"Dat spear did dat!? He he, dat's funny."
Willy climbs back over the crates in the direction of Bogorin's voice.
Seeing all of his friends are fine and realizing that the newcomer was not responsible for the blast, Bogo backs down and answers Willy "Aye lad, I be here n' I kin see ye just fine, ugly as ye are. We'll git some light in 'ere real quick like, don't ye worry none. Seems that javalin o' yers was a right powerful weapon n' I ain't the sorts tae be leaving such behind, especially when it may mean an enemy gits tae use it. Uncoverin' it'd be a task fer another time though. We still gots ma Dale tae rescue."
Turning to the newcomer Bogorin says, in common this time "So, I ye've given me yer name but not what you be doing here following us around. And why 'n the blazes would ye bring a wounded n' poisoned man back intae a den o' danger!"
"You tell him that!" Angus pointed towards Old Carter.
"Ran into whoever poisoned him, stunned her long enough to find her belt pouch and the antidote although I didn't know "that" then. She recovered before I could finish her off and she ran off rather than continue the fight, ran into him whilst I was resting from the fight, figured out we had a mutual enemy so I was able to use the antidote lucky it was the only one she had but he said something about not leaving someone behind which means you lot I guess..." Angus shrugs.
"So have you run into Otis yet?" Angus asks Bogorin.
"Who in blazes is Otis?" turning to Carter Bogorin asks him "Carter! This be Bogo speakin' in case ye don't recognize meh dulcet tones. Is what this young feller here saying be true?"
As he speaks, Bogorin begins moving around, helping his friends up and gathering them all in the middle of the room
And you just needed to enter by another way than the main entrance because ?
And you just needed to enter by another way than the main entrance because ?
"Well I was told it would be easier to get past the Ogre's underlings located at the front,"Angus pipes up.
"Hold on who told you about the back entrance?" Old Carter groans.
"Oh I was sent to have a word with Otis over some scroll he recently bought," Angus promptly answers and then stops suddenly .
Willy hears a strange voice talking, mentioning names he has never heard of.
"Who dat? Can somebody light a torch or sumthin?"
"Aye Lad" Bogorin mumbles as he roots in his backpack for a sunrod "my apologies tae ye karen 'tark (Light Blind)" sometimes the dwarf was not as sensitive to those who could not naturally see in the dark as he might have been. Lighting the sunrod he hands to it Willy "'Ere, ye hold on tae this."
Turning to this 'Angus' Bogorin continues "Now once again lad, an' don' be makin' me aske ye twice, 'oos this Otis yer on about?"
As he speaks this time Bogorin moves over to Old Carter and beings checking the man to determine his state of health. Heal Check (1d20+3=5)
"Erastil's sake, Willy..." Tenna muttered as she picked herself back up from the ground.
"Should we be talkin'? If Dale wasn't in this part of the lair, she must be in the other, with that..." she trailed off a bit too late.
She lit a torch, just in case their other light faltered.
Biting off an curse, aimed at himself, Boggo growls "Ach! The lass be right, we nae hae' time tae be sittin' roun' squakn' while me Dale be still needing a rescue. You!" Boggo points his hammer at Angus "Ifn' ye be knowin' o' some way tae get tae oor frens then lead the way. i' not, then stay or follo' as ye like. I'm off tae rescue me girl" And, making sure that Carter can walk, Bogoo heads off towards the other secret door, helping Carter if necessary.
As they walk Boogo will say more quietly to Carter "Carter ye ole' snake, me nose be tellin' me there be more goins on here than meets the eye. If'n ye know somethin' ye best be tellin' me now. Ifn' I fine somethin ye held back ended up harmn' me Dale, friend o' no, we'll be havin' a reckonin' a'tween us"
Biting off an curse, aimed at himself, Boggo growls "Ach! The lass be right, we nae hae' time tae be sittin' roun' squakn' while me Dale be still needing a rescue. You!" Boggo points his hammer at Angus "Ifn' ye be knowin' o' some way tae get tae oor frens then lead the way. i' not, then stay or follo' as ye like. I'm off tae rescue me girl" And, making sure that Carter can walk, Bogoo heads off towards the other secret door, helping Carter if necessary.
