"I thought the concept of red aether was familiar. Demons. Your description of their formation matches the purpose of the Dark Schematic. I read a book once that talked about demons, but all the important information for creating them, and their physical traits was torn out. While the section I read didn't mention red aether, its pages were tinted red, rather than the blue of the rest of the book. This is terrible if someone has found the Dark Schematic and used it! I would rather we stopped them, but we have a different mission. I'll ask again - why didn't you send a message that we should avoid the town, that you would be late?"

Flux slips their hand into their satchel, resting it on the book they carry, though no-one could see that.

Lero accepts the goggles gladly and slips them on immediately, "Thank you for remembering, Namura. I was afraid I might have to just steal them in your sleep." He smiles at Namura as she turns away.

Walking through the tunnel, apparently created by some massive worm, a question comes to mind for Lahsuke, "The cultist elves out there seemed to know the village. Does that mean they've been operating under your nose the whole time? And if so, how did they get the drop on the whole village to the point where you had to hide out in the forest? This whole series of events is a little surprising, as you've lost your village in a span of less than an hour to a mysterious group of beasts that you thought were a children's tale." He thinks back to his recent mishap of letting a spy with the means of summoning gremlins aboard his ship resulting in it crashing in the middle of nowhere, but keeps the hypocrisy of his statement to himself. "You'd think there would have been signs..."

He shakes his head, "Either way Flux is right, we're on a mission for the renegades. We need to focus on that mission. You said you know the whereabouts of the dark site - We need those whereabouts."  

Are we leaving them to their fate?! The Dark Site is our main objective but I think that the possible resurgence of Demons if Flux is right portray some due investigation specially close to a place we have reason to believe it has been taken by the Consulate and, lets not forget, has been explored by the Renegades for a while now and for a while this creatures have harassed this Village.

Said that Kraithee stops for one second and then asks Flux: Flux, don't you think odd that this creatures are nearby the village and the crash site and if Lahsuke is right, they have been here for a while now...during the period the Renegades were refining Aether close by? I start to think that some renegade might have found something or someone that know about this Dark Schematics you talk about.

With that, Kraithee falls in line with the rest of the party and keeps an eye on Lahsuke...

"Well Kraithee, if you're willing to connect these incidents that would mean the Elves are responsible for the Dark Site going dark. It is their own people that seem to have created these demons." The logic seems to make sense in a way, but Lero couldn't help but think there was something missing from the equation, "Perhaps helping them will be the solution we're looking for in re-taking the Dark Site. But we won't know until we can actually explore it."

He turns back to Lahsuke, "I hope you don't plan on keeping its whereabouts from us." 

Buama, now accustomed to the bright light the elf had produced, she examined the walls noting the size the worm had have been and was glad they never reused path. Also, there would be earth tremors where they were. She examined one of the geodes that had grown noting how much beauty could be found in it even after all the aether was gone.

She was glad Namura asked about the Chaxaxamabobs because she had heard the word in their discussion, but wasn't even sure how to say it right. It probably had something to do with all this red aether weirdness, which her training of nature would say should not exist. It definitely did not mean aether could not be altered, but it took a little more than natural occurrence to make it change to the extent they had seen of rd aither so far. 

She frowns at the talk of demons by Flux. That she never bothered studying. All her studies had gone to gathering aether naturally and finding ways to get the most out of what you used without causing a depletion in an area of heavy usage.

"Hmm, hope this all does not tie into the Consulate as that would be quite the conspiracy theory to prove."

The party has come to an impasse, as the tunnels fork in three different directions. "How many survivors are there? And do you know anything about Chaxaxeuduhm?" Either from Namura's question of Chaxaxeuduhm or their predicament, Lahsuke furrows his brow. "Chaxaxedoom? I've heard the name. I think it's a leader figure of some sort. A demon with a beard of fangs was threatening two cultists who were standing around, talking about killing some old villager they both knew. Said he was a real grouch. And there are 34 survivors, including myself."

