Pathwalker - RP

[Kinslayer]

"Indeed I will... but it seems you do not understand the naturality of a Resurrector afterall..." said Anyan before leaving.

He now had understood.

Gnomes knew that there was a magic capable of resurrecting someon, but they didn't know how it worked...

And WHEN it worked...

Anyan rushed outside the building, hurrying to find the others.
He would have to make his talk afterall.

He caught Saine, walking around some markets.

"Come with me! No time to explain, something's happening!" said Anyan, as Saine looked at him with a surprised look, and followed.

Soon, Anyan found Alziel, Liara and Ragnar, who were waiting for him.

"Brat, where the hell were you?!" said Ragnar.

Anyan breathed a bit, from the hurry.

"Well, it seems that something bnig is happening, I went to that enormous building in the middle of the village, and met Gromland under some... uncomfortable circumstances... for me heh. He wants us to go and meet him NOW" he said, quickly, almost without breathing.

"He is kind of.., excentric, as Abell said... he said something about 'not stepping on a crack in the floor. And return bearing a roasted tuber...', a bit odd."

Anyan stared to the others, with a worried look.

"Let's go! It seems they need our assistance. Gromland said that our landing could have disturbed something..." finished Anyan, as he kept breathing fast, from the running.

[Moosetroop11]

Liara looked bewildered as she ran. "Are you okay, Anyan?"
Anyan drew more air into his lungs and nooded affirmaive. Then he pulled a large tuber out of his satchel and thrust it in front of Liara.
"Roast! Excentric!" He swerved to avoid a crack in the ground.
Liara glanced over at Alziel, who returned her puzzled look. Then she conjured up a fire as she ran and did her best to roast the large potato like object before she reached Gromland.

[Ben]

The Group arrived, Huffing and puffing, tired from the frantic run.
In Gromalnds Meeting room, Upon their arrival, Gromland muttered something to Abell in the Gnome tounge and proceeded to curl his head downward and cover his eyes with balled hands.

Abell rolled her eyes and shook her head..

"Cheif Gromland wants to know if you brought  tuber" Abell questioned the group in embarassment.

Liara Presented the still steaming Tuber to Abell. At which point she turned, and kneeled into Gromlands ear, and affirmed the gifts presence.

As if nothing strange at all had happened, Gromland stood straight, and turned to address the group.
Even though he wore burlap, he still gave an air of regency as he strode toward the group

Gromland: You come from the west....this is correct?

Anyan: Yes sire

Gromland: And your purpose here is what?

Alziel: We are a group of mercenaries, Commisioned by the Patriarchal King of the west to chart and map the western lands, for the benifit of the King.

Gromland: Mercenairies in your land are that loyal to your king to just pack up and leave for his bidding?

As gromland said this he was face to face with Liara, scooping the tuber from her possession, and giving it a deep savory inhale of the steam coming forth from the tuber.

Alziel: We have been offered a fine reward, Cheif Gromland.

Gromland: Yes yes..... But you came here knowing of the Kh'ala-ad?

Rangar: Actually, The Kh'ala-ad were nameless to us until we met Abell. In all my Years, none have spoke of them, unless as a bedtime story to scare children. A select few heard tell of them, and legend that they had ravaged the east many generations back...but it was thought to be a myth

Gromland: So you all say you were misinformed when coming here.
What about the templars in the East? Was there not a sect devoted to communication with the Kh'ala-ad? There is a sect of Human templars in the Overworld kingdom on the Far north of this continent that keeps in touch with the templars of the West. Your king did not send a representative of the Nobel Templars? And you have no documentation? No Kittens? Where are your sparkling yarns?

The group looked at eachother trying to make proper sense of this

Gromland: So you've all been lied to. This we know.


Abell: When I left you, Abell go outside, and see war. The Kh'ala-ad are at war, and the land is ravages. It few miles away right now, but door must not be opened. Abell is home in Underdark now. You all trapped underground. Only way out is death by Kh'ala-ad, or to brave the Underdark trade routes. What you all do now, that overworld is blocked?
Illithyd roam outworld. More than Abell even thought existed.
There something connecting your arriving to this. Abell sense it. Not think that you all are to Blame....but there is more to this.

