Inevitable Sewer Adventure
Log Info
- Title: Inevitable Sewer Adventure
- Emitter: Jinks
- Characters: Aelwyn, Dirk, Jay, Jozi, Nemori, Slixvah
- Place: Lower Markets
- Time: Sunday, June 26, 2022, 3:28 PM
- Summary: An Inevitable named Mistakes lost an important list of information from the one and only NAVOS! They lost it in the sewers. A month ago. A decently sized party venture downwards, using the floating orb as a map (to their dismay). Down, down, down they go, through refuse and grossness they travel. Good thinking on Nemori's part gets them over the worst of it before they're assailed by red mists! It tries to sap their vitality, but magics and weapons slowly saw them down before too much more than minimal casualties could manifest. Well, except Mistakes. Their defense mechanisms blew them up. A little bit. The crew find what they came for, and take the long way outta there.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Players =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Aelwyn 5'3" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Male Runt of a Dragoon. Dirk 4'11" 295 Lb Mountain Dwarf Male A rugged old dwarf, dressed for the outdoors. Jay 5'9" 145 Lb Eaglefolk Male A perky male Blue Jay with a discerning eye. Jozi 5'8" 148 Lb Half-Orc Female A brunette half-orcess with a sunny disposition. Nemori 4'10" 110 Lb Mul'niessa Female A tall and slender, dark skinned elf. Slixvah 5'8" 130 Lb Eaglefolk Female A rust red and white Egalrin covered in veils, ribbons, and shawls. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jinks 3'4" 39 Lb Gnome Male A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
The ISA
The sky is blue and the clouds are massive and fluffy and drifting lazily above. It's as picturesque above as it is hot and hazy below; it's not the thick, grey fog but it's not much better, either.
Today's job is a guild call: recovering a lost valuable. You're assembling in the lower markets at one of the squares cleared and re-purposed into a temporary tent city for resettled refugees. There's not much in the way of action with the weather what it is; the adults are lounging and fanning themselves in whatever shade they can find and the kids have wandered off to explore this strange new place and get into mischief.
The rallypoint is a fluttering orb of brass plates and a single, clockwork eye at the center of the square. Its spindly arms dangle limp at either side as tiny wings beat a constant ft-ft-ft-ft. It twists this way and that, eager, and occasionally raises a tin, crablike claw to point at something. Right next to it is an exhausted member of the watch holding a rag to her nose and mouth, leaning fit to melt against her braced polearm.
They're right next to a sewer grate. An open sewer grate.
The heat isn't helping the smell, either.
"Oh! Hey! Hi!" Integrity C Truefeather, esquire, the 'C' is for Chipper, instantly recognizes the Inevitable he met earlier. "Mistake!"
... the bluejay somewhat belatedly remembers exactly what the Orb Eye needed. He did post the bulletin at the guild for it. Somehow he forgot what the job entailed.
"Oh. Hey. Hi." He brushes his hand through his feather crest, "So, got some better adventurers for you, Mistake. You won't need me down there at all!"
Dirk might be a woodsdwarf, but he still has a metabolism optimized for high altituded, low temperature climates. And so his face is flushed red and sweating like a sinner at a Daeus Mass. And that smell is only piling on the misery. He has his scarf wound around his face as he squints down into the gloom. "Blessed Lady, -please- tell me we're nae goin' down -there-," he grumbles. Of course, his owl Lulu isn't bothered by the heat at all. She perches on his shoulder, tilted forward and peering down into the sewer as well. "Hoo hoo!" is all she has to say on the matter. That earns her a scowl from her master. "No, I -don't- think it looks like a fun adventure!" he grumbles. He straightens back up, trying to remember to breathe through his mouth. "So, what exactly is it we're lookin' fer?" he asks the guard. Meanwhile, Lulu is peering wide-eyed at the hovering orb. What a strange owl -that- is! She headtilts from one side to the other, fluttering her wings as she puffs up her feathers and clicks her beak. "Hoo! Hoo hoo!"
Slixvah is bereft of most of her robes save for one loosely wrapped around her, ribbons adorned on her fluttering in the heat as her wings were slightly open to help vent. "Phew," she sighs, tying a new ribbon around her head; a multicolored, rainbow thing.
She settles on her taloned feet, her glancing between the sewer grate and the mechanical being. "... well, I guess it was a matta' o' time before these jobs went to the shitter."
Pause for a snicker. "Man I wish Shiny had my gloves ready..."
She offers a little wave of a wing to those she knows. "Howdy, cuties."
Times have been busy, to be sure.
Whilst not a stranger to the tent city in general, as the half-orc has been about with the Altheans distributing food and blankets, or helping to arrange shelter.
Today, though, brings Jozi around in her more militant accoutrements, though as she approaches the gathering clutch of adventurers and their.... unique host, she raises a hand strapped into an arrangement of steel claws with a warm, folksy, "Howdy ya'all!"
She dims a mite, a subtle wrink briefly appearing at the bridge of her nose as it becomes clear things have gone down the drain, but continues, ultimately undeterred.
"Integrity C Truefeather, the C is for 'catch you later' apparently. If you think I am setting foot in there while you wander off somewhere else, you had best think again," Nemori warns the blue feathered egalrin. "If the dwarf can manage the depths, I think you can as well. Besides," The shadow elf's tone takes on a little bit different of a tone, one that has a little less edge, a little more.. something else. "You would not wish Slixvah to go down there all alone without a proper escort, would you?" She raises a hand to Jozi in greeting as the half-blooded orc arrives.
Aelwyn for one, had no issues with the heat. Then again, he was barely wearing any clothing beyond his loincloth and the straps of leather armor he had on. Shoulder pad, couple of greaves, some protection for thighs - what else would a scaled fearsome Dragoon of the glaive need?
Turns out, strongly perfumed bundle of silk repeatedly wrapped around his face and nostrils. He looked positively ill as he neared the rest of the group. "... pfeohle." He manages through his mouth and he bows his head respectfully. His eyes are inevitably drawn to the winged folk - but he gives all the people a glance as well. "Dwarf, a ..." Long glance towards the sewers. "... honor to work with him again." The draconian takes in a deep breath and exhales. Looked like he was trying to hold something back.
GAME: Nemori casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
Dirk looks over at Nemori, his shaggy brows furrowing over the swaths of blue cotton wrapping around his face. Fortunately, there's still plenty of glorious white beard spilling down his chest to bristle--a dwarf's beard is always an accurate indicator of mood. "Don't know as I'm goin' tae manage -anything- down there, but... job's a job, innit?" Aelwyn, however, gets a two-fingered touch to the brim of his tricorne. "Aelwyn. Hope yer ready. Looks like this is fixin' tae be a right shitty job." Well, at least he can still crack awful jokes, so his good humor isn't completely lost yet. Slix and Jozi get nods and a tip of his tricorne as well. "Ladies."
+AHEM+ the flying orb swivels, conjuring two quiet clanks as its claws land against its spheroid body (seeing as it lacks hips). Two curved plates serving as eyelids narrow down at Dirk and the ft-ft-ft-ft becomes more of a ft-..-ft-..-ft as the beating slows and it bobs deliberately down, closer to the ground. The guard looks on silently over her rag, too tired to emote with her eyes alone.
+My intrepid escort is not the BRAINS of this operation, my frizzy friend.+ The orb doesn't have a mouth but it's definitely speaking. The voice, however, is a weird sort of thing: it's a perfect localization of your native dialect with a seemingly-neutral accent. +She, in fact, will be taking the day off as my duly-assigned functionary-- INTEGRITY C TRUTHFEATHER THE C IS FOR CO-OPTED-- will be joining us.+
There's the squeak of a joint as a clawhand gestures at the blue egalrin. +He drew up your contracts. In service of NAVOS. Which means you work for me. You are so spectacularly lucky. We're going to have a great time,+ the orb bobs forward in a nod, +Explain the details of our heroic mission, bird-man!+
(It's worth noting that the very-tired looking guard is now moving quite spryly in the opposite direction having been relieved of duty.)
"Oh hi Slix! Oh you don't want to go in there, you'll end up brown and drab." The bluejay says inappropriately. Brown and drab is a perfectly good female egalrin colouration.
Then he hears a voice...
"Nemori! Hi." Integrity turns, beak awkwardly open, straightening up slowly. "Hi, but... dwarfs come from the depths... and it's dark."
People get stabbed in the dark. He's seen Nemori stab people in the dark. Well... technically, it got dark, people were stabbed, she was there. Circumstantial evidence suggested a correlation, and that it might happen again.
"AH! Wait! What? I am! I got conscripted?" C is for conscripted. Nervousness at Nemori's presence translates into sudden dramatic flourishes, as if he was suddenly dropped in the Well of the Court. He'll be dropping into a well of something, soon enough.
His beak clacks a few times, he gestures with a wing at the brass-orb-eye. "This is Mistake. He's a servant of Navos, god of time. He was sent to Alexandria with a very urgent, time sensitive mission. Deliver the names of the agents of Heth currently active in the city. He... got diverted into the sewers, and lost the list while he was there. Brave adventurers have been hired to find it."
He opens his briefcase and looks through it, then at the Inevitable, "You provided a list of intersections and landmarks you observed during your MONTH in the sewers, or a map, allegedly?"
+'Mistakes!'+ The orb corrects, boastfully, then tilts towards Jay and pats the air. He offers a consoling: +Honest mistake.+
Jozi gives the crew another going over with her eyes, lingering on the strap-clad warrior for some moments, then returns the Khazad's nod with one of her own, "How ya doin, sugar?"
"I'm Jozi, nice ta meetcha all!" she offers with a smile, then turns to the 'bird-man' with a snerk at 'Co-opted', but is otherwise quiet while she waits for him to dole out the skinny.
"Right, +Mistakes!+ He's made more than one." Jay corrects himself, and manages to copy the accent.
Slixvah hums, looking everyone over as their minor party assembles, gaze lingering on the new folk she's yet to run across or rarely has in the past. "Heya Blue. Ya sure you don't want to end up like that either?" she snipes back, snickering.
Her attention shifts to the explaining metal orb ball. Then back to Jay, then back to the ball, Jay, ball, Jay, Mistakes.
A sigh. "... please tell me this list has been made age proof by a literal god of time? 'cause I don' feel like it'd be right productive to wade through this crap to find a piece of rotted parchment."
She looks over to Jozi, squinting some in the light. "Heya Jozi, I'm Unmesi. Slixvah Unmesi."
