The other darkmantle swoops down from the ceiling, charging at Horgus. It slams into him, and attempts to wrap its tentacles around him, but Horgus squirms free, screaming wildly.
1. Marina
2. Darkmantle 1
3. Karis
4. Badwe
5. Darkmantle 2
6. Anevia
7. Bearclaw
8. Aravashnial
9. Horgus
"I've got one on me!" Badwe shouts.
Karis takes a step and makes a big overhand swing in the dark.
As the nodachi slices the air, Badwe takes a swipe with his sword towards the thing that attacked him.
His sword clangs loudly as he strikes the floor.
The Darkmantle tightens its hold around Badwe's face, slowly choking him out.
Anevia tugs on Aravashial's arm. "Come on! We need to get out of the darkness!"
"What? No, let me help!" the elf replies, stubbornly.
"How in the world are you going to help all blind like that??" Anevia asks, incredulously. "We need to go!"
"Go back, past me!" Bearclaw shouts. For a moment, he is baffled as he sees Karis and Badwe fighting like a couple of blind... Oh right. Darkness. He brings up his spear and thrusts at the creature grappling Horgus.
Marina moves as far from the darkness as she can and recasts Dancing Lights, moving the flickering lights to surround the darkened area.
The darkmantle shrieks horribly in surprise as Bearclaw smoothly slides his spear into its flesh. Anevia tugs on Aravashnial's hand once more and they attempt to flee the area. The darkmantle close by tries to stop him from fleeing. It slams a tentacle into his back but Anevia tugs him free and out of the darkness. The darkmantle twitches, then full retreats back up to the ceiling.
Bearclaw sees the wounded creature flying up towards the ceiling, and makes a thrust with his spear as it pulls away.
Karis makes a wild swing, guessing where the other might be but trying not to hit Badwe.
Badwe tries to cast a spell to heal himself, but the creature's grip is too strong.
Bearclaw's swift snapshot pierces through the Darkmantle's flesh, staining his spear with its oddly dark blood. The darkmantle flees to the ceiling, where it clings to a stalactite with its tentacles and shudders. Meanwhile, Karis's slash swings wide, and she is lucky not to take Badwe's head off with that mighty blow! The darkmantle maintains its hold about Badwe, tightening its grip around his neck until Badwe passes out from the lack of air. His body slumps to the floor with a thud, and the creature releases its grip.
Bearclaw is the only one to see Badwe fall, and he roars in anger and steps closer, thrusting at the second creature with his spear.
"Come out of the darkness," Marina shouts, and readies her evil eye to curse the first darkmantle she sees.
Karis takes another desperate swing in the dark, and moves towards her mother's voice.
Bearclaw thrusts his spear into the darkmantle's flesh, eliciting a horrible squeal from the creature.
The darkmantle slams a tentacle in Karis' direction as she flees, but the blow lands several inches short of the barbarian. It then turns its attention towards Bearclaw, moving slowly towards it, then swings a tentacle at him widely past his head.
Suddenly, a glowing, green magic missile flies from out of nowhere, hitting Marina in the back! Marina turns and directs her dancing lights at the intruder, revealing the cavern behind them as containing a small extinguished campfire and a well-used bedroll, along with a few utensils and tools, sits near another cave opening in the far wall of this cavern. In the back is a crazed looking dwarf with a red beard, wearing ratty, filthy clothes and bearing a crossbow on his back. He shrieks like a man possessed!
"Crusaders! Crusaders! Hehehehe! You'll never arrest me!" he shrieks, clearly insane.
"What? Is that...Millorn? What in the Abyss?" Anevia asks, bewildered. "The Eagle Watch arrested Millorn a while ago for experimenting with abyssal magic. Never would have thought he'd hide so close to Kenabres...,"
"If you can call this place 'close'," Horgus says bitterly.
Bearclaw steps away from the creature and takes another thrust with his spear.
Marina turns to the dwarf and shrieks right back.
Karis sees her mother hurt and forgets all about darkmantles and everything else. She screams in fury and rushes at the dwarf.
