Chapter 12: Shadows in the Dark

[Joe]

Streko considers what he's doing. Olladra, goddess of favor and fortune. His patron deity. His entire belief system. What he not gifted with Olladra's blessings so that he might be a tool to help those in need, to be that side of fortune? Of course, fortune goes both ways, does it not? He forces bile back down his throat, squeezes tears shut, lest they fall and betray his guilt. He risked his life and those of his friends once for what, a child already dead, a spirit wallowing in this hellish place. Why should he risk his life and the lives of his friends once more for two living beings...beings whose pain and endless suffering are about to begin because he is unwilling to fight for them.

He gasps and buries his head into Adamant's shoulder. "What I have I done?" he whispers. "What have I failed to do?"

He knows it is fear keeping him from acting. More than fear. Terror. Despair. Hopelessness.

The child is in my care because she did not deserve to be here. She did nothing to earn her place in Dolhurr. These two, however they have arrived here, did so because of their own actions or inactions.

"Perhaps I deserve to end up here. Perhaps..."

He sniffles, clears his throat and lifts his head. He shakes it gingerly, then rolls his shoulders. "There will be a reckoning, I fear, for all of us. Despite our best intentions. Despite our beliefs. We put our lives before the lives of others today. Let us never, EVER forget what we've done here and what we've allowed to occur. I know I will not, and will spend the rest of my life atoning for the suffering I've allowed to happen, when I had the opportunity to do something. Olladra, forgive me." The tears flow freely now and he once more buries his face in Adamant's shoulder. "Forgive me," he whispers, going quiet once more.

[Darren]

Kal whirls on Streko, forcing Adamant to stop in his tracks. "Do NOT wallow in pity," he growls. He points a stern finger at the pair. "You are not just saving your own life. You will return to Eberron and you will go on to save MANY lives." He turns to take in the whole group. "You all will. Understand?" Kal waits. "Good. Then I will hear no more of it. Be quiet and follow Histra."

[Ken]

Aug 24, 2015 19:30:13 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

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?"

Belarin continues moving forward, not daring to speak out of fear that a scream would burst out.

[Jeff]

The human captives grow quieter while Streko speaks to himself; the man strains to hear.

"Olladra?" the man repeats at last. Then, just after Streko and Adamant are well past the two of them, and as Shorak follows, the man starts screaming. "The gods are not here! The Host cannot be REAL. What demon-spawn are we all to be punished with this hell?! If the gods are real, then the Dark Six governs them all. They must they must they must!"

"Nooo...." the man's daughter says and feebly reaches out to him. Her chains keep her from succeeding. "Don't name them..."

"Devourer!" the man goes on. "I will make every one of these damned souls suffer! A curse on House Deneith! A curse on the Host!" The voice echoes through the gates.

The daughter falls to weeping.

Belarin sees Histra shaking her head. In disgust or denial, there's just no telling with her, especially now. Just as she heads up the next bank of stairs that appears, you feel a current in the ice-cold water you're sloshing through. The current is strong, and you realize that a great deal more water is flowing into the passages from the direction you're going. It swells suddenly, so that by the time Shorak reaches the top of the stairs and all of you are in another chamber (mirroring the first one you entered), the water is up to your stomachs even though you've just gone up some stairs. Shorak can see that the water must be up to the necks of the two captives now.

Back behind you, the hysteric shouts of the man fade into whimpers.

"They come," Histra says in a whisper, turning one last time to the group. "Obeisance, thralls." Belarin sees her assume a tall, rigid stance, and he can see her shivering ever so slightly. Her exposed white skin looks especially clammy and cold.

Within seconds, as the water continue to surge strongly and raise the water level another couple of inches, something issues from the dark threshold ahead. At first it's just a lump in the water, but then it rises up: a hulking figure, as tall and wide as an ogre, but bulky in the way that a cloak would be in the water. You're having a hard time making sense of the creature. Its body is enveloped in a membranous cape that might just be part of its body, like folded bat wings but lacking any visible claws or fingerbones. The fleshy fold is mottled and translucent like a troll's skin but not so colorful. And above it, the head is a hood of the same dark, slimy material, with two cold white eyes looking out. Its lower half, concealed by the water, swishes with some sort of tail or fin.

