Seeing the halfling being knocked aside by the ooze, Ammon sends another eldritch blast at the beast.
Attack:
Damage: (Agonizing blast)
"Apparently they don't like to dance!" The halfling quips as she comes over to her allies.
Lawrick wakes back up with a gasp and a quick breath. Wha.. where am I? Oh my Tymora! Lawrick scrambles back up, and tries to pull away from the ooze.
|
The ooze moves to swallow Lawrick, but he scrambles back out of reach!
The ooze moving for Lawrick quivers for a second, then continues after him but is unable to reach! It seems to have trouble holding itself together!
The other ooze moves after Saphina, but the little halfling manages to keep out in front of it! It still seems strong and coherent!
In the ruckus a dwarf elder trips and falls! She may be within range of an ooze next turn!
"Can't you damn dwarves walk without tripping over?" Garjak says. He aims another firebolt at the more wounded ooze.
After that he attempts to hide in the area between the fireplace and the planks.
Saphina moves up to where she dropped her bow and picks it up and then moves toward the dwarf under the barrels. Moving as far as her legs would take her, she then draws and arrow and fires at the ooze that's been harassing her.
Once again, Shoun will move, help up the Dwarf who fell, then move back.
"There has to be a better way to handle this." he says to no one in particular.
More blasts of eldritch power hammers the ooze as the warlock unleashes his powers against the foe.
Eldritch Blast (Agonizing):
Damage:
|
|
Garzak's bolt of fire splays over the shuddering ooze and it begins to melt into the ground! Soon it is nothing but a puddle.
The other moves slowly toward the fallen elder, intent on its meal...
But Shoun rushes over to try and help her move!
Saphina, Sashah, and Ammon pepper the thing with attacks, but it still moves, but unsteadily and quivering.
Garzak takes aim at the remaining ooze. Angered, Garzak summons his anger at it.
Burn! BURN! Melt! he yells.
Naturally, he continues to hide after attacking.
Lawrick pulls out his bow again and shoots the wounded ooze.
|
|
Lawrick draws a bead and lets loose at the ooze, the impact causing it to ripple! The creature continues undulating forward as it searches for more to consume!
It comes upon Shoun and the dwarf granny, but seems to be unable to engulf them yet!
Garzak flings another mote of fire, which leaves a mere sizzle!
Again Ammon flings his eldritch bolt at the thing in hopes of saving the dwarf.
Eldritch Bolt (agonize):
Damage:
Cringing as it moves in toward the dwarf and her companion, Saphina launches another shot from her bow in hopes of felling the creature before it can do more harm.
"Shoun! Watch out!" The halfling shouts in hopes of warning Shoun of his impending doom.
Shoun will move away from the ooze as fast as he can.
|
|
The ooze towers over Shoun and the dwarf grandmother, threatening to roll over them like a wave! Between, Ammon's eldritch blast and Saphina's arrow, the ooze shudders violently, then collapses in on itself like fallen flan...
The dwarven grandmother speaks a stream of dwarvish at Shoun, apparently thanking him and directing him toward Gommurghall.
The accent is strong even for those that understand dwarvish...
Several of the dwarves of the Gommurg clan begin to gather around you and clamor in their strange dialect of dwarvish. The elder dwarven grandma recognizes the oozes as the extensions of the will and hunger of Hadar, and curses her aging body for being so clumsy, again thanking Shoun for his help.
Eventually one dwarf steps forward and identifies himself as the chief elder, Obrix. He speaks for the village, and speaks in a very broken Common, Many a-thanks, yar strangers! What'd breeng ye har, so farr inta za mount?
Garzak looks around the place, to see if there's anything he can pick up from the remnants of the oozes or the dwarves it ate. He lets Saphina do the talking but does introduce himself.
"I am Garzak Reddrake! Born of Dragons! Fiery and mighty I am!" he declares.
"Extension of Hadar uh? He is worshiped here?" he declares.
"We are great heroes, here to stop the spread of the cult of the one you have named, cursed be his name. My name is Shoun, and I'm sure that the others are more than capable of introducing themselves."
