The somewhat elf creature gets a small smile on his face, "Children of the First Crusade? It would be accurate, though many generations removed. The underground is not kind, nor does it lead to long life. We only mean to free our friend. I am Lann, my friends are Dyra and Crel. How do you find yourselves down under Kenabres?"
"Kenabres is in more danger than I care to think about," Jens says simply, shrugging off his pack. "Khorramzadeh attacked, Terendelev is slain, and demons are overrunning the city as we speak." As he paces around the collapsed section of tower, inspecting the rubble, he keeps his eyes peeled for any others that may be present - just in case this whole thing was a trap.
Turning back at the sound of Tats' voice, he calls "It's safe to come forward. Bring the others, I'm sure Aravashnial will be pleased." Adressing Lann again, he introduces himself. "This is Heinrick, a servant of the Inheritor, and I am Jens, shield-arm of this party. Looks like getting rid of that boulder may be the best way to go - don't know how stable it'll be up there."
"I think if we all help, we should be able to lift the boulder out and away from Crel"
"Okay, Jenssss sssaysss we can go up, that'sss good enough for me."
Walking over to where the old cavalier stands, she glances at the strangers, then double-takes. "Are...are you like me? Ssspawned by fiendsssss? No, questionssss later. If your friend needsss our help, we will sseee what can be done."
Heinrick takes a look around, before joining in on trying to rescue the trapped one.
Iolana steps up, "I'm not that strong, but I'll do my best to help."
Heinrick jams his spear haft into the ground to act as a lever.
"Alright," Jens mutters, stepping up the the boulder and placing a heavy shoulder against it. He braces his feet on the stone, hoping his old back will hold out against the strain. "Everyone in position? Ready... Heave!"
Moving next to Iolana, Tats begins pushing at the huge rock as well. Her tail twitches as she lends her strength to the task, and she lets out a "sssssssssssssssssssss" from between gritted teeth.
Heinrick lodges the spear haft in under the rock, as Jens gets set to heave. Even the Mongrelmen get in place to help and the rock shifts and starts to fall back on Crel, when Iolana gives a might shove. The rocks precariously tips, but then slowly starts to move the other direction as more hands are able to step in and help. Eventually the rock tumbles with a clatter of smaller rocks, and lands with a thump, away from Crel and the hole he's in.
Crel scrambles out of the hole and his two companions greet him with a round of hugs. Lann, smiling looks back at the group, "Thank you, friends. I fear we would have lost him completely without your help. How can we repay your generosity?"
Jens rolls his right shoulder with a grunt, feeling the ache already begin to spread. You're pushing yourself, old man. Be careful. "Is he alright?" he asks of Lann, nodding to Crel. "And if you know of one, a way back to the surface would be appreciated. We have loved ones up there, and a city in peril."
Lann looks at the group curiously. "A city in peril? What do you mean?
"Perhapsssss I can explain better zan Jensssss. Kenebresss isss the city we come from. Yessssterday-or maybe two daysss ago, it wassss attacked by a massssive demon-prince, or sssomething. We were sssaved by Terendelev, who issss-wassss-a sssilver dragon, but zee demon killed her. We've been tryink to get to zee ssssurface ssso we can sssseee what happened to see city." Tats's tail twitches back and forth jerkily, and she taps a claw against the hilt of her rapier. "We need your help asssss much as you needed oursss."
Heinrick looks over
Yes, the city that we were in, was attacked. I for one would like to make it to the surface so that we can see what happened. Could you help us.
Relieved that the person under the rock was freed and will be alright, Iolana takes a moment to sit and rest from the strain of helping free him. "I'm glad we were able to help get him out, but my friends are right, we need help getting back to the surface."
"Even if you cannot help usss get to the sssurface, if you could tell usss where to go with your injured, zat would help." Tats looks over her shoulder, gesturing at the two injured...and Horgus.
Lann smiles, "We'll take you to Chief Sull. He'll know the way out to the surface. With the collapses, our normal route is closed, but we know another tunnel. You'll need to follow us there."
Lann leads you through a tunnel to the northwest, ahead, a wide chasm splits the tunnel floor. The floating rock dust in the air and the groans as the tunnel walls settle indicate that the tunnel split recently.
Lann slumps a bit, and looks back at the group, "This was the tunnel to Neatholm, but it is split now. There may be other tunnels, but this was the way home." The chasm is 15 feet across about 70 feet wide, and 30 feet deep.
There should be a way to work across it
Heinrick pulls his pack off, and starts to root through it for rope, pitons, and a small hammer.
Horgus looks at the divide and gets a worried look, "How are we supposed to cross that with a blind man and a woman with one good leg?"
Lann nods "It will make crossing more difficult. The healthy could make it across, perilous as it is, but the injured?"
It will not be impossible for the injured, if we set things up properly
Heinrick finishes digging the materials out of his pack, and then looks around for things that can be used to make a rope bridge.
