Winking at Gregory to imply that they'll have time enough to look over the fluids later, Vhailor ventures "Well lets take an axe to what we may and set fire to what we can... I've three flasks of the sticky flame to put to task"
Odol notes the interest in the bottles of fluid and nods at Vhailor's suggestion, "Aye, leaving this evil workshop for the Helix to potentially retake turns my stomach. Let's do what we can and then see if Delve can assist us with bringing the whole thing down or turning it into a new fortification against the Helix."
Salvin looks around the room, peering up the elevator shaft.
"Didn't they say something about a crane to get things in and out? Think it's strong enough to wreck the place, or just good enough to lower down supplies?"
"I am happy to just grab what we can now, take his body with us, and leave as quickly as possible."
He then looks at the elevator critically.
"Having said that, I think we should destroy elevator mechanism before we head back to Delve, and we should remove the ladders allowing easy access to these chambers."
There's no sign of a true crane - they must have meant the hand-winched elevator.
Over the next 10 minutes you quciky and efficiently wreck the place. The elevator chain is severed and the winch smashed. One of the shelves is set ablaze with the alchemist's fire. The ladders in the upper levels are cut apart.
The damage isn't that extensive, but you think it won't matter. You've killed the necromancer. He was the real source of Iadenveigh's woes, not these ruins.
In the upper chamber where you fought the half-orcs, you discover two sacks of machined obsidian chunks. They could be worth something, and are not too difficult to carry. With these and the rest of your loot in hand you descend into the hidden passageway. It's dark for a few dozen feet, but then you find a valve and gaslights flare into life, revealing a ruler-straight shaft leading ever downward.
As you leave the now smoke-filled chamber you all realize that, though you future in Delve is uncertain and this war still rages, you have succeeded in what you set out to do. You've save Iadenveigh and battled your way past enough horrors to
Vhailor goes about his work with a jaunty turn and on occasion either humming or skipping as he toils. Although if Salvin draws near he often gets viewed askance as though he would turn murderous once more at any moment. The lit fire is especially well liked and Vhailor claps his hands together with glee before following those with better vision in the dark into the shaft.
Odol trudges down the corridor, a lingering pain from the musket wound in his chest. Well, we've managed what we set out to do. With the reward, I could head south again, but perhaps there is something for me here in Delve...
Salvin goes about the work of purifying the place with a grim look on his face. He says prayers for the bodies to give them some sort of piece. Then he asks his goddess to makes sure no evil uses this foul place again before turning with the others to leave.
Salvin prays as they do deeper into the tunnel.
Goddess, please help me to purge fear from my mind. My weakness almost killed Vhailor and could have allowed an evil necromancer to continue killing and perverting life. I cannot make the same mistake again.
As they go into the darkness, Salvin feels a great weight lifting from his shoulders and starts to smile just a little as he knows his Goddess had heard his prayers.
"These zombies will no longer threaten Iadenveigh, but we must not ensure Obadiah completed his mission and warned them about the mercenaries. I still owe these scum a few more deaths."
You collapse the shelves onto one another and douse them with your alchemist's fire. Whilst the blaze does not incinerate all the bodies (ten full vials of fire do cremate about half ot them though) it does heat the pile of the dead until it steams. This heat will speed the decay of the bodies - any replacement necromancer the Helix manages to find will only have a week or so before the 'raw materials' here are useless.
When they signed up to fight, these soldiers probably imagined a more dignified send-off were they to fall. As it is, it's either this or being defiled with animate dead. This is definately the lesser of two evils.
Gruesome work done you set off down the tunnel. It's virtually identical to the one you travelled down before, but lacks the deadly steam traps lining the walls. It looks older as well, and in places it looks to have been built along the path of a much more ancient underground passageway. After fifteen minutes of walking you hear the rhythmic chug of steam that signifies Delve technology. The tunnel curves, and when you round the corner you see a small platform with one of those steam-carriages parked beside it. Two figures stand at it's door.
