[DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: meikle on 05-05-2013, 09:13:02</h2>
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				Title: <strong>[DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>meikle</strong> on <strong>05-05-2013, 09:13:02</strong>
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				<div align="center"><strong>Dungeon World: A Fertile Crescent</strong><br>The First Session<br><br>Starring:<br>Amelia Allbright the Wizard<br>Hedenabi Zhuga-il the Bard<br>Queluna Kilurden the Fighter</div><br><div align="center">(http://i.imgur.com/K8nob0H.jpg)</div><div align="center"><em>The Buried City of Shub-Ishur</em></div><br><strong>Amelia, Hedenabi, Queluna</strong><br><br>It hadn't been easy to reach the city; it took a team of dedicated miners and archaeologists to breach the sands and dirt and dust that had buried the ancient place, and more time yet to close the distance of the wide cavern between their entrance and the wide open entry.&nbsp; And that had been the easiest part of the trip.&nbsp; There were only the three left of what had begun as an expedition of eleven: the sage Amelia, the storyteller Hedenabi, and the elf from across the sea, Queluna.&nbsp; Most of the others had turned back before they'd reached the cities.<br><br>A few had died.&nbsp; Most of them died inglorious deaths born of sloppy delving, poor climbing.&nbsp; Those had spurred the others on, but it had also stirred dissent among the ranks of those explorers, convinced them that this was too dangerous to continue.&nbsp; As they delved deeper into the city, more of them agreed, until only the esteemed explorer Ninsunu had maintained with the adventurers.&nbsp; "There is wealth here, and power," he'd said, trying to rally the remainder, but to no avail.&nbsp; After they'd gone, to the three women who remained, he'd cackled, "More for the rest of us, yes?"<br><br>Now he was dead, too, ground into the dust of the deep tunnel city.&nbsp; That wasn't some time past.&nbsp; That happened just a few seconds ago.<br><br>The trio stands in a throne room, long since abandoned -- or that had seemed to be the case until mere moments ago.&nbsp; Now the room was quickly becoming populated, and Ninsunu, once a lively and somewhat obnoxious soul was split between a stain on the ground and a stain on a massive steel club, clutched in the hands of a creature that towered some nine feet tall, with a bull's head and hooves.&nbsp; It happened with a shriek and then a crash.&nbsp; The bullman was big enough all on its own to block that entrance, the only entrance into the royal throne; there might be another exit further back, behind the throne and the decorated wall that rises up twenty feet to the ceiling behind it, decorated in pictographic stories of past heroics, but who knows?&nbsp; <br><br>Its hooves clack on the sandstone floors as it walks, and it's walking toward our three heroes, and yes, there is ill intent in the eyes of the beast.<br><br><strong>EVERYONE</strong><br>What something did you touch, take, pocket, or break in Shub-Ishur, the buried city?&nbsp; Also, everyone, you're in a pretty dangerous situation, so <strong>what do you do</strong>?&nbsp; Feel free to expand on the scene to make things exciting.&nbsp; Don't be shy; you've got the authority to make things up, especially to add life to the scene.&nbsp; Always!&nbsp; Also: I'm going to ask you all questions, all the time.&nbsp; You should feel free to ask me questions whenever you want, too.<br><br><strong>AMELIA</strong><br>Hedenabi is here for the story of the place, and Queluna's practical: she just wants to make money off the trip.&nbsp; I think there's more to it, and I think you know what it is: Amelia, what's really worthwhile here in Shub-Ishtar?<br><br><strong>HEDENABI</strong><br>What's something interesting about this place that none of us know?&nbsp; You know better than anyone else here.<br><br><strong>QUELUNA</strong><br>Who's to blame for the lack of warning here?&nbsp; Who told you the city was abandoned?&nbsp; Are there going to be consequences for misleading you, for getting people killed?
