OOC: Those who decide to go right, join this thread. [hr][/hr]
With the decision to split, the party going to the right moved into the narrow walkway which soon turned into steps descending into the heart of the caverns. As the group moved down the stairway, the air around them grew warmer as did the smell of burnt earth. About 40 steps down, the hall made an abrupt left hand turn where they found Yappet, caught up in a net that was now hugging the ceiling, stretched out by taunt lines holding each corner of the net securely. The young man's magic lamp lay inert on the floor.
Last edited by Shaeliana on Sat Feb 14, 2004 5:00 am, edited 2 times in total.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
As the place became warmer, Finodborn opened up the top buttons of his shirt, since sweat already had put a thin layer on his skin. He had his knife, which he normally used for slicing bread and perhaps some fruit, firmly in his hand, though he had no idea how to defend himself with it against possible dangers.
"As this place probably houses more than a single trap, it might be a wise choice not to start cutting strings at random. Does anybody have experiences with traps like this?"
He inspected the walls closely himself, and he hoped sincerely that the smell of burnt earth wasn't the forebode of some bath in a magma pool they were going to take in the near future. Though this thought would normally instill him with fear, the dangerous atmosphere had a hazy quality which made threats seem less dangerous to him.
Verum et factum convertuntur.
Avatar by the Artist Currently Known as Eira.
Sarendara quietly walked down the walkway, attracted by the warmth it promised. She stopped suddenly upon seeing someone caught in a net and another elf. A wood elf... Sarendara was immediately reminded of Windrunner and she quickly looked around to make sure Raevyn was not close by.
"Greetings, I am Sarendara." She chose to make a formal greeting in hopes that the two had good intentions. The prospect of turning back did not come into the high elf's mind. She had given up before. Now was her time to shine.
Calling out to the... thing trapped in the net, Sarendara's voice rose above a whisper. "How did you get trapped?"
"Hello, Sarendra, my name is Finodborn" he said with a gentle smile, as always upon greeting new people. "This here is Yappet."
He didn't ask where she came from all of a sudden, as he started to find it quite natural that people appeared here somehow.
"I think he put his foot on the wrong spot. But perhaps we must await our enlightened leader before taking action here. I myself don't know a thing about traps. I'm not your real dungeon-exploring adventurer, I mist say."
Verum et factum convertuntur.
Avatar by the Artist Currently Known as Eira.
Ramsel-Ahn walked down the hall at a relaxed speed, checking the walls, floor, ceiling, and anythign else he could see. The one thing he did no like was being caught unprepared. He had made the mistake once already with this groups, he did not intend on making that again. In fact, rescuing lost traped souls was not even Ramsel-Ahn's usual type of pass tyime, and he wondered why he would volunteer for it.
Perhaps it was a vision, or some strange dream. That would account for the odd happenings. His thought went quickly to the mage, or at least He seemed like one, that had woked for the man he aquired the arena from. Could he be involved?
At this point it did not matter, as with everything Ramsel-Ahn expected to suvive and succeed. Yappet on the other hand, seemed to be in a bit of trouble. Ramsel-Ahn drew a daggar with his right hand. It felt different, stronger, as if it were higher quality than he was used too.
Ramsel-Ahn also had noticed a new elf had joined them. This annoyed him slightly, but he did not allow that to show. He had not even had the chance to even partially observe her. This was perhaps going to be an unpleasant experience. He just hoped that this elf arrogance, which seemed natural, and different than even the rich humans Ramsel-Ahn had seen. Arrogance can often be a source of failure. He just hoped that they would not reach up and grap him as they fell.
Ramsel-Ahn, without a word, began to study the floor beneath Yappet, and the surrounding area. He did not wish to be supprise when helping this man. He checked the walls and studdied the ceiling. Next he would study he net and the rope that held it: Just to be sure.
OOC: sorry shae, i could have sworn there was a post in there saying that they cut Yappet down
IC:While waiting to be saved Yappet had tried to save himself, cursing the fact that he didn't have a big sword to cut his way out (the thought that a big sword would get just as tangled up as he was did not cross his mind). Deciding he would have to improvise Yappet was found chewing the ropes, trying to break free.
"Hey, you with the little sword" Yappet said to Finodborn "Cut me down!"
