He smiles at Lira. "Lira Evenfall, a pleasure to meet you.
Then he looks at her more closely, perhaps even suspiciously.
"Tell me Lira Evenfall, what is that peculiar necklace you wear. I ask because some of the Kobolds that entered wore the same one, thus my suspicion of your groups alliances."
Seeing the disapproval from many, Iólinder feels the need to explain his mood, yet also recognizes the need to act quickly.
He approaches the dwarf and stares into his eyes as he begins speaking... Careful not to do so through gritted teeth.
"I do not judge your intent to be evil. Nor is it my intent to make accusations. If you take offense to my bluntness, that is your burden to bear. But you must also understand my reason to be angered... And recognize that your own judgement may be tarnished by your time alone in this prison. You gave evil creatures the means to free not only you, but the relic you hold... An item they would be used for evil. Moreso, if your words of past glory are true, you serve as a reminder of the dangers of our own path. You even invoke Telak, a God I serve, in your story... Just by existing in your little cage you inform me that I can be true and just and do everything right to protect the innocent and serve my gods... And still find myself punished with imprisonment such that death is the only escape."
"You even hold an evil artifact which you have not yet destroyed... Something I myself also possess. You are a mirror to my own possible fate and there's nothing I can do to stop it because the very god's we serve act slowly. Disease taints our blood even now that Telak could remove with but a thought... Yet doesn't."
"Your very existence offends me because you deserve better than what you were given for your service, yet you were left here to suffer alone while the world rots around you. I pity you... And I'm angry for you even if you hold no rage against the gods that abandoned you. I will act to make things right. I will seek your freedom, but I will hate myself for not finding a way to allow you to finish living the life you should have been given by the gods long ago"
"In short, it's not you... It's me. We deserve better from those we serve. And your fate reminds me of just how unimportant I will be once I complete the tasks given to me. You have my apologies, if you need them, but I'd rather have details that can help us achieve our shared goals. Or just tell us which way to go and we'll be off while you contemplate what happens to the world if the kobolds return and we do not."
Lira’s fingers instinctively brush the amulet at her throat, her expression tightening at the mention of the kobolds. “I don’t blame you for being suspicious. This amulet was given to me by Shareella. I didn’t know what it really was at the time. She used it to control me and the kobolds, made them fight and die for her. The charm on me broke somehow.”
"whether bound by magical curses, or even our own codes, each of us seem to be little more than pawns striving to become more. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say you were able to break the amulet's hold ---where the kobolds cannot--- because the things it demanded of you go against who you are. Take pride in that will and use it."
"Hum, Shareella. The person that is said to have come back from the dead and destroyed an entire empire with her vengeance? What does she want with this artifact?
He hold out a hand in a gesture of peace to Iolinder. "It is I that should apologize. I have indeed been here too long, and those who come here are filled with greed and the need for power. I see that you are a man that uses your emotion and your wisdom to make decisions. But, it is my hope that your path that you have chosen with your companions is not a reflection of my path. You are young and must keep your hope and faith that you can change this world for the better."
Thalagar describes a mechanism hidden in the stone wall that will summon a box the shape of the shaft that will rise to this level. Within the box are a series of buttons. The top button is this level, while there is a button below that will lower the box to the lower mine entrance. He feels confident that the Kobolds will all be dead, but be wary. He suspects there are a number of creatures that have made their home in the abandoned dwarves mines. He describes the location of several hidden pit traps. On a door is a magical glyph that will activate if the dwarven word for Lava, "Boor" is not spoken. On the other side of the door, he describes a locked box built into the wall. At the bottom of a long stairway, is another room that he calls his workshop. A key will need to be retrieved from his workbench if it is still there. This will open the box. Examine the box and note the dimensions of the key hole. Then, find the matching key in the workshop. Within are a set of magical dwarvish gloves used in smithing. They can withstand tremendous temperatures for a short time. He also describes the location where he put the magical anvil to the far northeast room. Someone will need to be lowered by a rope into a pit. At the bottom of the pit is a river of lava and that is where he threw the anvil. He believes that his hammer is strong enough to destroy both the anvil and the artifact. However, there may be some unforeseen consequences. (OOC: I'll flesh out better details for you as we proceed).
