Afternoon
--
Your shoes snick slowly across the rough cobblestones of the shady alleyway. The rich smell of food gives way to the damp, musty smell of mould and decay. Clumps of vegetation cling to the moist walls on either side, mossy blooms across a field of stone.

There's no-one else in this stretch of alleyway, though you quickly realise there is a maze of passageways back here. Cul-de-sacs branch off on either side, dead-ends lined with closed doorways and no sign of Brazentalons or the rat.

The alleyway ends in a T-junction, splitting into two conjoined corridors between the buildings pressing in on all sides. You are alone for as far as you can see in either direction. The question is, which way did Brazentalons go?

Evening
(Logical points. Was just a passing thought Asteria picking up the dwarf reminded me of, but your points make it seem more hassle than it's worth. Thanks for the advice! I guess I'll use common sense to figure out what you can and can't pick up, and it'll be stamina and how long you can carry something which will be the stumbling block)
--
You keep a steady pressure on the unnatural carpet of wind gusting along the cavern floor, kicking up more dust and grit in the process. You feel the shards brushing past you, scouring your exposed skin and making your wound burn. All around, a haze is building in the air again as dust is lifted into the air.

You keep running, but the rumble is building to a deafening wall of noise. There's no need for stealthy footsteps in the cacaphony, only speed. You can't hear the chieftain, don't know if he's following you or not, but it doesn't seem to matter anymore. There's no way to tell if you're going to make it, if you'll be out of the collapse-zone in time. One last fist-sized rock glances off your shoulder and you barely stay on your feet. You keep going.

The moment the cavern wall collapses, the whole world quakes. The percussive boom which heralds the drop of a several-dozen-tonne section of rock to the floor knocks you from your feet. The sensation of the wave of displaced air which buffets past you tells you just how close you came to getting crushed beneath.

You hear a little howl up ahead. Then from out of the gloom races the familiar sight of Crimson, who barrels into you and starts to try to nudge you onto your feet. Following her is Aegis, thankfully alive, though his arm hangs limply at his side. On first glance you'd either say a dislocation or a break. But he offers his good hand to the other dwarf, raising him onto his feet. Aegis takes the chained dwarf's arm and steadies it across his shoulders.

"You take the other arm. Our heights aren't well matched but there isn't time. We've got to go, so just follow my lead," Aegis mutters by way of greeting. His cold, determined facade falls away as he looks about you, as if looking for someone, but then it's up again as he barks at you: "Come on, move!"

Midday
(Hands up, I vanished again myself. So appreciated, but don't bust a gut over it :) )
--
As if to back up the wise people you've been hearing from, you notice a couple of scorched signs reading: 'Absolutely NO swimming!' and 'No ball games (find literally anywhere else!)'. They have colourful grafitti on, likely from some youths with about as much respect as sense, going so near to the edge anyway.

Doing that could possibly mean trouble, but at the northern outskirts of Boulder the peace is kept by the various establishments along its length, keen to keep customers coming and their reputation near-spotless. In the trading quarter you should be fairly safe.

Standing outside the inn, you watch patrons entering and leaving, the whole building shrouded in activity and bustle. People sit at tables on the large porch outside, eating and drinking, playing card games and having animated discussions with one another. Music filters from the wide-open doorway, followed by the similar sound of chatter as from the deck outside.

From here, it looks like a fairly popular, respectable establishment. As you watch, however, a small scuffle bursts from the open doorway. A crowd parts to two burly orcs throwing a dwarf out onto the dirt outside. They look like hired guards. The dwarf looks drunk. He totters up onto his feet as the two staffmembers disappear back into the inn, throwing a curse or two after them before stumbling off to the parking square while receiving laughter in his wake.

There's no telling what each travelling group may be looking for. Some hire guards before setting out, others coalesce by merit of lone traders happening to band together since they're heading the same direction anyway. While the former may have more difficult entry requirements, your safety will be better assured in such an organised group, and you will probably get to ride in a cart - sparing you exhaustion.

