Well, it had seemed the reception to his little act was just a bit half-baked for his taste. The only people that seemed to acknowledge his little sideshow were originally the two people at the current spot. Sure, others had joined in during his little introduction, but they didn't seem to pay much mind to the artificer and his many merry creations. The big guy, Kol'rakul, seemed to have had the best time out of his intro with his hearty laughs filling the air. Ingrim could tell by the looks of this strapping beast was someone earnest and filled with energy, but was using the energy for some good intentioned violent acts, hence the decapitated head of the highway man. The Ringleader liked this man, he could get a few laughs out of him, and possibly use his size and strength for other uses during the trip to the dungeon. "Well, I'm glad to be of service, Kol'rakul the Axeman, and I'll be sure to remember your applause during this adventure," Ingrim replied, his creations settling down from the previous excitement, though in the background seemed the same hooded lady was getting a closer look at his creations. "Ah! Someone curious about my comrades? Why, these amazing attractions have been created by yours truly with the help of some arcane magic to power up these magnificent beast! I have to say that these creations can do all sorts of amazing tricks, but you can see that later at one of my many shows across the land! 'The Troop and Troupe!'" Hopefully this would garner some attention to the gnome's little entertainment act, he did need some gold to continue this lifestyle, and the best way to show some appreciation would be to donate to his cause to bring safety and joy to all.

So, with the interactions between those two had been fulfilled, the contractor had said some things about more people arriving to this location. Wow, the dungeon might just be a tiny bit cramped with the amount of people entering this crypt, especially with all of his creations joining within the unstable cave. Ingrim was worried, if he was to be put inside of rear guard to protect the entrance of this cave, than that would mean less gold and materials for his many varied projects! This was grave news indeed, but hopefully something could be done to avoid being stuck with the boring job. Giving a light sigh to himself, the ringmaster turned to meet the rest of the adventurers that came with the same intent of adventure and gold. The fourth to arrive was some anthropomorphic beast, an owl by the looks of it, and surprisingly held himself up well compared to most other beings with their rambunctious behavior. Ingrim would have to take note of this, polite and well-armed. The fifth the arrive was someone of interest, a towering man clad in armor trugged through the field that almost seemed to be as well built as Kol'rakul! He had no idea of his origins, but Ingrim could tell that this man was someone of great skill with their battered skin and surprisingly wellkempt beard. Another person of importance, and another tall burly person to hide behind. The sixth to arrive was some tall dwarf, a woman tall dwarf with a hint of superiority with the stance and way they help themselves to the others. Strangly enough, this one seemed to know the axeman, small world seemed to the both, but Ingrim could tell that the distance the woman was keeping from him was someone that didn't want to be bothered by this certain gnome. Smiling, the gnome would like to know of their distance from the ringmaster, but the response was likely to be some pompous answer though it would be interesting to get some insight of changing something about his act.

The gnome managed to walk just a few steps towards Feon when suddenly more adventurers appeared from the brush! So many! And so much people only made this situation a bit worrying for the ringmaster. However, something more worrying towered over his concerns as some squid monster carried in chains was brought to the scene! A squid monster! How could they possibly allow this thing to join them on their travels!? Surly they had enough diversity with the owlman, but to bring such creature known for their rather despicable deeds... He would have to keep a close eye on the beast. And what do you know? Another anthropomorphic beast has emerged from the brush, a spider lady to be exact. Her figure said more than needed if someone was into that stuff, but alas her strange contraptions that had donned every limb has made piqued his interest even more. Ingrim would need to analyze those devices later in time, if they are attached to every limb than that would mean that it is something of importance and most likely a dangerous weapon. And lastly, but strangely enough that appeared to be the last adventurer of the group was... A child? Man, the owner must be quite desperate for help if they would allow such a young child to join in this dangerous quest. The Ringmaster would need to keep a close eye on this one as well, if nothing their skill must be something great to be allowed on this quest, and the death of a child would bring morale down quite low if they were to be allowed to meet such an early fate. Now, with everyone addressed within his mind, Ingrim the crafty taking his mental notes on how to approach and treat everyone was now going to annoy the crap out of the female that seemed to dislike the gnome.

"Well! How do you do?" Ingrim questioned, quickly walking over to the disinterested adventurer, "If you didn't hear, my name is Ingrim Nesfit, sole propiter of the wandering circus 'Troop and Troupe'! So, might one provide the same courtesy of giving their title and name? I would love to be acquainted with you, and so would my companions as well!" Ingrim's constructs arrived soon after he had spoke, they looked at her with questioning looks provided if she could even detect it with their inhuman bodies and faces.

Amarilla fidgeted excitedly at all of the commotion going on, first excited to see more from Ingrim's golem creations and intrigued at the idea of speaking to Bartimus more at some point about his people, and then immediately distracted by the presumably final members of the group arriving at last. She made her rounds once more, dashing around the ilithid to get a closer look - she had seen them mentioned on occasion in books but had little actual details to apply to them - all the while smiling still and showing no reservations about approaching the large, tentacled individual before briefly being distracted by Irthorne's reprimanding of the guard.

