Sarah's RequestIt had taken some time to get where they had, Kasim Ambibilus, Naream Baenre and Andrea Llolth'Allin had followed the tall woman with silver hair and death pale skin from the place where the mages guild had teleported them according to her very precise instructions. There was no simple light here, the drow walked behind Darkhammer in her heavy robes and thick travelling cloak, neither of the three needing any special lighting. Kasim was in the rear with a bundle of torches, one lit and held. The cold close walls of the Underdarks caverns made the play of light from the torch held by Kasim dance and play amongst the rocks creating intimidating shadow puppets of darklight that seemed to twinkle with remorseless malevolence.
The scent of ancient damp stone filled their nostrils and wet moss could be seen on just about every bend. And Darkhammer was not slow in her movements as she guided them past one turning after another going deep into the stone, indeed it took a full five days descent into the dark to reach the point they now stood upon. It was a plateau of clear stone some four hundred paces across. Amongst the camp it would be noted that it wasn't cold, and that the light, such as it was more suited to drow aesthetics than any light Kasim would care for, was provided by stalagmites heated, probably magically.
A day was spent in the drow camp where Darkhammer bribed some of the lesser of the Drow War party to allow them to provision and rest themselves, while there Naream and Andrea would overhear talk of their Leader Shaera who they are beginning to suspect of some cowardice, several scouting parties had ventured below and either had not returned at all, or returned in such a state that Shaera actually had them burned. Whatever it was seemed to create a great unease in the Drow Leader, but he wasn't pressing right now, instead waiting for word of reinforcement.
Taking this as a providential sign on the next morn Darkhammer lead the team once more into the darkness and down, down, down into the bowels of the world.
Another two days found them in a great cavern.
The temple stood of carven black stone, a ziggurat of impressive size and appearing impregnable but for the stone steps at its base made of the same black material veined through with silver striations, a stone unlike any those present had witnessed before, though Darkhammer was not about to enlightened them to whether or not she herself knew what stone it was. Deep within the entrance the stone was clear and visible, both to the drows darksight and somewhat to the light of the torch Kasim was currently carrying.
Though it showed signs that men with torches, or more specifically, dwarves, had entered, the tattered remnants of webbing can be seen on the floor.
Darkhammer stared at the entrance. "It's up to you now." She smirked. "Let us see if you live up to expectations." She didn't mention that if they did she'd owe Xixis ten gold pieces.
Carnival of ChaosThe Whitemarch Brothers and Aneura Shivan did not, along with Hanus Wolfblood get to benefit from being teleported around, indeed there was little need. The village of Arian lay within Renaltan borders and the party ultimately simply walked to the village staying in inns on the way, or even sleeping in makeshift camps if there wasn't an inn within easy reach. The Drow General did not have many words for the party he lead being more concerned about the letter delivered by Crow. It unsettled the man and his silver eyes appeared deep in thought throughout their whole journey and he constantly assured his hair bound back in a tight and severe warriors ponytail more often than was strictly required.
As they got closer to Arian, so too did the tensions rises, the sense of being watched near constantly was an overwhelming sensation and yet no sign could be found if looked for, it took two days of this before, sooner or later, each of them realised that as the sense of being watched grew, there always seemed to be crows present and watching. Even if attacked they returned soon after, and several times in great numbers.
It was Hanus that wondered aloud if such a strangeness was not why it was called "a murder of crows" but soon he dismissed the idea. While watched they were not attacked upon the road, though the sometimes redness of the crows beaks says that more than one other thing had been.
The day before reaching the village of Arian they found the body of what was either a small dwarf, a gnome... or a human child, but its body had been so thoroughly pecked apart by crows that there was no simple certainty and Hanus seemed disinclined to investigate too closely. Moving on they finally reach the village of Arian.
The streets of the village were mostly empty. Few lights were on in the dwellings and a fear could almost be felt on the air. Wherever they looked Crows were perched on the sidings of buildings or along the gutters of their rooftops, some were pecking at thatching on poorer houses.
But what came next, what the blades did next, was in their own hands.
Or was it?