While waiting for his release Yappet mumbled to himself, grumbling audiably. "Stupid, 'Go right' you say, 'you'll be safe you say'" he paused "Well look how safe I am now! Trapped in a net and the taste of rotten rope in my mouth!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the halls. "Well thats the last time i'm listening to you!" Angryly and awkardly Yappet sat in the net, giving the appearance of someone who isn't listening to something being said.
Last edited by Yappet on Sat Feb 14, 2004 12:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
OOC: Yappet.. even here, you don't control the success of your actions. That is my perogative. Please edit your last post. You may state any action you try in order to free yourself, but you must wait for me to decide the outcome. *swats stoney who knows better than this*
And be glad he didn't have a sword or they might be looking at a yappet sliced into 2 parts and both parts very dead.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Sarendara's ears pricked when the heard the word leader. She hated the word unless it was applied to her. For such a long time everyone was above her and looked better than her. Now this... springing back to old habits, Sarendara quickly masked her feelings and smiled at Finodborn.
"Is that what this is? A dungeon... how very odd. I thought it was something else... a cave of something. I must be mistaken." Resisting the sudden urge the laugh, Sarendara turned and watched as Ramsel-Ahn came closer.
The high elf froze when she saw him. A human right in front of her... where had he come from? Why was he here? The last human Sarendara had gotten to know... and really the only one, had tricked her, deceived her. Tried to kill her. Were humans all like that?
Sarendara tried to scold herself for making assumptions. That was what her parents and people had done. She should not... but she did. Sarendara could not help it. She rubbed her arms and watched the human come closer. At least the two did not look the same. She would have to be careful.
I need to be more careful. He can't see that I am afraid of him. I am being influenced far too much by my fellow trainees. I NEED to concentrate on this. I must get out.
A friendly smile blossomed on Sarendara's lips and she nodded, acknowledging the people approaching. "Greetings."
Turning back to the struggling person in the web, Sarendara sighed. While desperately wanting to be accepted and become a role model, the high elf did not see why Yappet should be let down. She doubted letting him down would allow her to prove herself. It was his own folly that had gotten him into the web. Besides, humans were meant to be left in nets. Far away from her.
"Just wait... struggling is not going to help." Sarendara's voice was cool and composed. It almost neared on distain. Sarendara placed her hand on the sword at her belt and sighed in relief. Something the guardsmen had given her was still there.
Last edited by Sarendara on Sat Feb 14, 2004 1:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
She didn't know how or when or even why. It was odd and the tall Trothgardian was sure that this was somewhere far from home. She had wandered to where she last heard a sound. Not to mention that the last she had remembered she was in class at the University. That was after being wisked away from World's Mouth, which was where she had landed on the ships voyage.
The echo of her own footsteps where all she could here until she heard a voice say, " "Just wait... struggling is not going to help." Andie could do little but gaze at what was before her. It was an elf. It was scary to one as young and naive as she.
"ohhh, I... I," she swallowed hard. "I think I will go back THAT way!" And before she could even get an answer her long legs had carried here back to the direction from where she came from.
(OOC) Sorry guys, I found another thread and want to go with that)
Last edited by Andariel Le Fey on Sat Feb 14, 2004 4:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
He stood idly by tracing the points of Yappet's ascent with his eyes, from the torch that lay at their feet to the ceiling, and fancied the course between. Had it been swift? Hazards waited for them, to spring upon them unawares along their way and catch them, to chop them into tiny links and throw them into fires, to cook them. That was a warm, warm breeze, and he shivered and grinned, aghast, staring up at Yappet. Could they be cloven down their middles for the guts to spill, skinned and hung wet to drip? What, would spirits catch them in their cold spells?
The net held the unfortunate Yappet snuggly against the ceiling much like a blanket might, all four corners of the strange square web pulled taut. The cords that held each corner of the trap, disappeared into small holes in the walls near the ceiling, a ceiling that was a good eight to ten feet tall.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Ramsel-Ahn turned and then looked at what he had to work with. After a bit of study he made his choice. He looked straight at Sarendara as he felt the strength of the daggar in his hand. The self-appointed leader then walked up to her and stood no farther than an arms length away.
Holding out his daggar, handle first, Ramsel-Ahn said, "I will lift you up so that you can cut the net." As he waited the High elf's responce he truned his head slightly to the others, "And you can make sure he doesn't take off again." Ramsel-Ahn looked back at Sarendara, being sure to make eye contanct.
