Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus wasted no time, dancing back from the dripping hole in the creature's body on feet which were deceptively nimble. He spun and with the same motion took hold of Crow's hammer.
"Up and away my love!" He sang, and pulled, making to swing the inquisitor by the weapon, onto his back and gallop to safety.
Crispin did not protest being grabbed. He was running beside Ora and then just in front of her, using his keener eyesight to dodge sharp rocks and falling debris. He shielded her with one arm as they ran.
"This way!" he shouted, following Azaria, giving those with less than perfect night vision a direction to run in.

When Lohrithe charged, Desrick was beside him. "There is no way in Bryn I will let you fight alone."

Once the rocks stopped falling Crispin turned, looking back through the tunnel with a strained expression.
"Come on Desrick..."

Zazz Flutterby Naberius Lioness075 LazyDaze Goonfire

 

[Zazz]

The drow glanced at Desrick mid-charge, and everything went awry. His fear for his partner was greater than his hope for pride over slaughtering the beast. He saw the giant queen rear up for another spit of acid, Azaria's knife buried deep in its mouth.

Lohrithe threw his sword past the queen and barrelled into the orc, changing course. Any other elf likely would have bounced right off of the great green orc, but Lohr was bigger than his people by far. He grabbed hold of Desrick just as the rest of the tunnel gave way...

...leaving Alistair behind.

 

[Goonfire]

Crow’s eyes had sensed movement—the falling of rocks, paired with the rumbling sensation in the stone around him. “O-oh n—“ he sputtered before Pyrrhus came to his rescue. The sudden strong motions coaxed out a surprised whoop. To help guide the way, he produced a faint orb of light—not quite as bright as the one he usually made, but sufficient for signaling in such a claustrophobic environment.

However, the inquisitor’s relief turned into renewed anxiety when he looked back at Desrick, Lohr, and Alistair, who had mere fractions of a second left to escape the collapse. The former two might make it, but for the latter, hope was waning quickly. Crow’s heart pumped violently. The scene seemingly burned itself into his retinas as each minute action played out in slow motion.

SilverFlight Zazz Naberius

 

[Naberius]

He had to drop his sword. He needed both hands, and brought them both up, summing more supporting tendrils. But his knees were starting to buckle from the effort of holding up tons of solid stone. And yet still he refused to move. These people, they were fighting the fight he had dreamed of for so long. Maybe, in the end, that's why he found some measure of respect for their cause, their plight. He didn't even know this insane rabble, barely knew their names. And yet here he stood, refusing to allow their deaths when he could do something about it. He looked up, the last two finally making it to the safety of the adjacent hallway, and sighed in relief, trying tj make his way towards the rest himself. But the weight was just too much, and growing every second. There wasn't enough time left, but he certainly wasn't going to allow himself to be buried and killed, crushed to death in some awful dark, dank tunnel where no one would ever find his body. Though, in some ways, such an end seemed fitting for someone that no
one knew.

He approached the safety of the adjoining tunnel, but he just couldn't make it all the way. The weight was too much, the energy needed to keep the rubble from crashing down was too great. The shadow tendrils started to crack, shatter, and disappear entirely. The ceiling fell in, and he disappeared from sight, several tons of rock sealing his fate.

SilverFlight Zazz Goonfire Baconhands Flutterby LazyDaze
Lioness075

 

[Flutterby]

There wasn't time to feel relieved that Crispin followed without arguing. There wasn't even time to look to see if the others were following, not until they were safely in the adjacent area and Crispin turned himself. Pyrrhus and Crow were just behind them, leaving Desrick, Lohr, and Alistair still in danger.
Desrick and Lohr made their move, but Alistair was.. what was he doing, exactly?
He had dropped his sword, and was struggling to.. hold up the ceiling with shadows. Shadow magic was apparently a thing he did. He was buying them the last few seconds they needed, and then he tried to move toward them. But it was clear the weight was too much.
"Alist-" Ora had just started to call to him when the magic broke, and the ceiling of the tunnel followed. She felt the earth shake beneath her feet, the rumble of the tunnel behind them continuing for a few moments. Did the collapse extend all the way back to the ancient art they had seen? Was that history lost too?

When she felt the rocks grow quiet, Ora was able to take in a breath.
Softly, as if afraid to disturb even the dust, she whispered. "We have to keep moving. This area.. it might be unstable now too."
But her feet had a different idea, taking her toward the wall of broken stone. He had been so close to safety, practically in the mouth of this tunnel. If he had been just far enough, he would be buried not under the entire weight of the collapsed cavern, but under the stone that had spilled forward into their safe tunnel.
He might survive that much stone, with all that armor.
In her heart, she knew she needed to turn around and go. But she couldn't walk away without at least one look. One look for Gideon's man.

SilverFlight Lioness075 Goonfire LazyDaze Zazz Naberius

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (19/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass, Soiled Sketchbook, Charcoal Pieces

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Leandra was yanked from the fight, nearly dropping her bow, as Azaria pulled her down a side tunnel to safety. Surprised by the sudden action, Leandra could not think of anything to say and merely listened to the sounds of the fight echoing down the tunnel towards them. She could hear her own heavy breathing from the adrenaline.

