Ruben shrugs off the encounter. It is like water off a duck's back to him. But out of curiosity he asks;
Who was that?
"M-Maxim said they were n-nobles..." Marigold offers. "Gnomish wasn't the only language I st-studied," she adds by way of explanation to the two dwarves. "N-not meaning to eavesdrop though!"
She gives Ryan an appraising look. "The ones that sp-spoke to you and to Ruben didn't seem very n-nice. D-do they always g-give you a hard time like that?"
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Maxim shrugs his shoulders and spits some tobacco with more than a little venom;
"Nobles... the wrong sort o' privileged... Apologies Taskerhill know she's kin an all. Seems they've formed their own company o' venture... Here's hoping they don't get wind of our endeavors!"
He smiles warmly at Marigold;
"Good to know your versed in our tongue Miss Montajay. Likely come in handy one day!"
When the dust settles he bids the group farewell;
"Right. Off to get this lot hawked... You'll be fine Taskerhill, you have faith on your side... A mighty bargaining tool indeed har!"
The dwarf claps Ryan's shoulder and trudges off toward his Uncle's offices.
Maxim enters the building with a nod to the night staff, before being summoned by his uncle; the old dwarf rarely slept. ”Opportunity don’t sleep lad, so either do I” was one of his favourite sayings.
Inside they dwarves talk, and drink, and talk some more.
Maxim relays the status of the mission, the creatures encountered and rooms within Jzadirune explored.
On their previous conversation regarding the keys to the delve Maxim smiles wryly;
”All things being equal I should be able to secure the keys… or at the very least copies… Ghelve I’m sure will assist on that front. Once we’ve a presence in the delve Maavu’s lofty seat will become ever more precarious!”
The gun-mage nods toward the pile of items recovered and to be traded.
”Amongst those is several weapons o' the skulkers and dark-kin Uncle… That along with doses of their spider venom… In the wrong hands reckon they could cause more than their share o' discord and damage... Just as well they will now be in the rights hands!”
Maxim raises his glass before continuing:
”One final favour to ask Adrick, if you'll indulge me? We recovered the paraphernalia and equipment of an alchemist’s laboratory down there. Took these along in the hope you’d store them here..? Least-ways until we can move some our operations into the delve.”
The old dwarf taps Maxim's shoulder happy "Good news those are Maxim" he recounts the ware and delivers appropriate coin in repayment for it "We will do a good business reselling these stuff at market price"
"I have asked some questions about the Spell Weavers information you found out, but I got nothing so far." Adrick shares some of the spirits before continuing "I have been checking with our barrister, and the book detailing the escape of the gnomes might help us demonstrate the ruins are abandoned so we can legally reclaim it for ourselves. We just need to make sure there is no inheritor of Jzadirune himself desiring to reclaim it."
He takes the alchemy's lab gladly and ensures it will be safely stored at the store before Maxim leaves.
"Blodige adelige. Det er alt, vi har brug for. Hold din økse bror ... At rødme sin skæg på disse dyrebare podekviste ville bringe os dårligt formue ..."
Kikinnin nods at Maxim, keeping his eyes on the new group.
"De fik rotter i deres kældre, ligesom resten af os. De er bare mindre taknemmelige for tjenester, som at betale mønt tilsmudses deres hænder. Vil ikke komme i deres ansigt, hvis de ikke får i min."
"They got rats in their cellars just like the rest of us. They're just less thankful for services, like paying coin is dirtying their hands. Won't get in their face if they don't get in mine."
Almost as soon as the two groups meet, the black-beard breaks off, returning almost immediately to Ghelve's. "That ratting's not done, yet, and Ghelve's let the skulks out before. I'll meet you back there, after you've been about."
Kikinnin gains entrance at the shop, then remains by the stairs, his axe across his lap. He'll try to sleep with his back against the door, when sleep takes him.