Dirk squints at the orb, then at Jay. "Mistakes. Hrmph. Well, that 'bout sums it all up, dunnit?" he grumbles. Jozi is given a nod and another tip of his tricorne. "Dirk Stormgrip. An' this bonny lass is Lulu." The petite white-faced owl twists her head to regard Jozi, blink-blinking her wide golden eyes. She clicks her beak, then offers a soft "Hoo!" in greeting. He looks back down at the sewer grate. "So... a -list-. We're after a list." He peers for a moment, then looks back up at the orb. "Is a list even goin' tae be -legible- after bein' lost down there?" he asks. He taps the side of his cotton-shrouded nose, gesturing over at Slixvah. "Aye, -she- gets it!"
"You did well enough under the water, I am sure you will be equally entertaining under the city, grey one," Nemori notes to Dirk as she removes her hat to temporarily regard it. One the one hand, sheltering her head from nasty drips feels like a good idea. On the other hand, she's already replaced the hat twice this week. A sigh, and it gets replaced. "Sometimes the dark is the best place to get important work done, Integrity," Nemori then tells the blue feathered one. "I am certain that our... sponsor... would not send us after something worthless." It's either a statement of faith, or a warning.
Aelwyn merely stares at Dirk at the joke. "It will be a job, yes." The sith-makar says with a level, incredibly unamused voice. "Let the sewers be empty and low in this heat." He rubs between his slit orange eyes. The draconian could only hang onto the word of 'month' when Jay explains their task. "... we shall not take a month, yes?" One hopes.
When people start introducing themselves, he gracefully bows his head towards Jozi, and then to the rest of the group he has not met. "Aelwyn, a Dragoon." He formally introduces himself. "Nestful of peaces. Let the sky grace us with a short journey today." He picks up something from his satchel and intently rubs it underneath the cloth wrapped around his face; he does smell awfully nice today.
Another smile from the half orc as folks continue to be neighborly, nodding and committing names to memory as their offered with a warm, "Charmed."
She considers Lulu of the Hoo for a moment, almost nostalgic, and softly croons, "I bet yer a good girl, ain't ya, sweetie?" then she opts to chime into the business conversation, "I reckon, if the parchment's intact, someone oughta be able ta magic it clean."
The hope is, some Chud hasn't stolen it for... reasons.... or an Otugh hasn't decided to play connoisseur.
Considering the tight quarters they're about to go into are going to make her bow ultimately useless, she starts to affix another bladed gauntlet to her free hand while the debate on night work goes on.
"Well, God of Time, right? It would be ageless, and accurate for when it is needed. Updating constantly, allegedly." The bluejay nods, making up assurances and staring at the Inevitable Mistake, "I'm sure he wouldn't send us after something useless."
Although a suspicion is creeping into his mind.
"Map!" Integrity is searching his documents for a map.
+THAT is an interesting variable that INTEGRAL C FACTFEATHER did not propose for consideration,+ the orb admits. Its clockwork eye scans up and to one side and a little crabclaw scratches beneath its lid thoughtfully for a moment. Ft-ft-ft-ft it goes as it floats, thinking. +Hmmm. We don't have sewers on EQUILIBRIUM. Hmmmmmmm...+
+WELL.+ The orb swivels back to stare head-on (eye-on?) and raises its spindly, jointed rod-like arms in a shrug. +I think it's safe to say that whoever made the note would take environmental variables into account. It was put together by top men, after all. Top. Men.+
+In fact--+ a claw comes up to point at each and all in turn-- +I'm so confident, I'm willing to bet your lives on it. And remember: this is for NAVOS HIMSELF.+ It points towards the sky.
The orb then swoops down, closest now to Aelwyn, and a claw raises up close as it side-eyes and whispers conspiratorially. +(I think it's pronounced drag-on not drag-oon. Just so you know.)+
Then, it points at Jay. +The map is ME! I have an UNERRING SENSE OF DIRECTION!+
Lulu puffs herself up and preens happily at Jozi's estimation. "Hoo!" she says, as if to mean 'why yes, I -am- a good girl, everyone says so!' For his part, Dirk is just... staring at the orb. Then he looks down at the grate. Then back to the orb. "Navos is all well an' good," he grunts. "But I was raised tae follow the Green Word. An' as anyone can tell ye, nature is -timeless-." He pauses, then looks back down at the grate. "Damn it, I already -had- a bath this week," he mutters. He sighs heavily, shaking his head. "A'right, let's get this done." He looks back to the orb. "Lead the way, Master Unerring Sense o' Direction. Just don't get us lost, or I'll have yer guts fer thunderbelcher parts."
Slixvah is a bit busy cooing over Lulu, her chirping quiet little bird twitters to her before righting herself, attention drifting back to further explanations shown.
She's got a lot of words she wants to say, but instead she just shrugs her shoulders and puts her hands into the pockets of her robes. "At least gravity is unerring. Like a marble. You're shaped like one, we could roll you if it don't pan out. Praise be Navos, mhmm mhmm," she bobs her head twice. "Let's get this outta the way, hit up the bathhouse, and have a nice drink to forget about it."
+Hah! 'Guts!'+ The little orb balks. +If I had guts I'd make poos! If I made poos we'd need sewers on EQUILIBRIUM. I have no guts!+
+Also, I'm scared.+ Its arms dangle down at its side and it looks down. +So please go first. I will point from where it's safe--+ the claws come up to make a bracket-- +in the middle.+
Aelwyn's firey eyes turn towards the metal orb when it spins by him and corrects him. He leans closer and reaches upwards with his hands. A low growl escapes his throat. "Dragoon." There is an intent stare, and he slowly raps his fingers across the orb's surface. "... just so the tin eye knows." The draconian rolls his shoulders, takes in a deep breath and carefully follows after Dirk, pulling his Glaive onto his shoulder and a javelin off his back onto another.
"Mother, grace our wits." Jozi whispers. <yrch-speak>
With a smile, almost maternal, she steps near the Outsider to reassure him with a, "Ya won't be alone, sugar, take heart."
She draws up at the sewer's entrance, turning her dark-tunes eyes into it's depths, then starts to descend without gagging.
Too much.
Integrity glances around, specifically looking for the guard who has mercifully vanished. He nods once a the orb, "Right. No Map. Keep you safe."
He stares at the grate, at the darkness, a Jozi descending, then back at the orb. "Have you come up with a search pattern or are we retracing your steps?"
Nemori feels the need to point out, "If it has no guts, I imagine that means it has no heart, either. I would prefer we not suggest to it that it take one." With a grimace that shows she is about as excited as Dirk or Jay to be entering the stench filled underbelly of the city, she straightens her hat once more and then follows Jozi in through the opening.
Lulu is simply overjoyed at all this wonderful attention. She hoo-hoo's and click-clacks her beak happily at Slixvah. But her grouchy old master ends the fun by turning away from his comrades and back to the grate. "No guts an' no heart -also- implies no -brains-," he grunts. "Dana's -teats-, I hate goin' underground." He really -is- from a black sheep clan, isn't he? He doffs his cloak, rolling it up and tucking it into his pack. The last thing he needs is to trail that through sewage. Then with a heavy sigh, he slings his thunderbelcher in his back-holster and starts clambering down the ladder, into the dismal depths of the dookie.
Jay watches the grate, "Middle right, +Mistakes!+? So, we have the mammals up front, you should go now, then the peoples of the nests."
The ladder is relatively clean and sturdy with only the edges of the rungs caked with grime and algae. A scant few of the anchorpoints have begun to work themselves loose from the brickwork but that only manifests as the occasional, quiet rattling squeak. The air feels thicker in the topmost tunnels but there's enough light coming through various grates that even human-eyes could see unaided. The smell is worse (of course) but you find a narrow path abutting the wall at the base of the ladder.
A lazy sludge is a short stumbling fall away and you can hear larger volumes of water running distantly in the muted echoes through the tunnels. +I understand idioms,+ the inevitable advises Nemori. +Some of my best friends are idioms. This is also no time for surgery.+
The eye squints closed in a close approximation of a smile at Jozi's reassurances and then it flutters quickly down the hole, waving a claw for the egalrin to follow. +No time for getting hung up on specifics, INTEGRATIONS!+
Joining the others at the bottom, the inevitable turns one way and then the other. +Alright,+ it begins, considering the group. +Very important person,+ it reminds them, tapping its spheroid body. +I have to survive this so I can enjoy my parade after.+
It concentrates a moment and the plated lids pull back, its clockwork eye rolls up, and it starts to vibrate. There's a brief moment and one of its clawed hands shoots up, jointed limb ramrod straight and pointing deeper into the tunnel. +That way!+
The squeaking doesn't bolster Jozi's optimism, but as the handholds don't yield a discernible amount under her weight, it doesn't scuttle it overmuch, either.
As her boot touches down at the bottom, and she edges to the side to make room for the others, scanning along to see if anything is lurking in close charging distance.
She blinks at the Inevitable's parade remark, but starts to head forward as it points off to the first leg of their journey.
Still adjusting to the rank atmosphere, she doesn't trust herself to speak just yet.
Integrity has a cloak, which he is very carefully fitting his wings under and tying it closed, an effort to minimize featherbrushing the walls clean. "Okay, well, let's go." He flexes his talons, glances at Slix and Aelwyn, then heads down. Fixed avian features prevent obvious expressions of disgust at the smell or the squish underfoot. He keeps his beak closed, warily glaring around.
Slixvah snorts, her pulling up a veil and a couple of fabrics as she pretends that the smell wasn't so terrible. "Not /all/ the mammals to the front, yeah?" she snickers, looking at the dragoon and his equipment as well as the others. She clambers on in, releasing halfway off the ladder as her wings catch the rest of the air.
"I like your ribbons," she tries to say without gagging towards Aelwyn, her pulling one of the many ones off of her wings and muttering an incantation on it. It lets off a soft white light as she raises it up. "I gotcha boys and gals, we can seeeee."
She chuffs, sounding like a sith-makar with that. "Yeah, sure sure, get ya a fancy parade and all that."
GAME: Slixvah casts Light. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
Nemori does briefly lift an arm to put her sleeve to her nose for a moment after reaching the bottom and following Jozi's example of making room for the others, closing her eyes and looking as though she were steeling herself. Then she drops the arm, letting it rest on the hip opposite the hilt of her rapier. Aside from from the occasional flaring of her nostrils, she refrains from commenting further on the smell. She does open her mouth to say -something-.. then thinks better of it, closing her mouth, sealing her lips, and starts walking behind Jozi.
