Mountain Mayhem 3

Our heroes ventured deep into a hidden mineshaft, delving into the hidden places of the mountain. There, they found a veritable forest of crystals and gemstones, which the miners clearly did not know about, or they would have staked this shaft for themselves ages ago. But before they could explore further, they were attacked! Earth elementals were set to guard this area, springing an ambush and very nearly taking down the three intrepid adventurers.

As the last elemental falls, shattering into a pile of inert rock and gemstones, two of our party is left bleeding and battered, though on their feet.

<OOC> Malik stuffs pasta into face between poses.

<OOC> Malik says, "Alright! So, you just won your fight! Yay!"

<OOC> Malik says, "Do you wanna stay and look around, see what can be done about the corpses, or fall back to the overseer and tell him what happened here?"

<OOC> Olek would like to mark the passage. I presume there's a normal way to do this. I'm concerned that it seems old, but also wasn't there before, but no sign of a conventional secret door.

<OOC> Merek says, "Merek will heal folk with channeling."

GAME: Merek refreshes spells.

<OOC> Malik nodnods!

Olek can't help with healing, but he's not in immediate danger, either, so he'll check out the immediae area, marking the path with careful chips from his axe. It's adamantine, so this is quite easy and he can blaze a trail in stone as easily as through the woods.

Merek begins lifting up hands to use his powers as Theurge for healing people, then he begins to find a place to settle in for a bit, while he sighs.

Seldan is one of those left bleeding and battered, and holds his ribs with his free hand, looking around and breathing shallowly. Thanks to the Dreamer's grace, he is still standing, but the point of his blade rests on the stone. "We now ... know their fate," he manages in that Myrrish accent, looking down at the corpses sadly. "There is more to find..."

Merek's healing causes him to turn, and breathe a little easier." "My thanks for your help, and for Hers, Seer."

<OOC> Seldan says, "What else is in this room? I am concerned that if we leave, the room will not be here when we return."

Halani bursts into the passage at full sprint, eyes wild and looking for the fight. Only to find it over already. Unable to hide her disappointment she huffs at her bangs, kicks some dirt, mutters an apology for being late... then her eyes fall on the corpses. "These are the ones?"

<OOC> Malik says, "How much do you channel Merek?"

<OOC> Malik says, "What's your cleric level?"

<OOC> Merek says, "5"

<OOC> Merek says, "3d6"

<OOC> Malik says, "Roll your 3d6 and let's see how much you heal!"

<OOC> Merek says, "I have..."

<OOC> Merek says, "6 more"

GAME: Merek rolls 3d6: (9): 9

GAME: Merek rolls 3d6: (14): 14

GAME: Merek rolls 3d6: (13): 13

<OOC> Merek says, "That should put us enough in the green."

<OOC> Seldan nods! That will be enough for the moment.

<OOC> Malik says, "Ok!"

<OOC> Malik answers SEldan's question in pose.

<OOC> Malik says, "But first! Everyone roll either perception or Knowledge/Planes, whichever is better!"

GAME: Olek rolls perception: (2)+15: 17

<OOC> Seldan says, "I would like to invoke Aspect, which grants +1 insight to a skill roll. I have 3/day."

<OOC> Malik says, "Ok!"

GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/planes+1: (19)+knowledge/planes+1: 20

<OOC> Seldan says, "Seriously."

<OOC> Malik says, "What's your skill rank?"

<OOC> Olek says, "the_planes, I think?"

GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/the planes+1: (3)+4+1: 8

<OOC> Seldan facepalms.

<OOC> Malik says, "It's cool. We'll take the first one because stupid game typo is stupid."

<OOC> Malik says, "So that's a 24 total?"

<OOC> Seldan says, "Yes."

<OOC> Malik nods!

GAME: Halani rolls perception: (10)+21: 31

<OOC> Malik says, "Did Merek roll? Did I miss it?"

Halani has disconnected.

<OOC> Merek says, "the planes ya"

Halani has connected.

