Jokum takes one look at Pollux's face, then calls out. "Tess! We have need of you!" He hands the sword to the girl as soon as he can. "See what you can find out about this. But be careful--Pollux sensed a strong magic on it."
To Karthak, he says in a low growl. "Men and women who fight under compulsion cannot be held to their enslavers' wrongs. I will not kill this man simply because he was forced into evil."
Karthak gives Jokum a long, hard look before speaking, his voice like stone grinding on stone:"Stop growling, it's unseemly. As for this wretch I didn't say we judge him, I didn't say we punish him, I didn't say we kill him. I SAID WE HAND HIM OVER TO THE OTHER MONGRELMEN, THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY HELPED US INSTEAD OF TRYING TO KILL US, AND LET THEM DECIDE ABOUT THIS ONE'S GUILT! If he did what he did under duress I'm sure they'll find an appropriate penance and won't kill him outright. But they are more qualified than we are to mete out justice. And before you tell me we don't have time... I would agree, but FORTUNATELY their main camp is a mere 5 minutes walk from here!"
The girl carefully turns the blade over in her hands as Sorua noses out of his pouch and onto her shoulder to investigate. She smiles at him, then murmurs and gestures at the sword, her own detect magic spell activating.
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"It might not even be magic at all. Perhaps Alchemy!" Pollux says in a self assured voice. Having clearly determined what this sword has cast on it, he takes the hilt in one hand and places another on the scabbard, brushing Tess's hand lightly. Looking at Tess's face, he adds, "it will not hurt us."
He then draws the blade out of it.
The church was happy to see Yaniel go, and in the 2 years that followed, she was thought to have been slain. Yet when she returned to Kenabres in 4694 AR, leading a small army of crusaders she'd rescued, both Yaniel and her superiors had changed. For her part, Yaniel had shed her pride and insubordination, and had gained a new appreciation for the difficult decisions leaders are forced to make. And the church leaders had learned that sometimes the truth is exactly what you need to hear. Alas, Yaniel was assassinated before the year was out, slain by the lilitu demon Minagho only a week into her second personal crusade. Her followers managed to return to Kenabres with Radiance, but Yaniel's body had been taken. The sword had gone dark after Yaniel's death, its magical powers apparently lost or dormant, and so the crusaders elected to place it in the Gray Garrison on display.
Yet several months ago it was stolen by the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth, who plan to soon send the sword north to Drezen for corruption into a weapon of evil.
"Your no better than the other crusaders! Liars who break into our homes and kill us without mercy, yet when I give myself up to you, and give you what it is you want, you go back on your words! Uplander filth! The gods will have their justice one day!"
Jokum opens his mouth to snarl a retort to Karthak. You challenge ME for pack-dominance?! I will rend your throat... Suddenly, something the dwarf says stops him short. Growling...why AM I growling? A cold knot of fear enters his stomach. All this time underground...it's starting again. It's coming back, trying to take control. I need to be vigilant. I need to keep them safe from me.
The mongrelman's bitter exclamation, however, pulls him back into the present moment. He shakes himself slightly, then frowns at Karthak and the mongrel both.
"Silence. Karthak, Pollux and I have given this man our word, and we will not renege it. If that seems foolish to you, so be it. I have bound myself, and..." he shudders slightly, "I am not sure we do have time to stop. We must make for the surface as soon as possible. It isn't far. You--" He turns to the mongrelman. "What is your name? And do you know a way out of these caves?"
Turning to the others, he calls, "We need to move. Gather what you would take; if there's anything--" He starts when he sees Pollux draw the shining sword, and moves toward him, but seeing nothing untoward happen, he stops and eyes it warily. "What were you two able to discover?"
The girl quickly breaks eye contact from the preacher, feeling her dissimilar cheeks warming slightly. The fox alight on her shoulder senses her discomfort and pushes a wet nose against her face curiously, but she merely straightens her glasses and strokes the red, bushy tail that drapes over one arm.