Nobles playing at being adventurers. I never understood why people who already had money thought it was romantic to try and get more under the guise of being heroes. Idiots. he concludes, not particularly mindful of Ryan's feelings on the matter.
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The next day you are back at Ghelve's Locks at the accorded time and once again start descending into Jzadirune. The chambers seem calm, like no one is inhabiting the place, like if you have never been there. There is no trace of skulks or dark creepers.
You walk back to the small room south of the grick one and start opening doors. First the E where you find sleeping quarters. Then the N one where you find more sleeping quarters.
When you open the R you find out a dark room with a long workbench on the northern wall and shelves in the south. Next to the workbench there is a burning tray. Below the shelves bags with salt and other strange materials are properly organized.
On the western wall, another shelve has over it two horns and five cartridges.
Both horns are filled with 10 doses of black powder each. The powder is properly preserved.
Three of the cartridges are paper alchemical cartridges, and the other two are flare ones.
The tools and materials here might allow a versed crafter to create ammunition for firearms.
"That looks like the stuff you use Maxim!" says JJ in surprise.
"I didn't know gnomes played with such things." he shrugs.
"Sounds like they did lots of creating down here."
After poking around for a bit he suggest.
"From here if we go to the alchemist lab, and then take the tunnel south there is a door we have not yet been through..."
"It was in the room with a lot of stairs."
"They're called the Stormblades, don't let their lack of manners and shiny weapons fool you Ruben they know how to use them, and for the moment rightly think themselves kings of the mountain.... perhaps not forever though" Ryan replies probably harsher than intended Guess he see me as one in the same...."
A small bell rings softly as Ryan enters the door of the shop, eyes searching for the proprietor, Master Tygot while up in his years could be found just about anywhere depending on what fancy took him at the moment. "Master Tygot" Ryan calls out cheerfully"Got something you just might want to see."
Spreading the items out on the table takes a moment as Ryan must remember the proper way the the chess pieces are set up and the bishops pike had caught on the sack he was using causing it to be temporarily lost. With the board set up and the comb to the side he begins. My da says that the lord mayor is an excellent chess player, think this might catch his eye? They'll be few and far between, sets found of this quality. A Lady Celeste in her rise through the noble circles, why how could she turn down such a find as this comb?..."
Present
Not able to guage the quality of the powder, Ryan agrees with JJ that it looks like what Maxim uses. "Don't light any torches in this room, magical or alchemical lighting only. Maxim if you don't have a place to do your craft this just might work, sufficiently cleaned of refuse - skulks, creepers and slayers, that is."
Sounds like a plan JJ, lead the way."
More of that boom stuff? Ruben says, sniffing the black powder as
he asks Ryan. Should be right up your street Maxim.
Let's do it, shouldn't be too much of this place left I hope. Those kids gotta be here somewhere.
Unlike the previous evening, Marigold actually sleeps quite well this night. Rather than the disturbing dreams of demons and darker things that have plagued her off and on over the weeks, her dreams are instead filled with a kaleidoscope of colors brighter than any she's ever seen in the waking world. Although a strange thing to dream of, it's a rather pleasant sort of dream and the small part of her conscious that's aware is content to sit back and enjoy it. When she wakes, she can't help but shake her head in bemusement as she gathers her things and makes ready to head back to Ghelve's.
Heh! If anyone else had told me about having a dream like that, I would've told them to take it easy on the flayleaf...
***********************************
"More b-boom powder? At least we're finding all sorts of useful things d-down here," Marigold agrees when they find their way into the odd (to her eyes) little workshop. "And that sounds like a g-good plan to me JJ."
Tygot receives you in his warm place and gladly attends your demand with the found art.
"Look what this young has taken us Lepook" tells to his dog while examining the pieces "Interesting... this is a mixture of old gnomish art and other more recent pieces"
He examines the modern pieces with expert eye, then raises an eyebrow looking suspiciously at Ryan "I have heard pieces like these have been disappearing from Cauldron in the last weeks. The disappearances were nearly magical, without no one forcing doors or windows. Where have you got this young priest?"
