Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Whenever Ora had given her small smiles of encouragement, Leandra had hesitantly returned the smiles. She seemed uncertain of herself even more now and Leandra had to truly wonder what she had gotten herself into with these people.

Leandra had been so absorbed in her sketchbook etchings that she failed to notice anyone approaching her until Iolas spoke. Immediately, Leandra yelped in surprise and sprang forward onto all fours, her sketchbook and charcoal spilling onto the tunnel floor. Her etchings of the odd marking along the cave walls were clearly visible to Iolas now.
She turned to face Iolas and was about to hiss when she realized she was not being threatened.

Leandra quickly realized how ridiculous and feral she must look at this moment and she quickly stood up. She brushed off her clothes and walked back to her sketchbook while she began saying, "I-I'm so sorry about that. You just surprised me and...well, I've experienced a lot of 'firsts' with this group already."

Gathering her sketchbook and charcoal, Leandra placed the two back into her knapsack. She then stood back up and faced Iolas, a sheepish expression on her face. She rubbed the back of her neck and said, "I actually found you guys through the tunnels, so the food we packed for this journey has actually been an improvement for me."
It was only after she responded to his joke that she realized it was just that: a joke. Blinking, she opened her mouth as if to say something, briefly exposing her fangs, before she closed it and seemed to be unsure of how to continue.

LazyDaze Flutterby

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After they continued to leg it through the tunnel for what felt like days to Leandra, they finally slowed down. Leandra's ears perked forward and she stiffened at the sound of hooves and people approaching the group.
Seeing Ora wielding her weapons, Leandra hesitantly followed suit and drew her bow. She nocked an arrow and kept it at the low ready position, eyeing the elves before the group.
Given how poorly her close-range fighting had gone last time, Leandra began to edge back from the group and then to the side of the tunnel. Try as she may, her claws clicked against the tunnel floor and Leandra winced at the noise.

SilverFlight Flutterby LazyDaze Naberius Zazz Goonfire

 

[Zazz]

The first arrow to fly belonged to Azaria. It sliced through the air between the bodies of her crew, narrowly missing Desrick's green flesh, and burrowed neatly in the left eyeball of one of the soldiers. She readied a second arrow. "I hate these tunnels," she muttered.

Lohrithe heard the intruders before he saw them. Next thing he knew he was shielding his eyes from the sudden light. "What is with these beasts and their light," he hissed. "They're going to burn up all the air." The drow rubbed his eyes and blinked, then squinted at the intruders as his sword came from his sheath.

 

[Goonfire]

The faint echoes reached Crow’s ears as he looked up. His eyes were locked in a deadpan stare at Lassard, his fears and anxieties having dissipated over the time he shared with his friends. Raising his polearm in a defensive posture, he strafed towards Iolas to give him a quiet but rousing pep talk.

“Come on, Iolas,” Crow muttered to the swordsman. “You have proven you can best him in a battle of wits and equal him in physical prowess. Now, let us secure another solid victory by bringing him to justice.”

The first blow was unsurprisingly struck by Azaria, who never ceased to amaze with her accuracy and ruthlessness. She spared not the slightest moment for words, killing a man in Lassard’s retinue before the Evereach contingent had a moment to advance on the coalition forces. She was correct to do so, in Crow’s opinion, for Evereach would extend no such courtesy and thus deserved equally little. However, instead of charging headfirst into battle, the inquisitor waited for the other swordsmen among his friends to advance so he could cover their flanks with the lengthy, vicious Lucerne hammer.

SilverFlight Zazz LazyDaze Flutterby Baconhands Lioness075 Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Alistair

Alistair was starting to...well, 'relax' isn't the word he would use, but more...He was getting used to other people being present. For better or worse, he too had to accept that they were apparently working as a sort of 'team', though he was sure it wouldn't last. Either the mission wound end soon, success or failure, or his own need to keep his secrets would ensure that he was never trusted. And while he didn't necessarily care about whether or not he was liked, trust was something that was vital when you were spending time in a group of people that seemed to be very good at making things die.

He was resting fitfully again as they stopped once more. He had been forced to sleep in his armor and mask before, and on hard stone ground, but the paranoia was eating him inside being so close to so many others for so long. He was approached by one of their number, the orc Desrick. He sat up fully, leaning against the wall of the tunnel.

"I've been forced to sleep in caves on the cold stone before. It is mostly the people. Not that I instinctively distrust others, although I do as a general rule until proven otherwise. But you are all doing what I would see as the correct thing to do. Thus, I extend a measure of trust. That doesn't mean I can let my paranoia go in just a matter of days."

