The Hard Place

Querk opens his mouth as though to speak to Elayne, but then he reaches up and rubs his own massive ear before closing it and standing straight instead of leaning on the bar. "We'll discuss my secrets another time. Perhaps over a bottle of wine, when I'm not working. Till then, you'll just have to settle with the knowledge that I was once a lot smaller. Besides, don't you have a prison to delve?" He chuckles and snags Elayne's glass, rinsing it with water and cleaning it with a rag.

The halfing tilts her head at Inga as though she is trying to get a read on her, then smiles. "Offer accepted. It's hard enough for me to keep these fools going, I'll gladly accept another set of healing hands to help with the burden." The hooded man nods, and the dwarf stops tugging at his beard to give a respectful incline of his head as well. The half-orc looks to the others, then slams her hands down on the table hard enough to knock over the dwarf's drink. "CARDS! NOW!" This elicits laughter from all but the hooded man as the Iron Chimera turn back to their game.

The robed dwarf silently stands and follows Gashur out of the Hard Place, taking his drink with him.

The Great Gate

Gashur slowly makes his way up the steps and the view is rather grand. The four dwarf statues, two to either side of a massive recessed area, are nearly forty feet tall. There are hints that all the statues were once much more detailed, with the remains of carved runes and jewelry barely discernable through the wear of time, wind, and dust. All four bear stern features, beards down below their waists, and curiously enough all seem to be holding the same maul in their hands- Gashur can tell it is identical by the runes that are carved up the haft and along the weapon's head. "The Four Wardens of Vouno." says a voice behind him. The robed dwarf picks up the pace and moves beside the half-orc, wiping some dust from his robes. Getting a better look at him, you see the robes at one point were a sign of wealth and station, now faded by layers of dust. The jeweled rings woven into his beard are still ostentatious, however. "We've deduced that one family of one clan held the title of Warden for the prison's entire existence. Still don't know their names, unfortunately." The dwarf continues up the steps, matching pace with the larger man. "I am Fworin, of clan Adamantbeard. Trust me, it sounds better in our language. I am my people's representative here on Vouno. Here to find the cultural significance of this place, recover relics, and deduce how and why our ancestors ended up here. If you find anything of Dwarven make in the ruins, I will pay you more than Querk to make sure they end up back where they should be. I can also advise you on the significance of anything you find." The steps are massively long and broad, but with only four vertical inches separating each step. Steps made for giants, it seemed. As Gashur approaches the top, he can see that the recessed area holds a strange gate- a series of tessellated triangles, from one small enough to admit a halfling to a massive one that could admit a sailing ship if it were to request entry. Upon reaching the top, the innermost triangles lift up into the structure, leaving an opening perfectly suited for Gashur to enter. Inside he can see dull yellow lights and the shadows of people milling about.