Surprisingly, both are familier. You recognize Mrs. Hettika, the half-orc witch who delivered your initial questioning. Next to her is Captain Kreigson's second bodyguard (the one whom Salvin did not mark as evil). It's he that speaks first:
"Frak, it's good to see you all alive! Looks like you're one of the first strokes of luck we've had for a while. Get into the carriage, please. I need to collapse that tunnel. Private Thell Karnekson, by the way. At your serivce."
As you leave the mouth of the tunnel, you see barrels of gunpowder are piled up around it linked to a lever Thell holds in his hands. Mrs Hettika looks over at him and (for for the first time you've seen) smiles slightly
"Hold fire a second private. They might be needing that tunnel one last time."
She turns back to address you all
"You've been approved to be offered citizenship of Delve. Now, pretty much everything you know of us so far has been shouted at you through the bars of a cage or at gunpoint. That's not much to make a decision on. I've got a map and a few other odds and ends set up in that carriage that will let me paint a proper picture. After that, you can make an informed decision as to whether you want to come with us or head back to the surface"
With that, she leads you into the carriage
Vhailor skips happily onto the carriage after introducing himself to the Private as "Ephvhailordrinkbitzle Falkonvilland... the first, and charmed. Mrs Hettika, radiantly lovely as usual." though his facetiousness belies a very real weariness that is soothed by being out of immediate firey painful death.
Once aboard he squints as he regards the map before his eyes open wide as a child eating icecream for the first time after a life of vegetables. Turning to Mrs Hettika he is giddy with anticipation as he blurts "Less talk, there now, go!"
Pinned under his finger is the segment of the map marked The Crucible and his diminuitive digit is firmed lodged atop the Gisslerom Gun Factory.
Gregory is wary, but that cannot blunt his enthusiasm.
He glances over the map of Delve, before asking:
"So, what are these other odds and ends you spoke of? Also, what *exactly* does being granted 'citizenship' mean?"
"Fair enough, let's hear what you have to help us with that decision."
Damrang grunts, too weary to object.
They're no better than these others we just killed.
Salvin looks over the maps, careful to give Vhailor his space since the wounds of magical compulsion are still so fresh.
No marked graveyard, Salvin thinks to himself, shaking his head at how cynical just a few days in the forest have made him. But still, it's best to learn all I can just in case there are two sources of undead and not just one.
Salvin moves toward the carriage and says, "I'm ready to learn more.
As Salvin moves aboard he finds no wariness from the excitable gnome. Indeed Vhailor begins thumping him in the shin with an elbow before pointing out some of the more technologically interesting features upon the map.
Mrs Hettika begins what turns out to be a full lecture. She explains everything with the clarity of a professional educator, and with a clear hint of enthusiasm. She's obviously proud of her home city:
"Delve's adult population of 40,000 is split into four shifts. Each shift works 8 hours a day with four days on, two days off. This means the 'engines' of Delve are perpetually running. These engines are five huge facilities that are each vital to the city's survival."
"Fort Pinnicle is the nexus of Delve's defences. It serves as the barracks of it's army and is linked directly to the weapon factories in the Crucible by secure tramlines."
"Girderoot Guildhall is where the city's artisans are based. This corps of smiths, stonewrights and mechanics works all over the city including in the other four engines – only a fraction of them are actually in the workshops of the Guildhall on their shifts crafting spare parts for coming jobs."
"The Providence Engine is our greatest factory. It uses magical machines to produce a huge variety of tools, clothes, furniture...everything the city's population needs to live and work comfortably. You can find every grade of worker here, from highly skilled craftsmen to less skilled – but still vital! - production line workers."
"The Shaded Sun and it's cabal of druids feeds and waters the city. The cages ball of sunlight nestling at the center of it's spherical glasshouse is the most beautiful sight in the city. It can almost feed everyone on it's own, but really it needs to be suplemented by the fruits of the forest above."
"The Terminus is both the base of the Hoist and a hub of resource gathering - primarily fertilizer, ore and the all-important obsidian. All the city's sewers terminate here and all the material mined in the Fissues is carted here for processing."
