• PM To Join • A Tale of Two Jewels, Too Many Fingers in the Pie [Part 4]

[Kaladis Anar]

A Tale of Two Jewels, Too Many Fingers in the Pie [Part 4]

1st of Ashan
Afternoon, Cold and Dark
In a Dungeon Below the City
The Scrolls of Anar Verse One, What Is Ours, #20 Give with one hand, and take with the other.
Continued From Here
NPCs Used: Alaya | Ralari

T

here had come a point in this plan, where he had begun to lose track of just how many players were involved, or what angles each were working on the others. Such eventualities were becoming perhaps the biggest hazard of his life. He owed the Aurora Assassin’s a jewel, which seemingly was both a person standing in front of him named jewel, and something else called jewel, if this Jewel woman could be believed that is. The emerald eyed stranger remained free to walk, but thrice chained after the incident with the spirits behind them, and was currently leading them at a slow pace through a maze of corridors below the city.

Kaladis wondered if she intentionally was trying to confuse their sense of direction, and so had begun to mark the walls they were walking along with a nearby rock. The chained woman wasn’t exactly able to move quickly weighed down and restricted as she was. Kaladis had plenty of time to not only a mark the wall, but also mark a number and the next three turns at each stop, so in case one mark went missing he could still know his way.

Unlike the first part of the dungeon, this place had multiple sources of blue light coming from somewhere, making him curious as to if they were alone, yet he still could not detect where exactly the lights were coming from.

Alaya was with them still awaiting a payout, and Ralari was with them just to save his own skin and make right with the Aurora, if such a thing were actually possible to appease an organization like theirs. To top that off the Makers might somehow be involved in all of this, as the Aurora had sort Kaladis out to find the jewel based on his association, or so Kaladis believed!

If you could follow all that intrigue, you’ll be doing better that Kaladis at present, but fear not all that mattered to this tale, was that four people were looking for a jewel in a dark set of corridors. Too Dark for Ralari who was glad he had retrieved his torch, however trying to light it again was becoming increasingly difficult as it was half burned out by now. Jewel stopped dead in her tracks. The slight shuffle of chainmail from the two Eidisi and the subtle ruffle of Alaya’s black leather was all that could be heard.

“Is there a reason we’ve stopped?” Ralari was the first to inquire after some pause.

“No.” Jewel answered cryptically and carried on walking.

Another three or so corridors later she stopped again, this time Kaladis almost bumped into her. “What aren’t you telling us?” Kaladis looked around, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. That is until his eyes once again ventured upward.

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

T

he position of the lights had changed above the walls. Was she navigating by light? Kaladis sighed hoping she wasn’t lost, but it was Alaya who showed her impatience again first. “Do you know where you are going?”

“Yes,” Jewel answered, “I would move faster without my chains.”

Kaladis shook his head, “not yet. Carry on.” He had patience for a correct result, if this was indeed going to be a result for them. Ralari meanwhile had opened up a small book he was reading to pass the time. “Don’t mean to interrupt your reading but our lives are on the line,” Alaya was developing a dislike for Ralari, she couldn’t put her finger on why they were just different people. “By all means point me at this danger.” Ralari quipped, not even looking up from his text. Alaya went for her sword to show him the danger and Kaladis again had to intervene. “Enough. This isn’t the time.” He could swear it was like leading a band of children.

Turning his head upward there it was again, the glow above had changed direction. Cursing that he'd missed getting a better look at the lights shifting. He was certain Jewel was navigating by light, and while Alaya was fixated on any dangers ahead oblivious to this; Ralari had been too engrossed in his book to see it. In fact his Eidisi friend seemed uncharacteristically calm. Perhaps Ralari realised that by having three people ahead of him, he had plenty of leeway to run if needs be.

Kaladis stopped and whispered by Jewel’s ear, considering it well to make known he knew what she was doing. “How many more light changes?”

“Five,” Jewel said with only a small surprise evident in her eyes. Kaladis nodded, “no tricks.”

Ten more bits navigating the winding maze of halls, and stopping to correct her turns based on the lights above. It begged the question what was causing them to switch and why, eventually the others had noticed by virtue of Kaladis starting at them while they shifting. Unlike Jewel, he was making no attempt to hide his investigation of how they were shifting. They shifted first before she stopped, which seemed to indicate they were doing it independent of her and she was following their signal. It was still possible the lights were reacting to her presence, but he had never heard of sentient or triggered lights before so it seemed unlikely.

