Allansia Wildlands Campaign.

( Oops, sorry. Yes, the one fighting Brocc is the one that saved.)

Because Hatch is hard headed and stubborn, and the beetle's armor is ticking him off, he continues his mighty axe-ening to try and kill it!

Attack: 23

Damage: 4

( Banzo?)

Banzo spell lashes out and strikes the beetle in the side, and for the first time it seems the huge creature actually notices that it is under attack.  It chitters in annoyance and keeps moving forward slightly slowed.

Lindales stone strikes the mage in the chest and he nods, " Fair."

Hatch buried his axe in the beetles side and the creature jinked away from him, its chittering growing louder....it was almost out of the tunnel.

Brocc and his mount tore their attacker to pieces and one of the webbed elves cried out in horror, Brocc recognised the words as a variant elvish term for ' Brother'.

The two webbed elves kept trying to extract themselves from the webbing, but had no luck.

The elf that had been firing at Hatch threw down his bow and leapt at him with two jagged short-blades in his fists.

Attack: 15 Damage: 6

The elf charging at Lindale reached her and raked his blades across her midsection.

Attack: 6 Damage: 7

The mage saw Brocc take down one of his people and grew angry, again his hands glowed purple and three darts of energy rushed out from them towards Brocc.

5  2  3

Brocc casts shield to deflect the magic missiles.

He then strikes at the nearest dark elf...
Lance Attack: 10 Damage: 8

He has the spider he is riding close and strike as well...
Force Attack: 18 Damage: 6

Lindale answered with her scimitar: Attack: 13 Damage: 5

( Banzo?, Hatch?)

Hatch will ignore the elf and will try and bust through that beetle!

Attack: 18

Damage: 11

Brocc and Lindale open large slashes in their foes while Hatch and Banzo attack the beetle as it climbs out of the tunnel seemingly little slowed or bothered by their assaults.

The Dark Elf Mage calls out in Elvish and then Common, " Hold! Hold! Parley?"

His men lower their weapons but regard you warily, the two webbed elves finally pulling themselves free.....the beetle begins digging at a far wall ...

Lindale lowered her scimitar also keeping a wary look on the elves: "It is more up to miners - you stole from them and kill them. But sure, let's talk."

"Very well." Brocc says, holding his lance still, but pointing the tip at the ground.

The Mage bowed to them, " I am Jamarel Ithilkir."

" Though none of the family will recognise me."

" As you say, people have died...and some of mine as well."

" I really would appreciate if you didn't assault the livestock though, the poor thing is generally too stupid to realise its under attack....and if it does, its equally too stupid to know whose responsible."

" If you and your most interesting friends will allow, My delightful cousin. We will retreat from here without further bloodshed and not trouble these mines again. Is that amenable?"

Lindale threw the scimitar back into the scabbard. "This was our very intention - not to fight but to protect miners from raids. I am sure miners would agree to that too. You leave them be - and there will be no more quarrel, just go."

From what druid gathered by now, miners would not fight even for there life, and would welcome a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

"Works for me." Brocc would agree, as having them gone would allow the miners to finish their work, which is all that they were trying for anyway.

Jamarel bows again to Lindale in  manner that is infuriatingly difficult to determine the nature of....mocking or honouring....

" Agreed."

" We withdraw."

The elf whose brother was killed came forward to collect the body and the other badly wounded elves also did the same.

Jamarel turned to his people, " We were bested. A token is required by law."

With reluctant looks each elf took an item from their belt and tossed them into a pile, then Jamarel did the same.

With a wink he disappeared from sight and reappeared deeper in the tunnel, " Do keep up!"

His people hurried after him and disappeared into the darkness below.

Behind the companions the giant beetle was beginning to make headway in digging its new tunnel, it continued to ignore the group.

The pile of items-

"I say we leave money and gems to the miners - it would not cove their losses but helps a bit. The items we keep - after all, we fought for them." She did not claim any item, though.

Brocc shrugs, not quite sold on giving away the treasure they had won, while the miners sat back out of danger's way, but he did not argue the point. "Let's collect it and move back so the miner's can get their task done.

"Can not say," shook her head Lindale, "I never met them before. From the stories, they are cunning and can not be trusted. But those do seem to keep their word."

Rufus shakes his head and suddenly stumbles, " Huh? What happened? What did I miss?"

Once the Dark Elves were out of sight the companions gathered themselves and met back up with the mining workforce outside.

Leewinnette and the others went to work collapsing the inner tunnels and the cave entrance and collapsed the cavern, by the time they had finished setting up the beetle was long gone.

The companions accompanied the miners back to town and there was a great feast held in their honour; though feast is perhaps the wrong word for a great deal of salted goat broth, peppered yams and enormous piles of noodles......and enough rice wine and beer to drown many, many horses.

When they awoke the next morning Lindale is gone leaving a hastily scribbled note about being disturbed by the Dark Elves and needing to head home.

Rufus mentions he is looking to sign on with a river barge and perhaps make his way down to Port Blacksand.  He looks forward to meeting again.

Hatch spent the night deep in conversation with Leewinnette and is nowhere to be found in the morning.

Banzo and Brocc look at each other over the breakfast table, their spoils along with their food sitting between them.