"By the way, I advise you to refrain from taking any gold found below, as I fear it to be cursed and tainted by the anvil."
Vydar's jaw tightens when the dwarf admits to being suspicious of his group due to his heritage. He'd started to grow comfortable with his new companions as they treated him no differently than they treated each other... well most of the time. However, this dwarf's words were a stark reminder of how most of the world saw him... not that he'd forgotten, he'd just allowed some of the bitterness he felt towards the world to fade.
He crosses his arms when Lira introduces herself. The dwarf had not really answered his question.... His usual scowl deepens when Thalagar then confesses to being suspicious of Lira, though just as he can't blame the dwarf for judging him based on appearance, he can't really fault him with this either. Though that doesn't make him any less irritated about it.
"Vydar." He says bluntly after the dwarf finishes his conversation with Lira.
He then turns to Iolinder as the half-elf begins to speak. The clerics words don't do anything to improve his mood, but he's still surprised to hear this from Iolinder. He's not sure why he's surprised, clearly the half-elf has had a lot of these thoughts bottled up for some time now. Perhaps if he hadn't been so wrapped up in his own issues, and just simply trying to avoid to much contact with Iolinder (the half-elf makes him feel like a child and he dislikes that), he'd have seen the other man had been struggling with these things.... Or maybe not, the dark elf has never been great at reading people, and would probably be even worse at relating to someone.
He then listens to Thalagar's explanation of how to get to the anvil. Hearing of all the traps, he reluctantly pulls the ridiculous hat from his satchel and puts it on. He's not to pleased with the idea of lowering someone down to a river of lava with a rope... if it's hot enough it's perfectly possible for the rope to simple catch fire even if it doesn't touch a flame... Hearing the dwarf mention that destroying the artifact might be possible, but may be dangerous he figures that it would be to much to ask to attempt to destroy all of the ones that they hold. Nothing's ever that simple is it. He sighs.
"Alright, let's hurry this up then."He nods to Thalagar, then begins to search for the hidden mechanism.
Lira gives a small, grateful smile, her eyes softening as she looks at Iólinder. “Thanks…That means more than you know,” she says quietly. The weight of the amulet at her throat feels a little lighter now, and she gives a small nod before turning toward Vydar, moving to [action]help[/help] him search for the hidden mechanism. She doesn’t say anything more, but there’s a subtle shift in her posture—straighter, steadier, like she’s reclaiming a piece of herself.
“Vydar, nice to meet you., and you also have my apologies. I thank you all for your assistance.”
The dwarf looks at them thoughtfully. “It is not a huge mine. I believe some sort of reptile has made a home down there but it could also be some minor creature from the pit."
Vydar touches the wall and moves his hand about. A section of rock depresses into the wall and pulley rope mechanism begins to creek and move. As he glances down the pit, he begins to see a sort of floor rising toward the surface.
Finally, it reaches the same height as the room's floor but then continues past. It is a cube shape with a rectangular opening on the chamber's side. 10x10x8 (An elevator).
As Thalagar describes the layout, you are able to make a quick sketch of the mines below. The mine shaft will bring you to the farthest west point of the map. (Two traps are marked with (T). The workshop on the hexagonal room on the east side of the map. The furthest North east room (rectangle is the large pit where the anvil was tossed in.)
(Vydar and others: With your insight rolls and his revealing his observations plainly and then apologizing for misjudging you, you suspect he is genuine and not tainted by the artifact or trying to play you. You don't know why, perhaps the magical cube in which he has had a prolonged life, but for some reason, it seems not to have affected him. You certainly are quite concerned about the gold artifact and the famed Anvil of Nhaalek, which he hid below)
"Once everyone is on the platform, but the lower button to go down. It will be dark below for those who can't see in the dark. Godspeed and good luck to you."
