Black-Out

[Talon Sky]

It was still, and it was quiet. But then again, the tunnels of the Underdark always had a deadly emptiness in the air.

Lochar'Drizfryn looked up and studied his companions for a moment, gathered around their campfire for a rest. There were twelve of them in total, a scouting company assembled by the top six houses of his city in investigate these....until recently....quiet tunnels. They were nearly 16 hours out of their city, at the edge of the Drow's claimed territory. In the past week, many of the patrols out here never returned and it was determined that the tunnels had come under assault by some enemy of the dark elves. Each of the ruling houses sent two of their best to investigate, a priestess and a male warrior....the latter was more likely to be used as fodder, but the situation was important enough to call for houses to send highly skilled warriors none-the-less.

And Lochar was nothing to be laughed at. The second-born son of his house, Lochar enjoyed the fine life of a noble of the third ruling house....especially since the mysterious death of his older brother several months ago. Lochar grinned at the thought....his brother had it coming, anyways. Mages were so squishy, after all, and Lochar had graduated with top ranks in both stealth and efficiency from the Melee Academy.

[Kythia]

Talshalee Torani stood in silence while she watched two of the warriors from lesser houses make a complete hash of checking the area ahead of them for traps.  If these were the best they had to offer and still so inept then it didn't bode well for their house's security, interesting findings she'd make sure was noted on her return.  She tapped her foot in annoyance and noticed a few others making similar gestures.  Though of course the other priestesses were from rival houses the rivalry was a bit less...obvious amongst them.   Warriors had therir place, certainly, but they had a tendancy to be blatant and to forget that hitting something with a sword until it stopped moving was only one solution to a problem, not the be all and end all.

One of them was weaving her hands slowly, communicating with her bodyguard in the private sign language of their house.  Noticing that she signalled to her guard - Nothing important to say, just reply so it looks like we do - he replied with a long series of gestures that basically boiled down to "OK" but looked far more interesting.

"Rockfall trap" one of the warriors eventually whispered back, the sound echoing oddly.  Looks were exchanged, some warriors went forwards to show their skill, others stayed back to offer protection.  By unspoken agreement her bodyguard went on ahead, mainly to make sure none of the other warriors "accidentally" triggered a rockfall on her.

[Talon Sky]

(Sorry again for the delay >.< finals week coming up and all, but I'll try to be quicker with my responses)

Lochar frowned when the whispers of the trap reached him. It would seem that their short reprieve was over; most of the warriors were gearing up to move again, and the majority of the priestesses had started either casting protective spells....on themselves first, of course....or praying to their dark goddess. Lochar rose from his rock seat, adjusted the rapier at his side, and approached the priestess of house Drizfryn.

"Perhaps this is not so....wise an idea," he said to her, not bothering to whisper or use their race's famous sign language. "I'm not saying we turn back, but perhaps there is a smarter wa-"

"Coward!" his priestess hissed in the silkly Undercommon language. "The Weaver of Webs, the great lady, has placed this challenge before us! A test of our faith, and our reward shall be the chance to slaughter those who displease her!" The priestess stepped closer to Lochar, their cheeks touching. The young male Drow shuddered with memories of the recent abuses inflicted by her, but he knew it would be worse for him if he recoiled. "You do not wish to....displease....the almighty Lloth, do you?"

Lochar closed his eyes and was silent a moment....only for a moment....before whispering no. He and the priestess commanding him were cousins, raised side-by-side; she was actually a true noble of their house, and he had only been annexed into house Drizfryn proper because of his talent as a soldier. For the entirety of their childhood in the Academy, he and his cousin had looked out for each other and helped each other.

But time and culture had a way of changing Drow, especially the female ones. His favorite cousin was now openly hostile to him, and in recent years had inflicted multiple abuses....many of them, sexual....upon Lochar. She revealed in his disgust at her, laughed at his yearning for the cousin he'd loved and lost to their people's ways. And when their matron had given her reign to command him on this mission....

....well, Lochar certainly hoped that an enemy's blade might pierce her dark heart before the day was done.

[Kythia]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

And I'm once again sorry.  How's about we stop apologising before we get stuck in a rut?

Talshalee, and most of the others in fact watched the exchange with interest.  Everyone mentally working out what, if any, advantage could be gained from the discussion.  Issue between the clergy and warriors of another house were always interested and doubtless the warrior would, well, repirimanded somehow for exposing them.

Ahead of them was a sudden crash and screams.  Someone had triggered a rockfall.  Talshalee quickly wove a protective spell round her and looked round.  With the rockfall ahead their group was split in two, even if anyone ahead had survived.  If the deep gnomes had any sense there would be other traps here as well, hidden, to further divide the group.  Who could she afford to be trapped with?  Not one of the other priestesses, that was for sure.  They'd be at each other's throats in a moment.  No, better to stay close to one of the warriors as hopefully their respect for her position might keep her alive.

In two quick strides she was beside the House Drizfryn warrior, warily looking round to see if her guess was correct and they were to be split up further.

