Intro 5 - A dwarf on a mountain

[Dracos]

Shairthewm (10:54:45 PM): He could feel it, cold air, the mist all around as he stepped out of the train. Where was he? He couldn't be sure. But the train had stopped...and he was getting off here. The sky was gray, as he looked up. No sun he could see at the moment. Pretty dim kind of place really.
Shairthewm (11:00:42 PM): (Remember, my comp is crash happy. So if I vanish, backup logs =D)
HalbaradW (11:05:41 PM): He shook his head a bit, trying to remember what had just happened. Things before seemed a bit... fuzzy. With his toolcase in one hand, he shoved his rather battered bowler on his head and stepped off the train, looking for any sort of landmarks. This certainly didn't LOOK like St. Louis...
Shairthewm (11:09:40 PM): The only thing really, around these parts, was the train...the tracks... the sign.... and the mountain.

It was a mighty mountain he saw climbing up high before him. Mostly hard rock. Cragly. He could see the vague hints of a path along it, but even that looked pretty rough. No trees along it...or grass even that he saw.
HalbaradW (11:11:15 PM): "A mountain?" Clyde muttered to himself. "Where in God's name am I?" His gaze finally lit upon the sign. With a frown, he stepped closer to see what this place claimed to be, at least. Maybe he'd been sidetracked towards Texas somehow? And where were the others?
Shairthewm (11:13:04 PM): All that was written on the sign was two words. A bit grime covered really. Written in black against the woodgrain backdrop of the sign.

The End

Nothing else really on it.
HalbaradW (11:16:38 PM): "Well, that's enlightening," he commented with a snort. Taking a moment to step back into the train, he called for his companions. "James? Cilla? Are you seeing this?"
Shairthewm (11:20:17 PM): No answers from the train.
HalbaradW (11:21:27 PM): "Where the hell are they?" Climbing back onto the train, the Professor returned to the coach in search of his two associates - or the conductor - or anyone else who might have some clue as to what was going on.
Shairthewm (11:22:10 PM): The train is empty. Not another person on it. Not even a ghost. No one, it appears, was even driving it.
HalbaradW (11:24:59 PM): "Well, this is definitely not going to improve my standing with Pinkerton," the professor grumbled. Stepping off the train, he gave it one last glare before striking off on the path.

"Certainly getting nothing done here, and there's no way I can both fire AND engineer this thing... maybe the others went on ahead of me."
Shairthewm (11:31:26 PM): Heading on, the early part of the trail wasn't so bad. It was a bit tiring, true, walking over that broken rock face, but he could do it.

More tiring though was the sense of sadness...of loneliness that just sort of filled the place. Even now, a fair ways up, he couldn't see anything really...gray mists hiding more than a few hundred feet away from the mountain.
HalbaradW (11:32:41 PM): The professor merely shook his head as he trudged on down the path, shifting his toolkit from hand to hand. Whatever had happened to this place, it wasn't somewhere he wanted to be any longer than he had to be.
Shairthewm (11:34:43 PM): Getting on a bit...the path seemed broken ahead...maybe though he could scale the rock a little up... There almost seemed hints of handholds here.
HalbaradW (11:37:35 PM): With the way becoming treacherous ahead, Clyde stopped for a few moments. Pulling a couple of leather straps out of his toolkit - normally used for holding heavy machine parts in place - he threaded them through the handle of the kit, securing the straps over his shoulders before continuing on. 'At least it looks like there have been other people here before me,' he thought, viewing the handholds.
Shairthewm (11:41:26 PM): With such, he was able to make continued progress, the 'day' as it would be called, progressing as he made his way up the mountain, higher and higher...