Otherwise you'd be going on foot, but at least that builds up your stamina.

Coming closer, the sign reads: 'Herbie's Travellers' Hotel'. If this is the place you want to investigate, you could approach some of the groups and decide which one offers what you're looking for.

(Last ping! Whimsy, I swear I'm getting around to you!! xDD
Neither, lol. I don't know, I mean you are perfectly entitled to forget about a quest and it spruces things up a bit rather than always completing every quest. In that case I suppose the Egg Police will be knocking your door down.
Smh of course the box~)

Morning
--
"You got that lantern from her, didn't you?" he points. "I'm sure you could give some entirely nonsensical excuse and she'd believe it enough to let us carry on."

You seem to have all of the items you wanted in the small pack, strangely light after so long with your bigger satchel.

"Yes. I'd rather not run into trouble where we're going." Skywhisper points at the lantern, snug alongside the egg. "Do you want to light it before we go?"

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=74910&page=243#2422 Author: Falconetti Time Posted: 8/8/2022 at 11:31 AM Evening (Logical points. Was just a passing thought Asteria picking up the dwarf reminded me of, but your points make it seem more hassle than it's worth. Thanks for the advice! I guess I'll use common sense to figure out what you can and can't pick up, and it'll be stamina and how long you can carry something which will be the stumbling block) -- You keep a steady pressure on the unnatural carpet of wind gusting along the cavern floor, kicking up more dust and grit in the process. You feel the shards brushing past you, scouring your exposed skin and making your wound burn. All around, a haze is building in the air again as dust is lifted into the air. You keep running, but the rumble is building to a deafening wall of noise. There's no need for stealthy footsteps in the cacaphony, only speed. You can't hear the chieftain, don't know if he's following you or not, but it doesn't seem to matter anymore. There's no way to tell if you're going to make it, if you'll be out of the collapse-zone in time. One last fist-sized rock glances off your shoulder and you barely stay on your feet. You keep going. The moment the cavern wall collapses, the whole world quakes. The percussive boom which heralds the drop of a several-dozen-tonne section of rock to the floor knocks you from your feet. The sensation of the wave of displaced air which buffets past you tells you just how close you came to getting crushed beneath. You hear a little howl up ahead. Then from out of the gloom races the familiar sight of Crimson, who barrels into you and starts to try to nudge you onto your feet. Following her is Aegis, thankfully alive, though his arm hangs limply at his side. On first glance you'd either say a dislocation or a break. But he offers his good hand to the other dwarf, raising him onto his feet. Aegis takes the chained dwarf's arm and steadies it across his shoulders. "You take the other arm. Our heights aren't well matched but there isn't time. We've got to go, so just follow my lead," Aegis mutters by way of greeting. His cold, determined facade falls away as he looks about you, as if looking for someone, but then it's up again as he barks at you: "Come on, move!"

Asteria does as she's told and grabs the dwarf's other arm. She could guess who Aegis was looking for and she hadn't seen Murva either. Asteria tries to keep pace with Aegis as best as possible to ensure that neither of them stumbles more than they have too. She's extremely grateful to see Crimson again and know that she's as safe as possible in this situation.

