Vigil's Keep

Rind was ready with his spells. He had been waiting by the side of the cavern door for Janella to run past before he unleashed his spell on them. The apostate was a brilliant mage who well... augmented his strength with forbidden magic.

Cold winds whipped past the darkspawn, he summoned an ice storm within the area. That was the spell he had been preparing. The one closest to Janella though, escaped the main bite of the frost, but it slowed down considerably as icicles began to form and lock its joints in place. No doubt Janella would feel the change in temperature as well. The ground itself was covered with light frost but most of it was on the darkspawn.

"Kick them off the bridge," Rind said as he used his staff to leverage one off into the water before he stood back, summoning forth his magic again. That left them with four left, one blinded in the eye unless Janella took one out soon enough.

The darkspawn were struggling against the ice bindings and the tell tale sounds of ice cracking could be heard. They would soon be free enough if the Wardens didn't work swiftly.

Janella shuddered from the cold, but she was motivated enough to persist despite the chill. The elf spun about once she was sure she was beyond the effects of the spell. She acted quickly after the mage spoke. Her sensitive ears could pick up on the ice cracking and she could see the beasts struggling against their impromptu prisons.

She did not have a staff to leverage with, but she leaped toward one and kicked it, sending it falling off the edge. Janella did reached up so she could snatch her dagger back out of the Darkspawn's eye. Holding the blade in a downward grip, she slammed it into the front of her opponent's throat. It shattered through the layer of ice and blood pooled up beyond and over it, making for a nice effect.

Shaking the blood and gore off her dagger, it was clean enough for her to slide back into her scabbard for now. The motions were swift enough that they were hard to follow with the eye and carried a certain urgency to them.

Down to three darkspawns, the crinkling of the ice sounded through the area, only to be overcome with the roar of the water below. With a whack of his staff, another darkspawn fell over the ledge into the water below and there was a roar as two broke free. One of the remaining ones was the alpha and it reached out to hoist the mage up by his collar.

Rind kicked where he was but the darkspawn's grip didn't lessen. The only saving grace was that he unleashed another spell, slowing them down even if they didn't freeze... but that left him stuck in the grasp of the alpha who was slowly trying to move his sword towards the mage.

"Help!" he cried out to his fellow warden.

Janella looked over at the call for help. She was certainly not used to answering them, but she didn't want to have to explain the absence of her partner whenever she got back. It might reflect poorly on her. The elf was already running toward another Darkspawn to kick them over the edge. She pushed off the Darkspawn she was kicking over the edge, drawing her dagger again and angling herself so she was jumping toward the beast holding Rind.

Her blade came down to try and hack off the hand that was holding the sword, or at least stab or hack into it. Janella's momentum was abruptly halted, she nearly slammed into the Darkspawn but managed to twist her frame enough to land somewhat gracefully. Staying aware of the other Darkspawn remaining, the elf spun about so she could try and do the same to the hand that was holding the mage.

Janella's blade found it's mark and the Darkspawn howled in pain although its grasp was weakened. Rind pushed himself free before giving the creature a kick and down it fell into the rapids below. He stood there trying to catch his breath as he picked up his staff.

"Thanks," he said with a smile.

Inside the cave where the hurlocks had been, the two wardens would find a human skeleton, stripped down to the bone. There was a dented warden shield, and the heavy armour of warrior. There were other skeletons scattered about as well, in odd positions as if they had been slain. Different types of darkspawn from the look of it.


Rind frowned. "I believe we found our warden at least... but the report mentioned three. Perhaps the others escaped... or went deeper?"

He eyed the Deep Roads.

The elf's keen ears were assailed by the howl from the Darkspawn but she relished it all the same. She enjoyed knowing her blade had found it's mark. She nodded in response to his thanks, not sure of how to react to people being grateful to her for anything.

As they observed the human skeleton, she looked around at the corpses of the various darkspawn. "Well, looks like they put up one hell of a fight," she remarked. "May as well push a little deeper and see if their partners also fell." If they didn't find their corpses, one could assume that the two of them had escaped and fled. "They are likely dead, if they had escaped they would have come back."

Rind nodded his head at her words. "Fair," he said as they ventured deeper. The sensation of darkspawn was present but nothing as close as the Hurlocks had been. Really far away. Eventually they'd come across a site where a fight had happened, and among the dead bodies were armour belonging to the surface, belonging to a dwarf... well by now it was in tatters really but it was brighter and more colourful than what the darkspawn wore.

Rind wandered close to the body, searching through before he found a chisel. "Looks like we found our missing stone mason." A glance at the tunnels made him shake his head. "Just the Deep Roads from here and you're right. If they escaped they'd probably come back. Think we should gather their remains and take them back?"

Janella stood and watched as Rind searched the body and found a chisel. She could tell it was a dwarf by the height but much of the features of the corpse were decayed beyond recognition now. Her own eyes shifted to look down the tunnels that stretched out before them.

The elf looked at him like she was puzzled when he mentioned taking back their remains? "Carry their remains . . . across the gap? That we had to climb across? I think it might be best we just take along some of their effects, and assume the third was lost down the Deep Roads." Janella didn't think it was worth it to look for what would amount to a corpse, glancing to Rind to gauge his reaction. "Some of their items might suffice."

Rind blinked when Janella reminded him they had to bring it across the gap. He grimaced at the idea.

"Aye... that might be best. I suppose we can do a small burial here so the other darkspawn won't desecrate their remains further."

Not that it might do much for them in their current state. He'd begin a simple spell to... well sort of move the earth as he opened a small pit, before taking what remains he could find from both the warden and masn, hopefully with Jan's help, into the hole. Although he'd say nothing about it if she didn't want to help either.

