Joren's brow furrows briefly before he is able to discipline his face to stillness. It was the Razmus cultists who were wanting the mines closed. Maybe so no one was stumbling upon the monsters in the chasm too early. Could this Marshal be one of them or allying with them?
But he can't think of how to communicate this thought to the party safely, or even what good communicating it would do. He decides to risk a question
"Being new to Cambria and begging pardon, foreman, even my countrymen far to the east are hearing of the famous mines of Tensmith. If I may be asking, why are the mines closing with nothing coming in or out? Is the Marshal ordering it? Yet you are here, digging and blasting."
Samir listens as the others talk, simply taking in the miners and their equipment, ready to jump at the first sign of danger. But mining rig quickly catches his attention, his eyes snapping back after passing over it. He blinks, his head tilting slightly. Unconsciously he begins to lean forward, his eyes moving over the construction, thoughts whirring through his head, calculations and questions. As much as he would like to examine it more closely, however, he holds his position, adjusting his glasses several times.
The foreman stops pacing and sighs before growling,"Tensmith was locked down because Mayor Berg became concerned about spies trying to infiltrate our operations and make off with trade secrets, so the council over in Talmouth permitted us to close our doors temporarily while we resolve the suspicions. So you can see perhaps how your arrival is ill-timed. But just because we're locked down, doesn't mean we are halting operations. We can scarce afford to lose weeks of productivity while the higher ups do their investigation, shuffle their papers, and check their boxes."
Part of Joren's mind thinks that Samir probably looks exactly like he is trying to learn trade secrets right this very moment. The brilliant, bespectacled artificer staring intently at the mining rig as he is. To try to keep attention off Samir, Joren plows ahead.
In fact, he knows exactly what it's like to be kept down and frustrated by 'higher ups' and he hopes his genuine commiseration shows.
"Then I am apologizing to be adding to your frustration and inconvenience... brother." (Being a half-dwarf like me?Joren is unsure.) "Foreman of the Hardrock-Berg Smiths - is that an outfit mayor Berg is partially owning? In any case, it is looking like you do good work. What are these 'gloazworms' that one of the miners was talking about? Are you having much problem with them during your operations?"
Vilus smiles to himself as he takes a seat on the ground to the side of the tunnel, his lie got them the confirmation of their whereabouts, people have a need to correct others, a useful tool.
"So it's up to this marshal to determine if we are spies or not and then deal with us... Does this marshal also decide if we get any water or not? because, as I said we're parched, it seems a bit harsh to withhold, eh? Even prisoners get water, right?" Sitting off to the side non-threateningly, Vilus's words come across more like a complaint than an accusation or demand. He looks up at the foreman questioningly as he rubs the dirt off of his bald head.
Ashley waits in silence as the discussions slowly take place. Anyone watching her.. the flames of her hair are slowly growing as her patience is running out...
When Joren mentions the gloazworms, some of the miners tense up involuntarily, and the foreman turns his attention fully on him.
"Nasty things, those. You're lucky if you didn't encounter any of them on your... underground detour. Imagine a worm, but with teeth and tentacles and an appetite for flesh. Not the best diggers, but from time to time our blasting will open up a nest of them. Bigger hazard than cave-ins, they are. S'why we sealed up that tunnel you came through so quick. As for the Marsha-"
"You ask a lot of questions for interlopers." One of the miners, Loosh, presumably, comes around the corner operating a handcar on the track. Attached is a chain of 5 mine carts, each with 3 hard-looking men and women within, armed with cudgels and sabers and wearing bright yellow uniforms. In the lead cart stands the woman who spoke. Slim, but tall and with broad shoulders, she sports a beret while the others wear hard helmets. The 15 people climb out of their carts and approach the crowd around the adventurers.
"And you, Ahmin"she says, addressing the foreman, "likewise answer too many." She turns to the party. "I am the one who will be asking the questions from here. Understood? Now you can hand over your weapons and allow my officers to bind your hands while are in transit topside, or we can handle this like brutes and animals." None of the officers have their weapons drawn, but several pull out lengths of rope.
"I didn't tell them anything really. Just answering the innocent questions, I swear."
"Save it for the official report. You and each of your crew will have to check by the office and fill out the proper forms for records. We have procedures for a reason."
