Seige of Iron Fiends (IC)

[DracoDei]

Toft continues his assault, maneuvering his blades as necessary to deal with the results of each attack.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Nota Bene: My sword can neither grant nor receive flanking bonuses.
Standard Action:
Cold Iron Sword that can only hit the Northern of two Rats(L64):
To hit (1d20+12)[22]
Damage (2d6+9)[20]
Crit Confirm on natural 19-20 (1d20+12)[31]

Cold Iron Sword that might have drawn an AoO (L65) on northern rat if it isn't downed, if not then on southern rat:
To hit (1d20+12)[24]
Damage (2d6+9)[13]
Crit Confirm on natural 19-20 (1d20+12)[31]

Adamintine Sword +1 on northern rat if it isn't downed, if not then on southern rat
To hit (1d20+12)[20]
Damage (2d6+10)[16]
Crit Confirm on natural 19-20 (1d20+12)[16]

Move Action:
Pending result of standard action. Might be nothing at all, but that seems unlikely.

[LordotTrinkets]

Spoiler: Maria, Toft, and Merome

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The Krysumn looks about at the wave that has just arrived. Smashing, shooting, slashing, decapitating, and impaling its subordinates. Things had been going so well before these ones had shown up.
A bolt of energy strikes it through the stomach and vines erupt from the hole. It hisses something to the rat beside it and they leave. The Krysumn with a limp, the other taking the long way around and still getting farther than it.
(technically the next round, but I'm detailing it anyway)
The warrior yells and swings his sword in the direction of the retreating enemies. "And good riddance to you!" He yells. As the gremlins in Toft and Merome's party gather around their two fallen friends, he turns to them and shouts in gremlin, "Ladno, tak chto vy dolzhny s nami seychas. B'yus' ob zaklad, vy dumayete, my ustali i slabyy ot etogo, no priyekhat' syuda i pozvol'te mne dokazat', chto vy ochibayetes'!"

Spoiler: Translation

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"All right, so you have us now. I bet you think we're tired and weak from that, but come over here and let me prove you wrong!"

The linguist walks forward, obviously unimpressed and unbelieving in the wounded gremlin's threats. "My tol'ko chto spas vas to nikh. Ya schitayu, chto obchay oba nashikh plemen zdes' blagodarnost'."

Spoiler: Translation

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"We just saved you from those. I believe that the custom of both of our tribes here is gratitude."

He wipes some of the blood off of his armor and spits on the ground. The two then begin a long volley of words, some for peace, others for war.

Spoiler: Reaver and Erick

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Ollukka scowls at Erick, "I would have you speak with more respect about her, even if she is lacking in talent and wisdom." he then returns to a calmer demeanor, "Regardless, I would be more than willing to accept your master's invitation to a hunt. Since you are so insistent to helping me back home, I will not fight you. However, you need only help me to the wall, I am certain that this fine warrior would be more than capable to the task at that point."
He turns over to Reaver and smiles, "Unless you have some previously arranged sleeping quarters, I'd be more than willing to provide you with lodging. It would have to be in the servants' quarters for the night though, unfortunately. I lack any proper guest rooms at the moment."

Spoiler: Aava and Inkke

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Aava: He looks at you for a moment, seeming to evaluate your intent. "Mine. It was a gift I got at the beginning of my career. A thank you for a job well done." He lifts it into the air and holds it in the direction of the fire pit, "Well, good job Juhani. Your captain's not here when something unexpected happens and what do you do? You hide and cower instead of doing your duty and let all of those people die." He closes his eyes and looks away as he drops the doll to the ground. "Like I deserve this."

