The Land of the Dwarves
(The Real World)
As the scene turns back to the table, we find Lori and her group appearing rather tense while the Game Masters went about describing the next scene. "For what feels like ages, you walk further and further on down the tunnel" Mrs. Johnson explained in her Agathe voice, "your only means of light coming from that of Ventris' illuminated palm." The moment this was said, Lynn Sr. gave a signal over to Mrs. Bernardo; who then made her way towards what looked like a light switch.
As it turns out, it was actually a dimmer switch and upon lowering it ever so slightly, the room suddenly darkened. This sudden change in atmosphere caused not only lil' Lily to feel uneasy, but also the Twins, Lisa and even Leni. "Normally, I rather like a sudden darkness falling over" Lucy murmured, "but...might I ask why Mrs. B turned down the lights?"
As if expecting to be asked this question, the Council said they wanted to help "set the proper mood" for the next part of their game. "Well...the dim lights literally do a good job at making us feel like we're in someplace dark" Lori muttered, "but how much longer do we have to keep going through the tunnel before we reach the end?"
Instead of answering his daughter's question proper, Lynn Sr only smiled giddily and replied with two simple words... "you'll see." Following this, he asked her to make sure her character has her light going. "Why would you say that" Leni murmured fearfully, "are we going to meet up any...m-m-monsters in the tunnel?" Once again, Lynn Sr. and his fellow Game Masters replied simply with the words "you'll see."
Sadly, this did little to help ease everyone's anxiety or their impatience; which seemed to be growing higher with each passing minute. As if sensing this, Albert smiled broadly under his hood and urged for someone to "cue the music." "If you're looking for music, best ask Luna...er, the Lady Spring-Stepper with help on that" Luan murmured, "I can't make heads or tails on how to play my mandolin."
Upon hearing her daughter's words, Rita briefly went into "Normal Mode" for a second and offered up alternatives for her character's instrument of choice. Her first options were conventional Medieval/Renaissance era style instruments like the lute, the pan flute, the dulcimer and even bagpipes. "Well...bagpipes sound more like Dad's thing" Luan said matter-of-factly, "but I do know how to play the keyboard...is there anything like that in the game?"
Almost immediately, everyone at the table (save for the other Loud Sisters) came up with the same idea. At the same time, Huggins reached under his robe and started fishing about the pockets of his pants (yes, they did where their normal clothes underneath.) After finding it, he did a quick internet search and found what he believed to be the perfect instrument for Luan's character; a Hurdy-Gurdy.
"What the rooty-toot's a Hurdy-Gurdy" she muttered in confusion, "follow-up question, what kind of name is that for an instrument?" In response, Huggins passed his phone down to the player closest to Luan; namely Stella. She showed her a pic of the instrument and went on to explain that while it looked like a violin, it was played differently.
"See those little keyboard keys near the strings there" she inquired while pointing at the phone's screen, "each key does something to the strings, which helps create the necessary music notes." Although she never called herself a music expert (that was more Luna's department,) Luan seemed to understand Stella's explanation pretty easily. However, two other questions remained; could these kinds of instruments exist in the world of D and where might her character keep one?
"That's the beauty of D , kiddo...there's no set timeline for the setting" Lynn. Sr said giddily, "even in the medieval-style world our campaign's in, you'll find things from any century here!" Sadly, her father's words seemed to do little in easing Luan's concerns. But before she had a chance to speak, Rita quickly chimed in; saying that Mituna had the perfect place to keep a Hurdy-Gurdy...in her shell.
"Really...I can actually do that" questioned Luan, "wow, wish I had a big shell like hers to help carry all my schoolbooks." Much to the young comedienne's surprise, everyone broke out in laughter over her statement; which caused her to smile. But due to the turtle beak mask covering her face, no one noticed it. Suddenly, there was a loud thumping sound from nearby; which turned out to only be Mrs. Bernardo thumping her staff on the floor.
"I do not wish to make offense, everyone" she stated, "but we mustn't dilly-dally for long, if we are to get things done." Realizing that the drama teacher had a point, everyone collected themselves and got back to business. First, it was decided that Luan's official bard instrument for Mituna would be the Hurdy-Gurdy; which Luan agreed to.
