Shorthanded pt 4

note: the numbering of this plot is a bit confusing, a few scenes had to be skipped due to holidays or participant availibility!

SO.

You had gone into the Happy Valley mines after conversing with the gnomes. There, you alerted the Xorns to the great spider infestation in the township. The Xorns eat plenty fof spiders. It comes with eating rocks and dirt.

Therefore, eating spiders up above is really no issue. That's why they are going up and out of the mine. Once they've cleared out, you're left alone in the mine, where you're hearing loud skittering, skuttering sounds sdomewhere below. Rumbling.

The Lightnoses and the Wigglepsrots are no doubt glad to have their Xorns attacking the spiders in town, but something is definitely up here in the mines still.

Pelka tilts his head to one side. "Could That be one of them coming back? maybe they forgot something!" he suggests hopefully.

Sasha says, "I certainly hope it's not a big one. Cuz a big one would certainly be freaky....""

Ilmig hmms as he listens to the skittering noises, stroking his beard in thought. "Don't sound like nothin comin back, but somethin't didn't come out afore. One way to be findin out, eh?" Expert khazad investigator that he is, he starts tromping his way towards the sounds as best he can here.

...forward, then, towards the sound oc the clunking. It's actually coming from deeper within the mines.

You'll need to take the lift down. It seems a powered lift is definitely in use here and will take you down the mine's central shaft.

Pelka produces his deathray. When they get to the lift his head starts to twitch in what might be nervousness. "We have to go deeper into this mine?" He looks at the rest of the party. "Just a quick look, right?"

Sasha says, "Don't feel bad. The last time I actually went into a mine.....we happened to set off a starmetal golem headed towards Alexandria....."

You say, "...that doesn't make me feel better."

Sasha says, "It doesn't make me feel any better either."

Ilmig lets out a short belly laugh, with extra belly. "Ain' nothin more neath the ground that'll kill ye than what's above it." He pours himself a half mug to drink for the trip down.

Pelka perches atop the lift, wings spreading ever so slightly so that he can let their descent through the air ruffle his feathers gently. And not so that he can easily leap off and save himself should the lift suddenly malfunction and plummet to the ground. Ahem.

Down, trhen. Down you go.

YOu can def9nitely hear it now. A lot of cranking and rumbling and... drilling? Wait, waht? Did some gnomes miss the trouble?

That's definitely some drilling sounds.

Pelka leans down until he can poke his beaked head over the top of the lift. "Do you hear it now?" he says in as low a voice as he can manage and still be heard. "That's no Xorn...it sounds mechanical."

Sasha says, "Well then.....and we were worried......""

"Oi. They mined right on through the troubles," Ilmig puts his mug away. "Might not seen daylight fer weeks..." Some dedicated workers are like that. "Guess we be bringin the news." He waits for the lift to reach a stop.

Sasha says, "nothing like dwarven homes..."

Down you go, all the way down down down.

And then? WEll, you see light. More light than gnomes should need, actually, given their ability ot see in dim conditions is pretty strong.

And then you hear laughter. Definitely doesn't sound like gnomish laughter, either.

"About /time/ they got the Xorns outta here."

"Damn right. Now we won't have long, so we need to make this quick."

And then drill is getting louder, obscuring the rest of the conversation. What is this?

Sasha says, "uh oh.' She groans as she hears that part....as the dril starts up again. "sounds like we've got a party to crash.""

Pelka spreads his wings now, ready to launch himself through the air. But he hesitates and reaches for one of his satchels. "If you're willing, I can take a quick look and see what's going on first."

Ilmig mutters. "Guess 't'weren' the miners afterall." He puts down his mug ad gets out his axe. He looks to Pelka and nods. "Aye. See what you can see. Be right behind ye."

GAME: Pelka rolls knowledge/engineering: (17)+11: 28

GAME: Pelka casts Invisibility. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16

There's a flutter of invisible wings, a tapping of invisible taloned feet. And then suddenly a disembodied Egalrin voice emits from what appears to be empty space in front of the party. "I'm back! Ah...it's me - Pelka." After a moment the voice adds, "The one with the wings." In case there's any confusion. "There's about half a dozen humans, around a large artifice drill. Heavily armed. Very heavily armed. Six." Just in case there's any confusion.

Sasha says, "They've definitely coming in the back way to get to Happy Valley. Should we take care of them? Or go up and warn Happy valley first?""

Pelka adds, "Wait! Now I know what they're doing...they're going to steal the silver. And then collapse the mine to cover their getaway!"

Sasha says, "yeah.....we need to stop them...."