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Rose looks over at him. Of course of course. Rose ducks back into her domicile and finishes dressing and walks out combing her hair while marching towards the door. Guards! To me! Rose turns and stops in front of the tunnel leading to the door and carefully position myself in as threatening a pose as I can as the guards slowly make their way towards me.
Talirin looks at the Goblin and then to Rose...he walks over to her.
Nothing has changed as of now. Just because the fog has gone do you expect the outside world to be healed and ready to accept life?
If the fog killed all of our people doesn't it make sense that most of the animal life above is also dead?
After you calm everyone down we still need to retrieve the food so that we have enough stores to potentially explore what is going on out there.
Just my thought, you can do with it what you wish.
He eyes over his should to make sure a mob isn't forming behind him.
Polmar heads for the Northeast Tunnel after reaching a dead-end
"Benny can go have a look outside. A bit of recon for the immediate area. Draw a map of what we see.
Jalel made his way to the main cavern to discern what all of the commotion was about.
He came on to the scene just as Benny, Rose, and Talirin were finishing talking to one another.
No, first we calm people down, then go get the food, after that we'll check out the outside. We don't want anybody else going through before we check it out. Hopefully the fog is gone, but barring that, I'd kill for some fresh air.
When he heard the last bit of what Rose had just said, his eyes lit up.
Finally, after so long. We can return to the surface.
"Is it true? The surface is open to us once more." he asked aloud.
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Rose looks at him. Maybe. Maybe it's our salvation come at last, or maybe merely the eye of the storm. We'll have to check it out, but either way, while the outside is explored the people need food. So we get that first then check around outside. Oh wait, you don't know about that. Tagolan and Talirin brought one of the scaled folk in last night, it showed them a supply depot with weeks worth of food like dried fruits that may have seeds for us to plant.
Some folks have definitely heard the commotion Benny, was making along with Jalel's, aloud question.
"What the outside is clear?" "What?" "Why are we still here?" "I am heading up right now?
A crowd is now heading to the South tunnel.
As Polmar, heads back into the main cavern. He then decides to rest first and head out in the morning. He then heads toward the Northeast tunnel when he hears Benny calling excitedly about the surface being clear.
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No you won't! I know you all want to go up there, I do to! But we mustn't be foolish. We've no clue what we'll find out there, have you forgotten the giants? Heckb the fog may have receded, a bit letting us see the sun, but that doesn't mean it's gone! We will check it out, but I need you all to calm down until we make sure it's safe up there. Before that though, a large amount of food has been found and we're going to retrieve it, none are to pass that door until we return with the food then we will figure out who to send outside to see if it is truly safe for us to return to the surface.
The crowd listens to Rose's words and decide she is probably right they all go back to their daily lives for the moment.
A wise decision Rose.
Benny you are with Tagolan and I on the food run. Polmar and likely Lershoth are going with us as well.
With this latest news it is probably wise for you to stay here don't you think Rose?
The people are likely to listen to you over anyone else I would think.
Talirin begins to gear up to head back into the caves.
Polmar yawns as he slept later than planned and seemed to miss all of the excitement.
He gritted hi teeth at the decision of Rose to hold off on going back outside now that the fog had cleared. he still wondered who had died and made her queen. Since he hated the sight of her, he quickly assented to Tal's idea to be a part of the hunting expedition.
Rose, gets to the fog door and sees that the goblin had not gone crazy (unless she had too) sunlight poured in through the glass window.
A terrifying heavy breathing face with tusks protruding from its mouth looks in at Rose, she then realizes what it is. An Orc.
It stares for a moment then begins trying to open the door. But the door is locked tight and sturdy. The Orc then begins banging on it and roaring ferociously. The door is holding strong, for the moment.
The guards pound their chests and say "Ma'am!" the quickly head to collect folks.
All PCs have a guard approach them and relay Rose's message to come to the fog door, immediately.
Polmar looks extremely cranky at the sudden about face in the orders.
"That frelling woman first stops us from exploring and now demands we quit our hunting and come straight to the gate just as we're getting into the hunting. The nerve."
But maybe there was trouble and of course if there were monsters to fight, then it would be a Silverhand who stood at the breach.
He hurried back, a touch slower than the other hunters but with Sling ready and loaded.
Jalel came forward with the guard leading him to the door.