Joren makes no hostile move. He makes no move at all initially - simply studies the Marshal's face and body language. Trying to guess whether this is just a routine, if unusual, bureaucratic move, or if the Marhsal seems overeager to clean up a mess and hide dirty (not just trade) secrets.
Unfortunately, those in positions of power have never made too much sense to Joren. Insight: 12.
Samir's attention is drawn away - albeit reluctantly - by the arrival of the woman and her cohort. Blinking almost owlishly at her from behind his spectacles, the artificer clears his throat uncomfortably before speaking up. "I will gladly hand over my bolt-thrower, madam, of course. But binding of the hands? Am I to understand that we are now being kept as, um, well, prisoners, then? I am not from this region, myself, but is it not somewhat unusual to be so rough with those who have caused no harm? If you insist, of course, but we have been sorely treated by these tunnels and the dangers inside. Could I beg some manner of leniency from you? I give you my word that we intend no harm to you or these others, and no cause to disrupt the operations here. But I am not so certain that I can truly take much more... travail. I am a scholar, and an inventor, and nothing more than that. Not built for these sorts of events."
He seems to shrink in on himself after answering, holding out his encased bolt-thrower in one hand, even as he fidgets with his glasses in the other.
“Interlopers is overdoing it a bit. We have no desire to interrupt your operations here. But there will be no need to act like brutes and animals.” Malachi gives a knowing look and nod to his companions, trying to reassure them “Topside is where we want to go, anything to get out of these tunnels” It was always best to go along and let them think they were in control.
Malachi flips his daggers and passes them to the nearest guard, handles first. Two curved and wicked looking daggers he took from the cultist and two well-made, slender and straight daggers of Teyra'athal origin. “I will be wanting those back when we are done.”
He hands over his two little-used handaxes, then his heavy crossbow and case of bolts. Finally, with slow care, he eases his greatsword from his back, holding the blade and offering the hilt to the appropriate guard respectfully in formal Khirian style, both hands interlaced under the flat, looking directly eye-to-eye without aggression or expression, unblinking.
"Being different than my scholarly friend here," Joren drawls conversationally, motioning toward Samir with his chin, "me, I am built for such events, if you are understanding me. So. You will be treating my friends and my greatsword gently and we will be getting along just fine. Peace be favoring your blade for as long as you live, and the last embrace of the mountain mother be welcoming you home. After."
Vilus tosses his dagger and crossbow down on the ground infront of him, "I assume we'll be having those back once we've cleared up your reasonable mistrust, Marshal." he looks to the newly arrived woman and holds her gaze whilst he extends his mind secretly out toward Samir and then Ashley in turn.
Samir,
"Keep an eye on that medallion thing, I don't trust these people but if what was stated in the letter Mal translated is true, then there's likely cult members within their ranks, they'll be touched by the yellow energy, like Mal is, point them out to me if you can."
Ashley,
"Hey sorry to talk in your mind again, but please, try to keep your cool, we aren't trusting these fools but I'm not sure yet how they're being used, we've got to root out the members and information gather as much as possible. We've got your back, just hold it in for now."
She watches as this woman speaks to her friends like they are the dirt that she picked off the bottom of her boot and she can barely handle it. This was the top of it all, after the days spent in these accursed tunnels, after the time spent in the twisted Opportunities Knock, is this how people were just treated away from the Sands? She just doesn't understand.
She stands there while her friends start relinquishing their weapons, pleading with the unworthy woman about not tying them up like prisoners. She feels the heat build within her, the flames of her hair growing, her eyes getting warm...
Then Vilus enters her throughts. It takes all she has not to look at him in surprise. The very last bit of energy she has she uses to attempt to calm herself. This woman though, she won't forget her. Her hair, the only real visible indication of her emotions at the moment anyways.. appears to settle, a bit. Slowly, and without a word, she pulls out shiny, brand-new looking daggers and drops them on the ground. Then takes out her crossbow and does the same, waiting to hear if tying them up was actually going to happen or not.
Officers step forward to claim the weapons one by one, which they place atop the handcar at the lead of the minecart procession. Hands are secured, and the you are guided towards the carts, one going into each cart, along with three officers. Joren is unable to get a read on the marshal's stoic features, so he turns his attention instead to the reactions of the miners. None of them look surprised, and though this does not seem like a common event for them (people appearing from an underground tunnel), the marshal's response seems in line with their expectations.