Bearclaw's thrust begins high overhead, dives past the darkmantle's waving tentacles, and hits hard. Millorn giggles madly at Marina, his mind is too far gone for a mere curse to affect him. Meanwhile, the darkmantle slams a tentacle at Bearclaw yet again, who blocks it with the shaft of his spear. Millorn backs up, and emits a vivid cone of clashing colors from his hand directly at Karis!
Bearclaw takes another stab at the darkmantle, and continues to try to sidle out of the darkness.
Marina screams a warning to Karis as she sees the spell blast her daughter in the face. She rushes into the room and fires her crossbow.
Karis blinks as the colored lights wash over her and shakes her head in confusion.
"You threaten me with light?" she growls, and slashes at the dwarf.
Bearclaw stabs at the darkmantle, but his spear flies right over the small beast. The darkmantle returns a blow in kind, and with an audible whip it pelts Bearclaw's chest with a grisly crack, but Bearclaw manages to squirm away before it can ensnare him in his tentacles.
Meanwhile, Marina's bolt flies at Millorn, but is deflected by a strange transparent field of force surrounding the dwarf wizard. Millorn giggles sinisterly as Karis tries to hit him as well, dodging as she swipes at him with her nodachi. Millorn backs away until he is against the wall. He draws his crossbow from his back and casts yet another spell. Green electricity flickers around his right hand.
Bearclaw steps to the edge of the darkness, thrusting again with his spear.
Marina spits ancient Sarkorian curses at the dwarf.
Karis follows her foe and delivers a mighty swing with her sword that would have beheaded a human. It passes over the dwarf's head with inches to spare.
The ruthless edge of Bearclaw's well-timed spear once again spikes into the darkmantle's flesh, but it stays on Bearclaw, undaunted in his search for prey. With long drawn-out and careful aim, the monster's tentacle hits home, but Bearclaw backs up at the last moment before it can drag him back further into the darkness.
Millorn shudders at Marina's curses, but his madness is such that the effect is only fleeting. He turns and grabs Karis' wrist, the electricity discharging from his hand and across her body, up and down her nodachi, and to her very core.
Bearclaw takes a step back and another stab at the darkmantle.
Marina continues to use her evil eye on the dwarf's AC.
Karis screams in pain and swings at Millorn, concentrating on hitting him rather than power.
Bearclaw swings wildly at the darkmantle but his foot slips and he has to flail awkwardly for balance. The darkmantle seizes the opening, slamming a tentacle across his face and rattling his teeth inside his skull. Bearclaw moves out of the way just as it slithers another tentacle across his throat.
The deluge of curses on Millorn is finally too much for him and he shudders all over. While he is distracted by Marina, Karis slices into him, the sharp edge of her blade leaving a nice slice flayed from his abdomen. Wide-eyed and frightened, Millorn tries to back away from Karis only to find there is nowhere for him to go! He draws a dagger and slashes at Karis, a swift pivot bringing him into the perfect position to cut her down with as much force as he can muster. Karis falls to the ground, unconscious. "Hehehe! Crusaders! Crusaders! Crusaders never gonna get Millorn! Hehehe!"
"Inheritor save us! Karis is down!" Anevia exclaims. "That's it! I'm helping, gods be damned! We have to do something, or we'll all die!" Aravashnial nods grimly. "Okay, elfy, I'm gonna leave you here, don't go running off!" She limps over towards the other cavern, supporting herself along the wall as she does so, and draws her shortbow with her other hand. She notches her bow with one of four arrows in her quiver, and fires! The arrow arcs through the air and whirs right into Millorn's chest with a thud.
Satisfied with the damage she's done, Anevia cheers. "Hah! Suck it, Millorn, demon-worshipping arse-face!"
Badwe steps back from the Darkmantle and stabs at again with his spear, missing.
"If either of you can do ANYTHING, this would be the time," he shouts at the fat man and the elf.
Marina raises her crossbow and fires again at the dwarf.
Badwe and Karis bleed, but are stable.
