Seeing that the enemies are now out of his reach, Aladir looks mightily displeased, seeming to mutter something unintelligible under his breath as he wheels around on his heels, returning to the spot he was before to retrieve his bow from the ground.
Quinn latches onto the dwarf as they begin to rise. His vision clouds over as the floor drops away, and his mouth opens impossibly wide. "Bad choice," he says before biting down into the dwarf's shoulder.
The now dead dwarf and Quinn slowly float back to the ground.
Hearing the end of the battle, Anevia and Horgus help Aravashnial into the larger cavern and move up to where the group is huddled around the campsite.
An arrow already nocked to the bowstring, Aladir was lifting the weapon and preparing to draw a bead on the mad dwarf when he saw the flash of red spray from their foe's neck, Quinn's obsidian teeth, once black as night, now stained bright scarlet. His eyes went wide and he only just remembered he had an arrow drawn and ready and didn't drop his bow to the cavern floor again.
Clearing his throat quietly, Aladir shoulders his bow and returns the arrow to its quiver, approaching his ally and the limp body of their enemy. Looking down at the dwarf, and the large piece of him missing from where Torag placed it, he cast his eyes back up to Quinn. "I must remember never to upset you." he says, the tone of his voice muddled between awe and a tinge of genuine fear.
"Well, you sure grasped that situation didn't Quinn?" Ezro says with a wink, as he walks over to examine the dwarf.
Saying a small prayer to Iomedea over the dwarf, he inquires, "I wonder if he was native to these catacombs, or if he fell down here? I do hope we find more friends than enemies, but so far, it seems the numbers are against us."
Yessssss... a voice hissed from deep within... deeper even then the back of Quinn's mind... it seemed to come from the depths of his soul. Feeeeeed... The oily blackness of the haze threatened to overwhelm him as the dwarf's lifeblood coursed between his teeth. He felt the pulse weaken, then slow, and finally stop as they drifted back down to the ground.
Quinn casts away the remains of the dwarf as they near the ground, dropping the last few feet in a crouch. His eyes burn with rage and bloodlust. Coupled with his already fearsome mien and the gore dripping from his jaws, he presents a truly horrific spectacle in the dim light of Hyram's shield.
He staggers back, deeper into the cave, fending off anyone who approaches too closely. "Stay away!" he shouts, swatting at the air. Finally, he braces himself against the far wall, sliding down into a crouch, breathing heavily.
The colors are still around me, but am I awake or dreaming? Hyram can hear voices around him but all he can see are the colors. He feels for his longsword and shield and when he finds both he unsteadily gets to his feet. Where is he? I can't see anything but these blasted colors! Hyram cocks his head to try to determine the direction of the battle but he hears nothing but words of congratulations to Quinn. Does the dwarf still draw breath? Hyram holds out his sword but but keeps it still least he slices one of his allies but ready for another attack from the dwarf.
Watching for a brief moment as the dwarf and Quinn begin to descend, Alikia turns around and runs to pick up her pack. As she hoists the heavy knapsack onto her back, she makes her way back with Anevia, Aravashnial, and Horgus. "There was a dwarfish caster. He set up an ambush and nearly defeated Quinn. Thankfully we were able to turn the tide, but not without some difficulty."
Frowning as she watches Quinn crouching along the far wall, she glances to Ezro. "Can you see if you can rouse Horgus? We should probably get moving quickly. I doubt that he was traveling alone." Sparing a minor glance at the meager campsite, Alikia hopes that they can find a way to the surface shortly.
I'm not a demon, Quinn told himself feverishly. After a few more ragged breaths, he managed to stand back up. He tried to wipe away some of the blood and gore running down his chin and chest, but only managed to spread it further across his armor.
Quinn's hand shakes as he retrieves his longspear where he cast it aside. He steels himself to finally look down at the mangled corpse of the dwarf. After a moment contemplating the destruction he meted out, he forces himself to search the dwarf's remains, and then the campsite, for any clue about who the attacker was.
