Though the journey to the caves should have been a short walk, the new Seekers would find themselves delayed for some time. Guards had been sent to retrieve two party members unaccounted for. From eyewitness accounts the Oni and Wraith were found and delivered to Scholar Printh and company. Once that had been dealt with the group began their trek to the mouth of the cave system. The entrance held the resemblance of a wound like a deep gash into the earth. Torches had been mounted to the walls of the cave, lighting the ways that had been explored and deemed safe for travel. Our heroes would go further than any other had gone before, to be enveloped by darkness in hoping to find a light.

"I didn't think to see you outside the city, Printh. How have you been these past few days?", Sir Tavner let out a short chuckle as he saw the scholar appriach. The company he shared placed a puzzled look on his face as they grew closer before finally stopping before him. "Archivist Hervig's orders have sent me here, I'm afraid. While I'm not too fond of cave delving, I do relish the opportunity to claim a discovery for myself", Printh struggled to speak as he searched through his bag to grab his notebook and quill. Stopping himself halfway through his search he spoke again, "Ah yes, Dirron, these are our newest Seekers. They are Lance Corporal Eleanor Jehenne of Jumme, Rishi, Ansgar Staudinger, Amila Yilen 'The Sage of the Wilds', Krogier and his denmother, Jeggred, and Scarlet Wyrmcaller. Everyone this is Sir Dirron Tavner and Garren 'The Unbreakable' of Syrrendyl. These two gentlemen will be leading us through the cave"

Dirron took a moment to examine these new "Seekers". "The world's end has truly brought forth the strangest of us left", he thought to himself as his eyes fell upon the Oni. Taking off his helmet he turned to Garren with a look of disbelief as he looked back to address the group. "These caves run for miles, there are drops, tight crevices, unstable tunnels, and flooded tunnels. If you linger behind you will get lost and if that happens you're on your own. Garren and I have mapped out only a portion of this network and we aren't risking our necks or the group to save one of you. Should you get lost, your best bet is to look for the torches and follow them. Eventually you'll either reach the internal excavation site or the surface. With that said, let's head in. I'd prefer to be back in Venridge before nightfall", Dirron put his helmet back on and turned towards the cave before spinning back around. With a finger pointed towards the Denmother he spoke, "The tunnels will fit her but it will be a tight squeeze. Keep her under control when we're down there"

Without need of a response, Dirron headed into the cave with torch in hand, waving for the others to follow. As the Seekers ventured deeper into the depths, the formerly chaotic formations of the cave walls gave way to intricate carvings. The uneven ground beneath them began to flatten out as the cave became a dungeon of sorts. "The excavation site is a little further ahead. The miners are still down there but where we're headed is a bit out of the way. Once we pass through the site, whoever becomes lost is on their own", Dirron's voice echoed through the passageways, his words carrying themselves further into the darkness ahead. "Is the path to the obelisk mapped out at least?", asked Scholar Printh who just managed to not stumble on an uneven patch of the floor. "No, it is not. We'll be the first to go there after the intial group that vanished down there", Dirron did not stop to answer, his gaze fixed on the oath ahead. A few minutes later the path opened up to a large chamber filled with miners upon hastily made scaffolding. The sounds of their pickaxes working to clear a collapsed portion of the chamber filled the air, growing ever more harsh as they cane closer.

"Dirron!", a voice called out from amongst the workers. A Omujirian man approached from amongst the other miners, his height and stocky build distinguishing him from the rest. "Hello, Suphis, how goes the work on the tunnel?", Dirron practically shouted to make his words heard over the deafening work of the excavators.

"Better than I expected, my friend. The men have gained new vitality after hearing news of the discovered chamber. They wish to hasten the healing of the world by clearing out whatever remains of these ruins"

"Then it seems I'll be returning down here soon", the two shared a laugh before a serious look came over Suphis.

"In truth, I am surprised that they wish to work at all. News of the lost exploration team has reached them but they do not seem bothered by it. Where one would be disheartened upon hearing such news they only press harder to their goal"

"Well the world is ending, they dont have time to stop and fear. It is as you say, Suphis, they wish to see the world restored"

"Perhaps you are right. Safe travels, Dirron, may you find our salvation down there", Dirron nodded before turning to the group to signal their advance. Further and further down the Seekers went, deeper into the wound of the earth, seeking the answers to their world's suffering. The light of the torches from the main path could no longer reach them and the only illumination they possessed were the torches they'd been given. Down in those depths, the dark seemed to consume the light as one could not see beyond a few feet of themselves. The air was cold and still with no sounds beyond those of their own making. This place they had found themselves in was dead. Nothing, not even the smallest of insects dwelled down there.

