TDM #3

[calderaevents]

TDM #3

ARRIVAL (new characters only)

It happens in an instant. A heavy weight in your gut, a trembling of your limbs, the world spins and you barely have time to register that you're falling before you lose consciousness. And when you awaken, it's not where you were last. Dark, unadorned oak walls surround you in a tiny room, the only furniture the bed you are currently resting upon, and the bedside table with a folded piece of parchment resting atop it that simply reads:

“The Tavernkeeper is awaiting your arrival downstairs.”

As you exit you find others like yourself emerging from the surrounding rooms. You are indeed in a tavern, but there is no hustle and bustle one might think to hear in such a place. The only person down on the main floor is a humanoid figure wiping down the bar, who smiles when they see you. They're familiar, but not, and you can't quite place their face. For some reason, however, their presence is comforting and warm.

“Welcome, Visitor. I'm sure you have a lot of questions.”

And you most certainly do.

The Tavernkeeper offers more than just answers, of course. This is a tavern after all, and what is a tavern without drinks?

DRINK MENU (new characters only)

PUMPKIN SPICE The second this delectable drink hits your tongue, you have the overwhelming urge to tell someone a story - specifically about something unbelievable that happened to you, be it true or not.

BLACK CAT You finish most sentences with cat-like mewls, trills, and other such sounds.

SINFUL CIDER made from a particular variety of apples with a sharp intense flavor and a smooth caramel finish, the tart sweetness blends perfectly with the spices. Suddenly you feel like you need to confess something. Past sins? A deep, deep desire? A secret? Anything that you simply wouldn't admit under most circumstances, it seems like a fabulous time to unburden yourself.

BEETLEJUICE A Calderan fall delicacy, the drink is made by marinating beetles in a strong liquor reminiscent of malort. drinking 3 of them in a row is a common challenge, if you can stomach it...

HOT CHOCOLATE The standard fare with or without marshmallows. Drinking this makes you want to cuddle up with someone - anyone, really - especially by a fire.

RAMBLER You are prone to rambling and being generally more verbose than usual.

VANILLA BOURBON An aged bourbon with a strong vanilla finish… though be warned, it might make you more… vanilla than usual.

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY

As the effects of your drink wear off, the Tavernkeeper speaks once more:

”It is time, my friends, for you to find your new homes.”

You are compelled to walk through the only door leading out of the tavern, finding yourself not outside, but in a deep black, seemingly endless room with five portals arranged in a circle. As the last of you leave and the door closes behind you, gone when you look back again and replaced with nothing but that black void, three of the portals illuminate:

The first portal is surrounded by an almost blinding light, prismatic rainbows shining brightly in the dewy air outside of the tavern. A soft breeze may gently caress you, pulling you toward it. The portal seems to lead to a city in the clouds, airships and winged beings of all sorts soaring through the skies. Of the little bits of visible land, much of it boasts giant waterfalls that look like clouds melting into the land below. The portal calls to those who crave independence and freedom; and especially to anyone that wishes to find the strong bond of a family not forged in blood.

The second portal is encircled by a fairy ring of spotted white capped mushrooms, the faint scent of damp stone and rich earth wafting from within the faint green glow. Peering inside, one can see a sprawling harbor city of gray hewn stone, a melting pot of humanoid beings going about their day, and beyond, rolling green farmland and cottages clustered in small villages. This portal is destined for those who crave stability and solid ground beneath their feet. A simple life, an adventurous one, and everything in between can be found within.

The last portal is adorned with shells and seaweed, the glow of blue around it catching on droplets cascading down the circular opening. Beyond it you see a city housed inside a massive bubble deep under the ocean, spiraling towers encrusted with coral, and a variety of different creatures mingling about the streets. Outside of that bubble, merfolk swim, a massive squid engulfs the view from the portal as it smoothly glides through the water, and schools of fish disperse as it passes. A sanctuary in the sea that calls to those with a hunger for knowledge and a desire to aid those in need. Or perhaps it is the mystery that beckons you - the lure of the unknown in the depths that bids you explore it.

---

Upon following the pull of the breeze through the first portal, you are thrust into the beauty of a lively city that goes by the name of Heaven's Bow. Much of this main city feels exactly as you would expect on a city below, but there are clouds surrounding every direction you look. The walls of buildings are made with light-colored limestone, and buildings are generally built up to heights made even more grandiose by their position in the sky.