When Azaria pulled Leandra down the tunnel, Falarion was quick to follow, running alongside Leandra and staying close to her.

Yet again, Leandra had been practically useless in the fight and she mentally chided herself for it. This group was hardened and steeled for fighting, that much was obvious, and so what use was Leandra? She had to be saved in the last fight and now here she was being saved again.
Feeling angry now, Leandra kicked a pebble nearby and then put her bow on her back. There was obviously no need for it now.

Soon enough, the others all began filing into the tunnel with them and Leandra mindfully counted and checked for each person of the group. She may still be new, but she knew who to look for by now. When the masked man still did not show, Leandra's heart began to beat faster once more. She felt the tunnel shaking and she stumbled forward, trying to keep her balance.
With an echoing roar and a rush of wind and dust, Leandra shielded her eyes as the tunnel they were previously in came down. Blinking through dust-ridden tears, Leandra hurried back down the tunnel to find Ora standing closest to where the tunnel collapse was.

Hearing what Ora suggested, Leandra immediately protested, "Wait, you can't be serious? That masked man just risked his life for us and gets buried alive, but you want to just...what, leave him to his fate?"
After having felt a slight kinship to Ora because of their tails, Leandra now felt frustration welling up inside of her. This was wrong, surely everyone else felt the same way. There was no way the weird man was already dead. Right?

Naberius Flutterby Zazz SilverFlight Baconhands LazyDaze Goonfire

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe's cry of pain was overshadowed by the sound of rocks caving in where they all once stood. He closed his eyes not to the dust, but to the agony; acid, in his attempt to save Desrick, had met his pale skin just over the shoulder. Safe, he pushed his back against a wall and hissed, hands shaking as he reached for his water. His flesh shriveled and burned, as did the rock wall where it touched. Without thinking of water rations, he poured it over his shoulder. "AaaaAAAGGHH!" His chest was tight as he gritted his teeth against the maddening burn.

Azaria winced at Lohrithe's outburst, but she figured Desrick and the others had it handled. Instead, she approached the pile of rubble, protecting her lungs from the dust with a forearm over her face. The giant beast was only mostly buried; she escaped down another tunnel brokenly, clattering her mandibles, making a portion of the rocks fall sidways after her.

"Alistair?" The assassin eyed the pile for any sign of life. He had risked his life for all of them, yet... he didn't seem the type do so after hardly knowing them at all. She hoped, in her heart, that the man had one more trick up his sleeve. She still owed him for saving Iolas's life. Ora was right, of course; they should move on. But still she chose to pick apart the rubble. "Help me move these," she said, lifting what large rocks she could to get at the place Alistair had stood.

 

[Flutterby]

Ora only half-turned to look at Leandra and her incredulous response. When Ora spoke, she expected her voice to shake, but was surprised when it didn't.
"If he's been truly buried, there is nothing to be done, and time spent here will have been wasted."

Ora heard and flinched at Lohr's cry of pain. There were healers with them, they would look after him. There was nothing she could do to help with that.
She picked her way closer to the rock pile, around some of the stones that had rolled further into their tunnel. She didn't see or hear anything that would suggest Alistair was still alive. Azaria appeared beside them and almost immediately began moving rocks.
"Azaria, wait." Ora reached forward and caught her arm, firmly. "If you grab at random you could destabilize the pile and cause it to shift. That could kill him if he's under there. We have to be more careful."
Ora took a cursory glance at the pile in the darkness. It would be ideal to start near the top, near the lip of the tunnel where the large slabs had braced themselves. But standing on the rocks could hurt Alistair too, and its not like there was a bracing system available to them.

With her lips pursed, she indicated a larger rock that didn't seem to be supporting any others, but didn't require too much maneuvering over the lower rocks.
"This one first. One rock at a time, from the top down as best we can." They needed to be quick, but cautious. Working together, they might find a sign of life. Or they might waste what little time they might still have. Ora told herself not to think about it, that they had at least as long as it took to help Lohr, as she rubbed some dust from the floor onto her sweaty palms and placed her hands on the rock.
SilverFlight Lioness075 Goonfire LazyDaze Zazz Naberius

 

[LazyDaze]

Even being the realist that he was, he couldn't have imagined that they all wouldn't make it into the tunnel. Iolas often joked about death to ease the tension of that very real possibility, but he couldn't fathom one of them actually losing their life. Not from something such as this. He did his best to remain calm and weigh the options. It was a real possibility that the unstable tunnel could collapse again if they shifted too much. While he continued to process what was happening, Ora had suggested the continue to move. He raised a brow, surprised Ora would be the first to suggest such an action. It was something that he would have done. Leandra seemed to disagree. Iolas could not imagine the chances of Alistair surviving the collapse to be very high, but if there was a chance...they would be obligated to take it right? Either way, it seemed like no one was willing to acknowledge his death which meant they would need proof. Azaria was already frantically digging through the rubble. He always did hate to see her that way...thankfully Ora offered her guidance. He wondered if she believed half of what she was saying whether it was correct or not. He couldn't help but selfishly think she should leave more controversial statements to people like himself. He sheathed his swords and walked toward the pile of stones to help with the efforts to recover Alistair's body.