Inkke: She closes her eyes as she tries to remember, He was tall and built like a mountain. A graceful, sweeping mountain. He looks strong, but he's actually a lot smarter, he spoke in riddles sometimes, but they made me laugh inside. Oh, and there was..." she pauses and then looks away and blushes, "No wait, that was Erick... What did he look like?..." she went into a mutter.
"But let's stop talking about what happened tonight! It's not like it's the only bad thing that's been happening after all. Take-- Take all the problems with trade. My teacher says that Detch* is expected to raise the fees on going through their locks, that's going to make the prices for all sorts of stuff sky-rocket. Or what about that crimewave on the road? He says all most of his suppliers are scared silly about it all and're insisting on using all sorts of more expensive and 'safer' ways here.
"I'm not too good with math, but I'm pretty sure we're in for having a lot, and I mean a LOT of stuff getting expensiver."

Spoiler: Footnote about the Detch

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Owning the only safe paths to Dokkalheim, they use heavy fees to manipulate other countries into doing what they want.

[5ColouredWalker]

Spoiler: Maria, Toft and Merome

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Maria launches off a last wave of blasts at the fleeing rats, more darts striking out as her skin starts regenerating... Without a word, Maria takes her place behind her Gremlins, though a frown marks her face, they're clearly outmatched but those are fighting sounds coming from her guide's voice...

It didn't matter, should a fight start she'd step back, she'd received no payment and they were supposed to be safely guiding her, and the trip has been far from safe.

Spoiler: Erick and Reaver

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Erick bows his head contritely to Ollukka, but doesn't verbally apologise despite it being written in his stance.

He awaits Reavers response without a word.

[BilltheCynic]

Spoiler: Reaver

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Reaver nods. That will be acceptable. I am used to austere living quarters. Your servant's quarters will likely be luxurious by comparison.

[Arch warrior]

Seeing that the fight is done, Luginn says, "Well, that's done. Who needs healing?

[DracoDei]

Toft makes as if to clean his swords, but then stops before they have gone more then a few feet and instead moves them to defensive positions, waiting to be sure.

[DontEvenAsk]

Aava moves to snatch the doll as it falls. "Look at me - Juhani, you said? Look at me. People die all the time. Tragedies happen. You can't save everybody. And sometimes, even the mightiest heroes of the sagas got outmatched, and had to go hide in the bushes. And then afterwards, they got up and they went back to being heroes. If people died on their watch, they did what they could to make up for it. Quitting because of one mistake wouldn't have helped them. If they had, we wouldn't have sagas."

She lets out a long, shaky breath. This sort of mess always just bothers her. Silly humans with their honor and their self-pity. She got over hers, when she was exiled. They just wallow in it like a pig in mud. And on top of that, this fellow - she isn't sure whether to call him a man or a boy; he seems on the border between them to her - clearly doesn't want to. Perhaps he doesn't know what else to do, she muses. Ancestors know I don't always. So what can she do?

"I made a mistake like this, once. I was careless and selfish, and I paid the price. But I moved on. I did what I could. I've helped many people since." She needn't mention the nature of the mistake; nobody will know that. Nor does she need to specify that she helped those people for good, solid coin as much as the goodness of her heart. All the same, this is what she does best. She continues. "You're not this mistake. You still have a life. Use it." She hands him the doll.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Do I need a Diplomacy check for this?

[LordotTrinkets]

Spoiler: Erick and Reaver

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Wonderful! Then let us be on our way."
If Reaver walks close to Ollukka: Ollukka takes a few short, sharp breaths through the nose as the armored stranger walks close to him and he takes a short and curious glance at him. He shrugs then continues along.

At the gate to the dwarven district, the guards open the door, but both now seem surprised by how much foot traffic there seems to be tonight. Ollukka seems to have recovered from the exhaustion of the pact, but now seems to just be a normal tired, "Good, I know my way from here now, Erick. You may return to your master's camp now."

For when Erick returns to camp: Your way back to camp is fortunately flat and unpopulated by hills and rocks like it would have been from that valley, but slightly longer than it would have been. As you approach the camp, the scent of smoke greets you, promising warmth from the cold.

When you arrive, however, Maria is nowhere to be seen. There is a metal bowl full of smoldering embers and Tregal coiled around it, but all the bedrolls and shift sand have been tidied up and are gone.

Spoiler: Question for Bill

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What about Miranda's instructions to stay away from the city for a while? Is he taking a 'What she doesn't know won't hurt her' approach, or was I being a little too vague about where Ollukka lives?

