"I s-see it t-too," Marigold whispers when Juraan mentions their curious guest. "Sh-Should we try to s-see what it w-wants?"
"We might scare it off." Juraan whispers.
"It might become bolder or friendly if we leave it be."
Ryan notices the creature as well, Taking Juraan's suggestion to heart but with his own spin as he makes a stew out of the mushrooms, humming to himself as he goes about cooking duties for the night.
When the stew is ready he sets aside a small cup of the stew off to the side , returning to the others to enjoy his own.
Waiting to see if the creature would be willing to try it and perhaps begin a dialog with the companions.
"Mushrooms? Arn't they like fungi, just like the things that just tried to eat us? " asks JJ, looking at the fungi suspiciously.
As he does so he glimpses the fairy.
"I see it too. I wonder if it is friendly." he asks
I guess there is only one way to find out
"Hello!" he calls out. "May we rest here tonight? And do you mind if we eat some of your crops?"
The creature seems to get surprised by JJ's call. It then hides behind a mushroom and starts talking in sylvan.
"What are you?" the tiny voice seems full of curiosity "You do seem like the bearded ones, especially those two there, just you... seem... different..."
The creature seems curious and not aggressive. She also did not seem to understand JJ in any way.
JJ tries in a couple of other languages (Dwarven and then Celestial). "Hello! May we rest here?" If he gets no response in either of those, he'll wait to see if anyone else knows a language that they have in common with the small faerie.
"I wonder if she is the gardener here? Best not to eat her stuff if she is."
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"Fungi are just like mushrooms. Some harmless, some … not harmless."
Juraan will help Ryan prepare a bit of a mushroom dinner for everyone.
"Tuck in, everyone! I call it mushroom surprise!"
"'And what the surprise?', you ask?"
"There's nothing else in it, except for the mushroom!"
⋮
Later, when their winged visitor responds to Ryan: "Does anyone know what it's saying? I don't understand a word of it."
He then calls to it in Gnome. Hoping it might understand what he hopes is a similar language:
"Hallo? Kunt u begrijpen wat ik zeg?"
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Kikinnin finds himself more interested in the ecology of the Darklands, what, with all the mushrooms that stand there docilely, not trying to devour them first. Eventually, he brings himself 'round to listen to JJ and Juraan try to engage in something that doesn't want to make itself too obvious to the rest. He holds his tongue, until he can lend something constructive to the goings on.
Kikinnin holds his tongue only so long. "Speak its tongue, JJ. It doesn't seem to understand what you just said. And no googly eyes, alright? We're not here to lend to your conquests."
"<hrumph>" sighs JJ
"I'm not Dandarion. It's not like there is a host of notches on my bedstead. " he grumbles.
At Kikinnin's heartfelt words, the gun-mage eyes his fellow dwur with a warm smile;
"Wise words bror. You sure you ain't a greybeard just keepin' dyed black with Forge soot?"
He claps the warrior's broad shoulder and continues onward...
Resting his bones, Maxim sparks up a stogie then eyes Ryan's culinary prep as he answers JJ's comment with a wry one of his own;
"Poetic justice Surabar! They tried to eat us... we eat their little cousins!"
When the soup is served, the gun-mage can't resist another dry jape at Juraan and Ryan's expense as he eye's his bowl skeptically:
"Hell's Teeth! Only surprise 'bout this meal, is that you pair can cook!"
As the alarm is raised subtly, Maxim scans the surrounding area;
:
He quizzically wafts some cigar smoke from his vision;
"God's be damned! Ain't seein' what you lot are..."
He watches and listens when first JJ, then Juraan hail the watcher...
The diminutive creature shrugs his shoulders then speaks in a different tongue, but this one he does not fluently.
"You really talk very strange, don't you?"
Observing you are not violent the creature flies over your cooking pan and smells "Mmmmm..." it signals the pan with the mushrooms floating over the soup.
