Drune Boroughkin marched down the never-ending corridors of grey granite and pale yellow limestone, visible only in the light of the two flickering torches his party carried with them. He was holding up the rear of the recon party, just as he had for the past four days. During his time away from home, his life had been the same cycle of waking up, marching for hours on end through nearly identical tunnels, eating, sleeping, repeating ad nauseam. He would've tried to steer the group back to Kindlehearth if not for the fact he was stuck here at his father's behest. He had been graciously volunteered to be Kindlehearth's representative in this mercenary party.
The hired muscle, or Bleakerman's "Windblown Leaves," according to Roderick, was highly recommended by Bleakerman's higher-ups. The guild had provided his father with dossiers on each of the party's four members. Drune had been expected to familiarize himself with the party before his departure with them. So he skimmed the dossiers.
As far as he could tell, it was adequate for his city's needs. It was led by a human hunter by the name of James Thurben that had a long track record with the guild. The role of the mage was carried by Malyra Gildenyew, a young eleven woman who stood in contrast to her party leader's experience, her being a brand new addition to the guild. The primary blade of the group was Roderick Gricks, a massive man whose stature spoke of a distinct leaning toward his partially giant heritage. Oddly he also seemed to specialize in sneaking and knife work if the dossier was to be believed. And finally, the healer and support of the party was Cretch Aurum, a bronze scaled scaleling that sported a crest of red feathers. He was second in seniority only to James, having served with the guild as a part of many different parties over his years of service.
Before meeting this mercenary party, Drune had never met an elf or scaleling. He would've bet good coin most of the citizenry of Kindlehearth hadn't either. Over the last few days of underground travel, his nervousness hadn't passed. They had proven themselves friendly enough, but Drune couldn't get over the chill that ran up his spine every time he heard Cretch's hissing voice. And Malyra proved as abrasive as any of the miners his father employed. What was surprising to Drune, however, was that of all of the party, it was the human James that was the most off-putting.
James was a cruel taskmaster, who definitely had some form of strict martial background beyond the cursory description in the dossier. Every hour of the journey was strictly regulated, the man seemed to count every breath and step as if it was a precious resource to be misered away. Rest time was minimized, and marching distance was set to a standard that crept higher every day. Drune didn't think the others of the party were even phased by the strenuous pace, or at the very least, they didn't show it. Cretch and Malyra kept in particularly high spirits with Malyra trading jibes and jokes for Cretch's seemingly inexhaustible supply of mercenary stories as they trudged along. Roderick had proven a man of few words and just marched in front of them and behind James, seemingly content to listen in without adding anything himself. His grin never faded from beneath his big bushy beard as he silently listened to his two party members.
Drune, on the other hand, felt himself wilting with every passing hour. His previously immaculate blonde beard was frazzled and unkempt, and his freshly scratched and marred boots drug with every step. He'd have to have them polished when he returned home. He had swiftly grown resentful toward his earlier self, and that moron's confidence in the utter necessity of heavy plate armor. He had known without a shadow of a doubt the protection it provided was paramount, but here he was becoming bored out of his mind and thoroughly worn out by added weight. The other's upbeat spirits didn't help matters either. After all, he was just a representative of the town's interest, not an explorer. How could these seasoned adventurers expect him to keep up with their mad pace? It was totally unreasonable.
The now muted discussion of Malyra and Cretch, followed by the lumbering, yet strangely muffled, footfalls of the approaching half-giant lifted Drune from his self-deprecating thoughts. In a surprisingly soft voice, Roderick whispered. "Boss says he heard some odd noises from down the next tunnel. We'll be dousing torches and moving forward slowly for a little bit. You'll be holding the rear of the trail rope from behind Malyra, alright?"
Butterflies shifted in Drune's stomach. The break from monotony served to remind him why they were all down here in the first place. After this cave system was discovered north of Kindlehearth, dozens of enterprising young dwarves decided it'd be a great idea to seek their fortune in the unplumbed depths. As it turned out, many had spoken with more bravado than wisdom. A significant portion of the would-be explorers didn't return, and those that did felt the whole area was off somehow, despite finding nothing of interest.
A full sweep was made by the local guard in response but didn't turn anything up. They found no apparent dangers locally, and the whole area seemed barren compared to Kindleheath's southern mining prospects. So, in an effort to use every avenue to find the missing miners, Drune's father Gethrin suggested hiring a less conspicuous reconnaissance team to search. The council of guild lords thought it would be acceptable, but required one stipulation be included. A representative of the city had to be involved in the efforts. Gethrin, never being one to miss an opportunity, volunteered his eldest son, much to Drune's discontent.
Roderick, recognizing the painfully obvious unease of Drunes face, and set one oversized hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "Don't worry so much about it. It's just precautionary. If we spot anything weird, we're pulling back. We're just a recon team, ya think we would've brought you along if we were getting into anything crazy? Just keep ahold of the rope until the torches are lit again. Alright?"
"Right, thanks. How much longer do we need to delve, do you think?" Drune asked, trying to match the half-giants whisper.