The Skyfall Docks are the first thing you notice, with airships sailing in and out across the clouds with shouts that accompany a typical port city. Just outside is a fantastic market with goods not only from the other regions of Caldera, but from what some shopkeepers claim are other worlds--items sold or left behind by Visitors. Almost anything can be found in the markets if one is willing to look hard enough. Transport to other locations throughout the sky and even to the land or sea can be found here, but due to recent events the amount of airships in the docks are limited. Travel is still possible, but there may be some delay while they ferry people back and forth. The locals speak of the day the sky fell and close inspection or further prodding provides new arrivals with some idea of what had happened a few weeks prior: a piece of Heaven's Bow had broken off, leaving many losing family members and friends to the tragedy. Attempts to rebuild are slow going.

If the docks are too lively for you, you may instead find yourself roaming the underbelly of Heaven's Bow and finding brothels and gambling parlors filled with the promise of pleasure and fortune. The guild house for the Sylphs can be found here as well, giving out quests and training to prospective adventurers and guards alike--though none of them seem concerned with the illicit activities that surround them. Perhaps the freedom the Sylphs boast of extends to what others may deem an undesirable activity.

But most curious of all, you find a shimmering opal gemstone in your hand. When placed anywhere on the body, it will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

If it was the second portal that called to you, you will find yourself in the busy city of Grey Ward, with its cobblestone streets and sturdy grey stone buildings. You are in the heart of the city, the Glass Market, so named for the colorful stained glass windows of the surrounding buildings. The scent of cooking food and the sound of barkers fills the air; watchful guards keep an eye out for pickpockets and thieves, and citizens go about their day. From here, one can investigate the rest of the city: the Sundown Docks, where both sea and sky faring skips transport people and goods. The Soot Spire, home of inventors and engineers. The Hearthstill, the main residential area. The Downs, a smaller residential area for those with less means.

Outside the city walls, one can explore acres of farmlands to the east and west, or follow Terra’s Pass to the less settled areas, but take care. Past the Skyward Range, out in the smaller burrows and villages, the influence of the city guard diminishes quickly, and you’ll have to keep your wits about you. Bandits along the road are always a risk, and the wildlife are less controlled by regimented hunting.

Down near where land meets sea, a large crater has formed from the piece of Heaven's Bow that landed there weeks before. Debris still scatters the landscape, and rescue efforts are ongoing even if hopes of finding people alive are slim to none these days. Broken columns of once majestic buildings lay in pieces, and the earth itself seems to be weeping with molten rock that has been unearthed by the impact.

In your hand is a gemstone, a brilliantly green emerald that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

If the last portal beckoned you through it, you find yourself within that bubble covered city beneath the sea, the city of Salt Spire. Your ears pop with the change in pressure, and the smell of the salty sea fills your nostrils. All around you buildings made of dark stone encrusted with coral and seagrass tower high above your head, the backdrop outside the dome a deep blue, seemingly endless sea filled with fish and merfolk and all other manner of creature swimming through the water. You stand in the heart of it all, surrounded by people with gils on their necks and scales upon their vibrantly colored skin, all of whom seem intrigued by your arrival. You have many options of where to visit in the city under the sea, but where oh where will you go first?

The Salt Spire Library is right before you, an impossibly large building housing thousands upon thousands of books of all genres. Fiction, non-fiction, romance and mystery and all between. You may even find books from your world and others! Oddly enough though, no Calderan history books are to be found, and if you ask for them, the librarians and locals all choose to ignore your questions.

If scholarly pursuits aren't to your interest currently, perhaps a trip to Bluetide Market would be more your style? The marketplace is host to every manner of shop one might ever need: artisans of all varieties, apothecaries and healers in the Shimmer Quarter, the most in fashion undersea clothing shops, food stalls, and all between can be found in Bluetide. There are also the Tideshore and Fogbottom docks on either end of the city. The former allows transport to the surface via large, magical bubbles for those that cannot hold their breath or make the swim themselves yet. The latter allows people to venture further into the sea. Those without their underwater abilities are offered rebreathers for travel that last for four hours before needing to be replaced.

Much like the cities above, transportation is a little delayed. Much of the manpower usually kept for upkeeping the docks has been diverted to repairing pieces of the bubble that have started to leak. Not enough to truly worry the inhabitants of Salt Spire, but enough that it's slowing down a lot of other areas of the city while people work to fix it.

In your hand is a gemstone, a shining sapphire that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

Visitors in all starter cities are offered a standard home with basic necessities provided (your choice in design, etc.) that can house 1-4 people if they so choose. Home upgrades can be purchased via rewards.

THE SPIRIT OF FALL

With everything that's happened recently, Calderans are ready to fall into autumn. Harvests from Dryad territories are coming in strong with pumpkins and apples overflowing the markets--the harvests have been particularly bountiful this year, and the locals are certain it has something to do with the Visitors' efforts.

Given the extra bounty, a temporary café has opened in Grey Ward. Wander in with a good book and experience the aromas that will greet you at the door: apple crisp, pumpkin bread, cider donuts... the smell of all sorts of sweets and deserts with an autumnal twist. The pumpkin spiced latte seems to be a favorite drink among the locals.