Next, Albert once more brought up his wish for music to be played. This would help in providing the proper atmosphere for the scene. "Uh...Are you sure about that, Pop-Pop" murmured Luan, "Luna's the more musically inclined one in our family." The other Loud Siblings chattered softly in agreement, while also mentioning past failures at their own attempts at instruments.
Surprisingly, Albert and the rest of the Council expected this sort of reaction from Luan; realizing that they might've put too much pressure in wanting her to play the Hurdy-Gurdy. So, rather than have her play it in real-time, they decided to use musical samples from the internet via their cellphones. "Yeah...Yeah, I think I can work with that" Luan stated, "so, what do we do next?"
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized they had allowed themselves to be momentarily distracted from the quest at hand. Not wanting to dilly-dally for much longer, Huggins brought things back on track by playing some appropriate background music through his phone. It started out soft and elegant, at first but quickly took a turn the moment everybody heard the chanting.
"EWW! This stuff sounds creepier than the organ music Lucy listens to" Lola cried in disgust, "can't we play something peppier?" As if expecting to hear such a "request," the Council quickly dismissed it; claiming that anything "peppy" would disrupt the mood of the scene. "What manner of human language is this chant anyway" inquired Lisa, "it certainly doesn't sound like anything I'm familiar with."
Upon hearing the young lady's words, Lincoln and his small group of guy friends couldn't help but giggle softly. This only seemed to make his sisters all the more confused. But before any of them could speak up, Mrs. Johnson quickly went into "Business Mode" and reassumed her Agathe role.
"You continue to traverse deeper and deeper into the tunnel's path" she said in a monotone voice, "at the same time, the glow of magic in Ventris' hand starts to weaken." This sudden news caused Lori's group to feel rather on edge, especially the wee ones for none of them liked the idea of being in the dark (except for Lucy.) The Party walked further and further down through the tunnel, as the Council said until finally, they ran into a dead end.
"And when we say you ran into it, I mean you all literally ran into what felt like a brick wall" Albert quipped jokingly, "like how you trip over your toys when the power goes out." Yet again, the players all shared a bit of a laugh before things went back to being ominous once more. It was here that Rita revealed that it wasn't actually a wall they hit...but a door. "What the what right now" Lynn exclaimed, "how can there be a door several miles underground?"
The moment she presented her question, Lynn suddenly heard the sounds of not only her brother giggling but also his friends and even her Pop-Pop. Now, thanks to her classes in Anger Management, she had learned not to be so easily irritated by such a situation. But given that this giggling was happening right after she had asked a legitimate question, Lynn couldn't help but feel annoyed.
The Council quickly noticed her flaring cheeks, however and quickly called for peace. "Calm yourself, LJ...they're not laughing at you" Lynn Sr. assured, "they're just giggly because they're feeling excited." While this explanation did make sense and it did douse Junior's anger a little, she still felt confused and demanded some answers immediately.
"We're all getting to that, dearie" Mrs. Johnson assured, "just let the boys put their game faces on first...and let your sister make her turn." Before Lynn had the chance to ask which sister would be going next, the Council called for Lori to stand up. Feeling understandably confused; she asked what purpose she might serve in a literal dead-end situation.
"Right, right...sorry about that, sweetie" Rita said apologetically, "see, the door in front of you is covered with all sorts of odd symbols and inscriptions on the stonework." After this, she explained that these scribbles (as her daughters chose to call them, after hearing the reveal) were actually a form of ancient language. It was here that the rest of the Council revealed how some classes and races in the game had knowledge of said languages.
"As a Mage, you are able to read other dialects from all over the world" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "such a skill is found in your Comprehend Languages skill on your sheet." After taking a moment to process all this, Lori took a glance at her Character Sheet and spotted the very skill Principal Huggins referenced. At the same time, she also saw that it required an Ability Check dice roll; mainly for the fact that the language written on the door wasn't one known to elves.
"Okay...So, I roll the dice and then what" she asked, "does whatever number I get tell me if I can read or not?" Without missing a beat, the Council glanced her way and answered with a simultaneous "yes." Although the response wasn't quite what she expected, Lori still felt satisfied and prepared to take her turn.
