"Anyone got any way to keep things quiet around here? I can hide myself. Hiding seven makes it a lot harder. None of you have a clue about life in the wild apart from her."
Baldrech nods approvingly at Whiteclaw and lets his gaze move on to Darius.
"Talk. Quietly."
He moves to hang another layer of skins over the doorway and the atmosphere becomes stuffy fast. Baldrech has a lot of skills, but home tanning isn't one of them.
Tutavak winces. He had not shown the best of his abilities when last Baldrech demanded action.
Darius respects the rules of the house and speaks quietly, "You must be Baldrech. I have spoken to your friend, Hroaldr. He sends his regards."
"As for myself, I am Darius Elliendo, fellow devotee of the old faith and warden of the balance of nature." And on that note, spectral rose thorns sprout from his flail to bring a distant sheet of skin closer.
Darius turns towards the mouth of the cave, and with a dignified wave, evokes the power of the Eternal Rose. A copse of dense, sound-dampening plants of a species endemic to Pharoe, burst to life in a 15ft² area around the entrance of the shelter.
___
Baldrech laughs quietly. "That will work."
He starts to prepare a meal for the weary group as he catches up on the news.
"So you've got one of the stones back and the mad-eyes are guarding it for you? Good. That should keep them all occupied for a bit."
He pokes the fire gently.
"Whiteclaw, why don't you stay here and help me keep them busy in our own way? You'll be bent double in those mines. Looks like they've got a decent replacement in Darius. Did Hroaldr think to send anything more tangible than his regards? Thought not."
"Rabbit stew. Very tasty. Eat it and rest up a bit. Then you can tell me what you plan to do next."
Tutavak, wounded and exhausted, sleeps soundly. In the morning:
"These mines are where, exactly? How many entrances?"
Arianwyn slumps with tiredness.
A rest and rabbit stew makes everyone feel significantly better, even though the passing of the hours has not improved the smell of the cave. Baldrech scrawls a map on the floor.
"The mines sank after you left the first time, but there's a hole now. The mad-eyes don't guard it. Take that how you will. Either something is already guarding that entrance of they don't fear anyone enough to keep them out."
Arianwyn stretches a languid limb and puts on his crown. "Both may be possible. We shall see. But first ..." he turns his arctic eyes on Darius,
"You mentioned 'your world'. I believe we have time for this tale before we leave. Minstrelsy has much to answer for."
Chary eyes Baldrech and says, "So, potentially an easy way in, if not an easy time once we are in there. Have you been in those mines recently? Is it a warren of confusing passages or is there an easy way to find what where we need to be?"
"I haven't been there. The place was hidden until the mad-eyes arrived and then I had enough to do."
Baldrech looks just a shade defensive.
"Still it will make a change from fighting formorians. I'm beginning to seriously dislike them."
"There will be fomorians underground. They've got two of the stones there. How you get those out, I've no idea."
Baldrech stretches.
Tutavak idles, curious to hear Darius's story.
Since no-one is claiming any of the other loot, Kia packs it into the bag of holding except for the skins and the feystep potions.
"Here, Baldrech, it is probably best that we leave the skins with you."
She speaks to Chary, Darius and Tutavak. "I think you need these more than Arianwyn or I do." She gives two to Tutavak and one each to Chary and Darius.
"You mentioned 'your world'. I believe we have time for this tale before we leave. Minstrelsy has much to answer for."
"I hail from the distant world of Golarion, specifically the region known as the Inner Sea. My homeland, the Empire of Cheliax is the latest inheritor of both the traditions of Azlant—the empire of the first humans, and the church of Aroden—the god of humanity."
"The great city of Absalom was founded by Aroden himself when he raised the Starstone from the depths of the ocean, heralding the Age of Enthronement. To this day, people are drawn to the City at the Centre of the World, for legend has it, those that pass the arduous Test of the Starstone earn a place amongst the ranks of the divine."