Quinn avoids eye contact with any of the others for the length of time it takes to rifle through all the mage's belongings. When he finally stands and faces the others, he simply blurts out, "I am not a demon."
Quinn turns away awkwardly and looks for the cavern's egress.
After a few moments Hyram stands up, and slowly waves his sword around in front of him, as he is still blinded by the colors. A minute or so later, he shakes his head, clearing the cobwebs out and pronounces himself fit to continue on.
Quinn searches the dwarf, and the campsite and finds a ratty bedroll, a small pack filled with dried meat, preserved fruit, and some moldy cheese (6 days of rations), and a chipped 6-inch-tall marble statuette of a humanoid throwing a spear, worth 75 gp. More importantly, at least to Alikia, he finds a spell book and gives it to her. On the dwarf corpse itself, he finds two potions, two scrolls, a light crossbow with 10 bolts, 8 pp, 7 gp, a very well made cloak, and some ratty clothes.
After searching, Quinn and Aladir look ahead, and there is an exit to the northeast and a steeply inclined tunnel leads upward to the north, its walls lined with numerous nooks, handholds, and dozens of iron pitons that have been driven into the walls long ago. This will not be an easy climb for Anevia, nor Aravashnial.
detect secret doors, fog cloud, grease, invisibility, resist energy, shocking grasp, silent image, blur, levitate, color spray, mage armor, magic missile, and all 0 level spells.
Aladir will offer to sample both of the potions as he had done with the previous two to see if he can determine exactly what their purpose is.
Afterward, Aladir looks at the wall ahead of them, putting his hands on his hips and seeming to disappear into thought for a moment. "Unfortunate as it is, I didn't pack my rope today...didn't think that I would need it during the festival. I think the easiest way for us to get Alikia and Aravashnial up this face would be for those of us who are good climbers to head on up with some rope, then let them tie the other end around themselves and allow those above to pull while they are climbing."
An idea suddenly strikes the elf. "Wait a moment..." he says, fishing through his backpack until he finds and removes the silver scale of Terendelev he discovered when they were first caught underground. "Terendelev's scale...it will allow me to levitate. I could use it to carry a rope up to the top of this embankment and tie it off. It would give you all an easier time climbing up to join me."
Quinn hands the cloak and the scrolls to Alikia. "What does your arcane sight make of those?" he asks.
"Could the power of the scale be used on them," Quinn nods towards Anevia and Aravashniel. "Even with a rope, they will find it hard to climb to the top. But, if they could glide upwards on a cloud, as great Terendelev would have..." Quinn pauses for a moment to remember the great champion of Kenabres.
Quinn takes a long look up the cavern wall, though the climb disappears beyond even his superior vision. "Whaddya think? By twos?" he asks the others. "You and me first?" he says to Hyram.
As Quinn hands her the other caster's spellbook, Alikia's eyes widen considerably. Most of the spells, save three were unknown to her. Grinning stupidly, Alikia stores the other caster's spellbook in her pack, as she takes a look at the scrolls. "كشف" she murmurs, causing her eyes to glow a light blue as she quickly identifies the scrolls.
"Aladir, I may not be the strongest in our party, but I can handle a short climb!" Sparing a glance to Anevia and Aravashnial, she wonders how they will be able to get both wounded members of their party up to the top. "Although the plan with the rope and scale may be helpful. My scale can cast feather fall, in case we need it."
You and me first?
Hyram feels the muti-colored cobwebs clear from his mind. Sure! Hyram glances up to where the top of the shaft disappears in darkness. I hope I am no longer affected by the colors! I would hate to start feeling dizzy and become a splat next to the dwarven splat!
Quinn straps his longspear to his back, and reaches out for the first hand-hold. Bracing himself on the pitons already driven into the rock, he begins to scale the wall.
"Let me renew the light upon you first Hyram, I will move it to your chest." Ezro follows this by casting light again on Hyram's chest armor.
Glancing up the cliff face, he frowns, remembering that he never did rock climbing at the temple.
"Well, hopefully this rock wall is not as difficult as it appears..." he says out loud, to no one in particular.
