Finn frowns. "Believe it or not, miss, but there are worse things in the world than these walking corpses. I have seen them with my own eyes."
Whisper stops, almost dropping Guard's weaponry at hearing Finn's words. A small choked, scared sound escapes her as she looks at him with wide fearful eyes. Giving a little shiver she imagines 'worse things' and whether or not they'll be trapped down here with them too.
"Finn is right. There are far worse things out there. Well, I'd like to say you get used to fighting monsters, but it does not work that way. I also would like to think it will not happen again, but that's not gonna happen either. Only thing you can do is train, prepare and hope.
Training is good.
Preparing is important. That's why I brought the halberd and the flail. That's why I demanded the halberd back, after I droped it in the first place, it had a better effect on the undead compared to the flail. Now if those would have been skeletons, the flail would have worked better. So, I kinda mixed those two up in the heat of the fight. That was my fault, but in the end, I don't think it would have changed too much. But on other occasions, such a failure could be really lethal, could have not only caused the injuries we all received, but could kill us all.
And contrary to other believes, hope helped me the most.
I got early to practice with the hammer and anvil, working steel into weapons, armor and sometimes tools, but it kept me going on during fights.
I hoped I would get back to it, bringing the forge to use. That is, why I primarily came here.
I took the opportunity of Lady Vanderboren to help do good, and to get some coins to buy materials for the forge." Guard babbles, soothing Whisper hopefully a little with his experience, while carrying Ithaniar back to the tunnel, where he lets the body gently to the floor.
"I think it would be best if we could jam the door shut, while I stand on watch under the well we came down. Anyone got a better Idea?
Whisper gives a tiny smile. "Thank you.. I really want to help, I just never expected more from life than trying to survive in Shadowshore" she confides shyly "I just picked up weapons to make sure I wasn't hurt.. but I'll try to learn if Lady Vanderboren wants me to keep helping.."
Avoiding eye contact with the others she gives a small sigh. "I can jam the door if you want, or if nobody else feels they can do better"
Ardanto listens to the conversation between Guard and Whisper as he buckles his breast plate back on, gathers up the two giant crabs and heads off after them.
"Whisper, you fought with great bravery, I have seen grown men, twice your size, who have faced all manner of pirate, turn and run when faced with the walking dead," he smiles at her in a way that he hopes is reassuring.
He then turns to the rest of the group, "now my self and Master Dauros have faced many an adventure, so I apologise if my actions seem reckless or overly dangerous, but I am blessed you see, and as long as lady luck shines on me I can not fail," he pauses for effect before continuing. "But it is not fair of me to assume that lady luck shines on you all and I will not put any of you at risk again, you have my word," with that he bows with a flourish and heads over to see if he can help Whisper with the door.
"Is there anything a big lump like me can do to help shut the door Hun?" He asks Whisper.
Daurros jumps into the conversation for a moment. "All of it is completely true," he says with a straight face. "I firmly believe we are blessed by luck. Otherwise, this 'lump'," Daurros gives Ardanto a light elbow to show he's joking, "would have gotten me killed years ago."
Later on, Daurros mentions to Guard: "You know, I recall a spell one of our instructors at the academy taught to a few students that might be of interest to you. Repair Light Damage, I think it was called. Very useful for repairing objects and more importantly, warforged. Perhaps when we are out of here, you and I should go looking for a scroll of this spell that I could copy into my spellbook; what do you think?"
The group makes there way toward the entry tunnel, soon they are all crowded in the dark damp cold room. Here the group rests and tends to wounds. As Finn sleeps the group is left in darkness and the quiet of the place descends like a cover of wool.
Later on, Daurros mentions to Guard: "You know, I recall a spell one of our instructors at the academy taught to a few students that might be of interest to you. Repair Light Damage, I think it was called. Very useful for repairing objects and more importantly, warforged. Perhaps when we are out of here, you and I should go looking for a scroll of this spell that I could copy into my spellbook; what do you think?"