Lahsuke ponders, trying to retrace his steps as Flux asks him the next question. "I'll ask again - why didn't you send a message that we should avoid the town, that you would be late?" He chuckles. "I'm sorry one both from aether. When everyone you know is being murdered by beasts you've never seen, minor details of being polite by sending a message tend to be looked over on matters of importance. In fact, the Barad'Ellil seemed to have been watching us. Because we received word of the attack maybe 20 minutes after I left the village with a small escort of soldiers, lifecraft, and food on the way to you, in fact. So we turned about, but by the time we returned most of the damage had been done. We fought and killed as many cultists and tanar'ri as we could while trying to save what few villagers we could find. After we secured the few villagers we could find, I went back for a second run by myself to see who I could save. I heard the screams of those tanari'ri apes, thinking someone was in danger..." He winks at Buama. "Turns out I was right."

"The cultist elves out there seemed to know the village. Does that mean they've been operating under your nose the whole time? And if so, how did they get the drop on the whole village to the point where you had to hide out in the forest? This whole series of events is a little surprising, as you've lost your village in a span of less than an hour to a mysterious group of beasts that you thought were a children's tale." He glares at Lero. "If you're accusing me of poor perception and lack of investigation, then I will tell you there were no signs. I still have no idea how the cultists could operate so quietly and efficiently. That said, no one suspected such a thing of occuring. What place has a plan ready to go for if tanar'ri worshipping cultists suddenly appear and decimate everyone you care about?! Maybe Ghirapur and the Consulate, because they're stingy like that. Elves trust each other, naturally. To have that trust betrayed... They are worse than ghotti or dhaeraow, outsiders and traitors. They broken the ancient customs of elves by turning on their own people in cold blood and murder... They will die by my hand and those who seek vengeance."

"Either way Flux is right, we're on a mission for the renegades. We need to focus on that mission. You said you know the whereabouts of the dark site - We need those whereabouts." Lahsuke nods. "I said someone in the village knows the whereabouts. Thankfully, one of the survivors is that someone. All I know is that the darksite is situated in the base of a lhaesvinbiir, about a days journey through the forest. But with that knowledge, there's easily a dozen lhaesvinbiir that fit with that. The elf, Lefelynn, knows which one in particular."

He listens to Kraithee's concerns about the Dark Schematic and the darksite. "While I cannot be certain, my guess is this darksite is now dark because of the Barad'Elil. Several months ago, a village, much smaller than ours, vanished. It was as if the villagers suddenly packed their bags and left without a trace... I have not heard anything about a Dark Schematic, but tanar'ri have been extinct for hundreds of years... to have them return is unlikely. Created, like a lifecraft or thopter, seems much more likely." 

Continuing to ponder the route, he smiles. "I've remembered which direction it is to the hideout. Please, follow me! One tunnel drops off to some unknown depth, and the other is submerged in water." He continues walking down the tunnel, following its twists and turns. "I cannot ask for your aid, and understand your want in trying to secure the darksite and reunite with your friends. Though such would be appreciated, and no doubt help you find answers to those questions you seek."

"We had the situation handled, Lahsuke. We were searching for survivors ourselves in an attempt to help you when we were ambushed by the apes." Lero has no intention of allowing Lahsuke to think he owes him anything.

"Where do you think we can find aether reserves? Our ship is nearly repaired and we'll need the aether to get it off the ground. If you wish our help, the mobility of our ship will be the greatest help we can provide." Lero thinks for a second and his mind strays to another question, "Why were they collecting bodies in the town?"  

"It is of my opinion that we help the village because in the long run it helps us with the darksite since it is not that far from here. Also, if this village is secured again, they can work with those left on the ship. Together they could work on fixing things up and helping each other's safety. Besides we do have to go back to the ship to get the dark site crew to escort them to the dark site. It would be kind of silly to leave this place in a mess and have the chance of running into nasty things again while trying to defend the dark site crew."

This is probably the most she had said to any of the crew at one time, other than Elto, during the entire trip. Or maybe the ship repair update, which was a natural thing for her to deal with anyway. She smirks a bit realizing what she had done. She definitely was not in her element but the analysis of the situation boded far more ill if they did not help the village than if they did. They needed this village and the ship in a secured setting. Who did what to accomplish the mission, she would leave that up to the others. She was supposed to help the dark site crew when there  there to disengage booby traps and then assist in fixing things.

She listens to Lero's questions, but the body one makes her pause before blurting out, "To feed something or something ickier like undead."