Shoun kneels to investigate the remains of the ooze, then stands and says "Were these Oozes waiting for you when you opened the well?"
Sasha listens quietly while the dwarves clamor and Obrix speaks.
He thinks for a moment and then speaks in fluent dwarven,
As he ends, he pulls out a parchment and a quill from his pack while keeping eye contact.
I am Ammon, known as The Fiend. A warlock and adventurer and member of this band of adventurers. Greetings."
Saphina walks over to the matriarch and offers a traditional dwarven greeting taut to her by Master Lumin. "Saphina Greenfoot at yer service" she pauses for a sec and continues in dwarven.
She finishes in dwarven and turns to her companions " I offered either Sashah or me up as a translator since it seems their Common is pretty rough. Told em about the body we found too."
My names Lawrick. I'm here because... er... because we met in a tavern. Then this.
He shakes his head thoughtfully. Just like the old storybooks. Lawrick walks over to the oozes, trying to scavenge some of his arrows. He puts the ones that are intact in his pouch. He then walks over to Sashah and thanks him for saving his life.
|
|
The clan elder seems somewhat elated to find that a couple of you speak their tongue, even if you have a few missteps in translation. You get the following bits of information:
- (In response to Garzak) No, they do not worship Hadar, though the hunger of Winter is often attributed to him. Sometimes they give offerings to the elder god to appease it, but they do not worship Hadar by any means. He also throws in that no proper goblin would help a dwarf. He can go to his grave, now, that he has met a sane goblin.
- (Responding to Shoun) It was not them that opened the well, but the vault that surrounds it. After the seals were placed on the Well by the priests of Moradin, the people of Gommurg erected an adamantine vault around the Well. Every year, the vault is opened to check and reinforce the seals and offerings left.
- (Responding to Sashah) The trail heading out of the village, to the West (opposite the way you arrived) will lead you to the vault and the Well.
- (In response to Saphina) Ye have me thanks and that o' me kin, little one. Yer accent is quite good? Ye learn yer dwarvish from 'round here?
- Obrix acknowledges Ammon and Lawrick, though his eye lingers on the tiefling for a second before breaking into a welcoming and thankful smile.
- The dwarves found the White Well centuries ago, and their tales tell of the mysterious battle between the clan of Gommurg and the forces of Hadar of the Endless Hunger being constrained within the Well. The ancient diviners tell of the Endless Hunger coming from before the time of the gods.
- In the centuries since, the clan has undertaken the duty of guarding the Well to prevent Hadar's influence from growing. This ancestral task has been rewarded by centuries of crafting and mining. The villagers prefer to be left alone or even forgotten by the outside world, so that they could be left alone to their craft.
- The Galena mountain range near the village contains many veins of adamantite and abundant minerals. Obrix and many others believe that what may fuel the Well, may also be responsible for the rich deposits of these adamantine minerals.
- When the Gommurg clan first discovered this isolated religion and its wealth of riches, they also opened the Well. It took many dwarven lives to undo that mistake.
- Whatever has already emerged may be weakened, if someone could seal the well once again.
"Well, I am NOT a typical goblin. So the seal around the vault has been broken? Has it been checked this year?" Garzak says.
"When were they supposed to report back?"
Ammon listens to the group speak and translate and feels a chill up his back when they say they sent someone just a short while ago to check the seal.
"Somehow I don't think they're coming back. How many members of the party?" Garzak asks.
"And if we do this task and quell the well, what reward would you give us?" Garzak says.
|
|
At Garzak's comment, a slight grimace flashes, Now dere's wot me'd be expectin' from yer kind. Mercen'ry. Well, if'n ye go, we can spare one o' our heal pots. After t'nights ee-vents, we ain't goin' ta be able ta spare much. Mebbe, a suit o armor, but only ones o' ye looks like ye even wants that.
He looks around, De contingent shoulda been back just afore de globsen attack-ed. Again, ye gots me t'anks, but if'n ye is just here fer rewards, ye can leave now. We be findin' some way outta dis, I be guessin'...
