Corum follows Zed.
Varian stays in the circle and tries his best to move quietly and be aware of his surroundings.
Obviously he is not doing too well at either.
Zed and Corum make out the words of the deep voices as they approach within 150 feet. "No one is gravely wounded... we stay. Get back into position. After we escort the infiltrator to Migthwet we will go find out why Horth's undead are attacking us."
Then as someone invisible missteps and snaps a fallen stick, everyone hears... "Mmm someone out there?"
Then quietly... "No no don't bother with illusions now."
Then toward you again... "If that's you, come on out with the parchment. We need to get movin."
*Sneakin', sneakin', sneakin'...*
Zed motions for the others to stay put, ignoring the annoyance that somebody had to break a stick. He moves sideways first, then approaches from a different angle then the rest of the group
The voices are quiet for a moment, then you hear "Ruunda guum"
A pale yellow light appears in the woods just on the other side of a frown-shaped clearing. You see a dwarf-like figure holding up whatever is emitting the light with one hand... The other hand is shielding his eyes.
"Don't be shy now... Horth's skellies're out here. Need to get you to tha Sleepin Ferry in one piece." The dwarfish figure holding the light steps into the swath of clearing.
You are within 100 feet of the duergar holding the light. It appears you have not been spotted yet when he speaks. There are at least two others on the edge of the illumination on the opposite side... one is sitting propped against a tree, the other is squatted next to him. When the one holding the light steps forward, you have trouble seeing the other two in the blue/black darkness.
*Sneakin', sneakin', sneakin'...*
After a few moments the dwarf-like figure turns and walks away from the clearing. You see a second and third as he moves with the light... He grumbles something that sounds nothing like words.
"Could have sworn I heard something."
It does provoke a response in common tongue from one of the others - crouched next to the third who is sitting propped against a tree.
"We should head back to the lumber yard... we have been out of contact for two days. To the Darklands with Mad Migthwet. If that skin suit is still coming it will have to find its own way to the Sleeping Ferry." He straightens and lends a hand to help the seated one to his feet.
Zed reveals himself "Sorry, just wanted to make sure it was you. I have the mayor with me"
The duergar with the conjured illumination turns toward Zed's voice, and steps forward peering and shielding the light from his eyes. "Ah! Good. Well well well Mr Mayor. Closin up shop in Doyle's Run too, eh?" He finally appears to spot Zed once he is a little over fifty away. He then leans to look behind Zed. "Need a hand there Mr Mayor? We just had a scrum with some skellies... know anything about-"
The Duergar holding the light stops when he sees Corum, and looks down at the mayor's cane. He glances at Zed then back to Corum. He clears his throat and swallows... "Uh.. Mr Mayor?"
Judging the Duergar's reaction... It seems unexpected to him, but somehow within the realm of possibility that the Mayor could be in a different form. Though he might not have completely bought it yet, he seems a little reluctant to question it.
Zed waves his hand nonchalantly "Yes I know, he had to appear like this though. Long story. Now, what is it about the skellies?"
Varian stays in the invisibility sphere and does his best to stay as quiet as possible.
The duergar relaxes.. "The burrowin burnin skeletons that Horth clone, unh sorry sir.. no offense" He bows his head in apology to Corum. Then turns and gestures to follow "Your kin... the returned Sirius Horth... Nasty busybody..."
The other two duergar lead while he continues.. "Got word after nightfall that something went down at the lumberyard. We were told... "Magnus Horth the Enlightened has surrounded the village which houses the Academy cube." He says as if reciting or imitating a soulless voice...
"Bah... Magnus Horth the Enlightened he calls himself now... naming himself after the father of the Black Sun... Message went on to say this corridor of sectors would be clear. And they are not."
The duergar are not being terribly quiet... the two out front are scanning intently for hidden dangers, but only in the path they are heading and periphery.
Zed gives an expression of disbelief and anger at his statement about Horth naming himself after the father of the Black Sun "Unbelievable...so, they are not clear. Well get us updated about everything that has happened. We've been distracted of late"
"Been outta touch with our fellow duergar at the lumberyard for a couple days. Other than the message from Magnus Horth's hooded errand boy, we know little. Migthwet has been.. on edge... He seems to think Mr Mayor's alliance here is falling apart, but you didn't hear it from me. I know my leaders... the Cruel Citadel will not be satisfied with just the cube to the Barracks. They will remain, and do whatever it takes to obtain the master key to it as well." He is quiet for a time while the lead duergar slows and motions to be quiet for a moment... they whisper to each other while pointing out a spot in the trees ahead.
The three dark dwarf scouts are wearing grey mail with black links on the back in the shape of a two-towered fortress. On their heads and shoulders they are wearing black cloth bishop's mantles with squared notches at the bottom - like the top of a fortress wall. All three have light crossbows, and handaxes on their hips. The two up front creep forward a few feet and stop.
After a few moments several bats take flight from where they were pointing, and the lead scouts nod to the duergar speaking to you... then pick up their pace again.
He looks back at Corum "If the Barracks key is within the Academy as you have said, Magnus will tear through your village... and with the fresh reinforcements of the newly dead, he will tear through whatever defenses you have at the main gate within the Academy cube. Migthwet thinks Magnus expects to gain control of all three cubes, and open the vault to the Timeless Garden for the entire Quadrivium. Magnus Horth the Enlightened is calling you out, Mr Mayor... announcing he has your village under siege, while the others wait to see who will come out on top."
