"Uh... Hold on a moment." Astrid interjects. "Don't you think if you just start attacking them from up there they will just flee for the catacombs. We need to find a way to cut off their escape, or else we could loose them down there."
Nikolai stops mid-stride and turns to smile at Astrid. "You are absolutely right, Astrid. This is good thinking, I am glad you are with us this day." He draws out his tarock deck and begins to absently shuffle the cards while he paces, clearly pondering that conundrum. "What if we backtrack to another access of the catacombs and follow the tunnels to the church access, they would clearly have access to the greater catacombs. Your people have excellent underground senses, you could lead us to it! Once there, we find a way to close off the catacomb tunnels to the church above, we come back here... then attack from above?" He walks over and looks down at Astrid for a moment, smiles and slaps her on the back. "I knew I liked you, Astrid. You have a hunter's mind."
Astrid rocks forward from the slap and returns the smile. She brightens a bit as her suggestion is well-received. "Uh, well... I could try to lead us back here,"she says quiet unsure of her abilities in that respect. "I would think one of you that are more familiar with the layout of the city would be better suited for that."
"We shouldn't need to know the exact layout. These are big, stupid, creatures. They'd be quite easy for me to track through the tunnels back to here." As it seems they may be approaching from a different angle, Caio whistles and Ghoul appears on his shoulder instantaneously.
Nikolai nods to his companions and smiles as he takes a moment to look around the vicinity and orientates himself to the landmarks about them. “There is a well to the north that we could climb down and are often connected to the lower levels of the city. Or the towers at the walls often lead down to the catacombs. I feel we may have better luck with the well, but that is because I do not want to deal with The Warta. We do not have a mutual respect for one another; however, whatever the group decides. Astrid, I think you and Caio should be our leaders beneath the streets. Shall we?”
The well is in a court up the street, surrounded by the backs of a block of buildings and accessible via a narrow alley. It's a circular construction of stone bricks, about five feet in diameter. A couple of manky wooden buckets are lying on the ground besides it and a wooden pole is lying across the top. An easily removable cover of decaying planks prevents careless passersby from falling in. It looks deeper than even Ling can see in the dark.
Alaris nods to Nikolai. "I agree - entangling ourselves with the Warta gets more expensive and frustrating each time." As they approach the well, the paladin gazes down into it and pauses, thinking. "Caio - want to send Ghoul down to scout it out before we rappel down?"
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Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
“I can, though it might not be of much use. He can’t see in the dark like most of us can.” Despite his doubts he sends the bird diving down the well. Once at the bottom Ghoul will land and walk a little in each direction to try and get a look.
The bottom of the well is about one hundred and fifty feet down. There's a ring-like platform of stone bricks just above the water level, with a door on one side of it.
With a pout, Ling descends again, seeing that she can't set the roof on fire after all. She holds out her hand to Nikolai when he asks to be taken up, but it is left hanging as Astrid intercepts with a better plan. When he then suggests that Astrid should take the lead too, Ling balls her hand to a fist inside her cloak. She hops off her broom and makes her way to the well on foot as to not attract any unwanted attention. Hanging back, she shoots daggers at Astrid and chews her lip. A hunter's sense, lead the way! Sure, what could possibly go wrong by trusting someone like that? We have known this stranger what, an hour? Little miss 'Oh I fit in so nicely, people just trust me, not like a have demon horns, haha.' Well, good for her, but I don't trust you. If we get cornered in those tunnels now, that's on you. You better hope we don't.
When they reach the well, she walks around it and peers down, but can't quite make out the bottom. After ghoul reemerges and Caio tells them what he has seen, she nods and looks at Nikolai, then purposefully turns to Shiva and asks in a neutral tone: "Want me to take you down first?" Then Nikolai can make more plans with lead-the-way-hunter, not like I care! She tries to appear nonchalant, but can't help herself from glancing in Nik's direction to see if he's talking to Astrid again.
Astrid tries to hide her discomfort about being thrust into some sort position of responsibility and nods a bit too eagerly at Nikolai's suggestion of her leading the group below. Try to show how them that you know a little bit about a thing or two. Hopefully, you'll earn their trust quicker and maybe that one will get off your back. She quickly glances back to Ling, giving a nervous smile.
