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Dorn is a fairly young dwarf, difficult for humans to age, but certainly has no grey in his beard nor a stoop in his back! He appears reasonably well muscled, and has calluses on his hands. He is not dressed in armour, and has no weapons with him, though he bears himself with the air of one whose comfortable wielding them.

***

As the group relax in the inn, pushing back their plates and, for some, allowing their tired muscles a chance to relax, Larz leans forward and starts a discussion about the trip back to KD.

"I've been thinking about our trip to you-know-where" he starts. "My cousin Dorn here is interested in coming along" Dorn nods his head sharply in agreement, his eyes sparkling with the dream of being the first to explore the lost halls of Kheizar Dalan.

"There are several things which I think we should take" continues Larz. "Lanterns, rope, a crowbar or two... food supplies or course, and perhaps a mule or two to carry all this stuff." He looks around the party. "I seem to recall horses are quite expensive, but it may be worth us each buying a mount..." He glances at Lucretia, a grin on his face. "Though some of us managed to keep theirs!"

"I guess from what the Knights said, and the evidence that saw on the way in, that simply travelling there will be the most dangerous part. We may have been lucky on the way here only to encounter enemies that we could deal with. Either a quick escape on horseback, or perhaps we can buy something which will help us - any ideas anyone? I'd hate us to encounter Giants and be unprepared!"

<Lucretia aka Joe continued>:
> "As for Dorn here...my vote would be to let him in,
> another dwarf along would be most help full on this
> venture and from what I hear...you vertically challenged
> folk have a knack for kicking giant ass."

Larz frown at Lucretia as if the concept of not taking Dorn was not even under discussion, and certainly wasn't up for a vote. He is about to speak, when Luc's other words register with him. His mouth snaps shut and his eyes narrow, obviously offended by the phrase "vertically challenged".

Dorn also scowls, but lets it pass. "'Tis true some of our heroes have tackled giants in the past, AND that the giants generally find us harder to hit, but from my own personal experience, I am happier if we don't meet giants in the first place!"

<Lucretia aka Joe continued>:
> "What skills would you bring to our little group Master Dwarf?"

Dorn shrugs. "Another axe, another pair of hands with the capability of opening the magical entrance, another pair of eyes capable of reading dwarven runes and spotting possible dwarven made traps..."

<Lucretia aka Joe continued>:
> "Dorn...do you happen to know a good gem cutter in town...
> hopefully someone who specializes in cutting Chardaly."

"I know OF some gem cutters," the dwarf replies - what sorts of gems they cut and if they are any good I have no idea.

<Lucretia aka Joe continued>:
> "I'd like to get this cut and inspelled before we leave."
> <He shows the dwarfs the Chardaly stone.>

Dorn shrugs again as he peers at the rough black stone. "Could be coal as
far as I could tell!" he grins.

Blondung leans forward at the mention of enchanting the stone. "Chardaly?" he says. "Interesting, have you thought about what sort of spell you would want put in the stone?" He too peers closely at the egg sized stone. "You should get a good sized cut stone out of that" he says - probably take a quite powerful spell..." He looks up at Lucretia. "Do you have any idea how these stones work?" Seeing Lucretia's blank look, Blondung leans back again. "The Chardaly stone has very unusual properties. In it's rough, uncut form, it can absorb spells cast at it - sometimes even spells that are just cast in it's direction. The spell energy gets absorbed into the crystalline structure of the stone itself, and then ever so slowly seeps away back into the weave. It takes many weeks for that energy to dissipate. One common way to release the spell energy is to smash the stone. So someone might cast say a fireball spell into the stone, then later hurl the stone at a hard surface, smashing it and releasing the fireball. A kind of delayed effect. Obviously, the stone is lost in the process."

Blondung takes a sip of his wine, then continues. "When the stone is cut into a gem however, it has additional properties. It can still accept spells cast at it, but the spell is kept for much longer within the stone, years or decades even, and it can be released at anytime *without* smashing the gem." Blondung smiles "Of course, trapping a fireball in such a gem might not be such a good idea, as you have to touch the gem with another gem to release it..."

He peers again at the egg sized gem. "You could probably get a couple of cut gems from that if you get it cut well... of course if you have a spell in each, then both spells would get released at the same time!"

<Cleo aka Dan continued>:
> "On another note, perhaps it would be safer to depart
> with a wagon train heading north. Maybe we can even
> get paid a little to guard it on the way. Once we
> reach the little town up there - what was it called
> again? - we can head west by ourselves, and we'll be
> much closer that way. That way we'll be travelling
> with a larger group a good portion of the way there.
> Might be safer that way."

"We'd certainly be closer if we went north to Quaervaar first" says Dorn. "Though logging caravans tend to be once every tenday, and I think one went back there just the other day..." He shrugs. "Not that other caravans don't go - you never know, we might be lucky..."

