Wincing against the pain of the explosion, Charles looked around and made his way over toward Dro'took. "No sense dying right now. May the New God pull away your pain."
The pain from her leg hurt so bad, Valentine was in tears as she limped her way up and away from the lava. She looked around and began to make her way towards the bridge toward the others who were almost done with the fighting.
Drot let's the lava man run. He turns to Charles as he gets healed and thanks him, some of the burns and lacerations fade.
"You're right, we've come this far."
He closes his eyes and breaths in the magical energy around him, using it to further mend his wounds.
Drot turns to the remaining demon and pushes him into the, what he assumes to be, alter.
Galino strikes out at the lava man next to him.
"Have at thee!"
The back guard and crowd all move towards the bridge, jumping over the lava Creek. Only some of them are singed by the heat. Hattie stays behind to help Valentine as she crosses.
Tesswyn advances towards the exit.
Charles advances and heals Drot, even as Drot tries and fails to shove the red skinned humanoid into the alter.
Galino strikes hard against his foe, but does not drop him.
The creature's fortitude holds strong as he fights back, knowing his friend nearby still needs his aid and still pissed about the death of his mother.
The last one, feeling trapped between Drot and the alter, looks angry at Drot's actions and swings a spiky fist at Drot.
Daphiel helps usher the others along the path to the exit, staying out of combat to keep herself alive.
Meanwhile, Tesswyn curses as she sees Drot take another hit. "Quit screwing around! Get your ass out of there, Drot!" she shouts at him. She draws her sling and loads a bullet, launching it at the orc's attacker once he's far enough away to avoid its inevitable explosion.
As the creature reels, she fires another bullet at him!
"She's right Drot, get out of here we have this!" Charles said as he grabbed Drot by the shoulder. "Astrid, remove the ailments from this body."
Valentine crossed the bridge with Hattie's help. The little girl just wanted to get to safety and away from the scary monsters that kept hurting everyone.
"Alright, alright!"
Cast Celerity and run for cover!
Drot murmurs "Celeritate." as he steps back from the beast and heads toward safety.
The creature is shoved back a few yards, allowing Drot to escape.
Galino pushes his assault on the Lava man!
"Why won't you die!"
The attack from Galino is enough to kill the final red skinned humanoid, while Tesswyn seriously injures the final one remaining.
The creature flees, heading straight for the lava and dives in.
Witnessing the final monster flee, the crowd surges forward to the narrow bridge, desperate to get across.
Tesswyn eyes the mysterious door but shakes her head. They could always come back and investigate it later. Right now, getting everybody out alive was the top priority.
"Move, people! Before more of those monsters show up!"
Deftly leaping over the remaining lava streams, she opens the final door and scouts ahead to make sure the exit is truly safe.
Charles breathed a small sigh of relief when the last of the monsters fled, but that meant there were still several of them here. He watched to make sure they had all fled and crossed the bridge toward where the Brood Mother had been and to the strange shrine which he began to examine over for clues as to what, if anything, allowed them to pray.
He wondered if it was possible to deface such a thing.
Tesswyn. Advancing forward, the cavern leads to a long spiral staircase upwards. You can see the light from the noon sun shining down through the hole at the top. The way is clear, but it's a long arduous climb to the top.
Charles. You move to examine the shrine. The steps leading up to it are sticky with dried blood and gore and other unknowables. The black tar-like substance sticks to your boots in long stringy strands as you step up.
There are human remains on the alter proper. You can't tell if it's hours or days old, but it was certainly someone from the village. You can't tell who, the body is too far mutilated and covered in the same sticky unknowables.
You can certainly destroy or perhaps concecrate the alter in some way - how would you like to try?
Tesswyn returns to the edge of the lava stream. "This is the way out. Let's get everybody across the last bit of lava, then one of you strong types can climb up to the top with the rope and tie it off so we can all get out of here."
She extends her staff across the stream to help the survivors cross safely.
Drot and Galino also help people to cross. . Drot inspects the shrine as well, with Charles preferably. He will test the structure and look for faults in an attempt to dismantle the thing in the least extraneous way. If it comes to it he will use leverage from his sturdy mace to consecrate the thing...