Spoiler: Maria, Merome, and Toft

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Merome: The two gremlin swordsmen (the two swordsages) walk over to you and point to the numerous wounds over their bodies, paying absolutely no attention the aggressive sounding exchange of words going on. In fact, none of the gremlins take much note of the argument, one even seeming to say something about its dead friends. "Net istseleniya, no ne znayete, oak spelt smertel'nyy predlozheniye? (No healing, but do you know how to do a death offering?)"

Toft and Maria: The gremlin arguing on Toft's side turns to him. "Do not vorry, I doubt that he vill actually attack us. He is afraid that we vill kill him if he asks for mercy or if he runs away, so he chopes to intimidate us into leaving him alone. It is his tribes way, to act like... like the cornered animal?" It turns to take note Maria as she moves beside the other gremlins.

"I see that you also have made an allegiance with the humans. From vhat I can see, you were heading straight into wheel lands before you were attacked, so it would seem that you also know chat they plan something. We too were heading there, perhaps ve can work together to stop them?"

The other breathes heavily as he thinks things over, "Ve are going to foil cheir (their) plans, but ve vill (we will) do it on our own!"

"Stop being so stubborn, our common enyemy (enemy) is stronger than you are now. Just see vhat their guard animals did to you, and now chey (they) know we both are coming."

Now resting on his bastard sword, he looks at Maria and then his two subordinates. Both the crossbowmen (or gremlin as it would be) have also come out of hiding, their crossbows on their backs. He looks down, a look of frustration and wounded pride on his face.

Spoiler: Aava

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He jolts his head in surprise when you catch the doll, and then processes the poetry of your response, "I guess that you're right," he leans back slightly and looks up at the stars, "Had Erland of Two-homes acted like I was right now when all the elves were slaughtered, we'd still be consumed by our petty war with the Salomites. Of course, I'm not too sure what I can do right now."

He traced a constellation with his eyes, which were starting to dry up, and then he looked inside the tavern. After counting everyone he could see inside, he continued "I guess that I could talk to some of the people who got hurt more than I did. You know, try to pull them through it like you just did for me, but I'm not sure how well I'd do that. I usually end up getting people angrier or more upset at times like this. Whatever I do though, I need to do something to put me at ease. There's just no way I could go to sleep after all of this."

He laughs to himself, "I'm sorry if I've bothered you too much with my self-pity and indecisiveness ma'am. I do like to get melodramatic at times like this, I really have to learn to shake that."

---

(still holding out for Inkke, do you know if DemonPrince's all right, Dontevenask?)

[DontEvenAsk]

Aava laughs, a sharp, sarcastic sound. "Oh, it's not a problem. I've contributed my fair share of melodrama. I think it's about time I was on the receiving end." She muses silently for a few moments, following Juhani's eyes to the stars. "I don't know what to tell you about keeping calm. I usually go buy a drink, but that doesn't work for everyone. As for trying to help..." She sighs heavily. "The trouble with people after something like this happens is that they feel there's something wrong with them if they don't stay upset. You can tell them it'll be all right as much as you want, but they'll keep guilting themselves into not believing you."

She frowns; a lock of hair is resting on her nose. It must have fallen that way when she looked up. She did always go a little absent when she really started talking, she muses...

"I don't know if that'll help you any," she admits. "Some people just have a talent for talking to people that they can't explain. I'm one of them. Makes it hard to give tips." She stretches languorously. "If it's not intruding to ask, what exactly happened? I mean, clearly..." She gestures at the wake of the destruction. "But I arrived too late to be properly traumatized, I'm afraid." Aava offers a rueful smile.

Spoiler: OOC

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I can't tell you if he's all right, but I haven't seen him around, either here or that other community I mentioned. Perhaps he's busy?

[5ColouredWalker]

Spoiler: Erick

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"Be well, I shall no doubt see you soon."

Erick makes his way back to camp with confidence. Few are the predators that'd both attack a Human and attack in such winter snow.