Just as they were reaching not only the end of Alaya’s patience but now Kaladis’s trust of Jewel, they had come across a black door with a small glass window in the top. Looking through the blurred window was fruitless, Kaladis deduced intelligently that the glass did imply Qi’ora craftsmanship, which further hinted at Maker involvement but he couldn’t be sure.

They tried the door but it was locked. Using a knife, Alaya knelt down and tried fumbling with the lock, having no skill at lockpicking, an assassin’s preference did at least sway her to try the subtle approach. Nothing happened. Jewel was just waiting, and Kaladis as looking up again expectantly, the lights finally changed again the door unlocked. What sorcery was causing these glows? They were about to find out, because the door led them to black steps upward and…

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

Judgement in perpetuum, as was made the first time. Yet which direction was it that was being judged by time?

Another circular room, or was it more than that?

T

here was a selection of eight dim blue torches, along with a black stone floor which seemed to be rotating in a clockwise motion, no anticlockwise, it spun back and seem to notch itself in a direction like a sundial might, how strange. When the dial hit a certain point, a dim blue portal erupted beside a torch causing a more pronounced glow. Everyone readied themselves for someone to jump through but nothing happened.

Moments passed and still nothing. “From what I understand of rupturing the sundial must be fixed.” Ralari said with some confusion, “and usually it is much smaller than this?” Kaladis wondered if the size of a sundial would matter, and why would it be needed on the receiving end of a portal? This entire room was more than it seemed perhaps. He had no time to think it through because Alaya was already approaching the rotating floor.

Kaladis followed her cautiously. If Alaya wanted to be the first to risk herself on the rotating floor that would be fine, only they had another better choice for that role. “After you Jewel, take a step onto the floor, stay clear of portals and torches.” Jewel couldn’t exactly run fast given her chains, so he believed he could stop her if she made a break for one.

Jewel took a heavy chained step onto the floor, sundial, or whatever the contraption was. As she seemed unaffected, the next keenest Alaya followed after Jewel, taking care to protect her investment of time and energy here. Namely making sure Jewel didn’t run so Alaya could recover some loot at the end of this!

Kaladis could see a door ahead of the room, but as they walked he was wary of the floor rotating again. The portal remained to their left, so Kaladis kept his shield up facing it. It stayed open for several bits, the four of them making their way very careful along the floor, using the opportunity that it was still. Ralari was the last to follow of course, keeping well to the back.

Unfortunately that wouldn’t help him this time, because the floor began to rotate again at an increased speed, and that meant Ralari was on the rim heading toward a wall torch! Everyone had to try and find their balance, a sense of acrobatics would have been helpful, sadly Kaladis’s balance was terrible given his dull hearings effects on it. Kaladis stumbled to one knee, Ralari fell flat over on his face and Alaya struggled to stay upright. Jewel being heavier in her chains didn’t stumble on the rumbling floor, and had used the opportunity to get a good few steps away from them toward a torch. The more nimble Alaya had stopped her, sword pointed out to her chin. “ah ahhh, you wouldn’t be leaving us would you?”

Jewel closed her eyes and Kaladis got a bad feeling! “Restrain her!” Ralari was still no help barely able to think straight being rotated like this, and Kaladis’s poor balance failed him again as he tried to stand, ending up a mess of feet and legs. Thankfully falling onto the stone was cushioned by his armor.

Another portal opened, and out came a half dozen translucent spirits flooding past Jewel, picking up and slinging Alaya to the floor. “Slaves no more” Jewel said, and she took a step back. "We had a bargain!" Kaladis shouted.

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

B

ut she was gone through the portal, which also vanished not long after. The spirits continued on passed Alaya and down the hallway as with the others, uninterested in anything else but carrying on eternally. Kaladis slapped the floor hard in anger, and got up to check on Alaya who seemed to only be bruised, yet probably angrier than him. Ralari on the other hand was taking no chances and had stepped off the revolving contraption.

The Eidisi focused, calming himself with deep disciplined breathing and trying to recount the events. Doing some intelligent deduction and investigation, Kaladis came up with a series of conclusions. Jewel was led through a maze by a series of lights, for one that made no sense at all. How do you navigate direct via changing lights from above? Possible but unlikely, it was more likely she’d been buying time. Two, the portal had closed when she’d exited it and three, the spirits had known or been released to come through it at the right time.

