Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Exotic Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Verasaille on 16-12-2014, 10:16:35</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>16-12-2014, 10:16:35</strong>
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				WEST<br><br>Through the western door is a long and winding passage, Dark and mysterious, it slopes upward for about thirty feet and then opens out to another large cavern. As you&nbsp; approach the opening into this cavern it seems to glow with a myriad of tiny blue lights. Upon close examination they are glow bugs. They are crawling on the ceiling, which is about thirty feet up. The ceiling is very uneven, it appears to have been carved out of the rock. You still need torches to see clearly, though the elves might have it easier with their superior vision.<br><br>The cavern is long and seems to have a few rooms carved into the walls. They might contain treasure or something more sinister! Who built this cavern out of the rock and are they still here? There are four rooms and each has a door, constructed out of bones and leather.<br><br>if you explore further there is another exit from the cavern, but it appears to be about twenty feet up and the wall next to it is smooth, You will have to cooperate to get up there. The air in this cavern is musty and&nbsp; dry, there is no water.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>AndyZ</strong> on <strong>17-12-2014, 14:06:33</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/09/1392559621072.png)</div><br>Before the group split, Alisandra got herself a simple pair of trousers, a short sword and a waterskin.&nbsp; The nightshirt she already had was a little big, but it would be enough that she could manage.&nbsp; Besides, it looked a lot more comfortable than most of the options presented.<br><br>What she really wanted was a pair of boots.&nbsp; Walking around in her bare feet was going to be annoying, but hopefully it wouldn't become outright problematic.<br><br>If she could just figure out why her magic wasn't working, she wouldn't even need the sword, but she could probably defend herself well enough if it came to it.&nbsp; Curiosity was starting to kick in even more, though, begging her to discover just what was going on.<br><br>Her elven eyes adjusted easily, with the glow bugs giving her more than enough illumination to see.<br><br>Moving over to the four doors, she looked them over more closely, trying to check for any markings, any traps (granted, she'd probably only notice very obvious traps) and considering if she should go through any pattern beyond simply starting at the left and moving to the right.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>19-12-2014, 04:29:21</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/0y8wEtc.jpg)&nbsp; </div><br>From behind where Alisandra is expecting the doors, torchlight is the first indication of another exile making her way closer, followed soon after by the appearance of Zabeth, who is finding the leather armor over her cotton tunic to be a welcomed extra layer, despite its cracks, broken fastens, and moldy dusting.&nbsp; She, too, pauses at the doors, absently fiddling with the hilt of the rusted dagger she'd managed to pick up without greedily hoarding the other weapon... though it was tempting.&nbsp; <br><br>She studies the strange, bio-luminescent creatures along the walls, wondering to herself if they were venomous, poisonous when crushed, flammable, or flesh-eating... she shivers just a bit, not from the cold this time-- the fire had saved her from that pain-- but from a memory of a particularly nasty escape tunnel down a lord's kitchen-waste chute where roaches crawled three-deep.&nbsp; it was hardly worth the coin, at the time.&nbsp; "No offense, little bugs," she whispers, loud enough only for Alisandra to hear, 'but you just keep to the walls and we won't have any trouble."<br><br>Noting Alisandra's care, she waits for the young woman's decision to proceed before testing any individual door, but she opts to scout just a few more steps ahead to ensure that a squeaky hinge or a startled rat won't attract the attention of anything further on.&nbsp; "Lady and the Tiger time, I suppose," she says, looking back the way they came to see if any other companions have an idea of how to handle the possibilities before them.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>AndyZ</strong> on <strong>19-12-2014, 18:05:36</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/09/1392559621072.png)</div><br>"I never did like that story."&nbsp; Alisandra shook her head as she did her best to examine the doors.&nbsp; "The human who wrote it openly admits that he cannot satisfactorily give an answer.&nbsp; Granted that you'd have to be a pretty sick person to send someone to the tiger, but..."<br><br>She shook her head once more as she moved to the next door.&nbsp; Alisandra had no actual experience with love, but she couldn't imagine that she'd want to send someone to a tiger instead of being with them if they wanted to go on living.<br><br>"I like the original Elven version, where there's four doors, and the prince got to rearrange the doors for his love.&nbsp; She knew that his very being was waiting behind his particular door."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>19-12-2014, 23:05:18</strong>
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				As the two women explore the first door is locked and there does not seem to be a keyhole. Perhaps there is a lever somewhere? There are large rocks in the cavern they have to maneuver around, they are taller than twelve feet and seem to be too hard for the picks to have made a dent. <br><br>The second door in the row is flimsy and opens without very much effort. It is very dark inside. If they have a torch with them they would see some large crates and several sacks. The crates are nailed shut, the bags contain curious things like metallic parts and pieces of a machine that has been tore apart. The smell of machine oil is strong in this room. One box near the back contains hand tools, a hammer, a pair of pliers, a chisel and a hand powered drill with several sizes of bits that can be attached.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Chulanowa</strong> on <strong>21-12-2014, 14:42:20</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Kittenpeeler/Three/Three.jpg)</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's the sound of soft, clawed feet scampering on the hard stone of hte western passage, and the flash of glowing cat's eyes as the kobold leads the second wave of explorer-prisoners from the main cave. Over one shoulder is a sack of assorted stuff, a waterskin at her waist, and her bone-and-dagger warpick-thingie in hand. Her pace slows a bit when she reaches the two women, joining them in examining the doors.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Bones and leather? For doors?" one scaled brow quirks upward as she ponders this. "If it were goblins, it would <em>still</em> stink. Same with trogs. Hrm." She spends some time pondering what sort of cave-dwelling creatures that <em>don't</em> stink bad enough to make rocks reek would be behind these constructions. And whether hitting them in the head with a dagger-on-a-stick would take care of them.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While Three is pondering, the other two women open a door, and a familiar scent <em>does</em> waft out. Alisandra' hip gets shoved aside as Three barges past her into the room, eyes big and bright. "Tools! Er. Not the two of you," she notes, glancing back to the women. <em>They must never know.</em> "The machine parts and stuff here. What've we got..." With the expertise of someone who has done this regularly, Three begins rummaging through the bags - at the first chance of finding a prybar, those crates are getting opened, too. "Maybe there's even rope, or a chain!"<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>21-12-2014, 21:27:14</strong>
