Chapter Five: The Tunnels

Ashwyn smiled at Sig and then sat back on thr bed to get a good view. She curled into the pillows and watched as her lover and mate pleased the two women.

Virrtu and Shaza were moaning continuously as Sigurd switched between them. Both of them drawing close to a climax before he'd switch to the other. They began grinding their clits against one another while he seitchrd to keep the tension high, begging him for release.

Sigurd was panting hard as he worked the two women. His hands reached forward and one grabbed onto Virrtu's breast and the other Shaza's. He massaged each woman as he buried himself to the hilt pulsing his hips harder and faster with each thrust into them. Reaching his limit, he growled loudly as he slammed his cock into Virrtu's pussy releasing a jet of cum deep inside her before pulling out and thrusting in to Shaza with such force it embedded his knot in her as he dumped the rest of his load into the waiting Teifling. He felt himself swelling again and locking him into the demoness like he had the Dragonborn.

The sexual energy was high in the room. Both Shaza and Virrtu were moaning in turn as they were pounded by Sigurd. Ashwyn was sitting comfortably against the pillows, her fingers between her lower lips with one hand while the other pinched and flicked the nipple of her breast. She was very much enjoying the show. Krea was even satisfying herself on the corner from the chair where she rested.

When Sigurd finally exploded again, Virrtu moaned first, feeling his hot fluid fill her again. But then Shaza's moan was gutteral and deep. His seed so hot inside her and then when he locked inside her she groaned againm pushing back against him, the muscles of her body tensing as her own orgasm crashed around her, making stars appear in her vision.

Knowing she'd be locked for a while, she collapsed to the site of Viirtu, pulling Sigurd with her with her strong tail. She and Virrtu were panting their satisfaction.

Ashwyn too had her own climax just watching the amazing show before her. Her body body tensed and she screamed her pleasure as she came. Now she was laying on her side, breathing deeply of the smell of her lovers, as she watched them come down from their sexual high.

Virrtu smiled over to Ashwyn and rolled towards her. Using her strong tail and arms, she manuved the elf woman in a roll so she was now laying between Virrtu and the Teifling woman, who had Sigurd firmly locked in behind her.

Ash was surprised by the movement, but smiled with where she ended up. She smiled over to Sigurd as she lay against Virrtu's soft breasts.

Shaza chuckled as she sighed happily. "Well.... that was different." She wiggled her hips and groaned as it moved Sigurd's cock inside her. "Mmmm, that is too. But I like it."

Virrtu smirked. "So do I. I never knew werewolves could be so passionate." she winked at Sigurd.

Sigurd flopped to the side with Shaza, still firmly implanted in her. He threw his arm over her waist and caressed Ashwyn's stomach. "Most werewolves aren't." he said simply. "then again, I'm not a regular werewolf." He cast mage hand and made a gentle massaging motion to Virrtu's breast with the invisible touch. Still running his fingers up Ash's stomach, and grinding his hips into Shaza, he tried to keep the gentle pleasure up between the four of them. Just for now, until he was free again.

Time went by and his knot finally deflated enough that it made a slick popping motion as Shaza's muscles released him, spilling him out onto the bed. Satisfied, Sigurd shifted back to his human form still able to smell the thick scent of their combined sex.

Ashwyn smiled as she felt Sigurd's calloused hand on her stomach. She reached for it and caressed the back of it. She found herself surprisingly content laying between these two beautiful women with her mate nearby.

Virrtu was laying contentedly but when the unknown force caressed her breast she looked around confused for a moment before she saw Sigurd looking at her and then made the connection. "And a mage as well?" She chuckled.

"A man of many talents I see." Shaza smirked. When he finally fell out of her and returned to his human form she snuggled against Ashwyn, using her tail to pull him closer as well. "Mmm, I do love making new friends."

At this point, Krea got up from her place on the chair and joined them on the bed. She'd removed her strap on device and moved up to behind Sigurd, cuddling against him on the large bed, her breasts pressed into his back.

"Hmmm, I think Krea might want a turn,." Shaza chuckled, and the half-orc nodded.

The next four hours were filled with all forms of sexual debauchery. Sigurd took a turn with each of the ladies at least twice, sometimes with others, sometimes alone. And other times he sat to recover while the ladies had fun on their own. Eventaully, they all lay collapsed in a heap on the bed.