Leading the way JJ moves south of the alchemist lab into the rooms at the northern corridor. Using the newly acquired rods you open into another set of bedrooms, both covered in cobwebs. In both cases it seems no one has entered here in decades.
It seems only the southern area of the complex remains to be explored.
Maxim nods at the discovery;
"Aye Surabar t'was the gnomiz who brought black-powder into the world and my life..."
The gun-mage sniffs at the powder horns
:
'... Oh-ho! This is the good stuff... and cartridges too! Not seen these since... ... well a helluva long time ago..."
The dwarf's voice and thoughts wander for a moment, then he snaps back and begins loading the powder horns and cartridges into his gear.
"May well be a perfect den for me Taskerhill... Quiet and flame proof! Har!"
Ryan's smiles lingers for a bit as his youthful brain gets around to informing him that Master Tygot just insinuated he might be a thief, then with a crestfallen look he cries out "Surely you do not think I stole these items from the citizens of Cauldren?" Looking back and forth between the items on the table, Lepook, and Master Tygot "WE did not.... this can be explained....following up on the stolen ....gnomes..."
Momentarily flustered, Ryan takes a deep breath, starting again...
"Master Tygot, myself and others have been commissioned by the church to investigate the disappearances of the children from the orphanage among other disappearances within the city. We are performing our search in a long forgotten part of the city that is not known to be inhabited by any of Cauldren's folk. Items found during our search are being used to further that search, for we have not found the missing yet. Not one item has been taken from the city proper by our group."
In the hallway outside
"Take care, that someone didn't reset the trap you rigged not to fail JJ, there are some sneaks down here. Looks like we should head back to the throne room."
Tygot places his hand over Ryan's one and smile "I understand, I have been an adventurer myself at better times." he picks up all the gems and jewels "I just recognized some stuff I have sold before. I am no guard. Just go and save those kids. And let me know if you find any piece of art that brings tracks to old cultures and history"
You head towards the southern area skipping the trapped corridor. As you open the N door your light turn around the corners of a small corridor that open into a large and long empty chamber.
Two short flights of stairs lead up to a seventy-foot long, thirty-foot-wide octagonal gallery with a fifteen foot-high vaulted ceiling. Twenty web-shrouded pedestals stand about the room, and the walls show signs of having once born tapestries and other fixtures. However, the items once displayed here have long since been removed.
Following the stairs down to the east, you find a corridor with two doors. You open the E door at the north to reveal yet another large room.
Carved into the south wall is a large map showing various interconnected rooms and corridors. The lines of the map glow faintly but do not shed enough light to illuminate the chamber. The rooms drawn there corresponds to the ones in your map. It just lacks the newly carved tunnels just the same.
To the north a portcullis connects with the long entry corridor.
Kikinnin presses on, hoping to start seeing signs of the orphans, tracks on the ground, newly-opened doors, recently-eaten food. Anything that speaks of life in this morbid mausoleum of an race now departed.
He inspects the wall, looking it over to reinforce where they've been, and where they're going.
"Another door. This one 'Z'." The dwarf waits for folk to catch up, then opens the door, his shield up.
When Kikinnin opens the Z door you get access to another short corridor leading to the south. The main corridor leads to a wide open large chamber with lights moving and dancing around tirelessly.
Eightblack marble pillars support the thirty-foot-high ceiling of this majestic hall. The pillars are carved to resemble gnome artisans and warriors standing on each other's shoulders, bracing the vaulted roof with their collective strength. The walls are adorned with faded murals depicting gnomes in reverie—playing pipes, dancing, performing acrobatic stunts,drinking wine, and so forth. The forty-foot-wide hall widens to sixty feet at the south end, where a large circular pool is enclosed by a semicircular, one-foot-high veined marble wall. Carved into the wall above the pool is a gnome visage with water spilling from its wide grin. Four bright lights illuminate the hall from end to end, corner to corner. They flicker and dance like torchlight and drift aimlessly about the hall, changing altitude and direction on a whim. Two piles of rubble, one in the northwest corner and another in the southwest corner, add elements of imperfection to this grand hall.
