"Big walkin' suits 'f armor. Be slaves to da wizard."
He moves up his sleeve to reveal a thick ropy scar on his arm.
"Be strong 's any A've ever met. Swingin' giant weapons like them be toys. Carryin' stones 'n size of small mount'ns."
His eyes seem far away in thought, sometimes a flicker of fear passes through them.
"Risky"
"Hmm." Nagbur rubs his chin in thought. "There be peoples in suits?"
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"People? No... Empty suits all I know."
He replies, looking at the party with sad eyes.
Nagbur looks at Almalik. "This be your territory."
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Feeling bad for the dwarf Fish hands him the hammer. "Next time Fish may no help and finish breakfast."
Almalik nods approvingly at Fish demanding pay.
"Any number of energies could inhabit a suit of armour from common wizards spells to different kinds of undead. I'm not an expert inasmuch on the undead I'm afraid. I will accept the tip on the mine, but I do hope you understand we are not volunteers. If you want work from mercenaries of our caliber, you need to pay. Or maybe just look in your own backyard where the hammer parts had been this entire time."
Meanwhile, some of the cooked bacon's handed to Ama. She takes a bite and makes a high-pitched sound, her mouth still closed.
"I need mooore!" she squeaks when she's swallowed the bacon. "Let's go kill more pigs, Fish!"
You vaguely remember reading a book that mentioned a war long ago. The war was a slaughter done by constructed humanoids. Humanoid creatures forged into machines killed whole villages but mysteriously stopped after some time. What the master dwarf told you sounds very similar to what happened to their old home.
Looking a bit ashamed at Almalik the master dwarf explains his situation.
"Them two went t'you for help were never meant to. Them lot 'ere... sad... t'see we lost'r last link t'our old home."
He glances across the table at the two who came knocking on your door days earlier. He continues talking after a moment, still staring at them.
"Ah've nothin' to offer ye right now. Everythin' was be taken from's. Nothin' left."
He turns his eyes back on you again.
"We c'not forge er mine 'ere. Me ol' home... There we c'n make the most beautif'l 'rmor ye've 'ver seen."
The partying seems to die down, more and more eyes resting on you as the conversation continues. A wide array of emotions displayed on their faces. Someone at your table whispers softly as the master dwarf stops talking.
"Please..."
Nagbur's brow furrows, and around a mouthful of food he quietly asks Almalik, "We strong enough for magic suits of armor? Suits of armor?"
He ponders a moment and then adds, "How we even fight if no one inside?"
Oh for the love of the Gods. Stupid sobbing dwarves. Still though, having a rich mining community owing us many, many favours isn't a bad thing for the guild.
Almalik nods affirmatively.
"If my history is correct these suits of armour are constructs, like golems. Dangeorus things, carried out mass slaughter and then stopped mysteriously. Interesting historical mystery, powerful magic, some treasure at the end, sounds like something I could be amenable to."
He looks to the dwarves.
"We will help you. It may not be immediately for we have obligations with our employer, but we are sympathetic to your plight and will help restore your clan to its former glory."
After some thanks from the Dwarves the partying continues deep into the night and most everyone falls asleep on the spot. In the late morning the dwarves wave you off after giving the directions out of the forest. You make your way back to the trusty guildhouse and are greeted by the growing family. The innkeeper waves you to the table, herself moving to the back. She soon returns with trays laden with food and drink, accompanied by the girl you saved recently. Elard soon follows from the back as well, still in his blacksmiths apron. They all start asking about what happened when you just took off without a word.
Almalik groans as he returns, settling in and sipping at a beer, a past time he's beginning to enjoy despite the blandness of Avistani food.
"Excited young dwarves lead us into an enchanted forest, forest tried to kill us, we took exception and wiped out a small goblin tribe, and got the dwarves their stupid hammer. They apparently once laid claim to a rich mining community we may investigate later."
During the week, Almalik spends some time researching the dwarven mine to the best of his ability.
Ama walks up to Elard. "I want to sell me old nodachi. I have a better one now. How much do you think I could get for it?"
"I'd also like to buy some tools to avoid big traps from killing me. Masterwork would be nice. You know where to get them?"
