Turn 94 -- Meeting the Svirfneblin

At the chamber of the orc women:

As the lengthy discussion between Dain and Talimar on the magical capabilities of other races comes to a close, Talimar calls Gnore and Garth over to the campfire to discuss the group's next course of action. Dain removes his notebook from his satchel as Talimar begins to speak, and begins to perform some calculations to try and determine the current market value of tabac in the Milbourne area.

"Before we can leave these caves," begins Talimar as Gnore and Garth join them, "we need to make sure that we have cleared the orcs out of the area. If we can do this in the next day or two, we will have time to carry Randor out of the caves and bury him under the sun. If not, we will need to bury him down here. As to his gear, any item that will be of use to the company will be free to be taken. We will not take any gear we cannot use, and we will not take anything to sell."

Looking at Talimar, Gnore nods his head, "I'll carry Brother Randor out of these cursed caves and his gear concerns me not. About the orcs, there may be more of the bastards out in the open than our little band can deal with. I'm not saying I won't agree to help cleanse the filth but lets not get too carried away." Gnore laughs then falls silent quickly as he realizes that, even to him, his joke was not at all humorous.

By the light of the campfire, the four members of the company continue to discuss the options available to them, planning on being ready to offer those suggestions to the other members when they return.

South at the cavern of the orc leader:

Druckner lowers his crossbow before him and says, "Wall, I like to be properly introduced befer I spout off me plans to strangers if ya know wot I mean. But if me friend Kersath says you be friends, I believe him. We've seen precious few in this neighborhood. Me name's Druckner Brombreath of the Red Feather Adventuring Company. We hunt evil kidnappers wherever they be." Druckner grins and relaxes a bit but remains on his guard. The svirfneblin leader nods her head at Druckner's introduction but remains standing with arms folded before her regarding the entire group.

"Wal, Kersath, it seems ye got friends in low places after all," says Ortho while smiling at his own rough joke. "It seems this is yer party. You call the shot." Ortho, sensing no danger, leaves the stairwell to Kersath and Druckner. He ambles over to Snagger as the lad is finishing getting his armor back on, "Now that ye got yer axe, Ah think Ah'd like ta have me hand-axes back. Ah might need 'em, ye know." Snagger smiles and hands the axes back over to Ortho with his thanks. Ortho nods and then moves over to assist Ras with the tallying and packing of the loot from the chest.

Kersath slowly moves his hands to his twin longswords, an action that brings a shuffling from the warriors behind the priestess who quickly silences them with a swift motion of her left hand. Continuing forward, Kersath pulls his twin blades free and drops to his knees, placing the swords in a very distinct movement at the lead svirfneblin's feet. He then stays down and says in common, "We are, as my friend here claimed," glancing at Druckner, "the Red Feather Adventuring Company. We came here in search of a lady that was kidnapped from the surface, and her trail led us to this scum's camp."

Pausing for a second before continuing, he adds, "If you will please, I have a question I would like you to answer for me. What are the svirfneblin, a people that usually stay to themselves, doing so close to the surface world? I was raised in a svirfneblin community and that city was far deeper beneath the surface than you are. Are you on some sort of mission? Maybe you hunt the same scum we do?"

The priestess seems unafraid at the presence of a dark elf before her, although her right eyebrow raises ever so slightly at Kersath's mention of being raised in a svirfneblin community. After a rather long and uncomfortable silence, she replies, "My name is Carmeneren and I am a priestess of Callarduran Smoothhands and leader of our community. If we find you trustworthy, you will learn more of our community. For now, you will tell us of your deeds and intentions and afterwards, I will judge what information you glean from us."

Kersath nods his head and motions for Carmeneren and her group to move into the cavern. The priestess and her followers file into the cavern and she moves to the center of the chamber to speak to Druckner and Kersath, her followers take up positions around the chamber with several stationed at the hidden entrance to guard it.