Her face does not soften, but she does look at Samir and respond to him as he is loaded into a cart. "You are not prisoners, and you are not charged with anything. Not yet," she warns. "But however you came to be here, you are armed individuals trespassing on restricted grounds. You are therefore being taken into temporary custody for the appropriate questioning and paperwork."
The carts begin rolling into motion. The stale underground air rushes past your faces as the carts speed down the tracks and around several corners, illuminated only by the officers' torches. The noise of the wheels on the tracks drowns out any attempts at conversation. Soon enough though, a final corner is rounded, and light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. Natural light. The carts slow as it emerges, and you are greeted to the sight of a massive, circular, tiered pit dug into the ground. Their are 5 tiers above you, and four more more below, and on each layer can be seen crews of miners handling various equipment. At intervals around the perimeter of the pit, mobile platforms hooked up to winches are situated to allow easy transport between layers. And up above, the sky and the fading light of day. To the east, the first few stars have already started to appear.
The carts arrive at one of the platforms, which is itself equipped with tracks to allow carts to be easily loaded on and off. All 5 carts roll on, and the handcar is disconnected. One of the officers removes the weapons from the handcar and places them in a neat bundle on the platform beside the carts. Then Loosh is off, returning to his mining team. The platform shudders in to motion, being drawn up the side of the massive pit at an angle. Nearby miners stop and watch you and your escort go by, though they are always quick to get back to work once you've passed. Upon reaching the top, the platform stops, and another handcar is hooked up before pulling along a new set of tracks.
From here, you all for the first time lay eyes upon the city of Tensmith. Steep cliffs rising up into the mountains encircle half of the city, while a high stone wall encircles the other half. The pit itself is also surrounded by its own lower wall. Several wide cobblestone streets run through the otherwise tightly packed low stone buildings. Even this late in the evening, There is an industrial glow to the city, and numerous smoky columns ascend to the otherwise clear sky.
The carts finally come to a halt before a sturdy building built into the pit's perimeter wall right beside a large gate. You are escorted out of the carts and through a heavy side door into the building. Down the hallway, up a flight of stairs, you are directed through a steel door into what is clearly a short term holding room. "You will wait in here," the marshal informs you. "I will be back in a few minutes, at which point the questioning can begin."
As the marshall continues to direct her people to tie her hands as well as the others, Ashley looks directly at Vilus. With her hair completely in flames, she bores her stare into his eyes, with all the emotion she is feeling. It is all she can do to keep her calm and not blow it so her friends get in more danger than they already are. She also makes her skin as hot as possible so it is not easy for them to tie her up.
As they finally reach daylight, she feels she can breathe again, and her anger subsides a bit. Finally looking away from Vilus, she takes in the city view - at least for the short time they are there. It is the first city she has really ever seen. They don't have cities like this in the Smoking Sands. Mouth agape, she takes it all in, wondering how they were going to even start their quest. It felt more daunting the more she thought about it. As they reach the short term holding room and are finally left alone, "So now what? I'm pissed."
"and rightfully so, but we are out numbered and conflict is unwise." Vilus states with a sigh as he sidles up to the door and presses his ear against it, listening for anyone outside at all who may be listening in to them, (perception 21 (crit)). He points his finger up into the air and spins it in a little circle, gesturing the others to do the same, he looks to Joren and speaks telepathically.
Vilus listens at the door and can just make out the sound of two officers standing outside, down the hallway a few feet, having a conversation.
"-don't know. I mean how did they even get down there? Is there a cave nearby that we don't know of?"
"Maybe. But even if there is, how'd these guys find it, and why'd they just let themselves get caught right away if they're here to spy? You were there when they got picked up. What does Marshal Lanya think of this?"
"I think she's at a loss. Like you said, this just doesn't add up."
Vilus:
Lanya
Lanya
The name circulates in Vilus' mind. He finds his gaze drawn to a certain spot on floor, and with just a brief tingle as his only warning, the stone begins to warp and melt out of the way of his vision. He finds himself staring right at the back of the marshal, gathering several documents from a desk on the floor below. She scratches the back of her neck, and then abruptly looks over her shoulder, as if she feels like she is being watched. Seeing nothing, she turns back to her task, gathers the last paper, and turns to leave the room. Then the sensation in gone, and Villus is staring at solid stone floor once again.