As they walk Boogo will say more quietly to Carter "Carter ye ole' snake, me nose be tellin' me there be more goins on here than meets the eye. If'n ye know somethin' ye best be tellin' me now. Ifn' I fine somethin ye held back ended up harmn' me Dale, friend o' no, we'll be havin' a reckonin' a'tween us"
"You know Otis too?" Angus asks curiously.
"Hmph!" Old carter's only response as he gingerly accepts Bogorin's examination of his wound.
"Long and short of it, I'm a cyphermage I was recruited to pay a visit to Otis who's another cyphermage except he's been out of contact for a few years. One of the superiors in our order sent me here to ask for a scroll he bought to be returned something about it being needed back there," Angus explains.
"There's a secret entrance at the back of the Ogre's lair that leads to some fancy elevator that gets access to Otis's quarters my understanding was that the Ogre was hired to act as Otis's handler along with some creature, whatever it was must have some links to that Chelish changeling back there because she chased us into the cave and released that thing before fleeing since it wasn't too picky about who it ate," Angus continues to explain.
"So who are these people you're looking for?" Angus finally asks Bogorin.
"What's a cyphermage?" Tenna quietly asked Herve and Talden, not wanting to distract either Bogorin or Angus from their conversation.
At the mention of the "other creature", she spoke up. "Ya mean that imp thing that wasn't really an imp?"
"Anyone wanna hold onto th'torch?" she asked in general, motioning towards the bow slung over her shoulder.
"What's a cyphermage?" Tenna quietly asked Herve and Talden, not wanting to distract either Bogorin or Angus from their conversation.
At the mention of the "other creature", she spoke up. "Ya mean that imp thing that wasn't really an imp?"
"Anyone wanna hold onto th'torch?" she asked in general, motioning towards the bow slung over her shoulder.
"Its an order of mages who study the ancient runic ruins around Varisia but especially Riddleport where there's a massive gate, its really an incredible sight but the place is seriously scary, its a pirate city but thats nothing for you to worry about here, here let me cast a light spell on your bow if you're worried about having to carry a torch," Angus interrupts as he reaches forward and muttering some indecipherable words touches Tenna's bow which glows with light in response.
"There is that better?" he asks her.
"Anyway what was that about an imp?" he asks.
I regret to inform you that this Otis is the a criminal and that I will do my best to stop him . If this means I must stop you also , consider yourself warned here ...
"There is that better?" he asks her.
"Anyway what was that about an imp?" he asks.
Much of the talk about the cyphermages went over her head - What's so important about a gate? - but Tenna got the gist of it.
She eyed her bow suspiciously, as if it could have been cursed. "Uh...yeah..sir...thanks... Um, there was an imp outside that tried to attack us, but it wasn't really an imp. Not sure what it was, really. It ran off earlier."
Thinking about the earlier events reminded her of something else. She pulled out the bracer she had picked up earlier. "And I found this. It came off the collar on that big ol' wolf." She presented it half-heartedly to Bogorin. She didn't want to delay him in his search for Dale.
I regret to inform you that this Otis is the a criminal and that I will do my best to stop him . If this means I must stop you also , consider yourself warned here ...
"So he's behind this Dale person you're looking for?" Angus asks Bogorin looking confused.
"There is that better?" he asks her.
"Anyway what was that about an imp?" he asks.Much of the talk about the cyphermages went over her head - What's so important about a gate? - but Tenna got the gist of it.
She eyed her bow suspiciously, as if it could have been cursed. "Uh...yeah..sir...thanks... Um, there was an imp outside that tried to attack us, but it wasn't really an imp. Not sure what it was, really. It ran off earlier."
