Maybe there's an inscription. Kyra, can you float one of your lights over there, please. I would like to have a look."
Carilain's elvish eyes are quite well adjusted to the dim light of the dancing lights, but more light would certainly help to notice any small or faded markings.
Carilain moves cautiously to the nearest one, he has the warhammer they had found in the old chapel, in hand.
"Nethys! I'm getting sloppy." Carilain casts detect magic to aid him in his examination.
"Of course!" Kyra sends her lights into the room to illuminate the statues as she approaches them, curious as to their nature. She runs her hand over the cool stone of the statue nearest to her as she looks it over.
Oh goddess, what bug is going to jump out at us this time? Let see we've had maggot, cockroach, giant fly, snakes... going with giant moth or spider. Alesie steers as far away from the statues as possible, sure that something is about to jump out at them any second.
"Be careful everyone who knows what is hiding just waiting to attack us. Watch out for spider webs." She mentions on edge.
Once he learns about the statues in this room, Aravashnial becomes very intrigued.
”These must be monuments to the members of the first crusade. There’s an old legend that after the First Crusade a group of crusaders who became infected with Abyssal energies fled into these caverns to raise their deformed children in peace, and that their descendants live on today in the tunnels below the city.
We’ve always heard stories of the Mole People that dwell beneath the city, but these statues here gives significant credence to the tale. I assume they were carved by the children.”
"Something is moving above us." He said low enough to be heard but hopefully not loud enough to startle whatever it was above them into attacking or fleeing. He had a feeling it was unfriendly but he didnt want to assume things at all. Slowly he unlimbered his shield and gripped the hilt of his scimitar slowly withdrawing it from is scabbard.
"Dear goddess let it be my imagination, let it be friendly little moths, or even Alesie's friendly little cave bunnies on the ceiling at play." He thought to himself.
Kyra listens intently to Aravashnial's explanation of the statues, very intrigued by the story. However, as she listens she suddenly spots a flicker of moment above them, diverting her attention away. Immediately her heart quickens as her body prepares itself for fight or flight... Instinctively her breathing changes to deep, steady breaths.
"Something is moving above us."
She immediately thinks about the giant spider they found dead... and a shiver shoots up her spine. The fear of the unknown creatures moving about above her head, coupled with the ever oppressive darkness overrides Kyra's judgement and she sends her dancing lights shooting up towards the stalactites above! "Show yourself!" she suddenly screams into the darkness.
Carilain crouches and does a half turn. His eyes now looking skyward trying to spot the 'something' that Kelden has noticed.
I need a bow, I have a hammer in hand. I need a club, I have a sword. I've got to do better at guessing which weapon I will need.
"I was kidding." Alesie cries at the gods. Seriously just one room, just one room without fighting something horrible.
She pulls her bow from her back, nocking an arrow in preparation for an attack.
Why must this cave system try and kill me?
I mean Kenabres is a nice enough place. Why have a cavern system filled with nasty things hidden under the city?
The cavern is plunged into sudden darkness as two creatures let out unsettling cries.
"By the Shattered Mind!" Carilain whispers this curse sharply, as the darkness envelopes the cave. They need light to fight. This was truly bad. Then the elf remembers the silver dragon scale and the power it holds. Quickly, with his free hand he takes the scale out of his belt pouch. Focusing his mind, Carilain causes the scale to emit a burst of lightening which strikes the cavern ceiling.
The sudden darkness put more than a chill through Kelden. It was the most unnatural feeling to the young cleric, in a way it was almost a slap to the face of the Dawnflower. If you find the enemy call out! He said backing up and frantically trying to figure out where the enemy lay trying to put himself between the wounded and the threat.
Nope. Nope. Nope
Alesie quickly moves to where she thought a statue was prior to the darkness falling, hiding by its stone base.
Kyra starts when her lights suddenly disappear, followed by the unearthly cries. 'I'm never going below the ground again....' The sudden, utter darkness makes her shiver... she was not used to dealing with such an absence of light, not even her elven sight was of any use. It added an element of fear she was not used to feeling.
She hears and senses Kelden backing up beside her. She quickly attempts to cast another dancing lights spell in an attempt to lighten up the cavern once more. "Can anyone see anything?! Try to group up!"
