The Stonecutters - 03/05/2022 - A Kavel Perspective

Bro Talk

I had gone back to Fort Ettin for a morning workout with my bros and my thicc-boi comrade, comrade Ivan was joining us, too.

It was important to me to check in with my bros, now that I’m based in Daring Heights.

I’ve been meaning for some time now to find something for Kruger to distract him from his time as a werewolf, which has broken him. Also, I have finally learnt why the area in front of Kavel’s Corner is less busy than it used to be; people have been scared ever since Tim and Sampson transformed into werewolves. So, even those two could do with a new surrounding, if not for them, then for the locals.

The veteran adventurer, comrade Ghesh (super thicc) told me how Kundar was under renovation, and they were extending the height of the Kobold-friendly buildings over there to be more accommodating for the dragonborn population. Well, they were in need of stone masons, and I had three goliath masons here - three goliath masons who all agreed a change in scenery was a good idea.

But, if we were travelling to Kundar, which I knew would require teleportation, it would still be good to have adventurer accompaniment, and Ivan had just come back from the baths, towel wrapped around his waist. It should have been surprising to see a half naked, semi-covered by a towel man on the training grounds. But, this was Ivan, a lack of shirt on his back is so common, it barely registers anymore.


Adventurers Assemble

“You need adventurers, Kavel mate?” Ivan asked, whilst attending to his braids.

“Yes, Ivan. You are my first choice, too.” To be fair, I was not lying. Ivan is vain, and surprisingly self-conscious for someone so talented a combatant, and annoyingly he has started to talk smack to me (he is a bad winner). But, he is strong; and strength comes first in my book.

Ivan went back downstairs to get ready, and in the corner of my eye I could swear I saw something small and white running around the Fort grounds.

Comrade Silvia came over to say hello, and called over a white fox she called, Kela - I realised that this was the fox Mendal told me about. Silvia agreed to join my excursion - and asked about payment… I had not considered that. I suggested that if there was adventuring to do, then we could split potential rewards.

Comrade Celina was hanging around the Fort and wasn’t keen on being back in Port Ffirst for the moment. I suggested that Kundar, where we were heading was far away from Port Ffirst - she agreed to join us.

Lastly we were joined by a comrade I had not seen in a while, and it was good to see he was in okay spirits, with what looked like an upgraded silver longbow. Comrade Gerhard was welcome company… especially since when Ivan rejoined us, he and Silvia were trading barbs like they did back in Gadenthor. This did not make for good team dynamics.

Gerhard, I had observed, is liked by all. So, he was a good team addition.

Ivan and Gerhard hadn’t met before. When meeting Ivan, Gerhard said, “So you're one of the thicc-bois, aren’t you?” Ivan was pleased with this, and I felt correct remembering what I said earlier, that Gerhard is liked by all.

A light discussion followed with more snarky comments between two members, and we were off to see Jenna about getting to Kundar.


Welcome to Kundar

That was a little awkward.

I forgot to book travel, so I had to pay 50gp for the teleportation. But, before this, Celina insisted that she had booked transport to Kundar for today. I wasn’t sure how she did this, because I only just told her about the plan to go, but she is a business owner and is probably really good with logistics. Jenna insisted that there was no booking, so I put an end to the disagreement by paying the 50gp.

When we stepped through the portal, we emerged in Kundar.

On either side of a valley stood two cities carved into the red stone of Kundar. As a goliath and stonemason, I was impressed.

A black kobold greeted us. I wasn’t sure where to go, but the guard suggested we go see Pete, the foreman of the building height extension project.


The Site

Down the main thoroughfare and a right turn, and we were eventually at the gated site where a number of buildings were being worked on. We could hear the sound of stone grinding against stone.

Pete was a senior dragonborn, with one broken horn, who was in need of stone masons, but also, it turned out; adventurers.

Pete explained that the city had hired Earth Dao to magically extend the height of the buildings, which they were doing. However, the lower floors, which weren’t supposed to be altered were unexpectedly altered - windows and doors were being collapsed, and the Dao’s were only focussed on the work they were hired for. Pete needed masons to fix the problems that were occurring, and adventurers to stop and resolve why the problems were occurring in the first place. There was 150gp on offer for each of us, if we fixed the problems, and then double if we discovered the source.

