Siobhan's fantasy epic of eipc fantasy (open, PM me first)

[siobhancan99]

Miray kisses him back, then straightens, riding him, sliding along his hard cock with a deep moan. She moves a little faster, more urgently, then starts to quiver, her legs gripping him hard for a moment as everything in her seems to tense, then relaxing as she lets go. Her nails rake softly down his chest and she leans forward, kissing him over and over again, her hips starting to roll again, moving along his length to try to get him off. She bites his neck, her curvy body pressed to his in the darkness. "Go on Harrison" she whispers "let go" her fingers tangling in his hair, tugging at the root as she tries to give him the release he gave her.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison, lays his head back as Miray sits up tall on him. Sliding his hands up her body, he clutches her full bosom, holding and teasing her breasts as she rides him to that elusive climax. Feeling her squeeze and tighten around him, Harrison's moans mingle with hers, but it's not quite enough to pull his from him. Smiling at her hot breath against his neck and ear, his hands move down to clutch her curvaceous ass. Holding it, he uses his grip to help lift his hips into hers. Moaning into the crook of her neck as he leans in to kiss her skin, he bites lightly as he feels that tension then wonderful release. He groans against her as he floods her womb, surprised she didn't pull off at the last moment. He smiles as things feel so different now with Miray; they would have much to talk about when they returned to the surface.

 

[siobhancan99]

Miray disappears into the darkness for a few, then returns with her packs. She curls up with him for a few minutes, then Jan wakes and casts a spell, lighting the cavern back up. When they head out into the main square, the eerie light of the fungus adds to the vsibility. it seems, in the absence of the wight, to be swiftly dying though.

The floor is littered with dead ghouls, but the town square is theirs to explore. The houses around are filled with the things of life from a thousand years past, but mostly crumbled. Cloth adn wood has long since rotted, and even clay pots have turned somewhat to dust. There are metal items though, pewter goblets and pitchers, knives and spoons. The homines had no fork, till the later periods of Empire and so there are none in the area. More impressive are the mosaics in the richer houses, stunning pieces of art done by hand, set painstakingly into the plaster wall. they depict Religious and historical themes prevalent in this period of the empire and represent a real interesting find for an academic.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison is glad to steal as many minutes as he can with Miray, but Jan's Daylight spell ruins the moment. With a groan, Harrison gets up with Miray and pulls his traveling clothes on, making ready to set out again. As he does, Harrison can feel like he's back to his old self; the clinging unease and weariness seems to be gone from the wight's slash. As he walks out, he pats Jan on the shoulder.

"Your miracle did the trick; I don't think I've felt healthier. Thank you, and the Twins," Harrison offers, a friendly smile on his face as he steps off the porch of the house they borrowed. With the day before them, Harrison set about the business of an archaeologist and curator. While the items in the houses didn't offer much in the way of wealth, Harrison gathered as many large pieces and whole objects as he could. He made notes for each in his journal, reminding himself of where he found them and what they might be. The metal pieces were extremely valuable as they were mostly intact. Based on the tooling and shape, he could place the era of this neighborhood.

But that all paled in comparison to the mosaics he found. His mouth hung open as he stepped forward, awe-struck by the quality of the work. Pulling off a glove, he reached forward to feel the glass and tile under his fingers. He marveled that he might be the first person in centuries to touch this craftsmanship. The undead didn't care for it and any other delves wouldn't' care about them since they couldn't be taken with them.

Harrison did something he felt the others would chafe at, but he pressed forward with taking the time to commit the design to his journal. He might not get each individual piece in his sketch, but he wanted to preserve the wider impact of the design. He couldn't remember any writings about such displays, let alone in people's houses. He'd always thought such art was reserved for palaces or temples. This might be the first such find and he wanted to record it.

 

[siobhancan99]

While Harrison sketched, the other three made a scout of the large cavern. Eventually, they got bored as might be expected, and started a game of bones in the yard. They fell to conversation as the hours passed, but respected his work after a word from Miray. "besides, are you so eager to fight another of those things? That being said something dark was down here. Dark enough to twist the mind and soul of a powerful invoker and chain him after death."