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Queluna</strong> on <strong>05-05-2013, 09:57:05</strong>
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				The elven warrior woman was dexterous enough that climbing down the walls and ledges of the underground city hadn't been a major trial for her, as they seemed to be for many of the humans.&nbsp; She'd tried her best to keep the others alive, to catch someone if they were to fall, to pull them back up to a hold on the wall again, but ultimately she couldn't save them from their own inexperience and ineptitude.&nbsp; Besides, if she tried to catch every person who fell after their foot slipped or a few rocks had broken loose, they'd likely have pulled her down to her death with them.<br><br>Queluna had been taking a careful note of the areas they passed by, marking in her mind where the old stonemason's building was, where the metal smith had used to work, and so on.&nbsp; She wasn't looking for loot just yet, at least not any to pocket right now.&nbsp; Besides, what she wanted likely lay in the armory, and anything she could take from there would only encumber her and slow her climb down into the city.&nbsp; She could do the looting later, after an inventory had been taken of what was where, and how much they had.&nbsp; She would have the time, for she was not planning to leave this city any time soon.&nbsp; She'd rather secure the entire area and begin having wagons or carts pulled from the nearest city to unload all the loot they could find, to sell at a large market some place.<br><br>Taking a few moments to look upon the pictographic stories that decorated the wall behind the throne., Queluna hadn't noticed as the ever eager Ninsunu had gone forth in hopes that he might discover the treasure that must be laying in the treasury behind the throne room.&nbsp; Hearing that monstrous shriek, followed ever-so-briefly by a scream from Ninsunu before the crash of metal upon stone, Queluna tore her gaze away from the pictographs and down to the bloody mess that used to be Ninsunu, between that steel club and the stone floor.&nbsp; Queluna had not expected to come face to face with a bull-headed beast when she signed on as the extra muscle for this expedition.&nbsp; She doubted that the team that hired her and her companions on hadn't even known what the hell they were getting into, either.<br><br>Though caring less that some of her companions had died, despite being quite a tragic thing itself, Queluna cared more to try and make it out of this place alive, preferably with something of worth to take back with her.&nbsp; She had concerns regarding the explorers that fled.&nbsp; Could she really expect them to have ran back to the nearest town, to safety, or might they be waiting in ambush just outside of the buried city to strike at Queluna and her companions when they climbed back to the surface with what ever treasure they could find?&nbsp; She and her companions had run into enough trouble on their climb down into the city, she hoped that none lay in store when they left this place as well.<br><br>Queluna had been using her spear as a walking stick during the climb down into the buried city, both in an effort to keep her weapon at the ready and also assist in keeping herself balanced.&nbsp; She also used it to poke and prod at some of the stone tiles she'd soon be walking over, to be sure there weren't any pressure plates or other traps around.&nbsp; Now that the large beast confronts her and her companions, though, she reaches for her shield in addition.&nbsp; She raises it to defend herself should the beast charge at her, or should it swing that massive steel club in her direction.&nbsp; The elven shield had two crescent shaped indents, one at the top and the other on the bottom, so that her spear could be set upon it in a simultaneously offensive and defensive posture.&nbsp; <br><br>The elven woman raises her spear, holding it firmly and resting it atop the crescent indent upon her shield.&nbsp; Though she didn't have the most faith in her companion's abilities, they had at least come this far.&nbsp; That was better than she could say about all the others whom had fled, and those that now lay dead.&nbsp; She just hopes that they will stay and fight beside her, and not run off to join the other cowards.&nbsp; Taking charge of the situation, Queluna shouts back at her companions, "Get behind me!&nbsp; Throw what ever you can at it!"
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MzHyde</strong> on <strong>05-05-2013, 18:05:37</strong>