"Everyone stop!", Dirron's orders dominated the void they inhabited as the group's march came to a halt. "The walls are gone, we've entered a large chamber. I think we have arrived", something told the knight to look towards his feet, to the ground beside him. As he crouched down it became clear where they were. With a flick of his hand, a magelight was cast, bathing the room in a pale arcane light. The chamber they were in was massive, large enough to be used as an encampment for a small army. The ground pressed on towards the center of the chamber like a narrow land bridge while the area around the perimeter of the chamber was a sheer drop into impenetrable darkness. Two massive tunnels, one leading towards the center of the chamber and another trailing of towards the surface. At the center of it all stood what they had been searching for. The ground there stood like a pedastal above the black pits. An ornate platform resided at the centee of the chamber, intricately carved pillars and floor patterns that did not resemble anything known to this world. An obsidian obelisk stood admist the unknown architecture like a monument to whatever this place represented. As a whole, the structure somewhat resembled an altar of some kind with an unfamiliar language inscribed across almost every surface.

"Everyone, be careful. Whatever caused the initial team to vanish is probably still here. I want everyone to take note of as much of this place as possible. Write down whats written on these structures. It all needs to go back to Venridge for study. Printh, is there anything in particular you're looking for?", Dirron turned to Printh who possessed eyes of wonder and amazement at the sight of it all. Without hesitation, the scholar strode forward towards the obelisk, his mind too focused on this discovery to care for his safety. Upon crossing the bridge his eyes met a less fantastical sight. The decomposed body of a man, laid out before the obelisk as if he died in his sleep. "Dirron, come look at this", but the knight was already behind him.

"That's not one of ours. His body has been here far longer...he killed himself", pointing towards the corpse's hand he revealed the dagger that plunged into the man's heart. In his other hand laid a notebook, old and worn but still intact. Dirron wrenched it from the dead grip of the body before lightly dusting it off and handing it to Printh. "Perhaps your answers lay here", Dirron rested at the foot of the obelisk, his foot kicking aside the body till it slid off into the depths. Printh watched as the corpse descended into darkness with pity before turning his attention back to the notebook.

"I can't believe this...this notebook, that body...was the body of Ulric", Dirron turned his head to where he tossed the corpse. Taking off his helmet the same look of pity appeared on his face.

To whoever finds this notebook, know that I am Lord Ulric Hegdhal of Venridge. This notebook shall be my final words to my family and to also convey the burden of my discovery to those who find it. To my wife, Iselin please forgive me, my love. I never meant to bring such pain to our world. I only wished for a world our children would no longer fear with such intensity. I wish I could have told you why I kept secrets from you in my final days, wgat I've learned had to be kept secret from those who would seek to destroy what I've found. To my son, Harald, look after our people. The duty of lord falls to you. I know I raised you to see our city through whatever blight is inflicted upon it.

As for whoever finds this notebook, know this; our world is dying. In my final days I learned what afflicts our lands but I know I shall not live to see how it ends. As these are my final words, I wish to tell you my whole story so that those above may know the truth.

It was when my city began to suffer from the world's decay that I sought a way to save it. At first it meant improving the wealth of the city so I hired workers to mine the caves near Venridge in the hopes of finding silver. What we found was this undergound labyrinth. At some point the workers seemed off to me, they worked with such determination and ferocity I was impressed but did not look into why. It was when they discovered this room that I called my mage Guthrum to research the incriptions. We learned of the creators of this place,
this ancient people, who were down here with the purpose of stopping the decay. Our world's death is a cycle, with this revelation we looked further for an answer as to how long. I poured all I had into these ruins. I brought scholars from afar to help Guthrum in his research, I hired more miners to hasten the excavation of newly discovered passageways. It was only when it was too late did I realize my error. After some time, the ground began to quake. It grew in intensity as weeks went on. I was in this chamber when it happened, my obsession for this obelisk drew me to it and away from my family. I was taking notes for Guthrum when a massive creature dug into the chamber. It was large beyond my comprehension, as if it could swallow a fleet of ships in an instant. The creature came for me but it was halted. Some form of magic ward blocked its path. That was when the true horror was revealed. It spoke. With a voice of pire hatred it spoke to me, cursing my name and vowing to exact vengeance on me for failing to complete the task I had been given. Once its business with me had concluded it dug its way back into the ground, up towards the surface. Even with all the time I spent down here I knew where it was headed. My only hope is that Guthrum can find a way to stop it.

