Chapter 4: Neverlight Grove

Dustin moves, like a veritable shadow across the rock. Not a whisper of noise, not an inking that he's there. He pokes his head around the corner of a ramshackle building just as Heartboiler addresses the squat little deep gnome wearing a leather and steel helmet with a massive purple plume in it.

Just as he does, however, a cacophony, similar to a herd of cats being dumped into water filled with empty metal buckets, rises from behind the rogue as Cemos blunders his way beyond and into the camp.

Now look here Heartie! I'm not disresp - what in the Hells is this now! Clatterin' around like a damnfool sneaking into my mining town! Look alive you lot, I am Dasco Pickshine, overseer of the Pickshine Mines. What can we do for you? he sneers.

You lot are headed for Blingdenstone too? Well now, isn't this fortuitous! Seems you may have ended the argument after all. It's a good thing we don't need quiet guards, just fearsome ones. Dasco says, a deep belly laugh rolling out. As it were, the three guards I'd had arranged to escort this load fell down with some kind of gibbering sickness a few hours ago. I seem to be in need of guards to escort this load. You in?

I told you who I am ye daft dwarf! Dasco Pickshine, overseer of the Pickshine Mines. Which you happen to be standing in. You say Folgrim attacked you lot? The damned oaf. He wasn't too bad, until his place in the Ordning fell. Apparently his stoneshaping got shoddy. He was a good guard, but shouldn't have interfered. You lot aren't coming in force to overthrow the city. Would have been better to just sit and ignore you and let you in. Hells damnit. Ugh. Anyway. Ending the argument, isn't it obvious? You lot want to go to Blingdenstone. Heartie here wants to go to Blingdenstone. She couldn't go by herself with this size load, but with you lot, you'll have plenty of hands to transport the goods into town. It's a safe route in, and you'll make some gold out of the venture. Dasco says, exasperation settling in on his face.

How abouts you take this load into Blingdenstone, deliver it to the depot in full, and you'll be paid fifty gold a head.

Dasco smiles and flips a few levers on the lead cart. Inserting a large key, he twists it and a chugging motor starts up.

All you need to do is push this lever here forward until it's fast enough for you. Mind you, it doesn't think, so if you need to stop, you need to pull the lever back to the middle and push the big rectangle to slow it down. The engine'll run just fine, so long as you don't dawdle on your trip. I don't expect issues, and transporting my wares ought to make your arrival at the gate easier. Once you are there, just ride the lift up with the wagons, follow the road you're on there, and you'll meet one of my associates at the other end. Best of luck! he says, indicating the operating mechanisms for the train of carts.

You all make your way down the path Dasco indicated for you, and you make your way for a few hours. For most of you, it's a comfortable trip, however, Heartboiler and Dustin, the passageway is meant for smaller persons, and you find that you have to walk hunched over.

After some time, you find yourselves moving along a narrow pathway, a smooth-carved wall to your right and a long sloping staircase to your left, coming up out of the ground. In short order, you see the front gate of what you assume is Blingdenstone. A massive construction of steel and mithral, you see plates of adamantine also welded into place. Eight deep gnomes stand guard, six of them bristling with weapons.

As you approach and kill off the motor, two of them step forward and stop you. The one without weapons addresses you all.Constitution saves from Heartboiler and Dustin please.

As you approach, you see Georges straighten up, and place his hands in the middle of his back. He lets out a loud sigh as he stretches.