Wrath of the Righteous: The Worldwound Incursion

[DaedalusMkV]

Wrath of the Righteous: The Worldwound Incursion
IC Thread

For several weeks, excitement has been building in Kenabres; Armasse is coming! Traditionally an opportunity for scholars and priests to come together to study the lessons of history from wars past, since Aroden's
death, this holy day has become more about training commoners in weaponry, choosing squires, and ordaining new priests. Over time, Armasse has grown to encompass jousting competitions, mock duels, battle reenactments, and other festival events. In Kenabres, the festival (which takes place on 16 Arodus) is eagerly anticipated, for it provides distractions from the horrors of being on the front line of the war. Smiles on faces normally marred by downcast eyes and furrowed brows do wonders for city morale in the weeks leading up to the event. Armasse is a citywide celebration, but the majority of the event, including its jousting matches and other entertainments, takes place at Clydwell Plaza, just west of the Cathedral of Saint Clydewell's.

This particular Armasse has had the good luck of taking place on a warm, sunny day, and that itself has put the citizens of Kenabres in a particularly good mood. A massive crowd is beginning to gather at the Plaza, thousands of war-weary citizens turning out to celebrate the closest thing Kenabres really ever gets to a festival. The events are to be opened by a speech from Lord Hulrun himself, taking place directly at noon, and that hour rapidly approaches. As events would have it, all of you have managed to find yourselves in an excellent place to watch the ceremonies from, right up against the wall of the cathedral where the press of people lets up slightly but you still have an excellent view of the building's steps, where several of the city's leaders are already congregating.

Spoiler

Show

As fortune would have it, you all find yourselves in the same section of the crowd. Go ahead and introduce your character to the scene, and feel free to interact with each other as you like.

[Khosan]

Udo

His foster parents had been insistent that he attend the opening ceremony of Armasse, his mother in particular. In all honesty, he'd've preferred to stay with them to help them set up their stall and prepare. It had been quite some time since he'd spent any real amount of time with them. He'd left his donkey, Daisy, with them just in case they needed help carrying anything.

Now, standing next to the cathedral, he wished he'd stayed with them. What makes for a comfortable view for the tall folk is frequently filled with thighs, pant legs and skirts for someone standing barely 2 feet high. He considered climbing the cathedral wall to get a better vantage point but that seemed both disrespectful and, well, stupid. There were a few others standing nearby and, if he was lucky, he might be able to get a boost from one of them. The little frog sighed, an undignified option but simple and effective.

Udo sidled over toward the tallest person nearby, Karsten in point of fact. He was barely taller than the man's kneecap. "Excuse me, sir," Udo spoke with a remarkably deep voice for someone his size, "But could you, by chance, give me a lift? It's quite hard to see from all the way down here."

[Mr. Turniphead]

Idranel

Crowded.

Over the last few years, Idranel still wasn't used to the press of bodies that was so common in human cities. Now the Magi was not unaccustomed to cities. Iadara was the capital of her homeland, and much larger than Kenabres, but Elves enjoyed their space.

Fortunately for the Elf, her distaste for close contact must have been very apparent on her face, because the humans closest to her were giving her as wide a berth as they were able.

Still, there was something to be said for a festival, and much to her chagrin the smiling faces around her were a pleasant change from the normal grim determination the crusaders usually carried with them. Idranel's disposition tended towards the sour, but she was not made of stone, and deep down she was happy for them.

Idranel closed her eyes for a moment, letting her eyelids slide shut as she enjoyed the rays of the sun. It was a beautiful day, and that itself was a blessing from the Dawnflower.

A faint smile curved her lips.

[Drothmal]

Astias

Astias leans against the Cathedral, one foot resting on the wall of the sacred building as he hums a soft tune to himself. Wearing a white shirt that accentuates his toned musculature, a green vest that matches his eyes and both a sword and a whip, the young bard cuts a rather dashing figure, yet no one approaches him. For one reason or another, the crowd seems to fluctuate around him, leaving the young man plenty of room to breathe.

"Lucky" looks around and, as any good entertainer would do, assesses the mood of the crowd

"Hopeful, with a dash of defiance, just how I like it" thinks the bard "It will be a good show this evening"

Astias was not scheduled to recite "The liberation of Mendev" (which remembered the victories of the first crusade) until the evening, so the duelist had taken the chance to see Lord Hulrun speak. As a child, Astias used to call the commander "uncle Hurl". But since the attack... well, let's just say that his parent's had to blame someone for his son's rather ominous fate, and such resentment can go a long way to cool down what used to be a warm relationship.

"I don't even know if Uncle Hurl knows I've joined the Crusade... Well, I'm sure I'll run into him sooner or later" thinks the arcane duelist, not even faced by the astronomical probabilities of a new recruit "running into" the leader of Kenabres.

Udo"Excuse me, sir," Udo spoke with a remarkably deep voice for someone his size, "But could you, by chance, give me a lift? It's quite hard to see from all the way down here."

Astias turns to the source of the sound and encounters a rather unlikely speaker. But instead of showing any signs of surprise at seeing a Grippli, the bard offers the small creature a warm smile

"Let me see if I can help..." says Astias, suddenly waving at one of the merchants that are going around the square selling refreshments.