"I'd say the least we can do is cremate the poor soul in the lava, I can't tell who this could be and we can't just leave them here. Right Charles? I can set them in the molten rock and you can say some words..."
Drot'ook is a little moved by the mutilated body... We've all been through so much but we just couldn't save everyone, the least we can do is put them to "rest".
He frowns and begins the process with Charles' approval.
Tesswyn rolls her eyes as her friend poke at the body on the altar. "Quit wasting time! Let's go already!"
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With the last baddie turning on it's tail Galino turns to his comrades with a smile.
"I've done it!..."
As the battle ends he sees everyone turn to more important matters; helping people across the lava, checking the passage ahead, looking toward the future. Galino frowns and understands that the things he does alone don't matter until the people around are safe and secure. He is humbled and beings assisting Drot and Tess with getting people to safety. Afterwords he watches the rear of the group, ready to call if the lava men begin to advance.
Thanks to Galino helping people across the bridge, no one gets accidentally bumped off.
With the assistance of Tesswyn and Galino, everyone makes it safely to the stairs, where the long walk upward begins.
Drot and Charles dispose of the body into the lava, giving it it's final rest and ensuring the remains can't be used for any nefarious purposes - at least not any more.
Tesswyn leads the group up and out, hopefully to safety!
Charles.
Your name echoes in your mind as if she is communicating her thoughts directly into your head.
You must prove your loyalty to me. You must prove your love to me. You must make a sacrifice in my name. Take the girl Valentine and sacrifice her, calling out my name. Her blood shall purify the altar and remove all stains of evil.
The vision fades as you come back to reality.
"What?!" Charles said aloud, grabbing at his head and taking a step back from the alter. "Sacrifice an innocent in order to purify? No!" he shook his head.
"How dare you?! How dare you impersonate her and call yourself the Martyr!" he shouted in anger at the alter but mostly at the vision from within his head. "Your authority, the claim you make is false! You want this, you want a sacrifice of blood? Here, Gah!!" he continued his tirade, cutting his hand with the icy blade and holding it over the alter to drip down freely.
"... ... I'll make my own choice, I'll give what's needed, but I won't take from another to benefit from your supposed power. I've walked away from plenty in my life before and if this is what I must do to cleanse such evil then I'll walk away from this too."
Again, you are in a field, and again you see the same woman as the Martyr.
Congratulations, she says. You have passed. Not all do. Blind faith and worship with no consideration for the harm it causes is what opens the veil further to the Demon Lord.
Do not let anyone steer you from your riteous path. Know that as long as you seek to lessen the harm and further the goodness in the world, you will be doing my bidding and fighting against the Demon Lord.
As you have proven yourself worthy, you will he charged with a task. Seek out other shrines such as this one and destroy them. And remember to do good along the way.
You feel a surge of warmth encompass you as the vision fades.
You look down at the altar and your it, and it cracks in half at your touch. The grime and goo sticking to it become runny and start to seep away, as if repelled from the stone. As the altar dries, it cracks more until it is nothing but a pile of rubble.
The world suddenly feels like a better place.
Charles looks as if he is about to stab his hand, and suddenly stops. His eyes flash a brilliant light and his entire body gives off a slight glow. Get seems unaware of this as he stares blankly ahead.
When he comes to, he looks down at the altar and touches it. The altar cracks in half.
The grime and goo sticking to it become runny and start to seep away, as if repelled from the stone. As the altar dries, it cracks more until it is nothing but a pile of rubble.
It's a miracle, you hear someone whisper.
Tesswyn turns around to witness the so-called miracle. She blows a raspberry. "Meh," she says and continues on her way.
Everyone please roll 1d20, 1d20, 3d6
Charles was still angry but he also couldn't help but feel a wave of relief as he found it was all a test. It wasn't all a lie concocted by the demon lord and now he knew what he must do.
"I'll rid this world of its corruption." he turned then looking back across the area. He knew there were still some of the demons here but he could not follow and remove them.
He glanced at the exit that led towards daylight and then looked at the metal door and wondered what was on the other side. He wasn't sure he could ignore the possibility of something important they might miss, but the chance to leave was tempting.
But if it turns out to be too much trouble I could just let it go.
Drot was taken aback and watched on as his friend had a one sided yelling match. As the alter crumbled he stepped out of range as to avoid goo and debris.