Sigurd lay in the center of the bed with Ashwyn curled up against his side, head on his chest, his fluid still leaking from both of her southern holes and coating her legs. Shaza lay behind Ashwyn, her tail laying between Ashwyn's legs, having only just removed itself from her. Fluid also spilled from her lower regions. On Sigurd's other side lay Virrtu, curled against him, her head on the pillow next to his. Krea lay behind Virrtu, cuddling against her from behind, her strap on device still firmly embedded inside Virrtu's dripping hole.

The bard song had long ended, and it was in this position that they were discovered by the other men. Jarin, Beldani, and SmallBell stood in the doorway and stared open mouthed at the scene before them. The room was thick with the smell of sex.

"So this is where the party was." Beldani chuckled. "I'm so pleased to see my song inspired you so." He winked.

Jarin blinked a few times, started to speak, then stopped, blinked again, then finally composed himself. "Well, I was wondering where all of you had gone but... I didn't exactly expect this."

Meanwhile, in a park somewhere near the middle of the city...

Lopiena awoke with a crick in her neck and right arm tingling from sleeping on it wrong. Slowly stretching and blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Lo tried to figure out the time from the diffuse light underground. How long had she been out?  It felt like hours! So much to do and she'd fallen asleep! Oh well, nothing for it now. At least she felt more rested from the antics of the night before. Get up, get going...but first, she had to do something about this terrible thirst that seemed to be gluing her tongue to the roof of her mouth.  Slowly ambling over to the river (sweet, clear water straight out of the mountain, probably won't make her sick) Lo hesitated at the water's edge with memories of falling into a fast flowing stream rising into her head. This river doesn't seem to be moving that fast, and the edges didn't look too slippery...can't be too careful though. Welllllllll...she'd been wanting to try her Wild Shape in a new form,  and she wanted to follow the river to the end...why not do both? Because there might be a giant terrifying magic-sensing dragon nearby, that's why not. Still though. Can't be afraid to use magic forever, and this place seems safe enough.  Kneeling at the water's edge with her staff in hand, Lopiena looked around for anyone who might be watching a lone Druid trying something new. Seeing no one, Lo focused inward to the shape she wanted.

The weeks of practicing in the tunnels had paid off. Instead of shifting out of her clothes, this time her tunic altered into fur. Even her staff shifted with her, appearing as a dark lateral line following the length of her body. Transformation complete, a small river otter scurried along the river's edge for a moment before sliding in, lapping up water and sniffing around as she got her bearings in this new form.

Sigurd woke slowly to the thick musky scent of the last four hours, the music had stopped and his body felt absolutely drained of life and fluids. Stretching himself out a little he pulled Ashwyn and Virrtu closer to him, kissing them both sweetly. He didn't want to move from the pile of bodies and if this was what being stuck in this city would entail.. then he almost wanted to stay forever.

Ashwyn was pulled from a haze of sleep by Sigurd's lips. She smiled into the kiss and returned it happily. As he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open and she sighed happily. Then, in her soft movements of waking, she felt the body behind her and her eyes also focused on Virrtu curled on Sigurd's other side and she remembered the last four hours. It brought a blush to her cheeks but she smiled also. Shaza was still firmly pressed up against her and she had to admit that she enjoyed her soft skin against her.

It took a moment or two for her to realize that the men stood at the door, and then her blush deepened. She didn't hide herself though. They'd already seen everything, so why bother being ashamed? She was with her lover and feeling quite satisfied, so what was there to be ashamed of?

She stretched her body, working out various kinks she'd developed from the previous actions they shared in. She was sore in places she'd never been sore in, and every movement twinged ever so slightly, but it also reminded her of the amazing things she'd experienced to get that soreness.

As she stretched, Shaza also began to shift. She yawned, stretched, then wrapped her arms around Ashwyn and grabbed hold of her ample chest for a gentle squeeze. "Mmmm, Always love waking up to big soft tits." She cooed, nuzzling against Ashwyn's back.

Ashwyn chuckled and couldn't help the gentle moan as Shaza needed her chest.

The teifling woman finally sat up, stretching her arms over her head and sticking her chest out towards the doorway. "Mmm, Morning fellas. You missed quite an adventure." She winked.

