Turn 34 -- On the Trail Again

7th day of Elesias. Underdark Tunnels.

Dain patiently finishes the remaining tabac in his pipe, taps out the ashes and returns it to his belt pouch with his poke. He then gathers up the rest of his things and smiles.

"After all that arguing, we still have to put one foot in front of the other and let chance do what it will," Dain chuckles. "Worm holes and razor rock don't sound like a holiday on the Sword Coast, but it still sounds better than confronting a race known only for it's ability to kill. Perhaps worm holes don't house worms at all, perhaps they are just natural occurances. Have you heard of either of these, friend Kersath?"

"'Course he's 'eard o' them," grumbles Ortho before Kersath can respond. "Any self-respectin' dwarf or darkee-elf that's spent an hour undeeground 'as! Ain't that right, Kersath?"

"He is right," agrees Kersath as he looks toward Dain. "I have heard of these dangers and unfortunately the worm holes do mean that a worm has been by. Doesn't mean it's there now or still alive, but they don't tend to stay vacant for long. We could get lucky though..."

Gnore frowns in thought at the prospect of another decision. "There are more than enough dwarves here to navigate earthen worm holes and worms'll leave us alone if we don't bother them...or if they're hungry, which is all the time. Bah! I know nothing of these Grells but I know enough to trust the earth. I choose the wormholes!" Gnore huffs, waiting for the others to make their choices known.

Druckner tugs at his red beard while thinking things through, "Aye, verily kin-Gnore, Ah too trust ta earth. Bot we must give sem thought ta them's tat are wit' us. Ta mules wahl do poorly over razer-rock. An' on such a long jernee, we cannae afford ta lose them. Wahl, on ta other hand, them grells can be werse. Ah'm wit ya, kin-Gnore, Ah say we try ta worm-holes an razer-rock, but we'll haf ta give sem thought ta pertecting ta mules. That's me vote, wot say ye others?"

"Forseti said that all paths lead to Jelenneth, provided we are brave and resourcefull," Beleg says quietly. "However, I will follow Gnore's advice and vote for the wormholes."

Garth speaks up and adds what the others are surely thinking, "Aye, and if'n it's to be worms, let's make sure we're not to be worm food!"

Rannigan pauses for a moment, glancing at the map, "I'm all for going down the path that we at least know something about, or at least, that our dwarven friends know something about, since I don't know much about it myself, although I've read some books on studies into the underground and..." Rannigan stops for a moment, realizing he's just babbling, "...ummm...but as I was saying, let's go down with the worms, um I mean, the tunnel with the worms, since we don't want to meet them." He stops to take a breath and glances about, "So, what's the plan then?"

Dain snickers softly at the obvious nervousness of the company's newest companion. The dwarves frown at the babbling wizard and do their best to contain their comments. Druckner carries the conversation on by clearing his throat before speaking, "Wahl! Et seems we're all agreed tan. Let's head fer them tunnels wit ta razer-rock an' werm-holes and watnot. I s'pose Kersath's ta best scout among us, bet ef ya feel ya need help with them strange rocks, wahl, Ah ken do me part, perbably know about em a bit more."

Kersath nods in agreement with the dwarf, "Sounds like a good plan...Aside from teh noise you generate, even with your armor off you will be heard louldy enough by almost everything we want to avoid or surprise..."

"What?!?!" exclaims Druckner as he finishes removing his armor and putting it on his mule for safe-keeping. "Ah'll 'ave ye know I ken move quiet through these tunnels as well as ye. Ye'll not be hearin' any ruckus comin' from me!"

Kersath steps away from the advancing red-bearded dwarf as his foul breath begins to proceed him by a few paces. "Ok, ok, no offense meant. Let's be on our way."

"Druck, ye be careful up there," calls Ortho to his friend. "Ye might not be as spry as ye once were. Out of practice and all that," concludes Ortho with a smile. "Ras and I will see to the mules."

"Harummph!" is the only reply from Druckner as the two scouts, dwarf and dark elf, fade away into the surrounding shadows. The pair appear to disappear and not a sound is heard from the passage ahead.

"Wahl lookee thar," says Snagger with surprise to the others. "Looks like our friend Druck has a few tricks up his sleeve!"

"Wal, let's get a move on then, we're not gettin' anywhere standin' still," calls Ortho once again. "Any idee what these wormy holes is? Doesn't sound too safe fer these mules."

Beleg's face is split with a wide grin and his anxiety is somewhat relieved by Ortho's kidding of Druckner. The young Paladin hoists his pack onto his back, settles the straps to a comfortable position and says, "You're right Ortho, we're not getting anywhere standing around. Turning to Talimar he adds, "So Talimar, are we ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," answers the grey elf with a measure of sarcasm.

