You’re not quite sure how things have escalated so quickly.
One minute you’ve decided to do something about Torch’s problems, the next you’ve found likeminded individuals, people of all types: adventurers who have heard of the town’s plight, or townsfolk themselves, and have formed a group at the Town Hall.
In front of you is Dolga Freddert, a dwarven aristocrat, one of the five councilmen and councilwomen of Torch. It’s been a few days since all the trouble started.
She looks at all of you, assessing you with sharp eyes while stroking the adamantine warhammer on her lap, and snorts.
"Well, well, well. What have we here? Another group of adventurers to try their luck at fixing our town. If it were up to me, I’d go solve the problem myself, but,"
she looks at all the empty desks beside hers,"everyone is either missing or unavailable, leaving me to do all the leading."
"The main thing, of course, is to find Khonnir Baine and bring him back alive. There’s 4000 gp in it for you. If you can also rekindle the flame, well, I’ll throw in another 4000 gp. Any questions?"
Dot
"It's been eight days, but only seven since the first explorers braved the new tunnels Khonnir discovered. Khonnir himself led his second foray into the caves just a couple of days ago-and he has yet to return."
"There's an underwater passage connecting them to Weeping Pond. Khonnir noticed a large number of human footprints on the pond's banks-he was there the day the fires went out testing the water to ensure it hadn't suddenly grown more toxic-and he realized that a sizable group of people had entered the pond but had not emerged.
"We don't know. Word about town puts blame on the Technic League, but I think that's too convenient and obvious an answer. Khonnir was hoping to find out more by delving deeper into the caves, but who knows what he found in there ... or indeed, if he's even still alive?"
"Four teams in all, but only one came back to report what they found-Khonnir's first expedition. Khonnir spoke at length with the council before going back in, and he confirmed what his group told us, despite how outlandish it sounded. The first team was a group of halfling adventurers, the second a group of local thugs, and the fourth a small adventuring party devoted to the worship of Brigh from out of town. Khonnir's team undertook the third and fifth expeditions under Black Hill, and it was on the fifth expedition-his second trip-that he went missing."
"The caves are inhabited by several enormous vermin and other scavengers, along with some strange humanoids who had the ability to blend into the shadows of the cave walls, and a nest of gremlins. Khonnir believed this indicated a deeper connection in the caves to the Darklands, but of more immediate interest was his discovery of a wall of solid metal deep in the caves. A wall made of a skymetal alloy called glaucite. He said it was like the kind we mine from the hills and surrounding plains, but formed into a structure with doors. It was near one of these doors that Khonnir found the broken automaton that he brought back after his first expedition."
"Very little. Khonnir examined it himself, and confirmed that it was an alloy of adamantine and iron, and that one of the doors in the wall was locked tight but the other was open. He had planned on exploring deeper beyond that door on his second expedition, but who knows if he actually made it that far?"
“Once you're on the job, I'll give each of you a writ that you can show to any of the merchants in town for a flat 20% discount on any gear you need to purchase-I wish I could offer a greater discount than that, but that's the best I can do. Further, Val, Khonnir's adopted daughter, has closed down her father's tavern, the Foundry, for the time being. She's told me that any group that's going into the caves to look for her father can use the tavern, free of charge, as a headquarters and a place to rest between forays. Finally, the entrance to the caves is flooded. You'll need to swim a bit to get to the caves. Joram Kyte has agreed to cast water breathing on any group to aid in entering the caves-free of charge, of course. You can find him at the temple of Brigh or up at Crowfeather Palace when you're ready to go."
Argug's ears perk up at the sound of so much gold being mentioned. He had been scavenging the areas outside of Torch for a few months now, living on the outskirts of town and really only coming in to trade, but when he heard about a bounty being offered to find the missing wizard, well, he knew this was a meeting he'd just have to attend. Another miserable human gone missing; in his opinion this just meant a culling of the herd. But still, 4000gp? That was more than he'd made in the last year. He stood up from his chair and pushed his way through the crowd to the front.
"I'll find yer missin' human, dwarf. But weak as that lot is, I still expect somethin' if all I find is a corpse. I ain't delvin' through no caves full of who knows what to find there's no survivor for nothin'." Argug looks down at the dwarf and squints, scowling in her presence, almost daring her to defy his request.
He looks around at the rest of the crowd, scowl still present on his looming features. Argug wonders what kind of group he'd have to travel with for this. Even though he was confident of his own abilities, he was no fool. He learned enough when his tribe was still present to know there was safety in numbers...even if those numbers were non-orcs. While he wasn't eager to share the spoils, a portion of the gold was still a good deal more payout than he was used to.
Chakos sidles up behind the boisterous orc, "I'll be glad to accompany you Sir Orc, if you'll have me."
Argug looks the half elf up and down, snorts, and crosses his arms, squinting at him. "An' jus' what use is ya? Y'ain't a big one, that's fer sure."
