Journey to the South — IC

[Fialova]

It is the dwarven Kingdom of Garrund, the 86th year of the 4th era. Spring has just begun in the outside world, which means the venture you have been hired for is about to begin.

You enter a tavern, the same tavern you have met him in countless times before. His name is Lord Andor, and he is funding this venture. The lord has been observing a trend in Garrund for some time now, a trend that he fears spells the end of this great kingdom's centuries of prosperity. As such, he has hired you and others to join him in a journey to the southern most reaches of the mountains, where you will settle a new dwarven kingdom under his rule.

Despite your past meetings with the ambitious nobleman, you have yet to meet the others who have been hired for the trek. You know they must be skilled at their trades because the task at hand is no easy one, but what trades have they? Who are these men that you will be making a new life - a new home - with? It seems you will find out soon enough, when you take your seat at Andor's table.

"Come, have a seat," calls a familiar voice as you make your way inside the sparse and dimly-lit dining room of the Rusted Mine Cart, a tavern at the edge of the mining district. It is not exactly the kind of place one would expect to meet with someone of such stature as Lord Andor, but then little about the man is what one would expect of the nobility. The expedition enough is proof of that.

"You are the first to arrive. Would you like a drink while we wait for the others? My treat, of course," he chuckles, a jovial middle-aged man who seems to be in high spirits.

OOC

[SHOW]

Andor's comments are addressed to whoever responds first, not anyone after.

[ratwizard]

Korram steps into the Rusted Mine Cart, his thoughts a rustled mess of worries, hopes, frustrations, and relief. The familiar voice of his employer cuts through his clouded mind, and the dwarf's eyes scan the low-light atmosphere for its owner. Lord Andor's visage catches his eye and he manages a smile.

"Lord Andor," says Korram, greeting him with a nod of his head. At the offer of a drink, Korram's spirits are lifted slightly higher. "A drink, yes, of course. I'll take the thickest stout they serve, my favorite." He takes a seat next to the well-mannered Lord. "The others," he begins. "What are their names and professions? Surely you've picked quite the crew," he says smugly. If I've been picked, they are likely in the top of their craft as well, he deduces.

[Fialova]

The nobleman waves to a bartender as Korram gives his drink order, who then quickly heads to retrieve it. Clearly the man knows that Andor is no ordinary patron. He takes a sip of his own drink before responding.

"Oh, I could tell you all that, but why not just wait and let them introduce themselves, hm? They will be here soon enough." The door to the tavern swings open as another of the group walks in. "Ah! Here comes someone now. Come, we were waiting for you. Only a few more and everyone will be here. Would you like anything to drink, friend? My treat."

OOC

[SHOW]

Again, Andor is only addressing whoever the next person to post is.

[Namelessjake]

Falkrus steps through the tavern door and begins scanning the tavern for the group, however Lord Andor's voice quickly alerts him to the table where Korram and Lord Andor are sat.

"What kind of a question is that?" Falkrus laughs. "A strong ale. I'd never be one to turn down free food or drink." He seats himself next to Korram. "The name's Falkrus. I'm a mason by trade," he says before turning his attention back to Lord Andor. "I'm glad there's a few more to come. We might have found this expedition a bit tricky with just the three of us."

[ratwizard]

"Korram. You may have seen my steel before. I'm part of the great-smiths," he explains with a warm smile, stained with haughtiness. "Three's plenty. With our skills, at least. However, our Lord Andor seems to have a good eye for recruiting, and I'd imagine our remaining companions will prove to be valuable assets to the expedition," the dwarf notes. As valuable as my smith-work, though? We will see soon, he thinks to himself.

[Fialova]

"Yes, of course. Only the best will do for this venture, I assure you," Andor replies. As Falkrus takes his seat the bartender returns with Korram's drink, and sets it in front him. "Bring this man your strongest ale," Andor instructs, and once more the bartender quickly heads to the back to comply.

Turning back to his two current companions, the lord continues. "There should be two more left now. They won't be long, I think, and then we can get down to business." He takes a sip of his drink and then glances towards the door, as someone else arrives. "In fact, here comes one now."

OOC

[SHOW]

yada, yada, only addressing one person.

