Escape from the Abyss

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As the most damaged companions finish resting, Galdrok works away at pulling peices of door away so that the group can advance forward. The twins, still in half-rat form, are now calm and quietly talking to eachother, as Ront continues to stare at them, seemingly frightened of rats to the point of near paralysis. Buppido and Stool wait quietly near the door as the rest of the group figures out what the next move should be. Darendal attempts to aid those who are hurt, but is not very effective with his giant claws.

After it has been almost an hour since the fight, everyone is as rested and healthy as they can get. Across the bridge, Galdrok can see a large portaco is shut across the cave exit, but there appear to be chains to allow for it to be lifted.
 
Still recovering from her blunder Wilma proceeds to head down the trapdoor that held another chamber and begins to scrounge around looking for more goods to loot or anything that might be useful for the groups escape.
 
Galdrok chips away the last pieces of wood, leaving a hole where the door once was. He sits down on the ground next to the door and takes a breather. Inspecting the mechanism on the other side of the bridge, he knows he'll have to pull those chains, but he's not sure if it'll be enough with just his strength. Grinding the gears in his brain, he looks over at his companions in this hellish prison.

Lining up his thoughts, Galdrok evaluates all his options based on the glimpses he's seen.

"The tiny human? ...No, he won't have the length to get a good grip up on the chains, even with all those hands he collected."
"The human with the fiery hair? ...He seems to have a tendency to.. purposely injure himself.. probably no.
"The human that fights with the stick? ...He's fast and wobbly, but not in power.. he'll probably get dragged up with the chains."
"The stabby human that scalps the dark skinned ones.. No. Not getting in that one's way, I like my hair on my head."
"Ront isn't of much use now that he's so scared, I don't think I can get him to help.."

Realising that his options came down to the only one left. "The lizard man.. He is strong for sure! He means well too, but he is as fickle as a leaf.. I guess I have no other choice but to put my trust in him." He thinks. "Lizard man! I do not know who Bahama is, but he seems like a good man if you can put your faith in him! Just like you put your faith in him, I'll put mine in yours! But I do need your help.. Those chains over there need to be pulled in order for us to go on, I'm sure we can manage that with the both of us!" Galdrok shouts to Salgric, raising his fist up in the air. "Let's get out of here, all of you! Also, Ront.. It's okay to be scared, we all are!" He grins towards Ront and nods to the rest of the party.
 
Salgric turns to Galdrok, looking him up and down. This man does not seem to be the brightest or wisest man I have ever seen, yet I believe that his intentions are fairly straight forward. I suppose I cannot fault him for his more lacking aspects... That is to be expected from one of monstrous origins. Salgric shakes his head and then nods. "Ba - ha - mut-" he carefully enunciates, "The platinum dragon has placed me here to be of assistance. You have my hand in whatever you might need." He moves over to the chains and gets ready to pull.
 
Riven:
As the battle rages on, and the portal that Ilvara had summoned continues to bafflingly remain open while doing nothing, Riven begins to get the sense that something bad is about to happen. He had already cast spiderclimb on himself and made his way to the other side of the gate, leaving the rest of the combatants still inside the slaver's cavern. He could see that he was between two large carts being drawn by two tame giant spiders. They did not seem to care about the dwarf standing on the ceiling in front of them at the moment.

Suddenly, Riven could hear a loud crashing sound, and looking into the cavern, he could see that a gigantic arm had reached out from the portal and slammed into the rock below. This slam was enough to shake the portico from its locks, bringing the entire gate down with a loud crash. The gate appeared to be broken.

The captives and the slavers continued to fight eachother, though they were soon overwhelmed by a group of demons that began to pour from the portal. After some struggle, the owner of the gigantic arm made it's waty through the portal and emerged into the cavern. It set its feet down on the platform, but as it did, the extra weight caused the whole outcropping to collapse into the ravine below. Riven couldn't reach anyone to save them, but he did whitness the portal finally close up after more than 6 dozen demons had exited it.