As you approximate the center of the chamber to explore, a voice shouts from the southern area of the room, lighted by the dancing lights "Olk alikholt!"
Bolts start to be fired from behind the columns reaching the party front!
Two of the bolts stab at Kikinnin on the left and right arms!
Another one stabs at Ruben's left leg!
After JJ, Maxim and Marigold react, the front skulks change the crossbow for their shortswords while the other three reload and fire another wave of bolts.
One of them hitting JJ at the chest!
Lurking behind the columns you have a difficult time to spot the skulks as they take the colors of the stone. Hiding among the rubble you see Yuathyb, still badly injured, but giving orders to the skulks. They all seem clearly alerted, readied and prepared for your arrival.
Surprise round- single action only
"Skulks!" cries JJ, moving forward to the closest Skulk while drawing his weapons.
Round 1
"Ugh!" cries JJ as the crossbow finds a hole in his all-too-thin armor.
"For Surabar!"
He swings his family sword at the red skulk, letting it draw blood for the first time in nobody-really-knows-how-long
Then, his well worn blade, that saw so much work the previous day swings in from the other side, as JJ tries out the tricks that he witnessed Yuathyb use the previous day.
As quarrels fly and the shout goes up Maxim utters an incantation to protect himself;
"Bewapening Uzelf"
Armour Thyself
The gun-mage nods to himself grimly and loads his blackpowder sidearm with one of the newly acquired flare cartridges ;
"Let's see if you still work eh?"
Pistol loaded he turns the corner, and seeing Yuathyb hunkering at the end of the hall opposite him, aims and fires at their wounded nemesis, his firearm booming its arrival throughout the hall:
:
: +
If above attack is to miss due to Yuathyb's +4 AC for cover I'll invoke a hero point again:
:
: +
Marigold yells with alarm as bolts begin to fly upon stepping into the room. Her eyes pick out not only more skulks but their friend from yesterday. "તેને છે! નેતા!" she calls out as she darts forward and behind Ryan and Maxim.
"It's him! The leader!"
With several of her companions already injured, the halfling does her best to steel herself. હું હોય - હું ગઈકાલે કરતાં વધુ સારી રીતે કરી શકો છો! she thinks as she darts around Ruben in order to reach Kikinnin. She reaches out and places a hand on the dwarf's shoulder and wills the flesh to mend once more.
I can do better than yesterday - I have to!
JJ deflects the bolt in the last moment positioning the Skulk in the middle of the trajectory.
He then follows with a couple of good slashes at side and side of the creature as its flesh starts changing to a less stone-like texture. The skulk bleeds intensely from its wounds but holds on foot.
;
Ryan ready mace and shield then cast a familiar magic and all to useful down here. "Abadar bless those who do your bidding"
move action ready weapon and shield
standard cast : Bless. +1 to attacks and saves vs fear effects 2 mins
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Marigold moves behind the party and around the northern columns to safely touch Kikinnin. Most of the dwarf's wounds magically heal under the caring touch of the halfling.
Maxim steps closer to the fray aiming with his bullet loaded gun at the skulk in the eastern column. At the triggering of his pistol, a thundering noise fills the room and the bullet hits at the skulk's left shoulder. The creature is pushed back by the power of the impact, but it grabs the column and keeps fighting braced to it.
Ryan readies his shield and casts an spell. A wave of blessing guidance pushes you.
AC = 18
HP = 20/28
Weapon Equipped = Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Bless (+1 to Att, +1 to Will Saves v Fear)
Kikinnin flummoxes as he wanders into another skulk ambush. As quickly as he feels his arteries seek out the holes newly created by the bolts, he feels the mend brought by Marigold. "Thanks for that. So many of them, we're going to need all our strength."
