"Third time?" Kali asked.
"Ruby's mother disappeared much the same way, went out on a mission and never came back. Then before that... there was her..." Qrow snapped his fingers as he tried to remember something.
"Summer had a older brother, vanished on a mission along with his team. Crimson Rose. He's who Ruby was named after. After he and his team vanished she never really spoke of him." Tai explained. "The whole team vanished. We were sent to find them, nothing, tracked them to a village outside Mystral and nothing. only rumors of some sort of shelled tentacle faced grim taking people in the night."
"Ozpin should've just let her stay in Signal." Qrow said. "His eye for potential dug him a hole this time. Now were all paying the price."
Chapter 28: Underdark errands
Ruby woke up with a yawn as she left her tent catching an apple from Wyll who sat by the fire as a pot of tea boiled over the hot coal. "Morning Ruby." It took ruby a couple minutes to realize that his hors were wrapped in soaked cloths. "The girls showed me some horn care tips. Soaking them in a scented oil before polishing them. It's still strange having them, the weight, thorns where they weren't before... but..." He picked up a small hand mirror to look at his reflection "I do agree with Karlach, they are fairly... dignified as far as horns are granted my options for head wear is limited."
"I must say, you wear them well, don't let Mizzora make them a mark of shame, they are proof you did the right thing." Ruby said as she poured herself a cup of tea. The others also getting up and doing their morning routines. The Teifling girls all also wrapping their horns. Wyll sat back from the fire as he used a straight razor to shave his stubble. Halsin petting Scratch and Ilia combing he long hair. Shadowheart made her prayers.
"What time is it?" Ilia asked as she drank from her cup.
Ruby pulled out her scroll looking at the screen. "It's 5:34 in the morning in Vale right now."
"You have your scroll?" Ilia asked as she sat down putting on her boots.
"I have a lot, though I'm running low on Dust. I've been filling my spent rounds with smoke powder and lead bullets." Ruby rummaged through her bag. "Weiss always..."
"Weiss? As in Weiss Schnee?" Ilia asked standing up.
"Whoa whoa! Weiss isn't like that! She's just..." Ruby stammered as she realized that Ilia being a member of the Whitefang may not exactly like the Heiress of the Schnee Dust company.
"Like what? Profiting off of my people's suffering?" Ilia stepped towards Ruby as the tension in the camp was thick in the air. Her skin bright red in anger.
"Weiss isn't perfect, her father is the reason the SDC is the way it is. She left Atlas to be away from him. As team leader of team RWBY, I have to stand up for all my team members, Weiss could have easily just followed her father but she wants to be better." Ruby stood up. Determined.
"Better isn't good enough! Her father's company is the reason my parents are dead!" Ilia shouted when Halsin stepped between them.
"Ilia... I understand your pain." Halsin said. "But you must understand that Wiess isn't at fault, she would have been a girl, much like you. If her father is as vile as you say, Then I shall do what I can to help." The old Druid had a look of understanding on his face. "You've suffered... you are lashing out at anything, but your just ripping that wound back open so it never heals."
The faunas girl looked up at the wood elf druid. Her eyes bright red with anger as she turned and walked off. "Thank you for stepping in." Wyll said as he set down his empty mug. "That... complicates things. Perhaps we should split the team in two groups for the day."
"I agree. Who's going with who?" Ruby asked as the others gathered round.
"I'll lead team one," Wyll stated. "I'll take Halsin, Ilia, Karlach and Alfira. We'll head down to the lake to find the deep dwarfs." He said pointing at them. "Ruby you lead team two, you, Gale, Shadowheart. Durge and Thalia. Go around the colony and find things you can do that will help us. Tomorrow we move on from here so try to make it back when you can." He said as everyone geared up.
