Quest [Regional Quest] Into the Deep

[Poison]

Spring 80, 513 AV

There were things under Kalinor, in the darkness. The rumours had existed since the first Symenestra had fled to the subterranean caves after the Valterrian. Dangerous things lived down there, things that could swallow a Symenestra whole. There were also rumours of a gigantic lake, numerous treasures – and a mountain of dead bodies, the dead bodies of all the surrogates that had ever died in Kalinor.

Sometimes, at night, in front of the fireplace, people would tell each other horror stories, about how the bodies never decayed and sometimes got up to feast on the living. Sometimes people ventured into the lower caverns to explore the hundreds of tunnels, but few ever returned from there – and most of those that returned had lost their mind.

There were rumours that Sanairas Larkspur, once the greatest hypnotist in Kalinor and now a ghost, hadn’t simply gone mad because she had overgiven, but because she had found something there. Avarys Anthurium, the weaver, had spent several days down there, trying to escape an overzealous suitor, but he never talked about his experience in the darkness below.

He didn’t even say a word when new rumours started to surface, but locked himself into his house and refused to talk to anybody. Things were moving in the underground, people said. The underground was more alive than it had been in decades. Sanairas Larkspur terrorized everybody that got close to her former home and insisted that he was coming, and then she laughed maliciously.

Even the daughter of the ruling couple, who had other interests than fantastic horror stories and dead bodies, slowly began to pay attention to those rumours. And then the child disappeared.

A boy, an especially adventurous child had strayed a little too far from Kalinor and didn’t return. His friends told the worried parents – after numerous assurances that nobody would be punished – that he had wanted to go and see the ‚undead’.

A day passed, and a night, and when there still wasn’t any sign of him, the Ochya decided to take charge of the situation, even though the boy was likely already dead, if he had really gone into the lower caverns.

Any volunteers were ordered to go to the Sac and talk to Vass Vervein, the head of the Ochya. An expedition, a group of well armed men and women would go into the lower caverns and try to find the missing child and those that had gone missing before him and try to find out what was the matter with all those strange new rumours.

[Zarovin]

Zarovin Clementia had been hearing the rumors for the last week of the strange event happening below the city. It was unsettling thinking of undead surrogate wandering the lake and tunnels down below. However, to make matters worse a child had ventured down into the depths to explore a place most sane Symenestra would avoid. He knew the children enjoyed playing dare games about how far you can venture down the walls of the cavern. It was game, and no child was brave or stupid enough to set foot on the bottom until last week, and now he was missing in the depths all alone. Zarovin figured the boy was dead when he looked at the posting for volunteers on the bulletin board of the Sac. The young Symenestra guard stared at the bulletin contemplating if he should volunteer his life to finding the body of the boy. He figured if they were sending a search party. The boy must be part of a well off web in the city. He stared at the wall clicking his long finger against the stone wall. He knew his father and mother would protest his decision to venturing into the depths, but he knew it was the right thing to do, but it was incredibly stupid risk too. Zarovin heard someone approach him, and he looked at the young Symenestra woman and she said with a hint of amusement in her voice, “You been staring at the bulletin for the last fifteen chimes, Zar. Are you seriously thinking about heading on the mission?” Zarovin looked at his fellow Orcha and said with the shake of his head, “If nobody volunteers to go find the boy, we already sealed his fate, and he will die in the caves below, but we could also die in the process too.” The female Orcha nodded to him and said softly, “It is hard decision putting your life in danger for a boy you don't know, but it the reason we are Orcha isn't it?” Zarovin smirked at the pale woman and said with a smile, “I think I am going to talk to Vass Vervein. I hope you aren't put a on search team to search for me at the end of my misadventure...” She gave him a nod of respect and padded the young man's shoulder, “Good luck Zarovin. You are far braver person than I.” Adjusting his bow, Zarovin smiled at the woman, and he turned around and made his way to Vass's office. Zarovin walked into the office of his boss, and he was happy nobody was in here. He pretty sure people were starting to question his sanity over accepting the quest to find the boy. The Symenestra ran a hand through his black hair, and he said softly to the man behind the desk, “Sir, I have decided to venture into the deep to look for the boy. Honestly, we can't afford to loose a child to the things in bottom of the cavern. I know I am new to Orcha, but I think we should give a glimmer of hope for the boy even though it might only be a faint glimmer of hope, so I, Zarovin Clementia, volunteer my life into finding the boy.” Zarovin knew he might be overplaying his hand with the speech, but he wanted Vass to know he was serious about completing the quest alive.

