Gregory raises an eyebrow at Odol's outburst, and then shrugs.
"I would have introduced ourselves slightly differently, but I agree with what Odol here says and about why we are here. We are here to help against a mutual enemy: The Twists."
Will Save:
Spellcraft (to Identify spell):
When the dour woman stops and waits, Vhailor just waves with a grin on his face. After Odol and Gregory start speaking, he remains reflectively quiet.
"They're both right. The Twists need to be stopped or else these two towns won't be the only victims. I'm here because I don't want there to be any needless suffering. That's why you need to contact your fellow guards and let them know one of the men in the other cages - one that went up a vertical shaft - was bleeding out from some gunshot to the abdomen. He needs healing immediately."
Damrang continues to rock silently.
Keep me pure, keep me safe. Keep me pure, keep me safe. I am in the belly of the beast. What would Obadiah say, what would Obadiah do? Shoot them all.
"So, you are one of the Helix Order's plans that's in the process of backfiring. Delve has benefitted from the services of mercenaries in the past, so you may well get the chance to battle our "mutual enemy". We cannot accept any old riff raff, though. What is the name of your little band? What victories have you won for your past employers?"
She looks to Salvin
"And don't worry. That cage will have been moving to a secure infirmery. We don't let traitors die of their wounds, but there's no reason not to let them bleed a bit. Just like they bleed the city."
Odol watches her silently as she makes her request and answers Salvin.
As she finishes, he puts his hands on his hips and straightens his back, "Hmph! We'll see what Salvin has to say about that, but as for a name? We'd be Obadiah's Eyes. As for our victories, there have been many! Some of the more recent are the Assault at Iadenveigh Bridge where we crushed a horde of Helix zombies before they could threaten the town. Then, we met with another great victory over a second zombie horde at the Fields of the Dead just outside the Ashen Forest. But, for the sake of the Metal Lady, I'm a dwarf wench. If you want to hear the tale of our victories over the Helix itself, we're going to need a proper drink."
You can all see that your interrogator is warming to Odol. She sounds genuinely interested as she continues.
"An interesting name. I would like to know more about the exploits of Obadiah's Eyes had other than this latest assignment from Iadenveigh.
Knowing her truth magic is not infallible, she points to another member of the party...
...She picks out Salvin.
"You. You clearly have a strong consience. Which of your bands battles are you the least proud of?"
Salvin sighs as the woman points to him.
"The battle I am least proud of would be the one that nearly sundered our group. We walked into a fight between your people and the Twists. We helped heal one of your people after the fighting and they warned us more spellcrafters would come. Until that point, we had no idea who either group was. While the Delve troops seemed trustworthy, we needed to hear what the other side had to say, so we waited there. Finally, some mages did come out and we quickly suspected they were not telling us the truth. We overpowered them and took two as our prisoners. We eventually got to the truth, that the Twists were extorting a nearby village that hates your overlord, allowing them to blame him while pocketing 'protection' money.
Salvin pauses and takes a breath as he remembers what happens next.
"A member of our party, Obadiah, is a devout follower of Erastil from that village. We were all hired to stop the flow of the undead. He tried to convert one of the prisoners by force, and then tried to drown him to death while bound."
Salvin looks at the woman, focusing right on her eyes and starting down at her.
"I have no problem killing evil or executing those who are unrepentant. But I will not abide torture, nor stand by while cruelty is done, no matter what the circumstances are. I am a paladin of Sarenrae, and the Goddess commands us to show no quarter to evildoers. And she also commands us to stand with our allies and not forsake them. The argument we had over the prisoner split our group. Obadiah left with the other prisoner, planning to take her back to his village to let them know the truth. We came down here, something I doubt he would ever do."
The paladin looks down the pit now, thinking.
"I had tried talking to Obadiah privately during our journey, trying to help him see that it is people that cause problems not things. But I could not sway him and now he is wandering in this deadly forest with an enemy prisoner. He'll face undead, errant machines and a line of flying traitor mages encircling his village before he can reach home. And if doesn't make it, it will be my fault because I couldn't convince him."
He looks at the woman who started with watery eyes.
"We are Obadiah's Eyes because allies do not abandon each other just over one disagreement. Does that answer your question?"
Odol bows his head. "Well said Salvin. Well said." Then brings his chin back up to look at the inquisitor once more. "And after that tale m'lady, I think we could all use a drink together. What say you?"
Either that or we all get locked up with the key thrown away.
Slightly disappointed that the grumpy lady did not choose him, Vhailor finds a spot on the floor where the light allows him to try and make hand-shadow puppets...