The cantankerous dwarf sits back down on his chair (Conan style) with one hand on his leg, and elbow resting on his left leg while his large fist on the bottom of his chin. He leans the hammer on the chair by his side. His eyes, still an unsettling bright green color.
Lost in thought for a moment Zarbyn snaps out of it when he hears Thalagar introduce himself and ask who everyone is, "Hi, I'm Zarbyn and this little one is my fey friend, Twiggy." he gestures toward his sprite familiar.
Twiggy flies closer and hovers in place while introducing herself, "That's me, Twiggy."
Zarbyn will use his bonus action to perceive through Twiggy's senses, and continue to do so round after round as he also steps onto the lift.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
Button pushed, Zarbyn and Lira, Twiggy, and Snowball go down into the darkness, descending perhaps 200 feet.
Then the cube shaped room stops and you see a passage in front of you, going 30 feet before opening into a larger room. On the wall outside the lift is another stone panel.
Up top, the gears turn as the two head down into the darkness. Then it stops after 30 seconds.
Morric will respond in dwarvish and tell a fun story about his time working with his father and the dwarves in the mines. Something funny about his first encounter with a goblin, that set the stage for his goblin hunting
He smiles at Lira. "Lira Evenfall, a pleasure to meet you.
Then he looks at her more closely, perhaps even suspiciously.
"Tell me Lira Evenfall, what is that peculiar necklace you wear. I ask because some of the Kobolds that entered wore the same one, thus my suspicion of your groups alliances."
Seeing the disapproval from many, Iólinder feels the need to explain his mood, yet also recognizes the need to act quickly.
He approaches the dwarf and stares into his eyes as he begins speaking... Careful not to do so through gritted teeth.
"I do not judge your intent to be evil. Nor is it my intent to make accusations. If you take offense to my bluntness, that is your burden to bear. But you must also understand my reason to be angered... And recognize that your own judgement may be tarnished by your time alone in this prison. You gave evil creatures the means to free not only you, but the relic you hold... An item they would be used for evil. Moreso, if your words of past glory are true, you serve as a reminder of the dangers of our own path. You even invoke Telak, a God I serve, in your story... Just by existing in your little cage you inform me that I can be true and just and do everything right to protect the innocent and serve my gods... And still find myself punished with imprisonment such that death is the only escape."
"You even hold an evil artifact which you have not yet destroyed... Something I myself also possess. You are a mirror to my own possible fate and there's nothing I can do to stop it because the very god's we serve act slowly. Disease taints our blood even now that Telak could remove with but a thought... Yet doesn't."
"Your very existence offends me because you deserve better than what you were given for your service, yet you were left here to suffer alone while the world rots around you. I pity you... And I'm angry for you even if you hold no rage against the gods that abandoned you. I will act to make things right. I will seek your freedom, but I will hate myself for not finding a way to allow you to finish living the life you should have been given by the gods long ago"
"In short, it's not you... It's me. We deserve better from those we serve. And your fate reminds me of just how unimportant I will be once I complete the tasks given to me. You have my apologies, if you need them, but I'd rather have details that can help us achieve our shared goals. Or just tell us which way to go and we'll be off while you contemplate what happens to the world if the kobolds return and we do not."
Lira’s fingers instinctively brush the amulet at her throat, her expression tightening at the mention of the kobolds. “I don’t blame you for being suspicious. This amulet was given to me by Shareella. I didn’t know what it really was at the time. She used it to control me and the kobolds, made them fight and die for her. The charm on me broke somehow.”
"whether bound by magical curses, or even our own codes, each of us seem to be little more than pawns striving to become more. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say you were able to break the amulet's hold ---where the kobolds cannot--- because the things it demanded of you go against who you are. Take pride in that will and use it."