[kalis5]

Gorain walks in next. In his hand he carries his pick, his clothes dirty from having recently gotten off a shift. He tugs a small rock that had gotten caught in the fibers of his beard as he sits down at the table, careful not to get the table itself dirty before nodding in reverence to his employer.
"Mi'lord. I am honored that you would consider me for this journey. I will not let you down."

[Fialova]

"Glad to have you, my man. Drinks are on me tonight, what will you have?" Andor downs the rest of his drink after asking, and waits patiently for Gorain's response as well as the bartender's return.

[kalis5]

Gorain lets out a soft sigh as the Lord asks what drink he wants, toying with his thumbs for a few seconds before opening his hands.
"Ale, of course. That will be fine."

[Namelessjake]

"I take it you're our miner." Falkrus says, nodding towards Gorain's pick and the rock he had just removed from his beard. "The name's Falkrus, I'm a stonemason so I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of each other when we get there," he says, offering Gorain a hand.

[Fialova]

"Aye, that he is," Andor chimes in. "He may not talk much, but he is the perfect man to excavate a new city. Now if only our last man would show up, we could finally get to the point."

The bartender returns with Falkrus' drink, only to be quickly sent away again to fetch Gorain's and a new drink for Andor. The man once more takes a swig, then leans back in his seat. "Ah, he is finally here."

[Scratcherclaw]

Derrak steps into the Rusted Mine Cart, a dive he wouldn't think of entering had he not been meeting Lord Andor there for a while. He looks around for the Lord, the dim lighting concealing the faces of those within the tavern. Finally, he spots the nobleman, and briskly walks over to the table, sitting down in the remaining seat.

"G'day, Lord Andor," he says cheerily. Noticing the others sitting at the table, he speaks again. "I'm Derrak, cartographer extraordinaire. And don't be fooled by my young appearance. I'm the best there is."

[ratwizard]

At the advent of the miner joining them, Korram raises an eyebrow. Perhaps he knew Jiarra, he thinks to himself. It has been years since the accident, but her image is still burned into his mind, tormenting him. No, I'm doing this expedition to leave behind memories like this...

He snaps out of his wincing, emotional pain and greets the miner. "Name's Korram. One of the kingdom's great-smiths. Perhaps I've shaped the very ore that you've mined, isn't that something?" he manages.

As the last man steps in, Korram immediately notices his young complexion and the bounce in his step. A youthful one, hm. He'll know his place soon enough, methinks. The man introduces himself and Korram is impressed by his confidence. "Welcome, Derrak," he says with a giddy smile, satisfied to have a younger dwarf in the expedition to boss around and tease. He curtly introduces himself, Falkrus, and when he gets to the miner, pauses confusedly. "You've not told us your name, stranger."

[kalis5]

Gorain taps his thumbs against the table as he waits for his ale, anxious to get to work. He looks over at Korram, as if his reverie was suddenly broken.
"Pardon?... Oh, right, my apologies. I am Gorain."
And with that he goes silent again, watching the waiter as he hurries past, waiting somewhat patiently for the ale.

[Fialova]

"Welcome, Derrak it is good to see you again. Drinks are on me, what are you having?" As the words leave his mouth the bartender hands Andor his new drink, and then sets Gorain's in front of him as well. The man then waits patiently for Derrak's order, knowing full well he will be fetching it momentarily.

[ratwizard]

Chugging the dregs of his drink, Korram slams his mug down in a dwarflike fashion, motioning for a refill. "Ahhh, Derrak looks like he'd rather have a bit of human wine," he teases. "I jest, my new friend. It's nice having some new blood on the scene. It can get a bit stale with the other great-smiths being well into their hundreds."

[Scratcherclaw]

"And it's great to see you as well," he says to Lord Andor. He chuckles and smiles at Korram's comment. "No, no. None of that for me. I'm more of a mead kind of man. And I can imagine how some of those smiths may be, stuck in their old ways. Some of my grandfather's old comrades are like that. But whatever. We're on to bigger, brighter things with this expedition." Derrak notices the bartender walk over with a mug filled to the brim with mead. Grinning ear to ear, he takes a big gulp of the sweet beverage. Ahh.... That was refreshing...