Know this stranger, our world is ending but it can be saved. I've written below all I have translated from these ruins. My memory of their language is not as complete as Guthrum's but I hope this is enough. May the gods bless you on your journey, friend"

Printh closed the notebook for a moment, his mind contemplating the horror of what had just been revealed to them all. "All this time, we've mocked the man who was among the first to help us...may you find rest Ulric. Forgive us", Printh whispered a short prayer for the dead lord before returning to the notebook. "The translation is incomplete, Ulric left the unknown words in so we know where they fit. It says here that these people, this civilization, was known as The Eshonera. They knew of the decay's arrival before it started and had worked to find a way to prevent it. In their time the world was unified under their rule but as they poured more and more effort into finding a way to stop the decay, their empire collapsed. This place was their final attempt to save their race...that obelisk holds an Eshoneran with it", Printh began to feel all over the obelisk for some method of opening it. His attempts were futile as no matter how thoroughly he examined it, the obelisk remained sealed. "Maybe there's more to it, the notebook should tell me", Printh began nervously flipping through the pages, desperately searching for the answers.

"Is that wise, Printh"

"Dirron, whatever is causing our world to die is unknown to us. That Eshoneran in there is the answers to all of this. They are what we've been searching for"

"If it has all the answers, their people would still be here"

"We will know more when we talk to them, we cant let this opportunity pass us by"

"I know, Printh, but we don't know what it's capable of. If they can remain alive for this long down here and build all this, who know what else they can do. What if they possess magic, what if they are hostile?"

"We outnumber it, I'm sure we could handle it, if it attacks. We need to do this, it is a risk worth taking", Printh returned to the notebook for a moment, his finger running along as he searched for more knowledge. "Look here, the obelisk shall open upon the sensing of...of worthy souls. I honestly did not expect such an answer. Seems like a story for children", Printh let out a desperate laugh as he eyed the group.

"I believe it wants us to all touch the obelisk, if we do that it should open to us"

Dirron rested his hand on the obelisk and almost instantly a faint humming sound was heard within. "I hope you're right, Printh", he said as he watched Printh place a hand on the obelisk, this time with the humming becoming slightly louder. "Alright, everyone get ready for whatever comes out of this thing"

Jeggred had wandered far from the meeting place all the guards had been pointing him too. In the fog of his thirst it was impossible to be near other seekers without the urge to steal what was not his. Thr harmonious voice of his lord could not accept theft of such degree.
So others had to be found. The dregs of the camp weighed down with sickness. Disease. The discarded trash that could only bring poverty on those around them. Too weak to fend off the vultures that would otherwise feed on their corpse.
It was in such desolation and despair that people parted with their most prized possession just to taste joy one more time. Jeggreds deal was the same, rich or poor; release from the pain.

Over a dozen such destitute individuals weeped on his approach. Some in fear and others with hope, all with the same conclusion. Death had finally come.
The firt few offered the last of their life to aid another. Some offered a piece of it for the same reason.
Others, healthier but crippled and starving, asked only to be free of their pain. Refusing to wither away in some forgotten hole.
The last to offer their souls were older men. Far past their prime, edging close to 90 years. Jeggred had marveled at the intensity of their gaze in the face of what could easily have been their killer.

Not even a shiver.

Ardan, a knight unseated by age, and his long time companion Rath. Both had served this city in their prime with honor. Integrity. Even now they wanted to fight but both knew their bodies would be a burden.

The deal had been simpler. They spoke for a time, shared stories with the dark wanderer, learned of his past and present. Heard his plans for the future. His warning. His mission. Their last act of service was to give their life for one who would see it saved.
Despite their advanced age they had been powerful beings. The spirit was different from the physcal body. Age did nothing to widdle down a spirit that refused to lay down and die. Their determination was their power.

Power given to Jeggred.

Fueled by the harvested essence of the dregs he was at last returning to himself. The fog was lifting. Hunger fading.

Jeggred had buried both men. His own last act of respect.

---

The 'wraith' as he had been reffered to, found his way to Scholar Printh after speaking to the guards. Joining in with the group at large he followed without a word. Their journey was to the mines. Here it was rumored to be the root of the decay in Venridge.
Just looking down the dark tunnels was enough to confirm the idea. Jeggred, attuned to powers of decay and rot, felt a kinship with something he could not identify. Something ancient.

