Griffith Stands over the spider with his greatsword in hand, a glowing halo manifests above his forehead, filling the room with a brilliant light. Light fills the chamber his source and what magic Edmund has cast.
"Shall we strike at it on your command?" Griffith asks sternly.
As the light fills the room, and the bandages are settled, she looks up and around the space.
"Master dwarf, how far down are we?"
He hoped that if the man listened, having a clear and simple task would calm his nerves. That, and it really was something that would need to be done if they were really stuck here for any length of time.
He looks taken aback by this, and pauses for a bit before answering. "Um but of course! Such a crucial matter needs a skilled man to take charge of it! Lucky for us I have years of experience with such a task!"
Sabrina welcomes the support. there is more to that carcass than meets the eye I believe. Something is using it as a home. she says indicating the movement she noticed.
Sabrina carefully approaches staying ready for an attack.
We may have some company she says to the others with the wounded hoping to warn them of potential danger.
As she does so, the wiggling in the torso becomes more violent, and eventually bursts out in a spray of blood and guts! Out erupts two white, wormlike (yet bloated) and wiggling creatures of approximately human size, covered in a thick layer of a mucus-like ooze tainted red with what you assume is the blood of the dead spider.
[dice=Initiative for "Nobleman"]1d20 - 1[/dice]
Reacting on instinct, Eldric drew his bow and fired off an arrow at the nearest creature. Given the time it took to pull his bow out, he was only able to get off a single shot.
Reacting on instinct, Eldric drew his bow and fired off an arrow at the nearest creature. Given the time it took to pull his bow out, he was only able to get off a single shot.
[dice=Hit]1d20+5
[dice=Damage]1d8+2
Eldric plugs an arrow directly into the maggot in front of Sabrina, hitting it right above the mouth. It wriggles a bit in agony and starts violently bleeding, but does not appear to be down for the count just yet.
With one arm around the injured woman's waist, Belg stared at the ceiling. "A few dozen feet at least, maybe a hundred or two. Hard to say. Once the sun's gone, it's gone. The mother does not care where we are, only when. Come now, it is time."
His free hand he held up, palm towards the maggots as the sand and dirt began to swirl around his feet. It floated up, circling around his legs and clinging to his pants. With a simple flick of his wrist, he unleashed a concentrated blast of sand and dirt that flensed flesh.
With one arm around the injured woman's waist, Belg stared at the ceiling. "A few dozen feet at least, maybe a hundred or two. Hard to say. Once the sun's gone, it's gone. The mother does not care where we are, only when. Come now, it is time."
His free hand he held up, palm towards the maggots as the sand and dirt began to swirl around his feet. It floated up, circling around his legs and clinging to his pants. With a simple flick of his wrist, he unleashed a concentrated blast of sand and dirt that flensed flesh.
Belg's sandy blast shreds the rightmost maggot, gradually peeling back its flesh until nothing was left by a bloody, dirty mess. It looks very dead.
Meanwhile, the sole remaining Maggot, still bleeding from Eldric's shot, lunges at Sabrina.
Bite to-hit:
Critical Confirmation:
Bite damage:
The maggot jumps up and sinks its teeth into her front leg, right around the ankles, and bites down hard, causing bleeding even through her armor.
Griffith is taken by surprise at the maggot emerge from the spider husk.
he raises his great sword to the heavens, bring it down upon the maggot like a fallen angel cast out of the heavens.
Griffith is taken by surprise at the maggot emerge from the spider husk.
he raises his great sword to the heavens, bring it down upon the maggot like a fallen angel cast out of the heavens.
Caisramriel steps up and guts the last remaining maggot with his greatsword.
Hearing all of this commotion, Aravashnial jumps forward, fingers pointed, and starts shouting. "What is it!? Where are they? Who's screening in fro--" he trips over a rock stumbling around in his blindness and faceplants into the dirt. He curses under his breath in Elven before cautiously standing back up. "I don't suppose anyone would be willing to be my eyes?"
