Aiden nods. "I know something of blessings," he says, nodding as if in agreement. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone in Baron Reventlow's court?"

Nakia thinks a moment. "I know somebody in the area who would do a favour if you wanted to send a message? It may take a few days for them to be able to act though." She thinks again. "What about the army itself? A hungry army, or an unpaid army are unlikely to march. What do you know of the force?"

Quote from Barlow >>

Once comfortably outside, Bründir closes the study door behind them and faces Gabe, "Yer full o'answers, so now I've got my own questions." Without hesitation, the dwarf pulls forth Dumdrengi from its scabbard. The blade shines in the hallway like a sun thrust to high noon, but the shining doesn't seem to bother its wielder. "Dumdrengi. Dark One's Bane. Blade of Lord Erik Spangelhelm. Prob'ly a hundred other names, too. Recognize it?" Bründir holds the blade like a barrier between the pair, arm outstretched for proximity to gauge Gabe's reaction. 

 
It's barely perceptible, but Gabe flinches in spite of himself when Bründir produces Dumdrengi.

"We've met," he tells the dwarf curtly, "but you knew that already."

"I had an inklin'," a corner of Bründir's mouth curls at the non-commital response, "So I s'posed to myself, wouldn'it be nice t' reacquaint you two? Now, while I've got y'two together, I'd like t'know some things. Since Dumdrengi 'ere isn't very chatty, I'm countin' on you, Gabe."

Bründir lowers his blade. Hindsight seeps in a bit as he realizes the forceful show he just put on, but best not to show doubt now. He keeps the blade in hand, though relaxed at his side. "Tell me about Erik Spangelhelm, or at least whoever had this when ye met it."

"I'm sure that they are hungry," Aiden says. "His forces are made up of gnolls. His connection to the Mabinogi makes it likely that he will have mages among his forces."

Nakia thinks a little longer. "Perhaps a rumour to the gnolls that food is running out, or that he plans to betray them and have himself look like a saviour for killing the gnolls as they invade. Someone pretending to be a wizard and having a conversation overheard perhaps..."

Quote from Barlow >>

"I had an inklin'," a corner of Bründir's mouth curls at the non-commital response, "So I s'posed to myself, wouldn'it be nice t' reacquaint you two? Now, while I've got y'two together, I'd like t'know some things. Since Dumdrengi 'ere isn't very chatty, I'm countin' on you, Gabe."

Bründir lowers his blade. Hindsight seeps in a bit as he realizes the forceful show he just put on, but best not to show doubt now. He keeps the blade in hand, though relaxed at his side. "Tell me about Erik Spangelhelm, or at least whoever had this when ye met it."

 
"Spangelhelm was Moradin's chosen in the Shadow War and that was his weapon," Gabe tells Bründir with distaste. "He ambushed me when I was vulnerable and the rest is history."

"Oh come on," Bründir beckons, his mouth now in a full grin, "Tell me your's, I'll tell ye mine. Maybe I tell ye ones I heard, too. No story's just 'history'. Once I heard 'bout a human king who stole a ring from an evil angel, then rode off high an' proud. Few years later, he gets shot down fer th' same ring by orcs!"

"I do not think that will work " says Thurston to Nakia's thoughts "The gnolls are brute creatures that only responds to food and strength. If someone tries to begin rumors about food shortage most probably outcome is that they eat that person... " 

"But precisely sir, and by the time they reach this town, they will have eaten every man that commands them." She smiles, "or for a real insurance, introduce vermin to the food stores so that the shortage is not a bluff"

Quote from Barlow >>

"Oh come on," Bründir beckons, his mouth now in a full grin, "Tell me your's, I'll tell ye mine. Maybe I tell ye ones I heard, too. No story's just 'history'. Once I heard 'bout a human king who stole a ring from an evil angel, then rode off high an' proud. Few years later, he gets shot down fer th' same ring by orcs!"

 
"Fascinating..." Gabe remarks drily in response to Bründir's little anecdote, glancing away for a moment as though trying not to yawn. "If my answers aren't to your liking, then ask better questions. I'm here to help, not hold your hand."

