Elendor
Lonely Mountain Cave-in
Erebor suffers an unexpected, massive cave-in.
Sort Date: no date set
Location: Erebor
Description: Things have been quiet in Erebor since Lord Gimli left to invite the other nations for a war council. Ranol has been focusing on his usual work of training, and spending most of his free time with Hildis when he isn't working. Some might even dare to say the young Huskarl has been relatively happy of late.
Right now the Bundazanul is milling in the Greathall, waiting for his friends to meet him for a lunch they had planned, nodding absently as another dwarf talks his ear off about some matter involving Braldor that Ranol could care less about.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin comes from the direction of Trader's Way, weaving amidst the milling crowds until he spots Ranol. The silversmith is in his forge attire today, but he has at least taken the time to pull his long blue surcoat over his blackened shirt and trousers and his fingers are only slightly smudgy. "Hail, Ranol!" he calls gruffly over the din, raising a hand. And then he is at the huskarl's side, buffeted every now and again by a passing member of the crowd. "How fare you this day then?" He does not even greet the other dwarf speaking to Ranol.
[Thari(#31038)]
If one were to glance through the Barazin archway, perhaps looking for the third planned person in this party, one wouldn't see Thari at first. Unless with particularly good eyesight she could be seen, down a tunnel leading to the houses in a bright red dress.
From the distance, it seems Thari is talking with another woman, a Barazin with yellow hair and a beardling clutching to her skirts. She glances to the archway herself, squints, and calls what may be Frarin's name in a thin, distant voice. She then turns back to the woman beside her and seems to be trying to step away.
"Gallin, I'm sure that if you talked with Lord Braldor about this, he will get back to you in due time." Ranol cuts in as the dwarf continues hinting that he wants the Huskarl to speak on his behalf, "I have to be going now. Have a good day." The Bundazanul bows slightly to put an end to the unwanted conversation and turns his attention to Frarin.
Before Ranol can offer his greeting there's a sudden rumbling sound shaking through the cavern. This is not an entirely uncommon thing. Sometimes when the dwarves are mining they orchestrate minor collapses, or once in awhile there are cave-ins. The conversation in the Greathall diminishes as most pause to note the vibrating that ripples through the mountain.
Where normally this occurrance is over very quickly, now it seems to go on for rather a long time and merchants of more fragile goods hurry to grasp up their wares before they vibrate to the stone flooring. "Big mining plans today, Frarin?" Ranol asks with a glance around.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin's first glance is not to the floor, but to the hematite ceiling of the greathall, far above. A frown pulls deeply at the corners of his mouth and wrinkles his brow when the rumbling vibrations do not halt soon after beginning. His lips part for a moment before he warily mutters, almost to himself, "Not that I was aware of." The sentence is left hanging, as if silently hoping it will somehow put a swift end to the shaking.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari and the woman she is speaking to both stop and glance upward. The beardling tugs at Thari's skirt and both Thari and the child's mother lean down for a moment to disentangle his clutching fingers Thari looks briefly across the Barazin Hall.
Things go quiet again and more than a few sighs of relief are heard and quiet murmurs of conversation begin anew. Ranol shrugs faintly, "I can ask Warven about i-.." The huskarl is cut off as a much louder, more deafening rumbling sound echoes through the Greathall. Everything begins shaking violently now and it's far from ordinary as it seems the entire mountain is trembling.
From deep within the khazad stronghold the roaring resounds, it's volume too high for even the dwarves to yell over it. More than a few of the merchants settled in the center of the open hall look overhead with worried expressions as dust begins to shower down upon them. Several fall to the ground as the shaking topples person and trade goods alike.
The chorus of noise turns into more distinct, unseen crashing sounds that seem to chain upon one another and travel closer. The khazad will have little time to wonder about the origin that's further beneath them. A sharp cracking sound splits the air as a tunnel beneath the Barazin arch gives way, weakening the supports of the stone above. A massive cloud of dust pours into the hall of Thrain the Second, blinding everyone within seconds.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin too breathes a sigh of relief when the vibrations stop and he turns to look at Ranol with something of a half-smile. But the relief is short-lived, for the shaking returns in full and more. Now the silversmith's face grows very serious. A planned explosion with such ferosity? Twice? And with no forewarning beforehand? Not likely.
"Something's wrong!" Frarin shouts at the top of his voice, stating the obvious as he looks again towards the ceiling. This time though the falling dust causes him to blink furiously and turn his gaze away, looking sharply at Ranol, then jerking to look towards the crashing sounds of a Barazin tunnel collapsing.