Joren looks at Ashley and the others with sympathy and concern. "I am angry too, but not knowing wheth-"
His jaws snap shut and he looks at Vilus as the sometimes goliath speaks in his mind, replying to the telepathic message.
Truly I am not knowing. But I am seeing no obvious subterfuge. If the marshal was wanting to eavesdrop on us in secret, she would have been putting us at ease first, which she most certainly was not doing.
Turning back to the group, he speaks quietly:
"I am leaning towards simply speaking the full truth, without revealing our own special capabilities. If we are watching closely, their reactions may be revealing who, if anyone, is in league with... our enemies. If things are falling apart, all of us are having useful skills to free ourselves that they may not be expecting if we are timing it right. Perhaps we could be choosing a code word between us to signal when we are suspecting foul play. But until then - we are innocent after all. Let us be acting that way. Including anger I am supposing, which is a natural reaction to being detained after our ordeal."
Vilus shrugs at Joren as the fighter goes quiet once Vilus has finished asking his telepathic question, he then shrugs his shoulders at the lack of reply, apparently unable to hear what Joren is thinking to himself, as Joren makes to speak with the others, Vilus understands the answer regardless.
Vilus then becomes very distracted with the floor and momentarily loses focus on the group in the room, an instant later he shakes his head and grabs at it as if someone just dumped cold water over him. "She's coming... Now, ummm, My old code word used to be Dinkum, it could come in handy."
Shaking off momentary puzzlement that Vilus would ask a question telepathically when he could not hear the telepathic answer, Joren simply (quietly) repeats his telepathic response verbally to the group: "I am not knowing if it is safe to speak now. But I am seeing no obvious subterfuge. If the marshal was wanting to eavesdrop on us in secret, she would have been putting us at ease first, which she most certainly was not doing."
Dinkum? Strange words, these westerners have. "All right, that's the word then if someone senses foul play..."
Joren's brow furrows briefly before he is able to discipline his face to stillness. It was the Razmus cultists who were wanting the mines closed. Maybe so no one was stumbling upon the monsters in the chasm too early. Could this Marshal be one of them or allying with them?
But he can't think of how to communicate this thought to the party safely, or even what good communicating it would do. He decides to risk a question
"Being new to Cambria and begging pardon, foreman, even my countrymen far to the east are hearing of the famous mines of Tensmith. If I may be asking, why are the mines closing with nothing coming in or out? Is the Marshal ordering it? Yet you are here, digging and blasting."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Samir listens as the others talk, simply taking in the miners and their equipment, ready to jump at the first sign of danger. But mining rig quickly catches his attention, his eyes snapping back after passing over it. He blinks, his head tilting slightly. Unconsciously he begins to lean forward, his eyes moving over the construction, thoughts whirring through his head, calculations and questions. As much as he would like to examine it more closely, however, he holds his position, adjusting his glasses several times.
The foreman stops pacing and sighs before growling, "Tensmith was locked down because Mayor Berg became concerned about spies trying to infiltrate our operations and make off with trade secrets, so the council over in Talmouth permitted us to close our doors temporarily while we resolve the suspicions. So you can see perhaps how your arrival is ill-timed. But just because we're locked down, doesn't mean we are halting operations. We can scarce afford to lose weeks of productivity while the higher ups do their investigation, shuffle their papers, and check their boxes."
Part of Joren's mind thinks that Samir probably looks exactly like he is trying to learn trade secrets right this very moment. The brilliant, bespectacled artificer staring intently at the mining rig as he is. To try to keep attention off Samir, Joren plows ahead.
In fact, he knows exactly what it's like to be kept down and frustrated by 'higher ups' and he hopes his genuine commiseration shows.
"Then I am apologizing to be adding to your frustration and inconvenience... brother." (Being a half-dwarf like me? Joren is unsure.) "Foreman of the Hardrock-Berg Smiths - is that an outfit mayor Berg is partially owning? In any case, it is looking like you do good work. What are these 'gloazworms' that one of the miners was talking about? Are you having much problem with them during your operations?"