Not a moment later, after the yelling had subsided, Amarilla had once more altered her attention to face the spider-like humanoid who had appeared and been approached by Andrik. "Ohh, I like your bunches of arms, that's really interesting! Your clothes look nice, are they comfy? I bet they're comfy!" Following the excited statements and questions, she paused to wave and exclaim an excited "Hello!" to the final two newcomers, the young girl with the red eyes who first approached Irthorne, and the dapper gentleman who introduced himself as Lorrick. Amarilla was wondrously ecstatic at seeing so many people gathered to this one location.

Well, well. The gnome could shout up a storm when he needed to. She felt he could probably achieve that feat literally too, with or without shouting, but that was neither here nor there, so long as she didn't make an enemy of him. On the other hand, his attention shifted to the Ultralith almost immediately after he was done with the owlman, an eye-rolling procedure, because darn it if she didn't need to have words with him about... well, exactly what the knightly tall dwarf brought up, as it happen. Was he a knight? He certainly had the armour for it, if not the sword... though what facial hair he had. Hardly standard on any Arakhan, for obvious reasons... nonetheless.

'I believe I caught the tail end of his speech,' Alea stated, with the mildest of points to her voice. 'Certainly, I will need to discuss my role in this with him; I was quite hoping to traverse the crypt myself, and in truth, lounging around outside it hardly suits me...' She trailed off briefly, espying two new arrivals - a man dressed all in black with a manner that seemed... not quite aristocratic in nature. She might need to clarify what his standing in life was... and, inexplicably, a teenaged year old tall dwarf. Or was that a gnome? Either way, she couldn't help but giggle lightly at the sight. How cute it was, with its- her, even- with her short little arms and legs, and her slightly pudgy cheeks and bright red eyes. Most teenaged Arakhan were nothing like so adorable: she knew for a fact that she'd been incredibly irritable from the pain of her transition from half-spider to full adult, and moreso thanks to actually being attacked halfway through the whole thing when her legs weren't working properly. Oh, if only her brat sister were still around, so she could shoot the little twerp between the eyes all over again.

Speaking of which, she recalled with a quick shake of her head, the man had asked about her pistols. 'As for these,' she offered proudly, hefting a couple of the guns briefly before reholstering them, 'I'm mildly surprised you don't know what they are, considering your obvious heritage of combat. They're called flintlock pistols, the flintlock mechanism being the successor to the matchlock and wheellock mechanisms, and far more reliable for it. Of course, though it may not be obvious, I've... let's say modified mine just a little so they're a bit more useful than their standard counterparts. They usually take a while to reload under normal circumstances, so anything to help is...'

And at this point, the oddly-pale tall dwarf made herself known to the arakhan at last. And what a bundle of energy she was, blurting out a trio of compliments and questions with hardly a breath between them, hardly giving Alea a chance to respond before turning to greet the two newcomers, the black-clad gentleman and the teen tall dwarf. Her activity was almost endearing... almost. 'As it happens,' she cautiously offered when she felt she was no longer being ignored, 'spider silk is a very comfortable material once your remove the excess glue. Very strong, too, it takes a fair bit to break it apart.

'Oh, but where are my manners?' the spider-woman asked. 'I haven't even introduced myself yet. You may call me Skarrab-Alea... and don't shorten it, please. "Skarrab" is not my given name, and I feel as though you may mishandle that sort of information. Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I really do need to speak with Irthorne before it's too late...' Her dismissal given to the both of them, the aristocrat strutted past the tall dwarves, heading toward the Royal Advisor, and the illithid. The large, shockingly muscular illithid... ahem. Not that she didn't appreciate eye candy for both its pleasing aspects and its power to manipulate, but the effect was ruined on the tentacle-mouthed beast for rather obvious reasons, despite how it and she shared the number of eyes they each possessed. And she was quite sure they didn't reproduce with... she deferred to "in the usual manner" for the purposes of averting a detailed description. Either way, she'd best not get too attached to him. However, she did need to get close to him in order to talk to Irthorne, so she moved within a respectable distance of the two, subtly clearing her throat to grab the gnome's attention, then folding all six of her arms behind her back and waiting politely until he addressed her.

@DracoLunaris@Starberries@Banana

"Heh! At my age and experience I'm used to this feeling Masrith. I still think you're just as good to me as you are to this group! Welcome aboard!" He was about to wander off and speak with the recent arrival of Skarrab-Alea but was quickly interrupted by the young Kara, who was quite the predicament in this situation due to her young age and inexperience, but he couldn't say no to her. She needed the money badly, it seemed, as her clothes were covered in dirt, gravel, and muck. Irthorne answered to Kara as he walked

"I appreciate the help, Kara. I'm not gonna lie, I had second thoughts as this is very dangerous, but I couldn't say no to someone in need. I hope I don't offend you in any way, but I'd like you to try and stay with either me or Bartimus in order to stay safe. Other than that, go meet some of the people here, and I'll speak to everyone here in a second." Irthorne continued to Skarrab-Alea and began to speak with her. "I apologize for that, miss Alea. It's a bit hectic here with everyone getting together in a sort of mashed up group. I trust you and your flintlocks are going to prove valuable assets to this mission in case anything is lurking down there. Did you have any questions?"

