Ahmose sighs as he watches the unsteady dwarf begin uttering arcane words.
Anyone here gonna learn Speak with Dead? Save us all this f@#$ing trying to be friends s!~&.
The Blue-scaled Kobold laughs watching the sparks fly by Cecily.
Nice move there.
The Alchemist decides to keep to his previous action and Stealthily Strides over to the distracted dwarfs stuff and begins rummaging through it for anything interesting and helpful....
Cecily winces under the impact of the magical assault and flinches at Aroden's touch before she feels the healing energies washing over her. "Thanks."
She follows Dorek's lead and pursues the dwarf, dancing out of his reach so as not to give him an easy target. She darts in forcefully and strikes, aiming more to disable than to kill.
Thawm deflates slightly as her attempt at helping the dwarf becomes a beat down for the obviously unwell fellow.
She sighs and decides she can mend his wounds after they escape these tunnels.
For the moment she decides to tend to her remaining hurt ally.
She prepares and tosses a small fireball at Ahmose. It hits him square on the chest, and the sparks that spill out of the tiny explosion hop into some of his injuries, mending them.
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Dorek’s stinger would have struck home if it weren’t for an invisible force field deflecting the strike to the side. Cecily has no trouble powering through it however a powerful rabbit punch to the dwarfs neck. Meanwhile the rest of the party either assists Cecily and Dorek or gets closer to the melee.
The dwarf panics and retreats from Cecily and Dorek turns around on his heels and tosses multicolored sand at Cecily and Dorek. The sand explodes in bright clashing and confusing colors.
Round 2
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Round 3
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"Cecily!" Tandyn yells as she falls over.
He charges at the color-spewing dwarf.
Ahmose tosses a blanket over the Stunned, unconscious and probably blind but can't actually tell due to the former maladies monk.
The Alchemist then continues his searching of the mad, but distracted dwarf stuffs....
Ahmose feels a gentle tickle on his spine. The kobold gives a wink to Thawm.
Aroden's hand starts to stray to his bolas. He looks into the future sees failure.
So, he decides to make his own luck.
As the dwarf flees from the onslaught, Dorek lashes out with his stinger again, but much as before, it misses, jabbing into the rock. He begins to move to follow the dwarf, but after a moment, his step falters. "I'm s-sorry, I'm s-s-s... My eye! I c-can't see - what have you..." The young rogue crumples to the floor, unconscious.
"Oh my- Sorry!" Thawm explains as she blasts the dwarf with a gout not-so-healing fire.
Despite removing Dorek and Cecily from the combat the dwarf is punished for it by over half the party. Thawm's blast pushes his considerable pain tolerance over its limit and he falls, smoldering smoke starts to fill the chamber,
Thawm douses the dwarf with the several doses of holy water that she had been carrying around in her bowl until now.
"Sorry." she says again, this time with a sigh.
She then goes to Cecily and Dorek to check on them.
"Maybe we can at least bring the dwarf out of the cave?" Thawm asks over her shoulder, still hoping for a net positive outcome for her foolish meddling.
As Thawm shakes Dorek awake, he slowly gets to his feet, blinking the magical sleep out of his eye. He glares down at the badly wounded dwarf, his clothes still smoldering from Thawm's magic flames. "T-this one's mind is s-sick - we m-might be able to h-help him, but f-first, we have to get back to the s-surface." He scowls. "S-still, he tried to k-kill me! He's a d-danger to himself and o-others!"
After a moment's contemplation as he looks over the unconscious dwarf, Dorek's tail lashes out again, its stinger burying itself between the fallen mage's shoulder blades. Dorek's satisfied grin quickly turns to a mask of fear as he glances around at the worried faces of his fellow survivors. "I d-didn't k-kill him, if that's what you're t-thinking! I d-don't know if I c-could kill another person - it's u-unthinkable!"
He glares down at the dwarf again, smirking. "It will i-itch, though. My v-venom can't do much m-more than that, but it d-does it well. I'd l-like to see him r-reach that spot to s-scratch it! S-shows him to t-try to kill people h-helping him!"
Tandyn re-sheathes his sword and begins repositioning his unconscious allies to be more comfortable.
"Well, the dwarf is our responsibility, but a trip to Kenabres may not help him today. Demons aside, it depends on what's wrong with him."
Out of curiosity, he uses Detect Evil on the dwarf.
After Dorek wakes and vengefully prods the now defenseless dwarf, Tandyn gives him a half-hearted obligatory glare. It'll be fine. "Let's make sure he doesn't have anything dangerous on him. Do we have a way to bind him?"
"I d-didn't k-kill him, if that's what you're t-thinking! I d-don't know if I c-could kill another person - it's u-unthinkable!"
Aroden looks lost in thought.