Karis stabilizes on the ground, her breathing coming in steadily.
Bearclaw misses the darkmantle, his spear going right over the small creature's head. The darkmantle retaliates, the force of its tentacle causing the half-orc to crumple to the ground.
The darkmantle hesitates for a moment, then shoots up to the ceiling to huddle next to its partner as the magical darkness finally dissipates. The two huddle there, 15 ft up on the ceiling, partially obscured by stalactites.
Meanwhile, Marina shoots a crossbow bolt at Millorn, jabbing into his chest next to Anevia's arrow. Millorn rummages for a bottle in his pack, downs it, and suddenly goes invisible!
Anevia curses. "F@*@ you, Millorn! When we get back to Kenabres I'll make sure Irabeth sends a whole squad of crusaders down here after you! You better run!" She then turns to look at all of the fallen bodies, sadly. "I-I'm afraid I don't know much first aid...Didn't you find some healing potions in the temple of Torag?"
Combat ends
Bearclaw stabilizes as well, only unconscious and bruised, with great suction-cup marks on his face.
Horgus leans against the cavern wall, and slides down it until he is sitting on the floor. He looks pale, sweaty, and exhausted, even though he didn't do anything but cower the entire fight.
Aravashnial murmurs, almost inaudibly, "I'm sorry."
Marina approaches Karis cautiously, her eyes alert for any sign of Millorn.
She finds the potions that Karis had stashed on her, and brings them back to Badwe. She pours one down his throat.
"Hehehehe! You'll never catch Millorn!" you hear, echoing from caverns further in the darkness.
Anevia curses again, and hobbles over to Aravashnial to guide him closer to the others. "Don't beat yourself up elfy," she says, trying to be comforting.
"I'm...just not used to being so useless, is all," he replies, glumly.
While Marina waits on Badwe to recover, she recasts Dancing Lights. Her cat wanders over to Karis and curls up on her chest, purring.
Badwe sputters, but his eyes open and the bruises and wounds around his face and neck improve substantially. He jolts upright with a start, peering around at the bodies illuminated by Marina's Dancing Lights. "Oh Iomedae. Oh no. Is she...?" He rushes straight to Karis' side and checks her pulse. "Oh thank the Inheritor, she's alive," he breathes, relieved. "Marina, help me get everyone closer to me, please." Marina and Badwe gingerly carry Bearclaw and Karis closer together. Badwe grasps his holy symbol, and closes his eyes. "Light of the Sword, I am but your humble servant. Please help bring light to the darkness on this day."
Soft, golden light radiates out from Badwe as Iomedae answers her cleric's plea.
Karis and Bearclaw awaken, though Karis is still in horrible pain from the last fight. Her wounds all close up, but are still red and swollen.
Karis finally manages to sit up and looks at herself. Burn scars from electricity on her arm and a still tender spot where the dagger had bit deep. She winces at the pain and scowls around her.
"Where did he go?" she asks, threatening to stand.
Marina holds her back, and Badwe puts a hand on her shoulder.
"We need to rest," he says. "We're barely alive, we don't know if those things will be back, and we won't live through another fight."
Karis sighed and slumped back.
"Will you stay and rest?" Badwe asks her.
"Yes," she says.
He calls on Iomedae's power to restore her strength.
Feeling a little stronger, she almost stands before Bearclaw speaks.
"You said you'd stay and rest. Stop. We don't know what lies ahead, and we can't go on in the shape we're in." He sits down. "I'll take the first watch."
Karis scowls and rises to her feet but doesn't make any attempt to leave, accepting that she's been outvoted.
"Can we at least see what the dwarf left behind?" she says, and the others help her search the cave for valuables.
The group finds:
- A ratty bedroll
- A small pack filled with dried meat, preserved fruit, and moldy cheese (purposefully moldy, like blue cheese) consisting of 6 days of rations
- A chipped 6-inch tall marble statuette of a humanoid throwing a spear
The darkmantle cave is barren. The darkmantles themselves huddle and shiver on the ceiling, their many eyes watching you warily.