"Yes, It had a scroll of that spell, too bad he left us.
I can't use those scrolls, but I can buy those:" he answers, drawing his Potion of Repair Light Damage, then tucking it away again."It would be useful if you would be able to cast that spell as well, as a backup-routine. Let me know if I shall support you in the costs of the scroll or whatever else is necessary for the process."
Whisper quickly pulls out her tools as she looks over the door. Caught offguard by being called 'hun' she gives a tiny surprised sound before giving a small smile up at Ardanto. "Could you help keep the door shut whilst I jam it?" She requests shyly before setting to work jamming the door.
Ardanto holds the door firmly shut for Whisper while she works, smiling the whole time.
He can't sleep while the party rests and gets up several times to stretch, sword in hand.
He will tend to Ith to alleviate his boredom and ensure his companion does not slip from this mortal coil during the darkness.
Whisper can't sleep either, much too nervous and scared that Ithaniar will pass away if she closes her eyes. Instead she rests, curled up on the floor near the elf, watching his shallow breaths closely.
Finn has a fitful sleep, but it's better than nothing.
Surprisingly, Daurros sleeps relatively well. Enough times passed out on a hard floor has allowed him to adjust to the conditions better than he thought ...
Guard has an interesting night, watching the gathered people going through what they lived through. Some tucked the experience away as if it was pretty common, but others could not sleep at all.
And he had other things to think of for himself as well.
'What happened back there in the water? What was that? A ... spark? Of what? And where did it go?'
'Why did I feel myself drawn towards it? Why did I pick it up without asking the others?'
'What was that, that I feeled after it disappeared? Why did I think of all those things?'
Suddenly the warforged shivers, staring blankly into the darkness of the tunnel, while in his head he experiences something new:
Pictures, like memories pass his mind. Memories not of his life, but of another life.
Guard did not understand much of it, for the pictures came and went in quick succession. Then they suddenly slowed down, showing him a dark place, filling with light. It looked like he was watching a scene from under water, waves rolling over him.
Giants came, figures somehow familiar, bringing light with them. Then they got attacked by other giants and huge crabs. They sucessfully defended themself, but had a loss of one giant, looking remarkable like Ithaniar. Then two of the giants rushed past him, weapons held up to attack something behind his point of view.
A short time nothing happened, but the other giants tending to the one looking like Ithaniar.
Then the view changed. Somehow he was above water now, looking in Guards own face.
With that view, the pictures faded.
The warforged realised, where he was, now having an idea of what might have happened. He tried to listen inside his own mind, but there was only his mind. No other presence answered his unspoken question: 'Who are you?'
For the rest of the time, the warforged seemed distant at times. He stood perfectly still, which was common among warforged, but if someone might have seen his look... gladfully it was pitch black, without someone producing light magically.
"Well, we need to find out, what else there is here. The big room first, then the other side of the corridor. Any other suggestions?"
"Lets go crab fishing," remarks Ardanto, "we can probably lure them onto land so we don't have to fight them."
"One issue: what are we going to do about Ithaniar? Do we leave him here with someone to guard? Carry him with us? What do we do if we have to swim out with him?
"Of course, we also should go look and try to recover whatever was on the bottom of that pool in the large room, as Forzakhad suggests."
Good point as always Daurros, I suggest that we bring Ithaniar with us and if we have to swim out, then maybe only one of us goes and comes back with some rope to get the others out of the trap door.
"Then again we can cross that brige when we come to it, lets find away out first."
"Whisper, hun, can you undo your great work on the door please? "
Once the door is open Ardanto will wait for some lights to be sent out before he heads out to check the corridor out.
"I could wait with him" Whisper offers nervously before fidgeting "Or I could lock him in here whilst we explore"
"If we need to swim out surely we can get out, back to the island and then open the trapdoor above again and get himn out that way.."
Whisper gives a shy smile and a nod as Ardanto suggests the same thing regarding the trapdoor and quickly sets to work opening the door again.
