Tossing the flail over his shoulder as he adjusts himself in one of the church pews. "Finally... Tomorrow morning I will have more healing magic, but if I can help it I'll be using it on myself, or the first person to fall..." he says, adjusting for a long rest. Raising his head, he looks over towards the woman with the broken leg. "You there, with the crutch. You swung that far too hard to be a normal citizen, and you're not losing your mind like Horgus. What's with you? A crusader?" he asks, inquisitively.
Keeping a grip on Tobongo as he stumbles down the tunnel, Aravashnial reflects on Laris' words. Images of soldier carved on the cavern walls. Intriguing, there are old rumors that many of the first crusaders hid in the caverns beneath Kenabres after becoming tainted by the Abyss.
A crusader? Me? No, nothing so grand. I just do odd jobs around the city.
Horgus grunts at Anevia's words, Odd jobs? That's what you call thieving and spying? Her wife is the crusader, and I don't know how she can turn a blind eye to Anevia and her companions.
You should hold your tongue Horgus. Who do you think cleared you name when you were accused of funding the cultists.
Growing increasingly agitated, Horgus whips around at Aravashnial's words. Rumors you were all to willing to spread with your conspiracy theories elf. Maybe if you had kept your eyes open, you would have noticed the real conspiracy.
Raising up, Maxwell scoffs. People wondered why he disliked people so much. "Seems like all 3 of you know each other..." he said as he stood up. "Right. Well, I don't give a damn about cultists or conspiracy theories. Anevia..." he says, realizing the woman was a Lesbian. It didn't bother him in the slightest, really. "Who is your wife? She a big shot crusader in the city?" he asks, tossing dagger-like glances at Horgus.
Mia will roll on those statues.
The little bird sounds agitated at Horgus' tone.
Mia herself frowns too.
"What rumors?"
At Horgus' line about the eyes her small hand suddenly points directly at the guy's face.
"That's rude, mr. Aravashnial has lost his eyesight and of all things you're using that way to describe your frustration? You're no better than fat Billy the school's bully.... HMPF!"
Cue this expression
"We should arrange ourselves into Watches, last thing I want is to wake up to some scuttling thing taking a bite out of me."
Laris considers the group a moment.
"Anyone have any objections if Luciana and Verim take first watch, then Tallina and Tobongo, Maxwell and I will take last watch."
Horgus smiles as he pats Mia on the head, Don't worry about it Mia, when you are older you will understand, Aravashnial's prejudices blinded him long before he lost his eyes.
Anevia shakes her head, Irabeith would be horrified if you called her a big shot. We've only been in the city for about a year. I just hope she's okay. She's always throwing herself into the front lines. She says she would be failing in her duty to less than her best.
Many of the first crusaders were tainted by the Worldwound, but none realized until they started having children. Many of the children of the first crusade were born warped by the abyssal influences experienced by their parents. When threatened with a purge, many of the first crusaders are rumored to have fled underground with their children. Little solid information is available regarding their fate, but rumors persist of twisted humanoids living beneath the city.
"About the statues...., they're not religion specific.
We had history classes spent at the library and these sort of statues were mentioned too. Let me think...it..and...ah yes...
Alot of the 1st crusader people were affected by the Worldwound, they didn't know about it though until they had babies.
Alot of the babies were born...different, abnormal, because of some force their moms and dads experienced. The people higher up wanted to kill them,.....so the 1st crusader parents went into hiding underground.
There was little to no information beyond that, but one of the older kids heard rumors from travelers in the tavern that abnormal people still live here..."
"Not that it is something to look forward to."
Maxwell shakes his head. "If the folks came down here because they didn't want to lose their kids, I'm willing to bet they're not automatically horrible people. Mind you it has been some time since the first crusades..." he says, realizing that might not be the case anymore.
"Honestly they can live in peace down here if they want. I just want out of this damned cavern and to see the light of day again, a trait I likely share with the natives." he says with a bit of a chuckle.
With the chuckle gone, however, he looks back to Anevia. "Your companion sounds like the usual paladin in these parts. Let's also hope most of your folks's connections and family are still alive when we get out of here..." he says a bit grimly. His choice of words is strange, however. "Your folk's" particularly.
" "Your folk? You look plenty human to me...."
Rest certainly did sound good to Tallina. She was almost out of magic, useful magic anyway. Tomorrow, whenever that is, she will need to prepare more spells with magical healing.
"Does anyone have anything we can start a fire with down here? Maybe we could break anything wooden in that temple and use that to cook what I've been grabbing. A hot meal sure sounds better than trail rations right now."
Tallina's face changes into one lost in thought after wondering about everyone's next meal. Something crossing her mind that's been tugging at her.
Everyone here is worried about their family or something on the surface. I haven't seen my father in almost twenty years, my mother in far longer. I just came to Kenabres to join the crusades like many starry eyed youths in the stories. I lost sight of the smaller picture. Everyone is here for a reason.
Her face changing back to her usual smile, she replies to Laris' idea of a watch schedule.
"You'd be surprised at how little plants actually need to sleep. He can be on the lookout at almost all times, he just needs to rest up a bit."
Laris nods at Tallina, acquiescing the point, "We should still have someone else on watch with him though, two sets of eyes are better than one"
The night passes uneventfully. Occasionally you will hear movement outside the temple, but nothing attempts to enter.
Verim awakens to the darkness, the light coming from a torch or spell the only indicator sleep or not. He rises, tending to his shield and armor with what little supplies he had left and then see to it that the rest were okay.
He leaves the Temple for only a moment to raises his shield to the ceiling and give a silent prayer to Arqueros; May he watch over him and his charges and protect the weak.
Tobongo remains watchful through the night, staying near Tallina.
Tallina stops packing her bedroll for a moment to stretch her arms. She eyes the wounds on Tobongo with a look of concern on her face.
Tobongo is still injured, he won't be on the front lines today, I should probably get ready to take a hit or two.
Donning her suit of hide armor, Tallina double checks her fitting, grabs her shield and gets ready to move out.
"Alright, who else is ready? Aravashniel we will be having Tobongo with you all day today, he is still recovering from that darkmantle. I hope he makes a decent travelling companion, albeit a bit quiet."
Verim nods to Tallina and accepts her decision. He raps his knuckles against the shield a few times absentmindedly.
" A wise decision Tallina. Even injured, with Tobongo accompanying Aravashniel, he shall more or less keep pace with us while providing some protection just in case the rear is attacked. Besides, I rather not my future drinking friend to get roughed up n the front lines. Have Max, Luci and I be the vanguards today. We will be depending on you all to catch us when we screw up in our suicidal positions! "
He gives a gleeful chuckle with goes for a bit before calming into a smirk " ...And maybe this time you all will let this idiot go in first, that way we have the highest prevention of harm.. and if I do get hurt, I'm sure a few frustrations about me are relieved eh? " Making his personal harm seem like a simple joke, to lighten the mood.
Mia rubs out her eyes, her little bird shows its head from her hair.
"I'm up."
Sleep had been vast, and with more people waking around her she didn't have much opportunity to thoroughly make a disguise today.
Cover the ears with my hair and don't look anybody in the face. Fingers crossed.
She tried to stay a bit to the back, hoping to avoid any gazes.
Thank you Tallina, I have no problems with your friend guiding me.
Is anyone, other than me, still injured? If so, those with healing magic should use it now. Once we are ready Verim, you and Luciana should take point. There could be more darkmantles waiting in the caverns ahead.
"Lets get moving, I'd rather get out of this hole as soon as we can."
Laris does a quick head-count, particularly making sure Horgus, Anevia and Aravashnial are ready to move.
Laris will stay near the back, bow ready.
Returning down the tunnel, the chamber where the darkmantles were fought is empty, even the remains of the darkmantles have disappeared.
"This is where you fought right?...So...where are the dead monsters?"
" More than likely some other critter came and ate the remains. With the amount of Vermin I have seen, I would not be surprised if it where a bug of some kind. It is a means of being cautious, the creature might not ONLY eat carrion. " Verim peers around keeping his stance ready just in case.
Verim seems wary, He did not want his hunch to be right, scavengers were brutal when it came to food.
Verim may very well be right about scavengers. If we are lucky we can keep moving. Eating an entire darkmantle might put a hamper on their appetite.
Laris keeps close to Mia, bow at the ready.
Mia carefully walks close to Laris, her little bird on her shoulder moves it's head quickly, looking around.
Up front with Verim, Luci kept her eyes peeled and her sword drawn.
Everyone hears the sound of a deep male voice mumbling from the next chamber.
Mage Armor was cast.
Ugh........oh no. Someone's preparing for something.
Should i tell them and risk exposing myself? What can i say..erm....
"Erm, not to upset people, but that voice just now. I've heard those words before, somebody has just casted Mage Armor, be careful."
On the words, "be careful" she put up Ward hex on either Maxwell or Verim, depending on who's up front.
Laris raises an eyebrow at Mia. she speaks quietly, "If they are armouring up they are either waiting for us, in which case we should probably move in before they can prepare further, or in trouble, in which case we may need to aid them. Lets go."
Following along and looking as everyone makes it a point to start whispering, he does so as well, but mostly for his own hide. Under his breath he quickly prays to Groetus, plunging a finger into a small dark portal that forms on his heart.
Turning to look at Laris as well, who he is certain is even more fragile than the child, he looks to her, quickly driving 2 fingers into her chest as well.
"Easy, you lot. If they're smart enough to cast something like that, we may not have enemies... It could be the folk that Mia spoke of earlier." he says, Gripping his flail in his hands, ready for anything. "Regardless, we can't give them that kind of advantage." he points out.
The deep male voice continues, changing slightly in cadence.
Blur
Standing in the entrance to the next cavern, you see an unkempt dwarf chanting. As you watch, he becomes blurry.
Come to catch Millorn finally have you. You crusaders are fools if you think I'll let you drag me back. I'll kill you. Kill you all and feed you to the roaches.
Maxwell, Lucians, Verim, Mia, Tobongo, Laris
----------------------
Millorn
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Tallina
Oh...whoever this guy is, he's prepared.
"I....i've heard these words too. I think mages call it Blur. It makes them trickier to hit. That is, unless something affects an area."
She giggles....
"We tossed a bag of flour at the mage apprentice who claimed we couldn't possibly hit him."