"Hum, Shareella. The person that is said to have come back from the dead and destroyed an entire empire with her vengeance? What does she want with this artifact?
He hold out a hand in a gesture of peace to Iolinder. "It is I that should apologize. I have indeed been here too long, and those who come here are filled with greed and the need for power. I see that you are a man that uses your emotion and your wisdom to make decisions. But, it is my hope that your path that you have chosen with your companions is not a reflection of my path. You are young and must keep your hope and faith that you can change this world for the better."
Thalagar describes a mechanism hidden in the stone wall that will summon a box the shape of the shaft that will rise to this level. Within the box are a series of buttons. The top button is this level, while there is a button below that will lower the box to the lower mine entrance. He feels confident that the Kobolds will all be dead, but be wary. He suspects there are a number of creatures that have made their home in the abandoned dwarves mines. He describes the location of several hidden pit traps. On a door is a magical glyph that will activate if the dwarven word for Lava, "Boor" is not spoken. On the other side of the door, he describes a locked box built into the wall. At the bottom of a long stairway, is another room that he calls his workshop. A key will need to be retrieved from his workbench if it is still there. This will open the box. Examine the box and note the dimensions of the key hole. Then, find the matching key in the workshop. Within are a set of magical dwarvish gloves used in smithing. They can withstand tremendous temperatures for a short time. He also describes the location where he put the magical anvil to the far northeast room. Someone will need to be lowered by a rope into a pit. At the bottom of the pit is a river of lava and that is where he threw the anvil. He believes that his hammer is strong enough to destroy both the anvil and the artifact. However, there may be some unforeseen consequences. (OOC: I'll flesh out better details for you as we proceed).
"By the way, I advise you to refrain from taking any gold found below, as I fear it to be cursed and tainted by the anvil."
Vydar's jaw tightens when the dwarf admits to being suspicious of his group due to his heritage. He'd started to grow comfortable with his new companions as they treated him no differently than they treated each other... well most of the time. However, this dwarf's words were a stark reminder of how most of the world saw him... not that he'd forgotten, he'd just allowed some of the bitterness he felt towards the world to fade.
He crosses his arms when Lira introduces herself. The dwarf had not really answered his question.... His usual scowl deepens when Thalagar then confesses to being suspicious of Lira, though just as he can't blame the dwarf for judging him based on appearance, he can't really fault him with this either. Though that doesn't make him any less irritated about it.
"Vydar." He says bluntly after the dwarf finishes his conversation with Lira.
He then turns to Iolinder as the half-elf begins to speak. The clerics words don't do anything to improve his mood, but he's still surprised to hear this from Iolinder. He's not sure why he's surprised, clearly the half-elf has had a lot of these thoughts bottled up for some time now. Perhaps if he hadn't been so wrapped up in his own issues, and just simply trying to avoid to much contact with Iolinder (the half-elf makes him feel like a child and he dislikes that), he'd have seen the other man had been struggling with these things.... Or maybe not, the dark elf has never been great at reading people, and would probably be even worse at relating to someone.
He then listens to Thalagar's explanation of how to get to the anvil. Hearing of all the traps, he reluctantly pulls the ridiculous hat from his satchel and puts it on. He's not to pleased with the idea of lowering someone down to a river of lava with a rope... if it's hot enough it's perfectly possible for the rope to simple catch fire even if it doesn't touch a flame... Hearing the dwarf mention that destroying the artifact might be possible, but may be dangerous he figures that it would be to much to ask to attempt to destroy all of the ones that they hold. Nothing's ever that simple is it. He sighs.
"Alright, let's hurry this up then." He nods to Thalagar, then begins to search for the hidden mechanism.