How many have I killed? Or did He kill, rather? In war, mostly, but that is what we find ourselves in now. The enemies we killed by the thousands. Tens of thousands? And even our own forces, commanded to make necessary sacrifices like pawns on a chessboard. Not dead by our hand, but close enough. And it will happen again.
"Let's make sure he doesn't have anything dangerous on him. Do we have a way to bind him?"
"You shall need to gag him as well. A mage may be able to conjure magic with only his voice."
The wizard hangs his bolas back on his belt.
Cecily groggily comes to after twitching on the ground in her brilliantly dwarf-inspired impression of an ever-more-raggedly-dressed sack of potatoes.
She takes stock of herself and heaves a heavy sigh at her less-presentable state and slowly stands up, dusting herself off as best as possible before looking over to their assailant. "He's still alive then? Good. I think I may have some twine that we can bind his hands with. And..." With painful resolve in her eyes, she looks over her tattered skirts and finds a long strip that isn't too grody. She pops a claw out of the finger of her gloves and cuts the strip out, handing it over to Tandyn. "A gag," she explains with downcast eyes.
"There's no need to make him itchy." Thawm scolds.
"He's just sick and frightened." she explains as she begrudgingly pulls out some rope from her pack.
"Can't be over-prepared for a long journey." she explains with a sigh.
Ahmose frowns at the spoils of a mad dwarf. He dumps everything into his masterwork backpack.
So, that went splendidly. Aroden! Spell book to take a look at. I may be able to copy some for a formula or three myself.
The Alchemist hands it over to the Wizard.
The Blue-scaled Kobold glances over at Thawm, as she mentions "There's no need to make him itchy.". He is seen placing a vial back into his pockets with a disappointed looking face....
Ahmose does walk over to the unconscious and bound dwarf. He begins stripping him of everything!
Anything could be magical and useful to a f#@~ing Wizard! No offense, Aroden. Crafty bastards.
Anevia mutters something about taking care of problems before they become bigger problems.
Horgus nods in agreement at her words and the both of them look surprised at the common ground. He complains, ”One more mouth to feed. He did try to kill us, afterall. I doubt once we reach the surface the courts will be able to give him a fair trial, leave him to the judgment of the gods at the very least.” Horgus points ahead:
A steeply inclined tunnel leads upward to the north, its walls lined with numerous nooks, handholds, and dozens of iron pitons that have been driven into the walls long ago. When your companions try the ascent they have varying levels of success. Anevia takes the climb very slowly but she’s able to deftly manage by herself. Horgus follows just as slowly but not as deftly . Aravashnial however hesitates, unable to see the handholds in front of him.
"Well, I can carry one of them." Cecily looks between the scrawny Aravashnial, Tandyn with his muscles and armor, and the bound and sturdy dwarf and mutters, "Probably."
"Here, take these and I'll take the dwarf." She hands her light pack to Aroden then begins to tie the dwarf over her shoulder.
Tandyn detects no evil.
Aroden will take Cecily's backpack with no complaints.
He advocates neither for saving the dwarf nor for leaving him behind, but prepares to climb as soon as one of the more martial types leads the way.
Dorek shrugs. "M-much as I hate to a-admit it, I agree with H-horgus. He's n-no threat to us now - w-why don't we j-just leave him h-here, let him t-take care of it on his o-own? There's o-only one way o-out of here, and w-we're clearing it a-ahead of us, so he s-should be safe until he w-wakes up." He glares down at the recumbent dwarf, scowling. "P-plus, he did try to k-kill us - I've h-half a mind to s-sting him some more."
As the group approaches the climb, Dorek fishes in his pack before pulling out a long coil of rope. He glances around at the other members of the ragged group, raising his eyebrows. "A-anyone have any m-more rope? I-if we tie it t-together, we can d-drop it from the t-top of the cliff and p-pull Aravashnial up." He quickly ties a simple knot in the end of the rope, causing it to loop around on itself and forming a place for Aravashnial to sit. "O-one of my n-neighbors was once a h-hangman, in the t-town of Esmar. T-this knot s-should be able to h-hold Aravashnial's w-weight - though I w-would prefer if you s-stuck something other than your n-neck in it." He offers a weak grin at his morbid joke, then scrambles up the side of the rock face like a gangly spider, waving for someone at the bottom to toss him up some rope.
"Look, he might've been better off if I hadn't tried to help. We need to at least let him see the light of day again. He seemed inclined to come until he suddenly... anyway, he might be better above ground." Thawm explains.
Tandyn chuckles at Thawm's comment. "Prepared for a journey? It was Armasse! All of my plans involved guests!"
He does his best to gag and tie up the dwarf for Cecilian transport.
"As much as I dislike that this dwarf attacked us, I won't leave him defenseless for whatever lives down here. We'll see if there's a good place to offload him as we go."
Tandyn climbs behind Aravashnial just in case.
