Watching the dwarves depart, Kozen sidles up to one of the party and asks "So about those logging rights to the Narlmarches...?"
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[Rolls eyes.]
Koren scowls.
"And what about the other one--Baron Drelev? Where's he?"
Though that one there seemed dead dead for sure. But ... Better let the healers look just in case. She can't help but notice Kozen seems to know this one though. "My condolences..?" "Hm? Oh no. The contrary really." Kozen says with a broad smile.
Meanwhile Kozen looks critically down the business end of his wand before banging the butt repeatedly into his palm. Then he let's fly another bolt of twisting energy at the creature Durgan is fighting.
He scowls again at the result and backs his way past Illthir urging her and Fergus forward. "Ladies first. Go on. Don't mind me. I'll be right behind you."
Kozen too let's fly with his wand to lesser effect.
Kozen fires off another magic missile from his wand past the fighter.
Trapped in the Kozen pulls his wand and performs a similar feat with much lesser effect against the beast blocking the party's way.
"Let's go Southwest. Alia might be there, and something definitely is - maybe the devil-horse again, and we can end it." "The trail leads that way" says Kozen. "Leave the path at your own risk."
"A potion that can enlarge you? No. I gave that to a--well, he's not so much a friend--actually he's the exact opposite, but the nature of the work means we must all make sacrifices." Longtooth shakes him once. "I can guide us through the maze." And with that Kozen does unerringly lead the party through the maze.
"Afraid so." says the trade consortium wizard without much emotion. "But we can't stay here, so if you are up to it we should leave."
"I've been hit!" cries Kozen. dice:
Round 2! (Theme ♬)
Realizing she is in a trap Serene moves like lightning and hefts the heavy dwarf over her shoulder, and then backs painfully slowly into the tunnel. Looking over her shoulder she finds Kozen chanting. He is alone. He casts a spell, and a trailing fire brand tumbles overhead into the chamber. There's a flash, dry, desiccating heat, and a concussive blast wave from cave. The explosion renders the majority of the undead to charred piles of bone (including the two that were about to flank Serene), and leaves the little porcupine man on the ledge looking a bit charred.
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
dice:
"What in the Nine Hells are you doing!?" shouts Kozen. Round 1! (Theme ♬)
"Get out of there! I'm going to torch the place!" shouts Kozen.
Serena and company round the corner. The tunnel ahead broadens into what looks to be the oldest part of the ossuary. Ahead in the wizard-merchant's dim light, Serene's elf-touched eyes can see a large, dark cave, twenty feet high it's walls pilled high with bones. Among them stand several motionless, human-sized skeletons--three of them in alcove some 10 feet off the floor. In the center of the chamber lays the still form of the dwarf, Balthur Mistbreather. "What do you see?" whispers Kozen.
"Which way did Balthur go or was taken?" Serena asks Kozen, as she takes up a position beside him and channels the grace of Sarenrae to heal them.
Kozen sighs as if put upon and indicates toward the northwestern corner again. "I suppose you'll want to go after him then?" "What do you think?" says Longtooth smiling at them both. NEW RESULTS
With some space to move Kozen withdraws for safety around a curve in the catacomb. He pops out a moment later to point toward a dark tunnel hung with the tatters of cobwebs in the northwest corner. "They took him down there!" shouts the merchant.
In the tight melee Serena cannot find any swinging space for her morningstar. Despite being pressed upon all sides by a noisome skeletal hoard Kozen remains composed enough to curse out a smattering of magical phrases and hand gestures.
Kicking off the pit's wall Longtooth swings down into the space behind Serena rather than on her, just outside the bonestorm. dice:
Still Round 2! (Theme ♬)
"Kind of you to drop in." says Kozen with feigned sweetness. "NOW PERHAPS YOU MIGHT HELP ME BEFORE WE ARE OVERRUN!" He points at a small horde of restless dead things emerging all around from what appears to be the Ser Richard's family ossuary. The walls are lined with bones that are currently undulating like a tapestry caught in a stiff wind. Dozen of the skulls come loose from the wall and float forward, while whole skeletons assemble themselves and advance. Kozen reaches out a hand and with some difficulty hauls Serena to her feet.
"REALLY! ANYTIME NOW WOULD BE GRAND!" cries an increasingly desperate-sounding Kozen from below. This is interspersed with him saying the word "Kah-Zot!" a bunch of times. Each time he does the magical light below brightens for a moment.
The sound of more magical missiles echoes up the shaft. "ANY TIME NOW WOULD BE GREAT!" shouts a desperate, yet somehow sarcastic, Kozen from out of sight below.
Again is snaps open with surprising speed and Serena finds herself overlooking a deep dark pit the bottom of which she cannot see. Except this time she can. There's a blue light coming from somewhere below and out of direct line of sight of the bottom. There is also a sound like sound like zipping electrical dragonflies and brief rapid flashes of the light. "A LITTLE HELP!?" cries a desperate Kozen from far below.
Kozen climbs up on some boxes to avoid being shoved into them. He looks around, while cursing under his breath.
dice:
Someone bumps into Alia from behind. "Pardon, my lady. It's a bit cramped." says the merchant Kozen a small smile showing from beneath his veil.
{Smiles}
"We have regional headquarters in all quarters of Avistan and Garund. Just now we are setting one up in Restov." he says and smiles. "We have contacts with in all manner of industry and craft. My particular specialty is fishing and hunting. For fur, meat or sport. It matters not to me. Only the bottom lines of my ledger book--and those are always black."
"And I am Kozen, a member of far-reaching consortium of merchant interests, looking to invest in your claim." says a tall, dark and handsome man in simple but well-tailored attire with a blue head-wrap. He makes a formal bow.
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