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				The distinct smells coming from this cavern are strange to Rose. She sniffs the air and looks around, the bugs crawling on the walls and ceiling are luminescent. They give off a kind of greenish blue light. Not bright, but enough to see a little bit.<br><br>This cavern has huge rocks in it, Rose searches around and finds a door in the wall that is locked. Strangely this door is of sturdy wood, it looks like it was constructed somewhere else and brought here. The lock is keyless however and she wonders if it is magical in nature. Because she is stubborn she attempts an unlock spell, no magic in the first cavern does not mean it is gone forever.<br><br>To her surprise the glow of magic lights her fingers as she tries the handle of the door. "Aha!" she exclaims as she pushes the door inward. The return of very simple magic, which any student in the very beginning of training might use, is welcome to her. She tries to conjure a light, which is only a tiny ball of luminescence like the bugs crawling the cavern. Indeed if anyone saw it, they would think she had grabbed a handfull of them. <br><br>Inside this smaller room is a chest of some size. It appears to have an ordinary lock on it, a padlock in fact and she has no skill with that. Looking around the room she finds a small bed, it looks to be dwarven in size. There is also a lantern with oil in it. A crate with books and some more clothing. Even some nicer leather things. <br><br>Rose leaves the room and calls out to the others. "Come and see what I have found!"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>AndyZ</strong> on <strong>22-12-2014, 03:52:18</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/09/1392559621072.png)</div><br>The sudden eager words of the kobold brought a smile to the high elf's face.&nbsp; Like the fairy, it was always nice to have someone eager who understood various aspects of a situation and knew exactly what to do.&nbsp; She peeked inside, but let the kobold handle it.&nbsp; "If you need me to help carry something, just let me know, okay?"<br><br>Alisandra wasn't all that great at carrying things, but she was certainly willing to do her part.&nbsp; As Rose manages to get her magic going, though, a bright and relieved smile jumped to Alisandra's face.&nbsp; She raised her hand as well, and sighed nothing less than adultation as a soft cerulean light billowed from her palm.&nbsp; It wasn't much - Alisandra had a long way to go before she could do anything of value - but she no longer felt completely useless.<br><br>Following over to the room, Alisandra went instantly towards the books.&nbsp; She perused the titles gently and carefully, knowing the care that old tomes required and not wanting to damage one by being indelicate.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>22-12-2014, 05:27:03</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>While Alisandra and Zabeth were pondering the several doors on offer, Katul came up behind them with Three and Rose. The tall warrior was now properly decked out in his leather armour, with a sword, bow and quiver lashed to his back. His feet were still bare, but that may have been his preference anyway. He still held the bone club in his right hand, either for defence or some sort of reassurance.<br><br>He stepped up behind Zabeth, taking adventage of her torchlight. "Anything interesting yet?" he asked them, peering around at the large cavern. "At least it's not so damp in here."<br><br>He examined the four doors in turn, noting their construction. He screwed up his nose at the scent of oil in the second room, chuckling deeply as Three rushed into the room. He sized up the locked door, obviously intending to break it down by sheer force, but when Rose unlocked it with her magic, he nodded in approval. "That's good to know," he rumbled. "A little magic is far better than none."<br><br>Nothing in the rooms seemed of particular interest to him, so he stepped back and let the others at the equipment. He closed his eyes and tried calling upon the animal spirits that he knew should be around him. The spirit of a rat might give him better vision in the darkness, or a more solid footing on the cave floor.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 05:39:25</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/0y8wEtc.jpg)&nbsp; </div><br>Smirking at the bed, Zabeth speaks softly but with a lilt of happiness in her voice.&nbsp; "Ooh... not much more than a bunk, but gods know that will be a commodity."&nbsp; She winks playfully at Allesandra then rests her palm on Katul's shoulder.&nbsp; "This looks defensible enough, for now... there's a way in and a way out.&nbsp; Let's check the other rooms to ensure we're safe."&nbsp; Her voice is husky in the dark, and until the torch wanes she seems content to leave the lantern where it is... angling the flaming head of it toward the doors, she carefully checks for signs of life before she eases open the final doors for a thorough investigation.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 06:25:32</strong>
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				The last door appears to be a store room. It is unlocked and inside are crates of needful things, like several one hundred foot lengths of rope. A spool of cable about half inch thick made of stainless steel, about one hundred feet in length. There are large hooks and various connectors that can be fastened together. There is a stack of lumber. Three hand saws and a dozen lanterns with a large barrel of oil that can be used for fuel.<br><br>There must be some evidence of someone once being here? Maybe in the previous chamber if anyone cared to look. Above them in the wall about twenty feet up is an opening in the wall. It appears dark from here.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Chulanowa</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 07:30:57</strong>
