Swamps and Craige - RPLOG
Participants
Date
11/6/478
Log
The wind is blowing around the rain today, as it seems as if these missions only wish to come when rain pours upon the land. The army camp had directed those whom volunteered, to the edge of the swamp where a few tarps with raging bonfires were set up. A single small folk sparrow in an officer's regalia is hopping around as he motions to individuals. "Danials! I told you to finish setting that up -after- you finish the meal! LORELY! What in the King's name are you doing sitting down?" The bird himself seems terribly distracted, but of the fifteen folks present, he does appear to be the one in charge...
Millicent winds along towards the meeting point, suited up in her armour today. If it was going to be dangerous, she was going in equipped! Her larger sword kept in addition to her usual smaller one. "Hello! I am here to help," she says, offering a little wave.
Cara makes her way over to the camp, suited up in an ordinary outfit for once. Said ordinary outfit is long pants with quite a large amount of pockets and a grey sleeved jacket. As expected, she has her sabre sheathed at the hilt, her staff in her right hand, and a smile on her face. "I hope I can help out as much as I can."
Shizuko enters the camp in the swamp, the leopardess' ears flat. She has added an umbrella to her already impressive arsenal, although with the wind it hasn't kept her too terribly dry; as she reaches the group, though, she gets her game face on and looks over the assembled army unit with a cool, professional demeanor before she nods at the officer.
The little sparrow jumps slightly as the trio approaches, peering around them some as he clicks his tongue and nods to himself. "Alrighty then! I am Lieutenant Dannio, and as for your briefing today ladies I shall be short... Go into this tunnel, smack around some of the ugly bastards to get far in, then tell us what you see." He nods gently as a goat in a privates uniform clears his throat, causing the sparrow to jump once more. "Oh! As for the entrance, it is just past the large tree at the end of the camp. We havent seen any movement since we killed their workers, so by all means we -believe- it to be safe for a bit. As for us having scouted before you, well, we're well aware of -your- adaptability and chose to wait for you lot instead of sending some boys to their deaths. Rest assured, payment in full upon return."
Millicent looks down at herself, then to the sparrow and nods. "Sounds good to me. I will do my best," she says, looking over towards the others "Do either of you want to take point, or shall I?" She asks, looking off towards the cave.
Cara nods in agreement and speaks, "Thank you for the information." She proceeds to step forward, "I'll take point. After all, I didn't really bring a torch and it might be best if the torch bearers remain in the back." At that point she begins walks toward the large tree with a confident smile on her face, her ears perked up, and her tail moving slowly through the air. However, she stops shortly in case anyone isn't following along.
The leopardess' ear flicks, and Shizuko bows her head to the sparrow. "That works for me," she replies, falling in behind Cara and keeping her eyes on the tigress. "I tend to rely on my speed more than armor, so if the tunnel gets too tight I may need to hide behind you, Millicent."
Dax runs up to the group panting and huffing. "Wait!" he drones, his lips not matching his words, "Wait for me! I can help!" The miniature rhino stops at the group, a huge wrench braced over his shoulders.
The group is shown by the goat to the entrance, the tunnel itself -just- tall enough for a average sized being to enter... Not nearly big enough yet for any of those larger creatures the Craige use! The tunnel itself is almost pitch black inside, though when a torch is lit it would reveal surprisingly smooth stone leading all the way in, as if the craige were less breaking out like a miner, and more shapping it for a hall of some sort. The floor is slicked from the rain that has seeped down into it, making it just a tad slipperly but nothing too dangerous so long as one minds their footing inside.
Millicent nods at Shizuko and claps her plated arm to her breastplate. "I will do my best to guard you! Though I confess, my armour is more for skirmishes and light conflict than taking hits. It's no knight's regalia." She tugs a lantern up from her hip, though, and nods at Cara. "I'll provide light as best as I can. When we start getting in enough that it gets too dark to see."
