Revision as of 21:36, 30 April 2015

Participants

• Cara
• Cassidy
• Elijah
• Frio
• Jera
• Natska

Date

30/4/478

Log

Targustus nods to himself as he motions for the rest of the volunteers to gather around. "Many of you must be aware of the minning shafts below us... While we may be able to secure the elevator to prevent a sneak attack from the dastardly fiends here, I require eyes below to tell me if these abominations are attempting something below our hooves. Open rules of engagement of course, with full authorization to do whatever needs to be done, to ensure the safety of this area... As well, if you do happen across a private Schmuckatelli, directing him back for a court marshal would be appreciated, or if not permiting, merely gathering his tags."

Cassidy glances over at Natska, then to Targustus. "So today is... Recon and forward scout, then? Not an open field battle like last night? That'd be a relief, and I'm certainly happy to do what we can to prevent them from advancing from below." Stepping up next to Natska, she perks her ears. "You're not planning on going and taking the lead with all that armour now, are you?"

Cara nods and answers, "Sure, we can handle that. After all, this isn't the first time we've been down there, so we should be able to spot anything out of the ordinary." She turns to the group that is currently assembled, all of them being the same people that went with into the mines from last time and smiles, "It's good to have you on board for this, Elijah." The feline quickly turns to Natska and Jera for a second, "Well, the fennac has a point. It will get very hot down there and you might risk overheating."

The jaguar tilts her head, turning to look at Cara. Natska spends a moment considering her, then looks down at herself - thick, padded, reinforced gambison, pieces of heavy plate - then looks back up and smiles. "I'll be fine." She curls her fingers, getting reaccustomed to her gauntlets' flexibility. "And I plan on doing whatever I must do, Cassidy, to make sure we both come back out of the mines."

"You'd go to war in a bikini?" Jera quirked a brow at Cara. "Armor is part of me. They'll bring it back if I fall." She turns to Natska. "If things go south I'll cover the escape."

Elijah salutes again. "Yes, Sir!" he says, then turns with a grunt of greeting to join the group headed down into the caverns, his golem behind him. As soon as he is dismissed he produces a cigar and lights it, giving a puff or two to get it going. "It's not so bad," he says, smoke curling from his nostrils, "Kinda cozy if you ask me."

"Your duties are simple. Deny the enemy usage of the shafts below us, by any means necessary. This is a security risk I will -not- tolerate, nor excuse with the thoughts that they'd not utilize it. These things have no honor, no concious, and no hearts. So I ask of you small few, to be our spear in this endeavor. We shall keep the perimiter, and continue pushing back Craige probbing attacks with all the force we have. Long live the King!" The Large Equine offering a salute as he turns to one of his attendants and nods, the elevator being presented for the group to bring them down into the dark...

Cassidy shakes her head and folds her arms. "It's not the heat I was worried about! More what the implications of armour are. But I'll watch your back, Natska," she says, nodding along and moving to fall into position behind the jaguar. "I am ready to go."

Cara walks into the elevator along with the fennac and politely asks in a strangely high pitched voice, "I didn't get your names earlier when we first met and I heard about your home in Fireglow." She glances to the jaguar and asks, "Can I have your name as well?" Then glances to the kit fox, "You were with me when we went down to the mines earlier, so could you tell me your name too?"

"Natska Solacious," the jaguar replies, inclining her head to Cara. She gives Cassidy a bright smile, then moves into the elevator. "I know, hun. I'm not planning on being silly, but if someone has to protect you, it will be me."

"Jera. Jera Wirefur." Jera brings up her banner and she waves it once before strapping it behind her in place of her short bow. "Into the depths, then?"

"Long Live the King!" Elijah cheers in approval, then joins the others, shuffling into the shaft. Too bad that Stallion was a commanding officer. He was pretty easy on the eyes. The grizzly shakes those thoughts from his head as Dire Grizzly, or just Grizz for short clanks into the lift after him. The big being and golem make for a rather tight fit.

Frio says, "We shall raise the elevator in exactly two hours time, sounded by bell for you if you may hear it. May you go with grace, and majesty in this endeavor! Fear not, for the prodigy of the Targustus lineage shall be with you in spirit while defending this camp!" Dear lord what a long winded fellow this guy was, soon enough though, the elevator churns the group down into the depths... The dark of the mining shaft is only occassionally broken by the few still lit lamps down beflow, left after the hasty evacuation earlier. %r %rAt the bottom though, it seems there is just one path to take, the others boarded up with painted on words denouncing purposful collapses in some of the tunnels... As well, a single musket is leaned up against the entrance to the new tunnel, and a small barrel of blackpowder sits next to it."

"We shall raise the elevator in exactly two hours time, sounded by bell for you if you may hear it. May you go with grace, and majesty in this endeavor! Fear not, for the prodigy of the Targustus lineage shall be with you in spirit while defending this camp!" Dear lord what a long winded fellow this guy was, soon enough though, the elevator churns the group down into the depths... The dark of the mining shaft is only occassionally broken by the few still lit lamps down beflow, left after the hasty evacuation earlier.

