Spizz squawks comically and makes a big show from running away from the tongs for a little while before his laughter gets the better of him and he collapses on the floor. After a little bit longer he stands again, wiping his eyes, and brushing any dust off his meticulously cleaned golden scales. "Much more fun here than in Spizz old home. Big spider gave Spizz a shock, but Spizz feel much better now. Thank you newfriend Quince."
A quick search of the room confirms it is unoccupied. No additional exits/entrances aside from the four doors noted on the map are found. Additionally, you find 10 +1 Arrows among the various forgotten weapons.
Pre-sleep rest period:
1st Watch:
2nd Watch:
3rd Watch:
Not long into the 1st watch (no benefits gained from resting), you awaken when you hear a loud pounding on the northern door.
"Who the 'ell locked this door!"; a loud shout in a low voice.
Finally, with more insistent pounding, the door flies inward, and a large Ogre steps through, dimly seen in the light of a small fire you set in the forge.
"Oi! Who the 'ell're youse?" the creature demands menacingly.
"Oh you're here at last."
Elias surreptitiously kicks awake anyone who is still resting.
"We've been waiting long enough. We're ordered here to check on you, and you keep us waiting! What's the meaning of it?"
Djack is rudely woken up... and tried to distance himself from both Quince and the ogre all at once.
I'm Djack.
Rocko isn't quite as subtle. He groggily takes a nearby chunk of firewood for the forge and tosses it at the ogre's nose.
"Pipe down, bub. Trying to sleep here."
"Spizz is Spizz, who is youse?" the kobold pipes up cheerily.
The ogre eyes the group of you suspiciously, taking Rocko's "attack" in stride; he'd probably have done the same if someone woke him, he reasoned.
He closes one eye, trying to comprehend the ramifications of Quince's words, but is clearly confused.
"I Yorg. You...who sended you to look for Yorg?"
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She had reactions and interactiosn the previous day regarding the strange antics of the group, but those are left behind in the face of a new apparent threat. Her eyes, half-glazed in meditation, snap to attention as the hulking ogre known as Yorg made his appearance. The human Quince seemed intent on fulling the dull beast, to what ends she hadn't yet uncovered. Keeping silent, she raised herself from her lotus position and watched carefully.
"Yorg, don't play stupid. He said you were the smartest Ogre in these parts he wasn't wrong, was he? He needs you to go and see him personally, said he had a job that needed brains and muscle, you're the only... man for the job. Seemed like he was in a hurry too, I wouldn't keep him waiting."
Yorg looks at Quince suspiciously.
"Yorg gonna need more to go on. Where you meet this man who says Yorg smart? I mean, who KNOWS Yorg smart. Where he wanna meet Yorg?"
The elf turns slightly to hide her exasperated expression. This didn't seem to be going very well, and she didn't understand why they wouldn't just attack the monster.
"Yorg have many friends?" Spizz asks innocently, peeking from around Elias's leg. "Spizz likes having new friends. Maybe Yorg also be friends with Spizz?" The inkling of an idea comes to the kobold. "Spizz small, but Spizz can shoot fire from his hands! And Yorg very big. Spizz could ride on Yorg shoulder and shoot fire at bad guys with stick throwers or nasty birds, while Yorg protect Spizz from metal sticks and stones! Smash and burn together!" He makes some crashing and fwooshing noises to really sell his point. "Best friends!"
Orcs or hobgoblins he say?
I think Yorg can take 'em three or four at a time. Outsmart them, too.
Quince provides Yorg with a seemingly suitable answer that will lead the ogre out of the populated area, and the creature turns to return to its room and gather its things.
As he prepares to leave the dungeon, Yorg looks back at Spizz.
"Maybe when Yorg come back, little dragon-man. Right now Yorg have big task to do!" And with that, the ogre stomps off.
Elias waves with a fixed smile as the ogre leaves.
"next time I'm bullsh**ing somebody, someone do me a favour and bop them on the head or something. I thought I was going to have to write a book for him there"
You awaken on the cold stone floor of the forge room in the Stronghold of the 4th Legion, still sore from the battles of the day before but refreshed enough to continue. Djack in particular feels worlds better. It seems his body has shaken off the worst of the spider toxins.
Looking over at Quince, What are you talking about, Rocko nearly beheaded him... A wry smile makes its way across the youth's face.
He didn't seem that bad. So, are we keeping this place or what? And, uhhh... he's gonna want to come back. I think he lives here.
Durring their earlier routines getting themselves together, the elf tries to perform a prayer of healing to help everyone recover just a little bit more. It seems though, that Xenxolotl was not feeling particularly favorable at this time.
"I still do not understand why we let the beast leave so easily, or why any of you have been so lenient. Are these not common cutthroats, monsters to be slain for the safety of your peasantry?" She asked with genuine curiosity.
