((OOG ok ...here is my attempt to get all the worbly wobbly timey wimey threads headed in the same direction....))
Kaylan shoots Thurton a mildly shocked look, " Ya didn't know there were dwarf women?!? What do ya think dwarves doo on cold nights once all the drink is gone?? One can only fight and argue with other male dwarves so long before it gets boring...." He trails off with a smirk.
Kaylan's smiles at Nell, "false expectations? Hedging your wager in case this isn't as spectacular a save as turning a magical focusing dish into a huge necromancer disintegration beam?"
((OOGI was under the notion Kaylan would have swung Nell by the cabinet, after asking her if she can pick locks or not, one the way back to the gathered scoundrels. If she cant or wont, by the pricking of my thumbs something feathered and wicked this way comes.....))
As Kaylan, Nell, Thurton, and Harmon near the door and Harmon dashes forward after spotting Daruis, Kaylan tries to reach out to restrain Harmon, until his expression shows Kaylan the newly encountered stranger, isn't so strange to Harmon.
Kaylan Nods, "Darius eh? so we find the prodigal son. Very brave coming here alone, lad." Kaylan walks up to the young man and chuckles at Darius' comment about the danger they are in. "I would act surprised as a courtesy since we have already discovered that, but I am way to tired for such."
As he listens to the tale Darius spins, Kaylan shakes his head in disgust and looks to Phinkis before digging into his pack and pulling the other amulets from it. A grim smirk growing on his lips, "seems I was prescient in returning for these eh?"
Kaylan grabs Darius by the shoulder and roughly turns him to look into Kaylan's eyes. "Why did you not speak of this place 4 years ago?! Do you not see the evil you have allowed to grow? Even if you had then fled to chase your quest, this could have been looked into an the events of the last few days possible avoided! You have been here FOUR times in as many years and it never occurred to you that this was greater than you could handle alone?"
Kaylan lightly shoves Darius away. "I would be interested to see how you live with yourself if the others are injured or worse, and you realize you COULD have done something to prevent it years ago..." Kaylan paces a few times to walk the urge to ply dwarven hammer to human noggin, and turns back to Darius briefly. "Have you seen any sign of Dresda, and whom were the children taken prisoner by?"
Kaylan turns to Harmon, trying to dissipate his ire before speaking. "Harmon, tell me of the Barl horse-lords. what are we facing?"
Once Harmon is done, the warrior turns to Nell. "Well Lady minister, I think the door can wait until we are sure we have the relevant facts, so feel free to poke your lie detecting stick into whatever brain you feel the need to...." Kaylan slowly glances at the three men, starting with Darius, the Harmon, and as his eyes walk to the next he speaks slowly and directly "I doubt any of them will object to being tested willingly, and conscious...ass opposed to unwillingly while unconscious." Kaylan's gaze settles on Thurton as if daring him to object again.
Before she gets to work, he plucks the hammer from the back of his shield, spinning it over the back of his hand so as to grip the shaft below the solid steel head, handle pointing at Nell. " Stop breaking drawven weapons, its tarnished the reputation of our crafters....especially since you ARE ONE" Kaylan pokes the handle her way with a mischievous grin.
Once at the door, Kaylan scours the area around the door for clues or alternate access. He finds a yellow shield with three hawks on it tucked into a cranny of the cave. " odd place to leave this...". Kaylan tosses the shield to Phinkis to check for enchantments. "When your done, I say Harmon should carry it, it belongs to his family."
The dwarf moves over to Nell, but speaks loud enough for all to hear, "While the evidence so far; the shield and livery on the horses, as well as the attire Thurton saw the apparitions wearing, seem to heavily imply they are Barls this could be the efforts of someone trying to make it look that way."
When Darius offers the aid of his wand, causing Thurton to spout his expected warning about falling skies, Kaylan snaps him a sharp look. "Thurton, be quiet. While you may be right, we still need to find those "children" and put the horsemen to rest." Kaylan turns to Darius with a polite smile, "I will decline your aid Darius, I cant risk Thurton being right and my shield and hammer have rarely failed me unless my foe would have overmatched a squad of warriors."
"As for this riddle ..." Kaylan turns to the door listening to Phinkis' solution for a bit sighing as he follows along. When Phinkis is done, Kaylan reads each line commenting on his interpretation.
"
Deep, deep, seven sleep, kings under the hill. Would seem to indeed imply 14 feet for the purpose of the riddle.
Twenty yards and ten again does indeed seem to mean 90 feet, and
Two hundred men were riding then would certainly add another 400. However, while
A fathom more, but four less when would add another 6, I am not so sure what four less speaks off. If by the story of the poem it means 4 less MEN fell into the den of the next line, then that would subtract 8 not 24. The last line,
They fell into a dragon's den. could also be including the feet of the dragon, which would add another 4...unless the poem places them in the category of claws...like it may for a horses hooves."
Kaylan turns to Phinkis and Nell with crossed arms. " do we include the dragons feet/claws? It doesn't even state with certainty there is a dragon in the den, and no clue if we should count its feet."
Kaylan waits a moment for Phinkis before adding, " I say men and distance should only be counted. that means a total of 510; minus 8 if it means men or less 24 if it means fathoms. I would say the answer is 502 or 486... Nell?" Kaylan turns to Nell to hear her suggestions.
As the whistling sound catches Kaylan's ear, he scoops up his shield and moves it and himself between the others; back to the stone door; and the eerie sound. "Thurton...if you don't stop reacting like a frightened milk maid, I will pray to the dwarf elders that it IS the undead, so I have something to feed you to..." Kaylan hisses the jibe over his shoulder and a low gravely tone to quiet the excitable man. Once Thurton goes silent, keen warrior senses refocus on the tunnel...waiting...
((Ok Amanda...that's your cue...
))