"Yes, you could say that." You say to him.

"Well, maybe I'll go over to the Brotherhood, then. I've never been there, and maybe my crew can find some good information for you." Zeru responds.

"Yes, that would be nice. I can transport you later, but if you don't mind I really need to get some more sleep." You say to him. "This is the first time I've gotten any sleep in a few days."

"Oh, well, alright." Zeru nods. "Have a good rest then, Mynthar."

You nod to him, closing the door, and drift back off to sleep soon after hitting the bed.

A few hours later, you awaken calmly. So, the surfacers are here again. You wonder why they've come this time.

>>16678247
>>16678602
Well, I think that it's time to go talk with Zeru more formally and openly. Ask a local guard the whereabouts of him and his group and step in for a visit.

"Ah, Zeru; I apologize for earlier." Stretch. "But, I'd be happy to talk with you more in depth now that I'm well rested."

>>16678977

You ask some of the guards where Zeru is, after a brief period of meditation. He is currently at the docks, by his ship.

You see the overly large wooden ship anchored and rigged to one of the stone piers in the harbor. Zeru appears to be chatting with some of the guards, who seem to be speaking in broken Nimenish with him. They notice you walking over and cease talking to him.

"Ah, Zeru; I apologize for earlier." You stretch, "But, I'd be happy to talk with you more in depth now that I'm well rested."

"Sure." Zeru says, nodding at you. "I was just speaking with the guards about some pirate-hunting stories."

"What about the giant fish-man, with four arms?" One of the guards asks him. "I heard he can kill a whole crew single- er- multi-handed."

"Well, he was down to three arms, but we came down to fix that problem." Zeru scratches the back of his head. "Though it's a small cost for saving the world from an evil devil-god, I can't help but feel bad that we had to delay getting it for two months."

"And the magic bowman! The one who killed a purple worm in two shots!" The other guard says.

"Yes, well, the elvish military who trained him conscripted him temporarily." Zeru says to them. "So he's not here."

"What about the goblin?" The first guard asks.

Zeru's expression sours, and he rubs his temple. "Don't... don't ask me about the goblin."

>>16679279
"So, tell me about your journeys about the surface. What has the world above brought to you? Good fortunes, I hope."

Let's chit-chat. Talk with him about his travels, how his crew is doing, and the like. Eventually, work our way into the subject of the Trogs.

"Yes, our hands are full here. The Trogs have made their aggression clear, making us very busy."

>>16679591

"Why not?" The guard asks.

"Because thinking about him makes my head hurt." Zeru shakes his head. "Although you've never even seen the sea. I could tell you about anything and you'd think it was awesome."

"Then tell us about the hardest criminals you've gone after!" One of them says.

"Well, there was the crew of the White Swan." Zeru crosses his arms. "It used to be a merchant vessel, but the crew mutinied and killed the captain. The elven military found his corpse floating in the ocean and full of quill pens." He shakes his head. "But by the time we got to them, they had already raided another merchant vessel. Their new captain was shaking down a number of dwarven merchants, and had trays of hot coals set down on the deck, ready to force their feet into it if they didn't sign a trade agreement."

"Sounds good to me." One of the guards says.

"Anyway, we boarded their vessel and caught them with their pants down. Aun'jiit, my elven friend, collapsed the sail on them with a few good shots at the rigging." He shakes his head. "They stuck each other, each thinking they'd betrayed them." Zeru nods. "Was easy, but it was still a cut-throat bunch."

>>16680064
"Quite the cross-up, if I do say so myself."

>>16680286

"Quite the cross-up, if I do say so myself." You say to him.

"Yup." Zeru shrugs. "Some of our enemies are really vicious, others are really dumb. Some of the more dangerous are fortunately a combination of the two."

"So, tell me about your journeys about the surface. What has the world above brought to you? Good fortunes, I hope." You ask the sea-farer.

"Well, I think it's been fairly tame aside from the encounter with that sea serpent." He sighs. "But, no one will believe me about that." Zeru nods up at the kobold in nautical gear cleaning the deck. "It's hard crewing the ship with only five, now four people. But, everyone pulls their weight, we go through the right channels, and have begun to gain a bit of a reputation for pirate-slaying." Zeru pats the side of his three-mast ship. "So I'd say it's been fortunate, yes."

"Yes, our hands are full here. The Trogs have made their aggression clear, making us very busy." You say to him.

"I talked with Dalak a bit about that. He said you made allies with a trog tribe." The elf grins. "And Six told me you and she met up in some kind of... 'underground building?'"

>>16680426
Is he referring to the Drow fortress?