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Vilus smiles to himself as he takes a seat on the ground to the side of the tunnel, his lie got them the confirmation of their whereabouts, people have a need to correct others, a useful tool.
"So it's up to this marshal to determine if we are spies or not and then deal with us... Does this marshal also decide if we get any water or not? because, as I said we're parched, it seems a bit harsh to withhold, eh? Even prisoners get water, right?" Sitting off to the side non-threateningly, Vilus's words come across more like a complaint than an accusation or demand. He looks up at the foreman questioningly as he rubs the dirt off of his bald head.
Ashley waits in silence as the discussions slowly take place. Anyone watching her.. the flames of her hair are slowly growing as her patience is running out...
When Joren mentions the gloazworms, some of the miners tense up involuntarily, and the foreman turns his attention fully on him.
"Nasty things, those. You're lucky if you didn't encounter any of them on your... underground detour. Imagine a worm, but with teeth and tentacles and an appetite for flesh. Not the best diggers, but from time to time our blasting will open up a nest of them. Bigger hazard than cave-ins, they are. S'why we sealed up that tunnel you came through so quick. As for the Marsha-"
"You ask a lot of questions for interlopers." One of the miners, Loosh, presumably, comes around the corner operating a handcar on the track. Attached is a chain of 5 mine carts, each with 3 hard-looking men and women within, armed with cudgels and sabers and wearing bright yellow uniforms. In the lead cart stands the woman who spoke. Slim, but tall and with broad shoulders, she sports a beret while the others wear hard helmets. The 15 people climb out of their carts and approach the crowd around the adventurers.
"And you, Ahmin" she says, addressing the foreman, "likewise answer too many." She turns to the party. "I am the one who will be asking the questions from here. Understood? Now you can hand over your weapons and allow my officers to bind your hands while are in transit topside, or we can handle this like brutes and animals." None of the officers have their weapons drawn, but several pull out lengths of rope.
"I didn't tell them anything really. Just answering the innocent questions, I swear."
"Save it for the official report. You and each of your crew will have to check by the office and fill out the proper forms for records. We have procedures for a reason."
Joren makes no hostile move. He makes no move at all initially - simply studies the Marshal's face and body language. Trying to guess whether this is just a routine, if unusual, bureaucratic move, or if the Marhsal seems overeager to clean up a mess and hide dirty (not just trade) secrets.
Unfortunately, those in positions of power have never made too much sense to Joren. Insight: 12.
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Samir's attention is drawn away - albeit reluctantly - by the arrival of the woman and her cohort. Blinking almost owlishly at her from behind his spectacles, the artificer clears his throat uncomfortably before speaking up. "I will gladly hand over my bolt-thrower, madam, of course. But binding of the hands? Am I to understand that we are now being kept as, um, well, prisoners, then? I am not from this region, myself, but is it not somewhat unusual to be so rough with those who have caused no harm? If you insist, of course, but we have been sorely treated by these tunnels and the dangers inside. Could I beg some manner of leniency from you? I give you my word that we intend no harm to you or these others, and no cause to disrupt the operations here. But I am not so certain that I can truly take much more... travail. I am a scholar, and an inventor, and nothing more than that. Not built for these sorts of events."
He seems to shrink in on himself after answering, holding out his encased bolt-thrower in one hand, even as he fidgets with his glasses in the other.
“Interlopers is overdoing it a bit. We have no desire to interrupt your operations here. But there will be no need to act like brutes and animals.” Malachi gives a knowing look and nod to his companions, trying to reassure them “Topside is where we want to go, anything to get out of these tunnels” It was always best to go along and let them think they were in control.
Malachi flips his daggers and passes them to the nearest guard, handles first. Two curved and wicked looking daggers he took from the cultist and two well-made, slender and straight daggers of Teyra'athal origin. “I will be wanting those back when we are done.”
Joren sighs inwardly and collects himself.
He hands over his two little-used handaxes, then his heavy crossbow and case of bolts. Finally, with slow care, he eases his greatsword from his back, holding the blade and offering the hilt to the appropriate guard respectfully in formal Khirian style, both hands interlaced under the flat, looking directly eye-to-eye without aggression or expression, unblinking.
