Alyna attempts to pull Bitha back up to the top of the ledge.
Zlota assists in hauling Bitha up and, wondering how badly she was injured. "Are you okay? Should we head back and reassess our plans?" She looks over at Ksila, wishing the beast was better. "I should have prepared better for this journey here. I apologize."
"Lady Bitha, you are knowledgeable with nature--do you have any idea what this strange brown dust is? I have never heard of something like this that steals heat," she asks, inquisitively.
"We clearly can't proceed this way. I'm ready to pass out, so I won't be much good in a fight. It might be time to head back to town and report what we've learned. Tomorrow we can give another tunnel direction a try, but this strange cold is beyond me."
"I agree. We gather what we can from where we've been, the bodies and such, and return in the morning. It may be more dangerous for those that may yet live, but we may be able to save more this way than if we were to perish in the attempt."
"Is there any way to get all those bodies and parts back with us? I'm not sure if I coukd swim with all of that extra weight on me. I would like to get them back to their families, however."
The group quickly fell back through the cavern system, resting long enough to gather up the bodies of the two victims they'd been able to,retrieve so far.
This trip had caught them by surprise indeed. No wonder so many groups before them had failed to return. This place was deadly.
Less than an hour after entering the submersed cavern system, the four volunteers broke the surface of the waters and swam to shore. Behind them, the two bodies of the fallen were dragged by ropes. This was not going to be the heroes welcome they had hoped for.
Know. Local for Norm
Norm looks down at Parda's lifeless body, deep sadness etched in his young face.
"I think it best we take her to the temple first. They'll have the knowing of how to care for the dead, and the old priest there will know who to contact for the funerals. It'll be the lady of graves who takes care of the burying though."
He sighs, then looks at the group, slinging Lilly back over his shoulder. "After that, Dolga and the council will want to be told of what we've found so far."
"Norm, do you want to go to Dolga and tell her what we found? Alyna, maybe you want to report into the temple with the bodies as well. I want to go find someone who can tell me about that cold strange brown dust. And how about you, Zlota?"
Alyna acknowledges Bitha's suggestions and starts to perform her tasks until she realizes she cannot carry both bodies to the Temple by herself.
"Lady Bitha, I would gladly take these bodies to the Temple. However, I cannot carry them by myself. I will require assistance to convey them," she pauses, thinking for a moment. "Perhaps I shall visit the Temple and locate individuals who can assist me in my task."
"Sorry ladies, I'll help you carry all the bodies to the temple as I head out looking for sage advice."
Zlota looks to the others and Ksila. "A temporary pull back is needed, and we can also deliver these bodies as Lady Alyna has stated. It is more logical to do this than risk death, yes?" Ksila, for their part, hisses along as well.
"Let's be honest. Every prior group member we've seen so far has been beyond our help. What is waiting another half day going to harm them? If we can't find a way through that cold dust, it doesn't matter anyway, because I don't know how much further we can head under the mountain anyway. We need to take our time and do things right."
Bitha was a bit surprised by what they had found so far...namely the lack of evil machine automatons. She was imagining they had caused all the trouble. But not so far.
Alyna and Zlota moved through town slowly, burdened as they were with the now smelling corpses from below the caverns. It seemed that the heat of the land above the waters was beginning to act upon them, awakening the odours and foul humours of the dead.
People stood and stared at them, until eventually two officers of the day watch stopped them.
"What's that you've got.... By the lady of graves! Stop and face the law you two!!! the youngest one stated.
The older officer, a woman in her early thirties sighed and told him to gently shut the hell up.
"It's clear these two haven't done anything wrong Niles. Who'd kill a person and then walk em through town as bold as you like eh?" She shook her head at the chastised young copper, then indicated to the two young women to follow her.
"By the route you're taking, I'm guessing you're heading to the temple. We'll escort you and see you don't come to trouble. I recognise the girl you have over your shoulder there miss, so I'm also guessing you two have been to the caverns then. The town is gonna take her death a bit hard."
