Trials of the Forsaken - IC

[Highland Sniper]

welcome to the
Path of the Forsaken
The caves where all the forsaken criminals go.

You rumble along in an armored, prison carriage with a few others. all the guards are out on horses and other wagons. it's only been a few minutes since you were shoved in there with the other strangers.

A girl with a bag on her back, red hair tied back in a ponytail, ears slightly pointed to make her look like a half-elf, still in a barmaid's dress. She stared at her hands as she flexed them. she seemed to be thinking more than anything else, her face was taut with concentration. needless to say, she paid little attention to everyone else.

[Minkasha]

'Within the unknown, the unsuspected, and the unseen rests the Night Mother's vision. The darkness is the heart of Her compassion.'

Qal'talis' mantra ran though his mind in a third wave of self soothing promise. The priest of Morinda, hands bound, curled shaking fingers. A brown cloth hood shrouded his face, leaving only the sight of kindly creamy pink lips, a diamond cut jawline, and sunlight colored hair. While the inviting mystery of his face remained, the shrouded Half-Elf was unable to conceal his heartache. With his head hung low, hands holding tight to his backpack resting on the floor between his legs, and shoulders rising and lowering prominently, the prisoner's emotions were an open book.

His mind was focused on the bewildering developments of his life, the Lioncrest Pendant glinting in his memory. Had he been a fool to chase after that family dream? How was he to know that the pendant's reunion was to be his ruin? 'My father lost his heart when the Linoncrest Pendant was broken apart, now my heart sinks reuniting it' The corrosive feelings, the diverse pallet of his internal woes were a struggle to understand. The Half-Drow, Qal'talis was aware she too was in the damned carriage, but chose to keep his eyes away.

The weeks he pondered her existence didn't shelter him from the resentment he felt for her now. Among his self-pity there was that pointed agitation towards her, that she ruined his life of service. But life had taught him better: he chose to serve her - as Morinda would. 'I am being thrown into the Forsaken darkness, Morinda's love is in every shadow. I must continue to serve' The weight of being condemned, the turning of the carriage's wheels distancing him from Lionhearth, the true loss of his mother and father. This was goodbye, though his mother and father wouldn't know: they believed they lost him almost two decades ago.

The priest gradually raised his hands, pulling them under his hood to cover his wet eyes. Settling to a still depression Qal'talis let the fateful ride continue in silence.

[Enigma]

Foolish girl, did you really think you could get away?

Caitlin shook her head to clear it, then glared over at the brown robed priest with his perfect skin.

"Siffi," she muttered. "Why did you choose my room to burst in, eh? Why am I in this with you?"

It wasn't fair... but then, when was it ever fair? She should have known she couldn't escape. That morning she had, thanks to her mysterious friend who kept leaving money for her, finally had enough to purchase passage on a ship! She could have been out on the glorious sea if not for that!

Sure you would. I'm sure the captain never noticed your wanted posters....

"Where are they taking us?" the half-drow girl grumbled, hanging her gray head.

[Highland Sniper]

you know well enough, you week excuse for a host. the demonic voice seemed to echo around the half-drow girl, though she was the only one who could hear it. you will rot like the rest. but... you could escape. it said. you held my power once. you could do it again. did it not feel good to punish your ungrateful master? he never loved you. he rarely noticed you. you were no more noticeable than the carpet under his feet.

The girl's talking seemed to snap the other woman out of her thoughts
"The Path." she said grimly. she felt so helpless as she was now. she never thought it would end up like this.
but she couldn't get the doubts about her true identity out of her mind.
her blue eyes still seemed distant, as if she were trying to look at something far away.

how about it child? allow my power to flow through you, and no one will be able to hold you back. the voice sounded almost inviting. all hope of true life will be lost besides. it almost felt as if the voice had a sly smile as it spoke in her head.

A man of about average hight sat there in a stained leather apron with leather-gloves shoved in the pockets let out a loud snore. seeming too lax considering the situation, slumped over his bag like a sack of potatoes with his messy brown hair hanging above his closed eyes.

[Minkasha]

Cailín's jutting, outright selfish comments strained Qal'talis' patience. The shadowy cleric lowered his hands, lips pressing firmly together while he raised his head only to allow sight of her lower half. He had no desire to look at the woman in the eye. "I-" 'No, this isn't about what I did, She does not show her virtues' "You were not as clever as you thought. Put too much attention on yourself" A thumb brushed across the knuckles of the other hand thoughtfully, tone of voice irritated.

Disengaging with her, Qal'talis moved his hidden eye to the man snoring beside him. The carefree behavior was soothing to see for the religious man, 'He masters a peace I cannot find...'. The umbra devotee let his shoulders relax, following the sleeping man's example. The emotion showed by the fay lips changed gradually to a small smile while he continued to keep his head turned to the loudest among them.

[Enigma]

The cleric's rebuke stung. She wasn't supposed to be noticeable.

Caitlin just clamped her jaw for a moment, then turned towards the girl. "I'm not from here. What is this 'path' you're talking about? Oh, my name's...."

Idiot, why should she care to know your name that's not really a name?

"Sorry. What are they going to do?"

[Highland Sniper]

that's right. you have no name the demonic voice said. why should anyone care about a loathsome worm. it seemed to laugh.

the woman curled up a little, looking lost. "they're going to throw us into some deep caves where we're never going to be heard from again." she said in a voice that sounded uncaring, but almost sad. "we'll have all the time in the world to work out our personal problems."
she went back to looking at her hands with those lost, blue eyes. you could almost see something else if you look closely enough.
"I don't even know what I am," she muttered sadly.

[Minkasha]

The atmosphere was weighed down by justifiable defeat. Qal'talis couldn't retaliate against it, empathizing with the same gloom the redhead expressed. Though their words would be different, their woes tearing at various parts of their lives they were all in this carriage - certainly losing everything they had before this moment. From youth, within the walls of the Lioncrest castle he was taught that this punishment, to be forsaken, was the just punishment for the cruelest hearts in the kingdom. Now he himself was forsaken, his father would be ashamed.

Qal'talis looked up briefly to see the Half-Drow's face. If the others were quick enough they would see the midnight eyes with their rare glints of sunlight in their hues. But the moment was a fast one, the Half-Elf returning to holding his head in a deeply low bow. The hands returned to his face and in this way he remained, grieving.

[Enigma]

That voice was in her head again. Not that it ever left.

"So they're throwing us inside some deep caves?" Caitlin said, glancing at the sleeping man in front of her. Was he a jailer that he could sleep so soundly? Or did he know more about these caves?

"So why is our stuff here if they're throwing us off some ledge?"

[Highland Sniper]

"From what I know, it's not like a prison." she said with a sort of sad resignation. "it's more of an exile. since no one knows what's down there, they assume you die at some point or another for why knows what reason. I mean, why do you think they were kind enough to allow us to take everything we could carry but our gold. they want us to struggle, to break us in our final moments."
she gave a cynical laugh. "I'm already broken." she cried, tears starting to run down her face. "I'm a monster, and I never knew it."
she looked like she desperately wanted to laugh. but, she put her head in her hands and shook as she cried.

you see now, you pitiful child. there is no hope. It spoke to the half-drow. you can take my power and run. you can be free like you were when I first came. free to live a life of your choosing. all you have to do is let me in. it coaxed.

[Minkasha]

Exile. To break down in the final moments of life. Qal'talis' grim thoughts had to wonder how many people died this way. How long was it before the final moments faded away? It was a great moral discomfort to reflect that it was his father and his father before him which enabled such a system. Their own descendant was to be consumed by their ostracization.

For now the feelings were too raw, the woes too plenty to think about the details. The priest kept to himself, heartache taking its time to release its pains.

[Enigma]

At what cost? Cailín wondered.

"You're not a monster," the half-drow told the red-haired girl, as she drew her knees up and buried her face in her arms. "Monsters don't care."

Unbidden, the memories of her first visit to the village just down the road, still just a child, and how every kid and adult in that town chased her out of it with rocks, dirt, anything they could throw at her.

"Monsters don't care who they hurt. Most don't even care why." Cailín said, her voice going flat. "You care, which means you're not a monster. It's a pity, really. Sounds like where we're going, we could use one."

[Highland Sniper]

soft words for the one that killed her own master. too week not to. I say he got what he deserved.

Those words seem to hit Emalia hard.
already in tears, she gave a wry smile.
"you're looking on the inside. must only look outside," she said in a voice still a little tight with sadness. "I beat a lord senseless because he thought he could do as he pleased with whomever he pleased. if anyone's a monster, it's him." it sounded as is she was trying to convince herself, but it seemed to calm her down nonetheless.
"why are they sending you down anyway?" she asked. "Drow or not, you don't seem that bad." she gave a bitter laugh "but then almost anyone is capable of almost anything."

how about you tell them. tell them all you murdered him and ran. none of them loke you. none of them care. they'll gutt you as soon as you reach the floor. it chuckled almost sounds pleasant.

[Minkasha]

The umbra cleric caught the words of pain, pulling him away from his own tears. His wet palms rested on his lap, the wet shine thinly spread on his near his jawline. The empathy which had moved him to many actions in Morinda's concealment couldn't allow him to ignore the injustices spoken in his presence. Finally the Half High-Elf raised his hood enough to allow himself a serious look at each woman, his watchful eyes wet, starry, and gentle.

It was shocking to see the women. They weren't the criminals moved by greed or selfishness the Forsaken exile was meant to devour. What he saw were two people discarded, confused. His eyes flickered to Cailín but couldn't stay for his heart would strain to race between anger and empathy.

"Had I seen this cruelty with my eyes before..." The priest trailed realizing that within Lionhearth there were many errors of fairness, too many for those few of Morinda's cloth to cover. Perhaps this is why he was to be cast into the branding shadows. Did his goddess see this injustice and bring it before him to intervene?

As heartbreaking as the Forsaken was, a sliver of zeal bloomed within. A divine purpose, Qal'talis wanted to believe that his path wasn't over and perhaps this journey was another step, not the end.

[Enigma]

It wasn't me, Cailín sighed. You killed him using me, just as he would have used me.

"Like you, they see the monster - they don't see me," she replied, then stiffened when she heard the priest spoke. Raising her head slightly so she could stare at him from just above her knees for a moment, she settled back down.

"Nobody sees what they don't want to see," Cailín said with a sigh. What was his deal, anyway?

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia was taken by some surprise when the cloaked figure spoke.
she was about to open her mouth to speak when the half-drow did. and what she said kind of struck her, and she looked back down at her hands as she wondered what signs she missed.
"harsh reality always seems to hurt," she said. "I'll probably not be able to see my brother again. and look at me. I'm so worried about being a monster that I couldn't even think about him."
she gave a wry chuckle.
she looked at the man. "so, you've heard why I'm here. what did you do? got in with the wrong crowd?" she asked. "unless I'm mistaken, we're probably going to be together for a long time, so might as well cough it up now."

[Minkasha]

Qal’talis’ eyes descended on the redhead’s hands, searching in them an understanding of what she wanted to find in the flesh. While she stared the priest pondered if she was really here, in the carriage. No, she had to be elsewhere…places where memories would take her. The Half-Elf pained for the things those hands had done, provoked even which brought her into this place of exile. Cailín continued to be a challenge, her words provocations to his senses. *’Is the Drow going to be a constant irritation?’* Qal’talis had to wonder with some worry.

His pressed into a stoic line of expression. Now the redheaded woman, her scars, faced him, questioned him, began to search deeper.

“[…]got in with the wrong crowd?” The prodding question stirred inside of the holy servant his seeping anger which had been mild. Glaring in the direction of the Half-Drow out of instinct of the redhead’s question Qal’talis continued to feel worse the long he let his eyes settle on the woman who owned the other half of the Lioncrest Pendant.

The Half-Elf hid his face with a quick tug of his hood, returning his head down. Retreating into himself the man kept his words to himself.

[Enigma]

"So, because you burst into my room and the men nipping at your heels caught us together, it's my fault we're in this box?" Cailín chucked sourly.