We were in agreement with the contract, and said we would get started. Pete raised a hand and gave us a thumbs up. However, like one of his horns, his thumb was missing its top half. I awkwardly made the same gesture back to him.


Looking for Building Shenanigans

It didn’t take long to find a building that’s lower floor had been messed with, and it was clear that there was magical tomfoolery occurring. Silvia confirmed that it was probably the same spell that the Dao were using to extend the height of the building, Stone Shape, but used in reverse.

Ivan asked the local kobolds and dragons about what they had seen - no one had ever seen the culprit(s) in the act. Celina suggested we lay a trap for them, which was a very good suggestion, since we were not able to discover who had been messing with the lower floors simply by investigating the altered stone work.

I decided to stay with my Iron Strong Bros to fix the altered windows and doors, and repair the weakened stone, while the rest of the adventuring team would investigate further afield.


Stone Masonry for the Spirit

It had been a while since I did any stone masonry. The last job I had done was in Daring Heights taking jobs for the City Maintenance department. But, muscle memory is a beautiful thing. Although my shoulders were a little tired at the end of the job; learnt skill was easily applied to the task at hand, and my bros and I made easy work of what could have taken less skillful (and strong!) stonemasons much longer.

My bros last did some work in that temple where I found them with their minds enslaved to a lamia that cursed them with lycanthropy. Tim and Sampson have been fine keeping the curse, but Kruger had to have it removed, as the bloodlust was too much for him, and it caused him to lose control and kill a civilian near the Turning Fields. Although we removed the curse, he is not comfortable in his own skin, and understandably feels guilt and shame about his actions whilst under the curse. My bros and I have tried to keep him occupied at Kavel’s Corner, but as I watch him focused on the masonry work at hand, it is clear; this is the best he’s been in a while, distracted with work, and far away from The Turning Fields, and even Fort Ettin. I’m glad I brought him here today, and that my accompanying comrades were our chaperones.


Goliath Recalled

I was updated by Silvia and Gerhard that there was talk of boulders appearing from nowhere, and then disappearing without anyone moving them. Silvia also contacted Mr. Kurtz in what sounded like a risky piece of magic where she discovered that the Dao themselves are partially to blame for the lower floor shenanigans, but it’s unlikely that it's intentional - at least, this is what Pact Dad advised.

Silvia and Gerhard wanted to talk to the Daos now, and came back to bring me along.

I was also informed that comrades Ivan and Celina had opted to question the locals at the nearest tavern… I began to suspect some of us would be contributing more to the reward payment than others.


Dao - Expert Magical Stone Masons

Pete told Silvia, Gerhard and I that the Daos were on a tea-break at the top of a building. After Pete gave Silvia and Gerhard head protection (much like my own helmet) we climbed the stairs to meet the Dao.

On the top floor, the reddish stone building had grey granite trees decorating the room, some benches and a stone table. Large figures - mainly a torso - sat on the benches with their bottom halves a swirling whirlwind of sand. These were the Dao, and they were drinking tea and chatting amongst themselves.

If the team that day was lacking a Derthaad, we were not lacking for a Glint; Silvia made for an excellent diplomat, she made all the right pleasantries and used all the right tributes when speaking to the Daos.

The Daos concluded that since they had been in Kundar for so long on this job, that Galeb Duhr - sentient boulder people - were being conjured as an offshoot of their own magic, and they were likely responsible for the alterations to the lower floors. The Galeb Duhr are territorial, but could be reasoned with. But, they only spoke an earthen primordial dialect, which none of us did. So, one of the Dao magically enabled us to be conversant in the primordial dialect - a magical obsidian band appeared around our necks. We would have to find some Galeb Duhr to test out our new language skills, but Gerhard confirmed that the bands were working, when he informed us he felt he could read some of his own magical runes a bit better now.


Tavern Team are Back

Comrades Celina and Ivan were back from their questioning trip. They had discovered that many people around town were upset with the cost of repairing their lower floors, and had also witnessed the appearing and disappearing boulders. They had also discovered elephant meat and the local fire whiskey. Ivan had started a speed eating contest for elephant leg eating, and Celina had brought a bottle of the local fire whiskey back to the site.

