He sighs at the non responsive 'dwarves' and follows. I really need to learn that tongue. he looks over the metalwork.
Zhimon repeats what the elder speaks to the others before answering.
"Should I tell him what you are?"
"Sure, why not."
Klug motions toward Harn, the ceiling and his skin as he speaks.
"Tell him I'm a human from the surface and I'd like to return, please."
As the orc speaks in the language of the underground, Xzevrra's form doesn't shift, except for her eyes which rest for a moment on his back, between his shoulders. "Closest way to his heart. And if the sun darkens the skin, what of Zhimon and myself? Foolish creature and his made up ideas."
Harn struggled to comprehend the syntax of the languages being spoken around him.
Huh, I think that I'm going to have to get the others to start teaching me Undercommon, he thought.
The man looks a the two orcs and smiles revealing to those with darkvision that he has serrated sharp teeth, similar to a sharks. Those looking close enough will notice the girl has the same.
He then looks puzzled at Olliver.
"What is he? He is no orc, nor is he a drow. He is unlike anything I have ever seen. What is he?"
"Uh, what's he saying?" asked Harn.
He then looks puzzled at Olliver.
"Uh, what's he saying?" asked Harn.
"Whatever he's saying, it looks like it's about me. That could be good, or bad."
"He wants to know what you are." Satisfied she has an idea of the layout of the building in case of an 'incident', she turns to the conversation. "Apparently he hasn't heard of humans."
"Thank you, Xzevrra. I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised he's not even heard of my kind." As long as he isn't wondering how we taste, we should be good.
"Yeah, these folks are little off the beaten path. And they're smile's rather disconcerting!" added Harn.
"Or master, when we enslave your people. But no harm in being polite for now." She thinks to herself. The others are at least able to make out her name as she speaks with the creature. Though she does add for the other's, "By the way, his name is Ologue."
"Nice to meet you, Ologue." the human states out of politeness since the being can't understand him anyway.
"And?" Harn inquired of the comely female drow.
"So what's the deal? Are the planning on eating us, or helping us?"
Zhimon translating for Harn, Xzevrra pokes a curious eye, and if he doesn't translate, 'helps' Harn deliver his question, waiting for a response from the creature.
Ologue smiles pleasantly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Xzevrra. Many millenia ago drow came down her and became us, simple as that. The darkness and light of the deeplands caused the drow to transform and become us so that's it. We know of your kind but none of yours seem to know of us. We are only a couple of miles from the planar core after all and the deeplands are a vast and dangerous place, even more than the upperlevels where you all come from."
At Harn's translated question Ologue seems surprised. He then ponders for a moment.
"It is true we are highly carnivorous and we can even eat raw meat and the flesh of other sentient beings, but at the moment food stores are good. Plus I am not interested in eating drow, they are quite tasteless. There are sweeter meats to be had down here. The fish pf the great deep sea beneath us are quite tasty if you ever get the opportunity."
He then looks at Harn and Klug.
[b]"Besides, I am not in the mood to try new meats today. We could help you but it wouldn't be for free. Down here we trade services for goods but I can sell you information cheap. A simple gift would suffice. I will tell you whatever you want to know.
Xzevrra glances at Klug for a moment and smiles, now knowing he understands Ologue's words. But his words concern her. "Deeplands? Only a few miles from the planar core? By the demoness, where are we?"
Xzevrra fishes out a single gold coin. "Time to learn more about what these people value." She offers the coin to Ologue.
Harn looked appreciatively at Zhimon for translating, and awaited Ologue's response to Xzevrra's offer.
Ologue looks puzzled.
"Darklands? Oh the upper level? How far up are you looking to go? I do not know where exactly your darklands are. We are more than several hundred miles below where the drow supposedly came from. Also, things are going to be far more dangerous with the Xanxious Crystal awake. That earthquake close many passageways. In fact our main hunting trail just closed up. The Deemer are working to clear it. For the moment, we are trapped in this forest with no way to leave. I am curious, how'd you are yours get in here? Is there another passageway open somewhere?"
Relevantly surprised:
Harn stared on in wonderment, hoping that Zhimon's translations were accurate.