"That makes things a lot easier... Are you alright Charles? You were kind of talking to a pile of stone, though I take it maybe you weren't."
Drot will follow up the rear when the group begins to exit, as before.
Charles inspects the door. It looks like it used to he very sturdily locked, but time has eroded the locks and hinges. With a strong pull, the door creekioy opens. Beyond is an archway with a shimmering blue field beneath it.
Tesswyn glances back again and this time sees Charles opening the mysterious door. She stomps her feet. "Ugh, come on! Drot and I are beat to s##!! We're in no state to explore shimmering blue archways! Let's come back later! Hurry up or I'm seriously leaving you behind!"
"I agree with Tesswyn, we need to regroup and recover before we go looking for more trouble. Let it be known that we will come back here and vanquish what's left of these beasts."
Drot breaths heavy as his wounds take a toll on him. He leans against a wall and waits for Charles to rejoin them.
He shook his head at the portal and nodded at Drot'ook. "This is something we need to discuss. You're right we should go." he said stepping back and pulling the door closed.
"We'll have to come back."
The group takes the long and arduous climb up the steep spiraling stairs. It ends in a small stone building that is overgrown in vegetation. Brushing the plants aside, you make your way out into the daylight and on to a wooded mountainside. It's a complete wilderness out here, but at least you're outside and at least it's daylight.
It doesn't take long to find a stream for fresh water, and people immediately start foraging fresh fruits and vegetables.
A few hours later, you finally get a glimpse of the world beyond. You can see the old village, overrun with cooled lava. The town is completely destroyed. You kind of figured it would be, but the visual confirmation Brigs a somber mood to everyone. Once again, you'll have to find a new home.
Day to weeks pass getting off the mountain and into the hills, where a road is found. It's followed along until you come to a small farming community and can finally have a chance to rest. Most everyone sleeps in the barn, and they're just happy to have a roof over their heads.
Also, level up to 3 and gain an expert path. Tell a story about this growth in your character.
Even as the days dragged on, Charles just couldn't seem to get the images of the mountain tunnels out of his mind. Particularly the image that the Martyr had shown him when he'd touched the shrine and the strange blue portal he had not gone through.
During the days he would imagine where the portal could have taken him, or possibly them all. Some place far away from all of this, a forgotten world, a paradise, perhaps the hellscape that those demons had come from... but no, the door had been closed for a great many years. It probably hadn't been that. But the truth was that he just didn't know and that gnawed at him.
One step, if I had just taken that one step...
His thoughts were so consumed by that strange portal that at night he began to dream of that chamber and what it had held. The cavern was empty at first, only the orange reddish glow of lava and of course the demonic shrine. He was compelled to walk to it and touch it. The bloody image of Astrid the Martyr and the strange radiating presence she had held awaited him. She smiled, offering the same cleansing power if only he'd sacrifice the girl, Valentine. Every time he refused, but instead of smiling her face went taut and rigid and became unerringly still, like a mask. Then her eyes would narrow with hatred and she would begin to change. She would turn into that monstrous, bloated, beast from before. He would turn to run but would find his way blocked by a dozen of the lava demons which advanced upon him. Night after night Charles tried to fight or run but would be overwhelmed each time.
He would awake as though from a fever dream, sweaty and breathing hard but he would be relieved upon finding that those they had gotten out with were still there, particularly upon seeing that Valentine was still among their group of survivors. The dreams did not particularly subside in any way, but after a time he became used to the same images within his mind.
Sometimes he could find a measure of rest after this but normally he would just stay awake and begin to help prepare camp earlier by falling back on his previous professions of either foraging or being a valet. While in the wilderness he would hunt for extra food, trying to find edible plants, berries, or even hunting small game by setting up small snare traps. While acting as a valet for the group at large, usually this included such things as starting the morning cooking fires, washing and preparing food, mending and washing clothing, finding the best places to dry them and other menial tasks. He took careful note to not give anyone any more attention than others, particularly Quinnet, who he was still wary about over their previous interactions.
Tesswyn is unmoved by the sight of the destroyed village. Another home gone. It's old hat to the young woman. She'd find somewhere new, as always. Maybe the next place won't suffer a horrible calamity. One can hope, right?
