Vark responds to Jex with a playful shove as they head out to prepare for the coming adventure.

With the mountain still shuddering from the codex's force, Vark seems to grow more tense. "H-hopefully we can get to it before it brings the whole mountain down on us."

Aiden, Jex, Thurston, Valaith, Valen and Vark gather outside the Hammer and Anvil, before heading to the mountain gate that Uglar lead them through the day before. However, this time their passage is blocked by two guards wielding polearms and heavy shields.

"Who would enter the mountain?" One demands.

Jex steps forwards confidently. "The ones appointed to save it." He points behind them. "Friends of the Rhunki, saviours of your Khaz and slayers of goblins. We go to Master Kragshield now as requested so that we may remove what shakes your holds and you may continue to live here in peace."  He makes to walk through between them. "Unless you prefer to have your homes buried by these quakes?"

The guards turn their heads to look at one another. One nods to his partner, but they do not yet part their weapons that stand crossed in front of the entrance.

"Thane Forgekeeper would see you before you make the descent," the second guard informs the group. "Please follow me."

Once more they are lead through the great stone gates and beneath the mountain. However, today the path taken is wider and less winding, eventually ending before a broad pair of ornate burnished metal doors. More guards stand watch here, this time clad in shining ceremonial armour.

"These are the so-called 'Rikadron'?" One of the sentries asks in Dwarven of the group's escort, who merely nods solemnly in return. "Quite a stir you've caused," he continues, now addressing everyone in Breannian. "You are about to enter the hall of our hold's Thane. The hall of his ancestors, our leaders, before him. This is an honour bestowed upon precious few Dawongr. Please take care to show the necessary respect."

He gives the mismatched group one final long look, keen eyes resting warily on both Valaith and Vark, before stepping aside. The torch light flickers on the doors as they swing open, casting a dull glow about the passage as the hall beyond is revealed. Tall columns line the central path at regular intervals, with enormous Dwarven statues spaced between them up the length of the hall's sides. At the far end, a regally clad Dwarf sits waiting on the seat of power atop a dais, flanked by yet more guards.

"Hail Rikadron," he greets them with a wry smile. "It seems that you've made an impression on the good men and women of my hold. What's more, my commanders tell me that you fought bravely in our defence... and now my Rhunki wishes to see you venture into our vaults where not even Dawongr have gone before. A respectable effort for just a few hours in our small corner of the realm. So, here you are. I would learn the faces of the visitors from Sheercleft who bring thunder amongst us. Introduce yourselves to me. I wish to hear the tale from your own mouths."

Jex steps forward with confidence. "Greetings Thane. I am Jex Blake, council member for Sheercleft. I would gladly tell the tale you wish to hear, where would you have me begin?" He speaks the dwarven tongue, not fluently, but confidently enough now for the greetings and formalities. 

"Why, from the beginning!" The Thane exclaims with a hearty laugh. "Tell me about yourselves. Tell me how it came to be that the Rhunki of Khaz a Grungron chose to give over the legacy of the Forgekeeper clan, a legacy that my ancestors have watched over for a thousand cycles, into the hands of an Orc, a Giant, an Elf and three Humans."

"Uhm g-greetings Thane. I am Vark Galestone. I should uhm.. well maybe I should start." he says, timidly stepping up next to Jex. "Our group first came together to help Sheercleft deal with bandits that were causing trouble nearby. One thing led to another, and then we found ourselves saving the town from a goblin invasion. It turns out that the goblins had been hired by a group of mages, the Mabinogi, who were trying to access some ancient evil power that had been sealed underneath Sheercleft. We fought them off, but during the battle we- or... well... I accidentally released what was sealed there. And I uhm... bonded with it. I don't think it's evil, it's helped our group a bunch and even saved my life. But we are still learning about it, watching it and researching it. We didn't know about the ruby before we came here, but somehow it's connected to that power. To me." To emphasize this, Vark holds a hand aloft and allows it to crackle with the same blood red light that the codex has been emitting. "The Rhunki could tell as soon as we got here. He said that it's calling to that power, like it needs to be reunited."

Valaith notices the wary looks from the dwarven sentries and she glances away briefly, succumbing the same self-doubt that had plagued her travels northward through the dwarven lands before arriving in Sheercleft, but just for a moment as stands that much taller and rolls her shoulders back proudly. She looks down at the dwarves, quite possibly intentionally calling to the massive height difference between them before turning her attention away towards their surroundings.

She maintains her proud stance as she listens to Thane Forgekeeper, frowning slightly as she picks up the undertones of his speech. "If I may, Thane Forgekeeper." She steps up next to Vark and Jex. "I understand your wariness, you see our blood standing before you and not a group of heroes that came to the aid of your people without any expectation of payment. This likely worries you. You should look beyond the flesh of those before you and see the hearts of good people who have come to help. Most of us do not care about this object beneath your mountain, but as Vark here has explained it is tied to us now... somehow... So you have a choice. Allow us to help, or allow your home to be destroyed but your birthright."

