Rose!
While resource gathering:
So Jalel, you wanted to speak with me last night, while we are out here it would seem a good as time as any other.
Benny spends the rest of his day in Lershoth's alchemy lab, testing the remains of a powder keg to see if it's still any good or could be mixed with something for potency.
Rose 1sp
Benny, It looks like the keg is no good. it does not seem to work with other things.
Jalel looked over at Lershoth.
"You are a very popular figure Lershoth." Although your social skills are quite lacking.
"Mostly I had wanted to speak with you about learning more of your alchemist trade and going over the specifics of the alchemical solutions to add to the plants so we don't waste any more time and resources on faulty combinations.
Although now that we are out of confines of our ruler's influence, I must ask you, what do you think of our new Duchess? She has many skills and seems a competent, as well as confident, leader. But after a run in with her before I came to see you, I'm beginning to suspect she has a darker set of talents."
It is now nightfall.
Tagolan an Talirin you two are back to the main cavern. folks are mostly asleep...including a few guards. How do you proceed?
Miro, You head to the Northeast tunnel, after properly preparing.
As he heads for the tunnel he sees Sam a good 30 feet or so ahead of him. The guards that were outside that tunnel guarding it are no where to be seen.
[spoiler=Jalel and Polmer]
"Frankly, whether people like me or not is of little importance. Certain things need done, if people like me for it then that makes things easier. If they don't it doesn't change anything."
Lershoth inspects a nearby rock for a few minutes, checking for impurities. "No good, it's been metamorphosed too many times, the original properties are no longer pure. It makes it too volatile to use.
I'd be happy to work with you on the recipe, I agree, wasting time is worthless. Perhaps we can start meeting after Rose's weekly sessions to review our individual findings and compare notes. If that arrangement would work for you.
Speaking of which, I would not disagree, she seems to have odd 'quirks' at times. But if she gets the job done then I'm less concerned with such matters." Lershoth smiles slightly. "All the same, if your suggesting to keep an eye on her, well I can't say that I think it's a bad idea."
Polmar's eyes sort of glaze over at all the alechemical and political talk. But after a little while he finally seems to have an opinion form in his head.
"We all know she's just some self-important bimbo but honestly what does it matter who governs if all we have is some rocks inside of a cave. Let her be the queen of the dirtpile, but that's all she is. A lord needs to be able to provide for their people and she offers nothing to our cause but some arbitrary organizational 'skills'. Nothing that inspires anything like loyalty. That all went out the window when we got forced into this frelling hole. That said, the three of us do have skills. We are the power more or less so as long as we can touch base with each other we should be fine."
Polmar looks to have an itch on his foot. "I sort of want to explore a bit once we're done gathering. I understand if you don't want to come with but I dunno I don't feel like I have much to accomplish back at the hovel."
If so Talirin walks up to one of them, his tail tickling his nose to wake him, Shouldn't you be guarding the entrance? he says with sarcasm.
As the man stutters and stumbles, No need to answer. I won't report this dereliction of duty...this time. If I ever seeing you men sleeping on the job again...lets just say the consequences will be dire.
What if I was some cavern monster?!?!
Tagolan, lets find our new leader and bring her up to speed on what we have found. We will need to set out first thing in the morning to recover that food...and introduce our new guest of course.
The guard that Talirin, awoke gives a start. Then apologizes and thanks Talirin, for showing mercy. Then gives another start at seeing the Yuan-ti following behind you. He then proceeds to lose his s&&&. He draws his sword and yells before anyone can react, "We're under attack!"
The other guard gets up and draws his sword as well. Folks are starting to come out of their homes, and as soon as they spot the creature proceed to flip the f$#% out.
Stop that right now. This person is with us and is not a threat! You two put your weapons away, that is an order!
To rose. let's go to a private place and we can bring you up to speed as to what is going on here.
Tal proceeds to bring Rose up to speed on what they saw and did over the last few days.
In particular he tells her about the food stores they have seen.
I believe these food stores are critical to our people. We should leave with a well armed group to gather the stores tomorrow morning. Is there a small group you can trust to send with us that can handle themselves?
If we run into trouble I want capable hands that can defend themselves. The guards in training do not meet that criteria yet. I have more to say about that but it can wait.
Tagolan, do you have anything else to add?
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Rose sits back and considers things. If they don't make it back Jalel's farming is all we'll have, he'll have to stay, Benny could be spared, Lershoth needed to continue with training the other alchemists. But I could do that. I can spare Benny, a man I've recently met named Polmar, and either Lershoth or I will go with you, they can protect the group, how many more do you think you'd need to carry the food?[/b]
And yet that "dirt pile" Polmar, is where new things grow... and where you are trapped as well.
Jalel smiled.
"Hmm, while I do understand your beliefs Polmar, her organization skills are necessary." At least for now.
"If you believe that we hold all the true power... well I'd have to call you a fool for underestimating her. We are perhaps strong in our own right, but even a dirt pile can hide the seeds for future strength. Many of those that have survived the years down here are still alive because of their own tenacity. Loyalty is often the effect of admiration and makes those survivors obey in the long term. Disorganized though they are at the moment, an organized leader, such as Rose, could use them to great effectiveness. At least temporarily."
Rose you have 1 more day.
Rose sits back and considers things. If they don't make it back Jalel's farming is all we'll have, he'll have to stay, Benny could be spared, Lershoth needed to continue with training the other alchemists. But I could do that. I can spare Benny, a man I've recently met named Polmar, and either Lershoth or I will go with you, they can protect the group, how many more do you think you'd need to carry the food?[/b]
Yes, whomever you can spare that makes sense. I don't expect trouble but this is vital food that may hold us until we can get our own supply going.
