The Omen Star: The Pit (Ch. 1)

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S Spriggy walked to the map, noticing it with his companions. He decided to attempt to carve it into the leather armor he was wearing “so if we’ve got our affairs together, I suggest that we open that side door with the scratching. Get ready for it blackie, you’ve got daggers and I hope you’ll use them”
 
Malxus grins, nods and points at Spriggy.

"Now you're talking. I haven't smited anything all day and I'm starting for feel a little antsy. Let's do this."
 
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Hearing Spriggy's call to action, Donovan turned to Blackie, figuring it would be better for Blackie to see what happened.
"Twin dagger twins?" Donovan called out as he summoned his twin ice blue daggers of Gliss into his hands. Both of the daggers felt a little cool around the hilts, but it was a reassuring feeling as opposed to unpleasant. Their edges were sharped to a point.
 
Malxus catches his breath as the last monster falls to Blackie's dagger, a wide grin on his face.

"Well done, feathers. And the rest of you. You handle yourselves well."

Malxus was impressed. It was nice to know he wasn't down here by himself. They might get out of this after all.
 
The Pit:
Room #6 (creature room)
_____________________

“Twin’s are fun though they are more prone to compete with one another,” says Blackie as his beak seems to grin. He then turns his attention to the door as everyone gathers.

Flinging the doors open suddenly pale skinned figures, with sharpened teeth initially hiss at the sudden light giving most of the group enough time to try and land the first blow. Anduryn tries with his greatsword but quickly finds that these creatures move with a horribly fast dexterity, and his greatsword hits the door’s frame. Umi shoots a firebolt from his hand trying to pick the moment to fire but unfortunately it flies wide since he is being careful about hitting allies, at the same time a crystalline dagger forms in Umi’s hand. Spriggy has much more luck with a magical bolt of force slamming into one of the creatures making it reel back for a moment to keep it’s balance. Maxlus hits the same one in it’s momentary unbalance. The creature’s swipes at Maxlus as he withdraws back to his stance but Malxus is ready fending it off with a slap of his fiery sword. Donovan and Blackie prepare for action behind the two main fighters up front in case any spill into the room.

Anduryn takes a hit, and growls his frustration landing a solid blow against one of the creatures, who’s flesh begins to decay at the touch of the creature. It didn’t seem to cut but pass through the creature and leave some sort of necrotic residue. Umi tries for another firebolt but at the last second has to fire away as Anduryn pays no heed to his careful aims. Malxus strikes again managing to nearly cleave the creature in two though dispite was looks like a mortal wound it continues to press him. Deciding against holding the front he steps to the side which allows Blackie to strike the creature from the side as it rushes after Malxus, killing the creature with a blow straight through the eyes. The one behind him attacks Blackie who jumps back to recreate space in the room, as Donovan moves in stabs the newly entered creature, ice forming all along the stab wound and then he quickly backs back up out of range.

Anduryn hits his opponent again weakening the creature once more and nearly dropping the creature as it’s limbs start to refuse it’s commands. Umi fed up with careful aiming of fire instead reaches his hands outwards and blasts all the monsters, Anduryn be damned. Two of them scatter, and Anduryn seems hardly singed by the blast, while the one Anduryn had been fighting goes down in ash. Spriggy tries to throw another blast but the after image of the sudden bright fire in the dark room forces his Eldtrich blast wide. Malxus uses the momenitarly lull in battle to land a deadly blow against the one fighting Blackie killing it from behind and returning the favor. The last creature jumps on Anduryn and begins to madely claw him drawing blood. Blackie moves up with both daggers and plunges them into the back of the creature causing it to convulse and then fall to the ground.

