"It wasn't a platitude." Anastasia states flatly before giving another look about, "Be on your guard. Demons and monsters may not be the only threat down here. Not if your rumors of tainted crusaders holds true. Someone had to carve this stone."
Anastasia will sling out her shield and put herself between the nearest passage and the rest of the group as they tend to the others. "How are the injuries?" she asks as she takes up a guard position and keeps an eye out for threats.
The woman had no talent for disguising her motives, so it would be rather easy to tell she was falling back on her "duty" to keep herself from stressing out or panicking.
The slender human woman speaks up first, her hands still cradling her leg.
"Name's Anevia. I think it's broken, unfortunately. Could be worse, but I'm not sure how much worse. Morale is unusually high though!" she manages, forcing a smile.
The elderly elf chimes in next, his voice slow and cracking. "You may call me Aravashnial. I'm just lucky to be alive. I took a glancing blow from the Storm King's whip, and should have died. Apparently some force wanted me to survive, which I am grateful for I suppose."
The larger human man is the last to speak and also the loudest.
"This place is so dreadful. It's cold, I can barely see anything, and it smells of death and dirt. My knees are horribly sensitive to the cold and physical labor in general, so I'd like to get out of this situation as fast as we can. I need to get back to my holdings above."
Anevia snorts quietly and says something under her breath.
"I see you're back to being yourself as always, Horgus."
"It seems fate has smiled upon us, even in this darkest of hours. Come now, we must all press on."
"The Storm King has much to answer for, Aravashnial." Elise leads the injured elf to the others. She then looks to the woman with the broken leg. "I've some magic to heal wounds, Anevia. But broken bones may be beyond my abilities."
Elise looks around. "Anyone here have some medical training? Maybe we can rig up a splint."
Finally, she turns her attention to the fat man. "We'll find a way out of here. Let the fighters among us take the lead."
Once it seems like someone more competent can salvage the situation, Elise turns her attention to searching for magics.
Anastasia shakes her head the the mention of a splint. She could fashion a lot of things with alchemy, but in this environment she had nothing to work with. "I'm certainly ready to press on." she states, "We've an elderly man, a wounded woman, and a noble to look out for. That demands we find a safer location."
"Aha--it is good to meet you: Anevia, Arasvashnial, and Horgus. May the gods smile on us."
Raban nods gently and looks around. "The Magaambya has provided me with some medical experience. Magic is powerful, but as initiates we still need to rely on tried-and-true mundane methods. Let me see if I can fashion a splint with the materials from the fall."
Raban begins moving around, inspecting the piles of rubble, before he selects a few choice items and begins rigging things together.
With this work done, the dwarf looks around to the others. "Kenabres needs folk like us to rally even in the face of hopelessness. I bring with me the spirit of those who fought against Angazhan and Dahak. Long across the Mwangi have Mualijae and Amurrun and Mbe'ke and Bonuwat alike come together to expel the forces of evil from our world. I am proud to stand among you all today and am confident that we will survive together. If we cannot find a safe location, then we will make one."
After speaking his piece, he looks at the group and tries to figure out how they are doing otherwise.
The crutch Raban makes is good enough to help Aneiva stand, but anything beyond that will require more powerful healing spells or an extended rest.
”I am thankful, Raban, for what expertise you do have. I’m lucky to have dawn into a hole next to you instead of some other demon.”
Aravashnial seems incredibly impressed with your knowledge of a culture different from his own or any he has known before. Even though he is still blinded, you can see his interest pick up as Raban continues talking.
”The Magaambya, hm? What an interesting group of people we have down here. I may have to plan a get together once we’re all clear of this situation.” beyond somehow repairing both his eyes and Anevia’s leg, there’s not much else they need healing wise. They appear to have been saved by the dragon guardian of their town as well.
Surprisingly, Elise gets a number of pings on detect magic, all emanating from the pile of rubble you just left. On further inspection, four large softly glowing silver scales emerge into your searching hands. You have no doubt that these are the last remnants of Terendelev, the silver dragon that saved all of your lives.
Cloudwalking: Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast levitate. A pillar of roiling clouds rises below the levitating object or creature, growing and shrinking with the target’s altitude. This pillar is 5 feet in diameter (regardless of the target’s size) and provides concealment (20% miss chance) to any creature or object wholly contained within.
