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"You're welcome!" says a gruff voice behind Ayesha before Horgus Gwerm fills your vision. He taps a reveler on the shoulder, points across the room, and takes the seat. "How else do you think they got wine and mead here? You think anyone grows grapes this far north? Ha! Courtesy of Gwerm Manor. Just wanted to say you all have exceeded any expectations I had of you, even if you broke the barrier and doomed us all in the process."
Jinxx leaps upon the rat, and a loud, sickening crunch sounds out as he kills it instantly. End of Combat Horgus looks down with wide eyes at the pulped rat head and the wound on his arm before letting out a long groan. "This is what I come back to. Well... the manor stands yet." With a wince, Horgus looks over his shallow wound before he climbs down from the table. He looks at Sarkast evenly. "I don't like you, Kellid. And you like me less. But I'm alive and you had no reason to save me. Now let's see if the bastards got into my vault. All of the help, gone! The moment a giant demon attacks the city they loot my house and flee for the hills. Pah." Still muttering, Horgus stomps off to an adjoining room. A shout of joy comes from the next room, followed by the clicks of several locks opening. Horgus returns shortly thereafter with several bags of money. He looks over the assembled group, and inhales deeply before speaking. "Of course you recognized my importance immediately, but still, you did a most adequate job of getting me safely to the surface. Above average, even." He proceeds to hand out bags of money. He looks at Sarkast evenly. "I sincerely hope I never meet you again." To Nilus and Dejik, he offers smaller bags of money. "For your completely acceptable, if short-term service." Finally, he stops at Ayesha, awkwardly trying to show sentiment whilst covering it up with self-aggrandizement. "You're the only one here who recognized my worth and importance and defended it. Take this, there's nobody here who can use it." He hands Ayesha a spectacular gold necklace, inlaid with sapphires.
"I'm home. My vault is secure and well-provisioned, so I will stay here. Goodbye. Go kill some demons."
"AHHH! SOMEBODY KILL IT! SOMEBODY KILL IT!" shrieks Horgus as a rat leaps from his kitchen for his jugular.
The company continues for several more blocks. Horgus is completely exhausted by the time his manor house is seen. Remarkably, it seems to be completely undamaged. "GODS BE PRAISED MY HOME SURVIVED!" With a renewed burst of energy, he charges for his house, a spectacular brick mansion with a gated garden. He looks around wildly. "Where are the guards?" Horgus charges through the gate, which swings open, and into the front door, which also swings open. The group look at the manor for a moment.
You all now stand by the front gate, looking into the house where Horgus appears to be charging around looking for his goods, bellowing with rage.
"So you'll come with us? Good. Uh, best you stay in the middle. Don't want the blind, leading the blind, eh?" Horgus looks from Dejik to Aravashnial as he speaks, and laughs loudly at his own joke before stomping off.
Horgus smirks over at Arvashnial. "Healing is useful since our cleric just wandered off. I've hired this lot to escort me home. They're routing out the cultist safe houses or something afterwards. Interested? There's a hundred gold in it for you if you come on board. A blind healer is better than none."
Horgus harrumphs. "Good thing I got here in the nick of time! These folks are under my employ to escort me home after we were found trapped beneath the city. Would you believe there are mongrels down there?" He looks keenly at Bellis and Nilus. "This city is obviously very dangerous and more people the better. I fear for my life in this place! I will pay you each 200 gold if you join the escort to my home. Those scales the dragon gave you may mean something. I couldn't touch the damn things!"
Horgus stomps into the shop, grinning from ear to ear. "Nira, Belthis you're both alive! Good. You owe me money. You can have an extension after this mess. Glad I came here in time!"
"Don't just stand there, kill that thing! Those clothes are the best in Kenabres!" hollers Horgus from the window doing his "best" attempt at cheerleading the group.
Ayesha:
Khamil knew the value of the sword which is now my vessel, and guessed at your own potential. It broke his heart to see you go, but knew I would protect you when your time came. My purpose is... unclear. For now, you must seek others who have been blessed by Terendelev. There is greatness in you, in these others. Be their heart and conscience. Horgus charges off ahead of the group, the most loudly insistent on going to his house first. Anevia sighs and starts to protest but shakes her head, not wanting to fight with the man. The group carefully make their way through the ruins of the city. Nearly everything has been destroyed and although the occasional looter can be seen, there's very little sign of human activity. The ruined buildings get a little nice as the group move further inwards to the city. Horgus keeps wringing his hands as he proceeds, red-faced and puffing. "This is terrible... terrible. Everything destroyed. All these p--- well Gods be praised one place is still upright!" He points a chubby finger down to a still-standing brick building, around two blocks down the street. "That's fine Fittings! Belthis is a good man. Glad to see his shop is still in good repair. Keeps things running properly. Always done a good job on my clot--" As Horgus points out his favorite clothing store, a scream rips through the air, apparently coming from that very same clothing store. Distantly, the group can hear cackling and more screaming from within the building. "Nobody is safe! You have to help them! They're upstanding citizens!" However, Horgus does not proceed, looking frantically to the group for their assistance. As you look at the building, two figures approach from the other direction, one very short - a child or small humanoid. They rush up to peer in a window of the store. "And looters too! You have to stop them!"
