Everyone stares at Brask, not accustomed to seeing him show any sign of emotion. Bharrum finally sits back in his chair. "Elves? Nay - that lot wouldn't lower themselves to visiting a dwarven mining village. Haven't seen an elf meself in years." He leans closer to Brask. "Don't like 'em much anyway."
"Well, I for one am glad ye have found one another and are out exploring the world," Tys chimes in. "There's a lot of good a group of like-minded, strong folks can do." She gets up and starts to clear some of the empty plates off the table.
Burik helps clear the stuff away, fetching a dark bottle and 5 small glasses on the way back. He puts them all on the table and pours a small amount into 4 of them. "A glass should you want some Effort, but mind you it's a tad bit stronger than the ale." He puts one in front of each of the others before smelling the drink deeply, then drinking it all in one go. "It's been too long... Glad to see the quality's only got better though father." He pours a little more into his own glass, sipping it slowly this time though.
Recognizing how obviously special this new drink must be, Effort accepts the glass and takes a tiny sip of whatever's inside.
Once again, her throat burns and her eyes water, but she manages to keep a neutral face while nodding in what she hopes approximates an expression of semi-cultured appreciation. "Its very good," she manages to rasp, before carefully setting the drink down to let the liquor breathe for an (indefinite) bit longer.
After a few more minutes of drinking and chatting, Bharrum excuses himself to go to bed. Tys pours herself another glass and raises it up in toast before shooting it back. "Your father worries about you, Burik," she slides the glass to the middle of the table. "Promise me you'll be careful. This world is a strange, unforgiving place."
She stands up, nods to you all, and heads into her bedroom.
OOC: Feel free to keep drinking and talking. Don't think anyone needs a long rest at this point, but you can sleep and then in the morning let me know your plans.
So, we're killing the thing in the mine tomorrow, right? Just checking. You gonna drink that? Brask's massive hand hovers near Effort's unconsumed drink.
"Be my guest," Effort says, thankfully pushing it over towards Brask with a dry wheeze that she'd been holding in until their hosts left the room. "And yes. I still strongly feel we should head towards the mines. Perhaps get a few more flasks of oil for the lantern before we go down into whatever is waiting for us there. But otherwise, both whatever is kidnapping the villagers and whatever drove the golden hatching away is down there. And... well, kidnappings. Isn't that what we're here for?"
OOC: Just a reminder of what the party has at their disposal. Brask has Goggles of Night and Burik has Candle of the Deep. The Darkmines can provide you with a few torches and pints of oil. Let's say they give you 4 pints, with each pint lasting 6 hours. It'll be up to you how many torches you light at once and when you put them out.
As Tys leaves the room Burik mutters to himself "You don't understand the half of it..."
To the others, "We can try, but if it's..... well lets just say that you don't want to go too deep. Something lurks down there. Beyond the main shafts, in the deep dark.... And it's hungry." His face clearly betrays the feeling of dread of going back down into the deeper mines.
"All the more reason to poke the bear, before the bear pokes your family," Effort replies, unphazed. "There are things we can't know in this world, of great power, and great evil. If we were to run screaming from them every time they brought tidings of bad news, we'd all never leave the safety of our own beds. And from what I understand, if that is the case, this thing in the mines will come to visit your bed regardless, you merely will have to wait for it to approach."
Burik, as you all prepare for sleep and for whatever the next day will bring, roll a history check with advantage to see what you can recall about the mines.
As you close your eyes, you think about those last days you spent in the mine. It's like you're standing there again, at the entrance in the side of the mountain. You pass the threshold into the mine and find a large common area surrounded by the remains of huts and dwarven dwellings. These are remnants from long ago - a time when the dwarves lived inside the mountain. A time before evil began seeping from the ground itself.
On either side of the common area are openings to more large, residential rooms. One on each side. Straight ahead is the great hall, where dwarves would congregate to eat or get ready to head into the mines. At the far end of that room, the beginning of the descent downward.
On the next level the two main branches of mines head toward the thickest vein of gold, to the right, and to the maze-like tunnels that carved deep into the mountain in search of precious gems, to the left. Plenty of dwarves have gotten lost in the gem tunnels, but you continue to follow a dreamlike path through them. Left, left, right, and then to the final fork. To the right, the gem tunnel ends. There were massive, valuable gems here at one time, but most had been picked out. To the left, a tunnel leading deeper...the deepest your crew ever got to before...well, before they vanished.