The short sith-makar - extremely reluctantly - follows after the other non-mammals, now stuffing something herbal into his makeshift mask of sorts. He turns towards Slixvah at the compliment - and then his eyes widen slightly at the sudden light. "... hers are quite impressive as well. Perhaps we could share later?" There would be a grin, but it is all dutifully covered in the silk.
"... the tin eye was here for a month. In a month one can map plenty things in memory." The Dragoon speaks - though mostly to himself. He was definitely positive they weren't going to get lost down here. "Sky, have faith in the tin eye." _Definitely_ positive.
Dirk settles down on the causeway running next to the foul river. He draws his thunderbelcher, racking the slide and holding it at the ready as he peers around. "Urkk." That's about all he has to add to the conversation. The smell is doing nothing to help him. Even his people's legendary stamina can't keep the rumblies from his tummy. "I -had- tae have the extra spicy gobber curry fer lunch," he groans softly. He peers at the orb, then the direction it points. "Right," he says. "Let's get this done, yeah?"
+I am not tin!+ The orb stops concentrating and its eye rolls back down, its claws going back to its spheroid form. +I am composite manifestation of NAVOS' will and pure universal truths/laws.+ Ft-ft-ft-ft. It swivels and twists its arms, as if trying to eye itself. +It's supposed to look like brass, I think..!+
+If I complete my first three missions successfully I'm upgraded to a pearlescent finish. There's also rumors that NAVOS gives you a little peck to say 'thanks' and 'job well done.' The lower lid raises wistfully and it makes a sound as if sighing. +... I hope that's true.+
+Anyway!+
The inevitable again begins to vibrate as it resumes its divinations. The claw snaps back up to point ahead. +Time to earn your money, meat-things!+
Continuing to be the mammal end of the spear, Jozi does flinch a bit as the light spell forces her eyes back to their daytime workings, but she stifles the accompanying grunt. Instead, the half orc turns her head slightly to the side normally veiled by her peekaboo bangs and remarks, "Anyone but me got any healin magic? Ain't sportin a whole lot myself." with only a slightly odd note in her voice.
GAME: Slixvah rolls survival: (7)+3: 10 GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (12)+11+2: 25 GAME: Aelwyn rolls perception: (14)+1: 15 GAME: Jay rolls survival+4: (12)+4+4: 20 GAME: Jay rolls perception+4: (11)+14+4: 29 GAME: Jozi rolls perception: (13)+9: 22 GAME: Jozi rolls survival: (19)+9: 28 GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Nemori rolls survival: (15)+3: 18 GAME: Dirk rolls Survival: (16)+9: 25 GAME: Dirk rolls Perception: (4)+9: 13
"I like your ribbons too!" Jay tells Slixvah, late to the compliments party. His head turns towards +Mistakes!+ "I could give you a little peck, say, 'job well done'. Wouldn't be the same though, right?
"I'm a lawyer, the only connection I have to healing is notarizing a doctor's bill." He answers Jozi.
Slixvah's wings shift a bit and flutter as she nods to Aelwyn. "Mhmm! Take ya up on that, Flutter."
She watches Tin bob and bounce and chirp. "... eyyy +Mistakes+, this statement is false."
She raises a hand. "Oooh, I do! Don't worry sugar, I gotch'ya'lls! Got enough ta spare for all ya's plus a lil' bi' mo'! Thankfully ain't nothin' 'round 'ere. Right? Right?"
A glance towards Jay, he winks. "Thanks, Blue."
Aelwyn turns to look at the rolling orb with a very nonplussed look. "Pearlescent. The brassy eye should try not to burn itself." Or cover itself in... whatever is flowing down here. There's an audible gurk, as he feels a familiar taste of his lunch coming up.
The ribbon compliment elicits a response from the ruddy scaled draconian too. "Honored, Bird-man."
"I suggest doing your best not to get hurt," Nemori advizes Jozi, though her hand does stray to tap a pocket at her hip a few times. "It would be best not to come to rely too strongly upon that kind of aid regardless. She hurries a step forward, putting a little more distance between herself and Slixvah's animated light magic.
Still allowing her bangs to shield her eyes, the half-orc clucks her tongue at the advice and shrugs. With Slix's assurance of having a full quiver, so to speak, she flashes a quick thumbs up, "Good ta know."
Ahem, "Mistakes? We got any turns comin up?
+ALL the turns! Four left ones, at least!+ Mistakes answers the yrchblood with a voice of animated excitement not reflected in its rigid arm-pointing and stiff fluttering at the center of the group. +And, no, INTREPID...Y--+ (was that right?) +it is best we keep our relationship strictly professional. LAW and JUSTICE get muddled in passions... plus, I don't think our parts are compatible.+
The journey continues, the orb babbling away and nixxing any chance of sneaking and passing through the tunnels unnoticed. It also seems completely oblivious to the surroundings as it serves as a sort of ambulatory dousing rod. Aelwyn and Nemori pull wrangling duty, making sure the inevitable doesn't just fly off blindly into walls or cascading waste slurries from above as it points and jabbers.
Jozi and Dirk, both, sort out hazards along the journey and save the crew bumps, bruises, and thorough soilings. Most of the tunnels on the higher levels have narrow paths to either side of the flowing muck but few are well maintained!
Jay and Slixvah espy lurking predators on the direct routes and help to divert the group's advance, locating detours that steer clear of slow-moving oozes and territorial otyughs. These creatures aren't particularly dangerous to a skilled adventuring group but they're part of the sewer's odd ecosystem and best left alone.
There's some doubling-back when the passages are barred. Once, after its straight arm had been drooping steadily downward, you found yourself at an intersection with Mistakes pointing straight down into the awful, murky sewage, spiraling down a wide drain. The vote was unanimous to find another paths. That was more than two ladder-descents ago!
Now you're deep, deep down. The smell is worse but the heat has given way to a damp cool. The sound of running water is loud; voices don't carry far. The walls are no longer brick or rusted plates of metal. It's all roughly hewn stone. The pathway appears to be split between wading through muck and rotting and forgotten wooden planking.
+It's a shame we missed the sewer gnomes!+ Mistakes opines, now pointing straight across once more. To the south and east. +They walk on stilts! VERY unfriendly. But those stilts are neat! And stilt houses, too! Above the poos!+ Ft-ft-ft-ft. +... I guess you could say they are a very stilted people! But I think we're close!+
Dirk trundles along, his knuckles white around the stock of his thunderbelcher. His face gets redder and redder the more the inevitable drones on and on. "Beards o' me sweet tapdancin' fathers, this is worse'n that bloody pixie," he growls. His voice rises up to a shrill sing-song. "Hey! Listen! Hey! Listen! Och, I'd rather be puttin' up wi' -that-, I'll warrant." He swings out an arm, his foot poised over a bit of dodgy stonework. "Don't step here," he says over his shoulder, before choosing a firmer route.
Down and down they go. At least the heat fades away. If only the smell would as well. As they pass from worked stone to hewn earth, the burly ranger can't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. "How far down do these earthworks -go-? Och, a sewer only needs tae go to the nearest river, dunnit? Why divert all the shit down' -here-?"
GAME: Jay rolls knowledge/history: Trained Use Only: 0 GAME: Jay rolls knowledge/local: (10)+10: 20
"I would have thought you would be more at home down here, Dirk," Nemori says, her tone somewhat shaped by the lengthening time spent down here. Not that she seems bothered by the closed in walls or the developing caverns in and of themselves... maybe it reminds her of things. "Would your people not dig deeper and deeper as they found need for more room, or followed a lengthy seam of gold or some such in their endless hunt for metals?" So it's maybe a very narrow picture of what dwarves do in their mountain homes. She kicks at a loose bit of rock.. more like gravel.. sending it splashing into the mirk. "Perhaps this city is merely one city built upon the corpse of another. Or perhpaps there are things that have taken residence, here, and have been carving out their own territory."
Quietly, mostly doe to her nose and stomach still amidst 'spirited negotiations', Jozi helps Dirk steer the group past trouble spots here and there, catching some he missed, even as he does her own oversights.
After the retracing, and descents, and her stomach has been willed into some submission, she trusts herself to speak, "That's my feel on it, Nemmy. Different ideas on sewage just stacked on top of each other."
"Oh! Oh! I looked into that!" The bluejay chirps cheerfully. Birds are seldom heard underground, except when they are canaries in a coal mine. Currently, Integrity is neither, and is more likely to announce a suffocating gas with silence than an unexpected song.
"Alexandria has been on this site for over a thousand years. It's been built, rebuilt, and built up. This isn't so much a sewage infrastructure as the Old City repurposed. Otherwise it would be absurd, to have plumbing infrastructure that goes deeper than the tallest mountains."
"In Blar, they're strictly off limits. They contain state secrets!" He continues, selecting the treacherous rotten planks as a platform, "I thought it might be an administrative effort, keep sending adventurers into the sewers until they get the message of what the city _really_ thinks of them, but no, it's a prior civilization they lost control of."
"Also there used to be an immense summoning circle, but the abjuration against teleportation broke that." Jay says, "Allegedly."
Slixvah's chirping quips and twittering attitudes die down as the stench grows heavier. The lit ribbon fluttering on the apex of her tucked wings while one hand has both her nose hole clamped shut. She ushers the folks away from the suspicious paths and locals.
She hops over a rock Dirk points out, her slowing a bit. "I dunno babes, could woulda benna lotta stuff, yet in the end, it still smells like-"
She just gestures.
"Alright, +Mistakes+, where it at?"
A glance to Jozi. A pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, sounds right, stay on your toes."
A brief wind of fresh air passes by.
She listens to Tegri's explanation. Makes a 'huh' sound. "... that's pretty coo' actually."
Dirk grumphs at Nemori. "-Some- dwarves do, aye. Mostly those stuckup twerps up the mountain. -My- family have always been woodsdwarves. We prefer the forest an' the cool green shade over the stark, bare rocks. Ye cannae eat -rocks-." He considers an odd patch of bio-luminescent algae clinging to one such stretch of rock. "I mean, I suppose ye -can-, but there's easier ways tae get minerals in yer diet." Tegri's brief lecture on Alexandria's history has the old snowbeard grumphing again. "Well. Fascinatin'," he says. Lulu flutters her wings, hoo-hooing softly. She seems to find the story -quite- interesting. Or maybe it's just because it's delivered by a fellow avian. She does seem quite curious about his plumage. She twists her head to hoo-hoo-hoo at Dirk. He rolls his eyes with a sigh. "No, Lulu, I -don't- think ye'd look nice wi' blue feathers," he grunts.