"I am no Lorhithe, but I am not so pampared as to allow lovely ladies to sift through rubble alone," he said with a soft smile to both. He then placed a comforting hand on Azaria's shoulders and gave a nod. "I am sure we will find him." The state they would find him in would be an entirely different matter.

After sifting through some rocks he spoke again. "You are not wrong," Iolas said without looking at Ora, to whom his words were directed; "yet, the heart often cannot help but make foolish decisions."

Flutterby Zazz
Naberius

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (19/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass, Soiled Sketchbook, Charcoal Pieces

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

When Lohrithe screamed in agony, Leandra's flinched and covered her ears in fear. She looked over at him to see the horrific wound setting in his shoulder. Her eyes widened in horror and she stumbled back, tripping over Falarion who had run to hide behind her with a hiss.
He yelped and ran further down their side tunnel while Leandra scrambled back against the tunnel wall.
She quickly looked for the group's healers, Crow and Pyrrhus, before urgently asking, "Aren't you guys going to do something for him!?"

Her heart pounding, Leandra only looked away when Azaria stepped forward to start digging with little thought. Leandra smiled and felt her heart swell at the sight of someone helping instead of giving up so readily. It was a respite from what was befalling Lohrithe nearby.
After how Azaria had treated her by the campfire, Leandra felt as if they were quickly becoming friends and she felt better knowing Azaria backed her decision to not just leave the masked man behind. After all, he risked everything to help them after barely even knowing the group. The group had done that much for Leandra as well. Surely they owed it to him to help?

Standing up to join Azaria, Leandra paused when Ora caved and offered advice on which rock to move first. Grinning now, Leandra began to nimbly climb the rocks to get to that one.
But she halted partway when she saw something standing out against the rock pile. Frowning, Leandra carefully crawled across the rock pile, trying to avoid knocking any out of place in fear of making the situation worse.
Nearing the object, Leandra narrowed her eyes and recognized it as Alistair's mask. Feeling elation at the sight of their missing group member, Leandra grabbed the mask and then yelped in surprise, dropping it when she felt a warm liquid now on her paw.
The mask struck against rock after rock, as it tumbled down the rock pile to land near Azaria and Iolas. One side of the mask had a small stream of blood that had trickled down it and was now smeared from Leandra's touch. Dents covered the surface of the mask, cracks in the metal scouring the eye sockets and edges. The top corner of one side was gone entirely.

Fear made Leandra's heart pound, as she tried to catch her breath. Ora had been right after all.

Naberius SilverFlight Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze Flutterby

 

[SilverFlight]

Desrick held on tightly to Lohr as they crashed through to safety just as the tunnel caved. Desrick took one desperate look behind him, he'd seen a flash of Alistair holding up the rocks so they could get clear. He knew the man hadn't made it.
"No!" He barked in anger, but Lohr's pain-filled cry snapped his attention back.
"Rrrg, Pyrrhus! Crow! Lohr's been burned, quickly!"
Desrick helped the drow pour water over his shoulder, ripping a portion of his tunic and using it to dab at the wound gingerly,clearing it of the corrosive ooze.

"Shouting won't help Kitten." Pyrrhus told Leandra kindly as he trotted over and knelt, Crow still on his back. He reached for the pack and pulled a salve.
"This might neutralize what's left of the acid, I'll apply it to the wound. Then we can see about closing it up properly."
Pyrrhus applied the salve, counting on Crow to help him knit the flesh. As he worked he hummed a low tune, working magic into it to help with the pain.
"It will scar, unfortunately, but you will be all right Lohrithe."

With great effort Desrick pulled himself from Lohr's side. The healers were the best for him now. Instead he turned his frustration on the rocks.
"We're not going anywhere." He said with a growl. "Move Lohr further back when you can, we will look for Alistair."
Desrick followed Ora's advice and moved the rocks carefully, one by one, but he was not leaving until they found their friend, or his body.

Crispin turned to the tunnel that now lay ahead of them. He listened carefully.
"I think I hear running water." He snatched up the empty skins and went to check.

Zazz Flutterby Naberius Lioness075 LazyDaze Goonfire

 

[Goonfire]

"It... cannot be." Crow had never directly witnessed a loss of life on his own side. It was a sharp blow to his morale. The world around him seemed to stand still, sound drowned out until two voices pierced the haze, followed by another wail. Leandra and Desrick were calling for him to help Lohr. A steady stream of thought and then his own training registered once again. "Thank you. I doubt I would have made it," he whispered to Pyrrhus before dismounting shakily.

The healer knelt down at Lohr’s side. The medical inspection was quick, the diagnosis quicker. "Acid burns, complete skin destruction. I can try to work from deep to superficial, but... Ah, never mind." Crow refused to complain about his own exhaustion. Once his partner applied the salve, he started channeling his magic, working on Lohr’s dermis. “I will try to minimize scarring, so you may look your best.” A forced smile accompanied the comment. Every now and then, he glanced back at the pile of rubble, still in disbelief.