<OOC> Halani says, "bbasap"

<OOC> Halani says, "sigh"

<OOC> Halani says, "stupid app"

Halani 's fists come up and her feet slide into a fighting stance. "Something in the crystals! Shadows!"

The opening they're standing in seems impossibly large, so tall that the ceiling seems lost to shadow, the lights unable to reach that far up. Every surface here seems covered with some kind of gemstone, a veritable fortune just waiting to be harvested. As Olek moves about, chipping stones here and there, small rumbles come from underfoot, as if the entire area were shifting, moving, but there doesn't appear to be any present sign of danger.

Some of the crystals are large enough for a man to stand in, and several of the corpses have somehow seemed to fuse with some of the larger ones. Crystal protrusions have started growing out of the ruined skulls of at least two of the corpses, and half the ribcage of a third seems to have somehow fused with the rock.

Halani has disconnected.

Seldan's eyes drift around the room, silence overtaking him as something in the crystals distracts him. Halani's shout draws him straight, but before he can answer, he starts, as if listening to something only he can hear. "An elemental ... it is an elemental nursery! Elementals May grow from the very stones here!" His eyes drift down to where the corpses fuse with the rock. "We should fall back, lest we meet the same fate."

Olek says, "Er. I think thi might be a bad place to just open up a new mineshaft." He'll rush back to the group and try to square off with the others. Shoulder to shoulder with Halani, so we can defend Seldan and Merek.

<OOC> Olek says, "Gah, lag"

<OOC> Malik says, "Merek, you posing?"

There is clearly movement in the crystals that cannot be explained by the movement of the torches. The light simply does not bend that way. And a close inspection will reveal that there appears to be vaguely humanoid shapes within -- legs, arms, and glowing eyes that could almost be mistaken for imperfections in the crystals at first.

Nearby, one of the crystals makes a high-pitched whining that almost hurts the ears, a glowing crack appearing in the substance as the movement within becomes more frenetic. As the whining grows, the rumbling underfoot grows to match, like the entire cave is responding to a summons put out by the birthing elemental.

<OOC> Malik says, "Alright! Two options -- stick around and see what happens, or GTFO. :)"

<OOC> Merek says, "ya"

Merek looks around a bit while he nods, standing behind Olek and company, looking to the front in a lift of his brow, with a sigh, "I think we should get back to the miners."

<OOC> Olek says, "Can I sunder the crystal before it gives birth? Or hatches?"

<OOC> Malik says, "You can give it a shot! You're rocking an adamantine axe, right?"

<OOC> Olek says, "Yes."

<OOC> Malik says, "Alright. :) Give it a swing!"

<OOC> Olek says, "For exactly thiss sort of thing. What am I checking? Like a damage check, or Str check?"

<OOC> Malik says, "It'd be a damage check. Objects typically have AC 5 so I don't see you missing it, and you're bypassing hardness due to the adamantine, IIRC."

<OOC> Olek will 2-hand the axe for the edge that gives.

<OOC> Olek will PA, of course also. And has enough time passed that I can rage again?

<OOC> Malik says, "What's the time between rages?"

<OOC> Olek says, "1 minute, it looks like."

<OOC> Olek says, "A barbarian can end her rage as a free action, and is fatigued for 1 minute after a rage ends. A barbarian can't enter a new rage while fatigued or exhausted, but can otherwise enter a rage multiple times per day."

<OOC> Malik says, "I think that it's safe to say a minute has passed."

GAME: Olek rolls 1d10+19: (2)+19: 21

<OOC> Malik says, "You slice right through the crystal, and whatever was inside of it. It falls to the ground in two pieces. Pose it up!"

Olek sees the crystals getting ready to ... hatch, or whatever, and he agrees, "Yeah, I think getting out of here would be a good idea. This needs to get reported." But saying so, he takes time to get a two-handed grip on his axe and takes a mighty hacj at one of the crystals, smashing it hardm and it falls to the ground in two large pieces, plus splinters. "That ... worked," he says. "I wouldn't say no to smashing these up /then/ leaving..."