Thinking about the earlier events reminded her of something else. She pulled out the bracer she had picked up earlier. "And I found this. It came off the collar on that big ol' wolf." She presented it half-heartedly to Bogorin. She didn't want to delay him in his search for Dale.
"Whoa isn't that a bracer of health?" Angus absentmindedly asks Bogorin as he takes in what Tenna said.
"An imp that wasn't an imp, okay... maybe thats why Otis wanted a Planar summoning scroll... he's a conjuror by reputation, his dad was a real nasty fellow supposedly he was killed summoning some kind of demon... oh" Angus looks thoughtful as he suddenly looks very alarmed."That imp wasn't a quasit was it?" he asks Tenna looking very frightened.
Tenna stared at the bracer she held. "What's so healthy about it?"
At Angus' further questioning, she remembered the details of the earlier fight more vividly. "Yeah, a quast, er qausit! Somethin' like that!"
Willy doesn't understand a thing Angus talks about.
Willy takes the sunrod and begins climbing back over the pile. "I need ta find my spear."
Willy doesn't understand a thing Angus talks about.
Willy takes the sunrod and begins climbing back over the pile. "I need ta find my spear."
"Uh that was a javellin of lightning, unless someone's figured out how to prolong it, once its thrown it turns into a lightning bolt and that's it, well its probably buried under all of that rubble if it did survive," Angus points out but his tone is one of being more concerned with something else.
"Those bracers when worn should make you... hold on what did Segris called it? Mighty Constitution? I think thats what the modern versions of those are called they're usually found as belts I think, I'd have to prepare an identify spell to verify anything else but I think thats what that is," Angus explains to Tenna."Oh Otis's father had a quasit familiar there was a lot of gossip about when he died that his familiar wasn't found especially as he was killed summoning a demon, so if he has kidnapped someone unless they have some kind of useful skill then there's only one possible reason why he'd need captives..." Angus turns to Bogorin.
"We need to get down there as fast as possible, but watch out if he's really behind all of this he'll have some major protection," Angus turns to look at the others.
"So where's the Ogre's lair? Have you found it?" Angus asks.
[ooc] ah, unless this conversation is being carried on while they walk, Bogorin isn't a part of it. He's had more than enough of waiting around and has gone off to rescue Dale (as posted). He's heading towards the other room where he found the secret door. If the others are not with him, I'm sure they can catch up to him, but they'll have to move quick as a determined dwarf has a pretty good pace on him...:P ]/ooc]
Angus would be helping Old Carter who would be trying to follow as quickly as he can regardless of how exhausted or hurt he is.
At Angus' mention of 'the use of the captives' Bogorin stops dead in his tracks and whirls on the Dwarf " 'Use o' the Captives?!' what mean ye by that?! Speak lad! Oot wi' it, quick!"
At Angus' mention of 'the use of the captives' Bogorin stops dead in his tracks and whirls on the Dwarf " 'Use o' the Captives?!' what mean ye by that?! Speak lad! Oot wi' it, quick!"
"Otis's dad was a summoner, he was slain trying to summon a demon according to what i heard they commonly used captives to sweeten the pot when they want to make deals," Angus replies.
"The Otis I heard of isn't capable of anything like this," Old Carter butts in.
"He was a part of my old company we were the only two to survive our last adventure up north of here, last I heard he was planning to visit but that was about a month after I managed to pull through losing my arm to that damned creature!" Old Carter insists.
"If that's true is that the Ogre you fought?" Angus blinks pointing to the Ogre's body behind them.
Old Carter pauses long enough to get his breath back and then stops as if trying to remember something.
"No, that wasn't the Ogre I fought, not unless it downgraded its weapons from back then..." he finally answers.
"I'm no expert but there's a few Ogres in Riddleport mostly hired thugs in the employ of certain people, but that looks more like a commoner variant the sort used as minions for someone, what was that you were saying about that imp who wasn't an imp, miss?" Angus asks Tenna.