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				&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Three had been flitting from room to room, all agog over the collection of gewgaws, supplies, things, and doohickeys she had access to. she felt like a starving man at a banquet, going hungry for not being able to decide where to start! She felt right at home, at least, despite the disorganized nature of everything. She set about prying open the crates and boxes, <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Running face-first into Katul's muscular backside during one of these deranged scamperings managed to slow her down, at least. "Woah! hey! Watch where I'm going!" She yaps, rubbing her bonked snout, then looking up at the man with her oddly luminous eyes. "Erm. I mean. We seem to have found an old Dwarven mining operation. I have <em>no</em> idea what in the world they could have been digging for. You don't find good ore in caves!"&nbsp; She seems to take for granted that this is just common sense, well-known by <em>everyone</em>. "Maybe it's all from somewhere else and some hovel-builder dragged it here?" She rubs her snout again, apaprently it's sensitive. "Uh. Sorry about running into your butt." she finally mutters.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You know how to get the lock off that chest?" Three calls to Zabeth, as she steps around Katul, one four-fingered hand steadying on his hip as if he were furniture or something. "There might be something really useful in there. Like blasting charges." <em>Or gold</em> "Or decent weapons." <em>or gold</em>. "Or booze." <em>Or go- wait no, booze is good, too.</em> "Dwarves, you know?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She takes a moment to breathe now that the opportunity is there. <em>My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives</em>. "We ought to take inventory, 'cause this is a lot of shit." her lower lip catches between her teeth as she muses over the possibilities. There's the patter of feet on stone as she darts off to start the inventory, a spike of rust serving as her quill, a shard of slate her tablet. anyone who cares to look will see her handwriting is tight and angular, even in the already sharp-looking kobold script.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was in the final room that she stopped, staring at the spool of steel wire. "What... What kind of metal is <em>that</em>?" the others hear her ask, in an almost reverential tone. Her nails brush over the braided coils, murmuring. "Too heavy to be mithril, too clean to be iron or steel, too bright to be adamantium... Not that you can make wire out of that stuff... Too hard to be silver or platinum, and we'd be rich if it were..." she strokes those coils a bit longer, before snapping out of her metallurgy-induced trance "Oh! And we've got rope and hooks. Climbing that rockface should be easy enough. We just need to tie a grapple." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once again, she surveys the inventory list in her hand. If she were back home, a find like this would get her a promotion. No more bucket-hauling for her! Of course, she'd still be a third-tier... Three shudders and rubs a hand against the bare side of her thigh.&nbsp; This cave isn't so bad, really...
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 07:51:37</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul reached up and brushed his fingertips against Zabeth's hand. "I am praying that we don't need to spend a night down here, but it is good to know if we do, I might have some of my usual comforts." He gave Zabeth a broad, not entirely innocent smile, then swept his gaze over Alisandra and Rose, not seeming to consider Three as potential bed-warming material.<br><br>He stepped into the fourth room and ran his hands over the lengths of rope, then laughed when Three ran into his backside. "I'm glad you're so excited about all this equipment," he rumbled. "That means you'll know how to put it to good use. It does look like a mine, doesn't it? But maybe... maybe they weren't mining for ore. Maybe there's something else down here, like..." He slowly turned to look back towards the main cavern. "Like a dragon. Or at least, that's what they think is down here." He held his hand out to help Three steady herself. "No problem, just be careful. I have a feeling this is the last safe place we'll find for a while."<br><br>He picked up a lantern and carefully filled it with oil. "One more door to check, and there's that chest in the first room - can you get that open, Zabeth? I can try to smash it open as a last resort." He paused when Three mentioned blasting charges. "Or maybe not."<br><br>Lit lantern in hand, he went to look up at the opening on the far wall. "I suppose that's our way forward. I'll go up first, in case anything is waiting to attack us. I'll check the last room, then we can make a move."<br><br>He turned back to the doors and made for the third one, wanting to be sure that they didn't miss any important equipment or clues.<br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 09:45:00</strong>
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				The third door was curiously easy to open, but the room appeared empty. It sloped to the back and was very dark inside. In fact it did not appear to have a back wall, just inky darkness. Was it an illusion or a trap?<br><br>Rose followed Katul and stood behind him. Her eyes widened. "Whatever is there is absorbing the light." she held a lantern as well now and felt the hair on her arms rise in suspicion. She backed away and let Katul investigate. <br>------------<br>The books are magic spell books and you may relearn one spell of your choice. Any magic user may use the books.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Chulanowa</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 10:17:57</strong>
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				&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well. Any idiot that goes <em>looking</em> for a dragon deserves what they get." she notes,&nbsp; scratching on her slate again. "Especially if you're planning to rob it. Gold's not worth <em>that</em> much, after all." She considers for a moment. "Maybe if it's a very stupid dragon. But you can't count on that, you know."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She might be offended by her dismissal as a possible bed partner, were she aware of it. After all, it's bound to be more entertaining than cataloging stuff. But for the moment she crouched, going over what she's found. "Various machine parts. I didn't find any plans or blueprints. It could be a mining auger, it could be an automated cart system, it <em>could</em> be a draconic sex toy or a prototype juicer..." Tap tap tap goes the stylus. "Could be both." She makes a mark. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We've got about... what, eight hundred footspans of rope - that's my feet, not yours. Clasps, pulleys, hooks, and clamps. That big spool of cable. Hand tools, looks like prospector stuff. A couple of saws and some wood. probably dry-rotted, but burnable, and enough's good that we could cut it for... I don't know, something. And enough oil to deep-fry that dragon if we run into it."