"Oh! Flux." Arial unstraps the javelin from her back, loading it with two aether doses, causing the weapon to glow as cracks of lightning leap from the metal tip of the weapon. She tosses it to them. "I've been meaning to give this to you for awhile now, but... well. Things keep trying to kill us, and I forget." She winks at them and smiles. "I think you could put it to better use than I can."

OOC: It's a Javelin of Lightning, that requires a dose of aether to use. It can be overcharged with a second dose, causing the DEX saing throw to increase from 13 to 15, and the lightning damage to increase from 46 to 6d6. Omit the section "The javelin's property can't be used again until the next dawn." While it never gives an enhancement bonus, it does count as a "magic" weapon, regardless of if it has a dose in it or not.

"Where do you think we can find aether reserves? Our ship is nearly repaired and we'll need the aether to get it off the ground. If you wish our help, the mobility of our ship will be the greatest help we can provide." He pauses, adding a second question to the mix. "Why were they collecting bodies in the town?" Lahsuke looks worried. "Ohh... I forgot about the aether your ship needs. While we could probably find scattered bits of aether here and there, the amounts needed to power a skyship will be found in the lower levels of of tower at the center of the city. The building itself is seven stories tall, but it goes down three stories as well. You'll find the aether reserves on the second lower level... I don't have a map of the tower, however. Such blueprints are kept locked away in the tower itself, for security purposes." He laughs, nervously, "Which only makes our situation that much more challenging."

Flickering lights can be seen off in the distance, in the direction you are heading. "Ah. We're almost at the hideout, it would seem. You tend to lose track of time and distance in these caverns." A few minutes pass, as the wurm-made tunnel opens up into a large cavern, as the trail of the wurm appears to continue for a ways before descends into what is now a pool of water. Glowing trees can be seen on the far side, concealing the mouth of the canyon in thick canopy. Villagers and survivors huddle over small fires, as thopters whiz around in the air. Several crafting stations are scattered throughout the cave, making repairs on damage thopters and lifecraft. You see an area where elven medics are tending to the wounded. An elf rushes towards Lahsuke as soon as your presence is made known. Speaking in Elven, he says, "Commander Lahsuke. Our thopters have scouted about the outside area, and we are still undetected by any cultist search parties. No new survivors have come this way either since your departure."

Lahsuke nods his head as he bring the elves head to his, foreheads touching. Responding in Elven, he says, "Thank you for the information. Glad to see the Great Conduit has guided us here to safety and guided those demons away." Releasing him, he dismisses the elf and turns to the party. "This is about all we can offer you right now. We're about 2 kilometers east of the city, which would make the crash site about 6 kilometers away from here, heading southwest. You are welcome to rest and recover now and head out to your ship in the morning, if you would like. If you do not mind, I need to attend to the needs of my people, as the ranking senior of Fhestrynn." He bows deeply, and heads down to the makeshift encampment of survivors.

Lero turns to the group as Lahsuke leaves, "Don't trust anyone here too deeply. They're the survivors of this coup, but it doesn't mean there aren't any traitors in the camp. Be weary. I'm going to see if I can find Isvinbur." He pronounces the the name like a human that's never learned Elven. "We should rest for the night and make our way back to the aethership in the morning. After that, I suggest we go straight to the Dark Site." He turns and makes his way into the camp looking for lhaesvinbiir.

"Lhaesvinbiir is a tree," Namura corrected without thinking, walking quickly to catch up to Lero as he turned to depart. His elvish made her twitch. Her own was far from textbook perfect, as she had a tendency to roll every single r, but it was unnoticeable to most that didn't actually speak the language. "There are so many syllables you just forgot. It's pronounced 'lhaesvinbiir'. And we're looking for Lefelynn. Who is a person."

"Lero, we should go back to the ship, get your crew off before we make camp for the night," the ranger protested of his plan quietly. "I thought you would care more about the well being of your crew. Your family?"

"An Isvenbur is a tree?" He stops for a moment.  "Leaflinn is the elf? Got it." He looks over to Namura as she suggests heading back to the crash site, "I'm not sure they'll be much safer here, to be honest." He thinks a moment, "Will you be able to find this place if we do leave?" Lero doesn't like the idea of leaving the crew out on the ship at night, but Namura protesting the idea makes him even more nervous about it.

"Shit," he says, "Ok. Are you able to travel? We'll leave now."