The walk was made easier with the two watch folk helping them with the bodies. They arrived at the temple of Brigh, to again be greeted by Eliotha. The acolyte smiled in greeting when she first saw the two androids again, but quickly put on a more sombre expression when she found out why they were here.
In short order, the bodies were laid out in the chapels funary and Eliotha had been sent to find the Lady of Graves, resident priestess of Pharasma. The two copper took their farewells, leaving the two androids with the head priest.
"Eliotha tells me you two are androids as well" he stated matter of factly, even as he cleaned the bodies. "Tell me, how have you managed to avoid the technic league so far. They have increased their program of "collecting" your people recently, curse them in their arrogance!"
Zlota looks to the one who mentions the caverns. "Yes, we were there. And we plan to head back, next time better prepared. And we thank you for your assistance." They make it back to the church and assists, as best she can, Eliotha in preparing the funerary rights, though the religious rights are not her forte.
She turns to Eliotha and hangs her head. "I have barely been able to do so. They know of me, and my family's business has been ruined by their desire to take me. I was lucky they were not any more intent in taking me in that I think they simply mean to try and intimidate for the time..."
"I have also barely been able to remain undetected. Until recently, I wore a mask in the motif of the Goddess. Unfortunately, I misplaced it on the trip to this town," Alyna said, her voice almost hinting at sadness. "I was able to disguise my true nature with the aid of the Goddess."
Bitha had decided that the best place to try and find out about this brown substance was at the Livery. She had made friends with the woman who helped run the place, since they both shared Kellid ancestry and both preferred the wilds to the settlements and technological monstrosities in the land.
Iven and Annika Lesky knew more about animal husbandry and the natural world than almost anyone else in town. They greeted Bitha warmly, though Annika frowned in worry at the exhausted state of the young barbarian girl.
"You look like the gods kicked you around as play thing Bitha" she stated with concern.
"What in the nine hells have you been up to?"
Bitha talked to them both about the trip below town, discussing what she'd seen and her run in with the brown dust. Iven was tending a horse with strained tendon while she was recounting the tale, but as she finished he stood up from the work and frowned slightly.
"Might be brown mould, lass. It feeds off heat, but I've never heard of a patch getting that big. If it is though, best way through is throw cold at it. Chilled water, ice or if someone around you can manage it, cold magic of some type. I reckon if you check down the markets, there'd someone who'd have some alchemy salve that'd do the trick."
The old priest looked at both Alyna and Zlota, smiling in a friendly way. His face was a map of wrinkles, each one telling the tale of his years in service to the goddess.
" Have no fear ladies. You are more than safe within this temple. In fact, your species is almost holey in they eyes of the goddess. "
He leaned and whispered his next words, even though no one was nearby to hear them
"Best not let too many others know of your origins though. Rumour has it the League has eyes and ears in town at the moment. When Eliotha returns, there'll be a cart load of folks in attendance with her. Those folks will be asking questions of you girls, and people being what they are, they'll keep prying deep. It might be best if you ladies lay low for the day, until matters are in hand. I'll drop by and see your group on the morrow, to recast the water breath and provide what assistance I can"
[b]"Cold to combat the mold, eh? Well, I'll give that a try. It was like nothing I've ever experienced, sister. And there was at least one body there that had already perished because of it, I need to return that, but I have to deal with that infernal freeze first. Thank you so much for the advice."[\b]. Bitha hugs the fellow Kellid, and heads to the markets to look around.
Alyna gave her thanks and prayers to the Priest of Brigh and made her way to the Foundry to rest for the night, pondering her actions for the next day.
Zlota nods and thanks the priest. Following Alyna, she heads to the inn and rests.
Bitha found just what she was looking for at the markets. The man trying to sell it to her handled it with heavy gloves, and frigid air roiled off it as he showed her.
He called it alchemical ice, mostly used for creating strain breaks in metals that otherwise were difficult to cut. He did explain that it could freeze a couple of cubic feet of water solid in seconds though. While the container itself wasn't going to cover much of the brown mould, 5 cubic feet of ice broken into chunks and scattered across the floor would cover quite a bit of it.