Aelwyn has grown even more and more quiet the further the group went down. Though, his sense of guiding Mistakes around the sewers seemed to involved jabbing the floating eye with a javelin. So there was a bit of sound coming from him! Someone nearby him may have noticed that he has been breathing very slowly in for quite a while. Or not at all.
+This looks VERY familiar! Gird your underplating!+ The orb stops and puts its two open claws together in a rough diamond-shape. +GIRD ME, FATHER NAVOS!+ Orange-red runes appear in the air around the sphere and CLUNK into place across his form. He then lifts a claw that spins and reshapes itself into a straight-edged sword appropriate for its tiny size.
Ft-ft-ft-ft it goes, flying towards one exit. +Hmmm.+ Ft-ft-ft-ft to the next. +Hmmmmmm.+ Ft-ft-ft-ft it turns back and forth between the two. It concentrates briefly and the still-claw jerks up, splitting the difference to point at the wall in between.
+Well..!+ The orb pivots and tosses a claw back behind it. +I don't think the planks are up to code going that way...+ Then it stabs towards the sludge-lined otherway. +But you'll probably smell for weeks if you have to swim through that..?+
+... if we met the sewer gnomes they'd probably let you borrow their stilts.+
Nemori's narrowed eyes consider Mistakes, then she looks at the others, pointing in the southward passage. "I would not trust the planking, especially not with our dwarf friend along. This way, I may have something that can help. Most of us."
The touch and brief flash of fresh air warrant a little smile and, "Thanks, sugar."
As Dirk clarifies his familiar haunts, Jozi nods, imagining they might have some interesting conversation sometime, though out loud she notes, "I dunno, sugar, I think she'd be pretty as a pitcher."
As Mistakes begins to speak, she translates his first remark as, "Think he means tighten yer britches, ya'all."
Her eyes track the Invevitable's traverse from exit to exit with slightly, if incrementally diminishing enthusiasm, then looks down at her skirt, "This'll suck."
Slixvah watches the floating orb, her bobbing her head and pulling out a wand. A swish, a flick, a "Raomr pu!" and a woosh. Girded!
She rubs her beak, looking to the options before them before looking to Neomri. "Oh? What'cha got, Mori? I like ideas. Especially one's that might get 'round this stinky mess."
GAME: Slixvah used a Wand of Mage Armor. GAME: Nemori casts Water Walk. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16
Aelwyn doesn't even stop to question Nemori before he stands besides her. He would give a graceful nod, but this time around it just was more - nod nod get us out of here - kind of nodding. He gives a really long look towards the flying orb in the meanwhile.
<OOC> Nemori says, "Alright. I'll hit myself, Aelwyn, Jozi, Dirk and Jay with the spell. 50 minutes duration. So it will probably take us 51 minutes to get where we're going."
"I think Lulu would look good in blue, and black, and little white." The rather dramatically feathered l-eagal egalrin says, turning to look at the Mul'niessa, "I'm for whatever Lady Nemori has in mind."
Supportive! The C is for... umm... concur!
He clacks his beak, "So, +Mistakes!+ were there aggressive people where you lost your note, allegedly. Were they the sewer gnomes? Since you asked us to plate our posteriors, do you know what's coming?"
Alliterations. He's been hanging around Bob too much.
"Gnomes are always aggressive," mutters Nemori, before she pulls the token out of her pocket and.. doesn't quite brandish it as she focuses her thoughts upon it. She closes her eyes, speaks a few words in an almost song-like manner, then touches everyone in turn. Save Slixvah. There's no immediate, noticeable effect.. not until one ventures onto a less than solid surface. "This will keep us from stepping into the... shit... as Slixvah would say, for a time." She looks almost apologetically at the egalrin hex bringer. "Someone will have to carry you.. though I doubt you will lack for volunteers." Then, as if to prove the magic, she temporarily takes the lead and moves into the southward passage, deliberately stepping to the muck.
Should the magic work, her footsteps will fall to an inch or so above the surface.
Slixvah cocks her head to the side, watching Nemori for a moment as the spell goes off. A feathered brow raises. And she deflates for a beat.
Then perks right back up. "Oh that's a brilliant plan, hon!" she coos, hands on her hips. "Yeah yeah! Who wants to carry me?"
Her attention settles on Aelwyn, Jozi, and Tegri.
Those eyes belie she's grinning like mad.
+There were hostile things EVERYWHERE!+ Mistakes answers Jay, gesturing in a big circle with his fancy little ultra-shortsword. It raises a clawpoint. +Skullfaced, flying squid that talks like people.+ Another clawpoint. +That big cubey acid thing that we saw earlier. I saw him so often I named him! Sizzle-square. He followed me all over the place.+ Or the inevitable was going in circles. Its wrist pivots a half-circle so he can use one of his two clawpoints again. +A swarm of batlike bats.+ The second point repurposed as a fourth. +A group of people without faces talking about infiltrating the aristocracy. I'd asked them if they could introduce me to Alex Sandria and then they started throwing ROCKS at me!+
The orb stops and the eye rolls around in thought, tink-tink-tink tapping its sphere like one would a chin. Or a beak. +The gnomes actually weren't that bad. If you make, say, a graph--+ it draws a vertical and horitzontal line-- +and then chart things based on physical violence on one axis and civility/demeanor on the other...+
It's just going to keep talking until folks are ready to move on.
+Probably somewhere in the center? They did throw a spear at me. But I think they'd mistaken me for squidy-skullface.+ He's idly watching Nemori cast her spells now. +Did I mention the grafito that came to life? I think it was jealous of my perfectly pristine plating.+
Jozi watches Nemori for a few moments, curious at first, though she doesn't take any preventive means toward the Mul'niessa's touch. She waits until the explanation is given, and she gives a little smile and a warm, "Thanks, sugar!"
She glances to the others, then, "I gotcha, sugar, hop on." as she turns her back and sinks into a horse stance before Slixvah, "Just mind the quiver, if ya would?"
Slixvah chuffs. "Oozes, gnomes, and bats, oh my!" she comments to the orb before her attention shifts to Jozi.
She perks up. There's a taker! "'course dah'ling!" she coos, skipping over and hopping up to catch a piggy back ride. "Oh I love what you did with your hair, hon."
She latches on with both arms, and wings stay tucked in firmly.
Lulu twists her head around at all the wonderful, lovely, kindly folk around her affirming her fashion choices. She ends by twisting her face back to Dirk and hoo-hoo'ing. The dwarf rolls his eyes. "A'right, -fine-. We'll go an' get yer feathers did," he grumbles. "But I -still- say blue's a poor choice. Ye look so much cuter in white an' brown." He looks between their two choices of route with a sigh. "If I tread on those planks, they probably won't hold me, leave alone the rest of us," he says. He looks mournfully at the sludgy path. "Welp. Suppose it was bound tae happen eventually." He lifts a foot, prepared to take the plunge, but then Nemori is there working her magic. He boggles slightly, then gingerly steps out. He finds himself floating well out of muck-range, and he rumbles with laughter. "Har! Well, isn't -that- clever! I have tae get me some o' -this-!" He bounces up and down on the balls of his feet a couple times, before he turns to start ambling down the path. His spirits are considerably lifted!
"I Do! I do! I will! Will!" Jay bawks loudly, fluffing up under his cloak. "None of you offer! No, Not you! You don't know how to handle an egalrin!"
He hops eagerly over to Slixvah, flapping at Jozi and preening -carefully-, this is the sewers after all. Standing tall. "I'm ready!" He's ready.
"I'll carry you." He'll carry her, as long and as far as she wants.
Except he's too late.
"I'll scout ahead!"
Aelwyn stares at Nemora when his scales get touched, then tilts his head. When the spell's intention comes clear, there is an audible exhale - and then a gagging sound. "Hrnh. Gratitude. A murder has been avoided." The draconian says after a moment of gathering himself, then looks over to Slixvah and Jozi. "Safe ride." He offers with not at all grin, before with a bold - but not too bold - step, he follows the others onto the muck.
Jozi hesitates to bring one of her hands up to secure Slix on her back as Jay's offer is redirected toward scouting. She whispers "Mother, guide your bravechild." softly in her mother tongue and gently clasps his shoulder a moment with a little smile.
She relents on that momentary touch, then makes sure she has a good grip on Slix before rising to her full height in time for her compliment, "Thanks sugar! I saw it in Myr once an I just had ta see how it looked!"
Once the weight's been felt for equilibrium, the half-orc ventures out into the wild poo yonder.
She's glad she didn't bring her sandals on this trip.
GAME: Jozi casts Guidance. Caster Level: 2 DC: 12
Only a madman who wanted to see stalwart mercenaries wade through filth-ridden wastewater would be disappointed by Nemori's clever preparedness. The sludgey stuff at the top bobs and burbles over the thinner, faster-moving water beneath. Occasionally, a fractured and waterlogged bit of planking surfaces briefly before sinking back down. All-in-all, it's a whole heap of unpleasantness best left unexperienced.
+So. I've come to a decision.+ Mistakes keeps to the middle of the group, fast-turning this way and that unnecessarily with the sword raised. It up-tempos the beating of his wings occasionally but it doesn't seem to get tired. +When we finish our quest and I get my parade you can all walk with me. And if they give me those fancy, long sashes or too many medals I'll let those of you I REALLY LIKE carry them.+
It's not a long walk. It just feels long. Left turn. Right turn. Zig-zag.
The tunnel goes wider and the water's pace seems to speed up. Actually, it's that there's less sludge atop and the stuff beneath is flowing quickly towards yet another drain. Slixvah's light spills onto the gream dome of a room that has most of its wooden planking intact around a wide, raised lip of rusted steel. Either through the magic of the spell or racially-keen peepers, the group is able to pick out the scattered, fallen forms of tiny humanoids of tattered clothes. A few still have stilts strapped to their little feet.
+NAVOS, NO, NOT THE GNOMES!+ Mistakes laments at the top of its... volume... ability. A sword and claw shoot towards the heavens in despair. +OH, NO! LOOK AT THEIR LITTLE STILTS! THE HORROR!+
GAME: Jay rolls stealth+4: (13)+11+4: 28 GAME: Jay rolls perception+4: (2)+14+4: 20 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11+5: (19)+11+5: 35 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11+5: (3)+11+5: 19 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11+5: (1)+11+5: 17 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d6: (5): 5 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3: (3): 3 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8: (7): 7
Up through a break in the planking near one of the gnome corpses floats a thick, reddish mist. Is speeds across the planks hungrily, rising up to overtake Jay. It's only there for a moment but the bluejay's feathers turn a darker color as the blood is pulled through his skin into the hungry little cloud.
