Chapter 12: Shadows in the Dark

[Brian]

Condign quickly raises a hand, hoping to prevent anyone from answering. Taking care not to splash, he steps forward until he stands beside Histra. The woman looks so gaunt that the tiefling would be worried had he not witnessed her strange transformation.

He looks at Histra, then nods his head toward the captives. The gesture is unmistakable: Go ahead. You are in charge.

He then waits for her lead.

[Ken]

Belarin peers ahead, trying to get a better look, but he's unable to perceive any more details. As Condign moves up, he whispers, "Seems unlikely, doesn't it? It's either a lure, or they're trapped spirits, reliving past torment, just like the pair back at the bridge."

[Jeff]

"Sacrifices, I suspect, for the Whelmed, who will be coming soon." Histra's whisper is louder, and it makes the chained woman gasp with fright to hear whispered voices coming from the dark.

"Very much alive. We can, and should, do nothing for them. Leave them to their fate, and we may pass untroubled through the Gate."

[Ken]

Belarin slowly exhales and shakes his head, knowing what will come next. In the tiniest of whispers, he says to Histra, "You should have agreed with me."

[Joe]

"Why SHOULD we leave them to their fate? If I had left you to yours, we would all be in different circumstances now, wouldn't we? You especially. Of course, I doubt we have the strength to fight off a sustained attack from anything, so this would be a suicidal endeavor. Live to fight another day, or charge greedily into the jaws of certain death. The type of choice only the dead could love."

[Dave B.]

Shorak was waiting to see what decision was to be made regarding the chained humans. He assumed that's what Condign, Belarin and Histra were whispering about. He remains silent, but alert. He looks towards Streko and smiles when the halfling scolds Histra. So much bravado and courage residing in someone so small makes Shorak feel there is still much to live and perhaps, fight for. He moves closer, so everyone can discuss their current situation.

[Jeff]

Aug 19, 2015 20:47:10 GMT -4 Ken said:

Belarin slowly exhales and shakes his head, knowing what will come next. In the tiniest of whispers, he says to Histra, "You should have agreed with me."

Histra seems puzzled by this. She stops moving. And it occurs to Belarin that he's seen her be many things: instructive, brainy, blunt, scolding, even cruel. But he's never really seen her be furtive or deceptive. Her academic nature has generally led to truth-telling.

Her expression, made more forbidding by the unguent, hardens. "Are you seriously debating this matter?" she demands in a loud whisper, eyes narrowing as she regards Streko. "Live or die, indeed. You must discriminate to survive, in this world or ours, halfling."

Your party's many voices in the dark have quieted the two captives. They are straining to see the speakers, who apparently are arguing amongst themselves.

Histra turns back to Belarin, looking expectant. She is eager to continue on.

[Brian]

"This is difficult," Condign says to Belarin. "My heart says to help them, for no one deserves to die alone in this horrid place. But in helping them, we may likely die and get them killed in the process. Then eveyone loses, and these poor individuals are no better off." He hesitates. "We do not know why they are here, or how they came to be captured. Mayhap this is of their own doing. Also, I do not believe that we are rid of the yugoloth. We must not weaken ourselves further. It grieves me to say this, but we should leave them. What say you?"

[Ken]

Belarin's mind flashes back to the memory of the pleading fey creature he saw pulled into the walls of the maze... Khyber, was that only yesterday? ... He ignored it then. But was that a real, living being, too?

He looks at Condign and at Histra. "We move on, of course."

[Dave W.]

Adamant stops and looks at Histra, "I do not understand how this rests easy for you, but you must accept that this is more weighty for some. In fact it breaks my soul."

"My instinct is to try to save them of course. But Condign is also right. We will be fighting the yugoloth soon. I do not think we can survive both fights. I swore long ago... it seems a lifetime... to protect the friends of the elder Tavvens. I don't see how I can serve both my instinct and oath."

"My instincts have failed in this cursed place. If we were home... or not so badly damaged... or could hope for allies... ah, if, if, if..."