She picked up her D20, clasped it firmly between her hands and shook it wildly. When she sent it flying, it stopped barely halfway across the table; just at the sport where Lucy sat. "Hold on, lemme give it a look" she murmured while pulling down her hood, "the dice says...8." This reveal not only caused Lori to cry out in dismay but also other players as well, who all felt that she got a bad roll.
Meanwhile, the Council explained that the low dice roll meant that Ventris would be reading the so closely, it was as if she was either close to touching the stonework with her nose or she were running her fingers along the carvings; as if she were reading braille. "But just as you start to get some understanding of the writing, you hear a rumble" Lynn Sr. exclaimed, "as if something were moving!"
Upon hearing this, the first reaction Lori's group had was the thought of having possibly touched a trap door trigger. But Lori quickly dismissed the idea, insisting that there wouldn't be a need for traps this deep underground. "Don't be so sure, young mage" Mrs. Johnson said wily in her character's voice, "in the realm of D , many things are possible."
After this, Huggins (while as Fastred) revealed that it was actually the stone door that was moving but it wasn't due to Lori's character touching it. Rather, it was actually being opened from the inside...by someone else. "As the door slides further in, you see a diminutive silhouette standing before you" explained Huggins, "the figure appears small, almost a child's height...yet even while in shadow, you catch what looks like the fullness of a beard on them."
The moment the girls heard mention of the figure having a beard, all their attention was soon focused upon Lincoln and his guy friends; all of whom sported rather thick fake beards upon their faces. This in combination with the song they heard them sing way back when this first started gave Lori's group just the idea of where they might be. But before any one of them could speak up about the matter, the Council quickly stopped them.
"Liam...now, I believe is your time to shine" Mrs. Johnson said with a broad smile, "how do you want to do this?" In spite of himself, the young bumpkin in question couldn't help but hoot and holler with excitement; which Mrs. Johnson found endearing. Seconds later, though, he quickly calmed down and put his "Game Face" on (or Game Beard.)
"With my trusty spear in hand, I stick my head through the openin' and shout 'what do ye think you're doin'" exclaimed Liam with some form an odd accent, "how dare ye read from our sacred door?!" After making his first line, Liam's ears rang with the sounds of stifled giggling; most of which was coming from the Loud Sisters. But rather than take offense, he simply brushed it off; claiming he had no intention of sounding like "some fancy city folk actor."
"Right...Right, sorry about that" giggled Rita, "so...what else do you *ahem* what else do you do or say here?" Without missing a beat, Liam went on to describe how his character decided to take a moment's observation of the Party to see if they were hostiles. When his eyes soon fell upon Lori's character, though...his mood became even more apprehensive.
"I soon notice one of 'em is an elf lady" Liam stated, "I gasp in shock, jab my spear at her and shout 'hands up in the air; ye filthy, stinkin' elf!'" Whether it was the tone in the boy's voice, the sudden show of hostility from him in general or the fact he called her dirty; Lori almost took great offense to it. So much so, she came close to wanting to punch him in the nose.
But then, she reminded herself that this was just all part of the game and quickly calmed down. "Seriously, though; what's up with calling our sister dirty" Lola interjected, "if any one of our sisters is that, it's Lana and Lynn." Just as both sisters in question were about to chastise their sibling, the Council quickly stopped them; reminding them that this was all part of the game.
It was here that the Council explained how for centuries, elves and dwarves harbored...not so much of a hatred towards one another. Rather, it was something more along the lines of a slight animosity between them. "The main idea for elves and dwarves disliking one another comes mainly from the works of J. R. R. Tolkien" Principal Huggins explained, "but in Dungeons & Dragons, no such rivalry exists...lest the players choose to create one themselves."
In response to this, Liam explained how his people grew to dislike the elves aboveground for the fact they seemed to have a disdain for how dwarves lived. According to him; Dwarves were an industrious, hardworking lot dedicated to their crafts and skills at stonework. In the Elves eyes, meanwhile, they believed Dwarves focused too greatly on pilfering the earth of its riches purely for their own gain.
"Not to mention the fact that Elves are often snobby towards us" Rusty exclaimed in his normal voice, "always talkin' about how dwarves disrespect nature and stuff like that!" After taking a moment to let all of this sink in, Lori suddenly had some understanding as to why her character's people and the dwarven peoples didn't see eye-to-eye. Meanwhile, here sisters found themselves wondering if their characters were okay in Liam's eyes?