"Excuse me, good sir" says the bard to the merchant with another affable smile as he procures a cup and a silver piece "Could I have some wine?"

The merchant approaches and begins to pour the young man a drink, only to find that the three foot barrel from which he procures his refreshment has been emptied out. Excusing himself, the merchant asks if he can leave the empty barrel with Astias while he gets more, to which the young bard agrees with another affable smile.

Once the merchant leaves, "Lucky" bows to the gripply while gesturing to the barrel.

"Here you go, my friend" says the bard while extending his arm for a handshake "The name's Astias, but you can call me Lucky. And whom do I owe the pleasure?"

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

Tefkros had woken up with quite a cheery disposition today. His pipe has been bellowing all day, and his breakfast had been especially large and bountiful. Despite both his dwindling funds and his hangover from last nights excessive drinking, Tefkros downed his last alchemical remedy just for today.

Feeling festive, he went early to get a nice view. As always, the niceties of etiquette seem to escape him, and he is dressed as always, pack in hand, like he is about to embark on a mission.

From afar -being tall has its advantages- he notices that both Karsten and Indranel are close by. He does not know them that well, but again, Tefkros does not seem to care.

Tefkros closes in. First he addresses Idranel, as he passes.

"Good morning, my Lady of the Sword. Is that a smile? If yes, the alchemical kindness I just downed was worth it. We should tell Lord Hulrun to host these activities more often."

With a slight bow, his pipe blazing, he moves on towards Karsten, also sticking out due to his height. Here was also a man who appreciated the true value of selective propriety. Tefkros did not have the talent.

"Good morning, my dear fellow. Picked a nice spot, I see. Would you mind the company? Such festivities must be shared with a man who appreciates cynicism."

By then, Udo and his friend have entered the scene.

"Oh nicely done, my good fellow. Name is Tefkros. Thank you for allowing Udo to join us. Here Udo, join us. We would appreciate a non-mammal perspective on things."

[Mr. Turniphead]

Idranel

The Elven woman is unexpectedly torn from her reverie at the sound of Tefkros' voice.

'Lady of the blade...?' She thinks incredulously, opening her eyes to see who spoke to her.

"Tefkros." She thinks aloud, her voice a harsh rasp from disuse. She clamps her jaw shut with a click, annoyed by the sound. Green eyes scan over her chimney of a drinking companion before she simply gives him a curt nod in reply to his statement.

But Tefkros has moved on, greeting several men around her, including a small Froglike creature she had never seen in person before.

'A Grippli? How curious.' she muses quietly, adjusting the collar of her loose fitting shirt as she does so.

[Athaleon]

Karsten

The big man returns Tefkros' greeting with a broad grin as he scoops up Udo without difficulty. "You know, even I'm finding it hard to be cynical today. Looks like she," he gestured to Idranel, "has got enough of that to go round."

Karsten was wearing his armor, with his sword slung across his back. Such was unremarkable in this Crusader kingdom and nobody looked twice, but Karsten felt that some long walks with his heavy armor would do him good after being so long in recovery.

It had been months since the ordeal that had seen the destruction of his Company, and much of that time was spent bedridden as an infected wound threatened to claim his leg. But the Crusade's healers knew their business, and by now Karsten could even walk without a limp.

He also felt he ought to get out and enjoy some of the festivities now that he was fully recovered. Once he was back in shape and got some training in to clear the rust off his sword-arm, he would join the Crusade proper and be out on campaign once again. Moments like this would be scarce enough then.

[Khosan]

Udo

With a spring in his step, Udo makes his way over to the barrel, "Excellent! Thank you!" After climbing up, he bows in kind and shakes Lucky's hand as well as he can manage, "I'm Udo and I can assure you the pleasure's all mine. I got a barrel to stand on, after all." He stomps the barrel a few times, to emphasize the point. Udo gives Lucky a discerning glance, "If you don't mind my asking, have you met many of my kind before? I only ask because you seem...unsurprised. It's not a reaction I see often from those I've just met."

Reaching into his backpack, Udo removes a small wooden cup, which quickly finds itself filled with conjured water. He takes a sip just as Tefkros shows up. "Ah, morning Tefkros," He offers up a light wave. "I'd've told you I was coming but I truly didn't know either until about an hour ago."

[Drothmal]

"I'm Udo and I can assure you the pleasure's all mine. I got a barrel to stand on, after all." He stomps the barrel a few times, to emphasize the point.

Amused by the grippli's reaction, Astias lets out a clear, good natured and rather well pitched peel of laughter.

"If you don't have a leg to stand on, try a barrel" muses the bard jokingly

Udo gives Lucky a discerning glance, "If you don't mind my asking, have you met many of my kind before? I only ask because you seem...unsurprised. It's not a reaction I see often from those I've just met."

"I've seen your kind once before, although you are the first one I've had the privilege to meet." replies the arcane duelist, always glad to make conversation "My parents are itinerant performers, so I grew up travelling across Golarion and seeing quite unusual sights."

"For this particular tale, which of course will be free of charge" says Astias winking "our brave-ish heroes had stopped in a small town by a swamp in Druma on their way to Andoran.

