Starbuck's Pathfinder- Wrath of the Righteous IC

[Archemist]

With a surge of determination and strength (and possibly adrenaline) the skinny elf calls the others to help. "Hup, up!" he calls, and they all lift the stone in unison.

[Starbuck_II]

"Huzzah" says Crael, the trapped man as he is pulled out from the stone slab. "I'm *cough* Crael, thanks for the help", Lann helps Crael up, he is still hobbling but seems mostly uninjured.

"We should bring to village, Chief would love to see you, reward you" replies Lann, "This is Dyra, her growth has plagued her speech ability, but she is a useful guard regardless. I owe you a debt for saving my friends that hope one day I can repay."


"If you wouldn't mind, following me" Lann and his crew get ready to leave for the village.

Spoiler

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Everyone gets 300 XP each (the AP was going to lower it if he was injured and worse if he died, but you guys pulled it off successfully)

I'll wait to see if you want to talk to the crew first before posting

[Archemist]

"I'm Mallory Wright," says Mallory. "There's a village? We'd love to get to some sign of civilization. We fell in from the surface and kinda need some help getting back."

[Kaworu]

- I do not suppose you know the way up? - Arakiel asked without much hope.

[Gyrfalcon]

Melisandre shares a look with the others, but these people seem friendly enough (if even stranger looking them some tieflings). "We also have some wounded - maybe they can be seen to at your village? Broken limbs and one seems to be blinded, and besides setting bones, those are injuries beyond what I can deal with."

[Starbuck_II]

Crael looks upon Mallory as she speaks, Lann helping him stand, " Ah, yes the big quake, ever since that event, this place has been unsettled. That tower stood for decades, sorry sight" his eyes look down remorseful.

Lann with a smile, "Yes, but someday we will rebuild, yeah? *he hears Arakiel's reply* Ah, you want out this world? Our chief knows much, maybe he knows the way. *Melisandre's question* Bring them, we will help them up. THe more the merrier.

Suddenly, slowly edgding near the trio comes close, Avenia limping, Horgus guiding Arivishnal as they slowly move forward, "Look, I know you said wait but we saw the explosion and Horgus here said we should help." Anevia says smiling.

Horgus clears his throat, "Look, you'd been there for us, we thought it was time to help you. So, are we still fighting or we traveling on? Better not have been planning on ditching us aready". He gives out a hearty laugh.

[Starbuck_II]

As the team slowly wonders forward, ahead, a wide chasm splits the tunnel floor. The floating rock dust in the air and the groans as the tunnel walls settle indicate that the tunnel split recently.

Luckily, the new Mongrelfolk, have ways to get around the hole as they are used to dangerous terrain underground. Some of the other pssages have been destroyed by the tremor so the 'folk suggests they travel thru a underused tunnel.

The tunnel opens into a circular cavern, roughly forty feet in diameter. Thick sheets of fungus grow in the cave, and several tunnels branch off. All of these save one in the north wall lead downward; the northern one leads upward. What appear to be two dead bodies lie on the ground in the middle of the cave, next to a strange heap of ropy green fungus.

"It is likely a sporecougher *Lann points to the fungus* It is good the fungus is dead, but who were these men?"

[Gyrfalcon]

The tiefling smiles warmly at their injured allies, touched by their bravery. "Thank you, though you didn't need to risk yourselves. We needed to free one of our new friends here, and a bit of well-applied explosives helped the effort. They have a village near here where we can hopefully rest."

As the group travels onward, she frowns with unease at the corpses of the two men and the monster they died fighting. "It's possible that more people have fallen or fled down into these caves - and they're far more inhabited than anyone up above ever expected, I'm sure. Is it safe to approach them?"

[Starbuck_II]

"Yes, you'd be surprised to know whole generations of our people were fighting dangers since we saved the world during last crusades. We are assuming the demons are back, upworlds usually are cause of trouble in our stories," Crael says

Lann looks down as far as he can down the cave, "There are many fungus critters. Some are good for eating in emergencies, but taste is usually not great. Those are vile so we usually keep eye, nothing good comes from them.

They infect and turn you into mush. Which they consume. Unike nomal plants, they can unroot and move. Very hardy to kill. Best keep distance but they rarely live in packs so should be safe to travel through today.

Other path, but take longer so best go through. After you", Lann bows toward the group, arm on his bow in case anything jumps out from behind group.

DC 15 Knowledge Nature or Dungeoneering

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You know a basidirond, a type of fungus size of a dwarf those shoots hallucincinating spores that slowly kill you.

[Kaworu]

Arakiel was listening intently to the tale of moving, aggressive funguses, but otherwise said nothing.