"Ah, yes...that was a long time ago."

"So what brings you back to the Underdark? I don't believe I know of many pirates down here."

>>16680456

"Ah, yes... At the drow fortress?" You ask him.

Zeru shakes his head. "No, it was some sort of tall, black building. She said there were some sort of white amorphous creatures there."

"Ah, yes, I did meet her there some time ago." You say to him. "So what brings you back to the Underdark? I don't believe I know of many pirates down here."

"Well, during my fight with the devil-god who was exiled from the world while I was out above the sky, Keth unfortunately tumbled into a portal of some kind that appeared after we killed him." Zeru holds up his hand. "Basically, complicated stuff. But, I jumped through the portal to get him, and saw these strange, writhing things." He makes a grasping motion. "I grabbed him, then got back to the portal. It looked like something had torn his arm off, and he was insane. We cured the insanity, and were going to come here for the replacement, but he insisted he was fine." Zeru points over your shoulder. "He's in Dalak's shop, getting some kind of experimental piston-arm thing installed, then having his hands enchanted."

>>16680564
"Ah; I'm sorry to hear such a heavy burden fell upon your friend."

Engage in some more small talk.

"Though it is good to see you again. How long are you planning on staying? We've made quite a few improvements to the city that I think you might like."

"Or perhaps a good meal? Life on a ship must restrict the flavor of your diet."

If he gets suspicious of our motives, then reassure him that our reasons aren't WHOLLY about enlisting his services and expertise. There are bound to be Trog raiding parties, so he'll probably have a trick or two about dealing with them. However, if he presses the issue, say:

"What I'm trying to say is...are you looking for some work, Zeru?"

>>16680740

"Ah; I'm sorry to hear such a heavy burden fell upon your friend." You say to him.

"Well, he didn't seem too put back by it." Zeru says. "After all, he does have three others, and after losing all his hands it seems like much less of a bad injury than before."

"Though it is good to see you again. How long are you planning on staying? We've made quite a few improvements to the city that I think you might like." You say to him.

"However long we feel like, I guess." The elf shrugs. "I did want to go over to the Alloyed Brotherhood tomorrow, or later, if you're still up for it."

"Or perhaps a good meal? Life on a ship must restrict the flavor of your diet." You offer to him.

"Yes, your people keep me very well fed." Zeru says, betraying a bit of annoyance. "I get assured once an hour at least that I should eat, or I might starve." He nods to himself. "Though, I did do some digging, and found out that you got some information on the Trogs from the Alloyed Brotherhood."

"True." You say to him.

"We could do some more research there, while we're staying." He says. "To be honest I might like to see a bit more of the Underworld than just the Caverns."

>>16680811
"Care for some work? Considering your previous employment, I'd be happy to have you under our contract."

Also OP, sorry about the sparse postings. It's just been one of those nights. :P

Also, I'm going to bed; I'll be up in the morning, however.

>>16681022

"Care for some work? Considering your previous employment, I'd be happy to have you under our contract." You ask the cheery elf.

"Well, contracts I'm shy of, and I would like a bit of vacation so Keth can get used to the arm, but sure, I can't see much of a problem with helping out a friend." Zeru says, grinning.

>>16681333
"I can get you over to the Alloyed Brotherhood. There's an inn there that I can recommend; family is a little odd by most of the male ancestors rising as intelligent but non-hostile undead, but few places safer in the city.
"The Brotherhood's separated into 3 factions; the Church, the Cave Fangs, and the H'Runten.
"I just inked an alliance with the H'Runten, the Cave Fangs are thugs, and the Church was infiltrated and manipulated by the Golgremet Empire."

>>16682064

"I can get you over to the Alloyed Brotherhood. There's an inn there that I can recommend; family is a little odd by most of the male ancestors rising as intelligent but non-hostile undead, but few places safer in the city." You explain. "The Brotherhood's separated into 3 factions; the Church, the Cave Fangs, and the H'Runten. I just inked an alliance with the H'Runten, the Cave Fangs are thugs, and the Church was infiltrated and manipulated by the Golgremet Empire."

"OK, got it." Zeru says, leaning back against the ship's hull. "So, what did you want me to do?"

>>16682096
Walk with him up the dock and away from prying ears. "The level of infiltration within the numerous factions of the Alloyhed Brotherhood, especially the Church, has been severe." Look down at the ground. "Naturally, they've been very slippery, probably with the aid of magic. On top of that, they're using tactics of fear to keep any possible leads quiet." Raise our gaze to him, smiling. "That's where you can come in. You have experience driving ruffians out of their hiding places, and I'm sure your nature knack for adventures will uncover something of possible use. Your group seems guided by some universal power to wealth and power half the time..."

