Down [Closed]

[Alyssum Crow]

Frost 20th, Year 119, Age of Steel

Ever since she'd hear do the Warrens it'd held a special kind of interest to her. Both the potential riches it held as well as the certain dangers. Now, Alyssum wasn't some fool. She knew that she wasn't strong enough to survive something genuinely dangerous, and her best bet would be hiding and waiting things out. She still very much believed that to be true. Hence why she'd avoided coming to the Warrens all together for the time being. No matter how much she tried to ignore it though, no matter how much she tried to get the thoughts to go away, something about the sprawling underground just drew her, singing her name tauntingly like some kind of horrid mistress. The darkness! The secrets! Oh, how it sang to her, how it scored her cowardice, how it pulled on her like some kind of taut chain!

But Isra didn't raise no fool, so Alyssum abandoned all hopes of ever getting to go down here and see the place for herself. To poke her nose into the cavernous hellscape, plucking plants and dragonshards alike for her own uses. Oh, the number of Golems she could make or the potion reagents that were just waiting to be discovered in such a dark miasma ridden pit of despair~! But she'd given up because Alyssum liked living more than she liked shiny stones and moldy plants.

Then Alyssum made friends. Friends who by some mysterious magic she'd convinced to take her down into the Warrens. Just a peak, she'd said. A couple of plants and dragonshards just to make it easier for her to teach Alchemy. What better way to demonstrate experimentation to learn new regent effects than to start with a regent Alyssum had never before encountered! Oh, and she'd heard of corrupted plants growing in the under dark. She wondered if those twisted variants would have their own list of effects or if it would be the same with some kind of twist. Something told her it probably wasn't safe for consumption, but that didn't mean it wasn't a good idea for weapons or for armor. Perhaps it would break down faster than something that was Runeforged, but alchemical enchantments were easier to do on the fly in case of emergency if you knew what you were doing. They didn't necessarily have to be applied during the crafting process like something Runeforged if you really had the hang of things.

Alyssum couldn't craft on the fly, but that was probably because she just wasn't very smart. She was often clever, but she could also be really, really stupid at the best of times and a complete imbecile at the worst, regardless of what her actions might imply to a stranger. Her decision-making process wasn't the most intelligent, or else she wouldn't be down here right now, would she?

She pressed into the flanks of her companions as she finally started down the entrance to the Warrens, not for the first time feeling a hint of apprehension and double guessing. She had her wings to escape, but something told her if they didn't do the Avialae much good they wouldn't be doing her much good down there. Of course, she'd also brought a surplus of potions made over the course of the last couple of days. Extended experimentation with the fang she found during her encounter with mr. Mope had revealed the fang possessed acidic properties. She still hadn't figured out where or what it came from, nor had she figured out how to get more, but she'd made a sketch of the fang in her recipe book so she could fill in the blanks at the different date. it'd made a full batch of potions with acidic properties. Though not particularly strong thanks to her shoddy equipment, she could probably at least delay the attacks of anything that came at them if she was good with her aim... for once. There was the concern she could hit an ally though...

She at least intended to die last if everything went to shit.

"How far in do we actually have to go to find some of the cool stuff like plants and dragonshards?" She asked, a small hint of concern twinging her tone.

[Rien Novalys]

A cursed place of certain death and horrible monstrosities. The setting for many stories and tales. He had been there before. It was part of their life. He was trained to aid in dealing with things that poured out of the cursed land. The occasional nightmare still haunted his nights. And while he wasn't keen on entering the place himself. He wasn't about to let his brother and their new mutual friend descend on their own. So he donned his armor and grabbed his weapon and spear. Loading his bag with what he could possibly carry. So he met them at his brothers shop. Before venturing towards the entrance of the Warrens.

Walking silent as the chain mail sung it's song. Choking up on the shaft of his spear, his eyes remained focused as they walked. At least until the hand of their small friend pressed into his back. "The first deep contains plenty of Dragonshards. There should be plants too. It's been awhile since I came down. But we shouldn't have to go much deeper then that." he said, pointing the head of the spear down into the pit.