When Olek hacks through one of the crystals, Seldan reaches out to stop him, too late to forestall the blow. "Wait! These are but baby elementals, and have done us no harm! There is little reason to attack them, they are not themselves of evil! I would not have them visit their wrath upon us, or upon the khazad here."

As Olek slices through the crystal, that painful keening stops, as well as the rumbling in the ground. All is quiet for a moment as Seldan makes his plea -- but the rumbling in the ground suddenly grows more intense, the rocks and walls starting to shake more violently as a low groaning is heard from deeper in the cavern.

Halani has connected.

<OOC> Halani says, "Sigh. Sorry. Back now."

<OOC> Malik says, "All good. :) You didn't miss too much!"

Olek eyes Seldan, and he says, "They just finished visiting their wrath on you and you would have died of it. It's a hard world, but don't presume to ..." and then he's cut off by the rumbling, and he says, "I think going back -right now- sounds like a good plan. We can discuss this later." And he will proceed to the exit in an orderly but prompt manner.

Halani twitches, not moving to assist Olek's sundering but not dtopping him either. She just keeps watching thr crystsls and when the rumbling starts she starts to edge back. "Yeah yeah time to go hey?"

<OOC> Malik says, "Merek?"

<OOC> Merek says, "hmm"

Halani has disconnected.

<OOC> Merek says, "Here"

<OOC> Malik says, "You posing?"

Merek nods a bit to the others, while he begins to follow with them, shifting his cloak about him also.

<OOC> Malik says, "Alright! Everybody make me reflex saves real quick. :D"

GAME: Merek rolls reflex: (6)+6: 12

Halani has connected.

<OOC> Malik staples Halani.

GAME: Olek rolls reflex: (11)+6: 17

GAME: Seldan rolls reflex: (10)+12: 22

Halani has reconnected.

GAME: Halani rolls reflex: (13)+17: 30

<OOC> Olek says, "Gag, lag again."

<OOC> Malik wonders what's going on gamewise.

<OOC> Malik says, "I'm not getting any lag on my end."

<OOC> Halani says, "I was having an issue of constantly passing in and out of wifi zones."

The ground shaking might make it slow going for anyone else. It's difficult to even stand, as the very earth underfoot seems to betray the team, tiny pebbles threatening to trip them up at every step. But they manage to make decent time getting out of the tunnels, able to compensate for the treacherous footing. Every step that rumbling grows closer, but eventually begins to trail off a bit as a deafening roar follows them up through the tunnels, anger and inhuman hurt in the sound, until they reach the five-tunnel junction once more, everything again going quiet.

<OOC> Merek says, "i had lag too"

Olek is left panting hard as we get to the 5-tunnel junction. Not winded, he's quite hardy, but that was a full-power dash and pretty taxing. Now that we're back here, though, he'll look again for a way that might close up this door. Failing that, he'll mark the door with signs for DANGER.

"Sooooooo..... did we make it angry?" Halani can't help but wonder aloud as she pauses for breath at the five way, arm on the wall. Leaning on it for support, sure, but also to see if she can feel pursuit.

<OOC> Malik says, "Continue posing for a second. My dog is whining that it's potty time."

"Let us hope it is not too late!" Seldan's eyes widen as the rumbling starts and he turns to run. He stumbles a few times getting out of the tunnels, and more than once looks back, the roar behind them making him wince more than once. Only when they reach that five-tunnel junction does he truly turn, breathing heavily, and stare hard at that tunnel. "We are not yet safe, and nor are they!"

<OOC> Malik says, "And back. Dog is sufficiently drained."

Olek shrugs, and says, "Well, they've gone quiet. Either they are sneaking, or have given off pursuit. I do not know their ways, but stealth does not seem to fit them. I think we may have gained enough space that they felt pursuit futile. Or else we left the area they cared about." He will carve a runes on the ground warning not to enter that particular cave.

Halani has partially disconnected.

Merek looks around a bit, then he nods to the team, "Alright, the question is what can we do with making this safer."