"Your former companion, Seraphiel, entrusted me with this relic prior to seeking the prize of divinity." Darius holds up the ornate box again. "I have not heard from him since, though I believe that this box is key to his plan to achieve divinity here."
"Seraphiel planned to achieve divinity? Our old enemy Kyleth had similar vaulting ambitions. How tedious of them."
Arianwyn extends a hand for the box.
"Mayhap there is some clue you have missed," he adds.
"Here ya go."
Darius turns over the box, seeming somewhat content to be rid of it.
Arianwyn briefly explores the box but is forced to admit defeat for now.
"Intriguing. Shall we depart?"
Without waiting for any further commentary, he makes his way out of the cave. Moving like a tiger on vaseline, the warlock leads the way to the old mines.
"It was from here that I was taken to the Stone circle. The intention was to sacrifice me with my own blade."
Chary learned from her mistake last time she tried to sneak around with Baldrech and focused overnight on remembering all she ever learned about moving quietly.
"It was from here that I was taken to the Stone circle. The intention was to sacrifice me with my own blade."
"How do you feel about returning to where you almost met your demise?" He asks, perhaps too loudly.
1d20+5
"It was from here that I was taken to the Stone circle. The intention was to sacrifice me with my own blade.""How do you feel about returning to where you almost met your demise?" He asks, perhaps too loudly.
Arianwyn turns a coruscating eye on his new companion.
"Unwilling to repeat the experience. Now shut up."
Kia ignores the slight kerfuffle behind her and steps gracefully through the obstacles.
Somehow the companions manage to find their way into the old mine entrance as the fey members of the party effortlessly bypass all hazards. Their example is enough to help Tutavak and Darius find safe and silent paths as well.
The shaft you are following is surprisingly wide and shows signs of recent working - presumably to allow access to the giant fomorians. Knowing as you do their nature, such evidence of teamwork and persistence seems out of character, but the cause is not hard to find.
Rounding a corner, you come to a large chamber which branches in two directions. A cursory glance is enough to tell you that both passages are in frequent use and that this room seems to be combined guard post and storage point. An even more cursory glance reveals a team of cylopes busily engaged in checking the contents of various crates and barrels.
Light is provided by beautifully wrought containers full of luminiscent fungus, the floor is clear bar some pools of cave water glittering in the light and the roof is supported by natural columns formed over the centuries by mineral deposits.
Three of the cyclopes wield spiked greatclubs (C1,2 and3).
Two carry nets over their shoulders and hold spears (S1, S2).
One has a greatsword (R).
Tutavak opens the battle in his usual manner, launching arrows.
Chary plants herself behind the hulking warden, reading for the oncoming carnage!
"More big things" thinks Kia as she quietly readies her bow.
Tutavak's arrows sing through the air, the first hitting solidly, the second landing just short of his quarry.
Glaring at Darius and moving with uncanny speed, the Rambler moves across the cavern and charges the warden.
Arianwyn curses and blasts, watching to see how many opponents he can capture in a future attack.
Kia fires an arrow at a centaur, happy to be in amongst her friends.
Kia's arrow does its deceptive work, guiding her allies to a weakness in C1's anatomy.
The Crushers turn to focus their single eyes on the party and move to attack. Their size makes it difficult for them to move down the passageway, but C1 acts as an effective cork while his companions move closer.
Targeting Tutavak as the main source of his troubles, C1's greatclub smashes towards the warrior.
1d20+20=40. Umm. Crit. 33 damage to Darius
33 damage to Darius.
Darius rolls with the punch,
"A masterful hit, sirrah. If a tad below the belt."
Suddenly the warden is cocooned in a sarcophagus of chains and dragged into the earth itself. He erupts from the ground the same way nearby in a cacophony of screaming iron.
Chains reach out from the warden's flail to grab Crusher 1, while more chains erupt from beneath the Rambler to drag it to the ground.
