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You've spent the last several days slogging along the Queen's Road and camping or staying with farmers as you've been able. The traveling has been especially difficult lately as the heavy driving rains, searing hot days, and odd fissures in the road have made travel miserable. And they're all getting worse as you continue traveling. You stop at the Blue Ogre Inn, one of the few places of rest on this stretch of road.
There, you hear rumors of the Elemental Forge hidden in a cavern nearby. The locals said this artifact could bind the elements together to create powerful magics but no one who entered the cavern had ever come back. Occasionally, bizzarre earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and forest fires plagued the area. But the locals put up with it, assuming that was simply their lot in life. But one old man in the corner shook his head. "No siree. It's gettin' worse. Somethin's happenin' with the Forge, I tell ya!"
"Forge? What'ya know friend?" a bright, energetic gnome asks as he hops onto a stool near the old man. 'Bright' however doesn't do this gnome justice. Bedecked from hat to shoe this gnome wears green. His hat, nice looking vest and jacket, breeches, and shoes, all green as a healthy forest glade during midday. In fact, the only non-green thing about him is his undershirt and socks, yellow as gold and his flaming red hair and goatee.
"Th'name's Fizzbizzner! Ye' were saying'?!"
The fellow raises a bushy greying eyebrow at the verdant and enthusiastic gnome. "Eh... Well my grandpappy were the first one to tell me the story of the Forge. Said it bound the four elements together in powerful ways. Told me whereabouts in the hills it might be, too. But no one who's found the place has ever come back, see?" He wrings water out of his floppy hat. "But the weird weather and earthquakes... Something's up with the Forge, I say."
Kaal comes up behind Fizzbizzner and places his hand on the gnome's shoulder in a way that's calculated to show camaraderie, but only ends up being awkward, like most of the dwarf's social interactions.
"What was your grandfather's involvement with the Elemental Forge? Friend. And where did he say it was?"
The fellow nods to the dwarf as if he appreciates his more normal and respectable appearance. "Well my grandpappy weren't really involved. I don't know where he heard the story. Somewheres, I guess!" He shrugs, less than helpfully.
But he nods more helpfully to the second question. "Aye! He did! He pointed out a portion of the mountains where I shouldn't go wandering because I might stumble across the entrance to the cavern where the Forge lies." He rises to his feet with only slight unsteadiness and walks over to a map of the area on the wall by the door. He jabs a crooked finger at a place in the mountains. "Right there. I'll never forget, all me days."
From behind the bar, a middle-aged woman shouts while pouring mugs of ale "Harold! Get your dirty hands off my map! That cost a good amount, it did! I want my respectable customers to know how to get around here!"
Stauntram Uthuan, foe of giants, slayer of orcs, defender of dwarf kind (and anyone else he can help while defending dwarfs), has been busy slaying. And working up a thirst.
"I want ale! And more tales of the area. What foes and beasts lurk on the road and in the mountains?"
A craggy, weathered face with bristly dark red hair, shaped by a cantankerous but well-meaning personality. He possesses a deep love of dwarfkind, polished by an understanding of the merits of some non-dwarves.
His weapons and armour were forge by himself, though enchanted by others. The armour being a traditional dorn-degar, the dwarven battle chain and the armour being an adaptation of a Xian design. A symbol of Torag is clearly visible around his neck.
"OoooO!" Fizz says as he twirls on his stool to face the door. "Ye've gained da interest of Master beard 'ere." He hops down and cheerily skips over to Stauntram. With a tricky smile he quips, "Now, is he a dwarf with a beard, or a beard with a dwarf?"
The woman bustles to pour Stauntram two more pints of ale. The old codger looks at him in consideration "Well there are often highwaymen on the Queen's Road. Wolves, bears, and occasionally an owlbear in the woods. And I've even heard of trolls and other giant-folk in the mountain." He shudders and whispers in a low tone "Folk even said there used to be a dragon in those mountains." He seems to shake off the fear. "But that was far away from here."
Stauntram downs one pint immediately and slurps at the second while he listens.
With a belch, he finishes, having listened intently.
"A dragon? Any bones or clawmarks? Scales? And what colour?"
He turns to the gnome.
"I am clearly a dwarf with a beard, Fizzbizzner."
After the old man finishes answering the questions about a dragon, Kaal speaks again.
"You said anyone else who has searched for the Forge has never returned. Was there any trace of them found at all? Nothing to to indicate their fate?"
Fizz leans in and waggles his proportionally large tankard at Stauntram, "But are ye'?" He let's that sit for a couple seconds before he continues, "'Cause with Kaalul 'ere, ther's clearly more dwarf than beard," he gestures at Kaalul with his other hand, "But with you th' proportions are much in the opposite direction..." As Fizz trails off he seems to be lost in genuine thought...probably..
Martel has until now been in a quiet corner, his face buried in his Spellbook, muttering intensely to himself. He suddenly snaps the book shut, and nods with satisfaction.
“That’s that done, then. Now,” he says, standing and approaching his short friends, “what’s all this about a Forge?” He radiates his usual friendly aura, a simple-seeming smile on his face.