@BCTheEntity@Kafka Komedy@BKburke

Andrik quickly made a note of the new information after Skarrab-Alea went on her way and he was left in the company of the excitable Amarilla who had bombarded her with questions. He would need to make additional investigations into these weapons that were apparently advanced versions of some ongoing technology development, one that he would need to acquire either observation of or preferably acquire of some for investigation. The tribes, monasteries and towns he had previously encountered were clearly quite out of touch with the world's currently more advanced civilizations if he had not heard of something that appeared to be a well known development, at least to Skarrab-Alea’s culture. He would need to perhaps make speed for the more southern and the apparently more advanced civilizations rather than making detailed notes on every settlement, oddity and creature he came across.

Although speaking of oddities and advanced technology all at once there was the traveling show-gnome and his mechanical constructs, who was somewhat conveniently introducing himself to the monk and the northerner. While he wandered over, imagining the hooded tall-dwarf would continue her manic introductions, he turned his attention to the two she would probably be speaking with. An aristocratic looking gentleman, though unlike the heavily armed if fancily clad Skarrab-Alea this one looked like he was out for an evening stroll rather than about to fight the undead. In the same vein the teenage girl was completely out of place, wearing a dress that had seen better days. Either the mission was going to be extremely easy or they were both incredibly dangerous. In the world above nothing was as it seems, so erring on the side of caution was always wise. Rule one, something he had learned at the monastery he received the jade amulet from, really applied to anyone who expressed more casual confidence than they really should and not just old bald smiling sweepers. The marauders that attacked the monastery learned that the hard way. He should probably add the pale hooded Amarilla with her serrated knife of those whose threat was not obvious, her demeanor perhaps a cunning disguise, though the various Alchemist's supplies indicated she was perhaps here to provide medical assistance.

But for now he would attempt to strike up conversation with the monk, the gnome Ingrim and the axman Kol’rakul, whose 2 loud introductions he had head on his approach. He walked up just after Ingrim asked his question, nodded to the axman and waited for the monk to respond.

Kol'Rakul gave an earnest smile smile at the Kenku. He was, to say the least, honored both by the owl-man's apparent respect towards the ways of the axe, as well as his firm greeting and humble nature. He could have sat and talked with that one for hours, both of the art of combat, and of their respective homelands. Oh the stories they could share. Yet, it seemed that the advisor had need of him, and thus, it would not be proper to further stall Bartimus. Unleashing a great guffaw at his (quite accurate) observation of the common axe-handler, he resumed his seating position and stuffed his mouth with a piece of meatbread. Just as he had swallowed the massive chunk, he heard the ringmaster's voice addressing him. Apparently, he had noticed his cheering, and had returned a kind word as well, stating that he remembers those who applaud. Truth be told, the Axeman had no intention of gaining the gnome's favor, and that made the latter's comment all the more pleasant to the barbarian's ears. Truly, bonds of companionship are better than trade-like ones, especially in glorious battle and high adventure. Seeing as the gnome was occupied with socializing, all that the barbarian did was to give the ringleader a playful wink and a wide smile.

Yet, before he could down another mouthful of the delicacy he had packed with him, he could not help but stare, somewhat indiscreetly, at the newest arrival. A spider-like woman had shown her rather odd face, and was locked in conversation with the Vaulter. The vaulter himself had raised some questions of a far more benign nature as well, namely the pick-like tool he carried with him, along with the rumors he had heard of his kind being sighted in the north, had stirred up an all-too familiar feeling within Kol'Rakul's heart. And for him to be a warrior to boot? Well, approaching him would be inevitable. He was especially curious of how the man could fight with both spear and crossbow, while bearing a shield. All in good time, he though. Turning back his attention towards the spider-creature, he recalled tales of a raiding party he had joined not long ago, in the days where they assaulted the subterranean lair of the Demon-Conjurer Anbyn-Gir, speaking of spider-like tallfellows in the deep places of the earth. Even though the creature had an air of regal superiority by the way it talked and moved, the barbarian was quick to mentally scold himself for being quick to judge. It was here to help, after all, for one reason or another. And that was enough.

Before he could form another thought on the matter, he was quick to react and turn around, as the wizard was loudly reprimanding a couple of guards, for depriving the freedom of a... Deep-dweller? Foul, disgusting enslaver of men and breaker of wills? Truth be told, the Axeman had little clue of the creatures, save for some first-hand experience of their abilities, and of their usually violent nature. Yes, a few of the creatures' companions had even been caught in the arc of Kol'Rakul's blade. Yet, this one seemed different. Larger, and more fierce. And, by the looks of it, it was here to join on this quest. Whatever the case may be, the gigantic man gave him the benefit of the doubt, but decided he'd keep a close eye on the deep-dweller, especially if it neared poor Feon, to take advantage of her unique condition. Averting his gaze from the beast, and focusing back on his lunch, the barbarian was once again quick to divert his attention elsewhere, as what seemed to be a formless shadow with no owner hopped from here to there. What sort of dark sorcery was that? Was it of the deep-dweller? Of the spider-woman? As he was about to brandish his axe, the shadow quickly darted towards a new arrival.