___
Darius burrows unexpectedly through the ground, emerging next to C1 and pulling the Rambler over in the process. As it topples, it eyes him with profound dislike.
"You are hardly in a position to comment on sportsmanlike behaviour."
Chary shifts next to the Crusher and expertly pierces its skin with her rapier.
Chary's rapier flicks out and finds a weak spot. The Crusher looks as reproachful as only a one eyed cyclops can as blood starts to flow.
"What have I ever done to you?" he asks rhetorically.
The Slavers try to come to the rescue. S2 is unable to do much more than send a shuriken into Darius, but S1 moves a little closer and pulls a small flask from his belt. The pair looks sadly at Darius and Chary.
"Now then. Let's all just calm down, shall we?"
S1 blows a gust of light powder towards the companions lurking in the passageway. A curious lethargy creeps over Tutavak and Arianwyn.
Tutavak lands one arrow in his quarry before slumping to the ground.
C1 looks distressed as Tutavak looses an arrow into it, but happier as the warrior topples into restful slumber.
The Rambler rise to its feet, takes an unsuccessful swing at Darius and moves away, while Arianwyn triumphantly fells C1. Moving confidently into the cavern, he curses C2 before subsiding into a heap as the potent powder drifts into his nervous system.
Kia looks with disdain at her fallen allies, and with some chagrin also, because she can do nothing to help them.
Deciding that attacking the slaver is the real enemy, she dicides to hamper it a bit.
Kia's arrow lands daintily in S1's arm doing little damage, but portending worse to come.
"Now, now. We can all be civilised here I hope. No need to struggle."
"Quite right. We'll just knock you all out and no harm done," adds the nearest Crusher.
He suits the action to the words and swings at Darius.
"A little bit of a tap and we'll be on our way," says C3 benignly as he moves towards Chary.
Darius is taken aback by the eloquence of the Rambler and its cohorts.
"It's just as well the cyclopses back home lack your eruditeness, else their mythical empire in Iobaria would still be standing," declares the warden as he continues his lecture for the benefit of Arianwyn.
Darius tries to conjure thorns to hinder his foes, but the Eternal Rose admonishes the warden for his arrogance.
___
Darius's informative comments fall on unconscious ears as far as his intended audience is concerned. The cyclopes on the hand, appear interested.
"Iobaria? An interesting folktale," remarks the Rambler.
"I never gave it much credence myself," adds S1.
"There's often a grain of truth in these old fables," S2 chimes in.
The Crushers look exasperated.
"Could we just focus on capturing these creatures?"
C2's comment is only justified as Darius proves himself still dangerous. Lightning and thunder blast around the pair.
Chary reels from the blow, but then steps up to the plate again to hit C3.
Chary ignores the discussion in favour of stabbing C3 effectively in the gut.
"We are attempting to have a civilised conversation here, you know? Are you always so impulsive?"
The Slavers look at each other and sigh.
"Our job could be so much easier, but no cooperation, none at all."
"Sad, really."
They move closer, pulling barbed nets from their packs.
"Now then, let's just wrap this up shall we ..." S1 has the grace to look embarrassed at his terrible pun as the other cyclopes grimace.
"Sorry."
Distracted by their own chatter, the nets falls short.
Tutavak slumbers on.
Tutavak remains unharmed, but unconscious as the Rambler moves north and opens one of the barrels. Arianwyn meanwhile stirs in his slumber and opens his eyes.
He looks unimpressed with events so far.
"OK, we'll take them one at a time then. The civilised one first, I think."
Kia fires off an arrow at the nearest crusher.
Kia identifies C3 as the next target for her allies, unwilling to listen to the discussion of mythic origin.
C3 shakes his head sadly and looks at her. "And you an eladrin. You're supposed to be interested in history."
C2 seems equally disappointed.
"This is disappointing. We're very short on sensible conversaton."
He turns a firm stare on Darius. "Tsk, tsk. You really do need to calm down."
The pair meditatively mallet at Darius and Chary.