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				Amelia had been surprised that this was the first guardian they'd encountered. She was expecting more monsters. What they got instead were traps. The traps seemed to do fairly well in eliminating the bulk of their party, though. That and the dangerous terrain. As they closed in on the center of the ruins things got progressively more dangerous until, ultimately, the bull-man had appeared and smashed their last remaining companion into paste. Along the way, Amelia had noticed the pictographs along some of the walls, but there had been precious little time to attempt to decipher them. Someone like Hedenabi probably could've read them as they walked, but Amelia would've needed to sit and study them, which would take time they didn't have. Still, she'd heard rumors that a great magical artifact lie in the center of the ruins. Amongst the treasure was an artifact of power of great interest to those with knowledge of the arcane. Amelia's mind swam with the possibilities; a Book of Infinite Spells? A Deck of Illusions? Perhaps a Golem Manual? Perhaps something far greater. The rumors she'd heard were hazy at best, but the further they ventured in the more she knew that something great awaited her at the end; something that would help her cement her place in history. <br><br>"Get behind me!&nbsp; Throw what ever you can at it!" shouted Queluna.<br><br>"If you want to stand in front of the rampaging bull-man, be my guest," replied Amelia, stepping back out of the fighter's way. She didn't want to engage in close combat with the monster and she knew the fighter needed room to work anyway. She wanted to cast Detect Magic to search the room for anything hidden, but the monster was the more immediate concern, so she raised her left hand and uttered the incantation for Magic Missile, "Power which drifts across eternity, gather in my hand and become my strength! Magic Missile!" The sorceress' fingers glowed violet with crackling energy, the very air around her hand distorted with raw magic. The brightness gathered into her fingertips then suddenly left her body, long shafts of violet light streaking through open air towards the bull-man.&nbsp; 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Maiz</strong> on <strong>05-05-2013, 22:45:59</strong>
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				The story of Shub-Ishur is an alluring one. A city supposedly swallowed up by the earth and the sands, forever lost to time until now. Supposedly the rulers of the city decided that upon their death they would seal up the city to make up their elaborate tomb. Therefore, in the afterlife they would have an entire city to service them, from the artisans to the bakers to the menagerie keepers. The people of an entire city trapped under the ground to die with their leaders... at least that was what the stories went. If there was any factual truth to it, Hedenabi was not so sure. So far Shub Ishur was a city under the ground, and very dangerous.&nbsp; The emptiness of it all was more unnerving to her than the traps that picked off their party one by one.<br><br>Despite the traps and deaths surrounding them, Hedenabi found time to make rubbings of some of the pictographs and accompanying art upon imported papyrus from the west. While she tried to get a sense of what all the walls said, it was too much to discern while avoiding traps. So, she spent careful seconds in between traps. Hedenabi looked at the walls, and if any pictographs stood out to her then she would take out a piece of papyrus to etch the space on. She copied the most important ones that might serve useful later, like about secret throne room entrances, or a specifically beautiful hymn to some god. But now the little bundle of paper was dropped upon the ground as she saw Ninsunu smashed to the ground.<br><br>For what it's worth, Hedenabi acted quickly and not so irreverently now. She kicked the bundle as she ran behind Queluna and Amelia. She would let them fight while hopefully finding something useful to get out of this damned room. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MzHyde</strong> on <strong>06-05-2013, 00:19:03</strong>
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				Amelia's spell fired off exactly as intended. Violet lances of arcane energy seared from her fingertips and sailed through the air like magical arrows. They soared past Queluna, air rippling with magic as they struck the monster full on, each beam of energy finding its mark on the creatures shoulder and upper arm, piercing it's thick hide and drawing up blood from deep wounds. It was a fine opening spell, thought Amelia proudly. At least until she drew the beast's ire...
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>meikle</strong> on <strong>06-05-2013, 18:38:28</strong>
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				The monster roared as its thick, fur-matted flesh tore and blood spilt from it, turning its dark hair darker where it flowed.&nbsp; Its bull eyes, massive and black, searched for the source of its ire -- and found her.&nbsp; It lifted Ninsunu's shattered remains with the tip of it's club, and plucked the body up with startling ease; the weight of a man was nothing in the arms of this monster.<br><br>Then it stomped, smashing massive hooves into the floor with such force that the pillars that held the high ceiling of the throne room aloft trembled.&nbsp; Dust and debris from far above began to fall down, and it didn't let up as the monster began to charge, not toward Amelia – though its eyes were locked on her, yes – but toward the elf.&nbsp; As it ran, it flung the corpse it held – right over the elf, a heavy, fleshy missile to return the damage Amelia inflicted.&nbsp; Ninsunu's body was flung with such force that there was hardly time to react!<br><br>And it kept moving, taking its huge club into both hands, lifting it up as it neared the elf, clearly intent on batting her aside; getting hit by that massive metal instrument wouldn't just mean bruises and broken bones, it'd probably mean a trip across the room, too.