Look him up and down, our hand on our chin. "Although, you may find your hunting to difficult, given your current physique." Wave a hand. "However, I'm sure I could provide to you a more adequate disguise, should you ask for it."

Bump for OP.

>>16682096
"You are adventurers! On top of it, surfacers! Rile some things up, see what comes loose and tries to make a run for it. Make the Golgremet Empire fear that the Surface might be taking interest in their activities, that they may now need to fear Surface mercenaries and adventurers mucking up their plans.
"When they try to defend everywhere against everything, they shall be weak everywhere."

bump

>>16683759

"The level of infiltration within the numerous factions of the Alloyhed Brotherhood, especially the Church, has been light." You look down at the ground. "Naturally, they've been very slippery, probably with the aid of magic. On top of that, they're using tactics of fear to keep any possible leads quiet." You look back up at Zeru, with a grin on your face. "That's where you can come in. You have experience driving ruffians out of their hiding places, and I'm sure your natural knack for adventures will uncover something of possible use. Your group seems guided by some universal power towards wealth and power half the time..."

"Understood." Zeru says, nodding. "I'll try and get some inside information for you."

>>16684577

You would never call these good friends of yours adventurers! Adventurers are bloodthirsty, greedy murderers. Most of Zeru's wealth came from combating devils and stealing it from pirates.

"Rile some things up, see what comes loose and tries to make a run for it. Make the Golgremet Empire fear that the Surface might be taking interest in their activities, that they may now need to fear Surface mercenaries and adventurers mucking up their plans." You put your fist into the palm of your hand. "When they try to defend everywhere against everything, they shall be weak everywhere."

"Ah, I see." Zeru nods. "Well, we'll get some info first, then see what we can do."

You look him up and down, your hand on our chin. "Although, you may find your hunting to difficult, given your current physique." You open a hand out to him. "However, I'm sure I could provide to you a more adequate disguise, should you ask for it."

"As a kobold?" Zeru raises an eyebrow, thinking. "Maybe. I'll try and think of the best option here."

>>16686184
>Maybe. I'll try and think of the best option here.
"You are the expert, proceed as you see best. I trust in your capabilities, and am not concerned with the method as long as the results are what the Caverns require.
"Let me know if you need anything, Zeru."

Now, let's go and talk with Yuune about the ghost and what it said about a curse on the Caverns.

>>16686184
"Of course, you will be justly compensated, if not by the state, then by me, as a friend." "Well, I look forward to your final decision. Let me or any of the guards know when you've reached your verdict." Look back to the guards, they're probably itching to hear some more stories. "I won't keep your listeners waiting, then. Good speaking with you, Zeru."

Bid our goodbyes, and then head for the next biggest matter. If I had to guess, it'd either be with Yashana (I think that was her name) or with Dalak and Felix'hia and their newest shenanigans. If both of those are currently within the realm of "still developing", then we should whisk away to the Alloyheed Brotherhood to see if the H'runten have managed to finally get any word from the church. Having one faction as an ally is nice, but two is great.

>>16686306

"You are the expert, proceed as you see best. I trust in your capabilities, and am not concerned with the method as long as the results are what the Caverns require." You look over at his ship for a moment. "Let me know if you need anything,"

"I will." Zeru pushes his hat up. "But, we're resourceful, if nothing else." His face lights up. "Actually, if you know where Tarthis is, I'd like to contact him."

"Of course, you will be justly compensated, if not by the state, then by me, as a friend." You nod to him. "Well, I look forward to your final decision. Let me or any of the guards know when you've reached your verdict." Looking back to the guards, they're probably itching to hear some more stories, you think. "I won't keep your listeners waiting, then. Good speaking with you, Zeru."

Zeru salutes in the odd elven way, a pair of fingers springing off of his brow as soon as he touches it.

To Yuune, then?

>>16686758
"Oh yes, Tarthis. He's actually at the Alloyed Brotherhood right now. Helped me out a bit too."

Yes, go to Yuune next.

>>16686758
"I could arrange a meeting for you when I return to the Brotherhood for business later today." Then, talk with him about an appropriate meeting time, then leave.

Yune ho!~

>>16686828

"Oh yes, Tarthis. He's actually at the Alloyed Brotherhood right now. Helped me out a bit too." You say to him before leaving.

You find Yuune at his workplace, going over a number of reports in a stack of papers on a thick stone desk. You see a few small mechanical bits around his desk. Yuune gestures towards a chair without looking up as you come in.