It seemed that a well-dressed man had appeared, and oh how he made Kol'Rakul wary. He seemed like a cross between a sorcerer up to no good and a deceitful merchant, and the Axeman had met more than he could count in his travels. Despite his strange shadow-sorcery, the man was polite enough to introduce himself to the party. Kol'Rakul shuffled about, still seated, to face the man, and raised his right hand high to greet him. "HAIL, SHARPLY-DRESSED ONE! IT SEEMS YOUR SHADOW IS UNRULY! WHY, YOU OUGHT TO DISCIPLINE IT, LEST IT RUNS OFF! HAW-HAW!" He did seem awfully shifty, but having come to the city's aid, much like the others, made the Axeman conclude that he posed no immediate threat. "CARE FOR SOME MEATBREAD?" He motioned to the small mountain next to him. And speaking of which, knowing Feon's massive appetite, he grabbed a hefty piece of said treat and tossed it over to the monk. "HEY, FEON! CATCH! THERE'S ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE!"

After all the introductions seemed to be over, the barbarian could once again relax and enjoy the morning. Taking a gulp off of his mead horn, he leaned slightly back, supporting himself with his right hand, which was still clutching his axe. As his now relaxed eyes skimmed through every present member of the menagerie, he nearly blew mead out of his nose at the sight of a little girl speaking with the gnome. This was no place for children, no place at all. They should be comfortable at home, learning their runes, or letters, and hunting with their fathers for hares, elk or whatever it was that children in these lands did. Slouching forward, and supporting himself by his knees, he carefully observed the newcomer. It seemed that the child, even though filthy and alone, freely brandished a knife. Even though one part of Kol'Rakul felt happy for this one's fighting spirit, he was heavily alarmed at the sight of her. He had heard of beings taking on guises of innocence, though he could not for the life of him pinpoint what it was. He settled with observing the child from afar, as it conversed with the wizard.

Masrith still wanted to speak on the matter of the journey with Irthorne but couldn't as Irthorne was busy tending to other matter. Masrith tried to speak up but slipped. Instead of sending a mental message, a giggles hiss came from his mouth. Masrith froze a little before backing off. He observed the group. Everyone was making their own conversation and small talk with others. The saddest part was that Masrith could not verbally understand a single word they were speaking. He relied on reading surface thoughts to translate and properly communicate. Masrith looked for an empty spot to sit down. It didn't take long before that objective was met. He took a seat and opened his back, pulling out several books. He opened them and began to read several at a time. His mental notes being somewhat scattered. There were several brutish looking tall dwarves that appear to make good slaves or hosts for the process of ceramorphosis. The owl creature somewhat peaked his interest. The body of the figure seemed well toned but his equipment did not seem to be a heavy load. Perhaps his wings were not as strong as the owl wanted people to believe. The humanoid spider was next. The exo skeleton was a good thought. Perhaps against slashing weapons, but brute force like a hammer or mace could still mash up the insides, like shaking a crate with glass items in it. A curiosity formed. Were the exo skeletal plates weak or absent around her joints to allow maximum flexibility? If so, her joints may be easily severed if necessary.

A gnome with various contraptions also peaked a thought. If they responded to verbal command, then perhaps mentally dominating the creater would allow control over the various forms of metal creatures. Further mental analysis would be required. A monk named Feon was next. A sort of mental feeblety could be sensed. It was interesting, her physical nature wouod not be a threat if her mental domain was not in order. Perhaps training her in psionic reinforcement to develop a friendship would allow easier access to her mind. Once she became familiar, I could establish a mental link and dominate her.

This of course were only thoughts if Masrith was to be betrayed. He knew his race was despised so having a contingency plan was almost nessecary. The gnome with the contraptions, eating his brain would be nice. He intelligence may make a perfect host for ceramorphosis. These were just thoughts though. It wasn't like it would be plausible.

Masrith figured he should just play the role they give him. He doesn't have any people who care about him or even a home to go to.

Well, so much for being a shadow, the one thing it didn't act like. Suddenly the Shadow moved towards the location of the Ulithard. He had heard of such creatures but never seen one in real life. Furthermore, their anatomy wasn't completely clear so he couldn't just morph into it. Maybe if he observed it from a closer distance, even conversing with it, he could get a better feel. And if push comes to shove he could just kill the monster to get all the information. As the Shadow joined the creatures own shadow it noticed, it was different. Now that Lorick remembered, all the pictures he had seen, this creature was definitely different from their race. A new evolution pattern maybe? A mutation?

Hearing the barbarian speak he said: "Thank you but there is no need, I ate just before leaving for this ordeal."- politely refusing the Axeman's offer.

As he was about to turn his attention to Masrith, the temptation in him got too strong. Suddenly turning his head towarss the fairy. A desire to kill, no, eradicate sparkled inside him. Even after completing his end of the deal to gain this body, the demon still affected him with it's selfish desires. He never learned why it hated the fae so fanatically. Looking at the fae he licked his lips in excitement, the thought of plunging into her passed his mind for a split second.

Mustering his will, he turned away from the wingless fae and approached the Ulithard. Standing before him, it was reading a strange book, until the creature looked up.

"In case you missed it, my name is Lorick Lockwell. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."- he thought in hopes that the creature understood him. And before the creature could got up, he sat down beside it, keeping a comfortable distance for both of them.
"Have you found anything of interest in this group?"