When Silvia, Gerhard and I saw our comrades they looked like they had been sampling the tavern’s offerings, and I said as much in primordial, which they - Ivan and Celina - of course, couldn’t understand, but it did make them question out loud if they had sampled too many ‘offerings’.


To Boulderly Go

Comrade Ivan covered our rear, as we went exploring for boulder people. Comrade Silvia was alright with this, because she didn’t want him ‘overreacting’ to any provocation - her words, not mine. My comrades saw chunky footprints near a building with a smooth stone door. Silvia used her magic to see through the stone, and informed us there were boulders in the middle of a room inside. She used more magic to create a ringing bell on the inside. Eventually, the stone door sunk into the ground and we were met by a boulder that stood on legs about four feet high and had arms, and the semblance of a face.

“Why have you woken us up?” Asked the stone person in the stone crunching noise that is earthen primordial.

The Galeb Duhr, as it happened, felt that their stone shaping of the lower floors was helpful. They were of course very mistaken. With a little persuasion, they were amenable to the idea of seeing the Daos to - as comrade Silvia put it - ‘have their full potential’ unlocked. The Galeb Duhr were very happy shaping stone, and the idea of doing it better appealed to them, so they followed us out of the building in human form, all ten of them.

“Don’t react! Everything is going well!” Were Silvia’s words to comrade Ivan, when the Galeb Duhr came out.

Comrade Ivan was not pleased with what he felt was quite the aspersion on his character, and was at that point only interested in more shots at the tavern he visited when he was gathering intel. In primordial to comrade Silvia, I described my thicc-boi comrade as, “occasionally a little sensitive” - my words, not hers. In fact, definitely my words, since Silvia disagreed about the scale of Ivan’s sensitivity being described as ‘little’.

Before anything more could be said on the matter, the ten Galeb Duhr had shifted back into boulders, and began rolling down the hill to find the Dao themselves!

We ran after the Galeb Duhr, while regular city people had to dive out of the way of their path.

“Boulders are coming!” Ivan yelled.

“Friendly boulders! Don’t panic!” Silvia said, directing the Galeb Duhr out front with her flight - comrade Silvia flies now.


Diplomacy with Glint Silvia Kavel

“So you want us to take them out?” The Dao’s assumed.

This was not the case.

The Dao and the Galeb Duhr negotiated for a bit, but the Dao had no interest in the Galeb Duhr’s desire to be paid in quartz crystals (their preferred sustenance). The Dao felt that the Galeb Duhr should work for free, since they only exist because of them.

Comrade Silvia, perhaps exhausted from all politics she had navigated already with the Dao, was keen to see someone else contribute a solution, so I turned to comrade Gerhard as the next best Glint replacement. But, he was already looking at me. Before I could protest that I was not Glint, I am Kavel; the Dao and Galeb Duhr were looking my way.

I suggested to the Dao that if the Galeb Duhr were willing to extend the height of the buildings if provided with quartz crystals, and it was easier for the Dao to provide quartz than cast Stone Shape; then the Dao could take more tea breaks. The Dao were surprised at the cost efficiency of my plan - so was I actually. The Dao liked it so much they magically created some nice masonry tools for me and the bros.


Happy Pete, Happy Adventurers; Merry All

Pete - was happy. We were each paid the full amount of 300gp each.

Silvia and Gerhard went back to the portal to return early to Daring Heights. The rest of us, including Pete and my Iron Strong bros went for drinks back at Celina and Ivan’s tavern.

We got drunk.

Perhaps because I was so happy for my bros, and especially Kruger who was very eager to stay and do more work in Kundar; I really sampled the tavern’s offerings.

Though my Iron Strong bros made the decision to stay in Kundar longer for the work, they did decide to head back with Ivan, Celina and I to Daring Heights and then on to Fort Ettin to bring back more of their things.

Time and booze had gotten the best of us, and we had to dash out of the tavern to get back to the portal before the portal closed down at midnight.

Comrade Ivan was being a good comrade helping me in an inebriated state get to the portal. My bros went through first, then Ivan and I, and then Celina.

Celina stepped out of the portal facing it, and the portal closed. She stood there for a bit, silent.

“Guys!” Celina began, “I just saw Githyanki on adult red dragons attacking Kundar as we left!”

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