Still desmond turn then.
Desmond's eye twitches as gets up again, somewhat less energetically.
"Would...you...STOP THAT!
Stop!?, you feel no shame to attack a defenseless angel! - It seems he will attack unless you have something to say.
"No, I mean would you kindly stop tripping me? It's very unsporting."
-
-
The flame get really angry and attack in combination with the floating chain to give Desmond a good beating. Desmond fall unconcious.
But the crystal start glowing and a warmth feeling make Desmond conscious again (1 hp)
Stop...please... - You can hear a female voice, she sounds weak.
Sven turn.
Sven's ears twitch at the angel's words
"I will stop if he will stop."
Flame:BUT!
Female voice:Please...not ...harm..mortals
The flame turns blue again.
"Heh...they all find a soft spot for me sooner or later..."
Desmond sits up, coughing. "All joking aside, I'll stop. I've had enough."
Sven ceases Raging and shakes himself off.
"Now maybe we can discuss exactly what is going on...?"
Trapped angel: We...I... - The crystal becomes opaque again
Flame: Zilh Zlaham!
Mirelle: hey, don't need to be rude...
The flame takes a couple of seconds, and start playing a soothing song that slowly start repairing the crystal where the angel is.
"Why exactly are you keeping an angel trapped in crystal?"
She can leave whenever she wants... - He says with a tone midway sadness and annoyance. - But she stay to guard the place...[7b]
[b]So,..., you have seen way more that you were supposed to...
"Indeed," Desmond says calmly, as he slowly grabs and sheathes his sword. "but your ladyfriend seems to want us alive."
"What's she guarding, anyway? You said the black iron wasn't important to you."
The black Iron is a byproduct of the darkness that lies sleepi...GRAAAR!...Look, I don't hate your kind, but i don't like you either, mortalkin is so a wasted potential. My friend on the other hand is quite fond of you and she prefer to not harm you when possible, but you better understand once and for all that for us is very important to not be disturbed, your sole presence is a problem. -
Sven's head snaps over at this.
"Sleeping darkness? You dolt, if you'd mentioned something like that we would have been more likely to help you rather than start a brawl earlier! We do this sort of thing for a living, is there anything we can do to eradicate this threat?'
Oh zech mene!...Do you really think we would be here in a humid dark cave in the middle of the insipid material plane if it could be eradicated? - Obvoiosuly annoyed for having talked too much.
"I don't know, you ghosts and angels and stuff have a weird tendency for putting dangerous things in a big cosmic prison instead of killing them."
Well...that's true...But it doesn't matter, the prolem at hand is to find a way out of this situation without trapping you here for life.
"Look, why not just let us check out this darkness ourselves? Worst case scenario, we die and you don't have to worry about us anymore."
Dude, I have just beat you, you should be more humble...No, The whole point is to not disturb it, and - he points the crystal -she will be sad if some mortal get ripped apart by them
"Correction, you had just beaten HIM, and had spent a great deal of time fleeing from me."
The flame *sighs* - Fine, go and look for your doom, I would not stop you, do note that if you awake it and fail to kill then not only your life will be at the stakes
"Right, we'll-"
Desmond gets up, but staggers a little and winces in pain.
"-ah, well...maybe it would be better to rest a little while. Wouldn't want to startle that darkness too much, eh?"
"Yes, it does look like you need some rest. We should update the townsfolk in any case as to what's going on."
"Myrelle, do you have any healing magic for Desmond?"
To the Flame: "We'll be back down here tomorrow, ready for anything."
When they reach the surface, Sven will relax his transformation, looking like a normal human again.
Do as you must, You will not be able to come this far tomorrow. And for the sake of those townsfolk its better for them to stop digging that far
Mirelle have the healing magic, but that depletes all her clerical spells.
You return to the town, The elder of the town is somewhat surprised, everyone thought you would not come back alive.
Anyways, the elder and some other important people are waiting for your report.
"There is an angel and some kind of flame being down there. They were trying to scare you off for your own safety since there's some ancient darkness sealed down there. You know how it goes. Hazard of the mining profession, sometimes you dig too deep."
"Though in my estimate the flame might have done it anyway. My professional opinion is that he's a bit of a dick."
"That black metal's got some evil taint. I wouldn't hold onto it if I were you."