As luck would have it" continues the bard, making a particular inflection at the word used for good fortune "The town was entertaining an envoy of your people that was negotiating hunting quotas in the area. Trying to incur his favor, they had us recite "The thousand benefits of harmony among neighbors".

A little tacky, if you ask me, but I guess it's the though that counts."

The bard considers mentioning that, since the attack two years ago, he had run into all sorts of strange and unique creatures in his travels to learn more about his curse. But after an instant he decides not to... no need to ruin the little fellow's mood with unnecessary melodrama.

Tefkros
By then, Udo and his friend have entered the scene.

"Oh nicely done, my good fellow. Name is Tefkros. Thank you for allowing Udo to join us. Here Udo, join us. We would appreciate a non-mammal perspective on things."

Astias turns around at the new arrival and gives him a charming smile.

"Astias Sildor, at your service." says the bard, as he stretches out his arm for a second handshake.

For some reason, the pipe smoke seems to dance and weave around the young bard, taking the form of various musical notes that blink in and out of existence.

"What are you fine gentlemen doing later today? I'll be reciting "The liberation of Mendev" with my modest capabilities" it was clear he did not think them to be so modest "at the northern end of the festival, and it'd be an honor to have such fine gentle-humanoids such as yourselves present"

[Mr. Turniphead]

Idranel

The elf purses her lips, directing a dour look at Karsten. She sniffs derisively, and returns her gaze to where the lord of the city will be presenting himself.

'I am not cynical!' She thinks irritably. The Magi allows herself to listen to the four men and their conversation despite her displeasure however, and after a brief tale by the man named Astias, Idranel's shoulders begin to untense. 'They seem to get along well enough. I just need to relax. Perhaps introduce myself..?' She scratches at the scar on her neck pensively, a nervous habit.

"My name is Idranel." she blurts awkwardly. Her harsh voice sounding foreign and out of place coming from the fair skinned elf. She hesitates, and quickly turns her gaze away from them again.

'Idiot.'

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

"I cannot speak for those fellows here, but I would rather give my money to someone I know. The northern end? I will be there."

[DaedalusMkV]

...

You awaken in darkness, choking dust filling the air and a light covering of dirt and gravel rolling off your skin as you stir from unconsciousness. Bruised and battered but fundamentally unharmed, the absolute blackness of wherever you happen to be demonstrates that no light reaches this place, not even enough for an Elf's keen night-vision. You can hear the sounds of others moving in the darkness, as well as the occasional clattering of falling rocks striking the ground and at least one set of pained grunts.

Udo:

Spoiler

Show

The darkness is less of a hindrance to your darkness-adapted eyes, though the muted, washed-out colours combine with the dust in the air and the layer of grime covering everything to make it difficult even for you to see. It looks like you're in a cave, with a broken-up rocky ceiling perhaps twenty or thirty feet above you, and you rest atop and to the side of a massive pile of debris, broken rocks and chunks of masonry in a slop right to the cave's ceiling. Seven other figures stir around you, though covered as they are in dust and debris it's hard to identify any sort of details...

Everyone:

Spoiler

Show

Hopefully, that felt as jarring as I intended. You still have any equipment you were carrying on your person and are functionally unharmed, having suffered no more than mild bruising. There is no light whatsoever in this place, so anyone without Darkvision is fundamentally blind until some source of light is generated.

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

...sits up suddenly and in complete surprise. He grunts a few times while checking that every limb is still there and functioning.

"Well, well, well... now what has just happened?"

Tefkros congratulates himself once more for always having his backpack with him. After a few false starts, he finds the one of his two sunrods and lights it up.

Everlight guide me.

Spoiler

Show

What the text just said. Striking a sunrod.

[Mr. Turniphead]

Idranel

Dust.

Idranel gasps for air as she finally stirs in the darkness, coughing to clear her throat of the debris.

'Danger! The city is... under attack!' she thought numbly as she rose unsteadily to her feet. She checked herself for injuries as her mind cleared.

Her hand came to rest on the familiar hilt of her rapier, and the Elf couldn't help but feel a surge of relief seep into her bones. She was armed at least, she would not be taken unprotected. Now that her mind had cleared, she realized that her eyes were not adjusting to the darkness in the room, brow furrowing, she drew her blade and murmured the spell for light, the length of her weapon glowing brightly enough to illuminate her surroundings.

She looked around, searching for something familiar, and was startled by Tefkros as he lit up a sunrod not but a few feet from her. She steps towards his seated form, crouching down to look for injuries on his person.

"I'm glad you're as calm as ever." she says simply, reaching into a pouch and pulling out a small curative potion. "Are you hurt?"

[Athaleon]

Karsten

His soldier's instincts had Karsten on his feet and with his sword drawn before he could actually register what happened, or before he fully realized that his eyes were not adjusting to the darkness. In his blindness, he nearly panicked before his companions activated their own light sources.

"I'm all right", he called hoarsely. "Who else is here?"

He could see Tefkros and Idranel, illuminated by their own light sources.

'Keep your head on a swivel, Karsten' he admonished himself. Rather than gawk at his two companions who seemed to be okay, better look for other people, or a way out — Or hostiles.

