For several weeks, excitement has been building in Kenabres—Armasse is coming! Traditionally an opportunity for scholars and priests to come together to study the lessons of history from wars past, since Aroden’s death, this holy day has become more about training commoners in weaponry, choosing squires, and ordaining new priests. Over time, Armasse has grown to encompass jousting competitions, mock duels, battle reenactments, and other festival events. In Kenabres, the festival (which takes place on 16 Arodus) is eagerly anticipated, for it provides distractions from the horrors of being on the front line of the war. Smiles on faces normally marred by downcast eyes and furrowed brows do wonders for city morale in the weeks leading up to the event.
Armasse is a citywide celebration, but the majority of the event, including its jousting matches and other entertainments, takes place at Clydwell Plaza, just west of the cathedral. Each of you are in attendance near the cathedral’s facade. You've been lucky enough to get good spots to observe the opening ceremonies at noon.
Dennis has been looking forward to this for a long time. Finally a break from patrols. My sanity needs a break from what I keep seeing on the other side of those Wardstones.
He finds a vendor and gets a skin of mead, spilling a bit on the ground on honor of Cayden. Then he searches around for a decent seat to watch the festivities.
Why in the gods name would they want to fight on days off as well? Hmm, guess you gotta be at least kinda crazy to be here at all.
Overlooking the crowds of people gathered in Clydwell Plaza, a small grippli clings to the upper floor of the building opposite the cathedral. Having attended Armasse for some years now, he has learned that if someone of his stature wants to see the festivities, he has to find a way to separate himself from the masses. Fortunately, most of the humans can't climb nearly as well as he can, so he has a spectacular view of the action.
For Kaval, today is even more special than other years. Having trained with the city guard for a few years, Kaval hopes to be selected as a squire this year. Even if he's not picked this year, the festivities are always special, and Kaval can hardly contain his excitement.
Efin stretched widely as she wandered through the festival district, occasionally creating a sprinkle of water for children to run through. Ah, the mundane uses of everyday magic - but what was the point of borrowing the powers of a god if not to improve the lives of other people, eh? Besides, it was a festival, and keeping up morale was important in a war-weary town like Kenabres... to say nothing of the fact that some of the stodgy old priests didn't know how to help people have fun. Ah, well. For now, she was just randomly walking around, cheerfully getting involved whenever and however she saw fit.
Mel came through the city gates ignoring the dirty looks he got. He couldn't help his heritage. Most places people didn't notice. The only real sign of his demon-tainted blood was his eyes. He had others, but they were safely hidden behind his clothes. Up here near the 'Wound, people noticed and often hated him at first glance.
Too many old wounds. Too many tragedies and horrors done to them by people who he reminded them of. He didn't think he was ever come back here again.
He hadn't really planned on having an angel lodged in his head either.
They are going to kill you.
"Maybe" Kel said quietly, seeming to talk to himself. "But if anyone is going to know what to do to help you, its going to be the Riftwardens."
I don't want your help.
You're getting it anyway. Kel said with a shrug.
I hate you! Just let me die!
"I don't think you can die unless I do first." Kel said as he moved through the busy streets of Kanabres.
Great! How about we get on with that? Two birds with one stone!
Shimmer found herself watching the opening of Armasse for the first time despite having lived in Kenabres since she awoke. In prior years she often found excuses not to attend the festival, spending time in the temple performing other duties. The difficulties she had relating to others often convinced her this was for the best, but this year Tebbon had finally convinced her to attend the festival and test the skills she had been learning. Having helped her don her armor earlier in the morning he had his own duties to handle leaving her alone to watch the opening ceremony.
Glancing through the slits in her visor she examined the crowd around her. With so many people, many of them warriors, she felt the possible danger should tempers erupt. This was not a fear to her, but simply an outcome that she wished to avoid. Crowds like this often brought this concern to the forefront of her thoughts.
Noticing little attention being paid to her, she risked lifting her visor to get a better view of the opening ceremony. The markings along her face could easily be mistaken for tattoos if not examined in detail and it afforded a better view.
