Shackled City - Crash'n'Burn [IC]

[Smeggedoff]

The staircase ends at a forty-foot-square room with a ten-foot-high ceiling. A slight draft blows into the from a ten-foot-wide open passage in the far wall, directly across from the stairs. Two four-foot-diameter circular doors are set into the middle of the south wall. Each door is made of wood and framed with a ring of mortared stones. The westernmost door is closed and inscribed with a strange glyph. The easternmost door bears a different glyph but rests half-open. The half-open door reveals an iron rim of gearlike teeth, and a dim light spills from the chamber beyond. Mounted to the walls of the room are twelve tarnished copper masks. The masks are two feet tall and cling four feet above the floor. Each one depicts a smiling gnome's visage. The soft giggling, chirping, and rustling noises seem to pour from the very walls.

It seems to be a humanoid shape of medium size wrapped in a curtain and tied tightly with rope

[Kish]

Irieonna carefully cuts the rope with her axe edge.

[meltodowno]

Terrence was more interested by the bundle, watching on as Irieonna cut it open.

"What is it? Is food? Can Terrence have some?"

He stepped closer, tail wagging absently.

[TheDragonmaster]

As soon as the bundle is touched, the creature inside rouses and immediately jerks away, though in its bound state, it does not get very far. From it rises a hoarse but surprisingly loud voice.

"Unhand me, spawn of darkness!"

[Kish]

Irieonna stares at the bundle. "That sounds more like a person and less like...the other things that might have been in that bundle," she comments. She stays a few feet from the now-rope-cut bundle, her axe upraised, still ready to slash if it turns out to be a trick and a monster attacks her from the bundle. "Who are you, tied-up person?" She pays no attention to what Steel Wind is doing in the meantime.

[TheDragonmaster]

The demon talks back... there are more of them?

The humanoid creature in the bundle struggles in vain to free itself while replying, making no attempt to hide the enmity in its coarse voice.

"Who am I? Who are you, evildoer? Release me at once!"

[meltodowno]

"Can we put it back in the sack?" Terrence asked of Irieonne "It rude and stupid. And not even look tasty."

Terrence half snarled as he walked away. He had about had it with presumptuous adventurers for the day whom were too blind to see when they were been helped. Perhaps he should be an evildoer, since that seemed to be the general consensus ?

He shook his head to himself.

No. Rescue the children. That's the priority. Let the idiots take care of themselves.

[lonewolf1210]

Noticing that the others did not follow him, Steel Wind stands perfectly still at the base of the stairs, closely watching his surroundings until the others join him.

[Kish]

Glancing back at the pixie, Irieonna replies, "I'm Irieonna. I'm a dwarf with an axe. I have cut the ropes holding you, so perhaps you'll explain who and what you are and, more importantly, why you're tied up directly under the locksmith's." She keeps her axe raised, still prepared for another Skulk or something equally nasty to come out of the bundle.

[TheDragonmaster]

The bundle's movements calm down, but the voice from within remains its agitated edge through the ever hoarser tone (or lack thereof).

"I will not be threatened; if you really are not my abductors then free me at once!"

I am assuming here that cutting a single rope was not enough for the bindings to unravel and that my character requires further help to be able to free herself... invoking the Rule of Funny more than referencing some insight about the nature of this particular piece of erotic bondage.

[Kish]

Irieonna looks for more visible ropes. If she finds them, she'll cut them with her axe. Then she keeps standing back with her axe ready.

[meltodowno]

Terrence eventually caught up with Steel Wind.

"Find something?" Terrence inquired, as he peered off towards wherever Steel Winds gaze had fallen.