Investigation: 15
Lira gives a small, grateful smile, her eyes softening as she looks at Iólinder. “Thanks…That means more than you know,” she says quietly. The weight of the amulet at her throat feels a little lighter now, and she gives a small nod before turning toward Vydar, moving to [action]help[/help] him search for the hidden mechanism. She doesn’t say anything more, but there’s a subtle shift in her posture—straighter, steadier, like she’s reclaiming a piece of herself.
help with Vydar's investigation check
“Vydar, nice to meet you., and you also have my apologies. I thank you all for your assistance.”
The dwarf looks at them thoughtfully. “It is not a huge mine. I believe some sort of reptile has made a home down there but it could also be some minor creature from the pit."
Vydar touches the wall and moves his hand about. A section of rock depresses into the wall and pulley rope mechanism begins to creek and move. As he glances down the pit, he begins to see a sort of floor rising toward the surface.
Finally, it reaches the same height as the room's floor but then continues past. It is a cube shape with a rectangular opening on the chamber's side. 10x10x8 (An elevator).
As Thalagar describes the layout, you are able to make a quick sketch of the mines below. The mine shaft will bring you to the farthest west point of the map. (Two traps are marked with (T). The workshop on the hexagonal room on the east side of the map. The furthest North east room (rectangle is the large pit where the anvil was tossed in.)
(Vydar and others: With your insight rolls and his revealing his observations plainly and then apologizing for misjudging you, you suspect he is genuine and not tainted by the artifact or trying to play you. You don't know why, perhaps the magical cube in which he has had a prolonged life, but for some reason, it seems not to have affected him. You certainly are quite concerned about the gold artifact and the famed Anvil of Nhaalek, which he hid below)
Stepping on the platform ready to head downward... Iólinder will give the Dwarf a brief nod he assumes will be understood.
He then prepares himself to face whatever lies beneath them... Steeling himself to volunteer to be lowered towards the lava.
"Once everyone is on the platform, but the lower button to go down. It will be dark below for those who can't see in the dark. Godspeed and good luck to you."
The cantankerous dwarf sits back down on his chair (Conan style) with one hand on his leg, and elbow resting on his left leg while his large fist on the bottom of his chin. He leans the hammer on the chair by his side. His eyes, still an unsettling bright green color.
Lira moves forward to take her place on the lift as well, tucking Snowball back into her pack.
Lost in thought for a moment Zarbyn snaps out of it when he hears Thalagar introduce himself and ask who everyone is, "Hi, I'm Zarbyn and this little one is my fey friend, Twiggy." he gestures toward his sprite familiar.
Twiggy flies closer and hovers in place while introducing herself, "That's me, Twiggy."
Zarbyn will use his bonus action to perceive through Twiggy's senses, and continue to do so round after round as he also steps onto the lift.
(before he sits) "Zarbyn is it? Hum, a follower of Logaan I see. Very interesting. Your group seems very, eclectic. And Twiggy, well met little one."
Amdaeng moves up next to the lift, figuring two is enough load for the machinery......she watches nervously as they descend.
Button pushed, Zarbyn and Lira, Twiggy, and Snowball go down into the darkness, descending perhaps 200 feet.
Then the cube shaped room stops and you see a passage in front of you, going 30 feet before opening into a larger room. On the wall outside the lift is another stone panel.
Up top, the gears turn as the two head down into the darkness. Then it stops after 30 seconds.
See OWLBEAR for new map of mine.
Morric ( in reference to post 2340)
Morric will respond in dwarvish and tell a fun story about his time working with his father and the dwarves in the mines. Something funny about his first encounter with a goblin, that set the stage for his goblin hunting
Morric will happily move to the lift ready to ride it down. Eager to impress the dwarf and his companions.
Thalagar laughs at Morrics tale.
“I’ve got one for you my friend.
A goblin named Gribble snuck into our mine to steal gold. He tiptoed past snoozing guards, dodged swinging hammers, and finally found a shiny nugget.
Triumphant, he shouted, “It’s mine!”
A dwarf behind him grunted, “Exactly. Mine.”
Gribble now polishes dwarven boots for minimum wage at Stonebridge.