A Small Room

Two kobolds lie dead on the floor, and two more (one unconscious) are tied up in the center of the small room. As the party collects the Kobolds belongings, they find a small treasure trove: 12 gems, and the equivalent of 5 gold pieces in copper and silver. The sword and clubs they were wielding however, are worthless kobold-made junk.

The bag they were fighting over definitely was some type of meat, though even Leeeza is at a loss to identify the source. Except for some rope, and a few broken digging tools, there is not much else to be found here. The rickety wooden table is empty, except for a battered lantern that lights the room.

The conscious Kobold looks frightened and speaks brokenly in the common tongue: "Humansesssss no killsssss poor meessssss. Jissss a poor diggersssss. No harmssssssss. Meeesssss show yousssssss more prettiesssssss!! No killssssss meeessss!!! ssssssssssssssssssss"

The Stench of Kobolds

The party proceeds down the narrow tunnel, with Flen at the front checking for sounds and movement, until arriving at the main tunnel. Flen peers out both ways, and then motions for the rest to follow.

The party now stands in a larger tunnel, probably 8-10 feet high, and equally as wide. To the west the tunnel vanishes into darkness, except for a dim glow of light that Flen confirms comes from a small window in the door that is just around the corner that way. To the east, the tunnel banks immediately north, from which the flicker of torchlight is obvious. The barking and hissing sounds coming from that direction (not to mention the smell) indicate the presence of Kobolds.

Flen whispers, and gestures at a small pile of barrels on the east side of the hole from which you came. "If it weren't for those barrels, I'd have been cooked by now." Flen shudders visibly.

Another Tunnel

Despite the volume of rocks piled in the small passageway, the party makes good time clearing them away. Not much more than an hour later (and one near collapse of the tunnel), the last of the rocks is removed, and the party can see down the shortened tunnel quite a distance.

In fact, there is a flickering light coming from the other end (probably 200 feet or so down). From all appearances, it seems the newly cleared tunnel intersects the wall of a larger passageway running perpendicular to this one. That comes as a relief to anyone taller than Bammit, as they have spent the last hour on their hands and knees clearing rocks.

The Darkness of Evil

The party, two-by-two, moves into the cave. [DM: As I have it, Flen & Leee Za are first, Rhiannon is in the middle, and Omar & Bammit are taking up the rear] The cave itself is small at first, but quickly widens into a fairly sizeable natural tunnel, where three humans could walk abreast. A phophorescent glow in the rocks, accented by the flicker of Flen's torch, provides an eerie light by which the tunnel draws the party along.

The tunnel itself does not split, and maintains a singular course for a good half-mile into the mountain. At one point, Leee Za pauses to look at what appears to be scratches on the wall, and mumbles to herself. She shakes her head, and motions Flen to continue.

The tunnel suddenly opens up into a large cavern, probably 200 ft in diameter, and is noticably the scene of a small mining operation. A rickety cart lays on its side in the center of the cavern, and a pick axe leans up against the far wall. An open chest next to the pick axe appears to empty. Rhiannon starts to speak, but a clatter of rocks startles her to silence. Leee Za kneels down to look at the ground, and spits a word under her breath: "Kobolds!"

To the Cave

Leee Za (quietly humming to herself) guides the group through the backwoods, avoiding the clearing entirely, until meeting up with the western road again. This road appears to be less travelled, though still a main route into the mountains. After some amount of hiking, the party comes to a large rock, about twice the height of Omar, jutting out of the south side of the road.

The oddly shaped rock has the appearance of a buxom woman standing at attention. Shrubs growing around the base of the rock are thick, but Leee Za notices a place where the bushes have been regularly pushed aside to reveal a hidden footpath around the backside of the rock.

The footpath meanders erratically through the thick shrubbery for nearly half a mile, before arriving at one side of a steep slope littered with rocks. After carefully picking their way across the slope (and nearly losing Flen in a small landslide), the party arrives at the opposite side. Rounding the bend of the slope, a small cave makes a sudden appearance in the side of the mountain.



Though there is no evidence of recent mining, it is clear that this is the cave that Falster drew on his map (DM: trust me on that one), and the last place his son ever visited. As the party stands and stares at the cave opening, Falster's words echo eerily: "When I got to his work area, I could tell there was something wrong."

Mountain Trails

(DM map notes: lets assume the english labels there are written in dwarven... it might as well be written in Dwarven, as hard as that is to read!)

The party moves out of town along the main road. Except for a small boy who quickly darts into an alley at the party's approach, and an occasional face in a quickly closing window, not a single soul is encountered.