Of course, it's not only Grey Ward participating in the fall spirit. Head to Heaven's Bow for tastes of all sorts of soups to warm yourself as the days grow cooler, especially where the winds are strong. Everything from pumpkin to roasted red pepper, most served with hot cider--spiked, of course, with a cinnamon-based whiskey upon request.

Far below in Salt Spire you can expect to find the market stalls serving hot pot and oden, a savory stew full of tofu, daishi, and a variety of vegetables and noodles. You might even wish to purchase sake that has been aging since the spring, its flavor a perfect complement to any meal--though steamed buns seem to be a favorite for social gatherings.

Whatever you might like to celebrate the comforts of autumn, the harvest is bountiful and Caldera seems to be healing--at least for the moment.

SHADOWS IN THE SEA

There's a buzz in Salt Spire that something is happening at the Fogbottom Docks. Upon investigating, Visitors will find lines of people waiting to hop onto the crystalline ship docked there, the side of it etched with the words: Princess Harriet's Haunted Boat Tours. Princess Harriet herself, a middle-aged Undine with wild curls of coral atop her head and a billowing dress of blue and green seaweed stands at the head of the ship, ushering people aboard.

"Welcome Calderans and Visitors alike to Princess Harriet's Haunted Boat Tour! Come and see the spirits that haunt the deep dark seas! Hear tales of romance, adventure, and tragedy like none you have ever heard before! Just 10 Bones apiece and we shall set sail once the seats are full!"

The seats are full quickly, but should you manage to get on board, the inside of the ship is large and dimly lit, blue flame candles casting odd shadows along the rows of seats and the others along for the tour.

The ship sets off out of Salt Spire and into the sea. Each landmark is met with a new tale of a different ghost.

"And here," Harriet chimes in. "In Cordelia's Rest. You know, it's said that those that perish at sea will often find their way here, following the light like a beacon. With it dimmed by unknown forces, who knows how many poor souls will be lost forever..." She weeps theatrically into her hand, stopping a few seconds later to continue speaking of the local spirits.

More stories are told with each stop - the tale of the Sylph and Undine lovers that tragically ended when the sylph tried to dive into the ocean to be with their lover and did not anticipate the fall (a story that, given Heaven's Bow's disaster a few months prior, unsettles many in an unintended way). Then there are the ghosts that haunt the Violet Drop - yet another with unpleasant implications given recent events concerning a certain Cult. But that did not stop Harriet in the slightest, who went on and on until the boat started to jerk wildly when they neared too close to Anchor Wash and its dangerous currents.

"Fear not, folks! I am sure that is just the thousands of ghosts of dead sailors that have- gods above, what is that!?" There is true terror in her voice as the ship shook and rattled, a massive shadow passing along the outside of it - large and indiscernible in its shape. For a moment, whatever it was seems to pass by without issue. But just as Harriet begins to speak again, the ship jerks violently, sending passengers flying into the sides of the vessel, into each other, and onto the floor. Harriet's assurances fall on deaf ears while everyone is shaken about like a toy in a dog's mouth, the ship creaking ominously. The helmsman shouts for aid through the bird-shaped communication device, but who knows how long it will be before help arrives.

They did not confiscate your weapons upon boarding, and there are rebreathers on the ship. Harriet shouts that someone has to help, because she's pretty sure ghosts aren't this strong. If you choose to assist and venture outside the vessel, you are met with the odd sight of shadowy tendrils wrapping themselves around the ship with the intent to crush it, the source of the arcane energy coming from a crack in the ocean floor below. Thankfully, the shadows seem to be corporeal enough to hit with mundane weapons - although magic ones seem to dispel them faster. Take them out and make sure you get back on board before the ship sails back to Salt Spire, those tendrils are dangerous, and being around them too long makes you feel dizzy and disoriented.

DECEASED BY DAWN

In the darkness of night, you feel... something. It claws at the edges of your mind and fills you with a feeling of dread, ice cold fingers wrapping around you as it pulls and pulls... You wake up in a strange, dark forest; the trees are too dense to see the sky, and there is no moonlight to peak through the leaves. There may be others near you or there may not, but as you wander it's clear that this is no place for mortals. You feel eyes on your back no matter where you go, your heart races because of this immense unknown and the strange situation at hand... What happened? Why were you sent here?

You are powerless. You could hide. Or you could fight.

A face you may recognize seems to duck behind a wall of bricks--was that there before?--and you hear a soft growl nearby.

You, and anyone you've found yourself with, are being hunted.

You have a sense that you need to escape the forest before the sun fully peeks over the horizon, or you may find yourself at the receiving end of a hag's hunting. Escaping the forest is straightforward enough: a portal that needs to be activated by collecting various items of import from your past, scattered throughout the forest.