When Erick arrives, he takes some time to survey the camp... With no clue whether or not Maria has the bag he looks to the heavy blanket touching Tregal's back and the Tent set up on the edges of the tarp so as to partially hang over him as well [[Neither were removed, see page three, posts 76 to 86... Presuming we haven't been robbed.]]... With care, Erick strips off his outermost layer under the tent so as to no-longer be slightly damp from the snow, and worms his way under the blanket next to Tregal, careful not to actually touch him until a few minutes under the blanket, content to let his resting nose keep watch.

---

Assuming nothing happens, Erick will then sleep until the next day.

Spoiler: Maria, Merome and Toft

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Maria moves to 'her' gremlin, putting her hand on his shoulder, she speaks quietly, but it's no whisper, her face seemingly emotionless until she talks, when it takes on a hint of concern.
"While I knew some about the underground, and expected there to be some combat, you have not purchased my services for it, and were you to try and force the issue, having seen the so called 'guard dogs', a bargain would be costly... Additionally you are rather scratched up, and while mine fade I'm no true sneak, if we want to get to our destination, we will need them...
I will give you a deal, you may hire me on to go through this dangerous area, with you or not, to do as we discussed, or we go with them, and in your time of grief I wave what I would normally charge to commit myself to such a fight.... I would however suggest we all work together."

---

Diplomacy! (1d20+17)[32]
Bluff!: (1d20+10)[24]

Spoiler: Sense Motive DC Bluff Roll

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Maria displays signs of worry, and the concern she portrays while speaking is purely for herself, not for anyone else.

[Arch warrior]

Merome looks confused at the gremlin and responds with, "I'm not so sure, but I think that I have been insulted. So no healing for you!" He then turns to the other gremlin and says, "I guess that if we are going to work together then it would be a good idea to keep you healed. I only for a meat shield." He says as he does "Cure Light Wounds".

Luggin responds with, "Please forgive his choice of words. He is a bit of crazy".

Spoiler: CLW check

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(1d8+5)[10]

[DracoDei]

Toft cleans his swords, first on a dead rat, then on a cloth he keeps for the purpose* then sheaths them.
*((Totally made that up just now... seems reasonable enough?))

Spoiler: Sense Motive

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(1d20+6)[26]

"I'm a bit confused. Working together sounds good, but I'm not sure I have interest in paying for it... but that probably wasn't what was meant."
((I hope the above makes sense in context...))

[5ColouredWalker]

Maria, Merome and Toft

Maria looks up, rolling her eyes at Toft.
"Far from it. Continuing together is free... However before we work alongside, what is it you plan when we reach our destination? As amusing as it could be, I wouldn't want to arrive only to have conflicting goals."

Maria's eyes eventually drift to Merome, her face remaining neutral.

[BilltheCynic]

Spoiler: Reaver

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Reaver follows Ollukka out of the forest, then silently berates himself as they start heading towards the city. Idiot, he should have anticipated something like this. At the time he had thought the Ollukka was some sort of ranger that lived in the forest, but that is now obviously not the case. Reaver's mind races to justify accompanying Ollukka with obeying Miranda. Fortunately, over the years he had become quite good at twisting instructions without explicitly disobeying them.

The answer was surprising simple. Miranda had never explicitly ordered him to hide in the forest for a few days. Her exact words were, "It might be wise if you hide in the forest for a few days.". When he responded that if she desires for him to hide in the forest until this is over, he will do so, she said "No, both of us will be safer if you hide in the forest for now." This phrase was triply useful. First, it was again not an explicit command to hide in the forest, merely an observation. Second, "For now" was a sufficiently vague unit of time that he could say that his short time in the forest that night had satisfied it. Third, she had never specified if "safer" was good or not. After all, Miranda had been willing to do unsafe things in the past if it might lead to her gain, such as creating him and then revealing him to Bargath. It could very well be that she preferred the less safe option and simply not mentioned that. This was further evidenced by how little of a threat her stated reason for being in danger there was. What did it matter if someone knocked off his hat if he wasn't using a disguise? It was difficult to tell him from an organic in armor, doubly so if it happened during a riot. Clearly her real fear was that he might take the advantage of the chaos to make kills of opportunity. He resolved not do that, so he was still following Miranda's desires. Finally, there was the crystal. Miranda had said, When I think that it is safe to return, that jewel will glow green. She did not say to only return when it glowed. Furthermore, Reaver had only agreed to check it every morning and evening, which he still intended to do. He did not say that he would only return when the crystal glowed.