What kind of crazy story is that? - One of the spokesman of the miners - I bet they don't discover anything and just making some fairy tales
"I've had a very bad day, and if you call me a liar again I will not be held responsible for the bodily harm that befalls you." Sven says, and flexes his muscles.
The guy get visible intimidated by Sven, he move back a couple of steps and say no other word.
The Elder: Alarming news, We will need to think what will going to do with this problem.
Among the people in there the opinions seems divided, some advice for caution and others just want to mine the black Iron as soon as they can eliminating the flame and the angel if they interfere again (apparently they just have found some that want to buy that metal).
Mirelle and the healers of the town will take care of Desmond wounds while the other are discussing the issue. ANything you want to say/do or you just go to rest?
"I would not advise you to tangle with the creature down there. Despite its passive aggressive tactics to scare you way, it WILL get violent, and it's no pushover. The burn covering my companion's body are proof of that."
"Take that as you will."
At the next day
Desdmond get fully healed.
We want you to drive away that flame and everything that interfere with the mining
@ Vendrik
The walled city of New Aldwall is the edge of civilization in this part of the world, and Vendrick just came in response to a personal request from his old friend Mythakilis, who insisted on talking with you personally.
You are personally scorted to a good looking house, not too flamboyant but fine enough.
Ah, I see the passage of time have been more kind with you - Indeed, the halfling have lost the youthful appearance of yore -Come, come old friend, I hope you find my humble abode to be pleasant
"Though I am still young by my kin's standards, I still lack much experience life has to offer. But flattering aside Mythakilis, I know very well that you would not ask me here unless it was something important." El'druin says as he takes a seat.
"This home of yours is far more pleasant than the dorms of the old Master we shared." El'druin comments in passing.
"I am more than happy to assist in whatever research has sparked your interest. As I remember, we often had similar ideas...we just sought different methods to achieving them."
@ Vendrick
Right to the point I see - He say somewhat disappointed -Well, yes...as you know I was never too interested in natures magic... - He stops talking while he struggle to sit in a "tall" people chair - Do you know what the leafstaffs are? - He then waits for your answer (Kn Arcane or history for that)
We want you to drive away that flame and everything that interfere with the mining
"Sure thing! Got any ideas for how to drive out a sleeping darkness that angels and talking flames are afraid of?"
@ Vendrick
@ The others
THe peopel of the town really want to mine that black Iron, apparently they just found a buyer willing to pay a lot for such material. They will pay good for anyone that solve the issue at let them mine safely.
El'druin nods as he gets a faraway look in his eyes before leaning forward in interest.
"Quite the legend you bring up Mythakilis. I'm sure you've read some of my treatises on Nature magic tapped through Arcane means though it's purely theoretical at the moment. Why, if the legends are true, getting a hold of a leafstaff for even a day or two would speed my research by decades!" El'druin says excitedly.
"Now before I get my hopes up too much, I assume you have a hypothesis on where one might be located...?"
@ Vendrick.
Something like that... - Mythakilis. He then proceed to open a chest and bring out a thin wand - I think this is the cedarleaf staff, a part of it at least - He offer it to you for you inspect.
Desmond sighs and turns to Sven.
"Looks like we don't have much choice, friend. If we walk away, more adventurers will come, and they'll get toasted."
"Or worse, they might succeed and claim our gold!"
Sven rubs his temples.
"Blasted fools. Guess we'd better see what we can do."
So, what do you do?
El'druin takes it gratefully, turning it over in his hand and inspecting it with Detect Magic.
"Incredible! But where is the rest? Where did you find this?" El'druin says in quiet awe.
@ VEndrick
I didn't...one of our most successful group of merce...adventurers found it while doing an unrelated job. It was on the body of a goblin, a goblin from Tuskkeep. Tuskeep is an allied goblin city by the way. Eitherway, We are not sure where is the rest, but I fear the goblin of tuskeep have it or know where it is.
"Interesting indeed...Tuskkeep is an allied city correct? How keen are they to visitors?"
"A goblin in possession of a shard of a leafstaff..." El'druin's mind speculates for some time.
"I may need to hire some solid guards. I've heard of the dangers of Ambervale." El'druin says before pausing.
"Oh lest I forget, I brought a sample of some fine wine from the west. I think you'll quite enjoy it's vintage." El'druin says as he draws a wineskin and pours Mythakilis a glass.