[Umbral Caverns] Blood and Souls for Famula!

[Cazuth]

Travelling to the Shrine of Souls in Umbral Caverns

Cazuth was hobbling along, still somewhat shaken from their encounter with a blitznir and subsequently walking all the way to the Shrine of Protection, which was dedicated to a being known as Ethelynda. Cazuth was constantly impressed and amazed at the number of greater beings in the world, to which one might devote themselves in either fear or adoration. He wondered idly which one Famula claimed most. Fear or adoration? Ghosts were generally regarded as frightening things in the world, and her domains left some doubt as to her alignment. An Immortal that claimed dominion over souls and blood and such were difficult to see as positive things. But then, Famula was created as she was. She couldn't help that. What she could help, was how she used her power. So Cazuth had faith that she was one of the better Immortals.

He traveled alongside Elowen, who'd agreed, perhaps even meant to visit herself, to travel with him to the Shrine of Souls. There, he sought clarification on the errand imposed by Shaito and Master Long, his father. His throat rumbled, as it was getting quite dry as they approached the scorched and arid landscape leading up to the Umbral Caverns. Here, the Earth bore many old scars. His weapons were stowed away in his pack, but he was ready to draw them at a moment's notice, if anything came up against them.

There were rumors that undead abounded in this area, and the necromancers who raised them took refuge in those caverns. Cazuth would be ready for them, he thought. At least their thralls. He hoped he didn't have to meet with any real necromancers this day! He wasn't sure he was prepared.

[Elowen]

PH

[Elowen]

Elowen was glad to take a rest for few trials after their experience near the Shrine of Protection. It was time she could during which she could recover mentally but also reflect on what had happened and what she had learned. And a few things influenced her decision about what to do next.

She wasn't going back to Mistral. At least not yet.

Their encounter with the Blitznir and the visit to the Ethelynda's shrine made Elowen realise how under prepared she seemed to be for travelling like this. She had relied so much on Meira for, well, almost everything. Starting with roof over her head (which she inherited) to near every other aspect of travelling outside the woods. Meira rarely took Elowen travelling and even if she did, it would not be further than a day's worth on foot. Elowen would try to learn much during those times, but clearly not enough. Meira only ever parted with the most important knowledges and those were mostly focused on plants and basic field craft survival skills, certain other skills (like fending off beasts or pests) did not make it into the teachings. Perhaps Elowen was never meant to travel as she was doing now. Perhaps there were many things that she wasn't meant to do. But she had no way of knowing. None. Unless...

The young girl stepped closer to Cazuth. She heard snippets about the Umbral Caverns at the place where they rested. The land around the Shrine of Souls was death and decay ridden piece of Stormlands. Coming to see it with her own eyes was a totally different thing though. She would be lying if she said that she did not second guessed her decision about accompanying the Igelak. But where else was she going to get her answers if not in that Shrine? Caz told her that Famula was the Immortal of blood and souls. That was as close as Elowen could get to the dead, was it not? And though she knew deep down that the possibility of her speaking with Meira was as far removed as the moons during the height of Saun, she still hoped to glean at least some knowledge and perhaps guidance.

"Long to go still?" She asked her companion, surveying the land around them. In her inexperience, she did not know what to look out for. Everything could be dangerous. But at least now she knew that she had to pay attention in places she did not know if she wanted to avoid harm or at least stay alive.

[Cazuth]

Surprise Zombies!

Notes for the reviewer

As per the write-up of the Umbral Caverns, I'm using the Boss Template of Deathward Necromancer with the following skills to harass Cazuth and Elowen in this thread, with thralls.

Necromancy Skill: Competent
Strength: Competent
Weapon skill: Competent
Endurance: Competent
Discipline: Expert
Tactics: Competent
Athletics: Competent
Stealth: Competent

Elowen asked him how long before they got to the Shrine. He gave a thoughtful frown, and forwarded the same question to Shaito, as he wasn't entirely sure himself, being not possessed of a great sense of direction. Shaito whispered to him, from deep within the recesses of his mind. "Beware, but yes, not long. There will likely be enemies on the way. You must deal with them if they try to stop you. I doubt the stripling girl you brought will be too much help to dispatch them."

Cazuth gave another frown, this one more furtive, Elowen is my charge here. I am here to protect her, not the other way around. But she decent healer with the herbs and such.

As you say... Shaito left him with some final but certain directions from where he stood ,which would see him to the beginnings of the Umbral Caverns, which were marked by large stalagmites that seemed to jutt angrily from the ground. as the caverns mouth loomed over them. Red lichen covered the walls of the stone caverns, lighting the way to Famula's shrine. Cazuth repeated the knowledge shared by Shaito, "Green lichen goes deeper into cavern, red Lichen lead to Famula's shrine. Shaito says."

So he proceeded, albeit cautiously. As if in worry, he drew his riversteel, wooden katana from his side. He'd kept the red-hued wooden blade sheathed most of the time, as he was more proficient with the nunchucks. But then, what could nunchucks do if they came up against husks? He'd need to dismember them to put them down. That much he understood about undead, and little else, as a fairly inexperienced Zuuda.