Zed thinks for a moment "What if we could simply sneak the key out? Faster, less resources used, and it would 'shame' them to know we outsmarted them so badly" he looks back at the village "How strong are his new dead forces, how many? You know I never cared for them much" he yawns "What does the vault do anyways?"
"Mr Mayor here is the one to ask about retrieving the Barracks master key from the Academy... With that Academy master key he can jump into any area he wishes of the Academy cube."
"How strong are the undead? Oh they are strong... hundreds of the burnin burrowers. If he gets control of the Sleeping Ferry, he would have the portal through the Plane of Water to the Timeless Garden... and a world's worth of soggy corpses. Drowned humans just minutes dead for decades of our time."
The lead duergars stop again just as Zed asks about the vault. One says "I felt tremor. Cover light and don't move."
The duergar talking to Zed and holding the light stops and turns. He repeats incredulously "What does the vault do? You... an Eoxian consciousness from the Timeless Garden. You... the vault to your flesh... frozen in time..." He shakes his head and steps back. He starts to reach for his axe. The two duergar scouts leading turn back - seeming unaware of this, hiss... "Cover that light! They can see the light from below the ground!"
You feel a slight tremor in the ground below you.
Zed grins "Just seeing if ya remember" he frowns at the duregar in the lead "What is he going on about?"
Varian feels the tremor in the ground, but says nothing to the others since he is invisible and trying to be stealthy. He scowls as he realizes a faux pas was made and hopes Zed can cover for his little lapse.
Sunny shifts from bare brown foot to bare brown foot. She is far more interested in what seems to be happening beneath her feet than the chatter between Zed and the short fellows.
Corum smiles at the guards. He is ready to jump in if things go south.
The duergar looks more than a little skeptical "Is that human humor? Let me see the message from -" A bony hand bursts from the ground behind the duergar carrying the light, then the other hand. A skeleton starts to push itself out of the ground. The duergar stuffs the lit pebble in his pouch, but it is too late. A small flame erupts from the top of the skeleton's skull and quickly spreads down its head and shoulders as it reaches for the duergar.
One of the lead duergar scouts hisses while going for his axe... "Kill it quickly! Its flames will attract others!"
An invisible Sunny 'Eeeps' and quickly looks about for a tree...or anything at all which is tall up which to climb.
Zed moves forward and brings his morngingstar down
The dark woods are lit in an increasing flickering glow from the creature. The fire spreads down the skeleton's arms. It makes the sound of intense roaring flame as it swings at the Duergar with fiery claws.
The duergar falls from shredded and smoking wounds.
The other two duergar scouts yell out, "Run to the mill!"
The other says to Zed and Corum "On your own boys."
They both immediately turn south and run.
Zed swears Well this could have gone better.. and he swings at the skeleton, passing a hand over his morningstar to make it effect the undead better
With the Dark-Dwarves turning tale and fleeing Sunny doesn't quite see the need for subtly any longer. She races out of the invisibility field to help Zed against this menace.
"Okeys. Whut d'we know about things like this? OIther than tha' burnin' an' tha' scratchin' and tha' diggin', whut else is it we need ta' know about fer us ta' finish 'em once an' fer all?"
Varian shrugs and as a swift action extends a lucerne hammer from his hands and follows Sunny,
From behind Sunny, Varian slams the creature with the two handed lucerne hammer, his best bludgeoning weapon.
Suny steps away from the shattered but possibly still burning bones. And looks to every one else.
"Geeze! Look'it them little fellers runs" Suny exclaims., then looks around.
"Okeys. Two choices then? One is chase after that' blokes and see whut t'is they wanted us ta' see? T'other is gettin' back ta' town an' helpin' defend it against these digger, burnin' things?" She looks to the others for their input.
Zed grunts as he swings "I say we go to where they were taking us. For now, undead equal bad. Take em out"
Each hit sends shards of burning bone flying. The skeleton crumbles from the flurry of bones. The flame dies out a few moments later. The only light remaining is what little is seeping out from the dead duergar's pouch.
Suny frowns, "Okeys...now that's weird.." And she skips over to see what's making the shiny.
"Here...it be stuck...or somat..." Suny tries to shift the bulk of the deceased Dwarf over so she can see what the glow-y thing is.
It looks like a pebble, but it is emitting illumination equal to a lantern. He had stuffed it in his coinpurse, which comes free from underneath the duergar corpse with a few tugs.
After a few seconds of inspection...
In his coinpurse there is also 11 gold. His handaxe, light crossbow, and armor all look artisan crafted. He has a small pack low on his back... attached to his belt.
Once every one is finished looting, Sunny looks to her companions.
"What are people wanting to do. Zed says follow tha' fleein' Dark-drawfs'. Though I dun't think they be responsible fer the burrowin' undead." She points out to Zed.
"Or, does we use our new found knowledge about these diggers an' go back an' maybe help save tha' town? I dun't think they be at all prepared fer somat like these things." She smiles,
"Any other ideas?" She asks brightly.
"No matter what we decide, somebody has to go back to town and inform them of the undead"
"We left so early--let's go back. We have them prepare clubs and buckets of water."
Corum leads them quickly back.
Suny nods,even as she joins Corum in heading back to aid in the defense of the town.
"Maybe we can set up some sort of bait and trap? Some sort of place where we can get all tha' boney things ta' pop up an' them smash em?" Suny suggests as they trot/jog back to town.
"We cannot stay and wait for the attack. The ruse to let us pass will only last so long. We need to warn the town and hope that they can prepare an ample defense. Greater evil we are after!"