Order
Monster 1
Carilain
Kelden
Monster 2
Alesie
Farak
Kyra
Monster 1
As this creature falls from the cavern roof, it opens like a hideous octopus, its thin, hook-lined tentacles connected by a fleshy web grasping at Alesie. She lets out a cry of alarm as the dark shape knocks her out!
Carilain
Carilain let out a cry as the room goes dark, remembering his gift from the dragon he calls upon the power of the scale, a crackling bolt of energy in the shape of an arrow appears in his hand. He throws it up into the air and is met with the rolling sound of thunder, but its light is swallowed up in the magical darkness.
Kelden
Kelden steps over to aid Alesie, led only by the sounds of the struggle.
He swings his His blade conecting with the creature despite the darkness. It cries out in pain and anger.
Monster 2
Another form detaches from above to aid its mate. Kelden is hit but manages to escape its deadly embrace for now!
Alesie
Farak Seems to be in shock at the ambush.[ooc] Delayed
Kyra
As she tries to send out the lights she feels her magic being overpowered by the darkness.
Round 2 GO
Alesie feels the tentacles wrap around her, but is too slow to dodge out of their way. She can feel the monster slowly squeezing the life out of her but is unable to react prior to passing out.
"One to my front and behind me!" Kelden called out his voice tinged with two things. Pain and anger. The One he struck at before and hit he strikes at again. Alesie... He had heard her cry out and then go silent. Thats where the anger came from. She seemed far to sweet a person to have bad things happen to her. He swung forward where he thought the beast was again, righteous fury growing within his heart.
Carilain releases another bolt from the scale. This one designed to harm. He aims for the whispering sound that could only be a scimitar slicing flesh.
Fear gnaws at Kyra when her light spell is absorbed by the unnatural darkness; however, after hearing Alesie fall to the ground and now her friend Kelden in danger, anger overrides her fear! The dervish takes a few twirling steps towards the sound of Kelden's voice, all the while imbuing her scimitar with some of her own magic, and slashes her blade in the darkness towards where she hopes their enemy hides!
Monster 1
Leaving Kelden to its mate it turns its attention to Carilain and his magic. Narrowly missing the elf.
Carilain
Carilain releases another bolt from the scale. This one designed to harm. He aims for the whispering sound that could only be a scimitar slicing flesh. But the bolt sparks off a wall past the fight.
Kelden
Kelden swings again, cursing the darkness that blinds him.
Monster 2
The Darkmantle keeps up its assault failing to land any telling blows.
Alesie
Stable
Farak
MIA
Kyra
Moves to attack , valiantly swings but misses in the darkness.
Kelden cursed lowly, once more bringing his scimitar slashing across where he thought the threat might be. "Blasted Darkness!" .
[ooc Dont forget we are still under effects of the bless spell from the temple [/ooc]
Kyra curses in the darkness as her blade slices through empty air... she can hear the creature nearby as it attacks one of her comrades. Another fluid slash as she magically imbues her blade again to where she hopes the foul thing hovers nearby!
After her attack, Kyra suddenly remembers the glowing crystals from around the temple! 'Perhaps they can defeat this uncanny darkness!' She takes a step away from the melee and reaches into her belt pouch to gather the glowing crystals and quickly dumps them into a pile on the floor... 'Please, Dawnflower, let this work...'
GM NPC
Farak moves south quickly rushing to flank the southern most creature. His hammer blow leaves the monster reeling.
Monster 1
The Darkmantle continues to focus on Carilain Narrowly missing the elf.
Carilain
Carilain can't help but feel as though he is protected by the gods again as he feels the creature swinging violently at him, and failing to make contact.
Kelden
Kelden swings again, this time his strike lands true. The fould beast collapses as the blade leaves it cut nearly in two!
Monster 2
The Darkmantle keeps up its assault failing to land any telling blows.
Alesie
Stable
Farak
Farak rushes headlong south the better to destroy the enemy. and nimbly steps aside from its flailing attack. He comes down hard with his hammer.
Kyra
Moves past Kelden and manages to skewer the whimpering creature. It's cries of pain die down nearly as quickly as the darkness came upon you.
The threat ended Kelden immidiately dropped to his knees and reached out searching for Alesie. "Dawnflower by your light and glory help me heal our friend." He whispered then cast Cure light wounds instead of Bless Once the darkness fades and he is sure the creatures that attacked are dead he will channel some of the goddess's positive light into his companions. "miss Alesie are you okay?" He asked helping her to her feet. [/b]
Alesie opens her eye's slowly.
