The last bit of that sentence caught Iosif’s attention. Down here, there was only one readily available source for recharging the Sunstones, and he would have to act whether he liked it or not.
So with a grumpy air Iosif removed the catskin from its perch in his armor and dutifully extended it to Eldon, only realizing after the fact that Eldon was in too great a position to accept such a menial task as charging the plate.
The drunk hesitated, the creature’s lifeless eyes seemed to bore a hole directly into his soul pleading for mercy. “Blast!” Kanei jammed his sword into its scabbard and retrieved his grappling hook.
“You’re weak.”
Callen is still looking for Scane.
You find the Representatives all conversing together.
“… -imal casualties, all told. Some equipment here as we-” They pause as you approach. The Scholar Representative cuts in before anyone else.
“Yes, mercenary?”
“I believe these belong to the Alliance Representative.” He says, holding out the quiver, bolts and crossbow.
“And, please, call me Callen.” He adds.
“It’s not mine. I found them during the fight. Looks like this was a weapon factory of some sort.”
Hereward grimaced underneath the mask and takes a brief look to see where the bodies are. He then looks back at his sergeant and the aid, quietly grumbling as he pulls out his wicked knife.
“Of course–sir.” He almost spat out the word like some mucus that lodged in one’s throat.
“What should be done with their belongings? And of the dead Gores? We can’t leave either out. Perhaps, with permission, we can burn them? The area not far back seemed to be safe for fire.”
Kanei makes his way over towards the scholar representative. He didn’t really hold the most respect for him, nor his decisions. Kanei tries to avert his eyes from the corpses but finds that he cannot.
You know what you did.
“shut up!” he whispers harshly.
“Usual protocol. Salvage weapons, bedrolls, and the like, leave their personal effects. Valuable will be … redistributed.” You know from experience that Gottlieb has a unique definition of “redistribute”.
The aide nods. “The Chevalier Vaughn has give you permission to take them and burn them. He has already sent mine analysts to find a suitable location.”
He turns to face you. The other Representatives seem to have left to take care of their own respective factions.
“Sir is there anything, or anywhere I’m needed?” Kanei inquires, he wouldn’t usually ask for work, but he needed something to take his mind off of what he had just seen.
He seems puzzled for a moment, and then “Ah! Kan … Kanis? Yes, well, not really. Take this time to rest, or help the others search the factory.”
Callen nods and puts the things away before turning to scout the factory for loot.
naturally Kanei chose the most distracting option. He began to walk off before realizing something.
The merc has your sunstone.
he curses once again under his breath as he turns and follows Callen.
Iosif stood, waiting for the plate to finish being recharged.
Eldon had given him a blank stare for almost an entire minute, which ended in Iosif breaking eye contact sheepishly and going to find the closest Scholars aide. It was a very painful reminder of exactly how much the person who cared for him the most actually cared, and even now he tensed in anticipation of the ungrateful aide possibly clipping him in the back of the head for bothering them with something so menial at a time like this.
The aide charging the plate was clearly agitated, as he was pressing the catskin into the plate a lot harder than he should have been. Unlike the other aides, he was also lifting the plate with one hand while charging it with the other - which considering it was affixed meant Iosif was forced to stand at an awkward angle.
Finally the light coming off of Iosif’s skin was as bright as it had been before. The cloth was tossed on his head and the aide disappeared into the decreasing shadows with a bitter curse. Other members of the Scholars’ party approached and held their Sunstones in front of their vision to not be blinded from directly staring.
Callen hears Kanei’s approach and turns to face him then returns the sunstone to the warrior before he starts examining the abandoned equipment of the factory for stuff to make a torch out of (Flint, oil, fabric and wood) along with some scraps to sell on the black market.
Kanei takes it. And holds it up hoping to catch some charge for it, before returning to searching for anything useful hopefully at some point down here he can find a forge and craft some weapons.
Bren hadn’t considered there would be much organic left in Gravesbane. After all, his mind was affixed mostly for the mechanical, and that was the reason he was here, anyways.
As Bren held the Sunstone openly, he noticed its light being recharged. For a second time now, the boy in the cage glowed like the very sun was with them.
For a moment, Bren questioned if it was the cage that provided this power. Or perhaps…perhaps the boy himself was just as strange as these stones?
Was it man, or machine?
As bedrolls are laid out and sunstones inserted into special lanterns, most of the expedition again sort itself into its constituent factions.
As the building is explored, you begin to get a better understanding of it - it seems to be one large room, with several ledges, tracks, and rails built into the ceiling. The walls are stone, cracked in many places. The floor is strewn with Gore droppings and other waste; toppled crates, shredded machinery.
As more and more light fills the building, you hear screeches from far above you. In the receding shadows, you see the movement of Gores’ wings, flying between perches or wheeling in circles. After a moment, as if the creatures all shared a common signal, the Gores dive down and to the side, towards a large, square opening in the wall. There are roughly a dozen of the large ones you fought, and many smaller, all of which disappear into the vent.
Those of you that are searching the factory find many scraps of metal and components. In some crates, there are several of the small crossbows Callen used earlier, as well as multiple cases of steel quarrels.
After a moment, you hear a cry from the far corner of the building.
The cry is just to your left.
While exploring the room, Bren is going to salvage some components and scrap metal. He didn’t bring much with him, so he has a decent amount of room.
As a precaution, he will also take a crossbow.
Bren has built many of these before, even large ballistae meant for sieges, but he has no formal training. At the very least, he can pull the trigger and hope for the best.
Bren will turn to look as he hears it, still wielding the crossbow, but shakily.
Kanei grabs a few after pocketing one in his bag. he’s heard from others about how easy crossbows are to use, apparently you could learn to use one within a day.
Kanei freezes. Not again. he thinks as he draws his sword.