He sat at the gate, looking around to try to see if anyone else had survived that destruction and he saw, with his leg trapped under the gnarled and bent gate, Stool was mostly on this side and appeared to be moving, though not much. He also heard some sounds of moving coming from inside one of the carts that he was close to.
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Lauran Dundreth:
Persephone was very convincing. You ran down the corridor, everything you owned in a bag over your shoulders as you made your way to the front door. You knew this was the perfect time to escape and finally go see what the world truly was. You made it to the door, and quietly pushed it open, only to feel the sting that you recognised as drow poison as it seeped into your back. Turning around with the last of your energy, you see the High Priestess flanked by her two male servants, and just before you blacked out, you made out Maranda snickering to herself as she spies around a corner.
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Cedar:
The drow had been laying in wait, and setting a fire in the woods was just colateral damage in order for them to get new slaves for their auction. Though you put up no fight, they still stuck something into your neck, and you could feel the poison seping throughout your body, shutting it down completely.
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Kairon:
You've made a lot more enemies than friends, and having no real place to call home didn't help with that fact. You set up camp for the night, but before you could get to sleep, you became aware of movement around you in the forest. You had set traps, but none of them seemed to help once you heard the first bolt stick into the tree beside your head. Before you could get your bow ready to fire, you felt the sharp tip of another bolt sink deep into your gut, and the poison taking every ounce of energy you had as you fell back, slumped against a rock.
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Mud:
Speaking with animals can be distracting, and this squirrel sure was chatty. He was telling you about an odd forest fire just a few miles from where you were while he sat on your shoulder, trying to steer you as you walked through the woods. You came up on a small clearing, and the squirrel suddenly got scared and bolted from you, and looking down, you saw a Tiefling laying against a rock with a small bolt sticking out of his stomach. Your first instinct was to try to help, but you heard the rustling of leaves, and felt three bolts stick into your side as you bent over to offer aid. A lot of poison rushed into your veins, and you went down hard, though you thought you could still hear for a little while. Words like "Ilvara," and "good slave," are all you could make out before you fell completely unconcious.
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You all awaken in a heap, hardly able to move and bound at your wrists. It is too dark for Mud to make anything out, but the rest of you can see that you are in some kind of box, and the door doesn't appear to be able to be opened from this side. You all hear crashing and fighting before you are able to move or speak, and a huge noise like rocks crumbling, followed by a deafening silence.
 
As the fog faded from Lauran’s mind, she looked around the cart. What... what are these things? Her well tuned eyes first fell upon Cedar. He... he looks like me, but not... is he a surface elf? Are these people from above? She looked at Kairon next, eying the tiefling confusedly. Lolth’s spinnarets, that’s a weird one. I haven’t seen anything like him down here before, but he looks somewhat devilish... Her thoughts are interrupted however as she catches sight of the huge figure to her left. Woah... whatever I do, better not piss this guy off, huh?

Lauran struggles her way up to a raised position as she tried to think her way through what was going on. Sounded like a collapse... not too common in the cities, but I’m afraid we might not be anywhere near civilization at this point. She recalled the satisfied smirk on Maranda’s face and briefly scowled in anger. She’s been waiting for me to slip up ever since I got to the temple. For whatever reason she took it as a personal insult that an orphan could’ve been one of Lolth’s chosen. Still, not going to get anywhere just laying here.

Lauran sighed. Well... guess it’s time to make some new friends. “Uh, hello? People? Any of you not dead? Because I’d really appreciate it if you weren’t all dead. I don’t know about you guys... but I’d really like to be out of this box about now.”
 
Hearing Lauran's voice, Cedar's mind snaps suddenly out of it's panicked repetitive cycle of "it's happening again". He focuses hard on rembering his meditative training - what are three things you feel? Hard wood on my back. Soft, heavy flesh above. Warm breath against my face. Two things you hear? A scared voice. Scratching of nails on wood. One thing you see? As his eyes adjust, he makes out a pair of eyes - the source of the voice he heard.

Finding a place of deep calm within himself, Cedar responds: "Yes, I'm alive. Were you in my forest as well?"
 
"It's warm..." Kairon thought. The pressure of heavy bodies surrounding him and the chafing of his wrists from rope reminded him of a different time. His hazy, drug-addled mind filled his thoughts with sultry noise and wisps of cloying smoke. "The Velvet Cherry...what a night!"
A sharp pain in his side from an errant elbow broke his lazy dream and he was struck dumb by the confusing predicament. Rage engulfed him then.

