Chapter 1 - The Beginning

Ütés:
As you reach the bottom of the stairs you see a fairly average looking wooden door haloed in orange torch light coming through the other side. It makes light in this simple hallway dance subtly.

Taft is already up ahead of you at this point and escorts you in, "Not much further, Xadira, we are in fact here." As you enter the door you suddenly see people moving his way and that, hustling around to different areas of this room. It looks like an enormous library. The room looks like it takes up the space of many city blocks. The walls are filled with shelves upon shelves of books. From this massive main hall you see hallways leading off to different areas.

In front of you as you enter sits a small gnome at a desk. He is flipping through pages of a rather large tome. As the group enters he glances up only casually before returning to his book. "Elves Taft, really?", the gnome asks casually, eyes still buried in his book.

Taft responds back, a tone of jest in his voice, "It beats gnomes, Green."

"Samuel is waiting in the third hall for your report, he will probably want to meet the recruits as well", Green says, his eyes scan briefly across the group.

Taft gives you a brief look and is about to say something, but instead just signals you to follow him as he heads across the main hall to the third hallway on the west side of the room. As you turn down this hallway it travels down a ways and is lined on both sides with unmarked wooden doors. They are all more or less identical, and as you reach the end you find one wooden door on the end of the hallway. This one has elaborate and ornate designs carved into the deep red wood of the door.

After you enter the room you see a fairly small and plain looking room with a single cot, a small writing desk, and a half-orc sitting at it writing onto pieces of parchment. He looks up for a moment and then stands with a large smile crossing his face, "Ah, Taft, glad to see you back", he looks over Taft for a moment, "You should choose more attractive races when you go out, I mean would it kill you to try a half-orc for once?", he chortles loudly and slaps Taft on the back. "These must be the new recruits. I'm glad you found them, it is always good to have new members of The Daggers.", he looks over the group for a moment and his smile starts to fade a bit, "where is the prince, and the troupe? After our work to recruit these warriors, they were to be honored for their aid."

"Well...unfortunately things weren't. It didn't go as we had hoped. Someone else got to them first.", Taft says, a little short on words.

"Please, tell me what has happened, all of you, please speak up", Samuel says.

The half-orc takes a moment taking in all of what Crolwell is saying and seems to not even hear your questioning of his use of the word recruit, "Where have you heard that? 'The Bard'. Who told this to you? Please, speak up recruit!", he is now studying Crolwell intently.

Taft looks as though he wants to interject, but seems to think better of it and keeps quiet.

The half-orc, Samuel, turns to Taft, "Please explain why this man is talking about The Bard, why these chosen don't seem to understand they were to be recruited, what is going on here Taft?!". His calm demeanor is starting to slip and the orc blood starts to boil within him. He slams his fist against the wall as he ends his question and a few small chunks of stone crack and fall from the wall. "And take off that ridiculous mask, what kind of elf has such short hair!"

Xadira:
Taft turns as you utter your orc, but doesn't respond to it.

The orc turns to the rest of the party. "I understand you may have a lot of questions. Rest assured we will help you find your prince, and your troupe. There is a lot that we must discuss", he gestures to himself and Taft.

"We would be glad to provide you quarters for the night, as well as free access to the grounds. Will you give us the night to help?", Samuel says, his temper has subsided and a small smile tries to creep across his face.