Disguise: Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast alter self. While disguised, the target gains a +4 bonus on all Bluff checks made against evil creatures.
Resistance: Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast resist elements—but only against electricity or cold.
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 a normal align weapon spell, this effect can be cast on an unarmed strike or natural weapon.
"I would like that, Aravashnial," Raban says.
Raban is deeply intrigued by the scales that Elise finds. Of all the scales, Raban is most drawn to the cloudwalking scale.
"My people tell a legend of the Quest for Sky, that glorious journey that we dwarves undertook nearly ten millennia ago that brought us to the surface with all of you. After three centuries of upward travel, my ancestors emerged into the valley where I grew up. We looked about the rocky sides of the valley and saw the great blue thing above and mistook it for just one more cavern. Our greatest engineers hefted our tools to breach the Vault of the Sky. We climbed the tallest mountain in the land, braced the sky properly, and started digging until we emerged into the Plane of Air. There we met a curious cloud dragon who convinced us, after much discussion, that we had overshot the goal of our Quest. We settled back into the valley from which we had emerged and have been good friends with cloud dragons ever since."
He holds the scale in his hand. "This, then, is providence. I am certain of it." He looks around, this time focusing his attention on Horgus. "I know humans are less used to the environs that we dwarves have braved, but I swear this to you, Master Horgus: if you will but walk with us through death and dirt and cold we will get you to your holdings."
Raban tries to coax Olapa into a rope harness to guide Aravashnial, but for his best efforts the tiger seems not to understand what Raban is trying to get her to do. "Aravashnial: I intend to use my bow to engage with any demons that we find in these caverns. My legs do not carry me quickly anyway. Perhaps I can help you by serving as your eyes as we traverse these caverns?"
Angahaar picks up the Sacred Weaponry scale.
He tries to find the right words, desperately searching for something to say to convey the feeling of loss sitting like a lead weight in his chest.
There are none.
This is not how he wished to meet Terendelev in her draconic form. He wished to fight at her side, not behold the remnants of her corpse.
He mutters, "Terendelev, I am sorry I could not be there at your side in the end. I will make it right. I promise."
"The magics of these scales are remarkable!" cries Elise. With a glance over at Angahaar, she realizes that was overly enthusiastic under the circumstances.
Leaving Angahaar with his thoughts and his own scale for a moment, she hands the Cloudwalking scale to Raban given his clear interest. She then hands the Resistance scale to Anastasia. "Could come in handy for you--it seems to have the power of a dragon's elemental resistances."
She holds the Disguise scale for herself, knowing she was not beneath a bit of trickery for the greater good.
Seeing Raban helping the survivors and Angahaar still mourning, she stays with Anastasia, looking for a path forward. Though she herself did not need light within close distances, she has her conjured dancing lights illuminate the way ahead for the benefit of others. "Slow and steady, then. We'll lead the way."
Ana gives a silent nod to Elise in thanks, pocketing the scale carefully so as not to lose it. A hint of a smile plays across her lips, and she pats the pocket a moment before facing ahead. Once everyone was set she took point and started to lead the group onward.
Raban puts speeches aside for the moment and moves over to Angahaar. He reaches a hand of comfort out to the man, though is of course unable to reach his shoulder. He settles for (trying to) put a hand on his hip. He says nothing but allows the grieving warrior his time while watching Elise and Anastasia begin to explore ahead. He nods to them: he was ready to move ahead, leading the wounded from the back.
The gesture is just unexpected enough to snap Angahaar out of his moment.
"Gods, not sure what came over me. Let's move."
The dwarf nods. "We don’t know how we will grieve until we grieve," he says gently. But then he draws his bow and takes his place near the back of the forward procession: close enough to the three injured (two if one ignored Horgus' protestations) to protect them, but also close enough to the vanguard that he could launch his attacks as needed.
”That would be much appreciated, master dwarf. It has been such an awful experience without my eyes, I would welcome any help. We have to get out of this pit of darkness, there’s no other choice.” the wizened elf says, relief obvious in his voice.
Horgus is much more disgruntled at the situation than the other two actual injuries parties, and his voice is louder than anyone else’s.
