@The KrakenMoments prior to the bomb erupting in its devastating display of power Flint had been thinking of just how careful he had to be with the deadly object. The fuse was set to a safe length, there were no cracks in the bombs casing, and he had a set target in mind for when he lit the fuse: the weakened and partially cracking cave ceiling that he could make out just past the two giants trying to kill him. All he had to do now was enact his well laid plan.
Being a dwarf of keen mind and clever nature his plan was to roll the deadly explosive down past the two templars infront of him in the hopes of killing as many of the approaching men that now sounded extremely close. Hopefully the ensuing blast would also take out the ceiling above in what would be a manmade cavein (or in this case, dwarf made).
Flint was triumphantly going through this plan in his head when he heard the familiar
"sssssss" that signified one of his worst nightmares-somehow the deadly clay ball of Gattlok had managed to have its fuse lit from a stray spark off his attackers weapon. Unfortunately by the time Flint had noticed the one and a million chain of events the wick had already burned halfway down; quickly he assumed this had happened with the Makers help in yet another attempt to make him feel like the unluckiest dwarf in Thedas.
As Flint often did in the thick of battle though he just went with the turn of events; chucking the heavy clay ball with all his might into the air over the heads of his atackers. As the hissing explosive soared through the air Flint couldn't help but admire Erikas recent handiwork; the site of three trained Templars sprawled on the ground was something to behold after all, especially considering the young woman hadn't even broken a sweat.
That's when Flint remembered he should probably warn his comrade in arms about the impending explosion: quickly he decided that the most attention grabbing thing he could come up with was a flailing armed metal encased dwarf.
Luckily his warning worked.
KATHOOOOMThe force of the explosion literally lifted Flint off his feat sending him flying past Erika into the cave wall with a particularly painful sounding metallic thud. Despite this the dwarf rolled to his feat shaking the bits of dirt, dust, and rubble from his thick brown beard like some sort of mad dog. Quickly gathering up his rucksack, which had somehow survived the blast, Flint made his way over to admire the damage he'd done-they definitely didn't have to worry about any Templars now. Infact, Flint thought, no one need ever worry about those particular Templars again.
"Well, seems like this is as good a shot as any since we blew up our last backdoor entrance. Shall we?" His companion asked in her particularly cheery way.
Flint responded with in his own witty but gruff tone. "Ladies first." He followed the comment with a mock bow and mace twirl, as if he held an elegant cane and was bowing before a lord or lady.
---
Calren had been in the middle of scolding two of his apprentices on the basics of blood magic when an ear splitting explosion sounded from somewhere down the back entrance tunnel-the effect of the blast was such that the makeshift camp the handful of mages resided in visibly shook for a brief moment.
What is it now he lamented to himself as his eyes practically bulged out of his head in annoyance. Hurriedly the old Magistrate ran towards the back entrance. Could those blasted lyrium addled psycho paths have caused the explosion? Not likely, he quickly decided; after all the most advanced weapon that lot of crazies had were shovels and pick ax's. Unless the lyrium had somehow had an adverse reaction within their bodies causing an explosion of sorts? The very idea made Claren fantasize about the vast magical studies he could perform. This definitely needed looking into.
"Rodaband." The old mage barked at his equal as he still did his best to pear down the tunnel. All he could make out was darkness.
"I suppose you'd like me to investigate that little noise, eh old man?" The much younger looking yet equally powerful Rodaband asked while rubbing the stubble on his chin, a playful smile hanging from his mouth as it often did when he talked to Claren.
"Yes, yes. Take two of the fools with you as well, and here is the key to the barricade we set up." Clarens bony old hand held out a large brass key which Rodaband quickly snatched up. "I am especially interested in knowing if this had anything to do with our ex workers-if not, kill whoever is responsible. Better yet bring them back to me, I will be in my lab within the mine."
"You do love your little experiments, don't you?" Rodaband quipped before going off to round up his two lackeys. "Not to worry Claren, I'll return with
something for you."
Claren watched as Rodaband and the two other men (he honestly couldn't recall their names, expendable trash most likely) made their way into the darkness of the tunnel-a medium sized ball of light Rodaband had summoned now lighting their way as the small group disappeared from sight.
"You two imbeciles!" Claren barked like a mad dog at the two remaining men in the room who had been tending a large pot of what was most likely tonights dinner. The two well dressed mages visibly flinched at Clarens outburst before their tormentor continued. "Its best we cover all our assets. Go to the front of the mines entrance and guard the barricade there-do not open the doors, whatever you do. If anyone is foolish enough to come that way I will have a little surprise ready for them. Regardless though, you will remain posted there untill Rodaband comes to relieve you. Understood?"
The older looking of the two mages nodded while muttering a quick "Yes sir, master Claren."
And with that Claren was off; not bothering to explain anything further to the fools that called him Master. Quickly he made his way into the actual mine shaft that descended downwards off of the main tunnel at a fairly decent slope-there was no red lyrium until you followed this incline for a good ten minutes, at which point the ground leveled out before opening into a vast cavern that they had been doing the bulk of the mining-and it was easy to see why, Claren thought, as his beady black eyes were met with the familiar beautiful glow of the amber red rocks that seemed to grow out of the cavern walls itself.
But he had no time to admire the macabre beauty of the silent mine (although it never seemed entirely quite-an eerie hum could seemingly always be heard just out of ear shot.) No, he had something extremely important to take care of.
He had to make sure his pet was ok.
---
@SaarebasAs Vat-Katari and his men made their way deeper into the ever darkening cave tunnel they would encounter no resistance; after a good ten minutes of clamoring through the narrowing tunnels they could even make out what looked like an actual gated door that had been built into some makeshift barricade that reached all the way to the cave ceiling.
This odd structure was a good twenty five yards away when the world seemed to turn upside down; skeletal and rotting figures alike breaking forth from the very earth Vat-Katari and his men had been walking on moments before. Slightly slow to pull themselves from their earthen tombs this undead army once free was a sea of shifting rusted metal and horrid battle wounds-many still clutching and swing old and broken weapons they had used in their past lives.
Quickly surrounding Vat-Katari and his men it was clear from their cold dead eyes that the one desire they still had, if any, was to turn these living intruders into yet another member among their unyielding ranks.