"...for a safe return home, hmmm?" Kaemgen softly asks himself as he finishes his first read or the letter.  He knows he'll be reading it again.  But first...

     "Guess we better get you all dressed up again, huh Castor?"  Kaemgen says, tying the bandanna back around the wolf's neck.  It's not quite as tidy as he first showed up with it done but it'll do.  "Have to keep you two situated at least since I've not been doing that keen a job of doing it for myself..."  

     With that, Kaemgen's attention goes to the vials.  They may indeed come in handy in keeping this band together but his thoughts were more on Adabra and the manticore.  She should have kept these for herself. The last of her stores and she sent them here, he thought looking at the colorful vials.  Pollux, again, uses the outstretched arm as an excuse to start his nibbling and Kaemgen closes his hand and pulls his arm away.  "hey now!  There's plenty of dead orc to eat and bone bones to chew!" Kaemgen points out.

     Rising to his feet with some curses and groans, Kaemgen starts putting the vials safely away amongst his things.  He wants them easy to grab yet safe, not always a easy combination...  And that is when he hears? the call in his head...  Auric?  In danger?  He quickly looks back and forth in the hallway and sees Auric has indeed wandered off.  As has Mr.Dark.  And who knows where that Marblebeard and Xenophon had gotten to.  Kaemgen lets out a short, quick whistle to grab the attention of the wolves from off what they were doing (Pollux indeed was starting to sniff at a slowly cooling Orc, Castor a step or two behind, letting their brother go first...)

     "Downstairs!  Find Auric.  Help Auric," Kaemgen directed them, unsure if they'd heard the call or not.  Truthfully, unsure if he had or not.  Still in all, he grabbed up his axe and his hammer and took off down the steps at a sprint.

Perking to the command, Castor and Pollux rush downstairs and out the door with Kaemgen. They weren’t far behind Mr. Dark. Both men spot remnants of a pyrotechnics display low in the air shimmering as it falls. It leads you right to a pair of closed cellar doors. 

Hearing the familiar and seeing the rest of his companions rush out of the room and towards the cellar, Xenophon joins the rest of the gang with maul in hand!

     Kaemgen and the pack pull to a stop upon reaching the cellar doors.  Kaemgen quickly looks over the others assembles and frown.  He digs in his belt for a moment and pulls out the two Ruby Red Vials. He hands one to Mr.Dark and brusquely says "Healing from Adabra.  Take if there is more fighting down there..."  ((1 Ruby Red vial to Mr.Dark - 2d4 + 3 hit points if taken.))

     Kaemgen keeps the other vial in his own hand, ready to swallow the contents if needed, not wanting to waste if not...  He moves to position to pull open the cellar door and looks to the others to ask if they are ready for it to be opened.  It hurts his pride a bit, but for once he's not in a hurry to be the first through the door...

Mr.Dark takes the potion. "Excellent....open the door and I'll shed some light on the situation."  

He casts a light spell on his crossbow, and nods to Kaemgan, ready to shoot into the cellar. 

After letting the wolf twins into the house, Scott has a nice quite sit down on the porch. That is until Kaemgen and Mr. Dark hurry past towards the cellar. He scrambled up quickly to keep up with them. 

Anticipation rises the longer Kaemgen holds the doors open for someone else to take the lead this time. Feeding off of the tension in the air the pair take the initiative. Castor and Pollux release from where they sat, huffing as they head down the stairs lit up by Dark’s bow. Reaching the end of the stairs, they come to a stop and immediately, they begin growling and snarling. Yet, they dare not move. Their threatening sounds echo through the cellar and up the stairway to the ready adventurers.

Xenophon heads down the stairs cautiously, looking to see what's got the twins so hesitant.

     Kaemgen considers downing the vial of health but decides to wait.  Such things are too precious to take ‘just in case.’  He stuffs it into a pouch telling Mr.Dark “There’s another like I gave you here, if needed” as he does.  That done, Kaemgen heads down the stairs drawing his weapons…

As soon as the door is opened, Mr.Dark fires the bolt down into the cellar, lighting the place up. He reloads his crossbow with a smooth motion and readies to fire at any potential enemies. He covers Xenophon and Kaemgen, as they moves down the stairs.