"We can see that." Beldani chuckled. "It's really a shame we missed it." He straightened up and clapped his hands once. "Well, what's everyone say to some lunch, eh? It looks like you all worked up quite an appetite." He winked.

Shaza smiled. "Mmm, sounds lovely." She turned and crawled over the bunch on the bed. She leaned in and locked lips with Ashwyn, kissing her so passionately that she had to catch her breath after wards. Then she leaned in and did the same with Sigurd. "I do hope you plan on coming around again. I very much enjoyed your visit." She smiled at them both and winked before removing herself from the bed and following Beldani down the hall, his hand firmly grasping her naked rear as they walked.

Virrtu moaned softly as she came back into consciousness, Krea's gentle waking movements movign the device still inside her as Krea unconsciously thrust inside her slowly.

Javin cleared his throat, seeing Krea's movements and Virrtu's moans. "Well... if you two would like to join us for a meal, it looks as though others have not had their fill of other activities." He chuckled, motioning for Sigurd and Ashwyn to follow him. He offered them both a long thin robe to cover themselves, should they choose, and then walked downstairs.

While Ashwyn was not ashamed of her nakedness, the chill inside the cave was enough that she decided to wrap the robe around herself just the same. She cuddled against Sigurd as they walked and even as they sat around the table that had been sparcly filled with food. It was hardly a grand meal, but it was enough for them all. After the actions they'd just shared, she was feeling oddly clingy to her mate. She didn't regret what happened at all, but it was nice to have his arms around her and only her also.

"Please, eat your fill. It has been a long while since we've had guests that have... uh... taken to us so easily." He chuckled.

Enjoying her new form, Lopiena relishes the feeling of the cool water against her soft fur. Swimming is a bit weird at first, but learning to use her strong tail as rudder and oar gives her confidence to explore the river. Finding the chest with gold is a welcome surprise, and while it takes her a minute or two to figure out how to carry it she happily takes it with her.

Following the current down river, Lo hesitates at the old dwarf. She can't speak in this form, and she's not ready to transform out of it yet but the words he's saying send chills down her spine. Dwarves live much longer than humans, and the fact that he's so old might mean he's one of the original citizens of this town before the fall. She wants to know more...

Not wanting to scare away the small fish he's feeding, Lo climbs out of the river about 20 feet away from the old dwarf. Shaking herself off, she acts for all the world like any other otter just out for a stroll but is listening intently to anything else the dwarf might say. While she's out of the water, she also scours the shore for anything else of interest.

Sigurd followed the others to the table and sat himself down, Still completely naked, he didn't think anyone would mind at this point. He made a mental note to go back and collect his things before they were to leave, and not fall pray to any other.... activities... He rested his head on Ashwyn's for a moment before kissing her sweetly and giving her a look that told her how in love he was with her. "We wont eat too much" he said plainly, "But thank you so much for your... hospitality."

He ate slowly and thoughtfully as he went over the last few hours in his mind. It was quite enjoyable and he could see why in the old years of Thunderknoll the custom was that if someone was in a certain mood and approached you, if willing the pair would couple off somewhere, sometimes right where they stood. Sigurd somehow felt like he was cut from the past and chuckled to himself, wondering if he should ask his father to reinstate that old custom...

Jarin chuckled at Sigurd's words and emphasis on the word 'hospitality'. "Even though you seemed to enjoy your time here, I do apologize for that. You caught us at a time of celebration and I'm afraid I was already not in my right mind." He blushed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "Normally we are far more careful about those particular bard songs reaching others."

Ashwyn smiled at the look Sigurd was giving her. She nuzzled against him while she ate. When Jarin spoke, she turned to look at him. She smiled at his words. "It was.... unexpected." She admitted. "But not unwelcome." She bumped playfully against Sigurd, knowing that he enjoyed it as much as she did.

Jarin smiled. "I'm pleased to hear that." He sat down at the table opposite of them. "Well, if you don't have a home yet here, you are welcome to stay here. This building was once an Inn back when this city had need of such places. There's enough rooms for each of us to have our own, though most of us end up sharing." He shrugged.

