JJ starts at the explosion. "What...what was that?" he asks, alarmed.
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Kikinnin's sleep apnea causes him to echo the sound of the explosion, but the black-beard sleeps the sleep of the dead, and will require the lash of the slaver to get him moving again before he returns to waking state with anything short of full rest.
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"Yes, what is that noise? Loud enough to wake the dead, it is!"
"But still not enough to wake our favourite rat-catcher!",
says Juraan, pointing to the catatonic Kikinnin.
"He hasn't slept one off like likesince the festival drinking contest."
"Although that process was a lot more pleasant, I daresay."
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Maxim takes on board the mining routine with a frown;
"Right. Leastways they give us weapons o' a sort. Takin' down armoured dvergr with 'em is a whole other proposition... Any idea where they'd likely keep our gear? Although knowin' the Grey Faces they'll be wearin' much o' it."
As the explosion booms the gun-mage listens intently, trying perhaps to discern if the sound is one of black-powder or more arcane in origin;
:
He then nods toward the slumbering Kikinnin with a hard smile;
"Reckon the motto o' his clan should be Sleep Like Stone..."
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"So that's it..." comments Rikaldo as response to Marigold "The duergars that brought you were carrying a portable cage with some little creatures flying excitedly"
"I wonder what they want that for, I don't think they do good miners" comments Azmi, then turns to JJ and Juraan when the explosion happens "Oh that should be Hackbus. The little gnome should be opening new holes for the duergar"
Maxim has a clear idea this was a black-powder explosion.
"Erm... your things? No idea, but I would guess ours were time ago sold or discarded..." says Shellen with dull tone.
"How was the Flood Festival this year?" asks Azmi all of a sudden "Who won the drinking and lake monster contests?"
Maxim takes in the information with a grim set... until Hackbus' name is mentioned.
Wide eyed, the gun-mage grips Azmi's shoulders;
"Hackbus!?! What?! Lass... Ye said Hackbus... A gnome who works with black powder right? Hell's teeth..."
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"Is this Hackbus also a slave?" asks sweet lips.
"Yonder sleeping dwarf won the drinking competition. I think he is still sleeping if off though." smiles JJ. "And Marigold... well... she didn't win the lake swim. I think if they combined the competitions and made it a drink-the-lake event, she'd have taken first prize though."
"When did you last see those caged faeries?", Juraan asks Rikaldo.
"They do seem like an odd addition for a mine, though."
Juraan will also look around the the other side of the bars as best he
can to try and see if there's anything that could be useful outside their cell.
"Yes Hackbus works with the powder" says Shellen rearing back "And yes he is a slave, although the duergar have some special treatment for him" the girl smiles wide at JJ.
"Ah, the faeries, they took them just at the same time they left you here, so just perhaps a couple of hours"
There are two slaves working with pick and shovel at the west, with a duergar armed with a whip next to them, and a candle. Another duergar lies close to the bars. He is currently exploring his nostrils. He has a bunch of keys on his belt.
JJ eyes up the Duergar close to the bars.
The sound of the pick on the stone, echoed across the backside of Ryan's eyeballs as exhaustion caused him to continually yawn. Listening to JJ and the others discuss home and how long they'd been below did little to pick up his spirits; but life had dealt him tough blows before and this would not be the end of him.
Standing up, he stretches his arms up as far as he is able, trying to work out the kinks, grabbing the closest bar he pulls on it as the current miner swings his pick.
Noticing JJ and Ryan glancing around and testing the strength of the bars that hold them, Marigold looks around nervously and whispers, "I kn-know they s-said they don't l-let the slaves s-sleep long to k-keep them w-weak, b-but sh-should we t-try anything now or w-wait? We're all already p-pretty tired and I c-can't...w-well, I c-can't be m-much help r-right now if we do t-try something."
Juraan will whisper to JJ and Marigold:
"Give us a moment, I'm going to try something."
"Just keep an eye on good old 'Picknose' over there."
"The guard near the bars looking for minerals up his nose."