The road down was maddening. The gloom of such a place hung in the air so thick it threatened to choke him. Workers toiled away endlessly, their guide noting they were unusually energetic. Given the darkness and many rumors of these lightless depths.. something about it gave him a bad feeling.
The group moved on until they entered the largest room yet.
Others needed the assistance of torches to see, but Jeggred had lived in darkness like this amidst the clan. Their own dark halls littered with writing completely Alien to him.

Those tunnels wyere he had prayed to their sick gods as Jeggred performed acts of unspeakable horrors on the living creatures dragged into the depths of the mountain.

Flesh had boiled, blood turned rotten in their veins, whipped and carved up like cattle. In the name of some pestilant lord. It had been too much. Jeggred, insane from his experiences, had overcome his tainted mind and struck down the leaders of that dark place one by one.
Their twisted souls consumed to fuel spells of devestation.

Jeggred still held the soul of the lairs master in the sword upon his hip. Too strong by far to risk consuming.

".. touch the obelisk ..."

Lost in the memories of the past he barely registered the words. Dark whispers echoed in his mind unbidden. Hand aglow with purplish green energies, Jeggred was first to touch the obelisk.

The elven sage gave the Lance Corporal a smile when she gestured to the raven. "Akash is more of a companion than a pet, there's no one I can trust more than him", she replies with a warm smile. The raven continued to examine the other woman, staying perched on Amila's shoulder. It bore no ill intent, but it was fairly normal for people to feel uncomfortable under it's gaze.

"Ah, of course." Eleanor said, switching between eye contact with Amila and Akash. For perhaps a bit too long she stared at the raven.

"Akash, hmm? Not something like Polly, or Tweety?" Eleanor was mostly joking when she asked.

"Mm, I have thought about it~" She chuckled lightly in response as Akash narrowed it's eyelids in some sort of expression of contempt.

---

For the most part, Amila followed in relative silence, paying little attention to how Dirron spoke of them. Akash was quite tempted to poke both Printh and Dirron's eyes out, however he was held back by the singular gesture from his mistress; the tip of her finger placed in front of her lips. Her title held power, and most, if not all, sages demanded the highest of respect from everyone in Ciir, however she did not care for such things. The title was a means to an end.

The raven thought highly of his sage, and to see her not given the respect she deserved was outrageous. Should anyone understand Akash in the way Amila did, they'd probably see him as a 'hype-man'.

The sudden halt caused Amila to almost walk into one of the other Seekers, but thankfully she stopped just in time. Her gaze flicked around the room, quickly observing the room before noticing the body. She already knew who it was. She felt it. Ulric.

Eleanor listened grimly. An unfortunate circumstance for Ulric. Forgotten, shamed, and then pushed into a ditch forever. Perhaps, she thought, we can spread his tale and redeem him somewhat after this is all over. Now, however, it seemed this ancient civilization was asking for people of 'worthy souls'. Her neck bristled when she saw the wraith-man touch the obelisk- she hoped that wouldn't open the floor and send them all down to Ulric at a high velocity. Nothing happened. Maybe the worthy souls was just to scare off grave-robbers.

Amila listened to the tale of the notebook, only to see Dirron push the corpse into the depths. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she stepped forward, staring down into the abyss. She rummaged around her satchel for a moment before producing a small, egg shaped stone. As she held it in her hand, a small green circle lit up on it's face. The glow remained as she dropped it into the pit where Ulric's corpse had been thrown. As the glow faded into the darkness, she muttered a prayer in a tongue unknown to anyone that heard her.

Eleanor watched the green egg shaped stone fall into the abyss. Strange. Her thoughts traveled back to the task at hand. The Lance Corporal was sure at least she fit the description of being a 'worthy soul'. It only made sense that either anyone who acted with honor or courage in their life qualified. If not, then perhaps it meant a very specific group of people that probably weren't in the room. She strode forward and extended her hand. Briefly, she hesitated, then she planted her hand firmly on the black rock. She was going to look silly if this obelisk did nothing.

It would seem that the others had decided to touch the obelisk, which seemed like an.. interesting idea. She could feel the humming even before anyone thought to touch it. It seemed sinister, yet in all her years of life, she hadn't seen something like this before. Curiosity took over as she followed Eleanor's actions, the obelisk seeming to hum louder.

The humming of the obelisk grew in volume till its deafening sound drowned out all others. As quick as it came it ceased, in an instant the cavern fell into silence before intense beams of light shot out from the black tomb. The same inscriptions written upon the ruins appeared across the surface of the obelisk, etched in gold light. An arcane glow enveloped the seekers, filling them with a sensation unlike any they'd felt before. The most intense feeling of pain and emptiness, it was as if their very souls were being ripped from their bodies to be left as empty husks. When the obelisk's work had been done, the light that once filled the room and encircled the seekers retreated into the obelisk. All that remained was a strange symbol upon each of their chests. The symbol acted as if it were alive, upon closer examination the mark had been formed beneath the skin. It was a mass of blackness, moving within them like a parasite yet it remained in place, writhing amongst their flesh.

