Move 187: Milborne, Sweet Milborne
Tunnels--8 Eleint-10 Eleint 1374 DRThe group gathered up their belongings and went back through Arachne's portal, leaving the big doors locked behind them. The three goblins were still tied on the other side of the doors. They were hungry and thirsty and Fred seemed considerably less enamoured of Aloysius than he had previously. The two captive orcs continued to be hostile.
After some rearranging of the marching order to accomodate the five captive humanoids and the people rescued from the orcs, the party set off down the tunnels. The warded chest weighed around 30 lbs, but by letting the strongest members of the group take turns lugging it, it did not cause them to lose any time. Since there were not that many turns, they were able the route that had brought them in.
On the way out, they saw the same nest of giant rats they had seen before and as before, the rats scurried away at the noise of the large group. The party rested twice in the tunnels before making it back to the mines. The two chests and other equipment that had been stashed in the Dream Cave was still there.
Outside, it was a lovely night. The evening breeze was refreshing after the days spent in the stale air of the tunnels. The darkness was brightened by Selune's nearly full face in the cloudless sky, and in the sections of the sky where the moon's light did not hide them, the stars sparkled.
Milborne--Noon, 11 Eleint 1374 DR
The two additional heavy chests made moving everything somewhat trickier, but the group made it back to the small riverside village in time for the noon meal. By then, time and the priests had taken care of the party's remaining injuries. Other than Gerrd, who was still not capable of doing anything other than being led around, everyone seemed to be doing well. The goblins and orcs, even tied and not much of a threat, got worried looks from most of the villagers who were out and about.
"So who else never wants to see a solid rock wall again?" Arachne asked brightly. She showed Olaf a holy symbol that had belonged to Ceth. "I have this," she said, "and a commitment to go find other priests of Selune, return it to them and tell them how Ceth died. If you're going to do something about those other symbols... No," the gnome decided. "I wouldn't be able go tell Ceth's story and get back here in only a few days, but it's really something I ought to do." She sighed. "But it ought to get done even if I get myself killed. Maybe leave a written scroll and the symbol with What's His Name over in the chapel? In case of non-return, please try to find some way of delivering this... Maybe..." She wandered away musing. She also went looking for Jana to find out what the girl wanted to do during a few days of surface leave.
Semheis managed to look only slightly insulted as Arachne wandered away, "If I am the What's His Name she's speaking off, I'll be happy to do that. I will be in the temple if any of you have need of me." The priest of Torm left the group to return to his duties.
Olaf stopped the priest, "You conducted yourself bravely under duress, Brother. You are a worthy representative of Torm. I would ask you to take on a most Holy Duty, one your Faith suits you for well. I would ask you to guard these symbols, as you would your own, until two months have passed from our departure into the depths. If we return not, I ask you to see that these are returned to their respective Churches, along with an account I shall write detailing what we know so far. Would you accept this duty?"
Semheis stopped and listened to Olaf. The priest of Torm, hardly more than a boy, replied uncertainly, "I...of course I will do that." He waited to see if Olaf had anything more to say before returning to his temple.
Snagger grinned broadly, "Good to be back even in this gods-forsaken place. Never thought I'd see it again, I didn't. Me uncle Grizzler's like to be in the bar, and I better let him know I'm okay. The local law's probably in there too, at this time of day. If I see Garyld, I'll tell him you need him." The dwarf headed in the direction of the Baron of Mutton.
"We need to figure out what to do with our captives," Echo said. "Then we need to sit down and talk about what we're going to do and what needs to be done while we're up here," she briefly glanced at Jana. "Anyone who's not going back needs their share of the treasure, but I suggest the rest of us leave most of it in a single fund for supplies and maybe getting items idenitified."
Olaf said, "Concerning the captives, they should be turned over to the local authorities for trial."
"Witch-hunt, more like," Arachne grumbled. "I mean, I suppose I can understand your wanting to get vicious on the orcs, now that, as you were before, they're in no position to defend themselves. Giving to them exactly as they had already given to you has the merit of absolute equity and is certainly _an_ answer to the question of what should be done with them." She shrugged. "It's equal; I don't know whether it's right. Now a _deal_ on the other hand... separating the two of them and then promising more lenient treatment to whomever can give us more information about where prisoners go from the orcish settlement, backed up with a taste of what not-so-lenient treatment will feel like... Well, that wouldn't be fair and it wouldn't be egalitarian. I suppose you'd be more right than not if you declared that it would be neither right nor just. But it could turn out to be useful and practical.