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances up at the mammals, one brow quirking upward. "...And a bed made for a dwarf, in a cave full of glowing blue bug-things, that a couple of giants are thinking about testing the physical limits of." A soft snicker. "Also, whatever's in that chest, some books - Were they anything interesting, Elf?" She had missed Allisandra's name, and peered towards the woman with a curious expression. "Some decent leather armor that has the downside of having had a dwarf inside it at one time... Aaaand..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She trailed off, looking up to where Katul and Rose are peering into the third room. her nose twitches, tail shifting for balance as she leans in her crouch. "What have the two of you got over there?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 12:01:01</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul stayed out of Three's way as she made her inventory of their finds. He pushed the third door open and held his new lantern up to the darkness within. When he sensed Rose's disquiet, he put an arm out protectively to shield her. "Can you sense anything in there?" he asked her.<br><br>He drew the sword from its harness on his back with an expert, fluid motion, brandishing it in front of him with his right hand while holding the lantern high with his left. He slowly began to walk forward, stretching the sword out and moving it from side to side, probing the space in front of him. He moved forward in the hope that the bright light of the lantern would pierce the darkness, but with the intent to stop if he found himself completely encased in blackness.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>24-12-2014, 13:17:18</strong>
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				It was not wise to try and pierce a magical barrier, for when Katul stepped forward the darkness became deeper. The only things lit by the light was the hand holding it, the sand beneath his feet sloping steeper down. As he took&nbsp; three steps the ground below rushed from beneath him, causing him to start sliding. <br><br>Rose yelled as he started forward, "Wait!" reaching out a hand and grabbing his arm just as he started sliding. He was heavy and she was not that strong. Her feet slid as well and they both plunged into darkness and a long dark hole yawned beneath them. <br><br>She screamed as they fell. The sound echoed in the small space and then they hit water. Icy cold water deep enough to slow their fall. And it was moving, a torrent that barreled them along until the curve of the current threw them on a sandbar. It continued to wash over them, but they had room to stand now and get out of the water on a muddy bank. <br><br>Rose coughed and sputtered, choking on the water that had gone into her lungs. Soaked clear through and cold she got up and felt around for Katul. "Katul!? Are you here?" It was pitch dark, and she reached for her magic, bringing up a small flickering witchlight that glowed blue in the darkness. She lifted the light to hang in the air like a hovering bug. There on the ground lay Katul. She felt for a pulse and a breath of air as she pulled his head clear of the water. <br><br>If Katul regains his breath and stands he will be lucky if he retained the sword, though it may have come with them and he might find it close by if he did lose hold of it. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>AndyZ</strong> on <strong>25-12-2014, 07:07:29</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/09/1392559621072.png)</div><br>For nearly half a minute, Alisandra was all but engrossed in one of the books.&nbsp; Her attention span had a way of throwing herself all but entirely into pages, leaving anything said to her in some corner of her mind to be accessed as soon as she looked up.<br><br>This particular tome was on the nature of kinetic force.&nbsp; Alisandra had some experience with it, and was used to simply conjuring up large amounts of energy in order to perform the task.&nbsp; The book explained a number of things which would allow her to do so using far less energy - hopefully to the degree where she could do so even in this place.<br><br>It was the sudden scream that caught her attention, and she moved over towards the doorway, peering in curiously.&nbsp; Only then did her brain catch that she'd been asked some questions.<br><br>"Alisandra," she said to the Kobold.&nbsp; "I believe you said your name was...Three?"&nbsp; She didn't sound certain, but hopefully the kobold wouldn't be upset if Alisandra was wrong.&nbsp; "It's various tomes explaining magical formulae.&nbsp; If that's your style, you'll definitely want to look into choosing one."<br><br>She also asked, "Do we have anything in the way of rope or such?"<br><br><br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>25-12-2014, 12:40:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul narrowed his gaze at the lantern in his hand, becoming more and more trepidous with each step into the inky blackness. He was just about to move back when the ground gave way underneath him, and he started to slide forwards on the sandy slope. He felt Rose grab his arm as he fell, and he threw his sword away from his body, not wanting to risk being impaled on it when they hit the ground. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Rose and twisted his body, trying to ensure that he took the brunt of whatever impact was coming.<br><br>He hit the water with a painful smack, but it was better than the alternative. The impact drove the air from his lungs, and he felt his grip on Rose slipping away as the rushing current drove him under the water. His vision went black for a few moments.<br><br>When Katul regained his senses, Rose was dragging his head out of the water. He stared up at her blearily and coughed up a tiny amount of water. "Urgh..." he groaned, cursing his own recklessness. "I'm alive. I..."<br><br>He slowly hauled himself up into a sitting position and looked around at the muddy bank. "We're separated from the others, and I dragged you down here. It was my duty to protect you, and I failed." Sighing heavily, he staggered to his feet, unslung his soaked backpack, and started stripping out of his waterlogged armour. "How can there be a river this far underground, anyway?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>25-12-2014, 23:05:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rose averted her eyes, not that the warrior was bad to look at. She looked down at her now thoroughly soaked cotton robe and noted it clung to her like a second skin. "I think we should explore a bit, maybe there is a passage here. Let me shine some light around." <br><br>She then proceeded to make the witchlight brighter and sending it into a broad circle around them. As she lifted it higher it showed them a path behind them and a short climb upwards. The path seemed to lead up and into still more darkness. "A path. Are you hurt, Katul? I am bruised a bit but otherwise fine. If you look you might spot your sword, I doubt it would have gone anywhere but along with us when we fell. The water passage is narrow and seems to be more of a stream than a river. But it is very cold. Maybe we can find a spot above us a bit drier."