It's dark. You can barley breath and your head is pounding. Armasse! That's where you were! But what happened? Why the pain, the dark, the suffocation? What happened?
Sana slowly exhaled, trying to collect her thoughts after the sudden shock. A small groan escaped her lips as she did so - she wasn't exactly the toughest person around. Slowly, carefully, she opened her eyes to take a look at the area around her and try to get a feel for what was going on. She scrambled under her clothing for a moment, moving slowly and carefully as she felt the forces that surrounded her trying to slow things down. She did eventually manage to pull out a small silver icon - it wasn't necessary, but it made her feel better, and she took a moment to focus her thoughts. "Lw'nafh kadishtu." she whispered, making a small gesture with her hand as she spoke. It was a very simple spell, and also a particularly easy one, calling upon the power of her patron to help her perceive the world around her more accurately. Right now, it was most important to get a good sense of her current position, and this should be a good way of doing so.
Struggling to discover what has happened, Tomas utters the words to create a magical light, so he may see where he is.
Levelle awakens wit a start. Her instinct is to touch her forehead but zhe knows.the.eidolon is not here. Was there time to bring him? Levelle.looks around, her.curse.granting her some gifts, in this case sight in the dark...
Suddenly there.is light. A man. A woman and...
Ahhh Rocks....Feels like home back in- wait rocks? There isn't rock beds in Kenabres.
A pile of rubble shifts and the a bearded head pops out followed by a muscular stout figure and then a yawn.......
Who else is here?
Standing up the burly dwarf calls out.
"I be Goron Boulderstep of the Iron Hammers. Be Ye Friend of Foe?"
With that he slaps a hammer in to his hand. A rather large one, adorned with spikes.
"Friend." Sana said without so much as half a moment of hesitation when she heard the dwarf's gruff tones. Dwarves were interesting people - small enough to hack off your ankles, and as tough as the mountains they lived in. On the bright side, they were usually a good lot - boisterous, maybe, but good with honor and loyalty. Also, being trapped with one while in the middle of a cave-in of some kind probably wasn't the worst position to be in. If anyone had a good shot of getting others out of such problems safely, it would be a dwarf... and considering how few of them were in the city, she was rather lucky to have fallen in with one. Assuming, of course, it was really luck... you never really knew. Not with her deity, anyway.
Though somewhat smudged with dirt, she'd managed to keep her hood on well enough to hide her features somewhat - which was usually the case for her, since she did stick out a bit.
"If Ye be friend then step towards me. If you be injured, Holler. If you be unconsious, stay where you are. If you be enemy, I have a friend here to greet ye."
Ye. Torag. Suren I didna drink that much right?
So... a complete lack of social skills, then. Most people would at least say something like "please" instead of simply ordering others they'd never even met to follow their commands. Either that or he was simply being a dwarf and doing what was best to get everyone out of a cave-in... she'd been underground a lot in the past, but never in a situation like this, so it was kind of hard to tell. Maybe she could fake being unconscious... nah. Sana slowly stood up, brushing herself off as she did so. She didn't seem to have been injured any, so at least there was that.
She brought her large sleeves together a moment later, tucking her divine focus away. "I have some small ability with healing magic..." the short girl said, "But I'd rather save that for now unless it's badly needed. There might be others nearby who are hurt." She had no idea how many people had fallen down with the rest of them, and healing magic didn't need to be wasted on scratches and bruises. Magic was no good if it wasn't used, but those who wasted it right away rarely had it when they needed it the most.
"Well now! Who have we here..and where exactly is Here??", Tomas says as he slowly moves towards the other two.
"Friend, by the way! Names Tomas. Anyone know what happened??"
"I be Goron, Blacksmith, Crusader of the Iron Hammers. Be there anyone else? Anyone?"
As you each make contact with each other your memories return. You were at Armasse.........
Armasse officially began at noon, with the blessing of the festival by Lord Hulrun himself, ruler of Krenabres. The crowd gathered in Clydwell Plaza quieted as the aged inquisitor took the stage, clad in shining, resplendent armor. He cleared his throat, but just as he was about to speak, a bright light shone from the west, as if the sun were rising from the wrong direction. Hulrun's shadow fell huge and distorted across the cathedral's facade. A moment later, the sound of a thunderous explosion ripped through the air and earth, along with a violent tremor.
To the west, the fortress known as the Kite-the location of Kenabres's wardstone- had vanished. In its place, a brilliant plume of red fire, lightning, and smoke erupted into the heavens.
A moment later, a powerful roar accompanied a welcome sight rising from the crowed-Kenabres's greatest guardian, the ancient silver dragon Terendelev, who until that moment been attending the opening ceremony disguised as a human. Above, another form appeared, as nightmarish as the dragon was breathtaking. A humanoid shape three times the size of any man, with skin coated in fire and lightning, gripped a flaming sword and whip. The creature's identity was immediately obvious: Khorramzadeh, the Storm King of the Worldwound, had come to Kenabres!