In this way Reaver justified that his actions were not technically disobeying Miranda. Still, she might not appreciate it if she found out Reaver was back in town; she might not trust that he would not make kills of opportunity, and he very much needed to find out more about soul binding to master his own abilities. Reaver dedided to better be safe than sorry, using his hat to change appearance to a 6'1 lumberjack, his scythe become a woodcutter's axe and hit hat becoming a wool cap. If Ollukka asks, Reaver will respond that he thinks this looks less threatening than a giant armored man with a scythe, and he does not want to unduly worry people. Still, Reaver keeps one hand on his hat to make sure it is not knocked off. When this is over, Reaver will need to ask Miranda for some sovereign glue to keep that hat in place, or perhaps replace it with an embedded magic item of disguise.

[LordotTrinkets]

Spoiler: Reaver

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Ollukka nods at your rationale and flicks his fingers the rest of the way. You pass along the entire stretch of dark elf district, but there isn't a single group of rioters. There are, however, many more guards than usual are posted and they all are very much on edge.

Ollukka notes his own finger flicking and coughs to excuse himself from it. "This doesn't bode well." he says about the guards, "I certainly hope this doesn't mean there's been a crime wave in this district of all places. I have many business partners among the dwarves, I'll have to check on them in the morning."

Spoiler: Sense Motive of 23 reveals

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Ollukka seems to be counting and carefully disguising it as playing with his fingers. Judging by the occasional glance at your hat, he would appear to be trying to size up just how wealthy you are (or at least how wealthy your affiliates are).

Just to make it official, nothing happens to Erick and Tregal, the rest of the night is peaceful for them.

Spoiler: Aava

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He returns to a frown and rubs his head. "No. No, it's fine. It might actually be good for me to talk through this." Juhani looks and points over to the fire pit, "I suppose that it started over there. Everyone was getting off of the dance floor so it could be made ready for the play. Neither Ukki or Hannah showed up, but when those appears... We all assumed that there was just some major changes to the usual performance.

"They appeared in a burst of blue fire... I suppose I couldn't really call it fire though, it was wispy like smoke, but still. Along with that, there was a screech, like that of a dead woman's." he shudders as he reminisces on the noise. "There were two of them, one built like a troll, the other more human-like. Both of them acted surprised, but again, everyone thought it was just a new act.

"They started talking to each other for a minute. It didn't sound like any language I've ever heard of before, it was like listening to a bunch of high pitched bells. After a little bit, the smaller one turned to the crowd and spoke with the same ringing sound. When no one responded, it started dancing.

"Looking back, I should have known that was some sort of magic, just one that I've never seen before. It wasn't like alchemy or druidism, nothing around it faded. Hel! I've seen sorcery and it didn't even look like that. Anyway, no one really batted an eye when some of the children and adults walked back onto the floor and danced along with it..."

He takes a deep breath and then points over at the blood stain by the fire. "That was where there first victim fell. The troll pulled out a sword when it thought no one was looking. Like the magic though, I've never seen a sword like it before either. It looked like three rapiers braided together, and lightning jumped between the gaps in them. With that sword, it walked up behind a little boy and..."

He pulls his hand back into his lap, holding his mouth shut as though he was going to vomit. "That's all that I saw of the tragedy that I'd like to talk about, but I do remember some stuff from after I hid behind a cart. Mostly screams and the wind howling with some terrible magic, but I think I also heard that dark elf inside the Gnarly Scar (the tavern) getting involved too. I'm pretty sure it was him, because of the size of his hammer. Not many things can make metal that thick crunch as loud as it did, and that hammer would have to be one of them."

