Decent Into Darkness

[Priss]

Lain smiles, slipping down the street towards the mountains.  "From what I have heard from the locals, Thannengrin used to be something that was less than a mountain, and more of a sort of fortress.  A man, or possibly a Drow lord, ruled the surrounding land in a rather _less_ than polite fashion.  Fellow by the name of Lansk or Lasnen or something like that... nasty bit of work."

"Then the dwarves took offense, as dwarves tend to do, and the inevitable battle of clean dirt diggers and dirty ones took place, and well... somehow the fortress got turned into a mountain.  But like I said, this is just what I've heard from the locals, and they're not exactly known for their paying attention outside of their own little cosmos."

"Besides, I find it a bit hard to believe that the "very gods" would send fire and water from raining from the sky to "smite" the "villinious black eeelves"... and wipe out two entire tribes of dwarves while they were at it.  It is beyond belief."

She shrugs. "At any rate, I'm not sure exactly _why_ it is forbidden, but I can say that from what I've heard, Lansk or Lagien or whatever the hell his name is, he may or may not still be down there."

A pause.  "I wouldn't suggest that any of you might have alteriour (sp) motives here, but if you happen to have an issue with the slavery... there's been several people that have gone missing around here.   Mostly children, but every once in a while a whole family from one of the outlying farms dissappears."

[tabyk]

Glancing towards Lain for the briefest of moments at her mention of slavery Daren once more bounces his shoulders to settle his pack before starting off.

[Trunkyboy]

Rackham is not disuaded, he and Nirae had broken into many 'forbidden'  places before.  It usually meant lots and lots of bloodshed and an occasional screaming priest or two... hundred.

[Prince Herb]

"How long ago did this business take place?" Moonshadow asks.   "If he's still alive down there, it can't have been too long ago, at least not as my people measure these things.   And no, I don't care for slavers, especially not if they worship the Queen of the Demonweb Pits.   I've fought that sort many times."

[Priss]

"Three, maybe four local generations past.  But then, the locals seem to be rather short lived.  So, perhaps seventy, maybe a hundred, years agone."

Lain shrugs.  "I really don't know how much of it to believe though.  Some of the accounts vary quite wildly."

[Prince Herb]

"As if no one knew very much but had felt the need to fill out the sparse details from their active imagination, I suppose."

Moonshadow looks in the direction of the mountain.   "In that case, the only thing to do is to go and scout things out on the ground.   Are we to walk, or do you have another plan?"

[Priss]

"We walk.  I'll not be putting my life in the hands of a fickle mount of any kind."  Lain's response was curt at best, but then, she was already on her way out of town.

[Prince Herb]

Moonshadow looks at the others to gauge their reactions, then shrugs.   Walking is no hardship, especially not when compared to what's likely to be experienced in the Underdark.    The elf girl follows Lain at an interval of a few metres.

[CyMage]

Ailith didn't care either way about walking and continued to listen with one ear as she caught up with her friend on their latest 'adventures'.

[Figment]

Ticha falls in several paces behind Moonshadow, continuing her quiet conversation with Ailith.

[tabyk]

Daren follows along, making sure to keep close to him new employer.

[Priss]

Lain moved almost completely without sound, seeming almost a shadow herself as she slipped from shadow to shadow, mostly avoiding the silver light of the moon.  Her firey eyes gazed about with the alertness of someone raised to expect attack at any moment.  Her slightly pointed ears twitched ever so slightly as she listened for the tiniest unnatural sound.

In short order, the moetly crew had passed from the tiny pool of Order that was the village into the darkness of the forest.  It was almost pitch black, barely any light filtering down through the trees to the overgrown trail they traveled.  And it was still yet the edge of the forest, where the overhanging layers of greenery were light.  The deeper they delved into the forest, the darker it would get.

Yet Lain showed not a single sign of slowing or even stopping for the night.

[Figment]

A subtle change sweeps over Ticha once they leave the relative safety of the village. Putting her conversation on hold, she begins to move through the forest with nary a sound, the shadows almost seeming to coil around her slight form, so much so that she seems to disappear as she walks through them, easily keeping pace with her larger companions.

Still, she stays close to Ailith, keeping an alert eye and ear out for the both of them.

[Trunkyboy]

Not breaking his stride, Rackahm pulls some strange goggles over his eyes.  He scans the darkness intently, as if daring it to attack.

[Prince Herb]

Moonshadow follows Lain through the darkness, through the forest.   More at home here than in the human lands, she relaxes somewhat.