During Almalik's research Ama often joins him, bugging him with questions about the things he's reading.
"I can also read," Ama one day proudly shares with Almalik.
Elard turns the blade around in his hands, inspecting it thoroughly.
"Bit notched on the edge, has had some good use it seems. With some minor repairs I could get you 40 gold for it."
He says as he holds up the sword for Ama, not sure if she might want to keep it or not.
"I'll ask if Elana can fetch you them tools. I think she'll have them tomorrow."
"So what work good against armor-men you think?" Nagbur asks Almalik during their down time. "Should be getting some. Nagbur think me no can do much against not-bodies."
After a trip to market, Nagbur returns for another meal, a bracer on each arm and his layered leather armor replaced by a fine chain shirt.
After a week of studying, shopping and general goofing around you head off to the village mentioned on the request, Silverhollow. You exit the town through the northern exit and set out on the next adventure.
After three days of hard travelling with rain showers more often than not you arrive at your destination. you enter the town and find that most houses have their doors closed and their windows shuttered, once in a while you see someone nervously peek from a second story window. Following the only big building in town you soon arrive at the town centre with a decent sized church located at the eastern part of it. The rest of the square is filled with large and richly decorated houses. One house stands out from the rest, opposite the church, and following the directions given you decide to enter the house. A man clad in servants clothes welcomes you and says that the mayor has been expecting you. He beckons you to follow him and leads you to a sitting room where the mayor is working at a solid oaken desk filled with piles of paper, the few free spaces blotched with ink. "Ahhh come in come in. I have been expecting you. Took you longer than I expected!"
He raises his head and waves his hand at some chairs dotted around the room, inviting you to sit with him.
"See now I have a problem. Well not so much of a problem. Well yes a problem. I want a road. Between here and Morwald."
He glances over his glasses at Fish and Nagbur, looking really thoughtful.
"Two things make the problem. Yes the problem. The path needs to be between a large lake, stretching between Silverhollow and Morwald, and the mountains on the side of the lake. Two things. First! There is a path of sorts. Dangerous path with lots of ups and down, bends and turns and a couple of streams leading into a lake. This is where the new and improved path needs to go. Take out some of the nasty bends, make some bridges and make the path into a road. I have hired some road workers to build everything. Over and done. Still dangerous but doable. Second problem. Bandits. There is a bandit camp on the others side of the mountains. Don't want to send my workers unprotected to their work. There is where you come in."
He checks everyone to see if you are still paying attention.
"You have two weeks. Every day you go over that time I have to hold back some of your pay to pay the workers. Not to speak of if one of them dies. If you finish faster I have to pay the workers less and I may pay you some more if the result is to my liking. You may help the workers, I have provided you with some extra tools. Keep in mind though, your first and foremost task is to protect them."
He glances at his assistant to see if has forgotten something then nods.
"That is all unless you have questions."
Almalik listens for what feels like years before he finally speaks up.
"So you have an old road. You want to build a new one, and the work is dangerous because of bandits and who knows what else. So we're on guard duty and general problem solving. Fair enough, can't be that bad, right?"
"Took you longer than I expected!"
Nagbur snorts, already disliking the man. "Took longer also to us! We stuck in stupid magic forest helping crazy dwarves. No be planned, no be our fault."
"You have two weeks."
The little vitalist listened to the rest of the conditions with his mouth open. "Wait, wait, you pay us by what we no control? Crew get lazy, work slow, we not get full gold? How that be fair?" he huffs, a bit annoyed.
"Fair enough, can't be that bad, right?"
Nagbur quietly stands, walks over to where Almalik is seated, and solemnly kicks him in the shin. Hard.
"Stupid longshanks! Just when me think you got lick of sense you go say something like that! You not get how this works? Why you not just say 'What could possibly go wrong!' " he fumes, throwing his hands in the air and stomping back to his chair.
The mayor looks, a little annoyed, over his glasses at Nagbur.
"The workers said it could be done in two weeks. I go by their word.
There might be a little extra in it for you if you solve the bandit problem."