>>16687109
"Yuune, how much do you know about curses and ghosts? Even better, do we have anyone who is skilled with detecting curses and dispelling them?
"I met a ghost who, after consulting a priest, informed me that there's some kind of malevolent force at work concerning the recent accidents. The ghost believes it to be an ancient evil, possibly released by our mining efforts."

>>16687283

"Yuune, how much do you know about curses and ghosts? Even better, do we have anyone who is skilled with detecting curses and dispelling them?" You ask your brother, taking a seat.

Yuune makes a motion towards a sealed scroll next to his desk. You take it up, and upon opening it, see a few names.


"Alright, good. I met a ghost who, after consulting a priest, informed me that there's some kind of malevolent force at work concerning the recent accidents. The ghost believes it to be an ancient evil, possibly released by our mining efforts." You say to him.


Yuune pauses, thinking for a bit. "No reports from mining about anything strange."

>>16687546
"I've heard different..." Raise our eyes from the scroll. "In fact, I've seen different. Our miners have well exceeded the average for disasters and cave-ins, and already have been straining on our allowance of state-sponsored prosthetic replacements."

Put the scroll down after we're done reading it and sit, massaging our head.

"And now some vestige from beyond is saying that some ancient entity is responsible..." Sigh deeply. "You ever get the feeling that your living in some sort of novel, Yune?"

>>16687700

"I've heard different..." You raise your eyes from the scroll. "In fact, I've seen different. Our miners have well exceeded the average for disasters and cave-ins, and already have been straining on our allowance of state-sponsored prosthetic replacements."

You put the scroll down after you're done reading it and sit, massaging your head. "And now some vestige from beyond is saying that some ancient entity is responsible..." You sigh, deeply. "You ever get the feeling that your living in some sort of novel, Yune?"

Yuune snaps his fingers. "Curse of Hiraz the Metal-Skinned!" He stands up, running out of the room.

The most you know is that Hiraz was a folk-hero, an old kobold king. Legends describe him as having an arm and leg made from bronze and gold. This is thought to represent his lineage to metallic dragonkind.

>>16688018
Follow our brother through whatever corridor, bookshelf, or passage he managed to flee off to.

"Yuune, you're on to something, and I'd like to be on to something too, and we've talked about this; you need to tell me what you're thinking about...otherwise I'm left in the dark. And let me tell you, it's not a good feeling."

>>16688018
Follow Yuune, and ask him to elaborate.
"What about old Hiraz? I thought he was just a folk tale, a legend."

>>16688218

>>16689102

You duck past waves of understudies hauling papers, following Yuune into the half-lit depths of the library below the magic research department. "Yuune, you're on to something, and I'd like to be on to something too, and we've talked about this; you need to tell me what you're thinking about...Otherwise I'm left in the dark. And let me tell you, it's not a good feeling." You scrape away a spiderweb from the walls of the rather quiet and foreboding environment.

You note that the cobbled floor seems to lower, and some of the torches burn with an eerie green light. "What about old Hiraz? I thought he was just a folk tale, a legend."

"In every legend is a grain of truth." You hear Yuune's voice quietly echo across the expanse of stone shelves.

He directs you, via a beckoning hand, to a stone table piling up with books carried by unseen servants. A note reading "Let's review the facts." is placed plainly on the table.

rolled 32 = 32

>>16689172
Recap what we know:
-we have an increase in the number of mining related accidents, specifically relating to being maimed
-Malmar appears to be plagued by the events specifically, as his wife Yashana has been haunting him with messages (read as "dismembered limbs")
-With the aid of a necromancer and a priest, we verified her intent
-Yashana apparently sees some sort of hidden dust on the limbs that are "ordained" to be destroyed

That's all that seems important, IIRC.

>>16689172
"Alright, the facts.
"One, the rate of accidents amongst the miners, farmers, and even military have increased dramatically in the last month from near zero to well over 20 per department, more than most of the last year combined.
"Two, these accidents have resulted in amputations and prosthetic replacement.
"That is the extent of confirmed information.
"A ghost has come forward, saying that it has noticed some malevolent force causing accidents and requiring the amputation of limbs since about 8 years back, and appears to be centered on the mines. This force is ancient, and means the Caverns ill."

>>16689353
>>16689337

"Alright, the facts." You say, looking around for your brother. "One, the rate of accidents amongst the miners, farmers, and even military have increased dramatically in the last month from near zero to well over 20 per department, more than most of the last year combined." You looks through the stack, organizing it. "Two, these accidents have resulted in amputations and prosthetic replacement. That is the extent of confirmed information."

