Ary watches the man rise, rising along with him, and steadying him, should he need it. She starts to speak when he suggests they guide him back to Kenabres to tell him how bad of an idea that is, and then he suggests they leave the others behind. Her brow furrows, and she moves back to her ruined tent, digging out another longer tent rod, completely ignoring the man who suggested they leave anyone behind.
"My name's Ary Bishop, I'm a member of the Crusade. If you would, you can use this to help to keep yourself from stumbling, for now." she explained, as she moved over to Aravashnial, holding the rod before her, as she attempted to hand it over to the elf as Ehren looked over his eyes.
"If Avi and Hawk think making a trip back into Kenabres is wise, I'll listen to their experience. But I've no idea where these caverns are going to lead." she finally said, speaking to Horgus. "These two have experience. Aside from money, what do you have to offer us?"
Ehren frowns when his fears are confirmed.
"I can bandage the wound for the time being, but it would take powerful divine magic to restore your eyes," he reports, bowing his head slightly, "One of the priests up above might have the spell, but it is beyond my means." He adds awkwardly, "I am sorry."
"Sir my name is Hrut Ingvarson and I am a new recruit with the Emypreal Guardians, I am just confirmed to the Guardians but will do what I can with your aid and guidance to get us through this."
Looking over to Anevia, "I am sure we can get you out of here, it looks like you are moving well with that splint so we can begin our trek to the surface."
Coming back to the wizard, "One day I hope you can tell me some of the stories from when you delved into the depths of the Worldwound, but for now we need you to help us out and guide us with your knowledge, can you do that for us Aravashnial?"
After hearing his offer, giving a sideways glance to Horgus and walking toward him, "Listen here, you will get to the surface with the rest of us, but any more talk of leaving people behind and things may become unpleasant for you, I don't leave people behind, regardless of injury or personality, do you understand?
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Horgus huffs. "Hmph. Crusaders. What's best for the majority should outweigh the needs of the minority. And aside for money? Money is everything, girl. I got to my station through wits and cunning, not brute strength. Money buys me the latter."
Anevia nods at Hrut, smiling slightly as she leans on her crutch. "Sorry to be such a burden," she quips, giving Horgus a withering stare.
Aravashnial seems to relax slightly at Hrut's words, so his tone is far more friendly when he accepts Ary's tent rod. "Thank you." He contemplates for a moment. "Well...I think what's best is that some of the more experienced of you should scout the cavern ahead, while others remain with the wounded." He wrinkles his nose distastefully as he realizes that he himself is counted among the wounded. "As for myself...I need someone to help guide me and be my eyes...I'm afraid this stick won't be enough."
Anevia perks up, and hobbles over to his side,. "I can do that! Maybe two halves of fighters can join to make one whole fighter, dontcha think?"
Aravashnial nods. "It might be dangerous. Without sight, it would be dangerous for me to cast spells...though I have this wand of false life...but it only has 19 charges left." He pulls it out from his robes. "False life harnesses the power of undeath to make a person more resistant to injury temporarily. It will last for a few hours. If anyone would like my help, you will need to come to me. Obviously." Aravashnial's tone sounds overall less bossy. Now he just sounds weary, and defeated. He pulls out his wand and makes sure to cast it on himself and Anevia, leaving 17 charges.
Valaria hides a scowl as the merchant looking man wakes up. His immediate bluster and disregard grates on her nerves far faster and far more than the wizard's attitude. "Of course he's a noble," she thinks. "No other way he'd be this full of himself at the bottom of a hole." She admits that the offer of money is nice, but it feels rather pointless, since unless the plan to just leave him behind there's no way they wouldn't be bringing him with them. She rankles as he suggests leaving the other behind.
"Well, Aravashnial seems to know his way around fighting demons. Injured or not, I'd welcome more experienced hands to finding our way out of here." Compared to Horgus, she'll happily bring the wizard with them. "And the same goes for Anevia. She's one of the crusade's best scouts. Just what we'd need to survive, even with her leg."
She sighs and composes herself, not wanting to make him angry if they're going to have to be traveling together to find their way out of these caves. "I understand that you're not happy. And that we're in a bad situation. But we need every hand, no matter how able, to make it out of this in one piece. Your offer is appreciated, but for now let's focus on getting everyone out of here in one piece, you and them."
She turns back to Anevia. "Are you sure you'll be okay to walk on your own? We don't need you getting any more hurt."