"I think the boss was pushing to reach the deepest point of our plan soon. I think we only have a fe-" Roderick was elaborating before James draped a matte black cloth over his torch, dousing the flames. "Gotta go. Don't fret on it much, Drune, we're almost halfway. I think." Roderick said before he passed the end of a line of rope to Drune. Roderick made his way back to his position in line before Malyra extinguished their backup torch and plunged the group into total darkness.
Drune held his lifeline in a white-knuckled grip and marched along as quietly as his armor would allow. The next moments seemed to stretch on for hours, as Drune was guided through unknown tunnels by the steady tug of the rope, and the soft padding of his companion's march. He was horribly aware once again of how bad an idea the armor was. He was by a wide margin making the most noise of any of the party; even Roderick's tremorous footfalls seemed to be felt more than heard. But, no one said anything, and the march continued forward without interruption for a time.
As he walked, placing one boot in front of the other as carefully as he could, the rope went slack. Drune's nervousness spiked, and his heart beat at a faster tempo. He nearly jumped out of his boots when he heard Malyra's barely audible whisper from in front of his face. "There's a light up ahead, well be approaching to see what it is. Stay at the rear of the line. If it proves dangerous, we'll be retreating. Got it?" Drune began to vigorously nod his head, before wincing at the clanking of metal on metal as his helmet followed his nodding.
Malyra hissed between her teeth at the noise. "Quiet, keep quiet. I'm going to assume that was a yes. Just keep out of the way" Drune remained silent but was happy to oblige. The line went taut once more, and they continued forward at a reduced pace. After a few more minutes of marching through the dark, even Drune was able to see the faint bit of illumination, showing a discrete silhouette of Malyra's whip-thin form in front of him. The source was further down the cave system. Their tunnel continued straight, but the light came from an offshoot on the right-hand wall ahead of them. As they approached, James disappeared around the edge of the corner, followed by Roderick, Cretch, and Malyra.
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As Drune took the turn, he felt the tugging of the guideline. The party pulled him further into a massive cavern. The cavern was easily 30 feet tall and seemed to stretch out well past the area illuminated by the light. The source of which was a ball of green luminescence that floated roughly 7 feet off the ground at the apparent center of the expanse. Drune was momentarily stunned at the shift from confining tunnels to the massive cavern. But, the continued tugging of the line brought him back to focus, and thoroughly confused him. His party marched toward the center of the room without any effort made toward stealth or caution.
He gripped the rope tightly and began to pull his wayward companions back. But as he watched their unnerving march, his eyes caught the glowing orb again. It was extraordinarily odd, but at the same time, it reminded Drune of a massive uncut gem. It was beautiful, pristine, and beyond any wonder of the earth, he had ever seen. If he could get his hands such a prize, his name would be next to that of Gildur, possibly even Forten. A find of this size might even eclipse their hoards combined. His name would be immortalized. Before his fogging mind could realize it, he found himself walking in line with his companions, with dreams of glittering glory dancing through his head.
His pleasant dreams and ambitious plans were cut short, however. As James walked to within arms reach of the orb, all five distracted delvers were startled by a cacophonous sound like that of a gong being struck. Drune was harshly shoved flat on his back. In the brief silence after the echoes of his armor being struck faded, a wooden bolt with shattered steel tip clattered to the ground away from him. Looking at his plate armor, he could see and feel a deep dent that poked into his upper chest with every breath. The silence stretched on as the companions regained their composure and sense. The telltale twang of a loosed crossbow solidified the panic growing in the pit of Drune's stomach, and a wooden bolt sprouted from Cretch's thigh.
Cretch fell to one knee and shouted in pain. The shadows around the edges of the carven seemed to roil and spill into the faint light cast by the anomalous orb. Five massive blad grey-skinned canid creatures charged the party, growling, and yipping to each other as they entered the light. Drune's companions, having awoken from their stupor, braced for the charge. Before anyone else had reacted to the offensive, James had drawn and loosed an arrow in one swift motion. Twin knives, long enough to be short-swords in their own right, appeared in Rodericks's hands gripped like daggers a second after. Malyra moved to interpose herself between Cretch and the beasts, and began to move her hand in circular curling patterns in front of her.
The creature's charge brought them up to the group, short one member who now limped around the edges of the light, an arrow jutting from its left shoulder. Drune lost track of his companions as his view was engulfed by a massive wolven head that began to bite at him before he could stand himself back up. Drune reached out and held the snapping maws at bay as best he could, his hands saved only by his metal gauntlets as he barely kept the fangs from ripping into his shoulder. The wolf reared back and shook its maw, breaking Drune's hold on its teeth. It planted one massive paw on Drune's shoulder before lunging at his helmeted head.
The beast clamped onto his helmet, setting Drune's ears to ringing. The creature began to violently wrench his head left and right, trying to tear Drune's head from his body. And as suddenly as the assault on his cranium began, the painful tugging stopped. Drune found himself crushed beneath the limp body of a hairless wolf monster. Breathing heavily, Drune ineffectually tried to shove the body off himself and was helped partway through the process when Roderick yanked his knife out of the creature's spine and rolled the corpse off of Drune with a solid kick.