"Overseer Xoud has built Delve as a machine to generate prosperity. It would be nearly perfect, were it not surrounded by forces bent on destroying it. Everyone has a place in Delve. Every year we have the Relay Festival, where workers who have begun their retirement are given apprentices to train as their replacements. These apprentices are drawn from the pool of graduates who are produced each year by the city's schools."
"The higher a child achieves in their tests the more say they have over where they are placed. First rate students get to choose not only their engine but also their role, and may be offered an exclusive role if they are talented enough. Second rate students can choose the engine they are to work at, and third rate students must content themselves with what they are given. There's also what we call the right of succession in place – a worker begining retirement can always choose to take one of his own children on as a replacement."
"A worker completes their retirement after a set number of years of training their apprentice. This period varies from role to role – a miner may only spend a single year retiring, whilst an artificer could spend half his working life training his replacement."
"Once a worker has retired they are given a home in the Crown. Retirement is a glorious affair – a worker who has finished his labours is rewarded with greater luxury and leisure time than he has ever experienced before. That is not to say that the life of a worker isn't unplesant. The standard of living in Delve is far beyond what is the norm in the outside world. Good food, spacious houses and other luxuries are all provided by the city, and even more rewards are sometimes granted to those who excel."
"When you become citizens, you will be given a role as soldiers of Fort Pinnicle. You will be given homes in the Cradle and your cut of the fruits of the Providence Engine. On top of this, you will be given the tools needed to ply your trade, which in your case will be weapons and armour. Given your specialized skills, you will be kept as one unit and operate as special forcesm a step apart from the rank and file grenadiers."
"Ephvhailordrinkbitzle , you will soon be paying a visit to Gisslerom Gun Factory firsthand to choose your armaments. As the name suggestes, it is where the weapons of delve are made. Not just guns – cannon, blades and bombs are all built there. There is even an elite band of spellforgers based there able to imbue a select few weapons with magical power."
"And then...more twists...or would you have other plans for us?"
Vhailor excitedly bounces on the balls of his feet and his head nods compulsively. Everything he has heard engenders a greater sense of curiosity and excitement within his soul. Regardless of his companions persuasions... it would appear that his decision is made.
This all sounds remarkably... Utopian. Still, if they have created a largely self-sufficient society down here, it would need to be remarkable..
Gregory nods.
"It certainly sounds... interesting. I could certainly be tempted by your offer."
Damrang says nothing, still in shock that his life has ended so quickly.
I'll never see my parents again will I?
"Yes, Mr. Nightshard, more twists. The continue to batter at the 'Choking Tower', as I know you have come to call it. You will be expected to perform one mission per week - the rest of that time can be spent training and, if necessary, recuperating."
"It's worth noting that if you were born in Delve you would not have the option of leaving once you have taken up a role like this. In your case, however, you will still be able to leave if you choose. You have lives on the surface - it would be unfair to demand you give them up completely."
"The last time you were in a carriage like this, you were forced in at gunpoint. Now, you are welcome to return to the surface. The ruins at the end of that tunnel are fairly near the edge of the forest - it will be easy enough for you to leave without encountering Helix patrols. On behalf of Delve, though, I ask..."
She sighs
"...I beg you to stay"
Obadiah and Olivia make good time out of the forest. As minutes become hours the captured First Adept stops searching about for signs of rescue and resignedly follows the preacher back towards his hometown. She refuses to speak with him, and even if he was inclined to Obadiah hasn't got the time to stop and beat more information out of her now that Salvin isn't arounf to protect her. Hence a day of silent marching passes.
Twice the pair hear the distant shrieks of the undead. The second time Olivia screams for them to come and kill her and her captor, but Obadiah manages to keep her quiet from then on and finds a good enough hiding spot to evade the monsters when they come looking for living meat. The pack passes, and the Obadiah follows it out of the forest and back towards his home.
They spend the first night in the sky-ruins again. This time Obadiah finds a strong shelter that's high atop an easily defensible ridge of metal and, unlike the least 'refuge' he found here, as dead as stone.