[Snaeha Datura]

“Behave, or I’ll throw you down into the shadows!”

It was the threat that Snaeha’s mother had scolded her with as a child, when she had refused to do as she was told. Although she was a little too old to be told off now, it remained a joke within the Poinciana web, especially between Snaeha and her brothers.

That stopped when the boy disappeared.

She was by far a maternal woman, but the idea of a young child disappearing into that horrid darkness had disturbed Snaeha. Someone needed to find him, or at least retrieve his body to put his poor parents at risk. Plus, if there were monsters inhabiting those shadows, nothing was stopping them crawling up the cavern walls to reach the other Symenestra - Snaeha included.

Surprised at her sudden flourish of (almost) selfishness, she decided to do something about it. The Ochya were going down into the shadows, she knew, but Snaeha had also heard that they were taking other volunteers. She was by no means a warrior, or even a particularly talented hunter, but she could use a shortbow fairly well and seemed to hit her target slightly more often than missing it.

So she signed herself up, but it was not until she returned home that she realised what mysterious risk she was throwing herself into. Nobody knew what lurked in that darkness; the carcasses of the surrogates were thrown in there, as was daily waste and anything else that was discarded. Somewhere in there is the body of the woman I came from, she thought pensively as she touched her dark red hair. It was strange thought for sure, but did not seem to concern Snaeha too much; perhaps it will be a warming mother-daughter reunion.

Although that in itself was a worrying concept.

|| Snaeha's speech || Snaeha's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Poison]

The Sac was one of the most unusual buildings in a city that was known for its unusual architecture. It didn’t have any walls, neither on the outside nor on the inside. The different rooms of the Sac were merely separated by bars so that it looked like a gigantic cage. That was what it was, in a way. The Sac was the headquarters of the Ochya, the local guard – but also the prison of Kalinor.

The upper floors of the Sac all contained similar rooms, with a bed, a chest and a chair. Most of them were currently empty – there wasn’t a lot of crime in Kalinor in general. But in a few of them were prisoners: an Esterian that had beaten a man who had announced his intent to go on a Harvest up. A boy that had taken something from one of the abandoned houses on the edge of Kalinor, a human trader that had gotten a little too drunk.

The office of Vass Vervein was located at the bottom of the Sac. Whereas the prisoners had no privacy, silk curtains in intense jewel tones covered the bars here, giving the office the illusion of some kind of tent. Vass‘ desk was covered with papers and books. There were also a few shelves, and a small collection of weapons could be found in a corner.

The head of the Ochya was middle aged, a man of average looks that never smiled, not even when he was faced with a little baby or a beautiful young woman like the Moth Queen (Nissabella Rose could probably tell a story or two about that). He was dressed in plain, functional clothes. Vass Vervein didn’t believe in luxury.

As Zarovin entered the room, he instantly frowned. „Ochya, not Orcha, boy. You should know that by now“, he informed him. „I only hope that you are better at climbing than you are at speaking. Now then, have you ever been below? What do you know about the caves we live in?“

Snaeha was greeted by much the same frown even though she hadn’t done anything wrong. On top of that she was told to return the next day. Vass Vervein already awaited her in his office. He didn’t greet her, but got straight to the point, „Do you have any skills that might be of use to us down below? Can you handle a weapon? What do you know about the caves?“

[Snaeha Datura]

Snaeha could not remember the last time she had visited The Sac. Being a good, rule-abiding citizen, she had never been thrown into one of the prison cells before. But it was hardly the most comfortable place to be in, either, with it’s cage-like appearance. Even when she hadn’t done anything wrong, Snaeha still somehow ended up behind bars regardless when she visited the place.

