player plot: the horror of sarrux's pass

[aberratic]

WHO: Caius, Gwen, Hermione, Jayce, Ness, Siorus, Stephen, Vanya (sumptus, elegiaque, reparo, pathlit, aberratic, wildered, portalling, wearyallalone)
WHAT: The Horrors Cometh
WHEN: Beginning of Harvestmere (October)
WHERE: Sarrux's Pass, outside Wycome
NOTES: OOC post here. TWs for body horror, NPC death, ghost town/apocalypse vibes, children in upsetting situations, and general horror stuff.

Characters

CAIUS

GWENAËLLE

HERMIONE

JAYCE

NESS

SIORUS

STEPHEN

VANYA

The residents of Sarrux's Pass, a small village tucked into the mountains of the Free Marches, have long held that their settlement used to be a bustling trade city where dwarves were as plentiful as humans and they had constant contact between the surface and the Deep Roads. These were assumed by the surrounding cities to be nothing more than fanciful legends for decades, but any long-time resident swore it was the truth, lost to time and "monsters in the deep."

Residents were finally vindicated a few months ago when an earthquake caused a landslide in the surrounding mountains, revealing a long-lost outlet from the Deep Roads. At first, residents of the pass were apprehensive, all too aware of the dangers posed by such an opening, but the longer they went without Darkspawn spilling from the entrance, the more eager they became to investigate.

Eventually, the bravest among them began to enter the Roads, in search of ore and artifacts. They were vindicated again, finding both, and Sarrux's Pass quickly became a magnet for treasure hunters, Lords of Fortune, historians, archaeologists, and anyone in search of a quick buck. Even in the face of the Venatori invasion of the Marches, the promise of fame and riches drew handfuls of people seeking their fortunes to the Pass. News from the area was steady, and filled with discoveries and success stories—as well as the brawls, backstabbing, and even the occasional murder that comes with any good gold rush town.

It's been a few months since the reveal of the Deep Roads entrance. News from Sarrux's Pass has slowed to a trickle, then a drip, and now, in the past weeks, nothing. The last message to make it out of the village three weeks ago said simply: "We weren't just right about the dwarves." The parchment was stained with an unidentifiable liquid—not water, not blood—which smelled of the sea.

Riftwatch has been tasked with investigating the village, with three goals: find out what happened to the residents, recover whatever valuables they can from the Deep Roads, and, if necessary, close the entrance again. There may be Venatori in the area, or Darkspawn, or territorial prospectors—without contact with the village, there's no way of knowing what Riftwatch may discover. © tessisamess

Comments

[wearyallalone]

Detached and calm, he has the thought that this will certainly feature in some nightmares if he survives all this. But it's a fleeting thought that he lets go before it has time to properly register.

Instead of trying to cut her mouth apart immediately — it could easily do more harm than good, and he'd have to get out his dagger which would mean sheathing his sword — he gestures toward Gwenaëlle. "If you're not too hurt to move, we have to get away from that pit and somewhere more defensible. I'll give you the best cover I can as we run, but to do that you're going to have to take most of her weight. If you can't, I'll have to carry her and just pray we don't take any hits that are too well-aimed."

It's shouted rather than thought, though whether that's out of stubbornness or ignorance that he can answer her in his mind as well is anyone's guess. The chaos means they aren't particular targets, but it also means they won't have long before the next aggressor gets close enough to take a swing. Whatever they do next, it needs to be quick.

[aberratic]

Confident now that she's not about to be under threat from a friend, Ness pushes herself to her feet, taking stock of her injuries with careful movements while she crosses over to Gwenaëlle. She's tender, bruised—but her arms still work, she can bend at the elbow. There's every likelihood she'll be exacerbating her injuries by asking her arms to do this, it hurts to move, even if she can—

but she can.

I'll do it, she promises, straight into his head, and kneels down next to Gwenaëlle, slipping gently into her mind. The gaps are getting easier to see, easier to move through without ripples.

Captain, I'm going to lift you up. Please don't throw up on me.

Gingerly, teeth grit against the pain in her own arms, she pulls Gwenaëlle's arm over her shoulder and stands. Sweat beads on her forehead, but her grip holds firm and her legs bear up under her, supporting them both without shaking. She looks to Vanya, inhuman eyes unreadable, and pours herself back into his thoughts.

Ready.