He jerks suddenly in that direction, mouthing a curse, though his words are lost in the noise. Leaving Ranol, Frarin starts to run to towards the collapsed archway, but it is only seconds before the cloud of dust envelopes him and, unsteady with the violent shaking and his bad leg, he stumbles and falls to one knee, eyes screwed shut and arm desperately coming up to cover his mouth.
[Thari(#31038)]
The mountain shakes as if struck from within. A moment before the dust envelops, this can be seen: Thari falls to her hands and knees where she stands, inadvertently knocking down the child. His mother topples backwards, her arms flying up and out.
Grey dust pours out of this tunnel and others, swallowing Thari and many Barazin near her.
Nothing can be seen through the thick cloud as the archway breaks apart and collapses, filling in the opening that provides access to the Barazin Thingstead. The shaking continues for almost a minute more, but gradually eases as the crashing sounds drop off and various rockslides throughout the mountain finally settle.
Outside, a plume of dust pours out of several natural chimneys in the mountain, and the Barazin gate. The shaking was enough to break apart some of the rock formation on the mountain face and send a considerable slide down to the valley below, but it was well away from the road. It's possible they could -feel- the occurance all the way to Laketown.
Ranol blinks dust from his eyes as his vision is robbed away, and Frarin is gone before the Huskarl can find him again.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin coughes violently, even with his sleeve pressed tight over his mouth. At first he does not attempt to rise again, even when the shaking slowly subsides. Indeed, he puts his free hand to the floor in front of him and lowers himself to his chest, as if some instinct to escape smoke instead of dust. But the shaking does come to a creaking halt eventually and only then to Frarin lift his head, still engulfed in the huffing dust.
He isn't the only one either, apparently. Soon the rumble of the quake is replaced by first a tremor of voices, then a deafening roar as dwarves grapple to come to terms with the episode. Many of the lamps from above have fallen and the light is dim at best, almost useless where the dust is thickest. Frarin pushes up from the floor, pulling a dusty kerchief from his pocket and holding that over his mouth. And slowly the indistinct forms of others near him begin to materialise.
[Thari(#31038)]
The silence is thick for a moment before the voices start murmuring. Dwarves who step across the great hall of the Barazin Thingstead may well sense in places a slight weakness to the floor, and though it's hard to see through the thinning dust, it appears that the floor itself is whole.
Yet, beyond, somewhere in the darkness, thin cries begin to come forth, echoing and panicked.
The dust finally begins to thin as the heavier particles settle and the lighter drift away from the natural air currents higher up in the chamber. Everyone is covered in a light gray film and each movement causes more dust to sift free of where it clings to garments or hair.
Ranol stands motionless for a long time, assessing the situation. He looks towards the Bundazanul Thingstead, notes that no clouds pour from that direction. Braldor is likely safe enough. Instead, the huskarl hurries along with many others towards the collapsed pile of stone and rubble where the Barazin arch used to be.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin shakes his head once he is upright again, but even with the dust that that clears from his beard and hair, he still looks as old as Dain himself. The dust is settling now and the silversmith looks again towards the Barazin archway, now a pile of rubble. His eyes widen and he gives a sudden huff, as if the air is driven from his lungs by some unseen force.
In the poor light, the gleam of a lantern from a nearby collapsed stall catching his eye and he takes it up. Two of the four panels of glass have been broken and a third is cracked, but the flame within still burns. And now Frarin is looking back from whence he came and catches sight of Ranol hurrying towards Barazin. "Ranol!" cries the silversmith, following quickly. "Ranol! Where was Thari? Do you know where she was coming from? Was she coming from Barazin? Was she coming from Barazin?" He repeats the last question, urgency in his voice.
[Braldor(#30149)] There is, indeed, a great commotion after... well, whatever that has happened, and which has spewn so much dust as to cover all that was in the Greathall with grey. Soon, dwarves come from the other Thingsteads, and from one in particular a rather big amount of dwarves come, and soon the reason is apparent: Braldor, Thane Bundazanul, comes hurrying, his great battle axe in his hands, his black hair streaming in his haste. "By Mahal's beard! What has happened?", he bellows to no one in particular, as he approaches what used to be the great arch of the Barazin Thingstead.
