Maybe we should just follow them. If they go deep enough they'll run into trouble on their own, and then they/we can step in and save them.
I mean, I agree with Grelthe that we should finish clearing levels that we haven't cleared yet, but we can do that after, if we want to make a point. Snakey needs something to eat anyway.
She smiles at Simon, who recognizes how cool Snakey is.
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until this point Kayla had no seen the snake.
Kayla leaps back Zadira, that snake is gonna eat you!
Zadira laughs.
No, no. I talked to it and it misses working for humans (and being fed), so we made a deal. It watches out for me, and I watch out for it.
Simon was still in the process of trying to remember when last he saw Kayla when she already returns.
"Huh, there you are again, Lil'Scorpy-purr.
I was thinking ... how about we herd them towards those minotaurs deeper down-miii?
Could catch two rabbits with one trap, yesyes?"
Grethe are vu going to get a pet? I have mine already." she gives Vance a quick glance. "It seems de in thing dese days."
"Let us follow de others den and see where shiny boy vent. He needs to learn manners."
"Yesyes!"
With a fluid movement, Simon swings himself up on Emilys back.
Then, he freezes.
Bewildered, he looks around.
"Did you hear someone calling my name just now-miii?"
Grelthe looks somewhat discomfited at Vuzi's question and responds "Unlikely. I wouldn't know what to do with a pet if I had one." Then she relaxes a little and adds "Although I have been enjoying working with Emily, I doubt I will get a pet of my own anytime soon." She smiles at the big kitty.
To Simon she says "That seems about a good plan as any. At least then we don't have to somehow get ahead of the other party."
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Grelthe, you do not. Emily defiantly does though. She starts moving about the hall, sniffing at something she can't seem to find.
"I trust Emily." Vuzi casts Bone Armor and follows.
Emily leads you all to a cave to the north where the shrieker mushrooms used to be, now thankfully removed. There even Simon can smell something is present, but not.
After a few tense moments, a voice whispers to youall. It sounds like leaves rustling and earth groaning. With it comes the smells of summer and light. You still can't pinpoint the source.
[b]I have seen your efforts here. Know that it does not go unnoticed.[b]
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Kayla is a little relaxed about the snake but decides to keep a respectful distance as the group moves on.
She seems a little unsure as to what the party plans are at the moment, but maybe following Emily? comparing the current path to the path the other group took since her following them.
the voice suddenly puts her on edge as she puts a hand on one of her blades. trying to perceive a source of this voice.
Kayla. You manage to locate a source. It's in the middle of the room. A kind of concentration of dust in a very vaguely humanoid form.
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Grelthe is wary, but strangely doesn't feel in immediate danger from the voice. "And do you approve of our efforts?" she asks, still trying to locate the source.
After reaching the mushroom forest, Simon and Emily seem to relax.
At Grelthes question he nods eagerly.
"It does-pururr.
Can't you feel it in your soul?
Does it not feel like nature itself is reaching out for you-miii?"
Seemingly transfixed, both cats approach the misty figure in the middle of the cave.
Zadira and Snakey hang back in bow range, waiting to find out what happens next.
The voice hesitates. Most of them. You have done much to cleanse this place of the taint that has plagued it for so long. But you have also disturbed and eradicated some things that were important to the natural cycles of this space. You have given much relief from my struggle against the Invaders, but are not yourselves Blameless. For this reason I am showing myself: to commend you on your efforts and to guide you into better paths.
Vuzi studies the creature carefully. "Dis is usually an evil place. Vy vould you help us?"
How can we know that you are telling the truth or that you are good? Can you show yourself to us?
Grelthe is suspicious, there is not much in this place that doesn't have an ulterior motive.
The voice responds to Grelthe first, Because you are the first to come through in many centuries who have not died almost immediately.
Then to Zadira, You cannot know. You have only cleared a small portion of this complex, and much evil still dwells below. It is taking all of my strength to simply speak with you now.
Grelthe, this spirit definitely doesn't have your best interests at heart. You surmise it's first concern in Rappan Athuk itself and this is clearly a opportunity to form an alliance of convenience. How long that might hold is impossible to say.
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Simon smiles at the form.
"Your reason, is my reason-purr.
I have seen the evil and saw the horror it inflicts onto the wilds surrounding this place-grrch.
It must be stopped.
Any aid and any ally towards that goal will be welcome for me-meeew."
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"It seems Simon's and your goals are the same. Simon is my friend so I will help you." Vuzi responds to the creature.
Zadira is inclined to go along with the voice for now, but she waits to see what Grelthe wants to do before saying anything.
At Simon's words Grelthe makes a decision and nods. She will not trust it, but if for the meantime their goals align, they can use all the allies they can get. "Very well. What is it you want of us?"
The temple. It must be destroyed. Bathed in rock-flame. It is binding me. Like a rabbit in a trap am I. Please, find the hidden temple. Cleanse it! The spirit becomes momentarily visible as a vaguely humanoid face, but it's cracked and damaged.