Just make sure not to fall into any of the hag's traps, or you may find yourself deceased by dawn.

MURDER MYSTERY

The full bounty of the Dryad people’s harvest is on display, particularly the wide, colorful assortment of gourds from, you guessed it, Gourdmill. Loading up in a hay cart and touring the patches to select the perfect pumpkin is a long standing tradition–just don’t make too much noise about carving one where the locals can hear, because Gourdmillians get persnickety about that particular tradition (why waste a perfectly good pumpkin when a nasty old turnip from the Burrow is right there.

Speaking of the Burrow, the Berry Bakers are selling their famous hand pies in nearly every flavor of fruit tree and bush berry imaginable, and are trying something new to bring more attention to their little corner of the land: an escape room! Billed as “The Haunting of Hollow Barn”, it costs only a few bones for entry, and participating groups must uncover the truth behind the disappearance of Old Farmer Kelly, who vanished this very month, from this very barn, long long ago.

The barn itself was in disrepair and had an eeriness to it already, but has been decorated with flickering lanterns, thick cobwebs, and scatters of bones (animal bones, but play along!). The first clue is easy to find: a cracked leather bound diary which seems to detail the farmer’s last night alive. Following these cryptic clues will lead the group to a hay bale, beneath which is a small compartment in the floor. This compartment contains a second clue: a puzzle box with a cylindrical lock. The symbols and the order they must be placed in harken back to an old nursery rhyme. Once unlocked, the puzzle box is found to contain four colorful, glowing stones, which, when held up, emit a light that reveals hidden messages painted on the walls. Following these messages and instructions will lead to uncovering four lanterns, each one the same color as the stone that revealed its location. Once the stone is placed inside, and the lanterns are placed on the right hangers, the group will hear a click, as the cellar door opens.

Descending the dark, musty stares, they will find the ghost of Old Farmer Kelly (definitely not a poor, bedraggled farmer whose wife talked him into this, doused with flour that puffs softly every time he tries not to cough), who recites a riddle: “Take me out of a window, and I leave a grieving wife. But stick me in a door, and I can save the poor man's life. What am I?” With the correct answer given, the ghost will declare that you have freed his tormented soul and as such you are free as well, and produce the key to the barn door.

Should one fail to solve the puzzles in time, one is doomed to perish in the barn and their spirit will haunt it forever (or, Miss Maisie Weston will retrieve you at the end of the time limit, and you don't get a prize). Any questions as to what actually happened to Old Farmer Kelly, and what the riddle has to do with anything, will be met with blank stares, a vague muttering attempt at a ghostly sound, and puffs of flour dust as he ushers you out; one must remember this was an elaborate mystery thrown together by a farming community, so please just take your prize (one free hand pie!) and move along.

QUESTBOARD

Settled in? Good. It's time to make your way to the Questboard located in every city in numerous, easy to access locations. That is, if you want to make any kind of impact on the world or just get some Bones for anything you might wish to purchase. Visitors are given a very small stipend in which to survive every month, but all it does is keep you fed and housed. These quests will assure you greater wealth, and they're the main reason you're here: each finished quest helps the Calderans fix their shattering world.

Quests can be accepted at the questboard via magically signed parchment upon the board. Just sign your name to accept and the paper will be whisked away... somewhere. You're not actually sure. Probably nothing to concern yourself with.

Once quests are completed, earned Bones will be dropped off at the character's residence by Bonita, the mysterious artisan who has supposedly handcrafted every Bone circulating in Caldera. Please do not speak to her, she startles easily.

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Caldera's third TDM! All characters awaken in a strange tavern with nothing save the clothes on their backs, all of their powers stripped, and a piece of parchment directing them downstairs to the Tavernkeeper. There is a thread of all questions answered by the Tavernkeeper here, and if you have more, feel free to ask there for what would be offered ICly. The tavern and the offered drinks are currently only accessible to new arrivals.

For OOC questions, please direct themhere.

All locations are available to be explored!

The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.

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Comments

[lost_and_foundry]

As this is a farming community, not a mining community, the pick they end up handing him is not in good repair. Barcus turns it in his hands, his expression speaking volumes about the rust on the blade, but he only nods his thanks and slips it into his belt.

He looks up (wayyyy up) at Maedhros and, again, nods his agreement. "Let's put one of the lanterns on your belt so you don't have to try carrying it as you climb. You may not be able to squeeze through any tight tunnels, but backup is backup."

There's a pause, as if he's not sure he should say anything else, but finally he gives in: "Ah...listen, if in the long run you'd like a prosthesis? Well, it's not my usual area of expertise but I can certainly design a simple one, for grasping things."