"As long as it won't be a burden to you, I'll accept the magic. I'm pretty sure we need whatever help we can get. Thanks."
"Either way. I meant now. What can you offer to help us get out. I'm pretty much only good for hitting things... and getting hit. Butterfly's got a great arm. Fen'Wen's one of the most promising scouts I've met..." she explained, then looked back over to Markus, and moved over to him plopping down beside him, "And Mage has some pretty interesting spells that don't singe his allies. I've got no idea what it is, exactly, that you can do presently, though. If I just need to stand next to you and make sure you don't die, then that's what I'll do."
"I will take some of your magical assistance please, I am sure it will be needed before long."
"Is it wise to send someone ahead to scout or should we come upon things at full force? I would hate to get separated especially with a precarious cavern."
Horgus blusters. "Hmph. Asking me for help? The nerve!" He spreads his arms out. "I'm unarmed. Though if one of you happens to have a rapier to spare, I was trained in fencing in my youth."
He turns to Valaria, a smug grin on his face, pleased that someone appreciates him. "Very well. I concede that you are the experts at working through all this unpleasantness, not me."
"Actually, I was trying to find out if I could arm you. How are you with a sling? There's plenty of rocks around, and you could use that, maybe. If we have one. I... don't have a rapier for you, though."
"Honestly, I think it's smarter to have people at least a little separated. I'll stick with Avi, Hawk, and... I still have no idea what to call him." she had plenty of ideas, but they were all at best insulting. "I guess Horgus it is. Those with Elf-sight and Night-sight will make much better scouts than myself... so Fen'Wen, Butterfly, and -maybe- Mage are probably best equipped for picking out dangers, yeah?"
She wasn't leading, so much as making suggestions.
"Thank you for the protection, Master Aravashnial." she said with a bow, even though she knew he couldn't see it.
"Definitely Aravashnial, he used to use that tone the few times he gave me lessons in magic while father was away," she thought as he lectured the group on what should be done. "Still, I'm glad he's here, even if he's been retired he'll be a big help. I do hope we're able to get help for him back up on the surface." "Don't worry," she said to Aravashnial as she helped him up, "Everyone here stood their ground against the two Dretches, and together we defeated one and drove off the other. I think we'll do alright, especially with some pointers from yourself and Anevia."
Li'an did her best to try to help Ary and Valaria in getting everyone's cooperation, but found herself tripping over her own words. Between being flustered by Anevia's repeated reference to Valaria being her 'girlfriend' and her nearly instantaneous dislike of Horgus, she just couldn't muster up anything helpful.
"Given what was up top, I don't think it'd be wise to go charging in everywhere," she said to Hrut. "It's possible we'll run into more demons, and it'd be best if we avoided fighting them if at all possible. I'll scout ahead as we go. With protection from the false life spell Master Aravashnial cast, I should be fine even if something goes wrong."
"But first I think we should take a closer look at that thing over there," she said, pointing at the gigantic spider.
Valaria frowns slightly, but still it's better to have everyone armed than not. "I've got a rapier to spare," she says, unfastening the slim blade from her waist. "It's better to have everyone armed in case there's some... unpleasant creatures down here." She walks over to Horgus and offers the sheathed blade to him hilt first.
She looks back at Ary. "Maybe, but if we separate, it will be easier to creep up on us later. If we must travel in two groups, it's best that we keep them close together anyway." She nods. "But I admit I am probably better for scouting than most. My eyes are keen in the dark."
She looks over as Li'an offers to scout ahead. "You're not going alone," she says adamantly. "If there are other things down here, demons or more vermin like that spider thing, it's not safe to fight alone." She looks at Aravashnial. "If you wouldn't mind Mr. Wizard, I could use a little magical protection before we investigate ahead together."
"Gods damn it." murmurs Markus, still lying on the ground, curled up. He rolls onto his back and throws his arms wide. His quarterstaff goes out to one side, and he lets loose a heavy sigh. His eyes flick around the cave, taking in the destroyed buildings, the rubble, the bodies, and his fellow survivees - nine of us, hm? In a mysterious cave, after a devastating attack on a border city on the Worldwound.
What a great situation.
He heaves and stands up, pushing himself up with the tip of his quarterstaff. "I can scout ahead - it's likely that I have the best senses here - but I don't think we should even think about splitting up (except temporarily to scout). We have injured and there are only nine of us in the very compromising situation." He looks around a bit, realizing that he'd led with a lot after having been silent and moody for so long. "My name's Markus, by the way. And I'm a necromancer, Ary - that's why my magic's not flashy."
