Tree Lords II

[JadedDM]

Ulster considers Fikod's story carefully. "Those elf rangers you mentioned--I wonder if they could have been kirath?" he wonders aloud. "Should we try and help them against the Daergar?"

[Breila]

"I too think the elf rangers are the kirath" Babushka agrees with Ulster. "But we need a lot more information before we take sides in this conflict, I'd say. Remember, we simply wanted to cross this forest, and our going is slow enough already." Turning to Fikod, she asks:
"What were those ruins you spoke of, and what is the underway?"

[Jenara]

Jerrard listens quietly, watching the Dwarf as he listens to his story. "Interesting, but as Babuskha says. We are trying to cross the forest.. But perhaps... " he muses, "Indeed what are these ruins?"

--------

"Dark dwarves are mean aren't they? I've never met a mean dwarf, lots of grumpy ones, but no.mean ones. These ruins sound interesting.. can we go?" Locky asks, pulling on Imani's sleeve.

[JadedDM]

"Babushka is right," Malika says. "This is no concern of ours."

"What if people need help?" asks Thuskar.

"I fail to see how that's our problem," she responds.

I've never met a mean dwarf, lots of grumpy ones, but no.mean ones.

"Unless you count that Theiwar we met back in Khur," Ulster reminds her. "Remember, in the mines? He kept disappearing and reappearing all over the place."

[NoTrammeling]

Fikod drifts back into the conversation as everyone weighs in, tugging fretfully on a braided mustache. "Ye mean to go back? I don’ reckon ye appreciate the situation, I was travelling with two score Daergar! Less now mayhap but those elves be long defeated.” A thought drifts over his broad features, giving him pause. He sizes up the party anew "Though... Taken by surprise in small groups... And there was a goodly amount of coin, to say naught of the more interesting spoils."

”And aye well I cannot speak to the ruins‘ exact disposition but they consist of a half-dozen buildings around an earthen bowl. We came up under one of them.’"

Still tugging at his mustaches he makes a quick aside to Babushka."The underway is a road deep beneath the sun-stained surface. Some of it nat‘tral and some hewn. All of it perilous for a lone dwarf."

[HorizonsDream]

Imani glances down at Locky. "The decision isn't really up to me," she says before she looks back to the rest of the group. "Malika, you would still be performing for that innkeeper if we decided that your plight was not our concern," she points out.

[Breila]

"So there have been underground dwellers here before? This is not just an elven forest?" Babushka asks Fikod in the same private tone he used to inform her.

More loudly, she says: "So, tell me if I sum up things correctly: You came the underway with a group of daergar to explore some ruins. They used you as a guide, but then betrayed and bound you. A group of elves came and attacked the daergar, and you used that chance to flee. Now you tell us that there is treasure to be found and we might have a chance at getting it.
Now my question is: What exactly was it that you expected to find, why did you set out in the first place?"

[NoTrammeling]

Fikod lets his gaze rest firmly on Babushka, mulling over her words. He finally drops his mustaches, tucking them quickly back into his belt with the deftness of a deed done times beyond counting. "I cannot speak to the history of the underway, it is ancient and sprawling. Ye have the spirit of it, but I dare say the details are a bit confused. I was merely a traveler coming on private business to the Silvanesti, a matter of personal inquiry that I shall not bore ye with. Call it scholarly interest in a particular sylvan ritual if ye be needin' specifics. I joined on with the band of Daergar headed the same way, after all I'm handy with a blade and know how to watch the backs of me companions. 'Twas only when we reached the ruins that I reckoned their true purpose, but by then it was too late. I don' know how the pointy-ears found us or why they attacked, but "

Fikod shakes his cloak out to dislodge the last of the clinging vegetation. He stands a bit straighter, clearly allowing himself to let a bit of his guard down. "I don' relish the thought of returnin', and I don' ask ye to take on such a dangerous mission if'n ye just want to be done with these blasted trees, but I do owe a few of those gray water-drinkers a return of their affections." He rubs his wrists again, pointedly. "Aye, and there's treasure to be had as well. There it is laid out. Ye've my story, now I would have yours before aught else is decided. How comes such a strange band to these parts? Not that I'm grumbling, mind ye."