There's shouting from one of the other tunnels, and torchlight is clearly visible as the overseer rounds a bend, eyes wide and glancing at the party. "Taara's tits, what are you -doing-?!?" he asks the party, the miners behind him wielding shovels and picks and implements of destruction as they glance at each other in fear, more than one of them glancing at the tunnel entrance behind the party and whispering hurriedly to themselves.

The new tunnel isn't lost on the Overseer either, jaw dropping open. "When -- did you have time to -do- that?" he asks, looking at the party in disbelief.

Still breathing deeply, although not himself winded, Seldan nods to Halani. "The hurt of a mother whose child is slain in being born," he answers her, eyes lowering to where Olek draws runes of warning. When the overseer bounds in, he looks up, his entire expression and bearing betraying sadness. "We have found your miners, and the lad is not to blame. Let us leave this place, and we will explain. It is not safe to speak here."

"Right, I'd suggest we make our way back to camp because there are things that will probably eat us all if we wait about," Merek mentions, nodding a bit also.

Olek gives the overseer the flateye. "We didn't, we just found it. Your lost miners did, too, and that's where they died, at the hands of the elementals you're hearing. It seemes like a ... a hatchery, if there's such a thing. They were forming up new ones as we watched. They fought to defend it." He shrugs to Seldan, and says, "A child that would have tried to kill us if it -had- been born. And will be born again soon enough, from what we saw." He agrees about getting out of here, unless they've brought enough stuff to brick up that tunnel completely.

"This one thinks bricking up the tunnel won't stop it if it wants out...." Halani says quietly.

The Overseer stares at them long and hard, like he's unsure of what, exactly, they've been drinking while down in the mine. But he gives a nod to two of the men. "You two," he says. "Stay here. Watch that bloody tunnel. If anything comes out of it, you give a shout to the others, and take it down." Nodding to the rest of the party, he starts back up the tunnels to where his office is located, making good time for a man with such short little legs. He pushes the door open, waiting for the party to get inside, then moves over to a little shelf, grabbing out a green glass bottle of some kind of Khazad beer. "Never drink on the job," he tells the party, "but something tells me I'm gonna need it. Who wants to start talking?"

"Nor I," Seldan nods agreement, sadness shifting to a scowl as he stares hard at Olek. "Not if we had left without threatening it," he says, turning to follow the Overseer.

When they get to safety and the khazad makes his demand, Seldan immediately assumes a parade rest stance. "When we returned to the junction, a new tunnel had appeared, one that did not previously appear. Rich it was, with many gemstones, but it led to an nursery for elementals, one that they sought to defend. It was there that we found their corpses, already becoming one with the rocks. Spirits ... it is so, and not so. What your miners know as spirits are elementals of the earth, known to those who study the arcane."

<OOC> Seldan says, "Found the miners' corpses, that is."

<OOC> Malik nodnods.

Merek follows along while he takes a moment to look between the folk there, and nods a bit, with a shift of the hip while he's watching also.

Olek agrees with Halani, but says, "It'll keep /our/ people from wandering down there, lost, or thinking they're exploring someplace new." Then we're off back to the overseer's office. He shrugs about talking. If he didn't care for Olek's explanation, he'll shut up and let the others describe it.

"Done is done, yeah?" Halani tells Seldan after he offers some explanatiom to the Overseer. "Maybe he was wrong to chop it... or maybe a 'baby' element isn't really a baby yeah? Maybe if it popped out we'd be in real trouble yeah? Who can know? But it is definitely angry now."

The Overseer holds up a hand, stopping them. "Alright," he sighs. "So let me get this straight. You all went down into the junction, where a new tunnel just magically appeared," he starts. "You followed it down and found a vein of -gemstones-, guarded by 'evil spirits', or elementals, or whatever. Rock monsters." He looks to Olek. "Rock monsters that you killed, proving that they can die?" And then, back to Seldan. "But something down there is good and pissed off, right?" He considers the information for a moment. "So what you're telling me is -- there's a fortune down there, and all we have to do is kill the monsters guarding it."

"If you want to look at it that way, but... No telling what besides that is there, probably a lot more we don't know about, I'd change my plans on mining personally," Merek says.

