"Míril," says Míril. "And the silent gentleman is Roshan."
Roshan nods in acknowledgement.
"Whatever you judge the best for our speed and safety would be my preference," Drea says. "You know these paths far better than we do."
"I'm pretty sure that the three of us," motioning to his people, "could make the climb safely and this," motioning across the chasm, "is the fastest way to Netherhome. That said, I don't know if all of you could make the climb even if we were not burdened by very injured people."
"The other paths are longer and have been safe in the past. But in the past this chasm wasn't here, so I can not vouchsafe the safety of those tunnels."
Konstantin regards the climb. "I am willing to attempt the climb, but I think I'd prefer the long way," he says finally.
Lann nodes, "Very well." He offers a smile where the right side is comforting and the left is more than a bit horrific. "With any luck, we won't run into any problems."
Lann leads the group down a few more passages, a few of which are newly sealed by rockfall, which frustrates your guide. Finally, he pauses, "Ok, the next tunnel is our best bet. However it is not safe. We stopped using it about a year ago because a spore-cougher moved into one of the caverns along it. I think if we work together, we should be able to defeat it." He shakes his head, "I am sorry. I really wanted to find you a safe pass."
Roshan ties a bandanna over his nose and mouth and moves to the front. He walks quietly, as if trying to not make the ground feel his movement.
Lann nods, taking out a dagger and taking a deep breath before he continues on, leading the group to danger in the darkness.
The tunnel opens into a circular cavern, roughly forty feet in diameter. Thick sheets of fungus grow in the cave, and several tunnels branch off. All of these save one in the north wall lead downward; the northern one leads upward. What appear to be two dead bodies lie on the ground in the middle of the cave, next to a strange heap of ropy green fungus.
There is a moment of shocked silence, then Lann moves over the the pile of ropey fungus, poking at it with a hoof. "Thank the Inheritor," Lann says letting out his held breath.
Both of the dead men are dressed in masterwork chain shirts with surcoats emblazoned with Iomeadae's star-burst sword. Both also wear a spiked gauntlet and glaives lie near what must have been the dead's dominant hand.
Drea frowns as she examines the dead bodies. "It's a bit odd for followers of Iomeadae to be using glaives instead of longswords, isn't it?"
Roshan pries what proves to be a small brass bull's head with tiny bloodstone eyes from one of the dead men's hands and shows it to the group.
"Baphomet," Chancre says. "They're kind of jerks."
Anevia hobbles over to the bodies, her eyes narrow. She reaches down and rips cloth of the surcoat off one of the bodies. "Bastards don't f#~~ing de.." her words catch on a wetness in her throat as the slightly fungusy cloth rips. She stumbles on her bad leg, biting back another swear. Closes her eyes cutting off the wetness that may have been there.
Meanwhile from further back, Aravashnial lets out an excited, almost happy yelp. He clears his throat, his voice returning to the cooler, cultured, more professional tones the group is used to. "We should take them with us, so they can be identified by the church, expose the whole vile den of them."
"We should take them with us, so they can be identified by the church, expose the whole vile den of them."
"Will just their heads do?" Drea asks. "Lugging around the entire corpses will likely get awkward quickly."
"... I'm thinking things might have gone better if the villains disguised as Iomeadeans running around down here had been exposed prior to the attack."
Anevia hobbles over to the bodies, her eyes narrow. She reaches down and rips cloth of the surcoat off one of the bodies. "Bastards don't f@$&ing de.." her words catch on a wetness in her throat as the slightly fungusy cloth rips. She stumbles on her bad leg, biting back another swear. Closes her eyes cutting off the wetness that may have been there.
"I feel like there is a story you should be sharing here," says a confused Konstantin, after being hauled over to desecrate the corpses. Or at least their clothes.
Once the group is ready to move on again, Lann leads the group though about fifteen minutes of tunnels, until they open up into a 20-ft diameter cavern containing a heavy stone door guarded by four deformed humanoids, who all draw weapons when they hear movement in the tunnels. The weapons stay out, but their bearing eases as they see Lann, Crel, and Dyra.
There is a conversation between the guards and Lann in a language that seems a mix between archaic Taldane and a number of other low tongues. The guards clearly do not trust the group, but seem willing to take Lann's word vouching for you.
The stone door opens and the group passes through the portal into Neatholm.