"And its half elf." Jex quietly corrects. "Though truly I am a citizen of the world. As you have identified yourself, we are a mixture, and our loyalties are to things deeper than our race. We came here not as dwarves, nor as not dwarves, but rather as neighbours who share trade and borders and who benefit from peace and prosperity mutually. I hope you will decide to judge us as such. "

He looks around." As my good friend, Valaith just said, we freely gave warning of the impending attack, and came to aid in the defence, we did not ask for access below but freely offered aid when requested. If you wish us to turn back you must only say so."

Thurston intercedes

"But I strongly advise you against doing so my liege. Thurston Barnatson, follower of Thor, wielder of the Mighty Rikkazarik " he bows in front of the dwarf " As my good friend says, we came to lend help as we learnt of the attack, and we are glad that together we were able to defend the attacking forces. We knew nothing of this relic you have inside your vaults before coming here, and we only learnt from it when the Rhunki told about it to us. We think we can by of assistance to you and your people, and help it again. We ask nothing in return. I can understand your reserves Thane, but I ask you, wouldn't be better to get rid of the problem than risk that thing bring down the mountain over you and your people?. Make no mistake my Lord. I do not think that we coming here is a coincidence. Thor put us in this path to help your people, I only follow his bidding." 

The thane's reluctance to have the codex fall into non-dwarven hands seems fairly obvious to Aiden. But Valaith explained it well, and Aiden can tell that the mention of Rikkazarik in Thurston's hands is helping alleviate the thane's suspicions. He takes the opportunity to introduce himself. 

"I am Aiden, son of Olrik of Eikthyrnir. I traveled to your stronghold with a trading caravan from Cambria. I hold no sworn allegiance to these heroes, but let that fact give my words more weight -- they are honorable people who will rid you of this mountain-shaking problem."

He pauses, taking a look around the chamber at the obvious wealth behind the grand hall. "And I will help them, because it is what Thor commands."

And you're bored. And you'll get paid in loot, hopefully. Perhaps best not to mention that openly just yet.

Valaith frowns a bit at everyone's strange introductions and leans down to whisper quietly to Jex. "Am I to do this as well? I thought that you and Vark already did all this?" He looks at her and smirks.

"Absolutely, Val. In fact, you should do so right now."

She blinks and shrugs, but steps up and attempts to imitate the speech patterns of the others. "I am Valaith Rimehand Kalukavi, Thane Forgekeeper. Wielder of Rook and holder of the spirits of my brother Larkin." She bows just like Thurston before stepping back to the others and elbowing Jex. "How did I do?" 

The thane's congenial façade begins to slip as Vark stammers over the tale of what they uncovered beneath Sheercleft. A frown graces the Dwarf's brow and it looks like he is about to interject when Thurston speaks up for the first time.

"What did you just say, lad?" Forgekeeper asks in a low voice, his attention suddenly drawn to the adamantine warhammer at the Norscan's hip. "Step forward, Thurston Barnatson, and tell me again - what did you call that hammer of yours?"

Jex nods, whispering to Val. "I thought it was perfect, though he doesn't seem to have acknowledged you, perhaps he does not speak to women? He's clearly more interested in the weapons though. Maybe you should tell him more about rook, that will teach him not to dismiss your gender"

Thurston takes the hammer and show it to the Thane. 

"This is Rikkazarik, Thane, recovered from the depths beneath Sheercleft mines. It has deemed me worthy of wileding it and by Thor's will I've promised  worthy and honorable battles like the one we fought at your gates. " he doesn't move allowing the Thane to take a look into the weapon. 

Forgekeeper watches the hammer closely, eyeing the runes that rune around its edges with a piercing stare as Thurston brings the weapon to him.

"May I?" He asks, reaching for the haft.

“By all means Thane” he offers the shaft directly to him still holding the head of the hammer on his open hands. 

The thane grasps Rikkazarik by the handle and tries to lift it from Thurston's huge hands, but the hammer does not budge an inch.

"Remarkable," he marvels, moving his head left and right to inspect the weapon from all sides. "My people have legends of the mighty Rikkazarik, but I never dreamed that it would stand before me in the flesh. You say that you found this beneath Sheercleft?? My kinsmen would howl with laughter if I told them that Rikkazarik would ever deem a Human worthy of wielding it, but I cannot deny what you have shown me today. How did it come to be hidden beneath the mountains? It must have lain there for centuries."

Val frowns at Jex's words. "This would not surprise me. When I journeyed north from my homeland, after losing everyone I had ever cared for, I was treated like an animal by the dwarves. I have not much respect for much of their kind, especially those who treats others like they are less than them." She leans down to whisper to him. "I hope the hammer breaks his fingers."

"We think so " says Thurston to the Thane comment "But I am not sure how it ended there. All I know is that I feel humbled to have been chosen by it to be its new wielder. You can say now that you have seen it at that Rikkazarik is beign wield by a friend of the dwarven people. Now, Thnane, if you would allow us to keep helping we could take care of what is causing this tremors."