As you start to draft off to sleep, you think of the green gemstone again...
OOC: Functionally, I'm telling you all this because you can choose to go into any of those areas you know about, or just head straight to the deepest sections of the mines. Up to you. There would have been more guess work if you had rolled poorly. :)
With a belly full of good strong drink, Brask sleeps heavily and happily. He wakes before sunrise, washes and prepares for a day or more under the ground. You up? he asks loudly, whether Burik and Effort are awake or not.
Effort blinks awake at the sound of Brask's loud question, the last vestiges of sleep fading slowly. Even with just a sip, dwarven liquor is no laughing matter for her delicate constitution. "Would you believe me if I said no?" she calls out irritably, trying to bury her head under the blanket.
You are as strange as the other horned one, she hears Cadmael tell her, and groaning in frustration, throws the blanket off and sits up. "Fine, fine, I'm up," she grumbles, rising from her bed to prepare for her morning ablutions.
It takes her about fifteen minutes all told to pull herself together, but when she's finished, Effort is packed and ready for adventure, as unwilling as she might be to leave the comforts of a house for the great outdoors. "Do we need any last-minute supplies for the mines? I'd like to purchase a bag of ball bearings for myself if it's possible. Oh," she adds to Burik. "And please thank your parents for the oil they provided for the lantern. I'm sure it will come in useful."
Burik will take the remnants of the bottle they drank last night. "I am ready, though there are several shops around. Although I doubt a tent will be useful..."
There is a small market where you can buy ball bearings and anything relatively common. Tools, rope, etc. Nothing magical.
Let me know if you buy anything and subtract it from your character sheet. A bag of 1000 ball bearings is one gold piece.
Burik, what do you tell Brask and Effort about the mines? Will you go straight to the deepest section or offer up the other places (gold vein, gems, ancient residences) as areas to explore?
Everyone stares at Brask, not accustomed to seeing him show any sign of emotion. Bharrum finally sits back in his chair. "Elves? Nay - that lot wouldn't lower themselves to visiting a dwarven mining village. Haven't seen an elf meself in years." He leans closer to Brask. "Don't like 'em much anyway."
"Well, I for one am glad ye have found one another and are out exploring the world," Tys chimes in. "There's a lot of good a group of like-minded, strong folks can do." She gets up and starts to clear some of the empty plates off the table.
DM - Above & Below
Burik helps clear the stuff away, fetching a dark bottle and 5 small glasses on the way back. He puts them all on the table and pours a small amount into 4 of them. "A glass should you want some Effort, but mind you it's a tad bit stronger than the ale." He puts one in front of each of the others before smelling the drink deeply, then drinking it all in one go. "It's been too long... Glad to see the quality's only got better though father." He pours a little more into his own glass, sipping it slowly this time though.
Recognizing how obviously special this new drink must be, Effort accepts the glass and takes a tiny sip of whatever's inside.
Once again, her throat burns and her eyes water, but she manages to keep a neutral face while nodding in what she hopes approximates an expression of semi-cultured appreciation. "Its very good," she manages to rasp, before carefully setting the drink down to let the liquor breathe for an (indefinite) bit longer.
After a few more minutes of drinking and chatting, Bharrum excuses himself to go to bed. Tys pours herself another glass and raises it up in toast before shooting it back. "Your father worries about you, Burik," she slides the glass to the middle of the table. "Promise me you'll be careful. This world is a strange, unforgiving place."
She stands up, nods to you all, and heads into her bedroom.
OOC: Feel free to keep drinking and talking. Don't think anyone needs a long rest at this point, but you can sleep and then in the morning let me know your plans.
DM - Above & Below
So, we're killing the thing in the mine tomorrow, right? Just checking. You gonna drink that? Brask's massive hand hovers near Effort's unconsumed drink.
"Be my guest," Effort says, thankfully pushing it over towards Brask with a dry wheeze that she'd been holding in until their hosts left the room. "And yes. I still strongly feel we should head towards the mines. Perhaps get a few more flasks of oil for the lantern before we go down into whatever is waiting for us there. But otherwise, both whatever is kidnapping the villagers and whatever drove the golden hatching away is down there. And... well, kidnappings. Isn't that what we're here for?"