He eyes the greataxe on Chakos's back and raises an eyebrow.
"You sure y'ain't gonna hurt yerself with that thing? It ain't a toy, boy." Argug had no real way of knowing the youthful appearing half-elf was only a year younger than he. All he knew was that Chakos, like so many others with elven blood, looked much younger than his appearance.
He stared at the half-elf for a while, noticing his clouded eyes.
"What? Agh, what, are ye' some kind a cripple?" He waves a meaty hand in front of Chakos's eyes, seeing if they follow.
"Just m'luck. A cripple elf what thinks he can swing an axe. What next? A dwarf?" The word rolls off his tongue with obvious disdain. Argug cracks his knuckles and looks around the rest of the crowd. Again, he eyed Dolga, daring her to call him out on his insult.
"Good Sir Orc, I go by Chakos, and would be honored if you would make use of my name as my parents, I am told, put considerable thought into the selection of it. Yes, my eyesight is somewhat diminished compared to most, but I have the benefit of increased vision in the dark, somewhat on par with your own vision I suspect. Whether this is a happenstance of my mixed bloodline, or a modicum of compensation for my various ailments from the gods can be a subject of some debate, and likely worthy of consideration with a cold brew on a hot day." Chakos reaches over his shoulder and rubs the blade of the axe, "I shall further admit to not being particularly proficient with the cleaver I carry on my back, but I intend to be an apt student, and perhaps under your tutelage I can master the swing of the thing?"
Chakos sweeps his arms around the room, and point back at the orc, "what I can provide you, Sir Orc, and what I am blessed with, is the gift of healing. It is possible that none other in this assemblage is prepared to provide that quite as readily, or as well, as I." With a smile on his face, he finishes with, "so, I offer myself as a student of war, a companion to fight beside you in the darkness, and one skilled in the healing arts. If any of that is not useful, say so, and I'll be sure not to provide you with my aid."
Chakos steps forward to the councilwoman, "Mistres Freddert is it? I have noticed there are a number of artificial creatures living in your town. Whether they are termed robots, or androids, is immaterial to me, as they are all cut from the same metal in my eyes. What can you tell me of this indigenous, but artificial population that you have here?"
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Argug scratches his head at the verbose reply of this new companion. Being more an orc of action than one of words, he isn't one to deal readily with heavy talkers. Still, he caught the jist of it, and most certainly heard the word "healing", and that, it turns out, is enough to suit him just fine.
"Well why din't ya say ya was a shaman, boy...er....Chakos, was it? Hmph." Argug's limited outlook on magic was as such: the tribe had warriors, and the tribe had a shaman. If you cast spells, you were probably a shaman. He had little use for the gods, himself. Chief prayed to Gorum the night the tribe got wiped out, and that didn't help too much.
"Yeah, I can teach ya to swing that thing right prop'r. Not my favorite way a' killin'; I like it up close with my own two hands. Still, it's a hell of a tool in the right hands, an' I'm no stranger to it."
Argug holds out a meaty paw for the oracle. "Name's Argug." The orc's grip is like a vice, and he maintains a fierce eye contact when shaking the half-elf's hand.
At Chakos's question to the dwarf, he turns to her and spits on the ground in disdain. "Aye, all the same ta me. Waste a' space n' worthy of a beatin'." Argug never was a fan of robots, androids, or any other artificial life. They just seemed wrong to him.
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Elizabeth listened to Dolga as she made her offer. Four thousand gold was a fantastic amount now, enough to take care of her needs long enough to perhaps get some more work, perhaps with Khonnir.
Noticing the half-elf and orc conversing, Elizabeth sized them up.
Best get into a group for safety, both look capable.
Excuse me. Elizabeth says as she moves over to them. I heard that you are perhaps interested in finding Khonir and am wondering if I can join up with both of you? I am Elizabeth and have studied arcane magic and so can be of some use if we encounter any hostile creatures or help in other ways.
Chakos finally retrieves his mangled hand from the orc's grasp and turns to face the newcomer. "Greetings milady, Chakos is my name, and this fine fellow, who just ravaged my hand, is Argug. I believe we were just discussing banding together for exactly that purpose." He looks her over, "arcane magic you say? So flying and teleporting and things like that? Those seem like useful skills, wouldn't you say my friend?" He looks to Argug for confirmation.
Argug shrugs, then begrudgingly nods briefly. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Long as she can pull her weight." He looks the girl over and sighs. Oh well, it's not like I should expect much from lesser races. I suppose a couple of magic users is better than nothing.
"Little thing like you, better be real good at your magic, girl."
Well I hope to be able to do those things eventually, I also know some things about magic so if we encounter any I will be able to identify the magical auras.
Chakos clears his throat and hocks up something disgusting, along with other grunts and mumbles.