[holdshisown]

Having went with his father more than once when he'd been exploring the caves of Valinor for gems and metals Maedhros can't help but give the pick a somewhat disapproving look as well. It is not up to the quality he would have liked either but since it's all they've got it will have to do.

He rubbs his neck slightly in a self-conscious manner. He's rather used to people having too look up at him but he still feels a bit awkward about it when the height difference is so very vast. "Good idea. It would be easier if I had my prostethic hand to help me but I haven't really had an opportunity to get it back yet. If nothing else I'll be able to carry the child on my back on the way up. All we'll need is some rope to secure him to me and I'd do fine with it."

His ears perk up a bit in interest at the offer. "That... that would be mighty kind of you, my friend. Even a simple design would be of great help to me... being without the one that I used back home has been annoying to say the least."

[lost_and_foundry]

Barcus eyes Maedhros' arms as if trying to decide if he can truly carry both his weight and a child's, and seems to conclude he has a better chance than Barcus does himself. "If we're lucky, perhaps the child can help himself, but if not, I'm going to take you up on that. A human child is going to be as big as I am, or more."

A woman approaches with a couple blankets in a roll, which she offers to tie onto Maedhros' back, if he'll permit her. It's not a bad precaution. If it's cold down there, the child could go into shock.

Meanwhile, Barcus seems more than a little pleased his offer is accepted. "I can't guarantee what sort of materials I'll find to work with, of course, but I'm good at machining small parts and making them work together. Until you can retrieve your own from home, I'll get you something that works."

"After this, though." As a gnome, he's not a fan of heights, but here is an exception, because he's going from the surface into the depths. He looks the part of the plucky adventurer he is not as he takes the rope and kicks out from the edge of the well, inching quickly but easily into darkness.

[holdshisown]

"That would be the best case scenario," he admits. "Though I always like to plan ahead for the worst possibilities. I have carried heavier burdens under harder conditions than this, though, so if it comes to it I'll manage." His arms won't thank him for it afterwards but he'd pull it off.

Maedhros gives the woman a nod and turns around to let her do so. It is, after all, better to take such precautions than to curse themselves later for not having done so.

"You are a a craftsman then? My father, brother and nephew were quite skilled at such work as well. It was, in fact, my brother and nephew that made my own prostethic." He says with a fond smile. "I'll be grateful for whatever you can manage to make for me, friend, and I'll be more than happy to repay you in kind if there is anything you may need."

He gives Barcus a nod. "Once more into the fray, eh?" He says in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit as he watches the man start the climb down. "Give a call once I should start to decend myself."

[lost_and_foundry]

For such a giant (to Barcus) hulking figure of an elf, this Maedhros strikes him as uncommonly kind. It might be a stroke of luck to have made his acquaintance in this particular fashion.

"I started out as a jeweler's apprentice," he says. "But I have a knack for small mechanical objects, and even more so for alchemy. I dabble in a number of things."

Repayment in kind doesn't strike him as necessary, really. He makes a faint scoffing noise and starts to dismiss it, but then he thinks better of that. He's going to need tools and a workshop, and unless he misses his guess, he's going to have to do a number of quests to get them. Historically, Barcus has been very good at getting himself into trouble on a quest. Might be nice just to have someone kindly disposed enough toward him to get him down from the next windmill. "Friendship will be more than sufficient as repayment," he says sheepishly.

"Never say 'fray' while you're on a rope," Barcus tells him, but it's with a sly grin that says he's teasing. A moment later he's vanished into the darkness, but the rope remains taut and in motion, so clearly he's fine.

At length, he calls up, "Found the bottom. It's not that deep! Maedhros, any time now."

[holdshisown]

He prefers to be kind when he can be, which is something life hasn't always afforded him. It is mostly his mothers influence, he thinks, for he shared with her a sincere wish to understand the people around him. It made him more inclined to be friendly and a bit less overbearing than some of his kinfolk could be.

"Both are noble callings and things many of my people found great joy in dedicating themselves to," he says smiling brightly. "And I do hope you have found much joy in your calling as well. The art of creation is such a wonderful thing, after all."

It is not so much a repayment as the fact that Maedhros believes kindness should be met with kindness in return. "My friendship you would have regardless," he says with a laugh. "But if that is your wish then it shall be so."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind. Better not to call misfortune down upon us if it can be helped," he has a crooked grin of his own that shows he takes the teasing for what it is.

"Very well, I'll be down as quick as I can," he calls down as he starts making his way down. It does take him a bit longer than Barcus but slowly and steadily he makes his way down until he's reached the bottom.

[lost_and_foundry]

More than anything else, Barcus is a craftsman. He can't help but be touched by the well-wishes. They can talk shop more later, perhaps, especially if they're going to be friends.