<br><br>While the room shuddered under the force of the monster, Hedenabi read the pictographs on the wall, searched for some kind of clue, some way out that didn't mean going face to face with the monster.&nbsp; Good for her; the stories carved into the walls of this throne echo the stories she'd heard in the past.&nbsp; Did the people know, from the very start, that it was their fate to end here, buried, to die as grave goods for the lords of this place?<br><br><strong>Hedenabi</strong>, you're here for the story, so that's what I think is valuable to you: on all the walls etched through with these pictographs, near the end, there are cruder carvings, but they are all the same, a skeletal figure, underlined three times, holding a spear firmly planted in the ground – all over the walls, always at the ends of the stories.&nbsp; We remain, we remain, we remain.<br><br><strong>Queluna and Amelia</strong>, you're both in dire straits here; let us know what your plan is, but if it involves not getting mashed up, it's probably going to start with defying danger.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Queluna</strong> on <strong>06-05-2013, 19:18:48</strong>
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				Queluna could do nothing about the body of Ninsunu being flung overhead toward the wizardess behind her, being unable to leap high enough to deflect it with her shield.&nbsp; She doesn't turn around to see if the woman was okay either, or to see if Hedenabi might be putting her old, worn bow to use, but rather keeps her eyes focused upon her enemy.&nbsp; As the beast began to charge toward her, she broke into a charge as well, roaring at the monster as it seemed the two would meet head-on, steel club against elven spear, nine feet of bull-headed monster versus a six foot tall, armor-clad elven warrioress.<br><br>Just before she reaches the monster, as the beast was already pulling its club back for a powerful swing that would be sure to knock her aside if not crush her against the wall, the agile elf plants her spear down against the ground, using it to vault over over the swing of that powerful club and straight toward the monster.&nbsp; There was a clatter of steel against stone as her shield hit the floor beneath the monster, dropped from Queluna's grip mid-flight.&nbsp; She uses her free left hand to grip at one of the beasts horns as she lands with her feet against its chest, loosening her grip upon her spear for but a moment so that the shaft could slide along her palm until she held the spear only a short ways down from the head of the blade, thrusting the spear into beasts throat and trying to push it up into the back of its head.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MzHyde</strong> on <strong>09-05-2013, 06:42:22</strong>
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				Amelia's eyes widened as she saw what was left of one of their guides hurtling at her like a gory comet. She attempted to dive out of the way and avoid the impact. Granted, being hit by a corpse wouldn't have hurt her that much, but given the chance to dodge a flying body she was going to take it. She found she worked best while not covered in gore. Call it a foible. Her reaction was much too slow, however. Leaping to the aside only managed to get her hit while her feet were off the ground, the impact carrying her some distance back. Thankfully, the body hit her in the torso and not the face. She'd be grateful for that as soon as she stopped seeing stars. The body and Amelia went tumbling in different directions, the wizard rolling a few times before coming to a stop. She was a little bruised from hitting the floor and more than a bit disgusted (neat freak that she was), but otherwise uninjured. Amelia grunted, "Hedenabi, dear? Would you mind helping us fight instead of staring at the walls? We can check for secrets <em>after</em> we've dealt with the rampaging bull-man."
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>meikle</strong> on <strong>11-05-2013, 19:35:40</strong>
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				Queluna found herself hanging onto the bullman's horns even as its blood spilled down from the monster's throat, from where the spear had lodged and begun to stick.&nbsp; That blood, it was all hot and red.&nbsp; There was no respite in it, though; the monster did not slow or pause, and it certainly did not <em>die</em>.&nbsp; No, it let Queluna struggle with her spear and dangle from its horn while it set one of its big, dark eyes on a pillar further down the long throne hall, nearer Amelia and Hedenabi.&nbsp; And then it started to charge, its hooves clacking on the stone below with each step.<br><br>And it slammed into that huge pillar, hit it so hard that it cracked and shuddered.&nbsp; Now it wasn't just dust and debris coming down from the ceiling; proper stone blocks began to fall, crashing into the floor around them as the roof gave way.&nbsp; <br><br>One of them fell onto Ninsunu's body, and it <em>squelched</em> as the remains of the traveler turned into so much meaty goo; the monster roared, and rose one of its massive hands to take hold of the elf so desperately working to kill it!