Dex check:
...giggling like a small boy as his rabbit is particularly lifelike.
"I don't think we have yet reached the stage of sharing an ale"
The bat around her kneck, until now seemingly lifeless, briefly fidgets.
"That does answer my question, Salvin. And more importantly it confirms my suspicion that you five have been a team for less than a week. Still...you may yet be of use, unproven as you may be. A question on motives, however. And this is addressed to all of you. Where any of you motiviated by anything in addition to money when you took on this job?"
Gregory shrugs.
"The prospect of a share of 20,000gp was certainly attractive, but I will admit that I was certainly motivated as well by a desire to observe, and if possible, sample, the technology in the area."
Damrang remains silent, giving no indication of his true allegiance or reasons.
Vhailor stops his hand-shadows for a few moments and raises his little hand in response to their as yet un-named interrogator. When she appears to acknowledge his existence, Vhailor states "I came because the coggy bits in the zombie people's heads looked cool... and I like your guns." pausing a few moments before adding "I'm Ephvhailordrinkbitzle Falkonvilland the First, what's your name?" smiling innocently with an abject ignorance of the gravity of the situation.
"But you can call him Vhailor...or Drinkbitz if you find that a mouthful." Odol's eyes dart for a moment to the bat on her neck.
"In for the gold and to see new sights and learn new things."
"I wanted to help the town, though that view dimmed a little as it seemed every single action drew hostility. I also was interested in some of the nature of the mechanical menace the town described. I was little disappointed it turned out to be mere undead that had been defiled with cogs covered with magical runes."
"Just the Helix taking advantage of Iadenveigh's bad experiences with technology."
"So you were drawn to this region by a collective fascination of machinery. What's more, you seem to have a generally noble outlook. I would deem your band to be acceptable mercenaries. I will recommend that you be deployed on a trail basis. You will be given a mission to strike at a Helix encampment, which you will undertake for free. Should you succeed, you will be accepted into Delve as mercenaries - not, I must be clear on this, citizens. You will have controlled but nonetheless significant access to our resources as well as a steady wage. In return you will obay the commands of the army and the laws of Delve."
She then points at Damrang
"Before I do any of that, however, I need an answer from you"
There is a tone of threat in her voice, for the first time. She has apparently ignored Vhailor's request for an introduction.
Damrang stares at the women for a moment before sighing.
"I was sent with these men to guide them from Iadenveigh and stop the attacks against my town. I hate you and everything you stand for, or so I have been told, but for now it seems I must walk with your evil in order to save my friends and family."
Vhailor is still staring at the woman with a half resolute and half petulant expression "Name, yours, what?" he repeats in a more forthright and less friendly voice.
The half-orc raises an eyebrow at Vhailor. You get the feeling she's got a routine for these interrogations, which she is having trouble sticking to in the face of the gnome's trademark brand of wierd.
"I go by Mrs Hettika, if you must know."
She then focuses back on Damrang
"Ordinarily that admission would see you hauled back to the surface without delay. However, for all your ignorance an Iadenveigher would be ideal for the particular mission set aside for your band. If you are willing to 'walk' with us, as you put it, then for now we will have you."
With that, she gestures and mutters a syllable. Once she does, a sturdy-looking metal bridge folds up out of the blackness below you accompanied by the rumble of heavy pullies. As it locks into position linking the cage with the edge of the room, the cage door clicks open.
"When I leave I will hand you over to an army captain who will expect you to put your lives on the line for Delve. I was not threatening you when I said we will haul you back to the surface - we can give you a reasonable chance of evading the Helix long enough to get out of their reach. If you choose, you can walk away from this city, this forest and this war. You must decide now, however. That is why I will now answer the questions that have no doubt been piling up in your minds."
"Sure, I'll start. Tell us of the origin of Delve and how the conflict with the Helix came to be."
When the half-orc replies with her name the grin returns to Vhailor's face "Charmed" and he watches the pulley and bridge show with interest.
"Furkas Xoud fled into this forest 50 years ago after leaving starfall in disgust. His attempts to reverse engineer sky-tech rather than unlock it's power directly had won no support from his fellow league members, but he had gathered to himself a dedicated team of artificers and wizards."
"Xoud was a visionary. He believe he could build a city free from starvation, ignorance or discontent using science supported by magic. In the caverns he found criss-crossing the woodland he sort to do just that. He and his assistants magically fabricated tools designed through Xoud's genius. With these tools they made more tools and soon had a wonderous workshop. Still, it was no city."