[Moosetroop11]

Liara shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense! We've been here for days, and we never saw more than two of them at a time!"

"We have seen warriors though" Alziel commented. "Men in black armour. And a sprite as well. Do you know who they were?"

[Ben]

Gromland furled his brow....

"Men....In this part of the land.... Your guess is as good as mine, m'dear. Dark armor, you say? Could be from one of the Human colonies of the underdark, or a neighboring city, or a white knight, dipped in black paint, or....Hmmph"


Abell looked grimly into the eyes of liara
"It true. They Battling with Mindflayers. There 40 Kh'ala-ad per Flayer. And Abell hear about 6 flayers. Something waking the Hive up.They not Mobilize like this in history ever. Not since The Kh'ala-ad Go to the west to bring back the Seed Humans."

[Red XIII]

"Seed Humans?" Ragnar said. "I've never heard something like that before. What do you mean?"

Gromland looked at Ragnar, and answered....

[Ben]

"Either your continent is stupid and cant find an earthworm with a shovel, or someone has kept significant history away from your people." Gromland snorted to Rangar "Generations ago, When the beasts 'ravaged' your land, not all of the victims were killed. I myself am not sure why, but the Kh'ala-ad brought some back. My best guess would be to farm foodsources. The Elves are too elusive for the Kh'ala-ad and Demonic Blood is bitter. Im not sure if this is why though. For all I know it could have been for the sake of Pantry Buscuits?"

Rangar gave a puzzled look to gromland "Pantry Buscuits?"

Gromland furled his brow And looked with disdainon Rangar.
"WE ARE NOT HERE TO DISCUSS POLITICS!"

Gromland paused for a long while as if he had something else to say. Thr group waited with anitcipation, but no such statement came. Abell attempted to Break the Silence. "This is-"But at that instance, Gromland Interjected....
"The people of this Town are evacuating in the morning. The tunnels we will take are much too small for you all to pass into. But this is not the first time this has happened to us. We will hide in our grottos, untill the battle has passed into other territories. The Kh'ala-ad can not enter here....But the Illithyd's can manipulate us, this close to the overworld. And If they were to do that, they would use us as bait for more Kh'ala-ad."Gromland took a deepbreath and contiunued "Gromland will give you maps of the Underdark, that lead to Other cities, In more populated parts of this land. The Journey will be long, but there are tunnels you can take. Trade routes... If you have intrest in buying supplies, Id advise you do so tonight. I dont particularily enjoy Eating Meat"

Rangar tried to ask a question "Grom-" at which point he was interupted "I SAID I DONT ENJOY IT SIR." And with that Gromland retired into a small passageway, while yelling from down the narrow tunnel "There are quarters prepared for you in the Lowest Norther Corridor." And with that Gromland was gone

[Kinslayer]

"Illithyds..." whispered Anyan, thinking out loud.

They would have to run into the dangerous underworld in order to not get into the claws of the mighty Illithyds... and theyr confrontation with the winged demons.

"I'll go to our quarters" said Anyan. "I'd prefer to be alone for a little while, I have to speak to all of you later on..."

With this words, Anyan left to the lowest northern corridor, and found himself in a room, a bit smallish, but it had been prepared for them.

"Can a simple trip to draw a map for a tyrant change a man thi much...?" he thought, as he sat on a wood-made bed. It was far from being cozy, but still, it was better than sleeping in the floor, as he had for the last weeks. Not to mention the sea trip, and his sea-sickness...

"Darn it... so many people have died, yet no call has been made to me... when tha call comes... will I be able to...?" he thought.

He remembered what Delliah had told him in his sleep, with sadness. He had to realize that a mirror was forming in front of him...

Anyan took his head between his hands.

"When the time comes, it comes... until then I'll have to use my blade un til I'm teared apart..." he thought again. He sat, quiet, and started to look at his items, while waiting for the others...

[Red XIII]

Ragnar found a small spot near the market, and said to the others "you go on for a while, I need to rest a little bit".