"Spizz thought he seemed nice." A mischeivious smile creeps up the kobold's face. "And Spizz was being serious about wanting to ride big-soft skin as battle-steed."
Answering Yoltzin, I think it was more a consideration of our un-ready-ness... we wanted to rest up and were interrupted before that was complete.
He was a rather large threat. We weren't prepared. I suspect Quince chose self-preservation. A good call, by the way. But, maybe these common riffraff could be rehabilitated. It's easy to see the wide eyed positivity in the youth.
"Being unprepared, I can agree with this. But what is it to be.. rehah bill latated?" She asks, brows furrowed as she tries to pronounce the strange word.
Oh, there was a fancy wizard I heard speak of it... teach folks new ways and see them change their actions.
Offer the orge and catfolk food and a place to live, respect... if they protected the village instead of raiding it, that sort of thing. It's fancy, but I liked the idea of it.
Give them something to be proud of.
He rotates his shoulder, stretching. Thanks for the healing, Yoltzin. I needed that, truly.
"It is only by Xenxolotl's mercy that your wounds find their mend. He does not offer much, as it seems he wishes us to prove ourselves by our own merit today." She explains and, in her own ways, apologizes for not fully recovering the group. Yoltizin takes a moment more to consider the human's other words before responding again, "For one to repent and another to forgive, then. This I can understand. Though I do not know if these... 'people', would truly change. I do not think I would risk the lives of other innocents to potentially redeem the soul of a sinner."
Djack looks at Yoltzin, slowly blinking as his eyes take her in. It's not clear what he thinks of her.
Hmm... Good points all around. As to proving myself to earn healing, I suppose I have no choice either way.
I don't know if I'm... wise enough to figure that last part. I can only hope that my presence does not make matters worse.
With that he stands, shoulders his pack and is ready to... continue. Or prove myself, whatever the hellz that Xenxolotlfella wants.
As a pause slips itself into the conversation between Djack and Yoltzin, Elias adds his piece
"There is a difference. There's attacking something because its bigger than you and doesn't talk proper, and there's ridding the world of child-eaters."
He absently sharpens his knives.
"To take a life is a big deal. Not to be taken lightly. But not to be afraid of. We can't shrink from what is right."
I guess we'll see what Caprone has to say
"Hm... Let's avoid where the ogre came from, for now. Tread new ground, towards that door." She gestures to the western one.
Djack, nearly a new man moves to check the door.
Djack finds no sign of a trap, but trying the door, it becomes apparent that it is locked.
Oh... darn thing is locked. Let's see...
It's a bit tricky, but Djack manages to pop the lock and has no trouble opening the door after.
The room has several storage chests and cases of various sorts. The storage room exudes a sense of organized chaos, but a narrow walkway snakes through the various stacks and piles that stand as a silent witnesses to the storied past of the fortress.
Rocko looks around, wondering where to begin.
"Well, is it worth it, trying to sort through this mess?"
"You got something better to be doing Rocko?"
Elias wanders into the room and begins moving through the cases, trailing a finger through the dust looking for anything that seems interesting.
It appears to be mostly long expired dry goods (such as flour so old even the worms feasting on it are long since desiccated) and documentation of troop movements, field promotions and the like within the ranks of the 4th Legion. A bound volume detailing the early history of the Legion, along with notes for an addendum related to their actions within Caldova, might be of interest to collectors.
Toward the back, though, sequestered away from the rest, Quince finds a lone chest filled with large numbers of Ricoan and Espan coinage, and a rather large Amethyst among them.
"It does, in fact, seem to be worth the venture." Comments the elf, having long packed away the arcane arrows to help sort through the junk and debris.
[Ooc]Jog my memory, are these coins old or new? I was tyling a bit of added flavor text but was suddenly unsure.[/ooc
The coins are quite old, varying in age from 200 years ago during the Deadly Drought and the following migration to over 300 years, during the height of the Gnoll Warlords period.
Nice find, there... Djack helps pack things as needed.
When the room investigations seems exhausted, Where next? What about this door here in the corner.
Ah, the old "axe in the ceiling" trick, Djack reflects, as he looks upward from the doorframe. Well enough hidden, except that he knew what to look for. Your choices are two: disable the trap, or somehow open the door without standing in front of it to cause the trap to spring. Standing in front of the door when the trap swings would be quite painful.
Hellz... axe in the ceiling. I'll try to disarm it.
Elegant in its simplicity, Djack just isn't able to disarm the trap this time. That leaves either springing it safely in some way, risking the damage, or maybe a different route? Or?
Djack tries to open the door, tumbling away as he does.
The large, wide-bladed axe swings down as expected. Djack's dodge was enough to minimize the damage, but he did take a nice gash to the shoulder (4 HP damage). The trap is now useless and can easily be walked past safely.
The trapped door opens onto a dark, short, winding hallway. It doesn't look like anyone has come this way since the place was abandoned.