Ranol finds Frarin more by his voice than recognition. He moves to the Barazin and takes in the frantic state of the silversmith. "I don't know." He says loudly, trying to keep some measure of calm in his voice. "We need to get back, there may be more that falls!" The huskarl reaches to try and pull the Barazin back. He hears the voice of his Thane bellowing and calls in a loud voice, "There was a collapse! It might not be safe yet! Everyone should get back!"
[Thari(#31038)]
There are small sounds of rocks shifting. Nothing to make the floor move, just the random thunk of a stone somewhere falling against another.
From the collapsed Barazin archway, a rock moves. A light falls from within the Thingstead through a hole revealed.
[Frarin(#31050)] "There is not chance for those still inside to -get back-!" Frarin shouts back, struggling to make himself heard above the commotion. He does not look angry with Ranol for his words, but the thought of keeping back from the collapsed arch seems untenable for the silversmith. And then there is the approach of the Thane Bundazanul, which is unlikely to bring a smile to his face.
No, he instead leaves off Ranol once more, letting the huskarl see to his thane instead. For his part, Frarin hefts his broken lantern above his head and a dusty hand attempts to rub some of the still-thicker dust from his face. He is limping quickly for the Barazin archway now, waving others to do so as well. Noticeably, it is those from Barazin itself that move quickest. A few stones roll precariously down from the heap of rubble before the doorway and it is up this heap that Frarin now moves, making for the small hole recently revealed.
[Braldor(#30149)] "Careful with that, cousin!", Braldor says, as he arrives near Ranol, yet speaking to Frarin. "Ranol is right! There might still be unstable ricks nearby! Everyone should stand back from the rubble!", he bellows once more, to Frarin and also for the benefit of any that remain on the other side.
Ranol doesn't try to stop Frarin again. Instead he he moves to join Braldor, as the silversmith suspected he would. "My lord, let me send some of the clan-karls to assess damages. It sounded as if there was far more than just this arch collapsing!" The huskarl tries to speak over the many voices of yelling khazad. He's covered in nearly as much of the gray dust as Frarin and the others that are gathering.
[Thari(#31038)]
The light beam shifts through the dust, cutting off somewhat, and then eyes can be seen through the hole in Barazin's collapse. "Ho!" cries the dwarf, trying to shout above the other voices. "How bad is the damage out there? We need help! The gate to the mountainside is still open!"
[Braldor(#30149)] "Back! back everyone!", says Braldor, advancing. "He cups his hands near his mouth. "How's everything o'er there? Be ye all fine? Anyone hurt?", he says, and then turns to Ranol. "If the gate at the mountainside be open, then send immediately the healers. As many as ye can get, and double quick!", he says.
[Frarin(#31050)] Again Frarin disregards the shouts of caution from Braldor behind, if indeed he hears the thane's words at all. He is shouting, but his voice is lost in the din. He scrambles closer to the hole, heaving great breathes as sweat beads on the dust at his brow. "Hullo!" shouts the silversmith when he is near enough to hear the dwarf near the hole on the other side.
"The walls are holding out here, though tis difficult to see ought. How is all in there? If the gate is still open, then send those able-bodied dwarves to evacuate the injured. Is it safe to take back this rubble? Will the rest of the archway hold?" His eyes pry the murky light beyond.
"Aye, my lord." Ranol answers, nodding at the instruction. The huskarl knows almost nothing about mining and leaves the business of when it is safe to clear the rubble (and how) to those with experience. The busies himself with beckoning over clan-karl's and delegating responsibilities. After he sends a few off to rouse up healers from each other clan, Ranol hesitates, then pulls another dwarf aside. He quietly sends the guard to go around to the outside gate of Barazin and see if he can track down Thari at her home.
[Thari(#31038)]
"No we be not fine!" the dwarf shouts at the Thane. "Halls are collapsed! Women and children are crying out-- buried alive! They--" The dwarf pulls back from the hole. "Haril!" he yells, his voice going rough and broken. "Get the injured out! What say you of the archway? Think we can pull out the rubble?"
Light bobbles wildly from the hole as dwarf speaks to others, and then he is back, looking toward Braldor, toward others gathered on the far side. "The floor here will not hold more weight, but if yours can, then pull out the rubble! We need help dire!"
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin nods furiously, then looks behind him. "Others are coming about to the gate," he shouts back to those on the other side. "Stand you back and we'll set pick to stone!" He straightens again and limps awkwardly down from the rubble pile, coming towards Braldor and Ranol. "My lord," says Frarin to the thane, none of his usual ire in his tone, only urgency, "if there are pick-axes or shovels to be had from Bundazanul, then I pray you bring them forth with all haste. The longer we stand in fear of unstable stones, the more dire becomes the plight of those trapped within."