Anevia meanwhile is leaning heavily on Belg's shoulder, but is otherwise doing fine. "Good job! Um, Miss Sarah would you mind taking a look at her wound there? That looks pretty nasty." she points at Sabrina's leg wound.
Sarah looks at the blood from the wound, then the armor, then sighs and puts her hands against Sabrina's ankle. After channeling some magical healing into the paladin, she stands and looks around.
"That will have to do. I have good eyes but I can't look through armor. If it starts to swell, hurt, or feel hot let me know. Oh and remind me when we camp to give you enough water to clean the area. Does anyone see a way out of this cave?"
Sarah then moves back to Aravashnial.
"I can be your eyes, but we'll need a place to go first."
[dice=Heal]1d20+2
[dice=CLW]1d8+1
Sarah looks at the blood from the wound, then the armor, then sighs and puts her hands against Sabrina's ankle. After channeling some magical healing into the paladin, she stands and looks around.
"That will have to do. I have good eyes but I can't look through armor. If it starts to swell, hurt, or feel hot let me know. Oh and remind me when we camp to give you enough water to clean the area. Does anyone see a way out of this cave?"
Sarah then moves back to Aravashnial.
"I can be your eyes, but we'll need a place to go first."
Sarah can spot 2 exits to the current chamber, one to the northwest and one to the southwest. They both seem to wind a bit, so you can't see very far down either one.
Eldric slings his bow over his shoulder and takes out his cartography kit.
"Hold a moment. Let me start making us a map. The last thing we want to do is to get lost in these tunnels."
Sarah can spot 2 exits to the current chamber, one to the northwest and one to the southwest. They both seem to wind a bit, so you can't see very far down either one.
Excellent idea.Now which way should we go?
Griffith lifts his greatsword from the severed maggot corpse.
wiping off the gooey intestines with a rag pulled from his belt. Griffith uses the blade to chop off one of the spider's legs, using it as a crutch for Anevia.
Griffith nods to Belg and Sarah.
Walking over to the duo, presenting the spider's leg.
"It may be grim, but perhaps she could use it as a crutch?"
How did we get down here, could it have been a sinkhole? Why now?
Griffith walks around the chamber looking for clues or anything in particular that stands out in the room.
"Eh, couldn't hurt las, you should take it. You can lean on me as much as ye need. Now we best be on our way. These tunnels lead to the same place...the way out."
Belg really had no idea where the tunnels lead to but if there was a way out, they weren't going to find it standing around looking at the walls. It was time to make some forward progress.
Griffith lifts his greatsword from the severed maggot corpse.
wiping off the gooey intestines with a rag pulled from his belt. Griffith uses the blade to chop off one of the spider's legs, using it as a crutch for Anevia.Griffith nods to Belg and Sarah.
Walking over to the duo, presenting the spider's leg.
"It may be grim, but perhaps she could use it as a crutch?"How did we get down here, could it have been a sinkhole? Why now?
Griffith walks around the chamber looking for clues or anything in particular that stands out in the room.
[dice=Perception]1d20+8
"Thanks, but I believe Belg here is doing just fine. Assuming he doesn't mind of course"
Griffith takes a quick look around the room, and spots what appears to be a charred book on the ground in a corner. He also spies something shiny nearby.
Sarah then moves back to Aravashnial.
"I can be your eyes, but we'll need a place to go first."
"Ah yes, thank you maam" He will slowly hold his hands in the air until he eventually finds her shoulder. "Alright then, onward! Kenabres probably needs our help! Forward, tight formation, and lets move!" He points, directly at a solid wall.
"I don't mind at all las. The mother supports me and lifts me up when needed. It's only fair I help to lift up one of hers. Come on now. We won't find our way back standing around jabbering. What do you'ns see up there?"
Griffith walks towards the book, be bends down to pick it up.
"Hold up my companions, I think I found the spellbook Aravashnial was looking for, it has seen better days. It looks like there is something else."