As the ground continued to shake and disgorge demons into the streets, the dragon and balor lord clashed above. The fight was over in a few moments, as the valor cut deep into Terendelev's body, swooping down to strike the dragon and arresting her charge. A few more blows, and the titanic duo spiraled toward the crowd.
The sight of the dragon smashing into the facade of the Cathedral of St. Clydwell is one no witness would ever forget. At that moment, a titanic demon erupted from the far end of the plaza, reducing several buildings to ruins as it smashed into this world. The rift it created shot across the plaza, and this time there was no escape-it opened below your feet, angling away into the darkness.
Even as you fell, the dragon noticed your plight. Though she saw death standing over her, she seized this finial chance to save a few more souls. After she uttered a few arcane words and stretched out a bleeding talon, you felt her magic take hold of you, slowing your plummet into the darkness as if you were feathers falling into a pit. Yet the fall remains as inexorable, and as our drifted downward into the debts, the last thing you saw was the Storm King standing before the ancient silver dragon, his sword lashing out and cleaving full through her neck. As her severed head fell, the rift above you slammed shut, and the light of the world above was gone.......
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
As the light from Tomas's spell floods the chamber you see three others (aside from you four) in the rocks. The other bodies are buried under the rock.
The three survivors are as follows:
An old, gruff looking human man, wearing now tattered nobles cloths but other than that he seems to be okay
A younger human girl (in her 20s), wearing leather armor and carrying a short bow on her back. Her leg seems to be crushed under a fallen rock.
Lastly, an elf. His face has been badly burned and despite the light spell is unable to see. You quickly realize he is blind.
The old man shoots up and begins dusting himself off "Yes then. I assume you all know who I am and of my reputation in this city. If you can get me out of this alive I can promise you a reward of 1000 gold coins! I feel that should suffice for any danger you have to put yourselves in on my account!"
The elf remains on the ground, but turns toward the voices, "I can not see who you are, but aside from healing magic and blacksmithing what other skills do we have among us. I will take charge of the group in order to lead us out of....where are we? Who shall act as my eyes?"
The girl says nothing. You can tell that she is in pain but is trying not to cry out. The rock takes no effort to move off her and A\a close inspection of her leg shows it to be broken. A DC 15 heal check is needed to set it, and you can find pieces of wood in the rubble for her to use as a crutch.
Sana quietly made her way over to the girl, then crouched down and examined her leg for a few moments.
"I can help with this. Stay still, and this might hurt a bit, but you'll be fine." Sana declared firmly, deciding there was no need for the use of magic when a little basic first aid skill would work. On a day like today, you were probably going to need all the help you could get. Remaining calm in the face of adversity was very important - and she would've gone mad long since if she hadn't been able to keep her wits about her. They were in no immediate danger, so it was probably okay to try and deal with the most immediate issues, right? She'd never been much of a leader anyway, so she'd let them decide what to do while she helped the wounded. And with that, she got to work on tending the injured girl.
Goron bites back a retort as he considers why the elf could have being speaking like that. He's blinded by the fires of Torag's Forge!!! He remembers a time when another senior dwarf in the Iron Hammers had acted like this when injured. He didn't want to be like a burden to anyone else.
This elf must be the same.
Looking out with the light , he attempts to see if there are any other survivors but doesn't beyond the seven here now.
"We be underground Sir Elf, If I be having the honor of yer name. I be Goron Boulderstep, a crusader of the Iron Hammers though I be blacksmith as I be doing repairs to weapons and armors. I be as hardy a Warrior as my kin.
Rest assured for We be looking for a way out and if Needs be I be yer eyes, yer shield and yer hammer!
Let us not quibble over who's in charge but let us be taking stock of the now."
Turning to look at the rest as he steps forward to aid Sana in splinting the leg. Gathering up the needed materials needed.
He continues speaking.
"Aye. We be all here not knowing each other, mayhap Me be Thinking a little introductions are in order. I have done so. Anyone else?"
"I am Tomas von Achiel, foster son to Janella and Viktor Fera, defenders of Krenabras. I am a wizard by training, and will do my best to help all of us to get out of here."
Tomas walks over to the elf and gently touches him on the shoulder.
"If you will permit sir, I shall be your eyes until we can get you safely out of here."
"Sana. I am a simple servant of the gods." the short, cloaked girl said calmly, nodding as the dwarf went to gather what looked like something for a crutch. It would take a little bit longer to finish setting this- ah, there it went. "If you can, try to avoid putting pressure on your leg for the next few weeks." she told the patient. Assuming they didn't all die in a cataclysmic fireball in the next few minutes, anyway. "Once the bones have had the chance to heal properly, it should be just fine. You may want to have somebody look at it in another two weeks, though, just to be sure there aren't any complications."