GAME: Jozi rolls perception: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d6: (1): 1 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3: (2): 2 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8: (1): 1
The grim tableau doesn't rattle the half-orc mount, but it does bring her humor to a sort of solemn reserve, "Mother show mercy to these carried by the Fieu f Tears....Jozi" <yrch-speak>
Sinking some into that wide crouch, Jozi lets Slix slip down before she moves toward-
"Jay!" her pace gains urgency as the mists, for she sees a second bubbling up even now, "Got another one comin, get behind me!" and balls up her fists to bring her Orcish Claws into a combattive posture.
Just in time to get smacked...
There's a slight wobble to her stance, and she looks a mite paler, "Wuah...!"
GAME: Dirk rolls Perception: (20)+9: 29 GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged-2: (18)+7+-2: 23 GAME: Dirk rolls 1d12+4: (9)+4: 13
Dirk gapes as rusty red clouds of -stuff- start rising up from the floorboards. And start swarming around his comrades, and drinking their blood via osmosis alone. "Beards o' me fathers!" he gasps. He whistles sharply three times through his teeth and points. "Go Lulu! Flank 'em!" he barks. Lulu hoo-hoos, lofting from Dirk's shoulder and fluttering over to one of the misty clouds. Although she isn't exactly sure what to -do-, at least she's able to provide some harrying for the team. Meanwhile, Dirk steps up and lifts his thunderbelcher. "This is probably a waste of ammo, but..." CHK-BOOM! The mist swirls as his bullet cuts through it. "Did that -work-?" he wonders as he racks the slide.
GAME: Nemori casts Spiritual Weapon. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d20+5+3: (9)+5+3: 17 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+1: (2)+1: 3
Nemori is certainly no hero. She's more than happy to stay well to the back, following only so far as to give herself a better view of the circular 'room'. She frowns at what she sees.. no, it's more of a half-snarl, her lips parting just enough to show a line of white. Her token still grasped in her free hand, she raises it up and summons a larger version of the rapier still at her hip, translucent and rosey-hued, which slashes at the red cloud. "Perhaps you could tell us what these are, Mistakes?"
GAME: Slixvah casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+4: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Slixvah rolls 2d6: (10): 10
Slixvah looks back at Tegri's exuberance, and her crown feathers smoosh flat against her head. "Hey Integrity. Sorry babe. Give me a ride later, yeah?" she chirps over her shoulder towards him, intoned. <Auran>
She giggles, her humming back to the half-orc in a rougher tone, "Well it looks good on ya." <Yrch-Speak>
As they grow closer, her wing lifts up to shed the light a little higher. She squints. Then sighs. "... poor sods."
Things are happening. She's let down on a plank and is looking in-
"Aaaah shit," she huffs, rubbing her hands together. "Special Delivery!"
She inhales, gags, then coughs out. "KcFu OuY!"
Her wings beat, and there's no sound. But the mist's form gets buffed and disrupted like something localized is harrying it. The bird slips past, pulling out a dagger along the way as she flips it over in a hand.
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3: (1): 1 GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (13)+11+2: 26 GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (18)+9: 27 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3: (2): 2 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8: (4): 4
+I SPECIFICALLY remember this room being empty!+ Mistakes complains, flitting up one way and the other to get a better look into the room. +I took a break here! I thought 'my, that's a mighty big pipe--+ he gestures at the big drain dominating the south-east portion of the room-- +how big are their poos here!?+
It looks around at the joined chaos and surges ahead with its swordpoint at the fore. +YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!+ Ftftftftftftft the wings beat, carrying it over the pipe. It slashes at the cloud but the blade returns unbloodied.
A third fog creature roils up from beneath the planks, unobserved up to now. It slides against Slixvah, conjuring a feeling of pins-and-needles that turns to a mild burning as blood is pulled out through her pores.
GAME: Jay rolls weapon2+2: (7)+8+2: 17 GAME: Jay rolls damage2: aliased to 1d6+1: (5)+1: 6
A ride later, that's a promise!
In the immediate short term however, the thwarted egalrin must show up the half-oruch and be impressive. What better way than being reckless and brave? Despite his misgiving, his minor fear of the dark, he rushes ahead into it. A few steps in, at which point he slows down. No sense walking straight into rusty re-bar. The light catches up, he steps into the darkness again. Again. He's among the stilt-gnome bodies by the time Mistakes laments them.
The red mist rises up. He feels cold, blood staining his feathers. "I don't ... feel so good. I feel tired."
Jozi's command is heard, and he's moving towards it when he sees Slixvah threatened. "HEY! HEY! HEY! Get away from her!"
Integrity steps in and stabs at the misty mist. His rapier draw was smooth, the thrust somewhat clumsy, but the target is struck. A little bit of damage is done.
GAME: Aelwyn rolls weapon1: (8)+4: 12 <OOC> Jinks says, "If you add a +2 for flanking you'll hit. Roll damage." GAME: Aelwyn rolls damage1: aliased to 1d10+3: (8)+3: 11
Aelwyn was thinking his tearing eyes were starting to bleed when he saw those red foggy spots in the dark show up - but then they started touching people. The Dragoon (with an -oon, tin eye) grabs his ribbon covered glaive and wades into the middle of shit - somewhere besides Dirk and Slixvah. Making sure not to breathe in too deeply, he smoothly slides the blade down and cuts into the mess in front of them. For some effect.
"What is that? Are they even alive?" The sith-makar calls out, peeling back his glaive out of the others' way.
<OOC> Jozi says, "swift action judgement: smiting (makes all my weapons count as magic) then gonig wolvie berserk style on b" GAME: Jozi rolls weapon2-2: (15)+8+-2: 21 GAME: Jozi rolls weapon4-2: (2)+7+-2: 7 GAME: Jozi rolls weapon4-2: (15)+7+-2: 20 GAME: Jozi rolls 1d6+5: (3)+5: 8 GAME: Jozi rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7
Yeah.... not feeling good is right....
Sapped of some of her heartiness, but unwavering in the light of Heaven's Queen, Jozi shakes her head for a moment, then exhales a short, almost musical phrase of.... surpassing clarity.
"Great Mother, grace me with your wroth!" <Celestial>
A subtle warm, golden gleam suffuses the half-orcs weapons, discordant, if only just against the hue of the available light, and in a rush, with a more expected roar of orcish fury, her bladed gloves slash-and slash again- through the crimson cloud, causing it to listlessly sink to the ground as a new veneer.
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged-2: (13)+7+-2: 18 GAME: Dirk rolls 1d12+4: (10)+4: 14 <OOC> Jinks says, "Nemori!"
Dirk whistles through his teeth. "Don't let that stuff touch you, Lulu!" he hollers, drawing his bead on the misty cloud. CHK-BOOM! The bullet swirls through the cloud, causing the mist to rain down onto the flagstones and remain only as a rusty-colored smear. Dirk boggles a bit as he racks the slide. "Did... did I just kill a -cloud-?" he wonders aloud. For her part, Lulu isn't really sure what she should be doing. But owls are wise, and she's no exception. She flutters her wings, sending tiny little gusts of air to swirl the mist she's on. That'll show that mist!
GAME: Nemori spends ONE use of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Nemori rolls 3d6: (12): 12 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+5+3: (5)+5+3: 13
Nemori watches one of the mists settle and then.. fall apart at Dirk's last shot. Her expression is all concentration, and as her attention shifts to the mist assualting Slixvah, the floating weapon does as well, its flashing slash missing. Then she steps forward, opening herself up and filling with life-giving energy.. which she then releases in a pulse of faint slight. As the energy washes over the others, she staggers slightly, reaching out to the wall to hold herself up.
<OOC> Slixvah says, "Hex: Fortune on Jay. You get a reroll next turn but must decalre using it before rerolling."
Slixvah grinds her beak as she feels a pins and needles feeling crawl across her, the bird woman slumping against the gross wall. "... ah... shit, ya right, blut, this shit sucks. I can't fix that, but-"
Her attention wooshes over towards Nemori, her eyes wide. "Hey, you're gettin' the hang of it!" she cheers on before shifting over to Jay. "C'mon Blue, give 'em the stabb!"
She crosses her fingers behind her hand, and she makes a sawing motion with her dagger.
<OOC> Jinks says, "Mistakes will aid another to give Jozi a +2 on her next attack. It needs to hit an AC10" GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (4)+7: 11
+CHOMPSKI!? I THINK THAT'S CHOMPSKI!+ The inevitable just sorted one of the gnome corpses under the glow of Slixvah's spell. +WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?+
It begins to slash wildly at the mist, attempting to draw it's ire.
+AAAH! DISTRACTION! HOO! HAH! HYAH!+
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
Roiling low, the mist seems to be pulling between the cracks of the planking. Perhaps it's considering escape? For now it rolls ahead, caressing up Integrity's feet and legs, trying to settle in close enough to draw more blood. Thankfully, the egalrin is spry enough to jump back and avoid further drain.
GAME: Jay rolls weapon2+2: (3)+8+2: 13 GAME: Jay rolls weapon2+2: (18)+8+2: 28 (THREAT) GAME: Jay rolls damage2: aliased to 1d6+1: (5)+1: 6
"Yeah! Yeah! Attack me! I'll have you declared a vexatious litigant and you'll never..." Jay attempts a dramatic one liner and stumbles.
The blood mist does honour his request and attempts to flow over him. He lurches to the side.
"You'll never blood splatter again!" He thrusts, at first it seems his attack will go wild, but there's a shimmer of a spell, the other egalrin's fortunte taking effect.
And something else. A ghostly hand around his, a brief glimpse of another bluejay's feathers guiding his aim into a deadly strike.
There's something in the mists and he hit it.
GAME: Aelwyn rolls weapon1: (17)+4: 21 GAME: Aelwyn rolls damage1: aliased to 1d10+3: (2)+3: 5
Since those things do die, or at least deflate, Aelwyn continues doing what felt good the last time. That is to say, proudly smack at the red thing angrily from behind the bird people. "Keep at it, Bird-people!" The Dragoon calls out in encouragement to Jay - but he doesn't have much of success himself with the blade just thwacking at the mist with less satisfaction this time around.