The main road leaving Grabenhorst passes between two enormous trees, and then opens up onto a wonderous view of the mountains. To the northeast are a pair of sharp peaks, so close together, as to imply they came from the same geological event. To the northwest, is a crooked snow-covered peak, and to the immediate west is a darkened round mountain, that strangely lacks any snow cover at all.

As you proceed down the heavily forested road, the party notices many foottrails vanishing into the trees. Not all of them lead anywhere obvious: Flen explored one, and found that it ended at the trunk of a large tree. He spent a bunch of time insisting that there must be a secret door hidden in the tree, but ultimately concluded that it was just a tree. Actually, Rhiannon had to physically threaten Flen to leave the tree, and return to the road.

The party continues until they can see that the forest trees stop before a large clearing ahead. From the safety of the trees, the party sees a large fork in the road: one road continues northward, and another westward. At the fork itself, is a tall wooden tower with a bored looking guardsman sitting at the top.

Rhiannon (with her keen eyesight) holds the party back with a raised hand, and stares at the tower for a few moments. "He has an elven crossbow... Yes, definitely elven, though I don't recognize the styling." Her face turns to a frown. "We should be careful here. I'm betting there is a good reason he has such a fine weapon."

The Investigation Begins

The party with its new member exit the merchant building and return to the guard watching their supplies. After retrieving their things, the guard informs the group that Snorri has paid for a couple of rooms in the Inn to be used by the group. With they day waning, the party appreciates the danger of traveling into the mountains at night, and chooses to take advantage of Snorri's hospitality, and get some rest.

The following morning, the party awakes quite early. After a quick morning bowl of gruel, the party gathers up their gear, and organizes on the porch, just outside the front entrance. The main street passing in front of the Inn is strangely empty, devoid of merchants selling their wares, or dwarves marching into the mountains. The morning air is brisk, but the rising sun and few clouds mark the beginning of what appears to be a beautiful day.

A Friendly Face

After securing the supplies with the Guard, the party heads to the building earlier pointed out by Snorri. The door is ajar, and the room inside is fairly dark. Despite Snorri's contention that tradesman could be found here, there appears only to be two people. The first, a balding old dwarf, sits on a stool in the back corner. His eyes are closed, and the grating buzzing sound indicates he is deep in slumber.

The second, a human female, sits atop some boxes piled along the wall. She is writing in a small book by the light of a candle on a shelf next to her, and humming to herself. As the party gets a better look, she is wearing forest green tights that leave nothing to the imagination, and a tight fitting brown vest beneath a cloak. Long golden hair spills out from under a "cute" green hat with a pink feather, accenting a silver dagger in her belt. What appears to be a hand-painted long bow and quiver, leans against the wall behind her.

She looks up at the party and smiles warmly. "Well, hi there!"

A Long Pause

Snorri looks around the room, and blinks several times. "Confound it! Why are we all just standing here! There's work to be done!!"

Snorri retreives the Sword of Honor, and slings it across his pack. He turns and marches out the door, with the party in tow. The group traverses winding narrow streets for several long minutes, before the Inn comes into view. Snorri leads the group to a staging area behind the Inn, next to a horse stable. A decorated Guard meets Snorri there.

"Sir, we were unable to catch her. She left a very convincing false trail..." The Guard drops his gaze for a moment.

Snorri looks about to burst, and then shakes his head. "I must find her. Assemble the Reds, and have them ready within the hour. I will lead." The Guard looks startled for a moment, and then nods enthusiastically before walking quickly away.

Snorri gestures to a building across the street. "There you will find some of the best ... tradesmen ... in Grabenhorst. I suspect you start there to find a tracker. I would offer you one of mine, but I will need them for my own task. I may join you at a later time, but I need to do this thing now. My Honor demands it!" He emphasizes the last by patting the hilt of sword on his back.

Snorri nods his head at the party, and walk away in the same direction as the Guard.

For Honor

Snorri leads the group back out to the street (Rhiannon says farewell to the strange tinker, who doesn't even seem to notice everyone's departure). "This way. We'll talk to Falster first. He was the most recent victim after Bremmil."

Snorri guides the group through twisting streets, back towards the Inn. Snorri stops a moment to talk to some Guard at the Inn, and then continues to the eastern part of town. Soon they arrive at a free standing stone building with a broad wooden door. Snorri knocks a few times on the door, and then pushes it open. Snorri begins to reach for his axe, when a dwarf, covered from beard to toe with soot, marches out of the darkness.

"What is the meaning of this, Snorri? You mean to disturb me again, or are you here to kill me?"

Snorri blinks a couple of times before laughing. "What happened to you, friend Falster?"