"But what's the fun in a story if yer not carried about?" Despite Gabe's clear dissatisfaction with the situation, Bründir let out a chuckle, "So how 'bout this: What happened t'Lord Erik after yer fight? Were ye th' last one beat, the first...?"

For the first time since Bründir began interrogating him, Gabe smiles with genuine interest.

"Now that is a better question; I don't actually know. It was all more or less simultaneous, but, yes, someone must have been the first to be sealed away. I do wonder who..."

The man seems to relish the idea of competition with his peers, but his enthusiasm fades as he returns to the dwarf's first question.

"As for Spangelhelm, my perception of the outside world has been rather limited for the past fifteen hundred cycles... I believe that he ruled as King of Karaz Kadrin until the end of his days."

Aiden nods. "It's not a bad idea," he says. "You said you have a contact in his court. Would they be willing to help us out?"

Nakia shrugs.

"In the area." She clarifies. "And they will help I'm sure. Always, for a price. If you can get a message to them that is. I just don't know who they would bend the ear of, or what you would have the rumours be?".

Bründir sheathes his sword, the hallways seeming much more gloomy because of it. He nods, mulling over the answer, though he hadn't expected much else. Being locked away underground does have an isolating effect, after all. Even if he thought Gabe was lying, how could he tell? There wasn't an inherent lie told, or at least not one he could perceive. It was known Lord Erik was ruler of Khaz Kadrin, so maybe a lie by omission?

"About what ye said before...about elemental magic," Bründir changed to a different course of questions, since his personal inquiry didn't go far, "Who d'ye know far west? Best as I could tell, it went past th' great mountains an' plains beyond. I stood in a desert. It'd take us a month t'get close on foot, best I could tell." The dwarf mulled over the details of his dream, remembering from his scribbled notes, "Tell me all about'em - who they were, who's their enemies, what happened - please." The courtesy stuck to the end like an afterthought, tied on with a hint of humility trying not to sound desperate. "I'm tryin'a make some sense of it all. I'm a damned miner dragged into this. Good 'r bad, I don' really care; it's all just been bad fer my home."

"The Plains of Ardath are dominated by nomadic tribesmen," Gabe explains, seemingly resigned at this point. "There is a desert beyond them, but it's more than a thousand leagues from here; rather more a month on foot. Perhaps four or five. Generally speaking, that part of the world was considered to lie within Israphel's sphere of influence. Our Dwarven brother, that is," he clarifies when Bründir's brow furrows as the dwarf attempts to place the name. "I believe that Matthias Breanor was responsible for his sealing."

Bründir laughs a bit at Gabe's mention of a "dwarven" brother in the desert. "Sorry, can't help thinkin' it's funny yer under a mountain, but a dwarf's a thousand leagues away from one." Memory of his dream flooded back, with a strange, gigantic winged thing overwhelming him before he was thrown back to consciousness, "Matthias Breanor...I think I remember 'im. Human king, right? Seems he an' Lord Erik had a thing fer nice swords. About this...Israphel brother. Why's he in th' desert so far from mountains? I'd've thought an ancient dwarf'd be underground."

"If you can describe them adequately, I can get a message to them," Aiden says. "Perhaps we simply have them slip a rumor into the gnoll command structure that the baron plans to leave them in the mountains to starve after the battle is over. Whatever promises he made will not be kept."

Quote from Barlow >>

Bründir laughs a bit at Gabe's mention of a "dwarven" brother in the desert. "Sorry, can't help thinkin' it's funny yer under a mountain, but a dwarf's a thousand leagues away from one." Memory of his dream flooded back, with a strange, gigantic winged thing overwhelming him before he was thrown back to consciousness, "Matthias Breanor...I think I remember 'im. Human king, right? Seems he an' Lord Erik had a thing fer nice swords. About this...Israphel brother. Why's he in th' desert so far from mountains? I'd've thought an ancient dwarf'd be underground."

 
"Unlike his esteemed ancestor, Breanor was a mere count," Gabe scoffs, "and the western deserts do, in fact, encompass mountains both without and within. The region is quite volcanic."