The Strangest Tour Yet - RPLOG
Participants
Date
3/6/478
Log
It is a warm and overcast day topside, but in the depths of the undertunnels it is a peculiar mix of cool and humid, due to the surrounding earth and the effect of the steam vents further in. Here at the tunnels entrance, one of the Royal Rangers is pacing, nervously waiting for the Freeswords and eyeing a cloaked, armored figure resting in a dark corner. The ranger outpost, just to the north, is well lit by glow crystals but the tunnels are only revealed by intermittent glow panels, most flickering or not even on.
Fenris saunters easily along the dark tunnels, a little, glittering figure splashing along at his feet. "Hello!" he calls amiably, "I'm here to help Heather out in the Undertunnels, if she will have me along." The big tiger wears little in the way of armor, aside from a thick, sturdy wrap around his waist that protects his vital bits and a set of interesting silvery bands on his wrists and biceps. He seems to have similar bands around his ankles. Curious. As are a few of his other strange accessories, but his smile is certainly genuine.
Iorek follows along behind Fenris, trying to catch up with his friend. He stops just short of him "Hey Fenris, I came to help too!" The canine is wearing a chain shirt with bracers on his wrists, well worn with his defensive blade fighting stance on his left arm. Looking out in front of Fenris for the contact, he waves, his tail wagging with anticipation.
Zuri moves up after Iorek, patting down his equipment as he walks along towards the entrance to the tunnels. He pauses a moment to tug his padded jacket into place, the new garment still not quite fitting the Salamander well enough. He spots the ranger and sprints the last bit of distance, hopping excitedly from foot to foot.
Kazel slowly enters the area, casting a keen eye over her surroundings, each of her hands resting on the hilt of one of her two swords. The graceful bat is wearing a black dyed leather armor that looks rather heavy for the material and equally black leather boots. She nods in the direction of the others before saying, "Kazel. I heard assistance is required?"
Bao lacks his usual swagger underground. The big sea lion wears a peculiar coat of rings studded with fishhooks on the extremities. He's got an unstrung shortbow slung over his back, along with and an array of short and long blades. At the sight of the gathering freeswords, he flexes his outsize hands and nods amiably. "Allo. I heard we got somethin' of an expedition in the works?"
The ranger on guard huffs with obvious relief as the Freeswords arrive, then gestures at the cloaked person hunched over examining the wall. "Look... just... keep her safe." His tone drops low. "And if something happens, -I saw nothing-," he adds, then scurries for the outpost. "I heard my name spoken?" Heather calls, rising up to her feet and approaching the party. Creator Heather, which explains the guard's nervousness! The tall, muscular woman extends a gauntleted hand towards Fenris, murmurs something quietly, then speaks louder in an oddly accented voice. "You are here for the party?"
Fenris takes Heather's offered hand in his own and says something to the Creator, though it probably sounds like silliness to the others listening. "And yes," he says, "We are most definitely here for the party. How can we be of assistance, Heather? The undertunnels can be dangerous without a specific goal in mind, but I am sure that we can get you where you want to be."
Iorek looks between Fenris, Zuri and Kazel excitedly, not knowing where to start talking to his friends. However, he turns around towards Heather and looks stunned as he has never been this close to a Creator, his jaw hanging open as he just stares.
Zuri gawps at the Creator, much like the labrador being next to him. The small salamander has met a few up close, but each time he meets a new one the fascination is obvious. He leans onto Iorek and whispers. "The two of them seem to be good friends...", referring to Fenris and the Creator.
Kazel blinks and smirks lightly, this just got interesting. The bat had never met a Creator before as well, but has read enough to not be caught as off guard as Iorek. She does not say anything for now and just crosses her arms before her chest and waits to see how this develops.
Bao can't help putting a hand on the hilt of the dirk at his side--not out of threat, but for reassurance. A Creator! That is an odd thing to find indeed, and Bao cannot help comparing this 'Heather' to the illustrations he has seen around Promise. Confident in his blades--if little else at the moment--Bao defers to the tiger. Somebody else is captaining this ship, and there's nothing the sea lion can add to small talk with a Creator.
Heather's smile widens as Fenris greets her, replying in kind - the only recognizable word being Fenris' name. Then she says something else, seems to listen for a moment, then makes a face. The expression is quickly replaced with another smile though, and she turns to the others and gestures down the tunnel. "Warden Parson is only giving me short time, but I am wanting adventure with Promise Beings. We will walk a patrol and look at a few rooms. This ruin is fascinating." Heather kneels them, collecting a steel shield and her spear, then gestures down the hallway.
