Outside XIII: Spores of Corruption Dance in the Wind

[Hawkeye]

[Dusklands]

"Sure does. Come and take me."
Erin growls, all her usual shyness submerged by cold fury as she brings the staff down on the spider's back again!
"You're acting all scared, so big and tough but only when your adversary is alone. You know what? You're a Doubt. Your shadow is big, but when the light shines on you you're just a tiny pathetic little thing!"

A chuckle greets that outburst.

"Ah yes, the common misconception that light beats shadow. With quite a temper you quote the most rightly believed, and also the most grievous error of all. Why is it, then, that when light is most prominent during the day and can be created at night on the material plane that most organic life has a seemingly irrational fear of the dark? When it can be so easily dispelled? Light can not exist on it's own, only with darkness and shadows to counterbalance it can it exist, it is a positive and negative relation sweetie. And those with the right knowledge of the obvious truth can exploit this, those of dark should not be afraid of the light, more over those of the light should be afraid of the dark"

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave - East Dungeon, Basement 1st floor

Her bloody and raw hands get wrapped up, which is good, because now they're no longer bleeding. But the cloth's bloodsoaked now.

Cerridwen, who is way too talkative for her own good, doesn't say much and follows Reinholdt back the way they came.

Some of the gorillas make angry growling noises as they pass, and some of the obviously undead stick their hands out of the bars, wanting to be saved as well.

It's rather creepy, if you ask me.

Reinholdt's done creepier things. Sadly.

They continue on in silence then, obviously not having much to say.

If they get all the way to the crawlspace, Reinholdt will look at Cerridwen. "Will you be able to fold your wings in and fit through?" He really hopes so.

[XtheYeti]

[Dusklands]



A chuckle greets that outburst.

"Ah yes, the common misconception that light beats shadow. With quite a temper you quote the most rightly believed, and also the most grievous error of all. Why is it, then, that when light is most prominent during the day and can be created at night on the material plane that most organic life has a seemingly irrational fear of the dark? When it can be so easily dispelled? Light can not exist on it's own, only with darkness and shadows to counterbalance it can it exist, it is a positive and negative relation sweetie. And those with the right knowledge of the obvious truth can exploit this, those of dark should not be afraid of the light, more over those of the light should be afraid of the dark"

If this is out loud.

Seriously. The sound of your voice annoys me. Shut up. You don't matter. Show up so I can put bullets in you.

If it's not out loud, Richard says nothing.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave - Dungeon, B1

You're right, that is sad. In fact, it makes me cry now.

The fae is thinner, as well, so she could definitely fit. But her wings appear to be just large enough that they will probably tear if she tries to go through.

She looks down at the hole, and shakes her head...which is better than nothing.

Miss Iceshimmer, confident that she can't fit through the crawlspace, walks to the iron door, which is closed still, looking out that window-hole at the top.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave - Dungeon, B1

Aww... don't cry. He's mostly better. I think.

Reinholdt looks at the door. It's barred on the other side by really heavy iron, right? He's not sure he can get it open. He's downright certain he's got nothing to get the door open. Well maybe that staff weapon he got for free might work on it, but he can't access that staff.

And trying to blow up the crawlspace with a grenade to make it bigger is just stupid and liable to trap them.

He looks around. Maybe there's something around that could help somehow? Besides a chained up gorilla. While those things may be able to beat down the door, they can also beat him up just as easily. And he is more fragile than a door.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

Nope, I'm not crying.

Yes, blowing it up could work, but since they're under a mountain, it's more than likely going to trap them somehow.

Looking around, there's not much, besides the gorillas and undead, on this floor that he can see in the light, who can help him. Maybe there's something in the darkness who can help?

Regardless of whether Reinholdt the Treasure Hunter thought of that, or not, Cerridwen thought of it. She turns away from the door, and takes a right turn, going down into the darker area to find someone who can open the door and who isn't a large gorilla.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

*blink*
*blink*
"Hey! Where're you going?" Reinholdt jogs after her. "Haven't you heard of not splitting up. And not going into dark places alone? Or ever if it can be helped."

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

The fae doesn't turn back to him or slow down. Rather, she keeps on going, her wings shimmering with a slight glow, enough to see glimpses at what's in the cells, as the lights grow sparser and darker.