"What in the wandering fuck is this! Get the Hell off of me!" He flailed uselessly against his box-mates, gnashing teeth and foaming at the mouth. He always had a temper.
"I swear! If i'm not out of here soon, I'll slit all of you from brain to balls!" The screaming was grating against the silence and whispers, worse due to the cramped quarters.
 
Mud roused from his sedated sleep,thanks to the voices around him ”Gah...what’s happened here? Who are you and where are we?” his voice rumbled slowly like gravel cascading down a distant slope well this certainly is an odd mess I’ve gotten inti he thought to himself. He attempted to move from the other bodies, feeling the walls and realizing they were lokced in a box well that explains the darkness at least

”I don’t think yelling will get us anywhere friend, I suggest we get some wits about us and figure out where we are”
 
Riven ran across the ceiling, hoping to do something, kill the drow magician, open the gate... Something, anything, to help his new compatriots. As he made it to the gate the drow were defending he turned his head up and back, so he could look down towards his group. Mah, honestly, very stupid group. He thought annoyedly. Who had decided to start another fight in the middle of enemy territory? Did they not learn anything of tactics growing up?

Commander Falkrunn Fireforge, the retired veteran of Sundabar's battles against the orcs and the duergar, had been his mentor in warfare and tactics, and he would have been disgusted. "Deceive, until you have the upper hand, or you can no longer deceive. Be strong yes, but strength and cunning is more powerful yet." Perhaps words that most dwarves would not have heeded, but it struck a chord with Riven. It felt like it fit as he hid his skills in sorcery from most people he knew, afraid of how they may judge him, a dwarf with magic. Not a cleric or Paladin of Moradin but some wild, disordered magic. Dwarves did not like disorder.

Riven crossed over the gate into the courtyard beyond deciding to get the gate from the other side and take the magician by surprise. She was stronger than him in magic, by far, but he didn't think she had seen him yet, perhaps that would be all he needed.

Halfway down, what Riven had assumed was a failed portal of some kind, suddenly spewed forth destruction. As he watched unable to help, the ground shook, and his friends were set upon by scores of demons, followed by a giant... something... He began to run back, as if he could do anything against such an onslaught. Before he had time to get anywhere near the fight, the giant stomped onto the bridge, sending friend and foe alike to their doom.

"By the everfire!" Was anyone left? Riven ran down to the slaver side of the gate, seeing no enemies around. He wasn't fond of then, but he still wanted them to escape, still needed them to escape probably... He thought there was no one left until he saw Stool, the little mushroom stuck under the gate.

"Stool! Can I help?" he thought through their connection.
"Just tear my leg off, it will grow back quickly"

Riven was surprised by that, but still in shock, so he simply did as he was told, Stool voice in his head sounded calm so he ignored the little being's fearful shivering and tore off his leg. It was worryingly easy, but Riven filed that knowledge away for later.

He agreed with Stool when the mushroom said they should leave swiftly before the cave collapses.

"Just one thin'" he thought to Stool as they ran back up along the wall and the gate. "I dinna' wan'ta travel alone if we kin help it"

They jumped down beside the box in which Riven heard noises, they had gotten much louder since he had run off, definitely voices. He banged on the box.

"Oy! Who's in here then?"

He spoke this in common but repeated it quickly in dwarvish and his rusty elvish before listening for an answer.
 
Lauran felt crushed beneath the thrashing bodies, and was having a hard time speaking. “If... you guys would just... stop... squirming!” After they finally stopped moving, Lauran managed to shift to a position where she could speak and gasped for breath for a moment before looking up. “Well... I guess you all must be Bright-eyes, huh? Welcome to the Underdark... I guess. Where are your matrons? Are they being kept elsewhere?”

Lauran pauses as she heard a gruff voice talking from outside the box in several languages, including elvish. She responded in common. “Hello? Who is out there? Four of us are trapped in here... three surface-men and I. We could really use a hand about now...”
 
Riven hears something from the box. No idea what it said but it was a voice. "Stool, I know there's someone in here but I can't tell if they want to kill us. Can you speak with them through your" and Riven, holding stool in his left arm, waves with his right over the box "spores or whatever?"
 
Kairon began to breathe as he was taught by the people who used him while we was young, repeating a familiar phrase in his head, "Fire and shadow, one with each other. Fire burns, shadows conceal."

He let out a sigh when he was calm saying, "Alright, the big one, help me push this box open, brace against me and shove with your legs on one side. The wood should splinter."

