"He's telling the truth." Quetzalcoatl says as Ridley interrogates Old Russ, "He really doesn't remember where the cabin is."
With that he sees the druid enter, and with that the suspicious looks of his new comrades. "Aye." Quetzalcoatl says, agreeing with Eli. "She came in peaceful enough."
His avian eyes abate to Ghael and her vine. "I've never seen such a creature. Are you native to these parts, miss?"
He returns to the bar where Ysbel is playing with the vine to let his comrades sort out the logistics of their makeshift alliance, but he continues to look at the crawling vine curiously.
Ghae shrugs: It is not my place to judge how one is punished for a murder. His body will return to the earth and will feed plants which another person may eat some day. This is the cycle of nature.
His avian eyes abate to Ghael and her vine. "I've never seen such a creature. Are you native to these parts, miss?"
He returns to the bar where Ysbel is playing with the vine to let his comrades sort out the logistics of their makeshift alliance, but he continues to look at the crawling vine curiously.
I spend most of my time in the woods tending the trees. I have come here because I sense something is wrong. As though there is an illness or blight in this area which is slowly killing the plants and trees.
"Well perhaps you should talk to the others about this Mouth of Doom. Or Rappan Athuk. Fate has whispered those names into all of our ears. Perhaps for you those words have become deadly." he says, twitching as he speaks the name of the dungeon of graves.
He reaches a finger out to touch the vine, childhood wonder filling his eyes as easily as it had Ysbel's.
Ghae giggles as Q and Ysbel tentatively touch Trangles.
Don't worry, Trangles will not bite you.
She laughs again. Especially since Trangles has no mouth.
Ghae reaches up and scratches the vine and you could swear that it rolled over slightly like a puppy dog. She then ducks her head and lifts the vine off her shoulders and places it on a pair of chairs.
You all can look at Trangles and touch it, but please to not go plucking leaves or poking it with sharp objects. Trangles really does not like getting hurt, just as I am sure you all would greatly dislike having your hair pulled and having people stick you with swords and spears.
Ghae then walks over to the group huddled around the map table and the old man.
Afternoon, I am Ghaelja, but please call me Ghae, it is usually easier to pronounce. Is this the famous map table the guards at the gate were laughing about?
Old Russ knocks back his drink when it comes.
"The Old Shack belonged to Maslow. Before he hung himself out to dry. They say his spook is there to this day. Can't for the life of me remember where he lived though."
Raziel spots the half elf from the corner of his eye, and notices the way she speaks about a... Branch? Vine? As if it was alive and having a drink with them. In spite of being terribly curious, he shakes the thought away and focuses on old Russ - Hard to get information out of this one - he ponders with a grin.
"So Maslow is dead - did anyone take ownership of the shack or... Did anyone else in town knew him, or where he lived?"
Hound shake shimself awake as Russ's head clonks on the table.
Rats! The staple of beginning adventurers everywhere.
Hound looks at the newcomer druid. It seems to be. Different groups make their mark here about the surrounding area. Looks like we have a few spots we can check out such as the Old Shack and Mouth of Doom.
Q knocks on the bar as Hound says Mouth of Doom. "Join us Ghae. If you can connect with the nature itself then I am sure you will be a welcomed addition to this party we are forming."
He turns around, eyes averting away from the crawling vine. "None of you would have told her no if she asked to join us. Besides, look at her. She's clearly interested." he holds out a hand toward the half-elf, pointing out that she has made herself quite comfortable looking at the map with the others.
Ghae looks at the map.
I am not the best with maps, however I recall hearing of a clan of pixies and grigs. I think they refer to themselves as the Fethine. They make their home in a clearing in a small wooded valley. They are good fey, but I am telling you this because I have heard that there is a dungeon called the Black Fane near their valley. It is rumored to be a secondary entrance into the famed Rappan Athuk.
Ghae suddenly gets a concerned look.
Why are you seeking Rappan Athuk? Many of the creatures there hate nature and destroy all in their paths. . . Or, at least those are the rumors I have heard from other druids.
/meta
She looks trustworthy, so she can join.
Ghae looks rather surprised by the offer:
I have little experience adventuring with a group, and less in a dungeon. Although I am sure that nature will assist me. Where do you all plan on going? And if it is to harm or destroy that which I seek to protect, then we shall not remain allies for long.
Ghae looks rather surprised by the offer:
I have little experience adventuring with a group, and less in a dungeon. Although I am sure that nature will assist me. Where do you all plan on going? And if it is to harm or destroy that which I seek to protect, then we shall not remain allies for long.
"You saw the map," Q says in a stern but surprisingly friendly tone, "why don't you help them decide?"