She looked up at him, nestled down inside his hood. "I was packed for a sea voyage! I finally had enough to get to Seahaven! I could have been free! Then you got me involved in this! Why couldn't you have just barged into somebody else's room?"

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis' stiffened, reacting to the verbal jab Cailín threw at him. The religious rogue kept his head down, avoiding direct engagement with the Half-Drow. Opening his backpack he pulled out a small brown leather nondescript booklet. With the tension thick, asking to be addressed Qal'talis chose instead to open his book of Mordina, reading her humbling pages.

He refused to engage with her selfishness.

[Highland Sniper]

She muttered something about hitting a little close to home.
"the mystery man, the sleeper, the half-drow, and the freak," she said. "I wonder what's next. maybe we'll pick up a tiefling down there." she joked wryly.

she leaned back on her side. "at least damnation should be interesting." she said. "you all get to see the freak I am and I get to see what you all are. and we'll be one big happy group of forsaken."
she sank a little lower and folded her arms.
she was no longer looking at her hands but now seemed to have a sad, resigned expression.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The armored prison carriage came to a slow stop after what seemed like half a day of travel and the sound of clanking metal armor can be heard as the guards got off of their wagons.

5 guards open the door.
"come on, Forsaken. exit the carriage." the one that seemed to be the leader said as he waved them out, his armor shinier and with stripes of yellow on the shoulders.

green rolling hills could be seen outside, with a mountain off to the side but what seems near 10 miles or more away. and the lightly used road stretches out behind the carriage with 2 wagons. troops surround the carriage with the 5 directly at the door.
rolling thunder could be heard in the distance as storm clouds gather, making it seem darker than it should be.

The sleeping man jolted away and steed up.
he grumbled and nodded his head as he stepped out.
a soldier took his arm and lead him away.

Emalia stood up and lowered her head with hard eyes, but offered no resistance.
she would probably die trying to fight this. and she wanted every last minute.
Another of the 5 took her arm as she got out, and was lead away as well.

The end draws near. soon, you shall die like that fool master of yours. The voice said. Take my power, and you can escape. take my power and be free. take it, and you can go to Seahaven like you always wanted.

[Enigma]

'How powerful can you be, if you can't even get me out of a hole in the ground?' Cailin wondered as she picked up the straps of her pack and climbed out quietly, her arm stiffening as another guard grabbed hold of it, but allowed herself to be led away, her head bowed slightly.

Five men, but only two wagons. If this thing was as bad as Emalia seemed to think, they'd be expecting trouble. Which meant others, hiding nearby, ready to strike. Crossbows would be her guess. So for now, be meek and quiet. Wait. See how this was going to happen.

[Highland Sniper]

you annoying little brat! the voice fumed, and it seemed like billowing flames were sounding in her head before it calmed down again. I was only able to take control when you were in the circle. now, you must allow me in in order for me to do anything. with me, you could overpower all these soldiers easily.

[Enigma]

'And have half the kingdom chasing me because I took out a handful of guards?' Cailin wondered. 'Take away husbands and fathers for some needless display that will only confirm to everyone that I am a monster? If that's all you can offer, you are of no use to me.'

[Highland Sniper]

who said anything about killing them? you don't have to kill to get what you want. it said. I'll be here when you need me.

[Minkasha]

'The lady of shadows, the Night Mother, has a radiance of midnight flame. A sense of justice which burns darkly. She is the nightly shelter' The passage eased Qal'talis as the carriage stopped. It was when his hand carefully put the bookelt back into his backpack that the guards yelled at them to leave. His eyes looked around at the carriage one last time, knowing he was stepping into fated shadows and out of sunlight for a long time.

The Lioncrest son stood, taking his backpack with him. Though he kept his hood to hide his expression all could see him turn his head left to right as he took in his surroundings. The clouds and mountains were beautiful things the priest wanted to take in one last time.

His arm was grabbed at gently the High Half-Elf, the Lost Prince, went peacefully.

[Highland Sniper]

They were taken around the carriage to a big crack in the earth, not quite near the size of a chasm. about 15 feet across and 30 feet wide. big enough for several people to fit through at a time. and next to it sat a wooden crane, parts old and new as it had been repaired time and again over the centuries. some men stood ready at the crane os others stood guard and watched
they were taken to the edge of it where they could look down, and it went so far that the light from the sky could reach the bottom.

The rope from the crane was brought over and everyone was moved and even shoved closer together, and they were bound by the wrist to the rope attached to the crane as a preacher read.

"charged and convicted before man, you have been found guilty of a most egregious crime, and are hereby marked as forsaken by this world to be set on the path of the forsaken. may the gods have mercy on you."

and with that, then men at the Crane began to crank and the line goes taught, making everyone's arms rise, bringing their hands to about head level and dragging them over the hole where they fall until they are caught by the wrist, sending a jarring pain through the arms as the shoulders are wrenched by the sudden movement.
then, they are slowly lowered into the hole.
and after a short time, the light begins to fade.

[Enigma]

When the guard released her, Cailin stood exactly where he left her. The light, almost manageable in the carriage, was unbearable out here. She didn't trust the guard not to put her on the edge, as it was.

She carefully knelt down, and blindly checked her pack. Her bow, her arrows, her short sword, the poncho, it all seemed to be there and well secured. Hopefully, nothing would slide out and fall on the way down. Slowly, she stood up, and just as slowly, put the pack on and made sure the belt strap.

All too soon, the guards hustled them together. One of them grabbed her right wrist, and she felt the coarse hairs of the rope. "Not the waist?" she asked. "What if I have to....ow!"

"Shut it, drow!" the blurry outline growled, tying her other wrist. "Be glad you have a rope."

As he released her other wrist, she gripped the rope with both hands, so she could take some of the strain off her wrist. It was clear their intent - to make them too tired to try to climb back up.

The rope rose, then the ground fell away and she screamed as her arms were painfully wrenched almost out of their sockets. If something was down there waiting for them, she could only hope it was something she could kick away.

Gritting her teeth, she tightly held onto the ropes and waited until the sun's warmth was no longer her face before risking a peek at whatever waited them below.

[Minkasha]

Qal’talis remained silent as the harsh rope was bound around his wrists. However the knot in his stomach wound tighter as Cailín’s treatment progressed to verbally bullying her. Instinctually he looked with worry and protectiveness at the woman he had chosen to look over the prior few weeks – yet there was nothing to be done, not now. The umbra cleric watched the other religious man condemn them the Half-Elf could only feel resistance to the downcast words. ‘You do not see the blessings of the dark’, the pale man was eased forward now by the crane. The cut of earth into shadow was remarkable, a bath of Morinda's domain.

Seeing what was about to happen Qal’talis gracefully eased his last few steps of land to gradually increase the weight on his wrists and arms. As Cailín screamed in pain he panted, having softened the transition into groundlessness, yet there could be no prevention of his whole weight, plus his backpack being pulled on his joints. As he kept his muscles in some flexion, and shut his eyes all Qal’talis could do now was focus on slow, steady breaths to endure.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia was resigned. there was nothing to be done.
she flinched in sympathy at the harsh treatment of Cailin. she had felt a connection to her, though small as it may be, it was there.
when she saw what the cloaked figure was doing, she took a quick look around at him, the guards that did nothing at his crouching, and the hole and realized that they would drop as well. so she attempted to mimic him.
she still let out a rather loud grunt nearing a scream of pain to match the half-drow's, and gritted her teeth at the pain going down. she tried to breathe deeply but ended up needing to take smaller breaths in order for it not to hurt so much. breathing through her clenched teeth, she kept her eyes open to see how things were going.
and as they got lower, the light started to reach them less and less until they were surrounded in darkness.
She was a little surprised to be able to see after only a few short moments in the dark.
taking a closer look at herself, she learned why. and she started to cry softly through what little pain remained.
she hard wolf ears and a tail to match with red and grey fur. her arms had a little more hair on them, but her face remained bare.

The man just allowed himself to be pushed around and did nothing in an almost drunken state has he had just woken up.
after squinting, he followed the example of the others and let out a grunt at the fall.
"at least we're not alone." the man said after a moment. his voice was a little gruff. "I've heard the theory that there might be people livin' down 'ere." he gave a wheezing chuckle before it turned into a cough.

[Enigma]

"People... living... down here?" Cailín gasped. Nothing the Wolf had done had ever hurt like this. But if people were living in these caves, that meant water. That meant food - hopefully, they weren't cannibals eating the next bunch to come down while they were too weak and injured to defend themselves.

It could even mean a way out. If people thought you were trapped in an underground cave, they wouldn't be looking for you in the local markets.

Of course, anyone who had a way out would be foolish to let others know about it.

[Highland Sniper]

"It's.... just a rumor." The man said, breathing a little bad himself due to the pain and stretching of the arms. "I think it's possible.... if you can find food... that's generally... a small portion of the water... right there... as long... as you can get something... you can... survive."

"probably... no worse off... for us..." The girl said in the dark. but she started seeing in shades of grey. "they... don't want... us around."

they dangled as they were still slowly lowered into the darkness.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis continued his gradual breaths, focusing on the physical discipline he had to muster when learning Morinda's elusive, agile, ways. Beads of sweat were spotting on his face while the Half-Elf continued to hold his arms with a slight bend, pulling his body up just so as to shield the damage that could be done to his shoulders.

"Ack" His voice began, a strained shudder, "If we cannot see...through...the caves...we'll die" Morinda had never put him into pitch black blindness before. There were limits of what he could navigate, and it was abundantly clear when he no longer could tell if his eyes were open or closed that he wouldn't be able to guide himself or the others without some light.

[Highland Sniper]

"I... can see just... fine," Emalia said. she was reluctant to share the info, but it seemed important.

all of a sudden, the tension in the rope was gone and everyone began to fall.
the air whipped past the party as they fall for a few short moments when they land with some sickening cracks onto the stone floor of the cave.

most of them landed on the rough-looking man, who cushioned their fall.

Cailin law there, bleeding from her forehead, unconscious from the blow, but still breathing.
Qal'talis was one of the lucky few to land on the man but had probably broken a few bones, but managed to remain conscious, to his possible regret.
and Emalia had landed next to the half-high elf. a sharp rock lodged into her side from the impact making her bleed.


Qal'talis: HP 1, lots of pain whenever he moves.
Cailin: HP 0, still alive, but will start loving HP soon.
Emalia: HP 1, alive, bleeding. will lose HP.


The long rope falls and follows the party to the bottom of the hole and lands all around them.

Emalia starts breathes heavily for a second before rolling over and trying the get her wrists untied, but doesn't have the strength for it. she let out a groan, in equal parts pain and frustration.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis held back his urge to scream as he and the others entered free fall. The tragedy of his descent was as destructive as it was quick. His sensitive ears picked up through the screams the cacophony of crunches and breaks. The priest felt his own body shatter in places, sending through him an agony couldn't escape. Worse yet the warm flesh under him was the shock absorption for what would easily have been death.

Adrenaline eased the pain, creating an illusion of mobility while Qal'talis had to run on instinct. With disgust he rolled off the dead Human, groaning in more dulled pain until the cold of rock was under the Half-Elf. Yanking on the sword at his hip he ran his rope at the blade until it snapped and he was freed. Slipping out of his backpack and getting back full movement Qal'talis could only go off sound to search for Cailín. In his heart, somewhere in his deepest motivations Qal'talis felt the urge to ensure she was safe - to take care of her. The vague connections of his past and her's, the necklace all lead to him knowing in some way she was to be important to him.

And thus Half-Elf scoured with his hands for Half-Elf. He crawled over the dead man, the aching pain sharp enough for Qal'talis to bite his lower lip. Blood trickled down his chin while he continued on, remembering which side the Half-Drow had been tied to compared to himself. When his hands finally felt another body he searched for the head, recalling the features and hair and realized that it was Cailín under his touch.

