[IC] Chapter 1-7: Many Meetings

[Lugar]

The armorer realises the risk of giving obscure instructions to the barbarian immediately and hastily corrects Lugar's usage instructions.
"Think of a human city guard!"
Once Giant imagined how he'd look like, they leave and Maul notes, blindly, to Lugar
"Now let's check that noise. And maybe it's better if you drop that glamer or I may accidentally bump my knees into your kidney."

Meanwhile, 120 feet to the west, Torin and Portho try to bring out the best of the gnome-ridden-bear's fury.

"Why? Afraid of ghosts? Hehehe... I will go check on the noise alone, I'm quieter by myself.  Besides, Murkatos and Silent Giant are outnumbered if things go wrong.  Not good odds."  

For DM

totally metagaming, I know, but I really wanted to "borrow" those holy symbols to teach those duergar hating spell casters a lesson. Tattoos are better! 

 

If Maul agrees, Lugar will sneak off to the cellar.  If he insists to follow then Lugar will drop his invisibility and travel with him, actively listening for signs of danger from that direction.

Move Silently: 1d20+13 = 16
Listen: 1d20+4 = 7

[DM Surranó]

Maul senses the hint of wisdom in the duergars words. He nods and trots after the other two with less speed but much more noise.
Lugar sneaks off to the cellar (OOC - sneak assumes half speed...)

[Torin]

"Heads up, Dorf and glow-friend.  We have company."

- Ahm, another friends. You have many of them down here. - says in sarcastic tone.

Torin goes in a position which enables him to see along the east tunnel. He shouts to the humans:
- STOP. Who are you? What are you doing here? What you do with the @#&+ .. old fart duergar and nasty orc?

OOC - I think Torin's Sanctuary spell will be ended after 3 rounds.

[Silent Giant]

OOC - Khm, or another fiends

[DM Surranó]

"We come in peace," the leaner one replies quickly before the meaner one could open his mouth.
As they arrive to the edge of the darkmantle cavern he throws Portho's torch to the ground, conveniently close to Torin so that he could pick it up with a single step easily.
"Yours we suppose."

After a brief pause he adds.
"We came to parlay, with your consent."
He stops here, as if waiting for approval to proceed.



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[Portho Nihilbuck]

The smaller glowing figure turns and speaks in a high pitched, but melodic voice.

"We do not come here seeking a fight. We are merely explorers."

[DM Surranó]

The human nods. "So was I until I joined this small party on their benevolent mission" putting an emphasis in benevolence.

While he speaks clanks of an armoured figure can be heard from behind them and the trio spots another human approaching, though his proportions are almost as if he were half dwarven. His breastplate bears a large embossed sun which Torin immediately recognises as the symbol of Pelor. The man is bald, wears some protective looking goggles. He wields a heavy shield and an iron mace dangles from his belt.

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[Silent Giant]

Giant concentrates strongly what Murkatos talking about, "parlay, consent, benevolent" - these words are not in his dictionary.
The small gnome is more understandable, "seeking fight", "explorer".

[Toot]

The smaller glowing figure turns and speaks in a high pitched, but melodic voice.

"We do not come here seeking a fight. We are merely explorers."

"Pfffffftttt," Toot scoffs while casually pointing toward the minor wound Torin inflicted upon Boo.  "My companion would beg to differ.  Hurt poor bear, Dorf did.  Even then my companion did not strike back.  Not even in self defense.  Shame!"  Toot then turns to address the human in a much more friendly tone.  "What benevolent mission would this be?"  

[OoC:  Toot continues to scrutinize everyone but especially the humans.  Are they close enough to get a good look at them?]

[DM Surranó]

OOC - yes, they are close enough, some 30 feet from Toot and 20ish from Torin/Portho.

The lean man nods with a sigh of relief upon the positive reception of his offer to parlay. Glancing back, he takes a step forward and to the left to give way to the man in breastplate.
"My name is Murkatos, armorer by trade, and I came here looking for my fortune. I expected an easy trip and was not prepared for the horrors that assaulted me on this haunted place. Two ghosts, or some other kind of incorporeal nastiness, cornered me inside the mansion that is at the end of this tunnel. I would be probably dead by now if these fine men," indicating the other two, "came to my aid. Together we defeated the undead; as well as the darkmantles," this time he indicates the corpses lying around on the floor of this very cavern "but we lost one of our companions in the struggle."

He stops at this point and glances at the man in breastplate, encouraging him to step forward and he does so.

"Name's Maul, humble priest of Pelor. Our party of four was sent by the Council of Sea Jewel to follow a prophecy of the ancients called The Chant of Ages. If you saw the prismatic cylinder of light behind you; that's the portal through which we arrived. According to the Chant these are the Tunnels of Hate, and we are supposed to find the Sea of Hate; throw the Key of Hate within to lock up the Sea. Right now, however, we are in a stalemate since we encountered a nasty adamantine-made guardian that threatened our lives. We-- To make to long story short there must be more evil lying ahead and if you are willing to accompany us on a noble quest we offer a fair share of all threasure found. Once we get through the guardian of the armory, that is."

After a brief pause, he adds,
"You may be suspicious because you saw a duergar back there but I ensure you that he's fine. Grumpy like all dwarves but fine. "