SilverFlight Zazz Lioness075

 

[Naberius]

Alistair

Everyone had finally made it out. He was almost there. But, in his line of work things never really happened quite the way they seemed like they would. He was tired. The weight was enough to drain his strength quickly. He thought he had calculated everything correctly, made sure to give himself enough time to make it back with the others. Life has a funny way of dashing our beliefs whenever it sees fit. A large stone fell through the gap left by one of his dispersed tendrils, striking him in the side of the head, knocking the mask from his face and leaving behind a rather nasty head gash, and he was lucky it hadn't given him a concussion. At the same time, a much larger boulder crashed to the floor in front of him, blocking the way. But he didn't have time to worry about that, as the rest of the ceiling fell in on top of him. No suit of armor could protect someone from something like that. Consumed by the crushing force around him, Alistair sank into darkness.

And the darkness welcomed his form, as it always had. An interesting trick he had picked up some years before. He was a master of his powers, not only commanding the shadows at will, but being the shadows themselves. His senses in this state, however, weren't as good as in his solid form, and he ended up swirling around the cave and ending up on the wall. He traveled around it until he found the tunnel entrance. He went up and over it, coming out of the collapsed tunnel above the others that he could now make out. It surprised him that they had stuck around for some stranger who hadn't been very likable up to this point. He made a note to possibly stop having a stick placed so firmly up to his throat when interacting with them, and made his way to the back of the group, dropping to the ground in his solid form and striding forward. He was doing his best to shield his now fully exposed face with the collar of his cloak. It did little to hide the almost gray skin, piercing sapphire blue eyes, the ears that were too round to be elven but too pointed to be fully human either. He walked briskly past the others and swiped the mask from the ground but quickly found it to be far too damaged to be used anymore. He stood, sighing, and finally taking note of what were undoubtedly many strange, confused, irritated, or angry expressions.

"You look like you've seen a ghost...Weren't counting me out already were you?"

Spoiler: The Reveal

SilverFlight Flutterby Goonfire Lioness075 Zazz LazyDaze

 

[Flutterby]

Ora looked up at Iolas, her lips set into a solemn line. She didn't say anything but glanced at Leandra and Azaria, then back at him, trying to keep her face neutral and not voice her thoughts again. They would dig him out, or at least try, if that would allow the group to move forward.

She only paused for a moment when Leandra found the mask. Even in the darkness, she could see the blood. She hesitated for long enough for Desrick to come forward. With the de facto leader of the group joining them, away from Lohr's side, Ora frowned. But she knew better than to argue, and set back to work with resignation. The body wasn't going to be a comforting sight, but at least it would be final.

She was reaching for another smaller stone, one she could handle herself, when she felt.. something. Her hands rested on the stone, as she tried to convince herself that it had been a breeze. There shouldn't be a breeze down here. That's not how this works.

And then she heard bootsteps behind them. And a voice.
Ora turned around, and took in the new appearance of Alistair. She expected the mask to cover some horrible scarring, a bad face tattoo, something.. more drastic. Instead, he looked rather normal. Or at least, the new normal she had come to accept, since Cyndara. He was injured, that was clear from the blood on the mask, but well enough to be snarky about his apparent death.

There was a twitch of annoyance in Ora's eyebrows, but relief overpowered it. She would question the how later, but she had a feeling it had to do with magic, something she would never understand. As she descended from the pile towards him, she shook her head.
"Why does everyone on this team have such a flair for the dramatic?"
@ SilverFlight Goonfire Lioness075 Zazz LazyDaze Naberius

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (19/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass, Soiled Sketchbook, Charcoal Pieces

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Leandra stared down at her left paw, the scent of blood filling her nostrils. Her pounding heart filled her ears and ringing began rising in volume. The last time blood had been on her left paw, it had been her burned flesh cracking as it tried to heal. Her wrappings and glove were still in place, but the scent and sight of blood was ever-present.

Hearing the boots approaching, Leandra's trance was broken and she looked up sharply to see the masked man...except he was finally unmasked. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to take in his facial appearance, but the darkness still made it difficult for her to discern details.
Still, elation rose in her, as Leandra exclaimed, "You're alive!"
She promptly dashed forward, nimbly scaling down the rock pile before slipping near the end. Stumbling forward, she waved her arms about and caught herself before she stumbled right past Alistair.
With a squeal of delight, Leandra suddenly lunged forward and hugged the man.
A few seconds ticked by before Leandra realized what she had just done. With a yelp, she quickly let go of him and stepped back a few paces.
"S-sorry! I was just so afraid we'd already lost someone in this group and they saved me last time, and I just didn't want you to be left behind. And I really thought you were dead when I found your mask!"
Anxiety creeped up and Leandra looked down at the floor, feeling shame rising as well. She distracted herself from the embarrassing moment by trying in vain to rub her partly bloody paw on her own sleeve. She quickly realized she would need to wash his blood off. Leandra shuddered at this thought.
In her rush to hug him and be excited for his return, Leandra had still failed to notice his Elven features.

