Blobbin's Adventurer Camp

(lol. must be those big eyebrows Saada :)

With mugs in hand the blacksmith see's Tauriel dropping all the Tiefling gear on the floor. He nods appreciatively and says to Vail "You're friend is generous in her payment for the ale! Perhaps all you top-worlders aren't brain addled after all!" He chuckles.

"As for the quakes, yes. we feel them to but we fortify against them" He moves his head to the side to indicate the support pieces. "If the top-worlders would take a moment to study the lad they build on they'd know why their cities fail! You see all this around you" He makes a sweeping motion with his arms "It's all limestone. Very soft. Easy to tunnel through. Also very unstable. We've dug down deep enough to know that water flow all around us. Over the years it wears away at the rock, and well, falls into the water below. The quakes effect us too but we've much experience in making safe places and repairing the damage quickly"

Infernal"If it comes to it"

( ooc someone is translating the gist?)

Common- " do they know of anything new? It seems unlikely natural quakes are the only issue.  Not enough would happen on trade routes to be worth exploiting. "

Estes is trying to play with the yeast in his drink using druidcraft 

Ooc: Yeah Vail is translating whatever they say into common.

vail Downs his pint.

”you have no idea how much I needed that ale my friend, thank you. Yes you can take whatever you’d like from that pile as thanks for hospitality! Are you forge master down here? How large is your community down here? Also....”

he travslates Estes question and asks the Duergar.

Common - ”Tauriel , they think you are giving the stuff as a gift... let’s see how this plays out.”

At the mention of limestone, sits back and swears in Infernal. 

"Why didn't I realize that sooner..." she mumbled.

"What no!!! Ask them if they can make me a cool new axe with this stuff!"

Vail gives Tauriel a stern look and says in a low tone. “Calm yourself! I value my own life over your “great axe.” Duergar are known to be especially cruel to surface dwellers, we’ve apparently caught them in a good mood. I don’t want to overstep their hospitality and find ourselves fighting for our life in an endless passage of tunnels. I promise I’ll ask.”

"I'm curious if this is some related to the caustic nature of the lake. Do they know how that came to be?"

The blacksmith gets that look on his face people get when you don't understand someone by the conversation going on between the party but tunes in to Vail. "Nothing like a good ale! I suppose you could call me the forge master. As to your other questions I'm afraid I can't answer too much. The land getting eaten away from underneath is certainly a problem but there's always been quakes here. For many, many generations." Looking over the pile that Tauriel has dropped he sniffs a bit and says "While you're friend is generous I've no need of any of that. Tiefling steel is shite. It would never hold up to the stress we'd put it through."

(I'm just going to assume Vail translates about the caustic nature of the lake)

"It's just a natural occurrence. The lime and the gases from the quakes turn the water. It does have it's uses. Fortunately, we've tapped into a fresh aquifer down here because there's no way we've found to completely cleanse the water for drinking" He fills his mug again and says "Drink you'll fill. When you're finished we'll take you to see Mordan Stonehammer. He will decide what to do with you."

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ve merely been translating to my companions here so they know with what we’re speaking about. If tiefling steel is so poor, might you be able to sell some weapons or perhaps sharpen my friends axe? She’d like to see if she could get a better axe. And yes, of course is Mordan your chief?”

Vail translates the information regarding the lake and the quakes. While he talks he pours himself another pint of the cave ale.

”it seems like a perfect coincidence... but I think if they were trying to kill surface dwellers they would have attached us by now. He wants to take us to his leader, I think. What should we do? Are we in too deep?”

"We go peacefully or we kill them, I have no objections to going."

"Might as well make nice with the heavily fortified and armed neighbors with access to an underground network below a recently disaster ravaged city." Saada shrugs. "Lead on."

"It's the only lead we have. I agree that we go peacefully and see what they might know about the problems in Okcho."

Ooc: Ok so if no problems let’s go! I’m ready, unless you guys want more ale hehe

(Estes drinks, but he has not had any here and bnb isn't planning to...let's go)

OOC: Onward to the duergar chief!

"I don't really understand much about all this magic with earthquakes but I guess onwards to Chief Stonehammer!" says Tauriel as she packs up all her stuff.

(Has sitting here chatting been a short rest?)

Sure about the short rest. We can say you could drag it out for an hour before headed to visit the chief.

After everyone has had their fill of ale the smith says to his helper "Keep the forge hot you slacker. I want to get back to work as soon as I get back!" He then leads you all into the kitchen area and moving aside a shelf reveals another passage. "You tall folks may have to bend down a bit but it's a short walk until it opens up again" The Duergar Tauriel had met takes up the rear.

(Good that'll at least get me a slot back)

Following through the low passage for only a minute or so he slides something out of the way and walks into to a larger chamber that looks like some kind of storage area. It's a large cavern, maybe 80' side to side with racks filled with crates of various shapes and sizes. The room is dimly lit from an unknown source and you can hear others moving about and talking. He waves you on to follow down one of the isles and nearing the end shouts out "Don't get your beard in a knot. It's just me and I've got company. Headed to see the little bigman himself." Coming out of the isle you can 6 workers near and entry way. There's a couple long tables and some carts. The workers look at you with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.