Unfortunately, it cost 50 gold, 45 with council discount. They had recovered enough gold from below to afford that, but she'd need to see the others before making the purchase. The merchant said he could hold a container worth for her.
With that, all three women met back at the tavern, prepared to rest for the day and regroup tomorrow. As yet, Norm hadn't made it back from speaking to Dolga. This was a bit odd, for of all the jobs to be done, his was the shortest errand.
Zlota turns to Bitha as the human female tells them of this 'alchemical ice' she had found. "50? I can purchase one dose of it, if you feel that it can aid us with the cold you suffered from the mold. Sort of a 'fire to fight fire' idea, yes?"
"That's what they are telling me. If we are to rescue that body and clear the area, I think we have to buy this and give it a try. I hope it is transportable in water..."
Alyna ponders for a moment.
"Well, however we do get this substance down into the cave, we will end up with an adequate amount of ice to counteract this strange mold. How we deal with the mold is determinate upon how we administer the agent to the water to create the ice. If the best we could accomplish is one solid rock of ice, then we could drag it to the ledge and Lady Bitha could feasibly break the ice apart with her impressive weapon."
Having determined that the alchemists brew was a good option, Bitha went and purchased the vial. The merchant had prepared it in a double insulated thermos device, sealed with thick wax at the top overlaid with lead.
"She'll maintain cold temperature like that for a week or more lass. After that, you'll want to come back and we'll do a reseal for you. It's part of the charge so no extra cost for resealing the first time."
When she asked about it travelling through water, he nodded his head. "It's more than safe for anyone to carry as it is. Just don't go hitting it too hard. That thermos is designed to shatter on heavy impact if needs be."
While she was out and about, Bitha also picked up a few Pitons, a hammer and two length of chain. Alyna had suggested these would be needed to drag that much ice through the caverns to the lip of cliff over looking the Brown Mould. Now they were ready to tackle the caverns again.
The barbarian girl was feeling better as well, part of the cold exhaustion having left her with her time above ground.
The Foundry -Night 1
Night was beginning to fall in Torch. Outside, the streets were darkening for the second week in a row, no longer illuminated by the eerie purple of the hilltop flame.
Inside the Foundry Tavern, the three adventuring women sat and talked quietly, wondering where Norm had gotten to and planning their next foray into the caverns below. Val had served them roasted mutton and root vegetables, covered in gravy and accompanied with bread. It was solid food, the heart and soul of the working folk in these parts, and about all that Val knew how to cook. She stood to the side a little, listening to these women plan a new trip into the caverns her father had disappeared into. The worry on her face was palpable, having heard the stories of the things they had already faced, and the bodies they had found so far.
All four women jumped at the sound of heavy knocking at the main door. Val hurried across, ready to yell down another annoyed patron demanding the tavern open its doors. As she wrenched the main door open though, she was confronted by Councillor Dolga. The old dwarf was flanked on either side by two folk of unusual appearance.
The shorter man looked to be a Halfling, though there was something about his features that marked him as unusual. A tint to the skin perhaps, and something about the eyes. His long duster and wide brimmed hat told of his travels, and on his hips she saw the holster of a pistol.
The other was clearly a Catfolk. Val had seen one or two of these exotic people pass through town before, but never up close. Torch had its fair share of strangers passing through though, so she thought nothing of it.
Dolga pushed her way gently but insistently inside the room. She faced the three members of the exploratory party and spoke bluntly.
"Norms been attacked. He was taken to by four or five heavy lads and left bleedin' in the street near his home. No one saw it, surprisingly. I got him trussed up and safe at me own place, and Doc Svering is looking him over. I won't lie, he took a real beating."
She looked at the eyes of the girls then, searching for something that might betray any part they had in her young friends mishap. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, she continued on.
"These two fine folk approached me this afternoon in regards to your little mission. Each of them has their reasons for going down below, and I figure each of them is on the level. Given what happened to Norm, I thought you girls could use the extra help."