Cara begins to think about things as they walk along. She calls out from ahead of Millicent, "Thank you, Millicent." As she feels her way along the walls, she starts to pay attention for anything that might jump out and attack the quartet of explorers.
Dax trots after the others and tapps something on his little tool vest that starts to give off a gentle white light and sticks close for now.
Shizuko slings her miao dao over her shoulder - figuring the larger blade would be useless in the tight quarters - and then readies a torch from her pack, lighting it before she slips her falchion into her other hand. "Alright," she says, tone lower. "Quick and quiet and lets see what these things have at home."
For the majority of the slope down the tunnel, the trip is... Quiet. The lights from the group illuminating small etchings in the Craige's illegible language that dot the wall, possible instructions for the workers judging from one picture of a craige with a digging tool of some sort. though, the farther down the path they go, the more a tiny speck of light in the distance begins to glow even farther down the hallway, and the sounds of metal hitting metal can be heard...
With Shizuko's torch and Dax's light, she leaves her own lantern to hang from her hip again, unlit, while she draws the sword at her side. "Sounds... Like a forge," she says quietly, ears twitching.
Cara's ears twitch as she hears the metal hit itself. Without a word, the feline places her staff behind her back into its respective holder, and unsheashes her sabre. At this point, she stops and speaks quietly, "We'll have to be careful about this. They might have additional help. I see two courses of action. We could go in there and jump them, or we can send someone who is good at sneaking to see how many are in the room."
Shizuko quietly agrees with Millicent, with a small "Mmhm." Her ear flicks. "They are building their tools of war... if you want me to scout it out I am comfortable with it."
Dax shakes his head. "Don't look at me," he buzzes in that strange mechanical drone of his, "I'm about as sneaky as a-" he makes some sort of unintelligible reference. It can be assumed that whatever he said it was something loud. "But I am small, if you need me to get into some tight spaces."
Millicent glancs back towards Shizuko and gives a little nod. "Feel free. I trust your abilities over my own when it comes to scouting. I'm just good at swordplay." And fishing, but that's hardly relevant down here. "Nor am I... Small. I will hold back if some scouting were to take place."
Cara grits her teeth for a moment and turns back to Shizuko and whispers, "Okay, you can go. However, just find out what's in the room and then head back to us immediately. I don't need to see more fatalities again."
Shizuko bows her head to Cara and smiles, then passes her torch over to Dax. The leopardess begins creeping down the rest of the stairs then, her glowing stripes slowly fading as well so that the light doesn't give her away.
Dax bites his lip and does his very best to tiptoe quietly along after Shizuko. He passes the torch over to Cara and scoots down the hall, though his gear clinks and jingles in that utility belt and vest he wears. "What exactly are we looking for?" his voice drones, quiet, but with the same monotone quality as always. He gives the Snow Leopard lots of space. He does not want to get her caught, after all. As they near the light ahead, he taps his own little lamp to darken it and tightens his grip on his titanic wrench.
Whatever noise Dax inadvertantly makes, it is quickly covered by the rhythmic thrums of metal striking hard against metal as they approach near the end of the tunnel. The bright light is almost glaring in comparison to the artificial light they had needed moments prior, and the show before them is rather impressive to say the least. The room the tunnel let out into was easily one hundred and twenty yards wide, as well as long, and filled to the brim with smithing stations as super heated magma is pushed through rough stone cannals. At each station stands a craige three foot taller than the average being, weilding a smithing hammer they use to temper the metal they are working upon. From first glance, it seems as though there is roughly sixty in the room right now, each having their focus turned to their work instead of the tunnel.
To the right of the room however, and far closer to the door, is a single scrawny looking craige with runes carved into his hands. He's motioning his hands in such a way, as to draw magma forth from a hole in the wall, to have it slowly fill into the main cannal before splitting off. Just beyond him, is a wide door, large enough to fit two cairages side by side through...
Millicent looks out over the scene, tail drooping a little. "I expected to fight maybe ten at most," she murmurs. "Too many to take head on, certainly, mmmh... Any ideas?"