[Braldor(#30149)] "Very well", Braldor says to frarin, and he then turns to one of his clan-karls. "Go, and tell all able-bodied Bundazanuls to come with picks and shovels... and if they don't have that, they have their hands to work with. that is my command! tell them to come immediately!", he says, and the clan-karl bows and leaves towards the Bundazanul Thinstead at a run. "We shall start digging soon... is there an engineer here? or a miner perhaps?".
Ranol returns to Braldor's side, and when the thane isn't speaking for a moment, the huskarl leans in to speak in his ear. "My lord, we don't know what caused this. Should we be on our guard to make sure there is no treachery at work? Maybe convene with the Baruk Narag?"
[Braldor(#30149)] "Aye, Huskarl", Braldor whispers to Ranol, "go at once and seek the Narag... go through the Great Stair, for surely they'll be coming to inspect what has caused such a ruckus".
[Thari(#31038)]
"Barlis!" comes an angry shout beyond the wall. "What of Barlis?"
"What is the damage beyond Barazin's walls?" the first dwarf calls instead. "Is the damage only within?"
[Frarin(#31050)] "Thank you, my lord," Frarin says with a curt bow and turns swiftly away again. Several among the Barazin on the rubble pile lift their hands in acknowledgement when Braldor calls for miners. "Prob'ly best to clear just enough of a hole to bring those inside out, m'lord!" calls one dwarf, barely distinguishable from the others covered in grey dust. "Floor's weak out 'ere, won't take much more shifting weight! And what's left a that archway is bein' held up by this mess!"
Frarin, unskilled in mechanics or mining, pauses and runs a hand through his dusty hair, waiting for the arrival of tools. He is breathing heavily, likely more from worry than exertion. But his gaze comes sharply around when he catches Ranol's words. "Treachery? What sort of madness could cause such a quake? Tis the mountain and nought else. There is no weapon nor even explosive that could cause such a thing."
One of the dwarves near the top of the rubble calls to those within. "Not much, looks to be mostly Barazin been worst hit!" Another further down nods and calls up, "Aye, I only just heard the rumbling at Mazarbul!"
[Braldor(#30149)] "Aye, only rumbling at Bundazanul too", says Braldor, nodding. "As ye say, master frarin, we should start now. Those who have skills at mining should see that we don't have any more cave-ins, and that the floor will hold the pressure we'll put it to. Also", he adds, "carts will be needed, for some of the rubble must be hauled out of the Mountain, to be sure that we won't have any other mishaps".
Ranol gazes levelly at Frarin when the old Barazin gets uppity about his concerns. The huskarl gives his friend a sympathetic look, "Just a precaution, cousin!" He offers no further explanation and rushes off to track down the acting commander of the Narag while Lord Gimli is absent.
[Frarin(#31050)] A host of dwarves arrive bearing pick-axes and other mining tools and Frarin takes up one of the mattocks. Scrambling back up the heap, he swings the tool and buries it into the rubble, pulling up a few small boulders. A dwarf below him takes them up and begins passing them town. Others begin doing the same.
[Thari(#31038)]
"Our thanks!" The light from the hole in the wall comes through again as the dwarf behind it moves away. He can be heard distantly shouting. "It's only Barazin, not the whole mountain! --Nay, Bim! Stay away from the wall! Can't ye feel the floor?"
[Braldor(#30149)] "I shall go and see that every able-bodied Bundazanul comes to help", Braldor says to Frarin. "I shall be back in a moment... and with a pick, instead of my axe", he adds, as he goes with quick step back to the gateway to the Bundazanul Thingstead.
[Frarin(#31050)] It is several hours since the quake, but slowly the hole at the top opens as the rubble is passed down into barrows and carted away. Occasionally looser areas of the great heap give way into little avalanches of pebbles and dust, but otherwise most holds well enough, including the floor of the greathall itself. And indeed, by now the hall is filled almost to bursting with those having heard of the episode, or felt it.
Frarin looks to the hole. It is broad enough for a few dwarves now and Frarin carefully crawls into it. The light is even murkier on the other side, but he brings with him his broken lantern and uses his mattock as a support as he precariously slides down into the Barazin Thingstead. "How are things here?" he says to those below, voice hoarse from having to shout in the echoing greathall behind. Now his voice is quieter though, more tired. "Have many have got out through the gate?"