He looked at the darkness surrounding them, it clung to everything. It was indeed odd.

"I actually live a short way to the southeast of Delan. Cyndara is my home. And let us just say that...Darkness is more of a friend to me than most."

SilverFlight

When the light started, he was immediately on edge. It only got worse when he realized that the same odd individuals that had attacked this group before had returned. Then, one of them dropped. An arrow let loose from the one who had been staring at him before. It was a good shot, and one of their enemies was out of the fight before it had even started. Then, Alistair smiled. He could really have some fun down here. The light was an issue, but at the very rear of the group, it was much darker. He placed a hand against the cold stone wall of the tunnel and moments later horses at the very back of the group, along with its rider, was pulled to the ground. It was quick, the horse and the rider were washed over by...some sort of strange, dark tendrils. The riders neck was snapped as he struggled to his feet and his lifeless body collapsed to the ground. The horse was allowed to break free as the darkness receded back to its natural state.


Zazz Goonfire SilverFlight Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas was amused as he managed to bear an uncomfortable smile. "So a surprised Leandra looks like a cat...an angry cat...," Iolas thought to himself. Once she calmed down and completely misunderstood his attempt at humor an awkward silence passed...and probably a tumbleweed as well, before Iolas face palmed and began to laugh. "I couldn't think of a better punchline myself."

Although they had been walking for some time, Iolas could never fully relax in the dark tunnel. Regardless of his ability to deal with different environments, everyone had their preference. At the very least it couldn't be more dangerous than being a high elf in Cyndara. It was at this moment that Iolas's ears twitched. He paused, unsure if it was an actual echo rather than a breach in his sanity. He realized the latter would have been a lot better once he saw who came into view.

"Lassard..."

Iolas stood still as several thoughts flooded his conscience. He couldn't understand how he got the jump on them, he thought about his last battle with Lassard and how he failed to apprehend him. He then thought about everything he was doing to destroy the world they were trying to create. The doubt flooded his mind. Images of his new friends dying around them. Azaria....It was enough for him to not notice the battle had already begun.

“Come on, Iolas,”

Iolas blinked out of his trance and then turned toward Crow as he listened to his words. After a blank stare he formed his usual smile and then turned back toward Lassard and his men, meeting Lassards sinister smile with one of his own trademark playful smiles. He unsheathed his blades and allowed his arms to fall to his sides. No doubt Lassard had some sort of trick up his sleeve; however, Iolas did not come unprepared. Without warning, Iolas's smile faded and he burst forth, gunning for Lassard. He would trust his team to watch his back. Alistair and Azaria had already done a number on their forces. He kept an eye out for anything unusual; however, he had to press forward. At the very least he would uncover any tricks for his team. If unhindered he would swing down his right blade in a swift diagonal fashion across Lassards body. He would stop him this time; however, unlike last time he would stick to his convictions and control his hatred.

Goonfire Zazz SilverFlight Naberius Lioness075

 

[SilverFlight]

Lassard ignored his fallen soldiers and met Iolas head on, blocking his attack and forcing them apart again.
"You have been nothing but a thorn in my side since this whole thing began...but it's over now."
Lassard gave a whistle and his soldiers became defensive, blocking attacks and building a gap between them and their enemies. Desrick realized too late that he had been holding something. The orc rushed forward, shouting a warning but suddenly there was a massive shock wave. It blew them all back, pinning them against the cave floor, and then the floor was cracking, the rock giving way.
"Everyone hold on!" Crispin yelled, diving for Ora, trying to protect her as they slipped into free fall. Desrick watched as Lassard vanished above them, and the entire group was plunged into darkness.
It was not a long drop, and it ended in a rush of frigid water. A river made sure they were not dashed to pieces, as Lassard likely hoped. The water was deep, running along a track carved by centuries of flow. Panic hit Desrick for a moment as he realized there was solid rock where air should have been, but just as quickly he was permitted to surface. A cavern opened up and though he could see nothing, the bottom of the river came to meet him and he found his footing, pushing through the current to shore.

Pyrrhus was a strong swimmer, and despite the pain in one leg, injured from the falling debris, he swam well, grasping in the black water for any sign of his friends. When the cave allowed he took a grateful breath.

Crispin surfaced beside him, coughing and spluttering and calling out one name.
"Ora! Ora! Are you here?!"