As the memories come flooding back to her Levelle winces at the realization that her countenance is one that looks not unlike the foul heritage of the balor itself. But this is what you are here to fight, show them you are not to be mistrusted.
Levelle brushes her clothing off and pulls back her hair, her red pupil-less eyes flickering in the light, I am Levelle. A mage of sorts some would know me as a summoner. Touched by demons but a stauncher foe against them you shall not find...
Levelle pauses as she turns to the old man, 1000 gold coins is a precious amount for sure but perhaps we should see first if we can get out at all?
From within the shroud of her cloak, Sana looked at Levelle. Demons above, demons below... even some stricter courts would probably understand those who chose to err on the side of caution at a time like this. Actually, she was rather impressed with the guts of the girl; to have ancestry like that, be a summoner (crusader translation: blasphemous caller of beasts from the lowest pits), and have not only the guts to stay within the city but to publicly proclaim their presence? You had to admire that at least a little bit. Besides, she was really in no position to be assuming the morality of others.
...Though people who were staunch foes in just about any circumstances could be awkward to deal with. Satisfied with the healing job she'd done, Sana shuffled backwards a few steps and relaxed against a wall, watching the others thoughtfully.
As Goron looks at Levelle, his training screams to deal with the fiend but something inside him reminds him of his mentor words:
Ignore the dross outside for it does not reveal the ore being shaped inside. Those ore are fine indeed and in the shaping reveal its worth.
Sticking out his hand instead to Levelle, Sana (Goron will walk towards her), Thomas, and the others (In order).
"Well Met." Turning his gaze to include everyone " We'll get out......all of us, working together."
Looking at their surroundings, he grins and chuckles despite their situation.
"Looks like an adventure for us. Let us look for additional supplies."
Tomas looks startles as yet another person rises from the rubble. What sets his head spinning, however, is her simple admission she is demon-touched, and a summoner to boot. Trying to process all this, he numbly take the offered hand of the dwarf and mutters a greeting.
As his light begins to fade, he invests a small part of his power into the spell to keep it going.
Master Dwarf do you happen to spot any way for us to escape this precarious prison?"
Goron turns over to the wizard.
"Nay, I do not at this time. We should be searching as much as possible for supplies and any other wounded before we start searching for a way out."
Levelle holds her breath as everyone looks her over. That the others seem to accept her presence puts her at ease, for now. She shakes the dwarf's hand as he offers it.
I have a companion that I can summon who has a keen sense of smell. I don't know if it would aid our efforts but it may give us another tool to work with? It would take me a minute to bring him from his home and he is as...unique...as I am. I would only wish to bring him here if you were comfortable with his aid...
"Um... I-I have a bit of food with me." Sana offered meekly, gesturing to a bag that was lying next to where she'd fallen... and still fairly close to her, actually. "I was actually heading to some outlying territories when we fell. I-it won't last for too long with this many people, but I'd be happy to share." She probably wasn't as good as the Dwarf, but light and shadow alike were no hindrance to her eyes, and she slowly looked around the room to check for anything she might have missed before.
As you search through the ruble you see a flash of silver. Further investigation reveals four scales. As you touch the scale sorrow and determination wash over you, the finial emotions of Terendelev before she was killed.
2: Disguise) Three times per day as a standard action, this acle can be used to cast alter self. While disguised, the target gains a +4 bonus on all Bluff checks made against evil creatures.
3: Resistance) Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast resist elements-but only against electricity or cold.
4: Sacred Weaponry) Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast align weapon, but only to make a weapon lawful or good. Unlike normal align weapon spell, this effect can be cast on unarmed and natural weapons.
The girl smiles and offers a hand to Goron, "Anevia Tirabade. I'm a scout but I won't be much good with my leg."
"I am Aravashnial," says the elf. "A conjurer. I would be glad to use you as my eyes Tomas. As for your offer of democracy dwarf...very eel. I shall offer what idea's I can"
"Horgus Gerwm, merchant. Now lets get out of here!" states the noble.
The cave you are in is a large one, Tomas's light doesn't even reach the roof or far side of the cave, but you yourselves are next to one wall. As you begin exploring you come across a giant spider, crouching in the cave. You can see two exits behind it.
The spider doesn't stir as you approach, you get a surprise round against it.
Average Init = a low of 4. If you role higher than four you may act right after your act in your surprise round. Otherwise just use your surprise round.
Go ahead and take the time to fill in the stats on the character sheet, these are the ones Ill be looking at when i attack your guys.
Sana had just finished picking up her bag when she noticed something over in the distance. Something with... legs. "Over there!" she squeaked out. Quietly. They'd been talking for awhile now, but it didn't seem to have noticed them just yet. Nevertheless, she really didn't want to get near anything nasty... and her aggressive options were strictly limited at best. Which, as it happened, didn't stop her from looking for some items anywhere near the spider. She couldn't do much, but maybe dropping a rock on its head would work.
