Metropolis (The World in Waiting) - Chapter One

[Phoenix]

Ghost carefully approaches the rusty door, he eyes the door frame and the floor before the doorway before poking his head in and scoping the interior.

Beyond the doorway a long corridor stretches out before ending in a solid iron door some hundred feet away. Torches flank this door making the path easy to navigate, and nothing seems to be apparent between here and there.

From the door there is a distant humming, like the sound of many voices blocked by a heavy barrier. The occassional flash of light can be barely seen from beneath the iron door, accompanied by a slight rise in the sound of the chanting for a moment.

 

[D20Dazza]

Signalling to Taran to follow Ghost carefully, and as quietly as possible, makes his way down the corridor towards the iron door. Once at the imposing portal Ghost quickly examines it before carefully placing his right ear close to the door jam to see if he can make out what is being chanted. He motions to Taran to see if he can see anything from the small space between the door and the floor.

 

[Festy_Dog]

On the floor below the walkway several dozen men gather in praise, on their hands and knees chanting mystical words of a sort and gesturing towards a single man at the head of the congragation and is the only person not wearing the yellow robes and is instead garbed in a pale blue.

The blue man stands before a large rusted iron vat that rests upon a tilting frame. The vat bubbles with yellow liquid and sizzles with energy fed by dozens of cables that run from the floor into the base of the device. The cables pulse with energy and look identicle to the cables that Ba'aktar has previously encountered. It is too difficult to notice any doors on the ground floor of the chamber.

Ba'aktar bites his lip, and weighs his options. The decision is a quick one, as there's no reason to stay and nowhere else to go. With most of the people down there on their hands and knees they wouldn't spot him anytime soon unless he made a ruckus. He hoped he wouldn't but in the end he had no real experience with stealth anyway. The walkway looked sturdy enough but it would be no challenge to spot him if someone actually looked.

He eased open the door and picked up the child, creeping out onto the walkway and heading for the far door. It was a gamble, but this was the only option he had left.

 

[Phoenix]

Signalling to Taran to follow Ghost carefully, and as quietly as possible, makes his way down the corridor towards the iron door. Once at the imposing portal Ghost quickly examines it before carefully placing his right ear close to the door jam to see if he can make out what is being chanted. He motions to Taran to see if he can see anything from the small space between the door and the floor.

[sblock]Ghost Listen check (DC 15) +21 - Success
Taran Listen check (DC 15) +13 - Failure
Ghost Knowledge (arcana) check (DC 10/15/20) +15 - Basic Success
Ghost Spellcraft check (DC 28) +29 - Success
[/sblock]

As the two listen intently at the door Ghost's ears begin to pick up something dreadful. The chant inside is something that he thought he would never hear spoken aloud, for his recent research into the cult of Hess Ne-el Il'ithuk had led him through various tomes of lore in lost nooks of the city.

He had read small pieces of lore about the necromantic teachings of the Killi-kelli-hek tribe, with a handful of scholars theorizing that the dwarves were once powerful necromancers whose dealings with the undead drove them mad and to cannabalism. One of the forbidden rituals that had been mentioned was the Urigarian Chant, and some of the passages that Ghost had read were being recited in the next room.

The Urigarian Chant was, is, supposed to be a lost ritual that draws the soul's essence from living creatures and purifies it so that the drinker of the distilled essence can gain the powers of the victims for short periods of time. The ritual leaves the victim alive, but without a soul.

 

[Phoenix]

Ba'aktar bites his lip, and weighs his options. The decision is a quick one, as there's no reason to stay and nowhere else to go. With most of the people down there on their hands and knees they wouldn't spot him anytime soon unless he made a ruckus. He hoped he wouldn't but in the end he had no real experience with stealth anyway. The walkway looked sturdy enough but it would be no challenge to spot him if someone actually looked.

He eased open the door and picked up the child, creeping out onto the walkway and heading for the far door. It was a gamble, but this was the only option he had left.

[sblock]Ba'aktar Move Silently check (DC 1) +9 - Success
[/sblock]

Ba'aktar crept across the metal walkway that circled the room above the chanting cultists below. He could see several other doors on the ground floor, none of which would do him any good since the cultists would surely kill him before he could get to them.

Walking across to the iron door on the far side of the room, the half-orc noticed that this one was also barred from his side like the last door. Should this one make any noise when being opened though, the cultists below would be less than happy with his presense.

 

[D20Dazza]

Ghost Hound Elf Bard

As the two listen intently at the door Ghost's ears begin to pick up something dreadful. The chant inside is something that he thought he would never hear spoken aloud, for his recent research into the cult of Hess Ne-el Il'ithuk had led him through various tomes of lore in lost nooks of the city.