<br><br>She started climbing the rocks and after only a short bit of effort she found a drier shelf. The path led upwards from there. She shivered then and waited for him. The hovering light hung over the spot to climb to help Katul see.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 05:31:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/0y8wEtc.jpg)&nbsp; </div><br>At their sudden disappearance into the dark room, Zabeth immediately tenses and springs to the doorframe-- to see them totally disappear, she imagines (as always) the worst scenario first--a pitfall, either from a rotten floor of decayed shale or, even worse, by design.&nbsp; She had immediate images of a ten-foot fall, an ambush-spider hole, of skeletal remains still presented on display on a goblin's ingeniously designed trap.&nbsp; <br><br>"Quick, the rope--" she calls to Three, and snatches the lantern from the crude workbench.&nbsp; The room's oppressive darkness would be their first obstacle, and if there was any aid to be offered she'd have to rely on her eyes to do it.<br><br>Stashing her torch on the stone floor, she ventures to the darkened room's threshold and calls aloud-- "Katul?&nbsp; Rose?&nbsp; Are you alright?!"&nbsp; She eases against the doorframe, lighting the lamp's old wick with a careful maneuvering of lit thread scraps, working as precisely and rapidly as she can, summoning a short life of tactile work sweetened with deadly consequences for motivation.<br><br>At the door again, she hoists the lantern and lets its beams enter the room, straining her eyes to adjust to the darkness... there has to be <i>something</i> in there, she thinks, and looks down from her elevation to see if she can make out what fate has fallen them.<br><br>Seeing the faint glow of witchlight below, she is amazed at the size of the room beyond, and feels a faint relief that there is no imminent death waiting there.&nbsp; "Looks like a way out... Three, can we set up a climbing rope here, give us a way back up?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 06:30:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The room is totally black and only if Zabeth can keep her balance on the very edge, hugging the wall, will she keep from sliding down the slope to the hole below. Hopefully she has a rope attached to her before she ventures close enough to peer down. The drop is about thirty feet into a raging current of water. With her torch she can see the water. The roar of it now audible.<br><br>The room itself is a magical barrier to sound and sight. Only as she gets past the six feet of inky blackness can she see with the torch. The drop is a slope with a sandy bottom, very slippery. Stepping in the middle will send anyone sliding without a hope of stopping.<br><br>Far below, Rose looks up to see where Zabeth is standing. "I am unhurt, just bruised. There is a path here that leads up. I think Katul is all right, but he may have lost his sword. We are both very wet and cold. Good news is I am feeling more magic return to me. Not fully, but more than I had."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 06:35:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul stripped off his armour and set it down on one of the rocks, examining it while standing in just his soaked loincloth. The water would be no good for it in the long run, but for now, all he could do was to shake the water out of it and squeeze its meagre padding to to rid it of excess moisture. He looked over at Rose, his eyes quickly travelling over the curves that her soaked robe highlighted.<br><br>"Thank you," he said as he worked. "Your witchlight isn't ruined by the water, which is more than I say for my lantern." He had still gripped the device in his left hand when he washed up on the muddy bank, though only time would tell if it would ever function again. "I'm not hurt, it was merely a rough tumble. I'm more worried for the equipment we were so careful to gather."<br><br>He laid the lantern and his coil of rope on the rocks, then unwound his loincloth, twisting it to squeeze the water out of it before laying it on a rock. He shook his head and shoulder and stamped his feet in an effort to dry himself, then started hunting around for his sword.<br><br>A minute later, he gave a triumphant shout, and returned to Rose's position with his sword held carefully. "Some luck still stays with me, then," he said. He bundled up all of his equipment and made the climb easily, hauling himself up to stand next to Rose. "This water must come from somewhere, and lead somewhere," he mused, looking up and down the stream. "If we can rejoin the others, Three might have an idea for how to proceed."<br><br>He held his bundle of clothing and equipment over his crotch when he realised Rose was averting his gaze. "I hope I don't make you afraid of me, Rose," he said, lowering his voice. "You should know that I treat all of my women with honour and respect. But your caution is wise."<br><br>He looked up into the darkness, seeing Zabeth perched precariously above them. "We are alright," he called. "We will rejoin you when we can. Send down a rope?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 07:17:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rose had averted her eyes only to give him some privacy, but it appeared he was not modest at all. "I do not fear you, Katul. As long as you are on my side. You have many wives? How ever do you keep them all happy?" she grinned playfully. She was no longer averting her gaze, neither did she stare. She was well aware of her own state, but unwilling to remove her clothing, though she knew it would be wise to dry it. <br><br>Looking up at the rogue far above them she frowned slightly. "Do we want to go back up there? I know there is a passage from that cavern leading away. Or is this the true path? It would be difficult to return up there, its a good thirty feet above the water and no place to stand under that hole that is not in the water." she gazed up the path and directed the glowing light to fly upwards and to light the path a ways. <br><br>"Is it just my imagination? Or does that path seem to be heading back to where we were? It seems steep, but not too difficult. I wonder if it leads back there?" she mused to herself, but loud enough for Katul to hear her.