Kayla seemed a bit nervous, her hand in a pocket seemingly fiddling with something. she soon gets her courage and steps forward.
what about the Minotaur's, do you know anything about them?
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"Oh-meeeouwiii."
Simon's voice is full of compassion as he replies the pained spirit and it grows more fierce and decisive with each sentence.
"Simon Blue-Eye and sister Emily-pururr will help you-meeew.
Of course we will, yesyes.
Gozreth willing you will soon be free again.
Sister and me both, we were enslaved and in a cage before-grchhh.
We cannot stand it.
We will help you and if that means clearing out another major evil in this place ... All the better-miew!"
In an afterthought, Simon asks, in a now much more leveled voice:
"Sooo, do you know where that temple of evil is-miii?"
Zadira opens her mouth to ask a question, and then Simon asks it for her. So she just waits to find out just how hidden this hidden temple is.
"I thought this was the temple." Vuzi whispers almost to herself.
The temple is below the Corrupted Jackal, past the Fallen Warden and hidden from my children. You should be able to locate it, however, I do not doubt.
The Minotaurs have been corrupted by the Lord of the Dead and have half passed into death themselves. They are half-wraiths, and a blight! If you encounter them, kill them!
Grelthe raises her eyebrows when the thing says "children." So far almost everything they have met has been evil, if her children occupy this place I doubt they are good. Her eyes go wide when she realizes she hasn't detected evil on the thing yet.
Simon cooks his head aside, looking questioningly at the spirit before him.
"Your children-miii?
Do they look like you-meewii?"
My children are all the natural creatures of this place. This is why I said that not everything you have done is agreeable to me. You have done much harm to some of mine, but, on the whole, you are better than those who lurk below.
Riddles. Her least favorite part of language. Oh well, at least it was something to go on. And minotaurs were bad enough when they weren't undead... according to legend anyway. "The wickedness seems great indeed, and I will do what I can to rectify it. Thank you for your assistance. What about the little one's request? Do you have information on the minotaurs for us? Also, how should we call you?"
"Ve'll help vu. If your children try to hurt us, ve vill respond."
Might as vell promise. Ve are clearing out the whole place it seems.
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Simon nods severely at Vuzi's words.
"That is the way of nature, yesyes.
If they mistake us for prey, they will may find that we are dangerous prey indeed-meow.
But no animal has to fear me as long as it does not attack my friends, my sister or myself-purrurr.
Or hunger leaves me with no other choice but to join the primal struggle for life-meew.
If you want us to be able to spare even more of your children, give us your blessing such that they recognize us for your ally, yesyes?"
The spirit pauses. Then sighs. Very well. But it will therefore most of my power to do so. The minotares reside in their maze and run regularly between the evil temple and their domain. Good luck.
You feel a slight breeze as the spirit departs. The cave is silent. You don't feel any different.
"Well that was... curious. I wonder why it wouldn't identify itself? Oh well. From what I have heard in stories most if not all of Minotaur are evil anyway, so it seems our interests align." She shrugs, and continues along their way...
Zadira follows, along with her gigantic snake friend.
Simon is cooking his head left and right, as if wondering about something.
He then sniffs at Vuzi.
Then leads Emily over to Zadira and let the pantheress smell at her.
"You smelling any change sister-purrurr?"
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Emily sniffs, then runs her huge head across Zadira's hip. It's very subtle, but yes. You somehow smell as if you belong instead of something like... well, outsiders.
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Kayla follows along, comparing the party's path and the path the other party took.
pausing for a moment she concentrates to scry on her prying star to see where the other group is located.
"That vas very interesting. Let us go. Ve have things to do and evil to remove."
Mumbling to herself at first "Corrupted Jackal... Fallen warden... hmm." Suddenly louder, speaking to the group "There was that illusory jackal demon thing, do you think that counts as corrupted? Well either way we have to explore down." She starts mumbling again "Don't remember any Wardens so far though...
Err, I don't know. Maybe? Sorry, I was thinking about half-undead minotaurs. That doesn't really sound like a very nice combination, does it?
She reaches out and pets her snake for comfort.
Emily rubs her large head against Simons side demandingly.
Clearly, seeing the snake being padded by Zadira, reminds her that her last scrubbing was way too long ago!
Simon starts padding Emily behind her ears and below the chin while walking absent-mindedly beside her.
"The spirit did give us his blessing, Gozreth be praised-meeeeew.
We carry a faint scent with us, marking us as natives to this place.
I think, we will have less trouble with dangerous animal encounters from now on-meouwii.
More time and energy to focus on the truly evil things of this place, yesyes?"
Then he runs into Kayla who stopped for a second and nearly topples over her.
"Oi-Meeeeew!
Everything all right, lil'stingy-purr?
Why did you stop all of a sudden?
Spotted another trap-grch?"
You set off toward the lower levels with your new companion in tow.
the other group is about to enter the illusion guy's lair. wonder if they are as smart as we were and can figure it out. Kayla says as she catches up to the rest of the group.
I can scout ahead if need be.