[Khosan]

Udo

Finally regaining consciousness, Udo jolts upright with a hacking cough from underneath a small pile of rubble. Putting a hand to his head to try and ease the throbbing, he looks around and attempts to get a read on the situation. Six, no, seven other survivors nearby, barely recognizable underneath all the dust, a massive pile of debris behind him and aside from the recently lit sunrod, no source of light.

"Is-Agh...Is everyone alright?" The grippli pulls himself to his feet, coughing up a mouthful of dust, "I prepared-" he wheezes dryly, "I prepared a healing spell in case there was an accident." Udo pulls his shirt up over his mouth, trying to give himself some cleaner air to breathe, "Wasn't expecting anything like this."

After a brief pause, Udo looks around at the others again. "One moment, I need to...check something." Between the choking, dust-filled air, the pounding in his head and the gap in his memory, he found it difficult to concentrate on the spell. If there was nothing else he could do, he could at least confirm their immediate safety.

Spoiler

Show

Udo uses his Menhir Savant's Spirit Sense ability, spending this round observing the other seven survivors.

[DaedalusMkV]

With light, the room resolves itself into something approximating visibility. You seem to be in a large cavern, perhaps sixty or seventy feet in length, around twenty feet high and nearly as wide as it is long. One of the walls, the one you're all but resting against, is comprised mostly of debris, a mix of broken rock and what is unmistakably broken masonry and chunks of shattered wood. The rest of the cavern seems to be natural, stalactites occasionally descending from the ceiling and stalagmites thrusting from the ground. Five shiny object glitter nearby, reflecting silver in the magical and alchemical light, and up against the opposite wall, in the murky distance, what seems to be a hulking, monstrous spider lurks unmoving and silent, eyes glittering in the light.

As the ringing in your ears fades and your disorientation passes, you can begin to remember the events that brought you here.

Armasse officially began at noon, with the blessing of the festival by Lord Hulrun himself, ruler of Kenabres. The crowd gathered in Clydwell Plaza quieted as the aged inquisitor took the stage, clad in shining, resplendent armour. He cleared his throat, but just as he was about to speak, a bright light shone from the west, as if the sun were rising from the wrong direction. Hulrun's shadow fell huge and distorted across the cathedral 's façade. A moment later, the sound of a thunderous explosion ripped through the air and earth, along with a violent tremor.

To the west, the fortress known as the Kite, the location of Kenabres' Wardstone, had vanished. In its place, a brilliant plume of red fire, lightning and smoke erupted into the heavens.

A moment later, a powerful roar accompanied a welcome sight rising from the crowd; Kenabres' greatest guardian, the ancient silver dragon Terendrelev, who had apparently until that moment been attending the ceremony disguised as one of the humanoids in the crowd. Above, another form appeared, nightmarish as the dragon was breathtaking. A humanoid shape three times the size of any man, with skin coated in fire and lightning, gripping a massive flaming sword and whip. The creature's identity, a legend or perhaps nightmare among the Crusaders, was immediately obvious: Khorramzadeh, the Storm King of the Worldwound, had come to Kenabres again!

As the ground continued to shake and disgorge demons into the streets, the dragon and the Balor Lord clashed above. The fight was over in a few harrowing moments as the Balor cut deep into Terendrelev's body, swooping down to strike the dragon and arresting her charge. A few more blows and the titanic due spiraled downward towards the crowd.

The sight of the dragon smashing into the façade of the Catedral of St. Clydewell is one no witness would ever forget. At that moment, a titanic demon erupted at the far end of the plaza, reducing several buildings to ruin as it smashed into this world. Destruction reigned across the plaza, as you readied weapons to fight back against the demonic horde appearing across the city and did your best to pull people from the fissures spider webbing the ground, Udo barely leaping from his borrowed barrel before a toppling pillar smashed it into kindling, but in the end there was no escape. The rift created by the great Demon's arrival shot across the plaza, opening beneath your feet, angling into darkness.

Even as you fell, the dragon noticed your plight. Though she saw death standing over her, she seized one final chance to save a few more lives, uttering a few magic words inaudible above the din of destruction and battle and stretching out a blood-soaked talon. You felt her magic take hold, slowing your fall into the darkness from a lethal plunge to a feather-like drifting. As you slowly drifted into the great rift, the last thing you saw was the Storm King standing before the ancient dragon, his sword lashing out and cleaving full through her neck. As her severed head fell, the rift above you slammed shut and the light of the world above disappeared, and the torrent of falling debris slamming into you managed to batter you insensate.

Even as the details resolve themselves, you all begin to take notice of the other survivors trapped with you. In addition to the five speaking above in the plaza, three more figures resolve themselves. The first, a feminine form obscured by dust and grime, breathes shallowly and grunts in pain, her right leg trapped beneath a chunk of masonry larger than the rest. It can only be her bad luck that the large rock fell after her landing, for the vast majority of the debris arrived long before you did, falling as slowly as you were. She looks at you only for a moment before returning her attention to struggling with the rock in an attempt to free her limb.