GAME: Jozi rolls weapon2+2+2: (4)+8+2+2-2: 14 GAME: Jozi rolls weapon4+2: (7)+7+2-2: 14
Jozi, still full of righteous fury, calls an exultant, "Nice shot!" as Dirk makes sure of the mist.
In time for Mistakes to... what the...?
Despite the distraction put forward, the half-orc's claws whistle through empty air without biting against this other adversary.
A Blight without Pardon.
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3: (2): 2 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8: (2): 2 GAME: Dirk rolls ranged-2: (5)+7+-2: 10 GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged-2: (8)+7+-2: 13
Dirk whistles shrilly as he draws his bead. "Keep on 'em, Lulu!" The owl flutters, winging a broad arc around to come in on the mist from an oblique angle, before she resumes her wing-fluttering and mist-swirling. Take that, mist! Dirk squints down the barrel of his thunderbelcher, pulling back on the trigger. CHK-BOOM! This time, the shot goes wide. It doesn't whirl the mist even as much as Lulu is doing. "Aww, -shit-," he grunts, racking the slide and preparing for his next volley.
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d20+5+3: (7)+5+3: 15 GAME: Nemori casts Murderous Command. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+5: (14)+5: 19 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+1: (6)+1: 7
Nemori raises her token again, holding it before her as she tries to will her own hate and murderous impulses through it to the mist in the more central part of the room while her summoned blade continues its assault on the one between Jay and Slixvah. All of her hate and rage and wish to do harm seems to simply slip through the mist, however, unable to penetrate its probable zen state.
<OOC> Slixvah says, "Hex: Ward Jay. Free action to prehensile hair and boop him with a feather."
Slixvah's eyes boggle at the sight before her, getting a full, lit view from her lit ribbon. She looks up to Jay, then quietly laughs. "Eyyyy, there ya go. Sis' got ya! Keep 'er in mind, boo!"
The knife twirls about on her fingers as her wing feathers unfurl like wound ribbons. Drifting behind her on an unseen breeze.
One zips forth like tape, the long feather brushing against Jay as the breeze from before grants a fresh breath of air. "Easy breezy," she winks, tossing her knife from one hand to the other.
<OOC> Jinks says, "Mistakes will assist again!" GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (10)+7: 17 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10
Mistakes clatters out of the air with a dull thump, landing on the narrow edge of the descending pipe with his tiny, ball-like body stabilized with his fluttering wings. Is continues to slash and swipe and stab, doing its best to draw the mists attention and create an opening for Jozi.
+Yes! Meat-thing! Employ those claws and pull apart this murderous precipitation! Avenge the sewer gnomes!+
Jay's partner continues to roll about his legs and feet, prickling and searching for exposed skin and a free meal.
GAME: Jay rolls weapon2+2: (4)+8+2: 14 GAME: Jay rolls damage2: aliased to 1d6+1: (6)+1: 7
"+Mistakes!+ Can you identify what these are, what hurts them, allegedly?" Jay calls to the Inevitable, followed by a "What?"
He didn't see the hand, even if he felt it, he was so focused on the blood-mist creature. An eagle-eye'd stare that isn't wavering now, despite how ill he's feeling. He's quick on his feet, evasive, and tries again for the solid-insubstantial thing he hit earlier.
His thrust is less elegant, but it's on point. He meets strong resistance. A solid poke.
GAME: Aelwyn rolls weapon1: (8)+4: 12
Aelwyn keeps doing the good old thing - though with a frustrated snarl, he misses his thrust with the glaive.
GAME: Jozi rolls weapon2+2+2-2: (1)+8+2+2+-2: 11 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Jozi rolls weapon4+2+2-2: (20)+7+2+2+-2: 29 (THREAT) GAME: Jozi rolls 1d6+4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d6: (5): 5
This is a tenacious .... whatever it is!
Jozi glances at Mistakes as he resumes his distracting antics, making a sharply arcing downward slice with one claw, nearly throwing her balance out of whack, when she recovers and comes back across with the other, against spray parallel stripes of blood along the floor, though not enough to discorporated it.
It, however, seems to be taking a toll on the Althean, now glistening with sweat over pale, clammy skin.
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (17)+7: 24 GAME: Jinks rolls d3: (6)+d3: 6 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3: (1): 1 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8: (1): 1
The exchange continues, Jozi taking a chunk out of the mist as the cloud continues to press into the oruch. She feels the suction again, like some giant leech taking its due. The blood leaves her body and joins the rest of the loose, coppery moisture.
GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged-2: (17)+7+-2: 22 GAME: Dirk rolls 1d12+4: (10)+4: 14 GAME: Dirk rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21 <OOC> Nemori says, "Moving to 14,13, converting to cast cure light on Jozi." GAME: Nemori casts Comprehend Languages. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+5: (8)+5: 13 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d20+5+3: (7)+5+3: 15 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+1: (4)+1: 5
With Jozi looking to be under a bit of strain from keeping the attention of one of the mists, Nemori grimaces. She really didn't want to get any closer to these things. But having people between you and danger doesn't work very well if those people fall over. So she creeps forward, her earlier magic keeping her thankfully above the muck and mire as she settles in behind the orc, drawing forth only a little bit of that healing power this time and infusing Jozi with it.
The slashing, ruby blade continues to attack.. this time the blade pierces deep into the core of the mist.
Slixvah's attention slides over towards Jozi, her about to send a feather ribbon that way before-
Ah, Mori's got it covered. Let's keep tipping that scale. The dagger flips over her knuckles and she presses her thumb down on the flat of it. She sticks her tongue out, slooowly pushing something down. "C'mon..." she whispers under her breath.
For a moment, it feels like Jozi found a spare silver in her pocket.
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+3: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (7)+7: 14 <OOC> Jinks says, "Mistakes does his electro discharge ability" GAME: Jinks rolls 3d6: (10): 10 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+4: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3: (2): 2 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8: (8): 8 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d6: (2): 2
+Uh... uh... they're not dying!+ Mistakes observes, rolling precariously on the edge of the pipe. The ball spins, eye rolling up to look at Jozi. +REMEMBER! You said you'd take care of me! DON'T leave me!+
Then there's a crash as it lands on the planks. There are quiet +hoo!+s and +hah!+s as it rolls in a serpentine across the ground. The mist lashes out, surprised (maybe?), and tries to find purchase on the sphere. It fails.
+This is gonna suck..!+ the little inevitable bemoans, his whole form shaking and whining until he explodes in a massive electrical shockwave. The mist closest to it and Jozi jerks, smoldering.
Mistakes doesn't move, leaning to one side with its spindly arms limp on the planking next to its scorched, spheroid form.
GAME: Jay rolls weapon2+2: (7)+8+2: 17 GAME: Jay rolls damage2: aliased to 1d6+1: (5)+1: 6
The bluejay's evasive dance carries him only so far. He steps badly, the mist touches his ankle. The world darkens, the edges creeping in around his vision. His feathers darken too. He's red and white! Just like Slix now, also black and blue.
"Yeah! Yeah! That's it. At me! At me!" He caws, his call weaker, his breathing heavier. "They can't die, Allegedly? They have to!"
"Wait..." he pants, "What happened to...?"
Integrity falls silent, his eyes glitter with focus and he reorients on the mist creature. Silent, efficient, he thrusts. He hits it.
GAME: Slixvah rolls 1d20+4+2: (16)+4+2: 22 GAME: Slixvah rolls 1d10+3: (3)+3: 6
Aelwyn twirls his glaive back and around, flowing from foot to foot as he passes it behind his back before jabbing it forward to rend a touch of the red mist.
GAME: Jozi rolls weapon2+2-2: (6)+8+2+-2: 14 GAME: Jozi rolls weapon2+2-2: (16)+8+2+-2: 24 (Fortune) GAME: Jozi rolls 1d6+5: (4)+5: 9 GAME: Jozi rolls weapon4+2-2: (17)+7+2+-2: 24 GAME: Jozi rolls 1d6+4: (2)+4: 6
Jozi was certainly looking a lot better before the fight started and, even under the warm glow of the Compassionate One's light, and that of Slix's arcane luminence she looks dreadfully pale.
The healing infusions of her fellows knight her wounds as it were, though she still seems drawn and rather beleaguered.
Feeling a stroke of positivity she can't put into words, the half-orc lunges forward with her claws anew, redistributing arterial plunder from the cumulus curmudgeon, with her second stroke depriving the hateful thing of it's buoyancy.
Even as it spreads alng the floor, she pants a strained, "Th-thanks, sugar... needed that..."
She forces in a stronger breath, and moves into the breach as it were, to prevent the last murderous mist of having an avenue of escape.
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d20+5+3: (10)+5+3: 18 GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+1: (6)+1: 7 GAME: Nemori spends ONE use of CHANNEL ENERGY. GAME: Nemori rolls 3d6: (5): 5
The animated weapon stabs one last time before it fades away, leaving no evidence of its presence while Nemori once more channels the divine. With no wall to support her afterwards, she nearly falls over, barely managing to keep to her feet.
GAME: Slixvah rolls feather slap+2: aliased to intelligence+BAB+2: (10)+4+2+2: 18 GAME: Slixvah rolls 1d3+6: (2)+6: 8
Slixvah blinks as Mistakes basically blows up. "Uh... any of yall know a- ah shoot, I wish Robby Bobby was here."
She shakes her head, tendrils of ribbon-like feathers coiling and braiding together as one wing rises.
Then falls in a fell crash against the mist. "Oh /come on/, die already!" she complains.
A shift to Tegri. "... Tegri, sugar, you don't look so good."
<OOC> Jinks says, "The mist can go through a 1" gap without having to squeeze. It will withdraw under the planking and vamoosh."
Perhaps taking Slixvah's cue, the mist pushes down through the gaps, cracks, crevaces, and missing boards in the planking. The creature pushes up against the top of the water and then seems to ride its surface, surging beneath the floor and appearing in the drainage swirl for just a moment before disappearing down to another, yet lower level.
Nemori breathes deeply.. which is unfortunate, considering the smell down here. Very unfortunate. But she's manages to get this far without gagging, and keeps from doing so this time by covering her mouth with her sleeve and coughing into it. She briefly looks at the unmoving form of Mistakes, but there are greater concerns at the moment. Namely members of the small group of people she would actually miss if they were gone. "Integrity," she says, joining Slixvah's concern. "Be careful. It may yet return."