"A ghost has come forward, saying that it has noticed some malevolent force causing accidents and requiring the amputation of limbs since about 8 years back, and appears to be centered on the mines. This force is ancient, and means the Caverns ill." You say, looking around. "Where in blazes are you, Yuune?"

"That's all good." Yuune's voice carries. He appears from a side passage, holding a huge bat-leather-bound tome. "But, I meant about Hiraz."

>>16689530
"Hiraz? I only know that he was an old kobold king, and that an arm and leg made from bronze and gold. Folk tales say that it proved his heritage from dragons, but I think the metal just meant that he might have had primitive prosthetics, but being a king could afford them being made of metal instead of wood."

>>16689556
Pretty much this.

Yuune flips through the book. "Legend's easy. Hiraz is injured by dwarves, that triggers a war between kobold and dwarf." He shakes his head. "Our philosophers say that his loss of an arm and a leg represents the loss of the upper and lower kobold homelands, and the replacement of them represents a retaking of them." Yuune looks over at you. "But, in the story, a dragon gives her heart and muscle for Hiraz's limbs. What if there's more to that?"

"I only know that he was an old kobold king, and that an arm and leg made from bronze and gold. Folk tales say that it proved his heritage from dragons, but I think the metal just meant that he might have had primitive prosthetics, but being a king could afford them being made of metal instead of wood." You respond.

"Yes. His very existence is disputed by scholars." Yuune confidently crosses his arms. "However, about 13 years ago, I uncovered the best proof we've had in a while." He reaches into his robes, pulling out a heavy piece of stone. You see it as a sideways etching of a crowned kobold, holding out his left arm, the lines of which are bronze and quite complex. The lines depicting his right leg are gold as well. The kobold is pushing back a wall of earth, revealing a cornicopia of precious gems.

"This was found when we went to excavate an old record-keeping place in ruins some 50 miles from here." Yuune says, grinning. "This... This is history!"

>>16689709
"If Hiraz was real, as your record suggests, and a dragon really did contribute to his arm and leg...
"Primitive, magically driven prosthetic constructs, then?
"But if that's the case, why come after us? Why target us with a curse?"

>>16689709
"...and what of 8 years ago?"

>>16689743
>>16689752

"...and what of 8 years ago?" You ask him.

"I don't know." Yuune says. "But if our records show that this curse began taking place 10 years ago, then something may have happened then."

You turn away from him for a moment. "If Hiraz was real, as your record suggests, and a dragon really did contribute to his arm and leg..." You say, pacing. "Primitive, magically driven prosthetic constructs, then? But if that's the case, why come after us? Why target us with a curse?"

"Dragons are jealous creatures." Yuune says. "Some records say Hiraz lived to 300 years of age. Perhaps the dragon cursed those limbs with her death whisper. Quite a common legendary trait among some dragons." Yuune shakes his head. "Which means only one thing."

>>16689825
"...someone unearthed the corpse..."

Begin tapping the desk in contemplation.

"But did they do it on purpose?"

Think back to where the cluster of the accidents happened.

"I'll need to review the accident folder and draw a cluster of where the majority of the accidents have taken place. Hopefully, I can find a source or a zero-patient."

Yuune's expression darkens. "Someone in the Crystal Caverns has robbed the grave of Hiraz the Metal-Skinned."

>>16689920

"...someone unearthed the corpse..." You say to Yuune. You begin tapping the desk in contemplation. "But did they do it on purpose?"

"Mynthar." Yuune says, severely. "He was a king. They would know if they were one of us."

"I'll need to review the accident folder and draw a cluster of where the majority of the accidents have taken place. Hopefully, I can find a source or a zero-patient." You say to him.

"The curse might not work like a disease." Yuune says. "They rarely jump from person to person at all."

>>16689967
"That is true, but if we find out where the accidents have progressed, we'll find out where the arm has come and gone."

Turn to Yuune.

"Why, do you have any ideas-"

Recall back to the priest; the one who's a friend of Dalak.

"...I think I know where I can start."

We're going to need to pay a visit to Dalak and see about that priest (forgot his name). There may be a connection there, and it's the best place to start without doing some major research with the accident reports.

"Yuune, you always know where to get a hitch, and I love you for it."

>>16689998

"That is true, but if we find out where the accidents have progressed, we'll find out where the arm has come and gone." You turn to Yuune. "Why, do you have any ideas-"

"It may be a curse over everyone." Yuune says. "And I doubt someone's carting around a treasure like that would go unnoticed for long."

"...I think I know where I can start." You say to him. "Yuune, you always know where to get a hitch, and I love you for it."