The second becomes clearer as a third point of light resolves itself in the cavern, glowing from what seems to be a wooden wizard's staff. The man there, a horribly injured-looking Elven man with long hair and a face that seems to be little more than a mess of burnt scar tissue, snarls to himself and the light winks out, as he speaks the magic words again and it reappears. This repeats itself twice before he gives up, the light still shining, and calls out, "It seems my magic can't pierce whatever spell darkens this place, but I can hear you out there. If you can see, call out and I will follow the sound of your voice!"

The third, a heavyset man wearing slightly battered but obviously fine clothing, a few jewels glittering on his fingers and around his neck, simply sits slumped on a large rock, staring straight ahead as though in shock.

Udo:

Spoiler

Show

There do not seem to be any spiritual creatures around you, none of their distinctive spiritual energy, but as you stretch out your senses a profound feeling of wrongness permeates everything. The familiar feel of the leylines radiating from the city's Wardstone are chaotic and scattered, and with a grim certainty you realize that the Storm King must have returned to finish the job that brought you to your druidic path in the first place, shattering the Warstone and destroying the protective field it served as a locus of.

[Mr. Turniphead]

Idranel

As the reality of the day's horrible events return to Idranel's mind, she does her best to ward them away with thoughts of how to escape their current predicament. Her eyes settle on the injured woman trapped under the rubble, and, seeing Tefkros largely unharmed, she rises to go assist her.

Using her blade to locate a suitable piece of wood, she steps over to the woman and wordlessly jams one end of the wood under the heavy stone. She then leans all of her weight onto the other end, attempting to lever the debris off the other woman's leg.

'I don't know why we survived, but I will not let the chance go to waste.'

Spoiler

Show

Strength check to lever off the debris I suppose! (1d20+1)[9]

[DaedalusMkV]

With your help and a bit of leverage, the woman manages to lever the rock up and nods her thanks somewhat grimly, but her attempt to stand up is clearly doomed from the beginning as the leg buckles under her and she collapses back to the ground with a scream of pain. "Ugh. I... Guess I won't be walking on it, then. Must be pretty badly broken." She pants, between big breaths of air. "Unh. Thanks for the help, anyways. I'm Anevia." From her sitting position, she does her best to force a smile onto her face and holds out a hand towards you.

[Athaleon]

Karsten

When Karsten's memory returned, he tried to push the horrible events and their implications from his mind. Better focus on the here and now. As he hears the wizard call out, he replies "I hear you, mage" and moves over to get a good look at him.

Gods, but the man was in bad shape. 'Triage. Always hated this.' he grimaced. The woman freed from the rubble appeared to be okay, except her leg. She could lean on someone or be carried out, but this elf appeared more severely injured.

"Don't try to move, we'll come to you. Udo, we'll need that healing spell over here."

Karsten's gaze drifts to the far wall and he shudders at what he sees. He hisses "Quiet down. Look to the far wall. Get it together fast, we need to move."

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

Tefkros face hardens more and more as memories hit him.

The town...gone! The line breached for the first time in decades. The balance has shifted, for good.

A cold cold hate fills him once again, as he ponders things.

What did you expect? A dance and a song? You are here to kill fiends. Well, here they are. What are you gonna do?

Tefkros uses the light to see around.

"I am fine, Idranel, Karsten, Udo, good to have you here. The bard seems out still. We need a defensive formation, I say. And to help the others.

Mage, we are here. And you light shines just fine. You just need medical attention. Keep it up. Anyone know how to help the injured? Udo?

Because we seem to have company. Karsten and Idranel, can you help hold the line?"

Tefkros sticks the sunrod in the rocks. He carefully takes his bow out, eyeing the spider.

Spoiler

Show

So, here we go!

Perception about the shiny objects and for the whole thing around (1d20+5)[23]
Dungeoneering (1d20+4)[13] for the cavern and the spider
Nature if more applicable (1d20+5)[6]

[Khosan]

Udo

Udo puts a hand to his chest, a very familiar and extremely unwelcome feeling welling up inside him, the sensation of a sudden, overwhelming loss. Of his and everyone else's failure to protect it. Of impending doom. He'd always feared something like this would happen, that some day the Storm King might finish the job he started two decades ago, but he never expected how effortlessly he might do it, nor was Udo prepared for how it would affect him personally.

His mind racing, Udo falls back down into his little pile of debris, "I'm..." He couldn't find the right words to finish the thought. He felt broken, sick, terrified, enraged, lost, and so many more, all at once. The grippli simply sat still, his breathing sharp and raspy. He almost didn't respond when Karsten called his name, but his mind quickly latched on to it and the thought of helping others in need, "I'm...coming. Yes."

Taking a few deep breaths, Udo stands back up and steadily makes his way over to Anevia. He tries to put a friendly face on as he kneels down next to her, "Don't worry, you're going to be fine." Spellcasting was, in a way, calming for the little frog, a reminder of his training and what he was still capable of in spite of what was lost. It only took a moment and the spell was complete, tendrils of aquamarine energy passing from Udo's hand to Anevia's leg, healing as much of the damage as it could.

