots are boots of elvenkind. No one knows what the cracked dusty rose prism does, though.
Pila continues to sound like a creaking door, while looking warily at Cavall.
Hullo Robert. This place really smells you know. And is the wolf going to bite me? Wolves are bad news.
Robert waves Cavall over. "Cavall, this is Pila. She's the companion to a Ranger that became an Undead creature." Robert strokes Pila to reduce her anxiety.
Bears are fine. They generally stick near the river and eat fish. Or eat berries. But wolves chase us off our kills, then steal them! I don't know what heaven is?
Cavall moves up slowly, his tail wagging. He then sits close to Pila, inviting her to sniff him.
After asking about using the gas for the forges, Ratel helps set up the cabin outside for Veld, Azriel and the sunflower leshies, asking them, "Do you mind if Bear and I stay up here as well, when were in camp that is?"
Taking a break to try the stew, Ratel nods in approval as Robert helps Father Noelan to a chair. He watches as Robert works with the cat, wait for Gren to do Fizzbangs funeral.
Azriel does not mind sharing the cabin with Ratel and Bear. Veld on the other hand, is less enthusiastic of the prospect and tells Ratel and Bear that they can stay only if they don't bother her. The sunflower leshies have no idea what Ratel is talking about and stare at him uncomprehending as they give him shoulder shrugs and puzzled looks.
Jet and Aubrin, after seeing the wolves not want to come into the cave, decide to live on the surface as well, at least for the first half of the day. Aubrin gets some twigs and constructs herself and Jet a bush shelter.
Pila walks over and gives Cavall a tentative sniff, then returns to Robert's side.
Ok, he doesn't smell bad, but why does he have a weird thing on his nose. Does heaven have lots of rabbits to eat?
Cavall on the other hand, makes no moves towards Pila.
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”Yes, Father. I will take of it tomorrow morning, at dawn. I can’t say it will be perfect, but I’ll do my best. We all will...” and he smiles a particular Gnomish smile.
Gren has the different elements of Fizzbang’s body replaced and has him bound tightly in strips of multicolored cloth that he had soaked in rose water for a few days. He leaves during the night and returns a few hours later.
The service:
Gren leads the refugees, while carrying Fizzbang’s body on Ringo, a short distance in the forest to a pretty area where an apple tree grew and the ground would have wildflowers in the spring and songbirds singing every the morning. He gestures to the Phaendareans, ”Please, those who cared for him, Jet, gently lower him into the hole, there.” and he points at a freshly dug grave, deep and broad, but sized for a gnome, with a set of rope that was coiled nearby.
When this is done, he climbs up onto Ringo (so everyone can hear him) and looks around to the crowd holding the back of his neck awkwardly, before collecting himself and, with a raised voice ”We gather this morning to mark the passing of Fizzbang, the minstrel and and singer who has entertained you and cared for you all, in his own way. Some of you were his friend, some only knew him by sight, but when your town fell to invasion he was bonded to you all even more deeply. As survivors, bonded in steel and blood. That bond will never be broken, no matter how many the legion kill.” he takes a breath, and a drink from his canteen, and continues.
”Fizzbang was not content to just survive. He made it his mission to brighten the day of the people around him, even when the result was not always met warmly. He had an appetite for learning, even though he would never visit the places he read about. And he never gave in to despair, even in death. Because that is all that we can do in our short time here - strengthen our bonds with each other and try to make others’s lives better when we can. Shelyn says to find beauty in the mundane, and to make it when none can be found on its own. Gnomes are the original refugees of this world and this imperative is branded into our very souls. We must strive every day to discover something new which we could not do if we were to give into fear, hatred, and despair. Fizzbang knew this, which is why he was loved, even though he was not always understood. He would want the same of his fellow survivors.” He coughs, and continues ”We prepare to release Fizzbang’s spirit into Shelyn’s care.”
Gren kisses his holy symbol, and makes a sign of blessing, and closes his eyes and begins to sing in a low slow voice, in Gnomish.
He opens his eyes and smiles. ”That was the easy part, for you I mean. Now it’s time for us all to sing, preferably one of Fizzbang’s famous toe-tappers that I’ve heard so much about which played at the Taproot. Jet, if you’d be so kind as to choose something appropriate, we can send Fizzbang off ... with a bang! And there’s no weaseling out of it - everybody sings.” Gren grins like you’ve rarely seen him do so, mischievously, and the barest hint of the first world flies like a shadow across his face as he smiles at the assembled crowd.
