Revision as of 07:47, 23 August 2014

Participants

• Fenris
• Kalt
• Lucasiel
• Rainer
• Sara
• Thelergramor

Date

23/8/477

Log

The tiger gives a lazy salute as he joins the group. "What's the plan?" he asks with an easy smile.

Thelergramor makes his way to the mountains, approaches the group. Clad in his coat, no shirt under it nor any chainmail. Light on equipment, just his knife, pistol and spear. Plague mask, scarf and hat, a flask marked 'not water' in his hand, drinking what is likely alcohol. "Right. What's all this then?" Uninformed, for the most part.

Rainer finally comes running up, probably a good few minutes later and right around when they're starting to reason that no one else is likely coming, stumbling to a halt a few paces short of the group and doubling over, planting his hands on his knees to keep himself from toppling tuckus over teakettle. "Waaait! Wait... I'm... I'm here...! Don't start... I wanna... I wanna come too... Explorer... Extrordinaaaaiii-aaaaw what gives?" Suddenly and inexplicably he's reinvigorated, or just too outraged to remember he's exhausted, the wolf snaps upright and gestures with upturned palms at the predominantly militia group. "I thought this was a Freeswords job!"

Always one for exploring and seeing what was what, Lucasiel rattles onto the scene in all of her plated glory, axe propped on her shoulder. "Well, considering I'm here, it must be an open job." She glances amongst the others, adjusting her helm before nodding. "Good to be seeing you all."

With her cloak pulled close, and the crimson scarf covering all that doesn't get pulled into shadows by the hood of her cloak, Sara dutifully trudges up the mountain and stops behind the group that had already stopped infront of the cave. "Hmm.. is this the place?" she asks, her voice muffled behind the silken material of her scarf.

Kalt gives a slight wave to Fenris as he approaches, offering a slight shrug before motioning to the sparrows "I ain't knowin', these two are figurin' they're the brains behind it an' all so M'figurin' they'll tell us." One of the sparrows jumping up at that, before turning and bowing to the approaching group. "Goodness! Plenty of people now! Hello though! My name is Marcuss, and this is my brother Dave. We're 'expedition' funders, and planners and such I suppose you could say~" A low grunt from Dave signalling his own greeting before Marcuss continues, blinking at Rainer. "Hm? It is! I... Hope it is at the least? We put out the word to the Freeswords... But yes! The Plan..."

Marcuss motions the group into the cave as he begins to motion to a being sized hole in the wall with a grin. "This is the entrance to the cave from what we can tell, we've had one expedition go in and not come out so we're assuming it has at least -one- hostile inside of it. We're not foolish though, so we've got plenty of rope here now that you can tie around your waists, torches and a few lanterns, and plenty of medical supplies here for anyone who gets hurt." Dave finally deeming to speak as he stands and walks over to the group. "Now, I would give you the medical supplies... But this is all we have. I wont risk loosing it, and going home from this broke... So any injured that need immediate treatment should make their way back to the camp. That being said, payment for our group will be an even split amongst everyone present. Marcuss and myself will guard the entrance to keep others from coming behind you and sinking a dagger into your back to try and steal the treasure, and you guys kill whatever is inside, and return with the goods."

Fenris rolls his eyes and grins at the explanation. "Fine, Fine," he says, "I can deal with that." The tiger raises his arm and whistles and a bronze hawk, flashing in the last rays of daylight, alights on his wrist. He transfers the golem to his shoulder and turns back to the group. "Shall we?" he asks, then looks back to the brothers as he starts toward the entrance. "Anything we should be watching for?" he asks, taking up a torch, "Local legends or stories?"

"Kill whatever is inside?" A malicious smile crosses his face. "Sure. Long as it ain't children." He shrugs, drinks more of his alcohol. Whiskey, probably. "Keep your medicine, I won't need it." Thel drops his flask into a pocket on the interior of his coat. Leans against his spear and pulls his mask on. "Any traps? Or just living things?" Thel steps forward, in front of Fenris. "Let me go first." Not phrased as a question, though Fenris being a higher rank... Off duty anyway.

Rainer presses a hand to his face and drags it down slowly through the course of the briefing, but when it at last drops away to dangle at his side he's grinning quite confidently. "We'll do better than that!" He thrusts a hand towards the sky, curling his fingers to make a fist only once his arm is stretched to its limit. "We'll find that other team, too! Famous treasure hunters -and- heroes, this is gonna be -great-!" The mutt zips up to lean in between Theler and Fenris, smiling at each of them in turn, oh-so-sweetly. "Look I know we work together so this is going to be a bit awkward, but I'm a seasoned expert at this sort of thing, so if it's all the same I'll just do my own thing and you guys can try to keep up." Kalt gets a more sincere grin, "No offense." To Sara and Lucasiel, he snaps his fingers and gestures dismissively. "Ladies~ I look forward to seeing what you're capable of!"