”Enough with the platitudes and empty promises. I want to see actual results, leta get a move on. Plenty of rewards and comforts lay at my holdings for you when you get me there.”
Anevia sees Angahaar’s distress and even in her current situation, makes an effort to stumble her way over to him and lays a hand on his shoulder.
”I’m sorry about your loss.” she says quietly, her face full of grief both shared and her own, before making a move towards the exit with the rest of the group.
Once everyone is ready to go and all in order, the party moves out from the room with all of the statues. The exit to this cavern is small and short, leading into the next cavern ten feet immediately after the opening. A small campfire and well-used bedroll, along with a few utensils and tools, sits near another cave opening in the far wall of this cavern.
Stationed in front of the currently burning campfire is a dwarf, his eyes wide with surprise and anger as you approach.
”So, you’ve finally found me, eh crusaders? Couldn’t stand the research I was doing all those years ago and finally decided to come put me down!” he calls out to the group, a heavy crossbow finding its way into his hands as he stands.
Elise wonders for a moment if Horgus is being too optimistic about his holdings given the attack on Kenabres. But she decides not to voice such a thought.
As they continue along, the sight of an armed and hostile dwarf comes as an unwelcome surprise. As the fiery-haired woman holds her hands out, she begins to glow with energy as dust swirls around her. "Point that crossbow at us and you'll regret it, fool!" She stares at the dwarf, ready to unleash wrath if need be.
Angahaar nods, his ferocious mien coming to the surface, "We have no reason to be your enemies, so do not make one."
Rather than join in the attempts to intimidate this dwarf Anastasia looks about the small camp. Certainly wasn't much to look at. She raised her hands peacefully and took a step forward.
"We are only guiding civilians to the surface." She corrected, "You are a researcher? You should be able to see I speak the truth. Take a good look master dwarf, we mean you no harm."
The dwarf looks somewhat confused by the words Anastasia says combined with the threats of the other two, but he seems to understand that he is outmatched in this fight. His shoudlers slump, and the crossbow drops to the ground and bounces away.
"I...have not been a researcher for a long time. Those crusader dogs pushed my attempts to help them many years ago. I tried so hard to help them...now I have been reduced to this, just hiding under the city." he says, seeming somewhat resigned.
"But that is enough about me, you are not my enemy. Go on that way, but watch out for the mutants up ahead. They seem harmless enough but I don't have much experience with them yet."
"What did you research that caused the crusaders to drive you here?"
Elise visibly relaxes as the dwarf lets go of the crossbow. "Thank you, sir. I think you'll find that we have no prejudice against dwarves." She tilts her head toward Raban, as if that were supposed to prove her point.
"Have you thought about returning to life on the surface? If you're willing to point that crossbow at demons rather than us, we'd be glad to have you. Things may have . . . changed since you last were there."
Ana relaxes as the man puts down his weapon. She lets her shield arm drop and walks past the camp to peek ahead of the group.
He hesitates a second before seemingly deciding it's not worth hiding anything any longer.
"Ways to use the demons' weapons against them. Somehow they didn't like the idea of using demon body parts in the fight against the evil bastards." he turns to Elise after answering Angahaar's question.
"I highly doubt anyone left in Kenabres would like seeing me again. Perhaps we shall see each other again, I wish you the best of luck in your journey."
The exit of this chamber leads to a tunnel that seems to climb slowly upwards, leading to a new area of the underground. You can see it continues up at a steep angle for about 60 feet before it seems to open up again. LUckily, there are enough cracks, pitons, and handholds to make it relatively easy to make your way up said tunnel.
"That's their mistake," response Elise to the dwarf as he describes his research. "I was reborn in demonic hellfire that now fuels my strength!" Nevermind that only a moment ago, that same fire had fueled her threats against the dwarf. "In better times, I'd love for you to tell me about your research. Have you heard about the Emeria family? They like to work with those that others might shun."
As the party approaches a steep climb, Elise looks to Anevia and Aravashnial. "There's a steep spot ahead. I think you can do it with our help." She works with the others to guide the blind elf's hands and ease the burden on the injured woman's leg.
Anastasia pauses to go down to a knee. She unshoulders her pack and begins to rummage through until she withdraws a bundled length of rope. "I'll go first." she says as she starts to unwind the hemp twine that kept it neatly wrapped, "Then I can anchor this rope for everyone coming behind. Should make things easier for Anevia and Aravashnial. I imagine master Horgus should have no trouble either."