His hair pulled back into a tight pony tail. Tied with two leather binds to keep it from his face. An uneasy feeling settled over him with every step they took. Growing closer and closer to the cavernous depths that lie before them. A mixture of fear and worry. While it was true, there were plenty of riches to be gathered from the first depths alone. That didn't mean it was without it's dangers. "Though I am sure that my brother has told you. There are plenty of dangers that lay within the first depths. Twisted corpses and Wraiths of untamed emotion wander the grounds. Stay close. We can't protect you if you run off." He said while offering her a smile.

Tossing a glance over to his brother as they continued on their way. "How long has it been since you've come down? It had been a while for me." Raising his shield and readying his spear as they grew closer. He was a warrior. An Avialae trained to protect their people. But even so unease gripped at his edges. Focusing on the task ahead, he let out a sigh. This was nothing more then another test. A test with the reward being some shards for money. Money to repay the debt that he owed. That alone was a good enough reason to take a small risk. With his brother at his side, the fear slowly eased away. Some still lingering in his shadow.

[Talon]

Talon dropped down from one of the overhanging cliff faces. His wings extended broadly, catching himself in the draft created by his fall. He landed carefully on the solid ground, hand coming to rest on the pommel of his sword. Focusing on his aether he cast his senses outward and into the surrounding area, testing the movements and motions in the flux of the world. Life scuttled all around them in the yawning cavern that served as the entryway for their ill-conceived venture into the underdark of Karnor. Be that as it may, Talon didn’t sense anything causing ripples in the flux around them that was larger than a rodent. Still, the rodents of the Warrens could either be normal or just as vile as any of the greater dangers found in the deeps.

“I don’t sense anything too terrible nearby. Granted, I can only sense movement.” Talon walked up to join his brother and Alyssum. He was tense. The Warrens were a dangerous place even at the best of times. They did, however, yield many interesting things that were useful when it came to magical crafting and also daily life. They were as indispensable to Kalzasi as water and air. The city was strong because of the Warrens while at the same time was always reminded of it was made vulnerable by the same.

“The Warrens are filled with dragonshards and odd things, if you go deep enough. But while you might find those things there one day, they could be completely gone the next. It’s why the Warrens are only vaguely mapped.” Talon believed like many of the other scholars, miners and explorers believed; that the Warrens were almost a living thing. The veil was thin in the Warrens. While the general structure of the Warrens remained the same, the insides almost seemed to writhe and coil with a life of their own.

“The closer we are to the surface, the more...familiar things are.” That was the only way Talon could describe it. His practice as a runeforger required that he sometimes go into the Warrens to seek out materials to make his craft work. He never found much of extravagance, just enough to get by. He eyed his brother for a moment.

“I went just last season. I didn’t stay long. Nor did the group I was with.” Talon took a deep breath. He flexed his wings before trudging onward into the sprawling dark. “I suspect it’s because of the horde of shamblers that came crawling out of one of the pits.”

Talon tossed his brother a smirk before beckoning both him and Alyssum into the beginnings of the dark below. It would not be a quick descent. Especially carrying supplies and also trying to be on the lookout for dangers while guiding someone new and inexperienced. But Talon himself felt almost drawn to the Warrens and he recognized the importance of searching for things that could be of value in the mysticals arts within its depths. There were many to be found...if one lived long enough to find them.

[Alyssum Crow]

She listened to Rien for a moment while he explained, her ears flattening slightly towards the end. "Only a fool would run off alone in a hellhole like this. I fully intend to hide behind the two of you and focus on collecting items that are within reach so all you have to worry about is handling the fighting," she nodded resolutely as she spoke, her ears perking back up and her tail raised upwards. What concerned her was the fact she didn't have any kind of weapon. Not that she was actually good with a weapon, but It would at least make her feel a little safer... This place outright gave her chills. She didn't like it in the least, but she understood the necessity of going down there. Dragonshards were a powerful thing, valuable to her work. To be able to snag a couple? Well, it was worth the risk as long as she wasn't going in alone.