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Kikinnin determines that this fey is one of many, so lets the others speak to it directly, while he keeps an eye out for other smallflyingfolk who may be allowing this one to test them, while they look on.
"Careful it doesn't drop something into the soup."
Juraan will hold up and offer a piece of the mushroom dinner to their small guest.
He will also try saying "Do you understand me?" in the other languages he knows:
« გესმის ჩემი? »
« Forstår du mig? »
« Pudete capitu? »
« צי איר פֿאַרשטיין מיר? »
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The creature, which sex is hard to identify for the large eyes of the dwarven companions -Juraan once saw a complete tome in the library about identifying faeries gender-, shrugs as Juraan speaks.
It does though pick the offered mushroom, eats and smiles.
The faerie then performs a casting movement, and before you can hold up your weapons an image of the faerie hugging Juraan is projected over the soup.
The image then disperses and an image of the water pool and its mushrooms appear. Then four bald, long-bearded dwarves with dull gray skin, low arching brows, and eyes appear walking from the same side you did. One of them places some strange goggles on his eyes and all of a sudden no less than five faeries appear flying over the waters. The strange looking dwarves chase the surprised faeries from the indications of the goggled one until they have them all and leave. You do see then your new friend hidden behind one of the mushrooms that starts crying.
The image once again disperses and your friend has already finished the mushroom and points to the pan for more.
"Juran. I think you have a new friend!" laughs JJ
His face takes on a more concerned look as the scene plays out.
"Those dwarves... they are duergar, aren't they? I've only heard tales of them. Wicked dwarves forever denied the sun. It looks like they captured the faeries friends somehow."
He thinks a bit "Can faeries go invisible? Maybe those goggles let the dwarves see invisible creatures? How many people are we going to have to rescue down here?"
"Grey-Faces? I shouldn't have expected otherwise, seeing as we're entering their black territory. At least we understand why this one is flitting about all by itself. We can't know how long ago its friends were snatched, and as much as there may be a desire to rescue every little thing from every larger thing down here, we're not immortal. We've got ourselves business that doesn't involve faerykind... hold on. Unless Splintershield himself got snatched... Now, I dunno..."
"B-but...we c-can't just leave this one by itself!" Marigold protests. "And m-maybe if we c-can find these do-er-gar and help these f-fairies, they'll h-help us f-find M-Master Splintershield?"
The halfling frowns, wishing she could tell just what the little fairy is saying.
"ಹಲೋ? ನಾನು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೀರಾ?" she asks, hoping maybe the creature would understand the language of the heavens.
"Hello? Can you understand me?"
Juraan gives the faerie a little more of the Mushroom dinner.
He then holds up four fingers and with an inquisitive look, points in the direction of the entrances.
Maxim scowls as the presence of Duergar is revealed;
"Hell's Teeth! Grey-Faces are a bad business right enough..."
As the group continue to be stymied in their attempts at communication, the gun-mage tries to recall the magical incantation from the scroll he used earlier...
I had planned to copy it into my spell book, but must have forgotten about it - hence the offer to sacrifice a Hero Point to access it again...
Maxim's pick of the loot would be:- Masterwork Short Sword (now he has Weapon Finesse Feat this is a must)
- Scroll of Comprehend Languages (may try to copy into Spellbook...)
- Scroll of Flaming Sphere (another potential spell for the book?)
- Flask of Alchemical Fire (to replace the one he chucked at the malicious minstrel)
- Map to the Mayor's mansion (He doesn't trust politicians and it may be useful some day)
Kikinnin nods, sharing a grim look. "I've enough stories in my younger years to call the duergar 'bogeymen'. They grow fangs at will, their teeth gnash like steel on flint... uh, what else? They steal babies for their blood, they can pass through stone walls like waterfalls. Not sure how much of that is true, if we're being honest, but we may have the chance to find out firsthand, the longer we're down here."
Kikinnin waits to hear what the others want to do with the fey, so he takes up the map, and tries to remember where they need to head, in order to find Splintershield. He's starting to forget, for the lack of light, and despite his eyes' comfort. His brain still seeks the surface, after a time.