He brushes off the tome, carefully trying not to damage it further. Walking towards the shiny object, Griffith bend down to pick it up.
Griffith walks towards the book, be bends down to pick it up.
"Hold up my companions, I think I found the spellbook Aravashnial was looking for, it has seen better days. It looks like there is something else."
He brushes off the tome, carefully trying not to damage it further. Walking towards the shiny object, Griffith bend down to pick it up.
"Does it have a name inscribed on the spine?"
Also, the shiny things appear to be scales, shiny silver scales. Caisramriel doesn't recognize them or their origin, but someone else might.
"Allow me to give it a look."
Griffith carefully examines to book, trying not to destroy it further.
"It does, the tome is charred, but perhaps it's salvageable."
Griffith picks all the shiny scales and makes his way towards the party.
"Look my companions, I found these silver scales."
"Scales? Odd, can I take a look?"
"Of course, There might be enough scales for all of us."
Griffith hands out scales to his companions, holding onto one for himself.
He walks over to Aravashnial, handing him his spellbook.
"I believe this is yours, it has seen better days."
Silver Scales? Let me see those. I may be able to determine what they are?
As Edmund looks at scale, his eyes roam the object from every angle. He smells and feels the scale as well as to weight them in his hand.
Undead tend to not have scales but I can not rule them out. There is a possibility that these are of some religious belief or practice.
My knowledge of the history of this area is limited and I not sure if there is any significant to these scales. Historically speaking that is.
I do not know of any Aberrations that make use of scales...
There are several types of creatures that have scales that are silver in hue, dragon is one that comes to mind. There are other magical beast and a few constructs that these could come from.
Edmund keep looking over that scales as he thinks.
Give me a few seconds to study them.
Overawed by Edmund's knowledge, Eldric steps back and let's the wizard figure it out.
"Allow me to give it a look."
Griffith carefully examines to book, trying not to destroy it further.
"It does, the tome is charred, but perhaps it's salvageable."
Griffith picks all the shiny scales and makes his way towards the party.
"Look my companions, I found these silver scales."
Silver Scales? Let me see those. I may be able to determine what they are?
As Edmund looks at scale, his eyes roam the object from every angle. He smells and feels the scale as well as to weight them in his hand.
[dice=Know: Arcana ]1d20 + 11
There are several types of creatures that have scales that are silver in hue, dragon is one that comes to mind. There are other magical beast and a few constructs that these could come from.Edmund keep looking over that scales as he thinks.
Give me a few seconds to study them.
Caisramriel finds 4 scales in total, mostly scattered around the book. As he reaches down an touches the first one, a strange sensation flows over him as a thought immediately pops into his head--This Scale can protect me from electricity and the cold!
Edmund, spying Caisramriel's interest, heads over for a closer look. He immediately recognizes the scales as Silver Dragon scales, and recalls that there's only one Silver Dragon that is supposed to be near Kenabres--Terendelev, the city's Ancient Silver Dragon guardian, who has kept the city safe from Demonic attacks for generations!
As Edmund comes to this startling conclusion, Caisramriel suddenly experiences a hazy vision. The first thing he sees is the ceremony just about to begin, and the bright flash of like coming from the Kite (the Wardstone's fortress), yet from a different angle than he remembers it. As the explosion rips through the air, the sheer force of it knocks almost the entire crowd off their feet, and sends rippling cracks throughout the courtyard and every building nearby. Following close behind it, hundreds upon hundreds of demons immediately teleport into the plaza and being slaughtering the stunned and incapacitated crusaders and townsfolk alike.
Suddenly, the point of view rapidly rises into the air and long silver claws and wings emerge in the periphery, making it clear that he is viewing the events through the eyes of Terendelev herself! She quickly claws and bites through a number of these lesser demons, until a ferocious roar from the sky grabs her attention. The creature's flaming and electrified skin is immediately recognizable--This is Khorramzadeh, the Storm King of the Worldwound!