Yuune scratches the back of his head. "Well, I try and remember everything I read." He fals down into one of the chairs. "Remember, I may be wrong, but this is a good start."

Bump for OP.

Oh hey, there you are.

>>16690568
"Good starts are better then no."

Rush out and down to the workshop; we're going to need to talk with Dalak.

>>16690639

"Good starts are better then none." You say to him, teleporting yourself outside of Dalak's offices.

You see him looking through a few of his drawers, sorting some of the scrolls. He looks up, smiling. "Oh, hello Mynthar! Are you here for maintenance?"

Bump

>>16690793
"Not quite Dalak..."

Look around for any open doors or windows that passerbys can listen through.

"It is about a certain Kobold....a priest...he said you gave him his...special prosthetic." After everything is closed or clear of cross-traffic, sit down. "I need to know why he has only a shoulder cap. Now, he wouldn't tell me directly, but he said that you might be able to shed some light on the situation." Take a deep breath. "I can't tell you why, but rest assured this isn't for some weekly tabloid; it could possibly be to the safety of our workforce."

>>16691240

"Not quite Dalak..." You say, stepping in and closing the doors with some simple magic.

Dalak looks a bit concerned. "What's this about, Mynthar?"

"It is about a certain Kobold....a priest...he said you gave him his...special prosthetic." You sit down in a nearby chair. "I need to know why he has only a shoulder cap. Now, he wouldn't tell me directly, but he said that you might be able to shed some light on the situation." You take a deep breath. "I can't tell you why, but rest assured this isn't for some weekly tabloid; it could possibly be to the safety of our workforce."

Dalak looks down at the table in front of him, putting a hand on it. "Malmar... He's still wearing it, is he?" Dalak looks over at you, his expression cold. "I made it for him ten years ago, when I discovered that the tomb of Hiraz the Metal-Skinned was near here."

>>16691478
Sit quietly for a moment in our chair.

"...well, that saves me the trouble of explaining."

Rise from our seat.

"Care to explain what you were doing within a cursed-king's tomb?"

>>16691499

"...Well, that saves me the trouble of explaining." You rise from your seat. "Care to explain what you were doing within a cursed-king's tomb?"

Dalak looks over to the door. "This is the first I've heard of some kind of curse. But, myself, Malmar and Felix'hia all went to the tomb." He clenches his fists. "We found the sarcophogas, and the only thing inside were the limbs. I made the shoulder for Malmar after we got back, and despite the fact that there were no connectors, he could control it." Dalak points over at you. "Your arm could never have been made without that discovery."

>>16691613

Dalak turns away from you. "And, about that curse... I thought about it more and more, and there's no proof that this is the reason, at all!" Dalak looks back over at you, an angered grimace on his face. "This isn't my fault, Mynthar!"

Sorry about the sparse posting over the past hour, OP. I was playing some video games with friends. Also, I think I'm heading to bed again. I'll see you tomorrow, though, if you're still down for it.

>>16691613
>>16691886
We apparently hit a touchy issue.

"...I'm not saying anything of the sort, Dalak."

Think back on what he just said.

"I-...wait, what do you mean 'without that discovery'? Are you saying that..." clutch our arm. "...just because you found some old legend's arm, all this was possible?"

"So, how did find the tomb? My brother says that it was lost to the ages...what more, what gave you incentive enough to both know where it is and what it contained?"

>>16692050

"...I'm not saying anything of the sort, Dalak." You say to him, looking down at your right arm. "I-...wait, what do you mean 'without that discovery'? Are you saying that..." You clutch your right arm. "...just because you found some old legend's arm, all this was possible?"

"Without it, I doubt any of the ioun muscles would have been developed." Dalak says, seeming to calm down a bit.

"So, how did find the tomb? My brother says that it was lost to the ages... What's more, what gave you incentive enough to both know where it is and what it contained?" You ask him.

Dalak sighs. "I did a lot of research on the story when I was younger. Finding it was part of the reason I came here to the Crystal Caverns, to tell the truth." He shakes his head. "It was a tough journey, but we found the ruins of a great city, and his tomb." Dalak looks off towards one of the doors. "Malmar communed a few times, in order to find our way through the tomb. We finally ended up in a larger room decorated with crystalline statues." He looks down at the table. "It was a grand limestone construction, covered in paint that looked like it had been put on there yesterday of numerous sorts of dragons and legendary creatures." He shakes his head. "But all that was in that coffin was a small amount of dust and the arm and leg. They were just like the legends." He looks over at the wall. "I brought them back here to examine them. Malmar did tests on the arm for me." Dalak shrugs. "It was really one of a kind. Then, after we were done, we put them back."