Efin pat an armored figure on the back as she passed by, just a little bit harder than was strictly necessary. "It's a festival, not a test of stamina." she said breezily. "Let the guards do their job and have some fun - there's no point in having a festival if people don't enjoy it." She took a few steps to the side a moment later, wiggling a finger and conjuring up another spray of water for some laughing children.
OK, I need each person to check in with the following information:
1) How long have you been in Kenabres or did you just arrive today.
2) If you've been here for any period of time, where are you staying.
Dennis has been in Kenabres for some time working at a mercenary company. Call it a year. They would likely have a barracks in which he stays.
You are suddenly in a dark place. Your heads throb with thunderous headaches. Your ears ring. Your’re having trouble breathing. After a few moments, the sounds of rocks clattering, coughing, and moans of pain, as well as the choking smell of dust, become apparent as your senses seem to return, but it remains pitch black. Feeling around in the darkness, you feel rubble all around you, and realize that your bodies are covered in dirt and filth. Despite the general aches and pains, you do not seem to be damaged.
you see that you are in a large underground cavern, one wall of which is an enormous mound of rubble. The air is filled with dust, and now and then small rockslides of gravel tumble down the mound.
"Ow." Kel groaned, trying to wipe the grit out of his mouth, but only really managing to get more in it since he was covered in dirt. He spit a few times and pushed himself to his feet.
"Aaaugh, my head." Efin muttered, opening her eyes. And... not seeing anything at all. Well, that was less than wonderful, even if she did have a couple of torches stashed away. Also in good news? She wasn't dead - and was hearing someone else around, too. She probably shouldn't go around blasting cones of fire just for light, though... maybe someone else could make it?
Dennis will fish out his everburning torch.
"Uhnn. Ok, what the hells just happened?!? I was having a pleasant drink and then wham! I mean it was mead, not dwarven fire whiskey!"
Kaval clambers out from under a pile of small rocks and dirt. The wall he had been clinging to only moments before was nowhere in sight. "Ouch-ouch-ouch. Don't worry friends, here is some light for you.". Kaval's eyes glow faintly in the dark as he mutters a quick incantation, then his tongue leaps out and licks a rock in the center of the cavern, which then begins to glow.
"Is everyone ok?"
As Shimmer's eyes begin to adjust she attempts to take in her surroundings. Seeing no immediate threat she assesses her own status. "Eyes goood, ears bit of ringing but diminishing. Arms good, no broken bones. Legs are fine, can stand." Finding herself in good shape she turns to the others. "I appear to be fine. If anyone does have any injuries please speak up. I am Shimmer, an acolyte of the Inheritor, and can provide some assistance." As she speaks she keeps her attention divided, examining the area.
As you hear people start to move about and some produce light, your heads clear and with that memory comes flooding back. Armasse officially began at noon, with the blessing of the festival by Lord Hulrun himself, ruler of Kenabres. The crowd gathered in Clydwell Plaza quieted as the aged inquisitor took the stage, clad in shining, resplendent armor. He cleared his throat, but just as he was about to speak, a bright light shone from the west, as if the sun were rising from the wrong direction. Hulrun’s shadow fell huge and distorted across the cathedral’s facade. A moment later, the sound of a thunderous explosion ripped through the air and earth, along with a violent tremor. To the west, the fortress known as the Kite—the location of Kenabres’s wardstone—had vanished. In its place, a brilliant plume of red fire, lightning, and smoke erupted into the heavens. A moment later, a powerful roar accompanied a welcome sight rising from the crowd—Kenabres’s greatest guardian, the ancient silver dragon Terendelev, who had until that moment been attending the opening ceremony disguised as a human. Above, another form appeared, as nightmarish as the dragon was breathtaking. A humanoid shape three times the size of any man, with skin coated in fire and lightning, gripped a flaming sword and whip. The creature’s identity was immediately obvious:
Khorramzadeh, the Storm King of the Worldwound, had come to Kenabres!