"It was then, in the deepest tunnels of his new domain, that Xoud made a horrifying discovery. The caverns went deep, all the way down to the Darklands. The Drow soon made their presence known through a series of massacres. Worse, many of Xouds followers were taken into the dark to die as slaves. Xoud had two choices: to flee back to Starfall or to take the fight back to the Drow. He chose the latter, and met with astounding success. He broken into the huge complex of slave pens in the cavern in which we now stand and freed not just his fellow artificers but a host of lost souls. And he did not stop. Each attack re-enforced the next and all the while the workshops of the Choking tower produced ever more lethal firearms."
"Soon, Xoud had conqured the entire area below the forest. With the Drow held at the far end of easily defensible tunnels, the time for fighting was over and the time for building was at hand. Xoud designed a city from scratch, and over the last thirty years those he saved – and their offspring – have made it a reality. We have all the light, water, food and freedom we could ever need, and it's all thanks to Overseer Xoud."
"The Drow would not sit ideally by forever, though. Realizing a strong and prosperous Delve was inassailable, they sent agents to the surface to hire mercenaries to attack us from above whilst they besieged us from below. The Order of the Helix are a self-styled "mercenary university", halfway between a collage of magic and a military regiment. They attack us for coin. Most of their lower rank do not know they fight for the Drow, but I doubt they would much care if they did."
So far, nothing he has heard seems to contradict anything the group has learned so far.
"What measures has the Delve taken to deal with this new threat? And how do the undead fit into all of this?
As she answers, Salvin will look at her and use his Detect Evil ability.
Damrang shakes himself and looks quizzically at the woman.
"The Order of the Helix creates undead to attack my home so they can finance a war that is already financed? Your story does not make sense."
I am tired of being lied to. Obadiah would not stand for it and neither will I.
Raising his hand as though a schoolboy Vhailor waits to be recognised before asking "Can we get some guns too?"
She smiles slightly at Vhailor, the brief moment of tension apparently forgotten
"Fight for us, Mr. Vhailor, and you will have access to weapons and tools the likes of which you have never seen. Firearms are but one of them."
She then turns grave as she addresses Salvin and Damrang.
"The Helix Order are greedy, and desperate. We are giving them a far harder fight than they thought - they are being paid to take a fortress and now find themselves at war with a city-state. And their undead scheme makes much more sense when you understand the technology of Delve"
She pulls what looks like a small cube of obsidian from a pouch at her waist.
"Volcanic furnaces are the cornerstone of our industry. Using a simple transmutation spell derived from a sky-tech artifact, Overseer Xoud has discovered how to make a block of obsidian recall the heat of the magma that created it. Observe:"
She speaks a quick syllable and the cube floats into the air, hovering over her outstretched palm.
She then produces a brass rod from the same pouch. It's hard to tell from this distance, but it looks like it has a core of sky metal. She speaks a second word and taps the block of obsidian. Instantly it flares white hot and stays that way, hanging in the air like a captive star.
"We use obsidian to produce steam. We use steam to drive our war machines. We use our war machines to kill those who threaten our home. Those constructs you fought on the bridge? They are the smallest and simplest of their kind. Alas, the Helix have worked out ways of defeating them and we have no choice but to continue sending them forth. The loss of so many machines is felt keenly, but not half as keenly as the loss of the brave men who go to battle alongside them"
She flicks her hand and the block of obsidian is thrown out over the pit. It falls away and it's light slowly fades to nothing.
"The upshot of this is that we are feeding the helix three things: chunks of mechanism, blocks of obsidian and the bodies of our fallen. And through Iadenveigh, they have found a way of turning the broken remains of our forces into hard cash"
Spellcraft 1:
Spellcraft 2:
Vhailor watches with interest as Mrs Hettika lights up the obsidian. Oh boy, that's a nice trick. Seeming slightly disappointed when the obsidian disappears into the abyss, Vhailor's brow furrows for a moment. I wonder if they need to touch it to make it all hot...
Odol watches silently while she speaks and performs the magic with the cube.
She dodges Damrang's question and then performs a trick with no obvious relation to the cog undead...I definitely don't trust her...but we're also deep in their territory. Might as well carry on and see what we learn.
"All right Mrs. Hettika. That's pretty damn impressive. Let's talk about that mission."
Gregory frowns.
"Well, I for one will be perfectly happy to assist with grinding The Helix Order into dust..."
Not to mention, a closer look at that technology could be quite informative...
"When can we start?"
"Very well. If you have no further questions I will hand you over to Captain Kreigson for your first briefing. I have a good feeling about you five. I think you will serve Delve well. Still, good luck. You will be needing it."