Fenris seems a little taken aback by what the Creator has to say, but recovers himself quickly and babbles something back to the woman. "We are happy to accompany you, Heather," he says, then turns his smile on the rest of the group. "You heard the lady," he says, "Let's get moving!" He gently reaches over and closes Iorek's mouth with a finger. "Manners, Iorek, Manners," he chuckles, then leads the way into the dark, waving a hand at his little golem that frolics at his feet, causing it to glow with a gentle, white light.
Iorek breaks out of his stun as Fenris touched his chin with an akward chuckle "Oh...uh, right, I'm right behind you buddy... though I'm starting to really doubt this 'I'm just a musician' thing.... We're going to need to have a chat." he smirks at the cat and slaps Zuri on the shoulder "Let's go little buddy." he grins to Kazel and follows along
Zuri giggles at Iorek's words. "No such thing as 'only a musician', indeed. Told you Mister Fenris has been everywhere and seen everyone and done everything.." He keeps pace with the labrador being, his eyes still on Heather to observe her cautiously. "Not sure what to expect from these tunnels..."
Kazel silently follows behind the others, her hands once more on the hilts of her blades. She keeps scanning the tunnels thoroughly as she walks, on the lookout for danger to the group and the Creator.
In the interest of preparedness, Bao draws the dirk on which his hand had rested, though he keeps it low and to the side. "Adventure," he mutters with a forced grin, "with a sodding Creator." He smoothes his whiskers with his free hand before moving quickly to take up a position on the group's left flank, ready to get stuck in as soon as a problem presents itself.
Heather moves with an easy grace, as though she were used to the heavy armor she's wearing. The plate armor seems to be made well enough, although a trained combatant may think the embellishments and embossed patterns along the side make it more of a parade suit and not something to wear into battle. Her hair, long and a dirty shade of ashen blond, is tied back and the only visible Creator device she has is an object perched just behind her ear. "So you are..." she trails off, murmurs a word, then nods. "Heroes for hire? What is it like?" she asks. She keeps a wary eye on the side tunnels the group passes, head tilting at the sound of servitors skittering in the distant darkness.
"Heroes for hire?" Fenris says, mulling the words over and rolling them around in his mouth, "Sure, that sounds fair. Some are certainly more heroic than others. It is exciting. Especially in a place like Promise. Always some new adventure to be had." The tiger saunters along the wide tunnels at the Creator's side, part of his attention on her, and part on the surrounding darkness, wary for machine servitors and roving bands of Lost. He gabbles something unintelligible to the woman as they walk.
Iorek is staring at Heather again while she walks away, trying to figure her form out, looking at her hair... that weird thing in her ear, but decides he needs to focus, putting his hands on his swords and checkout out the area around them. he giggles quietly "Hehe, I'm a Hero."
Zuri smiles brightly. He peers sideways at Iorek and nudges him with an elbow. "We do what we need to do, what we must." He giggles. "Just like it says in the First Text, we all have a place and a part to play, all equally important regardless of our specific calling.
Kazel shrugs and rolls her eyes at Iorek. "It is not much different from any other kind of freelance work, I would think, Miss Heather." The bat decides to take the right flank and too draws her weapon, a sword made from dark metal, with her left hand. Her right one is still resting on the hilt of her other blade.
Bao chuckles. "I only been called 'hero' by dockside ladies looking to part me with my coin. But I guess I get to help folk a good bit. There's always something they need a blade for out in the hinterlands. And my House appreciates both the good publicity and not having to foot my bills." The sea lion's eyes and ears rove the halls. No matter how competent the Creator or his fellow Freeswords seem, the place is still dangerous, and not one with which Bao is terribly familiar.
The Creator woman's reaction is delayed, but then she laughs happily as she finishes sorting out the answers. "I explore," she says, nodding to the tiger. "And there are no places like Promise." She pauses then, turning her head towards one of the side tunnels, and in one of the moments of quiet the group can pick out the sound of wind and steam, quiet at first but growing louder.
Fenris perks up his ears as he follows after the Creator woman. "Steam wraiths," he says, putting a hand on Heather's shoulder, "Hold tight, they sound like they are coming this way. Nothing we can't handle." He steps just ahead of the Creator woman, ready to defend her if neccessary, but sends his glittering little otter golem up ahead, a glowing bauble, flitting down the tunnel.
Iorek pauses along side the Creator lady at Fenris instruction to hold up, drawing his swords and concentrating his senses up ahead.
Zuri doesn't know what a Steam Wraith is, but whatever it is it can't be good. He sets up a defensive position near the group's flank, ready to leap into action.
