Rime Mines II

After defeating the monster, the party notice that the floor is becoming very wet. As the ice melts, they hear a large crack from within the mine. There is a drop about 20feet deep and 10feet across. There is a bridge of ice that could be walked upon though it is cracking and melting.

Sakiran long jumps across and is able to land on the other side safely, though skids on a portion of ice. Leoric tries to lift Aria across and drops her while he is swinging. Sakiran is able to catch her and skids on her back, catching her with her legs up. Leoric was able to land properly.

As they exhale, their breath is crystallised. As they get closer to where the explosives would be, they are getting colder and colder. In the corner of their vision, they see wisps that look like they are made of a white blue energy, flickering as they progress down the corridor. Sakiran tries to grab a wisp and it spirals down her arm, a trail of energy that disappears into her body and she is healed. She tells Aria to touch one and some cuts close up.

As they keep walking, they see dwarves frozen in the middle of their work. Around a central chamber, there is a dense mist spilling forth from it into the corridor that they are in. The wisps are coming out of this entrance. Sakiran reaches towards the mist and feels a tingling on her skin, as if pushing through coarse material. They push forward. Sakiran takes point and steps forward, and she is halted immediately. Nothing else is moving, frozen in the moment. In the centre of the room, there are several boxes of explosives and someone is detonating them. A hunched creature with a light is frozen in time, with the fire midspark. On the right of the room, she sees a shimmering creature that looks like it is a mix of vines, bone and the wisps, combining in a shifting mass. When they try to focus on the form, it shimmers and glitches.

It skips towards them, moving in erratic motions forwards and backwards. It examines Sakiran's face, but there is nothing distinctive as the image keeps changing. It seems to be phasing in and out of existence. Sakiran tries to move back, but seems to be moving so slowly backwards that she is not moving at all.

Leoric and Aria notice that she has been gone for a few minutes. Aria notes that Sakiran has been in there a long time. Leoric says he thinks that something is going on. He tells Aria that they should head through together, and clings to his clothing. They see Sakiran running but stopped, barely moving mid run. The thing flitters around her as Leoric tries to scan it. He sees a bright blinding light, receiving so much information all at once and can't parse it. He is able to focus, and sees he is getting readings from the past, present and future all at the same time. It is omitting both negative and huge amounts of heat.

The thing phases through Sakiran and then looks at Leoric and Aria, then flickers back. They hear a small whisper at first. It cycles through languages, telling them, children of flesh and bone to enter the world. It asks why they destroy. Leoric says they were just here to get supplies. It says they are destroying their home and life. Leoric asks if this is their home. It says the world at large. The being flickers as it tries to answer what it is. It says it is the world - Estel world. Leoric asks what it is doing here and if it froze everything.

It says it had to stop them. Leoric asks for how long. The being confirms it has stopped things, and flickers around, and amends its statement - stopped, not slowed. Leoric asks if they can maintain it. The being says it can maintain the state for time. It flickers to him and he feels something within him. It says in his voice, two days. Leoric asks if he can move freely to stop the destruction. It says it may. Leoric can now move. He places his hand through the being, feeling electrical impulses through his hand. He sees a dwarf's throat has been torn out, with a nanophage infection, the one who was setting off explosives. As he looks, he sees other phage infected dwarves.

Leoric pulls out his firearm and shoots the infected dwarves in the heads. He turns and asks the creature to resume time. The creature asks if it wants to resume destruction. Leoric says it will take care of itself. The being says they may leave. Sakiran takes in her surroundings, seeing the bullet in midair towards the infected dwarf. She asks what happens when they leave. The being says time will resume. The party take their leave. They hear a small noise as time is resumed. The dwarf's lighter falls out of his hand, despite being shot, and the fuse ignites. The fuse is very short.

Leoric tries to grapple the fuse away, but just barely misses as it impacts the barrel. The cave is no longer freezing. The party run out of the cave and come to the crevasse. The ice bridge is gone. Sakiran scoops Aria and climbs down into the crevasse, dropping the last six feet. Leoric swings across and runs, and is hit with a concussive wave of heat that makes his ears ring, though he is otherwise unharmed.

Sakiran and Aria have rocks falling down the ravine, and try to dodge them. Both of them avoid the rocks falling down. Leoric turns back and moves towards them. He sees that the cavern is caved in. Aria gives a goofy grin and thumbs up towards him. Leoric tosses rope down and Sakiran ties it around Aria's waist. Aria is able to pull herself up, collapsing onto her back in a sweating heap.

Sakiran uses pitons and uses it as leverage to hoist up, standing on two feet with ease at the top of the crevasse. Leoric brushes dust out of her hair and she is very appreciative.

The dwarf at the entrance, Uthil, said that they had been gone a long time. They explain that they did not get the explosives. Leoric takes the money he offers and walks past him. Sakiran explains that the being wanted them to stop mining and the dwarf said they could easily replace them. They get into an argument about breeding, resulting in Sakiran kicking him in the balls and walks out.

Aria and Leoric have a moment, where he asks if she is okay. She nods and he gives her some words of encouragement and she smiles back. Leoric asks where the dwarf is and Sakiran says he was recovering from his accident. The satisfaction of the blow causes her to recover some ki.

Nelalwe is sitting on a box waiting for them, avoiding eye contact. Nelalwe tells Sakiran she has stayed clean. Sakiran is puzzled and congratulates her, then walks off. They approach the barricade and Walker greets them between shooting the odd scraggler corpse.

Leoric proposes that they fill a pit with sand, but Sakiran says it is quite easy to move on if heavily compressed. They agree to dig a hole and enlist the help of dwarves.

They go to the bar and see the dwarves are behind the bar in the store room drinking in a row. They insult Sakiran after she tells them to try and attack her and she storms out. Leoric gets down to business and the dwarves say they need emotional reparations after Sakiran attacked their friend twice. Leoric says they will die if they do not dig the trench for a trap.

He appeals to their family and to think of their kids and wives. They agree, but they need financial compensation. Leoric says they will discuss that afterwards. The dwarves say they want 100 rands and then they have a deal. Leoric says they will get the 100 rands afterwards, with an apology from Sakiran now.

Leoric leaves the bar and closes the door. He appeals to Sakiran. She agrees on the condition that she gets Altarnie ale. She goes in and hams up an apology, though the dwarves do not believe her. She starts laughing and Aria tries to help her by casting a spell to broadcast she is sorry in song. The dwarves laugh at her and agree to help.

The dwarves ask Vae to put the barrier down but she is ignoring them. Leoric asks if she will let down the barrier and she says no. Leoric tells them to go over the wall. They do so begrudgingly.

Nelalwe is shivering at the top of a guard tower, fiddling with a rifle. Walker is lifting logs to reinforce the barricade. He is talking to Vae to try and move her out of the way. After Sakiran asks her to stop, she does so. The dwarves are able to go and dig the hole and the barricade is complete.