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Maiz</strong> on <strong>12-05-2013, 22:32:47</strong>
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				Her fingers traced over the rough etchings into the wall, as if there wasn't a creature twenty feet away threatening to smash her and and her companions into rust stains on the floor. It was hard to imagine that someone who knowingly agreed to be buried would make such desperate carvings on stone.&nbsp; she noticed the way the pictographs were all in the same position. So she lightly tapped on the various panels near the skeletal figure, looking for any different in sound quality.<br><br>Hearing the thud on the ground Hedenabi turned around to see what happened. She needed to work quickly now. "Amelia, I'm doing what I can. I'm more likely to shoot one of you than the monster," she said, her voice coming out in a jumble with a higher pitch than normal. Her heart pounded in her ears as she turned back to work. If she could not attack the beast then she would find a way out. There had to be one. She had never heard of or been in a throne room without some sort of secret entrance or servant entrance or something.<br><br>The sound of the monster hitting the pillar made her jump and turn around. Hedenabi narrowly missed a chunk of ceiling. The sudden crumbling of the throne room sent her into panic mode. What was she missing?<br><br>And that was when she saw it. The caving in of the ceiling had caused a rather odd crack that looked too perfect to appear in the wall. This section of the wall was suspiciously devoid of pictographs. Maybe this could be their ticket out of this crumbling room, but at the same time Hedenabi was not looking forward&nbsp; seeing what remained of whoever scratched the pictographs on the wall.<br><br>Ninsunu had the long narrow pry bar that had proven useful so far, but a quick look over her shoulder told her that it was no longer accessible.&nbsp; With small chunks of ceiling falling around her, there was no time to dally. Hedenabi took an arrow from the quiver across her back and started to pry at the wall. "I think I have a way out of here! We need to get this door or whatever open," she said, her voice breathless and shrill.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Queluna</strong> on <strong>13-05-2013, 00:14:32</strong>
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				Queluna's breath escaped her as the beastman rammed her into the stone pillar, crushing it behind her and putting a large dent into her armor.&nbsp; She was lucky she'd had it on, elsewise she may have very well been flattened against the pillar much the same way that Ninsunu had been flattened beneath the beast's steel club, and then flattened once more by the large stones falling from the ceiling.<br><br>Recovering from her loss of breath, Queluna stares the beastman straight in the eyes and roars at it once more.&nbsp; Twisting her spear within the beast's throat before pulling it as hard as she could, pushing against the creature's horn with her other hand and kicking powerfully with her legs hard against the beast's chest, applying every bit of pressure she could to push herself away.&nbsp; When the spear did yank free, it was with a shower of blood and gore, ripping the beast's throat open and pulling bloody chunks along with it.&nbsp; As Queluna fell to the floor after freeing herself from the monster's grip, she caught her balance and landed upon both feet.&nbsp; The monster collapsed with what might have been a mighty thud, but with the ceiling collapsing all around them, nobody could really tell otherwise.<br><br>Without wasting a moment to check whether the monster was dead or not, or what her companions were doing, Queluna dashed quickly toward the center of the room to collect her shield, dodging and weaving around falling stone.&nbsp; As she got half way across the room, it becomes more difficult to avoid the stones that were collapsing more rapidly now.&nbsp; She pauses for a moment to consider whether or not the shield was really worth it before turning around and heading back toward the way she'd come in, earlier.&nbsp; "Let's go!"&nbsp; She shouts out to the other girls as she jumps over the bull-headed beast's limp body that had been laying near the exit to the throne room.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MzHyde</strong> on <strong>15-05-2013, 20:03:58</strong>
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				Amelia watched her companions take to two different exits and let out a little sigh. Why did these things never seem to go smoothly? For once she'd enjoy exploring a forgotten ruin without it being populated by traps and monsters. There had to be at least one out there somewhere. This, however, was not one of them, nor was there time to sit and mourn the state of her new 'adventurer' trade. Figuring she'd be safer with the fighter, Amelia picked herself up and sprinted after Queluna, gaining ground on the other woman rather rapidly thanks to her lack of heavy armor and weapons. Together they darted out the doorway before being crushed under tons of rubble. Just as she passed out of the room, Amelia turned and looked back, watching to see if Hedenabi made it through the secret exit without being crushed into paste like their former guide. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>meikle</strong> on <strong>18-05-2013, 00:06:05</strong>