Terendelev immediately takes flight into the air towards him, with the Balor Lord charging straight for her. They collide in midair, and the Dragon lets out a blood-curdling scream as Khorramzadeh's flaming whip slashes her right across her torso, severing one of her mighty wings.
As the Dragon tumbles down, more and more Demons can be seen crawling out of the fissures in the ground, which are now spreading far beyond the courtyard and into the rest of the city. She hits the ground with tremendous force, and Caisramriel will recognize the unconscious bodies of him and his compatriots near the impact site, sliding into one of the fissures as the ground continues to shake. With a faint, last breath, he sees a bloody claw extend towards them, magically slowing their descent as the shifting ground closes over them. As she looks back upwards, the Storm King is standing over her body, readying his whip for another slash. Then . . . darkness.
She gently turns him toward Griffith.
"This way friend. Griffith found your book, and what is this?"
Sarah takes one of the scales, tears leaking down her cheeks as the vision plays out.
"Well that explains why we're alive, and where we are. They killed her Aravashnia. They killed Terendelev."
She looks up at the ceiling, clutching the scale tightly.
"We'll have to do something about that of course. I've never heard of resurrecting a dragon, but it seems at least possible, in theory. Still, Kenebras needs all the help it can get. We should make what haste we can. There's a pair of passages, let's try the left first."
Edmund continues to hold the scale as he examines it. Hearing and sensing the death of Terendelev, Edmund speaks up as he follows her down the left passageway.
If you wish to have the dragon brought back then time is of a concern. In a matter of days it will become impossible to bring the dragon back without the aid of the most powerful of healing spells. Raise the Dead will only work if we had the whole body and reincarnate while the scales we have here will aid in that spell, there is only a short window to cast such a spell. Resurrection will work if we have access to such a spell and...Gods willing...the dragon's soul is intact and willing to return....
"These are dragon scales?!" Eldric picked one up, causing the same vision to play in his head. He stepped back, a look of panic on his face as he clutched the wing on his back that had been torn off in the vision.
"Gods above, so that's what happened..." Keeping his voice down so that the more easily excitable civilians couldn't here he said "Even if we get out of here, then what? It seems like the surface is overrun..."
Griffith is washed over by a wave of sorrow, he begins to get tears in his eyes.
"So Terendelev saved us, we mustn't let her be in vain. For her and all of Kenebres, too many innocent lives were lost on this day."
Griffith wipes the tears from his eyes, he unsheathes his winged bastard sword and plants it into the ground. Grasping handle he falls onto one knee and begins to pray aloud.
"Oh Ragathiel, Warrior of the Light and General of Vengeance. I beseech thy, grant me strength so I may return the light to this land and bring a righteous fury upon those demons that besiege this land. For innocence of Kenebres and Terendelve, I will honor their loss and grant them vengeance."
Griffth removes his weather cloak, revealing a set of old priestly robes of Ragathiel.
He puts his arms out, surrounded by a glowing light, armour appears to manifest outs of the heavens and appear over his old robes of Ragathiel. The armour appears as brilliant set of Mithral fullplate, the front breastplate of which takes the form of a muscular body. With winged and feather motifs, his priestly robes hide his celestial greaves, only revealing a pair of winged sabatons from under the gold trimmed robes. His pauldrons take on the motif of a gold dragon and the other pauldron that of a silver dragon. Lastly, resting upon his head is beautiful winged helmet.
"I must come clean with you lot, I am no mere Human or Aasimar. I'm a Grigori, an angel on the lower end of the heavenly hierarchy. Griffith and house Leodian have all but died off, save for my Aasimar daughter in training at Lastwall. If you couldn't tell by my golden halo." Griffith chuckles, pointing the golden runic ring above his head.
Edmund looks at Grigori with no emotion at all. He just looks on with a neutral stance and listen as he tells his story.
Did not see that coming but he looks the same as the pictures in the codex of Angels. hmm can not hurt to have one of them around..