Knowing that he must be truthful in the telling or Carmeneren will detect it, Kersath tells the whole story of the formation of the company and their subsequent offer to find the missing Jelenneth. Druckner adds little tidbits to the telling of Kersath, often pointing out the prowess or heroics of the individual dwarven members of the company, but adding important details nonetheless. Carmeneren listens intently to the telling of the two companions, nodding her head at times and asking pointed questions every now and then. Finally, Kersath brings her up to date on the exploits of the company, coming to a close with the defeat of the orcs in the mines and the rescue of Snagger and the other prisoner.

While the discussion is going on, Ras sits at the chest and looks over the lock on the chest and the trap placed inside, asking Kre how he noticed it and then eventually disarmed it. "Well I guess you learned from my mistake back at the keep?" He pauses as if a flashback has sealed his lips, "...I will try the next one." Kre nods from his seat near Ras and Ortho as he continues to sharpen his daggers, his eyes on the svirfneblin spread out around the chamber.

Taking time out between his counting of the loot with Ortho, Ras looks over at Kre, "Well, I hope they don't want this treasure. Hey, you still take bets? I will give you 2 to 1 odds on Kersath. I say he can take them himself--What ya think?!" Ras chuckles under his breath as Kre shakes his head.

"Hopefully it won't come ta that," offers Ortho. "That priestess has enough power ta bind this entire company if she wills it..." Ras goes silent at the words from Ortho as his head turns to regard the lady once again and the conversation going on between her and his companions.

A long drawn out silence goes on while Carmeneren thinks on the tale told by Kersath and Druckner before she finally responds, "If you have defeated the men in the Keep as well as these orcs here, then that speaks much for the prowess of your company. I will share what information we have with you."

Kersath nods his head in gratitude and Druckner smiles as a dialogue is established with Carmeneren. "Is this yer territory?" asks the red bearded dwarf.

"We have a community several days journey deeper into the underground," answers Carmeneren.

"Have you had much exchange with the, ahem, deceased tribe of orcs here? Do they serve anybody?"

Carmeneren nods her head slightly at the questions from Druckner, "We knew of their existence and that they have been taking prisoners below for several months now. We did not interfere because we also know that they do this for an evil far greater than those deeper below." Taking a deep breath, Carmeneren begins to tell what she knows of this other evil, "We do not know all that lies below, but we know much. Others have been before you, and failed to deal with the deeper evils. We are afraid that you, too, will fail and that those below will be moved to strike upwards, and find us, and kill us all. If you are not clever and wise, you could bring destruction on my people as well as losing your own lives."

The gnomes stand silently for a short time while Druckner, Kersath and the others take in the words of Carmeneren, then the priestess offers some more information and a suggestion, "I will not tell you what I know without some evidence that you are worthy of it. I will tell you now, though, that the accursed illithids are among those behind the bringing of surface spellcasters into the depths. Behind them stand enemies yet more powerful and dangerous. Now do you accept what I say when I wonder aloud about your strength and fitness to face such enemies and not bring destruction on yourselves and upon us? Before you can face such strength and might, you should prove yourselves in other ways here in the depths."

Kersath shudders at the mention of the illithids, a shiver running down the spine of the stalwart dark elf. As Kre and Ras look at the dark elf questioningly, Kersath replies, "The illithids are an all-consuming evil race of humanoids, I suppose you would call them that, that live in the underground. They are extremely powerful spellcasters, rivaling the might of the drow in that regard. Rivaling their thirst for evil as well. What could be more powerful than them in all the Underdark, I cannot imagine."

Carmeneren stands silently with her arms folded across her chest, her favorite pose it appears, as the companions consider her words and those of Kersath. Finally, she speaks once again, "I suggest that you return to your homes or base in the surface world, make full preparations with equipping yourselves and the like, and return to this place in a week's time to consult with me further."

"Then you can reflect fully upon my words. If you return later than this, the illithids may learn of the destruction of the orcs, and you might find an ambush set for you. From watching closely, we do not expect them to return for a while yet. What do you say?"