"Will you be able to find this place if we do leave?" Namura could pinpoint the exact moment when Lero changed his mind. She gave a small snort and rolled her eyes, informing him that his questions did not dignify a response. "Shit. Ok. Are you able to travel? We'll leave now."

The ranger glanced down at her arm, which was still bleeding. She could travel, but one good hit would probably knock her out. "I'm fine," she brushed off her own concern. "You want to leave now? Just the two of us?"

Arial is quick to intervene into Lero and Namura's discussion. "I'll go too. It's my ship, and those crew are my responsibility. Elto's dependable, however, so there shouldn't be much to worry about."

"Well, I'm not going to make it back without a rest first let alone you will probably try it in the dark again. And we do need to find that elf first to be sure of which way we do have to go to be sure since it can be a day's travel in any direction, but probably not in the direction we crashed in. Probably that way most likely." She points east and then swings her hand to northeast. "Somewhere between those points I bet based on how we were traveling and then crashed." She was not a navigator, but she knew how they had flown mostly east and took a short dip to the south to the crash site. The village was northeast of that and this camp east of that. 

"And I know Elvish so can see what I learn here. But I cannot go further tonight. I would probably cause an issue we don't need right now."

"Yes, some of us should stay here, and find out where we are in relation to the darksite. I also need some time to figure out this Javelin. While I appreciated it, I've never really been able to use them well."

Flux then starts actively controlling their servo, planning to find Elto and inform them of the updated situation.

Seeing the conditions of its companions that stayed in the elf encampment, Kraithee decides to stay with them for he is in good physical form, even though he has spent almost all Aether he could.

To Flux: Flux, it is a silly question seeing that we are underground and not even sure which way the crash site is, but do you, or you Captain, have a way for the group that is staying here to contact the away team and vice-versa?

"Once they get there, my servo is there. I'm going to modify the thopter, so that I might see through it. It will take 6 hours or so, and I cannot be interrupted during that time. I will be alerted to any problems they encounter so if there is anything major after that point, I will yell out."

Flux then heads over to one of the crafting stations to disassemble and reassemble their thopter.

Arial, Lero, and Namura head out quickly, eager to reunite with their comrades at the ship. They are gone for several hours, returning in the dead of night, by themselves, while most of the party sleeps. Arial has a greatsword strapped to her back, her hand holding some strange lifecraft device, her head hung low as she walks through the encampment to a small alcove along the cliff wall, hidden by some trees.

The hike back to the Aethership is rough. Lero sees the signs of fatigue in the way Namura moves and on more than one occasion he's convinced they're lost. A couple times he almost asks if they should just head back, but he doesn't. Once they reach the ship, taking nearly twice as long as it should have, Lero notes the silence in the air, "No signs of light on the deck. That's odd," he whispers, "Flux was supposed to inform them of our pending arrival."

Lero slips into he water and swims to the ship, trying to prevent as much splashing as possible. Once they get to the ship he immediately climbs up to the deck, "Elto! Get everyone on-deck - We're leaving!" 

He's answered with silence, "Shit," he says, gesturing for the others to stay low. Arial takes the lead in checking down below while both Lero and Namura stay above to keep watch. It's eerily silent above-deck. After a few moments Arial returns with nothing but Flux's servo. Lero takes it and props it on his shoulder and whispers, "Flux... you there?"

The servo blurts out, "Busy. Just take this back with you!" The servo's speaker is loud and obnoxious and its words spill out into the silent night air.

"Rude," Lero says, "I should just drop you in the drink..." 

It is about this time that Lero hears Arial's scream from the upper deck. Lero rushes over and see's the body of his longtime crewmate and friend, Elto.  Elto is torn from limb to limb and beyond repair. Anger starts to well up in Lero's gut as he sees this and he glares over to Namura. Exhausted he can tell she's holding back tears, so Lero says nothing. He then pulls his lantern and lights it, flooding light onto the upper deck. When before it was merely shades of grey that could be mistaken for shadows, the deck is completely covered in blood.

"There's nothing else here..." He says, "Lets go back."

The trip back to the camp feels longer than the trip to the ship. Lost in thought, the only thing he can do is keep watching as one foot falls in front of the other. "He managed to fix the ship..." he hears Arial say. But even her words are muffled and far away.