Naberius SilverFlight Flutterby Zazz Goonfire LazyDaze

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe was not in his right mind to notice what had gone on with Alistair. All he knew was that one moment, Desrick was with him, and the next, he was not. The drow leaned forward to let Crow and Pyrrhus at his fresh, sizzling wound. He didn't care about the scar; he already had plenty that he wore proudly. But he knew if he opened his mouth to say this to Crow, he would only let out sounds of agony. Acid spit was no joke. As it was, the drow let out grunts and hisses, dark eyes shut tight. His hands grabbed at the loose fabric of his trousers.

Azaria felt a sense of comfort from Iolas's touch. It was a strange feeling to the assassin. Leandra had climbed up to the top of the pile before anyone else could, but she suddenly stopped, dropping a metal object. It clattered near the elves' feet. Azaria crouched to pick it up, ice falling in the pit of her stomach. Alistair's mask, broken and bloody. Unlike Leandra, the warm liquid did not make Azaria queasy in the slightest.

"He didn't make it."

She looked to Iolas next to her and silently thanked the gods that Alistair had been there when she had most needed him. He had been there for all of them. She reached out for Iolas's hand, only to be interrupted by... Alistair?

"You shady bastard," she said, and shook her head, the smallest of smiles showing her relief.

While the shadow mage was assaulted by Leandra, Azaria attached the broken mask to a strap on her back. Perhaps Ora would be able - and willing - to fix it.

_____

Where Crispin found water, he also found a small group of hunters. Their dark eyes gave away their lineage; Crispin and the others had finally found Lohrithe's home. However, the wood elf soon found himself surrounded by three spears held by mean looking, fanged, hissing drow. The one with red irises demanded of him, "Who are you? How did you find us? Drop your weapons!"

 

[LazyDaze]

They continued to search through the rubble, exchanging understanding glances and understanding that neither of them said. Even Desrick began to help as everyone seemed intent on dying before believing that one of their own had actually died. Iolas did his best to hold in an exasperated sigh. It was looking pretty hopeless and as much as he wanted to be a good teammate he could not say that he was particularly close to the Gideon hire, but comradery was still comradery. He briefly remembered shadow tendrils picking him up during the time he was drowning, so it would also suck to be in an eternal debt to this man. Despite their efforts, it was still a long shot, especially after his mask had been recovered. Just as he was about to state what no one wanted to here, around the same time Azaria was going to speak, he heard a voice from behind. It was Alistair, and he was alive. Immediately, Iolas smirked and stood up straight, dusting himself off while others rejoiced. "And here I was, salivating at the prospect of having additional space in this cramped up tunnel," Iolas joked with a shoulder shrug. He walked passed the others, taking note of his appearance but not speaking on it. For now, he would prefer to leave as soon as possible.

He never did like cramped up, dark places, and even he was starting to get a bit antsy. Ora released the understatement of a lifetime which earned a smile from Iolas; however, he continued walking as he shrugged his shoulders once again. "Personally, I blame Pyrrhus."


Flutterby Naberius Zazz Lioness075

 

[SilverFlight]

When Alistair appeared Desrick at first couldn't believe it, but as the others reacted he heaved a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Why didn't you tell us you could do that?" Desrick said gruffly, punching the man's shoulder with a smile.

Pyrrhus chuckled at Ora's comment and then Iolas' addition.
"I'll take credit for that." The centaur said with delight.

The moment Alistair was safe Desrick was back by Lohr's side. He had the drow's hand tightly locked in his, whispering gentle, encouraging words."
"Not long now Lohrithe." Pyrrhus added, the spell had almost don't it's work.
"Hmm, best give him this too, for the pain." The centaur slipped a tiny vial into Desrick's hand. Desrick uncorked it and pressed the glass to Lohr's lips.
The liquid was sweet, with an unpleasantly bitter aftertaste. Desrick recognized it as the oil from a specific flower that dulled pain but didn't addle any other senses.

Crispin started and straightened when the spears were thrust into his face. His bow clattered to the stone.
It only took a moment for the drow, holding Crispin, to appear in view of the team.
"Desrick." Crispin said in a voice much higher than usual. He couldn't move without the spear point burying into his throat.
The orc stood carefully, his axe remained sheathed and he put both hands up. He spoke softly in drowish, stumbling through the little that Lohr had taught him.

"We are friends. We come bringing a message, news from Sumenna."

Pyrrhus shifted a little to allow Lohrithe into their view.

"That is my brother." Desrick finished carefully. "Please, do not harm him."

((Italics are Des speaking drowish))

Zazz Goonfire Flutterby LazyDaze Naberius Lioness075 Baconhands

 

[Zazz]

The red-eyed drow raised a brow and looked to his two companions, then at Crispin. A few words were exchanged, and the other male smirked. "He does not look like your brother, orc."

