** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
The letter reads as follows:
Dear Mr. Firebeard,
Word of your expedition has reached my ears, and I would like to share my gratitude to you and your colleagues for your generosity to our humble town. I would like to extend to each of you an invitation to Silverdisk Hall for an evening of entertainment, and credit for each of you in the amount of one hundred crowns to be used as you like at games of chance here in my establishment, as an expression of my gratitude.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience to let me know when I can expect the pleasure of your company at Silverdisk Hall.
Cordially
Garmen Ulreth, Proprietor
The next morning you all regather at the Foundry Tavern.
Scarlet saunters in and looks around for service/breakfast....
Oleg walks in to the Foundry Tavern looking well rested. A grin comes to his face when he spots yesterday's companions, and he greets everyone present. "There's something about sleeping next to a full tap that just brings warmth and happy dreams, what a good night! That Val came through on her offer." Oleg brags of his free stay then plops two wooden hilted daggers before the group, made of roughly worked iron. "I went to see Dolga last evening, to talk about the situation with those tough skinned gremlins. That beautiful woman not only knew how to hurt the creatures, but the kind councilor spent the better part of the night, likely, forging these daggers for us." Oleg leans back with a satisfied smile "Thanks to the councilors support, we've got a way to keep our promise to Sef and deal with those annoying critters. I had the forethought to ask for two daggers, who wants the spare?" Oleg asks, before adding "I can't wait to see the look on that gremlins face when this blade cuts him!"
Then, as a loud grumble distracts Oleg from daydreaming about his glorious victory against the gremlin horde, he looks around to ordering some food for his morning breakfast.
Scarlet leans forwards and looks at the sharpened pieces of metal with scraps of wood wrapped around them....
"I can't wait to see your face when you manage to hit the lil' buggers with 'em..." Is her opinion. Then she glances at those around.
"Not to say I dun't appreciate tha' effort put in. Jus', y'know, we've no real idea how many of the lil' buggers there are scamperin' around in tha dark down there." She frowns.
"Dang... Should have thought about gettin' some rounds of tha stuff... Though not sure how it'd work in the barrel..." Scarlet muses about 'sintered' rounds....
Cinder enters, an older man in tow, and moves over to Oleg and Scarlet. "My friends, good morning to you." She gestures to the man with her, "My father, Adas, wished to meet those I was working with in the matter of the Torch." Cinder grimaces a bit, somewhat embarrassed to be introducing a parent to her companions.
She fingers the new weapon by her side as she looks to the others, "So, what is news from yesterday?"
Bosh wakes up at the sound of his raven asking for food,
"Argh, shut up...you food is on the bookshelf...yeah, there...what time is it?" He gets up fast only to realize that he wake up earlier than he wanted,
"Stupid raven..." Bosh goes and prepares his spells and gets ready to meet the others at the Tavern.
Even though he woke up early, he arrives late at the Tavern,
"Morning!" he greets the others, "Meat, bread and drink please!" he greets the barman, he pulls out the letter he recieved yesterday and puts it on the table, not minding if anyone else was talking he sits down, mess with his hair and says "We got invited to the Silver hall if anyone is interested, I don't know about myself, not really interested but maybe I'll go take a look--wait did I interrupted something?" he looks at the others.
Scarlet nods and tugs a fore-lock at Bosh's entrance and comments by way of introduction.
"Not quite. Folks is introducin' folks, is all..." She replies, again with another polite nod and smile to Cinder and Master Adas.
"Oooh sorry, go ahead" Bosh keeps quiet and watis for his meal.
Cinder blushes faintly, then gestures at the table, "Father, meet Oleg Dhuzy, Scarlet, and Bosh Firebeard - And his raven, Krasu." She then turns to the older blacksmith, "Everyone, this is my father, Adas, the finest smith in Blackpipe."
The tavern is otherwise deserted - apparently folks have been letting Val get her bearings at running the place until Khonnir returns, or is returned. Val herself gets busy cooking a few eggs to supplement the porridge she has been stewing all morning, and carving a couple slices of ham for the side. There are a few fruits to split amongst you - apples, mostly.
When Cinder introduces Adas, the big man looks around a bit uncomfortably. He takes in the bear of a man at the bar wielding daggers, the unkempt dwarf with the raven, and the lean woman with the sidearm. "Well, she gives me too much credit. Some of you are from around here, Cinder says?"
Oleg greets Adas with a sincere smile and a firm handshake. "I'm Oleg. I used to run a small trading outpost near Brevoy, but I have been around these parts for a few seasons now. A second home." Oleg explains by way of introduction. "You should be proud of your daughter, not only was she courageous when others in the group became too frightened to continue, she nobly used her talents to close my wounds when she bore ones of her own." Oleg, thinking that mere words are clearly not enough to express the emotion of the moment, takes out a bottle of mead from his seemingly inexhaustible supply and toasts his thanks to Cinder. "A fine daughter sir, a fine daughter"
Then, turning to the rest of the group, he says "So, who would like the other gremlin cutter? Bosh? And what do you mean invited to Silverdisk Hall? I would go, of course, but my purse is a little light for that place. Heh."