Falster looks around at the party, and frowns. "Did you bring help to clean my stove, or am I under arrest now?!"

Snorri pats Falster on the back, stirring up a cloud of soot. "Easy, easy. I'm not here to harm you..." Snorri frowns. "Was Lilja here...?"

Falster shakes his head, stirring up another soot cloud from his blackened beard. "Haven't seen that woman for days. What is the meaning of this intrusion, you worthless excuse for a fighter?"

Snorri says nothing, as he pulls the sword down from his pack. With a dramatic swing, Snorri slams the tip of the sword into the ground in front of Falster, and grins mischeviously. "It seems I got my honor back. Are you going to tell me what happened to your son now, or will you defame the sword with your silence."

Falster looks shaken as he kneels in front of the sword. He runs a blackened finger along the words on the blade, and then bows his head.

Rhiannon sighs and rolls her eyes.

After a long moment. Falster looks up at Snorri and the others. "What do you want to know?"

Takker Shop

Snorri begins marching down the street. "Come, you can offer assistance by helping me learn what this powder is. Let us see what your elf friend has found."

Snorri, escorted by two guardsman (where do these guys keep appearing from?) walk down the street, followed by the party. Several twists and turns past multiple small shops and random street vendors, lead the group to a fairly busy part of town. Snorri stops in front of a grayish building with a faded wooden sign, carved with a single word: Takker.

Snorri pushes the door open, and enters the shop. As the party enters, their eyes are assaulted by all manner of strange gadgets, bottles, and gears decorating messy shelves along every wall. Even the door itself is backed with shelves filled with books, that makes it heavy to move. On closing the door, it gives the illusion that there is no exit, though the door handle is still clearly visible.

A tall wirey man stands in the back of the shop with Rhiannon, peering through an eyeglass at a small white bowl. Rhiannon turns and grimaces at the party. "Isn't this place lovely?", she says with a tablespoon of sarcasm. She gestures at the table. "Our friend here says he's seen this stuff before. Apparently, an elven merchent was peddling this stuff here a month ago."

The man turns around suddenly, and shows a bit of surprise at seeing Snorri. "Ah! My good friend and protector!! Please, can I get you some tea? No? Well then let me get your things. No? Okay then, please. I can tell you, that this powder is very potent, you see. Yes yes yes. The merchant said it would do wonders, and indeed that is the case. Hmmm, yes."

Rhiannon shakes her head. "What he is trying to say, is that the powder contains a chemical derived from a rare form of nieninqe, a flower that grows in the far north. It seems that it has an effect on humans..."

The thin man, scrambles past Rhiannon with a dusty book open midway. "Yes yes, it is written that the elves there would use this powder to get truths from humans... but not dwarves you see! Ah, but dwarves it has no effect. No effect at all, because of their wonderful noses. Yes, their noses act a filter! Isn't that fantastic?! That is why this powder is so clever!! The crystals here are a delivery mechanism, why even a thousand dwarven nose hairs couldn't stop them. I bet...." the mans words turn to mumbling as he flips pages in the book and returns to his desk.

Rhiannon frowns. "I think that Lilja used too much powder. From what I gather, the delivery mechanism is a quite potent depressant, and likely overwhelmed the old dwarf. I imagine he will come to with quite a headache. I wonder if the nieninqe powder will even work."

Bremmil's Home

Snorri guides the party from the Inn, through twisted streets, until arriving at a plain looking door at the side of rather tall brick structure. Snorri knocks on the door, which appears to be unlatched. He pushes slightly on the door, which swings open easily, and calls out. "Bremmil, my friend, are you here?"

As the light from the street cascades through the open doorway, the party sees a particularly annoyed looking Lilja, standing over the motionless body of Bremmil on the floor, with her dagger and sword drawn.

"Snorri, its not what you think...", she hisses while glaring at the party.

Snorri quickly unslings his axe (a smooth motion that suggests a skilled fighter) and bellows "Woman, drop your arms now, and I will consider cleaving your head cleanly."

Lilja looks for a moment to comply with Snorri's request, but then makes a sudden motion with her dagger, that causes a bright flash and room filled with a chalky smoke. Coughing, Snorri races in, but notices an open window with the vestiges of a cape slipping through. Snorri turns to run back out the door, but stops himself. After a string of dwarven curses, Snorri falls quiet. "She's long gone now. Foolish woman..." Snorri motions to a guardsman standing outside the door, who then vanishes down the street.

He drops to one knee, and puts a hand to Bremmil's chest. "He's breathing, but she's done something to him." He runs his finger along the floor to reveal a purple residue. "What magic is this?"