A small, dark lake ripples in the center of this two-hundred-foot-wide cavern, the walls and ceiling aglow with thick sheets of luminescent fungi. In the center of the lake, over two dozen low stone buildings cluster on a rocky one-hundred-foot-wide island. Lights glow in the windows of the buildings, giving the settlement an almost welcoming look. Rafts made of mismatched planks of timber bob along the length of a crooked pier at the lake’s closest shore.
Lann leads the group through the town, while the group is watched by a deformed human after human, whispers and questions spreading in their wake. As you guys go, Lann whispers, "I still have to take you to see Chief Sull. The uplanders we've seen before were like those one you found dead in the spore-cougher's cave. They have given us good reason to not trust surface dwellers," he smiles, "but I know you are different. Sull will see that."
To the largest building, Lann leading you inside to a almost homey chamber. A boated man whose rat-like face twitches at the most inopportune moments greets Lann. Your guide quickly explains the loss of the guard post and your help in rescuing Crel.
The older man turns to the group, "I'm sure you've already explained to Lann, but I prefer to hear your story from your own lips. How is that you came to travel the passages under Keynabrays?"
"Will just their heads do?" Drea asks. "Lugging around the entire corpses will likely get awkward quickly."
"Oh," Horgus comments, "I'm sure that will go over great."
His tone just a bit mocking, "You see when we found these heads they were attached to bodies. Bodies of demon cultists, dressed up like good old faithful crusaders." He turns as if he was talking to someone else, "OH! You want proof?" He scoffs, "Well surely the word of people who just came to Kenabres, a conspiracy theorists, and a thief are good enough."
"I feel like there is a story you should be sharing here," says a confused Konstantin, after being hauled over to desecrate the corpses. Or at least their clothes.
"These bastards were up in the city. They had good people trusting them. And..." She shakes her head, leans heavily on Kon's arm, "They were pretending to be like Beth, just so that they could betray everyone."
"Will just their heads do?" Drea asks. "Lugging around the entire corpses will likely get awkward quickly.""Oh," Horgus comments, "I'm sure that will go over great."
His tone just a bit mocking, "You see when we found these heads they were attached to bodies. Bodies of demon cultists, dressed up like good old faithful crusaders." He turns as if he was talking to someone else, "OH! You want proof?" He scoffs, "Well surely the word of people who just came to Kenabres, a conspiracy theorists, and a thief are good enough."
Konstantin ignores Gwerm.
"These bastards were up in the city. They had good people trusting them. And..." She shakes her head, leans heavily on Kon's arm, "They were pretending to be like Beth, just so that they could betray everyone."
"Forgive me. I haven't met your Beth. She is a... cleric? Of Iomeadea... who is the goddess of..." He trails off, making it abundantly clear he has never been to Sunday School or else slept through it.
His tone just a bit mocking, "You see when we found these heads they were attached to bodies. Bodies of demon cultists, dressed up like good old faithful crusaders." He turns as if he was talking to someone else, "OH! You want proof?" He scoffs, "Well surely the word of people who just came to Kenabres, a conspiracy theorists, and a thief are good enough."
"And the word of Horgus Gwerm, which surely counts for something," Drea points out.
"But I take your point. We are sorely lacking in the proof to back up any assertions. If there are more of these about, though," she says nudging a body with her toe, "We might yet find such proof, or at least more information."
"Forgive me. I haven't met your Beth. She is a... cleric? Of Iomeadea... who is the goddess of..." He trails off, making it abundantly clear he has never been to Sunday School or else slept through it.
Anevia smiles at Konstantin, "Yea, Beth is one of the crusaders. Holy warrior of the goddess of righteous valor." She shakes her head, "One of those people who keeps throwing themselves into danger in order to protect the innocent."
A half-smile, "And like this situation, I am just not good enough to protect her most of the time."
"And the word of Horgus Gwerm, which surely counts for something," Drea points out.
"But I take your point. We are sorely lacking in the proof to back up any assertions. If there are more of these about, though," she says nudging a body with her toe, "We might yet find such proof, or at least more information."
"It might." Gwerm says, "Depends on how much of the city has burned."
"Still showing up with heads on a pike is generally frowned on by the good guys."
"It might." Gwerm says, "Depends on how much of the city has burned."
"Still showing up with heads on a pike is generally frowned on by the good guys."
"Oh," Drea says, "I guess I hadn't taken your point after all. Hmm."
"Maybe we should just leave them here for now, then. I suppose they can be retrieved later if they do need to be identified. At least, I don't think they'll go anywhere in the meantime."
