[Armorican Kingdoms] The Doom Within the Mountain

[CaptainPenguin]

Alssonus shook his head violently to dispel the gripping spirit of danger, and then examined himself for wounds. Finding everything to be satisfactory, he stood and turned to face the man who had saved them.
"That was magnificent, m'lord," said Alssonus, assuming by the man's manner of dress that he was a noble of some sort. "I owe you my life."
The man gave no sign of answer, as he hauled Maritann forcefully from beneath the pile of scree.
The adventurer took a step forward and said "Does the lord have a name?"

[Luke Lavin]

Maritann looked into the eyes of the hooded figure and registered the man's malice and flat face, he cursed in chargian and sputtered.  He ducked out of his grasp and short sword appeared in his hands.  

"Look out hes a Kozkirrim, their d**n psychos!" Maritann said it Alssonus.  While slowly backing away from the Kozkirrim man, "I'm telling you Alssonus these guys are crazy their into blood sacrifices and organ eating.  They come from the Shadowed Land, for d**n sakes!"

[CaptainPenguin]

Alssonus' eyes widened and he let slip an oath of "Black Heart of Julius!"
His hand sped to his sword-pommel, but then relaxed.
"Calm, Chargian. I've heard of the Kozkirrim."
He reached a steadying hand towards Maritann.
"But who are we to pass judgement, especially on the man who saved our lives?"

[Luke Lavin]

"I don't trust him, d**nt-(he slipped into Chargian curses), the man probaly only came here to save us and sacrifice us.  Alssonus I've seen these people before, they are (Chargian Curse) crazy!"  Maritann dashed a little but further up the small slope of scree.

[Shadoweagle]

A"lai's lips curl into a snarl of fury as his blackened gaze darts back and forth between the two, before resting upon the one with sword drawn, "Worm! Had I wanted you dead, I would have left you in that rubble! Don't tempt me to slaughter you now!" Dispite his words, those poignards - hidden beneath his robe - remain sheathed. He doesnt want to kill these two... yet, at least. He doesnt await a reply from Maritann before allowing his gaze to accompany them both again and speak, "Which direction from here was that explosion? If a living bieng made it, I will slay it." Straight to the point. He didnt want to waste trivialities such as names with these animals!

[CaptainPenguin]

"Slow down, friends, slow down!" said Alssonus and stepped away from both of them.
"I know not what caused the rockslide, but, friend Kozkirrim, we are seeking a way out of this place." He smiled crookedly. "We can help you find the cause of the explosion, if you will help us leave."

[Ria Hawk]

"Yah, cause it's getting kinda, you know, old, being stuck down here."  'Nasia looked around at the devastation.  She had sustained minor cuts from the flying scree, and a particularly sharp bit had laid open her arm.  She didn't really pay the newcomer much mind.  She had heard the stories of the Kozkirrim, but she didn't know how much wieght to give them.  After all, she had heard many stories about many different people, and a good many were unfounded.

[CaptainPenguin]

Boellah's face held a stunned look, as if she had no idea what was going on. She had removed a small wooden comb from her sleeve and was combing stone dust and chips of rock from her hair, murmuring "Ea habben smidirini aet mae waenghere."
She continued this several times, hand trembling, then took a deep breath, put away the comb, and looked up at the newcomer.
Upon seeing his eyes, she let out a little cry, and crossed the index and middle fingers of her hands in an x.
"Daedrak!" she hissed, backing away.

[Luke Lavin]

"Aye Daedrak, Daedrak.  Boellah at least knows this guy is (Chargian curses).  Listen Alssonus I've been to the shadowed, I've worked for them before, these people are motherliving sick and twisted.  I wouldn't feel a thing if the whole lot of them died out.  Alssonus you are fool hardy to trust or believe a word that comes from this thing's mouth.  They are fanactics!"  Maritann looked ragged, the cool presence he exumed earlier had up and disappeared he looked very near panic.  He held his sword steady though, he stepped back a little more and picked up the tip of a stick then yanked hard, his long bow from earlier popped out the springy wood hummed showed only a few scratches on the finish.

