Dungeon Life

As the party closes the distance to the surface, Teemo explains the general tone for good cop/bad cop. The Stag still looks confused about the whole idea, but he’s willing to try. Teemo even tries to get a few of the illusion foxes to fake an interrogation room like on tv, with a one way mirror and everything, but I have to shoot the idea down. Even if the idea of the Stag and Teemo giving significant glances to the mirror and grabbing the hanging lamp to shine in their eyes is funny, I don’t think it’ll work. For one: light in the eyes might actually hurt the two cave-dwellers.

The classic dynamic should work, though with a little tweaking. The two aren’t actually in any trouble, so slamming tables and demanding answers probably won't make too much sense. We can still have the Stag play more stoic and suspicious, with Teemo being more friendly, a bit more chaos/lawful than good/bad.

While Teemo and the Stag go over their roles and get set up in the cave Honey did the dissection in, Leo and Honey are more occupied with the reinforcements arriving. Rocky and Vernew are at the fore, and my scion takes the chance to catch up with the Warden and Librarian as Vernew does her best to help keep everyone organized.

The denizens are pretty simple to handle, with Leo giving a few sharp barks and a howl to direct them where to go. The dwellers are a bit more difficult, but with the Stag busy, it’s kinda up to Vernew to get everyone settled. She’s pretty uncertain at first, but with an encouraging squeeze to her shoulder from Rocky, she gets her many feet under herself.

“Alright! Let’s get deep enough we can get this warm gear off, but don’t get too comfortable. The Southwood might want us somewhere else.” The other dwellers accept that, and soon they march off deeper into the southwood. I poke Fluffles to get some warm gear to take to the surface entrance, and make sure he knows to get some good hoods, too. Some sunglasses would be great also, but I don’t have any of those available. I might be able to have Teemo explain the concept of polarized light to one of the illusion foxes, but that’d probably take too long. For now, the cave dwellers will have to deal with the cold and the brightness with mundane methods.

Even with a bit of cloud cover today, Nova can see them squinting and shielding their eyes even before they get out of the cave, so I nudge the bond to have her suggest a stop for a few minutes, while Fluffles gets there.

“Why is it so bright? And so cold?” asks Lechula as she tries to figure out how to deal with both. She wants a hand to shield her eyes with, but she also needs both arms to wrap around herself. Merrik closes his own eyes, deciding full blindness is better than effective blindness. It’s probably warmer, as he’s not shivering as much as Lechula is.

“That’s the surface,” supplies Yvonne. “Looks like Nova wants us to wait here?”

My shy little dragon nods and makes a little magma image of Fluffles, even as she scoots a bit closer to Merrik and Lechula.

“Feels like a cold one today,” observes Aelara. “Think it’ll snow?”

Ragnar shrugs as Yvonne answers. “Maybe, but probably not much. It looks merely overcast out there, instead of deep snow clouds.”

“I still don’t get how ice falling from the ceiling isn’t something to worry about,” grumps Lechula, earning smiles from the party.

“Aye, was strange t’ me, too. Y’ git used ta it.” the pale prisoners don’t look too convinced, but Fluffles making his entrance keeps their questions in check. His shadow falls over the group, even as his wings make the walls of the cave shine in a multitude of colors. His majestic aura doesn’t last too long, though, as he drops the winter gear on the two gobsmacked newcomers.

He hisses a chuckle as they clear their faces, and the party does their best to suppress their mirth. Nova rumbles at him in greeting, earning a bob of the head from Fluffles before he slithers beside her.

“Go ahead and get those on,” suggests Yvonne, and it takes a few moments for Merrik and Lechula to realize the cloth is clothing, instead of just blankets or something. It takes them a few seconds to get everything organized, and a few minutes to get everything on, but they’re looking a lot more comfortable by the time the march resumes.

Fluffles and Nova chat as everyone walks, and Nova even shows him the little sculpture she made of him, now cooled and solidified. I can feel Fluffles’ interest and appreciation through the bond, just as I can feel Nova’s embarrassment at the praise. Once everyone enters the Southwood, the two prisoners stiffen a bit and look around, clearly aware they’re in a dungeon, and looking a bit nervous about that.

“This is the Southwood, not Thedeim. It’s a bit out of the way, but a good example of one of the dungeon varieties,” reassures Yvonne. “Fluffles? Where should we take them?”

Fluffles hisses and motions for them to follow, though Nova heads off towards Rocky and the others. It’s weird to see Merrik and Lechula both looking so nervous and amazed at the woods around them, but it makes sense. There’s a lot of new things going on. They still look a little relieved to see the small cave ahead, though the relief vanishes as Yvonne and the others wave and go their own way, too.