Olek ahems, because the overseer seems to have the right of it, mostly. "I think the rich gemstone vein was a rich gemstone vein -because- it was a hatchery for these earth elementals. Killing the monsters will probably spoil the vein in any event. But I think you had ought to find a druid who knows more about elementals before you make a final decision."

Seldan nods to Halani in agreement, even as he winces. "That is so," he agrees. "All of it. It is assuredly angered now." He nods agreement with Olek as well, and shakes his head at the overseer. "He has the right of it. You would lose many men in the attempt, overseer. It is a birthing place, and it may be that the elementals guarding it are without end. Certainly they are angry. They are not evil, they are simply ... part of the earth. I would seek the advice of those who speak the language of earth."

The overseer scoffs at the party. "The damn bleeding hearts from the Ygdrassil Union have been up our asses for years about this mine! 'Raping the riches of the earth', and all that. Now you want me to give them more of an excuse to come in here and try to throw their weight around?" He takes a deep swig of that beer, rubbing at his face. "Next thing you know they'll be trying to shut us down and turn it into some kind of damn magical wildlife preserve. Just my luck."

"How much gold is worth the lives of your people?" Halani finds herself asking. "When does enough become enough?"

Olek snorts into his mustaches and says, "It's on /you/ if miners get killed tapping those riches. It might be worth it, but it won't be your neck on the line, will it? It's not honorable to be brave when others are taking risks that you're not taking yourself," he says flatly.

Merek looks between the ones there, and nods a bit, "I wouldn't you know, I think it's best to move your work," he says.

"I counsel you against any such attempt," Seldan chimes in in agreement. "Many will die, should you try, and their deaths will be on your conscience," he nods firmly to Olek. "No amount of coin is worth the carnage that will result if you try."

The Overseer looks at the party flatly. "Uh huh," he starts. "Well, you're right about one thing. Miners aren't equipped to handle that sort of affair. That's what we pay you people for," he reminds the party. "So, if you don't wanna go clear out the monsters -- I guess I'll just have to pay someone that will, won't I? After all, we're sitting on a fortune down there, just waiting for someone brave enough to come and claim their piece of it." He gives the party a broad smile, setting the now empty bottle on the table. "I'll send your pay to the Guild. In the meantime, since you don't seem interested in further work -- you're fired." He stands up off the chair, moving to the door, the twinkle of jewels already in his eyes.

GAME: Merek rolls will: (1)+13: 14 (EPIC FAIL)

Merek looks over to the Overseer, and takes a moment to walk up to him, before he looks to the dwarf. "Listen to me, if you cause anyone else to be hurt because of your greed, I will make sure, that the Inquisition of every faith I can, and trust me, I can persuade any of them, come to visit you. You won't have time to think about making money, when they're at your door, and all of the fines you'll have to pay, trust me. It's 'economical' if you would perhaps... Make this safer for your workers." Then he leans to the dwarf, "And friend, you don't want me back here."

<OOC> Olek laughs.

<OOC> Merek cracks knuckles.

<OOC> Malik says, "Merek! Roll Intimidation. :)"

GAME: Merek rolls intimidation: (5)+intimidation: 5

GAME: Merek rolls intimidate: (7)+4: 11

<OOC> Merek says, "Can't it just be aggressive diplomacy."

<OOC> Merek :P

<OOC> Malik laughs. "Aggressive negotiations fall under intimidation, I'm afraid. Regular nice negotiations go under diplo."

<OOC> Merek says, "yes well"

Olek laughs as he's fired, and says, "You misunderstand. I'll fight your monsters. I'm just saying it's not your best plan. Or, rather, there's more that bears looking into." He understands fighting monsters underground. He's a dwarf, how could he not?

<OOC> Malik says, "If anyone else wants to try some tactics, we can roll for it. :)"

<OOC> Seldan says, "I have a different question."

Halani looks confused as she scratches her head. "We were getting paid?"

<OOC> Olek laughs at Stret Fighter flashback.

<OOC> Merek says, "Halani's the kid from Meet The Millers."

<OOC> Merek says, "'Wait, you guys were getting paid?'"