Cara looks at the room, and takes a look at the little craige to the right, "Well, we could just take out that little one and attempt to flood the room ourselves. Another idea involves diverting it to that wide door in order to break whatever they have going on."
Shizuko watches the room for a few moments, then backs off to confer with the group. "The smiths seem focused on their work. I wonder if they would notice if we slipped through... I do not think we will be able to take them all, no. The little one, perhaps, and if we take his hands we might be able to direct the magma. If we just kill it, then the flow may stop."
Dax peers out into the Craige Smithy. "Would it help," he buzzes, his monotone the opposite of his nervous body language, "If I made a distraction? Then we could all run for that door." He looks inexplicably shy for a second. "If we can get the lava mover to move, I might even be able to get us to that door without being seen," he offers, though it seems like a strange offer.
It's true as Shizuko says, the smiths seem far too absorbed into their work to notice the world around them, as their obsidian like eyes remain focused completely on their works. Infact the only one whom would present an issue to the group, is the one directing the flow currently. His hands are glowing bright with the runes as he works, and an observant eye will take note that he seems to be keeping it all from pouring -in- judging by his hand motions.
Millicent rubs the back of her head with her free hand. "Urgh. I... I'm not sure. I've never been much of a tactical thinker. If you decide on a course of action, though, I will do my best to do my part in seeing it through."
Cara groans and answers, "Neither have been the best tactical thinker either, but if do you think that you might be able to handle it?" The feline moves out of the way and allows the pygmy space rhino to work his idea, although, she'll be ready to grab him and run if needed.
Dax nods after getting the go ahead from the others and looks intently to the far side of the room. A sudden high pitched keening comes from the far wall, like a broken machine servitor. The little rhino keeps focused, hoping that the magma mover will go to check it out.
Shizuko remains at Dax's side, quietly watching the craige for a reaction. "Perhaps that one is focused on the magma, and not allowed to move?" she asks quietly. "Do you have a way to draw its attention further into its task?"
The Craige perks up at the screeching, barking out some orders in it's harsh gutteral language as the nearest smith barks back before focusing on his work. Sure enough, with a little grumble the mover places his hands on the stone wall, the hole shrinking considerably to a smaller side as he barks out what may be insults while stomping his way over to investigate the wall as the smiths continue their work on the heated metals!
Dax bites his lower lip and starts to sweat, focusing hard even as Cara lifts him from his feet. The keening on the far side of the room still requires his attention, but he also does the best he can to produce an image of the wall between the hurrying little group and the working Craige. It won't last, and it won't stand up to inspection, but it might be just enough to pass through unseen.
Millicent takes her sword in a two-handed grip, nodding at Cara. "After you, then," she says quietly moving to fall in behind the tiger, ears twitching at the loud sound. She was surprised it was working this well!
Cara sheathes her sabre and calmly walks over to the pygmy rhino and picks him up with both of her arms. She whispers into his ear, "Sorry about this, but I can't just leave you there. Can you make another illision to help us out?" After all, he did say that he wasn't the best at sneaking and this should make it easier for him to maintain an illusion since he doesn't have to worry about moving now. As she walks along carrying him past the room, she manages to do so without much trouble.
Shizuko carefully slinks along behind the group, keeping her eyes out for further trouble as they slip through the room. "Well done, well done," she whispers.
The group manage across the room as the Craige magma-shifter is busy inspecting the wall, the door easily opened with little effort as it seems whatever magics the craige use were aiding in it's work! On the other side though, they are confronted with a rather stark revelation, as it opens into underground dome large enough to fit a sizeable portion of a town in, with dozens of tunnels lining it's side, each large enough to fit a great sized beast, with a even larger tunnel that slopes down farther into the earth directly beyond them. Though, compared to the fact that almost every inch of this room was filled with craige, be it sitting in groups, or moving in streams of living stone and fire through the tunnels, they filled it to the brim. It appears as though the group has found but one of the little hub areas the Craige possess under the ground!