The head of the Ochya was a dour faced man, Snaeha knew. But she still found herself taken aback at just how stern he was. He didn’t even seem impressed that she had stepped forth and volunteered to help! She huffed at his question, though she had expected her selflessness to be reacted to as such. She was just a medic, after all.

”I can use a long-bow fairly well.” She replied prickly. Although Snaeha wanted to come across as helpful as possible, she knew that inflating her skills would result in her being more hindrance than help. ”I know a little about poison, as well. And medicine.”

She waited for his response, though her challenging amethyst eyes never left his. Snaeha would be useful in the exploration of the caves - she was sure of it. If she could hold her ground, perhaps the Orchya leader would agree as well.

|| Snaeha's speech || Snaeha's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Zarovin]

Zarovin looked at the ground and clenched his teeth at his stupidity at his last statement. He knew the name of the guard was Ochya, but he had to make a fool himself in front of the Head of the Guard and a woman who most likely was a hunter. It was embarrassing for the young man who was trying to prove himself to the rest of the guard. Zarovin looked at the hunter as she talked to Vass, and he couldn't help himself as he stared at her dull red hair. It wasn't a color often seen in a Symenestra if at all, but he had seen it in surrogates many times before. The color red was often a color prided by the human's called the Inarta. The young man realized he was staring at her, and he quickly turned his attention back Vass Vervein. The Head of the Guard didn't seem to pleased with him, so he tried to act as professional as he could at the moment, silent. He turned his attention back to the woman, and she started to list her personal skills that would help with the quest. He smiled to himself when she was good with a bow. It was a relief to him because he would need the back up if the situation got hairy in the pits below. Zarovin raised a eyebrow when she mentioned poison. However, Zarovin thought about it, and he figured it could come in handy if they encounter any creatures too big for them to handle. Zarovin crossed his arms and looked at his commanding officer when she mentioned that she knew medicine. It was probably the most useful skill needed to help the boy if he was hurt. The Symenestra knew the boy stood a greater chance of surviving if their were two people looking for him, so he decided to intervene on her behalf. Zarovin knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but he could tell the woman wanted to risk her life to save the child, so he said plainly to his superior, “Commander, I think she would be a good addition to the search party because her skills with medicine could come in handy if the boy is hurt in the caves.” Zarovin look at the woman for a moment and said back to the commander, “Also, I would feel much better about my chances of survival if I had a hunter along watching my back.” He had a sinking feeling that he was going to get reprimanded for injecting his opinion into their conversation. Zarovin was opinionated young man, and he had no qualm about speaking his mind to superior regardless of the consequences. When they were finished, Zarovin decided to answer the Head of Ochya's question about the caves below. Zarovin knew nothing about the world below the city. He had no desire to venture into the deep until today. Zarovin shook his head and said softly, “Honestly, I don't know much about the cavern under the city, but when I was younger, I was told stories about the cavern's local folklore.” He looked at the hunter for a moment and back to the Vass said softly, “However, they were just ghost stories nothing more.”