Still, not a hint of grass...but something seemed off on the stone of the mountain as he got to another area where he could walk.
HalbaradW (11:41:59 PM): Taking a moment to take a breather, he took a closer look at the stone beneath his feet, wondering what it could be that seemed so odd about it.
Shairthewm (11:45:48 PM): Looking very closely...he might almost think someone worked the stone to look like that. But that would be impossible, to shape something like this mountain.
HalbaradW (11:46:54 PM): Clyde frowned. Setting his toolkit aside, he began to walk along the open area on which he stood, to see if there was any pattern to the seemingly-shaped stone.
Shairthewm (11:47:41 PM): None that his eyes were capable of discerning. It was practically intuition alone that hinted that this structure might not be natural.
HalbaradW (11:48:45 PM): "Stranger things have happened, I suppose, but I've no idea where or when. Or where I am now, for that matter." Shaking his head, he reclaimed his tools before heading off down the path once more.
Shairthewm (11:53:04 PM): The path got easier the higher he went, though the air was thin up here. After a bit, the gray began to fade as the sky turned blue, a bright sun rising in the sky. Though the sun was not blinding as he was apparently...in the shade?

Would he look up, he would see a towering tree at the top of the mountain, it's branches long and full of lush green leaves.
HalbaradW (11:53:57 PM): "What in tarnation...?" He shaded his eyes as he looked up towards the towering tree, trying to estimate how tall it must be.
Shairthewm (11:55:54 PM): Maybe as big as a red wood? Large enough to put a house in it's branches, that's for sure.
HalbaradW (11:57:44 PM): With some sort of landmark to start with, Clyde changed his course, heading for the base of the colossal tree. If nothing else, he could probably whip together some climbing gear and possibly get a better idea of where he was. And vegetation might mean something edible, with any luck.
Shairthewm (12:04:56 AM): It took a few hours yet to reach it.

Under it. He saw a man. An old man, short, stout and wide of shoulder with a long gray speckled beard and a gray hair. Strong arms. Very strong arms. He was dressed outlandishly, at least to the professor. His outfit looking more medieval than anything of the modern area. He had something in his hands. Hard to tell from a distance.