Knowing that the old man wanted to think rather than rest, Alziel and the others quickly left him, after telling him their meeting point.

Ragnar sat to rest, and to think about gromland's words. He had heard about people dissapearing, but with time everyone in the spy team thought that the "dissapeared" had died and taken to be devoured, not taken alive.

"That's what I get from not listening to the reports." Ragnar thought. "Well, We'll probably have a long trip in the underdark ahead of us, and i'm glad."

Ragnar liked dark places. He had a really good night sight, and his stealthy movement allowed him to be really subtle.

"Let's hope that the other people around here anre easier to understand than gromland......" Ragnar thought, before smiling while remembering the particular way of the gnome to answer questions.

"Truly, a different culture, completely different than Dwarven culture. I have much to learn around here."


The gnome's evacuation was already taking place, and it was much faster than everyone imegined. That could mean two things: Either the gnomes were really talented, or the danger was very close.

[Moosetroop11]

"Ohh, this isn't going to be fun."

Liara was sat on the low bed of Alziel's quarters creating flashes of light in front of her hands whilst he sorted though his pack, taking note of what the group had and how long they could live off of it. The flickering lantern light of the underground room bounced off of the earth walls and made the sprite feel uneasy.

"Hmm?" Alziel asked whilst examining an arrowhead. It had come loose from one of his arrows and gotten lost in his bag- once useless, his sudden arrow shortage meant that any broken pieces would be re-used.

"The tunnels" she explained. "I'm used to open spaces. The market was okay but I have a bad feeling about this. I should be able to light our way with magic, since we don't have as good eyesight as the gnomes in darkness... but I can barely stretch my wings down here. I know humans get claustrophobic sometimes, but you have no idea how it is to be able to fly and then have a permanent roof over your head."

[Ben]

Abell couldn't help but feel an emptiness inside of her. Her home was being ravaged by a war, and she was helpless, locked behind steel doors, in a land without sun.  She could see well in the dark at short range, but long range she was not accustomed to. She had only spent a few days at a time in the underdark, and she was never more than 4 hours from the city of gromland.
  She walked robotic, thorough the marketplace, its tents dismantled, and most of the wares now spread on blankets on the ground, illuminated by flickering torchlight.
  The gnomes used the marketplace as more than a means of economic stimulation...it was the hub of their culture.

  Abell continued her sojourn through the market, absently buying wares...All she had at her disposal for inventory was a dull shortblade
All of her best weapons were in her cobin, which was burning to the ground.

  Strangley the underdark was warm and musty. She sold her burlap cloak to a merchant whom had owed her a favor, and with the profits bought a bage of flares. She Sold her Dull blade and a few gold she had for a new, sharp dagger (better for close quarters) and a durable leather sling. She  at least already had in her possesion a sachet of dried meat and berries...She took a discarded length of rope from a vacant tent...And with a bolt of canvass she fasioned an item bag. There was many small treasures in the underdark, and the fact remined that she made her living as a trader.
  Her provisons were bare to her standards...And her morale low..
She picked a remote corner of the market and leaned her back against a wall. She was not even aware when silent tears begun streaming down her face, nor was she aware when she, in exaustion, slid to the gound.

  In her life she had cried only one other time, and was desperatly ashamed of showing emotion. It was weakness. And now she sit on the ground in a gnome grotto with strangers as her entire life lie in ashes a few miles away.
   With her new dagger, she cut an inch long slice into her own right arm, running parallel to one other scar....the one she had given herself the last time she had broken down. And then she put the dagger away. This was a custom her master had taught her. It cleansed the soul.

[Dragonium]

Alziel sighed. "I don't know what to suggest", he said quietly, "After all, we can't go outside, but all the same, we can't stay down here for very long". He looked around the room. Ragnar had left a few moments ago, and had left his pack behind. The map he had found of the tunnels in this cavern was sticking out of the top. Alziel reached out and took it.

After a moment he closed it and put it back. "Well, all the caverns we know about are marked, and there are a few hidden passageways, but nothing we could use to escape. We can either wait this out down here, or we can go out of the entrance we came into and try to go around the "battle". Whatever is going on up there I don't know". He sighed and shook his head.

