The bear actually appears to lose height, as it cringes.
A humanoid just under four feet tall appears on the bear's left. It appears vaguely like a gnome, but with more mass, a much larger head than would be typical and with skin that looks like it might have been carved of granite. You would think its a male. The being's hands are also unusually heavy and powerful; one carries a short mining pick, the sort used for digging, with the trowel pointed down and a 10 inch spike on the head pointing upwards. The clothes he is wearing are heavy and seem to be made of very well-worn leather. He is bald, with large ears covered with slits, apparently intentionally done with a knife. His head is covered with healed gashes and scars. He carries no light source.
For those of you from Norway, it is quite recognizable from images that were described to you as children.
"Stvem ar dug?" it asks.
As you do, lights begin to appear all over the chamber, as other svirfneblin appear all around you.
100 comments:
I drop my weapon and step forward. "Hello, we are travelers from Stavangar."
I am trying to gauge whether he understands me.
I lower my weapons.
I sheathe my sword and raise my hands, palms outward in a hopefully nonthreatening manner.
He repeats himself, plainly not speaking common.
"Mikael, does your spell that lets you read in tongues also let you speak?"
Damn it. I could cast Comprehend Languages, but he may take it poorly.
"Embla, Rob and Engelhart, please put away your weapons."
I raise my hands, palms outwards to indicate passiveness as best I can, then take a deep breath and cast Comprehend Languages.
I'm hurting. Clearly no threat to anyone.
I sheathe my club and set to unstrapping my shield.
I lower my axe.
The svirfneblin tightens up, but does not make a move to stop the spell from being cast. It has an expression of curiosity ~ suggesting it hasn't seen this before.
Whew. Okay. I do not believe it gives me the ability to speak the language, but now I can understand it. What was he asking?
I smile and bow slightly. I motion my hands to indicate the party and point up towards the passage.
He's asking who you are.
I figured as much. Damn, I was always crap at charades.
"He is asking who we are."
I look at the svirfneblin and try to mime out if there is anyone who does speak our tongue in the village.
I wave "Rob of clan Munro."
[haha ha ... oh, please, don't interpret for the others. We can assume that]
Assuming you tell him who you are, it will not make much sense to him, except that you're from the surface. "How did you find this place," would be his next question. And we don't have to go through that in detail, either.
"Are you here to free the souls from the lake," he will ask.
"Lothar, from... up there," I point up towards the surface.
Dang, double posting...
"Yes!" Nodding, and hoping that's a universal sign...
[I gave it a shot!]
Right to the point, eh? I nod at this and state affirmatively, "yes that is our plan."
I guess we can at least try to smile and nod at that (even if the sign might not mean the same thing, at least he'll see we reacted).
The svirfneblin - Hrog, is his name - will also be conveying to seven others who have now moved to stand behind him. Hrog looks disturbed when he hears this from Mikael. He will point at the dagger he can see in Mikael's belt and ask if he can hold it.
Another svirf will ask Mikael, "Are you speaking another language?"
I don't own a dagger, but I will hand over my dart in my belt if asked.
"Yes, I am speaking another language."
In retrospect, telling the svirfneblin that we intended on disturbing the frozen lake of trapped souls near their village may have been a tad indiscrete.
[sorry, yes, DM's mistake]
The svirf will find your speaking another language very funny, and will be joined in laughter by the others. After getting a hold of themselves, and while some continue to chortle, one will call for the "staff of peoples."
Hrog is carefully examining your dart. As the laughter dies down, he asks about the wood, and the quality of the dart's metal point.
I scratch my head.
"I don't really have much knowledge of that. They are of average quality, so far as I know."
"Average?" Hrog says, starting to laugh again. He hands the dart to another svirf. "Average." The next svirf looks at it and starts to laugh as well.
"I guess you think you can do much better? I've bever seen the svirfneblin craftsmanship."
"Much better," he will say reassuringly. "And you will need much better."
There's a call from one of the domiciles. "Found it!" A svirf runs out, carrying a staff, bringing it towards the party. "Have not had any use for it in such a very long time."
As he comes within forty feet of the party, everyone in the party realizes they can understand everything that is being said.
"What a wonderfully useful object!"
"Was it your people who destroyed the temple by the lake?"