>>16692209
"Alright. I'm not blaming you for anything, Dalek. The ensured progress, prosperity, and safety of the Caverns is more important than some ancient's final rest. I would likely have done the same. I'll talk to my brother about the current situation, but first, where is the tomb."

Once Dalek shows us the position of the ruined city and of the tomb, go back to Yuune. Tell him we got the location of the tomb of Hiraz, and that we're going to either force the spirit to submit and end the curse, or we're going to destroy it.
The CCCP does not negotiate with terrorists, regardless of whether they're living-impaired or not.

>>16692939

"Alright. I'm not blaming you for anything, Dalak." You say to him. "The ensured progress, prosperity, and safety of the Caverns is more important than some ancient's final rest. I would likely have done the same. I'll talk to my brother about the current situation, but first, where is the tomb?"

Dalak shakes his head. "Yes, right. Let me find my notes." He goes to one of the back rooms, then coming back with a map. "Here, I made this some time ago."

He looks off to the door, and you notice that a wooden egg is clutched in one hand. "I'm sorry, but... I felt like I was responsible for this. And I thought it might pass."

For a moment, you think you see the strange, mouth-like glyphs on the wooden egg slowly open, but when you look back, they have remained closed.

"I thought for sure you would blame me." He clenches the egg in his hand. "I worried about it for days, actually. I lost a lot of sleep." He chuckles to himself. "But, if that's alright, then I guess it's fine. Let me know if I can help with the curse."

>>16693481
"Actually, Dalek, what IS that thing, anyway? That you're holding; it looks like an egg, almost."

>>16694113
This.

Also bump.

>>16694113

"Actually, Dalek, what IS that thing, anyway? That you're holding; it looks like an egg, almost." You say, rubbing your eyes to shake away the strange hallucination.

Dalak looks at it for a moment, turning it over. You can see from where you are that it is painted with numerous pictures of eyes, mouths and noses in a ring around its surface horizontally. "I'm not sure. It was a gift to me from a patient from the surface. He said it would bring me luck." Dalak chuckles. "He said it was rumored to grant wishes. But, it's not even magical." The kobold sits down at his desk. "It has brought me a bit of comfort. But, I suppose things aren't so bad. But..." Dalak shakes his head. "I still feel like it was all my fault, no matter what you say."

>>16696709
"One way or another, we're going to force this curse to go crawling back into its tomb, alright, Dalek?
"The CCCP does not tolerate terrorists, whether they're living or living-impaired."

Take the map back to Yuune, and let's get some more information on Hiraz compiled.

>>16696709
"We are far beyond the point of who deserves the blame, Dalak. If you truly feel so poorly about the decision, then rectify it for the people. All those workers who only strive for their daily bread are now in danger, and their fate is in your hands." Cross our arms. "Can I count on you to help right this wrong?"

>>16696950

You cross your arms. "One way or another, we're going to force this curse to go crawling back into its tomb, alright, Dalek? The CCCP does not tolerate terrorists, whether they're living or living-impaired.

"We are far beyond the point of who deserves the blame. If you truly feel so poorly about the decision, then rectify it for the people. All those workers who only strive for their daily bread are now in danger, and their fate is in your hands." You put your hand on his shoulder. "Can I count on you to help right this wrong?"

Dalak turns towards you. "Yes." He looks down at the egg. "I'm done thinking I can just ignore this, or that fixing it will be easy. If more people keep coming in, I'll outfit them and treat them as well as possible." He clenches his jaw. "That's the most I can do to make it up to them now."

You give Dalak a pat on the shoulder, and swing the doors back open as you leave.

"Eh? Izzat a ghost?" You hear a shrill voice from another room. You see Ghurken out in a waiting room to the left, fully outfitted with limbs with black muscles and red metal bones. He squints with his good eye. "Nevermind, just Mynthar."

You make your way back to your brother, who looks closely at the map. He points out a few documents and papers that illustrate that this is indeed the place where the kingdom of Dolkaz would have been, marking Hiraz's final resting place.

Hiraz was a tyrant, in the old meaning of the word. He suddenly rose to power after the demise of his tribe's draconic overlord, and completely changed how the society was run. His council of elders eventually grew in power enough to match his, and he developed a court system similar to the one the Caverns still uses today. While his age at his death is estimated to be 300 years, his date of birth is unknown, and he may have been older or younger. While his existence is disputed, numerous books have been written on the kingdoms he ruled. He was ostracized from two kingdoms during his rule, and founded a third after 5 years of wandering.
Hiraz lost his limbs defending a vein of ore against dwarves in an area around where the subterranian goblins now sit. He rose to power and gained his new limbs sometime during the second largest kobold/dwarven conflict in either race's history, known as the echo war.