Going in alone with her current skill set, even to the very lowest level, that was just asking for trouble if not death. If there was anything that could be said about Alyssum it was that she was always unabashedly herself. And Alyssum was no fool. As far as it mattered right now, Rien and Talon were the shields. They were living shields that happened to be her friends who she very much didn't want to die, but she didn't want herself to die either and she was a very squishy little thing. If she tried to help it was also likely she'd just get in the way due to her lack of experience. The most help she could really offer was from the sidelines, cheering on the boys and keeping herself out of trouble. If the worst came to the worst, then it would probably be better she hid so they didn't have to worry about keeping her safe, and could be confident in the fact she wasn't going to get herself immediately killed in whatever dark corner she decided to burrow into.

She could probably turn into her faunis form if she needed to. She still wouldn't be good at fighting, but at least she'd have built-in weapons. There wasn't much of a difference in sturdiness between her two forms either. The sharvalain were known for being physically glass canons, but so was Alyssum. If she so much as took a hit it would probably do more damage than she was comfortable with. Heck, if she took a hit depending on what attacked her there was a chance she'd need to be carried out. So that was her goal for this little expedition. Don't take any hits and don't be an unnecessary burden for the other two. As much as she was relying on them to keep her safe, they were relying on her to stay out of trouble and grab anything that looks useful. Sticky fingers were kind of her specialty so she'd be stuffing her pockets as well as the extra canvas backpack she.... found.

No, literally, she actually found it this time! The thing had been thrown out in a back alley, reeking like death and probably carrying some kind of disease. At least there weren't any holes. She'd spend about an hour drenching the thing in boiling water and another hour washing it out in freezing. Most of the color had leeched out, but the backpack seemed like it was reuseable enough. That being said, it very much looked like it'd been scavenged from a back alley considering how aged it looked and the stains still marring its surface. She honestly couldn't care less because a bag was still a bag.

When Talon appeared, greeting the pair, they finally started their descent into the darkness. It wasn't terrible. It was terrifying, but Alyssum had lived in terror for a good portion of her life. Terror wasn't new. It could be dealt with. It could be weaponized. Adrenaline was one of the most powerful drugs known to man, so she tried to keep herself calm and strong so she'd have all of it in reserve when the moment eventually came that they needed to fight something.

Her tail curled around her slightly, the tip of it ending up near her fingers. She began to mess with and twirl the fur, her ears perked. It was dark so she didn't bother trying to rely on her eyes. Not when her hearing was the strong thing anyways. The problem was the fact that even if her hearing was delicate this was still a cave. It was hard to tell what was right next to them and what was an echo from the other side of the cave. That being said, she still kept her ears pricked up high and her attention focused on the world around her, eye scanning for anything valuable.

While it wouldn't be pleasant by any means, she was old enough and experienced enough that she could force a quick transformation if necessary. There was still the risk of injury since she didn't shift forms often, but risking an elbow or shoulder being out of place was better than possibly getting her belly carved open by some shambling monstrosity.

The most she could hope for was that whatever came to pass, they were strong enough to face it. And she was cunning enough to hide.

[Rien Novalys]

A chuckle escaped his lips at her reaction. "Aye. But money does strange things to people. The call of riches bring people in. Then they are never heard from. Like you said, only a fool travels here alone. But that doesn't stop many from trying." Moving to stand near his brother. He shook his head and laughed. "No need to scare her anymore then she already is."

Falling into silence as the three walked together. The sounds of loose rock and gravel falling under his feet. Choking up on the spear, he took point. Pushing past the threshold of cavern. Eyes peeled as he started to walk forward. Tossing a glance back to the group and then before him again. The feeling of unease gripping at him as they entered the Warrens.

He stopped and waited. Looking in the direction of a shadowed area. "You've been here more recently Brother. Take point. I'll guard our rear" He said. Letting them walk ahead of him. Taking the position of rear guard. He began following them. Glancing in every direction as they walked.

A few shards. That's what they were here for right? How long could that take? The sounds of groaning caught his ear. A curse slipped from his lips as he moved to get in front of the sound. Shield raised to block his body. "Eye's up. Sounds like one. But there are bound to be more." The corpse pulled it's way across the ground. Face looking melted and skin pinched and pulled in all directions.

It was disgusting, horrifyingly painful to look at. Dragging it's self across the ground as the face seem to split in half. Rows of teeth showing in the gap as it drew closer. Metal tip pointed towards the open maw. Eyes focused tightly as it grew closer. With a grunt, the spear was thrust forward. Pushing the head of the spear into the maw. The creature groaning and the sounds of blood pooling and bubbling as the spear ripped through the flesh. Yanking it back out. He thrust back in for another strike. Tearing another hole through the side of it's maw.

