|
Nhilune sighs and shakes her head as the halfling charges out blindly. He was going to get them all killed if he let his fervor get the best of him.
"Seems that way," she muttered in response to Lanarial. "Though I'm already near my limit for tonight."
She accepts Bahram's wand with a slight bow and tucks it away. She considered staying with Bahram and Vasaro a moment before she remembered the uncomfortable rash breaking out on her skin. Might as well start looking into it now...
She stepped out into the street and followed after Amigail and presumably the over-eager halfling who seemed to disregard the need for rest after mental exertion.
Lothenlieth turned to look at what had become of Basila. His eyes do not hide back what is he feeling. He looks at Bahram and says a few words in a whisper. What those words only they knew. With that he heads after the others ready to hunt down every cultist responsible.
As the party catches up with one another they march in silence lead by Alledueces. The night is dark as the moon wanes in the cloudy sky. Yet the streets are lit enough for you to easily follow one another. Alledueces leads you in what feels like a semi circle, he points indicating that the entrance is just ahead. Nearing it you all stop to see four figures near a sewer grate. Three lie dead. Two appear to be cultists for their head is shaven and on the cap of their head they bear the double headed vulture. The other dead body is dressed in traveller's clothes. The final figure is a man he is bent over and is having a coughing fit. He struggles to get up and turns to face you. Even in the limited light some of you are able to catch the pinkness in his eyes.
[ooc]Is the remaining man a cultist, or something else? That will determine my initial action...{/ooc]
The stranger has his blonde hair hair cropped short. Diagonal claw scars mark what might have (once) been a handsome face. He is clad in leather, wears archer's armguards and finger tabs and has his composite longbow slung across his back.
"Who goes there? I do not want trouble, but I am armed and will defend myself." He asks the party warily, as he puts his back to the wall and his right hand reaches towards his dagger at his belt.
|
|
Nhilune raises a brow at the apparent archer and rolls her eyes before gesturing at the scene playing out before them.
"Get your priorities in order, boy. Make yourself useful or stand aside," she chastised.
"You there stop what you're doing!" she demanded of the cultists. Despite her brave words, she stood behind both Amigail and Alledueces.
"Wait a moment, all of you! Let us not be so hasty. It seems this dwarf may have been in combat with the same group of people we ourselves just fought. Is this so, sir?"
"I've already stopped, lady. Those nutjobs are dead,"he smirks, as he nudges one of the cultists with his leather boot. "Aakif is, too." He lets out a sigh. "I liked him, damnit. Good solid fellow who you could always count to watch your back."
"This one's for Aakif, you b@stards," he snarls as he savagely kicks the flank of one of the dead cultists.
"You mean these @ssholes here? How mamy of them are there around?" He replies to Lothenlieth, aghast. "I knew there was a reason why I avoid cities. They're more trouble then they're worth."
"We were attacked by a group of cultists ourselves. Did one of them throw a glass vial at you? Do you feel a little weaker than normal? It seems you have contracted the disease the cult is spreading. Perhaps our immediate goals are the same, then. To stop the spread of this plague and discover the cure for ourselves." Lanarial says easily, used to the oft-tense situations in new ports with strange guards and other sailors. Of course, in those instances there was usually copious amounts of ale or liquor involved, but that only made talking people down off the masts more challenging...
We don't know how many of them there are... but we have a map that we think will lead us to their home.
I noticed your holy symbol there... who ... um which god do you serve...?
"I serve Old Deadeye. Are you blind, boy? There are temples dedicated to him all about Cassomir. And I've been marked since birth," as he points to the longbow shaped mark on his forearm.
"No, I don't feel well, and yes one of them did throw a vial at us. Why don't we stop asking each other inane questions and start hunting down those cultists. The faster they're sent to hell, the happier I'd be."
"Rest well, old friend." He moves to Aakif's body and closes his eyes. "I'll be back for you later. Rest assured you will not lie unavenged."
"You may call me Dargorath. Pass me that map so I can see where it leads."
"I serve Old Deadeye. Are you blind, boy? There are temples dedicated to him all about Cassomir. And I've been marked since birth," as he points to the longbow shaped mark on his forearm.
Alledueces is obviously offended by the words and attitude of the newcomer.
I can see just fine, and I am a Halfling not a boy. I have just never heard of "Old Dead Eye". Never heard of a temple to him in Cassomir either...and I've lived here my whole life. Maybe there's a priest or two to him in Grayguard Castle. But he must not be too important. Is he the God of Bows and arrows or something?"Rest well, old friend." He moves to Aakif's body and closes his eyes. "I'll be back for you later. Rest assured you will not lie unavenged."