Sarendara looked at Ramsel-Ahn and her smile slowly turned into a smirk. "I will cut him down and he will fall to the ground. I am sure that will work. OR he could jump onto me and we could all fall." Sarendara blushed and quickly closed her mouth, looking at the net. She did not care to let the thing down. However, she had promised to help people. She would never have become an Emerald Guardsman trainee otherwise. Thus, uphold it she would.
Suddenly recalling what Kael and other guardsman had done, Sarendara looked around. "Do any of you know... magik?"
Drinyr padded silently through the narrow corridor behind the rest of the group and absorbed herself in her surroundings. The place disturbed her. The warm breeze seemed to waft up from a furnace deep within the earth and the acrid scent in the air was unpleasant, to say the least.
She could feel the stone walls pressing around her already and she hungered for the open skies. But this was the path she'd chosen. She would see it through.
She stopped at the sight of the trapped human, barely repressing a sardonic smile. So. The fool had gotten himself into trouble after all. She had little that would be useful for cutting rope. Others had knives. Not that she saw any need to cut him down. From his angry words, he sounded less than sane and the idiot would likely cause more trouble if set free. At least up in the net, he would be out of the way.
Everyone else, however, seemed keen to free him. Except for the other high elf whom she had not noticed earlier. Drinyr grinned slightly at Sarendara's remark about cutting the human down to let him fall.
"I don't know why we should bother cutting the fool down--he'll be less trouble up there, than down here with us. Probably safer as well since he cannot go stumbling into any more traps while he's pressed to the ceiling," the high elf said coolly. "Though if it truly must be done...I know no magic, but the net looks tight. If you cut a hole close to his feet, he could wriggle down through it once everyone's safely out of the way. He's built like a beanstalk. It should not be too much of a jump down for him from there."
Yappet was not very happy looking down on the rest of the group. "I want down!" he said, when Saren suggested cutting him and letting him fall, much like a child not getting his own way.
Whent he topic of magic came up Yappet spoke up again. "Ohh! Ohh! Ohh!" he siad, to get everyones attention "I know magic! I know magic! I learned it! I'm good too!" He said, wiggling and moving as much as he could while pinned in the net.
Sarendara could feel her skin crawl at Drinyr's remarks and she felt like turning around and leaving. She had meant to take the way without high elves, preferably alone. However, not only was she stuck with one trapped, useless human, but also with several other elves.
The newcomer bothered Sarendara greatly. The more she spoke, the more she reminded Sarendara of home. Her OLD home. Sarendara had the sudden need to walk far away from this elf. Either that or hit her and hitting was not an option. However, Sarendara had her own reputation and the reputation of the guard to uphold. She could not afford to look bad in front of these people. Of course, there was also was the point of not leaving helpless folk stranded. If they left him, the human would probably call down a hoard of something onto them.
“Quiet down! Well… do you know enough magik to get you down?†Sarendara doubted this greatly but she had the feeling nothing else would work. Remembering the ball of something a fellow trainee had made fly through the air she had another thought. “What if you cut yourself out and somehow float to the ground?â€
Realizing the absurdity of the question and how much power it might take, Sarendara giggled. “We have rope... We could cut a hole near his feet and tie a rope to the net. Then he could climb down the rope.†Sarendara sighed realizing that her plan sounded confusing and complicated.
Last edited by Sarendara on Sun Feb 15, 2004 4:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Rope" Yappet said "Rope-rope-rope!" he yelled "I have rope! Around my waist. If you pull the rope I'll come down. Yes yes!" he pointed to Saren. "Then you can cut the net and don't have to catch me. Becuase I'll be on the ground. Yupyup!"
Very happy that Yappet was getting out of his net Yappet hummed and whispered "I have rope! I have rope!" while the lower party argued further.
Last edited by Yappet on Sun Feb 15, 2004 5:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Sarendara gazed at the human and stifled a giggle. In the most understanding voice possible, Sarendara spoke. "How about this. I will throw a knife up to you and you can cut yourself out. Then, you can throw the knife back down... I don't want to loose a knife, and you can jump down with a rope around your waist. I am sure that will do you some good."