They look at my wingnoodle with apprehension, and even Merrik jumps a bit as Teemo calls from within the shadows of the cave.

“Come along, you two! It’s alright, we just want to talk, and we figured this cave would be the best place for it. Outside looks like it’s a bit distracting for you two, yeah?”

The two steel their resolve and stride into the cave, and look confused when they turn the bend and see it empty. The voice of the Stag comes from behind them, one of Teemo’s shortcuts letting them get between the two and outside. Not the most subtle of implications, but getting them a bit off balance is kind of the point.

“Take a seat wherever is comfortable. My Lord and His ally have much to ask.”

Merrik has his emotions mostly in check, but Lechula swallows heavily as she moves to sit near the far wall. The heavy atmosphere shatters as Teemo pops up from the Stag’s mane and hops to the end of his muzzle.

“Don’t mind him. Well, maybe mind him a bit. This is his dungeon. I’m Teemo, Voice of Thedeim, and he’s the Stag, Voice of the Southwood.”

Lechula looks confused, while Merrik looks suspicious. “A rat? They mentioned a rat Voice, but…”

Teemo grins. “You were expecting maybe a dire rat? A plague rat? A swarm? Maybe a giant rat, or one made of lightning that farts tornados?”

The Stag’s stoic look cracks slightly as the corner of his mouth twitches upward. The two prisoners look confused.

“Lightning?”

“Tornados?” they ask at the same time, and Teemo deflates a little.

“I knew I should have gone with metal and earthquakes. Anyway, Stag, you wanna tell them what kind of situation they’re in?”

The Stag regally nods. “You two are prisoners of war in the care of my Lord, the Southwood. While you will not be harmed, you will not necessarily be helped either.”

“He means you’ll be fed and kept safe, but probably kept in the dark. If you two can give us info, though…” Teemo gives the Stag a pleading look, and the larger scion sighs and leans into the role as he finishes the sentence.

“If you two can give us information that will help in this war, lord Thedeim is willing to grant you asylum or refugee status. My Lord is not against offering similar, but he has no enclaves to house you.”

“What if we want to go back?” asks Lechula, and the scions exchange a look before Teemo answers.

“I mean, after the war is over, sure. But that might not be a good idea, and it definitely won’t be a good idea until after the fighting is over.”

“What if we wish to simply leave?” asks Merrik, and the Stag answers.

“You will be taken to Fourdock and released, though the winter will likely keep you there for another month at least.”

“Not released back into the underground?”

Teemo shakes his head. “Nope. Again, once the fighting is over, you’re free to go wherever you like, including back to the depths. But you know too much to be given a chance of getting back to the Maw. Even if you swear to not say anything, the Harbinger has mental stuff. That’s a major security risk.”

Merrik doesn’t look happy, though that seems to be his default look. Lechula, though, looks disappointed.

“But how are we supposed to help?”

“By giving us as much information as possible,” answers the Stag. “My Lord prefers to minimize bloodshed, as does lord Thedeim. The Maw must be dealt with harshly, but the people may yet be salvaged. It will depend on you two telling us what we need to know, to be able to maximize our effect against the Maw, and minimize it against the dwellers… townsfolk.”

“But… I don’t think we know anything too important. We’ve seen a little more than average, but nothing big.”

“I’ve researched and investigated, but I only have slightly more knowledge than Lechula,” admits Merrik.

Teemo just smiles and pulls out Honey’s big list of questions. “Even common knowledge can imply a lot. Just knowing where the main Maw cultists congregate will give us a place to start.”

“And you’re sure that’ll help?” asks Lechula, looking uncertain.

“Yes,” answers the Stag, and Teemo nods.

“Definitely. The Boss says knowledge is power. Even the simplest question, the simplest answer, could be what tips the scales for us.”

Lechula and Merrik exchange a look, then nod before the pale dwarf speaks. “We’ll do it.”

“Great! Let’s get to it, then!” Teemo shuffles the sheets as Honey and Leo enter, with the latter bringing a lot of blank paper for the former to take notes with. “Let me see… ah, here’s the start.” Teemo pauses as he reads it, and looks to the Librarian. “Really, Honey?”

She bobs up and down in affirmative, causing Teemo to shake his head. “You’re the one with Knowledge affinity, alright. So… what did you two have for breakfast before heading out into the caves?”

The pair from the deeps look confused, before taking a few moments to think back. I think it’s a weird question to start with, too, but as the questions flow, their memories seem to just naturally follow, bringing more details than I would have expected. Honey dutifully makes notes and Leo gives her more paper. The war is truly begun, whether the Maw knows it or not.