In the middle of the night, the zombies find him. He awakens to hear their cries, and sees that Olivia is sitting at the enterance to their metal shelter watching without comment as the undead approach. A pack of eight corpses assails the ridge. Obadiah stands his ground. From his perfect defensive position shot after shot flies true, and only a single zombie has to be dispatched with his sickle. One man and his faith against eight monsters, and only a prisoner to witness it.
The next day they make it back to the corn fields and deserted farmhouses. Obadaih leads Olivia from structure to structure, keeping as hidden as possible - she resists him less than she did the day before. It's become clear her suicidal behavior from the day before is down to her belief that she will be executed in Iadenveigh. Obadiah knowns this will indeed be the case unless he goes out of his way to prevent it.
Hours pass, but no zombies appear. No cries are heard. The raid have been like clockwork up until now, but for an entire day Obadiah encounters no more undead.
He dares to hope that his companions have succeeded.
The Flameslinger patrols continue. Olivia doesn't expect them to rescue her - to do so would mean blowing their cover, and she knows her life is worth less than the Iadenveigh protection racket. Nonetheless, Obadiah waits for the carpet to finish one of it's passes and return to town to pick up fresh riders. The halflings atop it are no doubt wondering where their targets are.
The preacher of Iadenveigh then breaks cover and walks back toward the bridge he helped defend three nights ago. There's commotion on the barricade as he approaches, but then he hears cheers.
"Good enough for me Mrs. Hettika. I'll be interested in the missions when the time comes, but for now, I think I shall be happy to recover and learn a little more about Delve."
Vhailor smiles warmly at the concerned Mrs Hettika "I will stay. Though as well as the factory.. can I see where you make the beasts of metal that walk on their own?"
Obadiah nods his prisoner ahead and cautiously approaches the bridge, bow readied;
Prepare for t'worse,an 'ope for t'best Pater always said...
The preacher eyes the scene cautiously, mindful of Olivia making a last ditch effort to escape...
:
Kelt - Kellid ranger and member of the council who first briefed you - is on the battlements along with a number of other familier faces from the town. The big man calls down:
"By the stag, you made it! We've had no attacks for over twelve hours - did you cut the foul tide at it's source?"
As you get closer he sees Olivia's bound hands and defiant expression
"IS THAT THE FIEND'S WENCH RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS!?"
Weapons are drawn again and, one by one, the Iadenveigh militiamen clamber down the barricade and walk towards you. With Kelt in the lead they make for Olivia, who mutters:
"So these are the 'innocent villagers' we've been preying on"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Thank you, both of you. Vhailor - I think I'll stick with just Vhailor from now on - you are welcome to visit the Jackworks, see them in action and even study the secrets of constructing automata. If you can make head or tail of them more the better. We need artificers as much as we need soldiers."
"What about the rest of you? Will you stay and help Delve make it through these trying times?"
Gregory nods.
"I would indeed be willing to stay on; I, too, would be interested in visiting the Jackworks. Tell me, is there freedom of religious expression, here? As a follower of The Whisper in the Bronze, I doubt that she would be disliked here, but I thought that I should check..."
Salvin takes in the tour quietly, thinking to himself all the while.
No real mention of efforts to build and grow the city to handle population increases, but that's probably because the war has made such considerations moot. This retirement sounds a little too much like heaven on Golarion, so I'm not so sure I trust it. Still, everyone seems far more concerned about threats from without than threats from within ...
The paladin is so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he only belatedly realizes that everyone else is speaking. He catches the last bits of what Gregory says and chimes in.
"Yes, I'd be willing to help your people fight these threats, but I must be free to worship the Goddess and share her teachings with anyone who wants to learn more about Sarenrae."
"Ah yes, of course. I forgot how important religion is to you outsiders. Most people of Delve has little interest in it, though you will find many practitioners of the Green Faith thanks to our relationship with the druids who tend to the shrouded sun. Other than that, a handful of adherants to each of the most widely spread religions can be found somewhere in the city - people who managed to keep their faith alive through their time as slaves to the Drow, and those they bought into the fold after Xoud liberated them."