Anevia, Aravashnial, and Horgus plop down next to Millorn's extinguished campfire.
"Should we light this?" Anevia inquires, poking the ashes with a stick. "We could burn his gross stuff for a little bit, I wager."
Horgus rubs his stomach and sighs. "I'm so hungry... and thirsty too. Do you have anything to eat?"
Karis tosses the dwarf's rations on the floor at Horgus's feet.
"Try not to eat it all, fat man," she says, with a cold sneer. "Who knows how long we'll be down here, and if we starve because you eat everything. I've never butchered a pig before, but how hard can it be?"
Marina looks at the statue and frowns, then hands it to Bearclaw.
"I can keep watch in the dark," Bearclaw says. He gets a torch and a flint and steel ready to light it with. "The rest of you sleep. Marina can keep her dancing lights up for a watch. We won't burn anything until later.
Karis frowns but she accepts the sense of it.
"What about those things?" she says, pointing to the other room, where the darkmantles attacked. She draws her sword. "If they're alive, they might come back at us while we're weakened."
"Use Bearclaw's spear." Badwe says. "The rest of us use crossbows. Everyone falls back into here if they hit us with the darkness again."
Bearclaw nods. Marina nods. All three look to Karis, who sulks as she sheathes her sword and picks up the longspear. She looks to the others.
"Stay back here," she says to Anevia. "Use your bow if you get the chance." To Horgus and Aravashnial, she shakes her head. "If you can help, this is the time to say something."
There doesn't seem to be any other firewood.
Marina and Bearclaw look over the statue. Bearclaw can't make heads or tails of it, so Marina takes it from him.
"Looks Sarkorian. Has our little dwarf friend been looting in the Worldwound?" she wonders.
Aravashnial says glumly, "There's the matter of the wand of false life that I have but no one took me up on that offer."
Horgus shakes his head, his mouth full of preserved meat.
5(11)/15
7(12)/11
2(5)/10
7(10)/9
Karis, ready attack.
Marina, Evil Eye (AC) on 2.
Bearclaw: sing.
Badwe: fire at 2.
Aravashnial smiles ever so slightly, happy to actually be of help as he harnesses the power of unlife to protect each person a little from death. Each person feels a little bit more vigor than they did before. "Alright, this will only last 6 hours. I have 16 charges left on the wand, though, so I'll be able to refresh it after we rest if you want."
Afterwards, Marina refreshes Dancing Lights and the group ventures into the Darkmantle cave so that they don't need to be worried about being eaten in their sleep. The darkmantles stay glued to the ceiling, each of their eyes focused on the small, reinvigorated group.
Initiative
1. Darkmantle 2
2. Darkmantle 1
3. Bearclaw
4. Badwe
5. Marina
5. Karis
Bearclaw opens combat with an orcish war chant. Badwe takes the cue and fires at a darkmantle, but the darkmantle darts away, dropping down into the air. The darkmantle hears Marina's curses and shudders, but resolves itself to protect its home from these intruders. It flies closer to the group, attaches itself to a stalactite tip, and casts Darkness once more shrouding the area in an inescapable gloom. The other darkmantle charges at Karis, who hears it coming and stabs into the darkness blindly. She scores a hit, her thrust simple a straight, sending a jolt down the length of the spear with an audible crunch and a horrible squeal. She hears the creature fall to the ground with a thud. Bearclaw can see that it is still twitching, but unlikely to get up anytime soon.
"That's one of them!" Bearclaw shouts. He aims his crossbow and fires at the remaining Darkmantle, and then retreats out of the darkness.
As the half-orc chants, the others fall back, retreating out of the darkness.
Bearclaw shoots at the darkmantle, but it bounces off one of the bony protrusions that emit from its head. The creature pursues at first, but Bearclaw sees that it then stops just before entering the second cavern, electing to attach itself to the ceiling with its suction cupped tentacles. Its eyes stare at the other cavern warily.
"It's holding," Bearclaw says, letting his song end. He takes aim at the creature and fires into the darkness.
The others take positions, Karis at the front with the spear, Marina and Badwe with crossbows readied.
Bearclaw shoots at the darkmantle, but the shot sails wide.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
When the darkness clears, Karis and the rest looks around the darkmantle's room for anything of use or value.
Bearclaw's first hit bounces off a stalacite. He scores a hit on his second shot, the bolt landing into the creature's body with a disquieting thunk. The darkmantle screeches, and retreats into the other cavern. Bearclaw follows it slowly, another shot bouncing off the cavern ceiling. Finally, his fourth and final shot spins through the air and and lances through it. The darkmantle falls to the ground with a thud. Both darkmantles perish.
Bearclaw sighs. "I'm glad that's over.
Karis and her group look around the cavern but find nothing of interest except the skeletons of the creatures' prey, mostly rodents and lizards.
Marina recasts Dancing Lights. "Karis. Rest."
Karis flops down on the ground and slowly finds her way into a disturbing sleep. Marina lays close beside her, and Badwe a short distance off. Bearclaw keeps watch in the dark with a loaded crossbow at the ready.
He wakes Marina four hours later and she casts dancing lights. Bearclaw sleeps and Marina takes watch. Four hours later, she wakes Badwe and Karis, who take the last watch.
When they've all rested, they eat and drink, sharing their food and water with their three companions.
Bearclaw and Marina both awaken. Marina casts Dancing Lights, and pets her cat affectionately, mulling over her spells for the day. Badwe kneels a little aways from the group, clutching his symbol of Iomedae, and prays for her guidance to lead them out of the darkness.
Anevia awakens, almost good as new. She hobbles on her leg uncertainly, and discovers that she can now limp about without need for a crutch.
She pokes and prods at Aravashnial, trying to get him to fess up to where his girlfriend, Lylina went to. "C'mon c'mon c'mon! What happened? Dish!"
Aravashnial looks irritated. "Drop it, Anevia. What happened between us is none of your concern."
Unfortunately, their conversation is interrupted when the ground begins shaking under your feet! The whole cavern vibrates as the tremors shake the very earth. Dust falls from the ceiling all over everything and everyone. Then, as suddenly as it started, it stops.
Badwe rejoins the group, looking worried. "Wow, that was scary. Maybe we should get a move on?"
As they wake to the sounds of Anevia and Aravashnial bickering, it's a new day in the darkness underground. Karis wakes up and stretches, opening some of the previous day's wounds, causing the blood to flow a little, but it is bright red, healthy looking, so she is satisfied.
"Who was Lylina?" she asks Anevia.
Marina sits with her cat for a few minutes in the "morning," and then walks to her daughter, whispering arcane words and pressing her hands to the worst of Karis's wounds.
"Great Inheritor, lend us your glory that we might escape this place," Badwe prays to Iomedae and then lets her divine radiance flow outward. Seeing that Bearclaw and Karis are both still badly hurt, he calls on her again. "Iomedae, we serve your will, and we beg your strength to strike at your enemies."
"I don't beg strength from anyone...." Karis mutters under her breath, but stops when the ground starts to shake. Bearclaw's hand falls heavily on her shoulder.
"Probably not the best time to debate the power of the gods," the half-orc whispers. "We're out of water.
"Well, let's find some, then," Karis says. The group collects themselves. Marina casts Dancing Lights and Badwe lights a torch. They file out, slowly.
"Lylina is his girrrrrlllllfriend! They used to run their shop together then she up and disappeared like, a month ago and I'm trying to figure out why!" Anevia whispers to Karis in a stage whisper with a big wink.
"Yes, yes, we all know it's the Eagle Watch's concern to stick their noses in everyone's business," Horgus grumbles.
As the group leaves the cavern, Anevia resumes pestering Aravashnial. Finally he snaps, "If you really want to know, try asking your precious Irabeth, if we find her."
"When we find her," Anevia corrects, interrupting. "If Iomedae spared Lord Gwerm of all people, she saved my Irabeth."
"Yes. When," the elf wizard huffs. Seeming satisfied with this information, Anevia is finally quiet.
The group proceeds to a steeply inclined tunnel leading upwards. Its walls are lined with numerous nooks, handholds, and dozens of iron pitons that have been driven into the walls long ago. This tunnel moves at a near vertical incline for almost 60 feet.
"Well, well, well! This looks promising!" Bearclaw rubs his hands together enthusiastically. "Up is better than down, wouldn't you say?"
Anevia grabs onto a few handholds experimentally, hoisting herself up. Her upper body strength is sufficient to make up for her useless leg. "I'm strong enough to do this on my own, but I don't think I can help elfy at the same time. What do we do?"
Karis is scowling by the time they reach the steep incline. Horgus's griping has apparently been replaced by Anevia's needling, and of all the strangers, only Aravashnial isn't getting on her nerves. Just wait til he gets his eyes back. He'll turn out to be the worst of them all, she thinks to herself.
She looks at the ladder with a grim expression and puts a hand on Anevia's shoulder before the young woman can pull herself too far up.
"If there is an ambush at the top, I would prefer they meet me first," she says. "If there's not, we'll find a way to get Aravashnial up. Maybe we'll even survive long enough to find out if Iomedae did choose to spare your girrrrrllllllfriend."
She loops the heavy coils of her rope and Bearclaw's over her shoulders, makes sure she can draw her blade cleanly, and leaves the rest of her gear behind. Marina casts Dancing Lights again, keeping the magical sparks close to Karis, while the rest stand in the light of Badwe's torch.
"She's my wiiiiiiiiiiifffeeey. I'm a proud Mrs. Tirablade," Anevia corrects cheerfully, utterly oblivious to Karis' dark mood. She lowers herself back down, wincing slightly when she puts weight on her injured leg. "But that's a good point! Be careful!"
Aravashnial's ears turn bright red, clearly uncomfortable with the fact that his handicap is slowing the group down. Horgus mutters incoherently to himself, but he has clearly learned his lesson about griping too much in front of Karis.
Karis easily climbs up to the top of the tunnel. The tunnel evens out to level after 60 feet of climbing, and continues on, endlessly, into the darkness. She does not notice anything unusual out there.
Finding that the top seems to be relatively clear, Karis whistles and keeps her blade ready. Badwe hands the torch to Bearclaw, and climbs up after her. Reaching the top, he lights another torch and takes the watch.
Karis ties the two ropes together and makes an elf-sized loop at one end. She lowers it and Marina secures Aravashnial. She climbs ahead of him, giving him directions to hand-and-foot-holds, so he's not entirely dependent on the rope. Bearclaw extinguishes his torch for later use when they reach the top.
Karis takes the point spot back once Aravashnial is safely at the top, and Marina will provide light for Horgus and then Anevia to climb up. Bearclaw comes up last, and the group proceeds in the marching order they were in before.
"You know what?" Bearclaw says as they leave the place. "I wonder who put those pitons in there."
The plan proceeds without a hitch.
"Th-thank you for all your help. I really mean it," Aravashnial stammers out, his ears still a vivid red.
"Don't worry about it! Iomedae teaches us that spiritual blindness is the only true blindness." He pulls out his copy of The Acts of Iomedae, and recites in the flickering light of Marina's Dancing Lights: "But they that hateth their brother are in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither they goeth, because that darkness hath blinded their eyes."
Anevia nods. "Blessed be the Inheritor."
Bearclaw shrugs. "The handholds could be from cultists, like Millorn. They seem too modern to be dwarvish. Or... bat people!" He grins.
"Why would bat people need to climb on pitons? Couldn't they just fly?" Badwe asks wearily, putting his holy text away.
"Because they lost their wings when they evolved into bat people, duh," he shoots back as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Or pitlings," Aravashnial offers.
"Mole-people are a stupid myth to scare children of Kenabres from wandering too far at night." Horgus spits bitterly. "But of course, I wouldn't put it past our resident conspiracy theorist to bring them up."
You continue on through the darkness for a good 15 minutes.