Kazel nods in agreement with Fenris's evaluation of the situation and draws her second blade, a shiny, richly decorated sword that is a huge contrast to the gloomy one in her primary hand. As Zuri moves to the flank, the bat takes a few steps forward, coming to a stand close to the Creator and Fenris, where she adjusts her stance and readies herself.
Bao fastens the top button of his vest before drawing a second blade--this one nearly an awl in its narrowness. He flips his dirk into an overhand grip. "Elementals." The sea lion rolls his shoulders and settles in just behind Kazel, Fenris, and Heather, ready to assist wherever needed.
With a gust of hot air, a trio of wraiths burst out of the side tunnel and fling themselves at the party, hissing with steam. The elementals have a vaugely humanoid upper body, congealed of boiling water and scraps of debris from the abandonded facility; their lower body is an amorphous tail, and each is surrounded by a small cloud of steam. They even have vaugely recognizable faces, mouths open with what would be a hateful snarl if they had teeth or lungs. The first of the wraits, however, is stopped cold as it slams into a sudden blue light around Fenris; the next one swipes at Iorek, barely missing the canine with its claws but enveloping him in steam for a breif moment before it lashes at Bao. The third wraith tries to catch Kazel, who is likewise barely missed by the claws, but again surrounded by hot steam. From down the tunnel behind the group, two more wraiths throw themselves at the party; Zuri dodges out of the way of one, and the other is caught on Creator Heather's shield. The woman winces at the sudden heat, but she stands firm, then drives the wraith back with her spear.
"Kawauso," Fenris calls calmly, had lowering from his silvery gauntlet and the wardstone that activated his shield. The little otter shaped golem whirls on one of the attacking wraiths and opens its mouth wide as a bolt of Creator fire shoots forth!
"Are you alright, Heather?" Fenris asks, then continues, "They are elementals, but can be driven off or dispersed by even ordinary weapons. Keep them at a distance." The feline draws something from his belt, pointing at another attacking wraith and looses a bolt of Creator fire of his own.
Iorek panics as he is surrounded in a gust of steam, leaping back he takes up a defensive stance and watches the nearest wraith, wincing at the pain from the burns. He feels with his short weapons it would be best to fend them off than attack
Zuri watches from the sidelines as the steam-things barrel into the group, and narrowly dodges one of them as it rampages towards his position. The small salamander thinks similarly to Iorek, going in daggers swinging might be too close for comfort. Instead he quickly visualizes a memorized phrase of Divine Math to cause a few flaming projectiles to appear near him. One by one he flings them at the wraith engaging the Creator, seeking to protect her first and foremost.
Kazel grits her teeth as the steam hits her, but shrugs it off rather easily thanks to her own latent inner warmth of the phoenix. The bat takes a quick step back and points the sword in her right hand at the elemental that tried to attack her and an electrical discharge shoots from the tip of the weapon at the creature.
Bao grunts as the steam envelops him. He's had worse, though, and knows how to hit back. The sea lion whips his knives through a warding X before thrusting both blades at his opponent's chest. He doesn't have to kill it, just slow it down and set it up for what comes next.
Cassidy adjusts her top hat as she wanders through the tunnels, her suit pristine, save for the oil smudged white gloves that definitely hint that she's been up to something. She heard the sounds of battle, and that was a curious thing to hear this far down. Rounding a corner, she finds herself on the opposite side of the steam wraiths. She can't quite make out the group behind them, but she'd caughten glimpse of the little otter golem. That was enough to know, at least partly, who was on the other side. A lance of wind seeks to strike one of the wraiths from behind, opting out of her own fire for the time being.
Two of the wraiths are disrupted and dispatched by the team of beings working together, although Creator Heather seems to be focusing mostly on her shield work and on the fascinating display of Being magic, once she gets over her wide-eyed shock at Fenris' arsenal. Another wraith seems to sense that it is doomed, and with a hateful howl it detonates itself in the middle of the party, spraying the tunnel (and the combatants!) with steam, hot water, and fragments of shrapnel. The blast dissipates another elemental, and the last wavers, barely remaining coherant.
Fenris leaves the last wraith for someone else to tend to, holding up an arm to shield his eyes from the loud, hot detonation as his blue bubble flickers and dissipates under the onslaught. The big, fluffy feline brushes bits of dirt and gravel from his fur and turns to the Creator woman. "Are you alright?" he asks, "Probably best to move along before anything comes to see what all that noise was about." The tiger raises a hand in welcoming salute to Cassidy. "Excellent timing, Lady Solacious!" he calls.
Iorek Being near the centre of the group, and the explosion, leaps clear of the explosion, planting a step on the cieling as he propells himself clear, landing in a squat he looks at the battlefield for remaining targets "Hmph!"