[TheDragonmaster]

I take it the only available light source is diffusely reflected light from a Sunrod carried past a 20 ft. flight of stairs, which would likely cast the room in gloomy lighting at most but still provide some visibility... which is practical, since while being the only sightless character in the darkness would add to my character's awkward and helpless first impression, that may have been driven in enough to have lost its comedic value at this point :smalltongue:.
Feeling the tension of the bindings loosen, the humanoid creature makes a new attempt at breaking free, now managing to shake off the cut ropes. Rising to a kneeling position as it tediously unravels the heavy blanket from its person, the head and soon upper body of a female human appears. Swiftly adapting to the darkness, the woman's bloodshot eyes wander over her two rescuers top to toe before she finishes freeing herself of the wrappings.

A sprite? She sure sounds larger and scarier than she looks.

Tall by human standards, the woman stands up fully to tower over the dwarf who cut her bonds. Covered in dust and dirt and clothed only in an armless shirt paired with short breeches and heavy boots, much of her skin is exposed, showing extensive bruising. Immensely muscular and without much in the form of feminine curves, her form is almost a little displeasing to look at, as if out of proportion. A streak of dried blood stains her already dark hair just above the brow, and the dried remains of a trickle of blood runs down her cheek, providing a grim accent to her angular facial features. Parting and closing her dry lips several times before fully forming a sentence, she finally speaks, addressing Irieonna.

"I am Tania, dwarf, knight of Dol Arrah."

She pauses, stretching as she thinks of what to add.

"What is this place, and what is your purpose here? And who might you be?"

She turns her head towards the fey with a poorly masked look of suspicion.

I assume most of Tania's equipment has been taken from her, at least the bundle containing her weapons... is this assumption correct, and in that case, is her beat-up backpack also missing?

[Kish]

"This place is where recent kidnap victims were taken. Children, that is, and a giant rat, not adult humans as far as I know. I'm not a knight, or a day either," Irieonna says dryly, "but the Flamebearers sent myself and Terrence to retrieve those who had been kidnapped."

[TheDragonmaster]

I guess Tania will just assume Melodia is named Terrence for now :smallsmile:.
Tania's expression slowly goes blank as she hears Irieonna's explanation. Feeling the blood rush to her face, she bows deeply before the dwarf in an exaggerated show of respect, partially to hide her face.

"I utterly misjudged you, Flamebearers; please accept my gratitude for freeing me, and allow me to join with your cause."

The knight kneels to search through the rest of the bundle, looking down to further avoid eye contact. Surprised to find her equipment virtually undisturbed, she swiftly and methodically restores everything to its proper place after digging a half-filled waterskin out of her backpack. Standing, she empties it completely before continuing, her voice regaining a measure of its strength.

"I too have heard rumours of the kidnappings, but I had yet to find a lead to pursue... at least before being captured myself. It seems stumbling upon an abduction in progress was a highly mixed blessing."

The woman's face grows stern as she remind herself of her recent failure. Stowing the waterskin, her hands subconsciously wander to correct the worn equipment.

In case one wonders, apart from the backpack Tania's equipment consists of a voulge-guisarme, a strung slightly deflexed long self bow, an undecorated staff and a shovel, all strapped on the back under the backpack. From the backpack hangs a small cylindrical leather case and a quiver of long arrows with grey fletching. She wears no clothing or decorations beyond what was mentioned earlier, apart from a painted wooden octagram strung on a leather cord around her neck and a string of what looks like prayer beads wrapped tightly around the left hand.

[Kish]

Irieonna slants her gaze at the seemingly-unresponsive fae before she says, "I'm sure we're glad to have you along, Tania." She turns to walk to the top of the stairs and look down on the room below. She purses her lips in a whistle and says in a voice Tania (and Melodia...if applicable...) can definitely hear, "Beware the doors with teeth."

[meltodowno]

Terrence turned at the whistle, not hearing the uttered warning, and left Steel Winds side to rush back to Irieonna.

"What wrong?" he rumbled "Bag man cause trouble?"

[TheDragonmaster]

Somewhat puzzled by the cryptic words of caution, Tania looks to the pixie for a sign that she at least understood its meaning.

Hearing the commotion from downstairs, the knight spins around in time to see the monstrous lizardlike creature lunging up towards them. Irieonna's lack of reaction being the only thing keeping Tania from drawing a weapon, the paladin still backs off startled, adopting a defensive stance, back against the wall.