“What do you know… it does still have lunges,” says Blackie kicking the creature on the ground. “Heard of people going mad and eating others to survive but…”

Blackie shakes his head looking over to Malxus and nods to his comment. “I know my way around a scrap. Let us hope that this is the last of them…”

Exploring the room, and the bodies, a total of 90 silver on the bodies, printed in an old impression of a bygone age, as well as an opened chest with another 200 silver worth in it. On the more gruesome-side of things there appears to be gnawed on bones as well. Blackie moves to the next door and puts his head up along side it seeming to ignore the wealth spread about on the ground. It seems his focus is on survival.
 
Glancing towards the opened chest, Donovan felt for a slight moment about just grabbing one part of the chest and dragging it along with him. 200 silver for the group would still be a lot of money per person. Donovan shook his head and cast the thought aside. That line of thinking was exactly what led to him being tossed in The Pit in the first place.
'While I doubt the paladin was all there, especially after talking to the rat eater and Blackie,' Donovan thought as he followed behind Blackie, 'Just doing the same stuff I did before getting thrown down here probably isn't a good idea.' Donovan looked around at the walls of the room.

Crouching next to Blackie, Donovan asked in a quiet voice, "Any idea what's ahead?" Donovan whispered, wondering if he should start checking the doors for traps.
 
Malxus watched Donovan consider the chest and then pass it by. The tiefling shuffles some of the silver pieces on the floor with his foot, then crouches down and picks one up.

He couldn't recall Sarenrae ever taking an interest in his financial well-being, one way or another. Might as well make this trip worth something.

He strides forward and lifts the chest, tucking it under one arm. It was heavy, but he could manage with one arm for now. He had no shield to carry anyway.

"Well then. Shall we see what horrible thing awaits us in the next chamber?"
 
The Pit:
Room #7
__________________

"I'm not sure myself, this will be the deepest I've dared venture, but I am pleased with the boldness of you all," says Blackie as he hooks a finger back the way they came. "Many of the people from before, or at least the ones not trying to actively kill me were much more skittish." Blackie pulls his head away from listening at the door. "Whatever's behind here doesn't appear to be making any noise just yet."

Anduryn motions for Blackie to move before pushing the door open. Another long hallway which he begins to walk down. As they come to the next door he looks back for the confirmation to open this door, and unlike the other rooms this opens to a much larger area with a ceiling of about fifty feet, and pillared walkway heading off to the right. If you were to just wake up in this room you would have assumed that you were in some sort of temple. A large, glowing glass painting is fixed up above shining down it's light unto a pedestal. The dim light pours over a figure who has a faint aura glowing from his chest. As anyone approaches you can see the glow is from some sort of sharp object piercing through the person who continues to struggle against the object.

Blackie's immediate response to this situation seems to be to skulk towards one of the pillars motioning where he will be. Anduryn shrugs striding forward carefully the unholy looking sword in his hand at the ready.
 
Donovan smiled at Blackie's complement but kept quiet for the moment. Following into the room, he watched Blackie stealth off into the shadows. 'That looks like a good idea, let's get a closer look at that person in the light.' Donovan thought to himself.

"Gimme a minute or two, going to 'ave a look at that guy over there." Donovan said in a quiet voice before sneaking into the shadows, getting within thirty feet of the person to get a better look.

'Good gods, this person looks like he's already dead, and yet he's still struggling.' Donovan thought to himself, heading back the way he came in the shadows.

"Well, that guy looks pretty much dead already." Donovan said in a low voice for his friends, "If their skin were any more grey I'd 'ave thought they were stone."
 
The next room was much different than he was expecting. It appeared to be more of a temple than a dungeon. Malxus' eyes were drawn to the bright painting glowing from high on the ceiling. There were several figures depicted, but only one meant anything to him.

It was her. Or at least it looked like the woman who had brought him back from the brink of death. But where she had burned arms, this one was wearing gloves that covered any such scars. A coincidence? Eh, Malxus didn't care to think too much about it.

Instead his eyes were drawn to the impaled fellow in the center of the room, or rather what he was wearing.
Half plate armor. Malxus had felt naked without any.

"If that guy is as dead, or as undead as he looks, I want the armor."
 