"Eh? Oh...well, ma'am; I can't quite say" Liam replied, "Dwarves spend so much time underground, they don't really speak to other folks that often." Lola suddenly found herself grimacing with horror, dreading the idea of having to live underground. Meanwhile, Lucy thought the isolation and darkness of such depths would be a welcomed place for a "child of the shadows" like her.
(Line Break)
"You quickly take up your arms, ready to defend yourselves; should the dwarf make an attack against you" Rita explained while using her Eliana voice, "but your bodies still ache with fatigue from your time battling in the arena." Without delay, she added that such circumstances would make fighting all the more difficult for them despite the fact their party held a number advantage.
With all of this in mind, Lori and her group agreed that they had only one choice to make...they had to surrender. "The dwarven warrior smiles smugly in victory, turns his head towards the open door and gives a shrill whistle" Lynn Sr. explained, "to which four guards swiftly arrive on the scene, each one holding shackles in their hands."
The girls all groaned loudly with displeasure at this news, thinking realizing that this was the second time they were all taken prisoner. Upon thinking this, Leni suddenly made the comment about experiencing a sense of deja vu. No one disagreed with her, surprisingly but they felt this was a bad time to say such a thing.
(The Game World)
"Keep it movin', you" the dwarf warrior ordered, "and don't count on your elf friend's magic to save ye, the runes on those chains will put a stop to that." Curious, Ventris cast a glance down at her shackles and caught sight of the very inscriptions etched into the metal. This meant that if she were to attempt even the smallest spell, it would either be negated or she might suffer great harm.
She glanced over her shoulder, braving a look at the others and saw that they had similar bindings as well. Meanwhile, one of the dwarf guards had placed Lupa inside of a small cage; one no bigger than a small treasure box. Ventris' heart ached every time she heard the little pup whimper with fear.
"Is all this necessary...really" Ventris asked vehemently, "I told you before, we are not your enemies!" Much to her dismay, her words fell on deaf ears and the guards proceeded to jab their spear points slightly up against the Party's backs (or for Mituna, they jabbed them at her legs.) The lead warrior, whose name they had yet to learn, gruffly told them to hold their tongues; lest they risk having them removed.
In time, he led them all through another large gate; one made of fine lumber and decorated with a vast array of stunning gemstones. Upon passing through, several more dwarves greeted the warrior with a salute; all while addressing him as General. "'General'...you're the commanding officer of these louts" Ursa inquired indignantly, "we just assumed you were some sort of Dwarven brawler."
The lead dwarf, offended by such words, swung his spear swiftly past the Tabaxi rogue; just barely missing her face. For a moment, Ursa felt like mocking the warrior for his supposed sloppy display until she noticed two of her whiskers clip off her nose and float down to the floor.
This sudden show of force, while nonlethal, was more than enough to silence Ursa. "Be thankful I missed your nose, feline" the dwarf growled, "when we enter the city, I can't promise my king will be so lenient with ya." With that, he urged his troops to resume moving the prisoners along; which they happily obeyed.
(Line Break)
"UGH! Gods above...how much longer must we keep walking" groaned Ezra, "between the aches in my joints and those from the stab wounds, I feel close to keeling over!" No sooner had this been said, a dwarf guard assured the Party that they were almost home. Meanwhile, another made the grim jest of saying that whatever pain they felt would pale in comparison to what their king might have in store.
"You lot should feel thankful" said the dwarf warrior, "you're the first outsiders to ever come to our domain." In some small ways, Ventris couldn't help but pity the isolated lives of these dwarves but she couldn't tell if they chose to live this way or if it was for their own safety. Meanwhile, her associates either feared for their own well-being or slung a series of obscenities at their captors for their unjust treatment.
In time, they reached the final stone gateway and as the doors slowly pushed open, the Party was met with an astonishing sight. Before them stood numerous buildings made from iron and stone, above them were what looked like a series of stone walkways that stretched across the cavern. These walkways were connected to magnificent stone columns that appeared to be centuries old, as evident by the small areas of chipped stonework.
Massive statues as tall as houses could be seen stationed at far corners of the area and the sounds of picks clacking against stone seemed to echo every which way. Meanwhile, numerous dwarven peoples could be seen all around the city; engaging in daily duties or laughing merrily among comrades with mugs of frothy ale in hand. If circumstances were different, the Adventuring Party would surely feel in awe of such majesty.
But at the moment, they could only think about what sort of fat awaited them. "You might strike me for saying this, everyone" murmured Ezra, "but I much prefer to be back in that blasted arena than this place." Upon hearing such words from her brother, Ursa desired to give him a firm slap to his whiskers until she remembered the shackles strapped to her wrists.
So, instead; she raised her tail up slightly and slapped it roughly across his right cheek.
(The Real World)
"SHENANIGANS! I CALL SHENANIGANS RIGHT HERE" cried Lana loudly, "Lola...er, Ursa can't hit me with her tail like that, right?!" Without a second thought or a moment's pause, the Council quickly denied Lana's cries; proclaiming that as long as there were no restraints holding Ursa's tail down, it was free to move however Lola wanted. This caused the young lady in question to playfully stick her tongue out at her twin, all while giving a muffled "nyah-nyah."
Thinking quickly, the Council (thanks in part to Lynn Sr.) put a swift end to the Twins' behavior and brought things back on track. It was here that the "storytelling baton" was passed over to Principal Huggins, who looked rather eager to begin. "Eventually, you are all brought before a magnificent castle" he explained while in character, "which seems to have been built out of the very stonework of the mountain itself."
As the Council of Game Masters went into their spiel about the castle's design and the beauty of its architecture, Lori seemed indifferent to it all. In her mind, she found herself questioning the Dwarves' obsession with building things from stone. Coincidentally, her younger sisters appeared to be on the same page but in a way where they actually seemed more invested than she was.
"This may seem like a silly question to everyone" Lucy murmured while raising her hand, "but what is this odd fascination with Dwarves and making things from stone?" Much to the young Goth Girl's surprise, it was her brother, Lincoln who responded to her inquiry; not the Council. With the giddiest of giggles; he explained how in some stories, Dwarves were (quite literally) born from the very stone of the earth.
"Ooh, ooh! Linc, tell him about the stuff we learned in Mr. Matthews' class before vacay started" Zach interrupted, "about how in the Norse Lands, Dwarves started out as maggots that sprung out from the body of a giant!" This statement, as expected, created quite a unique reaction from nearly everyone at the table. Some like Lincoln, Clyde and especially Lynn Sr. all cringed/grimaced loudly with disgust (or fainted.)
Others like Silas and Haiku were fascinated by such a unique factoid (albeit morbidly so.) Meanwhile, the Loud Sisters themselves (with the exception of Lucy) not only felt a combination of their reactions but also demanded to know how it was connected with the game itself. "All we're sayin', Miss Lori, is that Dwarves have some mighty interestin' stories behind their creation" Liam explained, "in this case, they were born from the stone of mountains."
While this explanation only seemed to make the girls even more confused than before; the chose to be respectable and nodded, regardless. It was here that the Council (more specifically Rita) decided to offer up a more in-depth description of dwarves and their society. "In things like Dungeons & Dragons, the works of Tolkien and...just about any form of fantasy media, Dwarves have been praised for two things" Principal Huggins said dramatically, "their masterful forging skills and their love for finding treasure."
Upon hearing mention of the latter example of his character's culture, Clyde chimed in; revealing that dwarves were known to spend days deep in their mountains, mining and forging. "UGH! Sounds like a drab life to live" Lola grimaced, "not to mention dirty." She followed this by saying that so much exposure to dirt, dust and other "unsavory" elements must've been murder for a dwarf's skin.
"So sorry to tell ya this, lil' miss" Liam chuckled, "but us dwarves ain't been known for bein' prim and clean like other critters." As expected, the country bumpkin's words caused nearly every one of the Loud Sisters to cringe and writhe with the utmost contempt. Only Lucy, Lana, Lisa and Lily appeared to be unfazed by it all (but for different reasons.)
Meanwhile, Clyde called for their attention and revealed that dwarves actually did bathe themselves...but only when it was necessary. "Er...with all due respect, everyone" Lisa interjected softly, "we are becoming momentarily distracted from the session at hand. Might I suggest we get back to it?" Every player at the table realized that she raised a valid point and, with the aid of the Game Masters Council, returned to the game.
"You are led through the front gates of the castle, where you are soon greeted by another dwarf on the other side" Lynn explained in his Acheron voice, "on that note...Lincoln, would you care to describe your character for us?" With a broad smile across his lips and a giggle in his throat, Lincoln quickly adjusted every part of his costume and proceeded to get right into character. It was here that the Loud Sisters were introduced to a Leoric Strongjaw, who was described as the "trusted archmage" of his king's court.
"Well...technically speaking, he's a combo Sorcerer/Warrior Monk" confessed Lincoln, "but he was chosen to wear the title of archmage for his mystical prowess." While many at the table "ooh'ed and ah'ed" at his words, Lori couldn't help but giggle softly at her brother. But surprisingly, these giggles were only done partially out of spite; the other half couldn't help but find Lincoln's performance adorable.
"It literally figures" she thought to herself with a small outward grin, "given his love for magic, a half-sorcerer character seems just right for Linc." When asked what Leoric Strongjaw looked like, the Loud boy not only provided a thorough verbal description but he also showed off his design for him on his character sheet. "To start; he's got a long, white beard that hangs down to his chest" Lincoln explained emphatically while making gestures, "his hair is also white and done up in a warrior topknot like a Samurai warrior's.
For Leoric's outfit, Lincoln gave him something he called a kasaya robe; which he revealed to actually be the same robes the Shaolin Monks wore. He claimed he got the idea from Gertie, Becky and Paige's grandmother, after hearing stories of her training with the monks years ago. "I dunno...something about a monk using magic just sounded like a cool combination to me" Lincoln stated, "don't you think?"
While many players at the table openly professed their agreement on the boy's words; not too far away, both Becky and Paige couldn't help but feel touched by what he said. They also made a note to bring this up to her, the next time they speak with their granny.
(The Game World)
As the gates swung open wide, the Party was roughly shoved through; where they landed unceremoniously upon the ground and each other. Each of them groaned softly with mild discomfort, while also cursing their captors in their individual dialects. Alas, they had little time to gripe; as the Dwarf guards collected their prisoners off the ground and resumed pushing them forward.
"Don't dawdle, you lot" growled the Dwarven sorcerer, "His Lordship does not like to be kept waiting!" With a wave of his hand, the sorcerer summoned a small red orb behind the Party members; thinking it would help "light a fire under them" to get them moving. For the likes of the Tabaxi Twins, they felt exactly that when they felt the orb's heat against their tails.
The first one to react was Ezra, who let out an ear-splitting yowl and gave a mad dash forward. "CONFOUND IT...You overdid it again with your spell-work, Leoric" grumbled a dwarf with a metallic arm, "how are we supposed to catch him?!" As if Fate had overheard this; Ezra, while madly flailing it about from side-to-side, failed to notice his tail swooping down towards his ankles.
In time, he accidentally tripped over himself and fell (once again) upon the floor in an unceremonious manner. With a weary groan, the young druid tried his best to position himself appropriately while shackled still. But then, his ears twitched at the sounds of someone clearing their throat gruffly and with great impatience in their voice.
As best as he were able, Ezra craned his head upwards to find an aged dwarf seated before him on a grand throne. He had a thick musculature despite his years, was dressed in a suit of gleaming silver armor, wore a crown of fine obsidian atop his head, possessed a beard as thick and white as the snow and at his right side, sat a magnificent stone war-hammer.
"This chap must be the leader of these dwarves" Ezra thought to himself, "grand...freed ourselves from one ruler's captivity and came right back into the arms of another." In time, the rest of his comrades joined Ezra upon the floor and the guards proceeded to forcefully shove their heads low in acquiescence to the supposed king. Meanwhile, one of the guards (a dark dwarf dressed in a cleric's vestments) approached the elder dwarf's throne and gave a gracious bow.
As the Party observed the dwarf upon his throne more closely, they found themselves trembling lightly. He was so still, so quiet that it seemed as though he were a fixture upon the stone seat. "A thousand apologies for disturbing you, O Exalted One" he murmured submissively, "but the guard happened upon these strangers lingering outside one of our passageways."
Upon hearing this news, the dwarf king finally started moving; as evident by his fists gripping tightly at his armrests. At the same time, his eyes squinted tensely in apprehension and the Party could see a scowl forming underneath his thick mustache. Finally, he pushed himself from up off his throne and marched down towards the Party; who were doing their best to appear unintimidated.
For what felt like ages, the king walked 'round the whole group; looking each member over from head to toe with the firmest of gazes. It was only when spared a glance at Ventris, at last that he halted his stride. "You did not tell me there was an elf among these strangers" he grumbled, "have they told you why they are here or who sent them to invade us?"
Naturally, such baseless accusations caused quite an uproar among the Adventurers. Ventris was particularly offended by them herself due to how the guard chose to single her out. "I do not know who you think you are" she exclaimed, "but these claims you have made towards us are both rude and unfounded!"
Angered by the she-elf's words, the guards surrounded her and the Party; spears drawn and at the ready. But then, the dwarf king swiftly picked up his hammer from beside his throne and slammed the handle down upon the floor with a resounding "thump." While this didn't sound quite that loud, the echo the strike made was more than enough to capture everyone's attention.
Once everyone had ceased their quarreling, the king decided to speak with the intruders personally. "I am Karuk Greyhelm and this is Stoneforge" he proclaimed, "what purpose do you strangers have to invade our safe haven?" Ursa's whiskers twitched slightly, as a great anger slowly started to bubble from within her. Yet again, these dwarves chose to refer to her comrades as intruders without evidence.
She wanted nothing more than to thrash one or two of the guards soundly for such insolence. But she knew this would be near impossible while her wrists and ankles remained bound. As for the others, they did their best to approach the matter more civilly and tried to appeal to the king's goodwill.
"We are no intruders, sire...nor are we part of any invading force" Fatima explained, "truth be told, these strangers with me saved my life; even at the risk of their very own." While these words did little to change Karuk's mood, he was still intrigued by them nonetheless. Without pause; he proceeded to question why an elf, a "mangy crow," two strays and a Tortle would risk themselves for a stranger.
"Yet again, you judge me by my lineage" Ventris seethed angrily, "what reason could you possibly have to despise the elven people?!" As one might expect, such an outburst greatly offended the dwarven guards and were more than ready to run the mage through for them. But then, Karuk held his hand up high and cried "SILENCE" in a most booming voice.
Just as before, the command caused the guards to cease their advance but not before one of their spears were able to just barely nick off a feather from Shadow's arm. The Kenku watched in silence, as a breeze suddenly waft up and carried the half a feather into the air.
(The Real World)
"Well...look on the bright side, Lucy" Luan said suddenly, "your character may not be able to fly but a small part of her was able to." In the past, whenever she would make a comedic/witty observation or comment; the Loud Family's resident comedienne would follow it up with a corny laugh or two. But surprisingly, the laugh she made sounded almost uneasy...as if she were nervous.
She had reason to be, of course due to the tense atmosphere of the game's current scene. It was her hope that a good "jest" would help lighten up the mood a little. But much like past moments, she had neglected to read the room.
Still, in spite of the joke's poor timing, no one shamed Luan nor did they call her out on it; not even Lucy. The only thing the wee Goth chose to do was mutter the words "not the time, Sis." "Anyway...after calling for silence, Karuk then demands to know why your Party had come to their dwelling in the first place" Albert explained in his normal voice, "what do you kiddos chose to do next?"
The first one to speak up was Lynn Jr, who (as expected) chose to go the aggressive way and try and fight off the guards one by one. Naturally, several players reminded her that everybody was still in cuffs. So, putting up a fight would prove to be rather awkward even for an arena champ.
"But what if I were to uh...what about this thing on my sheet, Barbarian Rage" inquired Lynn, "says here that it gives me a...Strength and Constitution Boost of 4?" In that moment, both the Game Masters and many of the players themselves felt rather conflicted. On one hand, they praised Lynn for her choosing to look to her stats for help in her situation but on the other, they still needed to remind her of the facts.
"I'm afraid that even with the boost, young Barbarian; you will only have a 64% chance of success" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "and even if you were to free yourself, somehow...what of your comrades?" In addition to this, Rita (while also in character) revealed that Rage only lasts for about a minute. Afterwards, the warrior in question will become exhausted and open for an attack.
