(079) What a Gnome Knows

[flightcommander]

Akbar observes Zax and The Herald as they explore; surely something interesting will turn up ...

[sully]

The Herald unlocks the door and opens it up.

[sirravd]

The door swings open to reveal a large, filthy man in rags. His eyes bulge: "Expl–- ah, adv--, er, crawlers? Dungeon crawlers? Not with the goblins, no?"

[flightcommander]

Akbar wheels on his boots to sight a bead on this new fellow. Just a friendly gesture ...

[sirravd]

The filthy man puts his arms up and emits a half-stifled squeal.

[waysoftheearth]

Zax sticks his throwing axe back into its sheath on his back, then hunts around for his other axe.

Having found it (assuming it did not miss by too much, which would be very unlikely), he stashes it with its brother, then stands atop the fallen greenskin to get himself a better view from the sunlit portal, from which he can see...

Zax finds his ax must have deflected and skittered along the stone to come to rest right near the portal itself; a dazzling opening awash with bright sunlight from the outside world... drawing nearer Zax has to squint until his eyes adjust.

Outside, the valley floor is laid out below him. A velvet green forest shrouded in mist and seeming to lean over the small lake that laps almost immediate to the cave entrance from which he looks. There is an ugly little pier of uneven rocks--covered in pond slime--that dares to span the gray water some 30ft out to rocky outcrop on the water that half-resembles a t-rex or dragon's skull...

[acodispo]

Wetzel takes a moment to peer outside as well, squinting in the unaccustomed light. Then he treads back to where the newcomer is being "greeted," keeping an eye out for any sign of creatures alerted by the gong, coming from deeper within the complex.

[Tonneau]

Zax recovers his axe and runs his thumb along the blade, somewhat pleased that it seems he did not miss, but equally displeased that the blade failed to kill its mark.

Making a mental note to sharpen his tools more carefully, he grunts at the pretty lake with its skull island and turns back to the corridor, where some sort of cacophany seemed to have broken out involving the release of a prisoner.

[sirravd]

"I'm fine! I'm fine! No –- not a goblin!" shouts the poor man.

[flightcommander]

Akbar lowers the crossbow to his hip and approaches the man in rags. "Akbar!" he enthuses as he extends a tobacco-stained hand to the ... prisoner?