Spoiler

Show

Cure Light Wounds - (1d8+1)[5]

[DaedalusMkV]

The elven wizard turns his mangled head towards your voice and slowly, carefully picks his way across the rubble, stumbling slightly and jerking back once as his hands brush against one of the handful of corpses half-buried in the pile of rubble. As Tefkros' words reach him, his mouth twists into a grimace and he says angrily. "Damnation. That means..." He stops and probes at his own head gently, wincing visibly as he touches on the horrible burn scars. "Damn... Worst gods-condemned luck, taking a lash from the Storm King's own whip when he wasn't even aiming at me. Well, eyes or no eyes, we've got to get back to the surface and help in the battle." Turning his head as best he can to look at you, though his ruined, eyeless gaze is slightly off, he continues even as his hands dig through pockets, searching out a long strip of cloth which he begins winding over his face to cover the burns. "I've got your names already, so tell me what sort of skills you have. If I'm going to lead us out of here, I'm going to need to know what I've got to work with."

Now that he's out of the debris and closer to you, you can get a better view of the wizard. Carrying a hefty, obviously well-crafted staff, he wears utilitarian but sturdy clothing and a clearly fine cloak which seems to blend into the surrounding dust, which no doubt contributed to the difficulty in making him out before he began casting his light spells. His white hair hangs long down his back where it hasn't been burned away, and you get the sense he might have been fairly handsome before the horrific burns.

Udo:

Spoiler

Show

You think that the Elven Wizard is nowhere near as confident as he sounds. While he's putting on a good face and clearly quite good at hiding his emotions, he's more than a little bit insecure about his ability to succeed without sight. He sounds like someone quite used to being in charge, and probably won't take kindly to being pitied or sidelined.

Tefkros:

Spoiler

Show

On closer inspection... That spider is unnaturally still. It would obviously be able to see you, lit up as you are, from where it is, and that sort of creature would either be running away into the darkness or attacking if it was aware of you. Perhaps it's asleep, or dead? Either way, it would take more than a little light in the distance to get it moving.

There's going to be no getting back the way you came; trying to shift that debris out of the way would be a good way to commit suicide. There do seem to be a couple of exits from the cavern, though, beyond the spider.

Those gleaming objects... As you get closer, your keen vision can pick them out quite clearly. They look almost like large, hand-sized scales, gleaming silver in the magical light. Perhaps they came from Terendrelev, when she was killed by the Storm King? Strange that they don't have any blood on them, though, that they're lying in plain sight above the rubble, and that there are just five of them.

As Udo casts his healing magic, Anevia gasps and shivers for a moment, before trying to get up again, testing her weight carefully, then grimaces again and sits down. "My thanks, little friend, and a good effort, but that's not quite dealt with it. Seems like a damned bad break, so it might need some serious magic to deal with." Looking around, she pauses for a moment then suggests. "Perhaps a mundane solution might work. We can probably rig a splint from this rubble, and..." Reaching down, she pulls a bow from the rubble, along with a long chunk of timber. "If nothing else, I can probably use these as crutches to keep moving. Don't worry about me; I'll work through it either way."

Anevia herself isn't the most beautiful woman in the world, especially given the pain twisting her features as she tries to move the broken leg around, but she's not particularly ugly, either. Her features are smooth after the healing magic takes effect, the gash on her face closing into a thin red line, and her brown eyes observe the area keenly. She wears her chestnut-coloured hair short, in an almost boyish cut, and has a sort of lithe grace to her. She wears functional-looking leather armour overtop of a simple dark shirt and breeches, has a shortsword belted at one hip and a quiver of arrows across her back, though most of the arrows seem to have been lost in the fall, leaving her with only a handful.

Spoiler

Show

If you want to rig up a splint for Anevia, it'll take a DC15 Heal check and a minute or so of work. With Anevia's help and direction (she seems to be fairly well-versed in this sort of triage), Udo can probably manage the job by Taking 10.

Even as all this takes place, the third stranger stands up from his rock, finally seeming to come to his senses, and immediately begins scowling at everyone in the room. "Well, just going to ignore me are you? My own injuries not worth looking at?" His tone is caustic, his voice clearly better suited to sarcasm and jibes than anything else. "Oh, yeah, and are you just going to ignore the gods-damned giant spider sitting right over there? Those things eat people! Go kill it, then we can talk safely." He begins brushing himself off, fussing over the minor scrapes and bruises he sports and the damage to his obviously very expensive clothing.

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

Tefkros appraises the silver scales of the dragon and picks them up. Silently, he gives one to each of his companions, reserving one for later use. He then turns to tackle the newest members of the party.

"To sum up. I am Tefkros, good with a bow, and good to have in wild places. I haven't had a smoke for several minutes now, so I am not in a good mood.

That there is Udo. He is kind and he is good with the Old Magic. The lady there is Idranel, good with magic and with a sword. And the big fellow with the sword is Kartsen. I am pretty certain that the fellow yet to wake up is Astias, a bard. As far as I can see, we are the only ones in any position to do something about our situation.

Lassie with the bow, I think I like you but you will need a splint. I can help though with that, perhaps Udo can.

Mister arcanist, with your eyes the way they are, you will not be able to lead anyone. We can surely need your help, though, if only for the light. Anything else you can contribute, it will be welcome.