From the potent smell and the wet warmth he could feel her head was a bleeding mess he was spared from seeing. Focusing his blackened vision and settling his hands on her head Qal'talis sighed, bringing the divinity of his goddess through him.

(Qal'talis casts Cure Light Wounds on Cailín)

[Enigma]

Suddenly, they were falling...! Pain was sudden and incredible, before it faded to darkness....


The files landed with a small thump on the table.

"Oh, I do apologize for the wait," the small man said with a reassuring smile. "This is our busy season. Do you need anything before we start? A cup of tea, perhaps?"

"Start?" Callin asked, looking around. They were in a brightly lit room with no sign of lamp or torch... no, a corridor that ran to the left and right of her, going it seemed forever. Oddly enough, the light didn't hurt her eyes. Behind her were several doors. She was sitting at some strange table across from this odd little man with a very pleasant face.

"Yes, well, there is a lot to go through here. Your entire life, as it were."
"My life? Where is this place? How did I get here?"
"You fell into a deep hole. As to this place, consider this as being... between places. It's here that we sort people like yourself."

It had to be a dream. But why would she dream up this very happy, pleasant, and somewhat annoying little man?

He frowned, opening the folder on top and jotting down a note with a curious pen.

"Right. Well, there's a small complication, you see," the man said, closing the folder and opening another one. "And we need to sort that out before we can send you on to the next place."
"The next place?"
"Exactly! You don't want to spend the rest of eternity here, do you?" he said with a little laugh, waving his left hand back and forth. "So, according to our records, you were possessed by a demon and then your owner died while the two of you were combined. Technically, you and the demon momentarily became one person, and that's who killed the wizard, but that person doesn't exist anymore. Mostly. We need to sort out how much of this was the demon's will and how much of this was your own."
"My own?!? I didn't want Oleus to die!"

"But you didn't like the idea of him to summon a demon to possess you, either," he said as he wrote, then stopped and looked up quizzically at her. "Ah. Yes, well, these interruptions do occur from time to time. We'll continue this later."

"Later?" Callis demanded, confused. It seemed that the room was getting brighter...?

"Oh yes, everyone comes back eventually," the strange little man said. "We look forward to your next visit."

There was a strange, deep warmth radiating from either side of her face as something or someone gently caressed it. Someone was coughing. Her eyes fluttered, then she could see the priest looking down at her, his face battered and bleeding.

"You look terrible," she said, concerned. With an agonizing hiss, his hands fell from her face and he rolled onto his back, his lungs shuddering as he laboriously struggled to breathe.

She sat up, concerned, then looked around. The drunken man was still. Too still. The red-haired girl was there as well, feebly struggling with the rope still entangled around her wrists. From the look of things, they had fallen. She ached, but not as badly as before. The half-human must have healed her.

"Okay," she said, leaning over the priest and bringing her bound hands up so she could work on untying the ropes with her teeth. "You look really bad, how can I help you?"

[Highland Sniper]

"yup, don't mind the one with the rock in her side." Emalia said before coughing up some blood. "crap." came weekly.
"This... this is it?" she asked to no one in particular. she continued to work at the ropes. "I'm gonna die from a fall and a rock?" she gave a wry laugh. "I've been cut, stabbed, shot, bludgeoned, and I've come back just fine. and I'm gonna die by a rock."

She managed to get one hand free and she put it to her side and was about to pull it out before she remembered the rule for being shot. and left it.

"you sound fine." she wheezed as the pain throbbed from moving as much as she did. "how's the other one?"
She moved enough to look around and find them. "ACK." more pain. "never mind. he's probably about as bad as I am.


she has wolf ears and tail and a little more hair on the arms now. but like about the same otherwise.

[Minkasha]

Laying on the ground, Qal'talis shivered in mind throttling pain. With the comfort of the darkness the Half-Elf stared into the undefined void. He heard groaning and Cailín's movements. To his surprise the woman leaning over him spoke in a way he had never suspected would happen. Some of his resentments melted away, the pain also a motivation to drop other emotions. Pain gripped him and wouldn't let him pay attention to much more.

Accepting that he could not be of any more service if he didn't treat himself he moved a hand to his torso and focused on Morinda. There is a relieving self soothing his faith allows him to feel as the divinity helps mend some of his shape. Bones mend, his lip heals shut and smooth yet the plethora of wounds under his cloths mostly remained. Qal'talis could feel the forming bruises, the sore bones not perfectly reunified. His body was still tarnished by the fall, but now he could move.

Sitting up, he only now realized he lost most of his sense of direction in the confusion of his prior intense pain. "I cannot see. I need my backpack, inside are my medical supplies" The man explained, crawling to the corpse of the Human, knowing his pack was somewhere on the other side. On hands and knees Qal'talis was swiping a hand randomly hoping to snag his backpack.

[Enigma]

"He's got healing spells and medicines," Callín told Emalia, spitting out some of the fibers from the rope. "We lose him, neither one of us will last long. Keep still and don't touch that rock until he's on his feet again, just press on it gently to control the bleeding."

"And you," she frowned down at Qal'talis, "you keep still as well. I'll find your bag."

The rope would have to wait, she decided. She looked around for the half-human's bag.

[Highland Sniper]

"yeah right, just wait here as I bleed- Gha!" she said. cut off by a jolt of pain. "this seems to hurt more than being stabbed in the gut, it's like most of my body is on fire." she said in a voice tight with pain.
she took a deep breath.
"well, we're down here together. might as well learn about one another," she said. "I'm probably gonna die like the other guy, so I'll go first."
she took another deep breath, trying to lie as still as possible on her side to not get more jolts of pain.
"My names Emalia, and until just a few days ago, I thought I was about 1/3d elf. my mom left when I was young, my dad's a drunk, and I lived with my older brother before this." she gasped at another jolt of pain. "he's a dork." she went on.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis was baffled as Callín walked through the darkness and retrieved his backpack easily. She could see? The surprise had to be explored at another time, pain and the scent of blood not letting go of the present moment. The priest continue on through Mordina's realm, navigating the unseen until his hands fell on a shoulder.

Having followed the source of the rougher woman's voice he could feel life in her still, even if clammy and feint. "You will not die" Qal'talis reassured the woman as he examined carefully with his hands to where her wound was. Frowning he listened to more of her life, his prior feelings going to a newer sorrow for her circumstance. But he could not prevent it.

"Elf or otherwise I need you to remain still, lay back please" The man said with a calming tone of voice as he waited for the redhead to do as requested. Reaching in his backpack he found find his medical supplies. "We must find more supplies if we can" Qal'talis went on to both women while he searched. Pulling them out and returned to the woman's side. "I cannot see, I need you to be still"

If she was compliant Qal'talis moved to treat her injury.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia grumbled something to low to hear. "There's a rock in my side." she said, doing her best to hold still. "just be gentle when pulling it out," she said.
she laid there as he worked, and gave a yelp of pain as the rock was removed.
"well, anyone else wants to share more about themselves?" she asked in that tight voice as she took a deep breath. "if we're going to survive, I would like to know who I'm surviving with."

[Enigma]

Having worked the ropes around her wrists free, Callín warily scouted the cave, staying within range of the priest and the skinwalker as she collected her scattered arrows.

"My master called me Callín," the half-drow replied to Emalia. "It means 'girl' in the language of his island. So my name really isn't name. I was more of a tool than a person to him."

Glancing back, she could see how Qal'talis was struggling to tend to Emalia in the dark, and glanced down at her arrows. "Wait, what does the dead guy have on him?" she asked.

Not everything survived, but she found two torches and some bottles with a cross on them. "I think this will help," she said, handing over the potions to the half-human, then pulled out her own flint and steel to light the torch.

As soon as it was lit, she set it near them and turned her back to it while facing the nearest opening she saw while she was looking for her arrows, hoping to recover her sight and that the light didn't bring any unwanted attention.

[Minkasha]

Working through the unseen Qal’talis grabbed the herbs he could, rubbing his fingers to them to recall through memory the healing plants. Grabbing some water he trickled it to the leaves, then mashing and tearing the herbs he made a chunky paste he applied to the bleeding wound after removing the rock. His voice could distantly hear talking but his mind was keenly focused, especially when working in darkness and having to guess at everything he was doing. Though his fingers couldn’t feel, nor searched for the details of Emalia’s body, as he was applying the bandages he could tell her build was powerful.

His senses bothered him, something near his face caused him to flinch though the Half-Elf couldn’t see it. Only when Callín lit the area did he realize they were potions of healing. Not wasting time Qal’talis gave Emalia one and pocketed the other two.

“If we do not move we might be in danger” Qal’talis warned the woman after leaving over the redhead to grab the torch from off the ground.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia put her arms around herself as the torch was lit, like she was trying to hide in her bestial form.
She blinked in surprise when she was handed the potion with no reaction to how she looked, and took it thankfully.

"Good idea." She said, sounding a little on edge and unsure. They seemed to ignore what she looked like for the present, but she didn't know what they were thinking and was unsure about the whole situation.
To her relief, and wonder that seemed to show on her face, her bestial features dissapeared as she stood up.
"Uh, how about that way?" She asked as she pointed.

The cave was big enough for all of them with some space to spare. There was a tunnel on their level that they could access.

[Enigma]

"I can't see with that light," Callís complained, her back still towards the others as she pulled her short sword and her bow from her pack. "Someone grab the drunk guy's stuff, then go towards where you're going. I'm going to grab the rope and follow."

It would be thick, to be sure, but a heavy twisted cable was made up of smaller ropes twisted together. Who knows what they might need to get out of there? If someone had oil, they could cut off a hunk of cable, soak it in some of the oil, and the others could use it as a torch.

If they were used to soft beds, then they could coil it flake it out for sleeping on. She couldn't sleep in the bed in her room, so she slept under it. It was darker, too.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis squinted his eyes in the direction Emalia pointed to. "Any stab in the dark is our path, now" The priest agreed, yet handed the peculiar woman the torch - making her the center of light. His blonde locks fluffed under his hood as he turned his head in the direction of Callís.

'How has she lived these years on the surface?' He wondered after hearing of her difficulty with the torch. Following her trace form in the distant light Qal'talis watched her strip clean the things the Half-Drow must have found useful on their fallen traveler. Staring while she did he felt a sinking in his heart for the fallen man. Though the Half-Elf's heart wished to be far away from the lasting scent of strong blood.

After Callís left the man's side the Morinda cleric returned to his side on a knee. 'Let Her blackness drift you away..." The blonde sighed while he closed the man's eyes.

Preferring to keep out of the direct exposure to light, the umbra fighter kept where he was best: unseen.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia took the torch as it was handed to her. "alright." she said, still unsure of what was going on, but figured they wanted her to lead.
she knew her chances of survival were much higher with the others and was unwilling to start a fight because of her suspicions and fears. and so, she started to walk into the tunnel.

soon, it opens into another cavern. larger than the last, but not much different.
Emalia slowly moves farther in.

[Enigma]

Callís heard the others depart and glanced towards the cave they entered, noting it. She swiftly rose and went to the dead guy, checking his pockets carefully and retrieved his flint & steel, the other torch, two packaged trail rations that looked intact, his short sword and his waterskin, which she placed in her own pack for later.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You never told us your name."

She darted from him to gather up the rope and followed after the other two.

[Highland Sniper]

"well, this is leading nowhere fast," Emalia muttered as she slowly walked farther in.

soon another opening comes into view. and as they all continue to move forward, 2 other forms move into the light.
they are low to the ground and look like dogs made of dirt and stone and they have red eyes that seem to glow slightly.
"uh, guys? think these things are hostile?" Emalia asks uneasily, moving into a more defensive stance.

they both circle, and one of them emits a low, rumbling sound and the other joins in as it moves towards Qatl'talis.

[Minkasha]

Qal’talis’ mind was locked in the present moment, from step to step he continued to look around through the limited light. Where were they to go? What could they find to survive? He searched in the shadows until fiends presented themselves. Already there was danger, and Qal’talis personally knew how unwell the others with him word.