Having collected herself, Tess looks on intently as Pollux draws the sword, and nods in satisfaction as nothing else seems to happen. At Jokum's query, she shyly explains the origin of the sword, pointing out several symbols on the scabbard in Pollux's off-hand. "They've displayed it in the church for years, but I've never seen it up-close-- This is Radiance, the sword of the great paladin Yaniel!"
Tess relates the story of Yaniel and her crusades, including her reconciliation with the church and her untimely demise. "It's been nearly two years, and Radiance has been dim ever since Yaniel's death. I don't know what powers it once had-- I mean, I know quite a bit, but this is complex magic..."
Her mood had turned somber as she recalled the devastating loss to the crusade and her own failure to understand the sword. "I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, it's still a beautiful blade. I guess now we know who stole it from the Gray Garrison-- these men and women must be the so-called Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth... Or their grunts, anyway."
She stands fairly quietly as the men and mongrels trade scathing remarks, never having been the quickest with wordplay, but dissolves into snorts of muffled laughter at the mongrelman's latest exclamation.
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Pollux hides the devastation at having been so off on his analysis of the blade, but comments anyways. "And what a blade it is." he says, his face full of wonder. "We should return it to the surface, I am sure someone will find it useful. More than a weapon, it is a symbol of Man's struggle against all that dare bubble out of the crack in this world, hungry to be smote down by the wrath of the righteous."
Pollux sheathes the sword once more and looks at the Mongrelman. "Why the gods have had their justice already, sirrah. Is it not obvious? Your demon worshipping friends are happily roasting in Hell, flayed on the spires of that great city Dis for the Erinyes to play in their entrails. Trust me their suffering will be legendary. However you have escaped such punishment. You alone stand ready to be redeemed. It is no accident that you have lived. Oh, it never is really. So rise, mongrelman, and stand among the agents of your redemption. Cast in the name of God, ye are not guilty."
He looks at Jokum, eyebrow raising almost playfully. "And answer my friend here's questions." he says, speaking again to the Mongrelman, "What is your name? How can we get back to the surface?"
While Karthak prepares a barbed retort for Jokum Pollux starts his sermon about Hell demons and so on, and the dwarf cannot but groan and put an hand on his face:"Perfect... now he goes on a tirade about the justice to be found in Hell... and these fools have given their word... which forms a sacred bond despite the other party being obviously a black hearted felon... Torag give me strength but I'll have to go along with this foolishness!"
"Herrmh... whatever. Since these two... fellows... have given you their word I shall not press the matter... you are in luck... but hear me and hear me well: repent of your ways or you will surely pay the price of your wickedness... and that's a promise!"
Then the dwarf turns to the others:"I think us twarting the enemy plan was no coincidence at all. Our plight certainly serves an higher purpose! Now we found this marvelous weapon of justice and learned about the enemies plans and hiding places. We shall find them and cleanse them by fire and sword as soon as possible! I suggest we get moving now. I doubt this one will prove useful... let him go if you gave your word, and be done with him!"
The last thing I came looking for in this city was some noble quest and higher purpose. Xaivan takes a deep breath as he thinks about the grand task that seems to have been thrust upon his slight shoulders. Yeah, lets get out of here.
"I'm called Hisputh if you must have my name. Little good it might do you. The fastest way to the surface would to take the north door from the sleeping chamber, through to trophy hall up an old ladder and then past the upper guard post through the maze." He shudders at the mention of the maze. "Its nothing difficult to get through; just meant to slow down anyone who wasn't welcomed. We kept rats in there once, to keep uplanders out, but she," He gestures at the dead woman "brought something else to keep in there. The screams were terrible, echoing down the tunnels..."
We were so close up there... Jokum thinks bitterly. We should never have headed down to these caves.
Aloud, he says, "Very well--we go back up then." He strides toward the rope. "Hisputh--what manner of screams did you hear? And that woman who fled this way--does she act under compulsion too? And if not, what sort of tactics might she try? Come on, everyone, we're wasting time."
"The kind that wake you from your deepest sleep, the kind that comes from sentient creatures slowly and painfully dying. She chose to follow the Uplanders, I imagine she fled to the surface to gather aid."
Hisputh will move to the kitchens to pick through any supplies you may have left.
Lets take the rations and get out of here.