The three elected to "help" by gathering as many valuables as they could, though they were careful after an initial outburst to carefully note what was where, so harrison could study it. All in all some quality silver dinner sets were found, and quite a few pewter and silver mugs. even a few hordes of coin, though most of it was brass. Still, the group was in fairly high spirits after a day or so spent in the little town, and made their way with increase morale into the next cave.

That cave spiraled, and the dwarf noted it was gently sloped and probably ringed back on itself. The group walked nearly a day when they came out on a small underground lake. The lake was lit by phosporescent fungi, and there were strange luminous moths drifting through the humid air of the cavern.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison may have snapped at first, but the trove that the others found more than made up for it. After the fight yesterday, Harrison was glad for more scholarly work today and filled at least one journal with notes and drawings of the items the others found. After another night's rest in the house, they set off and found a curling path to follow. All the while, Harrison was sure he heard water, but it sounded like too much water. It turned out, he was quite wrong in his assumption.

Holding his light source aloft, the hidden underground lake seemed to stretch to the horizon. He worked out that it wasn't quite that large, but such a wellspring gave birth to an ecosystem he'd never seen before. He smiled as he tried to get a moth to land near him, hoping to keep one close to use as they explored. By the time they reached the lake, however, they had been traveling for most of the day. He suggested that they stop here and the others were too tired to argue.

Setting up a makeshift camp in a crack of the cave wall, Harrison brought Jan along to the lake. "I'm not sure if it's potable, but it would be nice to use the lake water to clean up a bit and refill our waterskins." He observed, knowing they'd been at it for a few days without a means to top them off. He walked to the lip of the lake, scanning around as he approached. Even down here, something must prey on the moths and they might try for a bigger snack with the party here.

Feeling reasonably sure that there was nothing watching or hunting them, Harrison knelt beside the lake and scooped a handful of water. Bringing it to his nose, he checked for a sulphurous smell from it. If there wasn't one, he drew some into his mouth, swishing it around his mouth like a sommelier before spitting it back out. He paused, trying to see if there were any of the telltale traces of the water being bad to drink.

 

[siobhancan99]

The water seemed sweet and fresh to Harrison's palate. Jan spoke "if you're really concerned I can purify anything you put in your waterskin. Honestly if we are going to be down here an extended time we might want to use this is a base of operations as water is an issue. I can create food. IT's not good food, but it will keep you alive. The twins aren't exactly epicureans." Darting around in the shallows near the shore of the underground lake were small fish. The dwarf deftly caught one, and upon examination it was shown that they were blind. "Not unexpected" he announced "Many cave fish are blind." he speared a few, then Miray heated stones with a bit of magical fire, and the dwarf set about cooking the fish. The Makeshift camp in the fissure did restrict access from the rest of the cave to a narrow point, and so with only one to watch the crew slept soundly. Miray curled up with Harrison, having the decency not to subject the other two to any play but keeping her curvy form pressed to his through much of the night.

On Harrison's watch, as he gazed out over the strange cave, he was nearly certain he saw larger forms on the water.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison nodded. "That will be helpful to know, but it appears the water is potable. Hopefully, there's not something more insidious that I'm not tasting." He was about to suggest that they prepare some of the food he can create when Grimgur deftly speared some of the fish. With a smile, he patted Jan's shoulder. "I think we're good on provisioning ourselves going forward. I just hope Grimgur doesn't spear the fish into extinction."

The impromptu fish dinner back at the campsite was a lovely break from traveling all day. Sitting around the fire, Harrison chatted with his traveling companions. Since they would be down here for a few days at least, it felt right to get to know them. He did try to get Jan to open up, but didn't hold out much hope. Still, it was a nice moment that they got to share over time. Before long, the team crawled back into the nook in the cave wall, ready to rest for the night. Feeling Miray's curves against him most of the night was a welcome change. With all they playful visits and chats before coming down, Harrison wasn't ever sure if she'd get this close to him over the course of the trip. Perhaps it was the scare of the wight's attack that showed Miray how much she cared.