Once again the obelisk came alive, it's black form chipping away at itself before revealing the being trapped within. It was a woman, at least from what was seen at first glance, she stood about six feet tall with a slender figure. She was adorned in purple robes which covered every inch of her along with a white breastplate of unknown metal. Her face was concealed by a white faceless mask which revealed only her pure white eyes. The mask featured more the same inscriptions as the ruins along its edges, perhaps to serve as a description of her purpose. The woman said nothing upon her release, she merely stood there for a moment before collapsing before the seekers. Scholar Printh wasted no time in rushing to her aid. His eyes scanned her body in search of a way to aid her. Thinking she could not breathe, he tried removing her mask only to fail in attempt as whatever bound it to her held on firmly as if it were part of her. "See if her heart beats", Dirron suggested as his eyes turned back towards the tunnels. Printh placed an ear to her chest but could hear nothing. She had no heartbeat nor did her body feel alive. "Whatever magic that was meant to keep her alive in there has long dissapated. We've come too late", a defeated look fell upon Printh as he declared their failure.

Dirron did not share his sorrow, but rather frustration. All this work to dig through these tunnels had led them to a bitter nothing. "We should bring the body back to Venridge, perhaps it can be studied or those runes translated", the knight took but a single step towards the lifeless Eshoneran before the ground beneath them began to quake violently. Large portions of the cavern surface caved in around them and from the black depths rose a massive beast. It resembled a worm with its fleshy skin that seemed to be rotting in various places. It featured a singular eye which glared down over the seekers with hatred and malice. The maw of broken and overlapping teeth had spread itself wide, spewing forth foul insectoid creatures in huge numbers. From the rotted holes in its body they also came forth, disgusting creatures that looked like horrible amalgamations of flesh and bone. From the depths they climbed up along the surface of the pillar of land which the seekers stood. As the creatures came over the edge it was clear what they were. These monsters had melded their bodies to that of prior adventurers, their corpses now husks to be used as food as well as a means for travel and combat. Dirron pulled forth his sword and without a moment a hesitation began cutting down those which advanced closest to his group. As his blade pierced their flesh, the parasites let out terrifying screams of genuine agony as they plummeted back into the void. Those poor souls who ventured down here were still alive, being kept alive in this state of pain as their forms were being eaten away in the dark for countless years. As more and more of those things came over the edge, Dirron began using his repulse spell to throw them back in numbers but more kept rising up. In the midst of the chaos a voice could be heard, it was coming from the massive worm.

"STHA NIRGAHL ATLA, INF EINK OD INF AHR NEF OSK STHA ANA ALANOB!", from within the maw stood a grotesque humanoid. His rotting flesh being held together by some form of necromancy as he screamed down upon the seekers. The being stood like a man but it was impossible to determine what race he belonged to as decay had taken him long ago. He was tall, that much was sure despite his distance from the group. His hands were claw-like alomg with his feet. A set of long pointed teeth jutted out from his mouth as if reaching out to pierce into flesh. Blood and puss flowed from both eyeholes as his mouth spat forth more words in his unknown tongue.

Dirron paid little mind to it as his singular focus was on fighting the encroaching minions, he had no intention of becoming one of them. "FORM A CIRCLE, WE MUST CUT AWAY AT THEM TOWARDS THE EXIT!"

@Rekaigan

The Witch of Cinders looked nonplussed by the latest series of developments. She had followed the scholars and their employer's farce without much quip on her part. Hugging her shoulders, she took a good look at the Obelisk once more. Should've destroyed that thing, it was foul, her draconic instincts told her, as she eyed the situation with apparently dispassionate behaviour. She however, had taken care to gravitate towards those worthy of her companionship, and that had desirable traits to her eye.

That little elven lady was a feast for the eyes, wasn't she? But to cater one's whims was second to survival, in any case. There would be catchup time later on. However, the Sage of the Forest was close enough to overhear the Witch's small, teeth-clenched remark.

