Talk:Reaching the Surface

Steadily, loaded down, the party wends its way to the surface again. You stagger up the back-and-forth stairwell and you stumble along the ledge that follows the underground river. You finally reach the narrow crevice that you bridge yourselves, uneasily carrying your loads across it. You make your way along the passageway until you come to the stone pits where you fought the ticks; and then upwards through the main lair of the froglings, where everything of value has been stripped away. There are no workmen left and it is quiet. Finally, after a long, steady day of work, you see daylight ahead; you climb out into the sun, half-blinded from it; it has been a week since you've felt its rays upon your flesh.

Fjall is there, watching the things you left on the surface and your donkey (or was it a mule). And there is a party of soldiers there as well, lounging about until you emerge. They rise at once, ordering themselves, while a leader takes a step towards the puffing, weary party; the leader is tall, emotionless and clearly a veteran of some war, as he stands as if his hip is troubling him. He says in a gruff, orderly manner, "You are Pandred, Embla and Engelhart, with associates. Is that correct?"--The DM (talk) 10:04, 17 September 2020 (MDT)

(i look to the party waiting for someone to respond)--Marcule (talk) 10:15, 17 September 2020 (MDT)

"It is so. And glad we are to see you too, by God's grace. Who might you be, o captain, that you'd expect or know of our return here?"--Engelhart (talk) 10:48, 17 September 2020 (MDT)

He appears to be concerned with his officialdom. "I am Fenrik Sven Jorgensen." Fenrik is his rank, the lowest rank there is above a man-at-arms. He holds out a small board, the sort used for scratching contracts into the soft-stone surface. "Will you sign this?" Engelhart can read and it says, "Provides One 23rd Share to [your names] in compensation as finder's fee" or words to that intent.--The DM (talk) 10:56, 17 September 2020 (MDT)

"Well now," I say as I gently motion for the board "I'd need to mull it over with my confederates if you will", I stare into the contract quizzically "just how much are we talking about here, and who mandated it?"--Engelhart (talk) 11:04, 17 September 2020 (MDT)

"I'm not in the way of knowing," Jorgensen says. "Whatever one 23rd part of whatever was stripped of the underground area here. The actual value is waiting for you in Stavanger."

"I'm sorry, Fenrik;" I motion apologetically "This takes us quite by surprise. Might be you're to head back to Stavanger, much like us? We'd like to meet up with someone who can elucidate us as to the provenance of this figure or what value it would entail."--Engelhart (talk) 11:23, 17 September 2020 (MDT)

[I'm done probing, I can't properly proceed with a decision unless someone else weighs in]--Engelhart (talk) 11:25, 17 September 2020 (MDT)