Lucasiel places her fist on her hip and grins at Rainer. "I look forward to seeing what you're made of, too, wolfman! Try not to trip on anything!" She gives a jolly laugh and gestures ahead with the pommel of her axe. "Yes, let us go!" She turns and decides to try to help take the lead, given her immense armour and shield.

"Mm.. sounds reasonable enough, always did enjoy an even split." Sara states, her voice however seeming indifferent to the reward at the end, simply trying to get away from the city. Either way, the lizard makes her way to the cache of equipment and while leaving the medicine, she does however take a bundle of rope which is slung over her shoulder, and a torch, both items stowed carefully underneath the safety of the cloak. "Hrm.. well, not sure what's in that cave, but I'm not going to be dying while in it. That's for damn sure.." With that out of the way, she makes her way to the mouth of the cave and looks to the gathered folks and gives each a brief nod.

Kalt rolls her eyes at Rainer, and joins sara in picking up some rope and a torch. "Don't you go worryin' miss. I ain't bout to let any folk go dyin' on us in here." The Vixen smiling and giving her a pat on the shoulder before joining the group at the entrance, carrying the rear.

Marcuss nods slightly to the group and chuckles, shaking his head gently. "I uh... Don't know. We didn't go inside, so there could be well... Anything in there. But -please- be safe! I'd rather not have a second party go missing, and if you do find the first that would be amazing!"

Without anything to stop the group, they'd find the entrance to be wide enough for one person to enter at a time... And even then, crouching would be a good idea so the taller folk do not smack their heads on a piece of a jagged rock! Not more than ten feet in, it'd go completely dark as well it seems...

Fenris laughs at Thelergramor. "Whatever you like, Smiley," he chuckles at Thelergramor's masked face before turning a genuine smile to Rainer, "I will do my best to keep up, Rainer." The tiger steps aside to let the others go first, ready to take up the rear. "I hardly need to be first," he says, waving a hand and watching seven little balls of light ignite one by one and circle his head in a wide halo. He relocates his feathered golem to his shoulder and waits his turn to enter.

Thelergramor holds his spear out in front of him, keeping it steady as he steps towards the opening. Glances over his shoulder at the others and at Fenris' light. At the rate he is moving, it wouldn't be hard for someone to pass him and go first. Just walking nonchalantly, aside from the spear, toward the entrance. No words from the wolf.

Rainer huffs a laugh with a look fired off at Lucasiel. "Well, no promises." Turning to the cave, he nods his silent appreciation to Fenris and follows Theler in, pausing just a moment at the mouth of the cave for a look back at the rest of the group and the outside world in general. "...y'know, you guys could have been digging out this opening a bit while you were standing around all day waiting for people to get here~" he grumbles with his voice raised to carry back outside as he presses inward and quickly finds his movement hindered by the cramped quarters.

It seems like Luca wouldn't be taking up the front! Well, that was alright with her. She'd still be standing when all was said and done, anyway, so she settles in line and starts to make her way through as her elemental serpent coalesces into existance behind her.

"I ain't useless either." Sara answers Kalt, "I'll do my best to keep everyone safe as well as I am able." the lizard-woman continues before looking to the low cave entrance and mumbling, "Well.. fortune favours the bold." before passing through the entrance. As she moves, her crimson gaze falls on the low hanging stalagtites and weaving out of the way as she passes by. "Mm.. would make the job a bit easier atleast." As the light begins to dim Sara begins rooting through her few possessions and pulls both the torch, and a tinderbox, and sets the torch aflame before holding it out and casting it's bright glow about the darkened cave.

As they push into the cave, the sounds of grumbling come from the sparrows behind them at Rainer's words. Fenris' light and Sara's lights illuminating the path for everyone as they move. The Cave itself rather cramped, and honestly smelling like something may have used it as a bathroom, but thankfully it only needs to be suffered for a few more feet before opening up into a large room of sorts! It's not man made, but plenty large enough to accomodate everyone inside of it, with a continuing path leading down a few more feet, before turning into what appears to be a dim light... It's hard to see from this spot though.

Kalt carrying up the rear behind Sara as she chuckles and shrugs. "Alrighty then, I'll still be goin' an' keepin' a watch. I ain't a fan of any folk dyin' in here an' such." The Vixen doing her best to just stay behind the group, better to follow them after all!

Fenris shoves his hands in his pockets and saunters after, now somewhere in the middle of the group. He looks around the big cave and waves a hand, sending three of his little lights soaring into the corners of the cave. "Natural, you think?" he asks with a little wrinkle of his nose, "Stinks like efreet in here."

