With the contents of the campsite, and the subsequent swarm, seemingly having all been dealt with, Mulluq returns to the lead along his way through the caverns. His shield out and ready, while his tail casually swipes at the handle of his weapon, as if to grasp it at a moment's notice.
Rhok shakes dead rats out of his sleeves and cloak before casting a quick healing formula on himself. "I am not the most powerful spellcaster, and I am approaching the limit of my healing tricks. We'll need to be a little careful moving forward."
"It would probably have been good to start being careful when we landed down here, but if you want to start now. You go for it."
Kira's temper is short, and getting shorter the longer we are down here. She takes up her place at the end of the line as they move off, keeping the lights she controls above them as much as she can.
Jod looks at Rhok with a raised eyebrow at the woman's biting remark, careful to not catch her eye, and turns to catch up with the tiefling grinning
"An amazing gift, my friend, to be able to see in this utter blackness."
"Hey Aravashnial. Help me out here. I don't even understand how this is possible? If the Storm King could just pop in and smash the wardstone what has been stopping him all of these years? What changed?"
Ghroth lopes along behind her, alert but disinterested in the chatter he cannot understand.
Aravashnial pauses for a moment. "Infiltration. There have been forces working for the demons in the Worldwound at large within Kenabres for some time."
Horgus harrumphs noisily. "Not this again!" he complains noisily.
"Well how do you explain it?" retorts Aravashnial angrily before moderating his tone. "Some of the nobility seem content to throw in their lot with with the demons" - Horgus rolls his eyes and sighs theatrically - "No, not you Horgus, that much is established..."
"At no small cost to my reputation, I might add!" snaps Horgus.
"Alright," says Anevia tiredly, "We've been over that."
"It might not be much to you, but my reputation is paramount to me..."
Anevia suddenly seems to snap. "Your reputation would be much the better if you didn't hide your religious convictions! What exactly is it you fear?" she snaps.
Horgus looks taken aback for a moment, then sneers, "Well, I imagine somone who consorts with thieves doesn't have to worry about such things," earning a glare from Anevia.
"AS I WAS SAYING!" interjects Aravashnial loudly, "I have believed for some time that there were attempts to undermine Kenabres from within. I was largely written off as a crank, but I think events probably bear me out," he adds with a hint of triumph, before his mood darkens. "Not that it is much comfort to us now," he adds, tailing off moodily.
Horgus and Anevia eye each other angrily, but don't continue the argument.
"It would probably have been good to start being careful when we landed down here, but if you want to start now. You go for it."
"All things need a starting point, miss. Mine might as well be here; if you want yours to be somewhere else, you are of course perfectly welcome to that."
"That goes for you three, too", he says to the three fellow refugees. "The world has changed. This is a good place o put aside old grudges and start anew."
Kira just smiles at Rhok, interested int he way the conversation is going too.
"Indeed, but then the demons have never lacked for powerful magics. The witch Areelu Vorlesh opened the Worldwound with Deskari's help so such things are not beyond their capabilities," replies Aravashnial soberly.
"Shall we continue?" grumbles Horgus, "All this speculation won't get us out of here."
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"Indeed, but then the demons have never lacked for powerful magics. The witch Areelu Vorlesh opened the Worldwound with Deskari's help so such things are not beyond their capabilities," replies Aravashnial soberly.
"Shall we continue?" grumbles Horgus, "All this speculation won't get us out of here."
But Sol is in a mood for speculation, almost anything to make the time pass while trudging through the Stygian tunnels. "So do you think a demon disguised as a man or a man with a demon's heart did it?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. I was too busy getting my eyes ripped out by the Storm King to notice," growls Aravashnial.
The conversation tails off as the group struggle through narrow passages for the next half-hour. Eventually they reach a larger cavern. In the centre is a sizable, bunker-like building approximately twenty feet high. It has no windows and its walls are made from worked stone blocks and decorated with a hammer motif. The broken remnants of collapsed outbuildings lie to either side.
