Chapter 51 - Violetta's Regret

Heading down the pathway to the Thieves’ Entrance, the six had little trouble getting through the initial barred entrance. Violetta and Raeyn were quick to guide them through the pressure plates and bring them to the room where Wilde had betrayed them. Granted the power to see in the dark, Violetta let out a gasp as she caught a glimpse of the burned bodies of Cade, Huron and Wilde. She clenched her fists and turned away at the sight, but Raeyn stepped forward and stood over the burned and bloated remains that were a mix of natural and unnatural death.

“What happened?” Raeyn asked and caught the scent of decay, “They were not like this before.”

“Well,” Cake approached and stood over Huron’s half charred form, “Seems despite being underground the natural processes of death and decay are at play. If you look closely, you can see the green mold has already begun to take over.”

Cookie nodded, “Then we know we are on the right path, as we are so far into the depths that normal processes would be greatly slowed if allowed to happen at all. The green mold means one significant problem. Cleaners.”

“Cleaners?” Sig asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“Slimes.” Violetta answered, “The underground has a completely different method of recycling nutrients and breaking down living matter. Most important of them are large viscous slimes which break down elements of volcanic elements for survival. Slimes are unintelligent, but capable of skittering and engulfing living material. They serve as a sort of domesticated pet of dwarven settlements, particularly they thrive in latrines, waste pits and they reproduce via spores that only grow on putrefying remains.”

“They eat the dead…” Locke shuddered at that, “This is horrible to see, but to think that they are going to become new slimes…”

“Cookie, could you please.” Violetta asked.

“This room is nothing but stone, I cannot bury them.” The Kithe wondered if Violetta really had intended for her to do something without bringing down the entire chamber to ‘bury’ them.

Raeyn approached Wilde’s body, and a surge of fire formed in her right hand that then extended and enveloped the body. The flame was unnatural as it shot from her hand and twisted around Wilde’s corpse, the fire surging and liquifying the stone and the body itself into a rippling mass of white crystalline glass.

“That is one way to handle it.” Cake agreed, “We can take a fragment of the crystals back for purification. Easier than lugging around a rotting skull.”

“No.” Violetta said to Raeyn as she set her pack down and pulled out two black pieces of cloth and a small hatchet, “Cade and Huron deserve better.”

“Such dedication.” Cookie nodded as Violetta took it upon herself to perform the gruesome task of collecting the skulls, and in the case of Cade, removing the offending arrow, “Let’s hope she doesn’t have to add to her collection on this trip.”

Cake flipped through her cards while waiting and Raeyn snuck a peek from behind, but the Kithe was not particularly guarded about them. She saw that they had details on the physical abilities and some elegantly written descriptions of each person. Though she could not make out the bottom half, she was aware now that she could read the language due to Belos’ influence.

“You have not gotten beyond this room with the dwarven statues?” Cake asked as she put away the cards and turned to Raeyn.

“Not yet, but at the end of this hallway was a vertical shaft.”

“Probably another trap.” Cake concluded, “Depending on its nature one part might go straight into the trash pile, but if it doesn’t split then we should be able to enter the ‘treasure room’ with relative ease. Getting in through the back is a real pain, but I doubt any dwarves are left alive to open the door for us or to activate anything. We will just have to break in the hard way. Cookie should be able to force anything open besides the main gates.”

After Violetta finished and replaced the cloth-wrapped skulls in her pack, they were ready to move on, but Sig and Locke had come to notice something about the room. They stood looking at the statues on each side.

“This room has already been figured out, but the answer is wrong. Guards do not face one another; they face outward from what they defend. If they face one another, it is for a ceremony.” Sig said.

Cake nodded, “You think that the spores growing on them lead to the trash pit, but if we fix it, the correct chamber will open up?”

“Yes.” Sig said confidently, “The floor as indents for the statues, but I would be willing to bet there is another mechanism which opens the way only when the correct positions are made. Could you rotate them to face the front of the room, Cookie?”

Cookie sighed and looked at the statues, “More heavy lifting? I thought that is why we brought strong soldiers like yourself.”

Pulling out her chalk, Cookie scoffed and began to draw on the floor, “Let’s make this quick. The smell of this room is really getting to me. Raeyn, take care of the rest of the bodies if you could. Slimes should not be allowed to increase their numbers.”

“Go ahead.” Violetta said to Raeyn.

Raeyn nodded and set to work liquifying and crystallizing the remains of Cade and Huron. Liquifying the stone floor and melting the bodies into a strange glass was something she did not know she could do, or why it felt natural. Cremation was the standard method of Gobbos, but Violetta was content to allow her to carry out this rite on them. Perhaps it was that the rest of the body was not important. She did not know for certain, but Violetta let out a soft sigh as the bodies of her former party were converted to milky white glass crystal, “I am sorry. I failed you both.”

Infocards

Name: Sig

Strength: 230
Dexterity: 180

Constitution: 245

Intelligence: 120

Wisdom: 107

Charisma: 145

Type: 8

Assertive and confident with a stoic exterior. An upstanding and loyal protector. Sig is a powerful ally in group dynamics but suffers from his more basic desires. If anything, his simplicity and openness to embrace the unknown makes him suitable for special missions. Has a tendency to dominate if not put into conventional power structures.

Name: Locke

Strength: 125
Dexterity: 166

Constitution: 145

Intelligence: 140

Wisdom: 110

Charisma: 136

Type: 9

Loyal and supportive, but conflict averse. Locke is calm and empathetic but is slow to act. Often acts as a mediator for group conflicts but tends to put himself outside of any situation in order to resolve conflicts. A capable warrior if moved to action. Tends to be indifferent to leadership and has his own moral compass.

Name: Cookie

Strength: 81
Dexterity: 105

Constitution: 85

Intelligence: 110

Wisdom: 138

Charisma: 105

Type: 5

A powerful, but cynical and often combative priestess. Cookie is observant and quick-witted, but ultimately weak on her own. Struggles to make actual emotional connections and has a superiority complex. Suffers from a desire to gain more power and social standing by any means necessary. A tough individual to work with.

Name: Cake

Strength: 83
Dexterity: 110

Constitution: 100

Intelligence: 210

Wisdom: 180

Charisma: 136

Type: 3

The contents of the card have been made illegible by being dipped in ink.

Name: Vinaraeya

Strength: 73
Dexterity: 85

Constitution: 75

Intelligence: 100

Wisdom: 83

Charisma: 71

Type: 4

A well-meaning Gobbo who has long suffered for reasons beyond her control. Suffers from identity confusion and has a tough time controlling her emotions. Will swing from hopeful to depressive to contemplative with surprising speed. A follower who shirks responsibility when possible. Has blessings of Belos and Maelyn but remains cursed. High potential, but envious.

Violetta

Strength: 120
Dexterity: 115

Constitution: 135

Intelligence: 125

Wisdom: 120

Charisma: 105

Type: 8

Confident and powerful with good leadership qualities. Capable and quick to action, Violetta has a strong protective instinct and a hidden softer side. Tends to want to be in control, even superficially to maintain power dynamics. Struggles with lust and inadequacy towards women. Likely sapphic from the thoughts directed at the evaluator.

General Stronghold

Strength: 2–

Dexterity: 2–

Constitution: –

Intelligence: –
Wisdom: –

Charisma: 1–

Type: –

General in charge of military operations. Information is prohibited. This card can only be read by its creator.