<br><br>The curiosity got the better of her as she walked up the steep path. As she went she touched the wall to her left and suddenly gasped lightly. "Katul! Come and feel this wall. It is very warm, almost hot to the touch. It feels good after that cold bath." she grinned and deliberately turned her back to it and leaned against the warm surface. Her clothing almost steamed as she stood there. <br><br>As she let the warmth seep into her she gazed up the path and directed the light to travel further. It definitely curved towards where they had been. "I bet it does go back to that other room." she smiled and turned to him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 07:44:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul grinned broadly, his pale teeth gleaming in the witchlight against his dark skin. "I have two wives, and occasionally another woman or two for a short time. How do I keep them happy?" He chuckled. "If you mean physically satisfied, then I assure you my stamina is great. But more than that, they benefit greatly from being my wives. They hold the highest standing in my tribe - no man dares touch them, no woman dares speak against them. And while I fight for the protection of all of my tribe, my wives know that I will throw myself into a lion's jaws to protect them, without a moment's thought. That is the honour I owe to all the women who share my blankets." He piled his equipment into his backpack as best as he could, leaving his body bare. "You are welcome to share in that honour, should you wish it."<br><br>He allowed his protective, oddly seductive gaze to rest on Rose for a moment longer, then peered up at Zabeth above them. "I braved the darkness because I thought it might hide the way out. I can't say which way is most likely to lead to the surface - Zabeth or Three would be the ones to know that. But whichever way we go, we need to join up again, so either we go up there or they come down here."<br><br>He followed Rose up the path, casting his gaze around to judge where it went in relation to the chamber above. He ran forward and touched the wall Rose indicated, his interest piqued. Quickly, he set down his equipment and pressed his bare back against the stone. "Good, I needed that after the cold water. I can dry my equipment a little here, too."<br><br>He tracked the witchlight with his eyes, nodding in agreement with Rose. "Then I say we climb this path and rejoin the others. Then we decide which way is most likely to lead out. We avoid falling in the water again, though." He unslung the rope from over his shoulders and started tying loops around his waist. "I won't make that mistake again."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 09:09:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She shivered again and knew she had to get the wet clothing off, before she caught her death of a chill. She waited until he started up the path and then drew off the wet robes, wringing them out over the path. "I will need to get warm first. Drying things is a good idea." She did not look at him as she draped the wet robes over the warm rocks. Letting the warmer air here dry her somewhat. She stood to him sideways and ran her fingers through her long wet hair. Her slender body not hidden from him for the first time. <br><br>Long thin scars marred the otherwise perfect body. The stripes on her thighs, back and butt as she turned to let the water flow down the path, as she attempted to wring out her hair. "I will braid it, at least it will be out of my eyes, she chuckled softly. The witchlight hovering halfway between them and allowing him to see the opening of a chamber to the right and a long sloping upwards tunnel to the left.<br><br>She tore off a strip of cloth from the edge of her ragged robe and tied off the braid she had made of her hair, letting it hang loosely on her right shoulder. The wall was so warm it started drying the cloth pretty fast. She glanced up to see how far he had gone and faced him without shame. The soft globes of her breasts pointed towards him. She smiled softly, wondering if he had meant what he said. But they had to get out of here and others were waiting. <br><br>"Do you see anything above us? Was I right?" she queried. <br><br>If he had gone far enough he would find the original chamber overlooking the four rooms and the&nbsp; drop about twenty feet to the floor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 11:32:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul set his clothing and equipment against the warmer rocks to dry, and wandered up the path a short distance, casting his gaze around and trying to keep track of where they were compared to where they had been. He then stopped and leaned against the wall, watching Rose while he fastened the rope around his waist.<br><br>His eyes quickly traced the curves of her breasts and hips, then returned to the thin stripes on her thighs and back. He pursed his lips briefly, obviously displeased by the scars in some way, but he still gazed at her with a mixture of respect and obvious desire. When she began to braid her hair, though, he turned his gaze away, as though he felt the act deserved more privacy than her simply nude body did.<br><br>"I think the right branch leads back into the chamber we were in," he said, gesturing with his hands. "We can rejoin the others that way."<br><br>Katul strode back down the path towards Rose and stood a mere arm's length from her, casting an approving gaze slowly up and down her body, before looking into her eyes. His earnestness was evident both in his face and lower on his body.<br><br>He then reached out and started winding the rope around her waist. "I want to be sure that I can catch you," he explained, letting the double meaning hang in the air. "We will escape this place together. I pray that we can all rest tonight in the arms of Lady Moon, who flees when her husband Lord Sun awakens, but should she be out of reach when the time comes, you would bring honour to my night."<br><br>He shook out his equipment, which was still a little damp but more usable than it had been, and started up towards what he judged was the opening back to the chamber of four rooms.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>26-12-2014, 22:13:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Knowing his gaze was upon her, Rose felt a flicker of embarrassment. Not of her body, she was proud of that, but the stripes that criss crossed her back and legs. She knew she should tell him what they were and why she had been whipped.<br><br>When he stood before her and his desire became evident in his eyes and words as well as his body, she smiled. His touch gentle and sure as he wrapped the rope around her. "Thank you, Katul. I am honored by your desire. Though it might not be the time or place. I think I might like my robes on under this rope. It might be a bit more comfortable."<br><br>She shook the still damp, but drier robes out and pulled them on over her head, tucking the bottom under the rope he had tied around her waist. Properly covered now she followed him up the path, the witchlight floating above them. She felt a twinge of memory disturb her mind then as the ropes reminded her of something long ago. Shoving the memory aside she came up beside him and gently put a hand on his back as they climbed.<br><br>"Your people have different customs than my own. I would love to hear more. I left my people when it became obvious they no longer trusted me. I have been alone since then." her voice was quiet.