Drinyr watched the exchange with cool blue eyes. For some strange reason, she was getting the feeling that Sarendara didn't like her very much. And for what? The blocky high elf hadn't seemed too keen to cut Yappet down earlier either. The Cala'Quessir felt her lip curl a little in disdain. Hypocrite. And they insisted on complicating things with the rope. Bah!
Her voice was clipped as she remarked, "You do realise that if he stood up straight with his arms over his head, his feet would only be a few feet off the ground at most?"
Sarendara turned to Drinyr and shrugged. "Does it matter? Using the rope would be much simpler. Do you suggest having him jump into someone's arms perhaps? If so, I volunteer you to catch him. If you propose he jump down, I ask isn't he going to hurt himself? To all of these questions, I also add that we must cut the rope first." Smiling prettily, Sarendara turned away from Drinyr and back towards everyone else.
Drinyr merely cocked an eyebrow with honest confusion showing on her face.
How could any Cala'Quessir be so dense? "I never objected to you throwing the knife up to him," she stated coldly.
"I merely questioned the usefulness of the rope when likely the distance he has to fall, with his height, is minimal. Though if you wish to coddle the human..." She made a dismissive gesture. "By all means, do so."
Sarendara drew up to her full height that was not much taller than she had been in the first place. Realizing that she had gone too far Sarendara drew away from the high elf. Yes, Drinyr was just like how she remembered her parents. Just like them.
Recalling her parents made Sarendara flinch and she drew away from Drinyr even more. She had been too aggressive. Respect could only be gained in actions, not words. Manipulation was usually the best tool. Sarendara smiled and nodded in quiet submission. She then motioned toward Yappet.
"You may be right, I suppose. How about you throw up a knife?" Sarendara did not mention the obvious point that throwing up a knife could get someone hurt very easily. Either the human or some innocent on the ground below if the human failed to catch it could get wounded.
Last edited by Sarendara on Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ramsel-Ahn returned his dagger to it's sheath. Obviously, the plan had gone another way, but he decided to try a different tactic, and allowed events play out before him.
The more Drinyr spoke, the more arrogant she seemed, but also the more intelligent. It seemed the only worry he may have with her is an issue of respect, which was not that important too him. It was quite ironic, he agreed fully with the high elf's opinion of leaving the man up there, but they seemed the only ones of that opinion.
Furthermore, this new elf, she seemed less of a thinker. His plan, he believed, was the best route to go. He only had to lift her a few feet, and Yappet could fall to the ground. If the man hurt himself, so be it. He couldn't see of what use Yappet could be.
Then again, they could always let him run down the hall. He could find all the traps for them. . .
Drinyr just gave Sarendara a look. It was a cool look that noted the flinch and the drawing away and then the apparent submission. She felt a thrill of triumph that faded into pity and a mild disgust. Ugliness in a Cala'Quessir was worse than ugliness in humankind. The high elves were meant to be better than humans. Sarendara disappointed her.
Drinyr turned away without feeling a need to explain her refusal of Sarendara's suggestion. They had wasted enough time here. There was a limit to even Cala'Quessir patience.
The pale-haired elf faced Ramsel-Ahn. The human was, ironically, the only one she felt had much of a backbone at the moment. She inclined her head towards him politely. "You offered to lift her up previously. Would you kindly lift me up instead so that I may cut the man down? That method seems the easiest, though I am afraid I do not have a dagger on me so I would have to borrow yours."
She paused a moment and glanced up at Yappet, directing a question to both him and Ramsel-Ahn. "That is, if he does not object to this?" If he did, well...he could stay there, for all she cared.
"Wait a moment! suppose the strings that are attached to this net can trigger some mechanism if it's catch were to be released? Perhaps it might be better to tie his rope to the net, like suggested," he said, pointing up, "pulling it down, releasing the poor sod, and than attaching the rope somewhere, so that mechanically it will still be as if he's still stuck up there. I don't think it's impossible that simply cutting him loose without replacing his weight somehow might have very dangerous consequences. However, I don't really know about these things, so I'm only suggesting..." His body language indicated clearly that he didn't want to argue with all these hardened adventurers, since probably, they knew more about these matters than he did.
Verum et factum convertuntur.
Avatar by the Artist Currently Known as Eira.
Please edit your last post. You may state any action you try in order to free yourself, but you must wait for me to decide the outcome. *swats stoney who knows better than this*