<OOC> Olek says, "That's basically what Zangeif says in the Strret Fighter movie."

<OOC> Halani says, "haha yeah"

Seldan's expression goes impassive, closing at the firing. "As you will, Overseer. Your greed knows no bounds, and you have neither conscience, nor care for those in your employ," he tells the overseer icily. "I will so inform the Guild. It may well be that there is a connection to another plane down there. If that be so, the monsters may well be without end, and if that is so, the coin you spend to hire the Guild will avail you naught."

<OOC> Seldan adds.

Seldan's expression goes impassive, closing at the firing. "As you will, Overseer. Your greed knows no bounds, and you have neither conscience, nor care for those in your employ," he tells the overseer icily. "I will so inform the Guild. It may well be that there is a connection to another plane down there. If that be so, the monsters may well be without end, and if that is so, the coin you spend to hire the Guild will avail you naught. I cannot stop you, but neither will I accept coin to exchange blood for coin."

<OOC> Seldan says, "Sorry, had to AFK a few minutes."

<OOC> Seldan says, "Coin to exchange for innocent lives to no purpose."

The Overseer turns, looking to Olek. "I knew you'd see it my way," he tells the barbarian. Though as Merek moves in to get in his face, the dwarf just scoffs in return. "You and what army, kid? Get as many priests as you want. I've got gold. You show a man a holy book and a pile of gold, I got a good idea of which one is gonna speak to him louder." He turns, moving toward the door once more, whistling happily now. Though Seldan's words cause him to stop short, spinning on a short heel and moving back toward the paladin, pushing a finger into his armored chest. "You got a better idea then, holy man?" he asks. "Because if your friend here is right," he says, nodding to Halani, "then there's no stopping it now. Can't even cave in the tunnel. They'll just move right through it. And your other friend already pissed the damn mama off, according to your own words, so it's just a matter of time before they come for us anyway. So what would -you- do? What's your god tell you, since you've got all the damn answers?"

Merek leans back to listen while he nods to the others also.

"That is a better reason than greed." Seldan doesn't move, although he is not at this time armored. "I am not opposed to defending you." His tone is no less cold. "If you care about the lives of your people, then I will aid you. If all you care about is gold, then I will not. it is that simple. Which is it?"

<OOC> Seldan says, "Sorry, jumped gun."

Olek is staying out of the debate at this point. He's said his peace. And it looks like there will be another mission after this, though almost certainly a different group. He suggests, "Perhaps the Temple of Reos will have a scholar who knows about Elementals," he says.

Halani screws her face up a little as she keeps looking back and forth between the Overseer, Olek, Merek and Seldan. Then she looka at her fist, clenching and unclenching it, as if imagining trying to punch rock with it. "Won't know if they're endless if we don't test them...."

The Overseer looks to the party, crossing his arms. "This is a -mine-, son," he sighs at Seldan. "It's a business. Profits are what we do here. These men knew what they were signing up for. And it isn't a slave labor camp. They can leave whenever they want. But you tell them what's down there with the monsters, and I'll bet you good gold right now that most of 'em stay. Gold makes this whole damn city, this whole damn -world-, run. So let me put this to you another way -- you walking away and leaving them to their fate because there's a little profit to be had?" He looks to Halani and Olek, nodding. "Your friends here seem to already be giving it some serious thought." But he shakes his head. "Tell you what. Why don't you all take the night and think on it. Come back to me in the morning and we can figure out where to go from here." And with that, he turns, pushing the door open and heading back down into the mines.

<OOC> Malik figures we can wrap this part up here!

<OOC> Seldan says, "All right. I have to drive soon anyway! Thank you for running!"

<OOC> Olek waves, thanks for running!

<OOC> Malik nodnods! "Depending on who decides what, there might be more to this one in the future!"

<OOC> Merek says, "Ty!"

<OOC> Seldan drops off here for now.

Seldan has disconnected.

<OOC> Halani says, "Thank you for the scene!"

<OOC> Malik says, "No problems! Hopefully it was at least mildly entertaining. :D The party has some tough decisions to make!"