She steps up to the edge of the well and peers down. "Ready when when you are," she says to the group.
Walking up to the well, Shiva peers down into its depths as far as her darkvision can pierce. Looking up towards Ling, she nods her head "Why not." She smiles and shrugs her shoulders.
Nikolai joins the others near the well as he peers down. "Good idea, Ling. Perhaps Alaris should go next after that? They are our two front-line fighters in case of any problems below. Sybaris has definitely come in quiet handy in the time since you found it." He winks at the young tiefling, completely oblivious to the look she gives him.
Of course it's a good idea, I actually know what I'm doing, unlike shorty. Straightening her shoulders, Ling decides to just ignore Nikolai for the time being. Jealousy still gnaws at her, but the compliment about Sybaris dulls its teeth a little. A few windows in the neighbouring houses are ajar, but when she looks, the quickly slam shut and curtains are drawn in some places. Not that it would have been possible to see much, given the dark rooms that lay behind their layer of dust and grime. Freeing Sybaris from underneath her cloak, Ling waits for Shiva to get on behind her and hold tight. The familiar feel of Shiva's arms around her brings back some assurance that, perhaps, not everything will change with the arrival of Astrid. Any kind of change is bad when things are good, and it took long enough for them to be good again once Alaris tracked us down... She peers down into the dark well. The walls are slick with algae and the bottom is too far too see. Ling descends slowly and carefully, keeping away from the small plants that have made their home in the cracks between the icy stones. As they make their way down, the air around them grows colder yet and their breath comes out in little clouds. Soon, the light above them becomes a small, dim circle and the plants grow sparser and sparser until they are surrounded by nothing by dark stone. She can see the bottom now, there is still water in the well. Coming to a halt just above the surface, the soles of her boots are nearly touching the dark mirror which throws back a barely visible reflection of white and blue in a small halo of the light above.
Ling looks around and spots an old-looking door set into the side of the well. She drops down on the stone ledge surrounding the water, allowing Shiva to do the same, and gives the door a try - it is unlocked. Pulling at it with fingers stiff from the cold, she peers into the darkness.
The tunnel looks like any part of the catacombs do and despite holding her breath to listen, Ling can detect no sounds of any living creature. "I'll be back in a second." She nods to Shiva and makes her way back up, much quicker this time. When she reaches the top, she stops near the edge and holds her hand out to Alaris, impatient, not wanting to leave Shiva alone any longer than necessary. One after the other, she takes down Alaris, then Caio and finally Nikolai. She resurfaces again to fetch Astrid, she hovers for a second and waits for the dwarf to extend her hand. When she does so, there is a moment of tension between them, perhaps no more than a second, while Ling sizes Astrid up without taking her hand. From underneath her hood, Ling's eyes shimmer dangerously and without the others watching, she seems a lot less friendly. But time moves on and, holding her chin high, she finally grabs the newcomer's arm and pulls her onto her broom, taking the last of them down to the catacombs.
The look from the tiefling causes Astrid to recoil her outstretched hand. She tilts her head to the side and rests her hands on her wide hips. "Do we have do this again?" she asks, her tone clearly shows she is already tired of this game. The dwarf stands there and awaits her judgement. Once aboard the board the broom she reluctantly wraps her arms around Ling's waits. As they begin their descent, she tries to offer a truce. "I'm not sure what I did, but I don't think it has to be this way... I'm not trying to step on any toes around here."
"Thank you," she says in a business-like manor when they reach the bottom of the well. She immediately goes about the business of examining their surroundings, doing her best follow Nikolai's suggestion and allow her dwarven affinity for being below ground to take over, and hoping to find a path that may lead the group back towards the church.
Ling clearly knows her way around and strides ahead through the darkness. It's cold and dusty, but otherwise quiet, and soon even the sound of the water moving at bottom of the well has receded into the distance. It doesn't take long until Astrid is sure they must be nearing the temple. The well wasn't very far from it to begin with and it only took a couple of corners, before Ling had the group on a relatively straight tunnel headed roughly in that direction.