Anevia smiles at Konstantin, "Yea, Beth is one of the crusaders. Holy warrior of the goddess of righteous valor." She shakes her head, "One of those people who keeps throwing themselves into danger in order to protect the innocent."
A half-smile, "And like this situation, I am just not good enough to protect her most of the time."
"She sounds like quite the person," Drea says, turning her head towards Anevia with a smile.
"I'm sure you've already explained to Lann, but I prefer to hear your story from your own lips. How is that you came to travel the passages under Keynabrays?"
"Very roughly," Chancre says. "We fell into them from the surface. I'm not sure how much time passed, quite. I was unconscious for a while."
...The guards clearly do not trust the group, but seem willing to take Lann's word vouching for you.
The stone door opens and the group passes through the portal into Neatholm.
Roshan gives the guards a curt martial bow for their allowance. It is almost more a nod of the head and he never actually takes his eyes off them, before he too passes in with the rest of the group.
Anevia smiles at Konstantin, "Yea, Beth is one of the crusaders. Holy warrior of the goddess of righteous valor." She shakes her head, "One of those people who keeps throwing themselves into danger in order to protect the innocent."
A half-smile, "And like this situation, I am just not good enough to protect her most of the time."
Roshan looks like he would like to say something, but finds he just does not have the words, and so, shrugs and remains silent.
"She sounds like quite the person," Drea says, turning her head towards Anevia with a smile.
Roshan places a finger by the side of his nose, then points at Drea.
To the largest building, Lann leading you inside to a almost homey chamber. A boated man whose rat-like face twitches at the most inopportune moments greets Lann. Your guide quickly explains the loss of the guard post and your help in rescuing Crel.
The older man turns to the group, "I'm sure you've already explained to Lann, but I prefer to hear your story from your own lips. How is that you came to travel the passages under Keynabrays?"
Anevia smiles at Konstantin, "Yea, Beth is one of the crusaders. Holy warrior of the goddess of righteous valor." She shakes her head, "One of those people who keeps throwing themselves into danger in order to protect the innocent."
A half-smile, "And like this situation, I am just not good enough to protect her most of the time."
"Yes, we have a term for such people back home. медведь еда." Konstantin pauses. "But we are not back home, so I shall look forward to meeting her."
The older man turns to the group, "I'm sure you've already explained to Lann, but I prefer to hear your story from your own lips. How is that you came to travel the passages under Keynabrays?"
Konstantin remains quiet. His stern demeanor might be mistaken for hostility, but this is warmly welcoming. For him anyway.
"I'm sure you've already explained to Lann, but I prefer to hear your story from your own lips. How is that you came to travel the passages under Keynabrays?""Very roughly," Chancre says. "We fell into them from the surface. I'm not sure how much time passed, quite. I was unconscious for a while."
"You... fell?" Chief Sull asks, looking not a little confused at the short and abrupt tale. "How? I did not think there were any shafts the lead directly up to the surface. There are the tunnels, but falling through those you would have had to have come through the traitor's encampment on the other side of Neatholm."
"She sounds like quite the person," Drea says, turning her head towards Anevia with a smile.
Maybe just the hint of hesitation, but Anevia nods at Drea with a hint of a smile. "She really is." Anevia's eyes get a bit of a far off look, "Most people who want to protect you want to do so on their own terms, Beth is one of the first people I met who protected people without trying to command or control them."
"Yes, we have a term for such people back home. медведь еда." Konstantin pauses. "But we are not back home, so I shall look forward to meeting her."
Anevia snorts back a laugh, "Yea. I think that is generally a pretty common name for what she does." A more real smile, as she seems to settle out of her head back into her skin, "But, I did say I was going to go with the faith that Beth is still alive until I see actual proof contrary."
One final look at the dead bodies, "Sad thing is that there were people who suspected infiltrators, but the only suspects were cleared beyond doubt. Too bad the actual villians were so good at playing their roles."
"only suspects" - and one in Gwerm's
"You... fell?" Chief Sull asks, looking not a little confused at the short and abrupt tale. "How? I did not think there were any shafts the lead directly up to the surface. There are the tunnels, but falling through those you would have had to have come through the traitor's encampment on the other side of Neatholm."
"There was a ... what do you call it? Incursion. Demons jumped out of the ground, and we fell in the hole. It was lucky we survived."
Chancre pauses for a moment, cocks his head to the side.