"What's all this about? The guard said something was waitng for us outside?!"
Lershoth comes grumbling up.
"That's all good and fine, but what am I doing here? I tried sending the blasted guard away but he kept insisting. Do you want me to bore them to death with a lecture on the finer points of Engineering?"
Moody as usual he looks at the door at the sunlight, squinting.
"Well that's rather bright, I'm not sure I remember it being quite so. Almost makes the cave seem more comfortable.
So how many of them came, just one?"
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That I saw yes. But there may be more and I have no intention of opening this door without a first line of defense for the people under my protection. As for why you're here, if you're unable to help in combat I'm sure you're knowledge of alchemy will still come in useful. I want you and Jalel collaborating on samples. The mist has been out here for fifteen years, I want to know if we can survive out here, if any plant life we encounter hasn't been warped by the mist.
Talirin had never seen an Orc before, only hearing of their ferocity in the days before their exile.
My father had battled them in the time before the fog. Where there is one there are more. We should check it out. If they come back in force they can break through the door and endanger everyone.
Both of his blades slip from their sheaths...Is everyone here we need, if so go ahead and open it. I will be the first through.
Tal crouches and readies to spring out the door.
Benny grins and hefts his rifle, "It's gonna be right time for booming a few orcs! Benny will handle this loud and proud. Straight to the orc's heads!"
Polmar arrives late, huffing and puffing in time to hear Rose and nods.
"The great Nuada Silverhand will protect us and I will show you the power of his chosen silver sling. Nuada Silverhand is the god of retaking what was taken, just as he retook the land from his wicked brother, we will retake the surface, because it's right. And I won't let any orcs stop us. Now open the door."
Lershoth considers for a moment. "Alright, Im in then. Im not worthless in a fight but I'm not particularly great either.
Lershoth's rubs his hands together, suddenly excited at the possibility of studying the outside world, seeing what the mist might have done.
"As for the Orc or Orcs, whichever, I doubt they will be friendly, but if possible we should either try to talk with them or capture one. If they've been out there for a while they would likely know valuable information.
Just give me a few minutes to prepare."
Lershoth breaks out his equipment and prepares an extract of CLW and Shield.
Lersoth, remembers that the orcs in the area were always bloodthirsty but dumber than your average orc. Easily tricked and very superstitious especially about curses.
They were a problem when Duke Fitzgerald, first established The City above. But he beat them handily, as they heavily out numbered the orcs at the time.
The orcs had a settlement 40 miles or so to the East, but Duke Fitzgerald had it burned to the ground.
Jalel glanced longingly outside for a moment. "Well if capturing one for information is something we need then I can be of some assistance. Once we are ready and if the Orcs have not amassed themselves after we open the door, then I suggest that Talirin and myself attempt a scouting mission to try and take one of the Orcs. Along with anyone else who thinks they may be able to not alert the enemy to our presence."
To be honest I am not a very good tracker...I am a much better duelist!
He punctuates this by swirling his swords around followed by a cartwheel backwards then falling into a fighting stance.
"And yet, Talirin you're one of the best we have. Why don't you also bring your scaled associate with you? I'm sure this will be a time when he or she will prove useful."
And if it's actually proving helpful, I will get to see just how dangerous it truly is.
"Maybe we should leave the Yuan-Ti behind for now, no offense, but if we are about to go out there then I want to know that I can trust everyone."
Let's leave the yuan-ti for now. She is alone but I am unsure yet if we can trust her.
Benny cracks the door open and steps out slowly and quietly, moving his gun from side to side as he takes in his surroundings.
Benny spends a good five minutes surveying his surroundings before calling for his friends to come out.
Benny can hear deep grunts and what Benny figures to be orcish, coming from above. It sounds like it is a little ways away to the south of the underground entrance.
Rose to can hear the sounds of orcs speaking. They are speaking low as if planning.
As Rose looks at her surroundings, she finally gets a looks at what the fog has done to the landscape. The grass stands two feet tall, with a purple hue. Shrubs and other smaller plant life have a purple hue as well, old buildings lay broken and crumbled all around. But what catches Rose's attention most, is a large forest a few miles ahead of the fog door. East of the city ruins. Why this is interesting is for two reasons. first, being there was no forest there before. Second, it is massive. The trees are at least a hundred feet high, and like the other plants have a purple hue to the leaves.