Integrity is holding a fierce, martial pose that seems entirely unlike his skills. His head tracks as he follows the movement of the blood-mist, trickling down through the planks. Into a tiny, 1" gap, which he stabs at, to no effect. He's frozen, a glare like he's calling down unholy hell, or holy might.
Nothing happens.
His pose relaxes, and then he slumps, staggering and catching himself against the wall, half fallen. Beak open, he looks to his side, "Slix... are you all right? I ... yeah."
A timid glance at Nemori, is he weak enough to ask her for help? He blinks, his beak snapping closed. "Vampires can turn into mists, allegedly. Do you think the blood mists were vampires?"
He abandons his efforts to stand. Finally he admits weakness in front of the oruch, the mul'niessa, and the bird he's trying to impress. "I don't feel so good Tempty."
He shakes his head, "Lady Nemori."
Dirk slowly lowers his rifle as the mist things vanish. "Did... did we -win-?" he asks, looking boggled, perhaps even baffled. He blinks a couple times, then lifts a fist to his lips. He blows a soft hoot through his curled fingers. Lulu twirls a little circle and wings her way back over to his shoulder, settling down. "These poor gnomes," he says, looking sorrowfully at the fallen stilt-walkers.
Jozi sags, hands briefly curling about her kneecaps to brace after the mist pulls back. So much for sealing off escape, but... this..
Phew.....
This is... fine.
Jozi swallows and pushes her self back up to her full before reaching out to carefully clap the bluejay's shoulder, "Well fought, sugar."
She turns, then and suddenly shuffles toward the fallen Outsider with a, "Shit!" <yrch-speak>
A bladed hand rises toward her throat, her haste, the palsy of her fatigued limbs causing a dribbling nick at her throat that she ignores.
Fingers curling on the pendant hidden in her collar, she sinks to a knee and lays a hand on the inevitable's chasis, "Merciful Mother, please heal this noble child of Reos...!" <yrch-speak>
o O (Please work...!) o o .... she thinks.
GAME: Jozi rolls heal: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Jozi casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 2 DC: 13
Mistakes is a bit of a mess with its narrow arms limp like those on a marrionette with its strings cut. The bottom eyelid is up, the top jerking and jittering mostly-open. Its plated sphere of a body is scorched and scarred black as much as it shines brassy. A quiet, continuous static issues from the strange inevitable that tickles the ear.
Nothing seems to happen when Jozi offers her magic healing but she sorts out a weird pattern to the buzzing/scratching/blipping. It seems to go --- .-- .-- .-- .-- .-- .-- --- .-- .-- .-- .-- .-- .-- --- .-- .-- .-- .-- .-- .--
Slixvah can't help but stare at the stricken Eglarin, her slowly blinking as he swaps from cold and calculating, to falling over himself and held up by puppet strings. "... we need ta have a talk, Blue," she murmurs, stepping forward as her ribbon-like feathers, loop around under his arms to help hold him aloft with... surprising strength. "Ya did good. We'll get ya looked over. I'm good."
She looks over to the orb that's stilled. "Agh... shit. You need more, Jojo?" she offers, half guiding and holding Jay up as she walks around. The feathers held out like rigid ropes.
GAME: Jay rolls linguistics: (3)+8: 11
"I am ready to leave," Nemori states, not partaking of the congratulations of each other over a job well done. She moves over to Jozi and Mistakes, looking down at the winged orb. Her foot moves back, as if preparing to give the thing a swift kick.. but then she remembers herself. More precisely, she remembers the people here. The natures of some of them. So she puts her foot back down. "Well, we had best begin searching. And hope that this is the room it lost its message in."
Dirk squints at Mistakes as the mechanical creature twitches and brzrrps. "Went an' blowed hisself up, did 'e?" he says. "Hrm. Wonder if he -does- have guts? Could always use spare parts fer me thunderbelcher." He pauses for a moment, then shakes his head. "Nah. 'e might be a git, but he did help us. An' he's payin' us too." He looks up and around. "Can... can ye -fix- an inevitable? They're just livin' machinery, like a golem, nay?"
Integrity leans heavily on Slixvah as she helps him up. His eyes widen in panic, "We need to talk? But... we've hardly started a relationship."
This is how it ends. Do not take dates into the sewers. How could he have been so foolish! "I'm glad you're okay Slix."
The bluejay looks to the orb when she does, and cocks his head, listening. In his injured state it takes him closer to where the Inevitable is. "He's... recharging. Needs ... two minutes. No, two hours. Two hours, yes."
He exhales, "I'll carry him. He's our employer, I'm not much use for anything else right now. I'd like to go too but we have to find the note."
He looks at the little bodies. Those should be rescued. Why did they have to live down in the sewers. Can't carry them all, can barely stand. He waves at Jozi, "We should search, like she says."
GAME: Jay rolls perception+4: (16)+14+4: 34 GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (14)+9: 23 GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (2)+11+2: 15 GAME: Jozi rolls perception: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Dirk rolls Perception: (15)+9: 24 GAME: Nemori rolls knowledge/religion: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Nemori rolls bluff: (15)+7: 22
Slixvah can't help but laugh, a good hearty one that makes her gag from the smells in the cistern. "Oh Blue, don't worry, hon, nothin' serious." She pats him on the shoulder, giving him a side hug before letting him go once he has his footing. "Right, let's fine that thing. I wanna go too, but... stuff and things."
She sifts through the room, (Shiny, please finish those gloves!), her sighing and not finding much. "Ain't found nothin', but these dead guys seem like scavengers."
Nemori trails away from the others as she takes her own suggestion and that of the others, to begin looking for this so called 'message'. Despite not even knowing what form it might take. As she slowly wanders, she eventually responds to Jay's remark about vampires. "I have heard tales of such creatures," Nemori begins, drawing her rapier and stabbing one of the gnome corpses with a frown. Apparently she has little respect for the dead. At least, these particular dead. "Unable to take humanoid form, they hunger endlessly for the blood of the living. Once they have a taste of it, then hunt you to the ends of the world, to the end of time, having marked you forever." Then a grunt. "These are not gnomes. At least, they are not anymore. They seem to be part fungus."
On one knee, focused as she is on Mistake's state, Jozi doesn't catch the crisis of urge and application of bootery. She seems somewhat crestfallen that her spell doesn't have any discernable effect, "It's not working...!" she replies to Stilxvah's query.
It's as Jay makes his observation, her expression fades to some relief and she nods, "Thanks, sugar."
It takes her some effort to get back up, as drained as she is, her body really wants to take five, but... there's work to do.
"If yer sure ya can do it..." she says, then starts to move out to search the room.
After some time, and several victims, she sighs, leaning against the wall, "These.... folk... I think they been down here a while..."
GAME: Jay rolls sense motive: (3)+10: 13
Dirk rummages around the cistern, searching hither and yon for any sign of the lost list. Lulu does her best to help, hop-hopping along Dirk's shoulder and twisting her head back and forth, focusing her wide and unblinking eyes on the scene. He nods his head in agreement to Jozi. "Aye, yer right," he says. "Their eyes have changed, an' their ears are too large. Seems they've evolved a means of echolocation tae get about in the dark." He hunkers down by one of the bodies, looking quietly sorrowful. "Poor lads," he says. "What a dreadful way tae go, nay?" Lulu tips forward, hoo-hoo'ing in agreement with her master. He sighs softly. "May Dana bring ye tae shade an' sweet water," he says softly, before he rises back to his feet. "I'm nae seein' any sign o' the list, though. So... what now? That's the question, innit?"
Integrity's breathing and pupils return to normal. Bleeding through his skin and feathers is not a 'normal' injury he'd expect. He's also tired, feeling drained and sleepy. Slixvah can feel the weight of him, even though he tries not to lean too heavily on her. "Okay. Okay, thanks."
His moment of peace is short-lived, the mul'niessa's warning startling him to full wariness, "The end of time? Time? It will? I'm marked? We gotta leave as soon as we can."
And so, despite his proclamation of ineffectiveness he does join the search and is successful. At first he avoids the bodies, dessicated, fragile husks that were clearly the prey of the mists, pursued to the end of their time. This leads to fruitless examination of their habitat. Finally he returns to the crumbling corpses. He checks their pockets like someone who knows too much about doing that.
"I found it." He stands as the brittle body breaks. "I'm pretty sure I found it. Look."
He holds out a square object, wrapped in a brownish-black cloth that might have been a resuable bottom-wiper. Shuddering, he peels that off and flicks it away; Navos be damned if that's important. A metallic square with hinges that folds down into quarters is revealed. It looks like rose-gold. Carefully he unfolds it, revealing lettering on it which is white, and issues Light like the spell. As he shows it off, the letters shift between all the various languages he speaks, and then the languages of the group, as if the note is trying to make it decipherable.
It's a list of names.
"I suppose that could qualify as what we came to find..." Nemori offers, pulling her sword free from another gnome corpse. It looks like, for some reason, she's wanting to make sure they're dead. Or at least non-reactive. "I am read to leave, regardless, and further searching would be pointless without Mistakes to tell us if we are finished or not. I vote for a return to the surface." A return to civilization, baths. And.. there's one more thing. "Integrity... I know not what those creatures were, but they were nothing like what my texts told me of vampires. I doubt we would be walking out of here alive if they were."
Slixvah wasn't going to question wise elven wisdom, so she gets a little pep in her step as she tries to help speed this process up.
Then Tegri squawks something. "... huh. Looks fancy, yeah. Can totes say that it. Mori's got the right of it. I'd like ta bounce. Take a bath for half a day, all that jazz."
What /is/ jazz?
"I don't... like th'idea of leavin' them down here like this." Jozi notes from her section of wall with a frown, "But we can't carry them all out."
A pause, "There's also that last varmint ta worry about. We pull out, let's take us some detailed..."
She pauses, fatigue of her draining(?) making lengthy speeches a chore, "notes on the way back. Lead some Mourners back here ta see these folk laid ta rest proper."
Dirk nods his head. "Aye, let's get gone," he says. "There's naught more we can do fer these poor souls. If the Mourners can help 'em move on, then so much the better. But if I dinnae get some fresh air, I'm goin' tae shrivel up an' die." He looks down at himself. "And I need -another- bath. Gods -damn- it, I've already had one this week!" he grumbles.
"Yes. Yes. Let's get out of here before the water walking spell wears off." Jay says, glancing at Nemori again. She specified a duration... it's slipped his mind. "Okay, okay. Not a vampire but... something."