Thelergramor adjusts his mask, pulls his scarf over the 'beak' of said mask. Couldn't smell anything aside from the herbs within his mask. "Efreet? What?" He glances around, looks toward the continuing path, again planning to lead when everyone is ready to proceed.

Rainer screws up his face, aiming the resultant Funny Look at Fenris. "I wouldn't attribute that smell to feet, unless you're saying one of us tracked it in, in which case... wasn't me!" He's already worming his way between people, making his way towards the bend in the tunnel, because when you've seen one cave, you probably presume to have seen them all. Pausing next to Theler he sniffs twice, looks around, and makes a few quick, accusatory pointing gestures at the older wolf.

Lucasiel remains fairly quiet, as she often does while out in the field. The narrow passage makes her uncomfortable. She might be well protected, but as she was, she had no room to operate, and it was a rather claustrophobic experience.

With the scarf wrapped around her, the smell of dulled considerably and leaves Sara quite oblivious to the 'droppings'. Instead the lizard simply disregards the mention on efreets with a faint, "Oh?" and continues on and makes her way through the few remaining feet of the cramped tunnel before breathing a heavy sigh of relief once she's out. As soon as she's able, Sara sets the torch aside momentarily and stretches, getting rid of the stiffness that low cave had brought. "Well.. glad to be rid of that. Now.. where do we go from here?"

"I ain't carrin who, or what went an' made that stink. It ain't the worst out there, an' it'll be least worryin' thing M'figurin. Ain't knowin' what an Efeeter is either, but can't be somethin' we ain't able to beat." The Vixen more than confident in everyone's ability as she looks around. "Should probably keep goin' an' such I figure."Near the bend, a slow pitter patter can be heard if one listens for long enough, before a single lizard pads around the corner. Maybe two

"I ain't carrin who, or what went an' made that stink. It ain't the worst out there, an' it'll be least worryin' thing M'figurin. Ain't knowin' what an Efeeter is either, but can't be somethin' we ain't able to beat." The Vixen more than confident in everyone's ability as she looks around. "Should probably keep goin' an' such I figure."

Near the bend, a slow pitter patter can be heard if one listens for long enough, before a single lizard pads around the corner. Maybe two feet long in it's length, and not much larger, it's only distinguishing feature was the two horns curving from the back of it's head. It lets out a dry sounding croak then as it begins to walk forward near Thel and Rainer, investigating the two it seems.

"Watch yourselves!" Fenris says, "These are volcanic efreets. They are fire breathers!" He saunters forward with that easy smile on. "Best to be ready for them," he says as he prepares to repel some fire if the things get angry.

Thelergramor glares at the lizard, now knowing it breathes fire, he casts a shaded hex on himself. Trying to look scary by wreathing himself in shadow. Draws his pistol and levels it at the lizard while taking a step back. "...Kill it?"

Rainer stops in his tracks and goes wide-eyed in amazement at the sight of the beastie. "Wooooaaah...!" said in hushed tones, cautious not to startle the thing even before Fenris has had the chance to utter his warning. "Geeze, Thel." He's firing a disapproving look at the elder wolf seconds later, "You ever met someone whose throat you didn't immediately think about slitting? ...sorry, that's harsh... but c'mon."

Lucasiel keeps her shield at the ready, peering down at the little lizard. "No need to attack it yet. It's just curious. But we are larger and in numbers. It will -probably- not mess with us alone. But stay on guard."

"They've yet to cause any harm, and honestly.. I'm not looking forward to seeing how many more are simply waiting in the shadows to defend those just trying to look at the new arrivals." Sara responds as she makes her way closer to the two efreets and kneels close to one, her crimson gaze looking over the other lizard. "Frankly, I've yet to see a non-hostile one before.. well.. these. Always seemed to enjoy ambushing me in all of my attempts to climb the mountain."

Kalt shrugs gently as she walks around the group, hands on her hips as she sighs and rubs her head. "Aw... I ain't figurin' it's hurtin' nuttin. Probably best to just go walkin' round it if'n it ain't payin' us no mind." The Vixen's tail swishing as she looks to the bend in the path ahead. "Keep goin?"

The little lizard doesn't seem intimidated by Thel's shadows, instead more interested in his gun! The little guy peeking in closely, before he pulls his head back and lets out a loud and triumphant little call like he found a pot of gold, before shooting a small jet of flame up the barrel to ignite the powder charge... Incidentally, causing his own death from Thel's gun. These poor lizards just want to watch the world burn after all, and flammable material is their most -favorite- things!

Fenris shakes his head at the poor little reptile. "That ought to call others," he says, "We had better get moving." The tiger saunters after Kalt and sending a pair of lights zipping ahead. "There will be more, I am sure," he says.

