Alaka will help Kwaizy.
Ahmose excited begins examining the paperwork....
Floggy wipes the dust from his cloak. "Damned ogres. I wish we could have asked them about the hobgobos, but they were so unpolite..." He then turns to Kwaizy and the others. "What do the papers say?"
Things you find out by looking over the papers:
-General Azaersi rules the Legion with an iron fist, but much of the day-to-day operations are left to her commanders. Kraelos commands military operations. Taurgreth directs the Legion’s special forces, such as scouts and spies. High Priest Azlowe sees to the Legion’s spiritual needs, casts divinations, and oversees their army of faithful. A fourth advisor, Zanathura, works outside the command structure and seems greatly disliked by all except Azaersi herself.
-General Azaersi has been consolidating her power for 2 years, ever since meeting the witch Zanathura in this same valley and learning from her how to open the Stone Road and maneuver her troops unseen.
-Several letters speak of a place called “Onyx Citadel” as a central location from which the Legion launches its attacks, but nothing mentions the citadel’s location.
-Phaendar, now Fort Phaendar, continues to consume huge amounts of resources and appears to have a well-supplied garrison defending it from any possible counterattack.
-Zanathura’s morlock servants dwell in caverns below the collapsed dwarven ruins at the far end of the valley.
Alaka comments while reading.
Hmm. I wonder how you open this "stone road" thing. Sounds useful. I bet those morlocks could show us how. Maybe we should go try to find them. And Dwarven ruins sound interesting.
We probably need to burn down some of these other places too... hmm. Like this Onyx place if we can figure out where it is. And Phaendar. Wait, have I heard of that place before? Kwiazy, didn't you guys save some human-type people from there already?
"If this witch is giving the Legion some magical capabilities, it's an asset we should eliminate. Going to the caverns would allow us to learn more from it."
Ahmose reads. The Blue Whisper begins making clicking and clucking noises. He takes out his notes; and he begins copying the findings.
Taurgreth sounds the most dangerous. We should eliminate him as soon as possible!
The Blue-scale then looks up from his studies.
Zanathura should be next; if we can locate her.
He quotes:
Zanathura’s morlock servants dwell in caverns below the collapsed dwarven ruins at the far end of the valley.
That does sound as if we should visit.
He grins.
Xakroo ponders over the papers, nodding with the others. The term "morlock" confuses him, and he tries to figure out if he's ever heard of anything like that.
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Ahmose prepares for the journey to the collapsed dwarven ruins at the far end of the valley.
Xakroo instantly remembers what he was told about morlocks...and shuddered.
Let's be careful regarding those morlocks, he snarled through gritted teeth, Nasty things-descendants of an ancient human civilization that escaped a calamity by fleeing underground. So degenerated they don't even remember their ancestry, and usually worship demons. I've never seen one but I've heard they are horrific in appearance.
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I've heard they are horrific in appearance.
Worse than humans?
Kwiazy chuckles at Alaka's question. "Humans aren't that horrific once you get used to them. Just different and so... I dunno... pink?" Kwiazy shudders slightly and then shrugs, having had a lot of time to get used to humans. "I guess we need to across the valley then?"
Yep. Let's take the papers and go. I'm tired of reading for so long. My eyes feel buzzy.
Floggy agrees that all of them need a bit of action and walks away, following Alaka Zam.
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The dragonette will swoop back down closer to the party.
"I haven't SEEN anything yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't things lurking and waiting. I'm going to fly ahead again and keep an eye out, not that we really need it at this point. Walking is so boring." Petrahk comments to the party before moving to an aerial overwatch once more, keeping pace and senses sharp.
Alaka starts towards the collapsed dwarven ruins at the far end of the valley.
Kwiazy walks casually by Alaka's side, keeping pace with her... On the way, he keeps an eye out for sentries, while talking softly to Alaka. "So, tell me about this Sunny-Ray god-person of yours Alaka... You share her heals, we should at least know about her."
Oh, she's amazing. She is a great big fire god with so much power, but she also likes people, and wants us to be good. Isn't that strange and amazing?
"She sounds pretty good... fire and likes people, even gobbos, right? Very strange... most longshanks don't like gobbos... mebbe gods are different, eh?" He looks pensive for a moment, then frowns as he tries to reason through it all, figuring out in his head about gods and gobbos.
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Oh yeah, gods are different. They get to burn everyone to ash if they want to, and it is just right if they say it is right. I think they have big heads, and usually that makes them mean to little heads like us.
Like Lamashtu. She's mean. You know.
But Sarenrae, she is nice even though she is a big head, and she likes little heads.