Squiggy had the same I instinctive reaction as Blackie. He took to a darker edge of the room and, as Malxus walked to the impaled man, squiggy crept his way up as well. “This doesn’t seem well...maybe someone could do something to make him stop suffering, if he is suffering that is”
 
Umi stayed towards the back of the group as they entered into this new chamber, keeping his back against the wall next to the door. He looked around the room, his keen elven eyes scanning the room. His gaze stopped on the figure with the object piercing it, and Umi's eyes followed the light up to the glass painting. He studied it for a minute, remembering something he had noticed when reorganizing the shelves back at the library. In a low whisper, "That painting...it looks familiar. I believe that it depicts the companions, the gods that supposedly saved us from some kind of disaster. I wonder what the hell its doing down here."

As a couple of the others started to sneak closer, Umi remained by the door, unsure if it was the best idea to tangle with whatever this figure was. But he prepared himself to help anyway, closing his eyes and running over the spells he had prepared this morning in his mind in alphabetical order, waiting for things to go wrong.
 
They saved us from a disaster? Well whoever the woman was, Sarenrae or her agent, it sounded like something she would do.

Malxus stiffed as the impaled creature spoke. He had figured it for some sort of undead monstrosity, not a still living creature.

"Yet another creature offering vague promises when they need us more than we need them," he says, then turns back to the bird. "Uh, no offense, Feathers."

Malxus steps a little closer, examining the glowing thing protruding from its chest.

"You want out of here? I want answers. Who left you here like this? And how is it you haven't bled to death already?"
 
The Pit:
Room #7
________________________

Blackie approaches looking out the sides of the pillars and shrugs with the knives in either hand. "I'm preferable to anything that gets me out of here alive, then I can worry about guild politics," says Blackie looking over to the figure on the slab.

"Unless language has changed, there is nothing unspecific about my offer to lead you out of here. It seemed important to the others that have passed through," says the man pinned to the slab. The spike pulsates a teal color not unlike the walls glow from previous rooms. It looks like the spike was driven straight through the man's heart, he turns his head to look directly at Malxus and you notice his very angular features. He peers momentarily as if measuring his response before it slides from Anduryn to the mural above. "As for who left me here, you needn't look far."

The man let his head rest against the slab. "I was betrayed by my companions a long time ago, and left here to die but little did they know I continue to persist. One day I will have my vengeance," says the man as he turns his head over to Malxus. "As far as I can tell the thing in my chest is what has kept me alive, and I do not think that I am.... living anymore."

"Shael si Ostaelas eidaes ail si mia, si Ialaer mar vori." (Old Elven Translation: When the Omenstar appears in the sky, the Undead shall rise.)
 
"You ... know them?" Malxus asks, motioning to the painting with his fiery blade. "Vengeance is the path toward darkness, creature," he says, making his voice boom and his eyes glow white with thaumaturgy.

All people deserved a second chance, that was the principle that he was sworn to, the one that prevented his own untimely demise. But some are beyond redemption.

"You must be truly wicked if she left you here. It would be much easier to take your head off and be done with it. Why did they leave you here? Talk or you will never speak again." Malxus takes the blade in both hands and raises it above his head.
 
Listening to the sudden turn, Donovan looked at the undead figure. "Omen star?" Donovan asked, confused and with half a mind to get behind the figure and bring out Gliss again. "What in the 'ells is that supposed to mean?"

'Who's this she being referred to?' Donovan wondered as he got behind the figure, ready to summon Gliss if needed as he crouched down.
 
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The Pit:
Room #7
________________________

"And look where I have lain, is it a wonder that my thoughts stew with anger," says the armored man. His hand goes back to the shard grasping it tightly, and Maxlus can see him try with effort to pull it out. At Maxlus continued insistence the man looks back at him with a puzzled look. "Who is this she you speak of...? Is it Phoenix? She must have known I was left here... to rot. Though it is Leaf that has earned my ire. We fought to find the gate. That was the plan. Find the gates, and then we would be safe."