Lohrithe, meanwhile, was starting to rise to his feet. He placed a hand on each of the healers' shoulders in appreciation. Slowly, he came to stand beside Desrick. He was taller than the other drow, and much more muscular. Imposing, even. "Let him go," he said in a deep rumble.

The second male faltered, eyes widening, and he lowered his spear. When the other two did not, he smacked them in the arm and muttered something in drowish. Realization dawned on both the red-eyed one and the woman, and they lowered their spears. The woman handed Crispin his bow. "Welcome home, brother," said the second man.

Lohrithe clapped Desrick on the back and grinned at him, having heard his attempts at the dark elven language. He had learned well. "They are hunters," he said in Orcish to Desrick. To the rest, he said, "Pack up, we are almost there."

Not long later, the drow trio led the group out of the dank, dark tunnels. The first thing that came to them was the purplish hue that lit the cavernous city. It seemed to come from the flowers that lined their path upward. The flowers were being tended to; a drow here and there held a small tin and a thin grasping instrument and were carefully removing a silvery powder that seemed to grow on the ends of the stamens. "The flowers are poisonous," Lohrithe warned, before anyone mistakenly tried to touch them. Up they climbed; it seemed they ended up farther down than the map had promised, yet still on the same western side.

The flowers grew along the short wall encasing their winding path. Over it, Azaria noted, was a very uncomfortable fall to one's death. The middle of the cavern was layered with pathways inspired by spiderwebs, each intertwining with the next, surrounding what looked like a very long, tall cathedral. Even Azaria could not see the bottom of it. Nor the top, really. Gemstones peeked out from the din, and odd plants glowed along the rocks.

The higher they climbed, the more people they saw. Skin tones varied from Lohrithe's pale moonlight to a dark, dark blue it was almost black. Black sclera and fangs were a staple. They did not see even one other race, and people stared as they stuck out like a sore thumb.

The hunter trio stopped a long way up, in front of a door in the rock wall, before leaving. Lohrithe took a deep breath. Coming home was always a strange experience. The door swung inwards.

At first, the home was quiet. Lohrithe was glad for the high ceiling, as Desrick would not need to hunch over. Quietly, he ushered in his friends, internally wishing they had all had a chance to bathe since nearly dying.

"Lohrithe? Is that you?"

Caldorithe was found with a chisel and hammer in hand, midway through a wall carving. Upon seeing his son, he set down his tools and came to embrace the taller drow. "We received your letter. Your mother convinced the council to send some of our people, but they were not very receptive. As you can imagine." Caldorithe let go of his son and looked past at the filthy travelers. "And who are these outsiders?" The man, despite his words, welcomed the group with a curious smile. His green eyes settled on Desrick. "Raz'kul?"

 

[Naberius]

Alistair

"Of course I'm alive. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about my mask."

He raised an eyebrow at the scampering cat girl, backed up a step when she slid to a stop nearby, and nearly fell to the ground when she embraced him. Not because of the surprise, though that was part of it. He was currently running on nothing but willpower and what small shred of pride he possessed. He wouldn't collapse in front of people, not ever. The amount of magic he'd just used in one short period of time had robbed him of his stamina, and for anyone with sharp enough eyes, his knees wobbled slightly and nearly gave out. The head wound didn't lend itself to being very helpful either, a small stream of dried blood plainly visible against the pale skin of his face, a small wound from the falling rock just above his right eye.

He attempted to stretch back as far away from the embrace as possible, a very strange looking pose to be taking for sure. He nearly sighed in audible relief when she released him. Though the playful jab from the orc nearly finished the job of driving him to his knees. He grunted under his breath, brows heavy with exhaustion.

"Sorry it never quite came up. Not sure when the proper time to inform you that I can melt into the darkness would have been. I did however tell you that I have full control over shadows. Sometimes I just decide to become those shadows. And of course I'm dramatic, I spent 30 years of my life performing in theaters and plays. It's a habit you pick up. You didn't think this was my day job did you?"


He stepped to the side, trying to look inconspicuous as he used one of the walls for support. However, some part of him already knew that at least one of their more sharp eyed companions would undoubtedly notice his physical state, and that was a wound his pride would just have to suffer. He watched them care for their comrade. When the newcomers appeared, he tried to make a show of looking intimidating, his hand going towards the sword he usually had, only to remember it had been lost in the cave in and instead switched to his long dagger. However, they seemed to resolve whatever issues they had and both groups started moving out together towards wherever it was they were going. Alistair loped along slowly behind most of the others, still trying to summon up the last vestiges of his strength to finish the journey.

The city they arrived in was certainly...interesting. He was far too exhausted to take in much of the preceding area aside from just how intense some of the landscape features were. This place was unlike anywhere he had ever been before, even in the deepest reaches of the forests he called home. Entering the city, he could instantly feel hundreds of pairs of eyes on them, watching their every move. Not used to visitors apparently, though he did make note of their skin tones and how several were similar to his own. No time to think on that however, they had business to attend to or at least he assumed they did. At this point it was hard to concentrate on anything other than putting one foot in front of the other. They arrived at someones home, and someone allowed their entry. His vision had started to blur slightly around the edges, and he couldn't help but wonder if the falling rock had done more damage than he first thought. They were speaking with a man, hugged the pale skinned elf. He was starting to have trouble hearing, there was a ringing in his ears, and his legs felt like they were made of mud. It steadily grew harder to stand, and he was increasingly aware of how obvious it was becoming that he wasn't exactly doing as well as he was trying to let on.