Tomas, seeing the great hairy beast lurking at the edge of his light quickly utters a few mystic words and two blue balls of energy streak from his hand and strike the giant spider.
Damage:
Fortunately, there were quite a few rocks lying around! Choosing one that looked a bit more jagged than usual, Sana pointed at it and whispered under her breath. "Lw'nafh ph'geb."
The rock slowly rose into the air, then drifted to the side, before it was gently set down between her and the spider. That might be useful a bit later, but if the spider suddenly charged at them, there was something else she wanted to do...
Goron brings up his hammer and shield and takes up a defensive stance as his companions alarm filters down to him.
Knowing that others may not be able to see clearly Levelle first taps into her natral ability to bring forth creatures from other realsm and summons a Fire Beetle. Instructing it to approach the spider but not too close.
Longspear firmly in hand Levelle creeps closer (only 20 feet or so) and then turns her head and spits then utters a fast word of arcane power and flings acid from her hand.
Goron advances towards the spider, shield and hammer ready in case the beast rears up and charges.
The attack of acid smashes into the spider, as do the balls of energy from Tomas. The spider's body tears open from the damage and out comes two maggots. The acid wounded one and one of Tomas's attacks sturck.
The maggots role out onto the floor, but stay by the spider.
Goron upon seeing the maggots, moves forward. Swinging his hammer at its head. Hefting his shield up in guard.
"Perish in the name of Torag, Spider Spawn!!!"
Well, the good dwarf appeared to have matters well in hand. Er... in hammer, anyway. Or thereabouts. She did, however, seriously doubt that the maggots were going to cause him much trouble... but it wasn't necessarily the case that they were the only foes in the immediate area. Sana crept forward slightly, pointing at her rock and whispering under her breath as she did so.
It slowly rose into the air and moved forward even as she did. If any small little monsters like those maggots got too close, then she was going to squash them. And... well, no, she wasn't exactly the most offensively-talented individual to exist. Sadly, throwing small rocks and hoping for the best was about all she could do.
Tomas unleashes a force missile at the remaining maggot, hoping to end its threat so the group may move on.
Damage:
Levelle again spits and throws at the remaining maggot as well.
With the maggots' dead their are two paths for you to go down, right and left.
Goron looks at the rest.
"Anyone else injured? I'll suggest we go down left here."
"Left sounds as good as any to me."
Tomas helps the blinded elf along the route, taking care as to where he steps.
Sticking close to the dwarf was probably the best idea... but there weren't so many of them that they really needed to spread out that much. "Miss Tirabade, please let me know if your leg starts to bother you too much. I'll see what I can do." Sana said, walking alongside the girl who'd introduced herself as a scout. As for the route... well, to be perfectly honest, she was rather okay with following the others. On the bright side, seeing in the dark had never been a problem for her. Speaking of... not everyone was so fortunate. She quietly picked up the rock she'd been levitating before and cupped it with her hands. "Nafln'ghft." she whispered softly - and a pleasant glow began to emanate from the stone.
It wasn't going to set anything on fire, it wasn't going to burn up the air, and it could be quickly thrown away from the party... or just stashed inside of a bag if it became a problem. At the very least, though, it ought to provide enough light for those with any sort of sight to see in their immediate area - and stop some nasty falls. It would be rather inconvenient for her if any of them got hurt some more while they were trying to get out of the area in one piece... and a little prevention was often better than trying to fix everything later, particularly when her healing capability was so limited.
Before we go any further I should summon us some more permanent help as it is clear that the tunnels are not empty...this will take me but a minutes
With that Levelle sits and begins concentrating, murmuring in a low voice. After a minute reality warps just slightly and then a blue feathered cat with an eagle head and "blurry" feet arrives.
Levelle smiles and stands and puts her hand on the head of the beast. This is Caomhnóir. He is my friend and will help keep us safe.
"Nice pet you have there. More help is always welcome."
Hefting his hammer, Goron waits for the rest to catch up.
Tomas looks with suspicion at the ...thing...Levelle conjured. His concerns about the half-demon grow with this display of summoning. He keeps one eye on 'her' for the time.
The path you go down is not a long one, but takes some time due to Aravashnial's blindness and Anevia's broken leg. The entire trip Horgus is complains but the dust, and feeling worried about the tiefling, which just makes the walk longer. After about ten minutes of walking you arrive in a small camp. A torn bedroll yes next to the cold remains of a fire. A pile of bones, broken equipment, and rubble lies just past the campsite.
cannot move through the black squares.
You can move yourselves anywhere in the yellow that you'd like. the gray is the trash pile and is difficult terrain.