The soldier nods at Lilith, but doesn't answer
Is there some furniture we can use to block the stairs? How much time do you think we have before the cadavers reach this place?
Lachen looks around quickly, and thinks
What I can maybe do is breaking a few steps with Mallis to create a hole in the stairs.. but that will mean it would be difficult to use them after if we need to come back. It's easier to jump down than to jump up, anyway. The undead are mostly slow, mindless and clumsy, we could work that to our advantage.
Mallis grins nervously and nods at Lachen briefly.
I'll go and try to wake up the others! he disappears off in the direction of the dorm rooms.
In the council chamber, the mirror above the fireplace continues to send shivers down Lenneth's spine when she looks at it.
I'd go for the furniture/carpentry choice. Lives will happily lug furniture...
Ten minutes later, the doorway is swiftly reinforced as the remainder of the hall furniture is conscripted in to barricade duty.
Back in the council chamber Euron uses the ladder, more chunks cut out of the stone chimney really, to descend in to the depths of the keep, and swiftly disappears from sight...
After descending for a minute or so, at the bottom he finds a short corridor.
For those still in the council chamber... you hear the scream of a woman in pain coming from downstairs in one of the rooms off the hall...
Euron nods at Lenneth as they move back to the group.
Getting to the bottom of the ladder Euron takes in the cramped quarters, the cold air reminds him of a tomb.
He feels the knots in his stomach, as he waits for the others to follow.
Flynn mounts Skyfall and, though she is reluctant, he urges her down the steps behind Euron.
There's water dripping that way and... he sniffs. ..something burning that way, incense and something... horrid as well. I don't know it's hard to- what was that!? he hisses as Skyfall bucks at the sudden scream that rings out.
*
Skyfall chirps irritably about how confined she feels.
There is another scream from the hallway.
Not yet. But they probably found someone tasty.
says Lachen, grimly.
Don't tell me you want to check on the screamer? We probably won't have time, and that might catch the attention of the cadavers, endangering everyone for no gain...
He holds his trident firmly
Lives glances around nervously, flicking between the direction of the barricaded front gates, the passage from teh council room, and the hallway from whence came the screaming.
Muttering an old Shoanti curse that basically accuses the Gods and Fate of being spoiled children, Lives turns and sprints for the screaming...
There's something behind us Euron! I have to see that the others are ok.
He wheels Sky around and her noise make a terrible clatter on the stairs as she hops up and back toward the sound.
Euron curses to himself, as he look around one last time around the ladder and begins to ascend up the ladder following Flyn. What have we barricaded in with us...
Lachen sighs, hesitates a few seconds, and then follows Lillith, trying to find out the source of the screams
It comes from this way!
Despites his armor, the man moves quickly
The party runs down to the hall, two steps at once, just in time to see Mallis exiting the guest room, face looking pale and scared. As you approach his mouth opens and closes soundlessly, he just points inside and looks at you imploringly, helplessly.
As you rush past him you see the room is barely lit, just your scant possessions scattered around. For a moment nothing moves, then suddenly you see Shayliss, lying on her side and clutching at her stomach...
Aaaahhhhh!!!! she screams, sweat-soaked and desperately writhing in pain.
Mallis leans in, almost hiding behind you
Is there...is there anything I can do? I can go and find Br.. he trails off, face downcast for a moment before his head comes back up and you see wetness in his eyes.
Maybe Ashleigh or Tabitha? They'll be upstairs...
Smell rotten, ground shakes... the unclean move closer...
When Flyn comes around the corner he is prepared for almost anything; the hordes of undead, necromacners wielding terrible fell power, even the spirits of those who left behind suddenly manifest and turned against him.
But he isn't prepared for this.
His heart sinks to the floor when he sees the pregnant woman.
What the Hell are we going to do here.
He can only hope that Lenneth or one of the others has some skill in this area, but more importantly, she cannot stay here when the hungry dead arrive.
When Cayden's Cup spills, it spills all over your boots! he says, the only tennet coming to mind when he curses their bad luck. Can we move here, she can't stay here with those things coming!
Seeing what is happening, Lives goes just a little pale.
"NOT what I was expecting." He glances around, at a loss, looking for someone to tell him what to do...
What? Is she hurt? Who is she? She will attract the cadavers if she doesn't stop screaming...
Lachen was even more surprised than anyone else, as I didn't knew who the girl was
Lachen looks grimly to the pregnant woman
As I have no friendship to lose here, I will say the words that each of us might be thinking... Wouldn't it be better to give them both a merciful death right now? I'm a soldier, and by definition I kill people to stay alive. And I'm from a place where the high and mighty use and get used by devils, from a place where your little friend
he points out to Flynn
would be a slave from the rest of his life, knowing only whipped obedience,having no rights and no purpose.So yes, I can do it. Life isn't fair and just, and I'm not sure it has ever been, to speak the truth.There are no holy warriors to save us. No more priests.There will be no miracles. In another place, in another time, this baby to come would be a gift. Here and now, he might be only an hindrance. Would you like this woman to see her defenseless baby eaten alive by theses creatures? Would you like the baby to starve and die, if his mother die? Would you like his mother to have to choose between her survival and her baby's? And don't tell me this kind of thing never happen, because it's happening right now: we have to choose between our survival and this pregnant woman survival.
He spits on the ground
Whatever we decide, we must decide quickly. We have three choices: we stay here, and try to protect the girl and her baby, hoping to defeat the cadavers, and we bloody don't know how many they are. We might die, for her and her baby, and they will die too. We can try to move her. I might be able to carry her, but as you said, there's a risk she lose her child. Maybe the best would be to carry her to the underground passages, even if we don't know if they are safe. Or I give them as much peace as they could find in this world and we move on, which was my first suggestion.
As the woman groans in pain
Why no priest or mage has ever created a spell to ease the pains of childbirth, or to delay a baby? They summon creatures from other planes, send balls of fire to immolate their foes or could unleash the god's fury, but no one ever thought of problems of everyday life like delivering children...No wonder we suffer this curse!
Weapon at the ready Euron moves with the others, but is disarmed at the sight of Shayliss
"Pharasma has her ways, The Lady of Graves wants life to be reborn around all this death." He utters a small only to be interrupted by Lachen.
Euron grits his teeth as brings his gisarme up to bare on Lachen. "How could you say that or even think that?!" He moves to protect the mother. "This is not some moral debate! We are the living, if you start killing off mothers and unborn children there will be nothing separating us from the undead at our door." He then lowers his weapon.
"As you said you have NO friendship here, and you are going about it all the wrong way to make some. We are here to defend the living, not end a life before it has even begun. Now step back." He then turns to look back at Shayliss. "We need to find someone to look after her, our only hope of stopping the undead is down below the castle."
Flynn's mouth is open to direct a torrent of abuse at the newcomer when Euron beats him to it.
Well, at least we agree on something.
He remains silent during the exchange and only speaks when it is over;
We hide her or we take her with us. There's nothing else we can do.
Mallis reappears with Ashleigh and Tabitha in tow. His relieved look at having brought some help melts off his face as he senses the palpable tension in the room, he even holds out an arm to stop the girls from entering just in case.
I..I got them up...said Shayliss needed their help...
They both look very tired, and Ashleigh is coughing frequently, but they both try to smile.
You want one of them here and the other trying to round up the others maybe? he asks, desperate for someone to come up with a plan he can follow.
Listen to me well: I'm not saying killing a pregnant woman is the right thing to do. I'm saying that if we have to consider this option, because it would be better than to let her being eaten alive with her baby, I can do it. I won't be delighted to do it, but as a said, I have no friendship to lose here. Would anyone of you be able to do it, and face his friends hate and guilt ever after? I'm a stranger to you, you are strangers to me. I can take the blame. If it must be done, it should be done quickly.
He tries to calm down
Now, if you really listened to me, you might have noticed that I tried to suggest some other options, unlike you. Either we try to defend this place, and the soon to be mother, or we try to move her to a "safer" spot, hoping she won't lost her baby. We have to think and act quickly. I don't know the place, I don't know the people, unlike you. I'm willing to do anything to survive, and if we have to fight, we should fight side by side against the cadavers, not together. If that can ease your soul after my unpleasant words, big boy, I'll allow you to punch my face later, if we survive.I know a few things about how to treat wounds on the battlefield, but I never helped a woman delivering her child. I think the safest thing would be to bring the woman to the underground. But if you have a better idea, I'm listening.
He turns to Lenneth
What will we need for her? We'll have to forage the place without getting caught by the undead.I've lost my healing kit, unfortunatly.
"A defeatists attitude, one we don't have time to debate. We will save these people, the only thing stopping us is time and it is running out fast." He turns away from Lachen, not wanting to waste anymore time. then looks over to Ashleigh and Tabitha and nods at Mallis plan.
"You have to help her with the baby. We are heading below the castle to find a weapon to stop the undead, to save us all. But we need you lot more than ever up here walking everyone moving them towards the council room, if things go wrong we move everyone down i don't want anyone down there before we atleast know the lay of the land." He eye's both girls up, still unsure of who to trust.
[occ]Did we ever figure out if Ashleigh and Tabitha were safe? Do they both look clearly sick?[/ooc]
I'd surely enjoy choking with my bare hands one of the people who unleashed the hordes of the dead on us. Make the girl confortable, or at least as much confortable she could be, we'll check on the surrounding rooms to find what we can use. Do we have torches or lanterns before we go underground? Who can guide me to the kitchens?
Flynn helps Mallis rouse the remaining citizens of Solace and whether he has to drag them out of bed or not, brings them to the hall. As he does so he explains the situation, trying to inject some urgency in their movements.
The dead are at your door. he shouts as he goes from room to room. Are you going to invite them in? Or shall we keep those doors shut, and tell them that the old world isn't done, it isn't forgotten!
Leaving Ashleigh and Shayliss for now, you organise Tabitha and Mallis to rouse the rest of the community. Everyone is tired, sick and miserable, allowing themselves to be herded like sheep as they clutch threadbare blankets around themselves and look around with scared eyes.
Lachan realises that the hall serves as a kitchen too, with a range to oneside, but there is a room off the hall with a well in, so it is easy to fetch water in a small bucket. He also finds two torches on a side table, not much light but it will have to do for now with no other options.
As everyone is assembling in the hall it strikes you that they won't all fit down the corridor that you have seen thus far underground, it may serve you well to quickly scout out the corridor to find somewhere large and safe enough to house the group before you send them all down.
"With everyone gathered we head down make sure it's safe, fine a place to hold them down there then call up its clear. But we all have to move now." Euron then heads off towards the council chambers and begins to descend again.
Flynn stands on top of a chair and then a table and raises his voice as loud as he can.
Everyone! Whether this place stands or falls is up to all of us! We have to go below, but all of you need to hold this place! Gather any weapons you can, stack anything you can carry against those gates, just hold them back, just give us time!
I don't know many of you half as well as I would like, but if we get through tonight we will have shown those undead bastards that we still hold the old world dear! That we aren't ready to let them win and give in to the night! Let's show them there are still those who will stand beside their brothers and sisters and tell them
He climbs down, hoping his words have struck a chord with at least a few but he grabs Mallis by the arm and drags him aside.
Mallis, whatever happens you stay with Shayliss. Don't let anything happen to her or the baby. It doesn't matter what it takes, make sure are safe. Do you understand?
He nods curtly and then strides from the room, mounting Skyfall and dropping down behind Euron and Lillith
Fine with me. But if there's too much danger for you up there, be quick, and try to close the passage behind you. We don't know what danger may lurk down there, and no one wants to be caught between two foes.
Just a question, before I go down: I noticed most of the people here seems to be sick. Is there a kind of rampant disease in the place? That would be just my luck... Caught between hungry cadavers and an epidemic.
There's a bright flash of a smile on Lachen lips, as if he was really amused by his bad luck. In better circumstances, he could have been pleasant.
Lachen can't find any food at all in the kitchen, or anywhere else nearby for that matter. It strikes him as strange.
Flynn's speech has somewhat of an effect, everyone is now paying attention, or as much as they can given their tiredness and sickness. Several of them start to move chairs and cots to place against the front doors. It's a pitiful effort given your already well reinforced attempt, but they are at least now trying. Several adults and some children seem too tired to move and simply collapse in a communal pile of blankets in the middle of the hall, but at least they are sharing heat and staying out of everyone else's way.
Leaving the community to organise themselves, you head back down in to the darkness of the unknown space under the keep, shadows flicker around you as Lilith's spell flashes around, accompanied by the eerie light-emitting gemstone skull carried by Euron. Picking a direction away from the dripping water for now, the party moves down the eastern branch of the corridor and as they turn the corner, as assaulted by flickering blue light coming from a large chamber ahead.
The room is very large, and there are a great many blue crystal pillars running floor to ceiling. It looks like several have been damaged, and energy jumps from one pillar to another randomly. The room itself is covered floor-to-ceiling with flowing runic script.
By the way, Lenneth, something was odd: there was absolutly no food in the kitchen. Or at least I found none, and I can assure you I searched. Another great mistery... we'll have trouble feeding the people if we must stay underground for a while.
Lachen descends, then takes his trident and shield, readying himself for a fight.
He has no idea about the strange blue pillars, and doesn't get near them or the strange energy
Hush.... don't you hear? Someone shouting, on our east. Sounds like an argument. We're not alone. We should send a discreet scout.
|
Lilith sends her lights into the large room to illuminate and search it. As the lights dance between the pillars Lilith assesses what she sees.
The cracks have been here for a long time. The room is stable. She says as she turns her attention to the writing. This script. I've seen it before, under the church in Sandpoint. It seems to be channeling positive energy to and from the pillars, though there appears to be something wrong. Its some type of large energy storage area, but its not working right any more. Who would have build such a thing here, and why? She is about to try to figure out how she might jury rig what is broken when she too hears the voices arguing from the east. I hear it too. Let us intercept them. Lilith points where she thinks the group should go.
Skyfall is suddenly skitterish at the sight of the crackling blue energy. She flaps and claws at the ground in protest but Flynn firmly, though not unkindly, presses her on.
She doesn't like the look of this place... neither do I for that matter... he says warily.
There's someone there? Maybe this is where the Council ended up. I can take a look if you like, people tend to overlook us smaller folk. To their peril. he thinks, shooting a sidelong glance at Lachan.
Flynn sees the anxiousness on Lenneth's face as she lets Indigo pad off silently. He feels her pain, knowing that like he and Skyfall, the witch and her familiar have been together long before this nightmare all began and have formed a bond few could understand.
As he sits astride the great bird he finds himself at head height to the human woman. He reaches out and slips his small hand into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before whispering;
Indigo will be fine.
As if in agreement, Sky gives a small chirp and bumps Lennth's arm his her thick beak.
Ha! See, she thinks so too. I'll go with him just in case. Look after Skyfall for me, she worries more than she needs to.
He dismounts and taking his lance in both hands like a spear, creeps off after the cat.