Plus bringing back this food will raise moral and make those who bring it back seem like heroes, which will go a long way to keep us going and you in power.Talirin watches Rose's body language when he mentions this.
Benny would emerge from Lershoth's lab, slightly glum from the poor results of his experiment. Benny will need to instruct miners on looking for materials to make gunpowder. Bad idea for me to have the last of our stock.
"What makes all the racket in the cave, Benny is trying to work alchemy on gunpowder and couldn't manage a single result!" Benny investigates what a member of his guard saw and nods a bit. "Snake person in cave. Came back with the hunters and you're worried. Have no fear, Benny will solve this problem!"
Benny would head off in search of Rose, and he finds her!
"Found food you say? How much food was found and is it properly seasoned for travel? Maybe deliciously pickled or salted. Will help be needed in retrieving the foodstuffs, because if so, Benny volunteers for the mission. Need to search the tunnels outside our cave for minerals anyway. Low on gunpowder and the last keg went bad."
Lershoth's tail twitches slightly but otherwise he doesn't say anything.
[b]"I would agree with Jalel, underestimating our leader would not be a good life choice, you are free, of course, to think what you will though, Polmer.
As to he rest of it, I'm fine with her leadership as long as she continues to prove to be effective in her organizational skills. If we ever do manage to get above ground again then maybe things will change, though I suspect people will want someone they trust to help adjust us if it ever happens. But for the time being this 'dirt pile' is our home, and she has a good plan in mind.
I will not be joining you on exploring any further, it's not that I'm not curious, but Ive got what I need and the Alchemy lessons are expected to begin again tomorrow.
Benny, it's enough food to feed the group for several weeks and a good supplement to the meat we are supplying. Hopefully it could carry us to the point where some of the things we are trying to grow take hold.
He started to turn back the way they came, but put a hand to his chin and shook his head.
"No, no wait. Perhaps I'm being too hasty. I admit I have not really gone out far to the tunnels before now. Other than a few potential dangers, claiming rocks, and hunting rats, what exactly have such endeavors yielded recently... or even in the past? Surely the two of you have heard some stories from others recently or otherwise."
"I have not heard much to be perfectly honest, rumors are Lways abound but most, if not all, are surely fabrications of imagination gone wild. Those that aren't are so buried with those that are that its a madman's game trying to discern them.
As much as I would like to continue exploring the need to get the alchemists ready for plant food is too high to let myself give in to such fancies right now. We're not so far out though that I'm overtly worried about making it back by myself. Though I might be of use to you each yet."
Lershoth sits down breaking out his alchemy equipment and prepares an extract of cure Light Wounds and then hands it to Jalel. Along with another extract of CLW, Monkey Fish, and Heightened Awareness. Lershoth explains what each are.
"Unfortunately the three I had prepared will go inert by tomorrow morning, if you can keep track of time well enough to know when that is. That last extract I just made should be good for 24 hours though.
Now, if it's all the same to the two of you, I'm going to head back. Should be able to get back by late evening, early morning and at least catch a few hours of sleep. Good luck on finding something interesting, I'd be most curious to hear about it if you do."
With that, Lershoth gathers his belongings together, placing his hat firmly on his head, and begins to head back to home base.
Lershoth 2sp
Polmar nods. It would seem the two of them were basically complacent to be down here. They simply accepted the two year time frame and did not seek to improve the situation. And to think they viewed themselves as adults.
"Well if it's all the same to you I will keep on going then. I haven't honestly heard too much but I am small and somewhat nimble so I should be able to extract myself should anything go wrong"
Polmar will hand over his gathered herbs to Jalel See to it your gardeners begin cultivating these. Healing herbs are going to be essential. A simple scrape can kill a hunter from infection if he goes untreated.
And with that, Polmar will continue to explore to the north.
Polmar, You come to a dead end.
A reminder of the layout.
There a five tunnels the North tunnel (Now blocked off) The Northeast tunnel. (Another tunnel that was never fully explored.) The East Tunnel. (Most rats come from here and where Tag and Tal, currently are.
The West tunnel. (The widest tunnel. Miners seem to have their best days in here)
And the South tunnel. (Shortest and where the door to check on the fog is)
Miro, decides he is just to tired and heads to bed.
Morning of the fifth day.
Who will Check the fog door today?
It might be leaking...
Benny goes to give the fog door a little look see before his food mission.
Benny comes running and screaming down the tunnel back to the main cave, "Sunlight and no fog. We can leave! WE CAN LEAVE! Benny said the fog would go eventually and we'd all be able to go outside. The surface world is for the taking and Benny is going to get some of it after he grabs the food!"
Benny continues throughout the main tunnel, screaming about the lack of fog and seeing sunlight for the first time since he can remember.
As Benny swings by his way, Lershoth comes stumbling out of his lab, the sleep still crusting his eyes as he grouchily yells after Benny
"Why are you going about shouting and hollering for you crazy Gob.... Wait what? Did you see you could see the sun!?"
Lershoth stands there for a moment totally stunned. Then gathering his wits and starts running after Benny.
"Benny, stop yelling about, we don't want the whole place in an uproar! We need to be pragmatic about this, people might try going out or something stupid without any plans in place."
Catching up to Rose kissing Benny, Lershoth kind of pauses for a second.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asks dryly.
"Rose you need to control this situation, if the whole place doesn't know already it surely will soon enough, with big mouth there going about hooting and hollering. We need to make sure people don't try and go outside before we know for sure that its safe."