Jokum clambers up the rope after Pollux and Karthak, waving the others up behind him.
"Come quickly," he calls. "The sooner we're in the open air again, the better." And the sooner I can rid myself of this...curse.
Karthak gives shrugs and points at the door:"Good thinking. Now open the door and teach them a lesson, fearless leader!" finishes the dwarf with a laugh.
Pollux opens the north-east door of this chamber and almost immediately regrets it. This narrow hallway slopes downward steeply. The walls are stained with foul- smelling streaks of refuse. A mound of rotting garbage lies heaped at the far end of the hallway.
Jokum's nostrils flare in protest as Pollux opens the door. "Bah! If there's nothing down there but trash, shut the door and let us continue upward. The smell is...horrible."
The weight of all the rock above him suddenly seems very real, very present. Jokum closes his eyes and, using his sixth sense, locates the sun, far above him, turning his face to it and imagining he can feel its beams.
So far from home and safety...as long as I do not hurt them, we should be all right.
Tess follows, shy once more.
"Satisfied?" asks the dwarf in a mocking tone
Once Pollux's curiosity is satisfied Karthak moves towards the room whence the cultists who previously ambushed the party came:"So... this way, I guess?"
Ce-Eshna nods and nocks an arrow, moving up to the door.
Jokum nods grimly as the others prepare to move forward. "Onward. Upward." He draws his sword and pulls open the door.
he worked stone walls of this large room hold a number of shelves, each of which display the preserved bodies of dire rats, bats, rock vipers, cave lizards, and other creatures that pose in eerie stillness. A pair of bedrolls have been laid out to the southeast.
There is a door leading off to the east and in an alcove in the north of the room a round hole has been carved leading to another chamber above. An old rusted iron ladder leads up to the hole.
Up? Xaivan will take a quick look around as he moves toward the ladder.
Karthak makes a disgusted face as he notices the dead animal parts, shakes his head and moves towards the door muttering to himself:"Filthy animals..."
Peeking up above the halfling catches a whiff of animal droppings and drying blood.
"I'll take point," Jokum murmurs, as he stows his sword and begins to climb the ladder. "Follow as quickly as you can."
Ce-Eshna pushes on as well, following Pollux rapidly.
Tired of waiting Karthak pushes the door open and takes a peek inside:
Tess winces at Father Pollux's casual words. "Ah, yes, that... crazy witch! Heh... Would hate to run into her again."
She chokes on some spit while speaking, and coughs awkwardly.
Above:You find the remains of three large sewer rats in what appears to have been a nest. There is a glow of light coming from down the hall to the east.
Eastern Door: A muted roar echoes down the walls of this hallway. Near the eastern end, the worked stone give way to natural cave walls, just before the hall ends at an open shaft. Hanging over the edge of the shaft is a knotted rope-the other end tied to an iron spike driven into the ground.
Hearing the roar, Jokum looks back down frantically.
"What was that?!" he hisses. "There's light up here! It's time to move!"
With that, he squints down the passageway to the east, trying to discern whether what he's seeing is daylight, or something else.
The light is a orange glow of coals similar to what you've already seen, to roar seems to be the sound of rushing water.
Perhaps we can follow the source of the water to the surface? Xaivan wonders. He really would like to see the light of the sun sometime soon.
Noticing that Karthak is not pursuing the same path, Ce-Eshna hesitates on the ladder. She thinks quickly and drops to the ground, following him into the darkness.
Jokum sticks his head down the hole when he realizes that Karthak and Ce-Eshna aren't with them. "Karthak! Ce-Eshna!" he hisses. "Where're you going?"
After rejoining the others Karthak scratches his head, puzzled:"Uh? I thought the exit was that way..."
"Up an old ladder, the mongrelman said," Jokum explains, impatiently gesturing at the ladder he and the others just climbed. "My heightened wilderness survival senses make me suspect that it's this one...given the absence of any others."
A rusted iron door sits in the center of the eastern wall of this small chamber. A copper brazier hangs from the ceiling above a flimsy wooden table.
Two mongrel men stand watch here, one sitting bored a the table the other whittling at what appears to be a part of a human femur.