There's not really much around besides rock and shale, so making a rope bridge would be difficult at best. The walls at the edges of the chasm look like they would be a fairly difficult climb, and quite possibly impossible for Aravashnial or Anevia.
Seeing nothing really useable, he then looks for a spot where he can anchor a piton.
It's fairly easy to secure a piton, and climb down.
Tats looks at the gap, judging distance and speed. "I could jump it, and zen you could throw me zee rope. Quicker zan climbink." Without waiting for a response, she takes off in the direction of the chasm and throws herself toward the other side.
Eyeing the gap with trepidation, Iolana says, "I think I'd be better off climbing down and then back up again."
Heinrick looks at the others
I can do the lowering one at a time, however, the climbing up the other side will have to be someone else.
Tatyana, climbing might be longer, but safer, in case you cannot cross the whole distance. Plus the injured may not be able to climb along the rope.
Heinrick then drives the Piton into the ground, and runs part of the rope into it and puts the hammer away.
Who is first for going down Heinrick questions
As Heinrick starts to make his concerns about the leap noted, Tatyana gets a running jump and leaps over the chasm, her landing foot precariously at the edge.
Undeterred, Heinrick sets the piton and attaches the rope around it to help in the lowering of people into the 30' deep chasm. Looking at the group, you realize it may take a good many of you to be able to hold the weight of Jens and all his armor, so lowering him first may be a good idea.
Iolana, once we get Jens down, lets get the hurt down. I have an idea for myself so I can come down last.
"What idea is that Heinrick?"
Iolana, I intend to lower my gear, and then using the rope through the eye of the piton, lower myself. This way I get my rope back as well.
"Let's just get on with this," Jens grumbles, shrugging off his pack and tossing it into the chasm. "If you can make this into a platform, could be an easier way to get Anevia down." He drops his large shield at Heinrick's feet before preparing for the descent.
Jens grabs the rope and starts to descend. At one point he almost slips, and winds up twisting on the rope into the side of the chasm wall, but manages to right himself and get to the floor unscathed. Heinrick hauls the rope up and is able to fashion a seat of sorts, using Jens' shield.
Heinrick helps get Anevia onto the makeshift seat, and helps slowly lower her down.
Jens, Anevia is comeing down.
He is just loud enough to get his voice to carry the 30' to the bottom.
He then looks at Iolana
Once we get the hurt down, I suggest that we lower our temporary guides, and then you
Nodding in reply, "That sounds good to me."
After a short time, all of the group is brought to the chasm floor, and Heinrick retrieves his rope, lowering himself using the eyehole of the piton. Now all that remains is getting up the other side.
Heinrick pulls a grappling hook out of his pack and attaches it to the rope.
He then drags a piton and his small hammer out of his pack and passes them to Jens.
For when you are up on the other side. I know I cannot throw this up there safely
From her perch on the other side, Tats looks down at Heinrick. "I can catch eet and sssecure eet sssomewhere. Might be easssier than climbing with no rope."
I would throw it up there, but I dont trust myself to throw that far.
"Alright, let's see if I still know how to do this," Jens mutters, rolling his shoulder. With a grunt, he throws the grappling hook up to the ledge, where it slides a few inches, but sticks.
The grappling hook Jens throws finds purchase, and hooks. Tats is able to move over quickly and secure the rope even further. She is most likely not going to be able to lift anyone by herself
Iolana, you go up after Jens, I will make sure the injured get hoisted properly
Heinrick secures Jens pack and his own to the bottom of the rope for it to be pulled up to the top.
"Of course," once her turn comes Iolana starts her climb and nimbly climbs to the top. Once she gets there she prepares to help raise the injured back up the chasm.
Though slowed by his bulky armour, Jens manages to make his way to the top before helping others out of the crevasse.
Jens and Iolana make it up the chasm's wall readily, with the help of the rope secured at the top. The three up top make quick work of hoisting Aravashnial and Anevia, and after some argument Horgus, who claimed he couldn't climb the wall himself. Heinrick is last up, easily being pulled up.
Lann hastens you to a tunnel mouth that is caved in, and the Mongrelmen look concerned for a moment, before Lann leads you to another tunnel, and leads you on for about 20 minutes, before holding out a warding hand.
"The tunnel ahead leads to a cavern that is the home of a spore-cougher. A plant that spews spores in the air that drive men out of their heads. I would not have taken us this way, but the other tunnel is collapsed and this is the quickest way to Neatholm. We should be able to move swiftly through the cavern if the creature is hunting, but may have to fight. With your group, we should be able to overcome."
The tunnel ahead opens into a circular cavern, roughly forty feet in diameter. Thick sheets of fungus grow in the cave, and several tunnels branch off. All of these save one in the north wall lead downward; the northern one leads upward. What appear to be two dead bodies lie on the ground in the middle of the cave, next to a strange heap of ropy green fungus.
Heinrick restows his rope and grappling hook in his pack.
He then follows along at the back of the group while we make our way along the tunnels.
Is there any method of protecting yourself from the spores?
Or at least better than they did