Harrison was loathe leave her side when Jan woke him for his shift on watch, but he sat up and slid over to the handy spot by the camp entrance. Sitting down in the partially concealed spot, he looked out across the cave. The bioluminescent fungi helped him spot things moving in the cave; the backlighting helped him see their outlines more easily. However, the large forms moving in the water needed no back lighting. The fact that they left wakes on the surface while still submerged made his eyes widen. "Well, I suppose there had to be something to prey upon the fish we found..." he murmured, reasoning why such a lake would have such a large species living in it.

 

[siobhancan99]

As the party explored the contours of the cave, they saw large shapes in the water a time or two again, but nothing distinct enough to really make out what might be in the clearly deep waters of the lake. The fish were a welcome change to iron rations, or the tasteless food the priest could provide. It was not terribly large , the body of water. it seemed to cover maybe a few city blocks. On the other side of the cavern was a tunnel leading back towards the heart of the city. Both Harrison and the Dwarf reckoned they were a good 400 feet or so below the surface, which was deeper than any other tunnel to date. Where they were heading may have been a primeval cavern system predating the old city itself. There certainly were no structures down here to indicate the Homines had any presence. Still, Livonia had been explicit. She expected to be able to map out what was there, and if he were to return with a 'stuff is down there' report it would not go well for his tenure at the new University of Gradzlata. So the group soldiered on. Even Jan, who was supposed to be there for the presence of the undead seemed a bit thrilled at the prospect of discovering something new.

As the party made their way through the tunnel, they came to an area where the stone was worked rather than naturally carved. "This looks like dwarf work... but not." Grimgur examined the stone "It's solid, but strange. we use none of these motifs and never have" he gestured at the carving.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison furrowed his brow as he took in the architecture for this portion of the cavern. Hearing Grimgur dismiss it as non-dwarven, he thought back through all his notes and study about the Homines. The stone cutting was very capable and exact, yet done in a non-uniform way. He shook his head slowly. "Could this predate the city? Were there even older ruins beneath the ancient city that we never knew? This may be one of the things we lost when the city fell: knowledge of a civilization that predated even the ancestor human civilizations..." he marveled, taking a piece of paper in his journal to take a rubbing of the walls. He wanted to preserve this pattern of stone work so he might review it later.

"Could the 'great evil' be from this ancient period?" He asked the group, curious of their thoughts.

 

[siobhancan99]

Reply to Harrison

Jan shrugged, but Miray considered. "Could it refer to whatever the gods supposedly trapped under the Demonska Planina? I mean that's the legend isn't it? That they threw the mountain down to destroy some terrible evil. Demonska Planina... in Gradzlatan that means mountain of the devil or something yes? So maybe... maybe there's a grain of truth to the legend"

"Not mutually exclusive, your idea and his" The dwarf offered. "What if there was a great evil that predated the city? Some sort of powerful demonic force or undead force? What if that evil was about to overtake the City and to save the souls of the inhabitants and the empire... the mountain was thrown down?"

Jan hmmmed "It doesn't explain why the gods didn't just say that. But that's always the frustrating part. The gods refuse to say what's beneath the mountain or why they threw it down. They just mumble about their will being ineffable and inexorable and ask if you want to burn in the afterlife like a jackass for questioning them, or if you want the peaceful repose offered by the twins. It's a bit of a touchy subject. It's pretty much written in every holy text about communing with the divine that you're not allowed to ask 2 questions. 1) how was the world made and 2) why did they throw the mountain down." He scratched at his stubble "They're touchy about those things. Near as we can figure out they don't have a consensus answer which has troubling implications itself."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"Deities are often hypocritical like that. So much of their dogma doesn't reflect their actions in the myths surrounding their behaviors. Also, I doubt that dropping a mountain on your problem would suffice when divine powers failed to contain whatever had been trapped. If anything, such an act would only delay the threat rather than eliminate it. Not a very good choice when you're dealing with an immortal timetable. Perhaps they needed time to prepare a response for whatever broke their seal. Something that powerful seems a bit out of our league, if I'm honest." Harrison reasoned.

