Looking around the two woman find themselves surrounded by bits of debris from the basement above, as well as the remains of at least one digger, the clothes and bones that lay next to where Yelenn fell attest, along with a broken pickaxe. Aside from the dust and rocks the floor is smooth and cool, possibly marbled, and although it is jet black along with the walls the longer they're down here their eyes adapt to somewhat differentiate the floor and the walls, or at least where they probably are.
From the looks of things the curious spelunkers are not in a natural chasm, but a grand hallway, with the silhouette of large doorways on each end of the hall. Though the darkness could be obscuring the architecture of the cool room.
With the decision made to press on Mylyna released her last hold up above and dropped to the ground. Her coils kept coming, and coming, and COMING and she shifted them to loop around everyone until they stopped. Once that was done she rose carefully, brushed any debris from the floor off of her chest, and began to undulate her coils as she gathered them up so they could move along.
As her friends moved on so did Mylyna, bringing up the rear as normal. the fact that there were dead people down here was not particularly bothersome, at least these ones weren't moving like the last one they found was. She couldn't help but wonder though, how did they get down here? She looked at her friends and asked, "Do you think there is another way to get out?"
"I hope so." Yelenn replies over her shoulder, "I'm in no hurry to try that climb again."
Sending her bobbing lights ahead, Yelenn leads the way towards the doors.
Sending her witchlights to the silhouette of the door approximately to their left in the chasm Yelenn leads the others to the end of the hall. Approaching the wall the spelunking women are able to make out that the silhouette on the wall isn’t an actual door, but a flat discoloration on the marble, a discoloration that gives way to a semi-transparent glass like material as the light touches it, rather than reflect or cast a shine.
Directing the lights to more prominently focus on the glass region, Yelenn studies the section of the wall.
Staring at that peculiar section of the wall Yelenn is able to see the substance is less than a foot thick, though the actual thickness may be distorted somewhat. She isn't quite able to make out what lies beyond.
Though the vastness of the hall might skew towards a perceived Dwarven aesthetic the vagueness of the wall in front of you is far too aloof for any known Dwarven architectural style you recall. Perhaps there was, or is, a dwarven population under the cursed grounds of Bastarache?
"This....dwarven civilizations use clear glasslike sections of rock as subterranean windows." Yelenn says clearly fascinated. "But this isn't anywhere near as elaborate as what any dwarven society I've heard of would be known for. Maybe there's a dwarven population that's native to this place." she muses.
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"And what is this doing in the basement of a manor house? This place is all jumbled up. It's like someone took snippets of different locations and just... smooshed them together," says Yasmin. Her fingers twitch on the string of her bow and she is clearly nervous.
"Yes, either that or built a manor house atop some massive underground dwarven complex." she says holding her sword in a ready position while moving forward, clearly both cautions and fascinated.
Moving up once Yelenn is in arm’s reach of the glassy material it begins to seamlessly dissolve in relation to her presence, revealing a hallway beyond that ends at another wall of discolored marble at the very end. Spreading, the glass is completely gone within a matter of seconds, stopping at the actual marble of the wall before the spelunkers.
The new hallway is much more traditional, in that it’s sized for the likes of humans instead of giants, save that there appears to be water flowing down the sides of the walls, and even the ceiling. The floor appears to dry however.
Staring down the passageway in awe, Yelenn turns to her companions. "So we good with continuing on?
"I suppose?" says Yasmin. "This is all very strange and I really am at a loss for figuring it out."
"Same here, but at least we'll have an idea of what we're dealing with." Yelenn says leading on down the new hallway.
Stepping into the hallway the women are met with a refreshing coolness washing away the stale air of the chasm, the gentle movement of the water masking the sound of their footsteps.
"Wow, these walls seem to be made of water." Yelenn says, in amazement, as she walks on, enjoying the refreshing shift in the air.
ylyna couldn't see any walls on the other side of the strange wet ones but she peered into the swirling darkness closer and said nervously in a sing-song voice, "Um, there's something in there. It looks like it might be snakey."
"It's lovely," says Yasmin, though she shies away from touching the water. "I don't know how they did it... but it's certainly a marvel. And totally out of place with the creaking house above. I wonder if it's part of a lake? Or connected to the ocean? Or magically brought in? Maybe a vortex connected directly to the elemental plane of water?" She squints at the water-walls, trying to see what the water holds, rather amazed by the audacity of such construction.
Curious and somewhat wary at Mylyna's discovery, Yelenn directs the bobbing lights to enter the water on one side.
Sending her lights forth they pass into the water without hesitation. As they cross the threshold the still dark water surges forth as a vaguely humanoid shape with bestial draconian features lunges at one ball of light with its jaws. Covered in ramshackle bits of ornate armor that don’t seem to serve any purpose other than to accentuate it’s monstrous form it moves effortlessly in the water, two long scarf like wings flowing from its back.
Finding that the light isn’t very filling it turns its head toward the women, showing off its teeth in a hungry snarl.
Though not as smart as most races they are not mindless, being more intelligent than their bestial form gives them credit for. Patient and possessed of a cruel cunning, they can be quite vicious, especially when hungry.
It’s skin is near impenetrable for mundane arms, needing enchantments to pierce its hide. Though almost as long as its body it mostly uses it tail to help guide and propel itself through the water. Its horns, teeth, and claws however are another matter entirely.