"You may call me Dargorath. Pass me that map so I can see where it leads."
I'm sorry about the death of your friend. We have also lost someone that is important to us. But more importantly we need to stop the disease. We have seen someone who died while infected get back up as an undead already. It might be in the best interest of the city to insure that these bodies do not get up as well.
Alledueces looks at Amigail knowing she has a stronger stomach for that kind of work.
With circumstances being what they are, I imagine that my friends agree with me in that, it is fine if you come with us Dargorath. But you are still a stranger to us and I see no reason to entrust you with the map.
ooc:
Amigail introduces herself to the bowman, a grave expression on her face.
"I an sorry for the loss of your friend, but I need to ask you something important. Was he slain by what was in the cultists' vial or was he cut down by them? A friend in the tavern where we were gathered was killed by the contents of a similar vial and arose minutes later as an undead creature. If your friend died in the same way...it would be wise to make sure his corpse cannot rise to kill again, brutal though that may sound."
"Oh halfling. I thought you were a boy. Those gnomes usually have really colourful hair. Don't see many of your kind around in the forest. Probably too much hiking for your short tubby legs," he muses."Erastil is the god of farmers and the god of the hunt."
"He was killed by the vial. Do I need to wait for him to rise? And how long would it take?"
"I don't know that we can prevent him from rising, but we can secure him so that he can do no harm to anyone if he does." Lanarial takes the robes from the dead cultists and wraps all of the bodies securely to each other.
Amigail gives Dargorath an estimate of how long it took Basila to arise as an undead. "Our spellcasters are low on juice and we can't afford any unnecessary or avoidable fights. We've been drawing-and-quartering the corpses of the infected...and decapitating them for good measure."
Turning to Lanarial, the young woman purses her lips. "Is that wise? What if they animate after we've left and some poor soul comes along and believes they're alive and tries to free them?"
"I thought it quicker and less gruesome. But I'll not stand in your way if you intend to execute your plan of action..." Lanarial says easily, shrugging slightly.
As the others begin discussing what to do exactly with the corpses Alledueces begins looking at the sewer entrance, quietly mutters to himself...
Tubby legs? I have really nice legs!
"Why don't we compromise...sort of. Lanarial--I'll cut up the cultists while you double the bindings on Dargorath's deceased friend. If he turns, he'll be contained and then dealt with. If not, we haven't desecrated the body."
Amigail sighs only briefly before taking her falcata to the cultists' corpses.
An hour ago, Lothenlieth might have blanched at such gruesome work. Now, his thoughts were full of darkness, thinking only of Basila, now lost to him.
"I'll help you with the cultists. I agree with the compromise, I'd rather have a whole body to bury."
He helps with his dagger.
"Bleh. Should have brought along a sickle. Easier for lopping off heads. Again out there in the forest, a good skinning knife is more useful." He grumbles.
"Lets get moving. We've got a whole lot of cultists to kill."
"Before that, I think we'll need to rest and recover some of our spells, right?"
"That's what I was hoping for, but the short one there went charging off, and we don't know how quickly this disease will spread nor its effects on us. Still, a good night's rest will allow many of us to regain our magical abilities. Otherwise Alledeuces and Amigail might as well go on alone..." Lanarial says plainly.
Alledueces walks into the sewers.
To Lothenlieth, Amigail says, "You don't need magic--you handled your blade pretty well in the tavern fight."
To Lanarial she asks, "Do you really have nothing left you can contribute in a fight? If so, rest up and hopefully we'll meet again later to battle this scourge. I won't ask you to risk your life if you find this little expedition suicidal."
To everyone she says, "We don't know what awaits us in the sewers--maybe an empty cult hideout, maybe a full cult headquarters. If we get in over our heads, retreat--nay, even flight from battle is an option."
Seeing Alledueces enter the sewer she utters an aggravated sigh/growl. "And I can't be both a corpse butcher and a halfling babysitter at the same time! But neither can I let him face this evil alone!"
With that the swordswoman chases after the persistent and headstrong halfling.
Alledueces you stride over to the grate sealing the sewers while the others talk amongst themselves. Looking at the grate you can see it might take some effort to lift it.
Alledueces walks up to the grate and starts to lift it. The grate opens just a bit and then falls back shut. The little halfling puts his back to the task again but the wet sewer grate just slips from his sweaty hands. He tries again and again each time his actions growing a little more desperate. I refuse to fail you Bas.... He tries again and again refusing to give up. The emotions of the day... His feelings of deseration at having lost his best friend. Having already failed her father. It all finally comes out as he finally opens the grate with tears streaming from his eyes. The halfling wipes the tears from his face as he goes into the sewers.
The grate comes off after almost a minute of trying. Moving it aside you stare down at a ladder that heads down into darkness. Amigail stands silently beside you, Alledueces. The others seem still unsure what they are doing but you are determined to go on with or without them.
There is no light below so you will need a lantern or some other light source.
Alledueces reaches over and picks up a rock. He looks at Amigail, wipes his face leaving a smear, and gives her a smile.
Thankyou Amigail.
The Halfling casts light on the rock and tosses it through the hole to see what's in the dark below.
Dargorath casts light on his armor, then follows Alledueces down.
The light on Dargorath gave Lothenlieth enough to see by, so he follows them down.
Lanarial looks at Nhilune and shrugs again. "Same conversation. Same conclusion." He then slings his bow and climbs down the ladder with the rest of the group. Once at the bottom, he mutters an arcane phrase, and four balls of light appear above and ahead of the group, arranged in a two by two pattern floating about 10 feet from each other. The lights move ahead of the group 30 feet and will stay in that relative position as the party walks through the sewers. Lanarial gets his bow ready again, with an arrow on the string and ready to be pulled.
Dropping the stone down you hear it hit the hard rock surface of the floor below. From the street level you cannot see much from the stone's light. One by one you climb down. You figure you have descended almost 30 feet when the ladder comes to an end. From your vantage point you can see that the there is about a ten foot drop from the ladder to the floor below. The ladder drops into a 15 feet long by ten feet wide alcove. The passage continues both ways heading north and south along a 5-foot wide walkway that runs parallel to a 10-foot wide water channel. The flowing water is loud and the smell coming from it is enough for anyone to question exposing themselves to it.
|
|
Nhilune sighs, but follows Lanarial. If they survived this, she was going to avoid all halflings from this point out. They were far too bossy and excitable for her tastes. As if reflecting her own irritation, the raven perched on her shoulder fluffed up and squawked before they began their decent into the sewers. The bird liked pressing onward as little as Nhilune herself did.
Dargorath takes out a coil of rope, knots it and hands it to Lanarial. "If I know anything about city people, is that they never bring what they require for a proper expedition."He shakes his head and sighs.
It's an easy enough jump down for Amigail, so she hops down gracefully into the room , drawing her falcata once she's landed. Thankful for the lighted stone Alledueces dropped earlier, the woman stands guard as the others descend, looking for any threats.
The elf sailor quickly ties a bowline on the third rung from the bottom and lets the rest of the rope dangle to the ground. He climbs down and moves his dancing lights into the north passage about 20 feet and then the south passage the same distance.
You all make it down rather easily with the aid of Dargorath's rope. Other than the lights from Lanarial the passage is dark. You can see 5-foot walkway continuing north and south beyond the aid of your light. Along the sewer culvert you notice there are ladders running every 30 feet or so that run up to the walkway, no doubt a precaution should anyone be unfortunate enough to fall into the water. The walkway is damp and you can see the occasional puddle along the way.
Consulting the map Alledueces points south to indicate which way to head. With only 5 feet to operate in and a slick surface you form up into a single file.
|
|
Though Nhilune herself can see quite well in the dark, she conjures her own dancing lights to assist the others who may not be so blessed in the shadows.
"I suggest someone with a bit more... substance to them take the front," she sad in a low tone. She certainly didn't want to be leading the expedition. "And perhaps the back, too. I don't much feel like getting taken by surprise from anything that may come from the other passageway."
"If one of you good spellcasters would be so kind as to cast a light spell on my buckler, I'd be happy to take the lead. It'd probably be wise if everyone who can't see in the dark have a light spell on them, just in case we have to beat a hasty retreat or get separated."
Alledueces recasts his light spell on Amigail's buckler.
Forming up your party moves south determined to find the cultists. Aided by the magical light you travel along the the foul smelling sewer-ways for the better part of an hour, the reek of the sewers suddenly becomes almost overpowering. Your eyes water and your throats clench in protest as you look about for the source of the dreadful odor.
Amigail presses forward, following the directions given her by Alledueces.
Lanarial brought his own silk rope, easily making the climb down. He attempted to get a sense for what was around him.
Far too focused on the task at hand and trying to not think of Bassilla and Vasaro... Alledueces notices nothing.