"W-WHAT?!" Tenna balked at Old Carter's statement about the ogre they killed not being the one he expected. She actually stopped in her tracks for a second before hurrying along to catch up. "You mean the one we were after is worse! He had a damn lightnin'...spear...thing on 'im!!" Gods, if he had thrown that thing at us...and if the other is supposed to be worse....
At the mention of what was likely intended with the captives, she gave a worried look to Bogorin, and picked up her pace. "I don't really know much more about it. Th'thing attacked us when we first came into this place. I just remember Mr. Herve rushin' the thing when it was behind me, and a godsawful smell. It looked like an imp, but it wasn't. Didn't look like the tales said anyway. I tried to shoot it down, but it just kind of...folded up on itself and disappeared..." Her face twisted in disbelief several times as she spoke. She wasn't used to relating these kinds of things to people.
"W-WHAT?!" Tenna balked at Old Carter's statement about the ogre they killed not being the one he expected. She actually stopped in her tracks for a second before hurrying along to catch up. "You mean the one we were after is worse! He had a damn lightnin'...spear...thing on 'im!!" [i]Gods, if he had thrown that thing at us...and if the other is supposed to be worse....[i]
At the mention of what was likely intended with the captives, she gave a worried look to Bogorin, and picked up her pace. "I don't really know much more about it. Th'thing attacked us when we first came into this place. I just remember Mr. Herve rushin' the thing when it was behind me, and a godsawful smell. It looked like an imp, but it wasn't. Didn't look like the tales said anyway. I tried to shoot it down, but it just kind of...folded up on itself and disappeared..." Her face twisted in disbelief several times as she spoke. She wasn't used to relating these kinds of things to people.
"Smell?" Angus scratches his head with his free hand as Tenna answers his query.
Moving on into the Ogre's lair Angus only spares a moment to notice the open chest before heading after Bogorin."Was there anything else outside?" Angus asks as they reach the area that had been curtained-off.
"What's so special about this smell?" Old Carter gasps.
"Don't know, but Otis's father was the talk of the order, I wasn't sure whether they were hero worshipping him or tormenting Otis over his father's failure, but his familiar escaping was pretty much an urban legend when I studied there, one of the rumours was that it had developed arcane powers of its own but that was strictly just baseless gossip mind you," Angus points with one finger as Bogorin reveals the secret door he found.
"Looks... Chelish doesn't it?" Angus asks Bogorin after a moment looking at the secret door's construction.
At the mention of the possible fate of the captives the blood seems to drain from Bogorin's face and he turns as white as his beard. All that can be heard by anyone is his faint whisper "...me Dale...". After the briefest of moments though the old Dwarfs face hardens into something that makes stone look soft and he makes all speed for the secret door. He doesn't wait when he gets there but continues right in. He has no concern for anyone else at the moment, his thoughts consumed by the horrors his pure precious girl may be suffering...woe betide any who get in his way...
Tenna's face was still twisting with disbelief when she realized something.
Placing her bow back over her shoulder and pulling out her dagger, she turned back the way they came. "I gotta get somethin' real quick. Keep goin'!"
When she got back to where the ogre's body lay, she sighed and went to work on extracting the arrow.
"Uh that was a javellin of lightning, unless someone's figured out how to prolong it, once its thrown it turns into a lightning bolt and that's it, well its probably buried under all of that rubble if it did survive,"
"Huh." Willy sees the pile of rubble in the light. "Well dat prolly got da stinky guy."
He goes back looking for Bogorin.
"Uh that was a javellin of lightning, unless someone's figured out how to prolong it, once its thrown it turns into a lightning bolt and that's it, well its probably buried under all of that rubble if it did survive,""Huh." Willy sees the pile of rubble in the light. "Well dat prolly got da stinky guy."
He goes back looking for Bogorin.
You come across Tenna hunched over the Ogre's corpse.
Tenna:
"Ugh..."