"But then, lucky is holy to my people. So I'm good with that."
If Roshan has learned anything new, he remains silent.
One final look at the dead bodies, "Sad thing is that there were people who suspected infiltrators, but the only suspects were cleared beyond doubt. Too bad the actual villians were so good at playing their roles."
Konstantin's expression hardens, which might normally require some form of petrification. His voice is stone as well. "Yes. We have that back home as well."
One final look at the dead bodies, "Sad thing is that there were people who suspected infiltrators, but the only suspects were cleared beyond doubt. Too bad the actual villians were so good at playing their roles."Konstantin's expression hardens, which might normally require some form of petrification. His voice is stone as well. "Yes. We have that back home as well."
"Got that everywhere, chief", Chancre says, expression briefly somber.
"There was a ... what do you call it? Incursion. Demons jumped out of the ground, and we fell in the hole. It was lucky we survived."
Chancre pauses for a moment, cocks his head to the side.
"But then, lucky is holy to my people. So I'm good with that."
The chief's face which seemed jovial despite rodent-like features, grows stern and serious. "Demons did this?"
He shakes his head, "They are what caused the tremors which caused so much damage and killed so many." Sadness but also anger tinge his voice. He motions towards Lann and the other mutants in the meeting chamber, "We may just be freaks in the eyes of most uplanders, but our ancestors fought and drove back the demons in the First Crusade." The teeth that show when he smiles are yellowed and sharp, "And this is our home, we will fight to defend it against corruption as much as any uplander."
The chief straightens up to his full height of maybe five-three, "Are you willing to take this message to the surface," he looks at each of you in the eye, "that we want to stand with them against the horde and defend our home with them?"
Roshan eyes the king appraisingly and apparently believes his words are genuine. He takes a step forward, places left hand over right fist and bows, considerably more deeply than to the guards, but still without his eyes leaving the King.
Roshan eyes the king appraisingly and apparently believes his words are genuine. He takes a step forward, places left hand over right fist and bows, considerably more deeply than to the guards, but still without his eyes leaving the King.
"That would be yes," Konstantin says.
"That would be yes," Konstantin says.
Which earns Konstantin a short bow as well.
Chief Sull's smile goes less feral as he nods sagely. He moves over to sit on a chair that is raised just a bit more than the other furniture in the room, which is carved with purple-eyed bats and gilded in places with copper. "Then we need to get you to the surface as quickly as possible." He shakes his head, "The way is not going to be a safe one." His tone grim. "There was a group of our kind that split off, followed the words of those who worship the demons. Traitors to all our ancestors stood for. I had hoped they would see the folly of the path they were on," he shakes his head, "but that time is past."
He motions to a guard who brings a parchment on which the chief sketches a map, "The path you must walk will take you through their encampment and there is very little that we can do to aid you, safe for a safe place to rest this night and some healing reagents. I need to send my own men to spread word of the need of our home so that we will be ready to fight alongside the surface dwellers."
He motions to a guard who brings a parchment on which the chief sketches a map, "The path you must walk will take you through their encampment and there is very little that we can do to aid you, safe for a safe place to rest this night and some healing reagents. I need to send my own men to spread word of the need of our home so that we will be ready to fight alongside the surface dwellers."
"Healing and a place to rest are no small things. Thank you."
... a chair that is raised just a bit more than the other furniture in the room, which is carved with purple-eyed bats and gilded in places with copper.
Drea looks curiously at the chair's decoration, and then for some reason glances over at Chancre.
Chief Sull's smile goes less feral as he nods sagely. He moves over to sit on a chair that is raised just a bit more than the other furniture in the room, which is carved with purple-eyed bats and gilded in places with copper.
Chancre looks again at the chair when Drea glances his way.
"That's an interesting chair, with the bats and so forth. Is there a story with it?"
Chancre looks again at the chair when Drea glances his way.
"That's an interesting chair, with the bats and so forth. Is there a story with it?"
Chief Sull touches his right middle finger, where you can spot just the hint of copper against the chief's paler flesh. He smiles, "One of our ancestors, the man who led our forebears to raise us safely away from the surface, was a crusader named Nycticeius. While I'm not his direct descendant, we took the bat to be a symbol of our leadership."
The next day Sull, Lann, Dyra and a number of other mutants see the group off. Before you go, Chief Sull hands over a bandolier made of scaly leather holding nine potion flask. "We want to make sure you get to the surface whole and hardy," he says with a jovial, sharp-toothed grin.