"Aw, dang it" Lynn grumbled bitterly, "yet somehow...I kinda expected for that to be the case." In the end, she decided to go with her sisters' more diplomatic approach and made another attempt to appeal to King Karuk's goodwill. But one dice roll later and Albert proclaimed that the dwarf king had difficulty believing them. "He proceeds to question why you were all prisoners in gladiatorial combat in the first place" he stated, "along with why the eight of you are all together so far from your homes?"
Upon being asked these questions, Lori and her group suddenly felt uneasy. They felt that if they told Karuk about their quest, he might either assume they were lying or turn out to be in league with Melaena. "That's right! Remember a few sessions back" Lana exclaimed, "Count Fastred and that dark elf Silas played...Lokon were both in league with that lady." After taking all of this into consideration, the Council came to a decision and suggested that the Party "drop hints" of their quest.
"Mind you, this isn't necessarily lying" Mrs. Johnson assured, "it's just...withholding necessary information." While the elder sisters seemed to have some understanding of these words, the little ones (specifically Lily) only stared blankly in confusion. It was here that Lisa decided to chime in, explaining how they would only hide specifics about their quest until after they were on good terms with the dwarves.
"Ah! Okay, I think I get it" Lana murmured, "but...what exactly should we say?" In response to this, Leni offered up to be the speaker; referencing her character's Charisma score. "Very good, Leni" exclaimed Rita, "it's nice to see you kids doing your 'homework' in remembering player stats."
While they did feel proud of their sister for her help; nonetheless, Lori and Lynn couldn't help themselves from slouching low in their seats and muttering "kiss up" under their breath.
(The Game World)
After taking a moment to steady herself, Fatima rose to her feet and approached the throne with a gracious bow. "O, Great King; we mean no harm in our trespass" she stated, "these strangers beside me helped me from a most grievous fate at the hands of a tyrant." She spoke of the time she spent enslaved to the will of Gunari and how she witnessed many noble warriors die or nearly slaughter one another in combat for the amusement of others.
Much to their shock, however; her words did not seem to sway Karuk even slightly. Furthermore; one of his crafters, an artificer by the name of Jaspur Spirit-Forge, made the claim that the elf mage may have had the Party under some form of a spell. "We are under no one else's control, dwarf" Velra seethed, "Fatima speaks the truth...I was also one of the very slaves under Gunari's thumb!"
Yet again, Karuk remained unmoved by her words and was prepared to have them all incarcerated for their intrusion. But before he could make the command, Beris the Cleric stopped him; offering to use his abilities to determine the strangers' true intentions. "Very well, bring them to the Forge" ordered the king, "let the blood of the mountain judge them."
(First AN: YUH-OH! Just when Lori's group finds themselves out of trouble, they're pulled back into it. How will they get out of this mess? Tune in next time, to find out)
(Second AN: As Huggins pointed out, the rivalry between Elves and Dwarves is something common through much of fantasy media; Tolkien's work being a big example. Yet for the life of me, I can't figure out why they hate each other. If anyone has any ideas or theories, share them in your reviews)
(Third AN: I can't believe it took me up to now to remember to give Luan a proper Bard character motif. Of course, thinking of one wasn't easy; if it were Luna that was in Lori's group, she'd be perfectly in character both vocally and instrumentally. But with Luan...well, we haven't exactly heard her sing that much nor have we seen her play a real instrument well.
So, after racking my brain for ideas, I figured a Hurdy Gurdy would be perfect for her. Not only is it easy for her character to carry it, it's unique in a way that best suits someone like Luan. Finally, although I can't imagine D players actually playing their character(s) instrument, it doesn't seem that difficult for her to play.
What do you all think? Is a Hurdy Gurdy a good Bard instrument for Luan and if not, what would you suggest?)
(Final AN: While it's easy for me to describe settings that are above ground, doing so for the kind of underground locations Dwarves live in is a bit harder. I hope I did well enough in giving the right ideas on what the city of Stoneforge is like to all of you.
Also, I'm well-aware that most Dwarves build their kingdoms within great mountains. But both D and the works of Tolkien give mentions of Hill Dwarves. Still, I have an idea of why Karuk's people live there and not a more typical dwelling suited for their kind in the next chapter)