Night Below (IC)

[Xihirli]

"Strange question..." Gorb mutters, then looks around.
"I remember him." He points at the halfling that had died at the start of the encounter.
"He wanted to talk to me about representing his group to some orcs."

[Lentrax]

What orcs? Do you know anything about them?

[Xihirli]

“Blood... something. All the tribes have ‘blood’ in the name.” Gorb jostles the halfling corpse just as the other two slavers are getting up themselves.
“What killed–?” Gorb begins, but the living halfling interrupts him with “CASWELL!” He runs to his dead kinsman and clutches the body near to him.

[BobMacBobson]

A shudder runs down Emrig's spine. "Mirafa, if one o' these things gets inside me, and we haven't found a way to take it out by then, put me down, y'hear? Don't want my mind scrambled like these fellas." As he speaks he still keeps a watchful eye out for movement down the tunnel.

[Lentrax]

Mira does nothing to stop the halfling from reaching for the other. I am truly sorry for your loss, friend. But... Mira gestures to the human.

I have some bad news for you. Your friend here? I don’t know how long you knew him, but for the last stretch of his life, he really wasn’t himself at all.

She gestures to the brain thing.

This thing killed him and took up residence in his skull, using him as a puppet to further the ambitions of its own masters.

[Xihirli]

"I..." the halfing shakes his head and keeps staring at Calgar.
The remaining human explains; "this is a lot to take in. But... masters? Who are they?"

[Lentrax]

No idea. All we have to go so far is “squid-faces.” That mean anything to you?

[Xihirli]

"Well, of course. There was... uh..." the human clutches his head, grunting in pain.
"I thought... I... sorry, I could have sworn I knew something about that."

[Ricky S]

Liara gasps in horror as the evnts unfold in front of the party.

"The depths of the invasion of these creatures knows no bounds. I am unsure of how to proceed. We clearly need to stop them but how prepared are we all? Can we venture deeper without proper supplies?

Could we parley with the orcs perhaps? 30 sounds like a lot to take on"

[Lentrax]

More than thirty. Thirty was just the number for the warriors on the surface. And that’s assuming they were telling the truth before, when that thing could still apparently somewhat control their actions.

[ProudGrognard]

Avaris

"I think you are correct. We can't deal with an organized warrior clan all by ourselves. Especially if they have help by these creatures and their tentacled, as far as I can, masters.

Perhaps it is time to heed the words of the disembodied message we found earlier and try finding Tauster. And deliver these to justice."

[Xihirli]

The human and half-orc wrinkle their brows in confusion as the proposition that they be brought to justice.
Just as one is about to speak, the living halfling coughs for attention.
"Would you happen to know why Caswell has someone else's family memento?" he lifts up a gilded amulet with a J emblazoned on one end. On the other side, there is a small print of Haldelar and Parella.

[Lentrax]

Do you not know what you’ve been doing down here?

[Xihirli]

The three remaining slavers glance about as though there might be a clue about.
"Uh..." the human starts.
"Is this Garlstone Mine?" the halfling asks.
"Wasn't this place abandoned?"

[Lentrax]

Damn, Mira whispers.

She nudges the dead human.

Look. This one had this thing inside your head. We’ve fought a couple others, and some of them tried to get into our heads. They must have some kind of ability to control others, because less than five minutes ago, you were all avowed slavers, selling captives to the orcs.

[Xihirli]

"Slander," the halfling insists while the human grows more confused and the half-orc shrugs.
"Makes sense."

[Lentrax]

Mirafa points to the necklace.

If you don't know whose that is, we will take it. It was probably one of your victims. I think we should also take you to see the wizard, Tauster. He might be able to help you remember some of what happened to you. What say you?

[Xihirli]

They all speak at roughly the same time.
Gorb: “Memories are cheap. I’ll make new ones.”
Human: “I’m mostly just very afraid and want to go very far away.”
Halfling: “I’ll go with you.”

[BobMacBobson]

Emrig looks to his companions. "So we fall back for now, take these poor buggers with us?" He sheathes his weapon before going on. "I hope the mage knows more about these things."

[Ricky S]

A shudder runs through Liara's body as she thinks of the creatures mind controlling the three, "Yes I wouldnt be lying if I said I would be happy to leave this place for the moment.

Perhaps Tauster can help us decipher the problems we face"

Liara moves close to Mirafa and whispers in her ear "Do we know for sure that they arent still being mind controlled?"

[Lentrax]

Yes. I think leaving would be best.

She gives her head a half shake when Liara asks her about mind control.

I don’t. she whispers back.

[ProudGrognard]

Avaris

Avaris, his eyes on the prisoners, also shakes his head negatively, his eyes thoughtful.

[Xihirli]

The slavers are bound and brought out of the caverns. Before you you see the trail you used to get here, which would take you back by Milborne on the way to Thurmaster. However, Emrig can also see a path* toward the furthest visible point of the river, skipping over this stop.

Spoiler: *

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Not so much an intentional trail but easily passable unless you're using a cart.

Which way will you go?

[BobMacBobson]

"There's a trail up ahead, might help us get to Thurmaster sooner; 'course, headin' to town first might be the safer way to go, things bein' as they are."

[Ricky S]

Liara walks with purpose, happy to be out in the open air again, "I think we should skip the town altogether, apart from the three of you I do not know who we can trust not to be controlled.

We can take the path and hopefully Tauster will be under his own cognition and furthermore able to help us."

[Xihirli]

As you make your journey to Thurmaster you inevitably begin to walk alongside the Churnett River. Your prisoners are reluctant but do not view themselves to be in any immediate danger, and so are not much trouble. At one point the human groans and Gorb assures him that "it will end once we reach Thurmaster."

You soon catch up to a dwarf leading a donkey along the riverside path. He turns around and sees the three prisoners you are bringing along and urges his donkey into a faster pace. He is speeding up to stay ahead of you.

Spoiler: Perception DC 12

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You only saw his face for a split second, but it is one similar to a drow's. This is a Duergar.

[BobMacBobson]

As Emrig notices the figure, and recognizes them to be a dwarf, he calls out in their tongue. "Wait up, kinsman! We mean you no harm."

[Xihirli]

He continues to move along until he runs by a duck pond, and then his donkey rips itself out of his grasp and canters into the duck pond. The now-apparent duergar stares back at you all, but seems unwilling to leave his donkey to her own devices as she splashes through the duck pond, the birds following her around or landing on her rump.
He waits for you to approach, but says nothing.

[Ricky S]

Liara moves closer to the dwarf, hands raised in what could be percieved to be a non threatening gesture but also allows free movement to cast spells.

"Greetings, what brings you these parts? I am Liara and these are my fellow companions, the prisoners we keep are being held for their own safety"

[Xihirli]

"I still don't understand why," the human grumbles.

The duergar relaxes slightly - slightly.
"Erm... 'm just a peddl'r, trav'ling m' usual route."