Yanking it back out. He watched the body slump to the floor. Turning the spear over, he slammed the head down into the skull. "Well that's done." Moving to stand behind the group, he tossed a glance towards Alyssum. Offering her a smile as he stepped closer. Focusing on her mood and feelings. Opening his own senses to hers. Listening and tuning into her emotions as he rejoined them. The sounds of birds chirping quietly began to fill the air. Pulling his aether around him and pushing forward a note of calmness towards her. Trying to help calm her nerves just a bit as he continued to listen to the symphony. Before letting it fade away. "Let's keep moving. They're gonna keep coming no matter what."

[Talon]

“I’m only telling the truth.” Talon smiled at Rien. He gave an apologetic look to Alyssum before doing as his brother requested and taking point. While he didn’t unsheath his sword, he kept one hand firmly on the hilt. Opening his senses he took in the vibrations of the flux around him. His awareness extended into the surrounding area forming a circle just a few feet away from the edges of their small group. It was not a large area of awareness but it was what Talon could manage when required to spread his focus so broadly. It would at least give them a few seconds of warning before anything particularly terrible reared its head. Those few seconds often meant the difference between life or death when it came to exploring the Warrens. He hoped, though it was slim, that such forewarning would be unnecessary.

Talon felt the shift in the aether flux around him a moment before the groan was emitted. His sword was out in a flash and though he knew Rien could handle himself, he was still tense and aware. Confident that his brother could handle one ground shambler, Talon did not interfere. It was well and good that he didn’t. Ahead and to his left he felt a stirring in the flux. Shifting his attention to what lay ahead of them, Talon did not wait for the creature to pounce. He heard a hissing click as from around the corner, a clawed hand raked at the stones. Running forward, the sound of his boots hitting the dirt and the shifting of his chainmail was enough to warn the grotesque thing. It sprung out from around the corner. It jumping onto the rocky surface of the wall and began scrambling toward him.

The creature’s face was little more than a gaping maw of gnashing teeth surrounded by a set of vaguely humanoid looking eyes. It sent a shiver down Talon’s spine but he did not let that deter him. The beast emit a clicking noise that grew higher pitched before leaping from the rock toward Talon’s face. Without hesitation Talon grabbed a hold of the creature’s aether flow and stopped it dead in its tracks. He felt the pushback of catching the beast in mid-air but didn’t stop. With a swing of his sword, Talon beheaded the creature then tossed its body aside with a jerk of his head. He watched it for a moment to make sure that it did not get up.

“Another piece of advice,” He flung the bits of blood and gore off of his sword before sheathing it. “Make sure they’re dead before you let your guard down. Not all of these creatures die without their head.”

With that, Talon untied one of the torches he’d brought with him that was strapped to the side of his pack. He lit it then strode up to the corpse of the creature he’d beheaded and set it aflame. He did the same to the corpse of the one Rien had downed. Turning on his heel, he continued further into the cavernous depths of the Warrens.

“Welcome to the Warrens, Lys. We’re entering the First Deep. Let’s hope we find something quickly before too many things notice we’re here.”

[Alyssum Crow]

She ignored the two bothers as the spoke to scaring her or not. She wasn't actually too scared per se. Scared wouldn't be the right word. She was anxious, a kind of natural anxiety that sat deep in her blood and wasn't entirely her. The sharvalain part of her body thrummed anxiously, the blood in her veins practically singings over and over. She shouldn't be doing this, she shouldn't be doing this, she shouldn't be doing this. And yet, here she was, because she knew there were treasures in there if she was willing to be brave enough.

It wasn't long before she found herself sandwiched between the two boys, stuck in the middle like she was supposed to be. Such was her position on this mission. She wouldn't lie though, it made her feel marginally useless, her inability to aid them in any way or form. Well. She had her potions. But the only ones she really had on here was a mild poison that needed to actually pierce the skin and... hopefully she wouldn't need to use the second set of potions. It she did, then it meant things were going wonderfull terrible and it was time to run for their lives. Again, hopefully she wouldn't be needing it. Still, better safe rather than sorry. She kept both her eyes and ears peeled as the two continued to walk.