”Yes, Father. I will take of it tomorrow morning, at dawn. I can’t say it will be perfect, but I’ll do my best. We all will...” and he smiles a particular Gnomish smile.
”That’s all that matters. “ Father Noelan says wearily. Cavall looks at him worriedly, then tugs at Nigel’s pants, giving a few barks. Then he hops up and puts his head on Father Noelan’s lap.
Could you help him when he tries to get up? I would, but…I’m the wrong shape for it.
”Cavall, I’m fine.” Father Noelan reassures Cavall.
Cavall gives a disdainful sniff.
And I’m a cat.
Gren has the different elements of Fizzbang’s body replaced and has him bound tightly in strips of multicolored cloth that he had soaked in rose water for a few days. He leaves during the night and returns a few hours later.
The service:
Gren leads the refugees, while carrying Fizzbang’s body on Ringo, a short distance in the forest to a pretty area where an apple tree grew and the ground would have wildflowers in the spring and songbirds singing every the morning. He gestures to the Phaendareans, ”Please, those who cared for him, Jet, gently lower him into the hole, there.” and he points at a freshly dug grave, deep and broad, but sized for a gnome, with a set of rope that was coiled nearby.
Jet and Kaelan, Tammylan and Thomas help to lower him into the grave.
”Barely more then a week ago, we were all singing and dancing at the Taproot, without a care in the world…and now I’m burying him.” Jet sobs.”He was a sweet gnome. He’d leave out crumbs in winter so the birds wouldn’t starve.” Tammylan adds.
”It’s hard to imagine the Taproot without him playing for us in it..there’d always be that missing place in the corner.” Thomas looks sadly at his body.
”I think he was too good for this world, that’s why Shelyn took him with her.” Kaelan sighs.
When this is done, he climbs up onto Ringo (so everyone can hear him) and looks around to the crowd holding the back of his neck awkwardly, before collecting himself and, with a raised voice ”We gather this morning to mark the passing of Fizzbang, the minstrel and and singer who has entertained you and cared for you all, in his own way. Some of you were his friend, some only knew him by sight, but when your town fell to invasion he was bonded to you all even more deeply. As survivors, bonded in steel and blood. That bond will never be broken, no matter how many the legion kill.” he takes a breath, and a drink from his canteen, and continues.
”Yes, they may hurt us, but they’ll never break our spirits!” Aubrin declares fiercely.
”Fizzbang was not content to just survive. He made it his mission to brighten the day of the people around him, even when the result was not always met warmly. He had an appetite for learning, even though he would never visit the places he read about. And he never gave in to despair, even in death. Because that is all that we can do in our short time here - strengthen our bonds with each other and try to make others’s lives better when we can. Shelyn says to find beauty in the mundane, and to make it when none can be found on its own. Gnomes are the original refugees of this world and this imperative is branded into our very souls. We must strive every day to discover something new which we could not do if we were to give into fear, hatred, and despair. Fizzbang knew this, which is why he was loved, even though he was not always understood. He would want the same of his fellow survivors.” He coughs, and continues ”We prepare to release Fizzbang’s spirit into Shelyn’s care.
”Once Fizzbang and I replaced Victor’s shampoo with hair dye.” Marcus reminisces.
”Oh, so THAT’S WHY I HAD PINK HAIR THE NEXT DAY!” Victor growls at Marcus, while putting his hands on his hips.
”But Victor, you were upset about going bald. We were trying to cheer you up!” Marcus answers.
”Yeah after your hair turns pink, you begin to think that no hair is better then pink hair.” Victor grumbles.
”Even more so must we work together – since we’re what’s left of Phaendar. Times may seem hard, and life looks bleak, but remember only after a storm do you see a rainbow. And it is from that rainbow where we draw strength to carry on.” Father Noelan says.
”May Desna guide his way across the River of Souls, and he reach his destination safely.” Ibrahim prays.
He opens his eyes and smiles. ”That was the easy part, for you I mean. Now it’s time for us all to sing, preferably one of Fizzbamg’s famous toe-tappers that I’ve heard so much about which played at the Taproot. Jet, if you’d be so kind as to choose something appropriate, we can send Fizzbang off ... with a bang! And there’s no weaseling out of it - everybody sings.” Gren grins like you’ve rarely seen him do so, mischievously, and the barest hint of the first world flies like a shadow across his face as he smiles at the assembled crowd.
”I don’t feel like singing, or dancing.” Jet says morosely. ”It’s about the last thing on my mind.”
Hedran stands there motionless and staring at the whole procedures - he does not dance nor sing either.
"But we should give him a proper send-off." Jet reluctantly gives in.