He cast glances about, looking to Elowen every once and again to make sure she was sticking close. Suddenly, he smelled a foul breeze of ether caress his shoulder, just curling around his nose. He couldn't tell from whence it came, but knew it wasn't good. He suddenly sprung to alert, forming a rotating perimeter around Elowen as he anticipated attack from any direction. He heard the shuffling of rotted feet, and the rattling groans of a husk or two near the walls.

One of them finally took the initiative, grasping for either of the two in a clumsy way, which Cazuth rewarded with a slash of his sword. The blade cut through the flesh, but didn't dismember the creature, releasing a puss-like substance from its dermis that smelled even more foul than the ether Cazuth had sampled earlier. Cazuth croaked in annoyance, as he tried again, this time pushing it backward with a sneaky front-kick, and then taking the distance created to perform a better situated cut against its arm. This time it sliced through halfway of the arm's shoulder joint, but not quite severing it. It was still approaching! Cazuth used his katana to brace against any bites or claws, and then shifted his weight to send the husk sprawling into the second one, disrupting both of their balance.

He used the moment of opportunity to rush to Elowen's side, who'd yet to be directly attacked by them. Yet before long they'd regained their balance, and were now lurching slowly toward the two of them. Cazuth kept his katana at the ready, to finish the dismemberment he'd started, if only he could get used to the way the sword was used.

[Elowen]

As the cave came into the view, Elowen could not help herself but feel the need to pull away. Last time she was in one of those, she had learnt thing she wished to forget.

The girl fell a step behind Cazuth. She guessed that Famula's shrine would be somewhere around, or perhaps even in the caverns. Still, the sight of the Umbral ones loomed over her like an open bloodied maw. Creeksong was a mere children's lullaby compared to this roaring thing of a nightmare.

She looked at the lichen and nodded when her Igelak companion clarified which kind to follow. She frowned nevertheless. She knew her linchens. She just did not trust things that grew in places where sun did not shine. With the uprising of second thoughts about her being there, Elowen had to remind herself that there is a very good reason for why she chose to come. And that was to speak with the groundskeeper about dead people, their souls and if they can be spoken to.

So she took in the deepest breaths she could and stuck close to the frogman. Especially when he drew his sword. The girl could feel near pins and needles sensation all over her body. Everything suddenly had eyes and a life of its own and the girl did not know where to look to spot whatever it was that Cazuth was getting ready to fight. Because...why else would he draw his weapon?

Since Elowen did not posses the great senses of her companion, she wasn't really aware of the undead, until she heard them. The shuffling along the ground, the groans that were nothing like she had heard before. The smell that she originally associated just with the Umbral Caverns now quickly gained a new dimension when the creature came into view.

Her heart dropped to her heels and she almost went with it. Elowen knew nothing about the undead and she wished that could have continued to be the case because the sight...stuff of nightmares...again. What was it about caverns that made them so uninviting and a hiding place for the foul?

She watched Cazuth attack one of the creatures. During their struggle, the second undead stumbled into view. Whatever death the body had suffered was erased by the level of decay that had set in. Its movements were jerky, fast and then slow. Unpredictable. And the girl had nothing to protect herself with. In the back of her mind she began to spot a pattern with her predicament. All she could hope to do was try and keep out of its way.

So in that spirit, the young apothecary took backed away in the limited space she had. She was stuck between the caverns walls that she refused to touch, the fight and the threat. Indeed it was a very limited space for her to operate in.

It was only a moment later that Cazuth rushed back to her side. And she saw then the damage he had inflicted on the other creature. Whether the sight, or the smell of free flowing puss, the girl's stomach rolled.

The undead regrouped and together started approaching the two of them. Elowen took one small step closer to the wall but no more. Could she outrun them with her backpack?

No. Probably not. But she also could not leave Cazuth behind even though she was more a liability than help.

So she had to stay.

Her hands pumped.

Caz had a sword.

Elowen...had a knife! Somewhere in the depths of her pack.

The moment she considered looking for it was the moment one of the creatures lurched towards the Igelak with arms outstretched, mouth hanging wide open.

There was no time.

In panic, the girl spotted a stone large enough to serve as...something. Distraction? Weapon? Emotional support?

She bend to grab it. A blink of an eye later, the other undead duplicated its accomplice's move. But this time directed at the girl who had just wrapped her fingers around the stone. Her view was momentarily obscured and she had a whole backpack and herself to lift. Perhaps right into the clawed embrace of the walking dead.

[Cazuth]

The thralls were not particularly skilled or tactical in their approach. Unpredictable and erratic in the pace of their movements, yes, and that could throw a trained warrior at times. But the thralls were unarmed. Their being dead was a slight advantage. It meant that Cazuth would need to sever a significant portion of their flesh in order to damage them to the point of disrepair.

