-Quick Turn-Sheltering Leaves brazenly approaches the Snakemen guards, who hiss and extend their crests at him. He's not impressed.
"Has there been any trouble lately?" He asks.
The one in the middle of the trio speaks up quickly, in common, but with a ssssserpentine hissss.
"What'sssss it to you? We heard a loud booming a few hourssss ago, that'ssss all. Apparently...Sssshakkalka Arg U Gorld Unk Krassss....issss looking for ssssssomeone...heh heh heh! No one hassss esssscaped her bite!The Snakes hiss and laugh at your friends misfortune. You would like to teach them some manners....but this might not be the time nor place.
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Molten Heart and
Pressing Tide went to the speak to the Deep Dwarf-Pressing Tide making sure to order Cave Dragon Spleen Juice. What killed mortals, Pressing Tide would laugh at!
They greeted pretty much the same way.
"Greetings earth brother. Do you mind if I ask if you have seen anything strange lately? I hear tales about a foul smelling beast..."
"Excuse me, might I ask what brings you here?"
The Deep Dwarf stares him down. Then he speaks in a soft voice, tempered by the quiet tunnels he lives in.
"Wot? Oh, dey say a foul smelling beastie be snatching up chillluns and ol' people. That's why I'm here. Oflgrad Palestone's my name. Monsta hunta by trade. You fellows just stray outta mah way, I'll ave' the beastie killed un skinned quick like. No one's eatin' into mah reward ya hear? Not even green cloaks, eh. Best stay outta my way, lads." He glares at you balefully, apparently worried you'll steal his "Reward". Who knew there was a bounty on this creature?
Pressing Tide, smiling confidently!
"To be honest I don't know much about deep dwarves, could you tell me? I've heard other kinds are renowned for their crafts, is that true of deep ones also?"
"Ayuh, you could say that. We Deep Dwarfs live furtha under ground-we get the better metals, and we don't care how pretty ar' armor looks. Down in the deeps, everythin' you make, you use ta survive...================================================================================================
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Pressing Tide then excuses himself-the smell of fresh Brimstone means his drink is done-and takes a seat beside
Blade Singer. in the center of the bar. Apparently, it's a rare occasion.
The bartender helpfully dusts off the blackened bone ash from the bar with his rag, from last person who tried to drink the Cave Dragon Spleen Juice, and hands them each a steaming mug.
"Enjoy, ar?"Blade Singer takes a look at his drink. It looks like a combination of molten lava and sulfuric acid-along with cayenne pepper and a little lemon...is that nutmeg? It even has a little adamantine Umbrella in the mug, the only material that can withstand melting within it's fiery depths. Fabulous!
The bartender stands back a few feet. Everyone does. Bottoms up?
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((Silver Tree Agi Roll, to escape 1+3=4, pass))
Silver Trees small size allows him to compress and contort his body, until the ropes literally fall right off him. Bingo! He immediately hears the hiss of several arrows flying in his general direction.
Frogman Ranger agi roll=7, miss
Frogman Ranger agi roll=8, miss
He ducks, and two quivering shafts strike the pole behind him! Wasting no more time, Silver Tree takes off running in the direction of the catacombs...he runs. The Frogman deign to pursue, and fade back into the swamp.
...
A short time later-the mother is getting closer, as he begins to approach the cliffside he used to descend into this place. He realizes he might be in a worse position now. The tentacled monster is intelligent-something he would known if he had questioned the Ogre villagers like Sheltering Leaves-and is no where to be seen.
If he has a plan to draw it out, he'd better do it quick. The Mother Rex is rapidly closing in on him. He could climb the wall and be safe from her...but then the tentacled beast may be waiting for him in the den.
If it's a choice of which stomach to reside in, Silver Tree thinks, that's not much of a choice at all!