Zazz Goonfire Naberius Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[Flutterby]

Two of Lassard's men went down quickly. One was attacked in a completely unfamiliar way, and she glanced around for Alistair. She knew it was some kind of magic- one that was new to the group, and it definitely didn't belong to Leandra.
Iolas charged forward to meet Lassard, and Ora hefted her own weapons to ready for the charge. The charge that wasn't coming. None of the other soldiers seemed even inclined to step towards them.
Ora hesitated, suddenly unsure. Wasn't Lassard here to end them? Hadn't he gotten tired of sparring with them every few weeks?
She got her answer a few moments later- he was tired of sparring with them, so much so that he didn't intend to do it this time.

Ora landed on her side, and heard the rock cracking underneath her, Crispin shouting. He had managed to get to her- she felt his hand on her leg briefly- but then they were falling, and his grasp propelled her sideways and then disappeared.
The water sent a shock through her and she had the idiotic reaction of gasping. It was pitch black, cold, she had no idea which way was up or where anyone else was.. . Before this moment, she had never considered swimming to be anything but a frivolity.

After what felt like ages of bouncing between rock walls and debris from above, she was pushed into something soft. Or at least, relatively.
She frantically grabbed onto it, and when she felt the soft coat under her hand, she realized that she had run into Pyrrhus's side.
She was still clutching onto his equine shoulder when they surfaced. Quite unceremoniously, Ora coughed and gasped for breath, and pulled herself up a little further with an arm near his equine withers. She tried her best not to weigh him down by kicking her legs like she had seen other races do, but it was clear from her frantic grip that she had no plans of striking out on her own.

"Pyrrhus has me," She called back to Crispin, who she was sure was nearby.
In a softer voice, to Pyrrhus, she said, "And thank the peaks that you do, dwarves don't swim."
SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

When an arrow flew from their small group and struck one of the soldiers in the eye, Leandra flinched and instinctively inched farther away. She had never experienced so much violence repeatedly like this and never between people. She still felt guilty for fighting the soldier before, even though she had let him go. She had never seen him struck down.
Leandra watched with dismay as their newest companion used shadow magic to practically consume a soldier and a horse before the soldier's neck snapped and the horse broke free. It was such a cruel way of killing someone and their companion seemed unmoved by the death, as if this was common for him to witness or deal.
At this point, Leandra's hands were shaking too much and she had to lower her bow and put away the arrow. She would miss terribly if she even tried to shoot an arrow, so it was best to conserve it instead.

Then Iolas was charging at the man in charge of these soldiers and Leandra instinctively cried out a warning, "Iolas, wait!" She had no idea why she did that, as there was no obvious trap, but everything was happening too fast and she could feel her own heart pounding in her chest.
A moment later, Desrick was rushing forward with a warning of his own and Leandra missed the object that was used to blast them all back. She crashed against a tunnel wall, crumpling to the ground, stunned.
Falarion had been staying by her side, diligently hissing and swiping at the air pointlessly to defend his partner. Now he lay by her side, equally stunned.

The floor gave way and Leandra did not even think to inhale before she was crashing into the frigid waters below. She had never thought to learn how to swim, never needed such a skill until now.
Flailing, Leandra could not find which way was up, bubbles escaping her mouth. She could feel a pounding in her head and she scrabbled for purchase, pointlessly scratching at rocky surfaces around her.
Just as she began to black out, Leandra felt someone snag her forearm and pull her up. She collapsed on the tunnel floor near Ora, a soggy mess of fur.
Coughing, Leandra tried desperately to catch her breath in-between choking on the water in her lungs. Her energy was quickly draining, leaving her slumped on the floor.

Amazingly enough, Falarion had used his wings during the fall to glide over the river and land near Leandra once she was rescued by Pyrrhus. He let out a quiet and concerned meow before he rubbed his head against one of Leandra's hands, trying to help her relax.
Still struggling to breathe, Leandra seemed oblivious to Falarion's attempt.

SilverFlight Naberius Zazz Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire Baconhands

 

[Zazz]

"Iolas!"

The assassin's arrow loosened as the impact of whatever Lassard had used struck at her balance. It sailed past Iolas and Lassard, hitting someone in the shoulder. Azaria gasped as the floor beneath them cracked and gave way to a dark abyss, and was immediately thankful she had as the water's current took her. Her training was the only thing that kept her from completely panicking and losing her air. Azaria managed to grab hold of a smallish body and hold it close, following the current.

