Chapter 1: Beneath the Streets

Tilma makes a couple quick back steps in order to keep her distance (H1). She recharges her crossbow in movement and releases the projectile towards the closest fledgling bugging Norran. "Get your beak off of my handsome!"

Norran half-screamed/half bellowed some kind of warcry while brandishing his glaive in a deadly arc.

BLEUARGHHAAGRHAHAH!!


What the F*!" was that about?


Just play with me here dude! I'm raging!

Idiot...

Tilma and Berry manage to snipe fledgling each, and Jasera lets loose a flurry of arrows to impale a pair of them himself. The final surviving fledgling seems oblivious to its odds and presses the attack, sneaking through Norran's legs and coming straight for Jasera. It pecks him in the shin, but Jasera resists the petrifying magic that tries spread through his body.

Round 3!

The final fledgling falls dead at Tilma's crossbow. After a moment of catching your breath, the dwarf statue by the sulfurous mud pool comes to life again.

"Agh! get away from... ! What? Oh, by the hells, thank you for murdering these little bastards! Eh, elves? And a gnome? Ha! Life has some funny twists don't it? Fancy a dwarf being rescued underground by a pack of forest dwellers! Don't get me wrong, I am most grateful."

The dwarf introduces himself as Ulfgar Durthane. He kicks a fledgling's corpse into the boiling mud for good measure, and reclaims his fallen crossbow - a fine piece of craftsmanship if anyone should take notice. "By the way, did you deal with the mother yet?'

"I'd sooner keep a pet devil. I've had enough of being a stone to last me several life times! But no ordinary warriors you must be to take down this terror. So, you working for Bartoz?"

The way he drags out that question you can't help but notice the tension, both in his voice and in his crossbow's string, which was loaded with a bolt where it fell. His eyes shift back and forth between you all.

Berry ignored the 'forest dweller' comment, his own people, Rock Gnomes, being closer to Dwarves than this fellow would care to admit.

Berry keeps scanning around, making sure nothing shows up.

"No idea who's that. " Tilma bluntly declares. "We, or rather I, work for Rat Catcher's Guild. Jasera, Norran and Berry here are helping me out. Name's Tilma, by the way."

Ulfgar seems to hesitate, as if doing some long-digit tallies in his head. But, you can see his crossbow hand relaxing.

"So, you just found this place by ... accident?" Ulfgar scratches his chin. "Well, I used to curse my bad luck but I guess sometimes it has to go your way. You must be new in town. Word to the wise - this place belongs to the House of Bartoz. The Lord Bartoz is crime lord. He owns half of Old Town and is aggressively expanding. This is one of his murder holes that he makes people disappear into when he wants somebody dead."

"I had the bad misfortune of trying to run an honest business - you might have heard of us: Durthane Cutlery, in Southward? He couldn't buy me out, so his goons grabbed me in the night and tossed me down yonder hole." He gestures to the vertical shaft that extends into the ceiling by the glowing purple and green crystals. "You should stop by sometime, you've earned yourselves a lifetime friends and family discount! Plus, I could use some better security if you're interested in earning a little extra silver."

Any character who prides themselves on their weapon skills may have heard of Durthane Cutlery. It is world-renowned, and its smiths turn out every kind of blade imaginable.

"Berry Timbers, at your service, " the gnome extends his hand, knowing this is a contact worth having, "Do you know anything of the portal back there?"

WHERE IS THIS WARLORD BARTOZ YOU ARE SPEAKING OF DWARF? I CHALLENGE HIM IN SINGLE COMBAT AND BATHE IN HIS BLOOD WHILE I EAT HIS ENTRAaaaAAAgghhh--

Norran's rage augmented body was suddenly wracked by seizures, convulsing and spasming in earnest. After a few seconds of that, the barbarian finally got control of his body the rage now subsiding.

Whew! Sorry about that! it was the shrooms I take to rage...Oye, Dwarfmang! You're not a decoration anymore! how ya feelin'? and did ya come here all alone or did you come also with these statues?

I WAS MONOLOGUEING!!

Not now Jon!

"Timbers, hmm? You related to ol' Marty Timbers? Runs a tannery in Southward? I get all my leather from ol' Marty. Anyway, what's this about portal? Didn't have much time to notice that earlier when I was running for me life."

Ulfgar walks over and inspects the gate.

"Well, that's disconcerting. Smells like wizardry if you ask me, and you can never trust a wizard. I would leave that right there, untouched, and forget you ever saw it."
Ulfgar shakes his head. "It's just stone up there. He could always get a few folks with strong backs and pick axes if he really wanted to get back down here."
"No idea who those folks are. People that pissed of Bartoz, I guess. A couple look like they might thaw out by tomorrow."

He knocks on a couple of the stone statues as if to test them.

"Yep, these fellows right here."

He points to the statues of a strong looking woman and a young halfling.

Tilma looks around pensively. "Say, Ulfgar... What's above these caves? Houses? Or perhaps just some greenery?"

"Eh? I don't take your meaning. You asking what these caves are for? Its a graveyard if you ask me, and you get to be your own tombstone. I for one will be glad to be rid of this place, although it won't be long before Bartoz realizes I'm still alive."

Ulfgar's brow furrows and he turns away and begins pacing silently.

Impatiently "Hey! I'm still talking!" she grabs the dwarf by the shoulder and points upwards to the hole through which he said he was thrown in here. "I mean, what's there!? Above us! On the surface!"

"Right, sorry. My brain is still a little stoned! It's a big, empty warehouse above us. I had a hood on my head the whole time they lead me there so I'm not sure exactly where it is, but I could tell by the smell in the air we're under the Harborside District."

This checks out with Tilma's maps.

"Fuck! It's the city." Tilma curses "I wanted to blow the whole cave up. But that would risk to sink half of the district. Any ideas guys?" She looks at her compatriots for ideas.

"I think this is well above our paygrade. Messing with Bartoz is not a good idea and even killing his pets puts a target on our backs. We did what we came here to do, let's get out while the going's good. When these folks come round, they'll be safe enough to find their way out."