Andrømeda nods, hearing it as well, looking at the big broken doors in curiosity. "Something strong had to ha brokt det gate." she muttered as she began to walk towards the entrance to see who those voices belonged to.

"Let's stay back a bit eh Duncan?" Kwisatz says as he starts to follow, though a bit behind

5

Duncan hears the sounds of talking, and as the party approaches the gates, those who were speaking go quiet. 

Duncan decides to fly up, despite Kwisatz's caution, with a desire to protect Kwiz. He doesn't go over the gate but he flies above it in order to try and get a better vantage point. You see him go up, circle once, then perch on top of the left side of the wall.

He flashes an image to Kwisatz of two people. He infuses the information with a sense of calm.

Then he flies back and lands on Kwiz's shoulder.

Quietly to the group Kwisatz whispers "there are two of them inside. They don't appear hostile..."

Turning to listen to Kwisatz, Andrømeda grins at his words, saying "Det's maat", then turns back to march fully past the broken gates, voice booming with enthusiasm, she calls out, "Hels dir! Ve are friends, kom to bring vord from town!"

Rush is hiding behind his shield, but walking closer to the gate.

At Andrømeda's booming voice, the two dwarves that had been, until that moment, sitting in the rubble of what used to be a dwarven settlement that's been forgotten by time, eating what you assume is dinner (it doesn't look like much - they didn't even build a dire) jump from surprise. By reflex they both grab their mining tools and hold them in front of themselves like an ineffective shield. 

"Wh-who goes there!" one of the dwarves calls out to the giant of a woman.

Sael puts up a hand, "Don't be alarmed.  My friend here is just large in every sense of the word.  We mean no unnecessary harm."  Sael looks them over.  "What happened here?"

"Well," one of them says, "this is an excavation site of an ancient dwarven temple. All knowledge of this settlement, including its name, vanished along with its original inhabitants, who were killed by an avalanche."

"Also," he continues, "I'm Dazlyn."

"You shouldn't be so forthright with strangers," the other one says in a grouchy manner.

"Don't mind Norbus. He's always like that. Where did you all say you were from? I think the large lass over there said something about bringing word from town. What word and which town?"

Kwisatz steps up and says "ah! Sorry to interrupt your meal... We're from Phandalin. We were sent by the town master to warn you of dragon sightings. Quite dangerous! Though also maybe exciting no? Have you seen anything strange recently?"

"Wai...wha?! A dragon? Norbus, did you hear that?"

"Yeah,"  Norbus grumps. "I heard 'em."

"Well, what are we going to do?" Dazlyn implores.

"Why don't we ask your new  friends, here, if they're willin' to help," Norbus responds with the slightest hint of a sneer.

"We could..." Dazlyn thinks about it for a second. Then, Dazlyn continues as if the party isn't even there. "We could offer them the sending stones"

"The se...what?" Norbus growls a little and lowers his head in disapproval. "I don't like it. I don't like it, but I suppose we're a little crunched for time, now."

"Sending stones? We had a few pairs of them back at the library. Useful little things. What would you have us do? Also, what exactly are you digging for here?" Kwisatz asks

Dazlyn speaks up, still a little unsure about the news about dragons, "We're business partners - prospectors. In our clan, we're shield dwarves. While looking for gold in the mountains southwest of Phandalin, we decided to explore this nearby canyon and found evidence of this ancient dwarven settlement buried by an avalanche. We’ve spent the past several months clearing the rubble and scouring the ruins for treasure, but we haven't found anything of value so far."

Looking at Norbus as if to ask whether or not he should continue, Norbus gives him the nod.

"While we were exploring some of the deeper chambers of the temple," Dazlyn spoke on, "we ran into some...jelly creatures - yellowish oozes that can slide under doors and through narrow cracks. We don't know what they were, but I'm guessing they were somehow connected to the evil that was back there. Ya see, behind this settlement, carved into the back wall of the canyon, is an old temple of Abbathor, the evil dwarven god of greed."

"And,"  Norbus chimes in, looking hard at Dazlyn, "as my partner already offered, if ya help us clear them out, we'll give you this pair of stones. What say you?"

Andrømeda's brow pinched a bit at the conversation. She bent down to pick up a palm sized piece of stone, tossing it in her hand a bit, "Am don't know what stein tossing has to do vith wyrms, but if den's help you need, am ha a strong arm and a big oks." She said with a toothy grin, flourishing her greataxe before turning to look at her companions. "Det's maat, yes? We warnt them about te wyrm, so we can help too?"

"I'm more than willing to go into the caves to explore and see what these slimy things are. Having the rest of you with me I'm sure we'll be fine." Kwisatz says, adding "Though, I do have to admit, that while sending stones are a fun toy, I'm personally more interested in the history and any potential arcana related artifacts the ruins may hold. Ancient ruins hold so much to discover! It's actually chapter 23 if you'd like to see...ah perhaps not... Anyway, feel free to accompany us if you're worried about what we'll find." He then looks up and Andromeda and says "Lead the way tall one!"

"Aye, we'll go with you," Norbus says. "We've been out here for months, already and haven't found anything valuable. But, if you do while you're in there, I want us to be there with you." He looks over at Dazlyn, who tentatively agrees. 

So, as of right now, this is where everyone is at on the map.

"But, we aren't fighting those things in there. We aren't fighters."

 Also, to note, this map, which isn't a huge surprise when looking at the map, is lousy with debris and dust. Any of the squares on the map with debris in them is considered difficult terrain. (So moving through a square with rubble in it would cost you 10' of movement, instead of the normal 5'.)

Following their guides, and the rest of the party, Kwisatz will be watching looking for anything arcane, or any writing of any kind, likely paying less attention to his surroundings.

Investigation 21; general Perception (with self imposed disadvantage) 10

"Am'm big and loud, best to be first, ja?" Andrømeda acknowledges the small wizards words with a wink and a laugh, raising her left arm to flex. Then turns to look over the group for a moment, cocking her head left, then right in thought before looking at Rush. "If am can ask you, my quiet friend, as deg ha dun skold og stig... er," she pauses, considering the proper words in common, "you ha your shield and light, am mean to say,  you could stand by our two new friends? They may net to be protected, vith strange, squishy things around. Den vould be safer, ja?"

As the party moves forward, you see that a partially collapsed, ten-foot-high wall separates this courtyard from the settlement west of it. Three heaps of rubble are piled high in this area. Hewn from the canyon’s back wall, a thirty-foot-high temple facade features steps rising to a stone platform. Cut into this facade is a ten-foot-high open doorway flanked by crumbling, life-sized granite statues of cloaked dwarves. Evil grins can be seen on their weatherworn faces.

Kwisatz doesn't notice anything arcane or any interesting writings.

Just beyond the courtyard and temple facade, you see spikes hammered into the floor of the foyer that hold open two sets of double doors. A once-secret door to the north stands open, with a room beyond it holding nothing but rubble.

"Oh," Dazlyn mentions as the party approaches the once-secret door, "we should tell you - we've found a secret door right there. Keep an eye open because there are bound to be more of them."

At this point, please let me know if you want to be in a different order than what I've got you in on the map.

We'll call the positions the following (for the sake of this specific conversation):

• 1A: Andrømeda
• 1B: Kisatz
• 1C: Rush
• 1D: Norbus
• 2A: Sael
• 2B: Oban
• 2C: No one
• 2D: Dazlyn

If any of you feels that you would rather swap positions with someone, let me know.