"As for the goblins, you want to try them? They ran into us by mistake. They tried to run away. We chased them down and took them captive. One of them we coerced into showing a veneer of loyalty and happiness in his captive condition. What, exactly, do you want to _try_ them for?"
"We can't really drag them around with us either though. We've got to do something with them," Echo said quietly. "As for the orcs, I thought we were going to see if Garyld could talk to them. He's going to come looking for us soon enough, once he hears we're in town with goblins and orcs, I bet, so we might as well find him first. Garyld is the constable here," she added for Olaf's benefit.
Olaf interrupted the gnome, his wrinkled old face very stern as he looked down on her. "I do not seek vengeance, little one. I seek justice. The locals have suffered at the hands of these creatures, and a trial is the right and just thing. A just trial. I will not turn them over to a kangaroo court, nor will I permit them to be tortured or teased for fun. I have served Tyr for many, many years, and I am not going to abandon his precepts now, just because a few orcs made life uncomfortable for me for a few days."
"How about put in thrall?" Jana muttered darkly. "That seems a popular strategy."
Aloysius' ears reddened. He pratically spat his reply. "If you disapprove of my tactics, Janathell, then mayhap I can afford thee some relief."
Echo turned to Aloysius, "I finished going through the spell book I have. I marked what's where so I can show you. How are you coming with the other one?"
"'Other one'?" asked Aloysius slowly. "Stargazer has but one, that being mine own. Thou didst loan me the book you obtained from the Zhentarim, but I returned it to thee. I am partially through that one and partially through good Pug's book."
Aloysius tugged rudely on Azrun's sleeve. "Azrun, mayhap the three of us could confer with one another to see if an exchange of incantations would be in order? Echo is correct, let us indulge ourselves a bit at the inn whilst we discuss . ." again, he hesitated, "er, what everyone intends to do."
"We found two spell books," Echo said. "And they aren't mine to loan or not. Found books are group property. I have one of them, not both."
"I, uhm, need to get some money to make arrangements for Daisy Belle when we go back," Jana said in a low voice. She'd been unusually quiet, if not downright uncommunicative during the trip back up. "I guess maybe a month or so of boarding, then money to take him to Oleanne if we don't, you know, come back."
Jana remained silent during the discussion over spellbooks. At a break in the conversation, she said in a dull, flat voice, "How long before we need to start back? There's something I sort of need to take care of, but it'll take at least two or three days. Maybe as many as five. But," she added, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her, "it's not as important as rescuing the prisoners, so it can wait if we don't, you know, have time."
"I think we have time," Echo said, giving Jana a worried look. "I'll go with you if you want me to," she added in a quieter voice.
Jana flashed Echo a grateful look and nodded. "Maybe we can rent a horse for you," Jana said softly. "I think we could get to the Blessed Woods in a day or so on horseback." She looked down at the ground again. "I don't want this to delay our going back, though. I don't want the prisoners down there to suffer any longer than they have to because I was stupid."
Echo nodded. "Do we, uh, know where we're going once we're there? Or how to find out where we're going?"
"Not exactly," Jana confessed. "I was gonna ask around, see if Garyld maybe knew."
Aloysius had remained mostly quiet and seemed rather uncomfortable during the trip back to Millborn. "Stargazer, too, has something that he needs to do in Thurmaster," he said finally. "I would think that, if all goes well, the journey should only take me three, four days, at most."
He lowered his eyes. "I have not yet decided if I will accompany the rest of thee back underground," he said sheepishly. "Therefore, I'll understand if none of thee choose to accompany me on my journey. For now, let us drop the captives off with garyld and then proceed to the Baron for a decent meal."
"Yes, let us go to the inn and discuss what we need to do. I intend to return to the depths, but if we have time for a trip to Thurmaster, maybe we can pay the mage there to dispel the magic on these chests. I would also like to visit a certain someone there." Blacky added to the conversation.