Ilia shot Ruby a angry look As she pulled on her drow crafted armor and left with Wyll and his team. Gale picked up his staffs as Durge hung his glaive on his back. Thalia stood up using her staff and Shadowheart hefted her spear. "Alright Ruby, lead the way." Gale said with a smile. Heading into the myconid colony proper they walked among the mushroom people and heard what sounded like a cow.
"Rothé. Why would Myconids have rothé?" Thalia asked as they followed the noise to what looked like a small mushroom garden being tended to by a old dwarven woman a large cow like animal crazzing on the mossy floor.
"You must be the group that arrived last night. Never seen the Myconids that on edge before, well get on with it, I need to find that useless husband of mine." The old woman said as she harvested mushrooms, not appearing to be in much of a hurry to find her husband. "I'm Derryth Bonecloak."
"I'm Ruby Rose, what are you doing down here?" Ruby asked taking the lead.
"I could ask you lot the same, young lady, me and my husband came down here looking for Mushrooms to make potions for oyr shop in Baldur's gate. If you could find him and make sure he hasn't gone and gotten himself killed. We came looking for nobelstalk, its a rare mushroom that only grows in the underdark." She said.
"Any way we could find him? A description would help." Durge asked.
"Blue traveling robe, bald, no beard, and he's not all there, Baelen is old codger of a dwarf." Derryth said dismissively. "And if you do find him, don't try and ransom the meat bag to me."
"If we do find him and the nobelstalk, how much would it be for a potion made with it?" Durge asked.
"A few hundred gold, why?" Derryth asked much more interested in the prospect of making some money.
"I've had... an accident and list parts of my memory." Durge said, dancing around the topic of the tadpole.
"Aye nobelstalk could help fix that. Alright, you find my husband and the nobelstalk and I'll brew you a potion to restore your mind." Derryth said.
"Do you have anything else for sale" Ruby asked.
"Yeah just make it quick, I'm a busy dwarf." the dwarven woman said still very annoyed.
The team bought more health potions and rations from Derryth, Thalia bought a magic ring that when worn coated her blade in a thin layer of acid. Durge bought a amulet that was enchanted with healing spells, he pocketed the Amulet but not wearing it. Gale grabbed some other potions and magical ingredients.
Once everyone had their shopping dealt with they moved to another section of the myconid colony. Where they saw something strange. A red skinned hobgoblin leaning over magical implements and tomes as he examined something on a mushroom table, intricate purple and grey robes.
"Ah hello, I'm Blurg." Blurg said in a rather friendly tone. "But let us observe the customs of the locals." Placing two fingers to his temple he concentrated for a few moments, then Ruby felt another mind touch her own and the tadpole in her brain did not like it. It lashed out with psionic energy. Ruby and the others doubled over as Thalia put a hand on her back. "Ugh... it seems your mind is a quite a bit more complicated then a myconids." Blurg said as he stood up straight. "I'm with the society of brilliance."
Wyll led Halsin, Karlach, Alfira and Ilia down the stone path to the lake shore. It was a hike there and would harder march back to the colony heading up the jagged stone path.
The team stopped after what felt like an hour's worth of walking but it was hard to tell in the darkness that was the cave. Wyll sat next to Ilia as he offered her water. "Drink up... it maybe cool down here, but you'll die of thirst if something dosent get you."
The faunas girl hesitantly took the glass bottle. "Like you care..."
"Trust me, if I didn't care, I would still have both eyes and my soul and no horns." Wyll said as he tilt his head back looking up at the stone ceiling far above. "I sold my soul to a devil named Mizora... in return she gave me the power to vanquish devils... known as a hero along the sword cost, till one day i was given the order to kill a rouge devil from Zariels army."
Ilia looked over at him as she set the glass bottle down.
"A devil with one horn and a infernal engine for a heart... our dear friend Karlach..." Wyll explained. "Any other warlock would have just killed her... but... I did the right thing and defied my patron... Now I'm left wondering how many of my other targets were like Karlach. Victims of Mizora and Zariel..."