With her delicate hearing, even while things were hard to pinpoint in the echoes of the cave, she took notice of the creature approaching Rien a couple of moments before the pair. Not enough to warn them, but enough to warn herself. Posture tensing, she turned the direction of the creature and braced for evasive maneuvers should they be required. The monstrosity of what seemed like some kind of twisted mortal caricature approached them, and Rien was quick to dispatch it. Moments later, a second appeared and Talon took care of that one.

Alyssum did her part by handily staying far, far out of the way of both of the pair, her eyes darting between the two. She couldn't really do much other than monitor their health. Even that would only get them so far. As luck would have it though, they both looked fit and spry, ready to continue taking on the world without hesitation. Just a healthy dose of caution.

She could feel the more animal piece of her mind stirring restlessly. It wanted to be free to flee or fight should the situation call for it. She had no intention of shifting though unless the situation truly turned dire. As she'd learned from experience, the sharvalain were a skittish species that didn't do well with conflict. They were ambush hunters who couldn't take a hit. Alyssum, being a sharvalain neoalt, was also a skittish creature by nature who couldn't take a hit. She was aware of this and had spent her entire life learning to combat the fact. She'd spent years practicing how to calm the anxious creature, swallowing her breath and her terror and reminding herself that it wasn't really hers. It was that of the animal, the piece of her that probably wouldn't know what 2+2 was if it hadn't been attached to the Rathari.

But just as she was preparing to settle it down, the creature suddenly went quiet. There was a slightly fuzzy feeling in the back of her mind. Warm, soothing, gentle. And vaguely familiar. She just couldn't place why. Like the melody of a lullaby, each note of ease dancing in rhythm and time until finally, the sharvalain went back to sleep. Which was odd. She was used to her emotions taking a while to quell. Not moments. And certainly not without her biting and scratching her way back to some semblance of calm... regardless of how much of an oxymoron that sounded like.

The fact the calm had suddenly washed over her did unnerve her slightly. But calm was calm, so hse decided to brush it off until whatever calmed her down proved to be malicious. Or maybe she was just making an enemy of her own mind again.

Talon gave her a quick welcome after the two creatures were dead, continuing to take the lead. "Welcome indeed," she muttered under her breath with a shake of her. Regarding his other comments, they'd just have to see.

[Rien Novalys]

"That may be true. But you do not have to be so poetic about it." He teased as they continued their dive. Trouble came and went in this place. It was a constant struggle of power and surviving. And as he quickly dispatched one, another came and was dealt with by his brother. Talon giving a welcome to the Warrens was fitting and Rien nodded along. " It's like they say. Better to be safe than sorry. Some things will fall like they're dead. Only for you to step past and them strike again. But we're here to keep you safe and that's all that matters."

He said now standing beside Alyssum. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Offering a comforting smile as he watched his brother go to work burning away the bodies. Walking beside her as they continued. Eyes peeled as he looked over the shadows and outcroppings. Listening to the stone beneath their feet as they walked.

"Hopefully shamblers is all that is aware of our presence." He chimed in. Pushing over a decent sized rock with the butt of his spear. Watching beetles and bugs scurried from their hiding place as if Rien would descend on them to eat them. Letting a breath escape his chest as he looked towards his brother.

Letting his aether flow out again as he focused on the older sibling. The harmonic sounds of his symphony playing in his ears. Trumpet fanfare filling the cavern walls, though he was the only one that could hear it. Watching the aether melodies form around him. After a few more minutes of watching his brother melodies composed his symphony. Letting his aether fade away again. His brother was steadfast, calm in the face of danger. A model of the way a Avialae should be. A warrior with the heart for his people.

Rien turned his eyes away from his brother. Studying the shadows again as his fingers tapped the shaft of his spear. Breath pushing past his lips as the frustration left his body, at least for the moment. He had no time to be jealous. No time to focus on anything but the present. Eyes scanning the ground for Shards as they walked. ”Anything yet?” The sound of rocks being kicked across the stone floor. The three of them acting like a disturbance in unnatural silence of the cave.