He steadies the rope at first, as Maedhros begins his descent, only letting go once he's within a few meters of the floor. When the elf touches the ground, Barcus is nearby, silhouetted in the dim glow of his lantern, frowning at the trickle of red liquid on the cavern floor. "This is interesting. Some sort of algae in the water. I don't care for the smell of it, although I suppose given they've been tossing their garbage down here that could be part of the problem."

[holdshisown]

Maedhros might not be as much as a craftsman as some of his people, but he had been a fair hand at coppersmithing when he was younger and still remembers those days quite fondly. So he always does enjoy talking about such things and would welcome a chance to have someone to talk about such things with at a later date.

Looking about the place he takes note of how dark it is there. Too dark, almost, considering the lantern. He does not like the look of it, for where he's from such deep darkness rarely means anything good. "Is it just me or does it seem a bit... darker than it should be down here?"

This place is strange and he does not care for the feel of it, the faster they get the child out the better he thinks.

[lost_and_foundry]

"It is," Barcus tells him. "You're right. Almost as if there was some sort of fog in the air that swallows up the light."

He stands up and goes closer to the taller man, holding up his own lantern, which he didn't expect to actually need, himself. When a deep gnome thinks it's too dark, it's too fucking dark. "I've seen something like it before, but not underground."

The Shadow-Cursed Land was not a fun experience. "I think we should follow where the water is coming from. The child might have done that, himself, hoping to find another way out."

[holdshisown]

"In my experience darkness like that has never had a benign source..." he murmurs uneasily. Memories of Angband and how the darkness there would press down on you like an almost physical force. "I've seen it's like before as well... after this is done it might be best to tell the people here to board up the well."

Maedhros is clearly disturbed by the darkness and it shows in how he shifts his stance from a slightly more relaxed posture to one that is ready to spring into action should it be needed.

"That is the most likely thing to have happened," he agrees. "And hopefully that means he did not injure himself to greatly during his fall."

[lost_and_foundry]

"Define 'benign'," Barcus says, more just to keep himself talking than anything else. He's not really looking for a spiritual debate "Darkness itself should be neutral, but so often it goes hand in hand with...abominations."

He shivers, but they're already in it and he'd feel downright cowardly backing out now, so he starts to make his way along the path of the running red water. "You're right though, even if the well isn't...haunted, or whatever is meant to be occurring here. One child fell into it, best if they board it up so there's only the one casualty."

He moves forward as what is a cautious pace to a gnome, and so Maedhros' much longer legs may find him impossibly slow. The darkness does seem to press in more the further they go, however, to the point where the lanterns only light a few feet around them. They've entered a restriction in the cave before Barcus even notices, as a consequence, and he pauses to touch the wall beside him. "...let me know if the passage gets too small for you? It won't help anyone if you get stuck."

[holdshisown]

"Most darkness is a neutral thing," he murmurs. "A dark cave is no more good or evil than the situation makes it... but once it starts to become an almost physical thing? Something that spreads it's tendrils to dampen whatever light it comes across? In my experience that sort of darkness is an unnatural thing and usualy comes from something... decidedly unpleasant."

He nods, still disturbed by the darkness. "Since it seems to have dried up it serves little use in any case."

It might be slow going, but seeing as there are an unknown quantity in the mix now with this unnatural darkness he does not mind it. "Don't worry, I'll not add more trouble by becoming yet another person in need of rescuing. If it get's too narrow I'll say so."

[lost_and_foundry]

"Do you have much experience with...that sort of unnatural oppression?" The further they go, the more quietly Barcus finds himself speaking, as if trying to respect the eerie solitude of the place. Or hide from it. "I've only encountered it once, and I was relieved to get back out of it."

The walls close in slowly but surely, but as if in compensation for that, they begin to be able to hear the red water rippling as they move further into the cavern. The ceiling gets lower, until Maedhros has to duck to go on, and Barcus pauses, touching his arm. "Wait a moment," he says. "I'll see if it opens out again and come back to you."

Which he does. There's a point at which the little gnome himself has to duck, but the passage opens almost immediately after that, and a quick flash of the lantern around him tells Barcus it's a second chamber in the caves. "Maedhros," he calls back to him softly. "If you can get past this point, it gets wider again, and I--"

He cuts himself off as a tiny voice comes echoing up through the darkness. "Is anyone there?? Please, please help!"

[holdshisown]

"I do, unfortunately." Though he won't go into details unless Barcus decides to ask for them. "My people made war upon it's source for many long centuries, so I'm well acquainted to such by now."

It is not a comfortable treck for him. Being as tall as he is traversing in any sort of cramped spaces is always a chore, but he does it without complaint and with grim determination. He stops when he's bid, though, for he can see pressing on without some sort of assurance the path will widen again will only ever end in disaster. "Alright... no use getting myself stuck, after all."