Argug looks a bit surprised that the half elf can speak his native tongue, but nevertheless gathers his composure and replies. He grumbles, gargles, and points back in Elizabeth's general direction, then growls and lets loose a gutteral snarl.
Argug turns back to Elizabeth at that, and nods.
"Lookin' at magic stuff is more n' I can do. You're in. Just watch yourself. I ain't fer babysittin' ya when it gets rough."
Chakos coughs, sputters and spits a bit in Argug's direction. Finally, he scratches himself inappropriately to emphasise his point.
Chakos looks to Elizabeth, "Indeed, we're convinced! You're in!"
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In the corner, barely visible, Sneek listened to all what had been said.
The proposed reward fit perfectly with his plans, a couple of thousand gold would be plenty for a fresh start.
Rubbing his scar on his throat he got a wide grin on his face.
From the corner you see a small rat like creature step into the light.
"So you have magic and might, now you need skill."
"I can help."
You can hardly make out the words, it’s more off a loud whisper then normal speech.
Across his throat you see a large, badly healed scar.
"Sneek." and he points to himself.
"It would appear you got caught at least once sneak, so how do we know you're the right rat for the job?"
Male Ratfolk Rogue 1 | HP 11 | AC 19 T 16 F 13 | F +2 R +6 W +1 | CMD 14 | Initiative +6 | Perception +7
Argug looks around the room, confused at first, having barely heard the whispering voice coming from somewhere below. His eyes having finally caught the ratfolk standing in the corner, and he stared at him. Hard. And for quite a while Argug said nothing.
Ye gods, I think I've taken dumps bigger than that thing.
The realization hits Argug like a ton of bricks, and all of a sudden he bursts out into a great, belly aching laughter. Holding his sides for a moment, he finally calms down, catching his breath, and wipes the tears from his eyes. He bends over halfway and pats the rat folk on the head in a condescending manner. "And just what kind of skill do ya have, lil' one? Aside from hiding in corners, that is?"
He stands back up to his feet and crosses his beefy arms, staring at Sneek, awaiting his reply.
Liz is rather confused at all of the gruting and snorting that goes on between the two men.
A bit rude to go on likr that before someone who doesn't understand the language. She turns to the small figure. Pleased to meet you Sneek, what kind of skills do you know?
Looking @ Chakos "True but how you not know other is dead!"
He turns his gaze to Argug, staring back at the orc, he says "That’s my skill, to hide in shadow, come out, stab in back or in case of big orc."
He lowers his gaze a bit from his face to halfway and says. "Part orc thinks with."
Sneek bows to Elizabeth and says. "Make sure lady dont step in trap or ambush."
"Hahahaha, I believe she has taken your measure quite quickly Argug. She'll do, she'll do." Chakos extends a hand to the rat, "by what are you called? I am Chakos. This is Argug, and the lady is Elizabeth."
"Sneek." and shakes Chakos hand.
He rubs his scar and says "Talking cause pain, me silent now."
Argug lets out another bellowing chuckle at Sneek's comment and slaps the little one on the back in mirthful appreciation, a good WHACK being heard around the room, quite probably sending the ratfolk forward a few feet. "Ahahaha! I like you little one. You have..." He mutters something incomprehensible at this point.
"Yes, a little scout to send ahead and look around, we used to have ones like you in the tribe. Sent them ahead to slit throats in the night before we charged in with th' main group. Ya, I can see ya' bein' a use to us."
"Yes, yes, we've gone over that, you're a sneak, but having a name would be quite helpful. Come on, I told you our names, no need to be so tight lipped about it."
I believe he calls himself 'Sneak'. That is who he is and what he does.
I motion Chakos to come closer and say "My name is Sneek."
While I'm holding/shaking his hand, I look if the elf is wearing a bracelet or rings.
If he is wearing something I try to take it from him.
If I succeed I walk away and toss the item at his feet saying "You dropped something Elf, dont mock me again, talking hurts!"
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Off to the side, Astra watches the exchange, the last to speak up among the congregation that has showed up before the dwarven councilwoman. She's a Kellid woman, with fair skin and black hair, in her early twenties or thereabouts, and of average height and weight. "If you'll have me, I'm willing to help out as well. My name is Astra, and I live here in Torch." She and the councilwoman might know each other, at the DM's discretion. "I don't have much combat training, but I do know the town and the lay of the land, and I think I could be of assistance analyzing the broken automaton that Khonnir Baine brought back from his first expedition."
"If by analyzing ya mean takin' apart, 'm all for it. Unnatural walkin' garbage, 's what them things are. I'm no more for gettin' that thing up n' runnin' than I'm for bathin' with the sludge left down where the torch used ta be."
Getting to I'm gonna have to split the profits pretty narrow if there's any more people coming than this. Still...she seems to know about these blasted machines. Maybe if we find something worth scavenging and selling off, she can fix it up, get us some extra cash...
