Session 1: Ascent through First Find

Crash

Tumble

Crash

Smash, tumble, crash

...

SPLASH

Okay so you’re all agreed. You shouldn’t have moved that plinth.



Everyone comes to First Find for their initial venture out here in the Reach. It was where the Prospector found the first of the raised temples and the cache of treasures underneath. It’s easily been cleared out by two or three groups before you, but it’s the best place to get an idea of what you’re looking for when you go out on your own. Seeing as you’ve all just arrived in this part of the world, you all met up over drinks in the Devil’s Hall or on the way up to the First Find and decided to get acquainted with the area together.

As expected, there was nothing much. Everything aside from the heaviest masonry has been picked clean. Rumours would put this as one of the region's great pillar temples that soared high into the clouds, but this place is barely a story above the ground, shorter even than the Noodle.

Still, somehow you got it into your heads that maybe there was something more to it. While exploring what must have been the great antechamber of the temple one of you shifted the central dais that was quite obviously out of position, and something below it… clicked.

That’s about the time the floor gave way and before you knew what happened, the group of you were falling down a paved funnel that gave way to broken terrain and a rough, bumpy fall into the darkness, followed by a very cold dive into fresh and mercifully clean water below. Everyone’s fine; you all landed in a deep pool underground, and have all your equipment on you, all be it a little knocked around. But it’s cold, and dark down here. There’s light coming in from the tall hole in the ceiling you’ve made tumbling through above which is otherwise dotted with stalactites that are far out of reach. Beast and some of you have found your way to a shoreline that feels like cold ash to the touch. The cavern you’re in is vast, and stretches into the darkness around you. You can hear echoes in the distance from your fall

You're cold, and quite deep below the earth's surface with no immediately easy way back up. So what now?

Florian lights the torch and it's clear you're in a vast subterranean cave, and scattered around are patches of recently made debris similar to the ruined temple's architecture above you. Water is dripping in from the stalactites above. At the far side of the scree beach to you, you can see the cave network continues onwards out of sight down a tight looking side passage, albeit obstructed by a rather substantial looking boulder.

So it's obvious that the earthquake must have shaken up the geography around here; that funnel you fell through would have led to another part of the temple; a holding cel, a deathtrap... not this place. The geography here will likely criss-cross between the cavern and the temple complex.

Something is stirring beneath the water though. It splashes away from the light as you illuminate the pool. Seems that you're not the only living things in this cave.

Tezoc yanks the boulder sharply and with a fluid motion, rips the giant rock from it's resting place. He gives out a great, mighty roar that echoes throughout the cave, disturbing a colony of bats living in the stalactites that flutter towards the hole in the ceiling.

The rock can be shifted, but now that it's been unbalanced Tezoc's finding himself right in the path where it'd roll if he let it go right now. It looks like it could be rolled carefully and dropped straight into the pool if he took the time and put his back into it, or he could let it go and risk himself and anyone immediately behind him getting caught in the rockslide.

Meanwhile something stirs beneath the surface of the pool.

Tezoc's moving towards the edge of the pool, pushing the boulder right to the lip of it. Beneath the surface of the water, glittering in the little light you can shine there, are scales. Many, many scales. They're moving, down first out of sight but in a motion that looks like it's trying to build momentum for a lunge. It is large, reptilian and hungry.

The ground here looks slippery and unstable; shifting sand and pebbles. Tezoc's moved the big obstruction to the exit to the room, but there's still a scree slope leading up there and all it's going to take is a moment's distraction to risk a slip at the top of it and fall straight into the water.

While your eyes are on the water, you can see the bed of it is not just mud and grit, but some of the original temple architecture. This would be something worthy of study and sketches of them alone would get you some clout and interest with the scholars in Camptown; assuming you get back there alive.

It leaps out of the pool, a great mess of froth and leathery hide easily twenty foot long, apparently most of it sharp teeth



Xadra's arrow lands into the roof of it's gigantic maw, knocking it from latching onto Tezoc's leg, drawing blood. It stays in it's pool, rearing up for another attack in his direction.

Florian recalls that despite this creature's gigantic mouth, it's an entirely aquatic beast. It's likely not to spend much time above the waterline before it retreats below the surface. If you tire it out, it'll likely flee before it asphyxiates. It's eyes are also deep, mirrored and wide open; one of the few weak spots that you can spot on it's deep armoured hide. His song echoes out into the cavern, loud and uncanny.

Tozec drops the rock at the beast forcing it to manoeuvre away from the boulder. It's trying to rally against Lucas but it's failing to find an opening against the smart fighter, who's able to keep the creature at bay and smash it over the head with his sword. It's lashing out madly at all three of the front line fighters, hoping to latch on to an errant limb and drag one of you down beneath the waves.

The terrible aquatic lizard is raging, thrashing and screaming, bloody minded and snapping at Tezoc. It's missing some teeth, but it's hide seems hale and healthy.