Spoiler: OOC

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That's a real shame, I hope everything's fine.

Spoiler: Maria, Toft, and Merome

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It rubs its chin as it considers how to put it, "But of course, the Vheels have managed to kidnyap the Ukki, captain of the... Pal-ah-deens? Is that vhat you call them?" he looks mostly at Toft for confirmation, Yes, it worries us what chey (they) are planning to do with him. He is the enemy of all gremlin tribes, ours included, but the Vheels instead chose to use more energy to capture him instead of kill him. It is worrying and we vish (wish) to rescue him from his captors."

'Maria's' gremlin slowly calms down as she tries to reason with him, even actually listening what the opposing tribe's leader has to say. After the other gremlin is done, he sighs and whispers to Maria, "Ve vill nyeed cheir strength to go on, but chey are vily liars, I chear chey vill betray us." He returns to a normal volume and speaks to the other leader, "On vhat can I say chat you vill stay to your vord and nyot attack us vhen both our mission is done?" (We will need their strength to go on, but they are wily liars, I fear they will betray us. On what can I say that you will stay to your word and not attack us when both our missions are done.)

The other gremlin pauses and motions to the swordsages and some of the other gremlins to talk to him. They all come close together, but they don't say a word or even make their motions secret. In spite of this, it would seem that they are indeed engaged in conversation.

[5ColouredWalker]

Spoiler: Maria, Toft, Merome

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Maria's eyes narrow slightly as she parses the new information. She seems unconcerned at the threat of being turned on.

[DracoDei]

Spoiler: Maria, Toft, Merome

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((Assuming this is, in fact factually correct?))"Yes, Ukki, captain of the Paladins."

[BilltheCynic]

Spoiler: Reaver

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Reaver nods, but otherwise says nothing and simply keeps step beside Ollukka. He notices Ollukka doing something with his hands, but isn't quite sure what. Perhaps silently invoking a spell, or signalling to someone else? Regardless he obviously tried to cover it up, so he doesn't want Reaver to know. Reaver will have to keep a close eye on him.

Spoiler: OOC

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Not even going to both with that Sense Motive check, since even on a Nat 20 Reaver's check would be 18.

Has Reaver ever seen Ollukka before tonight, or heard Miranda mention someone that fits his general description?

[Arch warrior]

Merome keeps looking for someone who needs to be healed.

[LordotTrinkets]

Spoiler: Maria, Toft, and Merome

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The group breaks with a nod and the leader composes himself to speak, "Perhaps you haven't nyoticed the gnome in our group?" it points at Merome, "We realize that chis threat is too great for lesser things and have looked past chem. Our tribes hold great hatred chor each other, but greater is it for chem. Let that stand as proof of our honesty if it must."

The other gremlin leader stares at Merome, contemplating just how valid that statement is. With a sigh, it agrees. "I see nyo other choice chen." it walks forward, using the sword as a crutch, "Che Vheels surely knyow ve are coming nyow. Chow should ve get past chem chen? Chis voman is good at pact vith spirit making, she vill chave to be nyear central pillar to do it."

Spoiler: Translation

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"I see no other choice then. The wheels surely know we are coming now. How should we get past them then? This woman is good at making pacts with spirit, she will have to be near the central pillar to do it."

"Hmm, yes, and she will nyeed a distraction I suppose?" it turns to look at Maria, "And chow much of a distraction do you believe you vill need?"

Spoiler: Note for Merome

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The central pillar likely refers to the group of toothed pillar that is in the very middle of the of the main balance wheel of the gutter-gears.

Spoiler: Reaver

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You and Oliukka exit the dwarves' districts and enter the estate park. The house that Ollukka enters is much smaller than most of the other manors, but still quite large compared to the usual city home (think along the lines of a modern two-story home). A few statues of various animals, but a larger emphasis seems to be put on bears with the design of things. Not only are both the gate and front door decorated with the design of a bear's head, the largest painting in the main hall is an elderbear. It is hard to see very much detail of it by the candle Ollukka lights when inside, but it is placed on the wall opposite the entrance.

