"But Bitey knows all about caves, Bitey born in caves, shaped by caves, Bitey not see sky till Bitey full grown." Bitey whimpers at Zoranda's feet.
Serena watched the discussion, then shrugged slightly. She didn't much care who was in charge at the moment, as long as someone was, and she didn't want to overcomplicate the matter. She had a job to do. "Exit's over this way." she said, helping Aravashnial forward.
Finially letting go of the rascal, Zora relents. "Just don't go away from the group and try to stay quiet, Bitey."
|
Arianna stayed back as the party talked to the three, her presence probably wouldn't help too much if she were to be open with the group. "Hey, I'll take a look around make sure there aren't any traps around the path.." she offered gently spotting a glimmer of silver and reached down to pick up the scale.
Zorada's arguments more than Vance's seem to calm the men down.
The party departs and soon comes into another smaller cavern. This cavern appears to have once served as a campsite or temporary lair. A torn bedroll lies next to the cold remains of a fire. A pile of bones, broken equipment, and rubble lies just past the campsite.
"Hey, I'll take a look around make sure there aren't any traps around the path.." she offered gently
She finds no traps in the path.
"Well, this means that there is a way out, or at least was," Zora comments. "Anyone know enough to tell how old this fire is? Or those bones? Are those humanoid, Bitey?" Zora adds, figuring he would know.
Bitey will scamper over to the pile to check the bones and such.
Serena calmly described the things they saw as they moved forward, much like a new carriage driver practicing might describe things to their instructor to prove they were paying attention to threats. She also made sure to look up as they moved around, keeping her light-stone up to ensure the group had a moderately easy time seeing where they were going.
At the sight of the remains, Thrall closes in with Bitey to have a look, praying for help.
"We can't afford to fight between ourselves." Iolaire intervenes, despite the fact that she stands no higher than the chests of either of the main protagonists. "Master Avarashniel has great experience and this will be very valuable in getting us out of here, but Master Horgus makes a good point. If we have to describe everything, wait for a decision, act on it and then describe the outcome then this will be much too slow. We must find a middle way where we can act quickly and benefit from everyone's own talents."
Horgus and Aravahsnial both seem to have been calmed, mainly by the fox-faced woman called "Zo Zo" by the Goblin. She then proceeds to ask him to take charge. She would probably expect him to personally slay every demon they encountered between them and the surface, too - after all, he was a Heimrin. He nods and says, "I'll organize us as best we can. You still haven't given me your name. I'd like to know what to call you." Looking at the half-elven woman he gave his torch to, he says, "You haven't given me yours, either." Not accusational to either woman, but he does consider it polite to introduce oneself.
Turning to Bitey, Balthasar considers lecturing the idiotic goblin for charging the spider corpse, but realizes that would likely be counter productive with his personality. "Bitey, your experience in the caves will surely be helpful, but the rest of us will need you to stay close so we can get out. Please avoid running too far ahead of us, so we don't get lost. Okay?"
Once that's done, Balthasar organizes the group for marching, with Bitey up front to guide them, and Thrall and 'Zo Zo' behind. He follows behind them with the half-elven woman, with Iolarie and Aria next. Due to Vance's wounds, and their lack of healing, he has Vance stay with Anevia to assist and protect her - once a suitable crutch is found. Serena stays with Aravashnial, and Horgus is placed suitably in the middle for his protection.
As they arrive in the cave, Balthasar looks at the cave-in and sighs. If that was the way out, then hopefully there was another.
"Let's search the area - see if there are any useful supplies we can use."
He suits action to words, looking for anything he can find.
Horgus and Aravahsnial both seem to have been calmed, mainly by the fox-faced woman called "Zo Zo" by the Goblin. She then proceeds to ask him to take charge. She would probably expect him to personally slay every demon they encountered between them and the surface, too - after all, he was a Heimrin. He nods and says, "I'll organize us as best we can. You still haven't given me your name. I'd like to know what to call you." Looking at the half-elven woman he gave his torch to, he says, "You haven't given me yours, either." Not accusational to either woman, but he does consider it polite to introduce oneself.
Zora hesitates to answer him, but finally gives in. "My name is Zoranda. My friend here is Anna," Zora says, shortening Arianna's name. Rather not want this Iomeadean or any of the others raising a ruckus over her heritage right now. Especially with a few being 'higher born'.
"Very nice to meet you, Zoranda, Anna. My name is Balthasar. If you don't mind my asking...um...how did...that is...you appear to be part fox," Balthasar replies to Zoranda telling him her name, and trying to discretely, yet clumsily, ask what precisely she is, since he'd never seen a kitsune before. Wonder why the reluctance to tell me her name? I would certainly remember if I'd met her - fox people aren't exactly common in Kenabres.
The camp sight is quickly searched. A couple dig sized cockroaches jump out at Bitey, but the party swiftly deals with them.
A thorough search of the room turns up a torn bedroll, three candle stubs (each can burn for 30 minutes), a bent fishhook, 10 feet of badly frayed hemp rope, and a copper brooch depicting a bat perched on a mushroom-both of the bat's eyes are tiny amethysts.
The party moves on and soon comes to a new cavern. A stone ledge juts out at a right angle on the south wall of this cavern, fourteen feet off the ground. The leather stra p of a backpack hangs from the edge of the ledge, while above, a narrow fissure yawns up into the dark.
Anrvia and Aravashnial both move very slowly and need help overcoming anything greater than a step's height.
Serena raised an eyebrow at the ledge, then gestured idly. A hand formed of light rose up and began tugging on the bag, aiming to bring it down so they could see what was inside.