Ahmose seems to be enjoying the conversation...
"I know about gobbo gods.. well not much, but I know there are some, four I think?... little godlings. But the only one I remember is Zargel.. something like that...I remember hearing about him when I was little. And Lamashtu, too.. who isn't a gobbo. But not good ones like SunnyRay." He sighs. "Gobbos were really ... I dunno.. mostly thought were wrong-thinking and longshanks didn't want us around much. They thought we were pests... like rats or monkeys. I'm glad things changed... but we always seem to have to prove ourselves... over and over. Mebbe things won't really change completely until there's more change. Something big has to happen mebbe?"
Kwiazy scowls as he tries to remember all the tales from his childhood, and all things he's learned from the humanocentric folks... Suddenly his eyes brighten and he smiles a toothy goblin smile.
"Mebbe... someday... a gobbo needs to jump across the big hole in the big city on the little island and become a god? Mebbe they will all take us for better someday... Accept and respect gobbos more? I mean if the gods do, the people will, too, yes?"
Ooooh. GOOD idea. I like that. We should all go and become goblin gods. That would be fun, and then we can make a better world where goblins are nicer, and everyone likes them. Dang. I wish we could do that part now. I guess we better hurry and go find these Morlocks so that we can get to becoming hero goblin gods faster!
She picks up speed, running flat out.
Kwiazy thinks Oh my, what have I done? and then runs to catch up to Alaka.
Ahmose smiles at his new goblin allies.
I do like the sound of it though...hehe!
Floggy negates with his head, tired. "Gods... I don't give a damn about them, really." Then he shrugs. "Sadly, they sometimes give a damn about me, and stand on my path." He never understood how Gods think, if they think at all.
Xakroo fluffs up Zarvak's feathers as the talks of gods goes around. My God is the good dragon god, Aspu. Though...I'm not exactly the most devoted when it comes to religion. More spiritual. Yet gods serve their purpose, just like we do.
Kwiazy shrugs to Floggy as he runs by trying to catch up to Alaka. "Mebbe they they are on your path to help you, not get in your way. I.. " he scowls as he thinks hard about the tales he'd heard... "I think I've heard such stories, anyway. You could ask Alaka. Or ask the gods yourself! C'mon, Floggy, we can't let Alaka find these morlocks all by herself... we've gotta keep up!" He runs to keep up.
Being the stealthy little monsters that you are, you easily make your way across the valley without attracting any attention and find your way to the dwarven ruins. Stopping for a moment, you admire the stream of cool fresh water that an ancient aqueduct still brings to the ruins, though the pool they fill is now cracked.
In the ruins, you find a crevice, which heads down into the ground.
Arriving at the entrance to the ruins, the Blue Whisper takes out a wand. He searches the entrance for trip wires and such just prior to activating the wand.
He then winks at the others, as he stealths inside.
Alaka heads down the crevice, still excited about Kwaizy's idea.
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Kwiazy follows Ahmose and Alaka inside... remaining as stealthy as he can and trying to be observant at the same time...
His rapier is drawn, just in case...
Floggy follows, thinking this is not s fun as he expected, but well... He's here for retribution, and retribution sometimes takes doing non-funny things.
Xakroo and Zarvak follow in the back, assisting in making sure they aren't spotted by any danger.
Ahmose begins to do some stretches....
After you carefully climb down about 1000 feet, you find a cavern opening to the side, although the crevasse continues downwards. You hear faint sounds of living creatures from the cavern opening.
Alaka, a little bit more focused after the climb, motions towards the cavern, where she can hear creatures moving, and moves off to the side to check it out.
Muttering under his breath about folks needing to climb; instead of taking a lift, Ahmose sighs thankfully when the platform is discovered.
The Blue Whisper smiles as he hears the sounds of voices coming from the cavern opening.
The Blue-scale then stealths over to see what's what....
Kwiazy draws his weapon, as silently as possible, then slips closer to the cavern to see what lies beyond. He keeps to shadows moves as stealthily as he can.
When he gets close enough to observe the cavern, either visually or audibly, he tries to learn as much as possible about those within.
But he seems too distracted to learn much...
Floggy follows the rest, and when they make known that there someone nearby, he takes measures as to not be seen. With a quick incantation, he pops out of sight.
Kwiazy sees Floggy disappear and marvels at the trick... nods in appreciation of the ability.
Xakroo and Zarvak slowly creep up along with the rest, following the team as they get closer and closer.
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OK, please pick which of the two holes you are going through and place your token on the map in that area.
The Blue Whisper stealthily approaches the voices....