His gray eyes caught the elemental beast moving towards him, it was the other one not yet set on him which worries him. Dashing through the shadows the umbra fighter withdrew his sword, running with speed and agility as he took the first action. Wearing past the one aimed at him the Half-Elf aimed his blade to the second one and swung.

The blade grazed near its side as it dodged him. Hardening his frustrations to resolve Qal’talis raised his shield - ready for their retaliation.

[Highland Sniper]

Fortunately for Qal'talis, the first one missed it's lung at him as he ran past, and followed him as he ran to hack at the other one.
the first lunged in reaction to his swing but scraped by his shield. the second that followed lunged as well, but couldn't get past the half-elf's armor.

Reacting quickly, Emalia dropped the torch, knowing it would be enough light, and rushed to help Qal'talis. throwing a punch at the beast behind him she landed a solid blow.

[Enigma]

Small shapes with red eyes were attacking the half-human priest. Swearing under her breath, Callín dropped the rope she'd been carrying, pulled out her bow and strung it, getting ready to shoot.

[Minkasha]

The priest waved his blade before the beast's startling red eyes. Flicking a glance at Emilia, Qal'talis attempted to return a blow to the dog monster as the strong woman landed a hit. Though with a slight grit to his teeth the Half-Elf missed yet agian.

[Highland Sniper]

The earth dogs strike back.
the first bitting Qal'talis' leg, taking a good chunk out of it, and the other bit Emalia's arm as it ignored the half-elf's flailing blade.

Emalia let out a scream of pain that quickly turned to rage as she grew her ears and tail again and threw another punch at the beast, punching a chunk of rock from the thing's side.

[Enigma]

Callín grabbed an arrow from the quiver, pulled back the bow string, aiming carefully, and shot the arrow at the beast attacking Qal'talis. It struck the creature...

[Minkasha]

"Uck!" Qal'talis hissed as blood trickled down his leg. The aches of his bones found a new friend as his shin bones felt the graze of the beast's teeth. A trickle of sweat ran down his face and he moved with his blade again only to have the blood tasting monster evade his strike.

[Highland Sniper]

the first stone dog lunged, missing Qal'talis and heading straight into an arrow as Qal'talis missed once again.
the second leaped at Emalia as she struck out with her fist and it blew into a bunch of dirt and rocks.

[Enigma]

Callín shot again, (5) but this time the arrow missed.

[Minkasha]

The sharp edge gliding first met the earthen creature, carving into it a line of absence. Striking with a grazing blow Qal’talis takes his small victory hopefully, but his body was riddled with pain. His concentration wavered for a brief moment as he now caught the change of Emalia’s features. Hidden by the quick turn of his head under hood the priest did in fact feel surprise by the tail and ears he caught in motions. There wasn’t the time to reflect deeper but the Half-Elf was perplexed by the unknown of the bestial woman.

[Highland Sniper]

The beast continued to move despite everything and lunged at Qal'talis' face, it's open jaws revealing a stony gullet, and time seemed to slow for him as it was flung to the side in a cloud of dust as Emalia came back into his view, a fist through the beast's head.

her eyes were fierce as she gritted her teeth from the pain as the thing disintegrated.
she took some deep breaths to calm down and shook her hand before clutching her bitten arm.
she walked over and grabbed the torch.
"let's keep going," she said. "there's gotta be a good place to rest."

[Enigma]

"Let's think about this," Callín called out softly, moving closer as she kept a wary eye around them. She didn't want to startle Emalia, who'd sprouted some wolf-like features. "We're hurt, and we need to tend our wounds. Two creatures came up from that hole, what's the chance we're heading into a nest?"

"Like I said, neither of us is going to last long without him," she said, pointing at the half-human with the tip of her bow. "Let's take a few moments to get him bandaged up so he doesn't leave a blood trail for these things to follow. Then we can move out and you can put those ears to work."

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis fell to a knee from pain and from the need to concentrate. The Half-Elf did not like Callín putting faith into him as the source of their longevity. It was the attention the priest learned to dislike after a lifetime of seeing his crumbling father and religious virtues taught.

"We won't survive without more supplies and shelter" Qal'talis hissed, swinging away Callín's focus of the conversation. Begrudgingly he pulled out the remaining two health potions. To spare himself the depth of misery his body was trapped in he drank from one. The herbal, slightly bitter taste gave him a small measure of relief - but he was desperate for any. The wound in his leg healed but he was sure he'd struggle to move until healed more.

From his lowered position he handed Emalia the last one, "You beat both of those monsters, we need you. Use this" the priest told the animalistic woman sternly.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia took it. "that might be a problem. we need to find a place first." she said as she took out the quark, grimacing at the pain in her arm as she gripped and pulled with it. "as far as I know, here's as good as any other place to rest. and unless you know anything about cave life, I'm not sure about supplies"
she drank the potion. and her wound closed. she flexed her hand and her arm afterward.
"unless you got any better ideas than sleeping here for the night, it might be better to move on," she said firmly.

[Enigma]

They seemed better after drinking the potions, she hoped it would be enough.

"This isn't very defendable," she agreed, reluctantly, then looked up at Emalia. "But if we're moving on, I think you need to be up front so you can see."

"And it's too dark down here for you," she pointed at Qal'talis, who didn't look so bad with some color in his face, "so you need to be in the middle carrying the torch. I'll bring up the rear."

Sans rope. they couldn't afford to carry it and make good time. She sighed, and hoped the others weren't going to argue too much.

[Minkasha]

Cailín's hopes were dashed instantly.

"I shall not do that" Qal'talis told the darker Half-Elf with certainty while he gradually got to his feet. "My service is done in the shadows, to carry the light opposes my learned ways" The Lioncrest heir declined the torch, stepping away and looking around. Without another word he walked into the farthest reachests of the flame's light, keeping himself elusive in the feint light.

[Highland Sniper]

"All you men are stubborn fools." Emalia said with some frustration. "But, if that's what you wish." She sighed. "I'm probably stronger than you are anyhow."

She walked over and picked up the torch. "If we're going to move, then let's move." She said and started walking farther into the darkness, her fist a little clenched.

[Enigma]

Callín sighed, shaking her head. She bet that later, he was going to fight her for the corner of whatever hole they find to rest in.

"Sorry," she called out to Emalia. Fighting about it would only delay them further. Keeping an arrow nocked , she trailed after them, keeping twenty feet from the half-human priest, pausing only to see if she could recover the two she shot.

[Minkasha]

Qal’talis narrowed his eyes under the hood while he gazed at both women briefly. With a subtle hobble you his uncomfortable steps the priest took to the light’s most distant recesses. He accepted that he was going to be misunderstood by either woman, they didn’t follow his faith or know of his goddess.

Sneaking further into them the Half-Elf felt more secure in the hidden dim light.

[Highland Sniper]

As Emalia walked, she looked at the tunnel walls.
"well, does anyone know about molds and fungus?" she asked. "I've heard that some might be useful."

unless someone answers, she continues walking along the path.
She continues walking until they hit a small chasm.
it's about 15 feet across, 10 feet lower on the other side, and 20 feet to the bottom.
"we, this is probably better than any other place," she says. "the chasm means that we have the advantage there if anything does come, and we already know nothing is behind us unless they drop more people down here."

[Enigma]

Callín eyed the moss when she passed it, but couldn't recognize it.

Shielding her eyes from the light of the torch, Callín came up to where Emalia was, then moved along the side of the chasm until she was at a comfortable distance and tried to peer into the inky blackness.

"Looks like a good spot, yeah." She gave the air a careful sniff and listened for other sounds.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis gave a quick 'no' as the moss came and went from view. By the time they reach the chasm he revealed himself again by returning into the light. He sighed, frowning at the two women. The pain he knew he shared with the others was taxing. Releasing his backpack to the ground and sitting down calmly he shuddered once he settled, the pain of movement unkind.

'To sleep here, I cannot imagine it. But, I will have faith that Morinda will provide her shelter in the endless dark'

"Yes, this is good," The priest began nodding and lowering his hood to get a clear view of the standing women. "May I advise we take shifts? I will do first watch" Qal'talis offered with a seriousness in his voice.

[Highland Sniper]

"what a man." she muttered after looking at him for a moment. "wake me up for second." she said and looked around before walking over to a clump of stalactites and set the torch down in a spot to give light to the others and not show her shadow as she changed out of her barmaid's dress and into her more preferred pants and wrap around shirt.
"well, we have plenty of time to talk at least." she said. "so, mister blond and shady, why are you down here?"

[Enigma]

Callín frowned, there was a smell in the air, like hot coppers, like... blood.

"Do you smell that?" the spellthief demanded, leaning forward, sniffing. "Is someone hurt still, or...?"

It was wafting up from below, from the chasm. The half-drow leaned carefully forward, looking down into the rift. "I think," she said, pointing at an odd shape lying on the ground beneath them, "I think someone's down there."

She leaned back and shrugged off her backpack, and reached inside for the sack that held her rope. "I need to get down there," she said. "What can I tie this off to?"

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis had opened his mouth to shut it, leaving Emalia no answer as Callín's observation took center stage. The Morinda priest eased himself back to his feet and stiffly walked over beside the Half-Drow. His eyes could only grant some vision through the darkness, going further with the light available. He thought he might have seen something as well but the bath of blackness at the bottom of the chasm was too dense for him to peer through.

Seeing the woman produce rope he was surprised she was eager to save the possible person below. He hadn't expected her to be this way. Qal'talis looked around until he saw the rock formations which were holding the torch. "I can tie it around the rocks" the umbra holy man offered. "Are you sure it is a person? It could be a monster" He said with some weary caution after fighting the earthly dogs.

[Highland Sniper]

"hold on!" Emalia called. "I'm not done yet!"
she was still in the middle of changing clothes into something a little more suitable for running and climbing around in the caves.
"let me get dressed and I'll climb down there as you tie the rope," she said. "I can climb down just fine, but that rope'll be a lot of help combing back up with the extra bulk unless you want to climb down as well to heal him there."
she started to bring up her pants.

[Enigma]

"It could be," Callín agreed. "If they're still alive, it's one more person who can fight." And if it's a monster, you're safely up here.

Emalia surprised her by saying she'd climb down into the ravine to rescue whoever or whatever was down there. But why were they acting like this, unless...?

She could feel her cheeks burning.

"Fine," Callín said flatly. "It's silk, so it's stronger than it looks. I'll watch from this edge with the bow, so try to work from the other side so I can shoot if I have to."

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis approached the edge, pulling out his medicine kit while the light of the flame remained. Glancing around to all the unmoving, rough, rocks and to the pit below the Half-Elf realized that the caves themselves were a danger. "If the person is injured, move them carefully" the priest said with strain as he prepared his supplies ahead of time.

[Highland Sniper]

"You're the expert," she said as she buckled her belt. "I'll drop the torch before heading down. if it's a monster we'll leave it alone unless it bothers us. make as many friends and few enemies as possible right now."
she came out from behind the stalactites as she pulled on a wrap-around shirt, which she left open. but she was decently covered in the important areas.

she gave a concerned glance at the red face half-drow as she went to the edge to drop the torch. after seeing that there was no other dangers other than falling, she took a better look at the figure down below.
he had horns and blue hair and had spots of blood.
she hardly paused before turning around and started to pick her way down the rock wall.
"so... anyone have... problems with tieflings?" she asked as she concentrated on climbing safely down.

[Enigma]

In the back of her head, she wondered how well a joke would go if she asked what sauces they had, then squashed it.

"Can you tell if they're alive?" Callín asked. They were probably going to have to tie a loop under his shoulders to get him up. There was no telling how much Emalia knew about ropes, and she didn't think to ask before the half-wolf girl went down.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis looked over the side to study the man below. From the catches of blood red the Half-Elf could see from this height he knew the man was going to need great care. Concern filled his heart, a heavy sigh leaving the priest's lips. 'There are no means to save our supplies. I do not have enough. Morinda bless us'

"Did he fall on any rocks?" The Half-Elf asked down to Emalia, sticken by what happened to the Human they left behind.