The curtain that made a door to the room drew back and a gnome wearing a helmet that didn't fit him swaggered in. He was carrying something wrapped in a cloth which was as long as his arm. The gnome walked directly up to Alziel, and in one movement, thrust the object into his hand, and took out a piece of parchment which he proceeded to read with great difficulty.

"Chief... says... take... this...", he said in broken speech. Alziel unfurled the cloth. Inside were four arrows, though they were unlike any arrows Alziel had seen before. They were longer, the shafts had a slight bend in the middle, and the heads, he noticed with interest, were curved slightly, with the back edge being serrated and the point being very sharp. The gnome continued.

"It is..." - he struggled with the next word - "arrow. Four arrow. Made... by... Overworld... merch... merchant. Very... special. Sharp. Dead...ly. Have... strong... poison". Alziel had already noticed a faint, sweet aroma coming from each arrowhead. "Heads are... fangs... come... from swamp... beast. North of Gromland. Sharp... fangs. Chief says... you will need".

The gnome finished, appearing to be exhausted by the effort, and strode out of the room again. Alziel examined the arrows. They were certainly interesting. Perhaps he'd have time to put them to use later. He smiled and slid them into his quiver, and as he did so, caught sight of Liara looking at him admirably.

"What's wrong?", he asked. She shook her head. "Nothing".

There was silence. "See, you were right", Liara said eventually, "There are other creatures here besides what Abell knows. Maybe we'll see some more on our journey".

Alziel nodded thoughtfully.

"And maybe", she said, feigning a thoughtful voice, "We'll meet the flying mind-altering swamp beast with arrowheads for fangs".

Both of them spontaneously broke into laughter.

[Kinslayer]

Another dream...

Anyan had put himself on bed in his quarters, and took a nap. He needed to sleep. He tried not to, in this days, since his dream had brought him bad memories...

He couldn't help it, and he fell asleep.

He dreamt about walking through a forest, holding Delliah with his hands. They were smiling, laughing, joking... other times, indeed.

Suddenly, an arrow would strike the ground, and hooded men would attack Anyan. Wielding a bronze sword (he had not got the Viper at that day), he started to fight, while Delliah supported him with magic, behind him. He had to protect Delliah. She had to live.

Suddenly, he cut one of the man's hood. The man was Klerr... suddenly, Anyan's sight became a bit strange... blurry...

He found himself pulling a dagger out of his chest. Bleeding. Then, he fell to the ground, listening to a voice: "Anyan! Hold on!..." Then, everything was dark...

Suddenly, a brilliant white light sorrounded him, as he heard a voice, sweet, beautiful...: "Anyan Falastor Leddwick... You have been given a chance... a chance to live. Your eyes, your brown eyes, shall change their colour, and you shall receive a new pair of eyes... a Resurrector's eyes..."

The light faded. Anyan woke up, on the ground... touched his chest, only to find a scar. The scar of a dagger. His right eye had a scar as well, from the battle.

"Delliah...?" said Anyan. He found a body beside him. It was Delliah... Anyan had always remembered Delliah's red eyes... They were different now...

After this scene, Anyan screamed "Delliah!!!" loud, as he woke up.

Another dream of memories...

[Red XIII]

Ragnar went back to the group.

He took his bag, and sat next to Liara and Alziel.

"Listen, I'm ready to leave" Ragnar said, as he took out some tools. "I don't know if you know, but I seem to be really wealthy down here"

Alziel and Liara looked at Ragnar astonished.

Ragnar started to make bolts out of some parts he had bought before.

"Yes. The gnomes like glass very much, and since it's a rare element down here, they like it even more than gold. I have some, from broken/old lenses of my scopes. I haven't spent all. If you need anything and don't have trade material, just ask me. I think we should spend it all down here, it will be useless anyways by the time we go back to the surface"

Alziel and Liara nodded, and Ragnar kept working on his bolts.

Then, a scream was heard.
"Hey, that was the brat!!!" Ragnar said. "What is going on?!?!"

[Moosetroop11]

Liara was mystified.

"What would gnomes do with broken glass anyway?"