If he continues to follow, he'll find that, in these cells, are less undead and beasts. There's more humanoid shapes, who are probably living, who cower before the little glow, or flee back into the darkness when they hear them approaching, or are too covered up to see what they are.

And, Cerridwen continues walking, not paying them any heed.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

Reinholdt's starting to wonder if letting these creatures out is a good idea. They could be real villains after all and he just fell for the oldest damsel in distress trick in the book.

Plus Miss Iceshimmer is starting to be as creepy as those girls.

"Do you know where you're going?"
Reinholdt continues to follow.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

Well, you've got to hand it to them that every single thing in here (besides Reinholdt, and that wizard-armor-guy in the Ballroom) has been stuck in here for the past couple centuries. You'd get creepy too, if you were trapped in here for so long.

And don't ask me how a hundred year old gorilla is still alive, because I don't know.

Cerridwen doesn't answer, because she feels that she doesn't need to.

That, and she stops in front of a cell that has a figure huddled in the corner, who can barely be seen in the dim light from her wings.

She looks at Reinholdt, then points at the double lock on the cell door. It seems she wants him to open it.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

Magic curses are usually good for sustaining people indefinitely, especially if they're locked away like this. Gorillas too!

No respect I tell ya. And he just let her out too. "Fine fine. So... who is this?" Reinholdt steps up and starts working on picking the locks, feeling like he's become a water boy or something of the sort, but with lockpicks.

While he's working on the locks, he'll try to get a closer look at the figure in the cell.

[Darkcomet]

[Dusklands]

DC apologizes, he has been distracted as of late by computer games. <.<

Trent gets webbing shot at him. There is now webbing on his armor. This is not as debilitating as it would be, given that he is armored and all that (and apparently didn't get it on his head), and still able to point his laser rifle toward the spider creation that attacked him. "I liked it better when this was one on one!"

The spider gets the same treatment the last one did, that being the full-auto laser rifle fire treatment.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

Magic curses...that's the story I'm going to go with. Three or four of them are magically cursed; mostly, the gorillas.

The locks should be thankfully simple and easy, compared to Cerridwen Iceshimmer's chains. They should be unlocked in no time.

As he gets a better look, he'll be able to see that it's a man with a gaunt face, who seems to be terrifed of either Reinholdt or the fae. One of the two, or maybe something else, is making him frightened. And, he's whimpering, as well.

Cerridwen doesn't answer - after all, the last time gave a name, she had to write it in blood.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave Dungeon, B1

Right. Lessee what we have.

• Dungeon with questionable quest goals given by questionable quest giver.
• Dungeon ruled by a skeleton king.
• Three creepy sister lords, one thankfully dead already.
• A fae imprisoned here for hundred+ years.
• A fae who has only been able to speak with blood.
• A fae who is frightening another prisoner.
• Random gorillas.

Warning signs are just signaling everywhere that danger abounds and it may very well be in the form of a seven foot tall faerie.

"So... what's your name there then? Who are you?" Reinholdt asks the man as the locks come undone and he goes to open the door.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

You know what? That seems to fit perfectly, and it seems to fit the mood that I've wanted both times someone's been in here.

He unwillingly gets up and walks towards the door of the cell, by Reinholdt, while avoiding making a gaze with the fae. "I-I am Sir N-n-ninteli," he stutters.

Then, he looks at Cerridwen, and seems even more frightened now, and (almost) hyperventilates.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

"Well Sir Ninteli, can you tell me why you and the other prisoners were locked up here?" Reinholdt maneuvers just a bit to stand in a position where Ninteli can look at him and answer without having to look at Cerridwen.

He's hoping for clues as to why Ninteli is so scared of the fae.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

"We...uh...we...I d-don't know about everyone else. P-probably murderers. I was l-locked up for treason." He doesn't need to look at Cerridwen now, but all it succeeds in doing is making his terrified looks that much more obvious.

It seems she is doing something that's making him even more scared. Although, if Reinholdt turns and looks, he'll see that she's still standing stoicly still.