And you mister bigmouth. I do not care who you were or who you think you are. You are deep underground and weaponless. The spider, if you could bother to use your eyes for more than a second, is unnaturally still. It is probably dead, but we will see. Now, if you do not have anything more to say, say nothing at all, but stay close. Because of your sunny disposition, you get to carry the sunrod. I will also be able to scrounge some torches from the rubble and I have a lantern too.

I have come here to slay fiends and this is what I will do, until Everlight sees fit to take my miserable hide of this plane. Until then, I think I will go poke our hairy friend there. But before anything else, does anyone know what these scales are doing here? From the fallen dragon?"

After he gets a response, Tefkros will go as far away as possible from the spider (30ft) and send some arrows her way.

Spoiler

Show

Survival to scrounge torches (1d20+5)[21]
Bow shot (no rapid shot yet) (1d20+6)[15] dmg (1d8+3)[9]

[Khosan]

Udo

"Ah, yes. A splint." Udo hops back up to his feet and scans the area for any sort of material he could use to make a splint. He scurries off towards the pile of debris he woke up on.

Glancing over his shoulder, the grippli shouts behind him towards the old man, "You might have our names, sir," he grunts, pulling the shredded remains of flag from the heap, "but we don't have yours. If you intend to lead us, then I'd like to know what to call you." After a short bout of digging, Udo yanks a mostly intact sign out from the wreckage as well. "That should do it. In any case, Tefkros touched on it, but I belong to a small circle of megalithic druids. We studied standing stones and their related leylines, and how to use their magic to protect them. I'm not much more than an initiate and the leylines are..." he trails off briefly, "but I do still have a few spells remaining and I can detect nearby demons." He starts heading back toward Anevia, materials in hand, "Speaking of..." he looks back towards the spider, giving it a good hard look.

Spoiler

Show

Udo aims his Spirit Sense at the spider. Because you can never be too certain.

Udo plops himself back down next to Anevia, "I'm going to need a bit of help with this. Not really an expert when it comes to first aid." As he prepares the splint, he realizes what he just said and holds his hands up, "Steady hands though. And a good listener, even with no visible ears." He sets to work, following Anevia's direction.

"Oh, and one last thing I can do," Udo pipes up absentmindedly, tying off another strip of the flag around Anevia's leg, "My body produces a naturally paralytic toxin. It's not particularly virulent - at worst, I've seen it cause joint stiffness," absorbed in thought, the grippli's work on the splint slows down, "and I can only...release a little at a time, but it's enough to coat a weapon. It's something." He shakes his head, refocusing on the task at hand, "I'm rambling, sorry."

Spoiler

Show

Heal - Take 10, 14

[Athaleon]

"I was going to get to you. Anyone b****ing like that can't be too hurt." Karsten grumbles under his breath.

Karsten was too preoccupied with other circumstances to worry about the shiny bits of debris on the ground. Some shattered ornamentation, probably.

Unfortunately, it was looking like the spider would have to be dealt with. "I wouldn't count on it being dead. Let's not push our luck any further than it already has been."

Karsten shudders again as his logic proceeds. "Maybe there's never been light down here. Maybe it's blind, doesn't even know what sight is, and doesn't know we can sense it when it's not moving."

"In any case the only way out is through that bastard, so open up with what you've got and if it makes it over to us, I'll meet it. Fan out so you all have a clear line on it if that happens."

Spoiler

Show

Once combat starts, Karsten will ready an action to attack the spider if it comes within range.

Attack: (1d20+5)[24]
Damage: (2d4+6)[11]

Spoiler: Open in case of critical threat

Show

Confirmation: (1d20+5)[17]
Extra Damage: (2d4+6)[11]

[Mr. Turniphead]

Idranel

Idranel gave her name to Anevia then silently watched Udo do his work on the injured woman. She nodded approvingly at the Grippli's apparent skill, and turned her attention to the elephant, or rather spider, in the room. It seemed dead to her, and after a moment of stillness she decided it was not a threat at the moment.

Her eyes softened when she saw the injured mage, one of her people, and she called out to him after Tefkros' small speech to the assembled.

"Your wisdom will be welcome, Elder." she affected her most soothing tone, speaking in elven, which helped to dull the harshness of her speaking voice.

She then turned back to Udo, "Let me know when she is ready to stand. I will help her walk until my blade is needed." with a nod she walked towards the others, briefly inspecting the rich man who seemed so absorbed in his ruffled feathers.

Spoiler

Show

Memory check to see if she recognizes him as someone of importance. (1d20+3)[21]

Idranel then at last strode over to the still prone Astias, kneeling down next to the man to inspect him for injuries. She gave his cheek a gentle pat to try and rouse him into consciousness.

[Drothmal]

Astias

As soon as he had spotted the battle between the dragon and the demon, Astias had rushed towards the hulking creatures, without any regard for his personal safety (or, for that matter, any concept of how far he was in the power scale from the two legendary monsters).

On his sprint through the battlefield, debris and demons threaten to bury or outright kill the bard. But every time it seems he's doomed, some coincidence (such as other debris, a sudden explosion or a friendly combatant appearing) keeps the bard unharmed.

Astias almost makes it to the fallen dragon and the Demon Lord when the fissure in the ground opens and everything goes dark.