Another figure rises up beside the first. The Whelmed, as Histra called them.

Histra nods her head. She says something in a language you don't understand, but you do catch the word "Serell" among the unfamiliar words. The two Whelmed stare down, inscrutably regarding you. You're also aware that a number of swollen, Drowned corpses have arisen around you.

---

Let me know what your actions are, if any, but do describe your body language.

[Dave W.]

Adamant bows his head at Kal's admonishion and Belarin's lack of reply. He steels his will; he runs through some psalms in his mind but keeps losing track of his place and finally abandons the effort.

Still carrying Streko, the warforged trudges through the water with his friends.

When Histra stops to speak the strange language with the Whelmed, Adamant stops and stands still. He adopts the slouching posture he uses to make himself look less intimidating though that is complicated by the halfling on his shoulders. He gives Streko a slight pat on his legs; hoping to reasure him.

Adamant remains alert but tries to appear relaxed. He focuses less on the the two Whelmed and more on the movement of corpses nearby.

[Brian]

Aug 25, 2015 6:35:47 GMT -4 Jeff said:

"They come," Histra says in a whisper, turning one last time to the group. "Obeisance, thralls." Belarin sees her assume a tall, rigid stance, and he can see her shivering ever so slightly. Her exposed white skin looks especially clammy and cold.

Condign recoils at Histra's words, a terrified look on his face, then brings his hands up definsively, as if to ward off a blow. When none comes, he ducks his head, keeping his eyes averted, and silently waits to see what happens next.

[Darren]

Kal's muscles slacken as the Whelmed approach, his arms hang limply at his sides and his eyes grow vacant and distant. He keeps his gaze on Histra's back, the obedient servant waiting for command.

[Ken]

Belarin watches the skeletons that are flanking Histra. He does his best to adopt their servile posture, yet he brandishes no weapons and keeps his gaze solely on Histra.

[Dave B.]

At Histra's words, Shorak quickly and as unobtrusively as possible sheathes his sword and bows his head, letting his shoulders slump in obeisance. Best not to show any sign of aggression. He relaxes his facial muscles, letting a little drool drip from his slack lips.

[Joe]

Streko lifts his head slowly at Histra's words. When the creature rises, Streko, imagining the deaths of the two below, drops his head back into Adamant's shoulder and grasps tighter, doing his best to block the horrific images his imagination conjures.

[Jeff]

The waters surge as one of the Whelmed moves forward and among you, brushing against some of you and actually nudging you aside. It peers down with its featureless white eyes, moving like it’s sniffing—but you hear no such sound. Histra repeats something she said earlier, more emphatically as if with anger.

The Whelmed pushes on past the group, then disappears down the stairwell into the sarcophagi-filled chambers you left behind. The other Whelmed follows, and soon they’re both out of sight.

Then you hear shouts from the two human captives. Not pain, not yet. Just terror. The sound is made worse by reverberation.

“Almost out,” Histra whispers to Belarin and moves forward again. With the water so high, the going is slow.

[Brian]

Hearing Histra's words, Condign pushes against the water and follows her and Belarin. His hand drifts closer to the hilt of his sword, though he is careful not to grasp it. In his mind, "almost out" means "we are about to be attacked," and he wants to be prepared.

[Ken]

Belarin doesn't nod. He continues to play his role as servitor

[Dave B.]

Acting the thrall that Histra wants them to be, Shorak follows behind. His hand close to the hilt of his sword, ready to draw and spring into action if need be.

[Darren]

Kal catches Shorak and Condign's eyes and shakes his head slightly. Keep it restrained. We're almost out. Kal looks forward again, hoping that's true.

[Dave W.]