Ghae looks toward the serving ladies:
Do you know of any valleys? Ones that might have clearings in them?
Or, perhaps there are tracks or signs that can be followed to find the Mouth of Doom or another entry to this famed dungeon.
"Where I'm from the women aren't much for book learning. Spent more time chasing boys than they do an education." Q says, smirking proudly at the little girl. "She knows more about this place than I do."
Not sure which map is the one on the table. But, looking at the map listed "Zelkor's Ferry Wilderness w/ Grid" above.
----
Ghae shrugs. If we do not know exactly which direction to go, then lets start at the beginning. The map is labeled 1 to 11. We are at 1 in Zelkor's Ferry. We seem to have two options. Go through the marked places in numeric order. Or start with the closest. Since there does not seem to be a real order to the numbering, my vote is take the closest and if the dungeon is not there, then we move out from there.
She places her finger on the place marked #4. Four is closest, lets check that out. Then five and six are close by. We can then return to town, or continue on to the next marked place.
"Well. What exactly should I be looking for that's around here then?" he asks, looking at Tallie. He tips his mug over slightly, showing her its empty. "You should have one with me."
No time like the present.
"Logic seems sound enough. Do we head out this afternoon, or wait until the dawn? I'm game for leaving now, but I've burned some of my spells already, so I wont be operating at a hundred percent. I still hit things good though."
"This is exploratory for me." he says, looking at his new friends huddled over a map, "There's something that draws strangers to this place, and then onward to these strange and dangerous areas where there is little hope of return. And look at them! I want to know what makes them tick, why descend into depths of unknown terrors knowing they might not see the light of day again? There's something they see that I want to see too." he pauses for a moment, as if surprised by his own interest in the adventure.
With a smile he leans in toward Tallie "I see it in your eyes, but there is nothing to be guilty about. You won't stop adventurers from seeking adventure. If it is not you then it will be someone else who tells us where to go. Our fate drives us to test the Mouth of Doom." he then places a hand gently on her arm, "The best you can do is keep our mugs and our bellies full, we'll appreciate it if we are indeed approaching impending doom... Besides that I don't think they will make it very far without someone with a gatling arm." he cranks his arm twice as he says this as if knocking two arrows.
Perhaps if we write on that device the half-orc talked about we can delay the killing of the one who is hostage.
It was just fisticuffs between us. If he had drawn his axe, I would give not one wit to what he cared about.
Eli turns around in his chair, putting his back to the bar. He doesn't speak. He just watches everybody knowing that he's ready to leave whenever they are, and is in no great hurry either way. Two and a half decades has passed already. A few more hours won't hurt the search any.
Q's words catch Eli's attention and he mutters a response as he raises his mug to his lips, not caring if Q catches the words or not focused as he is on Tallie, "Everybody's doomed. 'to what?' is the question." Eli pauses, frowning, as he realizes that the sentiment he wanted to put into words didn't come out as he'd hoped and decided that it was better that Q was preoccupied.
While the others have been sharing ideas and plans, Raziel looked over and over to his notes, turning the map this and that way, then opened up a huge smile - "Ok boys..." - he then turns to Ridley first, and Ghaelja next with a smile - "And ladies... I think I got it"
Then pausing for a moment, he looks at the newcomer and adds with a nod - "I am Raziel by the way" - then grins.
"Alright, back to business. So... Number four here is 'where people cross the river'" - he looks over his shoulder and winks at Ysbel, then continues - "If it is marked for simple information or if there is something else, it stands to be figured out. Number six is 'Laughing Dog Hill' - the name is puzzling to say the least - no idea what can be found there. But number ten is the gold - 'the haunted cabin' - according to Old Russ there" - he motions for the now knocked out old man - "It belonged to a fellow named Maslow that apparently 'hung himself to dry' and has been reputedly haunted ever since, but what matters the most is that Old Russ told me that from the Maw I could see the old shack - this means the entrance is most likely one of numbers eight, nine or eleven" - he then leans back on the chair, apparently pleased with himself, smiling at the ones around.
Lifting a finger, he finishes - "However I don't think it a good decision to move directly to the Maw - fact is these locations are marked for a reason, and even though we are unsure of those, I believe they all deserve investigation - just my two cents though" - he shrugs.
All set here. If they had potions or scrolls, grab those.
EDIT - Skip that, I do not have crossbow proficiency - foolish wood using driuds.
"Ppffffttt. My friend here is all heart." Ridley says jokingly slugging Hound in the arm. "The question is what do we write on the bark. Had an issue but all is well now, we still need the girl. perhaps?"
Q leaves to attend the funeral as well, though he tells Tallie to save him a bowl.