"What..?"

What is that thing?

Identifying its booming voice as the one advocating eating her earlier does little to ease her tension, though something about the creature makes her feel it might not be immediately hostile after all.

Is it wearing a bow? A pet of some sort then, perhaps one of the Talenta lizards?

Oh, and for the benefit of anyone not used to the formatting style I am using, "coloured text in quotation marks" is speech, italicised coloured text is thought/internal monologue.

[Kish]

"This is Tania, a knight of Dol Arrah," Irieonna tells Terrence. She elaborates on what she said, "It's part of a prophetic riddle the temple gave us. 'The locks are key to finding them,' which brought us to the locksmith. 'Look beyond the curtain,' which is why I looked in the back of the locksmith's shop and found that chameleon thing instead of waiting like a good guest. 'Below the cauldron,' I still don't know the meaning of. 'Beware the doors with teeth,' and we're looking at them. 'Descend into the malachite hold, where precious life is bought with gold. Half a dwarf binds them, but not for long."

I think she means Terrence, the voice in Irieonna's head says.

"Oh," Irieonna says in response to nothing anyone else heard. "Tania, this is Terrence. I'm not sure what he is, but I trust him."

[meltodowno]

Terrence tutted, and flicked his head to the staircase down.

"City is Cauldron. Below Cauldron that way." Terrence over simplified suggestion was presented as a matter of fact.

Terrence finally cast his eyes fully over the 'bag man' and he realised it was actually a female. For a fraction of a second Terrence looked like he was weighing up whether to trust the new person, but the tension swiftly vanished. At this point more strangers barely mattered.

"What Dol Arrah?" he finally asked. If he heard the statement about what he was, he didn't seem to acknowledge it. He had explained many times today already that he was a Terrence.

[Kish]

"Good thought," Irieonna says. She leaves answering the religious question to the knight.

[TheDragonmaster]

Rather matter-of-fact this monster, whatever its origin. A willingness to learn, however, is the first step towards enlightenment.

The knight answers the bluntly formulated question with a positive enthusiasm quite unlike her previously displayed attitude.

"Dol Arrah is a member of the Sovereign Host, the nine gods who oversee and guide all that is good and sound in the world, sister of Dol Dorn. As the patron of light and justice, she guides us in those times we need it most. I offer my worship to all members of the Host, but it is to her cause I have devoted my life."

After the short lecture, Tania turns to the dwarf.

"Are you saying we are below the city? And what of this locksmith you speak of?"

[Kish]

"Yes. The locksmith's shop is up there," she points to the ceiling. "He made the locks at the orphanage. The kidnappers are holding his pet rat hostage."

[Kish]

"Tania, can you guard the rear?" Irieonna moves to the top of the stairs. "Steel Wind, can you check for traps ahead of us?"

[TheDragonmaster]

Tania's head still filled with unanswered questions, not the least of which being the nature of what she presumes is yet another unseen member of the would-be rescue party, something about the way Irieonna phrases the request resonates with the knights sense of duty in a profound way. The dwarf seems to be composed, in control of the situation, in charge, and in her distraught state of mind, the paladin gladly grasps at the measure of structure provided by falling in line and following directions.

"Very well. Am I to assume you are expecting armed resistance?"

[meltodowno]

Terrence snorted back some laughter.

"Always armed. Always resistant. Someone left knight in bag. Left weapons .. probably has own."

[Kish]

"I still don't know exactly what the kidnappers are, though I fought some kind of weird chameleon man at the locksmith's. But I suspect they won't all run away when they see Terrence."

[TheDragonmaster]

The knight mumbles something for herself while following the others to the top of the descending staircase, her attention directed squarely towards curiously trying to spot who or what this 'Steel Wind' Irieonna talks to may be.

"Chameleon man... that does make sense..."

I feel we are currently waiting for something, but I am unsure of what exactly.