Ten wastes no time taking advantage of the precarious position they have put the worm in, slashing at vitals with his almost comically tiny dagger.
Auric, too, continues to jab at the worm with his rapier.
,
The second giant maggot slumps into lifelessness during the thorough stabbings (and dampening) it receives from those surrounding it. Both worms now lie defeated, and no further threats present themselves.
"Well done, well done!" The portly man exclaims. "Now let's see about getting out of this hole before more over-sized pests, or worse - demons - find their way to us."
He walks up to the batch of vermin corpses and extends his hand to Auric. He is dressed in finely made clothes, worth a hundred gold if they're worth a copper, though they're now somewhat worse for wear.
"Gwerm Horgus, sir." He then addresses the party as a whole. "Good job with these lights; any way we can move them ahead of us?"
With no threats, Astra goes to the woman to look at her legs. She was certain that she'd been pretty badly injured in the fall, and she wasn't leaving anyone behind.
"They're not moving until I say she's ready to move," she states as she gets to work, and quickly realizes she's in over her head.
"Um, I don't suppose any of you know how to figure out if a leg's broken or not, do you?" She looks about sheepishly before turning her attention back to her patient. "Sorry, healing was supposed to come after the 'how to be a proper royal brat' classes. I never did get the hang of those."
"Auric Lightmane," the aasimar answers with an earnest smile, shaking the offered hand. "I suggest you stay in the light while they attend to the injured woman. I can see pretty well in the dark so I'll look for a way out in the meanwhile."
His sword in hand, Auric begins to follow the chamber wall looking for a tunnel or other means of exit.
Ten allows Auric to handle the portly lordling. Moving to the injured woman, he kneels down to look at the damage.
"I am sorry, I'm afraid I spent little time paying attention in the classes that might help you with this."
"Yes, good idea Sir Lightmane," Gwerm says, glancing back at the others. "Best to keep making progress."
Examination of the woman's left leg proves that her shin in badly broken. However, Luna is sure that she can make a serviceable splint from materials on hand to allow the woman to walk, albeit with the assistance of a person or a crutch of some kind.
Meanwhile, Auric explores the cave. It measures roughly 60 feet by 60 feet at its widest points, with two narrow passages on the east wall. The left passage turns out of view while the right opens up into another, much smaller, cavern before narrowing again. He detects no signs of enemies in either passage.
Returning to the group as Luna and Ten finish the woman's splint, Auric announces, "There are two tunnels to the east. I don't see anything to make one seem more promising than the other from here but perhaps one of you can, once you're finished here."
"I don't think I could do it," Astra says with an apologetic tone, "my arms are too much like noodles."
"Help her along? Perhaps we should move on without her; she can rest here and we can move much more quickly - the faster to send back help for her once we find a way out."
"Nonsense, Gwerm Horgus." The elf's voice is surprisingly full of steel. "I shall be her leg, and she shall be my eyes." He carefully moves across the rubble to kneel next to the woman, and together they manage to stand.
"We're ready when you are."
"I'm happy to help her along, and we will be moving slowly to spot hazards, so it won't slow us down at all." Ten says. But seems satisfied with the solution when the elf speaks up.
"An excellent solution, master elf," Auric replies as he stops to help the blindman and the crippled woman position themselves. "We'll all follow you, Luna... whenever you're ready."
"Thank you," Astra says to Aravashnial when he offers to help the injured woman. The fat man was getting on her nerves, so she began humming an old night song that she learned sitting around the campfires of her parents.
"We won't leave anyone behind," she whispers to the woman as they get going, "you need not worry about that."
She continues her humming as they move, letting the echoes be the harmony to the melody she was humming.
The woman remains silent, a scowl on her face - though whether one of anger or pain, you aren't sure. Gwerm offers no protest, staying adjacent to the spider's corpse as Luna moves forward into the cavern to investigate.
Any tracks that the cavern floor might have held have been obliterated by the cave-in. You note that there is guano (bat dung) on the ground of one of the passages, one to two days old. Bats are a sign that before today's events there was either a way to the surface from these caves, or that they are very extensive.
The small chamber down the passage on the right has a ledge fifteen feet up on the south wall, over which dangles a leather strap. You can see that the ceiling above the ledge has a narrow chute, perhaps just wide enough for Ten to squeeze into, that extends an unknown distance upwards.
"Let's try the right then. Ten might not be able to climb up, but maybe that strap's connected to something useful," Astra says, staying close to Aravashnial and the woman who'd yet to introduce herself.
"I'd be happy to climb up and investigate the passage, but if our goal is to get us all out of here, I don't know what good can come of it." Ten says.
"As to that strap, I'll take a look"
Refreshing his light spell, Ten moves to the ledge and begins to climb.
Ten handily climbs the rough cavern wall to the grit-covered ledge.