"Ahh Kikinnin... are you sure you are not confusing them with Vampires..." says JJ.
"Either ways, it looks like the Faeries were taken in the same direction we are heading, so if we get a chance to rescue them... well, it maybe helpful to have some stealthy allies down here."
"Like I said, they were stories. I'm not confused about the stories, but the stories could have confused duergar and vampire, sure. If you're of a mind, pay attention to what a duergar can do, and compare it to that of a vampire, and there might just be similarities."
"You do have a point, JJ. Having any allies down here would be helpful."
The faerie points to the tunnel from where the party came when it is compelled by Juraan indications.
Kikinnin takes the map and checks the directions provided. The map clearly points towards the tunnel past the pool. That is, the opposite direction the faerie is pointing to.
The name of the place you were told to visit, Bhal-Hamatugn, does not fit with a duergar name. For all you know it is a place inhabited by kuo-toas.
The faerie pleasantly eats the next slice offered by Juraan.
It shrugs when Marigold talks her words, as if the faerie would not understand.
"That is odd, The name of the place you were told to visit, Bhal-Hamatugn, does not fit with a duergar name." notes the young man.
"So... do we help the faerie, or stick to our initial quest? Splintershield has been gone for years hasn't he? The faeries just recently... And any help we can get will have to be....helpful." he adds rather lamely at the end of the sentence.
"If the duergar came from where we did, why didn't we see anything?"
"Maybe there was another junction in the cavern we found before this one?"
"We still are on the right track with our map, aren't we?"
"Or maybe those duergar, or others, will come by here again anyway?"
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"W-well, it's n-not like we've b-been following narrow t-tunnels the whole way, r-right?" Marigold points out. "There's b-been open c-caverns and other p-paths that we didn't take b-because they weren't leading t-to where we're s-supposed to g-go."
"I...I kn-know we're here to find S-Splintershield and that's wh-what we should d-do...b-but I'd still l-like to try and help the f-faeries if we c-can," she adds quietly.
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"We still are on the right track with our map, aren't we?"
"Looks like it. We just continue through the tunnel beyond the pool, and we should good." Kikinnin folds the map, then hands it to Maxim Scribner.
The black-beard looks between JJ and Marigold, the two more sympathetic hearts to the fey's plight. "We have a map, and it should do lead us true. We can't communicate easily with these potential allies, as you might wish. For our strength, it will only sap if we deviate from our course, for our time in the Darklands." He listens to them both, for their responses.
He turns to Ryan and Maxim. "What do you think? Is the fey our focus now?"
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Ryan sighs as the fairy's story grow more clear. Duergar were hated cousins to the dwarves and if anything like the dwarves would be a deadly foe. Yet the fairyfolk, if recently taken, would need their help. Listening to both JJ and Marigold's pleas he leaned that way. Then Kikinnin brought the question directly to him.
<even longer sigh> "The little one needs our help, and while I am unsure as to the extent of their help due to communication issues; I am inclined to help them. Abadar's teachings stand for building community and land. To me the little one's troubles are ones we have been standing forth to heal in our own city - those who would do so, taking from those who are unable to defend themselves. Are this fairy's friends any different than the orphans or Ghelve's family?"
"In a human's lifespan, Splintershield has been gone a long time, can we do this as well as rescue someone long thought dead?"
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Kikinnin snorts. "There are places that Abadar's influence is not felt, Ryan. The Darklands is one of them, is my guess. The fey, for all their community, is part of a hostile land, where animals roam. They are very different from the orphans. These fey have braved this territory of their own volition. The orphans were ripped from the cradle. Surely you see that, don't you?" The black-beard crosses his arms, not fully convinced by the priest's rationalizations.
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Juraan stands between Ryan and Kikinnin and clears his throat:
"Gods' influences and good deeds aside, there are also purely practical reasons for helping these Fey."