As the ground continued to shake and disgorge demons into the streets, the dragon and the balor lord clashed above. The fight was over in a few harrowing moments, as the balor cut deep into Terendelev’s body, swooping down to strike the dragon and arresting her charge. A few more blows, and the titanic duo spiraled downward toward the crowd. The sight of the dragon smashing into the facade of the Cathedral of St. Clydwell is one no witness would ever forget. At that moment, a titanic demon erupted at the far end of the plaza, reducing several buildings to ruins as it smashed into this world. The rift it created shot across the plaza, and this time there was no escape—it opened below your feet, angling away into darkness. Even as you fell, the dragon noticed your plight. Though she saw death standing over her, she seized this final chance to save a few more souls. After she uttered a few arcane words and stretched out a bleeding talon, you felt her magic take hold of you, slowing your plummet into the darkness as if you were feathers falling into a pit. Yet the fall remained as inexorable, and as you drifted downward into the depths, the last thing you saw was the Storm King standing before the ancient silver dragon, his sword lashing out and cleaving full through her neck. As her severed head fell, the rift above you slammed shut, and the light of the world above was gone.
"Oh crap! Now I remember. We're well and truly screwed. The Wardstone is gone, and Kenabres has probably fallen. Well at least we're alive and that's something."
then as if he has made a decision he gets up " I could really use a drink. "
and he will look around to see if he can find his skin of mead or something else of use.
As you gather up your belongings and look around, you realize how narrow your escape from destruction was. Your are at the base of a pile of rubble. The collapsed remains of the pit into which you had fallen. Interspersed with the rubble are crushed bodies of other citizens that did not have the same fortune as you.
Looking around you see there are eight of you that have survived. Aside from the strangers (your party) there is a rough looking man closest to the rubble, one of his legs buried under a large rock, grimacing in pain. An older man with burns across his face and bleeding eye sockets. And a pudgy middle aged man in what were once very expensive clothes standing and muttering to himself.
Oh, goody, light! Aaaaaaaaand all of the memories came flooding back to her - crap crap crap! That was not good, that was really not good and- stop panicking! Efin took a few deep breaths. All right. As sure as Hell was evil, this hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of Mendev - chances were the Queen was already preparing to march this way and drive the demons back. They'd been bloodied - oh, she was never going to forget that chop, was she? - but they were a long ways from out, and she carefully slowed her breathing.
"Is everyone okay?" she asked, angelic flames flickering on the ends of her fingers. "Anyone hurt? Broken gear? I can help." It would get her mind off of that chop.
The demons... they're back? We knew they'd attack in force some day, but today? I'm not ready yet! How can I fight them off before I've had a chance to finish my training? Mum! Oh no, I need to find Mum and Dad before the demons find them... But it looks like there are those here that need my help for now, and Dad knows all the secret ways through the city, so they should be safe for now. Besides, I don't even know where here is, so I guess we should try to find our way out first.
Kaval tears a strip of cloth from his shirt as a make-shift bandage as he approaches the man with the bleeding eyes. "Excuse me sir, would you mind if I tended to your injuries? You appear to have been hurt in the fall."
It looks very bad to you, Kaval. It is evident that his eyes are ruined as well as his face being badly burned. You would imagine that he must be in great pain at the moment.
At Kaval's approach the older man calls out in a somewhat authoritative tone.
"Who is there? What are your names? We must organize and get back up to Kenabres! Tell me, of those of you here, what sort of experience do you have fighting demons?"
"Deep breaths, buddy, relax." Efin said firmly. "As you may have noticed, we did fall, and I don't think getting back up will be easy. Unless anyone here is absurdly fortunate in having access to high-powered teleportation stuff? No? Drat, worth a try." Despite her words, her tone was light and friendly. "I am Efin, a servant of Desna. I haven't fought as many demons as I'd like, but I'm sure we can mess them up if any show their faces down here. Oh, and let me know if you're thirsty - water's no problem, since I can call up as much as we need."
Bristling at the obnoxious tone of the older man "Well who are you to order us around anyway? I've fought demons, but nothing tough. "
turning to Efin "I don't know about mess them up. Have you fought demons? They aren't kobolds or something. "
"I... I can fight if I have to. Never fought a demon though."
