[Game Thread] Chapter 1: The Wastelands

[Explosionguy]

Basementicus finds the sausage itself to be somewhat bland. The sauerkraut is good, but it needs something else. He takes a sip of his mead and around in his pack to withdraw the jar of sauce. He opens the lid and examines the contents. It has an unusual smell unlike any other he had encountered. He pours a bit of it onto the tray, sets the open jar on the table, and prepares to sample it with the sausage.

He addresses Kryla, "I'm not sure what you would be able to do to help us more at this point. As far as I understand, you haven't been making much progress and we've only gone slightly farther than you into the library. If it's the traps that have been holding up your work, maybe you could get a bit further in now. Also, I'm not sure we've found any amethysts yet. Say, how long have you guys been working on this job?"

[Angarato]

As all of this conversation has been going on, Angarato has been quietly devouring his meal. With the last bite he picks up a napkin and wipes his mouth clear and looks down to see if he made a mess of his leather armor this time. Something that has been known to happen when he eats a large meal as quickly as he just completed this one. He was pleasantly surprised when not a drop of food manage to stain his armor. A broad warm smile crossed his face partly pleased he was not wearing his smile and partly entertained by the brash, bold female dwarf sitting with him and his companions.

Angarato locks eyes with Kyla and says, "My lady Kryla, as you might can understand while we may not be bound by union rules, we are limited in the amount of information we can disclose by our clients. The extent of that information has been shared with the digmaster and I am sure he would be happy share it with you, if you were but to ask him. I think it would be best to let him make the decision to share though. In terms of our teams impact on you and your co-workers, I assure you, we will be in and out as quickly as possible. We are only interested in completing our task. If we are successful, I think we will aid you and your friends a great deal by opening up a much larger area for exploration and learning the patterns of construction used by this building's architects which we will happily share with your benefactors. "

As Angarato contemplates how to respond to her request for a gem and reflects on the teams agreement with the Digmaster. He gets lost in thought for a moment, thinking about the conversation with the gnome, Angarato tried to recall his name but it was never spoken. He then remembered hearing some folks in the food line mention his name as Elear. Angarato dawns a serious look toward Kryla, " I am afraid that I can not endorse bringing a gem to you. We made an agreement with Elear, the Digmaster to bring all the items we find in the library to him for review. Since our efforts depend on honoring that agreement, I don't think I can help you with obtaining an amethyst gem. Now, we look forward to chatting with you and your colleagues more at another meal, but I need to handle some business with my friends now and would appreciate a little privacy. I do hope you drop by and bless us with your company and share a meal in the future. "

Kryla rolls her eyes, and looks a little flustered but seeing the seriousness in Angarato's face she promises to be back and joins some friends at a near by table.

Angarato then focuses his attentions on his companions, saying " First order of business is sharing the reward for the traps, 100gp for each of us." Angarato moves an equal pile of gold coin to each of his original teammates. "Personally I am grateful that we are finally getting paid for some work. Willowick, though I am not sure how much your kind favors coin, hopefully it demonstrates the potential joining our group has for you. However, since we had not released you before we collected these traps, it doesn't seem fair to the group to cut you in on this first reward. However, if there are any supplies and things you may need I am sure we can arrange something for you, just let us know. "

Thinking of coin and Willowick inspired Angarato to consider each of his teammates motives in joining this team. The most puzzling of all is the stoney, silent Archaeologist, Thomas. Angarato looks over at the ... at the.. "man" and asks, " Thomas I am curious about you, in many ways you seem disinterested in the affairs of this group and mankind in general, but you are handy in a fight to be sure, What made you decide to seek this type of work? What do you hope to get out of our continued relationship?"

[Aarroun]

Reynard cocks his head to the side curiously at Kryla's request and offer of help but stays silent for a moment as he listens to Angarato speak. Addressing Willowick first, he says, "Ah, my apologies. Berries, fruit, and honey you say? I think I've got something that might work in my pack. Gentlefolk, please excuse me, I'll return before long." He rises from the table, accepting the gold proffered by Angarato while leaving the untouched, overfull plate of sausages where it lies, steaming forlornly.

He catches Kryla before she gets far and beckons her to follow him. "Hold on a moment, Kryla. Please excuse my companion, I think he has some commitment issues when it comes to making too many promises. I think it has to do with his oracle powers or some such thing." He leads her out of the mess hall and to the party's campsite, casually looking around to make sure no one's eavesdropping. "You mentioned an amethyst trap gem. What, exactly does one of those do?" He queries, keeping his voice low, "It's not that I doubt your intentions, I'm simply curious. It is true that we are looking for a specific item, however we have already been provided the tools to find it. So I'm wondering how you, with your union established limitations, hope to provide assistance." He digs around in his pack for some of the elven trail rations and pulls out two, "Here Willowick, try these, they're made from oats, berries, nuts and sweetened with honey." He takes a seat on the ground next to the tent, silently offering Kryla to join him as he munches on the rations and awaits her response.