"The yugoloth is right; in a twisted way, my instincts cost us one friend already."

"I will choose my oath this time."

"If my fear is true and I, like Mevathari and her brother, am not allowed to leave Dulurrah I will come back." Adamant turns his head, unable to look at the victims. Only Streko is close enough to hear a small sound escape the tear in Adamant's neck.

---

Not my best post. Like Adamant, I'm pretty conflicted... though maybe not quite as melodramatic... of course I'm pretty sure I'm not dead so there's that...

[Joe]

Streko sighs and pats Adamant gently on the shoulder. "That your soul breaks, as does mine, is testament to your oath, your feelings and your beliefs. Do not EVER, DARE, doubt yourself, my friend. Your heart is greater than many of flesh and blood and, should our lives be spared, think of the wonderful good we may all accomplish outside this forsaken place. Leave it to the family of necromancers that worship this realm. They belong together like song and voice. Together, we live and together, we shall continue on living, despite the desperate attempts of some and the choices of others. You inspire me, Adamant, to do better. I wish my desire to help these poor souls was as deep as yours. Sadly, my desire to see my sister once more overshadows anything else right now."

[Dave B.]

Shorak nods his agreement. "it is hard, but we need to survive this." He turns to Histra. "How close will we pass them? Perhaps we can give them a weapon, at least? Just a thought. If you think that would be too much of a risk, then forget I suggested it."

[Darren]

Kal listens quietly as everyone debates the topic. As the conversation winds down, he gestures for Histra to lead the way around the captives, indicating that this party will not be mounting a rescue attempt this day. "Histra," he says quietly and conversationally, "how would they have been brought here in the first place? And who is likely to have brought them?"

[Jeff]

Aug 20, 2015 21:27:10 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

Shorak nods his agreement. "it is hard, but we need to survive this." He turns to Histra. "How close will we pass them? Perhaps we can give them a weapon, at least? Just a thought. If you think that would be too much of a risk, then forget I suggested it."

Histra merely shakes her head at this, and gestures before you. It doesn't look like you can circle around the captives, but go only just past them. Right past them.

Aug 21, 2015 9:34:10 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal listens quietly as everyone debates the topic. As the conversation winds down, he gestures for Histra to lead the way around the captives, indicating that this party will not be mounting a rescue attempt this day. "Histra," he says quietly and conversationally, "how would they have been brought here in the first place? And who is likely to have brought them?"

"I do not know. It doesn't matter."

Meanwhile, especially when Streko speaks, your voices reverberate across the water-filled tomb. Though still largely open to the sky, it feels like a sound chamber. You have no doubt that some of your words are reaching the ears of the two human captives, who stand in strained fear. Histra lets out a breath of irritation and, no doubt, struggles to hold her tongue in check. Belarin can see the anger smoldering in her.

As she leads the party on you see that the passage narrows before widening again into another chamber. You grow closer to the candlight issuing from the two sarcophagi the captives are bound to. They strain their eyes fearfully to try and perceive you; they do not benefit from darkvision like you. The Drowned before them continue to watch them hungrily but now some of them turn, noticing your approach.

Then the woman speaks. "Are you friend or foe?" she demands. "You're not....not the dead?" She winces as she speaks and tries to move. You can see a horrid wound, some kind of clawed slash, in her abdomen pains her, and has led to blood loss. "Please...."

"We are neither," Histra whispers back to her. "And both. Stay quiet, woman, and accept your fate that it may pass quickly."

[Ken]

Belarin clenches his jaw and moves grimly ahead. The voices in his head, so quiet during most of the time in this realm, begin to mockingly sing, They're going to DIE! Their blood will run, their guts will FLY!

He chooses not to silence them. He'd rather hear that than the woman's desperate pleas.

[Darren]

Aug 21, 2015 11:46:14 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Aug 21, 2015 9:34:10 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal listens quietly as everyone debates the topic. As the conversation winds down, he gestures for Histra to lead the way around the captives, indicating that this party will not be mounting a rescue attempt this day. "Histra," he says quietly and conversationally, "how would they have been brought here in the first place? And who is likely to have brought them?"