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>27-12-2014, 11:58:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul chuckled and loosened the rope so that Rose could slip her robes on underneath the loop. He paused for a moment, then handed the remainder of the coil of rope to her. "You should hold this," he explained. "I've got a lot of other equipment to manage, and it's only fair that you hold the reins."<br><br>He worked his way along the path, reaching up to brush his fingertips against her hand. "We are a hard people, I will admit," he said as he walked. "And ours is a hard life. But we are free, every man and woman among us. The men fight and hunt, the women forage and cook and tend our camps, and fight when they must. We work together to earn our survival and our freedom, when the world would take both from us in a moment."<br><br>Katul continued up the path until he came to the opening in the cavern wall, and looked down into the room with four doors. "We're up here!" he called, craning his neck to look for Alesandra, Zabeth and Three. "There's a path here that leads... somewhere."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>27-12-2014, 12:40:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She stood on the edge of the opening and looked down. From here she could see the rooms and the one where they had fallen into the hole. Not sure if they heard she called out as well. "No need to go that way. I think we can help you all get up here." She waited to see if they had been heard. <br><br>Turning to Katul while they waited for the others to respond. "Do your people accept magic users? I know some cultures do not." she hesitated. He had not seemed surprised when she used her witchlight. She did not have all her magic back yet. But she felt that she might, soon. <br><br>"Whoever sent us here had a reason. Maybe to force people to work together for a common cause. I really don't know. I am glad we all seem to get along. It is not something I am used to. There are those who fear magic... and where there is fear there is hatred and pain."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HopeFox</strong> on <strong>27-12-2014, 13:55:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul sat down a short but safe distance from the twenty-foot drop, and began going through the contents of his backpack while they waited for the others. The berry cake he had saved from the earlier meal was ruined, but his armour and the rope was still serviceable. The lantern would still function if he opened up all of the compartments and replaced the wick. His bowstring would need to dry thoroughly before he could restring it. All in all, it was a setback, but not a disaster.<br><br>He smiled at Rose's question. "Both of my wives are magicians," he told her as he worked. "One fortells the weather, and can bring rain, and scry in pools of water. The other knows domestic charms and simple healing magics, which are not as impressive but just as important. Magic is more the domain of women than men in my tribe - I only know a few weak invocations to the spirits. Wise women hold great status among us, and if they are feared, it is the fear that comes with respect, as I am feared by my men, but not hated."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>28-12-2014, 00:06:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She looked at him wistfully a moment and then looked up at the path they had discovered above. Did it lead somewhere out of here? What did she have to go back to? She still needed to find her path in life. She had options, neither of which involved healing or weather. <br><br>A heavy sigh escaped her lips as they waited for the others. "It is good you have respect for your skills as well as the blessing of two wives to aid you. I will most likely live alone when I return to the surface. Providing we get out of here that is. The fact there are no living beings here in this room or the first one outside of the ones we met, makes me curious. It is obvious there were others here at one time. Where did they go?"<br><br>She sat at the wall next to the opening then and waited, her thoughts drifting to the time when she had been driven from her home. The others in the small town feared her. She dealt in magic they did not understand. So they feared her. When they had dragged her screaming from her small house, they tied her to a tree. Facing the tree and unable to move as they burned her house and all her possessions to the ground. They whipped her with willow rods trying to drive the evil from her. When blood ran freely down her legs they stopped. They could not bring themselves to kill her though it would have been a mercy.<br><br>When they threw her into the river to wash the blood from her back, she struggled and managed to escape. As she swam away from them they yelled at her to never return. She made it to an isle several miles down the river. It was there she found shelter in an old ruin. It was there she found herself alone and glad of it. She survived because her will to live was strong. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>28-12-2014, 01:06:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/0y8wEtc.jpg)&nbsp; </div><br>As her companions spoke below, Zabeth worked carefully and quickly with one of the coils of rope that they'd found. The tiny bed might make a suitable anchor, she decides, although the wood looks as though it might snap... the lumber, though, seems fresh enough.&nbsp; "Alright then--" she says softly, tying an overhand knot right in the mists of a six-foot length of rafter wood as big as her thigh.&nbsp; Her headache faded now, she was utterly consumed in the task... the gnawing pit of shame deep in her chest has given way to the occupation at hand, the fact that down the pit were her compatriots, and they needed her help.&nbsp; <br><br>Cinching the knot, she repeats the process and adds a second loop to support weight, then places the wood across the bottom of the doorframe into darkness.&nbsp; There, braced against the ground, it looks stable enough.. she quickly ties a knot two feet down, then another two feet further, then again and again until she's reached the twenty-foot mark.&nbsp; She repositions the lantern at the top and lowers the rope from the door until its end splashes and floats in the dark water.&nbsp; "Here," she calls softly-- then pauses as she sees the two of them down in the water, "Both okay down there?"&nbsp; She speaks quieter to herself, then-- "... still naked?&nbsp; Need warming up..?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>AndyZ</strong> on <strong>28-12-2014, 05:37:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/09/1392559621072.png)</div><br>Even for someone of her intelligence and talents, getting through the major aspects of a spell took some time.&nbsp; She mostly ended up just making sure she had the basics, putting the book away for later but still feeling as though she had much more ability in kinetic force than she had previously.<br><br>Alisandra went to the store room, picking out an empty crate and splashing just a touch of the lantern oil upon it.&nbsp; She then brought it out to the main area and smashed some of the crate with the hilt of her sword, making a little noise but not so much as had already been made by others in this situation.