[Fialova]

"So everyone is here now. Wonderful. Let us begin." Andor downs the rest of his second drink before starting again. "Ah! So as you all know, it is spring, and that means it is time for this venture of mine to start. The four of you, myself, and some... less important people will make up a scouting party headed to the south, to the lower tip of our fine mountain range."

Andor glances around the table to make sure everyone is still paying attention before continuing. "You may be wondering 'why me?' and I'll tell you. You four together are some of the best in Garrund at what you do, and what you do is vital to the settling of a new kingdom. You, Gorain, will be excavating the tunnels once we arrive. I want this to begin immediately once we find a place to settle, so I can't afford to send back for you. Falkrus, you will be helping with the initial excavation and then cutting stones to begin construction. Some of the cheap labor will be helping you. Korram, you will be in charge of keeping everyone's tools and weapon sharp, that way we can keep excavation going smoothly and keep any aggressive creatures at bay."

A new drink arrives for Andor at this point, and he takes another pause to drink. "But you, Derrak, have the most important job. You will be mapping our route from here to the new settlement. This is vital if we want to bring more people in later, which we absolutely do. Everyone else has it easy compared to you, so make sure you bring everything you've got. Any questions so far?"

[ratwizard]

Sipping his second round of ale while listening to Andor explain their expedition, Korram places his mug down and speaks up. "Aye, Lord Andor. What if one of us should fall during the journey? Are the others expected to pick up the slack and continue? I may be a great-smith, but I'm no master of the pick or cartography." He turns to the newcomers. "No offense, lads. Just making sure my hide is covered in case of whatever happens."

[Fialova]

"Yes, I thought that subject might be brought up. We are traveling lightly, and though there will be some hired hands accompanying us, they are unskilled and would not be able to pick up where any of you left off should the unspeakable happen."

Andor stands up and downs the rest of his drink, looking a bit more jovial than before. "But you should not be worried about it. I have something to show you that should put all of your minds at ease about that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go drain the pipe as it were. Finish your drinks and meet me outside in five minutes." And with that, the unorthodox nobleman walks towards the back of the tavern to relieve himself, leaving the new companions a few moments to speak to one another alone.

[ratwizard]

"So then, boys, what d'ya think?" Korram asks heartily, curious to learn more about his new acquaintances that he would spend many, many weeks with. "None of ya're gonna sissy out of the deal, right?" he asks, a teasing grin lining his face. On the outside, his confidence is palpable. However, the dwarf has a nagging feeling doubt and worry in his stomach.

[Namelessjake]

"What's the worst that can happen?" Falkrus says, trying to join in with the loud Dwarf's jovial attitude. We could all die of course, he thinks somewhat worried. He had expected a bit more than what was now sat around the table. Although it did seem as though Lord Andor had more of his plans yet to reveal, something which Falkrus took solace in knowing, hoping it would put his worries at ease.

[ratwizard]

"Death and dismemberment, probably," Korram jests darkly. "Though I'm sure that Lord Andor has made enough preparations to ensure the safest journey." He turns to the barkeep, flagging him down for another refill of his ale. "I'm of the mind to keep it positive, despite whatever happens," he explains. "Hopefully you'll learn to tolerate me," the older dwarf says with a smirk, before letting loose a belly chuckle and an impressive belch.

[Namelessjake]

"Hopefully I'll retain all of my limbs." Falkrus replies, taking a large swig from his glass. "I'd probably struggle to support my family with no arms. They're quite necessary for masonry."

[Scratcherclaw]

"Bah! Quit being such worry-warts. I have been exploring hundreds of times with my grandfather, and nothing has ever happened to me, or my grandfather. And he's even famous for exploration! With a negative attitude like that, then you will end up with missing limbs or worse." Derrak finishes off his mead and slams his mug down on the table, wiping his mouth with his cloth sleeve. "Now then, how about you all think about something more positive, like all the things we'll see on this trip! And how we'll go down in history after this!"

[kalis5]

Gorain silently drinks his Ale, looking at the others as they throw their predictions into the mix.
"No use being scared. We're dwarves. We're born strong. We will preserve."
And with that he goes back to nursing his drink, having thrown in his two cents and not wanting to give any more.

[ratwizard]

"Go down in history, you say," Korram responds. "Hm, that'd be something. And yes, my man, positive thoughts will bring us through this!" he shouts, a bit tipsy from his ale. I hope.