Edmund continues to hold the scale as he examines it. Hearing and sensing the death of Terendelev, Edmund speaks up as he follows her down the left passageway.
As Edmund picks up his scale, he immediately understands that the magic contained inside it will let him transform his appearance and magically bolster the effects of his lies against evil creatures.
She gently turns him toward Griffith.
"This way friend. Griffith found your book, and what is this?"
Sarah takes one of the scales, tears leaking down her cheeks as the vision plays out.
"Well that explains why we're alive, and where we are. They killed her Aravashnia. They killed Terendelev."
She looks up at the ceiling, clutching the scale tightly.
"We'll have to do something about that of course. I've never heard of resurrecting a dragon, but it seems at least possible, in theory. Still, Kenebras needs all the help it can get. We should make what haste we can. There's a pair of passages, let's try the left first."
As Sarah touches this particular scale, images of rising cloud pillars fit her head, and she instinctively understands how to use its latent magical power to summon them for herself!
Aravashnial goes quiet hearing those words, and takes a slow, deep breath. "Well then, that simply makes our task all the more urgent. Don't cry Miss Sarah. Tears are for the living not the dead."
"These are dragon scales?!" Eldric picked one up, causing the same vision to play in his head. He stepped back, a look of panic on his face as he clutched the wing on his back that had been torn off in the vision.
As Eldric picks up another one of the scales, he immediately understands that this one will let him enchant weaponry with the divine power of Law and Good.
"An angel? Light be praised! Why didn't you say so earlier? So, does this mean that you will be calling down the heavenly hosts to retake the city?" He looked at the Grigori with wonder in his eyes, unaware that he was doing to the angel what commoners so often did to him. His awe at seeing a real angel was enough that it almost made him forget about the power of the scale he picked up. Carefully he put it in his pack for safe keeping until he could find a way to fashion it into a bracelet or necklace.
Sarah begins walking, leading Aravashnial to the tunnel. At the grigori's words she just smiles a moment, then continues on.
"Right. I know that. It's just, so big Aravashnial. Still, best to begin as we mean to continue. We should all stay together. Where there's life, there's hope. To kenebras."
"It wasn't Sarah that was tearing up." Griffith quietly says to himself.
"If a wardstone was in fact destroyed, I certainly hope the heavens will blow the horns of war, we must do what we can to help those in need. There is sure to be survivors up above, we must keep this hope in our hearts. Forgive for not saying so before, I merely wanted to judge your characters. You all seem of good virtuous standing. Understand I will not reveal my truename as of this point, it would be dangerous for us."
Griffith presses on wards with the group, bastard sword resheathed and his zweihander in hand, leaning against his shoulder.
"It wasn't Sarah that was tearing up." Griffith quietly says to himself.
"If a wardstone was in fact destroyed, I certainly hope the heavens will blow the horns of war, we must do what we can to help those in need. There is sure to be survivors up above, we must keep this hope in our hearts. Forgive for not saying so before, I merely wanted to judge your characters. You all seem of good virtuous standing. Understand I will not reveal my truename as of this point, it would be dangerous for us."
Griffith presses on wards with the group, bastard sword resheathed and his zweihander in hand, leaning against his shoulder.
Somewhat dissapointed that there wouldn't be an army of angels waiting for them, Eldric follows along, making a map of the tunnels as they go.
Sabrina->point
Belg->heavy support
Eldric->ranged support
Sarah->guiding Aravashnial
Aravashnial->blind mage please don't fireball us
Unnamed Arrogant Man->Safely in the middle, hope he can carry stuff.
Edmund->ranged support
Anevia->limps, maybe get her a sling?
Griffith/Caisramriel->rear guard
Sarah gets the group organized, then double checks that Aravashnial is ready before waving them onward.