Sigurd smiles and nodded to Karin, "we certainly appreciate the offer but..." He figured at this point now the false pretense could be dropped. "We really don't intend to be here long. If things work out how were hoping you shouldn't have to wait either..." He lowered his tone slightly "we're going to liberate this mountain." He said matter of factly.

Listening intently to the old dwarf, Lopiena pauses a moment, standing stock still in the manner all animals have when they realize they've been seen. She's not about to run, though. Watching him with sparkling eyes,  Lo tried to understand what he's trying to tell her. What is there to understand?  It sounds like crazed mumblings to her, but the way he addresses her directly makes her start to think maybe there's something more. No one knows the answer......there's an answer? To what? It's not even a question!  But as she listens more, the singsong voice stays sounding less life crazed mumblings and more like...a riddle...

Lopiena loved riddles as a child, and had often pondered them long after the answer was revealed so she could understand what it meant. Now...what forests had no trees? What water could be dry? What roads cannot be walked on? Thinking long and hard, Lo suddenly realizes that drawings of rivers cannot have water; it would ruin the parchment! And forests with no trees...the indistinguishable blobs of green indicating forest on the maps back home...maps with roads that cannot be walked on! A map! He's singing about a map, surely! But what does a map have to do with anything? Thinking about the map found in the big book back at the Inn, Lo sits up in her otter form with eyes shining with excitement, hoping he will understand her body language.

(Perception roll 15. And no I didn't look that up, I figured it out! At least I think I'm right...)

Jarin didn't respond right away to Sigurd's words. It was as though he was processing them carefully. Then he slowly sighed, and smiled. His smile had a sadness to it. "We were like you, once. Most adventurers who wind up here start out that way." He reached over and poured himself some mead. "Most of them don't survive their attempts."

Ashwyn tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "But you're still alive."

Jarin nodded. "True. But I was lucky." He swallowed a mouthful and set the tankard down again. "I arrived here a little over a year ago with my party. My sister, Treva. Her husband, Marcus. And our close family friend, Reva. We'd traveled together for years, just for the sake of it. We were chased into the pit by dragons. The fall had broken Treva's leg and my arm. We were told that there was no way out of here. We didn't believe it. While we healed, we planned.... we weren't going to stay here. We knew that for certian. We mapped out the city. Found all the possible exits. We couldn't have been more prepared when we finally struck. But...." He shook his head. "The one who controls this city... he is pure evil. He has no compassion for anything other than his kind. And his kind are.... ruthless. I watched them pound the others into the rocks. I only escaped because of proximity. I was a look out for our plan. By the time I got close enough to them to help.... they were gone and my party were dead." He took another long drink.

"I was found wandering the tunnels by Viirtu and she brought me here with the others."

"We all have similar stories." Shazer said from her place in the doorway. She was still naked, but had a cloak drapped over her shoulders. She sat down at the table near Jarin, and Beldani joined her. "Bel and I lost our family to a similar attempt. We've tried several times over our 80 years here. None have been successful. The gold men are too strong. And the man who commands them too clever."

Alan's nostrils flared for a moment. He felt their grief, it was palpable for sure... However it only hardened his resolve "tell us everything you know, where to go, what lies in wait for us when we get there." He slammed back a tankard of Mead himself and sighed "does this man have any allies in the city? Perhaps we can rally others in revolt.... Perhaps provide a distraction while others escape..." His mind was reeling as he tried to process different plans all at once.

Jarin, Shazar, and Beldani all exchanged a concerned look. Then Shazar sighed and leaned over the table. "We'll tell you what we know. But please understand how much loss this information usually brings. You're really much better off just making a home here."

Ashwyn shook her head. "We appreciate your concern. But there are those who are counting on us. We can't just sit idly by. Not after we've come so far."

Jarin nodded. "Very well. We will share our knowledge."

The next several hours were spent listening to every plan they ever concocted. Every path they ever used. And every enemy they ever came up against. There were only three main tunnels leaving the city. One of them lead to the dragon they had already met. Another led the the chamber of the gold men. The third led upwards, towards the surface. It exited inside of a temple where those that worship Barrak gathered. It was guarded by gold men and other dangerous creatures, not all of which are known.

Beldani also shared news of a fourth tunnel that he and his friends have been digging for the last 80 years. It goes deeper inside of the mountain. The intent was to create a safe area in case Barak ever decided the city was no longer needed for him. It has been dug out to be quite large, and they have been growing food inside, trying to keep it liveable in the case of an emergency.