"Do you know, then, how we may acquire the much better equipment we need?"
Well, I'll be...
"It was our forefathers," says Hrog, as others continue to examine Mikael's dart.
Oh good, I was worried about the spell running out!
"Nice. I have to cast a spell to be able to understand you, but it is limited and doesn't allow me to speak the language, as you saw."
What can you tell us of your forefathers' attack on the temple? What do you know of the lake?
"We know much about the lake. We discovered it in the days of Yourglan the King, when we discovered the cave. It was learned then that the temple, though deserted, was evil, so it was desecrated in Yourglan's day. But we did not disturb the lake because it was learned that the souls trapped within are unjustly so."
We've been attacked by a monstrous man made of refuse, who could blink from place to place, would you happen to know what it is?
"Yes," says another svirf. "It is a demon, a lemure. It is one that protects the creatures that keep the lake frozen. These creatures are giant toads that breathe frost. The presence of the lemure ensure that the frozen water of the lake does not obey nature."
"So slay the lemure, slay the giant toads, and that will free the souls?"
I look sadly at my darts. "You are right, Hrog, our weapons are ill-suited to this task."
"We can improve them."
"And do you know where these giant toads and lemure reside?"
I'll tilt my maul dismayingly. Even this one?
They look at Engelhart's maul, but confirm. "Yes, the metal bands can be made lighter and more effective."
Hrog will say to Rob. "We can ensure you receive that full knowledge."
Thank you for your help.
"I would be very appreciative of any help you are able to give. Also, there is the matter of the froglings. They recently rose up in great numbers to attack the surface. Are you aware of any lairs of theirs?"
Is there any service we might render you in exchange for this great boon?
"We are grateful for your help. Is there anything you wish from us in return?"
This question about the froglings being alive, confuses the svirf. It takes a moment before you learn that the froglings true name is "Ugglig" ~ remember, the bear never used words when it answered about the froglings.
The svirf have never seen a living Ugglig. They only know about them from images that were once on the temple, which no living svirf has seen except the Ancient Prugg. From this you may conclude that in the frogling uprising, no frogling ventured down this far into the earth; remember, the surface is many days away.
Someone has to really want it to make their way down this far.
They will take kindly to your ridding the underworld of the demons and toads, and freeing the souls from the lake, and putting an end to this great evil.
Huh...I wonder where all those froglings came from? Well, we will deal with that later. We have a large enough task ahead.
Very well, I surrender my maul and await the Svirf's telling of where we are to find these demons.
Iron and steel might not impress, but what of my sword? It is made of adamantium.
Well, I can give them my club if they think they can make something with it.
How long do they think upgrading our equipement would take?
Does their village has a name?
[Mikael, you know where the froglings came from. You've been travelling with the party, they would have told you. The froglings were frozen until the original members of the party awakened them. There's no percentage in the game in having some players keeping this a secret from others; it just makes for dumb roleplaying, where you're asking a question that ALL OF US already know the answer]
"Oh, that makes it easier," Hrog will say to Lothar. "Come. We will show you our shop."
Any objections to following along?
None from me
It will take perhaps a week, if they manufacture one weapon for each of the five of you. They are, at last, greatly impressed by Embla's axe. "Halfling work," they call it, "And very fine." For anyone who would listen, they will discuss the gnomish influences in the design and the manner in which the axe is weighted. They will ask after its origin and predict that it is Oxsmithing, of excellent quality.
They call the village, "Home."
I had forgotten, sorry. Was working off incorrect assumptions.
I think waiting the week would be prudent. Weshould inform Willa and the others.
I gladly follow along.
I will ask if they have any access to the surface, it has been so very long...
None of them, even the Ancient Prugg, have ever seen the surface.
Oh yeah, definitely will send word along the grapevine soon. Now that I think about it, I ordered a dagger and shield which should be ready soon.
Could we use the village as a resting place or supply depot? We can get quite a bit of supply stocked up in a week.
Where are the guardians in relation to the village?
Can we get them interested in some of our food?
I wonder where they get their wood from.
How big is the village?
They are not short on food. They have fresh fish and shellfish, with yarm fruit, as well as other herbs, mushrooms, meats and tubers, all of which are raised or grow without sunlight.