Harrison frowned, looking around them. "Makes me want to turn around, pick up those chests and get back out of here," he murmured, looking around them. "Still, if there is something to learn here, I'd hate to come all the way down here and miss that chance. However, I recognize that the rest of you don't share my zeal for history and antiquity. If you think we're safer heading back, I'll accept that and happily split the treasures we take back with us to the surface. If, like me, your curiosity has been piqued, we can continue and see what awaits us down here." He offered, looking at his three companions for their thoughts. He seemed genuinely interested to hear their thoughts and was willing to follow their choice as a group.

 

[siobhancan99]

Jan shifts a bit "I'm really only in this for the undead, and there don't seem to be any down here. I'm sorry, but my vote is to return to the surface."

Grimgur frowned "A whole new cave system to explore? I'm in. But I mean, I grew up in a cave so... this is like coming home. Besides I want to see who has the arrogance to think they can build in dwarf territory."

Miray leaned on the staff. "we return. Your mission is to report back to Livonia. So do that. We can get a replacement for Jan and come back, with some treasure to fund the expedition, and Livonia's mappers working at our back. So I vote we come back. It makes the most sense, plus it would be nice to be above ground for a few days. I don't mind being underground but that doesn't mean that I'm enamored of it at the same time."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison nodded. "Then, let's make sure to mark our path on the way out. If Livonia sends mappers in with us next time, it will be easier for them to recognize where we have been," he summarized as he turns to Grimgur.

"I know it's like sliding into your favorite pants coming down here, but there is still a lot to see. We'll be back." Harrison smiled, patting the dwarf on the shoulder. If nothing else, he hoped the stalwart warrior considered him a friend now. With that settled, he put his things away, having finished his notes. Striding back up the long embankment toward the underground lake, he started working his way backwards through the ruins.

"Oh, and don't let me forget to pick up what we left behind," Harrison spoke in vagaries. He didn't know who might hear them; sounds carry in caves. The thought of getting back to the vault and finding it empty made his heart sink. He hoped they all remembered what he meant as they continued back the way they came.

 

[siobhancan99]

The quartet made their way unmolested through the upper chambers, finally coming back to the vault they'd left behind. A few trips with porters were required to take the huge amounts of cash, since much of it was in small value coins. Still, the crown bought the bronze to melt down for cannons, saving a portion of it for study and display. The four came out reasonably well ahead in the wealth department, and Jan and Miray both seemed pleased to be emerging into cold crisp fall. The September air, while bitingly cold for the south was not terrible for Harrison. Still Miray muttered "It has never once been this cold in Kesh."

As a few days passed she gradually moved some of her things into Harrison's apartment as it was "closer to the palace and the entrance." than her own abode. During their down time she studied the staff as Harrison studied his charts and drawings. Obtaining a new cleric was proving somewhat difficult at the moment, and so there were a few weeks of delay. During that time, Harrison was invited to give a report to Livonia, either at the ducal palace or her own baronial manor in the hinterlands.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison took some of the cash he got from their initial delve and reinvested it in equipment they might need for the next delve. Immovable rods as anchors, tokens to provide shelter for the group, as well as items he can use against the undead. If the great evil is still down below, he had to be ready to face it on the next delve. The long break was extremely helpful for Harrison's research. He was able to go through any documents and books he managed to salvage and collate it all into something useful. It was just the time he needed to prepare his first presentation for Livonia.
Having Miray in the house more often was a boon as well. He didn't try to fight it or spur her to move things along faster. He could tell her little excuses were more for herself than for him. She would be moved in completely in time. He had to play it cool and allow her to move at her own pace.
After a few weeks, Harrison felt confident that he had a coherent presentation and sent word to Livonia to expect him in a few days. He planned on speaking with her face to face first. If she was sold on his findings, then they could refine it so it could be ready for the Duke's eyes. In the days before, he asked if Miray wanted to travel with him. It had the potential to mean something if they were seen traveling together. After all, she wasn't much more than a mercenary when she joined his group.