Wyll looked over at the red skinned teifling as she laughed and spoke with Halsin and Alfira. "I know I can't fully relate to how your kind were treated... Your struggles for your people... but Teiflings like Karlach, Alfira and Thalia... they have faced similar oppression and discrimination. Ilia I understand your people have not been treated well. And your passionate for that cause... just take a step back and look at it. You may not have sold your soul to a devil... just make sure you haven't sold it to a figurative one instead."
Ilia pull her legs up to her chest. "Ever since... Blake left the White fang i've been questioning why... why would she leave Adam... me... her friends..."
"People have their reasons for leaving... Ruby told me about when Blake left the white fang... how she couldn't live with how they had changed, the violence. How their teammate reacted to finding out that Blake was apart of the white fang. How Weiss had lost freinds and family to your side and still she choose to accept her after having some time to reflect on her own attitude. Bloodshed only breeds violence. On both sides."
"Then what is the point of the fighting i've already done? the years ive given to the White Fang?" Ilia aked glaring at him.
"Their not for nothing, you truely fought for what you belived in, but can you truely say in your heart... you want to kill innocents? Because both sides hands are red with blood." Wyll asked.
"N-no... I... " Ilia looked at the ground before looking over at Halsin still talking too the two Teifling women.
"Alfira is a refugee, she dosen't need to fight with us. Thalia dosen't need to fight with us, and simply stayed in the grove. Karlach could have tried to kill me on sight instead of talking. I think you could do alot for your people by learning from them. Hatred can be grown past. And I promise, if i ever see the skys of Remnant, every thrust of my blade will be to protect the innocent, so long as you stand by my side. For a better future."
Ruby Rose stats, class, and racial abilities
Class Fighter lv 6
Subclass Champion
Great weapon fighting style (rerolls one's and twos on damage)
Hp: 65 (6 d12 plus 0 plus tough 12)
Strength: 18 (base 17)
Dexterity: 16 (base 15)
Constitution: 10
Wisdom: 8
Intelligence:12
Charisma: 10
Race Human Variant (Remnant)
Feats:
Ability score improvement: plus 1 str plus 1 Dex
Savage Attacker : Reroll damage once take highest
Tough: Gain 2 hp per lvl
Base Speed: 45 ft Total speed: 65 ft
Aura: 10 temp hit points per level (50 Thp) (resets on long rest)
Semblance: Petal Dash; Dash action is now a bonus action
Improved Critical: reduces critical requirements by 1 (18-20)
Action Surge: Gain an extra action
Extra attack x1
Gear:
Infernal Crescent Rose: plus 2 to damage and rolls to hit, 2 d 12 slashing an fire damage plus strength. 2 d 8 Piercing plus Dex when firing.
Infernal Critical, Reduces critical by 1, and on a critical hit target auto fails save against burn condition.
Searing Petal Smite: While Dashing from at least 60 ft away, auto cast searing smite at lv 2. 2d6 fire damage. Once per short rest.
All but Ruby Rose have disadvantage with this weapon.
Elemental bullets: 2d4 elemental damage added to ranged attacks.
Two-handed, heavy, extra reach
Cleave lacerate trip enemies, piercing shot
1 Half plate armor: Ac 18 (16 plus 2 dex) Medium armor. Reduces piercing damage by 1.
Haste Helm: Plus 10 ft to movement first three turns of combat (Effectively just 10 ft because I'm not drawing out combat for more then 3 rounds except for major bosses) plus one dex save
Speedy Light Feet: Gain three lightning charges when Dashing. Lightning charges deal additional damage on weapon and spell attacks.
Crushers ring: Add ten feet to movement speed.
Gale's coin of Language, Money Talks to all.
Magic items Ruby has but doesn't wear: The Helmet of smiting and the sparky hands, Phalar Aluve.
Ruby's Explosives bag:
7 Alchemist fire bottles
5 smoke powder bombs
2 smoke powder bags
5 Smoke Powder Barrels