Soon there's another turning the Ling claims will take them where they need to go. There's a pungent, acrid odour that emanates from within.
Ling clenches her jaw and says nothing at first, too proud to admit even to herself how jealous she is of Astrid. Fitting in was never an option from her, even though she would have given an arm and a leg to just be normal as a child. Adults are cruel, but children are worse, especially in the little forest village she had called home. Now things were easier, but you still never knew when someone might shout "demon!" the second she lowered her hood. Astrid would never have any of those problems, never know what it is to live in constant fear. This little circle of friends was Ling had ever had, the only people she had ever trusted. Letting a stranger into that was not easy; it had taken her a long time to grow comfortable around Alaris, but their presence had been a compromise born out of necessity. Just before dropping Astrid, Ling mutters: "Nothing, you've done absolutely nothing and I doubt you've ever had to." With that, she steps off her broom too and darts off into the tunnels, more comfortable down here than she was on the surface under the prying eyes of the townsfolk.
When they get closer, she slows down, whispering now: "I think we're nearly underneath the church now, we should be careful. Shiva, Alaris, take the lead?"
“Hold on.” Caio says with a raised hand. He closes his eyes and says a prayer to his dark goddess, and soon the shadows seem to cling to the group, obscuring their forms in the tunnel. “That should help.” He continues on, just behind Shiva and Alaris with Ghoul still perched on his shoulder.
Alaris whispers to Caio, "Good work - I feel sneakier already. Wait here a moment before scouting forward." The paladin pauses and lays a strong hand on Ling's shoulder - not squeezing or controlling, just to capture her attention quietly.
Alaris whispers, "Darling, I need your whole head focused on these fleder things. You're the only other of us that knows what it means to fly - we need your expertise and your power. I am keeping an eye on the dwarf - don't worry about that. Hunt now - claw later." A flicker of grin flashes across their features, and their eyes glitter in the darkness with readiness.
Moving back to Nik, they ask, "So what's the plan, old man? How are we sealing this tunnel? How are we making sure this is the only tunnel that opens into the church?"
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Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
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"Uh... Hold on a moment." Astrid interjects. "Don't you think if you just start attacking them from up there they will just flee for the catacombs. We need to find a way to cut off their escape, or else we could loose them down there."
Nikolai stops mid-stride and turns to smile at Astrid. "You are absolutely right, Astrid. This is good thinking, I am glad you are with us this day." He draws out his tarock deck and begins to absently shuffle the cards while he paces, clearly pondering that conundrum. "What if we backtrack to another access of the catacombs and follow the tunnels to the church access, they would clearly have access to the greater catacombs. Your people have excellent underground senses, you could lead us to it! Once there, we find a way to close off the catacomb tunnels to the church above, we come back here... then attack from above?" He walks over and looks down at Astrid for a moment, smiles and slaps her on the back. "I knew I liked you, Astrid. You have a hunter's mind."
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
Astrid rocks forward from the slap and returns the smile. She brightens a bit as her suggestion is well-received. "Uh, well... I could try to lead us back here," she says quiet unsure of her abilities in that respect. "I would think one of you that are more familiar with the layout of the city would be better suited for that."
"We shouldn't need to know the exact layout. These are big, stupid, creatures. They'd be quite easy for me to track through the tunnels back to here." As it seems they may be approaching from a different angle, Caio whistles and Ghoul appears on his shoulder instantaneously.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
Firing two blasts that hammer into the creature already assailed by Nikolai, Shiva turns back to face the group
"Sounds like we have a plan then."
Nikolai nods to his companions and smiles as he takes a moment to look around the vicinity and orientates himself to the landmarks about them. “There is a well to the north that we could climb down and are often connected to the lower levels of the city. Or the towers at the walls often lead down to the catacombs. I feel we may have better luck with the well, but that is because I do not want to deal with The Warta. We do not have a mutual respect for one another; however, whatever the group decides. Astrid, I think you and Caio should be our leaders beneath the streets. Shall we?”