SilverFlight Zazz Lioness075 Flutterby Goonfire LazyDaze Baconhands

 

[Flutterby]

Ora gave a shake of her head, and quickly tried to usher them back to the relative safety of where the others had stopped. There was a ghost of a smile on her face, the relief of not losing Alistair clear from it. Lohr was quickly being tended to, and she had just turned to ask Alistair if he needed assistance when she heard Crispin call for his brother. Her blood ran cold when she looked, and she couldn't stop herself from putting a hand on the hilt of her sword and taking a few steps forward.

Desrick stepped forward and diffused the situation, but it didn't do much to quiet the unease Ora felt as the image of Crispin at spear-point stayed with her, and the small woman walked closely to him the rest of the way. She tried to distract herself by watching the others as they walked- particularly Alistair, since she notice rather quickly that his injuries were hindering him. And then the surroundings, when she decided to wait until Alistair was either unable to walk or willing to ask for help himself. She wondered if the silver substance being harvested from the flowers was the same substance that Lohr had once put in her hair- it was so long ago, she couldn't remember if he had told her what it was, or where it come from. She hardly noticed the staring- it was her normal, and always had been.

As they reached the home, Ora hung back and allowed Lohr and Desrick to handle things with Lohr's parents, or thats who she assumed they were about to meet. She kept her mouth shut and her face pleasant, until she noticed Alistair starting to physically sway. Quickly, she stepped over to him and looped an arm around his waist. It wasn't easy to support a taller being, but she could at least steady him and guide him down if his knees did buckle.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I believe Alistair really should sit down now," She announced, breaking the reunion with an apologetic but firm tone.

@ SilverFlight Goonfire Lioness075 Zazz LazyDaze Naberius

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (19/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass, Soiled Sketchbook, Charcoal Pieces

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

When Iolas joked about having more space with Alistair's absence, Leandra's ears flattened against her head and she scowled at his back. What kind of messed up joke was that?
She glanced back at Alistair when he spoke up again. Her ears twitched at the mention of being involved in theaters and play. She did not know what a theater was, but she loved playing with the kids at her village sometimes.

Just as she was about ask more about theaters, Leandra's ears flickered to the side and she could hear angry voices echoing down the tunnel.
A few more quips came from the group, as Leandra brushed past them to see what the commotion was. Her curiosity was piqued yet again.

Falarion trotted alongside Leandra, his tail straight up, as he proudly held his head high. No matter who these new strangers were, Falarion wanted them to know that this group was not to be trifled with.

Leandra halted not far from Desrick when he began speaking in another language the she did not recognize. Her ears began flicking this way and that, as she tried to understand what was going on. She only recognized these people, as they looked the same as Lohrithe. Problem was, Leandra was still lacking a proper racial history lesson.
When Lohrithe spoke in yet another language to Desrick, Leandra's confusion started to shift into frustration at not knowing what was going on.

Sensing her frustration, Falarion rubbed up against Leandra's leg and began purring, distracting her temporarily for some pets.

Just as the Drow trio began to lead the group away, Leandra stood back up from petting Falarion, her frustration mellowed out once more.
Leandra's eyes widened at the sight of the city and how far up it went. She nearly fell backwards down the stairs, as she tried to look up at everything and then back down. Her eyes sparkled with delight at the sight of the beautiful flowers along their path and just as she reached for one, Lohrithe spoke.
Flinching away, Leandra hugged her paw to her chest and hurried along to stick with the group while Falarion climbed up her back to then sit down on her shoulder. For a brief moment, Leandra choked on feathers until Falarion settled down. She tried to give him a pointed look, but did not have the right angle to do so, instead appearing to give a pointed look to a random Drow staring at the group nearby.
It was then that Leandra realized everyone was staring at them and her anxiety spiked. She turned to try and hide behind Ora, seeing that she seemed to be unbothered by the looks. Alas, it was impossible to completely hide from all the stares.

When they arrived at Lohrithe's home, Leandra heaved a sigh of relief once the door shut behind them. She did not realize just how stressful that experience had been until the doors were shut. Embarrassed that she was still hiding behind Ora like a child, Leandra slunk out to the side of the group and nearly bumped into Alistair once more. It was then that she finally noticed how haggard he appeared. She could not help it, as her expression became concerned.

Before she had a chance to say anything, Lohrithe's father approached the group and greeted them pleasantly enough. Leandra smiled at this, distracted once more.

But then Falarion meowed in protest, as Ora brushed past them to suddenly help Alistair stand. Leandra winced at the sight of just how badly he looked, feeling bad that she had not thought to do something for him. Though, the likelihood of someone as small as her being able to help him stand was slim. She probably would have only made things worse and embarrassed herself yet again.