In a flash he sheathed his sword and an arrow drawn and sighted at the Kozkirrim only ten feet away, "It would be best to put this one down right here and now.."  His voice was hard and stressed.

[CaptainPenguin]

(OOC: Uh-oh...Tense situation.)

[Shadoweagle]

A'lai's eyes flicker over to the two women now they have spoken, and his gaze - adept to seeing in the gloom of the caverns - studies the two momentarily before locking back upon the hostile male, "You are right in one instant, fool. Trust me not for one moment." A'lai Offers a hearty sneer to the man before shifting his gaze to the woman crossing her fingers in an X. This serves to amuse him more than anger him. As Maritann retrieves his bow, however, A'lai gives the faintest of nods, "Dont expect such mercy when we are out, though. As a matter of fact, be wary of a stray blade slicing through your heart when you are not watching..." A cold, mirthless chuckle utters past his lips at this, and he gives a pointed stare at Boellah's face - seems he wasnt partial to women, either. They get the same treatment. His gaze turns instantly back to the large male and the other, less defiant woman, though, and he speaks again, "Well, which direction did that explosion come from? Quickly now, show me!"

[CaptainPenguin]

Alssonus offered a questioning gaze to the other members of his little traveling party, and then looked back at the dark priest.
"I...Do not know. We were intending to climb the talus here before the explosion happened. I assume that it was to the...North."
He waved his hand vaguely in the direction that they had been heading, labeling it the temporary north for purposes of comprehension.

[Luke Lavin]

Maritann's common sense started to kick in after a few moments he ever so slowly tension on the bow decrease till where he could take out the arrow, he put it in his quiver, and shouldered his bow.  Making sure even ounce of digust and hate showed in his eyes he said, "And you even with your advantage enough should not be fool hardy enough to take the challenge of four versus one in a small confine like this."  

Maritann slowly slid down the scree and stood next to Alssonus and placed himself between Boellah and the Kozkirrim, he still had his gaze fixed on the Kozkirrim, making sure every little gram of hate bled into his eyes.  

It had been a dark night Maritann was in the middle of a job for the Kozkirrim Priest to elminate one of his rivals for power.  He had a daughter named Elen'nil.  It had been one of those fevered cases of love on first sight, Maritann had had to stay with the priest's family for over a month, while the assignation blew over.  He and Elen'nil had grown more attached and on the last few days they planned to leave early together and flee the shadowed land for lands farther away.  Somehow a servant had found out their plans and seen them lay together on the night of departure, the priest had had Maritann thrown from the house and cast off a waterfall that Maritann had miracously survived, but thats another story.  Later the next day Maritann had come back to the city just in time to witness his love Elen'nil sacrificed ontop the temple by her own d**n father, while he had stood helpless, helpless...

[Shadoweagle]

A'lai glared back at Luke, taking in that hateful glare and returning an overbearing one of his own - the look a bloodthirsty wolf would give to the chickens in the farmers chicken coop. But after several seconds of staring, he breaks his gaze, turning to snort rudely at Alssonus as he waves a direction, "Thats almost a direct east, Thief of the land." He, as with most Kozkirrim, doesnt forgive the Arcturans (Bieng the largest of the Armori who invaded the lands) for attempting to steal his homelands. Without awaiting any other words from any of them, he sets off in that  pointed direction, intent on bieng around these fool people for as little time as possible.

[CaptainPenguin]

(OOC: Hey, let's wait up for Ria, here.)

[Ria Hawk]

(OOC: Here I am.)

'Nasia looked after the strange man as he left, then she shrugged.  She really had no idea where the explosion had been, but she supposed that direction was as good as any.  "So.  I suppose we should go that way then."

[CaptainPenguin]

A shrug and a grin was Alssonus' reply.
He turned and began to move painstakingly up the rocky slope.