So as they lurched toward Elowen, he took on the one he'd already cut into, thrusting his blade beneath its armpit, and then drawing backward with a few vining steps to slice it off. The zombie, deprived of its one arm by the shoulder fell to the ground, inert. The other one, already upon Elowen as Cazuth had conceded ground to dispatch the other one, put its foul paws on her shoulders and leaned in with its open, rattling maw for a bite with teeth, which were barbed with rot and decay.

Cazuth stepped over the one he'd dispatched, and tried his sword against its back, cutting into its back, managing at times to even bite into the ribs, but otherwise failing to stop it from resuming its slow-motion attack against Elowen.

"Smash jaw with rock!" Cazuth shouted the suggestion to Elowen, seeing that she'd picked up the piece of cavern stone.

If she acquiesced, he'd follow up her attack with one of his own, attacking the wrist of the hand that was dislodged from Elowen so as not to risk cutting her.

He hoped she had enough courage to do that much, cornered as she was, there was little ground to run to.

He'd follow up the attack against its arm with a recovered slash against the back of its knee.

[Elowen]

The moment when the undead touched her shoulder would forever be lodged in her memory as the moment that she was touched by death. Blood drained from her face whilst the heat inside her body flared up, giving her skin feverish temperature. So close to her, the smell of the creature filled her nostrils but nausea wasn't on her mind.

Her fingers were already wrapped around the stone and though she never fought, she knew she had to. A moment later, she received the instructions from Cazuth and there was no question in her mind on what must be done. The irregularity of the stone cut into her palm as she gripped it as tightly as possible.

She had no tactics, though. No experience. And so instead of checking how the creature was positioned, so that she could land the blow square on the jaw, the girl just went for it in a surge of panic, fear and the rawest survival instinct she had ever felt.

She didn't use her legs to press up and give the blow the power and grounding it needed. Instead, she let the stone lead the way therefore turning herself into a living sling of sorts with all force concentrated at the tip of her hand rather then evenly distributed as it should have been. She was unbalanced but the creature's rotten limb kept her from falling this and that way. As her right hand sailed through the air, her left came up and her forearm connected on the inside with the undead's. This was a feeble attempt to dislodge the grip or at least force some distance between them.

Elowen saw then the fate she was desperately trying to escape. The tongue was dark with boils. Its gums rotted, peeling away. The teeth accustomed to biting, sharp.

The girl shifted her hips as she tried further move away. That shift of weight and direction even if not great, unbalanced her already clumsy attacker. She was drawing her shoulder back, increasing the pressure from her forearm against that of the creature. The obscenity started to lose balance. Then the stone landed with a sickening thud. A spittle of decay landed on her face.

She didn't hit the jaw as Cazuth told her to. It was full on side face collision. The blow combined with the waning balance sent the creature stumbling. But as dumb and slow as it was, it did not let go of Elowen's shoulder fully, forcing the girl to stumble with it.

Elowen screamed for the first time.

[Cazuth]

Elowen either didn't heed Cazuth's advice, or had mechanically been drawn askew so that she couldn't perform the strike he asked her to. Yet, as she missed the mark of hitting his lower jaw, the stone sailed into one of its forearms, thus knocking it aside. The momentum of the motion seemed to sling Elowen inward toward the husk, encircled now by its one arm, as the other recovered from the force of the rock. Yet before it could do that, swiftly slid toward the husk's arm,, sliding his sword under its elbow joint, while the free hand engaged with an arm-bar, twisting its arm backward and then drawing the blade in a slicing motion across the rotted ligaments holding its limb together. Thus its weakened arm was severed, and the unliving essence thus driven from the form, so desperately trying to imitate life by way of consuming it.

The form of the undead was thus disturbed, and made unwhole, and thereby disabled. The husk fell against Elowen regardless, it's other hand tightened in a rigor on her shoulder, but fell askew, failing to bite her.

Elowen screamed then, and Cazuth's jaw opened slightly, in surprise. He'd not heard a human scream before. It was a most distressing sound, and thought it signalled distress, it also had a way of diverting that distress to those around them. He imagined it would also grab the attention of any other crawlers and creepers that might haunt this place. But Cazuth didn't blame Elowen for that.

Instead, he closed his jaw, and put away his sword. Then he knelt down, and began unraveling the undead's grip on the little herbalist. Once she was free, Cazuth tried to ease her panicking. "It's done, it's dead. The way ahead should be clear, but I will guard our rear. If anything else comes, you should run for the Shrine of Famula. It will be safer, and I will send Shaito with you."

Shaito crossed his arms, in Cazuth's mind. That is not my purpose.

Cazuth frowned looking downward, and thought back to Shaito, Your purpose is to serve my redemption of Master Long and put his many wrongs right. This is the first step.

Hmph. Shaito acquiesced, and removed himself from passive possession of the Igelak. He materialized from the very dust of the cavern floor, and then bowed to Elowen. "I will guard you so long as is necessary here, until Cazuth's errand is complete."

This said, Cazuth put his arm on Elowen's shoulder, and looked around for any signs of sprain or bruising. He wasn't good at medicine, but could tell well enough if a person was injured. He searched for pain points. "Are you alright to go forward?"