Finally, she and her charge hit the riverbank and she dragged Meera ( Baconhands ) ashore in the dark. "Iolas?" She felt around for survivors, coming up on Desrick and a very wet cat woman. "Where's Crow?" Light. They needed light. She heard Crispin. "Pyrrhus?" Ora spoke for the centaur and herself. That left Lohr, Crow, Alistair, and... Iolas.

Having lost her bow in the water, Azaria quickly removed her quiver, emptied it of water, and set it by Leandra before wading back into the water to find Iolas. She needed to find Iolas. Her heart thudded against her chest and her hands shook; it may not have been just from the cold. "Iolas?" She called into the darkness, fighting the current.

 

[Naberius]

Alistair was just about to respond with what was probably going to be something witty and not at all just grumbling about how irritating one man could possibly be... Right before quickly disappearing below the ground. Being pressed against it had knocked the wind from him but the fall was the part he wasn't quite expecting. And, to make matters even more... Interesting.. He was wearing a partial set of armor, making swimming.. Difficult. Fortunately, he managed to plunge into the water feet first, though the current spun him and he lost his orientation again. When his head broke the surface, he immediately fished himself out of the water with a quickly formed tendril of shadows. Once he pulled himself onto the bank, he sputtered, coughing out water he inhaled during the impromptu diving lesson. Standing, he noticed a few of the others hadn't yet surfaced. He stepped back towards the water quickly, and, several yards downstream, he solidified the ambient shadows into a net under water, using it like a strainer to fish out the remaining party before they were swept too far away.


SilverFlight Lioness075 Zazz Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire Baconhands

 

[LazyDaze]

No, he did not have a form of clairvoyance, however, he knew something did not feel quite right. Even in comparison to their confrontation at the ball, there was a surreal feeling...as if he was not in control of even his own actions. He was not in control. Everything happened so fast, from being blown back, to the ground giving way underneath them. Iolas was not as lucky as some of the others, feeling the full brunt of the shockwave and landing on the back of his head once, but twice as he hit the water, Iolas had not had time to prepare for such a swim, or the impact of the fall. Iolas did his best to fight through his blackening conscious, tightening ribs, and lungs that seemingly had been set a flame. He thought he could hear the muffled sounds of his comrades...just a little further. Unfortunately, just a little further would prove to be too far.

"It appears I messed up...," Iolas thought to himself as everything started to fade. His body and mind refused to listen, yet his will remained as his hands still clasped tightly around his blades. By Alistair's quick thinking and a stroke of luck, Iolas was fished out of the water only a few moments after he had lost consciousness. His body was limp and lifeless across the ground. His face was relaxed, yet there was seemingly a tinge of regret in his expression if one looked long enough.

Zazz Naberius

 

[Goonfire]

Like everyone, Crow was caught off-guard by the sudden blast of the horn and the sudden cave-in. His hands lost grip on his Lucerne hammer, the uneven weight causing the weapon to tilt down, flying at him point-first. He hit the water and immediately flailed to push himself down and to the side. With another splash, the polearm hit the water next to him. Crow immediately swam up and grabbed it, dragging it and himself out of the water.

The bewildered inquisitor swung around to check if the others were okay. He noticed Lohrithe wasn't on land, so he looked back out and immediately reached out. The wooden haft was suspended over the water. "Lohr! Grab on!" he demanded, offering to pull him to safety. His foot was braced on a rock so he wouldn't slip forward and instead offer better leverage.

Zazz

 

[SilverFlight]

Crispin gave a groan of relief and let himself flop onto the shore. Pyrrhus had a firm hold on his rescuees until the water was shallow enough for them to scramble ashore.
Once he was on solid ground, it was clear he was limping badly, but his tone was still cheerful, if a little strained.
"Don't you fret Ora, fours legs do the job much better than two!"

"Lohrithe!" Desrick shouted, wading back into the depths, groping about in the darkness while straining to hear the slightest cry from the drow. He heard Crow call and rushed towards him, taking Crow around the middle to anchor him and prevent Lohr's weight from taking them both away. Once he felt the weight catch, Desrick heaved with all his might, dragging both men to the shore. He helped Crow to his feet, keeping an arm tightly around Lohr. He half carried the drow to dry land and shook him, patting his pack with a bit of force.
"Lohr? How are you? Can you breathe properly?" Water in the lungs was unpleasant, but now they were out of the water, it wouldn't be life-threatening.