At the bottom though, it seems there is just one path to take, the others boarded up with painted on words denouncing purposful collapses in some of the tunnels... As well, a single musket is leaned up against the entrance to the new tunnel, and a small barrel of blackpowder sits next to it.

"Cassidy Solacious," the fennec adds to Natska's greeting, settling in on the elevator and keeping close to Natska. She was going to protect the jaguar in turn. "Two hours... Should be plenty of time, hopefully. I'm a little surprised we're not just going to collapse this and be done with it, but... Whatever offers a more permanent solution."

Cara answers, "Thank you." She stops off of the elevator and begins to walk to the musket. "This probably belonged to the guy that we are looking for." The feline turns back to face everyone else and speaks, "There isn't any blood here. Do you think he might still be alive?"

Natska nods her head, heading down the tunnel. "Well, I believe part of the job is recon, love," she replies to Cassidy. "Although I hope they don't bring down a whole side of the mountain with their demolition." Her ear flicks, and then she looks over at Jera and nods her head. "Thank you for being out here, too, Jera. Thank you, too, Cara and Elijah. I appreciate it."

"We do not kill a weed by trimming its leaves. They just regrow, in full force, until our blades dull. I think they want to search for a permanent solution..." Jera smiles and nods her head at Natska. "I wouldn't risk any of you here for a Private."

Elijah snorts as he steps off the lift. "'Course, Lady," he says, "I'm always here for my country. An' Firebough is my mountain too. Don't like those things diggin' around in my mountain." He blows a bluish smoke ring and tramps forward. "Come on, Grizz," he rumbles.

The Tunnel is empty, and as Cara pointed out, free of signs of struggle or blood. Unlike everywhere else though, brightly lit lamps line the way for the group, as they are led through the winding path, a few dozen more yards in, another barrel of powder is clearly laying ready, an improvised fuse stuck inside of it. Seems whomever placed these, was aiming to set them next to support areas...

Even further ahead, the light begins to change, as the air begins to fill from steam as the group approaches the Geothermal Vents... The temperature was definantly rising greatly as well...

"Yeah, hopefully not, Natska," Cassidy says with a soft frown. "We're certainly finding the traces of a prepared demolition. That'll be useful to set on our way out, I guess, should we find it necessary. Though we might need to move them around."

Cara begins to feel the extreme heat. "Okay, it's really starting to get hot in here. This won't work at all." She steps back into a hidden crevice and quickly switches one of her soul gems to Hearth Magician. "This should help out a bit." Afterwards, she runs back to everyone else and speaks, "My name is Cara by the way."

Natska gives Cara a nod of aknowledgement, and continues down the hallway. The jaguar seems largely unphased by the heat, although she still moves at a slower, smooth pace to keep from over exerting herself as they move into the hotter part of the mines.

Jera seems quite affected by the heat. The elemental archer having to lean on her standard for a bit. Closing her eyes and murmuring something to herself that Elijah would most likely be able to recognize, looking slightly more reinvigored after that.

"Smart thinking, Schmuckatelli," Elijah says, looking at the prepped demolitions, "Worse comes to worst, we can blow the lce behind us on the way out." He blows another puff of bluish smoke and continues on the path. "Suck it up kids," he growls, "S'only gonna get hotter. Especially if we find what we're looking for. With our luck, the beasties'll swim in lava and fart flames." Despite his words, the burly bear does not seem to even notice the heat as he stumps along. He gives a sidelong glance at Jera, as if he expects something to happen, even though nothing does.

The farther inside they go, the more that large pools of steam spitting, boiling water begins to appear along the sides, before they make it into a large room filled with glowing blue crystals, and a large room is opened up for all to see! The floor is periously slippery from countless years of condensation and water smoothing it into such a perfect shine! The larger pools of cloudly boiling water tend to surround the outside of the room, and there in the middle is a single Clever folk Ram, missing half of his uniform... Private Shmuckatelli it seems, as he's kneeling infront of a large barrel of powder as he pants and seems to shake, the heat taking it's toll on him...

To those not affected by the heat, they'd certainly be feeling some sort of predatory eyes watching them, analyzing their every movement in the area...

Cassidy glances around the cavern, fingers flexing and brow furrowing. "I don't mind water, and I don't mind heat. But I hate hot water. It makes everything so... Stuffy," she says, wrinkling her nose, whiskers twitching. "Be on your guard, though. Something is... Watching. Preparing." So she makes a preparation of her own, swathing both herself and Natska in a bit of air magic.

Cara begins to sweat heavily and kneels down for a moment to concentrate on her math. She mutters under her breath, "Time for a water blessing." As she finishes the calculations, the small water magic begins to form, whether it spreads out to everyone else and aids them along with herself is up to chance due to the extreme heat.