With that, she walks over to the doorway and lets herself out. As she does so, two soldiers enter the chamber. They wear the same asymetric armour as the grenadiers on the surface (albeit in noticably better condition), but their helmets are open rather than enclosed by gasmasks and their weapons are four-barrelled. What's more, with the possible expection of the sergeant of the grenadier squad they're the toughest looking pair of soldiers you've seen from Delve so far. They stand to attention on either side of the door, and a third man strides in.
The newcomer is an elf, and an officer from head to toe. He is dressed in a uniform that resembles a far more embelleshed version of the jackets and trousers worn by the watchmen, though in grey rather than white. Gold sparkles from the trim of it and from the three medals on his cheast. The skin of his face is more weathered than you would expect of an elf, but he still has the soft, refined features of his race.
Also, his right arm and right leg are mechanical
His uniform is cut to reveal them, either out of pride or more likely to avoid the fabric jamming in the heavy hinges of the joints. They are apparently driven by pressurized steam for they release a small puffs of steam as he walks, but he carries no water tank. Most disconcertingly, pipes criss-cross them just like the pipes that held the strange coloured liquids in the constructs. From the occasional small glass window in the mechanisms, it looks like they're filled with his blood.
"Out of that cage, mercs. You've been promoted from convicts to cannon fodder. Line up and let's see if you can figure out how to salute."
Vhailor lines up with the others and delivers a traditional Gnomish salute. Smiling enthusiastically he looks over the elf's limbs with a mix of interest and awe.
Damrang moves to stand beside Vhailor, neither saluting nor giving any sign of his internal conflict.
Salvin falls in with the others and gives the salute of his order of paladins.
Like my instructor said, respect the position even if you don't respect the man. There's always a need for order.
Odol looks at the officer's arm and leg, making no attempt to conceal his interest. He steps in with the others and gives a salute in the style of Tar-Kazmukh.
Hmm, I wonder if Delve may have a solution to the troubles I have with my own leg?
"Good enough. I can see some of you aren't strangers to the military life. Now, follow me and I'll brief you somewhere a little less draughty."
He walks out of the room, indicating you are to follow him. You cross a fairly cramped passageway. A line of heavily re-enforced doors are widely spaced on one side, one of which you've emerged from. It looks like the cage-over-the-pit setup is a popular way for the Delve authorities to interview their prisoners. There is only a single door on the opposite side of the passage. Captain Kriegson leads you down to it. One of the soldiers flanking him opens it and gestures you to enter.
The room is smaller than the last, most of the space being taken up by a circular table showing what looks like a map of the forest above you. White figurines are clustered base-to-base in the center, and red figurings are spread liberally over the rest of it.
"Take a seat."
Kriegson then sits himself down. The faint mechanical rhythm of his leg fades to nothing with a hiss of steam. His two men once again take up positions by the door.
"Now, the purpose of this mission is assessment. I need to see how your outfit goes about acheiving an objective when given free reign. That way I'll know how long a leash to keep you on in future."
He takes out a steel pointer and points out an area to the north of the forest, where a pair of red figurines stand: a small, plain looking one copied many times over the map and a hunched, whithered one you recognize as a reasonable depiction of a cog dead.
"You, with the goggles. How would you like to save your home? This encampment here is where the twists gather up our fallen men and machines for their little...recycling project. Their necromancer corps is stationed there, along with a sizable contingent of adepts. It's a tricky place to attack. They've got most of it underground, in the sub-basements of a ruined structure far older than Delve. We're not too interested in the past here in Delve, so in our shortsightedness we never sent a team to explore and map it."
He puts the pointer away
"There'll be fierce corridor fighting. The bread and butter of one of our dwarf assault teams. Trouble is, the Drow have got every assault team we have and then some tied up on the lower front. Give our grenadiers half-decent lines of fire and they'll give you victory, but they're not trained to clear out a zombie-infested maze. That's sword territory, no place for rifles. I'm telling you all this to make it clear I'm not trying to get you killed off. Given your motivation to take out this particular facility, you're the best option we currently have."
"As I said, we've got no maps of the place but we can offer you two ways in. There's the structure on the surface, and then there's an as-of-yet unrevealed passageway to our tunnel network that exits on the lowest levels. Now. Our scouts report they've got a crane set up inside the ruin to winch their...materials down with. They're not going to bother building a crane if their necro is set up one floor below the surface. He's dug himself in deep."
"You could go into one the surface and fight your ways down. They might drive you off before you can reach the necromancer, but if they do you'll be able to retreat. Of course, then they'll lock the place down tight and our oppertunity to take it out will have passed. If you want to near enough garuntee Iadenveigh will be safe, you can attack straight into the lower levels vai the secret tunnel. The catch is, I absolutely will not risk them counterattacking into Delve through that enterenceway. It's got no traps and no fortifications. If you go through that way, I will have to demolish the passage behind you. You'll have no choice but to fight your way up and out."
