Out Of The Abyss

“Your beard is steeped in magic. You lost your legendary beard down here in your travels. Take care of your new beard until then. I am not giving you a new magic one until after the competition.”

Lost me beard defending you lot... ye be forgetting who got you out the clutches of the drow master cleric...me beard and me companions did. I tell ye I gets no respect...bah..let us be on with it

    The hours pass slowly.  By anyone's best count, it's been about 4 hours since they've finished their rest, and no signs of their would-be new Goblin Guides.

What does the party wish to do?

“Grem not only do I respect but I fear the beard. You are so easily offended these days. Taking too much after morgana.”

“Bah, i ain’t offended. Just jealous of the brilliant beard ye got lad. I worked hard for me beard and ye’s is rivaling me own. What say you? It’s been a bit and we haven’t seen these twins..”

“Grem maybe they are on their way back from taking hemmy and Elmo. They did take a more direct root to G town.”

“Aye, anxious to be on with it, but I’m good to wait till they be back. Hemmy was saying he has some info on me clan and what’s been happening with them.  And he has some ales I’m looking to sample eh!”

Leon motions Grem towards Morgana

”Depends if we are welcome around Hemmy. Remember you failed to defend him, cast a spell on him, and let a little girl spit in his face. Do you think he will forgive you?”

    More time passes...this time, much slower.  The skittering of Giant Spiders can be heard in the very distant background.  You can't tell if it's coming from above your cave opening to the Silken Paths, or from below you.  It sounds like it's coming from everywhere and nowhere.  The cold air is difficult to shrug off and the constant feeling that you're being watched...is also difficult to shake.

    Now you all begin to hear something like a non-spider sound from above your current level and out some ways into the darkness.  Too far to make anything out, except the thousands of beady, glimmering reflections of some unholy light that pervades areas of the chasm...and you suspect they aren't gems that are responsible for the glimmering, ghastly sight...

Stool - "Everyone, do you hear that?"  Stool says to everyone telepathically.

Gogo - "Ahh! AHHH!!  Das gotta be da Web Runnas!"  The Goblin says, practically brimming with hope that he isn't wrong.

    What does the group do?

Gremryl winces slightly at the memory, but straightens up 

"Aye, not one of me best moments. A mistake I made, that needs to be atoned for and I will Lad. But, make no mistake, there be no force one to stop me from finding those responsible for the death of me...what is that?" 

"Stand to the side master cleric, something seems to be coming up see?"

I cast shield of faith on gremryl 

To Stool: “come here little buddy.  Stay close”. We both back away as far as possible from the light.

Leon casts pass without trace and cast blessing of the trickster on Morgana. Leon hides in the shadows.

stealth 19

rolling stealth check for morgana 

27 stealth

Gremryl will assume a non threatening pose, with his Mace on his shoulder, appearing to be casual. 

He says prayer " Moradin, let that coming towards us be Friendly.. We be needing some more of ye luck Keeper of  the mountain. Weary we are, blessed we be" and makes the sign of  the anvil. 

Welp,  as they say in adbar " lets get this forge going, and hammer throwing" and he grins. 

Seeing Grem’s courage in the face of danger, Leon invokes his duplicity and has him stand next to Grem. 

Telepathically to Grem, “Beard bros for life”

Gremryl looks over... and thinks.  Maybe this cleric with his beard of the Gods will make a good traveling companion afterall... 

"Aye, bearded by Gods, bloodied by battle eh!" 

Morgana whispers to stool and tells him 2 put out friendship spores

    The noise approaches closer to the group.  Not necessarily any louder, and probably for the best.  Out in the distance a small flickering light materializes.  You can tell it's associated with the sound and as it gets close enough to begin making out details, you see a pair of Goblins sliding on the strands of webbing!  You're all a little confused on how they're sliding across these sticky strands although it doesn't change the fact that these Goblins are coming your way and aren't slowing down.

Goblin 1 - "Hello!  Lookin for da great Web Runners yas be?  Found yas we have!" Still a bit off in the distance but closing that distance quickly, you hear one of the Goblins call out.

Goblin 2 - "Found yas!  Found yas!" The other Goblin says with merriment.

    They're just about to your location and they see Gremryl with his casual DQ (Dwarves Quarterly) pose, standing alongside Leon's duplicity replete with all his majestic beard glory.  Now they're sliding on a strand of webbing that attaches to your level entrance and coming in hot!  With a flourish of a dismount, both Goblins reach the tunnel rock floor with style and grace.

Yuk Yuk - "I'm Yuk Yuk and dat be Spiderbait.  At yas service...for a fee of course!" He finishes with a smile that reveals crooked teeth.

    Spiderbait grins and nods with arms folded and eyes wide.

Please to be meeting ye goblin gents! Ye reputation has spread far and wide.  Me dwarven brothers said to find ye's two! So did my duergar and halfing companions! Not to mention this fine young Gobly here guided us to ye's two! We have some gold for safe passage eh lads! What say ye two...some good deeds for good gold?" 

12 persuasion 

    Yuk Yuk's left eyebrow perks up as you mention the group of Dwarves and the Duerger and Halfling pair.  He looks over at Spiderbait, who returns a nod and drops his grin.

Yuk Yuk - "Dwarves, eh?  Escaped from Gracklstugh.  Found 'em we dids.  Saved 'em we dids.  Paid us they didn't.  Said they'd send payment back...yas got dat gold, eh?" The Goblin asks the Paladin, still standing in his DQ pose.