"I suppose we should return these to Jelenneth's friends and family," Arachne said sadly, fingering the cloak and ring. "Though we're likely to get little better than lynched as a result since we don't have Jelenneth herself to deliver. And the sketchy news we do have regarding her whereabouts is anything but good. Aloysius, you're fond of visiting Tauster. Perhaps you could take these to him -- she's his apprentice -- and see if he knows anything more about Illithids and this "deep below" than legend and story."
"We should give her things to her family," Echo said, "not to the guy she worked for. They deserve to be told what we know about her, even though it's not good."
Jana nodded. "And they should hear it from us."
Aloysius perked up at hearing his name. "Aye, indeed I would like to go to Thurmaster," he replied, "for…various reasons."
He turned to the others. "Eric has indicated a desire to go there as well. Does anyone else? We'd likely need a steed, or mayhap two, to transport the chests. Wish that I could remove their wards, but, alas, I can not."
Unable to recall with specificity a detailed list of the various stuff he hauled in his pack, Aloysius removed his pack and dug around in it for a moment. Finally, a look of relief swept across his face.
"Oh," he muttered with surprise, "'twould seem that I do have it." He pulled a spellbook out of the bottom of his pack. It was the one Echo had obtained from the Zhentarim. "My apologies, Echo," he said with a blush. "Indeed I do have the book you mentioned. Mayhap I would be of greater service if I kept better track of such things . . . . ." he mused to no one in particular.
"I guess that means we still don't know what's in it?" Echo asked rhetorically. "At least it's not lost though." She sounded somewhat relieved. "Do you need me to finish reading it?" she asked. "It takes me a long time, but I can do it though," the last of that came out a near whine.
"If you need to stay here and read that thing," Jana said reluctantly, "it's okay. I mean, I can go by myself or I can even wait. I have awhile, I think." She looked up at Arachne and asked quietly, "Uhm, I do, right? Have some time? A couple of months, maybe?"
Turning to Echo momentarily Aloysius said, "I intend to spend a good deal of time researching this book today, Echo. After that, I shall gladly advise thee of what it
contains."He glanced back at Jana. "After that, I intend to depart for Thurmaster on the 'morrow. If I choose not to return, then my presence none of thee shall have to suffer anew."
He stuffed the book into his pack and stomped off towards the Baron of Mutton.
"If what's in Thurmaster's more important to you than helping those people being held prisoner," Jana retorted, "then by all means, stay."
Azrun trodded along with the group as they made their way back to town. After listening to the many conversations, he spoke up, "Well, it sounds like most of us are going back to Thurmaster. We have six days to accomplish any other tasks that we need to do. We'll have to equip ourselves no matter what we do. Perhaps we should do as Blacky said and go to the Inn. We can get a meal and make our plans there."
He looked around and then saw the orcs, "Well, I guess we should find Garyld first. We should also tell him about what in the nine hells is going on. He may want to try to get some sort of defenses readied in case those orcs or their masters decide to come looking for paybacks." He stopped and thought about things for a moment and frowned, "Somehow, I don't see this as being a fun conversation."
Echo gave Aloysius a confused look as he stomped off. "Everyone except Aloysius and Renn decided to go back? Is that right?" She looked at Renn, "Do you have any idea how long it will take you to know? I guess you can't rush finding out if it's what your god wants, but as soon as you can let us know, the better. We've got to plan supplies so we need to know who is going. I wonder how long it will take Aloysius to make up his mind," she sighed with a glance in the direction he went.
"When do you want to leave?" she asked Jana. "We can stay here long enough to finish planning and let the owner of the general store have some idea of what we're going to need. Then plan to meet here by the night of the 16th?"
"Soon as we can, 'fore I change my mind again," Jana replied with a pained smile. "I'll go check on a horse and check on mine too, then meet up at that inn, okay? Then maybe get directions from Garyld."
"Hey, leave him alone." Daelen said as Aloysius was walking away. "Maybe not everyone here is as eager as you to crawl down a stinking hole and get themselves killed. Those people being held prisoner may already be dead for all we know and if you believe what those gnomes say there's worse things than orcs deeper down. It's his choice to make. I won't stand for anyone shaming others into what may be their last fight, 'specialy not some cocky little merc with a death wish."
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