Following the map provided by the chief of Neathhom, the group travels for a little less than an hour when you spot an obvious sign of habitation. Up ahead in the turn off from the tunnel that you are supposed to take, there are barricades made of heaped loose rocks and wooden boards.
"Two guards," Drea whispers, probably mostly for the benefit of the blind. "And I doubt that I, at least, could get any closer without standing a good chance of being noticed."
"I'll go take a peek," whispers Míril.
"They've got a wooden screen covering the lower half of the mouth of the tunnel. Not really a door. Maybe they're using it as a chokepoint?"
"All right. If we can't get through the point undetected, then we are limited to attacking, going around, or talking. Going around doesn't seem to be an option. How about the stealthier members of the group get into a more advantageous position, then, at a signal, we attack as one."
Konstantin pauses. "Unless someone has the urge to attempt diplomacy. In which case they should still wait until Miril and Roshan get into better spots."
Roshan accompanies Miri.
Konstantin pauses. "Unless someone has the urge to attempt diplomacy. In which case they should still wait until Miril and Roshan get into better spots."
"I would like to attempt diplomacy," Drea says. "I very much dislike the idea of attacking people who have not even had the chance to choose not to attack us."
"Although I am happy to wait for the others to get into position, since I am ... not optimistic about how likely it is to actually work."
"I would also like to try diplomacy before a full-on assault. Maybe if Drea and I present a united front of gentle cuteness we can avoid bloodshed."
Chief Sull touches his right middle finger, where you can spot just the hint of copper against the chief's paler flesh. He smiles, "One of our ancestors, the man who led our forebears to raise us safely away from the surface, was a crusader named Nycticeius. While I'm not his direct descendant, we took the bat to be a symbol of our leadership."
"So if I were to, say, wear a brooch with a bat perching on a mushroom, then it would be taken as a sign of my alliance with you folks? Hypothetically."
"I like the idea of Diplomacy," Chancre says, trying to be quiet. "I'm just bad at it."
"I would also like to try diplomacy before a full-on assault. Maybe if Drea and I present a united front of gentle cuteness we can avoid bloodshed."
Drea nods. "Shall we simply ask for safe passage through, then?"
Drea nods. "Shall we simply ask for safe passage through, then?"
Konstantin shrugs. "If our only goal is preventing short-term bloodshed on both sides, that should do."
Drea walks around the corner with Míril and sayd, "Hello! We would like to request safe passage through these tunnels. Will that be possible?"
The guards look relatively unsurprised at the pair's approach. One takes a step closer to the girls, the barricade proving him with significant cover. "Where are your robes?" the guard asks suspiciously.
The other barks out in a twisted tongue that you almost understand parts of, "เราทั้งสอง มีมากขึ้นของ ปีศาจ บูชา เลสเบี้ยน คนหรือ อาศัยอยู่ใน พื้นผิว อื่น ๆ ที่ไป ในอดีต ของเมือง คางคก."
"So if I were to, say, wear a brooch with a bat perching on a mushroom, then it would be taken as a sign of my alliance with you folks? Hypothetically."
Sull's eyes get a far off look for a moment, and his sharp-toothed smile dims a bit, "We've never used it for that before, but that is a good idea."
"Mostly a father gives something like that to his children."
Sull's eyes get a far off look for a moment, and his sharp-toothed smile dims a bit, "We've never used it for that before, but that is a good idea."
"Mostly a father gives something like that to his children."
"I find that highly appropriate," Chance says, affixing the bat-on-mushroom brooch to his armored kilt.
"I find that highly appropriate," Chance says, affixing the bat-on-mushroom brooch to his armored kilt.
Chief Sull looks dumb-struck as he sees the brooch, his voice dry, "Where... where did you get that?"
Chief Sull looks dumb-struck as he sees the brooch, his voice dry, "Where... where did you get that?"
"Found it when we came to after falling down from above. I liked the look of it. Been in my pocket ever since. It was with some old, old bones." Chancre leans forward, squints. "...do you need to sit down for a minute? You're a bit pale."
"Found it when we came to after falling down from above. I liked the look of it. Been in my pocket ever since. It was with some old, old bones." Chancre leans forward, squints. "...do you need to sit down for a minute? You're a bit pale."
Sull just stares at the brooch for a moment, his one good eye getting wet, "Some old bones?" He asks.