[Talon Sky]

Lochar grabbed the priestess, Talshalee, by the arm as soon as she reached him and swivled her away from the open entrance to the tunnel, so that she was between him and the collapsed end. It wasn't a moment too soon as the nearest Drow to their escape route began screaming "Gnomes! Gnomes!"

The next few moments were a frenzy. The deep gnomes had sealed off one end of their tunnel, and used their knowledge of the local passage ways to pile into the open end. There were only five Drow, including Lochar and Talshalee, against what seemed like twenty or twenty five well-armed gnomes. Nearly a foot shorter than the Drow they were ambushing, the tiny grey-skinned men all wore armor that resembled....and probably was....magically fitted rock. They all wielded pickaxes or hammers, and most carried shields. The ones who weren't, however, were all chanting arcane spells.

"Barriers!" Commanded Lochar loudly, to the two priestesses he was shielding from the gnomes. With one hand, the ebony skinned warrior whipped out his custom-made rapier, and the other swiftly lifted his loaded hand crossbow. Without even aiming, he fired into the crowd and struck a gnome....one casting a spell, as he could clearly hear the fizzle sound. "Warriors! Charna formation!"

As the other two warriors fired their own crossbows, one immediately fell to a mighty Flesh to Stone spell. The other warrior darted for the onslaught of gnomes, longswords in both hands, apparently unaware that his comrades had almost all fallen.

"Teleport! Other side!" Lochar said as he backed up to further shield Talshalee and his cousin. "Now!" he added quickly as two Magic Missles struck him. He didn't flinch, however; only one broke a rib, and the other had bounced off him entirely....whether due to his drow chainmail or spell resistance, he didn't know or care.

[Kythia]

Lolth be praised.  As soon as he yelled "teleport" - and they would speak later about this tendency to order the clergy around - the other Priestesses' face fell.  Didn't think to beseech Lolth for anything useful this morning, bitch, Talshalee thought with a grin as she prepared her own Wind Walk 

Just as the energies surrounded her she grabbed the warrior with one hand.  The other priestess was casting and Talshalee delayed her effect for a moment to work out what.  Meld Into Stone.  No such luck for you, a sharp kick to the shin disrupted her concentration and the spell fizzled.  As herself and the warrior dissipated into the wind she, Lolth be praised again, managed to witness the other priestess taking a pickaxe to the chest.  Noone could tell but she was chuckling as the ethereal pair made its way through the tiny cracks in the rock to the other side.

Once through she ended the spell, and they both took solid form again.  None of the rest of the group were to be seen, perhaps seperated by another rockfall, perhaps already cut down by the gnomes.

She appraised the warrior with a cruel smile, occasionally chuckling to herself about the fate of the other priestess.

[Talon Sky]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Days where I'm waiting on approval? Internet connection is fine. Once I finally get approved? Freaking internet goes down constantly. >.<

Lochar's red eyes widened as the gnomes rapidly began closing in, and the Drow warrior realized that there was no where left to go. He fired another crossbow bolt into the crowd of rushing death....taking another target down, of course....before readying his rapier to slash at as many of the little bastards as he could. The warrior felt a pressure around the wrist holding the hand crossbow, and a moment later felt as if he were weightless. Having no control of his own movement and no real 'voice' to speak of, Lochar could only mouth his cousin's name as he watched her final moments, mere moments before slipping through the wall behind them. Perhaps Lolth had heard his earlier prayer, but more than likely the dark goddess was sparing him for torments yet to come.

Or to protect a more favored priestess, the young Drow male considered, once they re-solidified. The yells of excitement and confusing from the other side of the collapsed trap didn't marr Lochar's thought process as he turned to see the other priestess he'd help save smiling at him. Talshalee, he thought he'd heard her say. Of course, Lochar didn't expect it was out of gratitude; he'd simply been convenient for her at the moment to bring along.

It was good to be convenient.

"Great Lolth be praised," Lochar said as a way of thanks, "and to you as well, mistress." The silver-haired male glanced around for a few moments, taking in their predicament. No gnomes seemed to be in this end of the tunnel; they all appeared to have piled in on the trap. This didn't mean their wouldn't be any gnomes soon, however. "Sister, we should move. The little rockheads know these tunnels better than any, and I don't want them finding us on the other side."

[Kythia]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

What fun would it be if it were easy?

"Lolth be praised indeed" she muttered distractedly in reply to his prayer, more concerned with looking round to make sure they, she, was safe.  The sounds of battle still raged but muted by the rock.  "She has allowed this ambush in order to remove the faithless.  Your own priestess, many of the other warriors, all dead.  But not you, you're obviously the type who'll listen carefully and do as he's told?  Otherwise I'm sure She'll withdraw her protection of you as swiftly as she did the others."  She looked round once more then declared "We should move" ignoring the fact that he'd already said that.  It didn't count as an idea unless she came up with it.

"Lead the way.  Be wary of traps.  Hmmmmm.  Talk as you go, if there is an ambush ahead we won't notice it whether you're speaking or not.  If there isn't my chances of survival are much higher if I know what your skills are."  And of course, if you're talking and then suddenly stop then there's a warning right there.  And if the corridor turns then keeping you talking means I know whether you've set your own little ambush just round the corner.  Far far better if I know where you are all the time.