"I think I can make it," he calls back. "I'll likely have to crawl the last bit, though..."

The plaintive calls of the child makes him curse under his breath as he sets to it, making his way through as swiftly as possible until he finaly squeezes himself out the other side. "We are on our way, child." He awnsers the call as loudly as he dares. "Just stay where you are and we'll be there as quick as can be."

[lost_and_foundry]

"...I had you pegged for some sort of fighter, yes." Barcus says softly. The loss of a hand can certainly occur in industrial accidents but something about the elf's bearing made him think this was not the case. "If you need anything from me, I...well, I'm not a fighter, but that doesn't mean I can't sympathize a little."

He waits on the other side of the restriction, holding the lantern low to Maedhros can see his way. When he reaches the other end, he offers him help up, which may not be necessary, but at least it's kindly meant.

"Tymothee?" He calls, after the elf finishes speaking. "We're here to help. There are two of us. You don't know us, but your family asked us to come help you. Are you hurt?"

There's only a moment's hesitation before the little voice rings out again, and he sounds excited this time, hope bubbling up amid the fear: "My leg hurts! I can't stand up and it's so cold down here, please!"

"When I say one, you say two, all right? Your voice will help us find you. One!"

"Two! Be careful there's another hole in the floor! I fell down it!" Well, that's good to know.

[holdshisown]

"Something like that, yes." He says, because there's really no reason to deny it. Most people need only give him a cursory glance to see he's not a stranger to battle. "Though I've been rather a lot of different things during my lifetime."

Help kindly meant will always be appreciated by him, no matter if it was truly needed or not, so he gratefully accepts the offered hand to help him up from the ground.

Maedhros turns his keen ears to try to pinpoint where the child's exact location is. "Try not to move your leg too much, child. I'll have a look at it when we get to you, and set it if needs be."

[lost_and_foundry]

So far this elven man has shown nothing but unfailing gentleness and civility. Color Barcus impressed!

"O-okay!" Tymothee calls back in response to Maedhros, and his voice is shaky, but he's clearly trying to be very brave. "Is it going to hurt?"

"Don't worry about that yet," Barcus calls. "You'll get better and you'll get out of here safely."

He picks his way carefully across the dark floor, finding more loose rock here, but less garbage. It's not long before he can see the hole in the floor, perfectly round and nearly identical to the well they descended down. It's that echo of the surface, in a place that is clearly uninhabited, that gives Barcus a chill. "There's no reason they would have built another well this deep. No one's living here."

He kneels next to the edge and holds the lantern over the aperture of the second well. "Tymothee? One?"

"Two!" It's very dark down the hole, but there's a glimmer of motion at the bottom. "I see you! I see the light!"

The gnome breathes a shaky sigh and looks up at his companion. "What do you think? Can you get down there and get him?"

[holdshisown]

Well, he's not yet had a reason to be otherwise so he does not see why he should not act kindly in this place.

"He's right," Maedhros say. "No reason to worry about that yet. You just focus on keeping safe and well until we get to you, yes?"

It's too big. This well is so much more vast than it should be and that worries him. The darkness, the size of it... it all adds up to something strange and sinister in his mind. There's something wierd going on in this place and he does not like it. "I'm not so sure the ones that built the original part of it had any hand in carving out the rest. It's almost too similar to the other cavern to be natural..."

The sooner they get the boy so they can leave this place behind the better, he thinks. He hopes the villagers will not object to boarding up the damned thing for he might just take things into his own hands if they do. Whatever it is that's taken hold of this place should not be given the opportunity to spread.

He looks down into that dark hole and takes some time to think before he awnsers.

"I think so," he says. "Provided the rope is strong enough to hold both our weights I should be able to manage it. It'll be slow going on the way up but that's just to be expected in these circumstances."

[lost_and_foundry]

"I agree," Barcus says softly. "And for all the water running through it, it doesn't look like water itself carved the walls. It's very...foreboding. I say we get the boy and get out of here as quickly as we can."

Boarding up the well, indeed. Shame they can't just fill the whole thing with sand, too.

Barcus waits, letting Maedhros read the situation before he answers, but looks relieved at the response. He can get through places, could go down there and tie a rope to the child easily enough, but he can't carry him.

"It would be wise for me to stay and guard the rope, under these circumstances. See what you can do, and if you need me to come tie the boy to you, I will, but if not, I'll stand here and keep watch." Already he's making moves to tie off one of the ropes, clearly experienced with knots and anchoring such things.

[holdshisown]

"Agreed," he says just as softly. "Seeing as we have no idea what we're dealing with here I'd rather not push my luck." Especially since he did not have much of it to begin with.