Then, speaking up a bit louder, after clearing his throat a bit:
*ahem* "We could use an amusing yarn right about now!"
"How about the time you saved JJ from the irate blacksmith who didn't want JJ going near his daughter?"
"That story that takes to tell. My ears are still ringing from that blast, so do speak up!"
"The rest of you don't want to miss this one!"
… with that, Juraan gives their new cell mates an exaggerated wink.
As soon as Marigold starts the tale, Juraan then tries to cast a spell as quietly as he can:
« ჯადოსნური ხელი » . .
He will then try to slowly and carefully lift the set of keys from Picknose's belt.
And try to bring them over to himself.
Maxim looks stunned at the notion that Hackbus is here, alive but enslaved.
He nods a thanks to the girls, then sits stoically in his own thoughts...
Hackbus here?! God's be damned... I need to find him... free the ol' firecracker!
As Juraan loudly begins a story, the gun-mage eyes him curiously;
:
What in the Nine Hell's is the Prof yammerin' on about? Blacksmith's daughter??
JJ catches the message and protests loudly
"At least it was his daughter. There were worse members of his family to be caught with..."
]
The duergar is leaning on the wall, too far from JJs reach.
Ryan forces the manacles against the metal bars of the cage. The hit is strong, but still the manacles does not seem to suffer at all. Fortunately the guard does not seem to notice the move thanks to the good timing with the mining noise.
When Juraan attempts to cast mage hand, he quickly finds out the manacles tight pin restrict the required arcane movements. He won't be able to use any spell with somatic or material components.
--------------------------
Moments later a couple of duergar arrive to the prison. The biggest one, with a long whip and braided beard, has half his teeth missing. He directs the guard to open the bars. Then, the third duergar starts delivering dishes with mushroom soup to the other prisoners.
"Let's see new material" he kicks Kikinnin on the back forcing him to wake up "I Bruthwol. I am god to you now." he makes a sign for the guard to enter "You mine now"
The guard forces all of you to stand up and starts pushing the whole party out of the cage. As you start getting out, you observe some stairs going down to the south.
"You and you together" starts Bruthwol pairing each of you. He pairs Marigold and JJ, Ryan and Juraan, and finally he stops in front of Maxim and Kikinnin "Why those two alive?" he turns to the guard and exchanges some words in Undercommon none of you seem to understand.
Then turns to the two dwarves "Bara klornar hud"
Bruthwol shows his mouth half-teethed with a wide grin and starts making some horse sounds that probably he interprets like laughing.
The group of duergars start then to push the party towards the second southern passage.
Maxim scowls as the Dvergr boot meets his bror's back.
First mistake. I know my bror... That one will cost you dearly Grey Face.
As Bruthwol addresses first the group, then himself and Kikinnin in dwarven, the gun-mage responds in his tongue,
"Det rungende lyd vi hører. 1 kender dets natur. 1 kender sin kilde. 1 har færdigheder i at arbejde sort pulver ... dygtighed til at komplimentere den der hedder Hackbus ... når han sover 1 kunne fortsætte arbejdet. 1 søvn, når han arbejder. Mere arbejde, mere hæder for Bruthwol?"
"That booming sound we heard. I know its nature. I know its source. I have skills in working the black powder... Skills to compliment the one called Hackbus... When he sleeps I could continue the work. When I sleep he works. More work, more glory for Bruthwol?"
:
Marigold offers no resistance as she's prodded out of the cage with her companions, though her expression darkens slightly as she listens to the exchange between Bruthwol, Maxim, and Kikinnin.
So they normally don't bother keeping dwarves as slaves. Guess that makes sense; a lot of them probably *would* rather die than work for the duergar.
Still, she keeps her peace for the time being. She knew that some viewed her people as the ideal slaves, but she also knew something these duergar probably didn't - that underestimating a halfling could be a risky proposition.
… When Juraan attempts to cast mage hand, he quickly finds out the manacles tight pin restrict the required arcane movements. He won't be able to use any spell with somatic or material components.