Stepping back to give them space, Leandra worriedly looked between Alistair and Lohrithe's father.
Hesitantly, Leandra spoke up then, quiet at first and then louder with little confidence, "Will we be able to stay here and rest? We've been through...a lot recently."

SilverFlight Naberius Zazz Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire

 

[SilverFlight]

As they were lead, Crispin fell into step beside Ora.
"Were you about to fight those drow for me?" He wore a teasing smile mixed with complete adoration.

The city was breathtaking, and such a complete turn from the underground city of the dwarves. Where Dwerstand was bathed in golden light, it's buildings square and solid, this city was much more organic, and bathed in faded blues and purples. Houses and walkways blended into the natural rock, and plants grew without the need for moonlight, they gave off their own radiance.
The house was not small, and the group could pile in without feeling cramped.
Pyrrhus sidled forward slowly and subtly, to offer Alistair an equine shoulder to lean on.

Desrick's stride had been stiff every since they had met the hunters. Crispin rarely saw his brother his nervous, but this time, he knew why.
The orc had never met Lohrithe's parents. The circumstances weren't great.
As they reached the door Desrick saw the change in Lohr's expression, he wanted to put a gentle hand on Lohr's good shoulder, but the door opened before he could.
He watched quietly as Lohr hugged his father, suddenly aware of how grimy he was: his unkempt hair and blood-stained axe. He prayed to Cyndabrynde that Caldorithe would not hold it against him.
"Raz'kul." Desrick confirmed, and brought hand over fist in front of his chest to bow respectfully. He continued in Drowish: "Well met, may the moon always rise over your victories." It was an ancient blessing, and one that had ties in both orc and drow culture, a long time ago.

He changed back to common for the benefit of the team:
"We have just come from Sumenna, there is an army on our heels. They are using the tunnels to carve a path unhindered to the gates of Myst. They will march through your people unless we prepare them...my friends need rest, food and healing, but I must speak with the council."

Zazz Goonfire Flutterby LazyDaze Naberius Lioness075 Baconhands

 

[Zazz]

Caldorithe smiled at the orc's greeting. He looked much like his son when he did, if a little wiser. The elder drow returned the gesture graciously. "And yours, friend." He welcomed them all with a sweep of an arm. "Come, you must be starving. You all look as if you have been battling bath water for centuries. Smell like it, too," he teased, grinning at the lot of them. His grin faltered when he saw Alistair, yet interest peaked in his eye. " Yes, let us sit him down by the... fire crystals?" He looked to his son for a better translation, but Lohrithe only shrugged. The taller drow took Alistair from Ora and set him by what looked much like a traditional fireplace. However, instead of an actual fire, a collection of glowing red crystals stuck out of a pile of ash. The softer furniture was made of rich furs, while the house itself was carved out of stone.

The elder drow brought out a carfully crafted pitcher of cool water, accompanied by wooden cups carved with wild animals. Wyverns, wolves, great cats. One might recognize the artistry was from Delan. He handed one such filled cup to Alistair, and poured more for the others.

Lohrithe stayed by Alistair, keeping hold of his shoulder to prevent him from keeling over. His father leaned back against a wooden table, peering over his own cup at Desrick and the others. Mostly Desrick. Rings adorned his fingers, and his long, open, sleeveless garment bared a smooth, moonlit chest. The garment itself was plain, but he wore it like royalty. "You will want to bathe before approaching the council," said the father, quickly eyeing the ruddy state of the orc. "How much time do we have before this... army arrives?"

 

[Naberius]

Alistair

He could feel his knees getting weaker as he stood there, trying his damnedest to hide the weariness that seeped into his very bones. He had used far too much of his strength in too short of a time and he knew it. But he had no other choice in the moment, and just acted. Though he'd never admit it openly, he didn't regret the choice that had kept decent people safe. Suddenly he felt an arm around his waist and looked over, frowning intensely. He struggled to leave the clutches of the one named Ora, the more pacifist member of their group if his memory served. Right now however, it very well might not given his condition. He stumbled and nearly fell trying to escape, and was handed off to someone else once more to be ushered somewhere to sit, handed a cup with something in it. Soon a third person had taken over trying to keep him steady. And the anger made itself very clear in gritted teeth and icy daggers for eyes. He placed the cup on a table nearby, forcing himself to his feet, though he nearly collapsed again doing so. Just how much did that last shred of pride he still held have to suffer before fate would be done tormenting him?

"I refuse to be coddled like some newborn babe. Remove your hands from me and step aside. I'm going to go and get the lay of the land since nearly every one of us is new here."

Using the wall for support, he moved towards the door, looking absolutely furious at the treatment he was currently receiving. He didn't need their help. He had never needed anyone's help, and certainly wasn't going to start now. He made it to the door, pulling it open and trying to step outside, though he had to catch himself on the doorframe before actually making his first steps back out into the strange city.

SilverFlight Zazz Lioness075 Flutterby Goonfire LazyDaze Baconhands