[Valistar]

"What I have to offer is knowledge. I've looked down that first hallway and I've seen the blueprints for the library. Not everything adds up and I'm willing to offer what I've found if you are willing to at least attempt to find that gem. As for the gem... It.. It is supposed to cast powerful love spells on whoever triggers it forcing them to fall in love with the next person they see. But that isn't important, the important part is that I want that gem and have knowledge I can give you if you promise you'll at least make the attempt. More knowledge can come after you've gotten me the gem." Kryla says quietly as she sits next to Reynard.

[Dizzy]

Willowick graciously accepts the offering of rations, finding them much to his liking, after finishing about half of a single bar he speaks up, not looking at anyone in particular as if he were meaning to be non-chalant about it. "You know, if you're having trouble with traps, I used to disarm hundreds of traps in my forest when unwelcome hunters would leave them."

[Aarroun]

Reynard feels a little pity for the dwarf for wanting such a thing but keeps it from his voice, rather adopting a solemn tone of someone with experience, "An easy enough promise to make and it sounds like Willowick is willing to help. If I encounter such a gem, I will see it delivered to you. But I should warn you, I've had seen the effects and aftereffects of powerful love spells; they always end in pain and tragedy. If there's someone you care for, you're better off being honest with that person rather than subjecting them to what is essentially enslavement. Besides, true friendship is a magic much more valuable than any number of spells or riches." He says the last while gently scratching Willowick under his chin.

[Dizzy]

Willowick reacts well to being scratched under the chin, seeming to show a deep trust of Reynard "Whats this about some sort of love gem? I wasn't listening..."

[Valistar]

Kryla seems rather embarrassed, but a bit agitated. "This doesn't have anything to do with love! Whatever, I'm going to go to bed." She drops a piece of paper on the ground then storms off into the night. The paper holds a rough drawing of the initial area and making some assumptions. The main assumption being that all the offices on the floor are the same size. The rooms and hallway are drawn to scale making that assumption, but it leaves either excessively thick walls, or small rooms between the offices.

The night itself is mostly uninteresting. No attacks, no notable disturbances other than the fact that dwarves and ogres are very noisy sleepers. In the morning breakfast consists of more sausage, but also eggs and hash browns. The one person not eating the same thing as everyone else is the Digmaster, who is content to sit in a corner by himself eating dried fruit and muffins.

[Explosionguy]

Basementicus sits at the table, hunger sated, and begins playing with his food. He takes a couple of forks, sticks them into sausages, and makes them dance on his tray. He looks around the tent nonchalantly to see if anyone is doing anything interesting. He appears eager to continue with the group's mission.

"Shall we head out, then?"

[Aarroun]

OOC: I will post continuing conversation from the previous night in the R&R thread.

Reynard is sitting across the table from Basementicus, eating some eggs and hash-browns while studying his spellbook. He looks up at Base's statement and closes the book, "Ready when you are. Has anyone seen Willowick?"

[Explosionguy]

The drow's eyes shift toward the digmaster where he sits eating his breakfast much like his own foster mother would be in this situation. If that wee dragon was to be seen anywhere at mealtime, it would probably be where his or her favorite food is.

[Dizzy]

Willowick seems to have to have gone off and found his own place to sleep, he may be found out in the mess tent already, sitting at the end of a table, stealing hashbrowns from an unattended plate. The other dwarves down the table have scooted over a bit more away from him. It's likely Willowick has never seen a dwarf before, and it's just as likely that these dwarves have never seen a live dragon before, even if it is just a fae dragon. None of them are too keen on getting their fingers bitten. The one dwarf sitting nearest to him has a plate devoid of any hashbrowns, and seems rather loopy.

Willowick himself also appears to be conversing with a mole pet that sits on the floor below, it scampers off eventually, leaving Willowick to look about once more, spotting Basementicus. He decides to take flight and nimbly land on the table next to his plate, looking up at him.

"I was told that gesture you made towards me when you found me was called a handshake. I didn't know there was such a thing, I apologize if I over-reacted." He then proceeds to sit up on his haunches and offer his small paw to him.

[Explosionguy]

Basementicus hears Willowick and turns his attention toward him. He stops making the sausages tap dance for a moment to regard the dragon. He sets his forks down and gently shakes his little hand.

"No hard feelings. Ready to give us the grand tour today?"

[Dizzy]

Willowick glances up at Basementicus with a small smile "Just try not to fall behind, okay?"

He then looks down at the corner again. "And if you could do me a favor, convince somebody to give me some dried fruit. Dried and cooked potatoes arent really doing it for me."

[Explosionguy]

Well now, our friend won't be doing so well if he's weak from hunger! Basementicus considers the request and stands up. He looks toward the digmaster again. He seems to be the only one here who is eating anything fruity. Basementicus supposes he could just fish for the elven trail rations with fruit in them, but that would be too easy. Was he a bad enough dude to convince the boss to share his breakfast with the dragon?

"Come with me and we'll ask the digmaster. It looks like he's got some fruit."

Basementicus walks over to the digmaster at his table. He gives a slight wave and asks him, "Excuse me, digmaster. Would you be willing to part with some of your fruit for the little guy? He says he can't handle the stuff they're serving from the kitchen."