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THIS PLACE?!" shrieks Horgus. The large man almost falls into the manhole as he steps back, his face pale and eyes wide from the carnage. "We need to get to my house, now! I have too much to lose! Who knows what's happened to everything, my servants... oh Gods. We need to hurry!"
"I found it! There's a tunnel leading up out of this damn place! I can feel air on my face! It... it smells bad, but it's freedom! Stop slacking off and follow me!"
Indeed, the dretches did seem to serve as guardians. Horgus stomps through the maze up to the group, Anevia and Aravashnial behind him. "Give me that light spell thing you can do!" He barks at Anevia, who looks at him incredulously before casting light on a stump of a torch in his hand. He glowers at the group. "I'll stay with you because I have no choice, but you," he jabs a finger at Sarkast. "Won't be counting on a dime from me after you threatened me like that!" Horgus proceeds to stomp through the maze, finding the exit in short order.
With haunted eyes, Horgus slowly makes his way up to the rest of the group. "If she almost didn't make it then I'm dead if I go on my own. We'll... we'll talk about this later." He shuts up and lurks angrily in a corner.
Horgus lets out a cough as Rowena heals him, and his eyes jerk open. He looks around wildly and then lets out a loud groan. "This is hopeless..."
Horgus shouts "Pah!" over his shoulder and stomps off angrily to the west.
"Without me!" says Horgus forcefully, some of his courage returned. "I... I am not safe with you animals! I promised you a great deal of money to help me and I receive death threats in return. Well damn your eyes, I'm going my own way." With that, the fat nobleman turns and does his best to stalk away from the group.
Horgus' eyes go wide as Sarkast snaps at him, he starts sweating and babbling incoherently. GM Rolls:
"Look! Look I'm sorry! I... I know Kandro Nyserian, the man who runs Nyserian Manor. I'm just surprised. He-he borrowed a lot of money from me to buy a sword!" Horgus scrambles away from the edge of the hole and presses against the wall, shaking with fear.
"Well? Is it a way out?" Horgus pushes his way to the front. "I appreciate your need for a bath, Sarkast, but we're in a hurry!" Sense Motive DC 15: Although clearly upset by Thora's death, Horgus is still very much on edge about something else. Which previously he was exhausted and complained all the time, he seems positively nervous now.
Horgus laughs as he looks down at the water. "Don't have to ask me twice. It's your death wish." Sarkast gives the rope a very thorough once-over. It is extremely secure and it descends to just above the surface of the water, which thankfully does not move very swiftly. It is difficult to tell how deep it is.
Legitimately intimidated by the intensity of Sarkast's threat, Horgus points a finger at the mongrel captive. "I er, uh... meant that one. N-not Thora. I thought we'd bring her with us or uh... find someplace respectful."
Horgus remains a good distance from the carnage, his arms folded. "Bah! The longer we stay down here the more of us end up like Thora! We need to keep marching! Just leave that one to rot and let's move on."
"None of your damn business! I was just... surprised to hear that Nyserian Manor is a cultist safe house. That's all. Can we get going? I'm getting claustrophobic!"
"Give me that! There's obviously a mistake." Horgus snatches the note from Anevia and reads it over. He grumbles and passes the note back to remain silent. Sense Motive DC 10: Horgus seemed particularly surprised at the mention of Nyserian Manor.
Horgus stares incredulously from the back of the room. "Did you see that?!" he shouts at Aravashnial. "Deranged cultist leading these monsters down here. When I'm back on the surface I'm having these damn caves filled in! We've barely survived any of this nonsense!"
Horgus stares in the room and then turns green, twisting away to dry heave over the cavern floor. "These digusting vermin! I can't believe they live beneath us, consorting with demons. Pah! We have to get out of here."
"How the hell are you people alive?!" calls out Horgus incredulously. He is pale at the incredible carnage that just took place in the difficult, cramped battle. Anevia pushes him aside and she very, very gingerly begins to climb down the rope relying nearly entirely on her arm strength. Upon getting down, she leans heavily on Rowena. Horgus follows awkwardly, and Aravashnial takes a long time to get to the bottom.
Aravashnial and Horgus make their way into the room. Horgus' eyes widen at the sound of the crying girl. "I hate this place!" he snaps, visibly upset.
"Eh, they're getting the snot beat out of them, but they're fine. I think if you summoned something it would just crowd the area," says Horgus to Aravashnial. "That lizard is disgusting though."