"Being different than my scholarly friend here," Joren drawls conversationally, motioning toward Samir with his chin, "me, I am built for such events, if you are understanding me. So. You will be treating my friends and my greatsword gently and we will be getting along just fine. Peace be favoring your blade for as long as you live, and the last embrace of the mountain mother be welcoming you home. After."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Vilus tosses his dagger and crossbow down on the ground infront of him, "I assume we'll be having those back once we've cleared up your reasonable mistrust, Marshal." he looks to the newly arrived woman and holds her gaze whilst he extends his mind secretly out toward Samir and then Ashley in turn.
Samir,
"Keep an eye on that medallion thing, I don't trust these people but if what was stated in the letter Mal translated is true, then there's likely cult members within their ranks, they'll be touched by the yellow energy, like Mal is, point them out to me if you can."
Ashley,
"Hey sorry to talk in your mind again, but please, try to keep your cool, we aren't trusting these fools but I'm not sure yet how they're being used, we've got to root out the members and information gather as much as possible. We've got your back, just hold it in for now."
She watches as this woman speaks to her friends like they are the dirt that she picked off the bottom of her boot and she can barely handle it. This was the top of it all, after the days spent in these accursed tunnels, after the time spent in the twisted Opportunities Knock, is this how people were just treated away from the Sands? She just doesn't understand.
She stands there while her friends start relinquishing their weapons, pleading with the unworthy woman about not tying them up like prisoners. She feels the heat build within her, the flames of her hair growing, her eyes getting warm...
Then Vilus enters her throughts. It takes all she has not to look at him in surprise. The very last bit of energy she has she uses to attempt to calm herself. This woman though, she won't forget her. Her hair, the only real visible indication of her emotions at the moment anyways.. appears to settle, a bit. Slowly, and without a word, she pulls out shiny, brand-new looking daggers and drops them on the ground. Then takes out her crossbow and does the same, waiting to hear if tying them up was actually going to happen or not.
Officers step forward to claim the weapons one by one, which they place atop the handcar at the lead of the minecart procession. Hands are secured, and the you are guided towards the carts, one going into each cart, along with three officers. Joren is unable to get a read on the marshal's stoic features, so he turns his attention instead to the reactions of the miners. None of them look surprised, and though this does not seem like a common event for them (people appearing from an underground tunnel), the marshal's response seems in line with their expectations.
Her face does not soften, but she does look at Samir and respond to him as he is loaded into a cart. "You are not prisoners, and you are not charged with anything. Not yet," she warns. "But however you came to be here, you are armed individuals trespassing on restricted grounds. You are therefore being taken into temporary custody for the appropriate questioning and paperwork."
The carts begin rolling into motion. The stale underground air rushes past your faces as the carts speed down the tracks and around several corners, illuminated only by the officers' torches. The noise of the wheels on the tracks drowns out any attempts at conversation. Soon enough though, a final corner is rounded, and light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. Natural light. The carts slow as it emerges, and you are greeted to the sight of a massive, circular, tiered pit dug into the ground. Their are 5 tiers above you, and four more more below, and on each layer can be seen crews of miners handling various equipment. At intervals around the perimeter of the pit, mobile platforms hooked up to winches are situated to allow easy transport between layers. And up above, the sky and the fading light of day. To the east, the first few stars have already started to appear.
The carts arrive at one of the platforms, which is itself equipped with tracks to allow carts to be easily loaded on and off. All 5 carts roll on, and the handcar is disconnected. One of the officers removes the weapons from the handcar and places them in a neat bundle on the platform beside the carts. Then Loosh is off, returning to his mining team. The platform shudders in to motion, being drawn up the side of the massive pit at an angle. Nearby miners stop and watch you and your escort go by, though they are always quick to get back to work once you've passed. Upon reaching the top, the platform stops, and another handcar is hooked up before pulling along a new set of tracks.
From here, you all for the first time lay eyes upon the city of Tensmith. Steep cliffs rising up into the mountains encircle half of the city, while a high stone wall encircles the other half. The pit itself is also surrounded by its own lower wall. Several wide cobblestone streets run through the otherwise tightly packed low stone buildings. Even this late in the evening, There is an industrial glow to the city, and numerous smoky columns ascend to the otherwise clear sky.