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				In the last moments of its life, gripping at its throat to stop bleeding that was too profuse to be stanched, the beast stumbled and slammed its great bulk into the already sundered pillar.&nbsp; There was a great groan as the pillar broke, the cracks giving way to the force of the ceiling they held, and a thunderous crash as it crumbled.&nbsp; The ceiling came down like rain and hail, pouring onto the heroes below even as it buried the bull-man and Ninsunu.<br><br>Queluna and Amelia braved the fall, escaping through the door by which they'd come in, outpacing the cracks that grew through the ceiling above and were followed quickly by falling blocks like boulders from a bleak sky.&nbsp; Past the door, they were unscathed, and seemed to have escaped the worst of it; the hall outside seemed untouched by the damage, maintained its integrity even as the throne disappeared under rubble.&nbsp; Glancing back, they could see Hedenabi still at the far side of the room -- just for a moment longer, before her needling arrowhead broke away some lock or barrier, opened some unseen exit and she slipped out of sight, barely avoiding meeting a fate like Ninsunu's.<br><br>...<br><br><strong>QUELUNA &amp; AMELIA</strong><br>The collapse -- the cave-in -- continued to roar on for many moments longer, and the sound of it was thunderous.&nbsp; Whatever that throne room had been in the past, now it was an unpassable mess of broken stone.&nbsp; Getting back in there would take a lot of work, might even be impossible at the moment.&nbsp; Hedenabi's missing; it looked like she escaped the danger, but where did she escape to?&nbsp; Clearly there's more to this underground palace than you've discovered thus far; hidden tunnels, secret chambers... did the explorers, the ones who had fled or died, have anything to say about those things?<br><br>The sputtering torches that Ninsunu had left behind every so often sputtered in the hallway, gave them some means of tracking their way.&nbsp; Still, so far underground, light is scarce; the daylight that had filtered into the throne room (and how, exactly, had it managed that, wit no real skylight above?) had no reach here, especially since the collapse.&nbsp; <br><br><strong>Queluna, Amelia</strong>, what are your plans?&nbsp; Amelia knows there's something significant down here, Queluna still has riches to dig up, and Hedenabi is alive but missing.&nbsp; What do you do?<br><br><strong>HEDENABI</strong><br>The panel took some working, but eventually it gave way, and the push-trigger behind it gave way to a hidden door; it slipped open and peeked into a tunnel that gave way quickly to darkness.&nbsp; Perhaps imposing, but the alternative was worse; staying still meant being crushed, and so Hedenabi stepped through that open portal just in time to escape being crushed by the falling ceiling.&nbsp; As the exit was buried behind more and more rubble, the darkness became stronger and stronger, until there was no light at all; only a long dark tunnel ahead and a wall of debris behind.&nbsp; There's little choice now but to march ahead... <strong>Hedenabi</strong>, what do you do, what's going through your head right now?
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Maiz</strong> on <strong>19-05-2013, 01:47:41</strong>
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				Hedenabi has jumped into the passage way she found, falling onto the ground. She watched as the last rays of light were being covered by rubble and quickly picked up her things before she could see no longer. The only thing lost was the arrow she used to pry the door open. Her hand&nbsp; touched her side, where her shortsword was hanging off a belt. If only she had some way to make a light source, but not every situation could be planned for. After a few moments of stalling uncertainty, she embarked down the dark passage. Her hand stayed on the hilt of her sword.<br><br>The darkness was not so scary once she closed her eyes. The unknown darkness was replaced with the darkness of her eyelids. Slowly she began to walk, deliberately touching the path ahead of her to make sure the ground didn't give away. The thought of falling in this darkness sounded rather unfun. The walk was slow and the rapid beating of her heart was becoming more and more unpleasant to hear, so she decided to sing the songs she learned from her family. She began with a song of Hinna and how she embroidered the night sky.<br><br>Perhaps singing would only attract the attention of something unpleasant (and it probably would), but if she was going to die right now Hedenabi reasoned that it would be better to die singing then die in fear. So she continued to slowly make her way through the passage, her voice growing stronger and clearer.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MzHyde</strong> on <strong>19-05-2013, 02:47:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Amelia sighed once they were free of the collapsing room, letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her first priority to brush what was left of their guide off her outfit. Secondary concerns were survival and finding their compatriot. The <em>mess</em> demanded attention. After cleaning up, she pulled one of the torches off the wall and stuffed it out. Afterwards, she turned up her free hand and muttered, "Light which burns beyond crimson flame, gather in my hand and grant us everlasting sight. Lighting!" <br><br>The spell conjured a little orb of light atop the empty torch, filling the corridor with light that would never need fuel and could be re-cast if it went out. The torch she held at arm's length and, with her other hand, weaved another spell. Amelia's fingers danced through the air, signing arcane letters invisible to Queluna, but taking shape for the wizard herself. This one required a slightly more arcane incantation. The spell was one of the oldest in all recorded magic and most Wizards learned it first (along with the 'Magic Missile' spell). "Vu raywah, vu vramier, goz vu roh! Servant!"