Skull Mountain Redux

[greyarea]

Grimes peeks into the worked shaft, the light source next to him. The light bathes the interior of the mined area as he moves in.

You all hear, in Common, Douse that cursed light, STUPID!
in Dwarf, Kill the blinder, ORCKIN!
in Gnome, Shade the sun, BADGER BRAIN!
in GobIin, If you don't douse that light a thousand ogres will eat your flesh, HUMAN FECES! (oddly, to the non-goblin speakers, this is terser than any of the other phrases)
in some unknown language, Lladd y golau, melltithio DDWL!

Actions?

Hit points and marching order
Grimes 58/58
--Dandy 33/33 < CLW x2, Bless, Hold Person, Find Traps, Augury, Silence 15'r, Glyph of Warding, Remove Curse, Dispel Magic, Speak With the Dead, Protection from Evil 10' radius, CSW, Lower water >
Castinus 34/34
--Furuk 48/59
Dieter 31/31 < Magic Missile x 3, Sleep, Levitate, Phantasmal force, Stinking cloud, Lightning bolt x 2, Water breathing, Evard's black tentacles, Dimension door >
--Acquaire

[Spanningtree]

Dieter - Mage

Douse the light Grimes... if they are not already attacking they might be of use. Dieter will flip his vision to infra-vision and take a look down the tunnel to see if he can see anything.

[badams30]

Grimes - Fighter

Grimes quickly douses the light, chuckling. He says "Sorry about that, who is it down there? Are you okay?"

Grimes says quietly "I'd like to go, but I can't see in the dark, eh?"

[greyarea]

A number of small, thin creatures walk out of the hole. They are dwarf sized and have stone-colored skin. They show up as cold in Dieter's infravision.



Of course we're okay, we're working here. Who are you and what do you want? says one of the seven creatures now visible in the small entrance to their worked tunnel.

Actions?

Hit points and marching order
Grimes 58/58
--Dandy 33/33 < CLW x2, Bless, Hold Person, Find Traps, Augury, Silence 15'r, Glyph of Warding, Remove Curse, Dispel Magic, Speak With the Dead, Protection from Evil 10' radius, CSW, Lower water >
Castinus 34/34
--Furuk 48/59
Dieter 31/31 < Magic Missile x 3, Sleep, Levitate, Phantasmal force, Stinking cloud, Lightning bolt x 2, Water breathing, Evard's black tentacles, Dimension door >
--Acquaire

[Spanningtree]

Dieter - Mage

These must be the locals Dieter thinks. We are adventurers looking for a lost artifact in this place. An item of great evil... We are having a difficult time locating a way to chambers below here, would you happen to know of any ways down?

[greyarea]

Well this ain't the way, says one.

You'll need to cross the river, the only way down is that way, says another.

A third says, I could tell you the fastest way, but it'll cost you a nice gem and a piece of jewelry.

A fourth says, I don't know nothing about no evil thing. We're just doing what we do.

I think there are stairs in the rainbow cavern, says the first.

You idiot, I was trying to get paid, replies the third, smacking the first in the backside of the head. A fifth smacks him and they begin a small brawl.

River's the only way, repeats the second.

Yeah, you got to take the river to the rainbow cavern, muses the sixth. That'll be a task for ya.

The seventh tries to stop the fifth and third's brawl by forcing them apart with his pickaxe.

Actions?

Hit points and marching order
Grimes 58/58
--Dandy 33/33 < CLW x2, Bless, Hold Person, Find Traps, Augury, Silence 15'r, Glyph of Warding, Remove Curse, Dispel Magic, Speak With the Dead, Protection from Evil 10' radius, CSW, Lower water >
Castinus 34/34
--Furuk 48/59
Dieter 31/31 < Magic Missile x 3, Sleep, Levitate, Phantasmal force, Stinking cloud, Lightning bolt x 2, Water breathing, Evard's black tentacles, Dimension door >
--Acquaire

[Spanningtree]

Dieter - Mage

Maybe we leave these folks to their own... whatever it is they do. Let's make our back to the river entry to take a closer look.

[badams30]

Grimes - FIghter

Grimes waves and says "Hey guys, sorry. I'm Grimes, and these are my buddies. Here" and he tosses the one that requested a gem one of his 1000GP gems (deducted). "I don't have any jewelry, but can you please tell us the quickest way to what we seek? If we can get rid of this evil, it'll make things better for all of us, even you fellas. Can you please help me?"

Grimes stands silent, waiting to see what the next move of these creatures is.

[greyarea]

The fifth snatches the gem in midair and looks at it. The third one quickly grabs it from him and peers at it closely. Nice, very nice, he mutters.

He steps forward, No jewelry, huh? Got anymore of these then?

The first smacks the third, Don't be a grubbing dwarf, Bert, (for his name is Bert) and tell them where to go.

Bert says, Ain't no harm in it, as he rubs his head, now smacked multiple times. He then pockets the gem and says, Now you can either go to the southeast passage from the cave leading here, got me? That'll lead you around and you can get to the river there. That river leads to the lake and there are three ebularkies lea...

Another interrupts, Estuaries, Bert. Not ebularkies.

Fine, essitataries or whatever. Anyway, take the first one to yer left as you enter the lake. That'll lead by the passage to the rainbow cavern. You need to get on the bridge over the river if you can, otherwise you'll be taken outside the mountain. You get on the bridge and you head north to the cavern.

He takes a big breath. OR, he continues, you go to the west passage from the cave leading here and head north. That'll take you to the same river to the lake. You look west and you can just see the passage north to the rainbow cavern. Somehow get to that, which will be a challenge since the river is fast there, and just follow it to the rainbow cavern.

Bert smiles and nods and then stands as if waiting for something. He whistles and holds out a hand, making it clear that he's waiting for something, like a porter who has just brought your bags to your room.

Actions?

Hit points and marching order
Grimes 58/58
--Dandy 33/33 < CLW x2, Bless, Hold Person, Find Traps, Augury, Silence 15'r, Glyph of Warding, Remove Curse, Dispel Magic, Speak With the Dead, Protection from Evil 10' radius, CSW, Lower water >
Castinus 34/34
--Furuk 48/59
Dieter 31/31 < Magic Missile x 3, Sleep, Levitate, Phantasmal force, Stinking cloud, Lightning bolt x 2, Water breathing, Evard's black tentacles, Dimension door >
--Acquaire

[badams30]

Grimes - Fighter

Grimes smiles and glances at the others, fishing one of his 500GP gems from his pouch (deducted) and he spins it between two fingers, holding it so Bert can see it. He approaches Bert and says "Thanks, Bert. This is a great help. What are you digging for? And do you know of any exceptional bad things that we should be aware of? If he answers, Grimes will hand him the gem and pat him on the shoulder, tipping his hat in thanks.