Scene #496: The Curator's Arrival

Owner	Pose
Nasus	The League has recently become alerted to the presence of a group of bandits who have been attacking villages in this area. The villages have petitioned the League, and they have dispatched one of the Champions to the region. The region in the mountains is full of several caves that the League has determined the bandits are using for their headquarters. There are also reports from the villages that the bandits have somehow managed to tame trolls to use for their raids, the strong monsters capable of smashing through walls and taking immense amounts of punishment from the town guards. They need help, and the League has decided to give it to them.
Ahri	Yeeeeeuuuugh. Trolls. That was Ahri's immediate reaction to being briefed. They wanted -her- to do this? Why not Demacia? Noxus? Actual FIGHTERS? The League insisted due to the bandits apparent lack of experience against mages, and then sent her off without another word. Teleported straight to the intended location. Once there, Ahri didn't hesitate to call for a little help. From her time on the Rift, she knew without some gear, taking down Trundle all by herself wasn't very easy. If they had troll(s)? Well, yes, backup requested. For now, she is sneaking around from one cave entrance to the next, letting her ears tell her if anything was inside the caves. After finding about a dozen empty ones, Ahri now waits beside one she could hear things in deep inside.. Hopefully someone would come to help.. Soon..5r
Cheyanne	"Is that the cave you want?" a whisper rises calmly behind the fox woman, barely more than a breeze. As usual Cheyanne seems to just step out of nowhere, though she's wisely kept her voice down low. Work with her enough times and you get use to it, she does it a lot as long as she's somewhere in natural environments. "Hopefully no giant mouth-tentacled squid-leechs this time."
Nasus	This cave is indeed the one that voices can be heard within. Seems like there is a lot of activity coming from within the cavern. Voices, though indistinguishable due to the echos of the cave. Then comes the massive roar. That's a lot more distingushable. It seems that the two have found the cave they want. Time to head inside.
Ahri	The Kumhio tenses up for a moment, spirit orb surging to life above one of her hands. Seeing that it is only Cheyanne, Ahri manages to relax, "You need to announce yourself sooner," she whispers back with a smile before turning her gaze toward the cavern entrance. "Ye-" then the roar sounds out. Another glance is given Cheyanne that says 'yes' for Ahri. Once the roar dims, the vixen starts to edge toward the entrance to have a look inside..
Cheyanne	Cheyanne smirks a little, though it fades at the roar from within. She raises an ear, but it doesn't sound like anything she would reconize through the echos. Not really a surprise. "I need to maintain my mysteriousness somehow," she replies, retaining a hint of humor in her voice but otherwise shifting to seriousness as she follows. You would think hooves would make a lot of noise on rocky cavern floors, but her elemental attunements allow her to block that out as well.
Nasus	While it takes a little bit of effort to move through the cave, the two will find themselves with a series of traps that have been set up by the bandits. The traps are very basic. A pit that is very pitifully covered in dirt and moss, and a tripwire that'll drop rocks on the person who trips it, to name a couple. Once the two are past those traps, the cavern opens up, and the area below them is lit by torches, and they can see pretty well what's going on. There are three trolls in cages, but they're small compared to the one that's out of the cage, being whipped by two bandits, while two more prod it with torches, trying to get it into another cage. To the left of the two, one of the bandits is walking up the ramp, towards them, looking to be heading outside. He hasn't spotted them yet, but it won't be long before he does.
Ahri	The traps were nothing. Ahri was able to keep her Orb somewhat dimmed. Enough to see the traps but faint enough to keep from attracting attention. She's quick to point out each trap they come across, but when the guard comes toward them the vixen motions for Cheyanne to do something. Why? None of Ahri's attacks are very subtle..
Cheyanne	Cheyanne steps past the indicated traps to join Ahri at the opening. She looks down for a moment, but then to the side at sensing an approach. She pauses for a moment, not wanting to interrupt any action from her companion, but the fox woman motions to her to do something instead. It might cause a moment of concern when the shaman steps past her and right out towards the ramp. The guy is going to get one hell of a sight as he crests the ramp, but unfortunately not going to get much time to enjoy it as he comes face to face with the monster skull atop Cheyanne's staff, triggering it's petrification effect before he gets a chance to say anything, preferably.
