Tragedy

----> "Let's stay away from the water," Cyrdan suggests. "We may be outmatched here without hindering our combat by adding water to the equation."
----> "Agreed," Tilwic consents.
----> "We should find some way to mark our progress as well," Cyrdan adds. "I can only be so accurate with my drawings."
----> Grant turns to Yohon and asks, "Them stairs are in disrepair or are they just the most used?"
----> Yohon looks a bit confused, so the dwarf elaborates. "What I mean is, you said them there stairs are in 'disrepair.' Do they look like they're in disrepair and never get used, or do they look the most worn like they're the only stairs used?"
----> "I think I follow his thinking," Alasdair explains. "If this were the only stairs used by whomever has taken up this space as home, then the others are probably trapped or something."
----> "Right," Meggana says, "or maybe this one is set to collapse and the others are the real routes down."
----> The group ponders this momentarily. Someone asks Yohon which way his group came in.
----> "We took the far stairwell," he answers, pointing to the northeast, "but I've already explained the troubles we met."
----> Again the group weighs their options.
----> Grant breaks the silence. "Them others lead awry then. That would explain why some are well used and others are untouched. We use the stairs that have seen the most use lately," he sticks his thumb in the direction of the southeastern stairwell. "Any objectors?"
----> When no one answers, Tharg seconds the motion. "Okie-doke. Tharg go. Crush bad things." Siggy, still perched on his broad shoulders, picks at Tharg's stray hairs. They slowly descend the stairs with Grant directly behind. The group follows.
----> The stairs are indeed as corroded as Yohon initially indicated. Each step groans in protest under the weight of Tharg’s bulk. Siggy sits uncharacteristically still, as if he knows his precarious position. Grant keeps a watchful eye over the big man’s shoulder, staying a few steps behind him. Cyrdan switches from bow to longsword on his descent and Tilwic’s hands, usually hidden in the dark confines of his robe, are out and fondling his daggers.
----> Halfway down, Tharg stops momentarily and turns around. “Big room,” he says. Grant nods and motions Tharg to keep going. Tharg’s next step, however, triggers treachery.
----> An audible click makes the barbarian utter a quick “Uh-oh” before the stairs flip themselves flat, turning the stairwell into a slide. The clang of dropped weapons echoes off the walls of the chamber below. All but one torch is lost. Falling helplessly, several party members scream on their way down.
----> At the bottom of the stairwell, Siggy leaps from his perch as Tharg disappears into a deep hole in the floor. The monkey screams incessantly from the edge as the entire party is sucked down into the black pit. More screams echo as they fall further downward into Baragon’s depths. The final torch is extinguished.
----> The screams end in an unstable surface. Bouncing up and down from so many landings, the huge rope net that has caught them stretches and threatens to snap. The group is silent save several whimpers and groggy stirrings.
----> “Is everyone alright?” Yohon’s voice.
----> “Get a torch lit, now!” Grant hollers.
----> After some coughing and movement on the net, a spark ignites a flame. Meggana raises her torch up as Grant begins counting heads.
----> The net that has caught the group stretches across an area measuring at least 20 x 20, though there are several gaps. It has been anchored into the walls at six points with large spikes. There are two opposing exits at net level with iron rungs leading down to the floor. The ceiling cannot be seen, though the floor is only ten or fifteen feet below and fully illuminated. Tall spikes cover the stone floor, littered with the skeletal remains of many creatures. Long dead, there are at least a dozen bony carcasses. One body, however, still bleeds.
----> “Where’s Alasdair?” Grant asks as he counts up to six.
----> There, lying impaled upon one of the huge spikes sticking up from the ground below, is Alasdair. He has been run through by at least three of the deadly spikes, one rises out from the center of his chest. A leg is bent at an unnatural angle and his head is cocked back slightly. His whole body is limp. His eyes, open and staring passed the faces of his prior companions, lack any signs of life. There are splattered marks of red dripping down his cheeks where he must have coughed up some of his own blood.
----> The party has little time to grieve however, as Yohon sounds the alarm. “From above!”
----> A hideous screeching sound echoes through the chamber as several pairs of leathery wings descend upon the helpless group. With wingspans of nearly eight feet, the horned beasts hover above the group for a moment before attacking.
----> Trying to run on the net is impossible, though Tilwic has little problem scrambling toward one of the exits. “This way!” he cries.
----> Tharg attempts to join Tilwic at the exit, but trips and falls several times on the netting. Cursing, the barbarian decides to make his escape on his knees. Crawling along the rope net, placing his hands and feet carefully on its rungs, Tharg makes his way toward Tilwic.
----> Grant swings his hand axe mightily, though the things only hover higher out of range. Yohon bolts for the exit, choosing his footing wisely. Cyrdan stabs at one of the beasts with his longsword.
----> Meggana screams as one of the things grabs her up in its talons and begins climbing upward. She drops her torch which becomes entangled in the net, setting it on fire. Grant backs his way to the exit, taking occasional chops at the third creature. Tharg finally reaches his destination beside Tilwic. The fire begins to spread.
----> Meggana’s frantic cries for help make Yohon turn in his tracks. Taking a leap high into the air, the marryk warrior catches the gray-skinned thing by its leg, though he drops his sword in the attempt. Yohon’s added weight brings the monster downward. Startled, it drops Meggana. She screams her way toward the net. Just as it seems she will fall passed the net and into the same fate as Alasdair, Meggana grabs onto the side of the rope contraption. “Help me!” she cries hysterically.
----> Yohon curses loudly as the flying beast carries him up into the darkness above.
----> Cyrdan rolls right and leaps for the thing, but to no avail. Seeing he can do no more to help the marryk, he turns his attention to Meggana’s frantic squeals.
----> “I’m slipping, please!” she cries.
----> Cyrdan rolls again and grasps Meggana’s wrists in his strong grip. She hoists herself up into a hug around Cyrdan’s neck. He drags her to the safety of the exit. As the two arrive safely in the darkened corridor, the net begins to disengage where the fire has burned through its fibers.
----> A gurgled cry from above precedes a shower of crimson the makes the fires sizzle. Shortly after, the disgusting sounds of torn flesh and hungry maws. Meggana falls quickly and deeply into shock.
----> “Oh-my-no-my-shit-this-isn’t-no—“
----> Grant swiftly slaps her across the face to quiet her. “She’s in shock,” he states the obvious. Cyrdan removes his tunic and covers her as she lays slumped against one of the walls. “She’s of no use to us now.”
----> Cyrdan scowls disapprovingly at the dwarf’s war-honed callousness. “She’ll snap out of it. She’s just green.”
----> “That’s right!” Grant snaps. “And green means she can’t hack it. She played herself across as an adventurer,” the dwarf says, lighting another torch and handing it to Tharg. In the torchlight, the barbarians tear streaked cheeks can be seen. “She’s no adventurer! She’s a rook.” Turning his attention toward Tharg, the dwarf hollers at the crying man. “What are you blubbering on about?!”
----> “Tharg miss Siggy,” he cries. “Tharg no want friends to fight. And Tharg miss Alasdair. And marryk-elf.” Tharg rubs the back of his hand across his eyes, smearing the tear tracks across his face. “Tharg miss Conner, too.”
----> Grant mutters something about rooks and grumbles off to the edge of the torchlight. Cyrdan tries to comfort both Meggana and Tharg at the same time.

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