<br><br>"Carry. Follow," Amelia added, dropping the torch. Instead of falling, it hung in mid-air as if supported by an invisible hand. Was it truly invisible, or was it, again, something only Amelia could see? Queluna would be left guessing on that front. That settled, Amelia turned to her compatriot.<br><br>"We should probably try to meet up with Hedenabi as soon as possible. Leaving her behind wouldn't exactly be heroic. That corridor she found must lead somewhere, so I'd wager if we try to head in the direction it was leading we might find a way around."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Queluna</strong> on <strong>19-05-2013, 18:07:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Queluna takes a moment to lower to one knee and catch her breath, after fighting the monster and making her escape.&nbsp; The back of her armor had been dented after she'd been rammed into the stone pillar that had broken behind the force transferred through her.&nbsp; Her back hurt more than it ever had before.<br><br>When Amelia conjures that light, she stands back to her feet, nodding her head at the woman's words.&nbsp; "Yes, let us try to find her.&nbsp; Perhaps we might salvage something of this place yet."&nbsp; She supposes, glancing back to the collapsed stone that barred their way back into the throne room.<br><br>Queluna goes ahead to take the lead, not wanting Amelia to fall into any traps or broken passages, nor for her wizardess companion to come face to face with another one of those monsters.&nbsp; "Thank you for your help, with the beast in there, by the way.&nbsp; You scored a powerful hit against it."&nbsp; She says, nodding her head.&nbsp; "It seems our companion did not trust our ability's to fight it, though... now I only hope she has not created even more trouble by doing so."<br><br>She gazes back into the throne room, measuring which direction Hedenabi would have been moving to, or at least which direction the hidden door she found had been facing.&nbsp; She tries to move in that direction as well, hoping that she might find a way toward the same passages.&nbsp; "Be on the look-out for hidden doors, like the one Hedenabi found.&nbsp; If it was a secret tunnel, it is likely to be secret from its other exit as well, yes?"&nbsp; She suggests.&nbsp; She moves onward, being careful to examine her surroundings and keep an eye out for any potential doors or entrances.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>meikle</strong> on <strong>24-05-2013, 05:50:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>HEDENABI</strong><br><br>Hedenabi's songs echoed through the dark corridor.&nbsp; Each step added a quiet tap to the otherwise silent space (silent save for Hedenabi and the occasional reminder of the cave-in behind as the fallen throne room shifted and rumbled through the hall.)&nbsp; <br><br>It's hard to be sure exactly how long she follows that tunnel, and sometimes it seems like it curves just tiny bits, never very sharply.&nbsp; It may be as long as ten minutes just walking in the dark, singing songs to herself in the dark before the solid steps Hedenabi takes give way to hollow sound, like the floor has gotten thinner since she started.&nbsp; Still, no light intrudes on her procession.<br><br>Not until the first cracks begin to form under her feet.&nbsp; Subtle at first, too quiet to hear under her own voice, but then more loudly.<br><br>And then it's too late.&nbsp; The stone is falling out under Hedenabi's feet.&nbsp; The pitch-black hallway is flooding with light from below.&nbsp; <br><br><strong>Hedenabi</strong>, what were you singing when the floor gave out beneath you?<br><br><strong>AMELIA and QUELUNA</strong><br>With Amelia's light glowing nearby, the pervasive darkness of the underground city is less threatening, though the place is a little bit claustrophobic, even so close to the throne room.&nbsp; It was an unavoidable quality, maybe, of being so deep underground.&nbsp; The entrance to this deep city had been erected in a cavernous expanse, and resembled perhaps a city from above with an overhead cave, but this far in, it was simply carved out, tunnels dug into the earth itself.&nbsp; <br><br>Outside of the throne room, the carvings along the wall are sparser, though not absent.&nbsp; They're a bit less meaningful for the elf and the wizard, neither of them well-versed in the ancient languages of the people here, but some of the simpler stories are distinguishable just from their pictrographic outlays.&nbsp; Most of those aren't terribly interesting, however.<br><br><strong>Amelia</strong> and <strong>Queluna</strong>, I'm going to give you too a little while to banter while you make your way forward looking for Hedenabi.&nbsp; While you do that, though, tell me, what are a few of the areas in the dungeon-city you've already explored?&nbsp; How about a few that you two pass through on your way to find your lost companion?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Queluna</strong> on <strong>01-06-2013, 20:37:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The elven adventurer was not as interested in the pictographs or anything to do with the history of the place, for history had little wealth in it.&nbsp; She was more interested as to the treasure that might be waiting, and now that she had lost her shield she was very curious to find the armory hopefully be able to retrieve another one.&nbsp; That was one of the buildings she made sure to pass through with Amelia as the two went along trying to find a way to meet up with their lost companion.<br><br>She knew that she could not remain long in the ruins, though, as she carried little in the way of food on herself.&nbsp; The archaeologists that they came with had carried most of the supplies, and they had all fallen to their deaths on way or another.