Feon had been busy looking at all of the other newcomers. The shadow man didn't quite rub her the right way. Something was off about him, very off. Then there was the tentacle faced creature. She had heard of them before but couldn't remeber what they were called. Their mind control however worried her the most. If that thing ever got too close to her she would end up punching it in the face without a second though.

That was when she turned her head to see meat bread flying at it. Her eyes widened with what looked to be joy and grabbed it then quickly started eating it. If there was one thing that she loved it was food. And meat bread, while it wasn't her favorite would still bring her alot of joy.

Feon then turned her attention to the gnome that seemed to approaching her. He looked quite annoying too. He introduced himself as Ingrim and stated that his contraptions wanted to get to know her. "I'm known as Feon the Mercenary." Feon stated it wasn't much of a title but it would do for now. "And I have no interest in your contraptions. I'm sorry but I never did like noisy things like those, not everyone enjoys a circus you know." Feon added giving him a wave and going to sit down near Kol'Rakul with her own meat bread and started to eat. She was certainly the hungry type from the looks of things too.

Kara smiled at her boss's insistence she stay close to him or his presumed second had, but her eyes told him all he needed to know. There was a certain hatred she had for being pitied or given special treatment. As soon as possible she'd show them her prowess with a knife. , if need be. But that was neither here nor there. For now, Kara ought to have a chat with the others like the wizard had suggested. Hopefully one of them would neglect to look down at her. She looked around to see who to talk to.

The group that got Kara's attention the fastest was a coalition of four. A simple looking tallfellow, wrapped in robes and baggy clothing, with her only weapon seemingly being her fists. There was also someone incredibly short, shorter than her even. A dwarf, maybe? He seemed quite old and had metal animals with him. Adjacent to both of them was an armor clad figure who looked like a mix of a dwarf and a tall dwarf, if that even made any sense. The last person there, though certainly not the least, was an axe-wielding tallfellow who had no voice beyond that of shouting and was staring at Kara. He seemed distrustful, but also concerned. She gave him that same smile with eyes laced of hatred that she had directed towards the wizard. If he knew she was a fairy, she was going to try and dissuade him from making that fact public.

Conversing with that group wasn't an option it seemed, not with one member already suspicious. There was the oddly dressed fellow, whose shadow seemed to dance and move like a creature of it's own, and he seemed to be eyeing her. I don't like that guy, Kara... Azarel commented, fear and worry evident in his voice. We ought to take him out before he hurts you. Kara was inclined to agree, there was a burning passion within him and for a second, Kara would have sworn he could be seen licking his lips. She would not bother speaking to him either, both of their intentions for each other were clear.

Maybe she ought to talk to the man who would be watching over her? Bartimus was his name, if Irthorne was to be believed. He was the bird-looking man, quite tall, muscled, manly and mature. But also soft, approachable, even... attractive. Are you alright, Kara? Azarel asked again, oblivious to Kara's conflicted feelings. She responded with a small I'm fine. Before turning away and directing her attention towards something else.

Lastly, there were the two other odd races, both with 5 eyes, and purple, but beyond that there wasn't much similarity. The woman had six arms, as well as some odd-looking devices on them, and her feet. Flintlocks, they were called. Apparently they were important. Kara would introduce herself to her first. Getting a bit closer to the spider-woman, Kara gave a small wave to her to grab her attention. "Hello, Miss Alea. It's nice to be working with you." Kara complemented, before realizing she didn't actually have a conversation topic. Panicking, she brought it back to her favorite hobby, botany. "Uhm, do you like plants? I could use some help with all the bugs that get in my gardens; I wouldn't mind you eating them, and I could even share some fruit with you too."

'None specifically, sir,' Alea said politely. 'I only wanted to confirm, having learned that we're to be split into two groups, that I would in fact be heading into the crypts. Not that either task would be anything to complain about, only I have plans to write a book about our adventures within the crypt, and, well, that's hardly possible if I've been sitting outside it, don't you agree? Ahuhuhuhuhu~...'

It was around this point, as she covered her mouth to giggle to herself, that she was approached by the adorable little tall dwarf girl, greeted and complimented, then asked if she liked plants. This got her attention, though as she crouched down a little to match the girl’s eye level, she found herself a tad put off by the blurted statement about bug eating. That wasn’t to say the girl was wrong about her eating bugs, but it wasn’t like she just gathered insects from who knows where and stuffed them in her mouth! That was what the peasantry did. And darn it, she would not be compared to the peasantry!

Or so she told herself. ‘You know, there are more polite ways to greet somebody than asking them to do your gardening for you...’ she began, only to trail off as she got a closer look at the girl’s face. Goodness, though, she really was simply adorable to behold, enough to put a smile on the spidery noble’s face. ‘Oh, but I can hardly be upset with you~. Look at you, you’re so squishy!’ she exclaimed, taking a moment to lightly pinch the girl’s cheeks, and giggling to herself once more. Why had nobody told her tallfellow children were this cute? Now she wanted to adopt a hundred of them. She could probably afford that, right?