The Next Morning

The Graben-Grub Inn is remarkably comfortable, and the party all enjoys a well deserved night of rest. In the morning, a loud bell clangs to announce the coming of breakfast. The smells of freshly baked bread, sizzling ham, and carved fruits waft up the stairs to greet the party.

After everyone has had their fill (apparently covered by the price of the room), the party gathers themselves to the porch outside to watch the trek of many mining dwarves heading towards the main road leading into the mountains. Across the street, standing in the shadows, you spot Lilja leaning up against the side of a small building that appears to house a tailor of sorts. She smiles at the party, but then throws an annoyed glance down the street, where Snorri, accompanied by several guardsman, approaches the party. She raises one finger before slipping around the back of the building, out of sight.

"Hail, my friends!", Snorri shouts from the street. "Come and see how your prisoner has fared the night!" He laughs heartily, and waves the group around to the side of the Inn.

Grabenhorst Kidnappings

Lilja smiles. "Very astute of you, wise friend. Yes, the very same incident that called good Snorri into service tonight, is one that has replayed itself over and over to the poor people of Grabenhorst. I, for one, am tired of it, and its time that those responsible are brought to justice!" She throws a brief angry glance at Hrafn, who mistakes it for a cue to speak.

"With all due respect... adventurers...", he says with a sour look on his face, "the council has this well in hand, and young Lilja here has had a few too many drinks."

Lilja stands so that she is looking down on the smaller man, before speaking. "Do not make false accusations, man. Your precious council has failed us at every turn. What are they doing now, as another child is taken into the night? More meetings over wine and bread? Plotting another fools excursion into the frozen wastes for a magical cup? Bah!"

Hrafn backs away from Lilja's attention, nearly tripping over a bar stool. "This is an outrage! You cannot speak to me that way, I am a council member! This will NOT go unreported, I can guarantee you this." Gathering his robes around him, and perhaps even his dignity, he turns, and promptly leaves the Inn.

Lilja shakes her head, and turns back to the party. "I must apologize. The council is an arrogant body that has ruled this town for far too long. If it weren't for Snorri and his loyal guard, they'd long ago have driven us from this place." She picks up a goblet from the bar and takes a drink. "Water", she says to answer the unspoken question.

"Now where were we. Ah yes. A hands worth of moons back, the first dwarven son was taken. At first many thought he had simply gotten lost, much to his father's embarassement. He never returned, and it was clear that something else had happened. As the searches were called off, another son was taken, and then another. Including tonight, 9 have been taken. Everyone has a theory, but it boils down to this: there is a hidden organization out there targeting dwarven children, and this will continue until they are found out, and stopped." Lilja takes another drink of water before continuing.

"The problem is that the miners are very secretive, and so we rarely get good information as to where these incidents occur." Lilja smiles briefly, "... but these villians made one mistake. They let one of the boys escape, who managed to return to town with a story. He was confused and dizzy from the drug they used on him, but I'm confident he saw enough to know this: the boys are being taken to a cave in the mountains. The villians wore hoods, so the boy was unable to identify them in any way, but he swears there were scaled hands on his arm."

Lilja passes her eyes over every member of the party, including Rhiannon who has quietly joined the group. "You are an interesting group. Not what I imagined would come to help, but you are here just the same. If you would be interested, I have a small task for you."

On Alert

As the party turns to see what Flen is referring to, Snorri lets out an annoyed grunt. At the door stand two men, in full plate armor. One of the men is talking to a barmaid, who is pointing directly at Snorri's table. Before anyone can even take a breath, the men walk quickly to the table.

The first man addresses Snorri directly without so much as a glance at the other guests. "Sir, we have another kidnapping. A miner's son."

Snorri sobers up quickly, and stands up. "How long ago?"

"Sir, it happened after sunset. We were contacted, but old Bremmil refuses to tell us where his son might have been. He's certain he was kidnapped, however."

Snorri tugs at his beard. "Hmm, probably his ore-mine. Stubborn fool! Does he not value his son more than his ore!! Well, let me see if I can talk some sense into him." Snorri grabs his axe, and slings it across his back.

For a moment, he looks at his half-eaten meal, and then at the party. "Aye, finish up friends. The meal is paid for. I'll let you see to your own rooms." As an afterthought, Snorri stabs another piece of meat with his dagger, and heads towards the door.

A Drink with Snorri

Entering the large common room of the Inn brings an immediate assault on all the senses. Bright torch sconces line the border of the room, as well as each central support post, lighting even the most remote corners of the room. The sound of laughter, shouting, and the clinking of metal drinkiing mugs fills the space, and a variety of smells, both pleasant and foul, waft here and there.