The weeks pass in tedium as she scouts the path ahead for the group. As they travel, she reflects upon the mysteries of the Old Faith the druids had taught her. Unfortunately, none of their number had escaped the destruction of the pyroclastic flow, but it was just as well. Tesswyn doesn't think she has the devotion necessary to become a full-fledged member of their order. Still, the nature magic she had learned sure came in handy. Just another collection of tricks at her disposal to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world.
The nights bring with them the same old dream. Her father, risen from the grave, chasing her through a dark forest. She awakes just before his bony fingers can close around her wrist. It is getting annoying.
At length, they reach the barn, and with it some semblance of security. As she drifts off to sleep that night, the dream comes again.
The revenant, the chase, the impending touch of the grave. This time, though, instead of running in fear, Tesswyn stands her ground. She faces the specter of death head on. She screams her defiance. "Enough already! What do you want from me?!?"
The shadow pauses. A voice echoes through the twilight woods. "I have been waiting for you to face your destiny. It took you long enough." The figure steps into a beam of moonlight, revealing a faceless man, tall and imposing, wearing a furred cloak and a wide-brimmed hat. With a hoot, a large owl flaps down from the trees to alight on his arm. The owl turns its head to stare at Tesswyn, a single bulging eye positioned over its beak.
Tesswyn gasps. "T-the Seer?"
The faceless man inclines his head. He has no mouth, but he speaks. "You have been chosen, Tesswyn. A great doom threatens the world of mortals, and you are fated to stand at the forefront of the battles to come."
"Me?" Tesswyn gasps in disbelief. "Why? I'm just a girl. A girl who runs and hides when things get tough, who abandons her family and friends when they need her most."
"You have been chosen," the Seer firmly repeats. "The reasons will reveal themselves in time. But to face the doom of man, you must awaken your mind." He gestures, and Tesswyn feels a burning sensation on her forehead. She screams and falls to her knees as the skin forcibly splits open and a literal third eye protrudes forward, blinking and rolling in its brand-new socket. A torrent of images flash through her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. Runes adorn every surface, words in High Archaic that she can somehow now understand.
"The signs are all around. Learn to read them, and they will guide you to your fate. Do not fail, Tesswyn, or the terrors of this world will pale in comparison to what awaits you in the next."
Tesswyn awakes with a start, taking a moment to remember where she is. Her hands fly to her forehead, but the skin there remains smooth and unblemished. Still, as she looks around the barn, she gets the sense that there's something larger just beyond her perception. A pattern in the wooden whorls of the barn's walls. The rhythm of the chirping insects outside. The signs are everywhere. And now she knows where to look.
She groans and rolls over in her bedroll. "Great. F~+%ing Old Gods," she murmurs as she falls back asleep.
As the last of the townsfolk stepping into the sun and it was finally Drot's turn he took a deep breath and, for what felt like the first time in a long time, really stood up straight and stretched. He was happy to be out the caves but unsure of what was going to become of the group in the coming weeks.
For the next few hours Drot talked with Tess, Charles and the others about plans for the coming days; who would do what, how to best protect the group and general wilderness survival. When they came to the road and found saw the old town, a memory came rushing back to Drot...
"The Goblet!" He bellowed and looked at his friends.
"It might still be in there! The magic contained within could have kept it alive through the heat of the lava, it's invaluable. I need to at least check to see if it's there. It shouldn't take me too long, I'll catch up with the group."
Without another word Drot takes off towards the decimated town with a bit of a spring in his step. After a moment someone takes off after him, you recognize him as Lemagrag, Drot's old friend. They stop and have a brief conversation and then both continue on toward the town.
"Wait, what's he going on about?" Charles asked looking at Tesswyn before glancing back at the Orc. "Wait, Drot, why are you going back now? There's no way..." he stopped calling out to the Orc and looked over Tesswyn.
"You know we should probably just let the two of them go. I'm sure they won't get eaten by mountain wolves or run afoul of bandits."
Tesswyn shrugs at Charles. "It's their funeral. If they want to throw their lives away looking for a stupid cup, I'm not going to stop them."
