Grint steps 5 feet forward and fires a single bolt at green, then reloads.
Sivar swings his fauchard, which goes over green's head, and hits blue.
Hard enough to smack him to the ground.
As green sees his ally drop, Grint treats him to a fresh bolt.
Elsa throws another icy blast, which Sivar has to duck from, as hitting green, with him in the way, proves a bit risky.
Father Burdock
---------------------
Green (-9)
Father Burdock advances towards theremaining guard's position.
-------------
The guard swings his axe at Sivar.
Was it distraction, or Sivar's confidence that did the trick? The guard sure doesn't seem to be able to hit anything with that.
====================
Grint & Sivar
Elsa & Father Burdock
-----------
Green (-9)
Sivar steps back 5ft and takes a mighty swing at the duergar
Elsa hurls ice at the nearby Duergar
*1.5=16 damage
Green is spared Sivar's heavy attack, as he deflects it with his shield, gritting his teeth and frowning in anger.
Grint
Elsa's blast will miss.
Father Burdock
-------------
Lone guard (-9)
Grint reloads, takes a 5 foot step closer and fires.
*Twang!*
"Gahk!"....the guard takes a nasty hit, and is wobbly on his feet.
Father Burdock swings his hammer.
And with a firm knock on the forehead, Father Burdock takes down the 2nd guard.
Combat over!
One still carried a potion of CMW.
Most likely Grint takes 10 to listen for sounds just behind the corner.
He hears the sound of metal upon metal, and some heavy blowing sounds, up ahead.
If relayed, Father Burdock recognize these easily, as the sounds of a working forge.
He also hears some undercommon a little closer by, with footsteps fading.
"Aye, I hear the music of the forge.", Burdock's eyes closed as he tries to identify the sounds.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Elsa shrugs at the Good Father, it doesn't matter much to her what they are making. Forges are hot, and she prefers it a bit chillier.
Burdock shakes his head. "Not sure what they're crafting. But sounds like we outta move in as it's just the smithy." Burdock then waits for acceptance from the others before taking the lead this time around.
"Sure, lead the way. I'll guard from the back."
Burdock, in the off chance he may be able to reach a fellow smithy, even if duergar, inscribes runes of honor upon his shield that would surely invoke some thoughtfulness amongst the dark-skinned dwarves.
His work done, he then marches forward, shield drawn but hammer holstered.
Sivar moves along with the good father, his eyes and ears alert and almost elfy in their perceptiveness
Sivar peeks around the corner, seeing there is a room without a door.
It turns out to be a large hall, a duergar is working at a desk, and two sentries stand at the wall to the south.
The duergar at the desk is too occupied with his documents, that together with the sound of smithing prevents him from properly noticing Father Sivar. The heavy clanking of Father Burdock's armor would normally give him away, which seems to be masked by the smithing sounds.
Father Burdock sees a faded crest, battered, hanging near the door.
Sivar, through thorough perception, believes its original image or text could be seen if you had a piece of paper and either coal or something else to rub prints with.
Father Burdock opens the door, and the warmth of a forge is in the air.
A bed, a big barrel and a chest are in immediate sight, and he sees weapon racks to his right against the opposite wall.
<CLANK...CLANK......PSHHHHH....CLANK...CLANK.....PSSS>
From here, his hearing, combined with his knowledge of smithing, he determines the smith is working on a masterwork weapon.
Burdock walks in with his shield out, but not in a defensive stance. In Undercommon, he greets the duergar smith. "Hail, fellow master of the forge. I can tell you are blessed with skill at turning metal into art." With a hand outstretched, Burdock follows up. "Can we put aside our differences for a bit to talk about the song of steel?", the forgepriest sincerely hoping he doesn't have to slay a fellow craftsman.
The duergar smithing is of stocky muscular build, and the hammer pauses briefly as his bearded face turns towards Father Burdock.
"And how did a surface scum come down here, only to talk about the magnificence of the craft?"
His hammer is firmly in one hand, and a sharp looking axe hangs at his hip.
"No army of your kind has advanced to this place, ever."
"We came down here on our own two feet, on a mission not only for us but for all of this land: surface and below."