Asteria will follow Aegis's lead while trying to keep the wind up to cover their presence. As much as speed matters in this case concealing where they are and where the other prisoners are increases the chance of them escaping.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=74910&page=243#2423 Author: Falconetti Time Posted: 8/8/2022 at 12:12 PM Midday (Hands up, I vanished again myself. So appreciated, but don't bust a gut over it :) ) -- As if to back up the wise people you've been hearing from, you notice a couple of scorched signs reading: 'Absolutely NO swimming!' and 'No ball games (find literally anywhere else!)'. They have colourful grafitti on, likely from some youths with about as much respect as sense, going so near to the edge anyway. Doing that could possibly mean trouble, but at the northern outskirts of Boulder the peace is kept by the various establishments along its length, keen to keep customers coming and their reputation near-spotless. In the trading quarter you should be fairly safe. Standing outside the inn, you watch patrons entering and leaving, the whole building shrouded in activity and bustle. People sit at tables on the large porch outside, eating and drinking, playing card games and having animated discussions with one another. Music filters from the wide-open doorway, followed by the similar sound of chatter as from the deck outside. From here, it looks like a fairly popular, respectable establishment. As you watch, however, a small scuffle bursts from the open doorway. A crowd parts to two burly orcs throwing a dwarf out onto the dirt outside. They look like hired guards. The dwarf looks drunk. He totters up onto his feet as the two staffmembers disappear back into the inn, throwing a curse or two after them before stumbling off to the parking square while receiving laughter in his wake. There's no telling what each travelling group may be looking for. Some hire guards before setting out, others coalesce by merit of lone traders happening to band together since they're heading the same direction anyway. While the former may have more difficult entry requirements, your safety will be better assured in such an organised group, and you will probably get to ride in a cart - sparing you exhaustion. Otherwise you'd be going on foot, but at least that builds up your stamina. Coming closer, the sign reads: 'Herbie's Travellers' Hotel'. If this is the place you want to investigate, you could approach some of the groups and decide which one offers what you're looking for.

Pike tucks the gold away and wanders closer. He probably hasn't heard of this place before, even if it was popular and well-to-do. He hasn't really gone out to talk with people and his family isn't into travellers as they prefer to mind their own business.

He keeps his distance from the drunk dwarf as he watches the other groups. Which one should he join? The one made up of lone travellers not wanting to go alone made the most sense to him. He wouldn't be much of a help in guarding because he's had no experience fighting or protecting. The group that brought him along because they wanted a guard would be sad, angry, and disappointed. Going alone, Pike decides, will be a very last resort. He doesn't like travelling alone in territory he is not familiar with.

To find a group to join, maybe he should go to those playing cards. Though he didn't know many card games, he could always learn some and try making friends while doing so.

Going inside didn't sound that bad either. Perhaps he could ask the hotel manager more about joining a travelling group. He didn't want to interrupt those people playing cards.

Seeing as he's outside, Pike goes to those playing cards at the tables outside first. He watches the groups first, trying to find one nearing the end of the game and looking friendly.

Morning
--
Sweet Treat removed from inventory.

The treat is crumbly and a little stale from being in your bag so long, but still melts nicely on your tongue with a buttery taste. It leaves little sugar crystals all over your fingers and your face. You are no longer hungry.

Balthur nods back. "True, but I've seen harder times than these. At least we're not at the point where we don't know when our next meal is coming, so it could be worse," he says positively. A startled look passes over his face. "Oh! I almost forgot. Before you go, that unpredictable Spork told me to give you this. Said he owed you."

With that, Balthur pulls out a sword and its scabbard from amongst the belts and satchels he has across his back.

Felicia suddenly makes a choked noise. "How did you get that in here? You were searched for weapons!"

Balthur goes red. "I picked up some nasty habits as a foal. I consider myself past such things now, except in exceptional circumstances like these."

Felicia sputters some more, trying to contain her seething. She shuts her eyes and looks away, gesturing sharply at the two of you. "Ugh, fine, give him it. You're making me feel corrupt, letting you shady people off all of the time." She cracks an eye open. "Actually... I've got an idea. I'm giving you a quota of one dubious sword at a time. You started with break in and theft, but I'll be generous and lump them together. Now you're taking on a smuggled one." She beckons with a hand. "Pass me the first stolen sword and I'll let you take the other stolen- ehem. Questionably sourced sword."

