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Rhys became even more concerned. Monsters (magical or mundane) and bandits he could handle, but if they were merely being led into a pit of misma or a den of magical traps to get sick and die, this mission was not something he wished to have a great part in. And yet here he was, trotting along with the rest of them.
"Hannikal," he said casually. "I'm afraid my skill in casting wards against disease is somewhat lacking for this expedition. Perhaps you could call upon the power of your Pentarchs to provide a modicum of protection?"

Rhys became even more concerned. Monsters (magical or mundane) and bandits he could handle, but if they were merely being led into a pit of misma or a den of magical traps to get sick and die, this mission was not something he wished to have a great part in. And yet here he was, trotting along with the rest of them.
"Hannikal," he said casually. "I'm afraid my skill in casting wards against disease is somewhat lacking for this expedition. Perhaps you could call upon the power of your Pentarchs to provide a modicum of protection?"

A very annoyed Nidesis heard what the mage had asked for,
"Prayers won't help us, Rhys. I'd prefer one of you two learn how to use some real magic instead of trying to call for the aid of demons that have no interest in helping us."

Hannikal was somewhat surprised, somewhat annoyed by how callous his commander was being. He realized the elves didn't believe in the same gods, but calling them demons? Absurd!

"Sir, you assume too little of me, one doesn't survive in my profession without having proper wards against disease. And these "demons" help all, human, nord or elf. Kal is nothing if not merciful. I shall of course cast a ward against disease."

He then began to chant in his native tongue, which would sound like gibberish to the rest of the party members.

"Oh Kal, though we are not truly worthy of your protection, I do ask your divine blessing against any disease that may assail us, that you may keep me and my compatriots healthy, even those who may blaspheme your name, for you are great and merciful oh Kal."

He then took a small amount of herbs from his pouch, put them in a small metal bowl and set them alight, the smell overpowering even the stench of death around them. Once this was done he threw the ashes over his shoulder and put the bowl back in his bag.

Returning to their common language he said.
"We should be safe, the spell has never failed me or my fellows in the Priesthood of Kal."

Mundzac had simply been riding along, not saying much. When the priest began his ritual he chuckled to himself thinking, "I never needed no bloody prayer to keep me safe in the wild." He looked at the city. Turning to the Knight-Commander he bluntly asked, "Is this place really worth savin'? I rather liked breathin' and what not." He dismounted. "I mean I'll follow you and all, but take some practicality into your thoughts when considering if a sentimental city is worth savin'." He unhooked his sword ((Large khopesh)) and secured it to his waist and did likewise with his bow.

Halvor didn't mind the bodies -- he had seen enough in his life that they were like rocks on the ground to him -- but the stench was too much. Death and shit don't mix well.

He reached in his satchel and pulled out a small pouch of a thick paste, which contained among other ingredients mint and the mucus from a slug known to have defensive health properties. He rubbed some of the paste under his nostrils and put a large clump in his mouth and slowly chewed on it. He didn't trust the priest's spell, and the paste had been enough in the past to protect against minor diseases. Not much else to do.

He followed the Captain and pulled out his axe. A bow won't be a much use in a sewer.

A very annoyed Nidesis heard what the mage had asked for,
"Prayers won't help us, Rhys. I'd prefer one of you two learn how to use some real magic instead of trying to call for the aid of demons that have no interest in helping us."

Rhys was equally incensed. The smell of ozone wafted through the air as sparks danced along his hands. "If I were to show you 'real' magic, boy, you would wish to be buried alive instead."
The spell dissipated, and he sighed. "Whatever we are searching for destroyed an entire city overnight. If there was any chance that he could help, no matter how heretical or far fetched, I would take it. Besides, you would not have brought him with us if you believed he was truly useless, would you?"

Hannikal's lectern

Hannikal was somewhat surprised, somewhat annoyed by how callous his commander was being. He realized the elves didn't believe in the same gods, but calling them demons? Absurd!

"Sir, you assume too little of me, one doesn't survive in my profession without having proper wards against disease. And these "demons" help all, human, nord or elf. Kal is nothing if not merciful. I shall of course cast a ward against disease."

He then began to chant in his native tongue, which would sound like gibberish to the rest of the party members.

"Oh Kal, though we are not truly worthy of your protection, I do ask your divine blessing against any disease that may assail us, that you may keep me and my compatriots healthy, even those who may blaspheme your name, for you are great and merciful oh Kal."

He then took a small amount of herbs from his pouch, put them in a small metal bowl and set them alight, the smell overpowering even the stench of death around them. Once this was done he threw the ashes over his shoulder and put the bowl back in his bag.

Returning to their common language he said.
"We should be safe, the spell has never failed me or my fellows in the Priesthood of Kal."