Zuri crouches and covers himself to hide away from the noisy, messy, hot explosion of steam and debris. He reviews the situation and spots there's only one left, and that Kazel is winding up an attack against it. Still reeling from his own bout of Divine Math, Zuri opts to instead use his Divine Math to enhance the bat's own powers. "Finish it off!"
Kazel's leather armor stops all bigger shrapnels that are heading her way and slows the small ones down enough to leave only ignorable scratches. The bat grins and charges the last wraith with a spinning attack using both of her swords, her strike enhanced by Zuri's math.
Bao barks something between triumph and frustration as the last of the wraiths disperses. He's lightly scalded, his armor uncomfortably warm and wet. He shakes debris from his knives and spits out a piece of...something...that had gotten caught in his teeth. "Well. That was a good piece of work."
Cassidy tips her hat towards Fenris, letting her hands fold behind her back. "And just what brings you down here with such an unusual visitor, Fenris?" She asks, tail flicking behind her. "Not every day such a large group comes through down here."
Slowly lowering her shield, Creator Heather gives the Beings a wary look, although soon enough she smiles and laughs. "Well done, yes! And a surprise, I was not expecting such things. Much surprise." She rests her spear against her leg so that she can use her cloak to wipe sweat from her face. However, it seems like Cassidy is not the only predator drawn by the sound of the fighting - down the hallway ahead, a pair of albino Beings flit from shadow to shadow, scouting the group.
"Why, our special guest here is exactly why we are here," Fenris says to Cassidy, "Heather here was interested in a bit of adventure and decided to pay us and the undertunnels a visit." The tiger waves a hand back toward the vanquished steam wraiths as he does his best to keep the party moving forward. "And we have found some of that. I imagine that those Lost scouts would be more than happy to bring us more," he continues pleasantly, "It might be wise to keep moving and look inedible and unapproachable." The tiger makes a point to look at the scouts and bare his teeth in their direction as he leads the group along. "Did you have anything specific you hoped to see, Heather?" he asks.
Iorek silently moves back to the front of the group, letting out a slight wimper as the adrenaline wears off and he can feel the burns more. He is keeping his eyes fixed on where he saw movement. the pup looks a little frustrated at himself for freezing up and not aiding more, reinforcing his determination.
Zuri shakes his head, snorting as he clears the leftover fragments of wet clingy detritus from his face. He gets back up properly, and groans as another threat immediately makes itself present. He readies both weapons, keeping his position at the flank. "What are the chances they'll just leave us alone or get easily scared off? We did just smack the living light out of those steam-things.."
Kazel nudges Iorek lightly and signals him to take her old spot at the flank with a swift movement of her hand. The bat carefully pulls one of the bigger fragments out of her armor, giving it a quick look before discarding it. She keeps her position at the front and stares into the dark tunnel ahead, before addressing Zuri. "Like we ever have that much luck."
Bao spins his knives, as much to loosen his fingers and wrists as anything else. His next few steps are stomps, hard enough to set his fishhook mail jingling (and dripping) before sliding back to guard the rear. He looks over the others, but most especially to Fenris and Heather. "Circle up if they come in numbers, aye?"
Cassidy glances over her shoulder, regarding the flighty scouts with her porcelain mask before looking back towards Fenris and stepping towards the group. "They probably won't leave us alone. I had to deal with a few of them earlier that got in the way of my hunt. I doubt they'll be so inclined as to avoid us, but they might, with our numbers."
With the group as large as it is, the scouts do not seem terribly keen on starting trouble. Still, they shadow the group as it starts moving again, hissing and whispering back and forth in the Lost clan's language. Heather's grip on her spear tightens, but she heeds the advice of the veterans she has hired and doesn't try to start anything either, instead looking over at Zuri, Kazel, and Cassidy. "How did you do that, earlier?" she asks, tone friendly if curious. She looks around at the Beings, then towards their watchers. "And who are they? They do not seem friendly."
Fenris leaves the explanation of Being magic to others, instead answering the second part of the question. "We call them the Lost, or the Lost Ones," he explains, continuing on the circuit of the tunnels, so far they have not strayed very far from the beaten path. Without any specific goal from Heather, the tiger is disinclined to delve into unknown places just now. "They are beings, like us, only they have abandoned the daylight world," he explains, "For the most part, I think that they come from inbred, and degenerate stock who tried to make a place for themselves down in the deep tunnels. But we do not know much about them aside from their. . . brutish tendencies." This is quite possibly the strangest tour he has ever given.
