Brother Gaelin steps around Lorass and looks down at the halfling with a frown on his face. "I will not lie to the mayor, especially not about the safety of a sister of my faith. I know you were keen to have the reward, but there are other charges we can earn coin on."
Turning to the infernally touched warrior, "I am sorry, I did not myself. Perhaps one of our other companions did? And if not, we could still go attend to the matter, then pull the flyer on our way back to the townmaster's. It is a quiet place, I don't think there is a whole army of people rushing off to attend to these matters..."
He shrugs his shoulders "Yeah, you're right we can just do others...you gotta admit though, something's funny about that mayor. He holds up inside all day with his little poster board...scared of a mouse. Paranoid guy like that is up to no good...I seen it before. Just saying."
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*knock knock knock* "Tax man."
Sir Adrian walks with the others to the next task.
Brother Gaelin chuckles at the halfling's commentary. "I agree, the townmaster seems to be a strange fellow. But who are we to judge?"
Looking to his companions, he tightens his pack's shoulder strap. "So, which next, the gnomes or the dwarves? Anyone have a thought?"
Scram considers "Been punched in the face each day fer a tenday by one'a'dem dwarves. Could use a break. Then again, I'm startin' to get the knack...might be a breakthrough comin'. You see their nostrils flare just before the strike, that's how you know...that's what gives you time to adjust tactic like. Problem is them noses are bejeweled by the subterranean hairs of the damned, givin' them a mad stealth." he cocks his head the other direction "...yeah, gnomes'd be my vote."
Dusk shrugged
Well I don't much mind which, if Scramsax suggests he'd prefer the option with less dwarven fists then I'm happy to support that!
Indeed, I too have no preference. However, I do not believe that our little friend need fear anyone with his new companions by his side.
Loraas put his arm around the young halfling and smiled like a grandfather, "Don't you worry about any dwarves with us. You just keep your hands out of their belongings and they won't bother you."
He turned to the others, ""Let's see if the townmaster gives us our reward and then we can go and visit the gnomes."
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You all journey back to the small town of Phaendalin. weighed down with the spoils of this Manticore you see a few more people out about this tiem the city bustled a bit many on edge with weapons. As you get close once of the miners, a scraggly man with whisps of chin and neck hair a squinty eye and a dozen gold teeth points a hastily sharpened handaxe its luster shining through despite the flecks of rust.
"Ye da' 'venturers da' 'Yor spoke of?" he says looking at you his axe far better than the twine bundle of wooden pieces that mimiced a shield.
Still concerned for the old woman's safety, Lucen stops and almost blurts out a laugh at seeing this very 'unconventional' adventurer standing in the street with his shield and axe.
"Oh, my!" he is able to get out without descending into outright laughter.
"Ye da' 'venturers da' 'Yor spoke of?" he says looking at you his axe far better than the twine bundle of wooden pieces that mimiced a shield.
Calm as ever, the old elf smiled, "Well, I wouldn't call myself an adventurer but I have traveled far and seen many things."
He added, "Who is this 'Yor' that you are speaking of?"
Sir Adrian steps up and stares down at the dwarf.
We are a group recently formed to help the people of this area with their problems. Who might you be, good sir?
::Look away, look away, look away...:: Scram kept telling himself, even mouthing the words under the cover of mustache.
But he couldn't. Gold teeth. He was staring, he was scheming, he was dreaming of insane criminal dentistry and a weeklong bender with Dancy. Or was it Drantha...?
He could start a barfight. One innocent piledriver could loosen them up, and it would just take a quick haymaker to knock them to the floor. Who would notice the passed out little halfdrink snoozing gently beneath the barstool sweep them up...?
"Good lord. Whatever the matter is, surely it would be better discussed at a warm table with a cool pint?"
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"Are ye daft! Da' 'Yor" He says pointing to where the Mayor resides."He sa'd da' 'venturers were ta'kin' ta' Abedra,tol' me ta' tell ya' Da' Dergon flew o're head 'gain, Me n' a few o' da' lads' be 'eadin' towards its' direction, its' bunty be ours!" the old miner says pushing past you and heading south.
I'm reasonably sure that were dragon to meet these townsfolk, the situation would not go well for thse without scales, teeth and claws...
She shakes her head sadly
That said, I know greed when I see it, no amount of dissuasion or word of caution will work there!
She gestures
Shall we proceed?
I fear they will have no luck, or should I say ill-fortune, tracking down a dragon on a fly-by. Do you mean to follow them, Dusk, or should we continue to the Gnomes?