[Fialova]

"You lot are still nervous then, I take it?" Lord Andor says as he returns from the privy, overhearing Korram's last remark. "Come now, I told you I would put your minds at ease and that is just what we are about to do. Follow," he says, before exiting the tavern.

Once everyone finishes their drinks and assembles outside, the lord leads his new employees into the mining district to an old, long-abandoned mineshaft. He motions for the men to help him remove some of the boards blocking the entrance, and grabs a torch before leading onward into the darkness. At this point it would not be surprising if some of the men were, on the contrary, even more worried than they had been before.

After a few moments, the group rounds a corner to find a light in the distance. The light leads to a fairly large room, full of tools and scrap metal, as well as a forge, anvil, and other things suggesting a smithy. In the corner of the room a large sheet of canvas covers an even larger mass, something twice the height of any of the men now in the room.

"This, my friends, is my workshop. I keep it hidden you see, can't let the nosy gossips in the city know all of my secrets. This expedition I have hired you for is starting now because I recently finished my masterwork." He steps over to the covered mass and pulls away the canvas, revealing a large metal humanoid object.

"Meet the 'golem', as I call it. This fine work of both smithing and magic is going to be keeping all of us safe from harm on our trek to the south. The first of its kind, it is. I have already patented the design, and once our new city is well on its way I will be producing more of them. Isn't he a beut?"

[Namelessjake]

Falkrus' jaw drops slightly at the sight of the gigantic towering metal hulk before him. He steps forward taking a closer look. "Metal is far from my expertise, but this is a marvel to behold Lord Andor," he says, still somewhat in shock. "Now I'll be surprised if anyone even decides to give us any trouble on our journey," he laughs.

[ratwizard]

Korram, too, is surprised at the unveiling of the golem. "I can shape metal into almost any shape, holy or not, but this -- this is something else. These mechanisms are beyond what I know in my craft," he admits. "And you're soon to have more than one of these beasts?" he shouts, in excitement.

[Fialova]

"Eh, I would not really say soon. The mines here have not been very productive, as you may all have noticed before. But once our new city is up and running I should have more than enough raw ore to make plenty, enough to keep everyone safe," the man smiles a huge grin, clearly pleased with himself and the fact that the others are pleased with his work as well.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Whoa..." is all Derrak can utter, staring up at the immense creature of metal. "I've never seen anything like this before, not even in my books. This- this is incredible! Is he as strong as he looks? We'll be untouchable by whatever dangers are in the wild if he is, that's for sure."

[kalis5]

Putting his drink down, Gorain looks at the golem, pondering it's construction for a few moments. Such a beast could probably be put to other tasks besides simply guarding the group.
"Perhaps this Golem will be able to assist me in my digging once we arrive?"
Short, quick, to the point. It's quickly becoming obvious that this is what Gorain is like.

[Fialova]

"Ha!" Andor exclaims in response to Derrak. "That is because there has never been anything like it before. It's my own creation. Not even those arrogant bastards in Durduum have one of these." His grin continues to widen, even if it is even possible at this point.

"And it is strong, yes. Not very fast, but strong. It will certainly be useful in facing dangerous creatures, though - that is what I made it for." He turns to Gorain before continuing, "and I suppose once it gets to that it could aid in the mines, not really something I planned for but I can't see why not."

[ratwizard]

"So how do you command this... golem?" Korram asks, amazed by the technology. "Do you just shout at the bastard and he follows yer orders?" I wish I had one of these things. I'd make it smush that bastard Jirgek. That'd stop him from being on me all the time, heh.

[Fialova]

"Sadly, no. I am still working on making him sensitive to verbal commands. For now, I control him with this ring," Andor replies, his cocky smile fading ever so slightly, as he holds up his right hand to reveal several ornate rings. He removes one from his pinky and holds it up for Korram to see more closely.

"This ring is enchanted to allow its wearer to control the golem. It responds to your thoughts, though if you enjoy a touch of flair I suppose you could always speak the commands as well." He puts his ring back on, and awaits any other questions from the group.

[ratwizard]

"A ring, you say? Heh. Think I could give it a whirl?" Korram asks, hopefully. Commanding a golem? I think I could do it, he thinks to himself.