Ary started to say something, mouth opening, before she closed it back... then just frowned, looking slightly confused.
She looked over the dead bodies from her seated position, then back to Markus, then back to the bodies again, frown still on her face. Demon-blooded. Dead-blooded. Blah, neither of those mattered to Ary. But... wasn't necromancy evil?
She looked to the others to see how they were going to respond to that concept. Avi's spell was basically a protection spell... that used necromancy, so maybe it wasn't so bad...
"Excellent Markus glad to have another someone who can see in the dark and can alter situations from a less than physical stand point, as far as the necromancy goes you have to specialize in something and if you were given a scale so you can't be all bad."
Looking around to everyone,
"Well it looks like those of you that can see in the dark should go ahead then and those of us that cannot will trail behind, at least for a while. How far ahead do you think like fifty feet, more?"
Looking to Val, Markus and Li'an.
Valaria almost jumps as Markus suddenly gets up. She'd almost forgotten that the pale man was even there, he'd been quiet for so long. "Pale guy's right," she says. "We need to be careful." She pauses in her agreement as he declares himself a necromancer. "Necromancer? Like, raising dead guys? That kind of thing? Or more like our wizard buddy's wand kind of thing?" She admits to herself that having a spell caster raising the dead would be a little creepy, but she's worked with worse people and he seems helpful enough. Kinda depressing, but helpful.
Horgus gladly takes the rapier from Valaria, and takes a few practice swipes with it, clearly attempting to show off.
Aravashnial nods, and assuming Valaria comes close enough to him for him to touch her with his wand, he casts False Life on her. "Please, though, my name is Aravashnial. Not...'Mr. Wizard.'"
Listening to Markus, he tilts his head. "And where were you trained? Are you with the church of Pharasma?"
"Both, I suppose." says Markus, scratching his head. "I don't know how to do much more than make somebody run away or make somebody tired, but..." he looks at them. "Necromancy's the magic of my blood. They're natural powers, like a sorcerer's."
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Well, that made it easy. Another inborn thing.
Ary stood up, and stetched languidly. "I'd say closer to thirty feet. That's about as far as I can safely move to intervene... and you probably need them a bit closer, yeah?" she said, focusing her attention on Hrut with the last part.
"I'll still likely stick near these guys." She motioned to Aravashnial and Anevia, then moved to stand near them... leaving the merchant to decide whether to join the cripples, or continue separating himself.
Valaria forces herself not to chuckle at Horgus' form. "At least he's armed," she tells herself. "Even if he's awful." "You're a little out of practice," she says, trying to be honest without being rude. "Still, it's better to be ready just in case."
She walks over to Aravashnial and helps guide the want a bit so he can easily touch her. "Anghedrerben,' she says as he casts the spell on her. "I meant no disrespect." No reason to offend the wizard offering to help her out.
She looks over at Ary and gives a nod. "Right, well I suppose if you're staying that close, we should be able to manage fine. Just keep an eye out if something comes at us from behind."
"Thirty feet it is, let us be off, I am sure we do not have supplies enough to be down here too long."
Thirty feet... they will hear me from a mile away...
"I will accept any aid you can lend," Ehren replies to Aravashnial, moving close enough to the elven wizard to accept his spell.
The druid finally turns to acknowledge the elephant spider in the room, wondering why it has been still for so long.
"I'm only carrying a pair of waterskins, and we should be careful about drinking any water we find... so he's got the right of it. We should be off, I think."
Once the others started moving, she'd fall in line to stand between anything that came around behind Fen'wen, Butterfly, Mage, and her group.
Valaria nods. "I let most of my gear at the inn I was staying at. Didn't expect to need it at a festival like today. More the fool I suppose." She sighs. "We'll need to be careful with supplies too I guess." She steps forward to the front of the group. "Why don't you take point Li'an? I'll be right behind you."
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"Actually, that's something else we -do- need to worry about. I'm decent at foraging, but haven't really ever tried to test that theory underground. Assuming I can't find anything safe... I've got three days of rations and two days of water to share, if we need it.
Anevia shrugs. "Well it's not really scouting if you're only 30 feet in front of the rest of the group, is it? No use even trying to be all sneaky-like at that range." She chuckles. "Oh well, guess we're deferring to the more able bodied!"
