As Hamar eyes some of the relics in the tomb he is surprised by the voice that echoes in the tomb from nowhere.
Reflexively he draws his scimitars, "Another foe?!" He scans the room trying to locate the new target for his blades.
As Justin lifts the crystal, the magic flares and dies. Whatever the spell was, it is broken now. At first, nothing happens, then there is a glowing yellow light that kindles in the skull's eye sockets. A voice sounds out in the room
"Oh gods below, I've been in stasis for centuries, haven't I?"
"Umm,..." Justin quickly hides the now-useless dome behind his back.
"If the state of the world above is any indication,... quite likely, yes." Justin replies, surprised at his own calm. He must really be worse off than he originally thought.
"Okay, It talks. I admit I wasn't expecting that. So,... exactly who, or what, are you?" Justin asks, his hand slowly reaching into a pocket for the diamond dust required to cast a Stoneskin spell. (Belatedly realizing that it may have been under a stasis spell for reasons besides keeping the dust off.)
The skull's eye flames flare. It starts speaking, mostly to itself
"It was that stupid demon giant Thakhotis. He must have caught Verranos trying to sneak into his grandfather's temple. I TOLD him it was a bad idea! But, who listens to a rock head like me? I've only been around for 500 years, but wizards always think they know best..."
The skull breaks off his semi-whiny monologue and turns to Justin
"Please excuse me, I'm a little scattered now. My name is Memnon. I was an ... Assistant to a powerful wizard. He had inherited me from his family, I had been helping them for generations. I'm sure their family is still well-known in Mov, if the temple didn't assassinate them all. You can look forward to a generous reward, I'm sure. "
The skull levitates off the stand a half meter and spins about
"Are we in a tomb? "
Hamar turns to Justin, "Do I attack it?"
...
"I would return to Hanalindali if I could choose my fate." she says, surprised at her own calm.
The small green-furred elephant-fox-squirrel thing with the three eyes reaches out and touches her hand
So be it
There is a sensation of falling, then darkness. Some while later, Rhiannon awakes. She is in the courtyard where they planted Lauralia. Her body is sitting with her back to Lauralia's trunk. Although it was less than a year ago, the young godling had grown to the size of a tree that had seen a century. A shady canopy stretched over Rhiannon in a blue-green wave. She sits up, suddenly realizing she is naked. A lovely voice suddenly sounds out
"Greetings, Noble Rhiannon. Lauralia told me you would be arriving today"
Lady Meralindiel stands a few meters from Rhiannon, resplendent in a blue silk gown. Several others in servant livery or guard equipment flank her, carrying bundles
"I took the liberty of bringing you some clothing. As you are a great warrior, I have also brought arms and armor for you. I hope I am not too presumptuous, but they are my guard's colors"
She smiles radiantly
"I would consider it a signal honor if you would accept a commission in my guards"
Knowledge arcana Seph on the crystal skull
1d20+20
It looks an awful lot like those Mimir skulls that are very sought after by wizards in Sigil
Karrin says nothing as Justin and Hamar say their piece but does her best to show that she heard their worlds. They don't feel like they mean much at this point but she's thankful that her friends, new and old, are here to comfort her.
"We are not leaving you here Rhiannon," Karrin says as the other leave to explore, "I don't know where you wanted to be buried, can't say the topic ever came up, but you're not staying here amongst the dead. We'll put you somewhere nice where you can see a field, maybe where you can watch some horses. I'm sorry we never talked much about where you were from, and I don't know if you have family back home, but we'll find a place for you."
Nari will stay behind with Karrin and help to respectfully wrap up Rhiannon's body so they can lay her to rest properly.
"No wait I think thats a Mimir Skull there kind of a bit like familiars.....I think?" Seph after shifting to humanoid form.
Taking it all in Rhiannon takes a deep breath of the fresh air, a smile creeping across her face. With an elegant bow she replies. "It would be an honor My Lady, and thanks you." she says stepping forward towards the servants holding clothing.
A new life and a new purpose. There wasn't much more one could ask.
The skull levitates off the stand a half meter and spins about
"Are we in a tomb? "
Hamar turns to Justin, "Do I attack it?"
"No wait I think thats a Mimir Skull there kind of a bit like familiars.....I think?" Seph after shifting to humanoid form.
Justin looks back and forth.
"Yes. No. What? NO! Wait a minute!"
Justin holds up his hands, realizes he is still holding the crystal dome, puts it down, and addresses the skull.
"Yes, we are in a tomb. Hold that thought."
He turns to Hamar, "No. I don't think so. If Seph is right anyway."
He turns to Seph. "Thank you Seph, that explains a lot."
Justin turns back to the skull.
"Ok, I think we need to talk. Um, to start with, You gave me your name Memnon. I am Justin. Pleased to meet you." He says, adding the politeness out of habit.
The skull bobs up and down
"Pleased to meet you, Justin. Who is your hirsute companion and your cat friends?"
Memnon turns to the overturned sarcophagus lid and regards the figure embossed upon the front.
"Ah, old horn dog himself. I am glad I have come to see him dead and buried. He was such a wanker."
Frowning at the glowing hovering, talking skull, Blayze hesitantly re-holsters her gun as she watches the discussion unfold.
"Yes, we delivered him a second death not long ago strange talking skull".
Hamar pauses and looks to the others with him seemingly at a loss, "This is the strangest conversation I have ever had". He shrugs and heads to the scimitar he eyed in the pile taking a closer look to see if it is something that may be worthy of replacing the blades he already utilizes.
"Your not the only one,..." Justin agrees with Hamar.
"Well Memnon, The large burly fellow with a penchant for beheading mummies is Hamar. The Felines are Merle and Seph, and the young lady is our new, friend, Blayze."
"The rest of our party is upstairs. I'm glad to hear that your don't mind 'tall dark and gruesome; being re-dead-ed. Cuz he was certainly a jerk in my book. Unfortunately he took one of ours with him before we could cut him down to size." Justin slips with a thick voice. He clears his throat before continuing.
"So, tell me about you Memnon. You mentioned something about 'Verranos being caught sneaking in' by Thakhotis? I presume that Verranos was your previous,... owner? Friend? You said you were an assistant to the wizard. What exactly did you do?,..."
Even as Justin speaks a blue-white glow begins to emanate from Blayze's eyes as she quietly studies the skull.
Even as Justin speaks a blue-white glow begins to emanate from Blayze's eyes as she quietly studies the skull.
The skull seems to not be evil
Dust. Pain. Weariness.
Arnav had been making his way through this accursed haunted city for almost a day since his party had been ambushed. His strangely-mottled skin bore the marks where claws and teeth had marked him . He had escaped, barely, as the strange masked ghosts carried Blayze off and butchered the others.
He had found a building to shelter in until the massive skeleton horde that had overwhelmed him dispersed to wherever animate bones go to rest. With just a vague idea of where Blayze had been taken, he made a vow to find her or avenge her.
Returning to the battle scene to ensure his friends were not doomed to rise as undead, he stood and turned the direction the ghosts had gone, putting the funeral pyre to his broad back.
Taking up an easy lope, Arnav headed towards the distant cluster of huge buildings at the dead city's center. Reasoning that any evil intelligence would desire an opulent lair, he slowly made his way forward, careful to break his passage with side streets and occasional entry into hiding spots.
The dead were everywhere. Even the weakest of creatures were often encountered in packs that beggared the imagination. The skeletons that the ghosts had used to destroy his party had been easy to kill, but they had literally overwhelmed them, so thick that Arnav had been almost unable to move. Here on the open streets mummified zombies shuffled down the street in packs of hundreds, their grey skin stretched tight over moaning skull faces. They were not the worst.
Ghosts prowled the air, hard to spot and harder to evade. Arnav prayed they would not converge on him, but some power looked out for him, he slowly made his way to the city's center.
As he arrived at a massive plaza, limned in the ghostly light this accursed planet's skull-shaped moon beamed down constnatly, he heard shoutings, roars and screams coming from a massive black temple. He races towards it, hearing gunshots echo in the still, dead air.
"Blayze" He breathed, picking his speed up as he raced the last few meters up the tall bank of stairs to the temple's massive doors.
Inside he is just fast enough to see a massive shape tumble to the ground, surrounded by smaller figures. He slows, ducking behind a pilar to asses the situation. He sees Blayze and several others, but they quickly duck into some area hidden from him. The other figures are clustered around something, some crying. Whatever battle had been going on, it seems to be finished, and not entirely happily.
Even as Justin speaks a blue-white glow begins to emanate from Blayze's eyes as she quietly studies the skull.
The skull turns to Blayze
"Well hell-O!"
The skull's eyes seem to glow brighter.
"Don't worry. I am not evil ... unless asked nicely."
The skull floats a bit closer to the gun-weilding paladin
"What's a beautiful woman like you doing in a tomb like this?"
As he approaches, he calls out with his raspy voice, "Blayze, it's Arnav." The thing that comes around the corner is unpleasant looking. With flesh and stone wrapped in mail and covered in powdered bone and blood too fresh to come from the undead. He carries a long blade of green crystal, but held over his shoulder.
He'll pause as he comes into view, "I'm glad you survived. I don't think anybody else did." Looking at the others, "Good to meet you." As his eyes drop to the corpse, he adds, "I wish I could have been quicker."
People will notice that he does look people over with a discerning eye. He's been around some. While her notices the skull, after a quick glance he dismisses it.
When we last saw Arnav...
As the crew was healing up, there was a rumble from the distance. Arnav charged around the corner. Before him was a crumbling stone bridge. Beyond that, there was a horde coming. A wall of bone with no purpose but to rend living flesh. There was no pause as he rose to the crest of the bridge, holding the choke point. He braced himself for the onslaught. The bridge was narrow enough for him to guard, but there were dozens of skeletons coming. Each swing felled one of them, but there were so many.
Behind him was the crack of bullets and glow of spells as they fought against a threat from some other direction. He couldn't see what they fought. Perhaps one in twenty got past him. It soon lessened as the bones piled around him and made it harder for them to pass through. As the other battle finished, he could see Blayze coming to help him.
That was when a crack louder than any bullet ran through the bridge. It was too much for the old stone and he fell. Looking down into the crevasse, a hundred feet down it was filled with dust. A torch was dropped, and it quickly went out as it slipped into the fine powder like water.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Even as Justin speaks a blue-white glow begins to emanate from Blayze's eyes as she quietly studies the skull.
The skull turns to Blayze
"Well hell-O!"
The skull's eyes seem to glow brighter.
"Don't worry. I am not evil ... unless asked nicely."
The skull floats a bit closer to the gun-weilding paladin
"What's a beautiful woman like you doing in a tomb like this?"
"Oi! Manners!" Justin reaches out and taps the crystal skull on the back of the head.
(He's not entirely sure why he did that. Other than he's maybe jealous that the skull is stealing his lines?)
Justin reaches out and gently lifts the skull UP a few inches, so Memnon is staring at Blayze's face.
"Her eyes are up here."
Even as Justin speaks a blue-white glow begins to emanate from Blayze's eyes as she quietly studies the skull.
The skull turns to Blayze
"Well hell-O!"
The skull's eyes seem to glow brighter.
"Don't worry. I am not evil ... unless asked nicely."
The skull floats a bit closer to the gun-weilding paladin
"What's a beautiful woman like you doing in a tomb like this?"
"Oi! Manners!" Justin reaches out and taps the crystal skull on the back of the head.
(He's not entirely sure why he did that. Other than he's maybe jealous that the skull is stealing his lines?)
Justin reaches out and gently lifts the skull UP a few inches, so Memnon is staring at Blayze's face.
"Her eyes are up here."
The skull swivels back to Justin
"And HOW was I rude? I was merely introducing myself to your companion. Is she your wife or something? I see no ring on her finger. "
Memnon's eye flames flash red
"and hands off the merchandise, bub! I have a lot of spells I could cast on you, so if you like being a mammal with opposable thumbs I suggest you mind YOUR manners."
The skull makes a huffing noise and turns back to Blayze
"Wizards. You'd think all that book knowledge would translate into some common sense, but nooooo. They're a lot of robe-wearing secret-handshake live-action-ritual-playing ninnies if you ask me. Now, give me a straight-shooting warrior maid any day..."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Wizards. You'd think all that book knowledge would translate into some common sense, but nooooo. They're a lot of robe-wearing secret-handshake live-action-ritual-playing ninnies if you ask me. Now, give me a straight-shooting warrior maid any day..."
"Thank you Ive been saying that sort of thing forrrrrRRRRRRRRWWWWWOOOOOOWWWWRRRR...." Merle kind of cut off as Seph 'accidently' stamps on her tail causing her to practicly jump to the roof.
"So you know a lot about spells then?" Seph having his curiosity get the better of him and prefering to focus on this rather than what happend up stairs.
As Hamar lifts the scimitar from the pile he chuckles at the skulls assessment of wizards.
He draws the blade from its scabbard to feel its weight and ascertain if it has any designs of interest.
"Wizard, this blade is magical yes, know you its properties? Or what about you skull, you were buried here with these treasures, what do you know of their function?"
Justin raises an eyebrow.
"Really? Know a lot of spells do you? NOW your talking my language. Although I'd be very interested in knowing how you'd cast them without thumbs or fingers of your own."
"Live-action-secret-ritual-ninnies indeed. I wasn't stuck in a display case for a few thousand years." He looks at the Skull with renewed interest.
"Yeah Hamar, give me a minute, I'll see what I can figure out about that blade. UNless our floating expert here would like to give it whirl?" He gestures at Memnon.
The skull huffs again
"I don't need fingers. I've got fire beam eyes. Don't you forget it"
Memnon looks at the scimitar
"I know that blade. The ancient Nargol folk called it 'Mevrigian'. That loosely translated to 'Guillotine'. It's blade was so fine it could slice a person's head clean off with a well-placed blow. It was carried by Ferneth the Strong during the Consolidation Wars when the Nargol resisted the Abyssal Alliance and were exterminated"
"So you know a lot about spells then?" Seph having his curiosity get the better of him and prefering to focus on this rather than what happend up stairs.
Memnon nodded
"Oh sure! You don't pal around with wizards for centuries without picking up a little this and that. "
Hamar looks at the blade and grins, "Wizard, can you sharpen the edges of this blade with your magic? Such a wondrous blade with a rich history... Or perhaps you can grow me a third arm?!" The Barbarians eyes light up with the thought of wielding three mighty blades.
"Um, Well Hamar. I do know of a couple of spells that can grant different forms. I just don't know of any three-armed humanoids to change you into. But if we discover one,... I could probably manage to change you into it for a few minutes. A 4-armed ape or something similar should still let you wield weapons as you usually do.(?)"
"Memnon, AM I understanding you correctly? You have FIVE HUNDRED years of magical knowledge from working with various wizards?!? So you know Metamagic, Item enchantment, and spells?!?"
Justin seems suitably impressed with the thought. (His eyes are wide as he tries to figure out how much knowledge he could gather in such a length of time.)
'I think I just found my new best friend!'
"Memnon. How would you like to be the assistant of a planar-traveling wizard?"
Justin glances at the others.
"And company."
Inside he is just fast enough to see a massive shape tumble to the ground, surrounded by smaller figures. He slows, ducking behind a pilar to asses the situation. He sees Blayze and several others, but they quickly duck into some area hidden from him. The other figures are clustered around something, some crying. Whatever battle had been going on, it seems to be finished, and not entirely happily.
Blayze looks at the floating skull with a looks that seemed part amusement. At Justin's comment flicker of a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. Apparently even on a world of the dead, some thing never changed.
"What am I doing here? Trying not to become food for any of the millions of vile monsters roaming around at any given moment. And he's right sparky, eye contact'll go a long way."
"Um, Well Hamar. I do know of a couple of spells that can grant different forms. I just don't know of any three-armed humanoids to change you into. But if we discover one,... I could probably manage to change you into it for a few minutes. A 4-armed ape or something similar should still let you wield weapons as you usually do.(?)"
"Memnon, AM I understanding you correctly? You have FIVE HUNDRED years of magical knowledge from working with various wizards?!? So you know Metamagic, Item enchantment, and spells?!?"
Justin seems suitably impressed with the thought. (His eyes are wide as he tries to figure out how much knowledge he could gather in such a length of time.)
'I think I just found my new best friend!'
"Memnon. How would you like to be the assistant of a planar-traveling wizard?"
Justin glances at the others.
"And company."
The skull makes a hem hawing sound
"Weeeeeeel, I know quite a bit about the theory of things. Oh, and I know a lot about potion making. And if a nice wizard swaps bodies with me I can even make them for him"
"As for the assistant gig: How much do I get paid?"
Blayze looks at the floating skull with a looks that seemed part amusement. At Justin's comment flicker of a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. Apparently even on a world of the dead, some thing never changed.
"What am I doing here? Trying not to become food for any of the millions of vile monsters roaming around at any given moment. And he's right sparky, eye contact'll go a long way."
The floating skull doesn't have capillaries, but Blayze gets the distinct impression he's blushing
"Yes, well, I'm sorry. In my defense, I've been stuck in a demon giant's tomb for a long time. I shall try not to ogle so blatantly "
The skull makes a hem hawing sound
"Weeeeeeel, I know quite a bit about the theory of things. Oh, and I know a lot about potion making. And if a nice wizard swaps bodies with me I can even make them for him"
"As for the assistant gig: How much do I get paid?"
Justin gives the floating crystal skull a knowing look.
(All of a sudden the Magic Jar aura of the skull starts to make sense.)
"I'm presuming that this 'swap' would have to be allowed voluntarily? And that the 'nice wizard' involved should word his permission carefully? So as to avoid any 'misunderstandings' regarding the length of time said swap should be allowed to last?" Justin asks Memnon. His smirk barely visible.
"Well Master Theory-Crafter. It just so happens That I am NOT looking for an instructor to teach me more powerful spells. I AM in the market for an able and knowledgeable assistant to work with me in the research of new spells, and the creation of magic items. Including potions. You seem to be available. I'm not certain what you would need with money,... but I'll bite. What are you asking for?"
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Yes, well, I'm sorry. In my defense, I've been stuck in a demon giant's tomb for a long time. I shall try not to ogle so blatantly "
Justin manages to bite his tongue on this one. Blayze had just politely put the crystal Mimir in his place far better than any snarky comment HE could make.
And, in Memnon's defense, Blayze was quite ogle-able.
He should probably warn him about Karrin before they met.
He will turn into the room to look over the people, "Blayze, it's Arnav." The thing that comes around the corner is unpleasant looking. With flesh and stone wrapped in mail and covered in powdered bone and blood too fresh to come from the undead. He carries a long blade of green crystal, but held over his shoulder.
The skull makes a hem hawing sound
"Weeeeeeel, I know quite a bit about the theory of things. Oh, and I know a lot about potion making. And if a nice wizard swaps bodies with me I can even make them for him"
"As for the assistant gig: How much do I get paid?"
Justin gives the floating crystal skull a knowing look.
(All of a sudden the Magic Jar aura of the skull starts to make sense.)
"I'm presuming that this 'swap' would have to be allowed voluntarily? And that the 'nice wizard' involved should word his permission carefully? So as to avoid any 'misunderstandings' regarding the length of time said swap should be allowed to last?" Justin asks Memnon. His smirk barely visible.
"Well Master Theory-Crafter. It just so happens That I am NOT looking for an instructor to teach me more powerful spells. I AM in the market for an able and knowledgeable assistant to work with me in the research of new spells, and the creation of magic items. Including potions. You seem to be available. I'm not certain what you would need with money,... but I'll bite. What are you asking for?"
Memnon snickers
"Any wizard who doesn't know how to word his permissions deserves whatever he gets. And yes, it is voluntary. I don't body-snatch. I leave that to the Necromancer's Guild. "
The purple skull pauses, considering the second part
"Well, honestly I am flattered by the offer, and I haven't been off the Prime since forever, but I do have a long-standing relationship with the F'Mirlan family. I don't know if they still live in Mov after all this time, but I should at least make an effort to contact them. Is this tomb near Mov? I am surprised old Horny would have consented to some out-of-the-way tomb spot. I would have thought Thakhotis would have been buried in the Temple of..."
Memnon's eye flames flicker
"Temple of ... Temple of... That is strange. I have never actually forgotten anything before. In fact, I would have thought it impossible, but I cannot recall Thakhotis' grandfather's name. Not something easily forgotten.."
He goes silent as the eye flames recede to pinpoints in his eye sockets
Hamar turns to the skull as he clips the new scimitar onto his belt trying to adjust it so it does not interfere with his movement, "Live? On the surface? Nothing is alive up there. Before you stand the few living beings on this Godsforsaken planet.
Come, it is time to start transporting all of these goods back up, then begin moving. The dead are bound to stumble upon us again if we remain stationary".
Justin nods. He seems genuinely to sympathize with the crystal Mimir.
"Don't worry. It's not just you. That ties in with what we've found here today. Seems a very powerful Power ticked off enough other Powers to get himself erased from existence. It didn't erase knowledge of what went on around him it seems, just actual knowledge of himself. The fact that you know he was Jerk-faces' grandfather is more than we've discovered. What we have is a lot documents and murals with blank spots in them. Some demon-ghosts seem to be trying to put the pieces together by looking for the holes in history. Filling in the blanks by what is left around them. And yes, demon-ghosts is ANOTHER mystery we're trying to unravel."
Justin gestures around them.
"This tomb is located underneath an ancient Cathedral. Presumably dedicated to 'him'. The world itself is long dead. By 'LOng' I mean as in centuries. And by 'Dead' I mean completely dead. The only non-dead here are the UNdead. If this city is 'Mov', then unless the F'Mirlan family are vampires or other intelligent undead, I'm afraid that they, and everyone else, are long-gone."
Justin suddenly looks abashed,
"I'm sorry Memnon. I wasn't thinking. That's a heck of a way to find out. But I honestly don't think there's anyone left to contact. Not on THIS world anyway."
Hamar turns to the skull as he clips the new scimitar onto his belt trying to adjust it so it does not interfere with his movement, "Live? On the surface? Nothing is alive up there. Before you stand the few living beings on this Godsforsaken planet.
Come, it is time to start transporting all of these goods back up, then begin moving. The dead are bound to stumble upon us again if we remain stationary".
Memnon's eyes flare suddenly
"Wait ... What?"
"We should leave this place. We can continue the talk later." Blayze says subconsciously rubbing her arms as she contemplates an entire world of nothing but undead.
Justin nods. He seems genuinely to sympathize with the crystal Mimir.
"Don't worry. It's not just you. That ties in with what we've found here today. Seems a very powerful Power ticked off enough other Powers to get himself erased from existence. It didn't erase knowledge of what went on around him it seems, just actual knowledge of himself. The fact that you know he was Jerk-faces' grandfather is more than we've discovered. What we have is a lot documents and murals with blank spots in them. Some demon-ghosts seem to be trying to put the pieces together by looking for the holes in history. Filling in the blanks by what is left around them. And yes, demon-ghosts is ANOTHER mystery we're trying to unravel."
Justin gestures around them.
"This tomb is located underneath an ancient Cathedral. Presumably dedicated to 'him'. The world itself is long dead. By 'LOng' I mean as in centuries. And by 'Dead' I mean completely dead. The only non-dead here are the UNdead. If this city is 'Mov', then unless the F'Mirlan family are vampires or other intelligent undead, I'm afraid that they, and everyone else, are long-gone."
Justin suddenly looks abashed,
"I'm sorry Memnon. I wasn't thinking. That's a heck of a way to find out. But I honestly don't think there's anyone left to contact. Not on THIS world anyway."
Memnon swivels to Justin
"So you are telling me that everyone on Ranäis is dead? Like, the entire world?"
His eye flames flicker
"Wow. I mean. Wow"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Memnon starts babbling to himself
"Those damn Necromancers and their dabbling in Lifeforce Energy Weapons..."
His disembodied voice rises to a shriek
"You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! G0d damn you all to hell!"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Memnon starts babbling to himself
"Those damn Necromancers and their dabbling in Lifeforce Energy Weapons..."
His disembodied voice rises to a shriek
"You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! G0d damn you all to hell!"
The party members hear a voice ring out in the darkness, calling Blayze's name. A large figure emerges from near the temple doors
"Necromancers? Lifeforce energy weapons?" Justin looks surprised.
Then he looks concerned.
"Yes, we still refer to this world as Ranais. And yes, it is completely dead. And yes, Blayze and Hamar are correct, we have been VERY lucky so far. I think the presence of the ghost-demons and Thakotsis have perhaps helped keep the hordes of lesser undead at bay. But our luck cannot last forever. We need to leave soon."
"Hamar, Blayze, would you both be so kind as to assist Merle and Seph in packing all of the items we've discovered to be magical? We can ID them later. Then feel free to fill your pockets with whatever you can carry. Oh! Better yet!"
Justin rushes up to the crawlspace entrance.
"Hey, Ekuur? Can you ask Karrin if she has any empty 'snack bags' we can borrow? There's a lot of gold and gems here I'd hate to leave. The undead don't need it. And uh, don't be alarmed, I think we made a new friend too. I'll explain when we get upstairs!"
Justin steps over to Memnon.
"Offer still stands Memnon. 'Wizard seeking knowledgeable assistant'. "
Justin glances over at Merle and Seph.
"I've uh, been thinking I could use a partner lately. Whattya say?"
Memnon lets out a sound between an sob and a sigh
"It was never truly my world, and the Syndics of the Abyss were truly epic asshats, but there were good people that lived here. I had friends. I had watched generations live, laugh, and love despite the cruelty of their culture."
The skull turns to Justin, his joking manner turned serious
"I accept conditionally. We can work the terms out later, but for now I will accompany and assist you until we reach a safe destination. Are you lot from Sigil? I would like to return there if I can."
The party members hear a voice ring out in the darkness, calling Blayze's name. A large figure emerges from near the temple doors
Karrin glances up from her work tending Rhiannon and pauses, carefully putting Rhiannon down, and picking up her ax. Karrin doesn't appear threatened, just cautious as the big man moves into the temple, but she does instinctively move in front of Nari.
"Blayze," Karrin shouts towards the shaft, keeping her eyes on the stranger, "Do you have any friends or enemies with you?"
"S'up," she says towards Arnav, "I'm Karrin Kind, maybe we all keep calm and keep our weapons down till we get everyone sorted? We just put down a giant, lost a dear friend in the process, so as you might imagine we're not exactly keen on largish strangers at the moment."