Auric felt himself begin to come too. It sounded far away at first, but slowly, it’d begin to register must closer. And became much more real. Snarling. Growling. Footsteps. A shot. Swallowing, he’d feel cold steel pressed against his throat. His hands and feet bound with a dirty rag stuffed in his mouth. Slowly able to open his eyes, Auric is met with his companions before him. 

“Fire ‘gain n yer gunna git golden showered.” An orc is found in the cellar with his weapon held to the bound Dragonborn’s throat, using him as a personal shield.

Mr.Dark stares at the orc, and then barks out a laugh, "Golden showered!"  He laughs again. Then he holds a hand up apologetically, "I'm sorry, it's just....golden shower?  I mean...."  He tries to stop laughing, then...can't and laughs again.  "You know that a golden shower is when someone pees on you...right?  You're threatening...to pee on us?  I mean...seriously.....you didn't know that saying? Everyone knows that saying...." 

"All right, I'm assuming that you want something other than a straight fight, because you're outnumbered and can't take us all. So tell us what it is and we can resolve this without anyone getting their throats cut."

     "Golden wha...?" Kaemgen starts to ask but is quickly interrupted by Mr.Dark's explanation.

     "Whatzzat?? Why do you even know....  No!  Don't even tell me!"  Kaemgen drops his head and shakes it trying to forget the last 30 seconds.

     "Yes!  That.  Exactly!" Kaemgen responds once Xenophon speaks.  "Don't particularly if you live or die...  But if you harm my friend there, my wolves will be gnawing your bones as chew toys."

Auric:

Remaining limp and feigning contributed unconsciousness, Auric waits for the right opportunity…

Deception:  8

Mr.Dark still chuckling, shrugs to Kaemgen, "Benefits of an upbringing in the military. You learn all the grossest things..."  He looks back to the orc, "Yeah buddy, aside from threatening to pee all over us, what's your end-game here. If you want to join our amazing band of hero's you just have to ask, no pee threats or knives are needed!" 

The orc would blink at the one man's outburst and guffaw. He'd want to scratch his head. "Ya know, golden dragon..." He'd gesture to the golden dragonborn with his eyes and chin. "Shower in blood?" He'd tighten his grip and his axe before starting to nod along. "Though, I git wut yer sayin'." It looked like the wolves were agreeing too... The orc would shrug. "Can I try it 'gain?"

But then the shiny blue dragon bodyguard pipes up with wolfman back up. "Okay. 'kay!" The orc puts one hand and a leg out to pause the wolves prowling advance. "Didn't think I'd git this far!" He'd admit with wide eyes. Amazing band of heroes. "Yous like a metal boy band? People of Village?" Snort. His attention would snap back to one of the wolves who snuck up and was lifting it's leg. The orc would return his extended arm to restrengthen his grip on Auric. "'ey! Truce! Truce!" His eyes would flick from the wolf to the handler and back. "Golden truce! Eh? We just chattin'! "The wolf wouldn't put it's leg down, waiting for confirmation.

The orc would slowly lower his extended foot. "Eh? We just chattin'. Look! Yer buddies awake, he just playin' along..." He'd gesture to Auric who was doing a poor job of looking unconscious. "Give sum credit huh? I dun did purdy gud." Snarl. "Okay! Okay! So talkin' ain't mah farte." He swallows to think and blink.

"Wanna play a game?" The orc would take a breath. "I hide. You seek?"

Mr.Dark shrugs, "You seem like a real reasonable chap. Tell you what, you let go of our friend there, and you can just head off your own way and we won't stop you from leaving this ranch.  But....before we seal the pact, lemme just see if my buddy here can reign in the pups....Kaemgen, waddya say, we feel like we can let this fine fella go."  Still smiling all friendly like, he bounces his eyebrows at Kaemgen.

     "Castor... Pollux... Heel," Kaemgen says with some authority.

     "Truly, we care not if you live or die...  But if you harm our friend, we care very much."

Castor dutifully lowers his leg down from the Orc's while Pollux grumbles and lowers his leg from behind Mr. Dark. Both wolves obey, padding over and taking a seat at either side of Kaemgen's feet.

The orc briefly narrows his eyes at Dark.

Insight: 14

"'Ay! The feelin's mutual buddy." The orc blurts back to Kaemgen.