Juraan is fuming that his cunning plan did not, and could not, work.
Nor does the appearance of the Duergar guards improve his mood.
For now, at least, he decides to act docile.
"First chance I get, I'll wipe that smile of Bruthwol's grimy face.", Juraan promises himself.
Hearing the exchange between Bruthwol and Maxim, Juraan remains silent and pretends not to understand a word of it.
For the moment Ryan stands quietly beside Juraan, watching and waiting for an opening
JJ stumbles forward. Even as he does so, the young man tries to keep himself between the dour dwarves and Marigold.
JJ observes the girls were given food while the party is pushed to work. In this moment there are five visible duergars in this cavern.
"You sure can manage with the powder?" Bruthwol sratches his beard while judging Maxim "We will soon discover truth..."
The group is moved through the southern corridor into a place where picks and shovels are assigned to each of you. Kikinnin, JJ and Ryan are given picks, Maxim, Marigold and Juraan are given shovels.
The manacles make it difficult for you to manage the tools, but with some use you can make them work.
While all the rest of the party is put at work on the caverns in couples, Kikinnin is left alone as Maxim is taken to a different area where the weirdest gnome ever is working on some strange dust. The gnome is bald but has a populated white beard. He has glasses with a green light on them.
Bruthwol comes to talk to him "Time for jail gnome" and takes him by the shoulder "New one will be put to test. You sit, new powders for duergars"
Maxim recognises Hackbus but the gnome does not seem to recognize the dwarf "This one here? I doubt he know a cent about powder. I will not leave it on strange hands. You sit, I will show you how this one has no idea" Hackbus puts Maxim to work with some salt "You know the chemical reaction? Of course you do not know, show this idiot you have no idea"
Ryan begins swinging the pick at the wall where his and Juraan's guard indicted they should work. To begin with just to loosen up his shoulders and get a feel for the pick. Afterwards, noticing Kikinnin was working alone he waited for the boom that he hoped would eventually come. He could only hope the others were as patient and acted then or he'd likely have an accounting to give for himself before Abadar this day.
Having moved to his right to place himself within arms reach of the guard, Ryan waits for Maxim/Hackbus to detonate something.
Grunting with the effort it appears to be in vain as his swing completely misses the guard
Juraan goes to work with the shovel he was given.
Observing his surroundings and paying mind to anything he might be able to take advantage of.
JJ spends a bit of time getting used to the pick. While strong, he doesn't want to give away too much. Rather he winches whenever he feels one of the worm-wounds starting to act up.
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Maxim eyes Hackbus with concern, then turns his attention to the curmudgeony gnomes test...
:
Marigold sighs quietly as a shovel is foisted upon her, but after a few test strikes to get used to the manacles she gets to work...though she still attempts to keep her eyes and ears open.
While the party starts getting used to work with pick and shovel, Maxim starts mixing components from the gnome's workbench. After one hour under the eye of Bruthwol the dwarf completes the job with fully functional powder over the desk.
Hackbus looks serious to the dwarf and says something in Gnome "Du lærte godt Maxim Splintershield."
Bruthwol looks enraged at the gnome and whips him while shouting in Dwarven "Tal ikke mærkelige sprog!"
The whip fails to coil around the gnome's body but it opens a lash on his clothes nevertheless.
"Løb!" shouts Hackbus to Maxim as all answer to the attack.
While Maxim reacts, Hacbus takes a metallic piece from his pocket and smashes it against a stone in the workbench. Maxim's just created powder suddenly ignites with a blast!
The blast brings fire into some nearby barrels and they explode as well!
Hacbus and Bruthwol are taken by the sudden explosion and pushed prone away from the workbench!
Manacles can be escaped with an Escape Artist DC 30 or a Strength DC 26 check.
These manacles are not tied anywhere, thus, you can still move, but at half speed, and you cannot 5-foot step (like permanently affected by difficult terrain). Going up and down stairs and similar difficult terrain, requires a Climb or Arcobatics (balance) DC 10 check, or a full round action.