"I wonder how much damage was done to home." A worried look, "My family's home could be ravaged for all we know."
Ologue sighs and smiles his usually wide toothy grin.
"I concede we are of mutual interest. I will start with the Xanxious Crystal. It is an ancient artifact made by a long forgotten god who called himself Xanxou. Originally he was neutral but a betrayal in the higher places cost him his standing and he became evil. He then poured his hatred and vengeance into a hunk of stone and turned it into the Xanxous Crystal. It shook the earth and threatened to destroy everything in a violent earthquake. Eventually some heroes, not sure who they were, came down here and put a stop to it. However, no one witnessed the deed nor heard from those brave souls ever again. Of course, the upper planar level probably know much more than we do but I wouldn't know. I do know that the Xanxous crystal is the reason the deeplands exist in the first place and rumor states that it still exists somewhere in the deeplands. More to the point, between the deeplands and the upper level in which your kind calls the darklands. The earthquake we just had could only have been made by the crystal. Too big to be natural. The surface world is likely covered in cracks but we don;t know what it looked like before. That is simply a guest. The deeplands seem to be holding well in spite of these violent episodes. It we get another quake soon, it most likely means that crystal IS waking up and may try once again to level the known world. There is really nothing we can do but wait for more heroes to come by and put it to sleep again or possibly destroy the thing. I wonder how big it is. At any rate. You can stay here with me and my daughter. Down here we don't use the coins from above, we trade goods. If you can something of value, we trade. I like your coin well enough for info but it serves little piratical value. Food and rare medicinal herbs, animal pelts or other unique animal parts, and unusal items and or rocks, metals. those kind of things we trade goods and services for. Most sentient communities down here trade that way. As to a way up. I know of none. Sorry. IF you tell us about the path, you can live here with us for at least a week. Then you need to start working for your stay. Are we good?"
He is awaiting a response.
As Zhimon translated for Ollivor and Harn, the half-orc became excited.
"Ask him if he has any idea where this 'Xanxiou's Crystal' is!"
What a discovery! This is amazing!
Ollivor looks through his goods as the others translate, "No coin, but we may yet have things of interest to trade. As for the Crystal, even if we found it, would we e the ones to stop it?" He asks the others, "Somehow none of us strike me as the 'hero' type"
"I would avoid the crystal, odds are it is very dangerous and has guardians of its own. What we should do is gather resources and make sure we can sustain ourselves."
Looking crestfallen, Harn said, "So I take it that you're not going to ask him about the crystal."
Sighing, he added, "Oh well, then bartering for a week's worth of supplies is a good start."
Ologue nods.
"Very well, you can stay in our main room tonight but for now, is it possible for you to show us that other passage you mentioned. If we are cut off from our food source for too long we may end up eating each other....or you."
"Personally, I think I'd like to find this crystal. You say it created the deeplands? Can you tell me more about this legend, what you know of it?"
"With a weapon like that, we could sink the entire surface. Or more. I must have it!"
Zhimon gives the predictably power hungry drow a look. Some things were better off left alone, those who understood how meaningless they were had a better chance of becoming something more.
"Yes such a crystal will be waiting for anyone to claim it. Unguarded and unprotected. After all its not like those alot more powerful, cunning, and experienced have not tried long before your great grandmother ever even existed. In fact why dont you go alone sense we lesser folks would only slow you down. Try not to get tangled up in anymore tentacles would you."
Looking to the others about their new friends request.
"Personally I dont see any harm in showing him the way. Maybe he would even know about the other two creatures we ran into. Or better yet their language. Moving uninvited thru that fey's home may not go on for very long without blood shed. Also having that darklands sea creature as an ally could give us more knowledge about what else is in the sea or on it. Not to mention fishing would be easy for such a being."
"Well, I'm all for NOT eating each other." Ollivor replies drily
"Well said, Zhimon," replied the half-orc, though he did feel heartened that Xzevrra, at least, shared his interest in the crystal.
Harn patted Ollivor on the back. "Remember, it's not cannibalism unless you're eating your own species!" Harn said with a barking laugh.