When asked about the Omenstar his train of thought is interrupted. "A sign of the end days, a red star in the sky. It heralds the awakening of the Dark Ones. We fought many of them and their undead, have you not...?" he started to ask before he seemed to reformulate his thoughts. Blackie at this looks between the others shifting on his feet for a moment.

"There was a story about a tunnel opening up in the sewers. Some footpads had found it and something crawled out and killed one of them before they put it down. Exploded in a flash of light," said Blackie crossing his arms and keeping the daggers pointed down. "The guild made sure to reseal that breach."

"Then you have encountered the Dark Ones..." said the armored man still a bit of confusion trailing off in his voice.

"Well... a 'Dark One' I guess you could say. Maybe they already won the war without you mate," chimes in Blackie before shrugging and looking to the others. "Look I don't care what happens one way or another to this lout. I ain't keen on killing someone who's done nothing to me but that ain't my business to judge. My guess is if he's claiming to know gods he's a man out of time."

"Elf... or at least I was." corrected the armored man reflexively. Blackie looked at him for a moment then shook his head. "Right, and Elf out of time. That makes it much better."
 
"What gates? And you still have not answered my question, elf. Why did they leave you here to die?"

Malxus paces a bit next to the figure, focusing on the crystal thrust into his chest.

"Perhaps if you also made a vow toward redemption I would not so hastily part you with your head."
 
As Malxus was talking to the undying man, Donovan looked over the man from head to toe. Seeing a coin purse hanging off the man's belt, Donovan decided to see how much money the man had. 'Let's see if we can get some truth out of him,' Donovan thought to himself, 'If I search his coin purse discreetly, I'll know roughly how much money he has. Then I can ask him. See if he'll tell a lie and if so, maybe throw up a tell.' Sliding his hand into the coin purse, Donovan's fingers crept around inside the small bag. 'Hmm, empty.' Donovan thought as he removed his hand as swiftly as he'd put it in.

Stepping back a little, Donovan leaned to the side hoping that Malxus would see his 'please trust me' expression before saying, "So 'ow much is in this 'ere coin purse then? Couldn't you just bribe your way out of 'ere?"
 
The Pit:
Room #7
________________________

"The gates that would allow us to defend the kingdom of Highwall! I served it's king, while the others came from common stock, save for Pheonix. She was of the faith of Sarenrae, the most blessed of her Oracles," said the extremely pale elf. "I have told you that I was betrayed, stabbed through with this... this THING... Leaf lured me down here into this pit. We were going to activate one the last gate that out bring back our salvation against the Dark Ones. The El'lunai."

Blackie chuckled a bit when Malxus asked about the pouch. He seemed to be amused by the question.

"I've already been robbed by a previous group that passed through here. They weren't keen on listening to me, and instead once they found I was incapable of fighting back those scoundrels took my belongings, I doubt they left anything of use in my pouch but please go right ahead and loot me too," says the elf thing irritably. Blackie shrugs walks up if no one else does and checks. "Nope, you sir are broke. Though my friend here seems to want your armor so maybe you do have something left to barter your freedom with."

"And you'd rob a knight of his armor.... despicable," said the elf trying to cross his arms though the spike through his chest made this extremely difficult.

"What's your name friend?" asked Blackie walking up and tapping a dagger against the stone platform almost as if to test its solidity.

"Why do you care, Tengu?" retorted the Elf. Blackie waited a beat saying nothing before the Elf responded. "My name is Valerin, Knight of the Dark Watch."

"Alright Mr. Dark Watch. You see the way I see it, is we could leave you here just like you are and there'd be no harm done to us yeah? But then again, maybe we help you, and out of the kindness of your heart you show us the way out and gift this here armor," says Blackie walking around the platform before tapping the armor with the tip of his dagger. The spike seems to flare momentarily from this to which catches Blackie's attention but for a moment as he continues his circle. "and then we go our separate ways. You go kill who you need to kill, and we stay out of your way. I mean what are the odds anyone you knew from back.... whenever are still alive today eh?"