For all other rulings, refer to the pinned state rules.
Consider both of them improvised weapons (-4 to attack).
Picks: Two handed piercing melee weapon 1d6 critical 20x2
Shovel: Two handed bludgeoning melee weapon 1d4 critical 20x2
If you chose for a ground stone, it makes for a good improvised ranged weapon:
Stone: Thrown weapon bludgeoning 1d3 critical 20x2, 20' range
Hearing the loud [color=red]*bang*[/color], Juraan moves back tries to hit the nearest duergar (green) with an acid ray.
As Hackbus hisses his warning, Maxim knows he has not the energy to escape...
:
:
Still stunned to be reunited with his old mentor the gun-mage takes the first blast full on, before instincts kick in and he successfully avoids the second larger explosion
JJ turns, and moves between Marigold and the closest duegar. He then swings his pick mightily at it. "If is it tough enough to mine stone, it must be tough enough to hurt a dwarfs skull."
Juraan quickly reacts attempting to use one of his innate rays, but the manacles are too cumbersome and he is unable to appropriately invoke his blood powers.
Maxim is surprised by the first conflagration, but he jumps below the workbench before the second one. His well learned skill to evade danger on Cauldron's undergrounds allowed him to escape all the fire and remain on foot.
JJ is quick to react and knows good to profit the opportunity. While their guard is unready looking towards the explosion, he turns and delivers a mighty pick blow on the duergar. The slaver seems to get staggered by the surprise rage attack.
As the explosion nearby rocks the cavern, Ryan turns and stepping up swings the pick at the guard nearby.
Marigold's head jerks up, eyes wide at the sound of the explosion from just around the corner. Though unsure of what's going on exactly, she realizes that at the very least her and JJ need to be shut of their guardian. With a yell, she shuffles forward and attempts to swing her shovel at the duergar...
...but the awkwardness of shovel + manacles leaves her off-balance and she very nearly strikes JJ in the kneecaps instead.
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Ryan and Marigold quickly react to try bring down their respective guards, but they are still kind of surprised by the explosion and only manage to almost strike their nearby companions.
Hackbus stands up and attempts to aid Maxim in his attempt to reduce Bruthwol.
Maxim jumps over Bruthwol and manages to place the manacles around his neck in an attempt to choke him while Hackbus grips the duergar's hands.
"Hell's teeth! You forgot the word run Maxim?!" shouts Hackbus as he tries to help on the choking struggle.
The duergar slavers firstly react with curiosity to approach the explosion source. They quickly change to defend themselves when Ryan and Marigold attempt to take them down.
Stepping back, far from the picks and shovels, they unleash their whips against Ryan and Marigold.
They start yelling in Dwarven "Holde minedriftens overfladebeboer!"
"Keep mining damn surface dweller!"
The slaver next to Kikinnin steps closer to the action and starts quickly growing in size.
The duergar used a spell-like enlarge person on himself.
Bruthwol fights against Maxim's grapple while trying to concentrate on something.
He suddenly starts to grow in size despite his choking.
Bruthwol used a spell-like enlarge person on himself. No components because it is a spell-like, and you are not armored so no AoO.
JJ finally reacts trying to take profit of the opportunity. While their guard is unready busy with Marigold, he turns and delivers a mighty pick blow on the duergar. The slaver seems to get staggered by the surprise rage attack.
SHIT! Juraan hisses, seeing two duergar starting to enlarge
Not knowing why some Duergar are growing, Juraan tries hitting the same duergar (green).
With his shovel this time.
… and makes a heroic attempt that results in a pathetic miss.
Ryan likewise has no idea why the duergar are growing but knows it can't be a good thing, so continues to press his attack on the slaver with green harness. Stepping up as needed.
Trying to take advantage of the duergar's moment of weakness, Marigold shuffles forward again and attempts to bean him in the head with her shovel!
But yet again, she misses her mark.
Damn, we need to get these manacles off!
