15. Town Hall:

[Chrome Veneer]

Chrome headed in with the rest, avoiding the pleasentry with Urdan. He'd probably heard than name around ... somewhere. You couldn't know everybody, and he wasn't too familiar with this one.

"Well I certainly can't!" Chrome admitted, with a bit of self-depreciating humor in response to Weyna's defense of the group she'd brought. "Protect myself that is. I may be able to bolster Mr. Ursk's ability to protect more than his fair share though. Maybe that counts?" He shrugged. "Nice to meet you as well, by the way." He quickly pulled himself forward with the dwarf. He could see it plain as day that the dwarf wasn't going to accept his offer. So many things felt out of place, and Chrome was sure he'd be denied the formality, and yet something about his upbringing compelled him to offer a hand to properly greet the man while keeping stride with him (or stopping beside him if they find a place to scout the hall or wait for further instructions).

[Weyna]

While hurrying after Ursk, Weyna whispers something very quietly, concentrating for a moment.

Message spell to Kayla

"He's just like my grandfather!"
To be fair, Kayla had met Weyna's grandfather, and he was a cankerous old barbarian, whose only reason for not being killed was that Weyna's grandmother was just as much of a pain in the ass to him.

[Ursk]

As he stomps through the town hall, his armor and weapons making quite the racket, Ursk grumbles to Weyna in dwarven:

"Maybe. Some of them look as they can stand their own... Others, however..."

He spares a glance at Chrome and looks at the outstretched hand as if it were a tentacled appendage attached to a strange beast, then switches to common again, "You magic? Maybe more help than you look." He leaves the poor man's hand untouched.

"People lost. May be trapped. Or free. If free, too late. But if trapped, need move fast. Time for nice stuff later."

[Man in Black]

The young guard seems to bristle at all the sudden attention. He shrugs his shoulders when questioned. "I guess it beats moving crates from one side of the warehouse to the other."

Inside the council room, Dolga Freddert waits alone at the council table. Dolga is an old Dwarf woman who was here when Torch was originally founded. She was said to be a good hand with a warhammer, but these days the only hammer she swings is a gavel. Her shoulders seem to relax at the sight of so many adventurers crowding into the room. "I'm sure you all have heard all about the torch going out and what that would mean for the town. Even more troublesome is the disappearance of Khonnir Baine. He went under the hill with a group of adventurers and hasn't been seen since. We are offering up an award of 4000 gold pieces for his return. If you should find him alive, we will also throw in a scroll of resurrection. To help get you started, each of you will receive a writ that will give you a 20% discount with the town merchants. Apparently the entrance to the cave is under water so prepare yourselves for that."

[Ursk]

Ursk stops dead in his tracks when he discovers the longbeard is, in fact, a dwarf. For those who notice, his expression rapidly shifts from surprise to relief, but then as Freddert speaks it shifts to...anger?

So...a master concerned for another master with barely a mention of the slaves who've gone to try to save him, dangling forth the promise of gold and riches but only for his rescue... not the others. 

But Ursk keeps these thoughts to himself, having learned to hold on to and lock away his rage until he was ready to separate the masters' heads from their necks. The League may still be involved, and the slaves who went to rescue this master may still be alive. Maybe there's more to be learned. Let the tall folk talk. If this Master Blaine still lives, I can judge him when I find him.

He tries to adopt an affect of calm...but it's no use. His ruddy face turns beet red and his beard quivers as his jaw clenches. He takes a step or two back, letting the tall folk go front and center.

Bluff: 1d20-2 3

[Kaska of Red Talons]

Kaska leans against a wall in the council room. A small part of her attention is directed toward everyone's scurrying this way and that to talk, or to try to shake hands with someone who is certainly a dwarf under all the scarring. Mostly though she is compiling a mental list of the items and materials they will likely need in the caves, and prioritizing them against the small pool of funds they will probably have.

When Dolga mentions the writ, Kaska greets the news with relief. It will help. But that's balanced against what it will cost to protect some of their gear from becoming waterlogged. If they can even find waterproof bags. Kaska wonders if she will have to make them.

[Chrome Veneer]

Chrome shrugs after being snuffed of his formality, really not expecting anything else. To be honest, the fact Ursk didn't dismiss his utility to the group outright surprised him... he was able to look past the humor and rightfully see that Chrome had the ability to help in a fight indirectly. Chrome hinted towards this on his comment of bolstering Ursk, but to be honest, the Dwarf didn't look like he would have picked up on it. He was surprised.

As they entered the council room proper, they were soon addressed by Dolga, rephrasing the bounty they'd already heard of as well as offering some more information they'd hadn't had yet. "You say the cave is under water. Are there any other apparent dangers we've been able to glean about the caves so far?" After posing his question, he turns to the bulk of the group, "I do have 60 loose gold i could bring to the table, if anyone here as a good idea of gear that would help us in our endeavor. I am willing to somewhat fund our escapade if anyone else needs such assistance as well."

[Taijun]

Taijun quietly slips into the hall and stays near the back of all who've gathered here. Taijun takes careful note of the information.

-Rescue Khonnir Baine
-Rescue adventurers
-Entrance is through underwater cave

Taijun had little experience with caves but he did know a thing or two about traveling light, they might have to carry some of these adventurers out after all. The group would need rope, light, a healers kit for the injured, and a way to breath underwater... He wondered if there was such a device that could do that in this town. He also considered the tale of gremlins he heard about, he didn't know if they were aquatic creatures but maybe there's another entrance into the caves yet unknown.

[Man in Black]

"Oh, one more thing. Joram Kyte is willing to cast breathe water on the group for free. You can find him at the temple of Brigh or up at Crowfeather Palace when you’re ready to go.”

[Reawyn]

"Underwater?  That will pose a problem for my pack mule definitely. So i guess I shall have to see if the livery woul;d be willing to purchase the animal. The expense of stabling it will surely deplete what meager funds I have left. Whereas if i recoup some of the costs for the animal I could possibly get some gear we will need to venture underwater."