"I know there is a small group of Sarenrae's faithful amongst the stonemasons of Girderoot. I'm sorry to say that I have never heard of the Whisper in Bronze."
Private Karnekson, who had been quietly watching the tunnel enterence, adds:
"The watch will keep their eye on you if you buy into one of those basement faiths. Yes there's no law against worshipping the god of torture or destruction or whatever, but just give us an excuse and you'll be behind bars"
"Brigh is the Goddess of invention, artifice, and constructs. I must admit to being surprised that she does not have any worshippers in a place like this, but I am glad to hear that we are free to follow wherever our hearts lead us."
"I stay for now. Once I have the strength to rescue my home from those who have captured it I will leave."
"Hopefully, our action against the necromancer will bring them right back to our blades Damrang. But, if the path to fell the Twists leads back to Iadenveigh. I will stand by your side."
Obadiah's eyes flash angrily at Olivia's comment;
"Aye these are t'people who thee preyed upon with your 'ellish cog-dead... Now 'ush wench and you may yet see t' blessing of another sunrise..."
The preacher pushes the woman to her knees and draws his bow-string, shouting to the wall as he does;
"HAIL 'ADENVEIGH! IF T'TIDE IS QUELLED, THEN IT IS MY FELLOWS WHO ARE T' 'EROES... THIS ONE... SHE 'AS TIDINGS FOR T' COUNCIL AND THEM ALONE!"
:
Salvin nods with the others.
"I see no reason to leave here when there remains work to be done."
"So can we go and get guns now?" Vhailor asks with eyes bright.
Gregory makes a mental note to keep at least a foot of stonework between him and Vhailor whenever the latter is operating a firearm...
Sidling over to Gregory, Vhailor elbows him in the knee "Did you hear Greg... they've got " adding to Mrs Hettika "I think I'll call you Mrs Hettika still if thats ok?"
Gregory smiles warmly at Vhailor.
"Yes, I did hear. This should prove interesting."
Yes, I should definitely stay behind him when he gets near one of those. Still, I feel the excitement, too.
"Thank you. In that case...Karnekson, trigger the charges"
The soldier pulls the lever in his hand and there's a deafening crack followed by the roar of falling stone. Dust briefly fills the gas-lit chamber and when it settles, the way to the surface is sealed. Private Karnekson smiles in satisfaction
"No twists or wreckers will be passing this way for a while"
He jumps into the carriage and assumes the controls. The thing lurches into motion and, with the now-familiur rhythmic chugging, starts to roll. Mrs Hettika has move to a small metal table at the back of the carriage and has begun filling out paperwork - presumably bringing new citizens into Delve involves a certain amount of beauracracy. As a result, it's Thell who talks to you at the tunnel walls hurtle by.
"You've been given the big picture, now I'll give you the specifics. We're heading for Fort Pinnicle, but we're not actually going anywhere in the citadel yet because Sergeant Scuttle is up to his ears trying to get a new platoon of artillerymen into fighting shape in record time. Once he's done there he'll be back to handling the mercenary contingent, which at this time consists of you, Locke's team and the Ganthum brothers. Not exactly an army - you'll get to know them soon enough, I'm sure."
"The point is, at this time you're not in the system which means you're not going to get a whole lot of attention. Which means we're going to let you loose in Delve for a few days. Best way of getting a handle on the city is to live in it. I'll show you to some spare houses, show you how to claim your goods, and that'll be it. Four days of free time. I envy you!"
he laughs to himself
"After that, you'll be ready to report to Pinnicle for your first mission - and your first visit to the armoury. It'll be just as exciting as the raid you just pulled off, I'm sure."
He gets a bit more serious
"A quick tip, though. Delve is plesant and well-policed for the most part, but with the military and the watch stretched thin by the war bit of it have started to become kind of lawless. The neighborhoods marked in red on that map - which is yours, by the way, grab it on the way out - are best avoided."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obadiah, for a few seconds it looks like the gang of defenders is going to attack Olivia but Kelt shouts them off:
"Calm down lads, I reckon there's more going on here than we know. Get those gates open - I reckon we won't be needing them for now! And someone go tell Bordana and Tarrend there's good news to be heard at the hall!"
