Fourth Adventure 04.1: Zeiss, Ashakel, Hanuel, Z, and Caladrius at the Mine

Hanuel:
Your eyes widen as you behold a cart filled almost to the brim with Shattersticks. A highly potent part-gunpowder part-Magicite explosive compound that can do a tremendous amount of damage, and does not come cheaply. You barely even recognize it, going off of markings and the aura it's giving off. This cart alone could probably level all of Al-Korinth if set off properly.

Zeiss brought the cart back to the entrance. Hanuel examined what was in it.

"This is powder... is it some kind of explosives?"

"By the elements! There's enough Shattersticks here to blow Al-Korinth off the map! Looks like our Goblin friend has a lot to tell us. The Colonel is gonna love this."

"Really...?"

Zeiss took of of his dagger, cut his green cloak that he kept in his sack and transformed it in a purse. He took some powder for himself.

"What about him? Can he make it until we reach the town?"

By about this point the Goblin has come to enough to be audible. He looks around at you and lays his head back, groaning. "Okay," he begins. "This isn't quite what it looks like. I mean yeah it's bad but... I ain't here to blow cities up. I ain't that crazy."

"Well, you best start explaining then, my little friend. Especially if you know a way to deactivate this stuff. It's too dangerous to have it sitting here."

"Good thing I could stop that cart then."

Zeiss put the purse of Shattersticks in his sack. He had to be extremely careful.

"Yeah no kidding," he coughs up a bit of blood. "Name's Bamm, of Steamwheedle. I do freelance treasure huntin'... find all kinds junk in abandoned mines, caves, you name it. Sell it wherever." He points a thumb in the direction of the mine. "I was hittin this place, found a ton of coal just stored here, like someone was usin this place as a storehouse. Found that odd, didn't take none... that kinda stuff's usually marked by someone. But then I found that," he points towards the cart and the fear in his tone is evident. "And like I said, I ain't crazy. I was gettin this stuff to the city post haste, get someone with Praxis to disenchant this stuff pronto. I deal in treasure, not bombs, thanks."

"Since you are such a good citizen, we're going to get you a white mage. You think you can survive a trip to the town?"

Zeiss was curious about that quantity of Shattersticks. It was a dangerous weapon.

"Z, do we have any way of contacting the Colonel without travelling for a few days? I think we should set up a perimeter around the mines, see if we can figure out who was storing all this down there. I'm not sure if it'll be safe trying to haul this cart all the way to town. If you two want to start bring the cart towards town, I'll take Bamm on Dara and rush into town. We'll see if we can get Praxis to meet us part ways. Safer for the town that way.

"I... think I can yeh. I been in a few scrapes before, part of the job really." He slowly manages to struggle to his feet. "I... just realized I'm takin this on faith. Please tell me you guys aren't some moneymongers who are stupid enough to try dealin in Shattersticks?"

"You couldn't offer me enough money to transport that amount of something so dangerous. If it makes you more comfortable, we're part of the Order."
Dara kneels down, setting itself at a good height to let the Goblin climb on.

Zeiss approached his horse and brought him near the Goblin. He turned to hanuel and said :

"I will let the goblin ride my horse, he is in no shape to walk. We could need Dara if we encounter someone hostile"

Z is staring at the Shattersticks. "I think we're staring at unrelated incidents. Coal? That's low grade mining, the kinda stuff people do around here all the time. Shattersticks?" Z shakes their head. "Unfortunately I only have a one-time-only way to summon the Colonel here and I'm under pretty strict instructions not to use it until we have our saboteur and the information. I'm not sure why," Z admits, "But I got the impression that if I did that the Colonel would come here, personally, and quickly." The word 'airship' didn't leave Z's lips but the implication hung there.

"Hmm. You might be right. But chances are, whoever left the Shattersticks here will come back for it. Zeiss, take my crossbow and a signal flare. If you run into trouble, you know what to do. I'll leave Dara with you then, the horse should get us there quick enough. Now, shall we head to Al-Korinth, Bamm?"

"We are not using any flare. Not while we are near Shattersticks."

Zeiss took the crossbow and prepared himself for a few hours of walking.

"It just produces magical light, not actual fire. I'm not stupid Zeiss." Hanuel tears off a small piece of cloth, and picks up a single Shatterstick, bringing it for proof.

It was a bad idea transporting such a large amount of Shattersticks in the desert.

"I will come back. Wait for me."

He took the cart and brought it back into the mine at a place where he was sure it would not move.

"I don't think we should all go. It'll slow us down, and leave the shattersticks unguarded. You all keep and eye on it. With just Dara, Bamm and I, we'll make good time and get back as soon as we can."

Before going into the mine, Zeiss said to Hanuel :

"Send Dara to Z's camp. The others will want to know where we are."

"I'll send it once I get to town. Lets be off, shall we?" Once Bamm is on Zeiss' horse, Hanuel hops on Dara and speeds off towards Al-Korinth.

Bamm, who almost passes out more then once, Hanuel and Dara race towards Al-Korinth. The sun is just barely starting to crawl over the horizon when you arrive. Fortunately, as you no doubt already guessed, the local Praxis Industries outlet is open 24/7. Similarly, there is a medical facility also open 24/7, for travelers on the road.

Hanuel takes Bamm to the Healer, giving him a few hundred gold to pay for healing, then heads to Praxis, sending Dara with a note to the camp.

After Zeiss was finished with the cart, he came back to the entrance and waited with the others. He found a good spot where could sit.

"So Z... why is this Fort so important?"

In Town:
The local Praxis outlet happens to have a retired Yellow Archmage handy who, upon seeing the Shatterstick, disenchants it on the spot and it dissolves into plain gunpowder instantly. The woman, a tall and thin Banderling, immediately grabs Hanuel's hands, mutters something, and the two of you begin hovering over the ground and moving at a very rapid pace, as she demands you direct her towards the rest of the Shattersticks immediately.

Dara informs Rory's group about what's going on (will post this in their thread, possibly merge)

Zeiss:
Z doesn't appear to be stirring, you're not completely positive they're awake at the moment. Probably power napping, something you've read that high ranking Flock members do too.