"Havingallies down here would be a boon. Even if communicating is difficult."
"Remember, those Duergar came from a place we've already been through."
"Which means theysomewhere behind us."
"But unaware of us. Otherwise they would've attacked us already."
"It'd be easier to eliminate them when they're unaware of us, instead of giving them a chance to block our only known way out."
"Remember, those Duergar came from a place we've already been through. Which means they are somewhere behind us. But unaware of us. Otherwise they would've attacked us already."
Kikinnin holds up a hand. "For a learned individual, you're making dangerous assumptions. Just because we haven't been attacked yet doesn't mean that they're unaware of us. We're not exactly renowned for our sneakiness."
The black-beard turns to blond, and shrugs his shoulders forward.
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"Fair point. But there's still the danger of a blocked way out of the Darklands."
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"I don't think we'll be able to help the faries on the way out, not if we are taking an injured Spintershield with us...which seems likely if we are successful. This may be our only chance to help them. And while we are being paid to look for your cousin... there is no time stipulation on that is there?"
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Maxim listens to the interplay as he allows the ink in his spellbook to dry;
"I've managed to recall and scribe the incantation allowing languages to be spoken... So if we side with these wee fey I'll be able to parley with 'em much easier than Juraan an' Surabar mushroom miming..."
He eyes his fellow dwur, then listens some more before adding his own thoughts to the cauldron;
"Would feel wrong to just leave 'em to deal with the Grey-Faces... I hear what yer sayin' bror - they chose to stay here, but the damned dvergr may have knowledge o' lost slaves such as Ghelve's wife or Splintershield hisself. Could be useful to know such goin' forward."
The gun-mage sighs and strokes his beard before continuing;
"But... The Grey Faces are sneaky and plain nasty. We need to be real wary knockin' heads with 'em. Most likely they know we're here, or at least we plan like they do..."
The faerie looks to JJ, then Kikinnin and Marigold. It takes attention at Juraan's and Ryan's opposition to Kikinnin and the final notes added by Maxim. Feeling you are talking something related to its friends the winged creature stops eating and pays plenty of attention to the goes and backs of the discussion.
Juraan hands the faerie another piece of mushroom and gives an assuring smile.
"Can you cast the spell on the faerie, so it can understand us as well?" asks JJ, inquisitive as ever about magic and what it can achieve.
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"H-hey...c-can anyone d-draw what M-Master Splintershield looks like?" Marigold suddenly asks. "M-Maybe the fairy has s-seen him or s-someone who looks like him r-recently! It's n-not the b-best way to communicate b-but until M-Maxim can use his m-magic, that's about all we can d-do."
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Kikinnin scratches his neck along his beardline. "What's this talk of Ghelve's wife? Or slaves, or Hackbus? As far as I understood, we're trying to find a singular dwarf, in the service of Celeste. I keep hearing about more horses loose from the barn, needing retrieving. That worries me, because we can't be in four places at once." He stops scratching, looking over the blond-beard and his alternative priorities.
"If we're weighing our strength, against the strength of Ball-Ham-Tuggin, and the kuotoans, any rescue we perform before we get there makes it harder to juggle, doesn't it? We're told that Splintershield is held prisoner there, but the source of that information is not trustworthy. We haven't even met up with Crazy Jared yet." The black-beard rubs his temple.
"My head hurts. Someone else do the thinking for now. You want to chase faeries, I'll not argue, just be smart about it."
"The fairies need not retrieving, just freeing; yet I understand your comment about returning the 'horses' to the barn and our intended job becoming harder for the attempt. While Abadar may not make his presence known here on the whole as far as the Darklands go, His tenants and ideas I have grown up upholding, and I'll not stop because I am in the Darklands. I vote we attempt to save the fairy folk."
Ryan says quietly but determinedly as well. Those listening can tell he does not condemn or uphold their viewpoint but is simply stating his personal view in the matter.