And then come the personal questions. "Has anyone seen Thari daughter of Balur? Or Formin son of Forlin? My brother Grarin or his family?"
Right now the Bundazanul is milling in the Greathall, waiting for his friends to meet him for a lunch they had planned, nodding absently as another dwarf talks his ear off about some matter involving Braldor that Ranol could care less about.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin comes from the direction of Trader's Way, weaving amidst the milling crowds until he spots Ranol. The silversmith is in his forge attire today, but he has at least taken the time to pull his long blue surcoat over his blackened shirt and trousers and his fingers are only slightly smudgy. "Hail, Ranol!" he calls gruffly over the din, raising a hand. And then he is at the huskarl's side, buffeted every now and again by a passing member of the crowd. "How fare you this day then?" He does not even greet the other dwarf speaking to Ranol.
[Thari(#31038)]
If one were to glance through the Barazin archway, perhaps looking for the third planned person in this party, one wouldn't see Thari at first. Unless with particularly good eyesight she could be seen, down a tunnel leading to the houses in a bright red dress.
From the distance, it seems Thari is talking with another woman, a Barazin with yellow hair and a beardling clutching to her skirts. She glances to the archway herself, squints, and calls what may be Frarin's name in a thin, distant voice. She then turns back to the woman beside her and seems to be trying to step away.
"Gallin, I'm sure that if you talked with Lord Braldor about this, he will get back to you in due time." Ranol cuts in as the dwarf continues hinting that he wants the Huskarl to speak on his behalf, "I have to be going now. Have a good day." The Bundazanul bows slightly to put an end to the unwanted conversation and turns his attention to Frarin.
Before Ranol can offer his greeting there's a sudden rumbling sound shaking through the cavern. This is not an entirely uncommon thing. Sometimes when the dwarves are mining they orchestrate minor collapses, or once in awhile there are cave-ins. The conversation in the Greathall diminishes as most pause to note the vibrating that ripples through the mountain.
Where normally this occurrance is over very quickly, now it seems to go on for rather a long time and merchants of more fragile goods hurry to grasp up their wares before they vibrate to the stone flooring. "Big mining plans today, Frarin?" Ranol asks with a glance around.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin's first glance is not to the floor, but to the hematite ceiling of the greathall, far above. A frown pulls deeply at the corners of his mouth and wrinkles his brow when the rumbling vibrations do not halt soon after beginning. His lips part for a moment before he warily mutters, almost to himself, "Not that I was aware of." The sentence is left hanging, as if silently hoping it will somehow put a swift end to the shaking.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari and the woman she is speaking to both stop and glance upward. The beardling tugs at Thari's skirt and both Thari and the child's mother lean down for a moment to disentangle his clutching fingers Thari looks briefly across the Barazin Hall.
Things go quiet again and more than a few sighs of relief are heard and quiet murmurs of conversation begin anew. Ranol shrugs faintly, "I can ask Warven about i-.." The huskarl is cut off as a much louder, more deafening rumbling sound echoes through the Greathall. Everything begins shaking violently now and it's far from ordinary as it seems the entire mountain is trembling.
From deep within the khazad stronghold the roaring resounds, it's volume too high for even the dwarves to yell over it. More than a few of the merchants settled in the center of the open hall look overhead with worried expressions as dust begins to shower down upon them. Several fall to the ground as the shaking topples person and trade goods alike.
The chorus of noise turns into more distinct, unseen crashing sounds that seem to chain upon one another and travel closer. The khazad will have little time to wonder about the origin that's further beneath them. A sharp cracking sound splits the air as a tunnel beneath the Barazin arch gives way, weakening the supports of the stone above. A massive cloud of dust pours into the hall of Thrain the Second, blinding everyone within seconds.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin too breathes a sigh of relief when the vibrations stop and he turns to look at Ranol with something of a half-smile. But the relief is short-lived, for the shaking returns in full and more. Now the silversmith's face grows very serious. A planned explosion with such ferosity? Twice? And with no forewarning beforehand? Not likely.
"Something's wrong!" Frarin shouts at the top of his voice, stating the obvious as he looks again towards the ceiling. This time though the falling dust causes him to blink furiously and turn his gaze away, looking sharply at Ranol, then jerking to look towards the crashing sounds of a Barazin tunnel collapsing.
He jerks suddenly in that direction, mouthing a curse, though his words are lost in the noise. Leaving Ranol, Frarin starts to run to towards the collapsed archway, but it is only seconds before the cloud of dust envelopes him and, unsteady with the violent shaking and his bad leg, he stumbles and falls to one knee, eyes screwed shut and arm desperately coming up to cover his mouth.
[Thari(#31038)]
The mountain shakes as if struck from within. A moment before the dust envelops, this can be seen: Thari falls to her hands and knees where she stands, inadvertently knocking down the child. His mother topples backwards, her arms flying up and out.
Grey dust pours out of this tunnel and others, swallowing Thari and many Barazin near her.
Nothing can be seen through the thick cloud as the archway breaks apart and collapses, filling in the opening that provides access to the Barazin Thingstead. The shaking continues for almost a minute more, but gradually eases as the crashing sounds drop off and various rockslides throughout the mountain finally settle.
Outside, a plume of dust pours out of several natural chimneys in the mountain, and the Barazin gate. The shaking was enough to break apart some of the rock formation on the mountain face and send a considerable slide down to the valley below, but it was well away from the road. It's possible they could -feel- the occurance all the way to Laketown.
Ranol blinks dust from his eyes as his vision is robbed away, and Frarin is gone before the Huskarl can find him again.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin coughes violently, even with his sleeve pressed tight over his mouth. At first he does not attempt to rise again, even when the shaking slowly subsides. Indeed, he puts his free hand to the floor in front of him and lowers himself to his chest, as if some instinct to escape smoke instead of dust. But the shaking does come to a creaking halt eventually and only then to Frarin lift his head, still engulfed in the huffing dust.
He isn't the only one either, apparently. Soon the rumble of the quake is replaced by first a tremor of voices, then a deafening roar as dwarves grapple to come to terms with the episode. Many of the lamps from above have fallen and the light is dim at best, almost useless where the dust is thickest. Frarin pushes up from the floor, pulling a dusty kerchief from his pocket and holding that over his mouth. And slowly the indistinct forms of others near him begin to materialise.
[Thari(#31038)]
The silence is thick for a moment before the voices start murmuring. Dwarves who step across the great hall of the Barazin Thingstead may well sense in places a slight weakness to the floor, and though it's hard to see through the thinning dust, it appears that the floor itself is whole.
Yet, beyond, somewhere in the darkness, thin cries begin to come forth, echoing and panicked.
The dust finally begins to thin as the heavier particles settle and the lighter drift away from the natural air currents higher up in the chamber. Everyone is covered in a light gray film and each movement causes more dust to sift free of where it clings to garments or hair.
Ranol stands motionless for a long time, assessing the situation. He looks towards the Bundazanul Thingstead, notes that no clouds pour from that direction. Braldor is likely safe enough. Instead, the huskarl hurries along with many others towards the collapsed pile of stone and rubble where the Barazin arch used to be.
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin shakes his head once he is upright again, but even with the dust that that clears from his beard and hair, he still looks as old as Dain himself. The dust is settling now and the silversmith looks again towards the Barazin archway, now a pile of rubble. His eyes widen and he gives a sudden huff, as if the air is driven from his lungs by some unseen force.
In the poor light, the gleam of a lantern from a nearby collapsed stall catching his eye and he takes it up. Two of the four panels of glass have been broken and a third is cracked, but the flame within still burns. And now Frarin is looking back from whence he came and catches sight of Ranol hurrying towards Barazin. "Ranol!" cries the silversmith, following quickly. "Ranol! Where was Thari? Do you know where she was coming from? Was she coming from Barazin? Was she coming from Barazin?" He repeats the last question, urgency in his voice.
[Braldor(#30149)] There is, indeed, a great commotion after... well, whatever that has happened, and which has spewn so much dust as to cover all that was in the Greathall with grey. Soon, dwarves come from the other Thingsteads, and from one in particular a rather big amount of dwarves come, and soon the reason is apparent: Braldor, Thane Bundazanul, comes hurrying, his great battle axe in his hands, his black hair streaming in his haste. "By Mahal's beard! What has happened?", he bellows to no one in particular, as he approaches what used to be the great arch of the Barazin Thingstead.
Ranol finds Frarin more by his voice than recognition. He moves to the Barazin and takes in the frantic state of the silversmith. "I don't know." He says loudly, trying to keep some measure of calm in his voice. "We need to get back, there may be more that falls!" The huskarl reaches to try and pull the Barazin back. He hears the voice of his Thane bellowing and calls in a loud voice, "There was a collapse! It might not be safe yet! Everyone should get back!"