@Banana@Kafka Komedy

As the monk, Feon the mercenary apparently, quickly and rather irately ended her conversation with Ingrim, or perhaps it was more accurate to say stopped it from happening, Andrik briefly examined the various contraptions that accompanied the gnome. The mechanical dogs where perhaps the most interesting, clearly mechanical unlike the chest with it seemingly fleshy arms or the animated bows which where also lacking in moving parts. His people did not had a knack for most magic it seemed but the various ancient relics and tombs indicated they had once been masters of the mechanical based arts. Some of the engineers and scholars at home had even been experimenting with designs for large golem like constructs, though they seemed a long way off from getting them to work but perhaps some insight from this or others of his profession could help them.

“Hello Ingrim Nesfit, before we begin this expedition I wanted to have a closer look at your wondrous creations. I am Andrik Nordin, a Vaulter explorer who is traveling the lands documenting all of the fascinating things I come across so that my civilisation can have some first hand accounts of the wider world. I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about how your constructions work, my people would be most interested to read about you, your craft and traveling circus. ”

Masrith heard Lockwell speak. Masrith turned amd looked directly at his shadow when he was asked about anything interesting. A deep voice would enter Lockwells' head. "Surface thoughts are very easy to read Mr. Lockwell. While I wouldn't say there is anything of peculiar interest, I am curious about certain things." There was a silence for a moment. "That creature that is with you, is it mentally linked to you or would I not have to worry about if I were to try and mentally dominate it?...oh it's just a thought however. I suppose if you are curious then I will tell. Firstly, Illithid have no need for verbal communication. Your surface thoughts will suffice. Secondly, I was wondering about the spider creature. Just curious if it's exo skeleton is weak or absent around the joints to allow maximum flexibility. If so then one accurate strike with a blade could sever a limb. Also that it may be best to use a blunt force weapon like a hammer or mace. Even if her skeleton protected, it would be like shaking a box with glass items in it."

Masrith reached into his pack. "I forgot my surgical equipment. Well now what am I suppose to do when any of you die? Well eating the brain of a fresh corpse is still good I guess."

Masrith looked at Irthorne. The voice from earlier would enter Irthornes' head again. "Mr. Irthorne. I'm sorry to disturb you. May I make a request for some medical equipment? More specifically, surgical. There is not telling what could happen down there and if there is no time to reach the surface then I should be able to operate." Masrith thought about it for a moment before he would try to speak to Irthorne again. "I understand no one would like the idea of having me operate but given my past, experimenting on various creatures for various purposes, and the fact I have a several books about detailed anatomy, I think I would make a could candidate."

---

The request from Irthorne made Bartimus hoot with wary consideration. He, a proud warrior, made to babysit a child? It was enough to baffle the poor bird. Even as the young Kara arrived, Bartimus found himself staring at the ground in disbelief. His special charge, his unique labor, to watch over a child that the wizard could not say no to.

Bartimus watched as she offered her hand in greeting, but armed the hand with a knife. It was... endearing in some small respect. Naivete was something he admired, ever since he confronted the opponent that took his home. He looked to Irthorne and gave a nod as he tended to the other members.

"I will take her under my wing, as it were."

Bartimus' gaze swept from the young Kara to the interesting gentleman with the overactive shadow, Lorick. From the moment he saw the man's darker half jump from person to person, and felt his as if his spirit was invaded in most vile fashion, a dangerous sense of caution overcame him. He made a note to treat any further intrusions of his person with the utmost severity.

The outburst at the guards on the part of Irthorne drew Bartimus' attentions to their escortee. He had heard tales whispered over campfires of the strange beasts and horrors that roamed the cavernous dark that lay beneath the earth and dirt. This figure was... so much more that the tales spoke of. It's form repulsed Bartimus but at the same time it intrigued him. He knew enough of the mindflayers of the Underdark to know to begin steeling his mind against intrustion. A wise owl keeps a sharp mind, and a mind of his own.

The appearance of another near-humanoid being put his tense mind slightly more at ease. A spider-woman with a strange contraption in each hand. Bartimus could only assume they were weapons, and was worried that she would carry them so openly. He took a moment to look at his own rusty iron shortsword and his polished silver arming sword. Maybe he would pick up something with a bit more flash later, he mused, feeling slightly jealous.

Bartimus shook his head and dismissed his folly. His ward was to be his new priority. He made his way over to Kara with one hand resting on the pommel of his iron blade. She was conversing with the spiderwoman, Alea, and seemed to be getting rather friendly. He did not want to intrude on the conversation, so he merely stood by at a distance. A very soft feathered sentinel. When she was ready to be spoken to he would introduce himself.

"I am Bartimus. I am to be your... caretaker, as you like. I do hope we can get along, little one."

"Should we need to perform surgery, I'd... well... as long as you don't experiment while you perform it." Irthorne was a bit opposed to allowing the Ultharid to do this because of his past, but at the same time he was the best candidate in the party for doing so. Either way, the gnome wizard walked over to the stump he gave his speech on before and stood overlooking the whole group. "This is gonna go pretty well, I can feel it." He fired an arcane bolt into the air to grab the attention of everyone, and then he began his spiel.