"If we stay with the workers for over two weeks, where do we sleep and eat?" Ama asks the mayor, showing an uncharacteristic amount of common concern for common matters.
"Will we be provided with food?"
"You will sleep one the way and food will be provided. The tools and provisions, including a tent, have been loaded onto carts. Ready to be taken away."
He responds in a very curt manner.
"Anything else?"
"Why we no kill bandits first. Then send works for road?" Fish asks.
"There are still wild animals and the such out there. Not to mention if you missed a patrol. It is possible but I'd rather start this project now than later."
He replies in a annoyed tone.
"But those are ruling matters. Not something you should worry your heads about."
Almalik nods agreebly over to Fish.
"Honestly, we could even just negotiate with them. Make it clear they will die unless they relocate. One always needs leverage in a negotiation, and thankfully the four of us make for excellent leverage."
The mayor returns to his work after a quick glance at his servant. The servant beckons for you to follow, escorting you out of the building. After giving some quick directions to the meeting place he heads back inside. Following his directions you end up at two carts, pulled by workhorses, loaded with tools and building materials. There are four bulky looking men waiting beside the carts, looking very bored. One of them looks up as you walk towards them.
"Oi! You them guards lot? Don't bee lookin' that strong to me."
He says as he looks you over.
Fish looks up at the man. "No make Fish angry" the kobold warns, "Or find out how strong Fish really be."
"Nagbur not like that longshanks," he grouses as they exit the building. "He gots control issues. Muchly."
The vitalist frowns at the carts, not liking what he thinks is coming.
"No make Fish angry" the kobold warns, "Or find out how strong Fish really be."
"You no like Fish when him be angry," Nagbur nods in agreement.
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Almalik snaps at the man.
"And yet you're the one who needs guarding. Can we get this over with?"
"Fish can cuts pigs into bacon like no other, and that's exactly what he'll do with the bandits that show up," Ama tells the man who spoke.
She smiles brightly. "You're safe with us, mister and co."
The man stifles a laugh and turns around, hopping on one of the horses.
"Let's get this over with. "
He leads up a road north. A few minutes riding shows the path the mayor was speaking of earlier.
"Here we start. Do whatever you like, there are enough tools for all of us in case you are up for some real work."
The path in front of you is currently made of gravel. Two of the workers grab shovel and start removing the gravel from the path, the other two walk to the side of the path and are selecting medium sized rocks and place them beside the road.
"Need a smoother surface to allow animals to cross the path. Gravel out, rocks in. That be the first part of the job. Further up the path needs some straightening and a bridge here and there. Leveling off the high the steeper parts will be the hardest job."
The rude man from earlier tells you as he is shoveling the gravel. To the right of you are the mountains. The lake starts to the left of you, marking the beginning of the mountain path.
Knowing full well that his trip will be more miserable if he avoids work than if he does the work, Almalik hitches up his sleeve and helps with the simplest task possible, shovelling the gravel.
Fish will try and find a good hiding spot on the mountain side of the path. One with a good vantage point for scouting.
Thinking he might be the foreman, Nagbur walks up to the mouthy fellow and yanks on his pant leg.
"Nagbur okay to help but no much good with shovel. Got some other way for to help? Or maybe me just stay on watch and help also if someone hurt? Nagbur real good with fix hurt." He pulls out his medical kit and waggles it at the man by way of illustration.
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The rude man from earlier looks a little surprised as Almalik grabs a shovel and starts shovelling. The hard look on his face softens a bit. As Nagbur tries to avoid work by waggling his medical kit the man shrugs.
Nagbur gives the man an odd look. "What, you gots no other work needs done but strong stuff?"
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One of the other men decides to respond.
"Nothing else to do beside shovelling, collecting rocks or scouting or whatever you should do to keep our hides intact."
He lifts a fairly large rock and holds it up to Nagbur.
"You able to hold this? If not then working is not going to be for you. Maybe you could puzzle out how to place the stones later on?"
He seems a lot friendlier than the man who was talking to you earlier, at least helping you.
"We need a camping spot for the night too. Not too fond of sleeping under a cart."
With that said he returns to his work again.