[Highland Sniper]

"hold on... I'm only... halfway down!" she called up as she continued to climb down and slid the last foot or two when she lost hold.
if anyone asks if she's alright or anything of the sort, she calls back with an "I'm fine!"
she continues to walk over to the man and checked the man, putting a few fingers to his cool neck.
"He's still alive, but I'm not sure how badly he's injured." she called up. "no rocks though! get that rope tied off so I can haul this sack of bones back up for care!"

[Enigma]

So the tiefling wasn't a threat. Callín put her arrow back into the quiver and called down, "We're on it."

Taking up the silken rope, she wrapped one end twice around the base of a stalagmite and tied two half-hitches, pulling it snug and tugging on it hard to make sure it would stay in place. Satisfied, she called out, "Head's up!" and tossed the other end down.

The torch light made her squint, but there was no help for it, they had to be ready for when Emalia climbed back up with man.

How she planned on doing that, Callín had no idea.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia grimaced as she looked him over a little more closely.
"he's in really bad shape, but I should be able to move him safely," she called up.

"Alright, let's go," she muttered as she put her arms around him and dragged him over to the rope.
she then took the man and put him on her back with his arms over her shoulders.
this was gonna get tricky.
she then tried his hands together and then wrapped the rope around the both of them before tieing it off at her waist.
"might want some help hauling this guy up" she called up. "someone, get on the rope."
after making sure the guy was secure on her back, which he flopped around a little but was fine otherwise, she started to climb.

[Minkasha]

The Half-Elf once more get to his feet, shaking his head. Stepping away from his readied medical supplies the blonde half-fay saw Emalia attempting her best efforts. Feeling a strike of urgency as she remained in suspension Qal'talis grabbed onto the silk rope yet he couldn't keep a grip. In the moments he did the weight as beyond him to assist with as his body was too fatigued with injury and pain. Gritting his teeth the Half-Elf beside Callín continued fruitlessly to embolden Emalia's efforts.

[Enigma]

"This would be easier if you just tied the rope around him and we can then pull him up," Callín said, but grabbed the rope alongside the half-human and pulled with all her might.

'Hurry up and climb!" she panted.

[Highland Sniper]

She managed to make it halfway with their help, panting about as hard herself.
"I'm... coming," she said as she lugged the tiefling up the rock face.
about halfway up, she grit her teeth and it was almost like her hands dug into the rock and she climbed the rest of the way with ease.
"well," she said. "let's get this guy patched up, shall we?"
she started to untie him from her once she got over to the prepared medical supplies.
"well blondy, you think you can do anything?"

[Minkasha]

"I will learn soon" Qal'talis said with some strained worry as he began to work, upon closer examination of the ebony face he could tell the Tiefling was young. How did such a young man get into this position? The trained hands of the priest started with tending the horned young man's skull. Herbal paste and bandages were easily applied, soaking the drying blood.

The priest glanced over his shoulder to the two women "Please give us privacy" Qal'talis asked before adeptly feeling over fine cotton spots of injury. There were bone breaks, he could tell from the heat and misshapen grooves. Sighing heavily, heart sinking, Qal'talis began to undress the wounded man and set his clothes carefully to the side. Keeping focused he tried to set things straight, but the priest was very aware he was going to need magical healing to survive down here. Still, with more medical care the Half-Elf did what he was able to treat the wounds of the skin and muscles - a series wraps across the Tiefling's body.

With a sheen of sweat on his forehead the priest took off his cloak and rest it on top of the young man's body to give him privacy. "I have done what I can, and he is decent"

Then his own exhaustion set in, with quivering shake Qal'talis fell to his backside, breathing heavily.

[Enigma]

Callín handed him a water skin, and dug out one of the extra trail rations she collected and handed it to the half-human priest.

"Eat, it's the dead guy's and he wasn't going to anyway," she told Qal'talis. "You need to keep up your strength."

"So, does it look like this is another unfortunate meant to suffer down here with the rest of us?" she asked, looking the tiefling over.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia took a step back and turned around as she muttered about taking care of her older brother.

"Might as well be." she said. "let just hope he's no the rich and pompous his clothes make him out to be."
she turned to The half-elf.
"I'll take first watch. you're no good exhausted. if horny here wakes up, I'll let you know." she said. "and I'll knock you out if you try to argue. your choice."

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis' grimacing face was caught staring between the two women looking down at him. Quietly and with a careful hand the priest took the food and water, avoiding their eyes as he kept them down. He wasn't fond of the attention. A few of his blonde locks fell in front of his face, the Half-Elf gathering his thoughts.

"He won't be well until Morinda answers my healing prayers, when I have more rest I may try. Some of his bones are broken, he won't be able to move. I had no wood and cloth to help bind his bones straight, and down here I do not think he'd have the time to heal normally..."

Qal'talis resigned to Emalia's efforts, not wanting to fight her - too tired. "Alright...I will rest" he agreed with a trail of disappointment. "When he wakes he cannot move until he's healed. The damage that would be done to his body would be awful until then" He cautioned both women. "He's...young" the holy man remarked, face sad in the glow of the torch light.

[Enigma]

"I've got arrows," Callín reminded him. "We could bundle a couple of them, but only one kumade and I've got a couple of sacks in my pack we can rip into strips to tie them in place. There's also the other torch, but we'll probably need that later.

Organization would have to be sacrificed, and it was better than losing her rope. She wondered if the cable they left behind was still there?

"We should probably pile some rocks to partially block the entrance while we rest. Anything trying to climb over it will make some noise," she hoped.

[Highland Sniper]

"I'll help you out," Emalia said. "anythings better than nothing I suppose."
She took a half worried glance at the half-elf before walking off to help collect rocks for the wall. she didn't want him acting up with her older brother when he was supposed to be resting from a recent fight.

"so, what's the story between you two?" she asked Cailin. "you seemed to be at odds on the way down."

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis waved off Callín's for mending the Tiefling while he quietly chewed on the dry rations and sipped the lukewarm water. "Tomorrow Morinda will show him her compassion through prayer" The priest promised. Observing the two women leaving to gather rocks he took his own company with as a grim form of peace. It was settling in deeper: the reality that this was the future of his life. He glanced around to the endless black and the rocks, to the injured young man next to him.

'Morina I am yours' Qal'talis hopefully prayed. In truth he was attempting to resign himself, to surrender any sense of control to prevent his woes from mounting. He had to accept that he was here by Mordina's will to make peace with the circumstances.

Finishing the rations and the water he set the water skin aside, worrying about finding a water source for another time, and laid down. Closing his eyes next to the injured Tiefling, Qal'talis silenced his thoughts and fell asleep.

[Enigma]

"I've never seen him before," Callín shrugged. "I was packing for my sea voyage when he suddenly came bursting into my room! Before I could say anything, guardsmen suddenly came pouring in and my face is all exposed!"

She paused, wondering if she should tell her. The truth of it. A story so incredible... nobody would believe it. Nevermind she hadn't the strength of her own to crush a man's throat. Or even Oleus'.

"Anyway," she drawled, "they arrested the both of us, and I think he'd just opened someone else's door, I'd be half-way to Seahaven by now."

[Highland Sniper]

"so, you're just mad at him for ruining things." she said as she started to stack the rocks. "what were you running away from anyhow?"

[Enigma]

"My master decided it would be a good idea if I was possessed by a demon," Callín shrugged. "The demon didn't like the idea. Nor did I. Figured it was best if I hit the road."

[Highland Sniper]

She paused for a second before resuming her stacking of rocks. "could be worse." she said, though there was something in her voice. "you could have died yourself or still be possessed."


well, there you go. you blew a perfectly good friendship. it said. she'll never trust you now. she's probably planning your demise as we speak. it gave a small chuckle.

[Enigma]

And there it is, Callín winced. And don't you start.

"If I was still possessed by a demon, I certainly wouldn't be down here stacking rocks," Callín scowled, a slight chill to her voice as she continued placing rocks down to form a rough wall.

[Highland Sniper]

"then we would have never met." Emalia said as she continued stacking rocks as well.
"that might be enough unless you think we need more."

[Enigma]

"Let's do a stack behind it, something for someone to trip over," Callín said, keeping her head down and focused on placing the stones.

[Highland Sniper]

"sure, don't want to get miss possessed upset." Emalia tried for a joke and ended it with a small, half-hearted laugh before continuing to help her stack rocks.
"hey, if it helps at all, I'm still not sure about what I am," she said softly. "I still have no idea how to control... this." she pointed to her ears but tried to make it ore of a gesture of all her bestial, wolf-like features.
"it makes me a little... uneasy," she said. "I don't know what it means for me."

[Enigma]

"You're not the only one in the world. If we get out of here, you should find someone with your kind of abilities to let you know what to expect. At least you are still you."

And if I let this thing back in, would I still be me?

[Highland Sniper]

would you care to find out? it asked. no... better save me for later, when you need me.

"Not a bad idea." she said. "but I'd need to figure out what I am first."
she continued to stack rocks until there was a good stumbling wall.
"how about you get some rest," she said. "I told blondy over there I'd take first watch, and I'll tell you the same. so get some rest."

[Enigma]

"Okay, wake me for Second," Callín said. It didn't feel like they'd been down here for more than a couple hours, but she was still hurting from the fall.

Best to eat something, drink, use her tooth stick to clean her teeth, then put down her blanket and sleep.

[Highland Sniper]

"Yeah. no problem." she said. "blonde there probably needs rest the most."

she walks back with her and sits down against a rock column and pulled out her crossbow and loaded up a bolt.

it was at least two hours, could have been more. it was a little hard to know what time it was down in the caves.
but Emalia shook Cailin awake.
"Hey." she whispered. "time to swap out. I need to get some shut-eye, or I'll fall asleep on my feet."
once it was clear that Cailin was awake, she walked over to her own bedroll and laid down to sleep.
and such as it was

[Broken]

Waking with a long, but pained grown Ayberk let's out a small string of curses in Infernal as he both berates the stupidity of tripping on his own feet and trying to sit up. All while having a splitting headache that is making things blurry beyond comprehension.

[Enigma]

"Don't move," Callín said, moving over to the walking tiefling. "You've safe - really."

"We had to haul you up out of the rift over there and our priest," the half-drow girl said, waving towards the sleeping half-human, "is hoping his god will give him another healing prayer so he can get you up and moving. Right now he needs his rest, as do you."

"Are you another one sentenced to this 'Trial for the Forsaken'?" she asked. If he wandered in by chance, maybe they could wander out the same way?

Choking out a venomous response he says "Yes, I'm sentenced to this bloody path because my family needed a scapegoat. Or a reason to get rid of me."

"At least you have one, should make them easier to hunt down if we ever get out of here," Callín shrugged. "My name's Callín, the girl over there is Emalia, and don't ask me about the half-human over there, he's been tight lipped the entire time I've known him."

[Minkasha]

Near the wounded Tiefling the cleric of Morinda lay on his side, back to the others. His sleep was deep, body heavy with weariness. Hours later Qal'talis' eyes open to the sounds of conversation, one a voice he'd not heard of before. He couldn't make it out clearly, a touch incoherent as his mind returned to consciousness. Pulling himself up hand sheltered his face for several breaths before he lowered them and looked at the others.

Qal'talis quickly got to his feet and knelt down beside the Tiefling. There was a focused concern on his face, "How are you feeling?"

[Broken]

"About as good as almost dying feels" he chokes out a sarcastic reply before turning to Callín and saying in a rough voice his throat getting used to the dry feeling of dehydration "your friend is smart, names hold power. Whether its in the form of fear or respect depends on the individual"

[Enigma]

If having a proper name was so dangerous, then at least she was safe, Callín sighed. Not that the wizard Oleus was trying to protect her, of course. He just couldn't be bothered.

Still, she felt herself bristling at the implied rebuke.

"Perhaps, but calling him 'Hey, you!" has to get old quick, dontchathink?' she scowled.

