CH. 04 - Written in Blood

[Daos]

Vulpi leads the way down the tunnel.  After about twenty feet of traversing it, the party becomes aware of three things.  First, the smell is growing stronger.  Second, there is a light about twenty feet ahead.  Third, they can hear singing.  A single woman's voice, singing the Awakening Song that they heard in Promise.

[Bishgada]

"Phew! Is it always so stinky underground?" Chispa mutters. Hearing the song she tenses and looks at Ha-Yun for guidance.

[sarcastiksh0rtee37]

To Chispa: "depends, the ground can sometimes help instigate air currents through temperature differences with the outside, but it can also hold air making it stagnant" before calling out to the voice "Hello, we have come to help especially to ensure the safety of Kianna. Are you yourself okay and do you need assistance?"

[HorizonsDream]

Ha Yun had covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve upin smelling the odor. When Vulpi calls out to the voice, she winces a bit. "Why are you announcing that we are here when we don't know what we will be facing down here?" She asks in a harsh whisper. If it is danger, they just lost the element of surprise.

[sarcastiksh0rtee37]

"These are sick people, not intentionally malicious people. Intentionally surprising sick people is dangerous for both parties and immoral. If they understand you are here to help and know you are coming then you are more likely to get a measured and safe reaction. This is the first vocal person we have met here, they are our best chance of understanding what is going on and treating this land."

[Daos]

When Vulpi begins shouting, the ground starts to rumble again.  Dust particles fall from the ceiling above, but then the ground settles down.  The woman says, "Hush now, you'll wake him!" and then resumes her singing, her voice growing hoarse as if she had been doing this for awhile now.

[sarcastiksh0rtee37]

"Well, shall we see who she would like to keep sleeping?"

[Daos]

Vulpi leads the way, now that any element of surprise has been discarded.  The tunnel opens into a lantern-lit, packed-dirt chamber, where the cause of the stench becomes apparent.  A dozen bodies lie strewn across the floor, all wearing the clothes of farmers.  Many of their limbs have been cleanly removed and set into a sizable pile on the far side of the cavern.  In the center of the room, a young woman is singing.  She looks like she's in a dream state, and she holds a knife loosely, but her eyes aren't crimson like those of the other farmers.

[sarcastiksh0rtee37]

From their backpack, Vulpi pulls out parchment, ink, and quill and writes: "We are here to help, but do not have a full grasp of what is going on. Are you able to enlighten us? How do you remain free of the crimson eyes?"

[HorizonsDream]

Ha Yun takes in the whole scene and can't help but gasp considering it was a gruesome display. She was fairly certain that this was the work of a "sick" person, not a physically ill person. Sje was also certain that the woman singing had something to do with it. Since Vulpi wad already trying to speak with the woman, Ha Yun tries to see who she is singing over. The lecture about how dangerous all of this was would have to wait.

[Daos]

Listening to the song, Ha-Yun recognizes parts of it as being from the Awakening song she heard back in Promise.  Specifically, it's the part of the song that tells the story of a young man named Culley.  Rather than the usual content, where the boy dies of drowning, the song has been sloppily rewritten to feature Culley being saved by his closest friend.

Vulpi writes something down on some parchment, presumably in Common, and walks up to the woman to show her.  She looks up at them in a daze when they approach, but doesn't seem to notice or even see the writing.  She stops singing and says hoarsely, "Please go.  You shouldn't be here."  Then suddenly, her demeanor and personality seems to change radically.  Perkily, she asks, "Y'all want to stay for a bit?  You can meet my friend Culley.  He's always looking for new friends."

[Bishgada]

"Kianna? Is it you? Your mother has sent us to see to your safety!" Chispa says quickly hoping she will return to singing to whatever "Culley" Kianna refers to, as it was sound ominous.
While doing so, she quickly looks around to see if there is another thing in the room except the pile of limbs, and would it be possible Kianna refers to this pile as "Culley". After all they have seen running hands coming at them before.

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(OOC: I thought that perception would fit now as Chispa tries to take a glimpse and logically connect the dots. If it incorrect please ignore it.
Perception: _kbQoj1z1d20+3)

1d20+3

[Daos]

"I am Kianna, yes," the woman confirms.  "Huh?  Mother?  My mother died a long time ago of sickness.  Oh, you must mean my godmother, Aunt Dellie," she reasons.  She looks saddened.  "She sent you all this way just to find me?  I wonder why."  Abruptly, she perks up again.  "As you can see, I'm great.  Ever since Culley returned, I've never been happier."

Glancing around the cavern, Chispa can tell it is not natural.  Someone or something burrowed through multiple points, eventually creating this cavern and apparently eventually breaking into the cellar.  Small tunnels, too small for any person to fit, spread out like elongated fingers in all directions.  There's no telling how deep they might go, or how far out.

The pile of limbs seem to be just that, at a glance.  A rather grisly pile of human arms all piled together in a haphazard fashion.

[sarcastiksh0rtee37]

Vulpi: "Aunt Dellie is worried about you, some strange things have happened in town and she is worried for your safety. Kianna, do you think Culley and you could come visit Aunt Dellie for a little bit just so she knows you are safe? I don't want her to rely on our word alone. [after her response] Also, would you mind if my friend Seeboe casts detect magic down here, with all the strange happenings we are not sure what is going on and doing so could help us to learn if there is any residual magic here that we could then compare to any residual magic elsewhere. This is your place, and I don't want us to do anything you are not okay with."
(ropeless)

If Kianna is fine with Seeboe casting detect magic, then Seeboe will cast detect magic.
(ropeless)

[Daos]

"L-Leave?" Kianna asks.  "What?  No...no, no, I can't leave.  Too much to do, it's harvest season, you know.  I just don't see how we would get away with all the work to do."  She shakes her head.  "You can go back and tell Aunt Dellie we're fine here, though.  Or ask her to come down herself.  I'm sure she'd love to see Culley again."  Her demeanor suddenly shifts again, and sullenly she says, "Don't do that, Aunt Dellie can't come here, and you shouldn't be here, either.  It's too dangerous.  You should get out while you can."

She adds, "Magic?  Don't know why you'd think there'd be any magic here.  But go ahead, if you like."

Seeboe casts his spell and examines the cavern carefully.  As Kianna stated, he finds no evidence of any magic down there anywhere.