[Sigurd and Ashwyn now have +2 on all map related checks. Also have new knowledge of a secret cave]

Watching the crumbs fall slowly into the water, Lo smiles to herself as the fish snap up the food. Looking back up to thank the old dwarf, the fur on her backside stands on edge when she realized he was gone. Whose spirit had she been talking to?! Surely not that of Thrimal Brickbrow, he hadn't made it to old age and spirits always remember their last form....shivering for a moment,  Lo stops herself from overthinking it and shakes her fur back into place. Whoever it was, he was a friend and she wasn't about to waste this newfound knowledge. Considering how to carry this map with her, Lo shakes herself again. This parchment is far too valuable to risk; her plan of traveling down the river in her otter form will just have to wait. Looking around carefully to make sure she's unseen and unnoticed, Lo shifts back into human form. Picking up the scroll, Lo tosses the remaining breadcrumbs into the river for the fish. Taking the now empty bag, she silently places the gold pieces and the parchment in it before silently and solemnly heads back to the Fool and Goblet. I wonder how the others have fared...

Sigurd listened intently as they spoke, mentally picturing the directions they'd been and where they'd have to go, he nodded slowly before speaking "we thank you for this information... When we leave for the surface, unless you plan on coming with us I suggest you hide in your tunnel, hard to say if there will be any repercussions to our attack..." He said softly. Though he still intended on pressing forward his mind kept lingering on the possibility of staying here... But he had responsibilities to his family and home. And no amount of bedfellows would dissuade him from his task.

Eating slowly as if strategically planning his meal, Sigurd pondered their options. If there were to be golden warriors there, he wasn't sure they had the strength to defeat them... Though he would try regardless...

Jarin nodded slowly, obviously contemplating Sigurd's words. "And... you are set in your decision to try this?" One look at Sigurd and he already knew the answer. He nodded again.

"If you fight..." Virrtu and Krea entered the room then and Virrtu was back in her armored clothing with her sword at her side. She pulled her sword and stabbed it into the table. "Then I will fight with you."

Krea, still naked, hefted a very large club and propped it on her shoulder. "Krea will fight too." She nodded, a blood thirsty smirk on her face. "Not nearly enough fighting in this place."

Ashwyn smiled at the two of them. "Thank you. We're hoping it doesn't come to that. Not right away, anyway. But we will never turn away the offer of back up."

Shaza leaned across the table and took Ashwyn's hand. "You've bonded with us. Both of you have. You're both welcome to join our little family. We'd be glad to have you. But.... forgive me if I... don't have high hopes for your success."

Beldani nodded. "We've seen so many before you.... and been disapointed many times..." He frowned.

Ashwyn squeezed Shaza's hand. "We understand. And... we can't even imagine what you've all been through here." She hesitated for a moment, only a moment, before continuing. "We've been sent from a grouping of towns on the other side of the desert. Right on the edge of Barak's influence. His armies are pushing towards us and threatening our towns. Our mission was to find out who he was and assess the situation. Now... we realize how dire the situation is. If we have the oppritunity to take him out, we will take it. The entire region is in danger so long as he exists."

Jarin had leaned in, listening. "So you aren't just adventurers that happened upon us..... That explains your resolve." He nodded. After a moment of silence, he slapped his hand on the table. "Virrtu has the right of it. We will fight with you if you have need of us."

Shaza squeezed Ashwyn' hand again. "Agreed. Who wants to live forever anyway?" She winked playfully.

Ashwyn chuckled. "We thank you. As of yet, we have no set plan. We need to meet back up with our party and decide on things."

Beldani nodded. "Of course. By all means, discuss things with your people. Where are you staying? Nevermind, it doesn't matter!" He stood. "You're staying here. As Jarin said, there's more than enough space. And we can help you and your people plan. Plus, we won't charge you."

"Well, not in money anyway." Shaza winked seductively towards Sigurd and Ashwyn.

Ashwyn blushed ever so slightly and giggled. "You've all been so kind. We can't thank you enough for your hospitality."