-----------

Astias finds himself in a beautiful, deserted beach. Despite having been here only once before, the bard knew the place all too well. The sun was inexorably moving towards the horizon, and it had already reached more than a third of the way with respect to the zenith.

How much time did he gave left? Would he be able to see Her again on time?

The arcane duelist knows that this is a dream from which he must wake up, but the prospect of catching a glimpse of his beloved Desna is just too strong, so the bard awaits by the beach for a long time, hoping against hope

-----------

The gentle pat on his cheek arises Astias abruptly, and the man looks around as if trying to find something... or someone.

A short look of disappointment mars the bard's face when he realizes that his beloved is not there, but he recovers quickly and he is back to his cheerful self in a moment.

"Well, if you guys didn't want to see my act, you could have just said so" says the bard jokingly as he catches up to speed with the current situation (receiving one of the silver shards in the process).

"Call me Astias or Lucky. I have some healing capabilities and can infuse my songs with magic that will make us stronger" explains the bard when it comes to describing his capabilities "And I agree with the rather able warriors that we should take down that monster first"

"Besides, I'm very curious about those shards..." murmurs the bard mostly to himself, feeling a strong yet soothing magical power emanating from the shard on his hand.

[Mr. Turniphead]

Idranel

The elf leaned back when the bard sprang to awareness. Startled by the sudden movement.

'Well, he's alright then...' She thought, rising to her feet. Idranel hefted her rapier, taking a few steps back to the group. She paused when Tefkros approached her, looking down at the silvery scale that he placed in her hands. The magi blinked down at the curious object, inspecting it carefully. It looked like a dragon scale, and she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again while detecting magic. Perhaps there was something important about these items.

Spoiler

Show

Using Detect Magic, and making a Knowledge Arcana check on the scale. (1d20+7)[24]

[DaedalusMkV]

The obviously rich man bristles, glaring at you with abject disdain, and snarls. "Who do I think I am?! Who do you think you are, patchwork? I'm Horgus Gwerm, and I could buy a dozen of you out of my pocket change. If that spider is dead, then what killed it, hmm? Pray tell. It has no obvious marks on it, and if it had died naturally it would have curled up. So check it out. Idiot..." Snorting, he turns away from you and seems to notice Udo working on the splint, and wanders over there without paying any further attention to Tefkros. "That's... Close. Less incompetent than I expected. But if you want that leg to set so you can, say, climb in some nobleman's window, you're going to want to brace up the longer stick a bit better. Plenty of torn cloth around here, wrap some smaller sticks around the big one, if you think you can do that without breaking it." His advice is riddled with insults, but he seems to genuinely know what he's doing better than either of you, and following the advice results in something vaguely passable.

Anevia seems oddly restrained towards Horgus, like she's afraid of saying the wrong thing, or really much of anything, and simply thanks him honestly after the splint is put together and affixed to her broken leg, which draws nothing more than a disdainful snort and a wave of his hand, as though he can't be bothered to acknowledge her thanks. After testing her leg, she stands up and takes a few halting steps, then smiles happily. "Oh, that's much better. Still going to be slow going, but I think I'll be able to make it on my own if you don't go too fast. Thank you, Udo."


In response to Tefkros and Idranel, the mage simply hangs his head for a moment, then nods. "Yes, you're most likely correct." He sounds resigned to it, but doesn't seem upset. "I'm one of the best wizards in the city, but wandering blind in an unfamiliar cave isn't the best way to lead a battle. I'll follow you, but don't think I'll keep my opinions to myself. And if you know what's good for you, you'll see the sense in listening to them." Somehow, he makes it sound more like a boast than a threat. Finished with the wrapping of his makeshift bandage, which has mostly managed to obscure the horrible burns on his face, he once again looks almost in your direction. "My name is Aravashnial. I prefer not to have it shortened, but if you must speak hastily you may call me "wizard" or "warden". I may not be in the... Best condition to judge how to use my spells, but if you are in danger shout for me and I will provide aid."

As you prepare to engage the spider, alive or dead, Horgus walks calmly back to a high point on the rubble, far behind your line of battle, while Anevia takes up a position leaning against a large chunk of debris to keep the weight off her bad leg, bow in hand and one of her precious few arrows nocked and ready. She promises to help out if you're in real trouble. Aravashnial also sits atop a rock behind your main force, knowing that he'll be all but helpless against anything managing to attack him in melee.

Tefkros' arrow strikes true, sinking deep into the spider's head not far from one of its glittering black eyes, and the creature begins to shake and twitch as though enraged... For a few moments, before a trio of horrible, massive white grubs erupt from its abdomen, crawling towards you far more quickly than their bloated forms would suggest. Each the size of a large dog, these seem to be some sort of gigantic maggots, and they clearly aren't too friendly.

Spoiler

Show

Combat! The giant maggots used their surprise round to move closer to you, and are now about 10 feet away from Tefkros and Karsten. You all go before their next turn (their Initiative was... Not so good.), so feel free to post combat actions in whichever order you like. Map is below.

Map:

Spoiler

Show

Squares are 10 feet, so up to four characters can fit in any given square.