Stauntram summons the patience of stone.
He may require it, as he explains.
"My parents were both dwarves, my siblings are dwarves, and I have all the characteristics of a dwarf. It is possible that I have outsider blood, but if so it would surely be so diluted as to not contradict my dwarf-ness."
Fizz face palms with his other hand. "No, no, no. Stauntram..Th'question is whether yer beard encompasses more of yer body than you do. Outsiders 'ave nuthin' tuh do with it. Now uh good retort would be, 'what is ah dwarf without his beard?'"
"What is a gnome without his gibberish?"
"I have much hair on my face, but not more than muscles or bone. And Kaalul, Fizzbizzner is more than his speaking style."
The codger looks confused but amused at the unstoppably inquisitive gnome. "Er... I don't know. I think a few folk saw footprints or a glimpse of something white flying high." He turns to answer Kaalul. "Ah yes an the Forge. Some came back. Said they never found it. But most never came back. Don't know what happened to them." He looks a little uncomfortable.
It looks like there's more he might say but he doesn't want to offend or upset you.
"That might be a white dragon."
Fizz, in response to the mention of a dragon, immediately begins caressing his bearded chin dramatically, "Beard-dwarf might be right...This town could be in danger! This sounds like a job for...!" Fizz trails off seeming to be waiting for something as he hold his tankard in the air.
The fellow shrugs "Yeah that's what folk thought. Nothing ever really came of it so folk stopped talking about it years ago. Plues the Forge is a lot nearer to these parts."
"Ah yes an the Forge. Some came back. Said they never found it. But most never came back. Don't know what happened to them." He looks a little uncomfortable.
Kaal steps closer to the old man.
"But what do people think happened to them? Even speculation is better than knowing nothing. It could even save lives."
As an afterthought, Kaal signals for a refill of the old man's mug.
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Fizz yells louder, maintaining his heroic stance.
Stauntram also signals for more ale.
He would say it out loud, but he is currently slugging back the contents of his second pint.
The old fellow looks very confused at Fizzbizzner and mumbles "Umm... For the Queen's Guard to investigate?" he tries to offer helpfully. He avoids eye contact with Kaalul and answers "Well... We don't know. But one thing is odd. No dwarf who ever looked for the Forge came back. Most others did. But never a dwarf..."
Kaal cover his right ear due to Fizzbinner's yelling so that he can hear the old man better. At the revelation of dwarves never returning, he is silent as he sits and thinks awhile, nursing another drink.
"Well yeh, th'queen's guard I s'pose," Fizz mumbles as he relaxes and takes a swig. "I was kinda goin' fer 'us!' or sum thin', ya know?..." Fizz hangs his head and moves back to his original stool. He takes another swig and mumbles again, "Uh shame about those beards, and the dwarves.."
The fellow shrugs "Just trying to guess what you were thinking. Queen's Guard isn't likely to come round any time soon. They don't come out to these parts much."
Fizz yells louder, maintaining his heroic stance.
"Do you have to do this every time?" Kaal mumbles.
Fizz's smile returns and he straightens on his seat. "O'course I do! Nuthin' riles up th'blood like a group cheer!"
Stauntram turns to Kaalul.
"Even for a gnome, Fizzbizzner is excitable."
Martel scratches his chin as he leans on his staff, pondering the last bit of info. “Disappearing dwarves, eh? Might this forge be related to the dwarven people? Built by them? Or perhaps by something that doesn’t like dwarves, considering that it swallows them. Metaphorically speaking.”
He tries thinking of all the dwarven history he knows.
"That's what I want to find out. There's no better way to determine that than by going directly to the source."
Martel recalls that dwarves are particularly cunning with stonework and might be more likely than most races to discover a secret entrance. He thinks that, if he saw this cavern, he would likely be able to tell whether or not it was constructed by dwarves.
You continue to pondering the news as you eat and drink the Blue Ogre's fine fare a while longer. But the miles of the day weigh heavily on your eyes so you take to your rooms for some rest. You wake up the following morning to find intense heat outside.
"I'm ready to go immediately. Does anybody else need to do anything to prepare?"
"I am ready to proceed, Kaalul."
Fizz bounds down the stairs as energetic as ever. His bright colored get-up seems to just add to the energy. "I'm ready too!" he exclaims loudly. He is definitely a perky morning person.
The group eats a hearty breakfast of bread and cheese before heading out into the countryside. They walk the Queen's road, crossing the bridge over the Caradras River, then strike off into the meadows and woods leading up to the foot of the mountains.
You navigate into a rocky valley fairly high in the mountains. You notice rumblings of the earth, high wind, and extreme temperature changes. Something is going on in this valley...
Kaal pulls back the hood he was wearing to protect his eyes from the surprise downpour that abruptly ended as they entered a rocky valley. He wipes his brow of sweat.
"Be warned. Whatever is happening with the Elemental Forge, its effects may grow more extreme the closer we get to it."
“Makes sense to me.” Martel replies. “Also, keep an eye out for any local creatures that might be riled up by the disturbances.”
Kaluul stops moving through the valley suddenly. He points out an odd hairline crack in some exposed stone of the mountain.