The meal was finished and goodbyes were shared before Sigurd and Ashwyn made the trek back to their meager Inn room. They arrived just as Lopiena was making her way back from the river. Ashwyn raised her hand over her head to wave to the girl. Before she could speak, the Inn door opened and Zane and Cirro walked out.

"There you are!" Zane said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What in the name of the gods have you all been up to for so long? We circled the whole city twice and we've stil been waiting here for ages!"

Cirro met Lopiena as she approached. "We were starting to get worried."

Still slightly shaken from her encounters with the spirits, Lopiena is very careful to watch her step on the walk back from the river. Seeing nothing unusual helps bolster her courage, and seeing Ashwyn and Sigurd just as she comes into sight of the Inn raises her spirits completely.  Grinning at her friend still garbed in a tunic just a few sizes to short, Lo lifts her arm in response to Ashwyn's greeting and waves back with the map.

Cirro and Zane coming out of the Inn makes Lopiena grin even wider; it's great to have everyone back together! ...until their concern is voiced. Blushing somewhat at the memory of her "mediations" (also known as a nap), Lo looks down a bit as Cirro approached. Her hands are full, but she tries to hug him anyway...after feeling the incredible loneliness of Thrimal Brickbrow, Lo wants to touch her companions just to make sure they're real.  "Sorry for the concern, I may have gotten a bit...distracted...but look at this!"  Holding up and unrolling the map, Lo shows it to Cirro first, then approaches Zane. "Also, I found this in the river...Zane, you've been financing pretty much everything up to this point, and I think you should keep this." Handing Zane the bag of coins,  Lo grins again. "Though I might keep a coin or two for the next meal so I don't have to ask you so much.  I don't know about you, but I'm starved! What did you all find? Anything useful?" Her last question encompassed everyone, and Lo walks towards Ashwyn and Sigurd while still trying to hold Cirro.

When Lopina spoke of being distracted, Ashwyn chuckled. Distracted. Hmm. Yes, indeed. She glanced at Sigurd and smiled at him. Yes, they had been rather distracted themselves.

Catching the look on their faces, Zane shook his head. “You know what? I don’t want to know.” He looked away from them.

Looking closely at the map that Lo had found, he nodded. “Yes, this will come in handy.”

“We’ve learned some intel of our own.” Ashwyn added, looking at the map. She studied it for a moment and then indicated the secret tunnels built by Jarin and his people. She explained its purpose and how they learned of it.

“So these people just… volunteered the information about their secret hideaway?” Zane asked, skeptically.

“Not exactly.” Ashwyn smirked.

Zane grimaced. “Spare the details, please.”

Ashwyn chuckled at him. “We ran into these people by chance, but we learned a great deal from them. The pit is a trap set up by Barak, the one who controls this city. You can’t climb out of it and once adventerers fall into it, they’re trapped in this city. Barak adds them to his work force to mine the mountain. This whole city is a slave to him.” She explained.

“And none of them have tried to escape?” Cirro asked.

Ashwyn bowed her head. “They suffered many losses in the attempts. They have sense given up and decided to make a life here. Speaking of which, they have offered us free lodging while we are here. And have agreed to help us leave the city. So long as it’s agreeable to the rest of you, I suggest we head back to them. They know far more about this city than we do and their insight will be important.”

The next few hours were spent discussing other things found in the city during their explorations. Cirro spoke of two establishments. One was a stonemason’s workshop called Mundi’s Masonry. The building had several stone gargoyles surrounding it, and whispers around the shop said that these gargoyles were alive and fought to protect the shop. While he saw no evidence that this is true, it did seem like one of the only places he found where the manner of speech was less...encouraging towards their enslavement. Perhaps it the people felt more at ease speaking the truth when they thought gargoyle’s protected them? It was unknown.

The shop was run by an old Dwarf named Mundi and his young Gnome wife, Stella. He did the heavy carving and she did the finer details. They were both quite talented and seemed to be kind.

The other place was a potter’s workshop called Kheli’s Jolly Jiggery. It was build into the cave walls and used a volvanic fissure as a fireing kiln. Because of this, it seemed to be the most renowned pottery shop in the city. Crim, the old Dwarven woman who ran the place, had tough hands and strong arms and legs. She’d been working the kiln for decades at least. Perhaps centuries. She was very old but very careful with her work. She seemed to serve nobles and poor alike and didn’t seem to care what amount of gold she received for her products.