"Fine. But that's enough. I ain't for splittin' the loot no more than five ways. Got a profit to make in all this, after all."
"So it will be done! Argug can you handle introductions, and I will work out the details with the councilwoman? Anyone have questions for her?"
Argug nods at Chakos, turns to the others, and proceeds to point them out to one another. "Chakos. Casts spells. Astra. Knows stuff. Sneek. Sneaks. Elizabeth. Casts spells. 'm Argug. Kill stuff."
Truly he was an orc of simplicity.
Chakos steps forward to the councilwoman, "Mistres Freddert is it? I have noticed there are a number of artificial creatures living in your town. Whether they are termed robots, or androids, is immaterial to me, as they are all cut from the same metal in my eyes. What can you tell me of this indigenous, but artificial population that you have here?"
Dolga smiles and waves her hand in dismissal. ”The androids you see are just like common folk. No need to be pay them any attention. Treat them like you would anyone else.”
I motion Chakos to come closer and say "My name is Sneek."
While I'm holding/shaking his hand, I look if the elf is wearing a bracelet or rings.
[dice=Perception]1d20+7
If he is wearing something I try to take it from him.
[dice=Sleight of Hand]1d20+8
If I succeed I walk away and toss the item at his feet saying "You dropped something Elf, dont mock me again, talking hurts!"
Chakos looks down and sees his spell component pouch by his feet.
"Well I certainly don't recall mocking you, but thank you for pointing out that I dropped that. I may need it later."
Astra chuckles briefly under her breath at Argug's description of her. "I'm Astra Picard. I know stuff." A catchphrase? she thinks to herself with a vaguely bemused expression for a moment, before being brought back to the present situation by Chakos' discussion with Dolga. Astra herself isn't certain whether she feels quite so...liberal towards androids, as there are so many unknown variables about them. Where do they come from, for one? How can you trust something when you don't know its origins? "Councilor Freddert, we're grateful for the help provided", she says, before addressing the rest of the group. "I think we have at least two courses of action open to us, before heading to the Weeping Pond where the disappearances occurred. We should investigate this machine that Khonnir Baine has retrieved -- I assume it would be at his residence?" she shoots a sideways glance to the dwarven councilor as if for confirmation on that detail. "Second, I believe we should try to talk to people around town and find out if there was anything noteworthy about those who have gone before -- the halfling adventurers, the thugs, and the worshipers of Brigh", she counts off her fingers. "We could divide up the duties, or do first one, then the other as a team. Any preferences?"
"So, Dolga is it? So we know where to go, and what we're looking for, and why. We know how much you're offering, but honestly that seems an amazing sum. Why such a large amount? Besides being important around here, is the missing man rich or something? Also, can you tell me, we're there any strange things happening before the torch went out?"
Responding to Astra, Chakos suggests, "we could split up and each follow one of the various leads we have!
Hello, Astra. I agree we should examine the machine as well. I am not really a 'people person' though so perhaps someone can take the forefront with that? I am somewhat handy with metal items and so can help with that.
"Torch relies on the purple fire for its entire existence. It is the very reason the town stands at this location. Without it, Torch could decline and even be abandoned entirely. In light of that, I suspect that any reward that the town has within its means to offer, isn't too big, for it is struggling for its very survival", Astra says, perhaps coming off as patronizing, but she isn't sure exactly how much these other people know. "If we are splitting up, I would like to go to Khonnir Baine's residence, as I would dearly like to see this machine that he has retrieved."
"So, Dolga is it? So we know where to go, and what we're looking for, and why. We know how much you're offering, but honestly that seems an amazing sum. Why such a large amount? Besides being important around here, is the missing man rich or something? Also, can you tell me, we're there any strange things happening before the torch went out?"
Dolga Freddert nods, "Well, the whole town would fall apart if not for Khonnir. He made the building near the lake that purifies it so Torch has clean drinking water, he's a constant source of information and knowledge about all things arcane and technological, and he has a hand in all the different projects around town. Everyone looks to him to solve problems, or at least come up with a plan. 4000 gp is small compared to Khonnir Baine's worth."
She sighs, "As for strange things, just rumors. You can't really rely on those. Some of the smiths said the flame was getting a little colder-harder to shape skymetals with." The dwarf shrugs. "Nothing else I can recall."
Argug looks to the Sneek and Chakos. "Guess that leaves us to talk to the people. Hope one of you two is good at that. People don't like openin' up to me, for some reason..." He snarls, revealing a big, tusk lined, toothy maw. "...Can't imagine why."
"I am quite fine talking to people, although sometimes I might need you intelligent types to feed me the questions. I will join you Astra, this device bears looking into, as you said."
And to Dolga, "ahhhh, so he's the brains behind Torch. I do understand. We will see what we can discover."