When Sol asks his last question, Mulluq's shoulders sag a little and he lets out a heavy sigh. He is certain that there had to have been the involvement of wickedness beyond the demons. Despite humankind's ability to choose good regardless of parentage, makes him wonder why so many of them choose not to do so. If only they knew what it was like to not have the choice; to be stuck in evil ways simply by cursed birthright. Seeing the structure breaks him from his dark thoughts. "What's this? Maybe there are others here. If nothing more, we can look for survivors or possibly supplies."
"Sturdy construction. They didn't put as much care into the other buildings. The stonework and the hammer - why's that familiar?"
Mulluq'Tar just shakes his head in disappointment with himself, "Of course. My head must be clouded, that should stand for Torag."
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Rebuffed by the mage Sol walks in silence until the reach the building within a cavern.
"Torag," Sol agrees. "I'll bet this is some form of sepulchre." He considers a bit longer. "Torag is a practical god. If we were respectful, I don't think he would begrudge us searching here for anything we might use. At least we could stop for a rest?"
To emphasize his point, he slides his pack from his shoulders and onto some of the rubble from the collapsed buildings. That way he won't have to lift it as far when it's time to move on.
He begins a quick circumnavigation of the building.
The talk of infiltrators shuts Hannik right up and she trudges along brooding on that for some time.
"Oh. Dwarves then. Well at least we know this cavern is probably or at least was at some point connected to the settled areas. Could have been a sealed off natural rift or something." She wanders around the structure looking for an entrance or anything else useful.
Kira watches the others stop, again. She has a quick look around, and then decides to sit as well, though she keeps her weapon up, and loaded.
On what is presumably the front of the building there is a stone door, firmly closed.
"Maybe we can find something inside that can help us escape these caves. Is the door locked?"
While the others examine the building, Jod will take a few minutes to look at the exit tunnel that we haven't traipsed through, checking to see if there are signs of anyone (or anything) passing through.
Mulluq just stands near the door as the others thoroughly investigate the building. He's waiting to be told whether they intend to enter or not, eventually offering a brief opinion. "We could stop at least for a safe place to have a breather and tend the wounded. Maybe there are supplies inside that could ease the suffering of wounded. Something may be available for Lady Anevia's leg, or Iomedae willing, Master Aravashnial's eyes." Nonetheless, he just stands ready for someone else to suggest he enter.
Jod walks back toward the rest of the group. "I don't see any footprints in the tunnel going away, either. Doesn't look like this is recently occupied."
Hannik nods at Sol and says in Hallit, "Ghroth, give him a hand"
The giant slick skinned monster slides in beside Sol and looks down offering him a toothy grin then sets two clawed hands against the door and shoves.
Sol shoves the door open quite easily, surprising himself. He and Ghroth push it wide.
Beyond is a small antechamber. To the right, a stone bench runs alongside the wall. Straight ahead a basin, filled with water, sits on a stone pedestal. To the right is another stone door, carved in relief with a hammer symbol.
"The God lends you his strength Sol, that's a good sign."
Sol detects no traps.
Sol's corded muscles push open the next door with equal ease.
Kira will follow as they move through and into the building, always keeping an eye to make sure nothing follows, and her crossbow loaded.
Mulluq enters tentatively, eyeing the symbol of the god warily. He looks almost nervous crossing the threshold, as if expecting to get struck by something for his blasphemy in entering the holy site of another god. As he does he says a little prayer, "Righteous Inheritor, this one can only beg that Torag knows I have no ill intentions upon entering his church with my most vile blood of fiends." As he prays, his tail slows its swaying, curling up defensively under the back of his cloak.
"I'm pretty sure the God has better things to do today than striking you down for your mere presense Mulluq."
Hannik shrugs, "You never know. Even Torag must have a slow day now and then."
Kira grins "Don't encourage him, or we wont hear the end of his woes."