"A geis or a curse. I am most wroth." The witch half sneered when she said that. Beneath her haughty attitude and apparent disinterest, a cauldron of rage was once again bubbling underneath. And when the creatures and wretched remains of other adventurers appeared... she could only thing of them as fuel. One hand reached her face, obscuring her features, and her ghastly sneer as she begun to chant. For a split-second, her green eyes seemed...different, golden and monstruous. Flames coarsed through her other hand, as arcane words were chanted, and in a mighty throw, she slung the flame spear into the swarm above their heads.

BURN YOU WRETCH She said as she set the swarm ablaze, taking advantadge of the higher flammability of the bugs wings, scattered and mixed with air. Just like small twigs or hay that burnt in a flash. But she wasn't done.HOTTER. UNTIL BONE BECOMES ASH. UNTIL IRON WARPS. UNTIL STONES CRACKS. YOU SHALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. She thought to herself, as she manipulated the deflagration into something far more intense, the flames changing color and becoming bluer by moments, massive chunks of air being drawn to the flame. And then it stopped, the flames becoming a normal color, as Scarlet regained her wits. If she kept the full force of the flames, the cavern might be left without air. She instead chose to cast more fire lances, to keep stragglers at bay, trying to carve a path towards the exit.

Rishi couldn't remember most of the trip to this obelisk or why she really joined up with them, the Oni woman was smashed off the wine and sake she guzzled down, the whole trip to that tall pillar thing she was belching and burping up a mixture of the intoxicating alcoholic beverages, she didn't even pay attention to what was going on when they arrived up till the glowing and the pillar thing began humming and crap then silence, everything seemed to be going a mile a minute.

The Oni watched in her drunken daze as the obelisk started to come to life once again and thought that it would've been better if they just smashed the big rock into tinier rocks. But before that could happen, much, much, more began to happen before the Oni's eyes, she spotted a woman inside of the pillar as its rocks fell from it, then the human fell dead before them." Pathetic, they didn't even give us a chance to fight them, if that was gonna happen." The drunken said aloud.

It wasn't long before the Oni sobered up when a large rock landed on her head and broke into pieces, the massive rubble simply gave the Oni a splitting pain in her head and pissed her off, she wanted to destroy the cave they were in by clubbing the rocks, but then something else decided to step in, and it wanted to fight, it was some kind of decaying beast with a mouth full of sword-like teeth and parasites that emerged from its grotesque malformed mouth." Is now the time to be crushing and clubbing and causing chaos?" Rishi asked the strange woman from before.

She didn't wait for an answer as she pulled two of her clubs off her hip and began swinging at the tiny monsters, sure they weren't much of a problem for the Oni herself, she could easily stomp on the things with her feet, but if her clubs didn't get a work out she'd need to worry about taking them out when the monstrous humans arrived. One of them stood tall, looked human if they were combined with something else, like some kind of animal, you know the one with the big claws and teeth that stick out of its mouth?

Before Rishi could think about taking a crack at the one being that looked like it could put up an actual fight, the human woman Rishi spoke with earlier began setting all of them on fire and burning them with some kind of magic, and then the Oni herself remembered her own magic, but with all the wine she drunk earlier she knew she couldn't concentrate enough to put up the barrier, so she chose the next best thing she could do. Rishi sucked in some air through her teeth and let out her Oni roar, it sounded almost like something between a dragon's roar, a lion's roar, and something demonic, the sound of the roar let the flames carry more of the enemies and even pushed some of the fire into the maw of the monster that was bringing more of the monsters.

Then everything exploded.

At least, that's what seemed to happened. The Lance Corporal barely had time to register the dead, ancient entity, before a horde of possessed adventurers, a massive worm, a swarm of suckling giant mosquitos, and a rotting necormancer burst forth straight from Eleanor's childhood nightmares. Then, apparently, one of her teammates took it upon herself to immediately cover everything in flames, spouting nonsensical phrases. Then, the oni yelled really fucking loud.

So, the flames were obscuring her vision, and she couldn't hear a God-forsaken thing. She felt something large land on her head and with a clenched fist, she smacked away the horrific flying abberation. Unsheathing her sword, eyes wide and teeth clenched, Jehenne was desperate to get away from the oncoming army of evil incarnate. Luckily, muscle memory took over to prevent her from screaming like a little girl and jumping into the pit and hoping her neck broke before she became a zombie. Instead, she held her weapon in her right hand and interposed her shield of Jumme between herself and the nearest ex-adventurer. She'd never seen anything like it. One eye was still visible from beyond the caked layer of corrupted flesh that pulled the being's maw wide. A terrible groaning whisper escaped it's throat before it swung forth with a wicked fist.