The other men have great respect for Kelt and they do indeed back off, moving back and starting to partially dismantal the barricade to let you through. They don't tear it down entirely - it pays to be cautious in Numeria. Kelt talks to you more quietly.
"I bet you were looking forward to a hero's welcome on the long march back, but we'd better go to the hall through the copses rather than the main street. If too many people see you with a prisoner, they might - you know - forget themselves."
The two of you head into Iadenveigh and through the dirt paths the loop round the outskirts of the town. It looked dismal in the rain but in the pale mid-day sun the thatched houses and green fields - the efforts of hard working farmers in this otherside barren land - look quite beautiful.
You reach the hall where you were first briefed. The two other community leaders are already there, standing in the center of the large wooden space beneath well-carved beams. Sunlit windows cut diagonal pillers through the dust.
"Obadiah!"
Bordana smiles for the first time in Erastil knows how long
"It's been over half a day and no attacks. People are starting to dare to hope you've succeeded. Tell us, what happened in those benighted woods? And who is your..."
her sunny demenour turns sour as she looks at Olivia
"...companion?"
Vhailor listens quietly as they hurtle through Delve... though a pout develops when he hears he will have to wait another four days before getting his promised boomstick.
"Cheer up Vhailor. I bet we can find all sorts of interesting things for you to get into...I mean check out during those four days."
Greogry nods.
"We have four days to explore the city. Think of what we will be able to discover!"
Vhailor's bottom lip is still petulantly thrust, though he grumbles a mild acceptance of the fact that further wonders await them in Delve-land.
Obadiah grimly smiles at the assembled leaders;
"What kind o' 'unter would I be without returning t' 'ome with a prize!"
He pushes Olivia forward
"Nay M'lady... If t'attacks 'ave ceased it is more down t' me companions endevours than me own..."
With a more hushed tone he continues;
"... This is Olivia... she 'as grim tayd'ings t' share... on our saviours t' Flameslingers and more... Should she telle all I'd urge t' wise council save her from t' rope..."
:
The preacher wearily nods at Olivia, to tell her tale...
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The carriage shoots out of the tunnel and onto one of the viaducts of Delve. The cluster of towers that forms Fort Pinnicle looms large ahead of you. You are swallowed by one of the brick-lined enterances on it's flank and shudder to a halt in the same gloomy station you were first carted into when you entered the hidden city. As you step off the cart Mrs. Hettika also disembarks:
"I will file your citizenship papers now. I will see you again in four days.
Thank-you again for everything you've done for Delve so far"
With that she walks away down the platform. Private Karnekson moves the other way towards a large elevator at the far end.
"Follow me, guys"
Entering the elevator you're sent downward with a rumble of gears. The movement of the box lurches sideways for a few moments before clanging to a halt. The doors rumble open and you find yourselves in a huge, virtually empty hall.
Dozens of elevator enterences ring the oval edge of the space, and great sets of double doors some 100' high dominate both ends. One set is firmly shut, whilst the other is slightly ajar - you can hear the clamour of the city through it.
"This is where the troops training in the citadel enter and leave when the shifts change. This hall is packed three times a day. And when a regiment deploys, those inner doors are opened and a thousand men and their machines march out. It's a sight to behold, I can tell you"
As it is, there are only five lonesome figures in the hall. Four of them have spindly limbs and thin plumes of steam rising from their backs - automata, though more clumsy looking and lacking the heavy armour of the ones you fought. The fourth is a young man in plain overalls. He and the machines all carry mops.
"Good shift, Jurgan?"
Karnekson calls out as he leads you towards the door
"As good as ever, sir!"
The man calls back before continuing his work. Karnekson remarks:
"It's always useful to be friendly to the caretakers"
As you're about to leave you see one of the constructs starts to limp, and it's engine labours slightly more loudly. Jurgan shouts something at it in a language you don't recognize and it freezes. He starts to walk towards it as you leave the chamber and step onto the wide streets of the Crown tier.