Their intrusion though, doesn't go unnoticed for long, as the light from the forges flow into the dimmer room, a single Craige turns around to spot the group. He's unarmed, with a spear and shield next to him, and the moment he spots the group his hackles rise as he lets out a challanging hiss!
Millicent looks on in amazement at the sheer size of the room, and ust how full it was. "They're efficient, certainly..." she says quietly before the challenging hiss draws her attention. She brings her sword up, dropping into a ready stance. She makes no move, yet, though. "Err... Do we retreat?"
Cara is silent for a moment and stares at the Red Panda while she still carries the space rhino. "We better go. I have an idea though. We cause the ceiling to cave in on them as we leave." The feline immediately turns around and whispers into Dax's ear, "Try shooting the ceiling with your scorcher as we go."
Shizuko lunges forward, her heavy blade swinging in a powerful blow at the Craige's neck - the leopardess is well used to taking quick, decisive action. "Run for the tunnel!" she hisses, turning to suit action to words. "Throw the smithy into chaos to slow pursuit!"
Dax is exhausted and in a bit of a flop sweat in Cara's arms. "No good!" he gasps, finally letting the illusions drop, "It isn't that strong." The midget rhino drops from Cara's grasp to his own two feet. He does produce a scorcher and takes a shot at the sentry, hoping it was the on,y one who saw them. Then his eyes widen in horror when he finally registers what he is actually seeing here. He says something in Creator speak that can only be a swear word, then turns to run as ordered.
The Craige barely stands a chance, as Shizuko's blade decapitates it, and the scorcher burns a hole right through it's chest to take out another behind it! Though, the moment of surprise lasts a mere moment as the room fills with the battlecry of countless Craige as spears, shields, blades, and clubs are soon rushing at the group as the entirety of the tunnel begins to turn on them!
Millicent doesn't need any further instructions. She's got no fancy earth magic, or anything else to collapse a cave. But she can run! And run she does, back towards the way they came, sword kept at the ready to cut at anything that happens to get in the group's path.
Cara instantly runs off as fast as her legs can carry her. In her right hand, she channels a bit of fire math up, although there is a small chance that the equations might be wrong and she attempts to send a nice bit of superheated air in the hopes to possibly aggitate the senses of the smiths with burns and possibly blow the magma away. Hopefully, that should make it a bit easier to escape.
Shizuko takes up the rear of the retreat, her sword still held at the ready. "Go, go," she calls. "These things react far too quickly."
Dax pounds his way along, eyes wild and panting with the effort. The little rhino has his personal scorcher in one hand, firing wildly into the smithy and his huge, heavy wrench in the other ready to swing it at anything that tries to get in his way.
The chase is on! The swarm of Craige stumbling and forcing their way through the door as they chase after the group, two spears thrown through the air strike right at the heels of Shizuko and Cara as they run, the sharpened tips piercing into even the stone! The Craige that was shifting the magma earlier turns to view this oddity, barking out a loud order as he presses his hands to the stone, the hole where the magma was seeping from begins to open wider as he tries to flood the area infront of the freeswords with a river of magma flowing into the canals! Certainly a success on his part would mean a needed detour, or worse!
The chase is on! The swarm of Craige stumbling and forcing their way through the door as they chase after the group, two spears thrown through the air strike right at the heels of Shizuko and Cara as they run, the sharpened tips piercing into even the stone! The Craige that was shifting the magma earlier turns to view this oddity, barking out a loud order as he presses his hands to the stone, the hole where the magma was seeping from begins to open wider as he tries to flood the area infront of the freeswords with a river of magma flowing into the canals! Though once Cara turns her attention upon him and manages to send one or two of the craige smiths stumbling back and interupting him! Though, it seems the heat itself just works to reinvigorate the Craige, as the showing lines of fire under their scales burn brighter now!
Millicent continues to book it back towards the entrance. The smaller tunnel should at least be enough to forstall their pursuit. She takes care to avoid the obstructions and not burn herself, and to keep enough distance between her and the spear throwers!