Except, the light of her wings are dimming, which sucks because, at the moment, they're the only source of light close enough and bright enough that allow visibility. They're dimming slowly, though, and have been for a short while, so it's hardly noticeable.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

"Treason against whom? And relax, please." He almost says "you're safe now" but feels that isn't the case.

Reinholdt hasn't noticed the dimming. Quite yet. Perhaps soon.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave Dungeon East, B1

"Treason against...against the..." He kinda trails off right now, and is looking, transfixed, at the fae, whose wings are now at half brightness and the rate is rapidly increasing now.

He doesn't finish yet. It should be completely dark next post, by the way, going at the rate it's dimming at.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave Dungeon East, B1

Reinholdt has no choice... he has to summon a flashlight.
What? You didn't think he'd be a proper Treasure Hunter without a flashlight or 50 in his hammerspace, did you?
The one he's picking is particularly bright.

But it's going to take time to get it from his hammerspace cause of the magic-dampening, which means there's going to be a short period of darkness before he can switch on the light.

So he backs up a bit to buy himself time should things go sour. "You may consider running as an option Sir Ninteli. I've found it quite valuable in my travels."

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

The flashlight eventually illuminates the darkness; Reinholdt may find that Ninteli is no longer there. In fact, he's no longer anywhere. And there wasn't even a sound that hinted where he went. Hence, no answer from him.

But Cerridwen is still in the same spot. And, as soon as the flashlight beam hits her wings, they start to recharge their glow. They just work like that; they use stored light to shimmer and glow.

Cerridwen doesn't seem perturbed that Ninteli's gone, but she looks right at Reinholdt.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

...
...
"He should've ran."

And with that, Reinholdt about faces and runs as fast he can back towards the stairs that Red took earlier.

Ruuuuuun awaaaaaaaaaay!!!

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon B1

As Reinholdt's running...
"Hey, wait," says a voice that sounds feminine, like it came from a 7 ft tall fairy with rainbow shimmery wings.

That's right, she just talked in Ninteli's text color. But she doesn't follow him yet.


As Reinholdt runs, it gets lighter and brighter, if he nears the stairs and the words written in blood and not deciding to listen to the fairy and wait.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon B1

"But... but... but..." You're really creepy and the lights went out and you ATE THE GUY'S EXISTENCE and I want to get away ASAP and never come back here and where's Melody and mommy...

After running a few paces, Reinholdt slows down enough to look behind him. If the fae doesn't look ready to pounce on him and eat his voice, he'll stop and turn around, so long as there's still a fair amount of distance between them, to give him time to bolt again.

Reinholdt sure likes keeping his distance from people. No wonder he has relationship issues.

"Alright. What happened to the not so knightly knight?"

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

She starts taking long, slow steps towards him. Well, they seem slow, because they're so large, though she covers the same amount of ground as someone walking normally.

"He had to go," she says.

Reinholdt can tell where she is in the darkness, because of her shimmering rainbow wings. "His mother was calling for him."

So, the question is, Creepy fae who eats your voice and existance? Creepy girl who eats your dreams? Or creepy armor guy who you don't even know if he's really in there in the first place?
Reinholdt has really trapped himself between three creepies...

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

Well Reinholdt will happily keep his flashlight on her as he takes steps backwards. Faster smaller ones.

"So what do you want from me? Why ask me to wait?"

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1
(Which, honestly, this title reminds me of Zelda)

She continues to take large enough steps.

"Well, we were going to leave now, weren't we?" the fae Iceshimmer asks, with a hint of uncertainty about whether he was going to do it or not.

About now, Reinholdt should be passing the door/hole in the wall, unless you want him to be further.

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave East Dungeon, B1

That's fine.
"And how were we going to get past the door? You said you couldn't fit through the crawl space."

He's stopping for now, though one hand's holding the flashlight and the other is rather close to his gun.

[Je dit Viola]

Mountain Cave, East Dungeon, B1

"Well, I would open it, of course," she says, pretending to sound innocent. I don't think she's very convincing, personally.

She continues to step, and gets in front of the door now.
Which, she stops walking, in front of.

"So are we going to go now, or not?"

[Reinholdt]

Mountain Cave, East Dungeon, B1

"We can. I still have other things here that I still need to do in here. I mean, you seem capable of handling yourself, so we can split up here if you'd like."