&nbsp; Apparently there was just no one around, so sound didn't matter so much.<br><br>After having a small pile of wood with a tiny bit of oil splashed upon some of the planks, Alisandra focused her efforts, concentrating her power and doing her best to conjure up some magic.&nbsp; She managed barely a candle flame, less than she had to manage for her initiation to prove that she understood the mystical concept of fire, but it was enough to ignite the lumber.<br><br>With that set, she moved back, fully expecting the other two to need to dry off with the makeshift campfire.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>28-12-2014, 05:49:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/0y8wEtc.jpg)&nbsp; </div><br>Catching up, she seems very content with the effects of Alisandra's efforts.&nbsp; "Alright then... so, where to now?"&nbsp; She checks the rope to ensure they have a way back, should they need the quick egress of her makeshift rope ladder, and coils another length of it from shoulder to opposite hip until she can carry the next rope unencumbered.&nbsp; "Looks like we're making headway... towards what?"&nbsp; she sniffs, continuing to converse with herself.&nbsp; "Dunno, maybe whatever WAS here has already killed the prior occupants."&nbsp; She checks the dagger, content for now with its serviceable, but not envious, edge.&nbsp; "Maybe the way out is through.&nbsp; Who bloody knows, not me, that's for sure..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Chulanowa</strong> on <strong>30-12-2014, 22:23:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Kittenpeeler/Three/Three.jpg)</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The scream and splash and sudden reactions had all caught Three quite by surprise. She was going to suggest tossing rope down; Zabeth's already doing that. Fire to burn at the darkness? Allisandra's on it! Three flaps her little hands as the two women work on rescuing their companions from a pit. Unable to be useful, and not willing to be useless, she settles on being annoying. "What were you doing! You can't see in that dark! <em>I</em> can't see in that dark! And you just stomp right in! <em>Yarka!</em>" The last apparently some sort of scathing insult, before she goes to collect the thin blankets from the dwarven bed. Better than nothing for the returning climbers.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then a tilt of her head at Zabeth as the woman babbles to herself "You better not be haunted. If you're haunted, we're all in trouble. Do I <em>look</em> like a witchdoctor? Gah!" More hand-flapping, before smoothing her leather garments down. "Ah-<em>her</em>. When they're back up and warm, we go for that tall rockface. I think I can rig up some climbing gear to get myself up one of the corners, to secure a rope for the rest of you."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>AndyZ</strong> on <strong>01-01-2015, 13:17:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/09/1392559621072.png)</div><br>Everyone else was so smart, so confident, so certain of what to do.<br><br>Alisandra didn't want to say it, but it felt obvious that she was slowing everyone down.<br><br>None of this was her element.&nbsp; She could handle books, and making a fire was simple enough but they could have done it without her.<br><br>Why was she even here?&nbsp; The lesson of humility felt obvious, but it had to be more than that.&nbsp; Someone had to want more than just to show her that she was completely useless and helpless without magic.<br><br>Without some sort of answer, she just gave a simple shrug, willing to follow along with whatever plans seemed best for all involved.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Verasaille</strong> on <strong>01-01-2015, 21:13:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The waiting was beginning to wear on the sorceress and she yawned slightly. Perhaps she would catch a short nap while Katul explored the other tunnel a ways. "I will wait here and make sure the others join us. Why don't you explore that tunnel and see if you can find anything interesting?" She smiled at Katul. <br><br>In another time and place she might have gotten to know the fine warrior a lot better. As it was this place was a test for all of them. She did not know what tests he faced in here. But she felt he was the only one to find that out. Perhaps a personal journey that he needed to face in his mind. She watched as he smiled at her and nodded. Moving with the grace of a stalking lion he disappeared down into a tunnel that glowed softly with phosphorescence.<br><br>Rose turned to look down into the room below her. If and when the others found their way here she would need to call to them and get them to join her on this higher level. She still had the rope on her and she blinked as she thought maybe they did not see her up here because there was nothing to attract them. She took the rope off herself and tied it to a sturdy rock next to her and lowered the end of the rope into the room. Perhaps they will notice it then and look up?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: IC -WEST</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>04-01-2015, 00:08:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/0y8wEtc.jpg)&nbsp; </div><br>"Fine by me..." she helps Three to secure the extra rigging as is needed, but defers to the kobold... only slightly suspicious of the work, simply because it's not within her own hands.&nbsp; Once they've rigged and tested the rope, she will let Three climb first so she can hold on down below long enough to give the sorceress a quick wolf whistle.&nbsp; "Nice view from down here," she says with a wry laugh, trying to bring a smidge of levity to this dire pit.&nbsp; She does not mean it, not in the least... sure, the sorceress is attractive, but Zabeth is far from in a flirtatious mood.&nbsp; She's fighting back withdrawal from the lotus binge... nausea, pain, and mild fever are creeping up with the emotional pain of the memories of ghosts... the sounds of arrows, blades, broken bodies, dying cries of agony... the memory of a pair of lips, gentle hands, eyes that spoke of adoration and acceptance... <br><br>"Gods help us," she says to herself, waits to follow Three up to where they will regather.&nbsp; The attempt at humor is almost painful, and she takes the brief moment's solitude to cover her eyes with her hands, crouch in a quiet corner, and fight back tears.&nbsp; Then she's off behind Three to meet up with the others.&nbsp; "Alright ladies, let's get out of this fucking dungeon. ... where did Katul get off to?"&nbsp; She murmurs quieter to the sorceress then, "You two, ah, seem to be getting along."&nbsp; She smiles faintly, sniffing-- probably a product of the damp air, certainly she hadn't been crying.&nbsp; "Take your pleasures while you can, girl.&nbsp; We may not have tomorrow."<br><br>She unhitches the lit lantern from her waist and holds it at length.&nbsp; "Which way?"
			</dd>
		</dl>
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