Thelergramor blinks several times at this development. Brushes some lingering flame from his glove. "Probably, Fenris." Thel sets about beginning the lengthy process of reloading his wheel lock pistol. Rotates the dog to the safe position, pushing open the priming pan. Loads the powder charge and ball through down the barrel, takes his spanner and places it on the square part of the wheel shaft, turning it until the click is heard. Withdraws his spanner. Primes the pan with powder, shuts the cover, and pulls the dog back to the firing position.

Rainer cringes away from the gunshot, belatedly clapping his hands over his ears. When the moment has passed and the lizard lays in a lifeless heap on the cave floor he takes a moment to shake his head with a glance spared to Theler that seems to silently ask the question 'are you happy now?' He falls into step behind Kalt and Fenris without a word.

Lucasiel frowns a little behind her helmet. Poor little thing, but it did sort of cause it, itself. She heaves a gentle sigh and scurries after the front, slipping her battle axe onto her back to free up her hand for the sword at her side. It'd be far more useful in a cave like this. If she needed it.

As the lizard she had been watching kills itself with Thelergramor's weapon Sara steps away from the other efreet, gathers up her torch, and goes running off after Fenris, taking his warning to heart. As she moves, Sara pulls her own pistol from the belt it had been resting in and keeps it readied should the shot of Thelergramor's pistol bring more creatures.

As the group begins to move faster now, those who lingered their gaze on the lizzard would get to watch it's body begin to immolate from within, until it turned completely to ash. The path ahead of them unobscured, and as they turned the corner, they came face to face with what must have had killed the first group... An egg chamber. Dozens, upon dozens of small eggs line floor along small cracks radiating heat into the air. Thankfully, the thought of them all jumping out and killing the group was silly. What was less silly however, was the dozen full grown efreet's like the one before, just watching them. The charred skeleton of what had to have been a bird being before them, egg clutched in his grasp as it seems he tried to run off with one, given the academy's high price to be paid for the rareties.

"Well," Fenris says quietly, "That is exciting." His little smile does not falter, but he starts to carefully rehearse a bit of air magic to push the heat away from the group. "Move quickly and smoothly," he says, "Leave the eggs alone. If they attack we will worry then, but for now, just scuttle through like the little lizards we are. Don't be THAT poor soul." The tiger continues his easy saunter through the cavern, hoping that the lizards will see that he is both confident and not threatening. That is totally going to work. For sure.

Thelergramor is singularly unimpressed by the combustion. "Damn. Was hoping they're edible... And, Rainer, not my fault that happened..." Follows along with the group.

Still wreathed in shadow, the wolf chuckles as he catches sight of the dozen or so efreeti before him. No motion from Thel as he prepares some more dark magic. Specifically, he's going to try to rack their fragile little minds with Midnight Terrors if they show any indication of attacking. "Fenris, your plan is shit. Sorry." Follows along behind Fenris.

"What's exciting? I wanna see what's exciting! Gaaah, this is why adventuring is supposed to be the loneliest vocation!" Rainer struggles to contort himself to see over or around Fenris, until the vixen and tiger finally advance enough to allow him into the egg room. "...Oh... wow." Only a nudge from behind gets him moving again, and even then he takes his sweet time, not for concern of stepping somewhere he shouldn't and agroing the swarm, just... taking in the sight. Theler even only gets a distracted "uh huh, right" that sounds like he didn't really hear anything except his name, and then the young canid steps out of the way and bends over, getting a close look at what's left of the avian. "...dang, so much for being a hero, I guess."

Noticing the bird corpse atop the efreeti nest Sara nods to herself, "Right.. no touching the eggs then. Wonder what could've brought that bird to touch it anyways.." obviously oblivious to the price of efreeti eggs. "Guess he was hungry or something.." she mumbles to herself before shrugging and continuing on, following close to Fenris, mumbling "I guess we know what attacked the earlier group." as she moves away from the nest.

Lucasiel glances over the egg room, letting out a thoughtful hum before her eyes settle on the skeleton. "What a shame. Hmm. Yes, no touching the eggs." She turns her eyes back ahead, furrowing her brow at Thel as she continues on. She'd rather avoid a fight with them altogether, honestly.

Noticing the bird corpse atop the efreeti nest Sara nods to herself, "Right.. no touching the eggs then. Wonder what could've brought that bird to touch it anyways.." obviously oblivious to the price of efreeti eggs. "Guess he was hungry or something.." she mumbles to herself before shrugging and continuing on, following close to Fenris, mumbling "I guess we know what attacked the earlier group." as she moves away from the nest. As the light breeze hits her Sara pulls off her cloak and silken scarf and swishes her tail slowly, obviously pleased with the sudden cool air in the naturally volcanic area. "Whoever summoned that. Thanks!"