"And how do I kill this cloud-thing?!?"
Shane gritted his teeth as he heard Tarvak's question about the air creature. Too much was happening too fast to keep actions coordinated. "It serves the one who holds the coin, me," he said. Hoping it could read his thoughts, he added to the creature, Do not threaten the ones in this chamber. He mentally pictured the other members of Unit 11 as the thought this.
Down on the lowest platform, Aziel slowly picked herself up. "Merde," she muttered succinctly, looking up to the platform she had fallen from. Her bones felt jarred loose at least, and without healing, she'd have a spectacular display of bruises soon. Still, she didn't reach for a potion just yet.
Biting down a groan at the pain, she shuffled toward the ladders leading upward.
Shane gritted his teeth as he heard Tarvak's question about the air creature. Too much was happening too fast to keep actions coordinated. "It serves the one who holds the coin, me," he said. Hoping it could read his thoughts, he added to the creature, Do not threaten the ones in this chamber. He mentally pictured the other members of Unit 11 as the thought this.
[Dice=KiP/BoE as "Jumping to Semi-Logical Conclusions"]1d20+10[/dice]
Jaelynn's eyes narrowed, and her brain began sorting through data points - connecting disparate facts, extrapolating possibilities.
"See if the - " She cut herself off, then looked at Shane. "Can you tell it to see he has any coins on him? And to take them, if he does? We may not have to fight!"
The mound of earth engaged with Tarvak also continued doing what it was doing. With hardly any effort, the creature picked up another barrel and threw it at Tarvak.
Luckily for the tiefling, the barrel went sailing past him to fall into the water.
Shane's helpful air elemental deftly removed the coins from around the sleeping man's neck. The shadow stayed where it was- close to the sleeping man, as though to put itself between the invaders and the man- but did not attack the elemental as it took the coins and flew back toward Jaelynn.
Yes. From the previous page, the attack roll was a 20 and the damage was 10.
Aziel started as a barrel plummeted down into the water near her. "Merde sainte!" Sheathing her rapier, she drew a gun and set about climbing, not without groans of pain.
"Everyone just stop!"
Jaelynn's voice cracked across the cavern. "Just back away, and wait for a moment! Let us see what happens when I hold the coins."
Tarvak's arrow slammed into the earth creature again, once more causing no visible signs of distress. In return, the elemental grabbed for another barrel but jogged the container, knocking it over instead of picking it up.
Shane's helpful cloud creature flew directly to Jaelynn, with the sleeping man's coins extended to the elf for her to take. Simply holding the coins caused no change in the situation, but actively willing the earth elemental to stop fighting Tarvak made it stop.
"I have control," Jaelynn said aloud, "Give me a moment out explore this."
[dice=KiP/BoE as "Knowledge, Planes"]1d20+10[/dice][dice=KiP/BoE as "Figuring out how to use Magic-y stuff."]1d20+10[/dice]
Shane continued climbing the ladders up the platforms from the right, until he could get a look into the opening. He moved just into the tunnel and let his eyes adjust to the dimmer light levels and waited to assist Aziel and Tarvak. He figured they'd explore up the tunnel first to avoid blazing light into the area and giving away the team's approach. He gave the sleeping man a quick frisk once Aziel had tied him up.
The mudman and the shadow standing there made his flesh crawl a little, but then he remembered the air creature and called it over to help watch the tunnel for dangers. He mentally asked it, "What manner of creature are you?" Then he waited expectantly to see if it answered.
While the others are getting up to the top platform, Tarvak very carefully crossed the oily area, taking his time to do so. Then he peered into the darkness of the cavern tunnel, perhaps moving 20 feet into it just to see what's there, and then came back.
Stealth :
+ 4(DEX) = 25
The tunnel continued on for quite a distance. Tarvak's darkvision allowed him to see, but as far as he could tell from where he stopped walking there was nothing but more tunnel. According to the briefing they were supposed to be at the bottom of a mine; presumably there was some distance to travel before they reached an exit onto the surface.
The mudman and the shadow standing there made his flesh crawl a little, but then he remembered the air creature and called it over to help watch the tunnel for dangers. He mentally asked it, "What manner of creature are you?" Then he waited expectantly to see if it answered.
The cloud creature responded in language that sounded like wind moving. While he didn't understand the words, Shane understood some of what the creature meant. It had been brought here from its home to serve the coin. He could tell it had said more than that, but Shane couldn't suss out the details of what it said.
Jaelynn looked up from the coins after about a minute of deep concentration.
"They'll serve me. I suspect that they might be helpful in our later mission. Does anyone have any way to heal the earth elemental at all?"
She threaded the coins onto a leather thong, and tied that around her neck, tucking the coins into her shirt.
"Keep us safe, stay hidden, and warn me if anyone not currently visible to me approaches." She sent the commands mentally to her two new friends.
"Tarvak is sorry for hurting you," She thought towards the earth creature. "We are grateful for your help." That last came after a delay, and somewhat haltingly. Jaelynn still wasn't used to being friendly without a reason.
Carefully, she made her way to join the others.
Once everyone had gathered at the cave entrance, Tarvak said "The tunnel goes for some way. Shall Aziel and I scout ahead as before, maybe 20 seconds ahead of the rest of you? And how can Aziel's wounds be removed?"
Neither of the creatures appeared to be willing conversationalists. They took Jaelynn's orders without comment, the shadow seeking the ample concealment of natural shadows and the earth elemental simply standing in place.
The sleeping man began to wake as Jaelynn's spell started to wear off.
Shane ordered the air elemental to watch the tunnel area for any threats and to warn us if it detected anything. By the time the man awoke, Shane had removed his weapons and other gear that might be used against us, tied his hands in front of him and tied a robe between is ankles with enough slack to allow him to walk.
When he did awake, Shane hoisted him to his feet and looked him in the eyes. "We could have killed you if that was our goal. We only want to remove the rogue duchess from your island and withdraw. Now tell us what threats we face as we move through this mine to the surface."
The wiry, white-haired man, well into his 50s, woke fully as Shane lifted him to snarl in his face. He looked terrified and babbled a few words in Danoran before switching to Risuri. "No one, no one! Most of my men, the survivors, I think they fled into the jungle. I don't think any of the soldiers are still in the mine. There is nothing out of the ordinary, nothing dangerous in the mine save the usual hazards. Please! Please just let me live. I'll take you! I'll take you to the entrance myself! Please, don't kill me"!
"We're not going to kill you." Jaelynn's voice was soothing, and she had a friendly (she thought) smile on her face.
"We don't need to be treating anyone like a prisoner of war, now, do we?" She reasoned with Shane. "We can be polite and friendly to a civilian who is just trying his best to be helpful, can't we? You do want to be helpful, right,.. ah, what was your name, again?"
Shane nodded at Jaelynn's words and drew a dagger and cut the ropes, freeing the man. "Forgive me," he said as he did so, "but these are the first words or deeds that make me inclined to think you are being helpful." He kept a sharp eye on him, nonetheless.
"Dupiers. Nicolas Dupiers. I was... I am the mine foreman." He flinched away from Shane's dagger at first but nodded gratefully as the constable cut the ropes. "Thank you."
Dupiers shook his head. "I do not understand. You are Risuris, but you are not with the Risuris who invaded the island?" His hand suddenly flew to his chest where the coins had hung. "The coins!" He pointed at Shane, then Jaelynn, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You came for the coins?"
"We did not know that the coins existed, Nicolas," Jaelynn said. "The coins are safe enough, for now. No one will be using them to attack anyone in this chamber. Were there more, or just the three?"
Dupiers shook his head. "We had found these two," his hand went to his throat where the coins had been until a moment ago, "and hadn't had time to secure the third one- the one you took first. The mines... we were iron miners, but the plans for where the excavations went came from on high. We were directed toward the three chambers where we found the coins. Somebody must have known they were here."
Shane looked at the coin he still had, frowning. "You're saying you think this whole mine was dug to locate these?" He held up the coin. "Seems like a lot of work for something that just gives you a dedicated outsider and some improved abilities." He glanced at the others to see if they had any ideas.
"Who knows what the coins do? Maybe someone wants them as bodyguards, or maybe when all 3 are brought together something special happens, or maybe they're needed for some magic ritual.
We could sit here and wonder all day, but don't we have a mission? Ships waiting to get in thru the gates, and all that?
Nicolas - what can you tell us of the situation up there? Would you be willing to guide us to where we need to be to help your people get rid of the bad Risuris?"
Jaelynn nodded. "I doubt they're the key to some cosmic power," she said, "But the fact that this mine has been dug the way it was, and that they've spiked the walls every few feet with iron, and that there's supposed to be some sort of magical inconsistency about the island... all of that hints rather strongly that there's something interesting going on."
She turned to Nicolas when Tarvak did. "Indeed, we should be moving."
Shane nodded and looked for Ralf. "Before we move on, Ralf, is there anything you can do for Aziel?"
Dupiers shook his head in response to Shane's question. "The whole mine? No. But when we started expanding the shafts we were told the direction to dig, we didn't follow the veins we were working. It had to be deliberate."
He nods at Tarvak. "I'd be willing to guide you to the mine entrance but I'm not going out there. If you're going to the fort, you can follow the valley out to the coast and head east from there."
Aziel limped over to the gathering - crossing the oily platform with much more care this time, and wiping her boots in the dust when she reached the tunnel.
"All of this, and I can't even smoke," she muttered in Danoran, shooting Dupiers a sour look.
Turing to Dupiers, Tarvak said "How far away is the mine entrance? Can we expect any more 'surprises' from you or your people between here and there?"
Tarvak turned to everyone and said "Shall we all walk together this time, or should Aziel and I be out in front like before? Shall we go?"
You'd notice that he seemed agitated and fidgety, just wanting to do *something*...
"They'll serve me. I suspect that they might be helpful in our later mission. Does anyone have any way to heal the earth elemental at all?"
Ralf grunted of surprise, as if Jaelynn had suggested something he'd never have considered.
"Am not knowing," he said as he eyed the elemental. "Living stone and dirt not working same as flesh and bone, surely. But is worth try."
Hoping he looked non-threatening, Ralf reached out and cautiously touched the elemental.
Dupiers shook his head. "We had found these two," his hand went to his throat where the coins had been until a moment ago, "and hadn't had time to secure the third one- the one you took first."
"Three," Ralf said thoughtfully, then looked at Shane. "But more than three prime elements." Then he looked at Jaelyn. "Attack on Coaltongue relied on elemental and fire sprites."
Shane nodded and looked for Ralf. "Before we move on, Ralf, is there anything you can do for Aziel?"
Ralf nodded, and turned to Aziel. "Aiwa. Should already have done." He gives her a brief head dip of acknowledgement. "Cave-in, so much death, Burton, strangeness of fight... am not being used to this."
He mumbled something that might have been an apology, then placed a hand on her shoulder.
Aziel slowly stood straighter as her bruises faded and bones knit. She watched Ralf as evidence of some of that discomfort appeared in his stance, and nodded with gratitude when the transfer was complete.
"My thanks, Ralf. Having you in my head is not so bad." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheeks. "Alors. Let us go and dethrone the Duchess, oui? With our new friends of the elements."
Turing to Dupiers, Tarvak said "How far away is the mine entrance? Can we expect any more 'surprises' from you or your people between here and there?"
Dupiers shook his head. "There are no more of my people up there." His voice was angry but he was clearly making an effort to keep it in check. "It's a good half hour walk from here to the mine entrance."
After a long walk up through the mine tunnels. The more mechanical minded among the constables were probably enthralled by the pieces of Danoran machinery they passed, but for everyone else it was rather uneventful. They likely wouldn't even have gotten lost if they had been on their own- the organized miners had hung well marked signs at every intersection.
Eventually the group was looking out at a forested valley. The area in front of the mine was a well organized mining camp, complete with log cabins and waterwheels to power the mine machinery. A few hundreds yards off, beyond the camp, the forest began.
Dupiers pointed north down the valley. "Coast is that way. If you're looking for the fort, it's northeast of here." He shook his head. "I'm not going any further. I hope you kill the bastards who killed my people."
As the group is hiking northeast, Tarvak asked of no one in particular "So what's the plan now? We've got to do what the other group was going to do, AND defend the area we were supposed to defend. How are we going to do that? Do one thing then the other, or split into two groups?"
Ralf grunts. "Am thinking is 'business as usual.' Am not being here much longer than you, already every mission is not going per plan."
He gives Tarvak an odd look and adopts a deep voice, as if impersonating someone from his past. "Be getting used to it, kid."