It slammed against Eleanor's shield with a wet slap, which Eleanor quickly diverted away, sending the humanoid creature off balance. Eleanor sliced the being's offending arm clean off, and watched it spiral back into the pit out of the corner of her eye. She put the death-seeker out of it's misery with a follow-up stroke across the neck that seperated the head from the rest of it's decaying body. It went limp and fell ontop of one of it's compratriates and they both tumbled into darkness.

A flying creature turned from the swarm and bee-lined towards Eleanor. It was incinerated. Then, another one began it's descent towards her- lucky enough to avoid the flames. Timing the swing just right, the flying organism was bifurfacted by her sword as it sailed pass, lifeless.

"Form a circle!" She echoed the wayward knights command, and raising her shield, reversed away from the battle, calling for a retreat back to safety. She stood by Scholar Printh and Sir Dirron, joining the yet-to-be formation. Several hovering minions approached, but she cut them out of the air and kept them at bay as they harried her.

Krogier was hesitant on allowing the Denmoth into the cave. Her protection, and that of the forest elf people were calling the sage, was his highest concern. Even above his own. The cave itself was desolate, barren beyond imagination. Even insects had the good wits to avoid this blasphemous cave. As they progressed further and further down it was becoming readily apparent just how.. wrong this place truly was.
There was nothing specific that had him on edge, just a prevalent feeling of suspicion.

As they walked the low corridors to the objective, a towering obelisk coated in words of magic, he idly ran his fingers along the walls numbly. Almost like the life of the stones themselves had somehow faded. For the second time today, it felt like home. Ancient forests withering into oblivion.

Would these stones still stand in a thousand years? A hundred?

Such musings were best left for another time. The group made their way to the obelisk and the scholars went about their business. The Druids of his homeland revered nature as the beginning and end of all things, a cycle of endless death and life. Inescapable. That was the extent of his personal knowledge in the art of philosophy and prophecy. To speak with the animals and defend the trees was the only path.
To his back, the Denmother issued a low growl and tensed.
Trusting her keen insticts, Belanor was quickly in hand.

"Belanor.." Whispering to the weapon, "Give me the strength you showed in life."

No sooner had the words been spoken than trouble found them. The obelisk flared to life. Its radiance impaling him to his very soul. A hiss of pain embraced was the only sign anything was amiss, but inside he felt it. A squirming sensation just under his skin.
There was no time to dwell on it as strange creatures shuffled out from the caverns, heralded by a worm of tremendous size. Its rotting body was grotesque to behold. Words of eldritch hate spewed from the man-shaped form in its maw, lost upon the Druid warriors ears.

Incapable of understanding what it wanted he resorted to what he knew.

Violence.

Under his armor a familiar heat was rising as the runic tattoos carved upon his flesh came to life. Feeding on his innate magic they gave strength to weary bones and bolstered resolve.

The red haired woman, and the red demon woman, sprang to action with devastating results. Great flames burned clear paths through the enemy fodder while the Oni displayed her own prowess.

In broken common he called out to his companion. "Wife, Sage, behind me. I will not allowing them to harm you!"

Having no appropriate word for spirit companion, the Denmother was often referred to as his wife. With a limited understanding of the language it was the most fitting word. If told otherwise the big man simply stated it felt appropriate.

---

The room spun with runes and light that stung his eyes, tore into his flesh, seared his broken soul, left him hungering for the release of death so often longed for in the quiet moments of his travels. How easy it would be to lay down and never wake up. Purpose, divine or otherwise, demanded his stubborn return to the path. To see this done.
The rune on his chest ached but there was no time to reflect.

The worm had come. Decayed flesh hung to its frame in a twisted abomination of natural design, its speaker even more so. A twisted and repulsive display of control over the arts of magic.. so similar to his own.

The nightmares that rose from the ground were horrifying to behold, held together by the disgusting host burrowing in their bodies. Jeggred could feel their pain at a distance now and wondered how he could have missed these hideous creatures until well after stepping into their den.
The many tattered shrouds of cloth were thrown to the side. Jeggred was not a physical man like the other seekers, but his control over death was unmatched. Through his trials the secrets to rot were his at his mercy. Free to be inflicted on others. While the fire caster and the others cause their havoc, Jeggred set to work with his own. The creatures could not be controlled with necromancy as one would hope, likely the eldritch worm was a powerful caster holding their strings, but their bodies still lived. Breathed.

Felt pain.