Adas takes Oleg's hand, acknowledging a fellow working-class laborer, and grunts in a way that Cinder recognizes to be a noise connoting pride. "We did our best to raise her right - glad that her... gifts... have been to your benefit." He frowns worriedly at Cinder when the bottle of mead comes out so early in the morning, then gives each of you a nod in parting as he says, "Well, I'll not keep you from your plans. Cinder, I trust I'll see you again this evening?"
Scarlet remains some what aloof when the introductions to Cinder's father are made. Offering a polite nod in recognition and such.
The couple of mentions about a "Silver disc" hall, though, has Scarlet's attention. She will wait politely for Adas to make his farewells before commenting on such, however.
Val serves up some plates of eggs and ham (normal coloration), and begins brewing a local tea. Very strong and aromatic, it really makes your senses come alive.
Your return through the waters is now approaching a routine. Some of you struggle with bouts of sickness after emerging from the water, but you are able to retrace your steps down the passageways and re-connect with the skulks. They still eye you warily when you pass through.
Once more inside the gremlins' caves, you keep an eye out for other traps that the gremlins might have set...
If you look, then the drinking game rules say you have to finish your drink.
Bosh, Cinder, and Scarlet are able to see and stop Oleg before he blindly walks into a spring-loaded spike trap (he's clearly focused on trying to find the gremlins), but no one is ready for the little terror that launches itself out of the darkness and slashes at Oleg's calf!
Gripping his cold forged iron dagger in a now sweaty palm, Oleg screams in surprise as he is slashed "Arghhh!" This is immediately followed by a huge grin on the big man who screams out "DIE!!!" almost maniacally at the little creature while stabbing with the weapon with clearly far, far more force or malice than necessary.
Bosh's ray goes wide, but Oleg's dagger punches through the creatures hide. It wails as it feels the primal force of the cold iron pierce its supernatural defenses. It drops to the ground, unconscious and bleeding out.
There are two passages out of this chamber and deeper into gremlin territory.
Scarlet, her x-bow ready, continues to guard the parties rear. At the sounds of combat she turns to try and get a view of what's happening in the close confines of the tunnel but refrains from shooting through the crowd.
"Stomp it, t'make sure th' varmint stays down..." Is all that she hisses turning back to watch for ambushes from behind.
"What was that?" He is still surprised by the attack, "I agree with Scarlet, make sure it's stays down...and which way?" he asks.
The varmint, indeed, stays down. You look down the two hallways, and see that each bends a corner before you can see much further down. Nothing appears from them, but Scarlet thinks that she hears an echo of feet scratching against the floor down the left-hand path.
"Psst! Eyes left! " She hisses a warning though she keeps to her task of 'Tail end Charlie'.
Bosh takes a peek on the left-hand path...
Bosh sees a short passageway that opens into another small chamber.
Oleg advances forward down the left passageway, right after stabbing into the Gremlin once more for good measure, as the party wisely suggested.
Oleg leads the group into the next small chamber...
...and the closely-following Bosh is able to help him keep clear of another spike trap. Though you figured it might happen, no one is prepared to catch the two small figures jump out - one from the side to lash at the observant dwarf, and one from the rear to go after the gunslinger!
Clearly, neither of the gremlins were even close to prepared to deliver a blow, merely coming forwad and slashing wildly while yelling.
Scarlet grins but does not gloat,
"Dayum! Are these things Pugwumpies or something?" Scarlet snarls as her bolt flies wild.
[dice=Ray of Frost]1d20+2
[dice=Dmg]1d3
Bosh's ray of cold air rushes just over the head of the gremlin.
Cinder draws her morningstar, and moves to hit the gremlin near Bosh, trying to keep it away from the dwarf.
Bosh, threatening the little gremlin with his dagger, is able to help Cinder get into a flanking position. This tactical advantage is just enough for her to land a solid blow on the creature's shoulder, crunching through supernatural defenses to land some serious damage.
That gremlin, apparently not liking his chances, barks a word of power and disappears in a puff of acrid vapors.
The remaining gremlin presses it's attack on Scarlet before she can react...
...and lands a dirty slice through her shin, cutting through armor and cloth to find soft tissue beneath.
"" Is Scarlet's response to the little creature's attack.
Though the pain causes her shot to go wide.
Oleg looks at Scarlet and says "Right?" Then, hoping to prevent the vile creature from injuring Scarlet further, tries to quickly stab it to death.