Aug 25, 2015 22:23:33 GMT -4 Joe said:

Streko lifts his head slowly at Histra's words. When the creature rises, Streko, imagining the deaths of the two below, drops his head back into Adamant's shoulder and grasps tighter, doing his best to block the horrific images his imagination conjures.

Adamant accepts his friends tight grasp and once again gives him a small pat on his legs once again trying to offer reasurance. Eager to leave the maze he pushes through the water behind Histra and his friends.

[Jeff]

With the pathway now clear, Histra leads the party to wade through the exiting tunnel. Its exceptionally dark and the foliage of the overflowing hedges creeps in all around you, making the passage seem smaller than it is. Visions of yet more mazelike twists and turns assail your minds, and phantom moans and distant screams—or, is that a real one you hear echoing in the dark behind you?—plague your every cold stride through the water.

Beside Kal, Tangat whines and pants, thoroughly soaked and shivering and struggling to keep swimming.

And then the foliage begins to part and something akin to light draws your eyes to the space in front of Histra and her skeletons.

The water level remains at chest level, but suddenly it feels like a black curtain is being drawn back….

To reveal a dark scene, but not nearly as dark as where you’ve been. The black sky above you, which felt like a cavernous ceiling pressing down, begins a real sky. It’s slate gray with shreds of actual cloud can be seen, conveying a real distance, but it’s not black and impenetrable. There is texture there and a semblance of existence, if not life. You feel as though you’re outside at last. That you're somewhere. Your darkvision-enhanced eyes rake in more distance now.

To your left, the foliage begins to disperse into a swamp-like reeds and a small forest of tall but shrunken bushes. An open watery path between them winds out of sight, and you see a pair of the Whelmed standing there. The loom over you, white eyes fixed upon your party, but Histra holds out her palms and speaks again in her necromantic-sounding language. The Whelmed make no move to approach.

To your right, a long stony wall marks the outer rim of the labyrinth on this side. As close as fifty or sixty feet, you see the water gives way to a pebbly bank which in turns gives way to an earth plain. Then you notice that the shoreline is littered with bones that appear to have washed up and collected over months, years, or who knows how long. On Eberron, the same scene might be scattered with shells, not bones.

Letting out a sigh, Histra turns and looks back. She looks not to Belarin but to Kal. “You speak correctly, d’Deneith. You will save the lives of many more. The lives of two questionables are nothing in comparison to that.” Then, turning to Streko and pointing at the bone-filled shore, she says, “When you’re on dry land again, you can release your burden.”

Tangat, beside Kal, whines. It doesn’t sound like Tangat’s usual whine, and it reminds Kal that Tangat still isn’t all himself.

[Darren]

Kal nods at Histra in understanding. "So, what next? Is there an 'exit' near here? And what about whatever's got a hold on him?" he asks, pointing at Tangat.

[Dave W.]

Aug 27, 2015 9:05:26 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Letting out a sigh, Histra turns and looks back. She looks not to Belarin but to Kal. “You speak correctly, d’Deneith. You will save the lives of many more. The lives of two questionables are nothing in comparison to that.”

"All persons are questionable and all are worthy of trying to save." Adamant whispers to no one in particular. "But we are here now."

Aug 27, 2015 10:24:26 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal nods at Histra in understanding. "So, what next? Is there an 'exit' near here? And what about whatever's got a hold on him?" he asks, pointing at Tangat.

"I made an agreement with the spirit posessing Tangat. It agreed to leave when we were free of the Labrynth. Let's get to dry land and see how it honors that pact."

Adamant follows towards the shore.

[Ken]

Belarin resists the urge to stretch to his full height after slouching like a ensorcelled thrall for seemed like an eternity. He says very softly, "If the spirit doesn't leave, I'm rested enough to be able to disentangle it from Tangat when the time is right, but I'd rather make sure we're out of danger first.

"Histra," he says, "please continue... and well done. What did you tell the Whelmed, by the way?"