"Look at the size of that thing!" shouts Horgus as the enormous lizard leaps into the party and starts gnawing on Jinxx's neck. "Kill it faster!"
"Yeah, they sound delighted that we're here," mutters Horgus.
Wide-eyed, Horgus watches Thora enter the room. He grips Meriui's shoulder. "If she goes mushroom-crazy, can you take her down?"
Horgus snorts derisively. "All of it deserved, you meddling twit." Aravashnial simply sits despondently, not responding to Horgus' insult.
Horgus lets out a groan. "I'll... give you what for once I catch my breath. It is the custom of well-manned people to be silent wheeze around their betters."
"This... wheeze is the most painful wheeze moment of my life. Arduous climbs, crazy dwarves, unmannered company... wheeze. And this does not look like the surface. These damn tunnels go on forever!" Horgus rolls onto his back to stare at the ceiling through the dim glow of the various light spells. He looks thoroughly miserable.
Horgus stomps his way into the room and stares at the pot. "Was he... was he -cooking- those squid things?! I think I'm going to be ill."
Horgus snorts derisively. "We saw that magnificent shrine back there, I bet this was built by the same dwarf. They live a long time, perhaps honouring crusaders or something. I doubt that some deformed tunnel rats could carve statues like this. You're making things up again Aravashnial. I won't fault you for your imagination. Your mind, behaviour, associates, theories, and smell; but not your imagination."
Horgus grimaces as he pokes the darkmantles with his toe. "Nobody's face was eaten off. I guess we can count our blessings or something."
The beloved Lord Gwerm stomps outside with Aravashnial tapping his way about. Horgus recoils the moment he sees the spider. "YEEECHHH! Glad I stayed in there. With you lot protecting me I'd be a goner for sure. Are we going to get back to work? Idle hands and all that."
Horgus blanches and presses himself against the wall as Meriui's cry for help is heard in the temple. "I'll uh... stay here and make sure the temple is all right."
Horgus paces around the temple as the party gets to work. "Hrmph. This is probably more of a shrine than a temple. Proper temple to Torag is going to have a big forge in the middle with the temple built around it! Someone probably couldn't resist building something in this cavern with that glo-- hey you're doing that wrong! You're going to marr the lettering!" Horgus stomps over to where Thora is working and he starts trying to clean out some gunk from carved letters on the wall. After a bit of huffing and puffing he gives up and continues to move around the room, lecturing about dwarven worship and history, occasionally stepping in to 'Show people how it's done'. In the back, Aravashnial and Anevia use their packs as a head rest and try to get some desperately needed sleep while the party works away.
Horgus is taken aback by Anevia's sudden outburst. After he gathers himself, he simply sneers in response. "Your words mean nothing. Meanwhile I'll just delight the irony of morality from someone who consorts with common thieves, like yourself."
Horgus stomps over the ruins to take a look at the side of the temple. He glances over to Ronan and grumbles. "Hmph. Maybe the group would fare better if it split up since certain folks seem to be slowing us down, if you read me."
"Hey! Aravashanial - wanna play a word game? How about you form a sentence out of the following: face sodding your shut! Mind your own business - your daft schemes have already caused enough trouble if I need remind you. People don't want some nosy Riftwarden making stuff up and poking in their business." Horgus wheezes as he tries to keep up with the half-speed pace of the group and his temper seems to be fraying even more.
"Stop making up monsters, dwarf. You don't have the imagination for it." Horgus stomps up behind the group, already red-faced and short of breath from the exertion of the walk.
"Lord Gwerm, heh. Attagirl." He smirks as he speaks. "What's your accent anyways? Let me guess..." Horgus waddles over to eye Ayesha a little more intently than is strictly polite.
"Qadiran certainly. And Sir Chivalry over there..." Horgus points at Meriui. "Has to be Keleshite although the name gave it away didn't it? Haven't met many elves from Qadira. Never liked dealing with Qadirans, won't part with a copper if they can help it. Hah!"
"Hmph, I was hoping I'd see one of you fall on your ass. Are we done here? I'm starting to get cave fever!"
"What is wrong with you people? Just step on them!" Horgus hangs back impotently, and impatiently as he watches the fight.
"What's that monkeydog doing? How are we going to know anything?" Horgus has begun pacing. His face is pale and sweaty and if possible he looks even grumpier. "Betcha the Mole People will get it and make... dog stew. Or something similarly unpleasant."
"Oh shut up. Your theories are poor and your research shoddy as you were forced to publicly admit. The damage you did to the good name of Gwerm with your hogwash was almost more than I can bear! But you aer right, I'm sure we'll meet filthy mongrels down here and may have to deal with them. Ugh, the outrage. Now what are these things? Don't touch things you don't understand!" With that, Horgus scoops up a dragon scale and stares at it a moment before looking extremely uncomfortable and placing it back down on the ground. "Ahh... I'll let you lot take those. Nothing I care about."
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