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Ahmose kicks dirt on the down, unconscious, crazy just tried to murder them dwarf, prior to departing the cave to continue onwards.
Ahmose approaches Aravashnial as they arrive at the ascension area.
If you can carry me, we can take the elevator up.
The Blue-scaled Kobold smiles as he prepares to explain about his Dragon Scales properties.
Ready
Cecily snugs up the dwarf over her shoulder and gives Thawm and Tandyn grateful nods. She glances skeptically at the hoisting arrangment then to Aravashnial, she says "Well, I can come back down for you if Sir Tandyn is too...oh! Well that works too." She smiles as the elf and kobold start to levitate and begins her own climb with the dwarf.
Aroden ascends the rope carefully.
"Having considered the situation, I think Horgus has a point about the dwarf. A fair trial, or even better treatment for the demons in his mind, are unlikely to be foremost on the minds of the citizens of Kenabres.
We could simply have left him unconscious to wake in a short while, perhaps with that healing potion we found left beside him.
It is not the case that he chose to surrender. We forced him to become our prisoner even though, given the choice, he might have preferred death. And that is what gnaws at me. I am having second thoughts about the righteousness of this course of action. We are not authorities.
I will go along in this case, but I like it less and less the more I think about it.
Perhaps we can offer him death, release, or accompanying us to Kenabres when he wakes and see what his wish is."
"That's the thing. Part of him wants out. Let's make sure he gets that before we ask." Thawm suggests.
From his position at the top of the cliff, Dorek shrugs on seeing that the other survivors are finding their own way up, pulling his rope back up and putting it back in his pack. "I'll s-scout on ahead while you're c-climbing, see if I can f-find a way f-forward. There h-has to be a w-way out of these old t-tunnels." Much as before, the spindly locksmith fades into the shadows, his dark clothes and cinereous skin almost vanishing into the rock face as he creeps forwards through the caverns.
With some effort the party manages to ascend with everyone in tow. You wander through more tunnels for another 30 minutes, slowed by Anevia and Aravashial. Finally you come to an open cavern:
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.
Thawm spends much of the half hour fretting about the dwarf as well as Anevia, Aravashial, and Horgus.
Aroden's divine powers of observation exceed those of Thawm... but he notices nothing.
He engages Horgus in conversation as he proceeds.
"It is true that there are some who hold Freedom to be paramount, and consider the idea of placing another in bondage so abhorrent that they would never consent to bringing this dwarf along all bound and gagged.
And there are others who hold Law to be paramount, and would consent so long as the proper form and due process was followed. Though I don't believe the dwarf is to be formally charged with anything. Even if we were officers of the law."
He shakes his head. "Everybody is just trying to find the right path in tumultuous times. None of us expected this. I thank you for your patience."
Walking behind Aroden and Horgas (the Blue-scaled Kobold is seen making funny face), Ahmose peers around the pair to study the Collapsed Tower Caverns.
Next to the tower my little blue eyes spy two figures furiously trying to clear the rubble on one side of the toppled tower. They don’t notice us yet, their focus entirely on their task.
The Alchemist looks expectantly at Sir Tandyn and Cecily.
"Ah, yes, I see them too. What a good description, Mr. Ahmose. Would you care to take a closer look to see what they're doing?"
She puts the dwarf down.
As the group traverses the caverns, Dorek supports Aravashnial, helping to guide the blinded elf through the narrow tunnels. "Hey T-tandyn, have you l-lived in Kenabres l-long? You s-speak like a local, but you d-don't seem like the g-guards I've met in the m-marketplace. Your armor's s-shiny, even in dusty areas like these old c-caverns."
At the domed cavern, Dorek's crimson eye wanders the cave for a moment before coming to rest on the collapsed tower. "L-look there! That old t-tower probably r-reached the ceiling, o-once. It m-might have connected to another p-passageway, long ago - provided a w-way to the surface, I m-mean. If we can g-get a rope up there, we m-might be able to get c-closer to the surface."
He walks further into the cavern, grinning. "My m-mother was a scribe - she t-told me of strange c-caverns like this. If you c-call out loud, the s-sound bounces around, r-repeats a few times. It's c-called an echo." The young man moves forward, calling out loudly to demonstrate. "Echo!" As the remnants of the sound fade away, he turns back to the rest of the group. "I r-read of dwarven h-heroes who used this against an army, c-calling out their war c-cries so their f-foes would think there were m-more of them."
At Cecily and Ahmose's words, his face becomes a mask of worry, and he moves forward towards the fallen tower. "S-someone here, you said?" He approaches the two figures, extending a clawed hand in an offer of aid. "E-excuse me, do you n-need help?" He blinks before continuing. "Y-you're the underground c-crusaders, aren't you? The d-demonblooded warriors who f-fled beneath the c-city?"
"Maybe they need our help too!" Thawm hopes aloud.
