Ah fuck, this was quite a blunder…uhmm how should we proceed from here…?
Should…should we run!?
Nah the situation is still salvageable…for now…
Oh no I just realized! She might get caught in the trap…
No…that might actually work in our favor! I’ll just feign innocence and tell the elf that she'll alert her bodyguard (Chester 'the horse'), which is why we went along with the insanity he just saw!This was obviously not a hostage situation!
You’re just gonna let her die!?
I think she’s beyond saving now…and she might prove a necessary scape goat.
But it’s our fault she…she got involved in this!
I say we leave it up to fate and pursue our own goals, sweet, sweet necromancy *a harsh giggling*
We even laid a freaking trap for her to get caught in!
Aww life’s never fair, don’t worry Nerin.
But…but…
May I work my magic?*A sort of unanimous but hesitant agreement*
-Oh thank the Sun she’s gone…phew…
-What are you on about now dwarf!?-Listen very carefully! That woman has a bodyguard named Chester nearby, she’s probably contacting him right now, she held me hostage here for hours!
-What was she after!? Information!? *As he says it he’s obviously unconvinced by your story but at least concerned enough to hear you out*
-Uhmm…no…She was just after my enticing dwarven body!
-Uggh…*he chokes on his words looking flabbergasted*
-Don’t worry my friend! For I have laid a trap in her path, a good 50 urists down that way! It should slow her down if nothing else.
He just looks at you quite chocked…then he starts running after her.
-Happy huntin’ my friend! I’ll warn the others of Chester’s presence!
He doesn’t even turn around to acknowledge your comment, seemingly completely focused on his task.
Man you should maybe tone down the Gili a bit Gili…
What? That went excellently!Nerin would never call that guy “my friend” though…
Ah details…pfffDo…do you think he’ll kill her?
Don’t think about that Nerin, we’ve got more pressing matters on our hands here! We’re not really out of the blue yet, some of these other elves will need some convincing as well.
Oh…okay…
Fix ya beard and get back in those robes quickly!
I rush back to the camp and as I arrive they’re all up looking slightly agitated. I explain the situation to them and they immediately prepare for battle, the ranger takes a few steps into the forest and suddenly disappears from my vision. His presence completely erased. Meanwhile the priest takes a proud stance and stands there motionless, perhaps awaiting a signal? The last disciple chose to take a defensive stance at the back of the camp, looking back and forth shiftily. I was not expecting the bodyguard to be back so soon but just a few Urists later he came walking down to the camp with a huge frown. I attempt and interpret it but can’t really reach any conclusion.
-Did…did you get her?
-He holds up her bag and nods slowly…-That’s great!
-And the other one?-Huh? Oh you mean Chester!
-Chester’s a horse.-What?!-Uhh…what!?
-…
-You must be mistaken!
-I asked her as she got caught in your trap.-Oh that actually worked!
-What’s the intent of your actions!? I fail to find any resemblance of continuity in them!-Uhmm…well I didn’t know that Chester was a…horse…
-I can’t tell whether you’re planning something or if you’re just stupid…I think it’d be best to play the fool here…
-Oh let me assure you that I’m quite stupid!
Perhaps not to that extent…
-Dear Tyraltin give me the strength to deal with this dwarf…-So do we go back to bed or do we start off the day early…
-If I didn’t despise the freakin’ dwarf before I sure do now…They all give you disapproving looks as you pack up and the body guard makes it clear that you can no longer leave his presence. But at least you appear to be out of harm’s way…
The trip continuous on uneventfully and there’s not too much idle chatter either, actually the only one speaking to me is the ranger either leaving snarky remarks aimed at my intellect or from his point of view-lack thereof or a general threat. I guess things had suddenly turned quite hostile…but then again they didn’t seem to like me from the start.
The closer we got to Blackheart grounds the darker the forest appeared to get, flowers and bird song was soon replaced by mushrooms and the squeaking of rodents. I even think I heard a troll growl in the distance…This was perhaps not especially strange to dwarf but after a few years in the lush wilderness of Seraté I’d gotten used to more pleasant scenery. Yet it did not live up to any of the legends I’d heard…however there was still at least another two weeks left until we’d reach the fathomed spire…
It all went fairly smoothly until we reached The yearning stream, a deceptively dangerous river with a calm surface but strong currents deep below. The priest knew of a hang bridge nearby but as we reached the location we found out that it had broken down. Some remains were still intact but all in all it seemed unusable.
We concluded that not all of us would be capable of climbing over and that none of us were too keen on attempting to best the rumored stream by swimming across. Jokingly the ranger patted you on the back and told you to use your “dwarven ingenuity“ to get them across before returning to the other in some kind of scheme to “borrow” a boat from a ferryman further down the river. Their plan would delay you even further and bring unwanted attention to your group but the broken bridge was an unforeseen hindrance.
So got any plans? Or ya’ll just goin’ with the flow?