They show you their shop, where they demonstrate how they are able to work in mithril and adamantium, as well as iron, manganese and tungsten, all of which they have located in local veins. With their knowledge and shop, they are able to transform your ordinary weapons into magic weapons.
"Once, it was four hundred," Hrog will say to Rob. "But now we are not quite forty. And there are but five women among their tribe." He does not sound sad about it, or show any regret or remorse. It seems simply a fact to him, even one he accepts cheerfully.
I suppose I should ask, they will just be reforging one of my darts as such, right?
That's correct, Mikael.
Taking as a given that we rest here for a day, do you fellows wish to spend the entire week down here?
Seeing the surface would be nice, even if on a supply run, but it might be too far for it to be worth it.
In fact, let me ask: these guardians, are there very many of them?
I think it'll be more than a week to get out and then back.
Ohh ho ho yeah! Gratitude and respect to our underground neighbors. If they are willing to endure our presence for a week I am for resting here. Though I'd be happy to take a few of our new friends on a tour of the surface if any wish to see it.
Out of curiosity, how long would it take to learn the Svirfneblin language?
['Guardians' confused me]
Understanding languages is a sage ability, Lothar. As a ranger, you barely understand your own language. So ... three years?
They laugh at suggestions about going to the surface. "NEVER," says Hrog. "I would die first, and soon after, should that misery every befall me." Moodily he will answer, "We were never made for the sun."
Hrog does not know how many there are; but the Ancient Prugg knows.
Might we have the honor of speaking with the Ancient Prugg?
"Word has already been sent to him. He will need to be awoken first, before he can be asked to speak with you ... but he will be content to do so. We have not met a stranger in a century."
"How old is Ancient Prugg?"
"Nearly 700. He remembers being a boy with King Yourglan."
Ok so I guess we want for Prugg now.
If I remember correctly, we are only a few hours away from the lake , no?
Also, how far is the next settlement (or are they isolated?)?
Less than 40 people ... this is it. There is no other settlement they are aware of. There are plenty of tunnels below, which were old veins, that are abandoned now.
Is... is there anyone or any*thing* that is imperiling your number? How did you come to be so few?
Standing amidst the mine, you're all of 200 feet from the entrance that leads between the Great Cavern of the lake and the engineered tunnel.
"Our number is not imperiled. We have reached our time; less and less babies born though the centuries, and one not born for 120 years. Yet we will still be here for many centuries before the last of us dies of old age."
[I have created a new post for the party's experience]
If the svirfneblin are willing, I would like to spend the week here. I am no geologist, but as an alchemist I have an interest in metallurgy and would like to learn whatever I can.
They expected that you would want to stay with them. "It is safer here than the tunnels."
Splendid. Let's stay with them for the week.
Yes, let'a. I'll gladly wait at our current cache to guide Willa to our current location.
"Are the old mines safe enough to spend a day or so alone there?"
In the morning I intend to run back to the straw room (which I ought to be able to do at 5 AP, yes?) to take message to Willa, and through her to the others.
Hrog explains it is dangerous to enter old mines; the manner of extraction of ore from rock creates dust, grit and slag, which is a sort of offal for jellies, puddings and oozes. Once a mine has been closed for fifty years or so, these creatures will emerge from the muck, born from it, then continue to feed until the natural diminishing food supply for them runs out ... which can take a millenia or so.
Yes, that is a tad longer than I want to wait, nevermind
Understood, Lothar. We can pick up there in two weeks.
[here]
Here as well.
[Here]
[here]
Where would anyone like to start. Do you have any last questions before we continue?
[I'm here too]
I'd like to take a message to Willa to pass on to Valda and/or Fjall.
Understood. There will be an opportunity over the days ahead. Anything more immediate?
None.
I am quite interested in this community's life and their apparent isolation and resignation with regards to their extinction.
Then the next post is up.
[I'm making the note here, since it does not directly pertain to the interview]
Along with a general description of what's going on down here, I send a request for Fjall to head into town and pick up a couple of items that I had ordered and should be ready soon, if not already. The first is a shield I commissioned, to be ready on the 14th of May, and the second a dagger forged from one of the adamantium spearheads, to be ready on the 28th of May. These items were paid for already, I would like to have them delivered as soon as possible.
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