The Colony - Turn 9 - Conversations in the Shadows

The party has stumbled upon an encampment of... something. Brigg the monk tries to talk to them, while Smoke warns the other about the possible threat.


Start Date: July 20, 1027, Mid-morning
Start Status: Movement
Start Location: The Old City

The Turn
At the White Tulip: Jinx, Kessel, Maarek, Mendel, One-Eye, Sim

Elsewhere:

Adrienne - shopping for food
Shade - exploring the neighborhood
Xon - shopping for writing and drawing supplies
Zenobe - unknown

The current party: Rennard, Nogg, Hagan, Javiera, Smoke, Aaron, Candle, and Brigg

As the creatures (people?) exchange looks with each other and peer at Brigg and Smoke, the monk backs up a pace or two and whispers, "Pull back to the entrance. No backup just yet. I don’t want anything between us and the exit if we need to flee. Let’s see if we can talk to these beings."

Smoke puts her back against the wall next to the tunnel, leans down and calls to Hagan and Javiera in the tunnel, "At least six in here. Need backup outside this tunnel now and get people to the two tunnels on the north-running hallway fast. May or may not be fighting, but need to show we have more than just two. Have to clear the room out."

Brigg hears whispering in the hallway and the faint clank of shifting armor. He takes a slow step forward and sheathes his weapon. "Greetings. Do you speak common?"

Two of the creatures put their heads together for a moment, and Brigg can hear whispering in a language he can't understand. One of the pair takes a step forward. "I speak your tongue surface walker. Why you come here and disturb us in our home? You not welcome here. This our place." It thumps a nearby boulder. "You go."

Meanwhile, in the hall, Aaron heads down the hall to Rennard and Candle. "There are creatures in there. Brigg and Smoke said to cover the tunnels to the north and be ready." The trio hustles up to the first side tunnel. Nogg remains at the south tunnel entrance, on watch.

OOC: Those in the halls near the tunnels can hear enough to get the gist of the conversation if they're listening and being quiet. They won't hear whispers, though.

Brigg speaks again. "We are from the city above and have come to explore and find out what is down here. We are helping a friend. He lost his Brakti. Do you know of Brakti?"

Another whispered conversation, and Smoke's sharp eyes note that there is an extra figure in the shadows, a new arrival from one of the shelters.

"Brakti are trickster spirits. They not down here in shade beneath. We live here. We were here before surface walkers came across the great water. Will be here when you are gone."

"And who are you? What people?" asks Smoke, impatient to resolve the situation.

"We are the People of the Shade. We walk is dark places without fear. You not welcome here. Go."

As the apparent leader finishes speaking, Brigg catches a hint of movement in the northeast tunnel. He does a quick count and gets to five. "I think one slipped out the tunnel. Might be going for help," he whispers to Smoke.

OOC: Those in the room make a few further observations. The creatures move quietly, often extending a wrapped hand to touch a boulder or wall as they move. While they keep to the shadows, the light doesn't seem to bother them. Brigg spots a small reddish glow in front of one of the shelters. Coals from a fire, perhaps? The leader's speech is fairly clear and high-pitched.

Addendum: As Brigg and Smoke ponder their next move, a solitary figure slides into the room from the north tunnel, approaches the speaker for the people of the shade, and whispers something in his/her ear. The leader says something in a language no one understands, then turns back to Brigg. "You try to trick us with lurkers and sneaks. We see you are tricksters. Like Brakti."

Hastily, Brigg says, "They are our friends, and they only seek to ensure our safety. We will leave, only tell us where your territory is, so we may avoid it in the future."

You can almost hear the wheels turning in the leader's head. Finally, he/she speaks again. "Stay out of the passage and chambers there," a gesture to the west, indicating the north-south hall, the room and statue chamber, "and the hallway there," indicating the east-west hall nearest the dirt tunnels. "Do not travel this way," a sweep of his/her arm encompasses the dirt chamber and the passages north, northeast and east. "our places. Do this. We will watch. We will see if you are tricksters or speak true."

Brigg starts to speak again, but the leader raises its slim hand. Torchlight gleams off of curved claws. "No more speak. Go. Or not."

End Date: July 20, 1027, Mid-morning
End Status: Face Off?
End Location: The Old City

I realize I haven't actually shared the character roster for the game, so here you go. There are a lot of characters; each player has two. One of the rules of the game is that only one character per player will participate in any 'mainline' adventure, so the maximum party size is nine (which is still pretty big). Having a pool of floating characters will also let me run a roll20 adventure on the side from time to time without interfering with the PBM game. Past experience also tells me at least one or two players will drop out, and we'll have at least one non-participant per turn due to real life concerns.

• Aaron: 3rd Magic User
• Adrienne Falstaff: 3rd Fighter
• Brigg: 3rd Monk
• Candle: 3rd Druid
• Hagan: 3rd Illusionist
• Javiera Berro: 3rd Magic User
• Jinx: 3rd Fighter
• Kessel: 3rd Ranger
• Maarek: 3rd Cleric
• Mendel: 3rd Cleric
• Nogg: 3rd Fighter
• One-Eye: 3rd Cleric
• Rennard Winter: 3rd Paladin
• Shade: 3rd Thief
• Sim Gilios: 3rd Druid
• Smoke Chu: 3rd Fighter
• Xon D'Or: 3rd Fighter
• Zenobe: 3rd Cleric