He slips the note safely away in his briefcase, which he never loses, then stoops and picks up Mistakes. Sheepishly, his feather crest raised just a bit, he eyes the other Egalrin, "You should go with Jozi again. I don't think I'm strong enough now and I wouldn't want to drop you in this. I'll give you a ride another time." It's a promise.
Grunting as he picks up the singed, brass orb and tucks in the various limbs and tiny blade, he looks at their backtrail, "Notes. Yes. We don't have to go all the way back, just up ladders until we can see sky and exit that grate."
Yes, a bath, a birdbath would be nice.
Nemori's lips twist into a not-quite-sneer as she hears Jozi, and she looks back at the dessicated 'gnomes'. "They are fungus. Whatever they might once have been, those have little need of proper funerary rites. At worst we would risk bringing a hazard back into the city. They are best left here to rot. But I agree.. we should assemble notes. It would be good for the guild to be aware of those mist creatures.. and of a potential infectious species in the sewers." Then she shrugs. "Or not." Not wishing to remain any longer, she takes her first steps towards the passage they all entered the chamber from.
It seems safe to assume that the enchanted and machined list of names is the note Mistakes so desperately wanted recovered. Sadly, the outsider remains (mostly) inert as the item is found and displayed by Integrity C Truefeather. The C is for Conclusions.
The path out of the sewers is as long and arduous as the one down. Maybe moreso with a good portion of the party sapped of their lifeblood and vitality. With so many skilled hands, however, it's inevitable and a group of this size scares off more attention than it draws.
Nemori's spell doesn't last forever, sadly, and it's wet boots and sloshing before the sky is back overhead. The smell lessens before it gets worse all over again. It's still hot even after nightfall. The flow picks up as a sultry evening's moisture overhead increases the drainage below.
The mourners can be notified, absolutely, but it seems the gnomes belong underground. It's a colony of fungi. Why break up the party?
Combatty
Map: https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mj71t3d24fc
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 2 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
23 Aelwyn 1 Flat-footed (2 rnd active)
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21 Brock 1
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>> 21 Jozi 4 <<
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20 Ash 1
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20 Dirk 1
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20 Nemori 1
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17 Slixvah 1
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15 Mistakes 1
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13 Misty 1
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9 Jay 1
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==============================================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Name | CHP (T) | HP |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Aelwyn........| 19 | 19 |
| Dirk..........| 42 | 42 |
| Jay...........| 22 | 30 |
| Jozi..........| 26 | 27 |
| Nemori........| 33 | 33 |
| Slixvah.......| 11 | 14 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dramatis Personae
Aelwyn, Runt of a Dragoon.
The Dragoon did not stood very tall. A bit of a runt for a Sith-makar, though his tall horns that stood straight up like devil's spires did lend his height few inches (and credibility) to reach at the very tip, six feet tall. Yet his body did not carry the proud musculature of a hardened beast nor the thick hide of a dragon forged in fire and inferno - his was far more suppler, more flesh like, with shades of purple from the fringes tinging into the dusk red of the autumn. His tail was thin and more whiplike, adjusted to his smaller build.
His face carried a look closer to a lizard more than a dragon - his eyes were slit with golden pupils, his horns protruded from his forehead and his tongue was forked. Yet his snout was crushed in near flat against his face, leaving his smile less wide and forward, but it was filled with sharp teeth all the same. His smooth, soft scales from around the corners of his lips darkened along his more hollowed cheek lines, as if to hint of a jaw that never quite properly grew there. Thin red ribbons tied around his horns constantly flittered about his face - sometimes he'd gnaw on them, at other times he'd blow on them in annoyance. A mane of deep autumn red frills flow down from his scalp down his back.
Rest of his body was mostly bare - a simple shoulder paldron and greaves, pair of leather belts and long flowing red loincloth were his most distinctive features. He had some leather around his calves at the very least - but he walked on the tips of his feet, pointed claws dragging along the cobble stone, with a stubbornly proud upright stance. A large leather satchel smacked against his leather covered rump. Yes, good on you rump. Whip that bag, little tail. He was inclined towards shaft weapons of all kinds; usually carrying a javelin with his glaive.
This short humanoid dragonkin always carried his red glaive-tipped spear, wrapped in brass vines with their paint worn. Occasional scars criss cross his back and chest, but he was young enough to carry them with just faint scratches on his scales. For now, at the very least.
Dirk, A rugged old dwarf, dressed for the outdoors.
Here stands a sturdy, solid example of the Khazad people. He's big and broad for his race, standing just under the five foot mark, yet is half again as broad as the average human. He's clearly gotten on in years, yet he carries himself with all the spry vigor of a youth. A snowy white mane of hair tumbles to his shoulders, while his majestic beard is worn gathered into two tails that reach his barrel chest. His deepset eyes of rich honey brown are framed by deep, craggy lines and shadowed by shaggy brows. A set of three thick scar-lines track down the right side of his face, cutting a notch out of his brow and lending a slight squint to his eye. His voice is a deep, gravelly baritone, and he speaks with the typical dwarven brogue.
His clothing and accouterments mark him as a man of the outdoors. He wears a sturdy, well-forged breastplate over a heavy cable-knit sweater of a deep hunter green. Over his shoulders, he wears a heavy cloak and mantle of deep blue. Sturdy brown trousers are tucked into heavy hobnailed boots. An embroidered blue scarf is worn around his bull neck. Atop his head he wears a well-worn old tricorne hat cocked at a jaunty angle, with a small golden cockade pinning a white plume to the brim. He carries an immaculately maintained thunderbelcher slung over his shoulder. A leather satchel is slung over his chest, resting against his left hip, while a smaller hip satchel is hung from his belt on the right. A keenly sharpened handaxe is tucked into his belt within easy reach. He's rarely seen without his broad-bowled pipe tucked in the side of his mouth.
He lumbers about his business with a broad, easy-going smile creasing his features. Despite his rugged appearance, he's quite polite, quick to tip his hat and offer a boisterous greeting. Despite his thickset appearance, he's light on his feet and moves with practiced grace.
Jay, A perky male Blue Jay with a discerning eye.
Integrity C. Truefeather, esquire and supra-genius is a Blue Jay Egalrin lawyer. He stands tall and proud, sharply looking around for a situation he can jump into and provide counsel. His leather armour is padded and puffed, cut for avian lines, with bolas and a rapier on his belt. He wears a blue lupin on his lapel. His crest is long, ready to pop up at any objectionable thing. He is full of energy, standing and strutting about with style and flourish.
Jozi, A brunette half-orcess with a sunny disposition.
An orc-blooded lass of around eighteen and close to five an three quarter feet in height, Jozi carries herself with an easy, jaunty gait and an expression of sunny warmth.
Her small nose is straight under a slightly heavy brow. The large golden pools of her eyes, alert, if atwinkle with mirth, are swift to align on whatsoever catches her interest. Her skin is somewhat fair, though given a notable olive tinge by her ancestry, and through good fortune or copious use of alchemy, shows none of the blemishes of hard living. Her nut brown hair spills in a sort of peekabo arrangement back over her shoulders to a little past the start of her thigh.
Her attire at the present is largely militant, timeworn and well cared for, though almost nothing is of exceptional make. A scaled arrangement of blue dyed leather brigantine that ends in a kilt hemmed above the knee at the front and around the calf at the back provides the moorings for a steel breastplate burnished to a satin finish. Working back around her waist along her equipment belt are several pouches, dagger, canteen and the double frogs for her prong faced warhammer. Her feet are clad in hard soled knee boots of black leather rivetted in brass. Her left hand is clad in an open finger sleeve of steel-reinforced leather, and from the back of her fist, three slightly splayed blades extend in flat arcs several inches past her fingertips with enough clearance to spare her needless bleeding. Finally, in a pouch riding a baldric at her back is an exotic horseman's shortbow parallel to a quiver stuffed with arrows fletched blue and white.
Slixvah, A rust red and white Egalrin covered in veils, ribbons, and shawls.
Average in height, but large in personality, Slixvah is an outrageously decorated Egalrin. Her rusty red and white feathers don't sully her outlandish garb; in fact, it makes it stand out even more. Colorful and plentiful, ribbons adorn her wing joints and arms to make a dazzling display of splendor, especially when those wings stretch out to their ten foot span.
Loose fitting robes of a multitude of colors rest against her frame while various veils and shawls dangle from different sections of her clothes. One veil even covers her face, but she's quite often pulling it down to give a smiling twinkle in her sky-blue eyes behind her raptor-like beak.
There is usually a white-plumed thrush nestling in one of the many nooks and crannies of her swishy attire.
Nemori, A tall and slender, dark skinned elf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[ Nemori ]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The long pointed ear marks this woman as an elf. The deep brown colour of her skin and the uneasy aura about her mark her as mul'niessa. She stands a few fingerwidths short of five feet tall making her slender build look almost, but not quite, gaunt. Her shoulders are narrow, her hips are barely pronounced, but there is enough definition to keep her from being mistaken as a male. All in all, 'skinny elf lass' wouldn't be an unfair description.
Her pale grey hair has been sharply plaited into three braids running from her temple to coil with the hair at the nape of her neck to form a thicker, mixed braid, making the sharp, tapered ear all the more visible. The rest of her hair is pulled over to the other side, shielding the right side of her head and a small portion of the right side of her face from view. The rest of her features fall short of beauty thanks to a nose that's a touch too long, pale blue eyes that are a fraction too wide, cheeks that are just a little bit too sharp. Faint lines around her mouth do indicate a habit of smiling, but the way her eyes tend to narrow when she does so one could be forgiven for wondering if she smiles for the right reasons.
She wears a bright white collared blouse underneath a sleeveless black leather vest. Both are unlaced to a half-handspan below her collarbone, revealing the silvery metal of a mithral shirt beneath. A pair of snug, walnut-hued leather trousers tuck into a pair of knee-high, black leather boots which are secured to her lower legs with a pair of steel buckles. The soles are thick, adding perhaps a thumb-width to her height. A black swordbelt supports a rather plain looking rapier at her hip and a handful of small pouches. Pockets at either of her hips provide a little bit of additional storage. Lastly, a wide-brimed, slightly pinched at the top hat helps provide some shelter from both the sun and lighter rains. She typically wears it slightly tilted to provide a little more room for her exposed ear. The hat itself is black, with a blue ribbon tied around the crown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[ Mul'Niessa Female ]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