"I do not know. It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters," Kal says. "Perhaps they were put here by Branash to delay us. Or by the yugoloth to trap us. Or maybe they are being punished and deserve to die. What if there is a cult of necromancers kidnapping innocents and ripping the fabric of the planes apart to send them through to here? You don't think that matters?" Kal makes a clucking sound with his tongue. "I'm disappointed, Histra. I wouldn't have thought your thinking would be so narrow."

[Jeff]

Aug 21, 2015 14:27:02 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Perhaps they were put here by Branash to delay us. Or by the yugoloth to trap us. Or maybe they are being punished and deserve to die. What if there is a cult of necromancers kidnapping innocents and ripping the fabric of the planes apart to send them through to here? You don't think that matters?" Kal makes a clucking sound with his tongue. "I'm disappointed, Histra. I wouldn't have thought your thinking would be so narrow."

"We did nothing! Nothing!" the woman calls out, hearing some of Kal's words. "You're living, I can tell. Will you help?"

[Joe]

Streko muffles a deep groan, despair made audible. "Please," he whispers, he pleads, "hurry or I will not be able to sit here and listen to this. PLEASE!"

[Brian]

Condign puts a finger to his lips and turns so everyone can see: no more talking. He gestures to HIstra to continue. The more they tarry, the more they risk.

[Dave B.]

Shorak grimaces when the human calls for help. He wants to help, but his survival instinct tells him it would be suicidal to do so. He follows behind as quickly as those in front allow.

[Ken]

Belarin nods at Condign's signal and continues moving, quietly.

[Dave W.]

Adamant remains committed to his decision. He nods when Streko prays for the strength to reach the end.

I will need to atone for this, he thinks.

[Jeff]

Histra passes between the two sarcaphagi and their captives. As she enters their candlelight, the two figures cringe at her appearance, and the Drowned corpses shy away completely, backing up. Histra's skeletons follow, sloshing through the water after her. Now the rest of you must go through...or not.

The female captive rattles her chains, unable to move her hands past her own waist level. She looks desperately at Belarin as he appears within her view, then the rest of you. "Who are you? You're not one of them!" Her voices echoes through the Gate.

Finally, the bearded, older man speaks, with a hoarse voice. "Gold! Is that what you want? If it's wealth and reward you require, I have it! Leave me, but take my daughter, save her. She can take you to my gold." The man's voice is feeble, but he sounds desperate. "She's done nothing. It is I who brought us here...I accept my fate."

Histra turns back, to look at Belarin. She beckons to him, and for a moment, he sees some kind of sympathy in her ghastly eyes—for his predicament or the captives, he cannot tell. "The faster you move, the faster this will be over."

[Ken]

Belarin looks back at Histra with an anguished expression. He nods briefly and continues to move forward, eager for this torment to be over.

[Darren]

Kal looks to his friends. "Innocent people die every day," he says. "If not here, somewhere else." Sadly, Kal says, "I'm sorry." He may be speaking to the man, to his friends, or possibly to himself. Either way, he fixes his eyes on Histra's back and keeps moving forward.

[Jeff]

"D'Deneith!" the man utters as Kal swishes past, with Tangat doggy paddling in his wake. "My gods...you are men of honor and protection, are you not?"

[Darren]

"Most of us are mercenaries," Kal mutters without turning around or slowing down.

[Brian]

Condign strides past the couple, his eyes fixed straight ahead. He can hear, though, and his heart weeps for their plight.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using proboards

[Dave W.]

Adamant grips Streko's legs... almost painfully... and hurries past the victims.

When he draws up close to Kal and Belarin, the warforged whispers, even more softly that his broken voice has been, "For the love the gods, can we not even save one? Kal, Belarin, can't you use your way with speech to talk just the girl free?"

[Dave B.]

Shorak also looks straight ahead as he follows behind. His whole body is a mass of tension. He so wants to do something for the pair, but he knows to do so would almost certainly be suicidal. He grits his teeth and keeps silent.