He had read small pieces of lore about the necromantic teachings of the Killi-kelli-hek tribe, with a handful of scholars theorizing that the dwarves were once powerful necromancers whose dealings with the undead drove them mad and to cannabalism. One of the forbidden rituals that had been mentioned was the Urigarian Chant, and some of the passages that Ghost had read were being recited in the next room.

The Urigarian Chant was, is, supposed to be a lost ritual that draws the soul's essence from living creatures and purifies it so that the drinker of the distilled essence can gain the powers of the victims for short periods of time. The ritual leaves the victim alive, but without a soul.

Ghost's face blanches, as he understands just how vile these cultists are. His hand grips Taran's shoulder tightly and he bends at the waste to whisper in his friends ear. "We have stumbled upon a cult most vile my friend, demons in dwarf skin, depraved lunatics, fanatical heretics. You hear that chanting? That is the" the pale elf pauses and furtively looks back down the corridor towards the apparent freedom afforded by the sewer "That is the Urigarian Chant, an eldritch ritual steeped in evil and things most foul. It is said the ritual sucks the soul from a living creature to be later purified and distilled into a brew that empowers the drinker for a short while. There be trouble ahead" Ghost straightens, his eyes betraying his fear but he takes a deep breath, steels his nerves and holds out his hand to the halfling "The key please my friend"

 

[Festy_Dog]

Ba'aktar crept across the metal walkway that circled the room above the chanting cultists below. He could see several other doors on the ground floor, none of which would do him any good since the cultists would surely kill him before he could get to them.

Walking across to the iron door on the far side of the room, the half-orc noticed that this one was also barred from his side like the last door. Should this one make any noise when being opened though, the cultists below would be less than happy with his presense.

Ba'aktar had gotten to the other side without incident, and the final hurdle sat on the door before him. He'd need the coordination of both hands if he wanted to create minimal noise while unlocking the door, so he eased the child onto the floor and took a closer look at the bar. It seemed a little noise could be tolerated, as long as the chanting was kept up, but if the bar was stubborn and decided to screech and whatnot then he'd be in a tight spot.

He moved began to move the bar, slowly applying pressure until it decided to budge, but anxious to stop should it become audible.

 

[Phoenix]

Ba'aktar had gotten to the other side without incident, and the final hurdle sat on the door before him. He'd need the coordination of both hands if he wanted to create minimal noise while unlocking the door, so he eased the child onto the floor and took a closer look at the bar. It seemed a little noise could be tolerated, as long as the chanting was kept up, but if the bar was stubborn and decided to screech and whatnot then he'd be in a tight spot.

He moved began to move the bar, slowly applying pressure until it decided to budge, but anxious to stop should it become audible.

The bars upon the door are a new addition it seems, for they make little noise as the half-orc slides them slowly across in place. The door gives easily to his strength, and it opens quietly enough not to be heard by the cultists that worshipped far below.

Ba'aktar is more than a little surprised however, when directly on the other side of the door he is face-to-face with a dishevelled halfling in tattered leathers holding an undersized spear, a gigantic rat, and an albino halfling wearing a trenchcoat, leather gloves and a strange looking hat.

None of them are wearing the customary yellow that Ba'aktar has seen throught this dungeon and both seem as surprised to see him as he is them.

 

[Phoenix]

Ghost straightens, his eyes betraying his fear but he takes a deep breath, steels his nerves and holds out his hand to the halfling "The key please my friend"

As Ghost's hand reaches out towards Taren, the door before them swings open slowly and the chant from within immediately grows louder, no longer being blocked by the heavy iron door. Before the them stands an awesome sight, a massive half-orc warrior towers over them covered in war wounds and grasping at a massive exotic-looking blade with one hand and balancing a large bone bow and a small child over the shoulder of his other arm.

The half-orc looks as surprised to see them as they were he, and though he wears a heavy chain shirt rather than the customary yellow that others in this area seem to favour, he is still an intimidating sight.

 

[Festy_Dog]

Ba'aktar is more than a little surprised however, when directly on the other side of the door he is face-to-face with a dishevelled halfling in tattered leathers holding an undersized spear, a gigantic rat, and an albino elf wearing a trenchcoat, leather gloves and a strange looking hat.

None of them are wearing the customary yellow that Ba'aktar has seen throught this dungeon and both seem as surprised to see him as he is them.

Ba'aktar narrows his eyes warily and reaffirms his grip on his khora.

"You're not with them are you!?" he whispers harshly.

He's trying to look intimidating but it's not so effective when he's wavering in such a way that suggests he barely supports his own weight right now let alone that of the unconcious child he's carrying.