Loraas chimed in, "I don't think we want to meet a dragon but rather get the word out for people to be wary of it."
He shrugged, "I think we should go the gnomes and warn them about it?"
Yes Adrian, let us proceed to the gnomes. There is little we can do for reckless townsfolk, however as Loraas notes,
She smiles at the druid
we can at least warn other enclaves of the sighting. That way they can be prepared, or at least as prepared as any can be for a Dragon’s raid...
She moves to lead off towards the gnome’s location.
He sighs "Dragon Slayer with a mouth full of gold and a rusty axe...I'm thinking his priorities are skewed. *shrugs* Welp...takes all kinds..." he walks off with the others.
Gaelin looks back and forth between his companions with a quizzical look on his face. "Umm, do you think its possible the 'dragon' they saw flying overhead was in fact that beast we fought at the lady's home? A manticore, was it one of you said? I mean, it was certainly large and winged, and flying through the sky would be most terrifying... perhaps this is now all for nothing?"
Dusk pauses for a moment at Gaelin's suggestion
I hadn't thought of that! If that is the case, then all the better, as there's no more manticore there's less threat to the townsfolk!
She grins a be-fanged smile
Come, let's move on!
Brother Gaelin, you may indeed be onto something. That seems as reasonable an expectation as any.
Loraas said, "I don't know guys. I have never seen a dragon but I understand they are much larger than the manticore we just killed."
He cocked his head, "On second thought, maybe looking at something in the sky where distances are harder to judge may confuse someone."
"Or, perhaps it is a young drake, not yet grown to the huge proportions stories tell us."
The Maester ponders the possible of what Brother Gaelin suggested.
"C'mon, I know the place...I can show ya. They hide behind a little waterfall by the base of the mountain...course its been some time since I've seen em. Real reclusive, those gnomes...the tinkerin' sort. Strange magics, too...course I've been known to see colored lights from time to time." he shrugs.
Thank you Scram the tiefling smiles at the thief.
Would you kindly lead on? We're right with you!
Ensuring everyone is paying attention, she leads off with Scramsax in tow.
Loraas neared the halfling protectively, but chuckled, "Yes, please lead on. We will watch out for any drunk dwarves that come after you."
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With your party ready they head out southeast along one of the numerous yet uneven path towards a stream. From there you follow a stream uphill to the base of a mountain where waterfall erosion has carved out a natural concavity. The roaring waterfall creates a cloud of mist as it plunges into a shallow pool of water, within which the two small islands covered with two-foot-tall red, green, and purple mushrooms. Several cave openings overlook the pool from which rocky ledges twenty to thirty feet above. The mountain blocks any sunlight reaching this place
Did you say you'd been here before Scram?
Dusk glacned around, looking for any obvious signs of mining.
Any particular cave we should try first?
Scramsax was filling his hooded lantern with oil, getting ready to strike his flint with kit from a little box engraved with the halfling word 'hearth'. *strike strike*"Yeah...uh...pretty slick climb, from the 'fall. I seem to remember one being easier than the other..." *strike strike strike* The lantern finally glows to life, sending a beam of warm light through the mists like a spotlight. He scans the different entrances, trying to remember...
"..." Scram puzzles over the entrances "Na, I don't remember. Here, let me just climb one and I'll stake a rope on a piton at the summit for you..." he cracks his knuckles and does a little stretch, still half drunk he slips midway through and bites it on the ground. "...ehehe...no worries, I got this..."
He sets his lantern on the ground and points its light up the slope to guide his way, going hand over hand...
Loraas looked worried as the halfling made his way up. He knew that he had little chance of catching him should he fall but he dropped what he was carrying and was ready for such an eventuality.
"Careful up there. That climb looks rough."
The old elf let the halfling climb on him to get a good start on the sheer rock.
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Scram tinks out a quick piton into the cavern earth, tossing his rope back over the edge to the party. His little hand gives a quiet 'thumbs up' in the lantern light.
Lucen watches the halfling almost fall off his perch before the Druid gives him a helpful push to get to the top of the cliff.
"Well done! I am not too practiced in climbing, so I will wait until the rest of you have gone, then maybe get some help getting to the top?"
The man seems a little embarrassed by the admission of his inability to climb and of needing help.
Scram had kept to the left of the plunge pool...
Loraas gave the little man a thumbs up, grabbed the rope, made sure all his gear was tied up, and scrambled up the rock surface.
Once inside, he peered with his elven sight to determine how safe the cavern really was. He inspected the cave to see if there were any signs of it being a den for an animal or anything odd about it.