Balthur shrugs defensively. "I don't know where he got it from, don't look at me. And Nicote, neither do I know if he has any plans of his own, but he seems to have a lot of respect for you. He probably won't listen to me if I tell him not to follow you. Do you think there's something smart I can say to persuade him to stay in my sight and not do anything stupid?" he asks.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=74910&page=243#2428 Author: Falconetti Time Posted: 8/10/2022 at 3:36 PM Morning -- Sweet Treat removed from inventory. The treat is crumbly and a little stale from being in your bag so long, but still melts nicely on your tongue with a buttery taste. It leaves little sugar crystals all over your fingers and your face. You are no longer hungry. Balthur nods back. "True, but I've seen harder times than these. At least we're not at the point where we don't know when our next meal is coming, so it could be worse," he says positively. A startled look passes over his face. "Oh! I almost forgot. Before you go, that unpredictable Spork told me to give you this. Said he owed you." With that, Balthur pulls out a sword and its scabbard from amongst the belts and satchels he has across his back. Felicia suddenly makes a choked noise. "How did you get that in here? You were searched for weapons!" Balthur goes red. "I picked up some nasty habits as a foal. I consider myself past such things now, except in exceptional circumstances like these." Felicia sputters some more, trying to contain her seething. She shuts her eyes and looks away, gesturing sharply at the two of you. "Ugh, fine, give him it. You're making me feel corrupt, letting you shady people off all of the time." She cracks an eye open. "Actually... I've got an idea. I'm giving you a quota of one dubious sword at a time. You started with break in and theft, but I'll be generous and lump them together. Now you're taking on a smuggled one." She beckons with a hand. "Pass me the first stolen sword and I'll let you take the other stolen- ehem. Questionably sourced sword." Balthur shrugs defensively. "I don't know where he got it from, don't look at me. And Nicote, neither do I know if he has any plans of his own, but he seems to have a lot of respect for you. He probably won't listen to me if I tell him not to follow you. Do you think there's something smart I can say to persuade him to stay in my sight and not do anything stupid?" he asks.

Nicote pulls out the other weapon he has. "Yeah, nope. Sorry Balthur, but I'm not raelly sure what you were expecting." He lets Felicia take the one he has before taking the one from Balthur. "THank Spork for me will you? I'll agree I have some questionable ventures but I do like a man that keeps his word."

He thinks for a moment. "I honestly wouldn't know of anything to definitely keep that guy from following, so I suppsoe just tel him to come with you and Knight. I've dragged him into enough trouble within less then three days of meeting him as it is- if he disagrees, let him know I want him to take a few days for himself, rest and resupply and whatever else. It's already going to be quite the show in Elvenor, if they figure out you lot have any links to me or the whole thing is found out then it'll be that much worse. We traveled all day and barely slept anyways, I doubt he got much sleep last night. Or any of you for that matter." Hopefully those three get some kind of rest while he plays the game of Elf Politics.

Nightfall
(Asteria definitely used only 2 arrows right?)
--
The chained dwarf hasn't said a word since you first picked him up, his face ashen and set in a grimace.

As you leave the rumbling and roaring behind, the light fades away to near nothingness. The pair of you are forced to slow down as you begin tripping on unseen obstacles in the gloom, despite your best efforts it cannot be helped. Crimson, on the other hand, leads the way effortlessly. She turns round every so often, her eyes glowing in the gloom, showing you the way forward.

You have asked too much of your magic for one day. Your control of the wind slips through your fingers as the distance between you and the battle grows and your concentration is drawn to keeping your feet moving one after the other. After using your magic with such intensity and purpose, you feel more confident and stronger than you were before. Magic strength +1/2. Magic Strength is now level 2. Your proficiencies are now boosted by +2.

However, with your magic spent, you will need to rest to regenerate your stores.

After a time, you hear muttering from up ahead over the trickling of the stream. Aegis speeds up. Ahead, a group of shadows mill around at the side of the ravine, barely discernable in the scant moonlight. One of you disturbs a rock, sending it clattering, and the figures freeze.

"Who goes there?!" comes a startled call.

"Me. Now shut up and help me with him," Aegis hisses.

The shadowed faces of the ex-prisoners appear before you, and the dwarf is taken from your grasp and laid on the ground. An authoritative-looking elf steps up, sizing you up warily. "The archer?" she asks briefly.

You're tired. Magic spent.