[Jeff]

Looking between Kal and Adamant, Histra nods. "Once clear of the water, we can be rid of these spirits.

To Belarin, she says, "That I was an ir'Serell—they know of us—and that you were spoken for." She briefly licks her lips and inclines her head in a very disturbing way.

[Brian]

"Let us be gone of this place," Condign whispers. He inclines his head toward Histra. "When should I remove the talisman, my lady?"

[Darren]

Kal waves everyone towards the shore. "Go. Go. Out of the water, already." Kal guides Tangat to the dry land, grateful to be rid of the seeping cold.

[Jeff]

Aug 27, 2015 13:48:22 GMT -4 Jeff said:

To Belarin, she says, "That I was an ir'Serell—they know of us—and that you were spoken for." She briefly licks her lips and inclines her head in a very disturbing way.

"Not until you are cured of your affliction," she says, still eyeing the nearby Whelmed creatures but not seeming to be too concerned about them.

Then, nodding at Kal, she says, "Yes, let us hasten."

A dark shape passes overhead just then, and even out of the corner of your eye you realize it is borne on huge, batlike wings.

And then a moment later several large objects—no, bodies!—splash down into the water directly in your path from high above! You catch only a quick glimpse of each human-sized corpse, but even in blurred free-fall you can tell they're in very bad shape: rotted and putrid, skin and clothing fused together into a disgusting new layer. The air is instantly tainted with their reek, and once they've submerged, you can see the foul fluids leaking from their bodies clouding the water a sickly yellow-brown.

"I shall leave you alive, dear lady," the yugoloth calls out before flying out of view above the foliage to your left. You're pretty sure he's got another armful of writhing bodies.

The corpses in the water, at the moment fully beneath the surface, appear to be moving.

[Joe]

Streko looks up and shakes his head. "Gods above, what NOW? Will this never end?"

[Darren]

Kal looks at the bodies ahead and the Whelmed behind. "I don't know if we are going to have to fight, but if we do, this isn't the place to do it. Everyone, move to the shore NOW!"

----------

Kal will move to the shore and only stop if the bodies move to block his path and he can't get past them.

[Dave B.]

Shorak can't argue with Kal's assessment. He makes for the shore, trying his best to avoid the moving corpses.

[Jeff]

Kal hurries to lead the way to the shoreline, wading as fast as he can. The corpses press closer, and the cloud of foulness exuded from their bodies spreads around them, polluting both air and water. Kal manages to slip past them, but as they wade in closer, he sees that they're about to cut him off from his companions. Tangat struggles to keep up, but now he's closest to the things.

Histra, meanwhile, goes the opposite direction, as he skeletons follow. She raises her arms and faces the Whelmed, who look agitated though they haven't yet moved. She speaks loudly to them in her language, seeming to keep them at bay once again.

---

Round 1 begins! So beginning at this point, where each character is places, this shall be the initiative order:

Initiative (1d20+9=27) (Shorak)
Initiative (1d20+0=17) (Adamant) / Initiative (1d20+2=17) (Histra & skeletons)
Initiative (1d20+3=7) (Belarin) / Initiative (1d20+2=7) (Kal & Tangat)
Initiative (1d20+0=5) (Condign) / Initiative (1d20+2=5)(Streko)

Refresh the page for the updated map!

[Jeff]

Just to make the list easier, this is the order:

27 - Shorak
17 - Adamant & Histra & skeletons
15 - stinky zombies
7 - Belarin & Kal & Tangat
5 - Condign & Streko

If two character have the same initiative count, the order they go in doesn't matter. It can be different every round. So for example after the zombies go, Belarin or Kal could go next. You can post in any order. Once they all go then Condign or Streko would follow.

[Dave B.]

Shorak doesn't stop moving. He continues past Tangat and Kal, heading towards the shoreline, keeping as much space as possible between him and the noxious fumes.

Shorak moves 45 feet towards the shore. Heading mostly NNE in direction. Double move plus Cunning action.