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Maxim flashes a hard smile at the eccentric gnome;
"You know me Hackbus... Stubborn as a deep mule! 'Sides ain't got nothin' better to do right now!"
As Bruthwol begins to swell in size, the gun-mage curses;
"Aw skit!"
Straining, the tired dwur twists the manacles against the rapidly expanding neck of their Darkland's overseer;
:
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Juraan attempt at the duergar is a clear miss. The shovel hits the ground, breaking some stone.
Ryan balances his pick better this time, getting used to the strange weapon, and makes it to the duergar's feet. The slaver moves one of his foot dodging the attck.
Marigold makes his best to help JJ reduce the duergar with the shovel, but she is not used to and it ends hitting the floor with a 'clank'.
Kikinnin runts something about not willing to work on Lollapalooza holidays while he leans over his pick. It seems the dwarf is talking in dreams.
"A smoking mule!" laughs Hackbus "That powder was good, damn it, pretty good!"
While Hacbus holds Bruthwol's hands, Maxim strangles the duergar with the manacles around his neck. The duergar starts coughing due to the difficulty to breath, his head becomes pallid white.
Bruthwol and the other duergar complete enlarging, once they have reached the size of an ogre!
Bruthwol attempts to unpin himself from the floor.
With his giant arms, Bruthwol separates Maxim's hands from his neck. Despite visibly dizzy, the duergar succeeds at standing up while holding the dwarf's hands.
With a bit of an effort and still coughing, Bruthwol shouts in Dwarven "Lyset! ... *cough* Damn dum ... *cough* duer! Sæt de lys ud!!"
"The light! ... *cough* Damn stupid ... *cough* duergar! Put off those candles!!"
The duergar obediently move their whips and put off the candles effectively. Suddenly the cavern turns to darkness for everybody without darkvision. You are effectively blinded, although you have a rough idea of where to go to escape the cavern. The scolds of the explosion maintain some reference light in the cavern.
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As the cavern is plunged into darkness, Ryan realizes he and his friends are likely in dire straits. This is not good, Abadar help us!
Concentrating on his key, given to him first as a pewter representation when he first joined the church, frail and weak, it had grown in size and worth , through copper, brass, and silver, until his confirmation when he was given a golden version. He'd wore that key everyday and even if the deurgar has taken it from him he knew the weight, the feel and the comfort it had always given him. Concentrating on it he calls out "Lux!"
Cast light cantrip on the pickaxe he holds
Ryan instinctively looks for his holy symbol, but the familiar golden key is not found there in his neck.
As Bruthwol looms to ogre sized above him and the world turns to dark Maxim pulls back , then moves backward away from the melee
Summoning words of power from his deep memory the gun-mage recalls a spell that needs no material components - a spell of fire and wrath...
Speaking the words, Maxim fires a jet of flame at the lumbering overseer:
"Gloeiend Straal!"
"Burn you Grey Faced Basterd!"
:
:
Juraan takes a wild swing at the same duergar (green), not really having any other options.
… despite the odds, thinks he might have scratched the duergar this time
Then he shouts out to Hackbus and Maxim:
Unable to feel the source of his power, Ryan grits his teeth and swings once more at where he remembers the green slaver to be.
Darn. That'll be a no lol.
Will retcon my rounds actions if allowed
As Bruthwol looms to ogre sized above him and the world turns to dark Maxim pulls back , then desperately attempts to identify anything that he can use as a weapon;
:
Marigold shrieks as the world is suddenly plunged into darkness, throwing off her aim even further. Unable to do little else, she tries once more to swing her shovel where she thought the duergar might be standing...
...and though she misses, she's pretty sure that she at least had the right spot in mind when she swung. But there's almost nothing she can do to help while trapped in the manacles and so attempts to head for what looks like a dim bit of light from around the corner.
______
\
With the cavern plunged into darkness, JJ realises just how difficult an escape is going to be. The faint glow of illumination from around the corner is his only guide, and he slowly heads towards it.
As a blow comes out of the darkness, JJ turns his own pick on the figure that just attacked him.