Not to self, getting squeezed to unconsciousness hurts...
"My head is pounding and some bruises, but otherwise alright." She replies in a whisper.
She stands up on wobbly legs, letting the healing energy do its work.
"Well I'm definitely ready to get out of this horrible place." Alesie adds as she slowly heads towards the far exit, using the base of the statures periodically for support.
Yep, forget this room, get out, get out now.
"That was some fine fighting, Kelden, Kyra. I don't know how you did it in the pitch dark like that."
Reaching the far end and exiting the effects of the darkness the glow of a fie reflects off of the walls of the tunnel ahead...
Kyra keeps her blade at the ready, prepared for any additional threats while they wait for the darkness to subside. She smiles at Carilain's compliment. "It was with help from the Dawnflower... Her grace assists those her believe."
Kelden colored just a slight bit at the elf's praise. "As Sister Kyra said, My faith in the Dawnflower gives me strength. Do you need time still in here to ..." He paused and this time colored a bit in embaressment. "Have us describe the statues to you a bit Arashvashnial?" He said as he glanced at the dead creatures that had attacked them. The underground was definitely stranger than he was comfortable with.
Truthfully I've had enough of this cavern and would rather be on our way to the surface. I long for the sun as much as any of you.
"That flickering firelight looks inviting. It's probably more foes of some sort or another. Still there's no other way to go..."
Carilain looks at the strange creatures that had woven such darkness to cloak an attack from above.
"We've been going down instead of up. Maybe we should take the time to search this room. I want to be out under the sky as much as anyone, but I think it's worth our time to do so."
A small campfire and a well-used bedroll, along with a few utensils and tools, sits near another cave opening in the far wall of this cavern.
A dwarf sits be the fire, his knees pulled to his chest slowly rocking back and forth mumbling something to himself. He seems unaware of anyone approaching.
After the darkness disappears, Kyra immediately casts her dancing lights spell to illuminate the cavern. She scopes up the illuminated crystals and places them back into her belt pouch before joining the others in the next room.
She spots the lone dwarf, rocking back and forth, mumbling. She whispers to the others quietly. "I don't like the looks of this... Be prepared for anything."
With her scimitar in hand, she stops far enough away from the dwarf to not appear intimidating. "Hello there. Are you okay?"
Resting the heavy warhammer on his right shoulder, Carilain waits for the dwarf to respond to Kyra's greeting. The elf is not holding the weapon in a threatening way, but he is ready to use it if needed.
Alesie notices the dwarf by the fire, pulls out her bow and tries to disappear into the shadows before he responds to Kyra's question, but can't seem to find sufficient shadows.
Another survivor from the chaos above? Thank the light of the Dawnflower! The young cleric began approaching the dwarf with the others. "Are you hurt friend?" He began approaching with the others.
The dwarf slowly gets to his feet, a dagger visible in his right hand. "I've been waiting, I knew you would come for me, you just can't leave well enough alone can ye?" He glares at Kelden as he speaks. "I'm no friend of you uplander, and take your goddess's light and shove it up yer arse!" He takes a step back twards the small tunnel leading out of the cave. "I know why your 'er. I'm not going back. You cant make me!" His voice nearly goes up an octave as the final words come out more as a shriek. He desperately clutches the dagger to his chest, looking more afraid that you might take it away from him than anything else.
"Blasphemer you will have your chance to repent when Pharasma judges your soul if you are not careful we just want to get back home above." He replied, his voice was certainly hard and tinged with anger at first but it slightly returned to its normal tone at the very end. It was obvious, as nice and calm the young cleric had seemed up to this point, certain things just did not sit well.
His hand slid down to his scimitar, He probably should have listened to sister Kyra's initial assesment it seemed.
Carilain knows he shouldn't laugh, but a small snicker escapes, before he can stop it.
"Haha." The elf becomes serious again almost at once. "Listen. We are not here for you. You are most welcome to stay here in this wretched cavern until the end of days. We just want to be along about our business."
"Along, be... along.." He seems to come to a sudden realization. Jabbing his dagger violently into the air as he speaks. "You killed them! I heard the fighting you had to have killed them!" He stumbles forward a shocked and confused look on his face.
Kyra stumbles back a step towards the others as the obviously crazed dwarf lurches forward. "Stay back! We do not want any trouble!" She prepares to cast grease around the dwarf if he continues to come at the group.