Seeing the beastly humanoid shape attempt to devour the light, Yelenn steps back with a start, drawing her sword as the creature turns its attention toward them. "Gods!! Incoming!"
Seeing Yelenn draw her sword it leans back slightly, titling its head and looking at her blade.
"Can it... can it get out of the water?" says Yasmin dubiously.
"I'm not sure." Yelenn answers, holding her blade in a guard position. With a whispered incantation she shift her vision, seeking any magic that might be affecting the wall of water.
"Hmm.. I...I think it can. The magic effect is controlling the shape of the water, but it's still water." she says with a bit of alarm.
Keeping it's face toward Yelenn, or rather her sword, the creature starts to float off the bed and begins swimming up over the hallway in a lazy undulating motion.
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Mylyna was startled when the strange creature became visible from the light magic but she wasn't scared per se. Maybe it was from being born and raised among "monster" but she didn't always share the same view of creatures that others did. She saw the creature and said, "Well isn't he handsome?" She waved at the creature and blew it a kiss then said, "Maybe we should move along and leave his home. I know I wouldn't like someone just dropping in unannounced."
The creature stops swimming and takes its fixation off of Yelenn’s sword once it sees Mylyna’s affectionate gesture, allowing itself to float closer to where the water and air met to form the hallway without trespassing just yet.
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She smiled at the creature as it came closer and began to shift slightly from side to side sinuously. She didn't seem to be aware of this but was doing it anyway. She smiled at the creature and said, "Hi, I'm Mylyna, who are you?"
As Mylyna approached the creature stuck its head through the wall, as Yelenn surmised it didn’t offer any resistance or impede movement in the slightest.
It gives a few loud sniffs, turning from one woman to the next before back to Mylyna. ”My...Lyna?” it repeats in a rumbling growl. ”Xeros.”
Yasmin lowers her bow warily and watches the exchange.
Still swaying side to side Mylyna nodded and pointed to herself, "Mylyna," then to the creature, "Xeros?" She then pointed to first Yasmin and said, "Yasmin," then pointed to Yelen, "Yelenn."
The creature nodded to Mylyna. ”Xeros.”. Stepping out a bit where it’s body was still half submerged it follows the Witch’s finger, ”Yasmin... Yelenn...” before looking back to her. ”Mylyna.”
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Smiling, Yelenn sheathes her blade, her eyes shifting from the creature to Mylyna's tantalizing movements and back as she tries to focus on the task at hand.
Xeros' head tilts slightly over to Yelenn as she puts away her sword before going back to Mylyna.
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Clapping her hands in delight as she swayed Mylyna said, "Yes Xeros, you're right." She smiled at the creature, "Now you don't want to hurt us do you? We were only passing through and didn't know you lived here and we're sorry that we came in uninvited." She continued to sway, side to side, and occasionally forward and backwards, as she spoke and it caused so many interesting things to happen to her near naked torso. "We would much rather be your friend than fight you," she gave him a coy look and said softly, "Can I be your friend?" While her words were innocent enough the meaning behind them was most certainly not.
As Mylyna talked, and more importantly, swayed, Xeros’ face focused on her and her assets. ”Friend?” he repeated, stepping the rest of the way out of the water towards the Lamae and giving the air around her an investigative sniff. ”Friend.” he repeats with a happy growl.
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Cooing slightly at his acceptance Mylyna leaned in close to him and reached out to hug the creature as she said happily, "Oh good! I like having friends."
Mylyna feels the coolness of one that just, for lack of a better term, stepped out of cold water, though she could feel his tough body quickly warming.
Momentarily looking at Yelenn and then Yasmin Xeros mimics Mylyna and hugs her back, slowly at first but then with more enthusiasm. ”Friends nice.” he says.
Feeling the enthusiasm the creature had Mylyna considered and decided that she might want to ask some questions. She started to lean back from Xeros and then felt his increasing enthusiasm. She decided not to try and get free and to instead enjoy herself. She let her hands begin to slide along the creature's back and said, "Do you know anything about these tunnels Xeros? Can you guide us through them?"
Feeling Mylyn’s hands start to slide over his back he let out a happy growl and his hands semi-consciously began to mimic hers until she started to ask questions. ”Tunnels?” he asked before looking around in the passageway they were in. Looking down the path the women had entered from he says ”Was a prison. Now a grave.” He then turns his head around to the opposite end of the watery hallway. ”Key to prison in there. Doors don’t work for me. Guard. Prisoner. Same.”
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Mylyna was enjoying the attention and pleased the creature was being helpful. She continued her touching of him and asked, "So you can't get out of here because you can't get or use the key? Can we do that for you, free you from this place?" She leaned in even closer and nuzzled the creature's neck with her mouth.
Xeros' tail begins to fidget and gently flail around, due to both of the Lamea's offers. Can't get in. Can't touch key. Not authorized. Prisoner. Guard. Same." he rambles inbetween breathy sounds before surprisingly managing to collect himself. "You would free Xeros?"
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Her coils beginning to loop under her more her own tail tip slid out to stroke Xeros' tail as he fidgeted and said, "Of course, you're my friend now, and friends help each other don't they?"
Mylyna's tail stopped fidgeting once Mylyna began to stroke it, though it kept gently swaying. "Friends? Friends nice. But... Xeros can do nothing to help you now, Xeros will try though. Is it okay... if Xeros help after? Will Mylyna still be friends with Xeros?"