While Cirro had found structures, Zane had found people. He’d run across two notible figures around the city that he thought might become assets later. Gili, a male Dwarven assassin, and Bramdal, a male Dwarven ranger. Both of these individuals seemed to speak out against Barak and in the upper levels of the city that seemed to be a dangerous thing to do.

By the time all of the information was exchanged,it was approaching evening. The party decided to eat before heading out to their new home for the next few days. They ate at the inn before walking back to the old Inn turned home.

As they approached, they saw Jarin and Small Bell outside working in what appeared to be a meager little garden. Shazer was in a third story window holding bedding as she wafted it in the wind and secured it to various lines to dry. From inside soft strumming could be heard, no doubt Beldani was singing a merry tune. The occasional shout could be heard from within. Sigurd and Ashwyn would recognize the voices as Viirtu and Krea. It sounded like they were training.

Ashwyn raised a hand above her head in greeting and called out. “Jarin! Small Bell!”

They both looked up and smiled. “Ashwyn! Sigurd! Welcome back friends! Please come inside!” He said standing and dusting the soil from his clothes. He opened the front door and held it open for them.

As they approached the door, Shazer looked down from her window and smirked. She leaned over the window sill to get a better look, which pushed her cleavage out even further. “Welcome back, you two!” She said with a smile and a wink. “Mmm, and what did you bring with you?” She asked, eyeing Lopiena, Cirro, and Zane in turn.

Grateful to be back with her friends, Lopiena seems to be trying to hold or hug everyone at once...which doesn't work very well, but she just wants to make sure they're really here.  When Zane implies that Ashwyn and Sigurd might have enjoyed their alone time a little too much, Lo grins at them; every chance they get together is a moment to be enjoyed! ...until Zane continues to imply that perhaps they were together with more than just each other.  Even though Zane was relatively nice about it (all things considered), even implying such a thing without any evidence was a little too close to home for Lopiena...it reminded her of some of the unkind things the villagers used to say about her mother.  Smile fading, Lo is about to say something to Zane when Ashwyn continues speaking about the pit and how everyone in the city is essentially a slave.  Refocusing on their mission, Lo forgets about whatever is implied or done...all of that stuff is trivial compared to this!  Lowering her head in respect for the dead when Ashwyn describes attempts to escape, she nods in agreement about staying with those lovely folks.  Insider intelligence is always good, and staying for free??  Wow!  Perhaps she'd been too quick about giving the gold she'd found in the river to Zane!

Listening to everyone discussing what they'd discovered, Lo is immediately interested in the stonemason's workshop with the gargoyles.  She'd be more than interested in finding out about these gargoyles!  And the fact that both the stonemason and the potter were quite old...maybe they're old enough to have at least heard of Thrimal Brickbrow or Turi Reddigger!  The hope that someone might have some knowledge about who they were and what they did would help quiet her own restlessness, and perhaps bring peace to their spirits.  Additional allies are always good, too...perhaps the assassin and ranger Zane found might aid them on their quest.  Worth asking, at any rate.

During the ensuing discussions, Lopiena also piped up and described what she'd discovered at the park.  Describing the gold statue and all distinguishing markings may be useful in the immediate future, and while the story of the statues of Turi Reddigger and the sad and lonely end of Thrimal Brickbrow may not seem that important for here and now, the fact that something as simple as a statue could bring such wrath however many years ago shows how important symbology is.  If they're going to find and defeat Barak stealthily, none of this is important.  If they want to recruit an uprising from the city, a symbol of the city's greatness...from however long ago...may be the tipping point that brings people to their aid.

A quick meal, retrieval of their gear (Lo still feels weird having Ashwyn's falcata strapped to her back while Ashwyn carries the disc blades found in the gold statue room) and a short walk later, Lo looks up in interest at the large building that will be their new place of residence.  The gentle sound of music makes her smile and wink at Cirro..."Maybe you can pull out that lyre and play together?"...but her interest is immediately drawn to the small garden.  Nodding and waving shyly to the smiling man inviting them inside, looking up to include the beautiful woman hanging out of the window...Lo smiles but indicates the garden instead.  "Thank you for your kindness.  Is it ok if I maybe help with the garden?"