Once everyone was safe and accounted for Desrick swore, losing his temper for the first time in what seemed like forever.
"Damn that elf! When we cross paths again I am going to throw him down a hole!"
He took his vest off and began to wring it out. He had heard most of them, and he rumaged around in his pack for his last luminous acorn, by some miracle the contents of the bag were still present, and the stewards had the foresight to pack their food in waxed canvas bags, so most of it had survived too.
"We should feed him to the dragon." Crispin seconded with a raised hand. "Is everyone all right?"

Pyrrhus limped clear of the water and lay down, stretching his injured hind leg out gingerly. In the darkness, a glossy black stain ran down his smooth coat, barley visible this far from Desrick's light. He winced in pain as he tried to lift the leg, and didn't try again after that.
"Does anyone see a way forward?" He asked, trying to keep the waiver out of his voice.

Desrick held up the glowing seed, casting its haunting blue-green light over the walls. There was no smooth stonework here, no carvings, this was a raw rock tunnel, and it was almost impossible to tell if it was artificially carved or natural. Still, the mouth of a tunnel yawned just in front of them, and with the river behind and rock on either side, there was little choice on where to go.
"Wherever we are...I am not sure it is going to be on our map..."

Zazz Goonfire Naberius Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe coughed up a good lungful of water. He was definitely not a fan of Sumennan magic. Shiny metals, light, now this. He was beginning to truly miss the dark solace of his homeland.

The drow held onto the orc, giving Crow an appreciative clap on the shoulder. "I can- *cough* I can br- *cough* breathe," he sputtered, one hand on his chest. He was thankful he had learned to swim during his time with the Roz'kul; his own people were rarely good swimmers, especially in a rough current like this.

As Desrick's glow seed cast an eerie light, Azaria's eyes set upon the high elf, Iolas, caught in Alistair's shadow net. Her heart dropped at the sight of his limp body. All else forgotten, she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him onto the rocky shore. "Iolas. Iolas, wake up." She patted his cheek to try and wake him, but when that did nothing, she shook him. "Iolas," she said more frantically. "Don't you dare die on me," she breathed, her voice breaking. Her chest was tight. Panic, a feeling she was not particularly familiar with, set in. "IOLAS. Wake up!"

Desperate, now, her eyes filling with tears, the assassin pounded a fist on his chest. In her training, saving a life other than one's own was unnecessary. Surviving, she was good at. But this was unknown territory. She didn't know how to save him. "Iolas, please..." she cried, her words a whisper.

SilverFlight LazyDaze

 

[Naberius]

Alistair

Alistair, for one who had spent the better part of the last few decades on his own, still knew what it was like to fear for the life of another. He didn't have much experience working with others, but over the years he had needed to pick up a few skills of his own to help survive and he hoped that maybe, just maybe, he could do some actual good here. It might go a long way towards earning a measure of trust, but beyond that, and though he would absolutely never admit to such a thing, he couldn't stand by and watch someone die when he could do something about it. Not if they were a decent sort. He dismissed the net he had made, and swiftly made his way to the side of the unconscious and dying man, looking down at the one who had been staring at him earlier.

"If you wish for him to live, you will have to do exactly as I say, perfectly. He doesn't have long. Tilt his head to the side and let any water in his throat and mouth drain out. Then, tilt his head back, opening up the airway. You will need to compress his chest above his heart. Push hard, almost do the point of breaking ribs. It is better to be in severe discomfort than to be dead. Hold his nose closed, and breath into him. You will need to be his lungs until he can breath again. Repeat this process, and alternate until he is conscious once more."

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

The assassin listened carefully to every word from the stranger, Alistair. What he said seemed to make sense, at least in theory, and Azaria was desperate enough to trust him. With one look at Iolas's face, dying, she roughly rubbed away her tears and did as instructed. The tilts. The compressions. The breathing. Repeat.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Lohrithe even stopped listening to Desrick to see what was going on. Iolas was a good man. He hadn't a clue what they were doing with him to save his life but he stood to watch, hoping it would work.

"Come back to me," Azaria pleaded, pumping his heart for him. "Iolas, wake up!"

LazyDaze

 

[Flutterby]

Ora felt it when Pyrrhus's feet found ground beneath him. She let go a moment too soon and had an unpleasant bob under the water's surface, but was able to push forward and trudge ashore, one hand still on Pyrrhus's shoulder. She could feel the dip in his stride, and bit her lip.