He moves forward, wary of the creatures' proclivity for flanking. He squares off against Red, seeking to drop one of them quickly, give them something to think about. Something tinges in his upper arm, and he remembers the new bolt he's wearing. It throws his swing off, easily.
Kikinnin advances attacking the skulk tangled with JJ, but the creature dodges the attack avoiding the blade.
The skulk returns the attacks then, slashing at JJ whom skilfully dodges the shortsword, then hiding behind the column.
Yuathyb shouts from his cover in the southern rubble pushing the skulks to the attack.
The skulk with a green tone, steps next to Kikinnin and surprises him with a precise strike at the dwarf side. The blade stabs at an open articulation in the armor biting the skin.
Without throwing his small light crossbow, the skulk in blue tone draws his shortsword as he walks towards Kikinnin, and slashes at the dwarf who stops the blade with a hit of his shield.
Two new bolts fly from the southern area of the chamber. The first one is deflected by JJ's armor, while the second, fired by the skulk in the corner with a small gnome crossbow, stabs at Maxim's left leg.
Yuathyb, half-hidden in the rubble and visibly injured, places a heavy crossbow over the stones. Taking aim at the party's front, he fires a large bolt that impacts the column just in front of JJ with a splintering noise. You overhear the dark stalker cursing and looking for another bolt.
Round 1
Sonofab#@#%! Ruben curses loudly as he reaches down to yank the bolt out of his thigh. Let's cut these skulks down! he shouts then, somewhat less cordially than Ryan's blessing but no less effective.
Round 2
He then rushes forward, closing the distance with half a dozen quick steps before lunging forward with his blade
Round 2
Ryan steps forward a bit to get a better view of the slayer calling out ... "Devil spawn, you escaped once, yet today we shall wipe you and the filth you called forth from the depths out of our city!"
casting Doom on the slayer DC14(wis)
Maxim grimaces as the crossbow bolt grazes his leg. The dwarf decides to return the favour, drawing his dagger and letting it fly at the red tinged skulk as it shifts round the column to avoid JJ's attack;
"Have at ye craven skulker curs!"
:
:
Though she has no idea what the others are saying, Marigold is fairly certain that they're all in agreement that they need to take care of these skulks and quickly. Acting almost on instinct, she bravely advances forward behind Kikinnin and Ruben...
As she draws near to the melee, Marigold's mind suddenly flashes back to her earlier dream of bright colors. "હું શરત તમે skulks પ્રકાશ અને રંગો માટે ખૂબ કાળજી નથી, તમે શું કરશો?" she says as a rainbow of color erupts from her outstretched hands and washes over the two skulks that Kikinnin and Ruben are tangling with.
Showing a little more backbone than the previous day, the halfling darts up to the front lines next to her companions and swings her mace at the skulk directly in front of her. "AIEEE! ભયાનક વસ્તુ તમે મૃત્યુ પામે છે!"
"I bet you skulks don't care much for light and colors, do you?"
"AIEEE! Die you horrible thing!"
Keen to finish off the first Skulk, JJ continues to try and master the techniques of Yuathyb.
"Surabar!"
He then swings his own sword round in his left hand, darting it forward in a lethal strike. Well, it looks impressive, but its far too easy to dodge.
Ruben strikes powerfully on the green skulk, almost splitting his left arm in half. The skulk barely standing looks at Ruben in terror.
As Ryan casts pointing towards Yuathyb the dark stalker tremble at the back of the room.
But the cleric feels the spell has not been successful.
Maxim's dagger stabs the red skulk at the right leg. The creature looks in surprise and terror holding himself against the column. So distracted JJ deepens his shortsword into the skulk's belly. The creature falls to the floor unconscious.
JJ attempts to switch to another target, but the blue one is ready and dodges the sword.
As Marigold casts her spell, the skulks are engulfed by rays of colors. They try to avert their eyes, but one of them cannot do much, getting stunned and letting his sword fall to the ground.