Someone had to have been watching on this end, and controlling the portal. Just like before when he’d been pushed through a portal into Laventia’s dungeon, there'd been "someone else is here!” Kaladis looked to the door, and could swear he saw something moving away through the latch at its top. Running now toward the door, Alaya picked up on what Kaladis was doing, as expected it was locked, and a shoulder shoved against it did nothing.

“Stand back.” Ralari had summoned his courage. The rock around the door was moving ever so slightly. A competent defiler he had to build this, not just conjure it out of thin air, connecting with the stone around the doors edge to soften it via shaking. Using the earth element in this way took it out of Ralari, and he was careful to steady himself so not to overstep, Ralari was cautious by nature if anything too careful. It took the defiance mage three bits for him to sufficiently weaken the stone around the door’s hinges. Kaladis hadn’t been standing around waiting, he’d already found a large lump of rock to smash against them repeatedly. Alaya not to be left out was trying to pry open the lock in case they failed.

“Come on! Can’t you work faster.” Alaya impatiently shouted. Ralari perhaps could but his sense of self-preservation would never risk it.

Between the three of them the door started to come loose, the hinges buckled and after some firm shoves by both Alaya and Kaladis it came away. Now whoever was ahead of them had a three bit head start!

It seemed a race against time, and all of them ran into the next corridor. Alaya ran for her loot, Kaladis for answers or revenge, and Ralari to save his own skin. A fine upstanding bunch of citizens they were!

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

D

own the stone hallway they ran, it was long but had no side rooms to confuse them, why was it positioned so far from that circular rotational madness?

“TRAP”

Kaladis detected and jumped over a small floor trap just in time, with Alaya almost barrelling into it; Looking like a spring board covered in a black cloth, sure enough ahead of the trap were shards of glass. The construct was very simple, tacky Kaladis thought, but effective enough as they had to edge around the glass shards. If only the tower of glass could see this waste!

Picking up his run, this time Kaladis stayed to the edge of the wall, which was good as next he came across caltrops, which were each a clump of nails pointing up. Again caltrops were nothing fancy, but they were effective as they slowed him down again. Kaladis didn’t usually have the feet for acrobatics given his poor balance, but he showed a turn of dexterity here at least, tiptoeing through hazard. The only good thing about these traps was, whoever had come this way had probably also been slowed down on their way to the end door.

Out of breath, run ragged, Alaya was the only one who hadn’t broken a sweat, managing a laugh at the other two. Kaladis’s pride created a scowl at her and he forced himself to stand straight. The last door didn’t budge, but he couldn’t see a lock, was this a dead bolt? If it was a bolt on the other side they were done, whoever it was would be long gone before they got passed that. Kaladis shoved it and the door moved slightly, it was barricaded, a desperate tactic to hold them out, which boded well because someone would of had to have just made it. Yes! On the other side he could hear voices.

Deciding it wise to raise his cobalt shield as he went in, he gave the door an almighty shove with it. Heading straight into an arrow which bounced off his cobalt protection! Three strangers were here, along with a hole in the ceiling, they were looting what looked like to be property out of someone’s vault or home, maybe they were cleaning out their own stash? The entering trio shoved the table out of the way and moved the chairs, entering a standoff.

“You know I expected something more than a bunch of common thieves at the end of all of this.” Ralari quipped, feeling hard done by.

“That’s life for you,” Alaya said playfully, staring at a female thief mockingly, “a series of down notes.”

TWANG another arrow was fired and so they began.

Alaya took the female thief on the right, Ralari as you might have guessed stayed well back, and Kaladis charged forward, bouncing the arrow again to the cobalt shield. In front of him he faced a man in half plate who looked the oldest of the trio and most experienced, holding his own shield and long sword up as they ran toward each other.

Sap
Kaladis had no intention of playing fair. Extending from his hand came withering, vile black ether, a cloud wrapping itself around the lead fighter and sticking to him like glue. Ralari had showed him it, but this was Kaladis’s first time using the technique, so it was sloppier than the perfectionist Eidisi was happy with. Some of the draining ether hit the man rushing at him, some of it his shield and some of it went harmlessly along the ground. He'd done the cloud too large rather than focusing it, and thus the potency was limited.