Tenna took a deep breath and pushed the ogre's corpse as hard as she could to get at the arrow.
Straining with the weight, she gasped out, "A....little help....here?"
"Lemme help ya wit dat." Willy tries to move the ogre.
"Heavy, aint 'e?"
With the both of you it only takes a moment to turn the body over.
Bogorin unveils the secret door and spends a couple of minutes before finding the opening mechanism.
Springing it causes the lot of you to pause for a moment but it opens without any undue event (ie: trap) and reveals a short corridor ending in a blank wall.
"Whew! Thanks, Willy." Tenna said, relieved that she hadn't been left alone in the corridor. She may have complained about his unintended cave-in, but she certainly felt better having him nearby.
She cut the arrow free with a disgusted grunt, wiping her knife and the arrow as clean as she could on the ogre's rags. "Might be needin' this again real soon. Better get after them, huh?" she said, beginning to break into a run back after the others, holding her glowing bow out so Willy could see.
Hearing Tenna and Willy coming up fast behind them, Bogo wastes no time in stomping purposefully forward down the passage. Figuring that everyone and their sister must know they are there by now and not really caring much anyway, he once again bellows as loudly as he can for Dale "DALE!!! Hold on Lass! Hold on! Boggo's coming fer ye ma girl! No scaly demon will git 'is 'ands on ye long as I'ave breath in me bones!"
Bogorin steps into the passage and heads straight to the back where it seems to end ina featureless and somewhat unfinished condition.
Bogorin
Frustrated at this impediment to getting to Dale as quickly as possible, Bogorin grits his teeth and spends some tome searching in detail for the hidden door he Knows is there...quite audible to the others is his swearing in Dwarven under his beard...
Hey Guys and Gals,
I hate to be a pain but I am going to have to drop out. I just found out that I will definitely have to find a new job come July so between work, job hunting, and a couple of weddings to go to this month I am not going to be able to participate. I apologize for this but I don't want to hold you guys anymore. I'll post this in the discussion thread as well.
Sorry,
Aaron
Hey Guys and Gals,
I hate to be a pain but I am going to have to drop out. I just found out that I will definitely have to find a new job come July so between work, job hunting, and a couple of weddings to go to this month I am not going to be able to participate. I apologize for this but I don't want to hold you guys anymore. I'll post this in the discussion thread as well.
Sorry,
Aaron
Old Carter nearly collapses and Angus almost topples with him as Talden takes the load off of the dwarven scholar.
"He needs healing urgently, we need to take him back to the waystation at least we can let them know about that settlement on the otherside of this hill," Brallin pipes up almost startling everyone given how quiet he's been.
"Who's him?" Angus asks Talden.
"Met him after the ambush that poisoned Old Carter here," Talden answers back.
"Look I'm going to get Old Carter back to the waystation, I'll be back as soon as I can," Talden explains as he begins to lead Old Carter away from the group with the help of Brallin.
"Be careful that changeling is still out there, that magic javellin your friend threw might have slain that ghoul but I wouldn't count her out yet," Angus advises.
"Was it the ghoul that wounded Old Carter?" Talden asks.
"No she did, I was busy opening that secret door when she ambushed us, Carter chased her off and she opened that other chamber where the ghoul was lurking, I was lucky to get that door open to let us through before that thing caught up with us," Angus explains.
"We better move, once Old Carter gets help we'll see if Nagina can send reinforcements," Talden nods back as he and Brallin help Old Carter out of the Ogre's Lair and head out.
"She?" Tenna asked in absolute confusion, looking back and forth between the occupied Bogorin and the ailing Carter.
"She?" Tenna asked in absolute confusion, looking back and forth between the occupied Bogorin and the ailing Carter.
"The changeling.." Angus turns to Tenna and then stops.
"Oh.. you didn't know? Um well when I stumbled across her she was in her I suppose you could call "normal" form when I managed to stun her, mind you I have heard they can assume the form of either gender," Angus explains himself.