She picks then stands and starts up the tunnel, picking her path carefully. She was trying to keep in mind those who had to follow.
Once she reached the space where the tunnel opened up Anastasia would duck down to hopefully avoid being spotted by any threats. Then lower the rope and brace it herself. If she could find a suitable protrusion in the rock she would lever the role around it.
The downtrodden dwarf seems intrigued by the passionate aasimar, and takes out a small notebook to note the name down.
"I haven't, but I'll certainly look you up sometime in the future. Maybe we can discuss theories another day. For now, you go on and get out of here."
The two women working together quickly get themselves and the three strangers quite easily. The tunnel opens into a large cavern, about seventy feet across. Cylindrical rock formations along the walls arch up to make a domelike chamber, but the walls and floor are riddled with cracks. At the center of the cave, a stone tower that may once have reached the fifty-foot-high ceiling has collapsed onto its side.
Leaning over next to the collapsed tower are two figures, who seeem to be desperately digging through the rubble in an attempt to...do something? Find something? Hard to tell. Ana isn't as stealthy as she'd like to be, but the two figures don't seem to notice the group at all in their distraction.
Elise hurries forward, wondering if the two figures were survivors like themselves hoping to exhume a body. But a lingering worry that they might be hostile prevents her from actually calling out until she got a better look.
Ana steps forward alongside Elise with a wry smile on her face. She assumed these two were not demons. Hanging back just off Elise's hip she lets the other woman get a step ahead of her as she stoops to pickup a rock, then throw it over the pair to clatter against the opposite wall.
The two figures turn upon hearing the group approach, coming out of the darkness and revealing themselves. One of them, presumably a female, is still hunchbacked when they turn, her face so warped by tumors it doesn't even look like she can speak.
The other one is more recognizable as a man, yet even still his features are meldedd. One half of his face appears normal, but has a curling goat horn protruding from it, and the other is covered in green retpilian scales. One leg is typical of a normal humanoid, but the other is the cloven foot of a goat.
The man speaks in strangely accented, yet quite eloquent, Common.
"If your intentions are ill, we ask you to move on and leave us in peace. If they are good, then perhaps you can help. As you can see, misfortune has befallen us."
Ana steps forward with a bewildered look, but she was more curious than frightened. "What did this to you?" she asked out of concern, "I've not seen an alchemist manage transformations this extreme. Was it a demon that did this to you? Are they still here?"
She briefly looks around, as if her cursory scan had somehow missed a threat.
Elise too is troubled by these folk. But her attention focuses particularly on the collapsed tower. "Is anyone trapped under there?" she asks, as she appears ready to help dig.
The man that spoke introduces himself as Lann, and answers questions quickly.
"Demon? No demons, just the earthquakes. Wait, transformations? What do you...oh. You think I've been transformed. That is quite common among upworlders, you must not be from around here, huh."
Suddenly remembering the circumstances, he gets agitated again.
"Yes, one of our tribe has been crushed by the tower rubble, can you help us dig him out?"
|
Elise is surprised by Lann's explanation. "Yes, we're upworlders, as you call us," she agrees. "We'll do our best to help."
Elise starts digging through the rubble, but as she does this, a curious thing happens--some of the rocks begin to move seemingly on their own accord, floating away from the pile before dropping!
Raban is surprised to see another dwarf down here--no doubt a Grondaksen by the looks of him--and is at first uncomfortable as the dwarf immediately assumes ill of them. He takes the moment to see how his new companions will deal with an unfamiliar dwarf and is pleased when no violence ensues and that furthermore they seem to encourage the dwarf. He smiles behind his mask, beaming to hear the open-mindedness of his new companions. Before they leave the dwarf's company, Raban lets a bit of the dwarven tongue rumble among the rocks.
"Just giving him a chance to hear his people's tongue again," Raban reassures the others. "Though I imagine our dialects are quite dissimilar."
And then this Aasimar--reborn in hellfire? Or did she mean blackfire? Interesting if that was the case.
---
After the climb, Raban is surprised to see such deformed folk. Tieflings, perhaps?