[Shadoweagle]

A'lai continues throughout the tunnel at a semi-hurried pace muttering a couple words to himself occasionally in his own tongue and doing his best to simply ignore the footsteps of the others behind him. after a minute or so, the others may begin hearing a faint trickling of running water, though A'lai shows sign that he heard it. Another minute or so finds the tunnel spewing them into a medium sized cavern, which is quickly illuminated by the kozkirrim igniting two torches hung crudely in gashes in the wall by pouring on each of them, a small amount of liquid from a satchel then striking flint over them - the flammable liquid catching alight. As the cavern is illuminated, it may become quickly apparant to the others why the Kozkirrim would want to set up torches here, because as the fires are lit, the light reflects off the surface of a slowly trickling stream, creating an eerie, flickering atmosphere. The stream - working along the western side of the cavern - was the Kozkirrims only source of water down here during his ritual - he had not explored any deeper into the caverns than this, though. The stream originates from a waterfall on one side of the cavern, which seems to rise high above through a decent-sized crack in the roof. No doubt this crack would lead outside, but it would be far to slippery and dangerous to climb up. The other end of the stream seems to hit the wall on the other side of the cavern, and continue in a subterrainian path.

A'lai halts here for a moment, moving to this stream and crouching down next to it, cupping his hands and scooping water to his mouth - he hadnt had food or water for a good 25 hours, after all, and dispite his fluent movement in these caverns, was fairly weak. He does not speak to the others as he drinks, and allows them to do their own thing whilst they wait on him - even if they choose NOT to wait for him.

[CaptainPenguin]

At the end of the cavern the stream poured into deeper subterranean channels and driprock catacombs...At least, it had.
The explosion, it seemed, had not just set off the rockslide, but damaged this chamber as well.
The cavern was riven to shards. The waterfall now blasted ragingly from a massive tumbled maw of stone, and the floors of the cavern were damp with the overflow of the subterranean river. The opposite wall was gone, and the cavern's end was replaced with a blasted rift, where the chill waters plunged down into the caverns below.
A small rumble occured as the torches were lit, and a voluminous boulder fell from the darkness to choke the entrance-place of the waterfall, though the water continued to sweep around its sides. That way, it seemed, was not the escape route they sought.

Alssonus stepped forward.
"Kozkirrim...Does that belong to you?" he said, pointing along his gaze.
There, perched on a shattered fang of stone, was a single magpie.
It regarded the group with a gleaming intelligence, and gave out a single brilliant peep, like a note of sunlight from the upper world.
Then it fluttered of the edge of the rift, down into the dripstone of the labyrinth below.

[Ria Hawk]

"Whether it does or not, it surely knows something we don't.  It wouldn't go down there without a reason."  'Nasia looked around at the shattered cavern.  "For lack of a better idea, what do you say we see where the bird leads?"

[Shadoweagle]

Dispite the alterations to the cavern, A'lai continued drinking his fill, though when Alsonnus spoke, his gaze darted up to peer directly at the magpie. His own head tilts to one side in an almost mockingly bird-like gesture to the magpie, then allowed his eyes to follow the form of the bird as it flew. "No. Not mine..." curious... A'lai stood from his position and turned to stare at the cavern the bird flew down. "Well, There is no direct way to get to the source of that explosion."The Kozkirrim, bieng a highly  superstitious race about signs, thought that few odd happenings happened without reason. To A'lai, this was an odd happening... perhaps he should follow the direction of the magpie.

[CaptainPenguin]

Alssonus glanced over at 'Nasia.
"I'm all for more adventure!" he said, and stepped over to the edge of the rift, dropping to all fours.
The drop was quite sheer for the first few feet, but then broke into a series of jagged pillars and ledges, and, almost at the edge of Alssonus' sight, less broken, smoother ledges that were presumably the original landing place of the river, where now the water pooled.

[Ria Hawk]

'Nasia hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.  "So, who's going down first?"

[CaptainPenguin]

Alssonus, still on all-fours at the rift's edge, said "I'm gone," and dropped from sight over the fall. After an astonishingly long moment, a call drifted up from below: "Halfway!"
A second breathless pause, and then a fainter expostulation: "I'm at the bottom!"

[Luke Lavin]

Maritann caught with the others just as Alssnus dropped deeper into the cavern.  Maritann hardly waited for the others, being forced to coexist with the Kozkirrim took almost all the self control he had.  He walked to the edge and jumped into the pit, he the bottom a moment later in a crouch and nodded to Alssonus.  He continued ahead a little not outsight but just enough to check the ahead was clear.