The barely standing skulk decides it is better for him to forget about the fight and run. As he starts to retreat Yuathyb shouts from the back commanding, but the skulk just curses something back and continues rushing towards the exit trying to avoid attacks.
The two skulks in the back reload their gnome crossbows and fire.
One of the bolts hit the column in the middle in the room, while the other stabs at Ruben at his chest as he is trying to attack the retreating skulk. The creatures then step back trying to hold the party advance while the shout alarmed.
You heard the wooden noises of Yuathyb tensing the heavy crossbow behind the rubble, reloading the large weapon.
As the bolt misses him, the gun-mage changes tack, pulling forth a wand and aiming at skulk some 40 odd feet away .
Maxim aims the wand at the creature and once again invokes its magic;
"Sluimeren!"
Sleep
Ruben steps forward to take advantage of the stunned skulk, slamming his sword into it's face.
AC= 18
HP = 12/25
Weapon Equipped = Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Bless (+1 to Att, +1 to Will Saves v Fear), Inspired (+1 to Att and Dam)
Kikinnin keeps up his enthusiasm to see the skulks fall before he does. Depending on the chance, the dwarf shuffles into flank with Ruben, hoping to improve his odds of catching the skulk like it's been catching him.
"Protect yourselves they will fire soon."
Ryan calls out hearing the winding of the crank on the heavy crossbow. Sprinting forward he hopes to ruin the advantage of the weilder. Using the column as he moves forward to afford him some protection.
double move to the square on the slayers east side, in melee range. I have just enough movement to get there swinging around the column, and avoiding a AoO from orange.
Maxim retrieves his wand and starts waving it in the air with skill.
Kikinnin and Ruben flank the blinded and stunned skulk and start beating it with sword and axe. The creature is unable to see and respond to the attacks making of him and ease target. With his last axe strike Kikinnin drops the creature to the floor and looks to the south for more.
Observing the problem with the heavy crossbow, Ryan runs all through the chamber with little regard to his safety, placing himself in a menacing position in front of Yuathyb.
The dark stalker abandons the already loaded heavy crossbow and instead stands up drawing two shortswords, although they look different than before.
He shouts at Ryan in Gnome "Ulthridzh? Lialk ahtlak?"
"Who are you? What do you want?"
The yellow skulk drops his crossbow and comes into help of the dark stalker, surrounding Ryan from where he cannot reach him while drawing another shortsword.
But the cleric's armor deflects the attack with ease.
The green one continues running up the eastern corridor, while the remaining one reloads his crossbow and shots at Kikinnin once again.
The bolt flies straight scratching the dwarf's chin.
Maxim takes additional effort to complete the spell, placing the area of effect trying to help Ryan without affecting him.
The skulk suddenly faints to the floor losing grasp of his sword and starting to sneeze!
Satisfied with his work on the first Skulk, JJ calls out his battle cry once more and moves to take the battle to the cowardly crossbow users.
<extra +4 if charging and no TWF
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BAB+Str +3, IC +1, Bless +1
Ryan attempts to land a hit as the slayer changes tactics. Screaming back since he has no clue what the creature yelled in gnome.
Swinging again as JJ comes clattering into view behind the creature distracting him slightly.
if that misses HP for a retry
As Ryan sprints forward, Maxim hears the stalkers words in gnome, and relays them to the others;
"It asks who you are Taskerhill! What you want!"
As he moves to where the body of the red-tinged skulk lies, the gun-mage shouts back a response to the creature:
"Snažíme sa o deti. Snažíme sa o vašu smrť alebo ich vyslobodenie!"
We seek the children. We seek your death or their deliverance!
Ruben rips the bolt from his chest and though the wound immediately begins seeping blood, he snarls at the remaining skulks.
You're going to die down here unless you throw down those weapons.