An incoming strike hit against his shield, Kaladis ducked low and swiped at the man’s lower chest, because he’d exposed that in his overhand strike. Foolish. The cut chipped off the man’s platemail, the Eidisi hadn’t hit low enough. Getting a block across his own blade, and a knee to the jaw, Kaladis was forced to recoil.

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

How were spirits mixed up with a bunch of looters or thieves? It didn’t make sense, who had ever heard of spirit thieves?

A

clattering of metal between them followed as neither could overpower the other in a straight shield push, his weakening sap technique had leveled the two for strength. Kaladis tried a kick of his own to the attacker’s leg but got nowhere. Getting a shield smash in response from his opponent to create distance for the man to strike, two good blows followed. Kaladis deflected the first strike, getting a good turn of his body into the second, opening up room for a quick jab which again dinged off the platemail.

Moving like the trained bladesman she was, Alaya had managed to cut her target deeply across the leg and was staring the wounded woman down. Ralari was focused on the archer but nothing had happened yet, the man pulling back another shot at Kaladis. The forward Eidisi had to duck low to take the shot against the shield again, barely getting the position right in time. “Little help Ralari!” His melee combatant used the opportunity to knock Kaladis further down, almost crushing him with his downward strike. This time Kaladis did managed to get a good kick in on the back of the man’s shins, toppling his balance for a second, he staggered back from the top heavy weight of his platemail. This was Kaladis's first time fighting platemail, he needed an edge, maybe the weight was it?

Riveted half weight chainmail was probably a bit lighter than half plate, but not a lot. Weight wasn’t his advantage, nor was balance by the amount of times he ended up on the floor like this. Picking himself up Kaladis received a solid kick to his midriff but caught the opponent's leg. Not weight or balance but opportunism was his advantage, his own weapon opened the man’s leg at the back. Releasing the wounded limb he got another thumbing elbow across his back. Thankfully Kaladis was armored, the armor was however only cushioned by cloth given this was the desert, too hot for a leather layer, there would likely be bruising underneath spread out rather than focused.

Winded, he spat and then got up. Facing a now bleeding man who had stepped aside for his archer. “Die iceskin.” Kaladis got ready to try and block again, but he was barely up in time.

An odd spray of purple liquid covered the archer. Ralari had finally finished preparing. A barrel of wine the thieves had been hauling burst out drenching him, and warm as it was from Ralari’s concentration, soon caught a spark lighting the archer on fire. “Shame to waste a good vintage,” Ralari said and leaned back supervising the fight. Forget his kin element of water, wine seemed to be his lifelong companion.

RAAAAARRRRRGGGGG the leader came at Kaladis again, clanging against his shield in a cleaving strike, once, twice, and three times. Kaladis was disciplined here, he didn’t expend as much energy pushing back, merely let the man tire himself. Holding a shield like this was draining too but not as much as wailing against it fruitlessly in anger.

All of a sudden he broke the shield free and lunged. A clean strike through below the main plate, which gave the man no time to raise his own shield back defensively. That day Kaladis learned that lunging or jabs were a good way to bring down a shield fighter, and that aim against platemail was critical. The blade went all the way through, a killing blow, sadly unlikely the stories will tell you it lodged in the body both against bone and metal. Blood running down his opponent’s lips, Kaladis kicked the thief to the floor, and started tugging to try and retrieve his longsword.

“Alaya capture her alive.” Cut twice as she was, Kaladis had noticed that the last thief was surrendering, and they needed to work out what in Vhalar’s name was going on.

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~

[Kaladis Anar]

“ALIVE.” Kaladis stated more definitely, Alaya had pulled a pretty knife from the woman’s belt and was now threatening to shove it back in, only at a more dangerous angle. “Only playin’,” Alaya tapped the knife to a finger and leaned back on the wall. The blade looked a lovely folded steel knife to her, not as good as her old ones but it was well sharpened, it’d fit snug into one of her many black pockets.

F

inally getting his sword free, which was a job with how deep it had lodged, Kaladis cleaned it on the man’s clothes, looking at the flaming mess of an archer and the dead criminal in front of him; taking the spare sword of course and fitting it to his hip, Alaya did the same from the female thief giving herself something better than this old borrowed longsword she’d been forced to use. Taking the dead man’s shield for himself, Ralari began rummaging through the thieves loot, hopefully they still had some wine for him! What scavengers they had become, Kaladis’s pride was stabbed at again. One day these acts of looting the dead would be beneath him, for now it was a necessity of his advancement through the underbelly of this city.