Working together, Serena and Vance manage to get the pack down safely. It is a fine pack (mstwk) and contains 10 days of trail rations, a flint and steel, a set of caltrops, two flasks of oil, a bundle of 12 arrows, a potion of cure light wounds, and a potion of lesser restoration.
"Oh good - food." Serena said, gesturing thankfully. Her mage hand bobbled a bit until she dismissed it. The caltrops probably weren't going to be too useful, but the other items might be, especially if they needed to start up a fire.
Balthasar picked up the brooch and set it in his belt pouch - it might come in handy, although the iconography was odd.
"Good. I had enough rations for a few days, but not for this many people." Looking up at the yawning fissure, which seemed to be the only way forward, he said, "Thrall, Bitey, Zoranda, Anna, do you think you could climb up there and make sure nothing is lurking?" Balthasar fingers the scale from Terendelev. "I believe I could use this to get Anevia and Aravashnial up there, but I'd rather we make sure it's safe first."
30 minutes and one quickly dead cave viper later you come to a junction with a 5'hole in the wall. A shift been glow emanates from the opening.
Beyond, a single sizable 20-foot-tall building remains in the center of this 30-foot-high cave, a bunkerlike structure with no windows and walls of worked stone blocks. A 10-foot-long carving of a hammer decorates the building's facade. The ruins of collapsed outbuildings stand to either side.
"That's the holy symbol of Torag." Iolaire says, pointing with her glaive, "But old - that style hasn't been used in a century I think... We should definitely investigate!"
Suiting actions to words she leads the way towards the building (and in if nothing stops her).
"Wait! We don't know what magical effects the strange glow has. It could be fatal. Perhaps our sorceress or someone else could study the effects to determine whether or not it's harmful? Everyone else, keep watch while Serena works." Balthasar didn't know much about magic, and he wasn't about to put himself or anyone with him in the way of a potentially harmful magical effect. Demons could do strange things - and who knew when the last time someone had been down here was.
"At a shrine?" said sorceress asked, blinking at Balthasar. "Just a moment." she added to Aravashnial, shrugging and walking right up to the building. "It's one thing if a shrine is defiled - I heard they cursed a lot of the places in the Worldwound. It doesn't look like this symbol of Torag has been horribly messed with, though, and anybody trying to harm the place would never have left such a major part in good condition. So it's probably safe enough." With that, she pushed open the doors to peek inside... though she did keep a bit of magic at the ready in case she was wrong, and stayed close to Iolaire for protection.
Oh, like a shrine would offer anyone protection, Zora sarcastically thinks while wondering if the bannerman would be so cautious at an Iomedaean shrine. Whether it was safe or not, Zora didn't care to approach the place either way.
It looks like it's coming from the shrine at first, but as you approach you notice that it's actually coming from the area around the shrine, which is creepy. The aura is deemed to be not immediately harmful.
Setena pushes on the door and it doesn't budge.
"Hmmm...if the shrine seems to be unaffected by the glow and the glow will not harm us, then hopefully it's safe to check out - but quickly. Let's see what lies inside."
Seeing that some more help was needed to push open the door, Aria slings her bow over her back and helps to push.
Iolaire adds her strength to Balthasar and together they level the shrine door open.
Thrall was a bit distracted, contemplating the shrine and wondering what it's doing here, when he notices they have opened the door. He nods in agree to Arianna's words, and gets ready to rush over any creature that might be lurking in the shadows of the building.
The door opens, but it's stubborn and makes a terrific creak as it does so. Seconds later several giant flies buzz over the top of the temple, probably checking out the noise! They attack!
Zora sighs and gets ready for a fight as the large insects start to come. And this is why I'll only ever trust Desna, Zora thinks, starknife at the ready.
Iolaire brings her glaive into position to strike at the flies.
As the insects fly close to the ceiling, Thrall understands he can do better than just swinging a big metal bar around. He takes his sling and puts a rock on it, trying a wild shot at one of the flies.
Flies, huh? Probably not smart enough to be affected by her favorite light show - the maggots hadn't been, either - and so Serena just sighed slightly. "Bunch of large flies. It shouldn't be too hard to get rid of them, but..." she considered. "I'd appreciate it if someone could cover me while I try to shoot them down." she said, noting their ability to fly around. The last thing she wanted was for a light show to cause them to swarm her.
With the flies buzzing in, Balthasar draws his sword and prepares to face the vermin. ”Stand firm. If the gods watch over us, these vermin will not spell our end.”
He then prepares to strike at the first to come within range.
Noting that she was, in fact, getting the help she'd asked for - something she wasn't going to forget - Serena focused and conjured up a set of Mage Armor. Flying creatures couldn't be disposed of quite as easily as maggots on the ground, so this might last long enough for her to need it... and better to have it up if she did.
[dice]
Four flies in all appear over the top of the temple. They all dive down on you! Zoranda and Iolaire take one down and Balthasar wounds another.
[dice]
Four flies in all appear over the top of the temple. They all dive down on you! Zoranda and Iolaire take one down and Balthasar wounds another.
The three remaining all miss their attacks! Mandibles snap and the droning is intense, but the party holds, and can now strike back! Serena (protected by Vance), Balthasar, and Iolaire are all face to face with a thousand eyes!
Serena carefully maneuvered around to stick close to her protector but ensure she was out of easy melee range, then pointed and sent a bolt of blazing light streaking through the air.
Unfortunately, it looked like a miss as it went on to scorch the cave wall instead. "Drat."