[JadedDM]

"And look how well that worked out for you," Malika points out to Imani with a sly grin. But she turns serious at Fikod's mention of treasure. "Treasure, you say? How much treasure?"

"Well," Ulster says, "we traveled to Khur to rescue a kidnapped princess. But then it turned out, the Khan who had hired us to rescue her also wanted her dead, because she was the scion of Chemosh, God of Death and her blood would have been used to raise an army of mummies to rule all of Khur. But we rescued the princess and gave her over to a cult of assassins that worshiped the daughter of Chemosh, who was also a goddess of murder."

Ulster pauses here to take a breath before continuing.

"Anyway, we also rescued another princess, but we had to leave her son behind," he says, gesturing to Imani. "But then we rescued a slave, too," he says, gesturing to Malika, "and consequently had to flee the country as we were being hunted by two Khans at that point. So we hopped the first boat we could get, and it took us here. Except Silvanesti is 150 miles of forest, and it might take us 4 months to get through it; but once we do, we can travel to Shrentak, then head to Palanthas. I'm not really sure why we're going to Palanthas or what we'll do once we get there, but that's the plan, anyway," he finishes.

"Oh, and I guess at some point we're going to try and get back Imani's son, too, who is still back in Khur," he adds as an afterthought.

"When you just lay it all out like that, it sounds ridiculous," Thuskar contemplates.

[Breila]

Babushka laughs. "It sounds ridiculous because it essentially is, Thuskar. To most people, at least.

And you forgot that first thing, Locky, Jerrard and I went to investigate where many travellers disappered to, and rescued you two and a young lady who were the last survivors of a merchant caravan. So you might say" she says turning back to Fikod, with a glint of humor in her eyes, "that we have a penchant to help people even if it gets us into a lot of trouble. It also gives us enough treasure from time to time to continue our lives.

[JadedDM]

"Oh, I didn't forget," Ulster says. "But he asked how we got into this forest, and that adventure had nothing to do with that."

[Jerrard]

"Indeed Ulster." Jerrard comments, watching the interaction and eyeing the dwarf with interest. "That is about the tale of it, it almost seems as we are going from one shall we say experience? To the next, some work out well, some not so well.." Stroking his beard he gives the Dwarfs tale some thought.

"Malika, this is what we discussed, perhaps.. Perhaps we should help, and if we do, we might get a quicker passage through the forest. And yes, there might be treasure in it.."

"Do we help? Do we at least try?" The mage asks, "We have two issues, first this will mean going back correct? And second... The Kirath? They expect us do they not?"

[Jenara]

"Of course it sounds silly if you say it like that!" Locky exclaims, "But its the life of an Adventurer, I'm sure the Heroes of Old had just the same strange experiences, but... I am going to help, Mean dwarves or not, I want to help... See if I wouldn't have gone to Buho I would never have met you all."

"Hey, maybe if Malika helps, she can have her own share? Of course that means helping, not just hiding." She grins. "So, can we go to these ruins?" She asks jumping up excitedly.

[HorizonsDream]

"Why would the Kirath be expecting us?" Imani asks. "I'm not oppose to helping out, either."

[NoTrammeling]

Fikod listens carefully to Ulster's tale, stroking his fine mustaches as he does. A glint of something (amusement? empathy?) flashes in his eyes, but is gone in the next moment. "Sounds to me as though Reorx has smiled upon me, to meet such a band as ye in me time of need. Bold ye are, I like that." He smiles a private smile, slowly nodding his head. "One might go so far as to say it is a blessed meeting." His smile turns bitter and fades, lost again in his own reflection. Only a few seconds pass before he gives his head a sharp shake to bring himself back.

Malika's words clearly please him, drawing the troubled dwarf back into the conversation. "Aye, coins and coins from the sound of it. And choicer bits as well, but alas I did not get a clear view. Treasure enough to continue your noble works." Winking conspiratorially at Babushka, he takes a step forward. "Against me best judgement I feel inclined to join ye lot if'n ye conclude to aid the pointy-eared buggers. And if'n you'll have me of course." He bows deeply, the first time he's taken his eyes from the party.

"I can lead ye back, shouldna take even an hour's time. Err and what be these Key-wrath ye keep mentioning?"