Rhys nodded, smelling the incense. "Very well. I hope your rituals aren't all hoaxes. In any case..."
Rhys raised his hands and chanted. "Ferrah sculiá ammenatüs."
A shimmering turquoise must descended upon them. Rhys' amulet hummed, agitated by the magic power.
"This should give us some small protection against traps and disease. It's not a lot, but with caution it should work."

Casting a silent spell for a calm, white light to follow the team, he descended into the sewers along with the rest of his comrades.

Mundzac had simply been riding along, not saying much. When the priest began his ritual he chuckled to himself thinking, "I never needed no bloody prayer to keep me safe in the wild." He looked at the city. Turning to the Knight-Commander he bluntly asked, "Is this place really worth savin'? I rather liked breathin' and what not." He dismounted. "I mean I'll follow you and all, but take some practicality into your thoughts when considering if a sentimental city is worth savin'." He unhooked his sword ((Large khopesh)) and secured it to his waist and did likewise with his bow.

Rhys seemed amused at Mundzac's comments.
"Those are not words I would have expected to come from a Knight. How did you last under the Knight-Commander's lead for so long?"

Rhys was equally incensed. The smell of ozone wafted through the air as sparks danced along his hands. "If I were to show you 'real' magic, boy, you would wish to be buried alive instead."
The spell dissipated, and he sighed. "Whatever we are searching for destroyed an entire city overnight. If there was any chance that he could help, no matter how heretical or far fetched, I would take it. Besides, you would not have brought him with us if you believed he was truly useless, would you?"

Nidesis was not the kind that would simply back down from a threat like that out of fear, nor to let it go, pointing his spear so one thrust could cut the mage's throat, he decided to show some anger like his peers did when they had to deal with insubordinate charges
"Boy? This 'boy' is your commanding officer, Mage! You might be used to those pissant nobles kissing your ass at every little parlor trick you perform, but you'll find nothing like that here. If you try to endanger the mission by flexing your balls like that again, you can say goodbye to the Order. Now, unless anyone else has any more genius actions to take, let's get into that cistern."


Descending down the ladder to the sewers, the party had to wade through the dark tunnels with only a few lanterns given to them by the guards. After a smelly, cramped, and deeply uncomfortable experience, they finally found the cistern.

A bit of natural light leaked in from above, and a deep hole could be found right below it, leading further down into the sewers. At first, Nidesis was disappointed. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. That was, at least, until the stench from that hole reached him. It was absolutely unworldly how much that place seemed to stink. Worse, it seemed to be getting closer. The smell was so overpowering, he almost didn't notice the sound. A low, deep growling from down below. The Knight-Captain held his spear and shield to his side, and told the team to be ready.
Then, suddenly, the ground gave way beneath them. Everything came collapsing down into the deep, as an incredible roar came from what was now above them. Barely conscious, Nidesis caught a glimpse of the fearsome creature, and recalled it from his studies.

It was a rock dragon. Young, from the looks of it. Its breath was an unholy stench as it had been eating the refuse from the city's garbage pits. Presumably, it had burrowed from an underground cavern that contained some of the city's groundwater, thus causing a horrid combination of dysentery with the natural poison that Rock Dragons secreted from their skin. While the mystery was solved, the end was yet to come. Trying to free himself from the rubble, he knew if one of his teammates wasn't also up and ready to fight, the dragon would feast on their trapped bodies.

From a far corner of the room, a fiery explosion burst out, sending pebbles and stones flying. Rhys stood, wounded and tired but still masked and ready to fight.
"Damn beast... Blifná e taí!"
A blizzard bolt, meant to weaken the rocky amphibian, screamed through the tunnel and slammed into the dragon.

Hannikal was lucky to have been spared the experience of Nidesis despite being right behind him. Luck sometimes did work in his favour.
Unfortunately for him he also had no combat experience, or experience with dragons in general.
"It... is... terrifying!" He stammered out, before fortunately noticing his captain struggling in the rubble. While he was no means the strongest of the group his constant travelling had left him fit if nothing else, and his complete lack of armour meant he had no worry about being encumbered by it. While managing to free Nidesis from the rubble without issue, he quickly noticed the problem, and the most likely reason he had struggled to free himself to begin with, his leg was bent at a most unnatural angle. Now this was a problem he could deal with!

Without uttering a word he got to work. Chanting in his native language he uttered the spells that he had practiced on many others, light seemed to form strings that came from his hands, bound themselves to Nidesis's leg and bent it back to where it should have been, this being done as quickly as he could. It was not an immaculate job but it would work.

"Sir that sho-" his words were cut off by Rhy's sudden appearance. An appearance that would most likely alert the beast to their presence in the dust and rubble. He could only hope his other companions were not in the same position as the captain.