"Where?" She asks, hoping for a pointer.
"Oh, this is home... well, below it. I was born in Kenabres. Every now and then children in my mother's family are born angel-blooded and for whatever reason that's why my skin's always clean." Tandyn wipes his hand along the cave floor pushing the dirt and dust around while leaving a clean streak and shows Dorek his clean hand.
"Clearing rubble... That's not a good sign."
Tandyn begins moving as quickly as his armor will allow him toward the toppled tower.
"Oh, this is home... well, below it. I was born in Kenabres. Every now and then children in my mother's family are born angel-blooded and for whatever reason that's why my skin's always clean." Tandyn wipes his hand along the cave floor pushing the dirt and dust around while leaving a clean streak and shows Dorek his clean hand.
Dorek raises his eyebrows. "I d-didn't know you were a-angelkith. Sometime, I should show you my s-shadow, when the light's b-better. It's a b-bit like what you have t-there." He shudders, returning his gaze to the branching tunnels. "When she was i-ill, with the mind f-fever, my mother once said that I was the g-grandson of Thelvihix the Demise, d-destroyer-god of the Widowknife clan. As if t-that isn't bad enough, the W-widowknife clan has the... what is the T-taldane? R-righteous warrior? Vigilant r-retribution?" He snaps his clawed fingers. "Blood feud! T-that was it! They have the b-blood feud with the Windstep c-clan, the clan to w-which I was born." He forces a grin, glancing back at Tandyn. "At l-least it's not as bad as the B-balemoon clan! They have the blood f-feud with e-everyone!"
Cecily follows after her reckless companions and hesitates when she gets close enough to resolve the faces of the diggers. She calls out to her companions, "Is it quite safe? These creatures are twisted and strange."
Earlier
He engages Horgus in conversation as he proceeds.
"It is true that there are some who hold Freedom to be paramount, and consider the idea of placing another in bondage so abhorrent that they would never consent to bringing this dwarf along all bound and gagged.
And there are others who hold Law to be paramount, and would consent so long as the proper form and due process was followed. Though I don't believe the dwarf is to be formally charged with anything. Even if we were officers of the law."He shakes his head. "Everybody is just trying to find the right path in tumultuous times. None of us expected this. I thank you for your patience."
Horgus scowls and speaks loudly, "Those who hold freedom above all would have our society live in complete anarchy, ridiculous. He should be brought before a court and tried. Skulking under Kenabres he must be guilty of something. Probably a spy for the demons, but he is not a high priority and it would waste resources to port him, but I am in no apparent position to argue the point."
Anevia visibly rolls her eyes at Horgus' words but doesn't start another fight with the noble.
Present
As the party's voices echo around the cavern the handsome mongrel turns around and speaks in a raspy and weirdly accented common. "If your intentions are good you can help. As you can see, misfortune has befallen us. One of our number has been trapped since the earthquake."
Assessing the situation, they have cleared away enough rubble that only one large rock remains to be moved, something the two could clearly not do by themselves. There are two obvious solutions . Lift the rock, or try to dig around, .
"Think the scale you have is strong enough, Ahmose?" Thawm wonders aloud.
Tandyn looks over the rock situation while addressing the mongrel "We will certainly try to help." He waves his companions over. "This could take a bit of thought."
Aroden sees the future... he is lifting the rock with the help of his comrades and these strange folk.
"I think we can lift it."
The wizard moves up, sets his feet, and pushes with all of his might.
"Lend me your strength, friends! You too, dwellers of this place! We can do it!"
Tandyn grabs onto the rock and helps.
"Wai- Eep!" Thawm explains, rushing to help before Aroden hurts himself.
Dorek rummages in the remains of the tower for a moment before pulling out an old plank, discolored from uncountable years below ground. Wedging it into a crack near the bottom of the rock, he pushes down on it as hard as he can, trying to lever the massive boulder away from the trapped figure.
Unfortunately, he drastically misjudges the strength of his lever, and the rotted wood cracks at the first push, sending the young locksmith sprawling.
Ahmose just stares incredulously at Dorek, as the rogue? begins yelling loudly inside the Collapsed Tower Caverns!
What in the f&$@?
The Blue-scaled Kobold just shakes his head, as he brings up the rear.
Remind me to grab a muzzle next time we see a shop.
Advancing behind the others to view the denizens of the dark attempting to excavate another unfortunately trapped denizens of the dark. The Alchemist nods at Thawm but waits to see how the muscles manage....
With 12 hands between them the party and the mongrelfolk attempt to lift the boulder. As Dorek goes sprawling it leaves the boulder unbalanced causing Thawm to lose her grip entirely. Without their support the boulder crashes to the cave floor, crushing whatever was underneath it.
You hear a third voice scream and then go silent from under the rubble. A trickle of blood winds its way from underneath.
With the rock in a better position it is now easier to manage.