Iorek takes up his post on the rear gaurd, consenting to the experience of Kazel, keeping an eye out for movement in the distance, but every so often being distracted and looking at Bao's interesting fish hook armour, impressed with the concept and curious if he ever gets caught on things.
Zuri peers up at the Creator as she speaks, pausing a moment until his brain clicks that the Creator was asking a question. "Do.. what, ealier?" He blinks, then giggles. "Oh, you mean the flamey darts? That's just a bit of the Divine Math I've been studying." He reaches into his pocket and retrieves a set of small metal plaques the size of playing cards, and flits through them until finding and presenting the correct one. It is engraved with a series of Math symbols, which the salamander being himself does not understand fully but assumes the Creator does. "This one is complicated, I still have to focus real hard to make this one happen. Really tiring!"
Kazel shrugs slightly and brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Mostly what Zuri said, Divine Math, complicated stuff." She slides the blade in her right hand into it's scabbard and lets a small flame appear in her hand to help light the dark tunnels. "Just as useful for utility as it is for fighting."
Bao ambles along at the back of the group, noting absently which pains are fading and which ones are beginning to ache more urgently. He's fiddled some with mathemagic, but only the basics. This is yet another case in which he is comfortable deferring to others' expertise. Noticing Iorek's attention to his armor, he gives it another little shake, enough to make the hooks jingle. "I don't wear it into the woods or the swamps unless I'm lookin' for an extra workout or camouflage." he says, quietly.
"It is not terribly complicated at the basic levels. Trying to invent your own spells from the ground up, though, is a fair bit more complicated." Cassidy says, glancing around the walls. "And yes, the Lost is... A rather sad case. As their name is implied, they are very much lost to us, as tragic as it is."
Heather seems perplexed by the explanations, but doesn't press the issue. She does keep glancing back at the Lost scouts, although they keep their distance and soon enough the steadier lights of the ranger outpost come into view. "I see. I think... I have had enough for now, and I must check in with the Warden. There will be more adventure soon though!"
Fenris is glad to see the outpost come into view. And without any Lost intervention. "We are able to use," the tiger says something incomprehensible to the Creator, "without the aid of external devices. It is complicated and even we do not really understand it." The big tiger extends a hand to the woman with a smile and says something in moonspeak.
Iorek seems rather confused by most of the conversations the Creator woman has had with his friends, but smiles warmly to her as they are nearing the exit, looking forward to a nice cool shower for his burnt skin.
Zuri pockets his engraved plaques again, almost ashamed that he has to keep them around in order to he reminded of the word-symbols of Divine Math. As they start walking back he peers over at Iorek and moves to walk alongside him.
Kazel nods at the Creator woman and continues to walk at her side at the front, even on the way back. The flame in her hand lights the way and she feels safe enough to sheet her weapon.
Bao is happy enough to be getting back to stable lighting and the prospect of dry clothes. Swimming is fine, being dry is fine, but being damp without having had a proper swim is particularly annoying. Still...he has gotten to meet a Creator, fight a good fight at the side of strong beings, and earned himself some credibility with both the Freeswords and the Rangers. That's a trip well-made and effort well-spent.
Cassidy follows along enough to see the group safely back to the outpost before giving a nod. "Well. Good to see no one was hurt down there," she says, glancing over her shoulder, as if debating on continuing her own work or making her own way out.
The ranger on guard is relieved to see the group. At the tunnel entrance, Heather reclaims a knapsack she had stashed behind a wall panel, and passes it to the Freeswords. "Payment. Barter goods, and no " her last word is in Creator speak - restricted items, for those that can understand it. "I must leave now, but will ask for you next time." The woman bows, then makes her way topside.
Fenris gives a lazy salute to the Creator as she leaves, then turns to the others. "Well," he says, "That was exciting, wasn't it!" He saunters toward the light at the end of the tunnel, whistlinga light tune.
Iorek smiles happily at the reward and looks to Zuri "LEt's go buddy... I need to find a shower... or somewhere to swim or something...." he waves at the rangers and especially at Heather before he leaves, wagging happily
Zuri giggles. "Yea, a bath sounds great right about now. Those steam-thingies were nasty!" He peers back at Kazel, smiling brightly at her. "Maybe we could all meet up at the Inn later for some drinks? I still have some chocolate biscuits left too!"
Kazel nods in the direction of the Salamander. "I was headed there right now, well for my room, but I will be around later." The bat stuffs her reward into her satchel and heads out of the tunnel.
"Perhaps, Zuri," Cassidy says, offering a little nod. "I have some business to attend elsewhere, and a jaguar to meet up with, first, though," she says, shouldering her satchel and starting for the exit.