[Thari(#31038)]
There are small sounds of rocks shifting. Nothing to make the floor move, just the random thunk of a stone somewhere falling against another.
From the collapsed Barazin archway, a rock moves. A light falls from within the Thingstead through a hole revealed.
[Frarin(#31050)] "There is not chance for those still inside to -get back-!" Frarin shouts back, struggling to make himself heard above the commotion. He does not look angry with Ranol for his words, but the thought of keeping back from the collapsed arch seems untenable for the silversmith. And then there is the approach of the Thane Bundazanul, which is unlikely to bring a smile to his face.
No, he instead leaves off Ranol once more, letting the huskarl see to his thane instead. For his part, Frarin hefts his broken lantern above his head and a dusty hand attempts to rub some of the still-thicker dust from his face. He is limping quickly for the Barazin archway now, waving others to do so as well. Noticeably, it is those from Barazin itself that move quickest. A few stones roll precariously down from the heap of rubble before the doorway and it is up this heap that Frarin now moves, making for the small hole recently revealed.
[Braldor(#30149)] "Careful with that, cousin!", Braldor says, as he arrives near Ranol, yet speaking to Frarin. "Ranol is right! There might still be unstable ricks nearby! Everyone should stand back from the rubble!", he bellows once more, to Frarin and also for the benefit of any that remain on the other side.
Ranol doesn't try to stop Frarin again. Instead he he moves to join Braldor, as the silversmith suspected he would. "My lord, let me send some of the clan-karls to assess damages. It sounded as if there was far more than just this arch collapsing!" The huskarl tries to speak over the many voices of yelling khazad. He's covered in nearly as much of the gray dust as Frarin and the others that are gathering.
[Thari(#31038)]
The light beam shifts through the dust, cutting off somewhat, and then eyes can be seen through the hole in Barazin's collapse. "Ho!" cries the dwarf, trying to shout above the other voices. "How bad is the damage out there? We need help! The gate to the mountainside is still open!"
[Braldor(#30149)] "Back! back everyone!", says Braldor, advancing. "He cups his hands near his mouth. "How's everything o'er there? Be ye all fine? Anyone hurt?", he says, and then turns to Ranol. "If the gate at the mountainside be open, then send immediately the healers. As many as ye can get, and double quick!", he says.
[Frarin(#31050)] Again Frarin disregards the shouts of caution from Braldor behind, if indeed he hears the thane's words at all. He is shouting, but his voice is lost in the din. He scrambles closer to the hole, heaving great breathes as sweat beads on the dust at his brow. "Hullo!" shouts the silversmith when he is near enough to hear the dwarf near the hole on the other side.
"The walls are holding out here, though tis difficult to see ought. How is all in there? If the gate is still open, then send those able-bodied dwarves to evacuate the injured. Is it safe to take back this rubble? Will the rest of the archway hold?" His eyes pry the murky light beyond.
"Aye, my lord." Ranol answers, nodding at the instruction. The huskarl knows almost nothing about mining and leaves the business of when it is safe to clear the rubble (and how) to those with experience. The busies himself with beckoning over clan-karl's and delegating responsibilities. After he sends a few off to rouse up healers from each other clan, Ranol hesitates, then pulls another dwarf aside. He quietly sends the guard to go around to the outside gate of Barazin and see if he can track down Thari at her home.
[Thari(#31038)]
"No we be not fine!" the dwarf shouts at the Thane. "Halls are collapsed! Women and children are crying out-- buried alive! They--" The dwarf pulls back from the hole. "Haril!" he yells, his voice going rough and broken. "Get the injured out! What say you of the archway? Think we can pull out the rubble?"
Light bobbles wildly from the hole as dwarf speaks to others, and then he is back, looking toward Braldor, toward others gathered on the far side. "The floor here will not hold more weight, but if yours can, then pull out the rubble! We need help dire!"
[Frarin(#31050)] Frarin nods furiously, then looks behind him. "Others are coming about to the gate," he shouts back to those on the other side. "Stand you back and we'll set pick to stone!" He straightens again and limps awkwardly down from the rubble pile, coming towards Braldor and Ranol. "My lord," says Frarin to the thane, none of his usual ire in his tone, only urgency, "if there are pick-axes or shovels to be had from Bundazanul, then I pray you bring them forth with all haste. The longer we stand in fear of unstable stones, the more dire becomes the plight of those trapped within."