The carts finally come to a halt before a sturdy building built into the pit's perimeter wall right beside a large gate. You are escorted out of the carts and through a heavy side door into the building. Down the hallway, up a flight of stairs, you are directed through a steel door into what is clearly a short term holding room. "You will wait in here," the marshal informs you. "I will be back in a few minutes, at which point the questioning can begin."
As the marshall continues to direct her people to tie her hands as well as the others, Ashley looks directly at Vilus. With her hair completely in flames, she bores her stare into his eyes, with all the emotion she is feeling. It is all she can do to keep her calm and not blow it so her friends get in more danger than they already are. She also makes her skin as hot as possible so it is not easy for them to tie her up.
As they finally reach daylight, she feels she can breathe again, and her anger subsides a bit. Finally looking away from Vilus, she takes in the city view - at least for the short time they are there. It is the first city she has really ever seen. They don't have cities like this in the Smoking Sands. Mouth agape, she takes it all in, wondering how they were going to even start their quest. It felt more daunting the more she thought about it. As they reach the short term holding room and are finally left alone, "So now what? I'm pissed."
"and rightfully so, but we are out numbered and conflict is unwise." Vilus states with a sigh as he sidles up to the door and presses his ear against it, listening for anyone outside at all who may be listening in to them, (perception 21 (crit)). He points his finger up into the air and spins it in a little circle, gesturing the others to do the same, he looks to Joren and speaks telepathically.
Do you think we can speak freely here?
Vilus listens at the door and can just make out the sound of two officers standing outside, down the hallway a few feet, having a conversation.
"-don't know. I mean how did they even get down there? Is there a cave nearby that we don't know of?"
"Maybe. But even if there is, how'd these guys find it, and why'd they just let themselves get caught right away if they're here to spy? You were there when they got picked up. What does Marshal Lanya think of this?"
"I think she's at a loss. Like you said, this just doesn't add up."
Vilus:
Lanya
Lanya
The name circulates in Vilus' mind. He finds his gaze drawn to a certain spot on floor, and with just a brief tingle as his only warning, the stone begins to warp and melt out of the way of his vision. He finds himself staring right at the back of the marshal, gathering several documents from a desk on the floor below. She scratches the back of her neck, and then abruptly looks over her shoulder, as if she feels like she is being watched. Seeing nothing, she turns back to her task, gathers the last paper, and turns to leave the room. Then the sensation in gone, and Villus is staring at solid stone floor once again.
Joren looks at Ashley and the others with sympathy and concern. "I am angry too, but not knowing wheth-"
His jaws snap shut and he looks at Vilus as the sometimes goliath speaks in his mind, replying to the telepathic message.
Truly I am not knowing. But I am seeing no obvious subterfuge. If the marshal was wanting to eavesdrop on us in secret, she would have been putting us at ease first, which she most certainly was not doing.
Turning back to the group, he speaks quietly:
"I am leaning towards simply speaking the full truth, without revealing our own special capabilities. If we are watching closely, their reactions may be revealing who, if anyone, is in league with... our enemies. If things are falling apart, all of us are having useful skills to free ourselves that they may not be expecting if we are timing it right. Perhaps we could be choosing a code word between us to signal when we are suspecting foul play. But until then - we are innocent after all. Let us be acting that way. Including anger I am supposing, which is a natural reaction to being detained after our ordeal."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Vilus shrugs at Joren as the fighter goes quiet once Vilus has finished asking his telepathic question, he then shrugs his shoulders at the lack of reply, apparently unable to hear what Joren is thinking to himself, as Joren makes to speak with the others, Vilus understands the answer regardless.
Vilus then becomes very distracted with the floor and momentarily loses focus on the group in the room, an instant later he shakes his head and grabs at it as if someone just dumped cold water over him. "She's coming... Now, ummm, My old code word used to be Dinkum, it could come in handy."
Shaking off momentary puzzlement that Vilus would ask a question telepathically when he could not hear the telepathic answer, Joren simply (quietly) repeats his telepathic response verbally to the group: "I am not knowing if it is safe to speak now. But I am seeing no obvious subterfuge. If the marshal was wanting to eavesdrop on us in secret, she would have been putting us at ease first, which she most certainly was not doing."
Dinkum? Strange words, these westerners have. "All right, that's the word then if someone senses foul play..."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven