Tess stows her dagger in the deafening silence that follows, deciding that this might not be the appropriate time to mention to Jokum that she's killed plenty of living creatures on her foster parents' farm. She wanders over to where Sorua waits with her backpack, and tucks him into the cozy satchel she'd attached for him.
"I'm ready when you are," she calls to the rest, perhaps a bit too brightly, hoping to leave before anyone suggests giving the dwarf his spellbook back.
|
Pollux stops and watches Jokum's outburst, expression slowly moving from surprise to something toeing the line between pride and annoyance. He waits a moment, nodding as Anevia says her peace.
Once he's good and ready he says to Jokum, seriously, "It'd be wise if you continued at point. You have fared better with a blade than a bow. Ce-Eshna has shown herself to be an abler archer than any of us. There is little reason to switch you two now." he watches Jokum carefully as he speaks, his words coming out delicately.
"Up you go." he says, kneeling down by Anevia and offering a piggy-back.
At Anevia's whispered advice, Jokum nods slowly. "Aye," he murmurs. "Truly we should give all back, but...I'm not sure we can hope for that right now." His eyes roam the rest of the group as they prepare for the climb. Have I burned bridges here? Or have I startled them into wakefulness?
At Pollux's suggestion, Jokum purses his lips. "Aye, I see your point," he says quietly, for Pollux's ears alone, "but I think Ce-Eshna is the better climber, and I would rather we emerged quietly. And, though I dislike saying it, I would rather send her up first and watch this dwarf myself."
|
|
Pollux chuckles, looking at Ce-Eshna. Then back up at Jokum matching his tone so that only he can hear (perhaps Anevia as well) "In regards to keeping quiet after the first person climbs up the hole... You know the second man up will be Karthak Ironbreaker, whether we want stealth or not." he gives a knowing look and then kneels lower, saying in a fuller, friendlier voice "Come Anevia, on to my back now."
Karthak listens to Jokum's outburst without a word, expression darkening when he's finished he briefly speaks:"Do as you wish with this fool. I know leaving him alone here to be a bad idea, one we'll regret sooner or later, but I won't kill him in cold blood and without a trial and I agree we have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. Give him his knife, give him rations... hell, give him back everything he had for all I care. Just know that if he tries to do harm to us or the crusade I will have reason enough to deal with him... once and for all!" so saying Karthak reaches Millorn and opens his manacles freeing him.
"Go now, and hope we won't meet again!"
When the mad dwarf leaves them Karthak adds:"Done. And Jokum... just remember one thing: Kenabres was of the crusade. Most probably crusaders are fighting and dying as we speak to defend it from the foul demons. You may have all the reasons of the world to resent the crusaders for failing Sakoris, and I'd agree with you most of the time, but I won't have anyone offending those who died in service to the struggle of the Crusdade to hold off the Abyss' maw!"
Looking at Jokum with an angry but hurt look she glaces at the dwarf one last time. In a voice near a whisper she says, "Give him whatever you like, mad or not he didn't attack this time so he's no longer my responsibility. As far as I'm concerned he's free to go as he pleases." She sheathes her blade, gathers her gear and quietly heads to the wall, not meeting anyone else's eyes, trying to hide what shes feeling.
She begins her climb.
After climbing for 60 feet, the shaft levels out and heads northwest for approximately 2,500 feet (a 30-minute walk for your injured.)
The tunnel opens into a large cavern, about seventy feet across. Cylindrical rock formations along the walls arch up to make a dome like chamber, but the walls and floor are riddled with cracks. At the center of the cave, a stone tower that may once have reached the fifty-foot-high ceiling has collapsed onto its side.
Two people seem to be focusing on slowly and carefully digging through the tower's rubble, wary of causing accidental collapse. Now and then they call out, and a muffled voice in the rubble answers back.
Moving as quietly as she can the sylph creeps closer.
And tries to see what she can see.
Jokum sighs as he sees Ce-Eshna's worry. Another one I will have to talk to later. For now, though, we seem to be moving...hopefully it's in the right direction. He watches the others head up the shaft, then follows them up himself.
Once at the top of the shaft, Jokum will happily move forward to take point, if no one has any objections. Seeing the ruined tower up ahead, he halts, and nods at Pollux's suggestion of a plan. He squats as Ce-Eshna moves on ahead, greatsword drawn, ready to rush in if need be.
Karthak waits with the others, while unhappy with the situation he decides to prove Pollux wrong and concentrates on the activity of the two cave dwellers.
After all has calmed down all Xaivan can do is think to himself, Wow, for once I didn't get into any trouble! See what looking out for yourself will do? However the more he thinks about what was said the more he realizes that he is tied to the group's fate. He may even have skills that could be the difference.
Xaivan moves up to the man and begins to talk quietly when he gets the chance. Jokum, umm, nice... speech? Look, I'm just trying to get out of here alive, ya know? I'm not a crusader, I'm not looking to defend or fight anything. All that aside, I think I can at least help everyone get out of here somehow. Xaivan tries to look at the troubled man with serious but understanding eyes. Maybe I could be the guy that scouts ahead. I'm small, I'm quiet... I'm quite used to being out of sight and such when needed. That girl, she's not stable I don't think. If she goes off on something we could have another problem like we did here, the battle of the dwarves and all that. The halfling smiles, trying to inject a little humor into the conversation and lighten the mood.
Anyway, I'll do whatever ya want. Just thought I'd offer since it seems we're on good terms at the moment. OK? After saying his piece the rogue will fall into line wherever he is needed.