"So, he gonna live?" she asked the priest.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia muttered something in her sleep, something along the lines of "you needed my help, again, you idiot," as she rolled over. her back now to everyone else.
her bestial features were gone and she looked like her normal self.
she wore no blankets, just lay there on her bedroll, her open shirt didn't do much to cover her as the flap lay behind her.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis glanced at the sleeping woman for a moment before returning his honed vision to the injured young Tiefling. His still waking thoughts ran through a primary overview of what he could make of the young man's health. Gradually he sighed.

"Once Morinda answers my healing prayers, he will be well enough" The man reiterated from before. "I am sorry there is no way to help ease your pain currently" the concealed Half-Elf said with a whispered empathy. "Keep still, I must pray and then your health will be tended to" The Half-Elf promised while he got to his feet again, returning to his backpack and pulling free his religious booklet.

If undisturbed the man would retreat near the torch and begin to read with a still posture as he sat on his bent legs.

[Broken]

"I'll be fine" he says before falling unconscious again from the pain

[Enigma]

"Glad he's so confident," Callín sighed, shaking her head, then glanced towards Qal'talis. Unfortunately, the half-human was busy reading. If they wanted this man healed, the half-human needed his reading time.

Even if the man didn't want people to know his true name, he should have some sort of nickname that he could share with others? Or did people just come up with their own nickname for him?

And what sort of nickname was right for him?

[Highland Sniper]

a faintly echoing thud came from the direction the party came from.

Emalia rolled over again and mumbled something about holding still.

[Enigma]

Callín stepped around Qal'talis and knelt next to the sleeping brawler.

"Emalia," she said urgently. (If she doesn't respond to her name, Callín will shake her shoulder.) "Hey, Emalia! Wake up! I heard a noise, I think they just dropped someone else back there."

'By the goddess, I hope this isn't someone who's barely awake until their first cup of tea,' the half-drow girl feverishly hoped.

[Highland Sniper]

"I'm up," she muttered before slowly sitting up. "let's make this quick," she said.
she stood up with a few muttered curses about not being able to see. and seen, she was back in her bestial form.
she took a quick look at her hands.
"well, at least I can see." she muttered.
she took her crossbow and made ready to fight if it came to it.

[Enigma]

She already had her sword and dagger, so Callín fetched her short bow and quiver, as well as one of her waterskins.

"I'm ready," she said, taking in Emalia's new form, then nodded towards the priest. "You think he'll be safe enough if we leave him like this?"

[Highland Sniper]

"Nothing else should be coming," she said. "besides, he's got tough guy over there."
she moved over to the wall and crouched down.
"let's keep the chatter low," she whispered. "if they're bad, I want to be able to jump 'em."

[Enigma]

Callín simply waived towards the opening they'd partially blocked with stones.

[Highland Sniper]

"Well, in we go then." She muttered before following closely behind, trying to stay low and quiet.

[Enigma]

Callín followed two paces behind her, an arrow nocked on her bowstring.

[EldridSmith]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f8/12/eb/f812eba487786e12b84500c3d5531456.jpg Azrail awoke as he was being lowered into the depths of the city, reactively he ivigorated himself to take the blow easier before he hit the ground, though he still took some damage. He stopped to heal himself to full strength before he walked down the path, his darkvision letting him see the old corpse lying on the path. He had already been looted so he didn't pay the corpse any head and headed further inside. He was able to see a wolf girl further along the path after he noticed a torch on the ground. "Hello?"

[Highland Sniper]

"hey, fellow forsaken." Emalia said, still ready with the crossbow. she sighed. "I'll get to the point. if you're going to cause trouble, be a pain in the rear. try to kill everyone in their sleep, whatever you want to mess everyone's chances of survival, or that just involves killing everyone. please, let me know now so we can get this over with."
she was being a little sarcastic but was also pretty blunt about it. she did not want to have to wait for this guy to stab everyone in the back.

[Enigma]

The new guy bounced back quickly, Callín noticed. A potion, perhaps, or another healer?

Hearing Emalia's challenge, however, made her wince. She kept her tongue, the new guy apparently had not noticed her yet. Or maybe felt the half-beast girl with the crossbow was the bigger challenge.

[EldridSmith]

"I have no such intentions, on the contrary I would like to ask if anyone needs healing." He says with his hands raised. "I don't have any weapons on me, feel free to check."

[Highland Sniper]

"Alright, but I can still knock you senseless with my fists if you try anything," she said. "I'll trust you for now. just know that I can punch you into next month."
she lowered her crossbow and put the bolt away.
"come on. we got a tiefling that needs some help if you don't mind the demonic."

[EldridSmith]

"I don't mind, please show me where he is and I can heal him." He says with a smile.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia nodded before turning around, leading the man farther into the cave to where The half-elf sat reading, and the tiefling lay unconscious.
"I'll be watching you," she said. not much of a threat, but a matter of fact by her tone

[EldridSmith]

"I don't mind you watching me if I can watch you as well." He flirtingly jokes trying to ease the tension he sensed in the air. Upon seeing the unconscious tiefling Azrial placed his hand above and glowing green whisps writhe around the tiefling's head as his wound begin to heal at a visable rate, slowly he is back to normal.

[Highland Sniper]

Emalia smerked. "cute. just don't get cocky," she said.
she eyed him in wonder.
"Well, that'll be a great help later." she muttered

[EldridSmith]

Azrial smiled at Emalia as she made her remark, he had just been trying to make light of the situation, he wasn't being cocky. He response after his healing was relieving as she didn't seem as openly hostile. "So there are only four of us then?"

[Enigma]

"Five," retorted Callín, appearing at the entrance with the rope. "If you count the new guy Emalia was bringing back."

"How is he?" the half-drow asked, glancing over at the tiefling, then her eyebrows rose. "Whoa, never saw anything like that before! How are you doing that?"

[EldridSmith]

Azrial reciols in surprise as Callin appears. "Oh he's doing fine now. I'm able to draw on the latent life force around my with my powers and imbue them into people by healing them, I can also use this ability on enemies with my collective and it allows me to heal others that I choose."

[Highland Sniper]

"well, that should be real handy." Emalia grinned

"So," Callín said, examining the freshly cut rope end sourly, "What now? Anyone have any idea how we can get out of here?"

Emalia shrugged. "maybe the only option is to explore deeper."

"So like, crawl down into the rift we dug this guy out of yesterday?" Callín asked, pointing at the tear behind them.

"yeah, sounds about right." Emalia said. "but, it looks like a ledge on the other side."

"How long have you all been down here?"


"say..." she shrugged. "close to about a day I guess. my stomach seems to think so."

"Do you need food?"

"I still have some rations." she said. "come on, we can share a meal for healing the guy."
she walked over to her stuff and rummaged through her bag for her rations
once found, she pulls them out and unwraps one and starts to eat

"I have food enough thanks."

"suit yourself." she mumbled through a mouthful of food before swallowing. "well, what are you down here for. you seem fine enough."

"Framed for a crime I didn't commit because I'm able to heal using the life force of other creatures."

it only took a second or two to process.
"fun." she said. "I beat a young lord senseless because he was getting a little handsy."

"Makes sense. Nobles were the worst customers... they made me to use slaves life force to heal them and I hated it."

"I know. they are such jerks." she said. "I was serving him wine and he started to sweet talk me."

"I can see why he did, but it still isn't excusable."

she started to blush a little.
"well, I didn't exactly look like this." she said. "I thought I was a half-elf till about a day ago. and I was working at a local tavern at the time."
then she adds with a muttered "stupid dress codes"

"Dress code?" He asks curiously, smiling as she blushes.

"Maybe we should concentrate on getting out if here, first," Callín says, shaking her head. "This is hardly the time or place."

"I'll head down first." she said. "I'm probably a better climber"

"I've got plenty of rope, we can loop it around one of the stalagmites and lower ourselves down and still take it with us. Just remember to hold on to both ends."

"alright. I'll take an end down." Emalia said

"While he's healed he hasn't woken up yet so we need to wait a bit."


"we can start now." she said. "he might wake up soon enough" she started walking over to the edge.

"No, 'robes' over there hasn't finished their meditation yet," Callín pointed out. "We can wait."

"Also may I ask what was not the time for?" He asks, clueless as to what he did wrong.

"just forget about it." she said.

[Enigma]

Callín's right eyebrow arched, but she ignored the question, digging into her pack for a ball of string. She then took the ends of the rope and began to whip the ends to keep the rope from unraveling.


"well, it's going to take about an hour for blondy to finish up." Emalia said.
"Alright. So what are you down for Callin?"
"Not eating my vegetables," the half-drow girl retorted, pulling the string tight as she wrapped it around the end of the rope.


"Has she been this touchy the entire time?" Azrial asks Emalia with a whisper
"not particularly." she Whispered back. "but, I've only known her for about a day. probably best not to push.
Azrial nods, "Fair enough."

[Highland Sniper]

"so, what're you into?" she asked Azrial.

"What do you mean?"

"what do you enjoy?" she asked. "what is it you do that isn't work?"

"Reading mostly, I honestly spent most of my time working due to being in a busy district."

She sighed. "I think I understand what you mean." she said. "I grew up in a... busy area myself."

"Lots of workers came in injured from their work, even at night. So some nights I would find myself exhausted as I worked." He says with a sigh "So what was your area like?"

"a lot of crime." she said. "there were at least 4 gangs when I was taken."
she curled up a bit, her knees to her chest.

Callín slipped the end of the string through the end of the loop she left unwrapped, and then tugged on the string hanging out on the other end. The loop snugged down and disappeared under the cord wrappings, dragging the trapped string underneath until it was half-way. Satisfied, she trimmed the leftover string on either end.
"You were able to avoid them?"

"kind of hard to when it was everywhere. on every street, every corner. there was always someone being mugged." she said. "it was just me, my brother and his friends however odd they were. everyone's got scars from being shot, stabbed, cut, or something. that's how I got mine. the only way to stay safe was to fight, odd as it sounds."

"Sounds terrible, despite the nobles most people were decent in my area."

"well lucky you," she said. "I lived in the slums, where few people had any real jobs. I suppose I was lucky enough to land one at the local tavern." she laughed. "some luck."

"Well not like it matters where we're from, we're all here now."

"Well then, I suppose the only one we know nothing about is blondy over there." she said. "so mysterious. he almost seemed to care, like he could've done something when I told them what happened with the lord."

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis gently closed the religious booklet, resting for now his concentrated thoughts of his goddess. He had heard much chatter in the distance of his consciousness but his studies and reflection were a meditation honed onto his devotion. Standing, the Half-Elf turned with a relaxed ease. The blonde stopped when he saw an entirely new man among them. Qal'talis quickly regarded the Human, his robes. Perhaps some sort of magician he had to guess. The women seemed welcoming of him, but Qal'talis was worried how they were going to find enough food and water to support all these people in the cave system.

The grayed eyed Lincroest gave the new man a nod while he rushed over to the unconscious Tiefling, ready to help heal immediately. Shockingly the priest could see the Tieflings darker skin had much more luster to it, no longer clammy with pain or bodily injury. Narrowing his eyes the priest lifted enough of the cloak the man was laid under to look at a limb and notice the bone wasn't broken anymore. He had been healed! By who? The new man?

"Did you do this act?" Qal'talis asked the Human man standing behind him.

[EldridSmith]

As the half elf stands up and calls to him Azrail stands up and turns around to face him. "Yes I healed him. He should be fine now so you don't need to worry about him being able to continue the journey. As soon as he wakes up I presume we can walk further into the tunnels. I'm Azrail Vidal by the way." He says extending his hand for the person to shake.

[Enigma]

"We found him earlier, he'd been thrown down here like we have," Callín spoke up. "He's also a healer, as you can guess. Like us, he got dropped."

Scowling, she held up one end of the rope. "Looks like they cut it. I dunno if someone's doing it too soon, but I didn't see any other ropes up there, or bodies with packs, so I'm guessing this is something new they're trying."

You'd think they'd know how far down the floor was. Or maybe they just didn't care. Unfortunately, since she had her eyes shut outside, she had no idea who deserved payback for the drunk guy's death and their injuries.

"Didn't look like the drunk dead guy had been disturbed since we last there, so we might have killed the only two scavengers. But he's going to get quickly ripe, which means other scavengers will be coming. We're also going to need water soon enough, so if there's some settlement down here, we need to find it, quick."

[Highland Sniper]

"What makes you think anyone's survived that long?" Emalia asked. despite what she said, there were always those whispers that someone might still be alive after such a time. it was a pretty popular theory that there were survivors, but not everyone agreed on that point, let alone that they would make any settlement.
She got up and walked back over to the edge. "Shall we get started then?" she asked. "if there are other scavengers down here, we're going to want to move ASAP."

She peered around the drop and over to the other side.
"I mean, it looks safe enough right now if we can get tough guy over there to wake up," she said.
she really didn't want to have to wait.

[Minkasha]

Qal'talis has an open surprise and relief hearing more details from the young man. When he hand is extended he learned the healer's name is Azrail. When their hands met and shook the blond quietly nodded and pulled away. Hearing among the women discussion of survival and the ripening corpse of the man they had left behind the Half-Elf frowned. Keeping to himself he turned on his heel to crouch back down to the Tiefling.

Pulling some of his blonde hair behind an ear Qal'talis soon began to gently shake the sleeping young man by the shoulders. "I am sorry you cannot rest longer" he apologized while still moving the man awake.

[Broken]

With a yawn Ayberk slowly awakes in response to the shaking/moving and proceeds to look around before asking "where are my clothes" in a confused manner

[Enigma]

"hey look, it's sleeping beauty." Emalia teased as she looked over from the edge of the precipice.

"finally decided to wake up?"

Qal'talis pointed a finger to the pile of folded close next to the man. "Here, your wounds weren't able to be bandaged while you were wearing them" the fair Half-Elf explained with a sigh. "But you were healed by this man's prayer" He gestures to Azrial behind him, having no desire to bring attention to himself for the bandages. "All should be well with your health, now" The man added with an encouraging nod.

"My mother's people have managed it for untold generations," Callín shrugged. "But no, I don't know if there is one or not, all I know is what we got from the drunk guy before we got dropped. But a settlement would have water, they'd need to."

By her own estimates, they had enough for half a day, maybe more. So the sooner they got going, the better. If only it had been raining, they might have followed the rain flowing downhill towards a pool or perhaps even a stream or river. As it was, they were going to have to look for signs, where water had gently smoothed the rocks.

Another issue was the fact they had those who needed light in their party - the priest, the human - so when the last of the torches went, they were going to have to cling to the rope she recovered. Although, come to think of it, the human had been incredibly sure-footed for someone in the dark...?

She tried glancing his way, but the light of the torch was enough to make him blurry. No, she was being silly. He was human. Callín turned towards the rift and the ledge beyond, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

"So," she said as the tiefling began looking for his clothes, "Which way do we want to go? Up and over, " she pointed to the other side, then downward, "or follow this crevasse and hope it leads us to water?"

"I thank you both then, for helping and treating me." He says putting his clothes on. Stopping for a minute and looking around he asks another question "Did anyone by chance find my bag?"

"yeah," Emalia said as she walked over to her stuff where she had dropped his back. sh picked it up and tossed it to him with a "Catch"

Azrial was going to correct the man that it wasn't by a prayer but he decided against it and said nothing in response. "I feel going down is pure best bet since the city rejects us."

"We need a way out," Callín corrected. "I wouldn't be surprised if every known hole out of this place is being watched by guards outside, so we need to find a way out they're not watching. Or a way to slip past them - and an underground river that isn't netted as it comes out of the caves will allow us to slip through."

"So if going down helps us to find flowing water, so be it."

Emalia shrugged. "I'll go down first." she said.

"Indeed, anywhere is better than here" he says catching his pack

Emalia was already starting to scale down the cliff, making sure to have a good old as she went. she was about half way down at this point.

Azrial follows behind the party. "Ah before we go any further I need to link minds with you so I can heal you from a distance."

"well why didn't you tell me this before?" Emalia called up with a growl. "oh, forget it. link with me when you get down here."

"We can do it from here." He says as she can feel something akin to a knock on the door to her mind, as does the rest of the party.

"ooook then." she said. "what now?"

"Easiest way for a new person to let me in is by thinking of opening the door when I knock."

she thought for a moment and tried to imagine the door.

it seemed to look more like a heavy oak in her mind, and imagined it swinging open.

"interesting." she muttered, not sure if anyone would hear

She could feel a mental connection forming between herself and Azrial. "There you go!"

"ok, that's a little creepy." she said as she continued to climb down, making it to the bottom.
"are you going to be able to read my mind now?" she called up. "or does this link not do that?"

"No I can't read your mind. It's just a conduit for my powers. I can achieve Telepathy later but for now that's all."

"fantastic." she said sarcastically. "just don't use it to peep later, alright?"

"I'm a healer dear, I've seen it all before." He says with a gentle smile.

Shivers went down Callín's spine as she listened to the two of them. He was linking with her. Like the demon was linked to her...!

The gentle and polite knock on the doors of their minds continued. "It's so I can provide healing more easily to you all."

"yes, that's it. another one." the voice said. "I'd rather not let him in. it's crowded enough as it is." it teased

"We've only just met," Callín scowled, shaking her head. Get out! Get out get out get out! "I've had a bad history with wizards, so you'll forgive me if I don't leap on your 'generous' offer."

"I'm not a wizard, I'm what they call a vitalist, aside it won't hurt you and I can't see inside your mind. I'll swear on my position as a healer that all it does is provide healing to you."

"And the wizard was just trying to help me to, in his own way," Callín spat. "I said no."

"This is all fine and dandy, but can we focus on getting out of here for now" Ayberk asks as he takes out and dones his leather armor, making sure to leave the mental link alone for now.

"yes, he lies just like him." it said.

Azrial sighs as they refuse his offer of his aid. "I can't heal you without endangering myself if you don't have it but suit yourself."

"Hey guys!" Emalia called up. "I don't think this crevasse is going anywhere! so we might just need to get to the other side!"

"Okay, so let's get to the other side, then," Callín growls.

"Toss me the rope!" she called. "I might be able to tie it off on the other side. might make it a little easier."

"Let me wrap the rope around one of these stalagmites and toss you both ends to tie off on the other side, so we can get the rope back!" Callín said, ignoring Azrial for the moment.

"Alright!" Emalia said and got ready to receive the rope.

The half-drow spellthief draped the rope around the base of a sturdy-looking stalagmite, then tossed the ends one at a time to Emalia. "Catch!"

Emalia picked up the ends and tied them off around herself to leave her hands free while climbing, and scaled the other side before tying the ends off around another Stalagmite and gave it a tug to make sure it was safe.

she had to look up at the others from her ledge.

she gave a wave "Alright!" she called. "should be safe enough to come across!"

"I'm weighed down by my armor and I'm not much good at climbing..."

"So shimmy across," Callín suggested. "It's down hill."

Azrial sighs and starts shimmying across.

As Azrial starts to shimmy across, falling off only a few feet out.

as he slips out, he flails wildly to get a new hold on the rope, but misses by inches and lands on his back at the bottom of the craves, the wind knocked out of him, and some blood starts to drip from the back of his head as his vision blurs with the pain.

He begins to glow with a green light as he heals himself before he runs out of power and scowls.
Emalia quickly looks over the edge at Azrial. "you ok?" she calls out worriedly.

"No, I'm out of power and it hurts." He says rather bluntly.

"clumsy." she mutters. "you got another rope Callin?"

"Yeah, let me fetch it," she sighs, digging out her silk rope. She tosses it to Emalia.

[Enigma]

Emalia catches it and ties it off on the same stalagmite as the other.
"alright, the rope should help you climb up!" she called down.


"I think they need someone to help them up," Callín sighed.


"I'm a healer not a climber."


"just get over here, and I'll take care of clumsy here." she called


Azrial gets up and groans as he does so.


After securing her pack flaps and slipping the pack on, Callín shimmies across the angled rope without any problems.


As Callin shimmies across, Emalia climbs back down to help out Azrial.
"alright, let's go." she said.

"Thanks." He says embarrassed and mildly resentful.

"don't mention it." she said. "you go first so I can catch you if you fall."
Qal'talis tossed back on his cloak once Ayberk was dressed, returning to his comfortable shrouded state. The Half-Elf cleric shook his head pointedly while he continued listening to Azrial, perceiving within his mind a feat never felt before. 'Too selfish' the follower of Morinda thought with disappointment. The cleric was coming to quickly dislike the man's sense of self and proclamations of it. Though he did not know what god could provide such power as Azrial it was evident there was no humility. 'The way in which he overlooks the well being of others is godless, is that why he is this way my goddess?' he wondered to himself before looking at Callín.
He took a few steps closer to her, worried. What exactly did that wizard do? He had the smallest idea of her past, and the caution in which she spoke provided depths of grim concern of what exactly happened. Keeping close to the Half-Drow Qal'talis kept an eye on her while he quietly refused Azrail's unusual service.
He held onto the rope to help steady it as Callín left his side, finding in himself more protective instincts growing for the darker skinned woman.
By choice Qal'talis had said not a word, moving as a benevolent, shadowy servant of Morinda.

After much struggling Azrial manages to scramble his way up from the pit, his self generated healing powers entirely spent, he would need a creature to sap of health if he was going to heal further, but currently that seemed unlikely and he wasn't going to harm his allies.

"Are you okay?" Callín asked, concerned as Azrial pulls himself out of the rift. She helps to untie the rope around his waist. "Do you want the priest to look you over?"


"I'm alright." He bluffs, he's at half HP. Everyone can easily see he's lying.

Qal'talis looked to the pit and the rope eyeing his chances. He was much more used to rooftops and dark alleyways, neither of which required agile feats of this degree. He was a unsure but had to have faith in the possibility of crossing over. With some nimble movement he was able to stand on the rope and began to cross, but the limited light was made the situation increasingly harder.
Halfway through traveling on the rope his boot clipped other foot and in an instant he was falling. Everyone heard him gasp before the swift descent and metal thud below. Rolling in his pain he grit his teeth to quiet himself, worried it would endanger the others to be too loud. The agony was powerful while he writhed in the lowered darkness by himself.
Be prayed, neared begged Morinda to spare him from the pain and his own body was able to utilize her blessings to mend all the physical trauma his body took in the last two days. The relief made his vision dizzy with delight even though he couldn't see in the pitch black. He felt the tingling across his whole person and sighed.
However that didn't resolve how he was going to get out of here, especially he couldn't see.


"Okay," sighed Callín, tying a heaving line knot at the end of her silk rope, then lowering it down to the priest. "Do you know how to tie this around your waist?"
"When you're ready, I'm going to wrap this around a stalagmite and we'll try to pull you up, okay?"


Emalia let out a breath she was holding for the half-elf.
"I'll be right behind you blondy." she said, still had the bottom.


Ayberk after finishing putting on his armor (its leather armor) stood up and in a form of acrobatics walked with somewhat perfect balance, faltering a few times, across the rope and making it to the other side with the others.

Qal'talis was glancing up and narrowing his eyes, but everything was pitch black. His hands began to reach out, but missing. He was searching for whatever was offered.

"I...cannot see" The Half-Elf finally admitted in the darkness while hopelessly searching for Callín's line.


"oh, right." Emalia said and started to fish out a torch to light.

"I'm going to try to swing it," Callín called down, moving the silk rope back and forth, but the weight was wrong and it wasn't going anywhere near the priest. "Well, that didn't work..."

Sparks flew as Emalia striked flint and steel to light the torch.
and everything went to it's full color spectrum for her as the torch lit


Looking up Qal'talis was now treated to light, able to be given vision. It was stunning and equally frustrating the others seem to move easily through the darkness. The priest of Morinda couldn't let go the irony, 'I am a man of shadow with many lessons ahead of me. Her darkness is too much a mystery' He wondered if they could see Her shadow in the dark they peered through.