"Sabrina, take point. You're best suited to surviving an ambush. Belg and Eldric, behind her - you're our offense if we need it, and I'm trusting your dwarven sensibilities to warn her if the rock is wrong. I'll come next with Aravashnial, then you Sir. I didn't get your name earlier, you'll be right behind him. After that, Edmund and Anevia - please keep an eye out to the side and above. Tunnels opening up is something we all want to know about. Lastly, if you would please take rear guard Griffith? Your light travels with you, and endures. Now then, let's keep hope in our hearts, as our heavenly friend says. Forward."
Griffith is impressed with Sarah's suggested formation.
Excellent idea.
"Miss Sarah, if you wish I can squelch my halo at any times notice, should we need to linger among the shadows. I shall protect us should anyone sneak up on us, also I can burn our foes with a heavenly fire from a distance."
** spoiler omitted **
Sarah gets the group organized, then double checks that Aravashnial is ready before waving them onward.
"Sabrina, take point. You're best suited to surviving an ambush. Belg and Eldric, behind her - you're our offense if we need it, and I'm trusting your dwarven sensibilities to warn her if the rock is wrong. I'll come next with Aravashnial, then you Sir. I didn't get your name earlier, you'll be right behind him. After that, Edmund and Anevia - please keep an eye out to the side and above. Tunnels opening up is something we all want to know about. Lastly, if you would please take rear guard Griffith? Your light travels with you, and endures. Now then, let's keep hope in our hearts, as our heavenly friend says. Forward."
Anevia, who is currently using Belg's shoulder as a crutch, looks a little bit confused at that grouping.
The nobleman looks honestly taken aback. "What? How do you not know who I am? Are you all really so dense as to not know the face of Horgus Gwerm?"
Aravashnial's ears perk up on hearing the name. "Horgus Gwerm you say? How curious that you are among the survivors of a Demonic attack! I knew there was something fishy about your--"
Anevia cuts him off mid sentence. "Cut it. He's clean and you've been told as much before. Save your active imagination for getting us out of here instead of throwing around accusations at a devout Abadarian"
A surprised look creeps over Horgus's face. "How do you . . "
"Tell you what, we get out of here alive, and I'll tell you exactly how I know that."
Aravashnial frowns a bit, and turns towards Horgus. "I'll be watching you . . . I mean . . . you know what I mean"
And with that, Sabrina will start heading forward in the Northern passage, greatsword drawn, advancing cautiously over the rocky but traversible terrain.
"I don't mind following Ms. Sabrina, but I think the las here could use me help" he said, indicating Anevia.
"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe."
As the party moves forward, the path opens up a bit to a reveal what appears to be an old campsite. There is a completely cold firepit, a torn bedroll, and what looks like a pile of bones and some equipment in poor condition nearby.
"An old campsight, Aravashnial. I didn't realize these caverns were so well traveled. Who lives down here, I wonder."
Sarah continues guiding the elf.
An abandoned camp? this could be a trap.
"Everyone be on guard, this camp could be a trap of sort. Who knows what foul creatures could be lurking so far from the light."
Sabrina cautious advances on the campsite, sword drawn. As she steps near the pile of bones, which look to have been picked clean, they suddenly shift a bit. A second later, two small bug-like creatures jump out of the pile, letting out a high-pitched hissing noise while they shake the bones off their carapaces!
Initiative time!
Eldric brought his bow to bear and sent two arrows flying at the creatures.
Once he knew that the first was dead he fired a second at the next creature.
Fired as quickly as it was, the arrow did far less damage.
Eldric's first arrow plugs the beast directly through its brain, killing it instantly.
His next arrow however, hits the second beast in the carapace, piercing it and causing a bleeding wound, but it still seems functional.
Aravashnial will hold his turn. "What? What is it? Do you require magical support!"
The remaining Roach in the meantime takes a bite at Sabrina.
It latches on her upper thigh, but does not seem to penetrate her armor.
"No, they have it in hand. Merely some overgrown bug, nesting in this abandoned camp. We can move forward here, and by the time we get to it I'm sure it will already be disposed of. If you reach left you can feel the wall, I'm right here with you."
Suiting action to words Sarah leads the elven mage into the room, staying between him and the fighting.