She stifled a cough as Desrick lit the acorn, and looked around them. Everyone was accounted for, but not breathing.
She would have stayed by Pyrrhus and taken a look at his leg, but Azaria was.. causing quite the scene. The assassin was panicking, pounding on the man's chest as Alistair had instructed. If Iolas woke up, she was going to be embarrassed beyond belief. If he didn't.. well, Ora didn't want to see the reaction that would cause.

She left her pack and her one remaining sword next to Pyrrhus and moved toward her friend. She thought of her as a friend now, now that she had both been hit in the face and trained by her.
Standing next to Alistair, she knew what he was instructing, and she knew she would be asking him where he learned it later. Dwarves might not swim, but they did teach this for the rare cases someone was saved from an accident. She didn't know if it worked for near-drownings- they didn't ever really have those.
"That is extremely tiring," Her voice was soft, hoarse. "Someone will have to take over soon. She'll bite your head off if you touch him."
She really, really didn't want to die by Azaria's hand right then, but as she saw the pressure she applied to his chest start to decrease, Ora stepped forward.

"Azaria, let me help. We have to keep the pressure up for it to work." She said it loudly as she approached.
"I'll do the compression, you do the breath." Now she was next to her, crouching, hovering a hand just below where Azaria was working, but not in the way. She really expected her hand to be slapped away quickly, and maybe even to lose it.
"Let me help. We need more force on his chest. I know how."
Zazz Naberius LazyDaze

 

[Zazz]

Azaria, while, highly trained in combat, was not used to panicking. In fact, she was greatful when Ora came to her side offering help. With not much more than a glance the dwarf's way, she nodded. "Three, two, one." Azaria traded off with her friend; she had come to trust the halfling, possibly more than most in the group.

Except Iolas.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, mixed with the water in her hair. She breathed for him, while Ora made his heart flow. She wouldn't give up. She couldn't.

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas's body remained lifeless despite all the efforts, tears, and anxious breaths. Even when Ora initially attempted to help, it appeared to be fruitless. Perhaps it was too late. Slowly, Iolas's mind drifted to nothingness as memories flooded his thoughts. Memories of his childhood, unpleasant memories of those he killed, and then nothingness....until he could see the images of his new companions. Even those who didn't make it to this point, they wouldn't vanish...that was when he heard his name. A familiar, warm voice rung throughout his conscious over and over again.


Then without warning Iolas's eyes opened as water spewed between choking gasps. He jerked to his side, trying to control his convulsions as his vision blurred in and out. All of the sounds around him were muffled yet echoing, and the vertigo made him close his eyes again and return to his original position. It was only after a few deep breaths that he noticed the presence of a few others. Slowly, Iolas's eyes opened to see the worried faces of his comrades...and Alistair. He blinked a few times, shifting his eyes between the three and then replaying the events that occurred just before he lost consciousness. Azaria in particular seemed to be in a horrible state; it hurt to see her in tears because of his own recklessness. As hurt and disoriented as he was, he managed to rise to a seated position. He placed one hand on top of Azaria's head, and one on Ora's shoulder. He was never great at expressing himself, so he did the only way he knew how as a weak smile formed on his lips.

"Y-You two...look absolutely...terrible..."

Zazz Flutterby Naberius

 

[Zazz]

Finally, the halfling elf breathed for herself. Iolas came to, albeit uncomfortably. It was a miracle, and Azaria was grateful. She didn't bother to wipe her tears, even as his terrible joke broke a smile on her face. He was alive. Iolas was alive. She took his hand from her head and brought it to her lips. His fingers were cold, or perhaps she was just flushed.

Azaria took the elf in her arms, holding him steady while he rejoined the living. "You were dead," she breathed. She brought her head from his shoulder to look in his eyes, all of her worry and her care for him on display. Slowly, gently, she met his lips with hers, the dank cavern around the forgotten.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Leandra could hear distantly echoing shouts and voices nearby. She convulsed as she tried to take in a breath and felt the water in her lungs prevent the inhale. She gasped and began choking, her lungs desperately trying to expel the water.
Falarion meowed desperately as he tried to signal for help amidst the group, but many were now focused on Iolas, who was worse off than Leandra nearby.

Suddenly, she felt something shift inside her and she was finally coughing up the water, feeling thoroughly disgusted in the process. Leandra moved to her hands and knees, coughing up the last of the water before she was able to inhale deeply. Her throat felt sore, but she took several deep breaths anyways, relishing in the return of the functionality of her lungs.