Yuune leaves you with a requisition form for an expedition, pointing upwards to indicate that he has other duties to return to.

>>16697422
Alright, let's have Yuune get an archeological team, with mage support ready.

We'll go back to our office and get the paperwork ready and pushed through for a state-sponsored archeological expedition.
Have sealed missives written to each of the Councilors, stating that we've picked up a lead on what's been causing the accidents, that it seems that it might not be Golgremet saboteurs (which is good), but is in fact a curse of some kind (which is bad). We are currently planning an expedition with Yuune to find the source of the curse, and possibly dispel it when found. We do not expect there to be the need for a military escort as this will primarily be a magical endeavor. We are doing this quickly, because the longer the curse stays in place, the more accidents and greater drain on our resources, will occur. We are also keeping this expedition mostly unpublicized because we don't want to get the public riled up.
Please have objections sent directly to the Magistrate's office in sealed missives; if requested a Council meeting can be arranged.

>>16697493
Use the plan outlined here >>16697504

>>16697504

Your letter to the council is not met with objection, but Jaran reminds you to send a missive to anyone you wish to accompany you, as is protocol.

>>16697740
How big of a group should we take? I'm thinking that we should just take our main group of guys waiting in the Brotherhood with us, leaving Dalak behind. Also, we may wish to take Yashana with us, if we can get her to manifest. We don't have to make a missive for her, but if we do take her, then we should at least tell her husband.

>>16697740
Yuune, a GRU squad, and a number of wizards, sorcerors, and necromancers from the Mage Guild.
Yuune would know who best to bring along, who can be discrete and who has the magical power we may need.

I am considering getting Malmar to accompany us. Having a priest may make communication with any spiritual force easier.
And personally, I want to bait it into attacking us. I want to destroy it; it is a threat to the Caverns, and I see no reason why we should bow down or even deign to negotiate with those long-dead and no longer interacting with the world aside from casting curses.
We will not negotiate, we will not be diplomatic: We will demand that the spirit cease its meddling in our affairs or we will destroy this entity with all the extreme prejudice we would show any other threat to the safety and prosperity of the Crystal Caverns. It has no rights, none at all, and we will show it that fact.

Alright, so, you ask Yuune if he can go, but he unfortunately declines, opting to send a few specialists instead. You get the necromancer from the other day, an abjurer, and teleport your team back from the Alloyed Brotherhood (Along with a very anxious Tarthis when you tell him about Zeru's arrival). Yashana proves impossible to recruit, and Malmar insists that a premonition from a local oracle demands that he accompany you. Tayn and Turen are along, as per usual.

Would you like to get anyone else?

>>16698351
Requisition special magical weapons from our stores, as if we fight are going to be fighting an undead foe, we will need such weapons.
Also pick up an evocation specialist and two generalists of average power.

>>16698351
Tell the cleric to pray to whatever god he worships because we're going to need to possibly purify whatever the tomb may contain...with bullets.

>>16698467
>>16698490

You pick up a few more specialists, and bring the priest along. You also get a few enchanted line rifles in case of ghosts or the like.

The journey is expedient, and you soon find your group at the archway of a large, ruined city. Brown stone rubble is scattered in every direction, and it is deathly quiet. One of the GRU launches a bright bolt, illuminating the area. You can see a single building still standing: one made from gray marble, covered in the nicks and cuts of time. A single doorway juts from its surface, emblazoned with bronze filigree.

>>16698754
"Seems straightforward enough.
"Any necromantic or spiritual energies around?"

Have the necromancer and Malmar begin actively looking for ghosts, revenants, wraiths, and whatever undead may still reside here.

>>16698809
This. We'll need a preliminary search for either the undead, the ghostly, or some more physical death-traps. Have one of our men who knows how to check for traps slink around the entrance. Hopefully, Dalak and Malmar's previous visit disabled anything of the sort.

>>16698809
>>16698882

"Seems straightforward enough." You say to the crowd, turning to Malmar and the necromancer. "Any necromantic or spiritual energies around?"

Both shake their heads. "Seems dead as a... dead thing to me, sir." The necromancer says. You have a trap specialist check around the entrance for traps, and he gives it a clear.

Proceed?

>>16699066
Proceed.

We're here for the corpse and any engravings that might hint at the source of this curse. No treasure, no pretty jewels, nothing else other than a solution to our people's plight.