Finn keeps up a steady stream of lights surrounding the party, as before.
"Maybe we can produce some sort of harness for me to carry him, from scrap?" Guard suggests.
"I don't think he will be too heavy for me."
Finn keeps up a steady stream of lights surrounding the party, as before.
Almost forgot, Daurros prepared light this time around and will do the same, so we should be pretty well illuminated now.
Ardanto offers to lead the way as he is un-hurt and asks Daurros to cast light on his hand axe so he can use it as a torch.
He will head back to the large room with the pool and crabs, hoping to catch the crabs on shore.
Almost forgot, Daurros prepared light this time around and will do the same, so we should be pretty well illuminated now.
In that case, Finn will keep one dancing light for use as a spotlight.
He follows behind Ardanto, nursing his wounded shoulder and leaning on his longspear.
Daurros will follow behind Finn, keeping Ardanto's hand axe lit with light continuously.
EDIT: "Whisper, before we open the door to the tunnel, would you mind listening at it to see if anything might be waiting for us outside?"
At Daurros' suggestion Whisper givesa tiny nod and leans in against the door, listening very carefully before opening it again.
We are heading to the room with the pool, crabs and dead half orc, I think guard volunteered to carry him until we can make a sling.
Ardanto is leading the way with his illuminated handaxe.
Finn volunteers to carry Ithaniar; he doesn't need to use his hands in order to fight.
"Okay, Finn takes Ithaniar. Let's get going."
Keeping quiet (as always) Whisper stays close to Finn and Ithaniar, leaving the crab-baiting to the others.
Ardanto is going to go crab hunting, any way he can tempt them out of the water? Maybe with a bit of dead half orc? Or can we chase them away with the longspear Finn has?
His ultimate aim is to try and find what is at the bottom of the pool and if there is a way out of there.
Ardanto will head over to the edge of the shore with his hand-axe illuminating the area, he will stir the waters with his longsword to see if he can tempt some of them out of the water. "Here crabby, crabby, crabby, come and play with Uncle Valanto's sword."
Guard prepares his heavy flail to smash the crabs soon as there is the chance to do it, but keeping out of the water.
Despite her worries Whisper can't help but give a brief giggle at Ardanto's antics before blushing and clamping her hand over her mouth to silence herself and focus again.
Once Ardanto has acertained if there are any crabs left or not, Daurros will say to the others, "Let's retrieve the corpse in the water and do a quick search."
Daurros will attempt to use Hand of the Apprentice to bring the corpse close enough to shore to grap. Although it can only lift 5 lbs, I'm hoping that dragging a floating 'item' across the pool shouldn't require all that much. Once it's close enough to grab, he'll try to haul it on shore and see what might be still on the body (and if it is identifiable).
EDIT: Obviously, if attacked by any crabs, Daurros will help deal with those first.
Finn stays well back with the comatose elf on his back.
As the party stands by the water line the three crabs brake the surface and head toward the taunting meal
Guard lets his heavy flail crush down on one of the crabs, smashing it pretty hard.
Ardanto slips on the pools edge and almost falls into the water.
Readied attack against the crabs as they break the surface. (1d20+4=8, 1d8+3=10)
I'll spend an action point in the vain hope that I get a 6 and have a chance of hitting:
Do you need initiative or are we taking 10's?
Guard manages to kill the crab that surfaces near him with a might blow, yet Ardanto's attack glances off the armor of another. One of the two crabs facing Ardanto slices into him
Finn lays Ithaniar down gently, then throws a javelin into the fray. It ricochets off of the ceiling, however.
"Ouch, little bugger nipped me," yelps Ardanto.
Here is my full attack when it gets round to me again.
"Okay, we now have Crab ragout. Let's make sure, that no more crabs come along, before we tackle the doors in this hall."
That should be two down and one to go.
The Captain uses his mental hammer to attack the remaining crab.