"Let's see, the southern wing has room to spare at the moment. Just down this right corridor and at the end, there will be a discreet door. That will be where you may sleep for the night." he rubs the back of his head as he looks down at your armor, "Might I accommodate you with a nightshirt? I'm sure your clothing must be wet and uncomfortable by now, even with that armor covering it."

Spoiler: OOC

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No, Miranda has not made any commentary about someone like him.

Also, just so I can make sure I didn't forget to say this earlier, a elderbear is a magical creature resembling a bear, but with a bald head and a pattern of grey fur on its chest that resemble a beard. Their skin is too durable to be broken by physical attacks and they are hunted for that quality.

Spoiler: Aava

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After a long and awkward pause, Juhani finally speaks again with a blend of curiosity and minor distress, "I can't help but wonder why all this happened. Are they some kind of judgment? Did some dwarf lose control of an experiment? There's just no sense in it, it feels so random."

[5ColouredWalker]

Spoiler: Maria, Toft, Merome

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Maria tilts her head slightly, before looking up.

"Unfortunately, such depends greatly on the spirit I'm bargaining with. I can whisper with alley rats while being as visible as the air, yet to talk to the storm I must stand in the open and scream to the skies... I'm thinking though, being a mechanism, I may have to remain visible after contact, but I might be able to speak to it quietly once I have it's attention...
I should have it's attention in under thirty seconds. Bargaining however can take some time, however given how dangerous the area is, I will first bargain to speak with it without being seen... A minute of distraction should be all I need, if the danger remains too great after that then any distraction would likely prove to costly...
Yes. A minute should do."
Maria looks to the Gremlin that brought her down here.
"However, if I'm going to be bargaining alone, I need to be willing to know what you are willing to loose, and what you want in as great detail as possible, that I can deal as close to your desires as possible."

[BilltheCynic]

Spoiler: Reaver

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Reaver turns to Ollukka. Thank you for the offer, but I am afraid I must decline. I have become accustomed to resting fully armored; it has saved me more than once from an ambush, and allowed me to effectively respond to rapidly developing hostile situations. My attire has been enchanted in a way that makes this comfortable, as well as obviating the need for changing dirty clothing.

Reaver pauses for a moment, then adds, I hope you do not take this as suspicion or hostility towards you. Rather, my life experiences and magical enchantments have rendered this the preferred and most comfortable option for me.

[Arch warrior]

Merome looks at the two gremlin next to him and ask, "Why are your leaders looking at me like that?"

[DontEvenAsk]

Aava sighs. Humans. Always so intent on things making sense.

"It probably is random," she says. "The world isn't kind. People are. At times like this, you have to make your own order." Or make do with none at all, she adds in her head. Like me.

She combs her hair a little with her hands to take her mind off the silence and reviews the area from where she sits, fitting the things she sees into what Juhani's told her. Her eyes narrow. A new kind of magic... interesting.

She turns back to Juhani. "Thank you for telling me. I know this must be difficult for you." Then she looks back at the wreckage, but without really seeing it. Her face is pensive. "I think I'll find whoever's responsible. Give them a little something to think about." She bobs her head with a little laugh. "They did nearly ruin my holiday, after all." She gives Juhani a knowing little smile to make it clear she's joking.

To Aava, this mystery sounds like fun. Terrifying fun... but with a career like hers, what's a girl to do?

[DracoDei]

Toft does not entirely understand what is going on, and thus allows those who are in the know to figure things out. He does pay careful attention, trying to gain a better understanding of the risks involved.

[LordotTrinkets]

Spoiler: Maria, Toft, Merome

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The gremlin Merome speaks to just stares back at him, and after a blink it slowly turns away.