Drot'ook and Lemagrag carefully pick their way across the pyroclastic flow that has smothered the town of Tomoal. The once-thriving community has been completely destroyed, ruined buildings and dead citizens encased in a stony tomb. Smoke still rises from a few hot spots here and there.
After several minutes of fruitless searching , the sound of crunching stone gets the attention of the pair. They creep closer, using an outcropping of obsidian as cover. Ahead, they see a gruesome sight--a monstrous ogre crouches over as he bashes the ground with his morningstar. The giant stands 9 feet tall, filth crusting his mottled and sore-dimpled hide. As he breaks away chunks of volcanic stone, he scoops a massive hand down to grab the half-melted remains of dead townsfolk and stuffs them in his maw, gobbling flesh, bone, armor, dirt, and offal alike. Blood dribbles down the ogre's chin to splatter on his prodigious belly as he crunches the corpses, pausing only to lick his lips and issue a thunderous belch before reaching down for another handful.
This time, something slips between the ogre's fingers to clatter at the ground by his feet. It's the demonic goblet!
Drot Whispering: "Shhh, Shut up Lem. Do you see that thing?"
Lem Whispering but upset: "I wasn't even sayin' anythin'!"
The ogre grunts and turns his head in your direction. He squints and sniffs the air.
Drot whispering: "Okay bud, I'm going to run and cause a distraction, getting the big guy to turn away from the goblet. I want you to run in there and and grab it. Once you have it, run out of the city and don't stop until you're out of the lava. Got it?"
Lem whispering: "Sure I can do that, what about my money? I thought we were going to get that too? I know I buried it somewhere... I just need to remember where that tree was..."
Drot whispering: "I'll pay it back in full when we get out of here, with that ogre roaming around I don't want to be here more then needed."
Drot: "Now, gogogogogogogo..."
Drot runs into view giving the ogre a wide, wide birth. He yells and grunts to get its attention and heads to the side of the ogre opposite the goblet.
The ogre bellows in anger as Drot rushes into his line of sight. It hefts its blubbery bulk as it stomps after him, raising its morning star menacingly.
Lem waits for his opening, then darts in to snatch the goblet. He can't help but chuckle a bit as he secures the prize. Unfortunately, the ogre proves surprisingly perceptive, and as it hears the man's laugh, it whirls back around to glare at him! Spitting harsh words in Trollish, it backhands Lemagrag, sending him flying! He lands hard amid some nearby obsidian, dazed and bruised!
Drot: "Damn it Lem! Iaculum!" Drot casts Dart at the ogre to call his attention. He begins to run opposite Lem to draw the Ogre away further.
The dart stings the ogre as it strikes him. He turns back to Drot, heaving and retching, then suddenly vomits a torrent of half-digested food onto the orc! Shards of metal and chunks of stone slice and batter Drot, and he is temporarily impaired! Lem struggles to get his breath back as the ogre closes in with Drot, eager for a kill!
Drot yelling: "Get up and run you idiot! You've taken harder beatings then that!" Drot begin's to full sprint tying to circle the beast and get back around to his friend using obstacles to slow down the ogre.
Drot's plan seems to work for a time, the lumbering ogre having difficulty maneuvering around the obstacles. Lem gets to his feet and grabs the goblet again before limping in the other direction.
Eventually, the ogre smashes the ground in frustration. It picks up a huge chunk of stone and hurls it at Drot! The stone smashes the orc, knocking him down, and the massive weight pins him in place! The ogre laughs as it moves in for the kill!
As far as what happens in the interim, Charles will help Quinnet try to further secure a place for everyone that isn't just a barn. Since the self declared noble lady of our little band boasted about using her status before. He will of course offer his healing services to aid in this.
Other than that, he'll probably want to figure out what religion the people of this farming community practice primarily.
Drot tries to get himself out from under the rock, frantically pulling and pushing. "Lem! Keep going! I'll be fine!"
Drot casts Unerring Darts at the ogre and directs all of them directly to his face.
The ogre howls and swipes at its face, blood dripping from the darts' impact points. Drot takes advantage of the opening to try to shove the rock off of his legs. He manages to move it just enough to wriggle free, but the time it takes him to escape allows the ogre to recover. Its morningstar clips the orc's head, and he falls to his knees, barely clinging to consciousness.
