(while recovering from the damage of the orc encounters near the cave)
“Alexis, the Dark Hand is breaking open the tombs of the Dwarves, breaking those beautifully made cover stones, raiding any items held with. Any treasure, any items of power… those are all now within the grasp of our enemy. I know your decision was probably the righteous one, the human one, the honorable one. But how do you feel about it now?”
“It was the right choice. It would be odd to make the right choice and then regret it later.”
“Did I want to know what was in those tombs? Sure. But my curiosity wasn’t the point.”
“And if it makes you happier, now you can get your hands on all that loot without going through the tombs and the desecration entailed. We’ll just have to kill some orcs. And the worst kinds of orcs. This seems like a definite win to me.”
“A sad, tragic loss for the dwarves of course. But an unmitigated win for our curiosity.” Alexis gives his friend a wink and a pat on the shoulder.
Telosh perks up a bit and smiles when Alexis mentions killing orks and nods slightly in appreciation and excitement.
“Since the Crown and Hammer are not going to be found in those tombs, I doubt we will ever go after any of those lesser items.
Curiosity not the point…
Would the best thing to do have been make sure no-one, not even the Dwarves, could easily get to the tombs?”
“Hm. ‘Easily’. That could have been good. Some sort of mechanism that would have caused a great disturbance if… disturbed.” Alexis seems a little put-of by the double use of the verb ‘to disturb’.
“Yes… keeping them where they were but making them inaccessible to all is a great idea. if we could have flow-stoned the whole cave, for instance. Did you have any particular ideas?”
“What good does looking back do? We talked about trying to collapse the tunnel in, and it was too dangerous. Same for activating the trap that was covered in flow-stone.
“Better focus on how to get the Dark Hand before they can leave with whatever they find, and maybe even before they find the Crown and Hammer.”
“What is the good in looking back… Curiosity not the point… ”
(takes a breath)
“Preventing the Darkhand from getting the hammer and crown seems like our mission. We know where they are. We know some of the challenges they will face.
Let’s make their life hell boys!”
Alexis looks between Ethelred and Telosh, confusion clear on his face. He nods slowly, uncertainly.
Telosh nods, “Yes, let’s make their life hell!”