[Sosicly Magnolia]

“You have no skills.” Sosicly shook her mother’s hand off gentler than her expression spoke and reached for her knapsack, shoving in her norm, her journal, ink vial, two quills and a piece of chalk, sometimes she could write on the walls if she was desperate enough. Stopping only to retake out the journal and set up her journal to write, studiously ignoring the irate women hovering over her shoulder. Her short message finished she placed the items back in carefully. “Your lungs can’t handle it.” Slipping the knapsack over her shoulder she faced her mother silently. For once she found there was no need to talk. Too many people had gone down; too many people were scared to even whispers silly stories about the deep because they were no longer silly stories. Things were changing too many people were creeping into the depths and not returning, their people were dying or worse in their own city! The staring contest ended when her mother turned away sharply, there would be no goodbye, no words that would soothe either one and Sosicly had no doubt she have to work hard to earn her mother’s smile again if she returned. -- Sosicly reached The Sac without much trouble feeling only slightly winded and taking a moment at the entrance to just breath and watch the steady trickle of people. It was highly likely they were saying goodbye to those going or wishing to go themselves. Considering she had never been there she only took a few moments to stare around the building in surprise, bars framed the sections and made the entire building feel uncomfortably like a giant jail cell. She spared only one more chime to glance around the almost entirely empty holding cells and then slip down to the next floor where the faint sounds of conversation could be heard. Taking a few scant moments to wait for a chance for her to jump into the conversation, Sosicly stepped forward her face carefully smooth and slipped the journal out of her sack and held it out to the head of the Ochya to read. The slight shifting of her feet betraying her awkwardness, she hated parading the journal around for all to see but priorities. I have no great skills to offer, Dovna, except my wish to help in anyway and damn the consequences, Viratas and yourself wishing it. Her words were honest and if he denied her Sosicly would simply follow them herself. She had no attachment to the missing boy herself and doubted she would even recognize him if she seen him but it was something she had always been curious about and her people lost enough as it was without children disappearing. She just prayed to Viratas that this whole thing wasn’t an empty venture.

[Poison]

Vass made a face as he heard that Snaeha could use a long bow. „A long bow will only be of limited use down below“, he informed her. „Some of those tunnels are very narrow. Can you shoot an arrow when you are clinging to a wall? Still, it’s better than nothing I suppose.“

He regarded her again. She was short, pale and feminine. He’d hoped a few more warriors would sign up for the expedition. But unfortunately you rarely go what you wanted. It seemed as if Viratas wanted to challenge him. „If you know something about medicine, you’ll take this here.“ He retrieved a small pack from a shelf and tossed it towards her. If she opened it, she could see that it contained banadages, salves and so on.

„If somebody gets hurt, you’ll take care of them. And take your bow with you anyway, just in case. We’ll leave in a bell. I want to get this expedition underway and find out what’s going on beneath us. There’s no point in delaying this any further.“

It was then that Vass noticed that Zarovin was still there – and apparently trying to defend Snaeha. „Her medical training might be of use“, he agreed somewhat reluctantly. „That’s why I gave her the pack. Ghost stories, huh? Ghosts will be the least of our worries on this expedition. Although we might meet a few of them. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the people that disappeared and died have decided to stick around.“

He didn’t smile as he said that. Vass was always dead serious.