Kaladis walked up to the injured, beaten thief, and finished cleaning his weapon on a bit of ripped cloth in front of her. There was no rush to intimidate her, he had noted that the act of taking your time before doing something put people on edge, especially those you were holding sharp metal over.

“I…I don’t know anything,” she stammered, Alaya looked at her knife not making eye contact. Kaladis dropped the bloody cloth to the floor beside the frightened woman. “It has been a long few days. All I care about is the jewel.” Kaladis stated honestly. “You’ve g.g..ot all our loot,” she shuffled back up to the stone wall behind her. Alaya looked up from admiring her knife, Kaladis face tensed and he walked to stand over her.

The Eidisi’s cold stare cut into the woman, looking through her almost. He knew and cared nothing for torture. Patiently Kaladis waited there considering her predicament. “There are three outcomes. One you die, two Alaya has her fun with you, or three you tell me where the jewel is and run.” Kaladis left her to think about them. “I swear upon Vhalar we will do you no further harm if you cooperate, and I do not break my word.” This he let her think about, he was trying to be persuasive but was no expert at it.

“Vhalar?” The woman stammered, “the lord of oaths.” Kaladis informed her. This religious angle seemed to have some effect on her, “You worship him?” She asked, and Kaladis nodded, “I do.” His tone tried to be sincere and perhaps even trustworthy, if not for the fact Alaya looked far too eager with her knife beside him, he might have even pulled it off.

T

heir prisoner decided showing them the way was better than bleeding out here under the earth. “Follow me.” After taking something from their leader, she led them back down the hallways, hobbling on her wounds. Past the traps they went and back to the portals. There were a few choice comments from Ralari on the intelligence of coming back here. Kaladis was ahead of his Mentor's concerns, because this time there would be one important change. “I’ll be going through first, and if I don’t return they will kill you, slowly.” He looked to Alaya who seemingly needed no encouragement.

The floor began to rotate.

Fin For Now
To Be Continued in Part 5!

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~

[Mal]

A Hunter's Review

Kaladis

Story 4/5

Collaboration 0/0

Structure 5/5

9/10 Experience Awarded

Knowledge:
Navigation: Marking Where You've Been
Interrogation: Ferreting Out Trap Information
Investigation: Deduction By Evidence
Detection: TRAP
Detection: Voices On The Other Side Of A Door
Trap Making: A Simple But Effective Design With Glass
Acrobatics: Jumping Over A Trap
Acrobatics: Failing to Maintain Balance On A Moving Floor
Acrobatics: Carefully Tip-Toeing Through A Hazard
Acrobatics: Ducking
Bladed Weapons (Longsword): Cutting The Back of the Leg
Bladed Weapons (Longsword): Piercing Weak Spot With A Jab
Smithing: Cleaning To Maintain Weapons
Endurance: Fighting in Heavy Metal Armor
Shield Fighting: Door-Bashing!
Shield Fighting: Arrow Blocking
Shield Fighting: Charging Shield Forward!
Tactics: Asking For Help Against a Combatant
Unarmed Combat: Kick The Shins!
Discipline: Staying Calm Against An Onslaught Of Blows
Necromancy: Sap
Necromancy: Using Sap To Drain A Fighter
Defiance: Lighting Wine Aflame
Persuasion: Religion Can Win Trust
Leadership: Directing An Underling
Running: With Shield
Sundial: An Unusual One?

(( I couldn't figure out what style to put your kick under, so you decide. I was tempted to go with Brawling, but I don't want to mess you up ^^ ))


Fame:
+3 Killing A Thief

Devotion:
+1 Vhalar (Sworn Oath)

Loot: 1 Good Quality Cobalt Longsword, 1 Average Steel shield, and 1 Good Quality Steel Knife

Magic: This thread may be used for Necromancy experience.
Notes:

Unfortunately I had to remove a point because the thread lacked a proper ending. Kaladis does a lot more talking in this thread, which is good. It was pleasing seeing his interactions, and he did a lot of things I was able to award knowledge for. I was very tempted to deduct a point for overplaying your skills, as Kaladis seemed competent in some interactions for not really being such, so watch this with future writing. And this is despite the Sap.

Also, Sap clings to the living. I don't think you can make it cling to your equipment without some Alchemy/Ensorcelling shenanigans. I would suggest asking in the Domain Q/A about this.

PM me if I missed something, or if you have any questions or concerns!