The Undying Dragons - Campaign Thread

Marrin would also strip off the armor, best she not have it on her and that one of those remaining have it.

((Probably Jan?))

The morning starts off quietly. Sunshine begins to filter in through the grated vents far above but it will be a couple of hours before direct light shines down.

The other prisoners stir and wash themselves with the water.

Ula has been praying to her water god since she awoke. Finally she rises and approaches Jan. After asking how she’s feeling, Ula reaches out and takes hold of Jan’s hand. Quietly she whispers in dwarvish and suddenly Jan feels a cooling energy, a feeling akin to stepping into a cool pool of water on a hot day, flow through her body. Within seconds she can feel the disease that was threatening to sideline her dissipate. Soon there only remains a scratchiness in her throat from her earlier coughing.

(Jan is now disease free).

For the moment you are all free to do what you like. How long before food or a call to the arena comes is anyone’s guess.

Other than Xanthe watching you all morning, the others don’t appear to have much interest in where you were yesterday evening.

Jan hugs Ula in thanks.

((Still a level of exhaustion, but the half HP bit cleared?))

She will, feeling much better now, confer with the others about the best place to stash the key until we're ready to use it. The pool is a possibility, but would perhaps take Ula or Ava to retrieve it, as she and  Eth aren't good swimmers.

Avaria thinks about where Jan could stash the key, "Well, Ula will be here to retrieve it from the pools if that is where you want to hide it.  Or there is the small chase that our goblin friend went through or the spider cave?  But it is probably a good idea to hide it."

Marrin shrugs but suggests quietly while waving at the staring Xanthe,

"Perhaps in the orc cave where Xanthe won't venture."

She'll then head over to speak with the woman,

"Something I can help you with Xanthe?"

Ethel suggests they keep the key closed in her spellbook.  She doesn’t take it with her to the arena… if Ethel’s name is called she will just pass her book to one who stays, for ‘safekeeping’ at which point they can simply retrieve the key.

The plan sounds like good sense to Jan, and unless anyone objects with a better plan, she'll hand the key off to Ethel.

Xanthe looks closely at Marrin when she approaches. For a moment the elderly healer is silent. She looks around at the other prisoners starting to begin their day. Finally she sighs and looks back at Xanthe.

"Are you going to get them all killed?" Xanthe finally asks. 

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Geffroi walks over to Ethel. He moves hesitantly, not sure that he wants to disturb her. His eyes watch everything going on around him carefully. You already know Geffroi is not dumb. He might not be a warrior but his intellect is sharp. He finally blurts out.

"Is something happening?" Geffroi asks Ethel. "Last night with the guard and the visitors. And you were in the orc cavern a long time. Is everything okay?"

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Jan - correct - one level of exhaustion but that's the only affect remaining

While some chat, Avaria heads over to where Hammerdasher is and takes a seat.  "How are you doing?  You were covered in spider bites when I joined the fight, you doing alright?"

Hammerdasher smiles at Avaria.

"The last few days have put life in more perspective than I would have imagined, lass," Hammerdasher responds to Avaria. "Prior to that bloody sea voyage, I thought the clan having it's wealth stolen was the worst thing that could happen. But here we are."

He feels at his arms and chest.

"The little buggers bit hard, but I'll be okay."  Hammerdasher says. "I'll be ready to help when the time comes."

Avaria relaxes a bit as she chats with the dwarf, "I know exactly what you mean, never had left my forest back home till that ship and now here we are.  Your clan had their wealth stolen?  Did you want to talk about it?"

She watches him check his arms and chest, "Yeah, that swelling will go down soon, I'm sure you'll be ok.  Oh, I don't doubt it one bit." She smiles, then she looks around to make sure no one is listening in, "Stick with Ula, ok?"

Marrin meets Xanthe's gaze and says,

"No."

She'll hold the old woman's eyes and add quietly,

"Xanthe , trust we're on the same side here and have everyone's best in heart. We're not the monsters running this place."

Persuasion (min 18): 12

Hammerdasher's mouth sets into a hard thin line as he recalls memories. 

"Bah, we should never have trusted a Glintstone," Hammerdasher finally says. "But we needed the information she provided to deal with the duergar and the goblins. So King Strongarms gave her the access she needed. Robbed us blind."

He shakes his head.

"I was coming from interrogating her at Revel's End," Hammedasher says. "Just sat there and stared at me the whole time."

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Xanthe listens to Marrin intently and lets her head fall a little.

"I know you're not bad people," Xanthe says. "But lots of good people have gotten others killed here. It's not enough to have good intentions. If you fail at whatever you're planning, you're not the only ones who pay the price."

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Ethel shakes her head at Geffroi.

”Nothing you need to worry about.  We are trying to negotiate an arrangement to make the arena less lethal.”

”Speaking of which, if they come looking for participants for the games today, keep your head down.”

"Xanthe, we know, it's been made quite clear to us. Though even you must admit that simply staying here is only ensuring everyone's death. Some more quickly than others, but the Hargreaves will get everyone eventually."

Xanthe sighs and her shoulders slump slightly, and invisible weight making her older than she already is. Eventually she just nods and looks at the others in the cavern.

"Maybe it's time," Xanthe says. She looks over them for a long moment before finally looking back to Marrin. "I'll do what I can to keep them calm when whatever you have planned starts."

Seeing Xanthe and Marrin in conversation, and surmising the older woman's concerns, Jan will approach, taking Xanthe's hand.

"I'm sure you'll manage to keep them calm. It's my intent to get all of us out from under these bastard's sway, but it's best that stays quiet for now. The more people who know something might be happening, the more likely it is someone gives that away. It's not like we have anything to pack, so when it's time to go, it's time to go."

Marrin smiles sadly and nods,

"It's time. We'll do what we can."

A half smile appears on Xanthe's face but suddenly disappears when the cavern door viewing plate clangs open and hobgoblin eyes can be seeing scanning the room. The key turning in the lock echoes in the cave followed quickly by the door opening and four hobgoblin guards coming quickly into the room.

Following more slowly, the dour, calm yet menacing figure of Drusus Skull-Skewer, the hobgoblin guard leader, his armor sparkling clean, enters the cavern.

This is the first time you’ve seen him since he delivered the headless corpses of the goblins to Jisthelek.

He scans the cavern slowly, but intently. Finally he nods.

Three more guards appear, dragging food tubs in. The door is quickly closed and locked from the other side by an unseen guard. Drusus calls out, first in Ghukliak towards the goblin cavern, and then in Orcish towards the orc cavern.

Shortly all of the goblins enter the cavern. Soon afterwards the orcs appear.

Drusus sends the three guards who brought the food bins in to go into the goblin cavern.

“You would all be wise to sit quietly and wait for your dinner. As soon as they finish searching the caverns, you can eat.”

Drusus lets his eyes pass over everyone in the room, though you swear they linger over the members of the party, over Haguur, and over Jisthelek.

Ethel assumes the suspicious eye contact from Drusus is just nerves on her part.  She reminds herself there is no practical reason for them to suspect anything... and if there is a rat in their midst then it is already too late to do anything about it.  She keeps her eyes focused on the food bins and plays the part of the hungry prisoner.