The hideous giant brings its weapon up as it prepares to finish Drot off--then it suddenly staggers and falls to a knee! Lemagrag stands behind it, knife buried in the ogre's hamstring!
Drot , dazed with a splitting headache, staggers to his feet and beings to move toward safety. "Come on then! Move yourself!"
Lem nods and turns to run--and that's when the ogre reaches down and snatches him up! It lifts the man up and peers at him with beady eyes. "Arghh!"
"No!" Drot pulls up his mace and begins to run at the Ogre ready to strike. The fire of battle in his eyes once more.
Lemagrag gasps for breath. He throw the goblet down towards Drot. "Go! Th-they need you..." Drot isn't fast enough. The ogre squeezes Lem with all of its might. The sound of breaking bones echoes across the smothered town and blood pours from Lem's eyes, ears, and mouth. He goes limp in the giant's grasp. The ogre roars in triumph and opens its maw to swallow its kill!
And that's when Drot gets mad...
Drot rushes at the Ogre and casts mighty attack. He hits the beast so hard that his mace flies from his hands after leaving a dent in its skull. Drot jumps into the Dazed Ogre, knocking him down, and begins to strangle the creature. His eyes blazing with hatred."YOU BASTARD, YOU MONSTER, I'LL KILL YOU!"
Surprised at the sudden fury of Drot's assault, the ogre falls. It slams its first into the orc's side, but he barely even registers the pain as he squeezes the life out of the giant. Its struggles begin to slow, then it finally goes limp. On the ground nearby, the demonic goblet gleams in the sunlight.
After the beast goes limp Drot begins punching the corpse's face. For far too long the only sound was that of bones crunching and the Orc grunting... after a while he slows and stops. Breathing hard, his grunts turned into sobs. After securing the goblet to his belt he scoops up the small man and silently carries him out of the town.
After getting to the edge of town, where the grass and earth are untouched by the molten rock Drot buries his old friend under a tree and continues in the direction of the where he left the group and so one down the road.
It's been a few days since anything in particular happened. Everyone seems to he settling in. A long house was built to house many if the folk here, and those who haven't settled in with one of the locals, either as a hired hand or something else,
I'm telling you, it's a beastman! a voice says.
Ain't no way! pipes up another voice.
You peak your head outside the long house to see what's going on. One of the farmers, clearly agitated, is speaking to another.
I ain't joking! Raped two of my goats to death and ripped apart their paddock. It fell into the old silo and got trapped there. Now I don’t know what to do with it. I can’t open the door enough to stick a pitchfork in it without gettin’ my eyes scratched out.
He sees you peering out.
You there! Think you can help?
Tess scowls but emegeres from the house, staff in hand. "What's this about goat rape now? Show us where the silo is, and we'll take out this beastman of yours."
Drot looks up from his tome a little agitated at the ruckus. Drot's been understandably somber recently and his temper is noticeably shorter. He's still the helpful and thought provoking Orc you know and love but when dealing with people who are unreasonable or obnoxious he only ever has to tell them once how they need to act.
"What's that guy going on about Tess? Beast People? I'd say unlikely, but then again we've seen things far less believable."
He stands and lets Tess lead the way, notebook and mace at his sides.
The farmer leads you to a decrepit, roofless silo with one section collapsed inward about halfway up. Something within growls and shrieks while claws scrabble on the inside of the jammed door.
Upon looking into the silo, you see what looks like a goat-man crouching on the floor. It's definitely a beastman, a sourge of civilized society and often used as the fodor for the Demon Lord's armies.
According to legend, the beastmen rejected the gods of the Old Faith in a long-past age. For their blasphemies, the gods took from them the gift of the human form, rendering them little better than animals. The curse plunged the beastmen into madness and evil, impelling them to pledge service to the demons of the Void and do the dark work of the Demon Lord.
The fomor is small for its kind, and it is naked. Patchy fur covers the pink skin, and horns are just starting to grow out of its head. The limbs are shorter than normal, and uneven. He, and it is definitely a he, wears a necklace of rotting animal parts.
"What a beast strange beast. I'd heard of them before but I had never imagined I might see one in person." Charles said.
Tesswyn scowls at the monster. "Maybe it speaks Dark Tongue? Drot, can you try to talk to it to see what it's doing here?"