The longer, safer path

“I think it’s best if we play it safe.” You state after a moments thought. Vex gives you a nod and heads back to the group to let them know the plan. You give the runes one last look, making sure there are no hidden messages you may have missed.

Once satisfied, you and Vex lead Vox Machina down the opposite tunnel. After about 2 hours of walking, you come to a wide set of stairs which oddly climb up instead of down. They are built into the right hand wall, but the left is completely open and drops down into a pitch-black chasm.

About half-way up, you and Vex begin checking the pillars for a hidden symbol that was detailed in the instructions. This slows the party’s progress, but you soon find what you are looking for.

“Big man, we need the rope!” You call over to Grog.

“Why? Do you want me to pull this down?” He asks excitedly as he pulls open the bag of holding.

“No! No, we definitely don’t want that.” You explain, putting yourself between the 8ft Goliath and the pillar. “We need to climb down from here and there should be a passage somewhere below us.”

“Have you guys lost it?!” Exclaims Scanlan, peering over the bannister into the nothingness below. “If you’re wrong, we’ll all end up dead!”

“This is no worse that when Allura’s tower collapsed on us.” Vex says calmly, taking the rope from Grog and wrapping it around the pillar.

“We got lucky with the magic carpet. I doubt anything will catch us this time!”

“Fine, then you can wait up here all by yourself.” With that, Vex ties the end of the rope around her waist and disappears over the edge.

There is a tense 5 minutes of silence before you notice the rope being tugged twice, a sign that she has reached somewhere safe and the next person can come down. Percy goes next, eager to not leave his wife on her own for too long, followed by Pike and a grumbling Scanlan.

“Good luck.” You say to Keyleth, giving her a kiss on the cheek as walks over to begin her descent.

“See you soon.” She replies meekly as her blushing face fades into the darkness.

Time seems to stop as you wait for Keyleth’s signal and you only realise you have been holding your breath when your lungs begin to burn as they scream for air. Finally, you see the rope move twice and relief washes over you.

“Don’t get into any trouble Grog!”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t expect any kisses from me!”

Now that your turn is here, you feel your stomach begin to knot itself. You grip the rope tightly in both your hands and slowly lower yourself down, using your feet to steady yourself on the uneven wall. After what feels like an eternity of blindness in the dark, you finally see some light coming from a crevice below you. As you approach, Percy leans out to help you inside.

“You had no trouble on your way down I hope?”

“There were a few flying Minotaurs, but I was able to scare them away.” You joke back.

Keyleth rushes over and returns your kiss from earlier. Hugging her with one arm, you begin to look around. Unlike the rough, natural passageways of before, this one is entirely man-made. The walls are made from blue-grey brick and the floor is a polished black cobblestone. Purple flames burn in braziers along the walls.

Something feels off as you take in the area. You do another sweep. Percy is leaning out again, watching for Grog. Keyleth is by your side. Scanlan and Pike are huddled together, chatting about something.

“Where’s Vex?” You ask Keyleth, your heart skipping a beat as panic sets in.

Keyleth opens her mouth, but a scream from further into the path cuts her off. Recognising Vex’s voice, you immediately take off running in her direction, followed by Keyleth and Pike.

“You two get Grog down here as quickly as you can!” You call to Percy and Scanlan over your shoulder. Percy catches your eye and gives you a cold stare, warning you to save Vex at all costs. You give him a curt nod before breaking into sprint, not willing to waste a second.