Hyram is glad to see the rope hold the Tiefling. With a quick prayer to Iomedae and a new light spell placed on him by Ezro, Hyram will grab hold of the rope and start to climb.
"Actually...I think I could use Terendelev's scale to get all of us to the top of this wall without much difficulty. I think that would be fastest way to get us all moving again, for certain." Aladir muses, holding his levitation scale in hand.
+1 vs traps
The tunnel opens into a large cavern, about seventy feet across. Cylindrical rock formations along the walls arch up to make a dome like chamber, but the walls and floor are riddled with cracks. At the center of the cave, a stone tower that may once have reached the fifty-foot-high ceiling has collapsed onto its side. Quinn, being out front sees and hears two creatures digging carefully at the rubble, calling out, and a muffled voice answering them.
Quinn pauses, taking in the mismatched intermingling of species... or rather the intermingling of chaotic energies pouring from the Worldwound... that created these creatures. An unconscious hand reaches up and strokes one of the vestigial horns protruding from his jaw. Quinn exhales a sigh half-born of equal parts frustration and sympathy. Small wisps of smoke pour out with the breath.
There's no doubting who these people are, Quinn thinks. But, it sounds like someone is trapped in the that collapse. They may need help.
Quinn shakes his longspear, so his guardsman's banner unfurls completely. Tattered and torn as it was, Iomedae's sword and sunburst was still clear. Quinn draws on his goddess given power, casting a light spell on the emblem, and raising it over his head.
"Greetings," he calls in a loud voice. "Can we be of assistance?"
Aladir steps forward to stand side-to-side with Quinn, raising his own voice so he can be heard as well. "If there is anything we can do to help, please say so!" he calls aloud.
Hyram will also step next to Quinn the light on his armor adding to the light from Quinn's banner. We have many hands available to help you! Hyram shouts, a gesture of assistance, but also to let the two know that they are also outnumbered. We have met nothing but enemies down here. Hopefully these two will prove themselves allies but if not...
At the sound of voices behind them, the two creatures turn and assume defensive stances. One of them is a hunchbacked woman, whose face so warped by tumors, that she does not speak to you. The other greets you in a raspy voice, speaking in strangely accented but quite eloquent common, “If your intentions are ill, we ask you to move on and leave us in peace. If they are good, then perhaps you can help. As you can see, misfortune has befallen us.”
Hearing your words, they sheathe their weapons and invite you over to the rubble. As you look you see that they have cleared away most of the debris, and all that is left is one very large rock that is right above their companion. "We are not able to move it by ourselves, and are afraid that if we try and fail it will crush Crel. None of us have the skill to know just how to move it without lifting, and worry that if we misjudge it, it will crush him also." the mongrel says.
"I wouldn't trust them."
"Who is that?"
"They look to be the subterrain dwellers you spoke of earlier" she says with a bit of curiosity and pity in her voice.
Aladir cautiously puts away his bow and approaches the creatures, his hands held up in the air to show he is unarmed. "We have no ill intent, you have my word. We have been lost down here since the demon attack on Kenabres began. We were trapped by a cave-in and have been searching for a way back to the surface. Having a few extra hands may help you get rock off of your friend. May we assist you?"
Quinn walks forward with Aladir. "We don't mean you any harm. We'll help in any way we can, of course."
Quinn pulls his silver scale from his belt pouch and offers it to Aladir. "Allow me," he says exchanging it with the elf.
Ezro listens to the individuals plight with concern. They had not found any other allies down here, and it would be a shame to lose one of the three possible friends they could have down here.
"Then let us give our strength to Iomedea and perhaps she will be able to aid us in this plight. You now have a great many more people to help you release your friend from this circumstance."
Looking to the others he says, "Does anyone have some knowledge or idea on how best to handle this situation? I cannot say moving rocks is my forte, but I can aid as best I can."
When Ezro speaks, Hyram nods his head in agreement. Aye. I am not skilled in the engineering arts, but I'll be willing to lend my hands and a prayer to Iomedea.