Blackie looks to the group for their thoughts. Valerin seems to think it over for a moment. "I don't think it will be as easy as you say, but if you and your... companions are willing to stand aside when it comes to my vengeance than I will... begrudgingly bequeath you my armor." Valerin's eyes look between those of the group before settling on Anduryn.
 
Umi had been staying back while the rest of the group spoke to this figure on the spike, uncomfortable with everything the more they learned about the figure. He stood there biting his nails, conflicted as he loved a good mystery as the next person, but this creature was giving him a bad feeling. Finally with the information that Valerin was one of the Dark Watch, Umi took a couple steps closer and spoke up, voice shaking ever so slightly. "The Dark Watch...they have the freedom to punish whoever they choose 'in the name of Highwall', and they have the law at their back. This man has been left down here, mulling over his sense of revenge for gods know how long, and we want to set him free? He could very likely be mad, and we don't know if he is telling the truth...if you ask me we should just leave him here and focus on getting out of here. I don't think we can trust him."

Umi refused to look Valerin in the eyes as he spoke, knowing he might be damning this man to an eternity down here alone, at least until the next prisoners are faced with this choice. And there was just something about the way he eyed Anduryn that made Umi uneasy, he just wanted to get out of this pit, and he'd rather not have to worry about Valerin on top of whatever else this pit held in store for them.
 
The Pit:
Room #7
________________________

Blackie shrugs at the mention of not trusting the elf Valerin and takes a step away from the pedestal. "Guess it is not your lucky day my friend," says Blackie as he restlessly begins to flip a dagger in one of his hands.

"So it would seem..." says Valerin his armor seeming to go slack against the slab of decorative metal. He closes his eyes as if accepting his fate and it is a moment before he speaks again. "If you care anything about saving everyone in Highwall than seek Invictus. The man does not age, and if anyone has a chance of still being alive it is him. He may know how the world still exists or if they managed to find another way." Valerin gestures to the image above briefly before allowing the hand to rest on his stomach.
 
Donovan came around Valerin and looked him in the eye. "Is what my friend just said true? About the Black Watch?"
Looking into the knight's face, Donovan found it and Valerin's body language unreadable.

Turning to his friends, Donovan said mostly for Valerin's benefit, "We're the last group coming through here. There won't be anyone else after us." Donovan thought for a moment before shrugging, "That old lady we passed, I'm thinking now we know Blackie was acting in self defence, maybe we could show her that note that Umi found and convince her to come with us." Donovan looked to Valerin, "We'd be coming back through here, so if there's anything else you'd want to say, you have time to think." Donovan stepped away from Valerin and nearer Blackie, wondering how the rest of his friends felt about the situation and trying to commit the name Invictus to memory.
 
The Pit:
Room #7
________________________

"Your friend is correct, in a manner of speaking. We were only beholden to the king," said Valerin in response to the question. As Donovan speaks again about them being the last ones being down here, he goes back to resting before once again futility trying to pull the spike from his chest. Blackie looking around the room and checking the doors walks back and shrugs. "If you think that is a wise, we could always come back for her once we find the exit." When Donovan goes back to check on the lady she is still in the same position, and he tries to coax her into by showing the letter about the bounty on Blackie's head and that it was probably self defense or preservation but she doesn't seem to believe him instead she still waits letting the group continue to explore or in her words 'get them selves killed.'
 
Malxus stays behind and keeps a watchful eye on Valerin while the others backtrack to take another go at convincing the crazy lady to come with them.

"Too bad, dead guy. If you had given up your desire for vengeance you may have left here a free man," he says that last part in a grandiose way, before returning to normal way of speaking. "Maybe some more time down here in the dark will show you the error of your ways. Maybe I'll come back for you some day. Maybe."
 
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