The newly revived gnome looks aghast at you with the talk of letting the murderous spider free. He pleads in dwarvish as tears well up "I saw these bastards slit the throat of Gunther... yet you would let it walk free? It deserves to die for what it has done..."
At the fringes of the cavern Ivy looks quizzical at you as well, seemingly finding your depths of compassion curious in her world.
The skis'raal quivers and tenses down as you speak in dwarvish, unsure what is being said about it's fate.
(Posting from phone.)
Hilde shakes her head. "It surrendered, and that's behavior we should like to encourage."
"How far to your community gnomes? We can take it with us as a prisoner and it can face judging by your laws to determine its fate."
Moving along the tunnel you see no other signs of recent passage, merely wagon wheel ruts deep etched in stone. Some sixty feet along the curving tunnel there is another offshoot tunnel to the North - and just beyond that is a marker stone standing at the side of the trail. It reads in Common 5 ½ days east and north to Fasturvalt. 9 days west to Kladdenvalt and 32 days east to Vondehammer.
The gnome replies "Six days... or more if we are slowed by our injuries. And bring it to be judged if you need trial to assuage your honor... but it's guilt will be rewarded with death."
"What say the rest of you? It will surely take us that long or more. Until we have rested, I have no way to help the rest of these gnomes recover, so we shall have to make litters for them. Watching this creature will slow us too. Shall we try it now, or release it? I do not think we should try to take it with us."
"I've already said I am in favor of releasing it. It is An animal with intelligence. If it strays from this one warning, the gnomes will deal with it in the future. I suspect it will leave this place since the gnomes will know about it now."
"Very well. It seems Agna, Hilde, Love and Padrym would all see it set free. Nar has not spoken. I would rather try the creature since by our standards and seemingly that of the gnomes, it should be put to death for taking an innocent life. I has already committed a capital crime and I do not trust it to change its ways, but I defer to the rest of you."
"I was overcome, being underground after so long away. Now I remember where we are. We must harden our hearts against the enemy. And these spiders are ruthless. We've no guarantee it will not return to it's ways, and despite being intelligent if it took delight in draining another living being to death, then it is evil and must be destroyed, lest it endanger all of us. No sense hauling it 6 days just to kill it there, let it meet it's end here and be done with it."
Hilde glances over at the captive. "My first thought was that if we let this one live, it would tell others of its kind that we accept surrender. I won't belabor the point, but from a tactical perspective an enemy that sees a way out besides fighting to the death allows us to conserve our resources, which are rather scarce. However, these creatures are communal by nature; the fact that this pair was so isolated suggests that it has separated itself from its fellows, so communication may not be a possibility.
"On the third hand, the parallel between its situation and that of the gnome they slaughtered is noteworthy. In both cases, a captive was taken, and now we are considering doing to it what it did to its captive. Are we no better than they?"
"Padrym speaks my thoughts. We should kill this thing and save countless others down the road who it would take. But whatever our decision, let us be done with it and move on."'
Nar hefts his hammer awaiting the decision on its fate, indicating he would do the deed.
"Did the skis'raal slay the gnome because the gnome had killed a skis'raal or because it saw the gnome as food? It was one thing when we accepted its surrender and thought the gnomes lived as captives. Now we have learned that the skis'raal killed one gnome and apparently didn't care very much if they killed the rest. Consider if this was a dwarf that had killed another in cold blood? We would try him and unless he were innocent of all wrongdoing, we would imprison him or execute him. Imprisoned, it would be many years before the dwarf proved himself worthy of release."
Stáli pauses to scratch his beard. "Hilde, we do seek allies here, but it would seem to me that the gnomes are likely to be better allies than the skis'raal and we risk that alliance by setting this creature free. We seek a guide in Fasturvalt to help us find the hidden road into Dammerhall. Will the skis'raal provide that guide or the gnomes?"
The skis'raal cannot ken your words, and squats partly fearful as you speak.
The gnome hears you and chimes in "The skis'raal do not usually venture this far - they keep mostly to the Fungal Jungle and we have little quarrel with them. But these ones attacked us without warning, slit Gunther's throat to bleed him and would have killed us to a gnome if not for your coming." Ivy also nods at these words.
Hilde nods slowly, then turns to the skis'raal and addresses it in Undercommon. "We do not accept your surrender."
As the spider realises what is to occur, it does not cower - instead making a final lunge at the gnome with fangs bared before hammers and axes end it's existence.
The gnome nods solemnly at the action.
"Do either of you know what's to the south from here?"
Both Ivy and the freed gnome shake their heads.
"We have helped the gnomes, but now we should be off to our goal. It's time for our people to return to Faustervault."
"I believe that some reconnoitering is called for. If you'd like, you can wait here while we scout around."
"Best we move as a group. No telling what else may be around."
"If they're willing. With five gnomes still unconscious, exploration might be difficult."
"Are you hoping to find something that might help us heal them? We could also see if we can put them in the wagon and drag it ourselves. Tomorrow, I can beseech Torag for his blessings to heal more of them."
At any rate you make the choice to rest a few hours to bring the rest of the living gnomes back to consciousness and let some of the spider's poison work it's way from their veins. Afterwards they are grateful, if groggy and still weak, but they have enough strength to put one foot before the other. Some stern glances are sent the way of Ivy, and an occasional muttered word - but it seems that her arrival with your group is enough for most of the dwarves to push down any lingering issues.
"the wagon is simply too far back to to get. Let's just make our way to their village, hire a scout and be on our way. Everyone will be happy."
"Fortunately, we've woken them up. I agree it is too far. I see no need to check the other passage either. Let's help them get home and move on with our quest."
The path slowly turns southwards then eastwards before an offshoot to the north off the main tunnel bore opens up. The gnomes with you guide you along that passage.
Upon the Northern path you pass through a passage called The Needle’s Eye that strikes you as a natural place for an ambush. Just before it is a sign: “Fasturvalt ahead, domain of the great Lord Geirni son of Geiri. All who come in peace are welcome.” which looks to have been recently put up in the past few years. Ivy snorts as you pass it... muttering "“Great! Hah! Not great enough to do anything about the drow.”
Her mutterings draw the reproach of Harvald "Easy Ivy... you'll have trouble enough without Gunther left to sponsor you."
The Needle's Eye lives up to it's name - a thin 5ft wide passage between two wider areas that are lined with stalagmite forests that would provide ready cover to assailants. Though nothing lurks this time - it strikes you how vulnerable a caravan would be while passing through.
Hilde eyes the surroundings with some concern. "This seems like the sort of place that you'd like to hold both sides of. My sincere apologies if I'm rude, but is Fasturvalt unable or unwilling to commit to a presence here, if it's an important trade route?"
"And what do you mean, Harvald? What sponsorship does Ivy need?"
What manner of gnomes are these?
Harvald shrugs "If we tried to hold every narrow tunnel within the darkness... we would have none to hold our own walls. There is not food or water here either, it would tax us greatly to keep it supplied."
Ivy responds to Padrym "Ivy not welcome in Fasturvault... joined Gunther to get away..."
"Now, just so you know, Harvald, Ivy is the only reason the remainder of you gnomes aren't being snacked on by that spider. Without her seeking us out, we would have passed right by that entrance without noticing it. Seems like she should be welcomed as a hero by your group."
"This group yes, Gunther hired her on for the caravan... but Lord Geirni has different ideas."
Ivy adds her own colorful interpretation “Lord Geirni is an idiot. A mythic moron. An emperor of imbeciles. A champion of chumps."
Padrym shakes his head.
"Well that won't win you any friends, but let's not go making enemies in a town we haven't made it to yet. Lead on friends."
Hilde makes a mental note of the location. You may not have the wherewithal to hold places like this, but we will. "Apart from the skis'raal and the drow, what other foes do you face here?"
"There are many things that lurk in the dark... but few that would approach a fastness such as Fasturvault. There are the mushroom men of the Fungal Jungle... but they do not press our borders." Regardless, you press onwards towards the city and leave the choke point behind. After another span of time, you come upon the city proper...
Fasturvalt is a single gigantic cave that anywhere else in the world would rate among the largest caverns anyone has ever seen. The cavern ceiling rises more than a hundred yards high at its central apex and is adorned with countless natural hanging formations. Running right through the center of this cavern is the Snabbinflod. This aptly named river comes into Fasturvalt from a tumultuous waterfall along its northwestern wall and roars through the center of town.
The river is black, cold, deep and deceptively fast. The song of the Snabbinflod (as the gnomes call it), a low dull roar, never ceases in the cavern. The water here is murky and overgrown with mildly bioluminescent cave algae that give the lake a sickening pale green glow. The stock lake is teeming with blind cave fish who thrive within their murky home.
Fasturvalt is a misty place. With the river and the lake it is always damp and cool. That condensation plus the ground water seeping in from above means it is almost always lightly drizzling within the cavern. Between the damp mist, the sound of the river and the odors of the stock lake some would say that Fasturvalt is a miserable place to live. Certainly it is far from the dwarvish ideal.
The tunnel you approach the town from leads you along the banks of the Snabbinflod as it wends Northwards through the cavern and past the mushroom fields that fill your sight to the West. You have not seen much in the way of forward defenses... though the force and size of the river betrays that fording it would be a folly - so you expect any guard to be set deeper within the cavern where bridge or ford is placed.
"This is not what I expected at all when returning below. Let's hope we get a good greeting as we approach, as I will need a warm and dry place to stay in."
Nar shivers slightly affected by the dampness of the place.
Agna appreciated the darkness and the native beauty of the cavern. "This is what I expect home to resemble," she sighs, taking in the sights.
Hilde says nothing as she looks around, noting various locations.
Following the curve of the river on your right and mushroom fields on your left, you draw up closer to a solidly built twenty foot wide marble span the straddles the river. A svirfneblin guard post is there, though your dwarven eyes find the outfit of the guards and their attitude hardly encouraging. The initially skeptical eye given a company of dwarves is tempered as the survivors of the caravan are recognized.
Harvald and the guardsman chatter in undercommon of the assault upon the caravan and the role played by your party in rescuing the gnomes. Despite a negative look towards Ivy, the svirfneblin are thankful and welcoming "Come, you should speak to Geirni - he will want to hear of this." Beckoning you to follow him leading deeper into the gnomish community.
One worrying piece of information gleaned is that it appears that there is a drow emmisary present within Geirni's court... as a welcomed diplomat...
Hilde does not visibly react at the news of the emissary.
Padrym pulls several pieces of cloth from his back and wraps the blade of his axe in one, his face in the other.
"No sense catching cold or rust. Let's get to it."
"Did everyone notice the drow? I haven't met any of their kind, but I have never heard a good report about one. I'd advise for us to be on our toes here. If they welcome drow, there is no telling what other surprises might be in store for us."
"The records I have read imply that the power of the drow is great; if true, the deep gnomes might not be able to risk antagonizing them. We will have to tread carefully ourselves until we're strong enough."
Led through the svirfneblin city along the bank of the river - you ford it twice more on the way to Geirni's hall. Eyes look upon you from the buildings with curious bent, and there is not a great deal of suspicion... dwarves not being as exotic a visitor as perhaps other overlanders. The path takes you from a lower area up a natural staircase unto a second rise in the cavern - an area your host refers to as the Gallery of the Gods.
Here are located a solid wall of massive, beautiful flowstone columns that span the entire height of this great cavern. Stained by minerals seeping in from above, these columns are a rainbow of brilliant colors – red, ochre, vermillion and blue.
A few gnomes look to be in some kind of worship near the columns... perhaps imagining the faces of svirfneblin deities forever looking over Fasturvalt within the colors. Beyond the gallery lies your destination - a great hall, square and squat of but a single floor - but with a high ceiling.
Agna strides confidently through the gallery, heading toward her meeting with the remainder of gnomes. I am royalty as well, uncrowned, but still...
"Is Fasturvalt ruled by the priesthood?"
Odd construction, not dwarven at all.
Harvald frowns at Padrym's question before realizing the reason for the question "No, not run by priests. The gallery was here when Fasturvalt was founded... the proximity to the hall is just for the view" smirking slightly as your steps bring you closer to the guardsmen at the great hall's entrance.
Ivy begins to get tense and anxious, glancing nervously to the side and fidgeting with the handles of her daggers.
Nar is slightly uncomfortable, feeling more at ease around his own people. Seeing Ivy tense up he drops back a a little and nudges Stali to be alert since Ivy is being fidgety.
"So the settlement was founded around the Gallery? Interesting. Was there a religious purpose in that?"