Falarion continued to meow at her, but now began butting his head against her thigh and purring.
Leandra smiled at this and then shakily moved away from the disgusting puddle she had created.
On all fours for now, she felt disoriented and accidentally bumped into the quiver Azaria had placed near her. Confused, Leandra knelt beside it and took her own quiver off before looking between the two. It was very awkward to try and carry two quivers at once and Leandra could tell Azaria's arrows were of better craftsmanship than her own.

Standing up, Leandra stumbled over towards Azaria to ask about the quiver, but halted when she saw the kissing. Feeling heat rise in her own cheeks from the sheer awkwardness of being present for that, Leandra turned away and instead began heading towards the tunnel that Desrick had pointed out to the group. She peered down it and then looked back down at the two quivers in hand. She felt as confused as ever now.

Falarion padded alongside Leandra throughout her confused stumbling and finally sat down when she stopped at the edge of the tunnel beyond. He meowed up at her and Leandra sighed in response.
"I don't think I've ever felt so awkward and confused at once, Fal. This group is so weird."

SilverFlight Naberius Zazz Flutterby LazyDaze Goonfire Baconhands

 

[Naberius]

Alistair

The next few moments were incredibly tense. Another of the group gave her assistance, he himself only nodding in response to her words. After the danger had past and the man began to stir once more. After that, well...Alistair didn't wish to intrude and in point of fact was feeling very...uncomfortable. Such displays had always made him feel awkward, to say the least, and he could never truly grasp having that much trust and faith in a person. Or whatever 'love' was supposed to be. So, he did the only logical thing he could come up with at the time: He began to shuffle away further down the tunnel away from the others, the sudden urge to put distance between such things and himself growing every moment. He did not go far, however, straying only a few dozen meters away, still keeping the small bit of illumination they had in sight, he leaned against a wall and waited. They would need to move soon, and find a way through this. Using his cloak to cover himself, even as soaking wet as it was, he turned away briefly, removing his helmet and emptying out what little water remained inside it, briefly shaking out his hair a little before replacing it. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable night in wet clothing.

He didn't quite notice the other individual nearby until after he had replaced his mask. He was rather startled, and nearly jumped back. Nearly. The other woman, he had never caught most of their names. Still, hoping and praying she hadn't seen his face, he simply chose to be optimistic about it, which was...quite a different take on it than he ever would have had. He didn't like optimism, he preferred to think realistically. He looked at her, only about a meter or two away, playing with the strange cat she always had with her. He saw it briefly upon making his entrance, and again at the home they had been in briefly.

"I do not mean to intrude, I hadn't noticed you sitting there. I apologize. How uh...how are you? Everyone took the same nasty fall, others not faring as well as a few of us.."

Zazz Goonfire SilverFlight Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[Goonfire]

Crow glanced over the reunited couple’s shoulders and he stopped dead. The extent of medical knowledge applied mostly to superficial wounds, thus his heart also sank when Iolas was unresponsive. Seeing the usually-cold Azaria lose her composure only cemented the direness of the situation. He brushed his hair to the side so it would stop dripping in his eyes, partially exposing the glowing mark on his forehead. “Shit... What do I do...?”

With Alistair and Ora tending to Iolas and making miracles, the budding healer felt the best he could do was check on the others. He wasn’t entirely sure if the others were in better shape. Leandra had coughed up water and what appeared to be some stomach contents, so he pursued her. “Leandra? Are you hurt?” He would at least tend to any injuries resulting from the fall. “Pyrrhus, what about you?” he also called behind him to the centaur in the shadows.

SilverFlight Zazz LazyDaze Flutterby Baconhands Lioness075 Naberius

 

[Flutterby]

Ora was almost surprised when she saw Azaria nod. On the count, Ora took over, leaning over Iolas and pushing hard. She put as much force into it as she dared, both in hopes of it working and so that she would be able to say she truthfully did her best if it didn't.
Her breath started to become ragged, there was a pinch starting in her back, and her muscles began to burn. Just as she started to look up at Azaria to ask to switch again, she felt Iolas's chest twitch under her hands. She hesitated, and he lurched sideways. She gave him a few rough rubs on the back until he rolled back over.

Ora waited as his eyes opened and stared blankly at them. Her heart ran cold- there were stories about the few dwarves waking from this and being.. not the same. But he pulled himself up, smiled, touched them both.. and told them they looked terrible.
Ora's face cracked into a relieved smile. There might have even been tears welling in her eyes. She reached up and wrapped a hand around his forearm, giving it a tight squeeze. And then she got out of Azaria's way.