Regardless the Half-Elf could now, with ease, see the rope lay in wait. The wisps of blonde hair under his hood shook with his head, embarrassed how distant and off he was from the life saving silk. Approaching it and tying around his waist Qal'talis waited.


The sudden flare of the torch catching made Callín cry out and drop to her knees, but she still clutched it tight in her hands that she had drawn up to her chest. She risked a peek and saw rainbow afterimages dancing cross the room. "Yeah, this is going to work great...." she muttered.


"oh, sorry." Emalia said. "Drow stuff, right?"


"Do you see the rope now?" she called out behind her to the rift. Because I can't see anything...
"Yeah, light just hurts my eyes," she confided to Emalia. "In the carriage, I could only see you all as blobs. I didn't want a guard to grab my smoked lenses, so I didn't wear them."


"ah." she she said. "that must suck."
she then turned to the blondy.
"I'll be right behind you." she said, getting ready to climb as well


"I wouldn't mind a little help with the rope," Callín scowled.


Qal'talis stood with the rope around his waist, he worried, despite everything, that with Callín blinded him climbing or being pulled up might be more hazardous for her. "I have it on me, perhaps we should wait until your eyes adjust to the light" The Half-Elf suggested, not understanding Drow sensitivity.


"Blondy seems to have a good idea." Emalia calles up.


"My eyes don't adjust well to light!" Callín muttered, and began leaning back, taking a strain on the rope. "Guys, get over here and help!"


Ayberk after watching the Drow fail to pull up anyone walks over and takes hold of the rope and helps pull


Seeing Blondy struggle as he attempts to climb, gives him a good shove to get hims started. and he managed to get up the rest of the way.


Qal'talis huffed as his arms pulled his body. Beneath his cloak the Half-Elf felt his face grow hot with embarrassment after Emalia boosted him higher but he didn't make a word of it and kept his head down hide his blush. The priest reached the top and rolled to firmly be on the other side of the drop.

"I apologize..." Qal'talis said lowly to the others who had to wait for him to get up. Personally he was saddened by the need to use his prayers to Morinda to mend his body. He hoped it would not come to great consequence later.


"ya, well, feel sorry for yourself later." Emalia says before starting to climb up herself with a few huffs.
she reaches the top after a moment.

"alright. let's get going." she said before starting to walk farther in.

Callín retrieves her ropes, storing the silk rope inside her pack, and then looping the thicker rope over her shoulder. "Should I walk in front or back?" she asked.
"what do you got, a bow?" she asked. over her should, stopping only a short way from everyone else. "ya. maybe the back would be good for you." she said.

[Highland Sniper]

There is a small split in the tunnel up ahead a short way.
The looks like it might just be a dead-end while the right curves out of sight later down the line.

Emalia stops as soon as she realizes that there was a split.
"uh, guys?" she asked. "any idea where we should go?" she doesn't seem uncertain. but, she does point a finger in each possible direction.
"I mean, that way doesn't seem to go anywhere," she says, indicating the left branch. "I suppose I'm asking. . . what do you guys wanna do? because that- you know what. I'm just gonna walk down here."
and she starts to stroll down the right branch.

[EldridSmith]

Azrial looked down the two paths and shrugged, he didn't notice any difference. "Sure works for me, if it's a dead end we can just come back later."

[Highland Sniper]

Ayberk
"I'll be up front with the other front liners" I say leaving little room for argument

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"Well," Callín sighs, waving her hand to the half-human priest, "After you?"
After the last torch goes out, unless they were lucky, they'd have to hold onto the rope lest they get lost.

Eldrid (Azrial)
"I'm out of power so I can only heal if we meet something I can drain and if you agree to join the Collective." Azrial laments.

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"I'm not bad off," Callín sighs. "Let's hope we run into something useful." Like water.

Ayberk
"It'll be a miracle if we find something that doesn't want us dead"

Sep (Qal'talis)
Qal'talis shifted for a moment where he stood, from under his cowl looking with discomfort at Azrial's direction. But his focus returned and kept onto Callín, ever more aware that her eyes were an unusual curse and blessing. He didn't understand her at all, even how her body functioned.

"I never knew your eyes wouldn't acclimate to light...I apologize" the blonde Half-Elf admitted quietly under his breath while he stood near her and out of earshot rang of the others. He didn't want the moment to last long, fleeting steps taking him away from the Half-Drow after his words were shared. Accepting Emalia was already taking steps forward for them Qal'talis went down the right path along with everyone else. Within his shadow-centered religiosity he didn't know how to internalize her.

"We will need water soon for there are too few supplies to how many we have found down here. But, perhaps, that means there could be others that live here" The umbra priest shared, submitting to his faith and wanting to be hopeful for the others.

'Lander (Emalia)
"well, let's hope." Emalia said as they pressed forward.
she didn't want to think about much, just what was going on right now. but, it would be plain to see that she was thinking about home.

as she thought, the path curved and led to a 10 foot drop.
she gave a sigh. "looks like another climb down." She says. "I'll go first."
and before the rope could be brought out, she starts scurrying down the rough rock face.

once on the ground, she looks around. "there's another opening ahead." she calls up.

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"What...?" Callín scowled, but the half-human priest was already walking away from her, as if being close to her was painful, somehow? But why....? Her eyes grew wide as her jaw dropped. Did his order require him to remain celibate? Some did, she remembered. So being down here so close with Emalia and herself was making him uncomfortable? Maybe when he burst into her room like that, he was trying to warn her about those men coming to arrest her and got too tongue-tied being in the same room that he could get his warning out?
Great, she sighed. I'm a terrible person for blaming him for getting me arrested.
"Emalia, check it out," she called down softly, pulling off the hempen rope. She didn't want the only two healers they had to go down there and get trapped.

Eldrid (Azrial)
Azrial scratches the back of his head nervously as he waits for the rope to be lowered, he hated being useless but what could he do right now? Nothing.

Ex_pendable (Callin)
Looping the end of the rope around the base of a sturdy looking stalagmite, she calls out softly, "Blondie and Azrial, while Emalia's checking it out down there, I'm going to tie this rope around you two so you can be lowered down one at a time, we can't have you two getting hurt. Ayberk, you'll help with the ropes, okay?"

'Lander (Emalia)
Emalia walks over to the mouth of the opening.
"uh, guys?" I call out. "I don't think it's safe! there are a lot of webs in there."
she starts to come back.
"I'm not taking another step in there alone." she says. "from the look of things there are some pretty big bugs in there. and I" she seems ti shiver a little if anyone could see it. "I don't like big bugs."

Eldrid (Azrial)
Azrial nods. "Very well, thank you for your consideration."

Sep (Qal'talis)
Qal’talis hung his head low, humbled by the necessity of the safety measures. ’Blondie?’ he frowned with discontent before approaching the rope. Was she an inconsiderate person or not?

His view of the Half-Drow continued to muddle with confusion.

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"Cobwebs?" Callín called down softly, feeling her shoulder blades itch. "Big bugs? how big?"

'Lander (Emalia)
"I have no idea. and I don't think I want to know." I say

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"Anyone have any oil or strong liquor on them?" Callín demanded. "I hate to go in there only to get swarmed by some giant spiders."

'Lander (Emalia)
Emalia shivers again. "nope!" she calls up

Eldrid (Azrial)
Azrial shakes his had. "No, sorry, they took away my first aid kit."

Ex_pendable (Callin)
Callín pulled from her pack a folded kumade, and pulled the cord out of its end to draw it together, tying it in a knot. "Emilia, I'm going to pass you this. I want you to reach in and tug on one of the webs with this. You guys be ready to attack if something chases her."

'Lander (Emalia)
"uh, alright." she said. "just get down here so you guys can help."

Eldrid (Azrial)
Azrial tries climbing down but his hands slip causing him to fall, however he manages to grab onto the rope at the last minute before he hits the ground to soften the blow to where his armor takes it all. "I don't think I should be climbing from now on..."

'Lander (Emalia)
"I'm not sure that there's any guaranty."

Ayberk
"Sure, I can help tie the ropes. Where do you need them?" I ask

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"The new healer went down already," Callín signed, shaking her head as she pulled the rope up. "Let's get Blondey here secured and lower him, then we can climb down."

Ayberk
"I can help with that, point me where you need me" I say taking out some rope from my bag

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"Why are you getting that one out when we've got rope here?" Callín asked. "It's sound!"

Ayberk
"just in case" I say

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"Okay then," Callín grumbles. "Let's get the priest down there."

Ayberk
"lets get started then" I move to help tie knots and start lowering the priest down

Sep (Qal'talis)
Qal'talis greatly disliked being the focus of the others and thus kept himself quiet while he accepted the help down. The blonde Half-Elf finally accepted his lot when he safely reached down without incident. Embarrassed by a chocking sense of ineptitude. Stepping away the cleric of Morinda watched the others move along and helped when he could.

'Lander (Emalia)
and as soon as half-elf touched the ground, Emalia walked over to the entrance again and plucked at one of the webs with the Kumade.
as the ripple goes through the webs, a cacophony of chitters rise from the cave.
"guys! somethings in there!" She says as she starts to back up and got the rake like weapon ready to use as shadowy forms move around the webs.

Ex_pendable (Callin)
"Maybe we should start pulling people up?" Callín called down. "Down there, we're trapped." She tried to peer into the mouth of the opening to see what was there.

'Lander (Emalia)
Emalia starts to run to the wall, throwing the Kumade in that general direction as she pulls out her crossbow and readies a shot.
"get out your bows! this might be rough!" she calls.
she was breathing heavy, and not from the run. if there was anything she didn't like, it would probably be big bugs.
she tried to keep her crossbow from shaking.

Eldrid (Azrial)
Vidar latches onto the rope as he reaches for whatever comes, preparing to conscript the first thing he sees.

Ayberk
"we might as well get down there and help them, not much we can do up here" I state using the rope to scale down

Ex_pendable (Callin)
Callín ties off the rope, then pulls out her bow. "If I'd known I was about to be arrested and dropped down a hole with all my gear, I'd done some shopping."

Sep (Qal'talis)
Qal'talis drew his shortsword from his sheathe, peering with narrowed eyes at the arachnid shadows. The cleric of Morinda was startled by the scattering moves through the light but nonetheless he was obligated to do what was best. Thus without delayed the concealed Half-Elf dashed past everyone else with sword and shield open to defend the others.

'Lander (Emalia)
Emalia sees The half-elf move past and grits her teeth as she makes ready to shoot the first thing that comes out of that cave.
little bugs were fun. you could leave them be or squish them under hand and foot. but giant ones were unnatural. she found her palms damp as she gripped her crossbow.
The first spider comes out and heads for Qual'talis. and a crossbow bolt sprouts from it as Emalia shot at it.
In a rage, the spider lunges at the half-elf and misses.

Eldrid (Azrial)
Azrial uses his move action and expending some focus to try and conscript the spider.
He siphons the life force of the creature as he begins to feel better, even after passing it over to Emilia

'Lander (Emalia)
Emalia's remaining wounds close up, and she breathes in a stiff breath at the feeling of her cells growing at a rapid rate to close them.
A second spider comes out of the entrance and goes right past the first and The half-elf, making it's way to the second closest person. Emalia.
with a charge, it tries to bite her but misses.

Ex_pendable (Callin)
Holding her breath, Callìn takes aim and shoots at the spider in front of Emalia, but the arrow struck the stone and disappeared into the cavern entrance.

Sep (Qal'talis)
Following his senses despite the dim light the Half-Elf is able to swerve his blade and stab into the spider reaching past. The metal bit into the spider's body, drawing blood and cutting deep but it still managed to scurry off.

Ayberk
Ayberk as he reaches the cave floor draws his longsword out and readies up an attack trying to keep an eye on the giant spiders