Nasus	The bandit finds himself face to face with the monster skull, and frozen before he can even scream. He falls over like a tree that's been cut down, and leaves the two, for the moment, still undiscovered. Things are actually going pretty well. Which is why it's time for things to go crazy. A whipcrack from one of the bandits and the massive troll appears to have had enough. It roars out and sweeps one of it's massive arms around, smashing the two bandits with the torches. They go flying, and one of the torches lands in a group of barrels. Barrels, it would seem, that are full of some sort of highly flamable liquid, because they procede to explode, and now the whole cave is on fire, and the troll is starting to rampage.
Ahri	And suddenly everything goes topsy turvy. You'd think Volibear came in just to flip all the tables with how quickly things decend into utter chaos. Ahri may be able to control her own foxfires, but all the flame in the cavern is going to be a problem. The fact there is a TROLL rampaging around now too won't help anything. "Not as expected!" Ahri calls out as the troll comes rampaging her way. Her spirit orb flares to live and is sent soaring for the creature as the Kumiho backs off, "Ideas?!"
Cheyanne	Cheyanne lets out a sigh as the petrified man falls over without a problem, only for someone else to go wrong instead. A very big something. Though the way she does so suggests this is hardly the first time an adventure has suddenly gone pear-shaped on her. "Don't panic. First things first." She reachs down to pull one of the larger vials from her belt. "I can douse the fire easily enou--oof!" Unfortunately the troll's rampage tosses one of the bandits into her, knocking the shaman over and the water vial shattering on the stone ground. With a hiss she shoves the unconcious man aside. "Okay.. now you may want to panic a little."
Nasus	The troll's rampage opens up the other three cages. So now there's four trolls rampaging inside of the cave, looking for the exit. Ahri finds herself surrounded by two of them, the big one having gone after some of the bandits that had been tormenting it for the moment. Cheyanne isn't alone, however, as she has to deal with one of the trolls in order to try to get the flames doused. Things are rapidly starting to get out of hand, and the last thing anyone wants is flaming trolls to escape the cavern
Ahri	One of them has a CLUB already. Granted, its a huge pillar of rock from inside the cave, but a club is whatever something gets its hands on. The Kumiho is -already- using her spirit rush to avoid the overhead blows that the beasts are trying to rain down on her. "WAY AHEAD OF YOU!" she yellss. Trolls are chasing her, there's fire everywhere, the bandits are everywhere... then she gets a bright idea. "I really hope this works," she muses mostly to herself before, for no apparent reason, she throws a small post with a purple crystal on top of it toward a corner of the cavern. "I HOPE THERE'S A SUMMONER WATCHING RIGHT NOW!"
Cheyanne	Don't panic because she doesn't have more water vials, she's got plenty of those. Panic because there is a LOT more fire, and a lot of chaos between them and stopping the fire or stopping the trolls right now. "Aren't trolls normally -weak- to being burned?", Cheyanne mutters, mostly to herself. Different worlds, shaman, different worlds. Unfortunately the petrification only works on low level mooks, so she can't just stun a troll. On the other hand, the troll may find himself dealing with more than he bargained for when the uses that staff to slap away his attempts at striking her. He's still going a good job of keeping her from getting a clear shot at the fires though, what a bother.
Nasus	That small post sits in the corner, ignored by the paniced bandits and the rampaging trolls. It continues to sit there. Ahri's plan may have backfired. She might have to handle this on her own. The troll's clubbing blows miss her again and again, and it's frustrating the beast that the thing he wants to kill won't hold still and let him kill it. He takes this frustration out on a bandit by kicking him across the cave. The troll that is attacking Cheyanne has come across more than he bargained for, as the blows are all deflected by that staff. He roars in her face and grabs a rock off the ground, before he tries to throw it at her. The third troll spots the post with the crystal and moves to investigate it. As the troll leans down towards it, blue mana begins to swirl around the post. It swirls faster and faster, until there is a flash, and the troll finds himself staring at a massive creature in his own right. The troll looks up towards the large jackal man, gold armor reflecting the light from the flames. Red magic gathers around the jackal man's hands, and he brings his halberd down with a flash, felling the troll with the blow. He turns to look at the Kumiho, and then speaks in an echoing voice. "In over your head again, Ahri?"
Ahri	She's exausted. She's out of energy, she's barely keeping her Spirit Orb manifested. One of the trolls is lumbering toward her, glee in its face as its finally about to crush the puny thing that had been evading it for so long. It rises the club, it snarls, and then there's a flash in the corner. It draws the creature's attention and then it sees one of it's kin fall to a single blow from a particular Halberd. Ahri flinches, looks over, "Nasus?!" She's surprised, but she sounds -incredibly- relieved, and quickly gathers her composure, "There's three more of them!" Her tone makes it obvious for Chyeanne, this is an ally.
Cheyanne	A rock is thrown at her. A large rock. These trolls really stick to the primitive things, don't they? Cheyanne taps her staff to the ground at her hooves, and the rocky surface churns up in front of her to form a barrier. Rock smashes into rock, resulding in a brief cloud of dust and stone shards scattering all over the place. Though the zebra woman is standing there as collected as ever, save for leaning a little to the side to see past her trollish opponent. "Friend of yours?" Then she makes a sweeping motion with her staff as she spins around, the shards getting caught up in a swirling wind that spirals around her for the moment. Then launched towards the troll in a whirlwind of earth born shrapnel.
Nasus	"Ahri, move." Nasus says to the smaller Champion, as he aims his halberd at the troll. The troll's movments suddenly slow, his swing that could have crushed Ahri now suddenly far slower and quite easy to dodge. The jackal moves towards the troll, the lumbering beastman turning towards the larger troll, "Ahri, finish that one. Your friend seems to have the third!" Indeed it does seem that Cheyanne has the third well in hand, as it gets peppered with razor sharp shards of earth, going down looking like a pin cushion. It doesn't get back up after that barrage.
Ahri	He didn't have to tell her twice. Told to move, Ahri suddenly vanishes in a flash, only to reappear on the other side of the troll. Silently she offers thanks to the summoner that is OBVIOUSLY watching the events unfold before rushing for the indicated troll. In a flourish her foxfires manifest, rush into her orb, ignite it, and then the orb is sent screaming toward the remaining troll!
Cheyanne	Cheyanne watchs the troll collapse. "Made the mistake of messing with me, and filled with stone is what you now be." But there's still the fire. Without the beast beleaguing her though, Cheyanne can take care of that matter well enough, pulling several more of the vials from her belt and tossing them onto the burning flames. "This burnout needs to snuff, the situation was hot enough."
Nasus	Ahri finishes off the last troll, the biggest one, and then the bandits are scattered, the ones that are not finished. Nasus moves towards Ahri and the felled troll, and glances towards Cheyanne. A rhyming zebra? Now he's seen everything, "It seems that you have the situation with the fire well in hand." He says in that echoing voice of his, "It is good to see you brought backup, Ahri. I would hate to see you hurt." Well unless she's on the opposite team..
Ahri	That was her thought, but at least most members of the League didn't hold grudges toward others. Unless it was Kayle and Morgana. . . or Nasus and Renekton... You know there probably are a few grudges but that's beside the point! Most of them get along somewhat well! With the final troll dispatched, the vixen disperses her orb and slumps against one wall, clearly winded, probably out of mana, for now. "I'm just glad throwing that ward worked, I wasn't sure if anyone was watching." Pause. "And if they were, who they would send. I think Draven would have just made things worse." Seriously. screw that guy.
Cheyanne	Cheyanne slides her staff over her shoulder and into whatever holds it at her back when she's not using it, watching the flames go out. Then turns back to the other two. "These bandits bit off more than they could handle with the trolls. If we had not been here when we came, it could of been much heavier tolls."
