As conversations erupted around him at frightening speed, Toasty started feeling less and less like a leader, and more like he was completely and totally lost amidst the chorus of complaints and concerns. That, and a lot of what Nostromo was discussing was incredibly over his head. He was an engineering student, dammit, not an economist!

When DD finally brought up something he felt he could answer responsibly, he eagerly took the opportunity to flex his leadership chops.

[QUOTE][color=orange]“Anything on their number? Strength? Would they attack us, if, erm no, when they spot the giant fortress just sitting around near their homes?”[/color][/QUOTE]

[color=darkkhaki]"There's no good reason to think they would, especially considering we live inside a giant, hollowed-out volcano. The lairs of aspiring James Bond villains are the kind of thing people tend to avoid unless they're crazy into virgin sacrifice to the local volcano god, and as you may have noticed, there are no volcanos here besides us,"[/color] Toasty said, voice dripping with sarcasm. [color=darkkhaki]"Of course the dwarves may be interested in us. They seem to be the only unifying force among the local demihuman tribes, which means they're likely already at a greater level of technological and societal advancement than their peers. We've seen that in the way they easily exploit those humans like subjects, or even... well... [i]slaves[/i]."[/color]

Toasty said the word uncomfortably, voicing what was on everybody's minds. What would they do if they found out the humans were being mistreated? Well, they actually [i]did[/i] know that already from what they'd seen (at least within a reasonable margin of error), but the question remained. What action would they take? Would they make an enemy out of the dwarves by fighting for the humans' freedoms, or would they betray their own moral compass by just letting it slide because it wasn't worth the trouble? 

Coughing, Toasty began again. [color=darkkhaki]"Anyway, I'd be surprised if they weren't magically or technologically adept enough to measure earthquakes. Speaking as a dwarf, the little show we put on when the entire volcano just decided to wedge itself inside a mountain would be pretty suspicious. That being said, if they're knowledgeable to understand [i]what[/i] happened, they're likely aware that such a feat couldn't be accomplished without some serious magical power, and are likely to leave us alone, at least for a little while."[/color]

He said that, but they did need to start being a bit more proactive. Like Nostromo said, these expeditions were turning up very little, or at least not enough to warrant the time being spent on them.

[QUOTE]"[color=ed145b]I'm certain once Silva is done casting a cloak around Ragnavault. Bringing her with me would be a good idea. As to help me blend in better by making us look like just another civilian in town. Would definitely make gathering information easier by not standing out like a sore thumb.[/color]"[/QUOTE]

Toasty clapped. 

[color=darkkhaki]"Great! It's decided then. LP and Silva will scout out the town once the guild has finished being cloaked, [i]but leave Slitherton behind[/i],"[/color] Toasty said, stressing the importance of not introducing an infant dragon to the local population before turning to Nostromo. [color=darkkhaki]"Nostromo, I need you to stay here. I need advisors, and you help temper Shammura. A leader can't function without both his right and left hands, and a Ragnavault without either of you is just as lost."[/color]

Of course that was half the reason. The other half was that Silva was generally well-behaved and Wolfgang... was not. Not to mention the vampire brides, which he had honestly been meaning to discuss with Nostromo. He'd seen what either of those things could do, and taking them anywhere near a human settlement was a bad idea. 

Toasty leaned back in his chair, relaxing and exhaling. That seemed like everything, at least everything immediately important. They were playing a long game though. Immediately may not be as important as eventually. Food was still an issue, as was trading, diplomacy, and attaining self-sufficiency. These were all problems that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.

A door at the far end of the Copper Hall opened up and Shammura walked in, covered in soot.

[color=darkmagenta]"I've done as you asked, milord! I dug as deep a hole as I could using all my MP! Unfortunately it seems as though I don't possess any earth-moving spells, so to fill the hole back up I had to collapse that section of the mine."[/color]

[color=darkkhaki][i]Somebody please help me...[/i][/color]