A true shame indeed. What he wouldn't give for a company of dwarven miners to help make the damned thing colapse in on itself...

"Good thinking," he says as he's getting ready for the cimb down. "I might need to take some time to see too his leg before I bring him up as well. If it's broken I'll need to set it before doing so or risk making it worse. If I need help securing him to myself I'll call for you."

[lost_and_foundry]

As unnatural as this is, Barcus isn't sure even dwarves would be able to collapse it. He's starting to wonder about the red water now, too. It seems like plant material, and it's definitely not blood, but plants aren't always innocuous decoration for the environments in which they are found.

Actually, on that note, it would be clever to take a sample with them, but his only waterproof container is already full of fresh water. After a moment's thought, Barcus dips his handkerchief into the trickling stream, knots it tight, and sticks it back into his pocket. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't.

In the meantime, their priority is the child, and he gives Maedhros an encouraging nod, holding the rope steady for him as he climbs down.

At the bottom of the well, Tymothee is sitting up, but at an awkward angle indicative of pain. It looks like the lower half of his right leg is battered and swollen--if it's broken, that's where the break is, but that's a damn sight better than a cracked femur. He squints in the light of the fairy lantern, dim as it is. He's been in near pitch blackness up until their arrival, and even though Maedhros is a total stranger he looks like he's ready to fling himself into a hug out of sheer gratitude.

[holdshisown]

Perhaps not. He'd still feel better for trying, though.

It is a good idea and Maedhros nods in approval when he catches on to what Barcus is doing. This place is strange and disquieting and it would not hurt to try to learn more of it once they are safely away from it's dark caverns.

When the rope is steady he starts making his way down, slow and steady no matter how much he'd like to make haste so they can finaly leave this place. It would not do, after all, to become yet another person needing rescue just because he is impatient.

He breathes out a sigh of relief once he finaly hits the bottom. "Now let's see to that leg of yours, child, and then we'll be on our way from this place."

He is as gentle as he can be as he examine the leg for any posssible breaks. He can tell quite quickly though that, thankfully, it is not a compound fracture. The break is not as bad as he'd feared it might be, but it is still a broken bone and he will need to set and stabilize it before he moves the boy.

"I will need to set the leg, Tymothee," He informs the boy in a calm and gentle voice. "It will only take a moment for it is a clean break and then I'll bind it up as best I can to make sure it does not shift out of order again. Alright?"

[lost_and_foundry]

Tymothee latches onto the hem of his rescuer's tunic, needing the stability of something to cling to after so long alone in the darkness. He's very visibly shaken up, but he's surprisingly cooperative, murmuring only a 'yes sir' when Maedhros looks to his injury. He grits his teeth, already in pain, but he's a farm boy, and there's inherent calm and practicality in his constitution.

"A-all right," he says. "I'll...stay still. Is there, um, do you have water? I'm really thirsty."

Up at the top of the rope, Barcus doesn't dare wander far, needing to be within earshot in case something happens, but he finds himself peering into the dark all around him, trying to listen for something other than the soft trickle of red water. It's eerie, and it may be his imagination, but for a moment he fancies he hears distant whispers.

[holdshisown]

Maedhros let's the boy cling to him, he is as gentle as he can be as he sets the leg but a broken bone will hurt no matter how gentle the hand that treats it is. The best thing he can do for the boy, however, is to keep himself calm and composed during the entire ordeal. He hums a soft and sothing melody as he works, there is no Power in it of course, but it is hard to shake old habits and Song was so often used in healing among his people that he barely even notices that he does so.

"Of course," he says as he hands his waterskin to the boy. "I have some bread as well, in case you are hungry."

Once he's satisfied with his work he contemplates the best course of action to get the boy up the rope. "Now," he says at length. "It is very important that you awnser me honestly, child, and not try to take on more than you can handle just because you think it is what I want to hear. Do you think you feel strong enough to keep hold of me as I climb up the rope or would you rather my friend come down and secure you to my back so I can carry you up that way?"

If Maedhros hears the whispers he is quick to put them out of his mind until he's got this part of the task done with. He'll do the child no favors by acting like there's something to concerned about, even if it might be true.

[lost_and_foundry]

Tymothee seems a little confused by the singing, but after the first few bars of it, he seems to accept it, and it does help. He relaxes a little, enough to make it easier to set his leg. The pain is significant no matter what, and he's crying quietly by the time it's handled, but he stays bravely still.

"Yes please," he says and accepts both bread and water eagerly, hungry and thirsty in spite of the pain. He's still chewing when Maedhros asks his question, and he doesn't rush to answer, staring up at the shaft of the well above them.

"...I'm scared of falling again," he says softly. "I...I don't feel too weak, but I'm scared. I'm sorry."

At that rate, tying him to the elf's back might be wiser.