Nagbur looks at the man appreciatively. And then at the rock. "Nagbur strong, me got this." He gets a good grip on the rock.
As the man lets go the blue's expression changes to one of surprise. "Me got this," he reiterates as the rock quickly drops until his arms are hanging downward.
His knees begin shaking and his back starts hunching, the strain evident on his face. "Me got this," he asserts yet again.
Sprawled over the rock on the ground and desperately tugging to release his trapped fingers he finally admits, "Me no got this."
Staggering to his feet and gently working his throbbing fingers, the vitalist says to the man, "How far you get today, where you want camp, Nagbur go find good spot."
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The man nods to Nagbur as the rude man from earlier stifles a laugh. He looks around to see how fast the work is progressing and what still has to be done.
"We'll reach the first bend in the road today. At least I hope so."
He turns back to hauling rocks again when Nagbur leaves to scout the area. This while Almalik continues his hard work between the other two shoveling men. Fish in the meanwhile has found a good hiding spot halfway up the mountain, hiding in a bush. He keeps watch on the working men below him and on his surroundings but notices nothing.
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While all of the others started doing something, Ama's stuck between options.
I want to... No, I want to... But I also want to...
When it's apparent Nagbur's unable to help with the heavy work, Ama knows what her role will be. "Don't worry, Nagbur! I will avenge you!"
Ama draws her nodachi and whacks the large rock multiple times. The adamantine blade sinks deeper and deeper into the stone, until it splits in two. "Hahaha!"
She sheaths her nodachi and drags the pieces of stone over to Almalik, who just finished removing some of the gravel. "These pieces can go here!"
Ama then runs back to the cart with stones and start cutting more of the large rocks, to ensure they easily fit into the road.
The workers moving the stones look wide eyed as Ama cuts the stones in perfect shapes to fit the road. Instead of collecting rocks they switch to placing the ones Ama cut onto the road where the shoveling crew is done digging.
The day progresses slowly with digging, cutting and hauling. Round noon Nagbur brings everyone a bite of food to keep everyone going, with the announcement that he has found a good even camping spot for the night. Fish stays in his hiding spot but notices nothing noteworthy.
Later that day the workers retire to the spot Nagbur picked earlier. They start a fire to warm some food. One of the workers who hasn't spoken till now starts talking to Ama.
"That weapon you used... You aren't just normal bodyguards are you? The small ones don't look threatening, though the one who was scouting did look like he has a nasty bite."
The small ones don't look threatening, though the one who was scouting did look like he has a nasty bite."
Overhearing the man's comment, Nagbur gives him a huge toothy smile.
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"We're from the guild in [insert city name]," Ama tells the man. "We recaptured a dwarven mine from hobgoblins, set a captured giant free, fought an army of demons and undead in the desert while using magic artifacts, slaughtered a camp of goblins in the middle of a magical forest with the aid of our free giant friend, and left the maze-like magical forest after concluding our mission there."
Ama has a smug smile on her face. "We're a bit special!" she announces.
If the workers are willing to hear it, Ama recounts the party's adventures in greater detail.
Fish returns to the camp for dinner. He sits next to Nagbur and points at his friends handy haversack. "Why no use magic bag to haul heavy stuff?" the kobold asks between bites of food.
Almalik, exhausted and not particularly great at shovelling gravel looks over to them.
"I'm an arcanist, my skill lies in the mystic arts. Not shovelling gravel. Although I have some magic which could help us on our way, I'd prefer to save it for serious problem and not the day to day work."
Nagbur doesn't bother to stop chewing as he responds. "You gots tireds what healing can help? Sore muscles? Nagbur fix you up."
He looks at Almalik with something akin to respect. "You work muchly hard today."
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The men men listen to you with great interest, having never met such a weird party of people. They even stop chewing their food when the stories get really exciting, although Ama's telling raises some questions as to what happened or what was used.
"We are just simple workmen. Did not expect to get the likes of you lot as guards. Were expecting some burly men with large swords."
One of the men replies. Another looks with a curious look at Almalik.
"Can you show us some magic? Most we get here is a puppet show once in a while!"
The men seem to be enjoying themselves despite the rough start between the two groups.