Tezoc is somehow louder though. The angry barbarian's hurled the rock dead at the creature's head, bawling a challenge at it. He's seeing red as well.

So. How are you all going to react?

Florian's cries of advice are practically drowned out by the sound of the two empire swordsmen hacking away at the creature, who are finding indeed that a majority of the damage they're doing to it are being absorbed by it's thick hide. The beast's jaws are being held open by Tezoc's mighty biceps, who's wrestled it to the ground, twisting it to it's side. It is evidently confused by this, and is trashing out with it's barbed, vestigial limbs in the direction of the fighters attacking it, straining against Tezoc's arms and failing.

It's doing it's best to withdraw, but for now Tezoc's keeping it firmly in place. As it's thrashing intensifies, a single stallectite falls from the ceiling and lands near Beast and Xadra. The cougar growls and whimpers, concerned.

Lucas's blade sinks deep and draws blood and the terrible lizard roars in agony, thrashing it's tail around the cavern, working the pool up into a frothing tide. It rolls to it's side, trying to lash back out at Lucas in response, but Tezoc and Maximillien are keeping any counterattacks it's making at bay.

Tezoc can tell the beast is weakening; indeed at this point he's locking it's jaws open and feeling little to no pressure against his wrists now. It's putting all it's energy into backing away.

Another few stalactites fall from the ceiling, landing dangerously close to Florian. Some of them are about a foot long, made of solid rock.

Blinded in both eyes the creature tries desperately to slink away. At which point there's a SNAP noise as it's jaw finally dislocates from Tezoc's wrenching at it. Now that it's head is purely dead-weight, it collapses onto the now off-balance Tezoc, some of the fangs scraping into his exposed flesh but more importantly being half a tonne of flesh and hide falling down onto him. It slumps down on the side of the scree slope, twitching.

The cavern is still shaking from the aftermath of the combat.

Trudging through the darkness is tough going in the cave complex, illuminated solely by Florian's torch. It snakes at awkward, almost painful angles as it carves a way deeper into the earth, and soon there's a real concern that it won't lead to a way out.

But eventually, mercifully, it opens out into something resembling architecture. A ruined catacomb perhaps? It's marked with pillars and collapsed building piles, but is unmistakably constructed and ancient architecture. The room stretches deep into the inky dark distance, but at the far end there is a sign of light gently outlining a staircase in an archway, what must be two hundred foot or so away



What do you all do?

Max lights a second torch, and the room brightens up significantly


The great pillars are easily visible, with their connections to the roofs and their beautiful carvings. The room appears much less wide than long; definitely some kind of long burial or ceremonial chamber, it's goods mostly lost to the ages. But it bodes well; you're obviously heading back into the temple, right?

The presence of the light makes shadows dance along the walls. It feels off here somehow, the air feels wrong and Beast is growling like they sense something. Nonetheless, Tezoc examines the pillar. The resemblance to his vision is uncanny, but maybe that's just his mind playing tricks on him. It's almost legible despite the erosion.

Some part of Tezoc's memory flares at the pillars, but nothing concrete (heh). Some vague recollections, half remembered memories and details. Some of the pillars look like they may have at one point been fashioned as statues or with the images of faces upon them, but time and erosion have removed anything recongisable or that would trigger a fresh inspiration.

Florian, Xadra and Beast take the right, Max and Lucas take the left. Something just doesn't feel right though as you progress through the room. The air feels dangerous and the broken pillars and shifted rubble make even navigating the floor tricky, much less seeing the entire room at one go.

Florian can't help the feeling of being watched as he examines the room

Florian lifts the torch high, trying to illuminate the room. It makes him a target. There's a heavy grinding stone on metal noise, and there's a THWIP noise as something launches out of the darkness towards him; a metal tip glints in the light, and everyone can see in the corner of their eye it's a spear. There's maybe enough time for someone to do something before it hits Florian.

Thtunk, kasnap clatter
The ancient spear slams into Florians shoulder and instantly snaps, leaving a shattered speartip in his shoulder poking through his jacket. A small sliver of blood is trickling through. Xadras attempt at knocking the spear clear wildly misses. But lands somewhere deep in the darkness. There's a yelp sound, followed by more yelping, this time angrier.

Maximilien immediately recognises the yelping noises, or one like it. Nasally, high pitched, and above all else, about six of them all muttering and barking and hissing. Kobolds hiding behind one of the collapsed pillars in the distance, arguing amongst themselves about what just happened.Now that he knows what he's dealing with, Maximilien looks for the telltale signs of traps; nothing stands out, but he can see rope on the floor that wasn't there a moment ago that seems to be attached to the back of the now snapped spear that hit Florian.

There's another grinding noise in the darkness from where the kobolds are hidden. One of the dragonkin pokes it's head out with something on it's shoulder, and there's just enough light to spot the shimmer of metal poking out from the end of it. It's pointed in Tezoc's direction, as a result of his challenge. Another one is doing the same; with a similar kind of tube shaped object.

What now?