Could it be that we have finally found friends? Iomedea is smiling upon us!
Alikia cannot but help and stare at the male tiefling. Where Quinn's features had some sort of symmetry, every-time Alikia stared at this new acquaintance it seemed that she noticed another new animalistic feature. Opening and closing her mouth like some sort of fish, Alikia follows silently behind the others, keeping close with Horgus and Aravashnial.
Upon hearing the situation the native outsiders have found themselves in, Alikia glances around for anything that they can use as a lever to help pry the stone off of the trapped person. Unable to find anything, she just awkwardly stays where she is at, unsure of what to do.
Aladir waits to find out if the rock can indeed be levitated off of the fallen companion of those they encountered; if there is not enough charge in the scale to do so, he will assist as best he can in trying to physically remove the boulder.
Using the power of Terendelev scale to levitate, the rock is levitated off the trapped mongrelman and Lann, the one who spoke to you, looks quite amazed at the feat, and as you push the rock to the side while it was levitating, he reaches down and helps his companion Crel from the hole.
As Crel gets up, he looks to Lann, then looks to you and bows, and via hand gestures, you can tell that he is offering thanks for saving him. Lann says "he is thanking you for saving his life, and I thank you also for that. Come, we head back to Neathholm, where my village is and I am sure that our chieftain will wish to speak to you."
"No thanks are necessary," Quinn responds. "I hope you are not injured from the ordeal. We'll gladly join you at... Neothholm, did you say?"
"I am Quinn Inktooth," Quinn says gratified at how little reaction his appearance garnered from these people. "Kindly keep the pace slow. We have wounded."
As they travel, Quinn plies the small group with questions. "What was that tower? How did it come to collapse? What were you doing in there? How far is Neothholm? How many live there? Who is your Chieftain? We encountered a mad dwarf who attacked us on sight... do you know of him?"
Finally friends! I am Hyram Grimstalk, in serice to Iomedae Hyram says in his usual gruff tone. Well met. If you are injured we have healing.
"I am Quinn Inktooth..."
Staring at Quinn like he grew a new set of horns, Alikia makes a mental note to ask him about the sudden name change as they start preparing to head towards Neothholm.
"The dwarf's name was Millorn." She adds suddenly, as Quinn mentions their ordeal with the other arcane caster. Readjusting her pack, Alikia keeps her step with Horgus, who has suddenly gone very quiet and Arvanshnial. "I am Alikia. I'm glad that we were able to offer assistance."
Smiling politely at the newcomers, Alikia is suddenly acutely aware that her lifetime of studying outsiders does not equate with being able to socialize with them.
"Nothing quite so amazing about lifting the rock, I'm afraid...it isn't even our own power that allows us to do so; merely that used by the one who saved our lives as we fell into this cave system. I am Aladir Cyruthion. Your aid is greatly appreciated. It seems a very long time since we have encountered anyone that didn't wish to sink fang or claw into us." he adds to the others' greetings.
Regarding the name Neathholm. Your K (Geo) yields that you have heard about an underground village / town of that name where the mongrelmen have made a home.
"The tower was an outpost of ours, so we could keep an eye on the tunnels down here, as this is a central junction point for several of them" as he sweeps his hand around, you see six different tunnels leading from here, including the one you came in. "Four of them including the one you came from just lead into the under dark, but two of them lead back home." He seems to suddenly realize what was said, and blurts "Demon attack? We thought it was a simple quake that shook everything and brought the tower down. Come quickly, Chief Sull will want to here of this attack" and he and his two friends head towards one of the tunnels. "Oh, yes, the dwarf. We know about him but he did not come here, so we just left him alone. He has been here for some time."
"Oh, yes, the dwarf. We know about him but he did not come here, so we just left him alone. He has been here for some time."
Quinn frowns, as though the news was unexpected. "Strange." Quinn thinks back to the ratty bedroll, and campsite. "So, he did not fall in the onslaught, as we did. I wonder..." Quinn leaves his last thought unspoken. It did not seem polite to point out the oddity of the dwarf choosing to live here while amongst those who did not have that choice.
