Whispers at the Fire
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For days before or after the fight that happened outside Jiyyd between Aelthas and an unknown assailant, Ezachiel did not leave Norwick.
However, mere hours after the fight, he is back in his usual reading spot near the North Gate.
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_….it happened just as a small patrol from the Watchful Repose left the south gate. Hordes of goblins, augmented by mages and priests, poured out of the Rawlinswood.
The goblins were dispatched, and then a second wave came, led by bugbears... and then a third, with beetles and an umber hulk...
The Reposers and a band of rangers and scouts fought each wave off, tracked the attackers to a small cave, and then slew them. They proceeded deeper into the woods.
It is unclear what transpired there, but a short time later all who left returned, looking somewhat grim and puzzled. Passerbys heard the word 'drow' mentioned in whispers as they talked and tended their wounds._
-Lagermane
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Ezachiel was seen carrying the body of a dead woman into town, some hours after he, she and Lucidious went into the Rawlins to investigate rumours of a bugbear presence close to town. If asked, he replies that he tried to save her when she attacked a bugbear, but that he was not able to take down the bugbear, and was forced to flee. He returned after having prepared new spells, slaughtered the bugbear within seconds, and brought the dead woman back to town, along with all her belongings.
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Unbothered by internal problems or politics, goblins gather to the south, charging a pair of adventurers. Dying a horrible, bloody death by a man dealing death out with hands and feet and knees. Followed up by two bugbears, the adventurers quickly retreat and hide behind the two guards who dispose of the bugbears without too much trouble.
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"Well if tha's the case, I guess I just 'ave ta finish off their cat an' any cousins then, eh?"
Familiar wry grin briefly flashes on his lips, but then he turns serious again and wanders off towards the Town Hall to see if there's anything he can do to help the situation.
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Rando makes a 'crazy' sign
"poor bastard has lost it, if i find out someone has cast a spell on him i will kill them, their friends, family and their dog"
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Paci catches a glimpse of Milshot and his office before the Chancellor retreats inside, and a worried frown crosses his face. He spots Rando and Dwin talking near the Town Hall and approaches them his usual wry grin completely wiped off from his now serious face.
"Ey thar cap'n an' serge. Wha' the 'ell is goin' on with Mil… the Chancellor? He's been actin' very strangely fer sum time now, an' he dun look too good either. Gettin' real worried 'ere, I am."
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_Sensing the activity around the barracks and hall amongst Rando, Dwin, Foilir and Lucid is focused on himself, Milshot retreats to his office but not in time to keep those watching from seeing inside.
Within his office, the Chancellor has errected a makeshift and haphazard barricade of small stones held together with mud and straw. It looks as though a small, round wall has been put together. Big enough for a person to sit inside and certainly not worthy of any true defence, it seems to be where the Chancellor is spending most of his time.
The office itself is in complete disaray with empty bottles scattered about as well as the smell of smoke. It looks as though a small campfire has been burning in a pot inside the office itself.
The Chancellor's appearance only serves to confirm the shambles within the office. He is pale, looks as though he has not eaten anything of substanance is many days and, generally, looks as though he is not feeling well._
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Rando listens with the look of surprise, but understanding
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Dwin pulls rando aside and speaks to him in hushed tones.
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Rando wanders over and asks Dwin
" whats going on?"
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_Dwin and Lucid retreat to Lucid's office for a brief discussion. They emerge and Dwin summons Plato. The 3 of them speak in hushed voices. Plato salutes and walks away.
Within a half hour a horse drawn cart appears in front of the Hall. It appears that the cart has been packed with several trunks._
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Rando walks over to Dwin and says
" How the chancellor is acting is not good for morale of the troops, you got any ideas?"
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_Foilir speaks quietly with Dwin about the small pile of rocks that is appearing from the Chancellor's office.
They both peer at the mound, then at Milshot as he appears working happily talking about walls inside walls.
Foilir raises an eyebrow as he wonders where the material is coming from._
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_The Chancellor is once again seen moving in and out of the Hall pushing his wheelbarrow. Filling it with various size stones and dirt, he makes his way back into the hall. Again, this goes on for the better part of a day until the sun goes down when he retires for the day, locking himself in his office.
The guards at the gate report him rambling on about walls inside walls_.
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_Dwin arrives on the scene with 2 Norwick Guards and approaches the small camp. Seeing no chair for himself, he rolls a keg over and sits on it.
After reviewing the progress with his kin and downing more than a few ales, he heads back into town, albeit in a slower, more zigzag way than he arrived.
Before he leaves, he assigns his 2 guards at a post closer to the North-Road and tells them to "let no one enter that lacks a beard or Norwick Militia credentials."_
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Rando wanders over to the old mines and sees whats going on
"need a hand, not many better than me in the art of Mining"
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_A stream of dwarves seems to be coming towards Norwick from the North. They have with them picks, shovels, carts loaded with kegs and lumber.
The caravan meets a heavily armored and familiar dwarf near the old marauder mines. A rough camp is set up, behind the clearing in the trees.
The familiar dwarf in the darker plate, gathers some of the dwarves that are in charge, and leads them towards a table. He unfolds a large deerskin that he removes from inside his breast plate and unfolds it, stretching it on the table.
Putting an ale bottle on each corner, he starts pointing at various points on the drawings and starts asking about time frames and how much. After many ales, even more beard stroking, some arm wrestling, a bit of yelling and haggling well into the mid afternoon, the dwarves finally reach an agreement.
They shake hands and a large sack of coins is thrown on the table. In addition, what seems like endless crates of ale are brought in as well.
The dwarven foremen turn to their charges, their smiles vanishing and taking on the expressions of drill sargeants. Barking orders over each other, their teamster like charges scramble to get to work, some dropping their hins at the makeshift tossing wall, others leaving their meals half eaten.
Like a choreographed dance, they move in precise and obviously practiced movements. A group wearing what can be called red covered grime helms, rolls kegs into the cave, while a team with wheelbarrows lines up at the entrance. Another group with shovels waits next to them.
A yell in dwarven is heard from inside the cave and they all cover their ears, and those closest to the entrance turn their heads.
Almost seconds after a frantically running dwarf runs out of the cave and dives behind a wooden barrier, an explosion rocks the group, bit of rock shooting out of the cave entrance.
The wheelbarrows and shovels move in, and a procession starts going in and out of the cave. A new ridge starts to form as the rock begins to pile.
Smiling the armored dwarf watches it all, and finally sends a Norwick guard to get some of his things. Upon returning, the dwarf removes his plate and begins to erect his own tent, facing the mouth of the cave.
He cuts down a few small trees and creates a makeshift chair, where he sits watching the progress of the work.
He smiles with every dwarven yell and trailing explosion. Occasionally the dwarf igniting the charges getting flung high into the trees._
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When talk turns to the incident at Fight Night, the witch Raisa overflows with apologies for her part.
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Missing the commotion at the Chancellor's office, Aelhaearn stops by Dwin's office in the militia barracks and discovers it empty yet again and heads back through town to return to Jiyyd.