It should have been just the site The Prospector found after the earthquakes. But given the geological shake up of the environment it could be that this previously sealed up section of the complex has collapsed into a series of kobold warrens.

No ones really plumbed the depths of the Western Reaches before so no one is really sure what the state of the caverns are down here. It could be the entire thing is a network of caves all loosely arranged over each other.

The room you're in does resemble the architecture of the temple you were in before the fall though. That much is clear.
Oh no. No nothing like that. Good grief could you even imagine?
No they're Shoulder mounted HARPOON launchers.

One of the kobolds growls and barks back something guttural. It's vaguely understandable. They're panicked and weren't expecting to see a group of surface folk wandering about down here. Some of the other kobolds are yipping and arguing about what to do here: the barbarian being right out in front bellowing a challenge has them obviously spooked. Finally one with a better command of language yarks out a reply to Lucas

"Not drop weapons. Not trust you. You stop be still. We work out what to do with you"

Florian, you've heard an ode named The Worrisome Kobold, often sung in taverns when everyone is raucous during winter festivals. The lyrics start off about a kobold being worried about disappointing it's dragon overlord, getting into more and more ridiculous situations and getting even more exasperated as a result. Like all tavern songs, the lyrics quickly get bawdy as the verses go on and there's many regional variants of the song (generally substituting local lords and ladies as characters in it), but it always starts the same; the kobold is deathly frightened of failing it's dragon master.

Tezoc's voice echoes through the cavern. The two aiming their harpoons at him are looking nervously at each other, as well as the one who spoke out just now. Probably terrified about what will happen if they miss. The amount of movement from behind the scree and pillars gives Tezoc the impression that there's at most six or seven of the critters here in the room with you.

The kobolds start chittering and yarking at each other. The loud one that's been speaking to you shushes them all eventually and steps forward, unarmed.
"Fine. FINE. We came for fish lizard not humans" they yark "We go kill it. You go away. We not see you. Good?". There's some murmurings from behind them that seem resigned, but reluctantly grateful for not having to be stuck fighting adventurers.

If you want to push them further they might be open to talk, but they are still a little wary of you.

"You... you kill it?" the Kobolds say in disbelief. "We... we let you leave. We move quick. Get tasty food for a month"

The kobolds scamper past, their crude weapons trailing alongside them. Florian gets a quick look one of the harpoon launchers as a kobold passes by; they're launched by some wound elastic, like a gigantic tubed crossbow. They look more likely to fall apart than successfully launch. One of them with no harpoon in the chamber stops as they pass you, looks at your wounded shoulder, and passes on without saying a word.

Seven kobolds pass by, yarking and chirping as they charge past you towards the underground lake. They'll be occupied grabbing that lizard for a while. It is now oddly quiet without them here.

At the end of the room through the archway is a ruined spiral staircase, overgrown with moss; upwards the route has been crudely barricaded from this side; probably by the kobolds. Downwards, it's pitch black.

Tezoc tears the barricade down with no issues; throwing chunks of debris downstairs with wanton abandon.As the barricade comes down, people who are behind Tezoc (enough to be in danger of being clipped by a thrown plank of wood) can see the passage gives way to a large room; paved tiles, and illuminated- there are cracks in the roof! You must be near the surface. Sadly the roof is about twelve foot high, and obviously shattered by the earthquakes.

The sight of actual natural light almost distracts you from the room itself. Adorned with plinths with similar markings to the pillars in the room below. There are some old rusted weapons, broken urns, and stone boxes ceremonially lain atop of them. In the center of the room is a grand pillar; nearly six foot in diameter forming the major support for the room, beautifully adorned. There are archways at the other end of the room, which look like they used to lead to another door, but instead now lead to nothing but caved in rock.

It's... a map? Lucas has some knowledge of geography, and even as badly mapped as the Western Reaches are, he can recognise The Smoke and Siren Forest and extrapolate from there. There are markings in places that don't correspond with the real landmarks which must be as a result of the tectonic activity the region has undergone over the past centuries, but with some time maybe some information can be gleaned.

Below the map are similar engravings to the pillars in the room below; only grander, better crafted. Tezoc can identify this one easily; this one's dedicated to a priest who's likeness is carved into the pillar above the map, his head and shoulders eight times around the pillar, with different expressions, staring down to the floor from on high.

Tezoc does indeed recognise the person; and they were someone truly important. A famous, old map maker and explorer. Perhaps an old teacher while he was a child? A member of court he saw once... the memories are hazy...Xadra and Beast start trying to look for something, anything, about the room that will yield something that will help. As they reach one of the plinths, Beast, being a giant cat, finds it makes for a comfortable perch. As they mount the plinth it illuminates with a faint blue glow, and it trails a similarly glowing blue path from the plinth to the central column, better illuminating it. The position of the light is... if you try to determine the location of it properly... maybe a few miles north of Fort Wet Noodle? It's difficult to tell exactly.

There's something grimly rumbling from within the column