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
The well is in a court up the street, surrounded by the backs of a block of buildings and accessible via a narrow alley. It's a circular construction of stone bricks, about five feet in diameter. A couple of manky wooden buckets are lying on the ground besides it and a wooden pole is lying across the top. An easily removable cover of decaying planks prevents careless passersby from falling in. It looks deeper than even Ling can see in the dark.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Alaris nods to Nikolai. "I agree - entangling ourselves with the Warta gets more expensive and frustrating each time." As they approach the well, the paladin gazes down into it and pauses, thinking. "Caio - want to send Ghoul down to scout it out before we rappel down?"
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
“I can, though it might not be of much use. He can’t see in the dark like most of us can.” Despite his doubts he sends the bird diving down the well. Once at the bottom Ghoul will land and walk a little in each direction to try and get a look.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
The bottom of the well is about one hundred and fifty feet down. There's a ring-like platform of stone bricks just above the water level, with a door on one side of it.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
With a pout, Ling descends again, seeing that she can't set the roof on fire after all. She holds out her hand to Nikolai when he asks to be taken up, but it is left hanging as Astrid intercepts with a better plan. When he then suggests that Astrid should take the lead too, Ling balls her hand to a fist inside her cloak. She hops off her broom and makes her way to the well on foot as to not attract any unwanted attention. Hanging back, she shoots daggers at Astrid and chews her lip. A hunter's sense, lead the way! Sure, what could possibly go wrong by trusting someone like that? We have known this stranger what, an hour? Little miss 'Oh I fit in so nicely, people just trust me, not like a have demon horns, haha.' Well, good for her, but I don't trust you. If we get cornered in those tunnels now, that's on you. You better hope we don't.
When they reach the well, she walks around it and peers down, but can't quite make out the bottom. After ghoul reemerges and Caio tells them what he has seen, she nods and looks at Nikolai, then purposefully turns to Shiva and asks in a neutral tone: "Want me to take you down first?" Then Nikolai can make more plans with lead-the-way-hunter, not like I care! She tries to appear nonchalant, but can't help herself from glancing in Nik's direction to see if he's talking to Astrid again.
Astrid tries to hide her discomfort about being thrust into some sort position of responsibility and nods a bit too eagerly at Nikolai's suggestion of her leading the group below. Try to show how them that you know a little bit about a thing or two. Hopefully, you'll earn their trust quicker and maybe that one will get off your back. She quickly glances back to Ling, giving a nervous smile.
She steps up to the edge of the well and peers down. "Ready when when you are," she says to the group.
Walking up to the well, Shiva peers down into its depths as far as her darkvision can pierce. Looking up towards Ling, she nods her head "Why not." She smiles and shrugs her shoulders.
Nikolai joins the others near the well as he peers down. "Good idea, Ling. Perhaps Alaris should go next after that? They are our two front-line fighters in case of any problems below. Sybaris has definitely come in quiet handy in the time since you found it." He winks at the young tiefling, completely oblivious to the look she gives him.
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
Of course it's a good idea, I actually know what I'm doing, unlike shorty. Straightening her shoulders, Ling decides to just ignore Nikolai for the time being. Jealousy still gnaws at her, but the compliment about Sybaris dulls its teeth a little. A few windows in the neighbouring houses are ajar, but when she looks, the quickly slam shut and curtains are drawn in some places. Not that it would have been possible to see much, given the dark rooms that lay behind their layer of dust and grime. Freeing Sybaris from underneath her cloak, Ling waits for Shiva to get on behind her and hold tight. The familiar feel of Shiva's arms around her brings back some assurance that, perhaps, not everything will change with the arrival of Astrid. Any kind of change is bad when things are good, and it took long enough for them to be good again once Alaris tracked us down... She peers down into the dark well. The walls are slick with algae and the bottom is too far too see. Ling descends slowly and carefully, keeping away from the small plants that have made their home in the cracks between the icy stones. As they make their way down, the air around them grows colder yet and their breath comes out in little clouds. Soon, the light above them becomes a small, dim circle and the plants grow sparser and sparser until they are surrounded by nothing by dark stone. She can see the bottom now, there is still water in the well. Coming to a halt just above the surface, the soles of her boots are nearly touching the dark mirror which throws back a barely visible reflection of white and blue in a small halo of the light above.