Cara continues dashing ahead and groans as she notices a small river of magma. "Okay, that's rude." As she continues to run, apparently being unaffected by the extreme heat for the most part. Oh, and at this point her form begins to start looking a little fiery as well. As she runs, she asks, "Dax, do you need any help getting through?"
Shizuko is far, far too busy running and dodging - and for an old cat, she can *run* - to call out to the other members of her group. However, she does let out a loud, challenging roar and aims herself directly at the magma-handler. Grinning, the leopardess attempts to leap the magma and strike against the handler as she passes, throwing her momentum into the attack.
Dax keeps on running, flinging himself over the magma stream as he clips his scorcher back to his belt and activates something else on his belt, creating a field of pale blue light. "DAX!" he shouts in a rough voice.
the canal is handled deftly as they jump over it, missing the singing material below as spears hurl through the air once more! Dax's shield letting out a dull thud as it stops one of the spears just inches from his head, as Millicent's armor recieves a passing scratch from a second spear! Finally though, the group make it into the tunnel, the cool wind of the rain bathing them as the craige... Stop. Just short of the entrance, the craige seem hesitant to follow, snarling and snapping as a few more spear throwers make their way to the front.
Millicent grimaces as her armour is scratched, but is thankful she doesn't feel the cold numbness of an actual wound. Even when she hits the tunnel she doesn't stop, trying to make her way all the way back and out towards the military group. They did their scouting!
Cara looks back for a moment in surprise. "They're hesitant towards water? Well, that's very good information to know." Otherwise, the feline keeps running all the way to the exit when an idea suddenly comes to her. "If only we had more water magic users, then we could flood the tunnels if the craige in there prove to be too much to handle."
Shizuko lets her pace slow to match the rest of the group, although she is eager to get back outside. "Yes, or the army could drain the swamp into them if they felt the need. That is for them to decide, though - remember the job at hand."
Dax hardly even registers his close call. He is singularly focused on getting out! A giddy little voice in the back of his mind can't help but compare this with the life he recently knew on his last ship. "DAX!" he shouts as he sprints for the exit, bluish halo still throbbing and flickering around him.
The group is cleared as the remaining spears bounce harmlessly on the floor! Their way back up top is soon enough complete as they all damn near trample the little sparrow whom was bending over to pick up some stuff! "OH CREATORS! SOUND THE ALARM SO---" He seems to stop for a moment before taking a deep breath, and peeking down the tunnels. "... We arnt being swarmed? Well then... Uhm, welcome back."
Dax skids to a halt, slipping in the rain and wet and landing with a splash. "So many!" he drones ina mechanical monotone, "Like ants in a hive! I don't know why they haven't just overrun Firmament!" He pants with weariness, this is not his usual schtick, after all. "We need to warn everyone!"
Millicent returns her sword to its scabbard and nods at the sparrow. "Not yet we're not. But there are... A lot of them in there. A -lot-. I am no prophet or fortune teller, but I think they're going to be ready soon, and there's going to be a bad storm when they are."
Cara leans in close to the small sparrow and speaks, "Flood the tunnel immediately. They are working on weapons in there and they have barracks with troops stationed as well. Get as many water magic users as you can to flood the tunnel." She instantly turns to the little space rhino and sighs, "Relax, water can fix this problem very easily."
Shizuko takes her time to gather her thoughts (and her breath) as the others report, and then the leopardess inclines her head to the sparrow. "They have a full outpost down there," she repots. "Almost like a village. They refused to chase us out, for all that we had a vast horde on our tails. Either they are under orders to remain in their tunnel, or they dislike the incliment weather."
Kalt the sparrow blinks gently at the reports, before motioning the group to the tarps! "Here! Rest, eat, catch your breath, then take your payment. We'll ready the reports and prep the men. Hopefully, everything should be in order for all regiments to be ready to fight on friday! Now go, but for all that's good in the world, do -NOT- go shouting doom and gloom in the streets!"
