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 Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:29 am
Kal's chuckle slowly died down as Erron spoke... and his eyes shifted to the floor when he said 'elven ranger'. He could remember clearly the old friend... this was a soft spot for him still. He also saw the memorabillia that was of Dwarven origin from Ronus, which he honored slightly. He bowed his head slightly, then brought it back up. He also nodded to Tjaden's words, his seriousness back. As well as his silence. He shifted in his stance as he looked back to Thorifin. He was curious how this man would react to this.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 8:05 am
The dwarven priest listened intently and held the dwarven deity's symbol within the palm of his gnarled hand. It was quite a bit to digest, however Thorifin merely scratched his copper beard and managed a wry grin.
"Well, for beardless folk like yerselves, you certainly do have enough passion behind yer words ta set ablaze the heartiest smithing fire in the citadel. I can tell ye're not lyin' at least."
The priest stashed the symbol in the folds of his vestments before returning his gaze to the group.
"Aright then, I'll get ya yer audience with the High King. The knife-ears an' the bearded folk have never gotten along well; but, if what ye're sayin' be true, then there's somethin worse ta worry about than just old rivalries."
The dwarf made his way out of the tent, motioning for the group to follow.
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:25 pm
Tjaden looked to each of his friends and spoke.
"At least we do not have to worry about the wanton treachery here as we did among the humans." Tjaden said with relief that the dwarf was so willing to accept their pleas. Tjaden always marveled at the power that faith and passion had in desperate situations. He gave his companions a smile and followed the dwarf.
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Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:07 am
Kal followed, curious on how well this would go for them. He didn't find Tjaden's words any more reassuring, for with the good come bad. So he wondered what treachery or evil the dwarves had that the humans didn't. He wasn't smiling, nor frowning, merely curious and contemplating. He looked around as they walked, checking for the legendary traps or weapons.
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Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 7:03 am
The gates of Deepanvil churned and opened wide as they revealed the mountain citadel in all its glory. Floor upon floor of buildings and pathways leading from one street to another, massive stone columns supporting the tremendous celing and the dwarven folk pandering about their daily lives, seemingly untouched by the conflict outside.
There was a hurried pace in their step however, like a calling in their blood, they knew war was there, they knew that if asked of them, they would pick up axe, hammer or shovel and rise up to defend the gates of their home with a fury unrivaled.
The group passed by merchants and soldiers, men, women and children of the bearded folk; they watched as the area around them became more defined, like the natural stone began to give way to the carved and masonry driven hands of master craftsman.
They passed temples to the three dwarven deities, Hroflnir, Murgoth and Valdicia; they passed the War quarters of the city and finally to the High King's Halls.
Though obviously far more decorated and higher class than the rest of the city, there seemed to be a humbleness to it, a modesty that reflected the lower classes rather than shunning them.
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Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:13 pm
Erron's long gait kept allowed him to easily keep pace with the quickened march of the group, but even he lost his sure-step when impacted by the simplicity reflected by the regal halls, everywhere he looked he saw armor and swords gleaming, sparks flying off of anvils and statues, which while they were magnificent, they had not lost the idea that the men represented by them were still part of the whole, not above it.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 3:54 am
Though amazed and impressed, Kal wasn't really surprised. The dwarves were known for thier mastery in forging and creating things from metal. Kal did admire the masonry though. He saw a few daggers and shortswords that seemed to catch his eyes, but other than the few glances, he kept focused on the humbly royal kingdom.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:22 am
Thorifin Boltforger passed the royal guards and motioned for the group to wait as he entered the throne room proper.
Several minutes passed as they waited, the guards proving to be far friendlier than the soldiers they had met on the field of battle. The pair joked openly and were scared to death as soon as the high priest returned and caught them slacking.
"Ah, dunnae worry lads. I won't bust ya fer havin' a chat. Only natural ta talk when there's talkin' ready for the takin', aye?"
The guards chuckled and nodded their appreciation. He then turned to the rest of the group.
"Now, for you lot. I've spoken ta High King Mandred Stonebrow, an' he's agreed ta hear out what ye've got ta say. Dunnae try anything in there, or ye'll be faced with a wrath far worse than all th' armies o' Deepanvil combined."
The doorway to the throne room stood wide open.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 8:35 am
As Erron strode after the high priest he wondered what a fate worse than death could be, he supposed slow torture or slavery could be possibilities, something about a combination of cheese graters and chainmail shirts popped into mind and he shuddered
, but somewhere at the back of his mind This popped up briefly.