Marigold seems nearly as surprised as the skulks are as the colors burst forth from her hands, thoroughly dazing one of them. "ઓહ મારા દેવતા હું જે કર્યું હતું!"
While her companions make quick work of several of the skulks, she watches with surprise and amazement as Ryan charges forward towards the leader from yesterday. After a moment's hesitation, she sets her jaw and darts forward after him.
"Oh my goodness! I did that!"
As Ryan engages the leader, Marigold closes the distance to the pair surprisingly fast for her size and takes a swing at the creature with her weapon in an effort to distract it from the cleric.
"અરે, અહીં નીચે!"
But the creature with his weapons makes for a very imposing target and her will falters at the last second...
"Hey, down here!"
Kikinnin shuffles forward as fast as his frame will carry him, fencing off the skulk in the corner who recently clipped his beard.
"You best just drop that crossbow, skulk. I won't tell you again. Wait, do they understand us again? I can't remember which tongues are common knowledge here."
The dwarf would like to threaten the skulk with his axe, but he's only just arrived.
JJ charges upon the last crossbow skulk, his steps resounding in the chamber as he passes next to the columns and jumps over the creature stabbing his shortsword on the creature's chest.
Ryan strikes with his mace at Yuathyb as he stands up, breaking a couple of rips under his chest.
Ruben reckless attitude seems to impress the remaining skulk that drops the crossbow to the floor while JJ and Kikinnin, who just run over him, deal with it.
Marigold rushes to close up with the leader moving scared the mace, not very efficiently, but enough for Ryan to strike with his mace on the dark salter right arm, one of his shortswords clanging to the floor.
As Maxim speaks Yuathyb collapses to the floor, holding himself against the rubble. Speaking with difficulty and a strong undercommon accent the dark stalker says in Gnome which Maxim is able to automatically translate "Win you. I... I surrender" as he lets his other sword fall on the floor.
A bit intimidated by the combat and Ruben's words, he seems temporary more receptive. Speaking yet again in a very basic Gnome he says "Children. Yes. F*@! Kazmojen. No need protect him. No more" he shows his hands getting translucent "Help. Vanishing. Help. You can help? Please. I help if you help"
Ryan still does not understand what he is saying but the look of submission and the dropped swords indicate his action. Kicking the swords away from the slayer, he remains at the ready. Waiting for someone to translate, however when the slayer holds up his hand while talking or he recognizes signs of what he feels is the wasting sickness that affected the gnomes living here before.
"He has whatever affliction the gnomes were fighting, what did that book say causes it? And just what is he saying?"
Kikinnin watches Yuathyb, but listens to Maxim. He startles when the dark stalker raises a translucent hand. He takes a step back, something in his subconscious warning him irrationally that the disease is present with him in the room, and is here for him.
"Whoa, would you look at that. It's done fighting, but is it done existing? He speaks the name of Kazmojen. He should keep talking, so we can find him, and end this." The black-beard watches Ryan, and wonders what the priest will find in his study of the Vanishing.
"Who or what or where is Kazmojen? Is that the dwarven name for this place?" asks JJ, carefully removing the weapons that have been discarded around the room.
"I thought The Vanishing came from long ago? Surely it can't still be here? Did it make the Skulks? "
Based on what you read before in the book and the signs Ryan can see, maybe something able to disrupt permanently magic can help against the Vanishing. Or perhaps if it is a curse or if it is a disease, the corresponding remove spell might cure it. It definitely does not look like a poison effect.
"Vanishing I do not know. Skulks Darklands. We fought. We allied. Help me. Kazmojen, half-dwarf. You help. I told you where" the stalker coughs with difficulties "Children. He"
Maxim does a good job of translating the creature so you can more or less communicate with him.
Checking the fallen bodies, you find 5 small light crossbows, 22 bolts, 7 shortswords, a heavy crossbow, 67 silver pieces and 3 golden ones. Hanging from the belt of the red skulk, a silver ring holds 3 skeleton keys.