Sosicly’s appearance was met with the deepest frown he had ever given a potential adventurer. He realized at once that the girl was mute. „How are you going to call for help when you can’t speak? Do you have a death wish, girl?“ he asked and looked at where Zarovin and Saeha were standing. It seemed nobody else would volunteer for the expedition. „Better than nothing, I suppose“, he murmurred as he looked back at Sosicly. „But don’t blame me if you get hurt. I warned you. This is going to be dangerous!“

~~~

During the next bell the Ochya and the adventurers were busy with their final preparations. At last Zarovin, Snaeha and Sosicly found themselves outside the Sac, facing Vass and two of his fellow Ochya, a young man and a woman. Vass introduced them as Demyan Anice and Alanys Aster. They were both armed with shortswords and shortbows.

„This is your final chance to leave“, Vass informed the adventurers. „I don’t need people that aren’t completely dedicated to the goals of our expedition. Do you still want to come? Good. We’ll move towards the Blue Grotto first, and from there we’ll go deeper underground.“

With that he gave them a sign to follow him. Before too long they had left the part of Kalinor that was populated behind. Most of the houses on the edge of the city had been empty for decades and were slowly falling apart. Kalinor’s population was continuously dwindling. Only ghosts lingered here now, and sometimes children came here to play. Sometimes people stole something from the empty houses as well. It was a depressing place, one of the clearest signs that the Symenestra race was doomed.

From there they made their past the Blue Grotto where people often came to swim or just be alone. Finally they found themselves on a ledge from where a steep, narrow „path“ led down into the unknown. It was quiet there, almost unnaturally quiet. Nothing lived here. The strange creatures of the stories were found much deeper in the underground.

This here was a no man’s land, somewhere between the world of the living and the dead. It smelled different from Kalinor. There was the smell of the earth, of rocks and just a hint of moisture. There was water, somewhere far below them. That was where their journey would take them.

„This is the end of the world“, Vass informed them somewhat indifferently. „I will go down the path first. Alanys will follow me. Snaeha, you will come after her. According to what little information we have on the underground, the worst things that we will encounter in this part of the caves will be spiders and bats, but I don’t trust that information. I want somebody with a little combat experience behind me in case something is waiting for us on the other end. Zarovin and mute girl, you will climb down after Snaeha. Demyan will make up the rear and make sure that you all make it down safely.“

With that he lowered himself down and began to climb. If the adventurers looked down, they would notice that they couldn’t even see the other end of the path. At least Vass had called it a „path“, but in reality it was almost vertical. Still, there were rocks here and there.

[Snaeha Datura]

Well, if nobody else was going to back down, Snaeha was sure as hell not going to either. So when Vass asked the question of whether they still wanted to come, she nodded stiffly and clenched her jaw. Giving up would wound her pride, as well as prove to those who doubted her that she was unable to fulfil this quest.

Of course, that didn’t stop her feeling something close to nervousness as they trekked through the empty parts of their city. Snaeha admired the buildings, and the ghostly emptiness of them all. Like any proud member of a race, whereas outsiders would see the truth behind these empty buildings, Snaeha perceived them as a promised waiting space; one day these homes will be full again, and our people will swell and be strong.

Ignorance is bliss and all that.

But the silence continued until Snaeha stood with the rest of their party at the ledge that led down that hauntingly quiet path. When Vass dubbed it the ‘end of the world’, Snaeha nodded slowly. Yes, those shadows certainly looked like the end of something.

She listened to their orders and glanced down the dark hole. There seemed to be no end to the path they would be following, and that thought alone made her frown -- as did the idea that she would be going third. Bats and spiders were bad enough, let alone what other unimaginable creatures might be down there.

”Let’s go… then…” She muttered, smiling faintly and followed Alanys down.

|| Snaeha's speech || Snaeha's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Sosicly Magnolia]

Though her people were known for their ability to see in the dark this was dark was foreign, deeper with just a hint of the terrors to come. It threatened to swallow them whole, and nearly hurt to look at leaving them to reliant on their other senses. Like the sense of smell thick with moisture and earth that would undoubtedly lead to the sense of hearing where the water waited below. Sosicly found that her chest did not burn with the pain of physical exertion (that had yet to come) but with the worsening burden of anxiety. None in their group seemed much for talking, and for once she was grateful. She doubted she would be able to write anything anyone would be able to see, and the journal with its writing utensils was more of a comfort than any practical use. She prayed silently to Viratas that they would come out fine, she knew these Symenestra for the most part, it would be unfortunate for any to fall. She found her thoughts would not hold for long, focused on the task of getting the right grips, and keeping a slow steady pace as to not lose the others. If nothing else she gathered that if she fell behind she could catch up by following the imaginary sound of the distant water. Hand and foot, hand and foot she stumbled a bit, wincing in the dark, and hoping she didn't kick anything on those in front. What she wouldn't give for a rope to swing on or a back to ride on. But she refused to be a burden, she would do what they could do.