Efin whacked Kel on the back - not hard enough to hurt, but definitely hard enough to be noticed. "Hey, puff out that chest!" she said, completely familiar with the iconography of Desna that the Paladin was showing. They were part of the same church, after all, and she kept tabs on new arrivals from their faith. "This is a crusade - and it's our job to beat the demons and help everyone else, right? Here, some luck from the Lady. Don't waste it." She whacked him again, but this time, a bit of fortune entered Kel's body. That ought to help him make a good strike whenever he really needed to.
Blessings: 2/3
Heavenly Fire: 7/7
Wordspells (Lv. 1): 4/4
"My name is Kaval Treehopper, sir. I've never fought a demon yet, but I've been training with the guard for most of my life so that I'd be ready when the time comes. It looks like it came a little too early though. I wasn't able to fight that big one off, and now we've lost Terendelev, and the city is in ruins, and we're trapped in a hole." Kaval looks up at the man, stands a little straighter and adds, "It's not over yet though. We're still alive, so we can still fight. That's what it means to live out here on the edge of the Worldwound. Always vigilant at the edge of the world. Can anyone tend this man's wounds? His injuries are beyond what I can handle."
Reminded of his duty, Kaval looks around carefully, checking to see if any of the spawn of the abyss followed them in their drop.
You each realize that the old man (actually an elf sorry) is a person used to being in charge. In addition, he seems quite insecure at the moment and he is probably over compensating for that, thus his authoritative manner.
Kel gives a weak smile, nodding to the priest. "Thanks. To you, and to your Lady."
He looked around in the darkness. "Where are we?"
"Well we fell into a hole in the ground in the middle of Kenabres. I'm betting we're under Kenabres. Never heard about tunnels down here, but I've not been in town that long. "
Kel shook his head and crouched down against a rocky wall. He wiped a hand across his face and took a long breath.
"Did that dragon... save us?" he felt like he was going to crack. A month ago he would have. Now, somehow, he found a strength of resolve that had never been there before.
Ok. No time to waste worrying or trying to figure things out. There are people here who need help.
He looked around and everyone and realized a lot of them couldn't see in the dark at all.
"I think we could use some light. Anyone have a..."
His hand lit up with a sinister looking red glow.
"...nevermind."
He looked a bit disturbed for a moment, and then raised his hand to cast the light around so everyone could get a good look at each other and their environment.
"Was that you?" he whispered quietly.
Of course not. Why would I want to do that?
"Good point" Kel continued a moment later, whispering a reply to himself.
He sighed and moved closer to the injured elf. "Are you alright, sir? I'm not really much of a healer, but that looks painful."
As Kaval searches the cavern, his eyes fall upon the man grimacing, pinned beneath a large stone. "Oh no!" Kaval rushes up to Dennis and tugs on his shirt, "Excuse me, but could you help me move this rock off of this poor man? It looks terribly painful, and I don't think I can lift it by myself."
"What? Pinned, yeah, I can help. " and he gives it his best heave.
"Might need someone stronger if we have one."
"Hurp!"
Efin was not especially strong physically, but seemed to be doing well in her attempt to help Dennis pull the other man out. She cared for her appearance, yes, but she was absolutely the type to pitch in and help with the dirty work when it was needed.
Kaval squeezes in between Efin and Dennis to lend a hand.
You easily remove the rock from the man's leg and he gasps in pain. It is obvious to all that his leg is crushed. To Efin's experienced eye the damage is more ominous. There is no way he will be able to get around unless the leg is splinted and he gets a crutch, either that or he is healed to full, in which case he could get around on his own. Either way he will be reduced to half speed until he receives a regeneration or equivalent magic.
The Elf is in a similar situation. His eyes are destroyed and he would also need such magic. In addition he is badly burned and practically on the border of losing consciousness.
"I might be able to help mend your injuries, if you'll allow me, but it only works on those devoted to righteousness. If your heart has turned to darkness, it may do more harm than good."
healing if good, damage if evil, no effect if neutral.