Burdock takes a step closer as he continues.
[b]"Yes, but we are not an army. We are a small group trying to seek out ancient dwarven runes that would only be found down here. Crazed cultists wish to unleash terrible horrors in the surface and below to here as well. We only seek safe passage to any runes you and your people may have preserved. If all goes well, you shouldn't see us again after we leave.
The smith abruptly raises his hammer, pointing at Burdock with it.
"You keep your distance, surfacer, lest you want to feel my smithing tool on your head."
His face shows a grin.
"Runes, eh? That of your forefathers?
HAH! There might even be some in this fort of them, but you'll have to fight your way up. You'll likely die before you get there."
"No, i don't fear you. There are enough forces in and around this place to ensure any infiltrators are kept under control."
Sivar says to Burdock Ask him if I can make a rubbing of that crest with paper and charcoal so we can see what it was?"
If so Sivar will get out paper from his chroniclers kit and search around for something to make an impression with.
Sivar approaches Burdock with his weapon held in a non threatening manner.
The smith's eyes are showing surprise...two surfacers, counterparts to the darklands' inhabitants.
"I can respect your cunningness and might, dwarf, but i have little patience, and my brethren even less so.
If you want to risk your lives to find runes, perhaps you'd like to take your chances up above."
"If I must best you and your kind, so be it. I will grant you the courtesy of not striking at you, as that is dishonorable after such discourse. Continue your work and hone your skill as practice and patience is the one thing our patrons do have in common."
Burdock then motions for the others to follow and moves forward, avoiding the path of the smithy.
The duergar nods.
"That they do."
He returns to working his forge.
Burdock motions for the others to follow him,. "Let's go, while the iron is hot."
Sivar will make the rubbing of the dwarven rune if he can and then follow along, looking around to try and familiarise himself with the surroundings.
Elsa didn't follow all that talk, but she follows the Good Father nonetheless.
Strangely, and perhaps as a courtesy to the one duergar that so far hasn't tried to capture or murder the party on sight, Burdock tries his best to silently enter the next chamber...
But dwarven steel is known for its sturdiness, not its subtlety. Sighing internally, Burdock moves until the duergar notices his loud presence before calling out in its tongue.
"Don't move or speak! We seek knowledge hidden in this fort, not your life! Continue your toil and we shall leave you to your work."
Yet, a deity of luck seems to favor your bold actions, as the duergar seems not to notice your approach.
At least until Father Burdock stands next to him, warhammer in hand.
The duergar is speechless, for a moment. It is unclear if it is amazement, or hatred.
"By Droskar's beard, a surfacer dares come here.
This place belongs to his faithful now. Your kind abandoned it long ago."
Sivar walks up beside Father Burdock attempting to show that it would be better to talk than to fight by attempting to talk and by showing strength.
"We will not harm you, unless we must, we have made it this far so we are rather good at the harming part."
The duergar doesn't understand Sivar's words, but he eyes the both of you with a frowning expression.
"Hidden knowledge?
Nothing is truly -hidden- anymore, in this place.
Go ahead, go see if you survive the upper levels."
The duergar goes back to his work, though seems to follow your movement as you leave the room.
After which a corridor leads you to a larger room. A room in between, as three guards stand watch, looking slightly tougher than the one earlier.
------------------
Elsa
-----------
Guards
-----------
Grint & Sivar
Father Burdock
As the party leaves, Burdock comments, "Fair enough words, Sivar. He doesn't trust we'll survive up above, but we're good at proving people wrong."
Elsa creates an icy barrier between herself and the guards.
A frosty translusent sheet of ice forms before Elsa.
--------------
Blue, carrying a greataxe, turns invisible, and moves about.
Green heads over to father Burdock.
The duergar hits his hated cousin with ferocity.
Red also turns invisible.
--------------
Grint & Sivar
Father Burdock
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Elsa blasts Green
*1.5 =22 Cold Damage
Burdock grunts when the axe cuts into him, but used to duergar tactics, he steps back and casts a spell to end the sneaky assault.
Father Burdock draws even more angry glares, now that cover is blown.
Grint & Sivar
Grint takes a step back , fires a bolt at green and then reloads.