[Gyrfalcon]

Spoiler: OOC

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Knowledge - Nature (1d20+8)[21]

The tiefling makes a noise of comprehension. "Oh, I know that one! Basidronds are their name. They're deadly for even experienced fighters... as that poor soul found out. I'm glad we can pass safely through its territory."

[Starbuck_II]

As the party travels through the cave, you can better clearly see the dead men covered in fungus and dirt.

These men still bearing chain shirt that has no holes in it. They wear the symbol of Iomedae on their clothes, but they don't carry any swords. One has a spiked gauntlet and other has a glaive.

Perception DC 15

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The spiked Gauntlet guy has a Scroll of Cause fear and a symbol of brass bull’s head with tiny red gemstone eyes.

DC 15 Know religion if pass Perception

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Holy Symbol of Baphomet

After a few minutes of walking after, you finally come to a large passage. There are 4 more Mongrellmen standing guard beside a very large granite door. They men look in surprise to see your group, but smile when they see Lann and wave at him.

They open the door and you see a magnificent kingdom underground.
A small, dark lake ripples in the center of this two-hundredfoot- wide cavern, the walls and ceiling aglow with thick sheets
of luminescent fungi. In the center of the lake, over two dozen low stone buildings cluster on a rocky one-hundred-foot-wide
island. Lights glow in the windows of the buildings, giving the settlement an almost welcoming look.
Rafts made of mismatched planks of timber bob along the length of a crooked pier at the lake’s closest shore

Spoiler

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Everyone gets 100 XP for making it to NEATHHOLM

[Kaworu]

- Wlecome, friends - Arakiel greeted the guardians - We are from the surface, and had fallen in there during the time of great strife. Do you need our assistance in some fashion? Don't be coy, we live to serve.

[Starbuck_II]

(OOC: as you guys made check and correctly identified those crusaders as baphomet cultist, everyone gains 150 XP, so everyone should be level 2, please level up your characters)

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Did you loot the bodies?

Guard sighs, "We do have a problem with raiders, recently another tribe seems demon involved and attacking outposts. Speak to the chief for more information"

[Kaworu]

- We will - Arakiel nodded his head in a serious mood - We would like to help you, and we hope your chief will let us to do so.

[Gyrfalcon]

Melisandre eyes Arakiel as he immediately offers the party to deal with anything and everything the locals want handled. "While I'd normally be happy to help fellow unfortunates, we need to find a way back to the surface. We have friends and family up above who also need our help. But maybe we can combine the two, or they can search for a path up for us while we deal with whatever trouble this is?"

Spoiler: OOC

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If Melisandre thought it would be safe to touch their bodies and not get a faceful of hallucinogenics, she'd go through their possessions. Specifically looking for coins, potions or anything of high value.

[Kaworu]

- I... - Arakiel was caught unaware - I dont think we will be much help. There was a lot of monsters there. And this happened a good while ago. Our families... the chances are... - he didn't finish.

- Those people, though - he continued after a moment of silence - There is something we can do for them. They aren't beyond salvation. This is a very different context, just so you know..

[Starbuck_II]

Guards lead you toward the chief, this leads you to the largest building atop the island’s low central peak— home of Chief
Sull, a bloated and unpleasant-looking but mild-mannered mongrel with one clouded white eye..

The bloated and obscene Chief Sull, " Tell me, why have you come to my people from I assume the above?"

Lann replies, " They wish to return to the surface"

Suli says, "nearest route to the surface lies to the south, but this exit is guarded by a tribe of mongrels who do not have the same opinions as those of Neathholm. They are friends with demons. But enough, Lann, let the surfacers talk!"


He waits for your group to explain yourself.

[Gyrfalcon]

Melisandre looks at the others, but is the first to talk. She nervously sweeps a lock of hair behind one of her horns, a little more relaxed that given the obvious mutations of the villagers, her own heritage is somewhat less out of place.

"Hello, Chief Sull. As you guessed, we're from the surface, where demons have attacked the city above us. Their attack caused earthquakes that opened a fissure that we all fell into. Only a last spell from the silver dragon of the city kept us alive. Ever since we've been working our way back to the surface. I don't know for the others, but my gan- my friends are in the slums, and we've always looked out for each other. We came across Lann and Dyra helping Crael, who was trapped under a fallen chunk of stone. A bit of ingenuity and a lot of elbow grease got him out from under the stone safely."

She pauses and frowns, but decides that its worth asking. "You mention that there's a tribe to the south with a way to the surface, but they're demon worshippers. Any chance that they're the trouble that Lann was mentioning you were having?"

[Kaworu]

- If the southern tribe really consists of demon worshippers, I would be glad to deal with them - Added Arakiel - This would be beneficial to you too, isn't it?