She moved aside to allow the two new comers to introduce themselves, then finished with "I advise you travel in groups from now on. Someone seems to have cottoned on to people going below the tunnels. Apparently they don't want you to."
Suna stepped in, a low growl seemed to follow from the back of his throat as he begins to sniff at the air somewhat. The Catfolk was a strange one, appearing more beast than man in a way. His fur a constant Feral property to it, with the patterns one would give a Tiger from the Winter regions. However it seemed the breed had mixed with that of a Puma or Jaguar, perhaps Panther; The White and Black were inverted. His eyes a piercing Yellow with an almost wild gleam to them. Protected by a thick Hide armor that seemed to have been hunted from mammoth and boars as well as a necklace of Teeth and other Fetishes. The leather covered the tops of his raised arms and feet but left the pads underneath bare. On each his thighs a finely curved blade, A long totemic staff with a heavy metal hammer and piercing fang, And a heavy Crossbow, with look to be a nice amount of Bolts.
He spoke in a strong husky voice befitting his disposition," Hrmmm Females, though two of you smell..different. I was the one who found the one known as Norman.. I pursued one of his aggressors but could not find anything .. too conclusive. I.. Am Suna Razorfang. Something down there is going on. Are you the team Norman was with? " Suna seems to Sniff the air around Bitha, then Alyna and Zlota.. especially long. His Stripes seems less pronounced for a moment but his fur rises slightly.
" It seems it will be a pleasure to hunt with you... I smell the scent of..robots. " The tone of which he says the last word much like one would place a quarry.
The smaller of the pair stepped forward. He smiled and gave a quick bow and flourish with his hand, the graceful maneuver really over before it began. He looked liked a young human in size and build, dressed in a large leather duster studded with metal pieces to reinforce it. On his back was long pole arm with a blade at the end of it, those martially inclined recognize it as a glaive-guisarme. At his side is a small, well-worn, metal weapon that the folks call a firearm.
Although the weapons of war convince you this is no human youngling, a look at his face confirms this. Quite handsome with twinkling eyes, you can't help but notice that there is a feeling of the tired and care-worn in his gaze. It also appears that when the light hits him just right you see a halo framed above his head, but the effect never lasts for very long.
"I am Bobafett Alouwishes, but you can call me Bob. I have corresponded with Val by letter and have pledged my gun to help find Khonnor Baine--he taught me much about mechanical devices. I will not return without him. Life in the Shire was getting boring, I expect that not to be the case here."
He gives a glance at Val, and it obvious his feeling for her are complicated.
You also notice that he quickly reacts to the comment about robots, and quickly turns to look at the androids with concern. "You are......robots? What the f*^% is that like?" The expletive comes out of his mouth and a quick ashamed glance at Val show he is concerned she may disapprove of his language.
"Robots, where?" Bitha draws her sword quick as can be and takes a step backwards, looking at the newcomers. "Tell me more! Have you been under the city as well," she asks, definitely unclear on their meaning.
Alyna glares at the half-sized humanoid, uncharacteristic disdain in her eyes evident to only the newcomers.
"I believe you are mistaken, Mister Alouwishes. The only robot here is the one we dispatched earlier today. Perhaps the tracker here smells remnants of it on my coat. It did not come with me into the tunnels below the town and was left in the good care of the Temple of Brigh for the day," she says sternly, trying get get the hint across to the newcomers and hopefully diffuse the situation before it escalated.
Alyna's composure calms as she turns to her barbarian friend. "Worry not, Lady Bitha. I have heard rumors that catfolk like Master Suna here have an excellent sense of smell. My coat likely is covered in oil or whatever else the robot we defeated earlier had in it. I was, as you recall, investigating it thoroughly before we left," she says, trying to calm her friend.
"Ah, that makes sense, healer Alyna. I don't know much about those creatures, but I'd imagine they could have a certain scent about them. I don't recall the lore keepers of the tribe saying much about that, but I was young. Maybe not paying the closest attention," she smiled, beginning to relax a bit.