Roderick grabbed Drune by his good shoulder and hoisted him up to his feet. Malyra was now holding up her hand in front of her, and a glowing silvery half dome spread out from her hand. The additional light gave Drune a view of the rest of the cavern. Aside from the two canid corpses and the remainder of their wounded pack, at least a dozen different creatures milled about in the gloom. And, most disconcertingly, three dwarves stood in their midst, one of which was loading and readying a crossbow, seemingly unconcerned with his monstrous cohorts. James cautiously walked backward toward Drune and Roderick, one of Cretch's arms draped over his shoulder.
"Drune, get over here." He ordered. Drune dutifully hustled over, and James unceremoniously dropped the scaleling's weight across Drune's unsteady shoulders. "Take him, and head back up the tunnel, well be right behind you." As he spoke, he turned and readied an arrow across his bow while continuing to retreat. Malyra, her face fixed in a rictus of concentration, moved just in front of James, keeping the shield between themselves and the crowd of their assailants. As she stepped backward, the half-dome of energy moved with her, almost completely covering the entrance to the cavern they had entered through. With a twang, a bolt was loosed by one of the dwarven assailants and slammed into the barrier. A bout of silver sparks burst forth, and ripples spread from the impact point. Malyra's retreat shuddered to a stop. Her eyes briefly fogged over in exertion before they regained their focus as the ripples dissipated across the shield.
Drune hefted Cretch's weight and began to laboriously flee down the tunnel they came from. Before he turned the corner, he saw Roderick move to stand next to James and lean over, asking, "Why are they just milling about? I recognize some of the monsters out there. A dire-ant, bleak-hound, or carrion worm working together sounds like a bad joke."
"I know, but we don't have much choice but to deal with it right now. Once we get out, past the tunnel entrance, we're bolting. Malyra, keep the shield up a little longer were almost clear of the cavern." James responded, helping to guide Malyra backward. By this point, Drune had retreaded beyond where he could see them or hear their subdued discussion. Drune kept his mind focused on putting on foot in front of the other, supporting Cretch, and keeping one hand along the left side wall to navigate the darkened tunnel. A few moments later, he heard a shout and a clatter from behind him.
The footfalls of multiple people rapidly approached. A light lit up behind him, drawing his attention. Looking back, he saw his three remaining companions in a dead sprint running toward him from the cavern entrance him. Roderick was supporting an exhausted Malyra, and James had had the presence of mind to light their torch to guide them. The flame illuminated the offshoot tunnel they were fleeing from, and the menagerie of monster that poured forth on the heels of his companions could be clearly seen. That was a scene that would haunt Drune for the rest of his life, which he was convinced was swiftly approaching its end.
Drune chose to refocus on his flight and on supporting Cretch, lest that nightmarish image overwhelm his already panicking mind. This was well beyond his worst fears when he had left Kindlehearth less than half a week ago. Turning forward to watch where he was going now that the tunnel was lit, he stopped dead in his tracks, having nearly run into a hulking furry mass. An ape-like thing, almost as tall as Roderick and covered in coarse red hair, blocked the majority of the tunnel in front of Drune. Drune could see the silhouettes of other beings that milled about behind it, blocking his avenue home.
He felt something break within him. He wasn't made for this; he didn't belong here, what could he hope to do against a nightmare like this? As hope fled him, he stopped supporting Cretch, who promptly fell to his side without Drune's aid.
The three companions caught up to Drune and saw the odd standoff as the ape monster made no move to advance on the stunned dwarf and scaleling. As they approached, Drune turned to them, seemingly not even noticing they were there. Before any of the bedraggled party could stop him, he had run past the group toward the oncoming horde of monsters, screaming in panicked fear all the while. As he left the light provided by the torch, the stunned party turned back toward the calm hulking beast that blocked their path. To their further confusion, the ape stepped aside. It revealed a passage filled with an even wider variety of creatures, and dwarves hefting worn mining equipment and ruined clothes.
At the center of the swarm flanked by the vanguard of ragged dwarves, a hideous orange carapaced creature stood atop a pair of insectoid legs. It looked over the remaining party with its two spherical black eyes before it began to make an odd gurgling noise and raise its arms toward the remaining party. Its arms were triple jointed. They ended in three elongated tentacle-like fingers that swiftly traced out faintly luminous intricate patterns in the air between itself and the party with surgical precision.
James was the only one to keep his wits in the face of this devolving situation. With practiced ease, he nocked, drew, and loosed an arrow at the creature as it continued to write. But before the arrow had even left the bow, a gaunt dwarf with an unkempt black beard and visible ribs beneath his pallid skin lept between James and the creature. James visibly paled as the arrow stuck home in the dwarf's chest. Like a puppet with its strings cut, the dwarf fell loosely to floor softly moaning, just as the creature completed drawing an ominous and complicated sigil in the air. Before James could act again or Malyra and Roderick could gather themselves, a now-familiar ball of luminescence formed inches in front of the party. That was the last sight any of the party had before their minds went dark.