"It's your call. Any questions?"
Vhailor almost skips as he follows Kriegson into the briefing room. Sitting around the table he has to strain somewhat to see over the top and look at the map of figurines and forests. Briefly considering casting prestidigitation to allow himself some fun showing the figures moving and fighting among one another with cast spells and flashes of powder he reconsiders when the Captain starts to explain his offer.
Brows furrowed most of the time, though flashes of whimsy show through at times Vhailor is the first to respond with excited questions "So is it only twisties in that place or will there be fallen alfur as well? - and if what you say is true it sounds like you are short of soldiers... but not necessarily resources. So what can you offer to us to help us strike this hammer blow?"
"Why not both? If they don't know about the tunnels we can attack from the surface, get as far as we can, retreat if we get overwhelmed, then when they lock down the surface we attack by surprise from the lower level."
"But if we attack from the top then the corpse hugger at the bottom has a chance to prepare nasty tricks for us... whereas if we go in at the bottom then we can hopefully get him unprepared." delivered as though it was a insightful tactical insight.
Scratching his head "Course I suppose that works the other way round too... with the twisties up top getting some presents ready for us if we go in at the bottom..."
"If these are truly mercenary forces, they'll be ready to either button up the facility or just leave it and move to a secondary point. They don't have to hold the facility because it doesn't mean that much to them, unless there's something else in there."
Salvin looks around at the rest of the map.
"If you're fairly certain the group would seal itself in, then Damrang's plan makes the most sense. They'll be wasting time trying to crack open their front door since they'll assume it's a larger strike force the second time. That would give us plenty of leeway in an assault."
Odol studies the map as the Captain explains the situation, "Sounds like a great opportunity to deal with the zombies once and for all Damrang. I like your plan to hit them on the surface first and then come at them from below. Hopefully that first attack will even get them to cease with the zombies for a while."
Having remained quiet for a while, as he listens to the other 'team members' suggestions, and regards the map thoughtfully, Gregory finally clears his throat, and speaks:
"Going in through the top means that the Necromancer will have more time to set-up defences, but allows the opportunity for retreat, and possibly going in via the tunnel later. Going in through the secret tunnel is an all-or-nothing enterprise. Although I think either option is risky, I agree, going in top-side seems like the better option."
He smiles when he hears Vhailor ask about equipment.
"I, too, would be interested to hear about what items of equipment you might be able to spare us when we take-on this task..."
"Hmmm. That's a good strategy you've got there. Of course, re-enforced defences will work the other way to an extent. If you have to use the tunnel after hitting them topside you'll have a hell of a time getting out. Still, it's a good plan."
He takes out another figurine and places it on the map near the ruin
"You will deploy from a tunnel exit a thousand feet from the edge of the ruin, on a slight elevation. Climbing the trees near that exit point will give you a good view of the facility. Our scouts reported the surrounding area was lightly patrolled by infantry. They don't use dogs as they usually would - the scent of the undead makes the beasts unhandlable. The walls of the ruin are full of gaps, but all except the gateway have been filled with light barricades."
"We estimate there to be about ten guards topside at any given time, more down below. They don't seem the communicate very frequently - we suspect those on the surface and those working below are members of two seperate formations. This means you will have a fairly wide window to clear the surface before any more twists re-enforce from below."
"Once you go down, either via the crane shaft or the stairway in the inner ring of ruins, our intelligence dries up completely. Oh, and on the subject of equipment. You will be given the next 24 hours to rest and access to magical healing if you need it. After that I'll be expecting you to get going. Though you'll have access to firing ranges, you are not going to be able to learn to use a firearm in 24 hours."
He sighs, and his next words are delivered in a slightly long-suffering way.
"Nonetheless, I am obliged to tell you you do have access to tier one equipment - meaning single-barrel firearms and alchemical vials mostly. For now, though, I would strongly recommend sticking with what you're used to."
"I want to know how Mrs Hettika made the black rock go all white and glowy." Vhailor says with emphasis.
"I"m interested in your weapons, but I know I cannot master such a thing in less than a day. A good night's rest should do us well."
"I am with Salvin, I want nothing to do with your technology. It is the reason my home is in danger in the first place."
"Hey captain, cheer up. This isn't going to be easy, but we'll root out the Twists here. I'll definitely stick with my axe for the close-up combat, but maybe we should see about some of those vials. You want us to recover these tunnels in one piece or do anything we can to eliminate the Twists?"