The swelling green mist of his magic swirled over his fingertips and up to his elbow as he chanted the words of decay, a language of curses that sounded like mud slopping onto stone, and thrust his arms out at the encroaching hoard of insect creatures. Their wounds were already in a state of decay and now they were accelerated.
Whole limbs turned to stinking bone and a watery soup of flesh and organs flowing from their useless bodies. The more damage a body had the quicker their wounds would rot. With their wretched forms in such disrepair they fell easily en masse to his debilitation. Unable to move or scream in pain they would fade away to nothing.

Those closest to him issued airless screams of pain as the blade struck their failing bodies. Though their lifeforce was weak, it was still there. Every drop counted as he stole their very souls for his own ends.

---

As the obelisk's humming grew louder, Amila instinctively took her hand away from it. Only to see beams of light shining on the pillar. The sensation of tugging her very soul was unsettling, however she was able to suppress the pain from the cursed spell. Despite her instincts telling her that this was some sort of trap, she couldn't let these people sacrifice themselves to an unknown force. For all she knew, this could be the very thing that is causing the world's decay. Upon seeing the woman emerge from the obelisk, the elf felt no presence from her. Amila knew she was dead the moment she saw her, yet she didn't attempt to do the same ritual for this woman as she did for Ulric. For a someone like this to emerge from an obelisk.. it was dangerous to guide such a soul to rebirth without knowing what the obelisk even did to her. Especially after feeling the interference with her soul.

The creature that rose from the depths was nothing like anything she'd ever seen.. Even among the other mythical creatures that she had encountered. Out of it's maw came it's minions, which is something that Amila expected from something so large. The creature suddenly screamed something, which Amila translated to, 'AT LONG LAST, THE WORK OF THE GODS SHALL BE AT AN END!' There was much more to what it said, however such translation can come later when they got out of this god forsaken place.

"A geis or a curse. I am most wroth." Amila heard beside her, her gaze momentarily fell upon a red haired woman who began slinging fire everywhere. The sage recognized this person.. But now wasn't the time to greet them. Now was the time to fight and survive. As the others took up arms, she too decided it was time to help. Knowing what his master's intentions were, Akash's runic tattoos lit up similarly to Krogier's, burning with a blue spirit fire; soon it's entire body was engulfed in flames as it took flight. Like a miniature phoenix, Akash opened it's beak, unleashing a blue flame that burned the smaller monsters to ash.

Although Amila appreciated Krogier's concern, she wasn't one that really needed protection. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she let out a loud howl, reminiscent of a wolf's. Seemingly from thin air, a pack of spectral dire wolves appeared beside Amila, charging forth and tearing apart any monstrosity they saw.

Garren was toying with his Knochenbrecher when the new seekers came into view, to which he quickly pulled the flail's chain bolt back into place with an audible click and holstered the transforming mace on his belt as he stood to meet his new compatriots. However, what Garren saw was... well, not exactly what he had been expecting. For one thing, there was a very large bear in the group - to which the big red woman paled in comparison, at least in Garren's mind. He'd seen many strange things throughout his time in the arenas of Sirrendyl, but to see a bear so tame as to walk among the civilized races as if it were one itself? That was something new.

Garren looked over the rest of the group as they proceeded into the cave, his wandering eyes obscured by the visor of his helm and aided in concealment by the ongoing battle between the flickering light of the torches and the surrounding darkness. Normally Garren would be busy making light conversation with the members of his party, but he was overcome with uncertainty and worry once more - something which he had managed to avoid quite well since the day he first arrived here. But now the worry came flooding back, and Garren found himself helpless to resist. How tha hell's a group like this supposed to work together? He thought to himself as they had all proceeded deeper into the darkness. It's true, I've notta reason to underestimate them, and all the need in the world to be able to trust in them... but I can't help still feel... hopeless. How can anyone but that barbarian trust that big bear, or... how can any one of us trust that creep with the dark... well... dark everythin'? He questioned himself as his eyes traveled over the new seekers until finally resting on a path that diverged from their own. Especially if he hides his face beneath that... hood. His mind continued as his body suddenly came to a halt.

Well... by that line of thinkin'... how can they trust me? Of course, it's always safer when I'm the one not trustin' them. But if they don't trust me... doesn't do me much good, does it? The ex-gladiator's mind raced further down the rabbit-hole as he stared down the divergent tunnel at the dimly flickering torches within. He found it oddly hypnotizing, and soon he found his mind chasing other, darker thoughts...

That is, until he realized how quiet it had become. With a quick look around Garren came to realize he'd spent more time than he realized just sitting there thinking. Damn it... what's wrong with me? Get it together, man! He began as he took off with a light jog to rejoin his allies, his armor clanking all the way.