This is the tier that is supposed to be where Delve worked spend their golden years. It does indeed seem rather plesant. Elegant horseless carriages puff by, and the occasional group of middle aged men and women stoll by you in outlandish and intricate clothing, chatting merrily. To your surpise, the street is dotted with green trees. They are baths in a golden yellow light the shines over the rooftops of spacious looking detatched houses. It's source is an orb too bright to look directly at that sits in the distance inside a complex glass structure lined rows of green vegatation. This must be the Shaded Sun.
After fifteen minutes of walking you come to a wide plaza. At it's center is a hole in the surface of the tier through which four vast chains run. Each chain carries a stream of glass-sheathed platforms - two of them move upward, and two of them downward. Each chain is hemmed in by a pair of lesser elevators that rise fifty feet from the tier's surface. Whenever a platform rises or falls to be level with the surface of the tier, one of these elevators matches it's speed for about a minute until it reaches the limit of it's travel. It then moves up or down to it's starting position, leaving it's counterpart to move with the next chain-bound platform.
"The loading lifts were only added a year ago. Before that, the Hoist was endlessly stopping and starting. It's far quicker and easier to ride now."
You cross the plaza and climb a wide flight of stairs to the top of one of these loading lifts. The platform thuds into position in front of you half a minute after you reach the top. Walking onto it, you wait a whilst long before it starts to descend. The moment it does, the surface of the Hoist's platform is
revealed, seperated from your own platform by a gap only a couple of inches wide. Karnekson steps over the threshold and you follow. A minute later the wall of the tier rises up behind you and cuts the loading lift from view. You are on your way.
You descend for about fifteen minutes, down through the huges pipes and ducts of the Crucible tier. When you reach the next loading lift you are joined by a few dozen men and women in a variety of uniforms and half a dozen in what look like casual garments. The platform is filled but not uncomfortably so. Chatter surrounds you. A group of soot-covered men carrying heavy tools stands next to you. One of them looks over to you and says politely:
"Welcome to Delve"
There a murmer of assent from others around you. After that, the other passengers go back to talking amongst themselves. Most of them, along with yourselves, step off the Hoist platform at the next loading lift. You are carried down to street level and step out onto the Cradle tier.
The cradle is much denser than the Crown. Flat-roofed houses run either side of the street in an unbroken line, punctuated only by much larger square towers that reach halfway to the tier above and by the collossal supports of the tiers themselves. You walk for another ten minutes. There are many more people on the pavements here and the vehicles that lumber down the roads are larger and burdened with obsidian, vats of water or piles of crates. It's busy, but it doesn't feel crowded.
You come to a building that stands out from the others. It stands in one of the terrances but it's front is fully open and lined with a work surface like the bar of a tavern. Piles of crates can be seen in the room beyond. A queue of people is being served by five staff members of some sort.
Karnekson opens a bag slung over his sholder and pulls out a small device. It takes the form of three sets of dials able to show numbers from 1 to 999. A fourth set of dials has been neatly riveted to one end, also with three digets displayed.
"This is a block counter, known to most as a 'ticker'. Delve currency, for want of a better term, is the block. That's the value of one of those small chunks of obsidian that you saw Mrs. Hattika ignite. Most people have three allowances of blocks - one for food and drink from the Sun, one for furniture and tools from the Engine and one for enterance to shows at the Octagon, the Mirrorhall and other entertainments. As they spend their allowance these dials tick down. They're wound back up again every six days."
He points to the fourth reel
"That's exclusive to you guys. It counts your arms allowance. Because of your status as mercenaries with the right to leave Delve you're allowed to own your weapons, armour and wargear. Hence, you've got that counter to let you save for them. You won't be able to get military kit from an outlet like that one because security isn't tight enough. You'll have to go to Gisslerom Factory."
He passes the counter in his hand to Vhailor, the takes more out of the bag and passes one to each of you.