OOC: Just a reminder of what the party has at their disposal. Brask has Goggles of Night and Burik has Candle of the Deep. The Darkmines can provide you with a few torches and pints of oil. Let's say they give you 4 pints, with each pint lasting 6 hours. It'll be up to you how many torches you light at once and when you put them out.
DM - Above & Below
(Burik also has a flaming greataxe...)
As Tys leaves the room Burik mutters to himself "You don't understand the half of it..."
To the others, "We can try, but if it's..... well lets just say that you don't want to go too deep. Something lurks down there. Beyond the main shafts, in the deep dark.... And it's hungry." His face clearly betrays the feeling of dread of going back down into the deeper mines.
"All the more reason to poke the bear, before the bear pokes your family," Effort replies, unphazed. "There are things we can't know in this world, of great power, and great evil. If we were to run screaming from them every time they brought tidings of bad news, we'd all never leave the safety of our own beds. And from what I understand, if that is the case, this thing in the mines will come to visit your bed regardless, you merely will have to wait for it to approach."
Burik, as you all prepare for sleep and for whatever the next day will bring, roll a history check with advantage to see what you can recall about the mines.
DM - Above & Below
History 9
History 21 (advantage)
As you close your eyes, you think about those last days you spent in the mine. It's like you're standing there again, at the entrance in the side of the mountain. You pass the threshold into the mine and find a large common area surrounded by the remains of huts and dwarven dwellings. These are remnants from long ago - a time when the dwarves lived inside the mountain. A time before evil began seeping from the ground itself.
On either side of the common area are openings to more large, residential rooms. One on each side. Straight ahead is the great hall, where dwarves would congregate to eat or get ready to head into the mines. At the far end of that room, the beginning of the descent downward.
On the next level the two main branches of mines head toward the thickest vein of gold, to the right, and to the maze-like tunnels that carved deep into the mountain in search of precious gems, to the left. Plenty of dwarves have gotten lost in the gem tunnels, but you continue to follow a dreamlike path through them. Left, left, right, and then to the final fork. To the right, the gem tunnel ends. There were massive, valuable gems here at one time, but most had been picked out. To the left, a tunnel leading deeper...the deepest your crew ever got to before...well, before they vanished.
As you start to draft off to sleep, you think of the green gemstone again...
OOC: Functionally, I'm telling you all this because you can choose to go into any of those areas you know about, or just head straight to the deepest sections of the mines. Up to you. There would have been more guess work if you had rolled poorly. :)
DM - Above & Below
With a belly full of good strong drink, Brask sleeps heavily and happily. He wakes before sunrise, washes and prepares for a day or more under the ground. You up? he asks loudly, whether Burik and Effort are awake or not.
Effort blinks awake at the sound of Brask's loud question, the last vestiges of sleep fading slowly. Even with just a sip, dwarven liquor is no laughing matter for her delicate constitution. "Would you believe me if I said no?" she calls out irritably, trying to bury her head under the blanket.
You are as strange as the other horned one, she hears Cadmael tell her, and groaning in frustration, throws the blanket off and sits up. "Fine, fine, I'm up," she grumbles, rising from her bed to prepare for her morning ablutions.
It takes her about fifteen minutes all told to pull herself together, but when she's finished, Effort is packed and ready for adventure, as unwilling as she might be to leave the comforts of a house for the great outdoors. "Do we need any last-minute supplies for the mines? I'd like to purchase a bag of ball bearings for myself if it's possible. Oh," she adds to Burik. "And please thank your parents for the oil they provided for the lantern. I'm sure it will come in useful."
Nope, Brask replies equally loudly.
I reckon I could use some stuff. Like a tent. Is that useful underground? Maybe, if it's cold. Where can we buy stuff? he asks Burik.
Burik will take the remnants of the bottle they drank last night. "I am ready, though there are several shops around. Although I doubt a tent will be useful..."
There is a small market where you can buy ball bearings and anything relatively common. Tools, rope, etc. Nothing magical.
Let me know if you buy anything and subtract it from your character sheet. A bag of 1000 ball bearings is one gold piece.
Burik, what do you tell Brask and Effort about the mines? Will you go straight to the deepest section or offer up the other places (gold vein, gems, ancient residences) as areas to explore?
DM - Above & Below
Effort will have bought 1 bag of ball bearings (1GP) and 1 stick of chalk (???).
1 piece of chalk would cost 1 copper (I don't care whether you record it or not, haha).
DM - Above & Below