......so do you guys ask him about what Zhimmon suggested?
Harn looked expectantly at Zhimon, "By 'Well said', I meant that yes, we might as well try that."
Zhimon does as bidden. Mentioning for Harn to lead the way. He was not about to turn his back on these new allies, they were related to drow after all.
You guys gather the old man and take him to the entrance. As you proceed to lead Ologue on, he is gesturing to various other deep elves to follow. They follow you to the hole. Returning it takes you a moment to find it as it is actually quite camouflaged. Once they find the hole they begin to scurry nimbly into it armed with unique looking shortbows.
Ologue stays outside and turns to you. You describe the two creatures and inquire about the sea bellow. His black eyes gaze at you and he smiles.
"The two creature you saw are fey from the deeplands. First, the creature you saw by the sea was called a Gawweed. They are sentient and to a degree civil. They can speak Aquan, and Deepcommon. The Gawweed are a hard breed to read as they tend to speak mostly in Aquan. They are to a degree territorial and they are poisonous. However, they are not unreasonable and don't quickly resort to violence. The other creature you encountered sounds like a spring stalker. They are deepland equiveliants to things of the upperlands known as Nereids. Similar. Stalkers are extremely curious but skittish creatures. To my knowledge they are not dangerous but I have heard stories of the fact they can be tricky and deceptive. Never heard of one killing anyone though. They tend to speak Sylvan. The most important language down hear would be deepcommon. The Gawweed's are very knowledgeable about the deepsea. Most of the deeplands are ocean. As far as I know there are still miles between here and the upper yard known as the darklands. It will take days for you to get there, even if you could find the way. For you to get home, you will need to find away." He points at the hole. "That so far is the only way in or out of this particular area. Also, the darklands won't be safe if the crystal is awakening. Lord Xanxious spirit is still in that crystal as is his will. And his will controls it. No one else has been able to control the crystal to my knowledge. I mean, how do you control a god? Is it possible? Well, as the history books suggest, the earthquakes will get worse until ALL the upperlands are sinking beneath the deepsea. While you stay here, we can teach you deepcommon. To get back to your homes, you will need to be able to speak with anyone you encounter, not everyone down here knows the language of the upperlands. Most of it will be deepcommon, and also Aquan would be the second most common language. So, is there anything else you need to know?"
Harn helped however he could to help earn some supplies from the villagers. Immersing himself in the local language, he managed to pick up a passable amount of Deepcommon.
During the week, the half-orc asked the others, "If we can earn enough, and the locals have one and they're willing to part with, do you want to go in on a magical haversack?"
"My mentor had one that held much more than the average backpack. It would sure help with carrying supplies!"
Helping Ologue with his tasks (though not to great effect), Xzevrra tries to learn more about the Xanxious crystal. "So what else do you now about this crystal? How powerful is it? And who is this Lord Xanxious imprisoned inside it? "
Zhimon made himself useful. Learning the languages of this new realm as well as anything else he could pick up. He even went so far as to use his divine power to create water for the village so they would not need to go out and get it. Also using his power to purify food and drink so that they could dine with things as fresh as they could be. Making sure that his uses were known, after all thats how one made sure they stayed alive with a chance at improving their lot. Not to mention his usefulness would keep him firmly off the dinner menu should the thought cross their minds.
"During the week, the half-orc asked the others, "If we can earn enough, and the locals have one and they're willing to part with, do you want to go in on a magical haversack?"
"Anything that lightens our load sounds wise to me. Count me in," Olliver smiles.
Olliver learns DeepCommon. Undercommon maybe more useful in the long run, but his training is as a merchant and one can't trade with a community if one doesn't speak their language.
He puts his magics such as they are to the use of people, and he trades goods he might have that may weigh him down.
"it's a merchant scale," He explains in rough Deepcommon to one of the local merchants, "I don't know if you have something like this already, but it lets you better appraise objects valued by weight... such a precious metals."
"Think we have enough?" He asks Harn.
"Well, not with just the two of us. I think Argus said that he paid about two thousand gold pieces for his."
"He shrugged. Besides, the others didn't really say much about it..."