As he begins to limp off to help his people.
Oh like you dwarves don't like yer gold... I can't use a suit of armor but I'm still intrigued by this well..." Garzak says.
Sashah turns on his heel and walks out of the hall. The old half-elf's face red and mumbling angrily,
"My friend Obrix, I think what we have here is a misunderstanding of each other's cultures. I'm guessing that your community is tight-knit, where everyone pitches together for the common good? Would that we could all live in such a place."
Shoun matches stride to Obrix, then continues: "I'm also guessing that you make sure that no one starves, or freezes in the winter, that sort of thing. The outside world is worse than that by far. In the town I grew up in, people would slit your throat for one of your shoes. It has led me to understand the value of words over violence, being able to mediate between opposing groups, and that no one is going to pay for me to eat. Also, being an adventurer is an inherently expensive enterprise in which one routinely needs to pay for services that most villages would have to scrape all of their money together to purchase."
Shoun will put a hand on his shoulder and finish with "It's not about being greedy. We need money to survive. If you want to think less of us, that is your prerogative, although I would point out that we came here paying for our own food and lodgings to help you people without being offered a reward. If you're going to judge us, please be so kind as to do so both ways."
|
|
Obrix stops at Shoun's words, Oh, me's undermahstandin', but dere's a certain bit o' crassness ta ask fer payment from dose who be clearly hurtin'.
His eyes narrow a bit, Youse do de good, rewards be a-comin'. Ta ask up front, betray de motivayshuns. We's tank dose that be helpin', to be sure!
As he turns back to limp back to help his people, Obrix calls back to the half-elf, And any dat be helpin', ye ain't payin' fer food and lodgings in dis village!
The dwarf mimicks Shoun's pronunciation of food and lodgings carefully with emphasis. He crouches to help an injured villager up and they gather back up at Gommurghall...
"So that's how you do negat.. neko.. talking to people thing," Garzak says.
"Well, a few of us look pretty beaten up. At least a bit of rest and drink before we journey to the well? Else we might meet the same fate as the dwarves..."
Ammon shakes his head at the talk of money and rewards. He was use to the world that Shoun described, but would rather live a life like these dwarves, where they care for and watch over each other.
"I require no pay or reward to do the right thing. I wish only to help. Take what you will from these people, but I will not request payment for doing the right thing."
Looking around, Ammon is a little surprised at his outburst and meekly looks down if any of the others shoot him a mean look, but he does not reverse his idea and will speak up again if he has too.
The sounds of the front door closing can easily be heard within.
As Shoun returns to the group, he sighs and says "Ah, well." to no one in particular.
Saphina nods at Shoun. "Yeah! That went to hell faster than a hare in a hurricane. Geesh! I'm with Sashah, I could use a rest. Problem is, what about that group of dwarves heading to the well?"
If we stay, more horrors will break out of the seal. But if we go out there now, we'll all surely die! I vote we rest.
"Yeah let's rest. Those oozes be nasty! Me no good with dwarves. Someone tell them slow down!" Garzak says.
"Saphina, you beautiful young thing you, I think we can all agree that we know what has likely happened to them. I'm sure that we all pray for their safe return, but this" he gestures to the dead oozes "Does not bode well for it. If you believe that you need to rest, by all means do so. I will go and speak to our hosts and secure us some food, and then we can find a place to camp out and make our plans for the morrow."
Ammon remains silent, as the decision to rest had already been made...which is fine with him. He too could do with a little time to prepare before they went to this 'seal'.
Not use to attention of that nature, the Halfling blushes at Shoun's compliment. "Ill follow your lead on this one. You guys are the professionals."
During the short rest, Saphina nibbles on some of the food Shoun "provides" and asks the group. "We still don't know how to reseal the well do we? It seems we might need to know that. Maybe we should ask the elder one last time before we leave, just in case."
Garzak takes the time to study the ooze and see if he can find anything else about the White Well. Else he just stares into flickering flames, lighting something up himself if needed...