Comprehend languages does not let you speak the language only understand the written and spoken words. From the PRD,
"You can understand the spoken words of creatures or read otherwise incomprehensible written messages. The ability to read does not necessarily impart insight into the material, merely its literal meaning. The spell enables you to understand or read an unknown language, not speak or write it."
emphasis added mine. Ryan can have the ability the next day available, actually thought it was brought up with the hobgoblin note, and something Ryan had memorized already but since it is of a limited duration had been holding off on using it at first availability. Sorry about that.
Point of note, Maxim if burning a hero point for something that will not accomplish what he needs it to really do. Tongues is a wizard 3, cleric 4 spell that allows for understanding and communication.
"This spell grants the creature touched the ability to speak and understand the language of any intelligent creature, whether it is a racial tongue or a regional dialect. The subject can speak only one language at a time, although it may be able to understand several languages. Tongues does not enable the subject to speak with creatures who don't speak. The subject can make itself understood as far as its voice carries. This spell does not predispose any creature addressed toward the subject in any way."
if he can't write Tongues then can he save the hero point as Ryan already has access to the spell.
"I'm all for rescuing the faerie folk too."
"This one here is friendly enough."
"We found a friendly faerie or fae of some sort down here."
"Four of its friends were captured recently by four duergar."
"We plan to rescue them; partly so we don't have duergar behind us."
"Do you know any of their strengths or weaknesses?"
Maxim shoots his fellow dwur a hard look;
"Ghelve's wife was lost to the slavers down here bror... We never found her in the Malachite so by my reckonin' we owe it to the Keygen to at least look fer her. I ain't bein' drawn further on Ol' Hackbus. Iffen I find him then I can balance that ledger..."
The gun-mage strokes his own beard as he mulls the situation;
"Splintershield was a god's damned zealot. That we all know. Reckon he should stew in the situation o' his own making til such time as we can liberate him... but iffen we can do some good along the way to rescuin' that nut then so be it. That's my take."
"[i]I am not a duergar expert myself, but let me check back with you later as I make some queries[/b]"
The fairy looks at Maxim and Ryan. It somehow starts to understand she might be helped somehow although for what exact intentions? It doesn't matter it looks at you waiting for your next move, then when nothing moves, it flies towards the tunnel you arrived from and signals there with a wide smile. As wide as its thin face allows. But where to? There are hundreds of crossings in the tunnels, how to do it? Where to next?
"Well...I g-guess we're going to try and help the f-faeries," Marigold nods. "And if s-something happens to M-Master Splintershield in the m-meantime...then it'll b-be on our heads. I'll even s-say that we t-talked you two into it, against your b-better judgement, if I have t-to," she adds, nodding at Kikinnin and Maxim.
Kikinnin watches the fey as it takes command over the Watchers. He looks to the others, and waits for their continued attempts to communicate with the creature, and determine a strategy for retrieving the other fey from the duergar. How long it's been, he can't say. Which way to go, can't say that either. They either allow the lone fey to take point, or they come up with a novel way of tracking those who don't look favorably on such activity.
JJ offers the Faerie a bow, and gestures for her to lead the way back toward where her fellows were taken.
As he moves down the passage, he will name certain things like rocks and boots and water, to try and learn a bit of her language.
"I'm sure this fae knows the way."
With that, Juraan joins JJ to follow their new diminutive friend.
Maxim looks to the others, then nods toward he direction the fey is flying;
"Be on the morrow afore I can gain arcane understandin' o' our little friend there. Reckon we just follow in the meantimes?"
He claps the shoulder of the burly dwur as he passes, adding a wry comment;
"Come'on bror. What's the worst that could happen?"
"It'll b-be okay...b-but m-maybe someone who can m-map should t-try to keep track of where we're g-going, s-so we can f-find our way b-back to this main p-path later," Marigold suggests. "Like K-Kikinnin said, there's no r-reason we c-can't be s-smart about this. Having a b-backup would be g-good in case our f-fairy f-friend can't help us retrace our st-steps later!"