After hearing what he needed to hear, the blue one nods and turns to Merome, "We nyeed a distraction, it will be for both them and us. You may make it as destructive as you vish, so long as you do not hurt any of my soldiers. Now, Toft, I expect chem to have Ukki guarded well. If you do nyot mind me giving you orders, I vould rather you help your gnome friend vith the distracting, but you may need to chelp with fighting them more directly. Use your best judgment."

The gremlin that wants the pact clarifies for you, "Ve vant chor the vheel to the Vheels nyot give its power chor at least vone veek. If it nyot allow chat, chen chor us to give our king, Kolol, some of its strength chor che same amount of time. Kolol chimself and chis chamily chas prepared to serve it chor as long as it demands, even beyond death. Che rest of our tribe, chive-chousand in nyumber, can serve it chor as long as chour months vichout runnying out of chood. As I said bechore, all of us are prepared to pay."

Spoiler: Translation

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We want for the wheel to not give its power to the Wheels for at least one week. If it won't allow that, then we want for it to give our king, Kolol, some of its strength for the same amount of time. Kolol has prepared himself and his family to serve it for as long as it demands, even beyond death. The rest of our tribe, five-thousand in number, can serve it for as long as four months without running out of food. As I said before, all of us are prepared to pay."

Spoiler: Reaver

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Ollukka nods, "Very well then." he thens leads you to the doorway he spoke of. It is indeed a discreet doorway, as it is in the corner and concealed by a curtain. Part of why it was so easily hidden is because it appears to be a naturally dark color of wood finished with black polish. Ollukka speaks to you in a whisper, as to not disturb anyone behind the door, "I will remain awake for a short while longer, I would like to check if my apprentice has yet returned and will stay up for perhaps an hour longer if she has not returned. If you need anything, you will find me in the main study, which is back down the hall and through that door with the elderbear mural over it. If I am not there, it will have to wait until tomorrow, I'm afraid."

Spoiler: If you enter the dormitory

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As you enter through, you notice that the door is also very thin, you have to walk sideways in order to get through and a normal sized organic would probably have to as well. Inside are seven beds, each one with a second bed stacked on top. Only six people are asleep in here, leaving most of the other beds open.

Spoiler: Aava

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Juhani nods and laughs along, "No, thank you for that and I suppose you're right. While I'm not sure if I can tell you anything else or speak on behalf of my corp, you have my help for however I can." He looks back at you with a renewed fire in his eyes and he holds the doll in a fist and holds it five inches away from his head, "For a job to be done well!"

Spoiler: DC 15 listen

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From a pile of trashed trinkets comes a discord of noises. Though it's very faint and muffled, a sound like the shush of rain rises from the pile. It's not completely like rain though, it's sharper and coarser. Then comes a quick burst of different noise, a low and distorted whine, like a dog that just had a paw lopped off.

[Arch warrior]

"Oh. Distracting the gremlins who want me dead sounds like fun!"

"Don't worry, he'll find a way to keep there attention for a good while. I still don't now how he made that statue explode into whipped cream?"

[5ColouredWalker]

Maria nods.
"I'll do my best to ensure the bargain is made."

[DracoDei]

"Well, at the end of the day I am mostly good at hitting things with various other things and getting into interesting places to hit things from. I suppose that you mean I should find expensive, rather than living things, and/or find distracting places to hit people to hit rather than going for attrition? Any of those would be fine with me, but if I'm to use my judgement I'd probably have to know a bit more about the specific terrain involved." replies Toft.

[BilltheCynic]

Spoiler: Reaver

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Reaver nods and steps into the dormitory. He walks relatively quietly so as not to wake anyone. He chooses a bed on the far side of the room and cautiously tests the bed. If it looks like it can support his weight, he will lie on it. If not, he will sit on the floor. Either way, he will have his scythe in one hand and a vial of aboleth mucus in the other.

As tempting as it is to kill all of these defenseless organics in their sleep, right now Reaver does not want to make a scene. Besides, he has a feeling that there are large events going on around him, and thinks this Ollukka might be the key to some answers...and a part in the action

Spoiler: OOC

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Ready an action: if anyone attacks Reaver, he will smash the vial onto his scythe.