<Lucretia aka Joe wrote>:
> "Why don't we just go to Lady A?" "I mean after all
> she seemed a good sort and we can get her to swing for
> the expense...she might even enchant the stone with
> the teleport spell and give us a few of those permanent
> light spells...I mean she seemed a little swayed when
> I talked to her about you know where having to do with
> the stones and Gaard's death." "Wouldn't hurt to ask
> would it?" "After all she's not going to run off and
> steal our find, she has a fledgling country to run...
> and come to think of it, you know where happens to be
> with in her countries boarders..." <He shakes his head
> and tries to collect his thoughts but fails.> "I say we
> go to her, ask her for the support we need...that old
> dwarf is going to have a hell of a time finding Ka...I
> mean you know where...and I could find it in my sleep."
> <He looks around expecting a debate.>

Dorn gives a puzzelled look at Lucretia, then glances at Larz, who suddenly seems busy drinking. "What old dwarf?" he asks frowning. Cleo however had started to speak, and Larz coughs a bit then shrugs, looking a bit sheepish.

<Cleo aka Dan wrote>:
> "The only problem with that is that we'd have to admit
> to her that we were lying, or, um, not telling her the
> entire truth. That might not bring us much favor in her
> eyes..." Cleo thinks for a minute, then adds, "But, I
> still agree. She's a kind Lady, and I'd bet she would
> help. As a ruler, and a Just one at that, I'm sure she'd
> honor the common rules regarding finds like the one we
> made - we found it, we get to explore it first. That
> seems just. Oh.... but, what if she then wants to go
> and tell whats-his-face, that dwarf that was with her,...

"Bruenor Battlehammer" interjects Blondung.

<Cleo aka Dan continued>:
> ...of the exact location? I'm sure she wouldn't knowingly
> let her friend the dwarf go wandering around all over
> the place when she knows of someone - us - who know of
> the entrance's exact location! She'll want to tell the
> dwarf...."

Dorn stares at Larz in disbelief. "Bruenor Battlehammer?" He blurts. "Bruenor knows about Kheizar Dalan?"

Larz chokes and coughs, spluttering his ale.

Larz finally recovers from his coughing fit. He looks at Dorn. "Bruenor Battlehammer was there when we had an audience with Alustreil" he says. "We told him that the place had been discovered, but, er, forgot to mention that we had actually been there ourselves..." He coughs again, "Err.. Bruenor left pretty quickly after that to go to King Harbromm in Citadel Adbar and organise an expedition..."

"By the gods Larz!" exclaims Dorn. "You didn't tell me that!"

Larz shrugs. "It should take him a good 10day to get to Citadel Adbar from here, and another 10day or more to return just to here with an expedition..." he says. "We can hopefully explore it first and be back here before they return..."

Dorn shakes his head in wonder. "It does seem a tad... underhand... I guess... but I'm still with you." He turns to Lucretia and Cleo. "I wouldn't tell Alustriel, she may tell us to wait till Bruenor returns and suggest we go with him... She is a fair and just ruler, no mistake, but I wouldn't want to go against her wishes!"

<Yvandel aka Sebastian wrote>:
> "I, uhm, plan on getting this staff here," he said,
> pointing to the staff he'd been using as a weapon
> for some time now, "looked at by some skilled mage.
> I hope to have it recharged, but am not sure exactly
> how much that is going to cost. If I don't have enough
> money to cover the bill, would anyone care to help me
> out?"

Blondung shrugs. "We may have funds left over, but I suggest we ask them at the academy tomorrow - you never know - they may help us out just because we brought the Dragon Cultist's book for them to study..."

<Yvandel aka Sebastian wrote>:
> But, what if something goes wrong? Don't we want
> to at least find a way to let someone know where
> we are heading? Someone we can trust within this
> city? That way, when something <does> happen,
> something unfortunate, that person might just be
> our last hope."

Dorn nods his head. "If the worst happens, then all we have to do is wait till Bruenor and his expedition arrive. I'm sure they won't be far behind us. If you want though, I do have trustworthy friends here in Silverymoon - they are not the adventuring sort, so not the type that would want to either join in with us or compete against us, but if we haven't returned in say, a week, then they could raise the alarm with the Knights."

<Serena aka Archon wrote>:
> If word of this leaks out, we will most certainly
> be dogged by competitors. This trip is going to be
> difficult and dangerous enough without having to
> contend with pursuers on the way there -- or ambushers
> waiting for us upon our return."

Dorn shrugs. "I know my friends, and have known them for many years. I would trust them with my life."

<Serena aka Archon continued>:
> Serena pauses. "Of course, we COULD time our
> leaving with Captain Glandril's next patrol away
> to the north. It wouldn't hurt to have him and
> his knights clear the road ahead of us, at least
> as far as that lumber village. What was it called
> again -- Quervaar?"

"Quaervarr" corrects Dorn.