The Rock dragon screamed with pain at the shock of Rhys' spells. The enraged beast ran quickly to the mage's position, ready to pounce and rip him to shreds. The Knight-Captain, struggling to his feet, dug through the rubble until he found his spear, and threw it with all his might. It hit the beast in its side, causing acidic, pitch black blood to ooze from the wound. Screaming again with terrible pain, its roar became so shrill it caused the fighters to wince. Confused and enraged, the beast began to aimlessly destroy its surroundings, and made its way back to the company of Knights, ready to trample anything in its path.

Rhys realized that he had wasted most of his power already, with the combined costs of the wards, the explosion, and the blizzard bolt taking their toll on his large but still limited magika reserves. He had to buy some time.
"Coçeen í jris!"
Stepping back from the beast, he cast a light spell meant to freeze the floor beneath the dragon's claws, in order to destabilize and disorient the enemy. Rhys stood away, letting the power return to him.

Rhys realized that he had wasted most of his power already, with the combined costs of the wards, the explosion, and the blizzard bolt taking their toll on his large but still limited magika reserves. He had to buy some time.
"Coçeen í jris!"
Stepping back from the beast, he cast a light spell meant to freeze the floor beneath the dragon's claws, in order to destabilize and disorient the enemy. Rhys stood away, letting the power return to him.

The monster began to slip and tumbled into the wall. Screaming again in terrible pain, it crawled back onto its feet. Its bleeding acidic wound began to melt the pool of ice beneath it. Still very much disoriented, now was likely a good chance to finish it off.

Halvor was awoken by a terribly loud scream. When he opened his eyes, he saw a large hole in the ceiling, which was very confusing. He heard more commotion and then another bone-chilling scream. He sat up and saw the battle before his eyes. He quickly stood up, feeling a bit dizzied, then felt the back of his head. Blood. A final flash of light and a scream brought him fully into the situation. The dragon was bleeding and disoriented. He reached down for his bow, knocked an arrow and shot it at the dragon's wound in its side, followed by another shot at the underside of its neck.

Halvor was awoken by a terribly loud scream. When he opened his eyes, he saw a large hole in the ceiling, which was very confusing. He heard more commotion and then another bone-chilling scream. He sat up and saw the battle before his eyes. He quickly stood up, feeling a bit dizzied, then felt the back of his head. Blood. A final flash of light and a scream brought him fully into the situation. The dragon was bleeding and disoriented. He reached down for his bow, knocked an arrow and shot it at the dragon's wound in its side, followed by another shot at the underside of its neck.

The monster reared its head toward Halvor after it felt another stinging pain in its side, and would ripped the recuperating Nord in half had he not fired the second arrow, which pierced the monster's fleshy underside and severed a vital artery, causing a flood of acidic blood onto the floor, which melted beneath it as yet another floor of the intricate undercity collapsed beneath it. Luckily for the Knights, this time it did not swallow them as well.
Making his way to the edge of the hole the monster fell into, the Knight-Captain saw its mangled corpse lay lifeless in the midst of yet another great chamber.
How far down did the ancients go? Nidesis thought to himself.
Stepping away from the edge, he tried his best to gather together the team.
"Well, men, we slayed the beast that was causing this illness, and brought honor to the Order. However, as you can plainly see our job is not yet done. We have no way of getting back up to the surface from this chamber, so I say we go down into those ruins the beast fell into and see if they lead us back out. Any objections?"

The monster reared its head toward Halvor after it felt another stinging pain in its side, and would ripped the recuperating Nord in half had he not fired the second arrow, which pierced the monster's fleshy underside and severed a vital artery, causing a flood of acidic blood onto the floor, which melted beneath it as yet another floor of the intricate undercity collapsed beneath it. Luckily for the Knights, this time it did not swallow them as well.
Making his way to the edge of the hole the monster fell into, the Knight-Captain saw its mangled corpse lay lifeless in the midst of yet another great chamber.
How far down did the ancients go? Nidesis thought to himself.
Stepping away from the edge, he tried his best to gather together the team.
"Well, men, we slayed the beast that was causing this illness, and brought honor to the Order. However, as you can plainly see our job is not yet done. We have no way of getting back up to the surface from this chamber, so I say we go down into those ruins the beast fell into and see if they lead us back out. Any objections?"

Mundzac simply shook his head, disappointed he did not get a chance to do something to the beast, yet pleased that the creature didn't get a chance to attack him in turn. "No I don't think I do have any objections. Though we might want to be a bit more careful going foreward. This beast looks small and I don't know much about dragons but I know that some mothers take care of their young." He chuckled. "And if this acid stuff is their blood, I'd hate to see one of these fockers when its that time of month." Mundzac paused to appreciate his sense of humor. He didn't quite mind the stench, in his time fighting he's smelt worse.