&nbsp; It would be difficult to find their remains, and even if they did, they'd have to hope the food was not soaked in the blood of the fallen.&nbsp; They had passed by a granary on the way down, as well, though all the sacks of grain and food had long since decayed and become little more than dust.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Maiz</strong> on <strong>04-06-2013, 06:51:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The song she sang was long and carved into her memory. As she continued to sing about Hinna's creation of the night sky, of how she ordered the celestial figures and honored the creatures of the material world, her pace quickened. Her fear was fading away and a dance even entered her step. Soon enough she would find a way out of this passage and find her companions, she was sure of it.<br><br>The sudden light that was appearing from the floor made Hedenabi stop. Before she had much time to react the ground was already crumbling beneath her. Hedenabi made a desperate attempt to claw at the wall, her voice cutting out to silence. The vertigo of falling made her stomach toss and turn, her head pounding as the pressure rose.<br><br>She wasn't sure how long she fell for, since time seemed to both drag on and go by too quickly. The light blinded her which only made the vertigo worsen. And then it ended and she landed in a heap of rubble, in a room now unknown. AFter a few moments of quasi-consciousness, she sat up and rubbed her eyes before looking about her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MzHyde</strong> on <strong>04-06-2013, 07:24:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Amelia halted for a moment, cocking her head to the side. "Did you just hear something?" she said, the only words spoken in quit some time. She could've sworn she'd heard a faint noise somewhere off in the distance, but before she could pinpoint what it was it had faded away. She eyed Queluna a moment, sharing a glance with the fighter in the flickering light cast by the torch held by her unseen servant. She supposed the sound could've been any number of creatures skulking around in the shadows, but it sounded different than that. It didn't cross Amelia's mind that it might've been their bardic companion tumbling through a floor somewhere.<br><br>"Perhaps we'd best pick up the pace. Luckily I brought a fair share of rations with me, so we can split it if need be. Though I am loathe to have to spend the night here, treasure or no." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>meikle</strong> on <strong>10-06-2013, 07:54:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>AMELIA and QUELUNA</strong><br><br>The wizard and warrior found themselves cutting through what might have once been an armory; there were carved stone weapon racks and mannikins for hoisting armor and presenting it, though most of the weapon racks were bare now, and the mannikins were naked, undecorated save for carved eyes on each of them.&nbsp; Nearer the entrance of the room, or at least where Amelia and Queluna had entered, there was a paper slip that had gone yellow with age stuck into the wooden frame of a weapon rack with a dagger.&nbsp; Those few weapon racks that weren't totally empty were dotted with implements of war, sturdy swords and hammers that had survived the test of time.&nbsp; To a trained eye, it would be apparent that they were well-crafted, though none of these remaining weapons are precisely works of a master.<br><br>The noise Amelia heard had sounded when they first stepped into this room, this armory wide enough and long enough that the magical light that Amelia had conjured up couldn't breach the darkness.&nbsp; That noise came from further ahead, through this long hall and its dozens of mannikins, past all of the empty weapon racks.&nbsp; There must have been at least a dozen of the statues, maybe more beyond the reach of the light, and weapon racks enough to arm more soldiers than that all along the walls; above the racks, more of those pictographic stories are inscribed, though no easier for the pair to discern than any of the others.<br><br>A quick glance above shows a balcony overhanging the armory, though from where the pair are, there's no way to be sure what's up there.<br><br><strong>Amelia</strong> and <strong>Queluna</strong>, no fancy questions this time: What do you do?<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [DW:A Fertile Crescent] The First Session</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MzHyde</strong> on <strong>13-06-2013, 06:46:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Amelia halted just inside the room. She let her eyes roam carefully down one end, then the other. Then up. She was wary of both the balcony and the statues and remarked to her companion, "This room is more than a tad suspicious. Who carves only eyes upon display mannequins? We should likely smash them all for our own safety, lest they come to life and attempt to arm themselves with these ancient weapons. I'm not keen on fighting a dozen magical sentries." Her eyes darted up to the balcony again. Not to mention that was rather suspect. A balcony in an.. armory? A display hall? What was this room supposed to be, anyway? Aside from a place where they could meet their early demise, that is. The sorceress then glanced over her shoulder, noticing the slip of paper nailed to a weapon rack with a dagger. Stepping over, she pulled the dagger free with one hand and carefully opened the note with the other, aware that the paper might be rather fragile due to it's age. She perused the note between suspicious glances to the statues. This room was certainly creeping her out. 
			</dd>
		</dl>
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