Aravashnial grips his tentpole tightly, but does not say a word.
"I have a hooded lantern and torches, however I need both hands for combat. If someone wants to use them or whatever, I also have plenty of oil. I probably should be in the middle since I am the slowest to get anywhere, unless you truly object Ary."
Anevia laughs darkly. "I don't think you get much slower than me, friend."
"No objections here, really." she shook her head. "The chances of anything -choosing- to be between us is pretty low, anyway... and I feel a little bit better about being in the back. Plus, if we're going to look for food, we'll need to move a bit slower, anyway." she gave him a reassuring smile, as she slipped around behind everyone.
'It's strange how first into battle and the last to leave it doesn't always work with honoring my fellows...' Ary thought, as she slipped into the back.
"If you're as good with a sword as you are with an axe, you can borrow mine. It'll give you light to work with and keep your hands free from the torch."
"Hah! Anevia I am Barely faster then you with a broken leg! I can use my lantern with my axe away, set it down and move to where I am needed and draw my weapon, sounds a bit like a juggle honestly. I am also not bad a foraging."
Giving Ary a wry smile, then realizing his helmet is on and she would not have seen it anyway.
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Valaria gives a small sigh of relief. "Well, we've got at least three people that can hunt down food for us while we're down here then," she says. "That may just save our lives at some point. But for now, we should get a move on. We're not finding our way back to the surface standing around. We can track down dinner later."
(Assuming you start moving.)
"I can create all the fresh water we need," Ehren states vaguely, "I have some food on me, but not enough for all of us... but yes, we should be fine for now."
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Li'an started to argue about having people tag along with her on point, as she tended to agree with Anevia on the role of the scout, but sensed there wasn't any point when she saw the look in Valaria's eyes. "I really need to learn how to cast invisibility, there'd be no arguing about this then," she thought to herself.
"Well, no sense dawdling around any longer, lets get moving." She tried to keep at least a dozen feet between her and Valaria and the pale necromancer, Markus so that she'd at least be able to move somewhat stealthily. In order to appease them, however, she tried to get most of her distance by staying off to the side in the shadows, instead of further ahead. As she moved Li'an drew Lleuad, keeping it point down and hidden from the light so it wouldn't reflect any glint from Ary's flaming weapon up ahead.
Slowly she led the group forward, straining her eyes for any signs of movement further off in the cavern.
As the group begins to move forward, Valaria gets a better look at the spider. The distinctive markings on it's back reveal it's nature and she flinches back, rather glad that's it's dead, despite the foul smell. As she notices the strange movement and hears muffled chewing, she stops outright. "Let's keep clear of the spider if we can," she suggests. "I'm pretty sure it's dead, but there's something wrong about it."
"Ok, we'll work our way around it," Li'an said quietly towards Valaria, and altered her course to try and give the spider as wide a berth as possible.
"Those spiders are territorial - it would have attacked us already if it were still alive... but it won't hurt to exercise caution."
Ary had been on the fence about going near it at all in the first place; it probably had poisons that would be valuable to the crusade, as well as other things... but it also ran the risk of alerting something more dangerous to their presence to try to gather it. When Valaria suggested they avoid it, she accepted the suggestion without question.
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Valaria nods and starts to work her way around the far side of the room. She suddenly stumbles on a piece of rubble. "Gol izg. Bozg krúl," she curses, slipping into another tongue at the sudden pain.
The group provides wide berth to the spider corpse and moves around it with little difficulty. The cavern proves to be roughly 120 ft' across. At the opposite end of the cavern there are two 10 ft wide tunnels continuing on into the darkness. Which way do you go?
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I am super quiet right now!
Trying to emulate some of the roguish types ahead of him.
Valaria looks back and forth between the two tunnels. "This isn't my specialty," she says. "Got any idea which way to go Li'an? You're the scout here."
Markus follows along quietly with the group, accepting his position in the marching order with one exception - he offers to give a weightless light to Hrut. "Big man," he says, "I can cast a spell to make your weapon emanate light, if you have trouble seeing down here. We'll have to regroup every few minutes or so such that I can recast it, of course, but it'll help."
If Hrut agrees, Markus casts light on the man's shield or battleaxe (his choice).
As they move into the caves, his untrained eyes don't pick up anything. He isn't paying too much attention, not to mention the fact that the tiefling and elf are ahead of him, so he stays quiet.