"Chisel for the mason, shield for our warrior... admittedly that's some armour that can be reused... though not the kind for me."

Janella helped Rind with getting the remains into the makeshift grave. She cared little about the matter but she knew that things were easier for her when she went along with social customs. The elf offered to take the shield, letting Rind take the chisel.

The female paused over the matter of the armor. "We might be able to take that back across the gap. I'm not even sure if anyone would want to use it even if we did manage to take it back, but it does seem a shame to waste armor." She looked over at Rind for his input. Whether they settled on taking it back or not, she sent a final glance down at the Deep Roads before they turned back.

Rind would place the remains in, muttering a prayer. He may be a mage but he was still Andrastian.

"Aye... think we'd bury them along with the remains then. Least the darkspawn won't use it. A waste but crossing the gap is going to be problematic, and neither of us are used to wearing such armour."

He appreciated her taking the shield. It was fairly heavy for him though he would willingly shoulder it if needed. He slipped the chisel into his pocket on his robes before they turned to leave. At the exit, Rind stood at where he could see the entrance proper before holding his staff and focusing his magic onto it.

The rocks around the entrance shifted before collapsing in on each other, sealing the entrance shut. At least no darkspawn could come through it easily from there. The sound would be loud but Rind did it so delicately there was hardly a tremor about them and the dust settled quickly.

Their trip back to the rope bridge would be uneventful unless they decided to explore further. There wasn't much to see. Old records by the Carta, left over for several years that would tear when they picked them up. The moisture in the place had not done it any good in preserving it.

Janella certainly wasn't strong but she knew rogues might be slightly stronger than a lot of magic users. That, and she could strap it to her belt somehow. If she had been on her own, she would have searched the corpses and then left them. She was impressed when he managed to collapse the tunnel without making much noise, having been concerned the darkspawn would hear the noise and try to break through.

The elf wasn't too keen on exploring, she was curious but she didn't want to go out of her way to explore moldy parchment. Having seen enough that she could try and surmise what happened, she heaved a sigh when they came back to the rope bridge. Janella knew she would likely have to leave the rope, or at the very least a portion of it. She also didn't look forward to going back across.

Once she was sure her weapons and other items were secure again, she moved back out across the gap on the rope. Her movements were more practiced this time.

Rind moved silently with Janella and he grimaced visibly when they reached the rope bridge.

"Want me to go first?" he offered nervously. He really wasn't keen on it and one could see that he was getting worked up over it... but to his credit, he was willing to face it. Staff was slung over his back as he stared at the rope. No pressure. Just one slip and they'd go falling into the waters that claimed the darkspawn below.

Janella scoffed, backhanding his shoulder, "Better let someone who can help you during the last bit go across first. Noble of you, though," she remarked. This was the elf's attempt to lighten the situation. Her attempts at humor often fizzled. Once she was sure none of her items were going to fall away to the waters below, she swung out onto the room. Her hands took a firm grip even if there was some burning and chafing, and she used her momentum from the swing to get her legs up as well.

She felt like a bat, with her cloak hanging underneath her. Janella's throat was dry and her heart hammered but she was more used to it this time. Arriving at the other edge without incident, she straightened her clothes and waited for Rind to cross.

Rind gahed when he was backhanded and he looked at her sheepishly. He was trying and he appreciated the humour, although from his expression he wasn't sure how to take it but he smiled at her. He'd pace about the edge quietly while waiting for Janella to finish crossing before he himself went over.

His journey wasn't without problem though for his hands nearly slipped halfway through and he had to do quite a bit of swinging before he finally got a good grip again. Sweaty nervous hands did not make for a good steady grip. For a moment there it had seemed like he could have lost his life... but steadily he made his way over and if Janella helped him, he was shaking even worse than before and breathing hard.

Janella flinched whenever it seemed like he might lose his grip, grimacing. She sighed whenever he did make it across. That would have been awkward . . . and unfortunate, she thought to herself. The elf did help him whenever he got close enough, and again she pretended not to notice his less than composed state. , she said, "Well, we'll have a story and at least some proof of what happened. Do you think they got across and the bridge collapsed behind them?"

She tied the strap of the shield to her pack so it wouldn't impede her movement much or bump against her as she walked. A regretful look was cast toward the rope, "Maybe I could try to shoot a bolt through it, so I can at least salvage some of it," she suggested, as much as herself as to Rind.

Rind nodded his head. "It's possible. The bridge might have collapsed in whatever explosion had been with the room... " The mage said once he had composed himself. The chisel was kept with him and he frowned at the place.

A glance was given to the rope and he nodded his head. "Might as well give it a shot."

(Roll a 1d20 with +7 modifier for rope shot!)

Janella's mind speculated over the mystery, picking away at it. She knew there would be time to think it over later. She took her crossbow from where it had been hooked over her back, removing a bolt from her quiver and setting the crossbow. Bringing it up to her shoulder and looking down the sights, she lined up the bolt with the rope with precise, confident movements and let a shot fly. "It's a plausible explanation, yes," she agreed.

The elf was assured of her skills, but she knew that it was a difficult shot and resolved to only waste two or three bolts on it before moving on.

The second arrow flew true and severed the rope about 3/4 through. So she would have most of the rope. The first one landed somewhere among the foliage, lost forever to the wilderness. Rind sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"We should head back now, unless you'd like to look about?"

Janella was willing to accept the sacrifice of two bolts. She tugged the rope back across, undoing the knot that had been holding it in place and curling it back up before she secured it to her belt. "I feel that we've found everything worth finding," she said. The elf was not opposed to searching but she also didn't want to.