Inside the backpack are 10 days of rations and 3 potions; it appears there were 2 additional potions whose vials were smashed during transit.
Upon touching the scale you suddenly gain a vision of yourself rising upwards through the air atop a pillar of clouds. Understanding fills you that the scale has the power to lift you in just such a manner, so long as you carry it on your person.
Ten returns to the group and shares what he has found. He hands the backpack to Auric and shows/examines the scale before slipping it into a coat pocket.
"It looks like the whole bundle fell from the 'chimney'."
Auric frowns slightly as Ten pockets the scale.
none of us has any need for the scale right now, but it still seems presumptuous for him to just take it... we might not be able to let Ten scout things out if he's going to lay claim to everything valuable he finds...
"Astra, do you think you can identify the potions that survived?" he asks as he removes a trio of flasks from the charred backpack.
"I can try. We'll learn something at the very least!" Astra's tone is much closer to normal now, though whether that's because she accepted what happened or she's shutting it out is anyone's guess.
"I think they're healing potions, but I'm not certain."
"I can take a look"
Auric tries to wait patiently while Astra and Ten examine the vials. "Ten, was that all that was over there?" he asks before they're finished. "I mean, was it a dead end or is that some way to move on from in there?"
"It looked like it might continue upward, but the passage would be too small for some of us. There didn't seem to be a reason to explore further."
"I'm sorry miss," Auric says frowning, "I was so caught up in the shock of the moment, and trying to figure out how to get out of here that I didn't think about trying to heal your leg..."
Turning to Ten and the twins he says, "Potions are more valuable than spells you can cast again tomorrow. Ten, Astra, can either of you help her at all with your magic?"
"Of course, I wasn't blessed with magic to keep it to myself." Ten replies.
Closing his eyes, he focus' and let's a wave of healing wash over the group again.
Both the elf and the human woman look better after Ten's healing.
The passage containing the ledge does in fact continue on past the ledge, though it is only wide enough to proceed single file.
"Thank you." She tentatively puts the foot of her splinted leg down to the ground, and tests her weight on it. "I think I can walk on my own now, though probably not very fast.
"I'm Venia. I have some things which might help: two flasks of alchemist's fire that didn't break open during my fall - thank the gods! - and a sunrod." She rummages in her pack for a moment before producing the items, holding them out towards Auric.
"Gah! I'm so sorry! I should have taken care of that sooner," Astra apologies as she moves to where she can cast a spell of healing on Venia. After a moment the deed's done Astra's straightening back up.
"I hope that helped some."
"It did!" Venia takes a few hobbling steps. "I'll keep up as best I can," she says, avoiding looking at Gwerm.
"I will still need your eyes, Venia," the elf says, as if sensing her discomfort. "My name is Aravashnial," he says to everyone, "but please, call me Aravash."
"Now that we're all introduced, can we please keep moving?" Gwerm asks impatiently. "We can ill afford to waste time if we're to travel with a blind elf and a cripple." He sighs inwardly, then spreads his hands out in a gesture of supplication.
"My ladies and sirs," he says, obviously addressing the Desnan companions, "I have pressing concerns in the city, you see, more pressing than the mere worries for family and friends of common citizens. If you will see me to my manse directly from these caves, I will reward you handsomely - the sum of one thousand gold coins."
"You'll be helping not only me and all of Mendev, but yourselves!"
"Truly a handsome offer," Ten muses, "but how can we be sure about you motives or your ability when you haven't been quite forthcoming with us so far? What do you know about that scale we found in the backpack?" Ten asks, watching closely.
Auric opens his mouth to address the mounting tension, but at Ten's pointed question he closes it and fixes his eyes on the portly, well-dressed man.
"You trust me?" Gwerm exclaims, indignant. "Fine talk coming from one who holds all our resources. I don't know anything about that scale save what you've told us. I happened to find a similar scale underneath me in the rubble - but it certainly doesn't impart any mystic knowledge." He reaches into his coat and pulls out another scale. With raised chin and hoarse voice (whether due to emotion or residual grit, you cannot tell) he declares "I'm keeping it to remember the mighty Tarandalar's courage and sacrifice in the face of the Storm King today; by her valor do I yet live."
"No need to get your dander up, Horgus. If any of us need any of the resources, they will be available, no matter who carries them." Ten replies, satisfied by the explanation but unwilling to defuse the tension further.
Astra says nothing, but the look she gives Gwerm's back is hard and cold.
A man who cares only for money and his own possessions. I'll not waste my breath on trying to change your mind, but woe be unto you if you suggest abandoning anyone again.
Auric's shoulders slump slightly and he shakes his head. "Gwerm, let Ten check the scale to see if he can identify any magic it might contain," he says firmly but without any sign of anger, "please. We need to know what resources are available if we're going to make it out of here safely, and quickly."