"Thank you all again for helping with this, I honestly can't thank you enough. We have everyone who can contribute to this mission accounted for, and now it's time for the dreaded team split." Irthorne didn't want the team to die in the crypt due to carelessness, so the group members he would have to choose to enter the crypt would have to be the ones who he was sure wouldn't bring the cave in. "Kara, Bartimus, Skarrab-Alea, Masrith and Amarilla, you 5 are going to be the group that comes with me into the crypt..." Asking Bartimus to watch Kara was a bit rude, so naturally he and Kara would go into the crypt as a sort of apology to Bartimus. Skarrab-Alea frightened the gnome out of fear for what she could do to him if he upset her, and the same applied to Masrith to a different degree. Masrith frightened the gnome, but that wasn't the reason why he was going in, whereas he was really going in as a guide because he was born underground and had natural traits to accompany that. Lastly, Amarilla was adverse to the sun, so she would go in due to that.

"... and Feon, Kol'Rakul, Andrik, Lorik, and Ingrim are on outside duty. I promise you sort would be compensated for this rather dreary task. I also must ask you guys to stay outside. A few days ago I had a few of the kings men scout out this crypt and they reported a few notes of non-undead leaving the crypt. A goblin, being a bit of a concern to me with all the gear reported on the goblin." Feon's immense strength and Kol'Rakul's... passion were a bit unstable, plus Feon was easily manipulated so keeping her away from Masrith in case of a coup was a good idea. Andrik was better served where he could see and scout easily, while Lorik had a bit of an unstable shadow, which couldn't be tracked in the dark, so there was fear in that. Ingrim was with a large group of his contraptions, so if they all went into this crypt, they'd likely cause a cave in.

"Those going into the crypt, meet in the first room in no more than 5 minutes! Dismissed!"

@Cuccoruler@BKburke@Bishop@BCTheEntity@Kafka Komedy@Starberries@Horrid@The Wild West@Turbowraith@DracoLunaris

@Banana
Upon hearing that, Lorick got up and approached the gnome with a fast pace. With as friendly a tone as he could muster he spoke:"Irithorne, if I might give a suggestion. I am of the idea that I would be better suited on exploring the tomb. I have some experience with traversing tombs, more than most. During my journeys I have come across multiple tombs with different layouts so I do believe to posses some knowledge on the field. Furthermore I would be willing to replace the Kenku, Bartimus, on his duty as a babysitter. I have been told to have a gift with handling children and the girl seems to be about the same age as my little daughter. So how about it?"

And with this he could explore the tomb in search of the magic coin, as said by one of his sources. In addition he could get closer to the girl...
As he awaited the gnome's response, his Shadow kept still, for once behaving normally.

What sounded almost like a dark cackle slipped from Masrith. "I'm sorry. It's just....yes, I'm the doctor." Masriths'laugh was almost a little uncontrollable. His laughter was immediately silenced however. "Sorry. The irony is humorous. On a serious note, if we really are heading in to the what is believed to be a portion of the underdark, or atleast something relatively close, then you all should know something. A majority of encounters between deep dwellers and surface dwellers happens within three miles of the surface. So our presence could tip off a creature or two about where we entered. The top team may not be so bored after all." Masrith walked over to the entrance to the crypt. "I sent a message. I'll have my tools soon. If anyone doesn't want me operating on them then don't get infested with a parasitic organism. Please speak up if you do, most are rather large and will kill you in minutes...an hour if your stubborn."

Masrith observed the party he was chosen to go with. Looking at the group did give him one concern. This group didn't have any stick swingers, he figured it would help if atleast one primitive brute went with but he would never point this out. H waited for a minute or two before a man holding a case would run up to Masrith. Masrith opened the case to see an array of surgical equipment. Masrith reached into his pack to pull out a small page of what could be assumed as coin and handing it to the man before watching him run off.

OOC note: this is me asking permission to add surgical equipment to the list in my cs.

Masrith then walked into the first room of the crypt and wait. "I suppose I can augment myself psionically to make up for any strength we will need. First things first. As far as the formation goes. Whoever can't see in the dark should be in the middle. The ones who can should be infront as a guide, one in the back to notice if we are being tailed, and one in the center if there is room. I would suggest making as little noise as possible. Many creatures in the dark have well attuned hearing." Masrith wasn't sure how they were going to take the next bit of news. "I will psionically link our thoughts fpr easier communication. Simply think of what you want to say and I will transmit it. Please don't make me censor too much."

Kara huffed a bit at Alea's accusation. Kara was offering her lunch, two lunches in fact! Kara would kill for charity like that, literally! Of course, that pailed in comparison to her next actions. The spider woman, now at eye level due to slightly crouching down, pinched Kara's cheek, and called her 'squishy.' Kara spared the spider no smile, not even a glare of hatred. All she offered was a simple response, straight faced with no emotion. "I assure you, all things are squishy when pierced." Before her dagger was fully raised though, the wing of Bartimus caught her eye in her peripheral vision.

"I am Bartimus. I am to be your... caretaker, as you like. I do hope we can get along, little one." He spoke softly, his rugged form accentuated in the sunlight. The sight of his plumage certainly made Kara more calm, and the idea of killing someone so baselessly in his presence seemed in poor taste. She responded with a curt and polite "Ah-I hope so as well, Bartimus." since her mind was frankly going a bit blank while looking at him. For now she'd try to keep professional, and stop looking at his chest so much.