"The tower was an outpost of ours, so we could keep an eye on the tunnels down here, as this is a central junction point for several of them" as he sweeps his hand around, you see six different tunnels leading from here, including the one you came in. "Four of them including the one you came from just lead into the under dark, but two of them lead back home."
"A sound strategy," Quinn nods. Then he starts as he remembers the attack fell nearly a full day ago. "If the tower fell during the attack, then you must have been trapped under there for some time!" he remarks to Crel. "Here. Take some food and water," handing him the last of his waterskin and a bundle of rations.
"Demon attack? We thought it was a simple quake that shook everything and brought the tower down. Come quickly, Chief Sull will want to here of this attack"
"Lead on," Quinn urges.
"Well..it's just as well that you had no interaction with him. He attacked our group on sight. He was very clearly mad and if he'd been allowed to continue, he may've eventually been a danger to your people." answers Aladir, after which he verbalizes his agreement with Quinn, encouraging Lann to escort them to his village so they can report the goings-on of the world above.
Following quietly with the impeded members of their ragtag group, Alikia glances around at the endless darkness that surrounds them. Quinn may be able to see in the dark, but that didn't put her much at ease. Her light source was as much a beacon informing stealthy enemies to where the group was as much as a liability as Anevia's broken leg was. As they travel towards the mysterious city of the mongrelmen, Alikia attempts to memorize the way there, but quickly grows frustrated as the darkness makes the task almost impossible.
Hyram will follow along with the light on his shield providing some illumination. He is not sure if the new travel companions need light, but he suspects that living all their lives in the tunnels, they probably have adapted.
"I did not realize there were such vigilant allies within these tunnels. Please, lead on to your leaders. I would be nice to be among allies if only for a time." Ezro says.
He then takes his position back among the middle of everyone as he makes sure everyone is accounted for and ready to move forward.
Lann and his two friends lead you down a tunnel that heads roughly southwest for about twenty five minutes, and then the tunnel curves to the east and you continue on southeast for about twenty minutes.
The tunnel opens into a circular cavern, roughly forty feet in diameter. Thick sheets of fungus grow in the cave, and several tunnels branch off. All of these save one in the north wall lead downward; the northern one leads upward. What appear to be two dead bodies lie on the ground in the middle of the cave, next to a strange heap of ropy green fungus.
As you approach the entrance to the circular cavern, Lann says "there is a fungus being in there, but it looks to be dead next to the two bodies. And that northern tunnel is where we need to go. We need to be moving on, but if you want to do something with those bodies, we can wait a few minutes." He and his friends move aside to let you thru.
Aladir looks to the others. "Is it worth risking an attack to see what the fallen have? We may find something useful for the rest of our journey. If need be, I can try putting an arrow into the fungal mass from here and see if it can be prompted to stir...just in case it's not really dead."
Quinn looks quizzically at the trio of cavern dwellers. "I don't understand. Are they... were they friends of yours?" Quinn edges to the cavern entrance.
"It would be my pleasure to aid in granting worthy souls a respectful burial."
That's odd. They seem to have no concern for the dead. Has living down here all their lives hardened them so?
I agree with Quinn. They should be granted a respectful burial. I will help you dig the graves and turning to Aladir and I also agree with you. We should make sure that fungus is dead so it does not waylay any others.
Glancing at their guides and the tunnel, Alikia sighs and shrugs. "If there is something in there, we should probably take care of it before it spreads out of this cavern. I think it would be best not to leave anything behind us that can later follow us." Loading her crossbow, Alikia points it at the deceased bodies hidden among the fungi.
"However, I must insist someone else lead the charge. I'm afraid my protection spell has run its course."
Aladir casts a sidelong glance to his companion. "What say we both fire at once? Might be a good way to send an opening greeting."
"I am hesitant to risk more injuries in a looting operation, but I feel that those individuals deserve some form of ceremony. I will follow the group lead on this and provide assistance where necessary." Ezro says, readying his sword and shield.