Kairon knew he wasn't getting out alone.
 
Cedar barely has time to compose himself before he hears the gruff barking of a voice outside the box, then a cacophony of metal on metal and wood splintering as the lock breaks off. The side of the box collapses and the four bodies packed within tumble out. Cedar quickly and quietly rolls behind the wagon, taking note of his surroundings. Giant spiders, currently immobile, wearing blinders. They must be domesticated, but still a threat if startled or commanded to attack. A dwarf with a hammer carrying a myconid. Clearly the one who broke us out - not yet a threat. Another wagon similar to the one we were stowed in. Could be more prisoners. The dwarf is heading over to break that box as well - need to be on my guard for whatever lies within.

A Drow - the source of the voice I heard within the box. Another captive I guess. I know Drow often capture and enslave other Drow - doesn't make one group any more or less dangerous than the other. Certainly can't trust her.

He scans the wagon and sees a set of keys dangling from the driver's seat. As the others become orientated with their surroundings, he takes the opportunity to sneak over and grab the keys. Silently unlocking his manacles, he stows them under the driver's seat and uses Minor Illusion to create an illusory pair of the same chains around his wrists. He hides the keys in his pocket - if this turns bad, he'll have the element of surprise on his side.

As the Dwarf smashes open the lock and throws the wagon open, he sees his beloved quarterstaff, hand-carved over nearly a century with the story of his life so far. Half the quarterstaff remains unscarred - his story is unfinished.

Given the opportunity to collect his weapon and fight at full strength, Cedar drops his illusion and decides to free his compatriots. He gives the Drow a word of warning that he's watching her while he unlocks her chains, then grabs his gear and turns to talk to the Dwarf - who seems to be in the process of looting the entire wagon.

"Thank you, friend, for freeing us. I don't know your motives or your name, but I owe you my life, and will fight to preserve you until the debt is paid. Do you know where our captors are now or what happened to them? And how to do we get out of here?" Cedar looks at the path, the wagon, the vast gate, and finishes, "It appears we've come from this direction, shall we retrace our steps?"
 
Mud was very uncomfortable, mostly because of his newfound claustrophobia. He had never been stuck inside of such a small space before and he was not a fan of it. Usually, he was out wandering the forests, speaking to animals and plants with the sky being the only roof above him. On a rare day, he would enter some store in a small village but even that made him feel uncomfortable, looking back on it, the claustrophobia made sense to him. Something in the box told him to help it break out but he wasn't quite sure that was the greatest idea, well he did have some magic he could use in case he couldn't find his weapons and other equipment but could he really rely on what he had to take out whoever it was that knocked him out? That question wouldn't be answered because right at that moment the box was opened by a dwarf holding a mushroom finally someone to talk to, "are you the one who freed us, friend? Did you lead the dwarf here?" he realized then that he was being rude to the person who had saved him, not only that but also helped him get his gear back, it was very difficult to find a cloak and armour that would fit his seven + foot stature. He turned to the dwarf, awkwardly speaking without any real greeting "I am thankful as well, my name is mud. I heard them say something about slaves before I passed out and woke up in that crate. Were they talking about us?"
 
Finally, he was free and geared again. Now her had to think clearly. On one hand, he could flee into the cave system and figure things out himself. The other option was to surround himself with these people and keep both eyes open, especially around the Dark Elf. He decided on the latter.

"Alright, where do we go from here?As long as you lot help me to the surface, I'll kill everything standing in our way."
 
As you all are trying to get your bearings and attempting to make a plan, the spider attached to the cart that most of you were in begins to back up, tripping over it's own legs as it seems to be trying to get away from something. You can see three 2-foot-tall green humanoid figures with barbed tails and horns. They appear to be poking and prodding the spider while cackling to eachother. They do not seem to notice your group at the moment.

You can still hear a scratching sound coming from the other side of the large gate.
 
"M'names Riven, and a drow sorcerer summoned demons tah kill us as we escaped, and ah kin only hope tha our slavers be ded too" He finished looting things that didn't seem to elicit any response from the others, gold, a necklace that was clearly too small for him, but was just as clearly magical. I dunno what this be fer, but I'll be damned ifn I give it to someone who I dinna knowy yet.

He finished that quickly, and said - "I say et again. Time tag git out of here!"
 
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