That proved easy enough when Irthorne began a speech. Kara, Bartimus, the spiderwoman, and someone named Masrith and Amarilla. As long as neither of those two names belonged to the oddly dressed man with the dancing shadow, Kara was certainly fine with that arrangement. It seemed that neither was, as said man approached Irthorne with a request. Subtly getting a bit closer to listen in (not that the man bothered being quite or smart) Kara wasn't surprised to hear herself mentioned. He was trying to remove her guardian from the situation and get her alone in the crypt. She had to convince Irthorne to force him back to the surface.

"Ah, you're the kind of man who spends much time in caves and takes interest in young girls? Besides, Bartimus is warrior who I am proud to be the ward of. I will not budge on this matter." Kara said, hugging Bartimus purely as a gesture to garner belief and sympathy and nothing else at all. The blushing was for effect too. Either way, if Irthorne was sensitive enough to take pity on her, he'd keep strong in his choice of guardian. We'll have to take care of him later, be sure not to let him get away. Could be dangerous. Azarel reminded. Still, seemed like a better idea to put off the fight until either she had someone on her side, or she had more power backing her.

Amarilla's maddeningly energetic fidgeting and movements finally ceased as Irthorne gathered the group's attention. It seemed the gnome was ready to unveil who would be going where. In an even split, it seemed Amarilla herself would be fortunate enough to be traveling in the crypt herself. How joyous she was at that thought, that she'd soon get to venture into those depths out of the pesky sunlight and see the inhabitants down below. Not that telling the difference between one level of excitement or another with Amarilla was an easy task.

Irthorne listed off the other individuals that would be entering as well. First, there was Bartimus who Amarilla was quite interested to learn about and after him, Skarrab-Alea who Amarilla was also interested in learning about. She hadn't yet placed the other two names to specific faces as of yet as she'd been too caught up in trying to get a good look at everyone all at once despite the harsh daylight, but she was easily able to narrow them down to belonging to the young girl and the ilithid as theirs were the only names she hadn't heard spoken aloud yet. Maybe. Amarilla was having a bit of trouble keeping track of all of these names and identities, she realized, as this was the first time she'd personally seen so many individuals gathered in one place.

Nonetheless, her theory about the names was more or less confirmed as she headed for the crypt as per Irthorne's instruction when Lorrick spoke up to dispute his position outside the crypt and who would watch the girl, and the ilithid moved from his current position to the crypt as well, with his own message; he was capable of linking thoughts? As in, a mass telepathic conversation, in some manner or another? Amarilla herself had no objection at the proposition, though she did find the thought of speaking without speaking to be something she was not at all familiar with.

"So, then, how does that wor -" she spoke up but stopped herself, then thought to the ilithid, Wait, so, is this how this works? I think at you? Is that right? Amarilla was uncertain if her thoughts were actually doing anything or if she was just thinking to herself and staring intensely at the ilithid.

Ingrim was interested in the attitude of the monk, the look of disdain in their look at the gnome combined with the dismissive words almost made the gnome wanting to laugh! "Well! Feon the Mercenary, such a drab title by the way, I would say that I've met my harumph-ers in my days on living on this world, but you are at the moment the one that has harumphed most of all! Now, I must say that it has been a pleasure meeting you and I hope you have a wonderful day," The ringmaster concluded, the dismissive wave brought upon by Feon hurting his pride just a tiny bit. So, as Ingrim turned away from the mercenary, the tiny gnome twisting the tips of his handlebar mustache indicating it as one of his quirks when feeling strong emotions. And right at that moment, Ingrim was feeling quite baffled by the sheer amount of rudeness that was brought upon him! He did expect a cold greeting from Feon, but such brazen disrespect was shoved straight into his face! Harrumph! She shall not get any help from him when the time comes!

As Ingrim silently fumed around the group, his little tiny face baring his rather rare frown, someone else was brought to his attention as some large tall-dwarf was in front of the tiny gnome. He asked questions, and behold it was questions about his magical and rather awesome constructs! This brought up his mood instantly, his creations had a special place in his heart and always loved about talking with others about their uniqueness. "Hello there, Andrik Nordin the Vaulter Explorer! I am glad that you have found myself and my creations something noteworthy to record for your race to study, I must thank you for this great honor," Ingrim stated, lightly bowing to the Norse-man, "I must say that it is quite common to get questions about my pets, but it is new that someone wants to know how these creatures work. I can lend you some notes later on about my creations, but I must first see if someone like you is trustworthy to learn of this knowledge. I would rather not have my beautiful creations squandered to be some war machine that is only recognized for their brutality! I hope you can understand for my precautions."

The gnome felt slightly bad for barring information against Andrik, but it was true that lending his notes of creating mechanical life could be easily used in the wrong hands. So, he shall have to wait to learn of their morals and actions, but at the moment he seemed a decent man. However, before he could get a better look at Andrik, Irthorne soon discussed the plans of separating the two groups due to the sheer size. And, sadly it seemed that Ingrim's name wasn't in the team for the underground adventure, but the prospect of being the rear guard was abolished as he soon learned that surface loot was hinted by the goblin with many things! Oh? That could be worth his time, and the extra payment couldn't hurt too bad. The gnome's sad outlook on being put at the surface was now abolished with the new idea of surface adventure and extra gold, but it did seem that he was going to be stuck with the rather rude lady in the end. However, Andrik and Kol'Rakul was joining him as well which excited the gnome.