"Greetings, Lann. Indeed we are upworlders. My name is Raban. Please let us help you with your fellow tribesman."
The dwarf retrieves a pickaxe from a pack on Olapa's back and moves forward ready to bust any rocks too large for Elise to move with her mind.
"I am Angahaar, Scion of Terendelev. Well met, Lann. I shall do whatever I can to help your tribesman."
The two figures standing in front of you aren't any sort of demon or tiefling or any other plane-influenced beings. Well, at least not in the way you think. They're mongrelmen, a deformed race of humanoids that are thought to be created when any number of different mutating factors make their way into the bloodlines of normal humans. There have always been rumors of an entire civilization living underneath the floors of Kenabres, with the retired crusaders from the First Crusade making their way down into the depths after the Worldwound corrupted their bodies beyond any recognition.
Lann speaks again, his voice much more relieved than before.
"Greetings Raban and Angahaar. I see you have no malicious intentions, let us work together to save Crel. This is Dyra, by the way. She doesn't talk too much for obvious reasons."
With the help of the group, Lann and Dyra are able to easily remove the dangerous rubble trapping their friend. Though it takes almost an hour of work, he is soon clear and free of the worst of it. Any questions you may have, Lann will answer readily during the work.
As it becomes clear that Crel is still alive and that it will take some time to free him, Elise switches to a steadier pace and is able to talk with the others.
"I can't believe there's a whole group of you folks living underneath the city! You ought to know that what you felt as earthquakes was actually the Wardstone of Kenabres being destroyed, with the city being attacked by Khorramzadeh, the Storm King of the Worldwound, and the great dragon Terendelev having been slain. We don't know if the surface is safe, but we're trying to return there. Do you know a way upward?"
Not particularly caring for that term used to describe these underground people, Raban keeps his knowledge of their general story to himself for now. If Lann, Crel, and Dyra, or any of their fellow tribesmen, called themselves something in particular--perhaps a tribe name--then that is what he would call them. It is a sad history, though, and endemic of the way that so many people unfortunately treated those who were different.
"Hello, Dyra," Raban says as he works. "I do not know of any manual languages that you might prefer, being new to these lands and only just speaking the common tongue, but if you understand us and have a way to communicate with us otherwise, then I will be pleased to know you and converse as well. Do you?--that is--have hand signals that you use?"
"Ah, no offense meant." Anastasia begins with a blush, "I'm an alchemist, so I'm used to additional body parts, fangs, tentacles, scales... I just assumed." She was quick to help them clear away the rubble, bending low and getting her fingers under some of the larger rocks before lifting with her legs and straightening her back to toss them aside one by one.
"Do you think alchemy could be used in a similar fashion?" she asked Lann after the task was finished, "To be able to pass on such useful mutations to children would be remarkable. Are your traits inherited or random?" She seemed to have forgotten her earlier sense of heightened caution with such an interesting person to interrogate.
Lann is quite confused by all the words coming out of Elise's mouth, and his face clearly shows it.
"I uh...I know some of those words. Like Kenabres. The rest, I'm not sure about. There is a way up, but you'll have to go through our village first. I used to have a secret way through, one my father showed me and used to use with me, but our chieftain found it and forced us to collapse it. He doesn't trust uplanders, but I can convince him to let you pass back to the surface." he seems cheered by the opportunity, and continues. "The rest of the 'neathers in my tribe are much more insular than I am, but I assure you I know I'll get you back home."
Lann answers Raban's question just as cheerfully, a somewhat rueful gesture. "She isn't much for talking, unfortunately. The others don't treat her very well but she's a good friend of mine. Understands common well enough, but she mainly communicates through gestures and other movements. I doubt you'll stick around long enough to learn the particulars, but we shall see."
His mood suddenly sours as he listens to the alchemist talk.
"THey aren't useful, as you can see. They're random and horrific. Even if this alchemy of yours could reproduce anything like my kind, I doubt you'd want the results wished upon anyone you care for. Our lives are woefully short and often extremely painful. I hope you never have even the slightest idea what my 'mutations' are like." You can tell you've struck a nerve with the usually cheerful 'neather, as he is oddly quiet throughout the rest of the work to excavate his friend.