"All right - Save the world it is" Jet decides, as Edran begins to play for the Phaendarians. At first hesitantly, then their voices growing stronger, they sing to honor their departed friend, Fizzbang as they remember and celebrate how he lived, rather then how he died.
Standing in the back, holding onto Bear's harness Ratel smiles and nods his head as the others speak. As Jet selects a song and Edran starts to lead, Ratel sings softly along in his deep baritone voice. When the service is done he walks up to Gren and tells him, "You did good Gren."
As the party returns to the caverns, they find a bald gnome has rocky gray skin and a wiry physique. Its pale eyes are overly large and expressive, sitting at a rock wall.
Accompanying the gnome is Ighiz. "She's a merchant and wants to trade. If you don't understand her, I can translate."
"And if you want to prospect for ore, you're doing it the wrong way. Pass me some ore, I'll ask the earth elementals to look for it and get it all mapped out. Then you dig straight to the vein."Ighiz lectures Nigel.
"Hullo hullo! Akmens vaikai sako, kad esate čia nauji gyventojai ir pasakėte, kad galbūt norėsite prekiauti?" The gnome waves to the party.
Hullo hullo! The children of the stone said you're new tenants here and said you might want to trade?
Ratel realizes the gnome is a Svirfneblin, a deep gnome.
Svirfneblin, or “deep gnomes,” are a reclusive offshoot of the gnome race. They dwell underground in hidden cities, safe from dark elves and other subterranean races. They have skin the color of gray or brown stone. Males are bald, and females have stringy gray hair. A svirfneblin’s ties to the eerie realm of the fey are much stronger than those of their surface-dwelling gnome kin, and this makes them either strangely detached from their emotions or violently random in their outbursts. Svirfneblin have long fought wars against the duergar, and have a difficult time seeing the difference between duergar and other dwarves.
They have the following spell like abilities:
Constant—nondetection
1/day—blindness/deafness , blur, disguise self
Seeing Grenwold, the gnome repeats herself in gnomish. "Hullo hullo！石の子どもたちは、あなたがここに住む新しい住人だと言って、あなたは交換したいと言ったのですか？"
Hullo hullo! The children of the stone said you're new tenants here and said you might want to trade?
Ighiz nods.
Ighiz translates in undercommon, "Jie domina ir klausia, ką turite prekiauti."
They're interested and asking what you have to trade.
The gnome nods and begins to pull out items out of her seemingly large pockets and lays it on the cavern floor. "Aš turiu vieną skubotą potioną, žiedą iš counterspells, mažesnio maldos karoliukų grandinę, mažą magišką glaive, mažo dydžio kompozitinį ilgą laužą, galingumo takas (1 lygis) ir apie 2500 gp prekybai ir akcijų pagarbių prekių"
Ive got a single potion of haste, a ring of counterspells,a lesser strand of prayer beads,a small sized magical glaive,a small sized composite longbow, a small sized magical breastplate, a runestone of power(level 1), page of spell knowledge for shield of faith, divine favor, blistering invenctive, lesser restoration, fear the sun and about 2,500 gp to trade and some mundane goods.
Ighiz translates. "She has a single potion of haste, a ring of counterspells,a lesser strand of prayer beads,a small sized magical glaive,a small sized composite longbow, a small sized magical breastplate, a runestone of power(level 1), page of spell knowledge for divine favor, shield of faith, blistering invenctive, lesser restoration, fear the sun and about 2,500 gp to trade and some mundane goods."
"Hey if you found a merchant, could I get a spell component pouch please?" Father Noelan asks."Also a spare holy symbol of Erastil."
"Also, barding for Cavall." Father Noelan adds.
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Very satisfied with his purchases, Nigel moves through the refugees.
"Ze pavilion tents vill be useful for shelter on ze surface, inside ze pallisade, both for ze animals, and ze people."
He then nods to the small flock of chickens.
"I zought zey might be somezing nice for ze children to keep an eye on; heaven knows, fresh eggs vill probably be a godsend!"
Nigel then approaches Aubrin.
"I managed to acquire a couple of Everburning Torches, vhich ve can use to partially light ze caverns below. I also acquired 200gp of Ruby Dust, so zat, vith time, you can cast Continual Flame four times, to (essentially) cover ze rest of ze lower level, so people can see vhat zey are doing."
He then grins as he goes to Jet, and Thrix, with the large collection of spices that he acquired.
"I zought zat you might find zose useful in spicing-up our meals."
Nigel then approaches Kinning.
"I know you are itching to get back to ze forge, and zought you might need some coal...", he says without a trace of irony.