Nearby there was a forge. An old metal one. Still warm too. Seemed to have a small fire going in it, it looked like.
HalbaradW (12:06:04 AM): Clyde cautiously approached the man. While he might be dressed oddly, a forge was a forge, and those at least he understood. "Excuse me... ah, sir? I beg your pardon, am I intruding here?"
Shairthewm (12:11:43 AM): "Hum?" The man grunted, having a particularly gruff voice as he lifted heavy thick eyebrows to view him with old eyes. "That ye laddie? Finally gotten here? Been keeping me waiting quite a while."
HalbaradW (12:12:49 AM): "I... excuse me?" Clyde took a moment to study the man. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met. Are you sure you were waiting for me?"
Shairthewm (12:14:09 AM): "Oh...eh...oh sorry, sorry. Mistook you for a dratted no good wandering kender. Take a seat." He offered, putting down what was now visible as a fine carving and sharp carving knife and then patting the tree beside him.
HalbaradW (12:15:10 AM): "Much obliged, sir," Clyde said with a grin. "Beg pardon, did you say kender? I can't say I'm familiar with the term."
Shairthewm (12:16:40 AM): Notably, the man didn't look quite human himself. Pretty close, but if he was, he was something distorted a bit. "Eh? Not familiar? Eh, it's nothing much, a hair-brained good for nothing little runt all running around while I wait here for him before heading off.
HalbaradW (12:18:34 AM): "I'll take your word for it, sir. If you don't mind, I'm afraid I've gotten myself a bit lost wandering around as it is - could you tell me where we are, exactly?" Clyde eased his toolkit to the ground next to the stump with a dull clatter of metal.
Shairthewm (12:19:30 AM): "Huh...where we are? We are here. By the tree." He shrugged a bit, as if that was answer enough.
HalbaradW (12:21:41 AM): "Ah... I see," replied the professor. "I'm sorry, but where is the tree? Are we near Wichita, or am I further out of my way than I thought?"
Shairthewm (12:22:29 AM): "Wichita...Wichita...you know, I've traveled a lot in my time...don't anymore, these old knees just aren't up to what they used to be... but i've not heard of a place called that."
HalbaradW (12:25:53 AM): The professor sighed. "I was afraid of that." Reaching into his bag, he withdrew a small pad and a rather overstuffed looking pen, scribbling down a few notes to himself with a frown. Transdimensional activity? Possibly time displacement. Must research geography more thoroughly. Setting the pad aside, he gave the man an inquisitive look. "Could you give me directions to the nearest city, then? I've a feeling I'm going to need to do some studying."
Shairthewm (12:37:10 AM): "Wish I could lad, Wish I could... Don't remember myself though. Been sitting here waiting too long."
HalbaradW (12:38:29 AM): Clyde blinked. "Exactly how long have you been waiting here?"
Shairthewm (12:40:17 AM): "I'm...not really sure. I used to keep count...but... lost it some time ago. I just sort of sit here and carve while I wait, lad." He pointed to something on the other side of the tree, just out of Clyde's view sitting down.
HalbaradW (12:41:00 AM): The professor half-stood, trying to get a look at what the bearded man was pointing to.
Shairthewm (12:47:51 AM): He saw...a pile of wooden figures. Hundreds of them. Each, lovingly carved by a master. They ranged all kinds, animals, toys, people. These could be many, many years of work here.
HalbaradW (12:49:32 AM): Clyde sat down heavily, grunting a bit. "So I see. Well, I suppose I shall have to make do with finding out where I might get food and supplies to make a journey with, then, if you would be so kind as to assist me that far."
Shairthewm (12:53:40 AM): "Well, I can see what I can do..." He reached at his side and fished out a sack and a bottle. "Here."
HalbaradW (12:55:45 AM): "Many thanks, sir." Clyde accepted the items, then paused. "I beg your pardon, I haven't even gotten your name yet. I am Professor Clyde Hornsby, although I tend to suspect the title means little here."
Shairthewm (12:57:35 AM): "Flint Fireforge, sitting down." He grunted in response, rubbing his beard.
HalbaradW (1:00:19 AM): "A pleasure, sir." Clyde took a moment to look inside the sack.
Shairthewm (1:02:48 AM): There's some food. Doesn't look particularly appetizing but neither does it look particularly unappetizing. Travel fare, as it goes. Good for the long haul type stuff.
HalbaradW (1:04:51 AM): Clyde nods briefly. "Thank you again for the food, Master Flint. I think I'd better begin my journey, though, as I doubt it will be a short one. I will be sure to look out for your kender? and if I find him, direct him to you."
Shairthewm (1:06:15 AM): "Yeah. If you see that doorknob of a kender Tasslehoff, tell 'im Flint's waiting."
HalbaradW (1:07:45 AM): "I most certainly will do so. Thank you once more for your hospitality." Giving the grizzled man-creature a sweeping bow, he struck out once more, looking for any sort of beaten track other than the one he came in on.
Shairthewm (1:08:53 AM): The man stopped him with a hand. "Here, take this."

He put his most recent carving in Clyde's hand.
HalbaradW (1:09:51 AM): "Hmm...? Oh, thank you. I shall take good care of it indeed." Clyde paused for a moment to examine the carving.
Shairthewm (1:10:49 AM): It's a wood lion, proud and noble. Superbly carved and warm, like the tree he was just sitting against. The wood grains used expertly to add a sense of texture to the mane.
HalbaradW (1:13:38 AM): "A remarkable piece of work, Master Flint. Remarkable indeed." Clyde placed the carving in the breast pocket of his coat, his hand brushing against the chain of his pocketwatch as he did so. "I hope that I can direct Tasslehoff to you while I attempt to find out what's happened to me."
Shairthewm (1:16:08 AM): "Thanks...think nothing of it, really." Flint responded modestly, already rubbing the tree with a hand.
HalbaradW (1:17:42 AM): "Farewell, Master Fireforge, and Godspeed." With a nod of his head, Clyde headed off towards the path once again, and hopefully towards some answers.
Shairthewm (1:26:46 AM): He felt hazy as he headed off...noises coming into his ears.

"I think he's coming around."

Where were they....though...

He found himself in a bed staring up at what appeared to be a doctor...