"Oh sorry," says Elise apologetically as Lann explains his lack of knowledge of the surface. "Suffice it to say that there was a great battle on the surface that probably led to the earthquake you felt. I guess we are each unaware of the other's world. We would certainly appreciate safe passage through your village."
Elise is certainly surprised when Raban becomes very touchy. She, too, wanted to say that some of the characteristics could be useful, even if others were a drawback. She glances over at the quiet Dyra. Even if Dyra couldn't speak, perhaps her expression would convey whether or not she felt the same way as Raban.
"We will appreciate your help, Lann, and any kind introduction to the chieftain."
Raban also reaches up to pat Anastasia's shoulder. She had tried, but had clearly hit a sore spot. Not all mutations were welcome, clearly.
Once they have excavated Crel, Raban tried to see how the crushed descendant of Crusaders past is doing.
Ana's expression clouds at Lann's comments. "Well, perhaps they don't have to be random and horrific." she returns with a soft tone, "I happen to have a brother with claws and scales, and he's an absolute charmer." She gave the man a sly smile and then looked to Raban as he put his hand on her shoulder.
She also smiled at the dwarf and dipped her chin in the tiniest of nods. "But maybe this isn't a topic we should linger on." she reasons, "Let us keep moving forward? Get back to the surface and kill some demons?"
"I, too, have a cousin with claws and scales. From an entirely different source, but still."
He smiles to Anastasia, "That seems like an excellent plan."
"A great battle? Between this Khorramzadeh and your Terendelev? You will have to tell me of this later, when we have the time."
Lann still seems somewhat offput by Anastasia's comments, but he seems to have calmed down after she softens her tone.
"We'll discuss that at length later as well. For now, let's get a move on. The tunnel directly to Neathholm, our home, was collapsed in the earthquake." he points towards a massive pile of rubble filling the tunnel from ceiling to floor.
"But luckily, we know a slightly longer path around. Are we ready?"
As Crel is rescued, Elise checks on his wounds. At a minimum, she helps clean off any dirt and grime from the ordeal of being buried. She also exchanges various introductions.
"We're lucky to have your guidance in finding a path forward--without it, we might have been stuck here forever. We'll stick together. Some of us here are talented fighters that can give our group protection."
During the journey, Elise would ordinarily be happy to share the story of what happened on the surface. But the sight of Angahaar gives her pause, for Terendelev's death was very personal to him. She tries to balance the mongrelmen's curiosity and Angahaar's grief.
"By all means, please lead the way!" Raban says, nodding to Lann, his mask sliding slightly on his nose. "To be fair, we do not know too much of the battle above. But gods willing, we will survive to return."
Having no cousins with claws or scales, Raban leaves discussion of familial lineage to the others.
Anastasia perks up at the chance to take point again, following a step behind Lann as he leads them along. She fiddled with a vial of some extract in her shield hand as she did... having missed an opportunity to use it earlier.
"I'm glad to be of service!" Lann says enthusiastically, apparently seriously. "Besides, it might provide me an opportunity to get to the surface again. I haven't been up in many many years."
Lann nods to the group before starting off in the direction of one of the tunnel entrances. The tunnel continues on for a while, about 300 feet, before opening up again. Ahead, a wide chasm splits the cavern's floor. The floating rock dust in the air and the groans as the tunnel walls settle indicate that the tunnel split recently. Lann immediately cries out in dismay when he sees the chasm spreading cracks across the floor. The chasm is 10 feet across, quite a distance wide, and looks to be about 30 feet deep.
"Well this was supposed to be the easy way to our village, but it seems whatever happened up there has also affected more than we originally thought." he says, his face looking down but determined. "I suppose we will have to make the crossing somehow, this is the only way to meet our chieftain. Do you think you can make it?" he asks, turning to the injured Anevia and Aravashnial.
She, for her part, did try to look both brave and confident, but her condition has not seemed to get any better. Her face is grey and pained as she replies.
"I am sure I can make it. Besides, what other choice do I have? You won't leave me behind, will you?"
"We're leaving nobody behind," insists Elise, as Anevia asks fearfully.
Approaching the chasm to view it, Elise has no idea how they're all going to get across. But they'd find a way. "Anyone here crafty? I've got some rope and a bedroll. If we have some more rope, we could turn the bedroll into a 'basket' of sorts to lower someone down and up."