Nasus	The big jackal looks at the aftermath of the battle, and then back towards Ahri, as she brings up Draven. The jackal has a flicker of emotion on his face, "I do not believe I have ever seen a situation where he makes things better." He turns to look at Cheyanne, "I do not believe we have had the pleasure of meeting. Are you a new Champion?" He usually winds up seeing a lot of the new champions the first few weeks after they join, so he's not sure if she is or not.
Ahri	A light laugh, "No, but if she keeps helping me out, they may 'ask'." They never ask, but that's not something Ahri really plans on trying to explain if she can help it. "Cheyanne, Nasus. Nasus, Cheyanne." Pause. "He's the League's Librarian." Smirk.
Cheyanne	"Not of your world, at least," Cheyanne replies with her usual hint of casual bemusement. "My world, it depends on who you ask." Her name is probably only a few lines below others on a certain wolf overlord's list by this point. Ahri makes an actual introduction for her so she just bows briefly to go with it, and then perks up again at the rest. "Ah, one of the achedemic as well as the arcane."
Nasus	The large jackal bows his head to her, "She is true, I am the head librarian for the Institute of War. I am also one of the Champions of the League." He looks to Ahri for a moment, "She is a member of the Union, then? I have heard talk...Whispers, really...Of the Union and the Confederacy and the wars outside of Runeterra. Several of them assisted in the recent attack by Baron Nashor, yes? A shame I could not be there, but I was in the Rift at the time.."
Ahri	"Shhhhh, Nasus," Ahri's quick to motion at the Jackal, "Don't be so open about that fact, it's not supposed to be official," she's quick to point out, though it's also with a sour tone. "At least for now," she mutters. "Cheyanne's more official, though. She can show you around and probably let you see the Union's library. It's infinite." Is she joking? Probably not. It may get Nasus' attention though.
Cheyanne	Cheyanne just ahems softly as Ahri's, ah, loose connections is brought up, and quickly dismissed again. "Yes, the so-called beast was a... peculiar encounter." Then smirks a bit. "She's not being figurative, either."
Nasus	"I understand," Nasus replies, as he looks to Cheyanne, "I would particularly enjoy seeing that library. Perhaps I will offer my assistance to the Union, assuming the League will allow it, of course." He glances around, "Perhaps we should continue this discussion in a less smoke and corpse filled location, however."
Ahri	"I think that is the best idea you've had today," Ahri compliments before making her way out of the cave turned catacombs. She waves away the stench starting to fill the place thanks to the extinguished fires. "I can't go into the more secure parts of the place but I think Cheyanne can get you to the right people. To be honest, Nasus, if the League sent you out here, that probably means they don't mind. Jinx and Anivia are around here too." She hasn't seen Vi yet, so, clueless.
Cheyanne	"Would not be the first time I've discussed alliances over the bodies of recently defeated," the shaman remarks flatly as she turns to trot out as well. "The League contends with fights to prevent or in lieu of wars, no? So this may just be another large ongoing battle to them. So far... Oh, hold on a moment." Once they're out of the cavern she turns partially and makes an archaic gesture with one hand. The mouth of the cavern animates long enough to lower itself shut much like a closing mouth, sealing off the cave and the dead now occupying it. "Now where were we."
Nasus	"An interesting ability, elemental control." Nasus says as he watches the mouth of the cave close, "Ahri and I can recall from here, and I assume you would not have sealed the exit if you did not have your own way out. However, we were discussing my joining of the Union."
Cheyanne	"I am a walker of worlds by nature. Or via nature. You would be hard pressed to find me someplace I can not extradite from." Dead trolls sealed, looks like the bandits either got killed by them or ran off in the fracas. Either way, they won't be much trouble for the time being. Mission success? Maybe? Cheyanne shrugs her shoulders a little. She was just here to help, anyways. "I fail to see why they would not allow. Hardly the first to have obligations to others that occasionally take precedence." Trust me, she'd know.
Ahri	"We can recall, true, but that wouldn't take us to the Union's headquarters. There's a new warpgate that was set up at the Institute for that, Nasus, if you wanted to go there that way," she explains. "Anyway, we should probably get back, report, and then get back to Union territory. Or I can go, and Nasus can go with you to get setup with the Union. Either is fine."