As she stood, she turned to where Alistair had been, but the masked figure was already moving away. Ora's lips parted to call after him, but she thought better of it. He had wandered towards the tunnel, and seemed to be talking to Leandra. Crow was nearby, working on healing, so she took a breath and decided to thank the man later.

Instead, Ora made her way back to Crispin and took stock of things on the way. With the urgency of the situation fading, her head felt heavy and slow. Swimming was apparently another important life skill that she had missed. She was suddenly freezing- she had broken a sweat working on Iolas, and of course was already soaked. She knew she would be bruised in many places, and she had lost one of her weapons. Everyone was alive, but everyone would need time to recover fully, especially Iolas, and Pyrrhus had been limping. They were off their map. That was the part that worried her most. They could easily spend a fortnight or more wandering down here and have no sense of time until they ran out of food.

"Crispin?" Ora said to catch his attention as she walked over. She reached out to pull him to her, her grip betraying the fear she was keeping off her face. "Are you hurt at all?"
She didn't think he was, but what else could she say at that moment? Hi honey, I think we're all going to die down here so can I have a hug?

 

[SilverFlight]

Azaria's shout drew their attention and Desrick gritted his teeth as in the light he faintly saw Iolas, still and silent and unmoving. The others got to work quickly, and in a desperate thought he looked for Pyrrhus, but the centaur looked as helpless as he felt.
"There is no magic that can force someone to breathe..." His healing was useless unless there was something damaged.
Then, with a choke Iolas sprung back to life and Desrick let out the breath he had been holding.
Crispin slumped back against the cave wall. He too had been watching the drama unfold.

When Ora came to him he folded her in a tight, comforting embrace.
"Just my pride." He tried to joke. "You?" He rubbed her back gently and held her for as long as she needed.
He pulled back just a little to brush a lock of soggy hair away from her face. Crispin was just as wet and cold as she was, none of their clothing had been spared the soaking, but at least it wasn't freezing this far down in the earth. The worst they would be was uncomfortable.
"There's a bit of an air current coming from that tunnel, if we go down a bit, we may have enough air for a fire, dry off a bit, before we figure out what to do."

Pyrrhus tensed at Crow's question, but it was impossible to see in the gloom.
"J-just a light scratch." He called back.

Desrick waited until Iolas had recovered a little more before trying to move them. Once it was clear he could stand the orc spoke to the group:
"Crispin thinks we might be able to make a fire further down. We should try and dry our things before we make another move. Perhaps rest properly for a time."
He lead the way with his small light.
"Crow, I could use a bit more light in the front." He called.
Pyrrhus rose with considerable effort, trying to hide it. He took a position in the back, trying a failing to keep his steps even, but he didn't cry out. They had to get further into the dry tunnel.

Thankfully they did not have too far to go. The tunnel rise slightly before dipping again and evening out. The walls became chipped, and angular.
"This tunnel's been carved." Crispin noted. "That means someone was here to build it...which likely means there's way out."
Suddenly the tunnel walls vanished into an open chamber.
Pyrrhus felt a magical shift.
"Everyone look out!" He called and without warning a stone center piece in the middle of the room burst into flames. The fire spat and tongues lashed out to touch sconces on the pillars encircling the room. On every wall were carvings, stories in relief, telling of ancient things. There was no trap, simply a mechanism to light the room, the magic still intact after countless years.

The reliefs on the walls depicted a sea of people, all looking up to seven white-painted stones, and in the next scene, the people looked up in reverence to seven stones of midnight black. In the next scene the stones were brought together by one central figure, standing in the center of the crystal pairs and above the scene, scales painted with exquisite detail: were seven dragons, and they took up nearly the entirety of the central wall with their massive size.
Desrick followed the story as he turned about the room. The next scene had those seven dragons, flying to a disk in the sky and holding it with their claws. The sun. They were holding the sun, over another, larger carved circle, and sitting within that, a map of Bryn.
The final picture saw the white and black stones separate once more, and the dragons asleep, deep under a line where people had been carved, farming, herding animals...and the land split. The orc recognized the high elves and humans, standing under the disc of a sun, and on the other side, a dark forest, where the drow, the orcs and different elves worked and played among the trees.
"What...what is this?" He asked the room, unable to make sense of it at first appraisal.
Pyrrhus looked too, momentarily forgetting that the light of the fires would betray his injury for just how severe it was...the bone had been broken.

Zazz Goonfire Naberius Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze