Baxan

[ragnorakk]

You are fed while the 3 men who've offered to go in with you go to outfit themselves. Kuld gives you each several doses of his darkvision salts - and each dose lasts many hours. They soon return, and the work gang makes way. North and slightly east, you travel for little less than an hour before Kuld stops to show you an intersecting path.Twenny dug off a cave he'd found - you'll come to it at the end of this track. The third string of ore he'd followed led him to breach into a gnome tunnel - it's a smaller passage tending downward from the cave - the only one on the left wall.

Some questions & details:
- Leaving the mule in town? If so, no problem, it'll be kept safe at Kuld's. He is however interested in retaining its service for the day and will pay 30 gp.

- 3 men-at-arms, all human
A Leather, Scimitar, Bank
B Target Shield, Spear, Taper Axe
C Falchion

[ragnorakk]

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Thurgood strokes the jennies muzzle affectionately.

"Please my friend, if she can be of use while we are indisposed let her be useful"

"Are we all ready my friends?"

"If so onwards, we've a hearty meal in our bellies and a clear path to our enemies, let us hope it will always be so!"

[danhem]

"Yes, let's be off. I'm anxious to catch a glimpse of one of these gnomes."

OOC: Are we already in the mine or still outside?

[ragnorakk]

Not at it yet, but after twenty minutes of walking you come to the end of the path, at the base of a sudden rise, and
the cave entrance is obvious before you. There are a few large piles of rock and sand near-by off to the sides. You can
see from the exterior that several posts have been set against the walls of the cave, to support the ceiling, and there
is a large crank chain pulley driven into the floor, some 20' in.

The morning has moved to noon in a clear sky. Things are pretty quiet all around.

(Question - who has the charms?)

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

OOC: Not I good sir, but I wanted to make sure I light my lantern shield and make sure anyone who wants one can have one of my torches.

[ragnorakk]

(ooc - you have also been given a large supply of Darkvision salts by Kuld - a small nugget which dissolves in
your mouth and provides 'Cat Eyes' for ~6 hours)

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

OOC: Ah,yes I was wondering what those were! ;D

[danhem]

OOC: Bjorn has one of the charms. There is also the question of who is here? Thurgood, Bjorn, three men-at-arms, Knuckles (?), Ponto (?).

Bjorn looks approvingly at the assembled men-at-arms.

"Stay ready men. We'll be in the thick of it soon enough. What are your names?"

Bjorn advances toward the cave with his spear at the ready. He first moves to investigate the piles of rock to see if anything is lying in wait for them. He signals man-at-arms C to come with him and sends A and B off to investigate the other side.

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Thurgood will advance to within throwing distance of the entrance and examine the area for traps or evidence of unusual activity.

Thurgood calls over his shoulder to one of the men at arms who accompany them.

"Do these gnomes lay traps, tripwires, dead-falls, man-traps and the like?"

"Also what is the chain and pulley I see in the mine, what is it's purpose?"

[apeloverage]

Ponto suddenly speaks:

"it sounds truly...ore-full!"

he chortles at his witticism.

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Thurgood staggers in mock pain.

"Ponto perhaps it would be best to leave the puns to our bardic friend, a few more like that and I may be too wounded to continue on!"

[Knuckles Bathory]

(ooc- sorry I was gone so long.. for the purpose of role call, "here!")

"My friends, I have been quietly wondering if should even bring my blade, but as I understand the nature of our enemies, only some of these creatures can bend metals magically."

I have cut a short length (3') of rope from that which I had used to lash my pack, tied a knot in each end and hung it over my shoulder.

Upon seeing the mouth of the cave, I have taken shelter from the bright cold day just inside it's mouth, squatting and listening, smelling the air, and turning my sweaty brow to feel the direction of the air movement.

I stare "snowblind" for a moment into the black depths, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. As I await my companions, I fill my shirt pockets with fine silt from the ground at the mouth of the cave.

I check my leather armor, bootstraps, beltpack, fang-wing, black-jack, and flute... and then wait silently.

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Thurgood after he examines the entrance of the mine will enter to get a closer look at the chain assembly.

OOC: We have two other charms, does Knuckles want one?

[Knuckles Bathory]

I look at Thurgood, reading his concern,"You know friend, I think I may take one of those charms, until someones ferrous armor is twisted, and peeled away from them, then they may need it worse than I."
"Perhaps I might scout ahead with the charm, I can see well enough to go without a torch, and I may then return to the troop with news of their number and arms, without attracting any of their attentions..."

(ooc- I follow your lead on this TKD)