Ling looks around and spots an old-looking door set into the side of the well. She drops down on the stone ledge surrounding the water, allowing Shiva to do the same, and gives the door a try - it is unlocked. Pulling at it with fingers stiff from the cold, she peers into the darkness.
The tunnel looks like any part of the catacombs do and despite holding her breath to listen, Ling can detect no sounds of any living creature. "I'll be back in a second." She nods to Shiva and makes her way back up, much quicker this time. When she reaches the top, she stops near the edge and holds her hand out to Alaris, impatient, not wanting to leave Shiva alone any longer than necessary. One after the other, she takes down Alaris, then Caio and finally Nikolai. She resurfaces again to fetch Astrid, she hovers for a second and waits for the dwarf to extend her hand. When she does so, there is a moment of tension between them, perhaps no more than a second, while Ling sizes Astrid up without taking her hand. From underneath her hood, Ling's eyes shimmer dangerously and without the others watching, she seems a lot less friendly. But time moves on and, holding her chin high, she finally grabs the newcomer's arm and pulls her onto her broom, taking the last of them down to the catacombs.
The look from the tiefling causes Astrid to recoil her outstretched hand. She tilts her head to the side and rests her hands on her wide hips. "Do we have do this again?" she asks, her tone clearly shows she is already tired of this game. The dwarf stands there and awaits her judgement. Once aboard the board the broom she reluctantly wraps her arms around Ling's waits. As they begin their descent, she tries to offer a truce. "I'm not sure what I did, but I don't think it has to be this way... I'm not trying to step on any toes around here."
"Thank you," she says in a business-like manor when they reach the bottom of the well. She immediately goes about the business of examining their surroundings, doing her best follow Nikolai's suggestion and allow her dwarven affinity for being below ground to take over, and hoping to find a path that may lead the group back towards the church.
Ling clearly knows her way around and strides ahead through the darkness. It's cold and dusty, but otherwise quiet, and soon even the sound of the water moving at bottom of the well has receded into the distance. It doesn't take long until Astrid is sure they must be nearing the temple. The well wasn't very far from it to begin with and it only took a couple of corners, before Ling had the group on a relatively straight tunnel headed roughly in that direction.
Soon there's another turning the Ling claims will take them where they need to go. There's a pungent, acrid odour that emanates from within.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Ling clenches her jaw and says nothing at first, too proud to admit even to herself how jealous she is of Astrid. Fitting in was never an option from her, even though she would have given an arm and a leg to just be normal as a child. Adults are cruel, but children are worse, especially in the little forest village she had called home. Now things were easier, but you still never knew when someone might shout "demon!" the second she lowered her hood. Astrid would never have any of those problems, never know what it is to live in constant fear. This little circle of friends was Ling had ever had, the only people she had ever trusted. Letting a stranger into that was not easy; it had taken her a long time to grow comfortable around Alaris, but their presence had been a compromise born out of necessity. Just before dropping Astrid, Ling mutters: "Nothing, you've done absolutely nothing and I doubt you've ever had to." With that, she steps off her broom too and darts off into the tunnels, more comfortable down here than she was on the surface under the prying eyes of the townsfolk.
When they get closer, she slows down, whispering now: "I think we're nearly underneath the church now, we should be careful. Shiva, Alaris, take the lead?"
“Hold on.” Caio says with a raised hand. He closes his eyes and says a prayer to his dark goddess, and soon the shadows seem to cling to the group, obscuring their forms in the tunnel. “That should help.” He continues on, just behind Shiva and Alaris with Ghoul still perched on his shoulder.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
Alaris whispers to Caio, "Good work - I feel sneakier already. Wait here a moment before scouting forward." The paladin pauses and lays a strong hand on Ling's shoulder - not squeezing or controlling, just to capture her attention quietly.
Alaris whispers, "Darling, I need your whole head focused on these fleder things. You're the only other of us that knows what it means to fly - we need your expertise and your power. I am keeping an eye on the dwarf - don't worry about that. Hunt now - claw later." A flicker of grin flashes across their features, and their eyes glitter in the darkness with readiness.
Moving back to Nik, they ask, "So what's the plan, old man? How are we sealing this tunnel? How are we making sure this is the only tunnel that opens into the church?"
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...