Snorri is already sitting at medium sized table located along the wall near the main doorway, and is speaking with a heavyset human woman with brown hair in a single long braid. He seems to be arguing with her, and they both are gesturing angrily. At your approach, a couple of dwarves vacate their seats at Snorri's table, taking their mugs and furrowed brows to another part of the room. The human woman, who appears to have had the final word, stomps towards a large swinging door (the kitchen?) with an exasperated look on her face. Snorri waves impatiently at the party to come join him.

Grabenhorst

After the group finishes collecting their things, and hiding as much of the activity that happened there, they continue to move along the road towards the big town as the last of the sun dips behind the trees.

It doesn't take long for the farms to turn into buildings, and the number of people on the road to increase fairly dramatically (even this late in the evening). Brightly burning torches light either side of a large stone archway decorated with elaborate carvings surrounding the word "Grabenhorst" at the very top.

Entering the city itself, it is clear that there is all manner of goods and services available here. Just since the archway, you've seen shops for a tailor, a butcher, a smithy, a bank (at least that's what the party decides it must be), and a small temple. Of course, all of these shops are closed at current, with only swinging wooden signs to identify their purpose.

It is also clear that a large portion of the people in the streets are dwarven miners, down from the mountains to trade, rest, and drink. From the raucous laughter coming from the occasional tavern (you see at least three!), you don't doubt that the latter occurs more often than not.

A fairly large building with a thatched roof, marks the center of town, and boasts a broad colorful sign with an image of a bread loaf and a bed. Below that, the words "Graben-Grub Inn" are scrawled in elaborate cursive, and are nearly too fancy to read. Quite a number of people are stomping in and out of the large lit doorway, though many take refuge on the benches lining the porch that winds around the building itself. A cold wind reminds the party that it has been some time since they last rested, and a room and a meal would be welcome change.

Trouble in the Suburbs (continued)

Where we are: The man with the knife is long gone, still responding to Bammit's COMMAND somewhere in the woods beyond the hills. The man threatening the party with a rock is unconscious, and now (having been tossed by Omar), laying face down in the dirt next to the cart.

Omar (sword drawn) is facing off with the sword-wielder, who just made a wild (and fairly unsuccessful) swing at Omar. Bammit and Flen are facing the club-wielder, who also just missed with an clumsy swing of his pathetic homemade spiked club.

With yet another successful initiative roll for the party, Flen arrives just in time to swing his short sword for 1 hp of damage on the club-wielder (see comments in previous post for more details).

Omar and Bammit are ready for their next swing/action...

Trouble in the Suburbs

The group continues past the fork, heading east along the road to Grabenhorst. A couple of hours pass before the first homes and farms of the Grabenhorst metro-plex become visible. You pass a number of people travelling in the opposite direction, carrying various goods on their backs or heads. None say much more than a nod, and hurry past you with a wide berth.

As the sun wanes behind you, and your shadows grow long down the road, you see a group of dirty, rough looking men with scraggly beards leaning against a broken cart and eyeing your approach. One of the men pushes himself off the cart, and stumbles onto the road to block your passage.

"The hell you think yer goin?", the man grunts. A couple of the other men laugh, and another steps onto the road to join his comrade. The first man continues, pointing at Flen and Bammit with a gnarled finger, "Theesh yer bodyguardsh? Ho ho ho ho. Thaint gunna help ya HERE!" The man stumbles slightly as he pulls out a large rusty knife. The second man picks up a fist-sized rock, and holds it at his side. The other two ruffians continue to lean on the cart, laughing a bit too hard at the first's joke.

Gaining confidence, the first man steps towards the group. "Now, I shuggest you drop thoshe packsh, and git!"

A Fork in the Road

[Rather than belabor another merchant transaction, which is time consuming in this forum, I'll assume that everyone purchases a small bag of "trail mix" from Anna for a copper piece, and immediately packs out of the village - if you'd rather not spend the coin, that's fine too.]

Anna and the boy with the walking stick escort you to the northern edge of the town. The older woman that met you at the beginning is there, and acknowledges you with a slight nod of her head. Griff is there too, but he seems too busy scanning the woods to notice your departure.

The road north is short, and it sidles quickly into the trees. The land to the west of the road slopes upward, as you travel along the base of a sizeable hill covered in small trees and bushes.

It is not long before you come across a "fork" in the road, just as Hinrick described. Actually, its more like the road turns to the east, as the northern road looks much less traveled, and is quite overgrown. Nailed to a gnarled old tree surrounded by shrubbery and vines, there is a small wooden sign with the word "Grabenhorst" written in Dwarven, pointing to the east.

As you approach the sign, there is a significant amount of rustling in the bushes.