"Flip it over and you'll see a silver plate and a sharp stud. Prick your finger on that stud and your image will appear on the silver plate. That stops anyone else using your allowance. I was going to take you through through how the outlets worked, but there's just been the weekly rewinding so they're pretty busy. It's easy enough - just talk to one of the storekeepers"
The soldier-come-tourguide checks a slip of paper and leads you to a tall, thin tower. He takes six keys out of his bag and hands each of you one of them before going through the door at the base of the tower. It isn't locked. You ascend flight after flight of stairs, passing nine floors and getting right to the top of the tower. Passing through another door you see find youself in a circular room with a large stove at the centre and four tables surrounding it. Ten doors lead out of the room in addition to the larger one that you came in through.
"The room numbers are on the keys. Says here that the four other rooms are all occupied, so you'll be meeting your neighbors soon enough. I'm going to leave you all to it - the Helix Order won't wait. Be in that enterence hall in Fort Pinnicle in three days and twenty hours time. You need to get into lift sixteen. Until then, enjoy your new hometown."
He leaves, closing the door behind him.
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"Sirs, Madam, I am Olivia Kerrow, First Adept of the Helix Order fifth conclave. We are a mercenary regimate beseiging the structure you know as the choking tower, which is in fact the chimney of an underground city filled with the withered, brainwashed servants and ever-turning machines of Farkus Xoud."
This little revelation results in raised eyebrows but the concil keep their composure. Olivia continues in the same dejected monotone:
"To fight this war we need to buy in spell components, scrolls, potions, ammo, food and everything else a regiment at war needs. We weren't getting the funding we needed from our employers but the bonus on offer for victory made it worth looking for...other revenue streams"
"It's complicated to explain, but the nature of Delve's war machines means we have an abundance of obsidiance chunks and bits of scrap machinery. This can't be carted to nearby towns and sold, but my superiors - NOT me, I'm just a foot soldier - hit on the idea of staging undead attacks on Iadenveigh and having one of our recon units collect funds from you for stopping them. The attacks were strung out just enough to keep them dangerous but managable."
"That's the whole truth. I'll answer any questions you have. I don't want to die"
There's stunned silance. Bordana breaks it, and her voice is almost a whisper as she keeps her rage in check:
"I see. Well then. Now that the attacks have stopped, it seems the
'Flameslingers' are no longer required. Time the get RID of them"
Tarrend turns to her
"We need to be careful. These imposters are powerful enough to kill many of our own if we don't set thing up right. We should call a meeting, get them in a room away from their carpet and hemmed in on all sides. Then we can reveal their secrets and let the townsfolk do the rest."
Kelt doesn't take is eyes off Olivia
"I'll be at the head of them. Huron is mine. Obadiah, you say we should spare this woman the rope? WHY?"
Obadiah, before you can answer the door of the hall slams open. One of the men whom you recognize from the contingent guarding the bridge stands there panting for breath.
"I have to interrupt...there something come from the east...plume of steam and smoke..."
Bordana draws her knife
"I'll watch her. The rest of you go, now!"
Obadiah, you run with Kelt and Tarrand into the town square and up the central street. You round a bend and see the bridge in the distance, several fields after the buildings end.
Something has come to a halt in front of it. It looks like a fortified barn has been built onto iron wheels and driven across the countryside. Steam rises from
it and you can see the unnatural motion of the machinery jutting from it's rear half.
The doors at it's prow are open, and a figure charges out. At this distance you can't make out what it is but you can tell it's larger than a troll. It crashes over the bridge and, with a crash audiable from where you stand, breaks through the barricade without slowing.
Vhailor cradles his ticker protectively, making a note to study it in more detail later, though he takes a peek to see what numbers are showing. He does not yet prick himself though. Moving to the table he also seizes a room key at random... wondering for a moment if he'll have a man sized bed to swim in.
Turning to the others "I am confused and at odds as to what to do... eat, sleep... or shop! Though I think it will take me some time to tire of the lifts and carriages... maybe I should just ride them awhile?" smiling like a kid in a candy store as he clasps his ticker tight to his heart and his eyes furtively flicker this way and that..