Later, as the two people are spotted he'll look to Jokum again, You want me to go up there with her? You know, just in case?
If so,
Jokum nods at Xaivan with a smile. This one, at least, I managed to reach, he thinks. When Xaivan offers to accompany Ce-Eshna, he nods. "Porbably a good idea," he whispers.
She refuses to meet his eyes if he goes with her but would whisper to him.
Tess's shoulders slump when she catches the the barely-concealed quavering in the sylph's voice. You were my heroine.... What has happened to you, Ce-Eshna?
----
The girl sticks with the rest of the group after they notice the people digging.
The fallen tower strikes her as something from a harrowing deck- or was it reminiscent of a sketch in one of her schoolbooks?
Jokum, in the main tunnel, strains his ears, though he's probably too far back to notice anything.
The people ahead seem unaware of your approach. The tower seems to have recently collapsed, perhaps during the tremors that brought you down into this dark place. There is a sizable pile of debris that have been shifted away from where they are currently working.
Xaivan will continue to move closer, trying to make out if these people are human or whatever. He'll also see if he recognizes any of them or can here what they are saying. Seems someone is trapped in the rubble! Last thing we need is more injured to care for but we should probably help.
Still unable to make out details she creeps as close as she can.
Looking more closely Ce-Notice that while the men appear human at first glance they seem to have parts from a verity of animals.
Tess cranes her neck, peering over and around to try to get a closer view while they wait for Ce-Eshna and Xavian to finish scouting and return. I wonder if there's something interesting they can see?
Xaivan looks at Ce-Eshna with a look of wonder on his face. WHo, or better yet what, are these people? Xaivan will try to get a better look and try to listen to the language they are using.
Unsure about what's unfolding under his eyes and still decided to prove Pollux wrong the dwarf waits in the shadows while Xavian approaches.
The men are speaking in strangely accented but quite eloquent Common.
Seeing that they are working to free someone trapped the young sylph can't help herself, she moves forward, "Do you need some help?"
Seeing that Ce-Eshna has blown their cover, Jokum sighs and strides forward into the light. He doesn't say anything--just make sure he's a big presence, with greatsword still out and eyes on the strange humanoids.
Xaivan will stay hidden if he can, allowing the girl and Jokum handle the situation with diplomacy. I hope they pose no threat, I'm tired of fighting.
The two mongrels drop into defensive stances at your approach but are not aggressive. One of the mongrels is a hunchbacked woman named Dyra, her face so warped by tumors that she's incapable of intelligible speech. The second is a man named Lann, and he does the talking for the two.
Lann is a tall, thin creature with a face that melds the features of an attractive elven man, a goat, and a lizardfolk. His oversized fingers end in dull, spadelike talons.
He greets you in a raspy voice, "If your intentions are ill, we ask you to move on and leave us in peace. If they are good, then perhaps you can help. As you can see, misfortune has befallen us."
In more ways than one from the looks of it. Xaivan can't help but be startled by the appearances of the two strangers. I wonder what the third one looks like!
Xaivan steps out from the shadows and walks toward the other visible party members. I don't see why we shouldn't help. Whoever is under there could be in a serious way. The small halfling then looks to Jokum for confirmation.
Jokum nods slowly to Xaivan, not taking his eyes off Lann and Dyra. "Indeed," he says clearly, "we have no wish to harm you. Do you have a companion trapped beneath the rubble there?"
What are these? Half-men, half-beast...it's monstrous. Jokum shudders.
Karthak scoffs:"If our intentions were ill we would not be talking now. We mean no harm as long as you do the same. Explain who you are and what happened here. We might be able to help you... if your cause is worthwhile"
The man, Lann, seem surprised to find such helpful people down here in the caves. "Just one is trapped, Crel has been down there for nearly a full day. I don't know how much longer he can last."
Aravashnial and Aneiva come out into the open, Hargus keeping close behind. Aravashnial chimes in"These must be the decedents of the 1st crusaders. Their ancestors must have carved those statues we say before!"
The mongrels have cleared away enough rubble away that only one large rock remains wedged in place above the small space in which Crel is trapped.
Karthak volunteers to help as soon as he realizes the two don't really mean any harm to the party:"Let's do this, then! On the count of 3! One! Two! Three!"
Xaivan will try to assist in this matter as best as the little guy can.
However he really isn't very useful, even as far as halflings go.
Tess nods, her eyes wide with wonder at Aravashnial's words. "But... Why would descendants of the first crusaders have such strange mutations?" she murmurs to herself.
The rock is large and imposing, and the bookish waif makes sure to keep Sorua out of the way as the rest gather to lift it. She gives Dyra and Lann a once-over, looking for any injuries that may have occurred in their haste to free their friend. "Were the two of you harmed in the rockslide? Has Crel expressed a need for medical attention during his entrapment? I'll do my best to attend to him; what an awful fate to be buried alive for two days!"
Her voice and manner are as calm and reassuring as she can be. For once, Tess doesn't feel shy at meeting these new people: they're as visibly different as she is.
Stepping in between Karthak and Xaivan, Jokum leans down to grasp the base of the rock.
Straining against it, he calls over his shoulder, "Pollux! Hargus! Ce-Eshna! Lend a hand!"
Hargus begrugingly moves over and takes his place on the stone to "help". Mutter about the freaks and that it may just be a mercy to leave this one under a rock where it belongs...
He strains with the rest of the group and seems to do some small part.
Looking about, Ce-Eshna tries to find something to use for leverage. She then proceeds to heave as much as possible with the rest.
Everyone strains at the massive rock, some contributing more than others but the stubborn stone remains where it lies.