[Braldor(#30149)] "Very well", Braldor says to frarin, and he then turns to one of his clan-karls. "Go, and tell all able-bodied Bundazanuls to come with picks and shovels... and if they don't have that, they have their hands to work with. that is my command! tell them to come immediately!", he says, and the clan-karl bows and leaves towards the Bundazanul Thinstead at a run. "We shall start digging soon... is there an engineer here? or a miner perhaps?".
Ranol returns to Braldor's side, and when the thane isn't speaking for a moment, the huskarl leans in to speak in his ear. "My lord, we don't know what caused this. Should we be on our guard to make sure there is no treachery at work? Maybe convene with the Baruk Narag?"
[Braldor(#30149)] "Aye, Huskarl", Braldor whispers to Ranol, "go at once and seek the Narag... go through the Great Stair, for surely they'll be coming to inspect what has caused such a ruckus".
[Thari(#31038)]
"Barlis!" comes an angry shout beyond the wall. "What of Barlis?"
"What is the damage beyond Barazin's walls?" the first dwarf calls instead. "Is the damage only within?"
[Frarin(#31050)] "Thank you, my lord," Frarin says with a curt bow and turns swiftly away again. Several among the Barazin on the rubble pile lift their hands in acknowledgement when Braldor calls for miners. "Prob'ly best to clear just enough of a hole to bring those inside out, m'lord!" calls one dwarf, barely distinguishable from the others covered in grey dust. "Floor's weak out 'ere, won't take much more shifting weight! And what's left a that archway is bein' held up by this mess!"
Frarin, unskilled in mechanics or mining, pauses and runs a hand through his dusty hair, waiting for the arrival of tools. He is breathing heavily, likely more from worry than exertion. But his gaze comes sharply around when he catches Ranol's words. "Treachery? What sort of madness could cause such a quake? Tis the mountain and nought else. There is no weapon nor even explosive that could cause such a thing."
One of the dwarves near the top of the rubble calls to those within. "Not much, looks to be mostly Barazin been worst hit!" Another further down nods and calls up, "Aye, I only just heard the rumbling at Mazarbul!"
[Braldor(#30149)] "Aye, only rumbling at Bundazanul too", says Braldor, nodding. "As ye say, master frarin, we should start now. Those who have skills at mining should see that we don't have any more cave-ins, and that the floor will hold the pressure we'll put it to. Also", he adds, "carts will be needed, for some of the rubble must be hauled out of the Mountain, to be sure that we won't have any other mishaps".
Ranol gazes levelly at Frarin when the old Barazin gets uppity about his concerns. The huskarl gives his friend a sympathetic look, "Just a precaution, cousin!" He offers no further explanation and rushes off to track down the acting commander of the Narag while Lord Gimli is absent.
[Frarin(#31050)] A host of dwarves arrive bearing pick-axes and other mining tools and Frarin takes up one of the mattocks. Scrambling back up the heap, he swings the tool and buries it into the rubble, pulling up a few small boulders. A dwarf below him takes them up and begins passing them town. Others begin doing the same.
[Thari(#31038)]
"Our thanks!" The light from the hole in the wall comes through again as the dwarf behind it moves away. He can be heard distantly shouting. "It's only Barazin, not the whole mountain! --Nay, Bim! Stay away from the wall! Can't ye feel the floor?"
[Braldor(#30149)] "I shall go and see that every able-bodied Bundazanul comes to help", Braldor says to Frarin. "I shall be back in a moment... and with a pick, instead of my axe", he adds, as he goes with quick step back to the gateway to the Bundazanul Thingstead.
[Frarin(#31050)] It is several hours since the quake, but slowly the hole at the top opens as the rubble is passed down into barrows and carted away. Occasionally looser areas of the great heap give way into little avalanches of pebbles and dust, but otherwise most holds well enough, including the floor of the greathall itself. And indeed, by now the hall is filled almost to bursting with those having heard of the episode, or felt it.
Frarin looks to the hole. It is broad enough for a few dwarves now and Frarin carefully crawls into it. The light is even murkier on the other side, but he brings with him his broken lantern and uses his mattock as a support as he precariously slides down into the Barazin Thingstead. "How are things here?" he says to those below, voice hoarse from having to shout in the echoing greathall behind. Now his voice is quieter though, more tired. "Have many have got out through the gate?"
And then come the personal questions. "Has anyone seen Thari daughter of Balur? Or Formin son of Forlin? My brother Grarin or his family?"
Players: Frarin, Thari, Ranol, Braldor
Located in: Erebor