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:44 pm
The underside of the mountain was a far cry from the desert. Having lived all his life in open plains and sweltering heat under a large, wide sky, this was a true shocker to the Orc. He spoke pleasantly with the guards when their guide, if that is what he was, spoke briefly with the king. However, Tjaden had decided to keep his mouth firmly sealed for fear of blurting out a comment that would make him appear like a glossy-eyed child. Rather he stood tall and proud, focusing on demonstrating the proper etiquette for a being of the king's station. After all, all the armies of Deepanvil combined would have a mighty wrath indeed.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:58 am
The adventurers entered the throne room of the High King and were greeted by attendants who immediately departed the room, leaving only their king and two of his bodyguards alone with the group. The dwarf had a flaming red beard and eyes that belied a razor wit and aged wisdom.
"So, Thorifin tells me a fanciful tale o' how ye arrived here an' why ye've come. Ye say that the gods themselves are wonderin' what's goin' on an' we're fightin' a war amongst ourselves that need not be fought."
The group nodded their agreement and the High King continued.
"Believe it or not, lads, I know yer right."
Silence invaded the room.
"The only bloody reason we're fightin' the knife-ears is that they keep forcin' their way closer to the citadel. We aren't pushing back because we're facing problems o' our own from within. If we weren't holding back the evils beneath our city, we wouldn't be in this conflict right now an' those knife ears would've never been able to leave their bloody forest!"
While his two bodyguards remained silent, they nodded in confirmation.
"Do ye know what lies beneath the mountain? The Underworld. There are things that were never meant ta see the light o' day an' these are far worse than most beasties on the surface. We're fightin' a war on two fronts, an' I fear without headway in one o' em soon, we may be in for a hell of a trip. The Underworld rarely tries to surface, as they hate the light and retreat when enough resistance is placed upon them. This time, its different though, they're comin' on, as if somethin' is drivin' em. I dunnae what we can do, lads. I've holed us in here nice and tight, but with the floor givin' way, there's no tellin' when the city might fall."
High King Mandred Stonebrow sighed deeply and resumed his seat upon his throne.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:52 pm
Kal nodded, but then was surprised to hear that the King already knew. So, the elves were fighting because of what reasons? He wondered silently to himself how she... How their old friend was doing. He wondered what she was learning at this moment... and if he actually would see her again. He returned his focus to the King after a few moments and heard him out. Then as the King finished, he seemed to sigh in exhaustion. The battle was getting to him in the way of stress. "Have you tried to send a messenger and ask for peace, your majesty?" he asked the King, curious if peace was even discussed, as well as using what manners he knew. This was royalty and he may not have known much in the way of manners, but he knew more than nothing.
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:33 pm
The High King shook his head and removed his crown, placing it on the side of his throne as he ran a gloved hand through his red hair.
"We've made several attempts to get the elves ta stop their constant attacks, but they refuse ta even listen ta us. Claimin' we've desecrated their forests and caused all sorts o' havoc in their precious woods... Even dwarves' who've lost their stone-sense by bein' on the surface for too long know better than ta go into those woods. The knife-ears and us've been at odds for as long as we've been around but there's rarely been open war; an' this one couldn't have come at a worse time."
King Mandred pointed to a mural on the wall. The image depicted an army of dwarves charging into the depths of a cavern on one side and on the other a horde of demonic creatures and at the rear of these foes stood ebon skinned elves, directing the monsters.
"One of the main reason we bearded folk don't care much fer the knife ears is the fact that their dark skinned cousins happen ta be the drivin' force behind our most hated and constant enemies. The dark ones rarely make organized pushes, as they are content ta just kill each other or surviving against the very demons they live beside. Somethin's got them riled up this time though. Thorifin, the priest who escorted you here, believes that they have rallied behind a leader who has somehow gained the respect of the other groups of dark ones and demons. If we were ta kill this bugger, we could end their onslaught for now an' turn our attention to ending our conflict with the elves on the surface."
He scratched his flowing beard for a moment then sized up the group of adventurers. His lips widened into a toothy grin.
"My army an' my guard are too entrenched in guarding the citadel ta make an offensive. If you lot could sneak your way out into the Underworld, you could possibly find the b*****d behind this and put an end to their assault. If you want the war to end between the folk under the mountain an' the elves, we must ensure our borders are secure. Do ye think yer up to ta the task?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:24 pm
Thorifin, who had been standing close by, cleared his throat for a moment, knowing these newcomers, who just learned of the Underworld would have no idea how to get around. "King Mandred, if I may request it, I'd like ta go with 'em. I'd rather not have more souls lost down there, either through misdirection or actual death. I know my way down there as well as any an' personally..." he glanced in the direction of the wild-looking orc(Brurag) and little halfling(Kal). "I don't trust some of 'em," he added. He looked to the King's eyes, a sense of confidence and will behind them.
Kal grinned lightly at the distrust comment. He wondered about this priest. He returned his gaze to the king after glancing approvingly towards Erron and Tjaden. He liked and agreed to this mission silently. It sounded like lots of baddies and a new teammate, besides they'd taken on a dragon lair, how bad could the 'Underworld' be?
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 1:19 pm
((Waiting for a confirmation of quest via Erron/Tjaden or whoever the current group lead is))
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