Before everyone can move out, Garth offers up a question and suggestion, "If this is the passage we must use to get back, I vote for leaving traps on the way in that will cover a hasty escape on the way out. I can be using one of my Lady's powers to leave magical wards to harm any type of creature we designate. Casting them will leave me in little better than a stupor for a while, but might save our bacon on the way out. What say you?"

"Not that I'm planning any hastry retreat," begins Ras a bit sheepishly, "but anything that would cover one sure gets my vote!"

"Well be quick about it," mutters Talimar as he appears to be quite irritated by the further delay.

Garth ignores the tone of the elf as he hands his pack over to Gnore before taking out what appears to be a large pouch of incense. He begins chanting softly as he starts the prayer to Selune, sprinkling the incense on the ground in a strange pattern. As his prayer continues, thin, glowing lines of power begin to emmanate from his fingers and settle over the incense tracing the outline of his sigil of warding. The prayer continues for a few minutes as Garth traces the warding along the floor of the ten foot wide tunnel and several feet up the sides of the tunnel. With sweat pouring down his face, he finally stops the prayer and the glowing line of power fades away. Within seconds the warding sigil disappears and no trace of its presence can be seen.

"That one will ward against Illithid passing this way. Give me a moment more and I will ward against the passage of evil drow."

The others move beyond the edge of Garth's first sigil as he concentrates and begins the prayer to place the second ward. Several more minutes pass and the process is repeated before Garth turns a weary eye to his companions.

"We are warded. The grace of Selune will strike at any of the creatures that I warded against should they pass this way. If we are in need, it should give us a little time."

Beleg steps forward to catch the stumbling priest as he falters slightly. "Can you travel, my friend?" he asks with obvious concern for his companion.

"Yes, I'll be fine, just let me catch my breath momentarily."

Beleg puts a large arm around the back of his friend as he helps him start walking down the tunnel following the others. "You shouldn't have tried to make two castings," scolds Beleg softly.

"Yes, I should have," replies Garth matter-of-factly. "Protecting this Company appears to be my main duty..."

8th day of Elesias. Underdark Tunnels.

After another day of travel with no sign of anything, the Companions finally reach the point marked on the map as having the razor-rock. As the others make their way through the darkened tunnels, the light from the continual rocks held by Beleg and Dain providing the only illumination for the humans, they see Druckner and Kersath standing to the side of the passage with looks of concern on their faces. Drucker rubs at a spot on his foot with a dark frown.

"We'll no be movin' through that," he grumbles toward the passage ahead and the razor rock. "The damnable rocks are so sharp they cut a hole in me boot! Me feets were as sore as walkin' ferty miles just headin' twenty yards down the passage. Thar's no way the mules will be walkin' across."

"I'm afraid he's right," replies Kersath with a frown to Talimar. "There's no way we can get the mules down this passage."

"Can we walk down it?" queries Talimar as he takes a cautious step only the passage and over the razor-sharp rocks that litter the tunnel floor.

"We can, slowly. Fighting would be extremely difficult and even painful. Running across it would be virtually suicidal," replies Kersath.

"Ye'll not be seein' me runnin' cross those damn rocks," grumbles Druckner to Kersath. "I'll face Kezef himself in these accursed tunnels before running 'cross 'em!"

"Careful calling the name of the Chaos Hound," snaps Snagger to Druckner as he makes a quick sign of warding against evil. "Lest ye get yer wish!"

"Bah! Show some back-bone!" rumbles Druckner. "Ye walk 'cross 'em and then ye can tell me what ta be mind-full of!"

As the remainder of the Companions step forward to test the rocky path before them, Ortho attempts to lead one of the mules across the rocks. The beast promptly sits down on its haunches and with loud hawing, refuses to budge.

The image of the dwarven priest, Ortho, trying to pull and cajole the beast into stepping forward into the passage is simply too much for Gnore to contain. Bursting into a fit of laughter, he wipes tears from his eyes as he tries to talk, "Looks like Ortho finally met something stubborner than him! Haawww haha!!"

Snagger and even Druckner quickly join their kin in laughing at their companion before Ortho curses the mule and tosses down the reigns.

"Wahl just sit thar then!"

"Guess that settles that," replies Beleg to Talimar as he tries to contain his own amusement at the dwarf's episode.

"What do we do then?" asks Dain to Talimar.

"Should we continue on and leave the mules and supplies behind, or back-track and take the passage toward the Grells," echoes Rannigan.

"Damn these accursed tunnels," grumbles Talimar as his irritation grows.