Auric approaches Astra and hands her the newly recovered scale. After explaining his understanding of what it does, he offers, ”I’m sure you’ll find clever ways to use it, and if anything happens to me down here you can use it to escape.”
"Luna, it's okay. I don't think anyone's going to hold it against you. Besides, I'm sure I'll say something that'll make what you said in the heat of the moment sound like some philosopher's speech."
When Auric hands her the scale, and mentions how she should use to escape if need be, a pained look shadows her eyes.
"Why do you keep assuming I'm more important than you are, or that my life is more valuable than yours?"
Ten returns with the party's light to find Venia waiting with a drawn dagger and Gwerm huddled in a corner. The woman nods to the halfling and sheathes her blade while Gwerm stands and straightens his attire.
"We all survived, then?" he asks gruffly.
Meanwhile the elf joins the sisters and their bodyguard at the passage intersection further up.
"Luna, Auric, it sounds as if you handled that schir quite well. I think we can be fairly certain that we now leave no enemies behind us. Until we pass more tunnels we choose not to explore, you both should take the lead in case we find danger.
"Best not to have anyone caught alone down here."
Cracking a smile, he adds, "So, do me a favor and try not to make my job too difficult."
Auric looks the elf up and down, with a little bit of cynicism. "Thank you for your kind appraisal, master elf, but Luna did most of the work." he replies, "I'll stay with Astra and trust that Luna can keep leading us without my meager help."
"Yes,yes." Ten says as they continue, "Auric, you keep an eye on Astra. Astra, you keep an eye on Luna. Luna, you keep an eye on Auric. Probably best if no one focus' too closely on me." he concludes with a mischievous smile.
"Careful, Ten. Someone might accuse you of being a master thief. With charm like that, I'd be surprised if you hadn't stolen more than a few hearts," Astra chuckles as she helps the Aravashnial and Venia keep up.
"Ten, why don't you accompany Luna in case she finds trouble, and leave your light with Astra. That way we're not leaving anyone without support. If there are more demons down here, two pairs of keen eyes and quiet feet up front could mean the difference between surprising our enemy and walking into an ambush."
"Damn my leg..." Venia mutters under her breath, scowling at her splinted shin.
Gwerm widens his eyes in exasperation at the elf and shakes his head.
"Why don't you let the professionals handle this?"
The elf straightens and frowns in Gwerm's direction. "I am the professional here."
"I have made a study of demonology longer than any other here has drawn breath, and I know how to combat them. Leaving one scout ahead and alone when we have two suited to the role is foolish; Luna is just as likely to give us warning of danger with her dying screams than with her whispered report if left unsupported."
"I think, for the time being, I would prefer the set-up we have. My eyes aren't as keen as Astra's in these caverns." Ten replies, after considering the suggestion.
"We will be sure to remain close."
"Unless, of course, you would like some company, Astra? I would not say no to a Lady's request."
"I'll stay with Aravashnial and Venia, so long as you don't try to leave me alone with Gwerm. Will that make things easier for you?" For once, there's no hint of mischief or mirth in her eyes or expression.
"I may be able to see well, but I was the one that always got us caught whenever Luna and I tried sneaking out. Auric can't stand to be parted from me, and I don't think Venia, Aravashnial, or Mr. Worm can move as well as you can. We can make sure the way's lit, though, so you won't be blind at least."
At Astra's urging, Ten creeps up to Luna, about 20' from the group. Squinting carefully and listening, they make their way slowly down the passage.
”You’re doing great so far, Luna,” Auric encourages, ”I trust you, and I’ll be right back here with Astra when you need us.”
Aravash nods in approval as the party begins to move forward again with Luna and Tenebris in the lead. The scouting pair advance down the passage and shortly come to another small chamber. Several mounds of rock lie in heaps in this cavern, recently fallen from the walls and ceiling. Now and then, bits of dust settle from cracks in the stone above.
Amid the rubble, Ten spots a now-familiar glint of silver.
As you pick up this scale, you see yourself empowering your shortbow with your ideals of good, while uncharacteristic thoughts on the imprtance of adherence to laws tug at your mind.
Ten retrieves the scale and dusts it off. After examining it, he hands it to Auric, explaining what he believes it to be.
Leaving Auric to decide who should carry the scale, Ten makes his way back to his scouting partner, ready to continue.
You travel forward along a winding route for a half hour at the best speed you can manage (given Venia's leg and Aravash's blindness) before reaching a junction. To the north, a 5-foot-wide opening in the wall leads into a cave filled with a soft but unseemly green light, while the tunnel continues south.
From the tunnel you can see the cavern holds a 20-foot-tall building, a bunker-like structure with no windows, its walls of worked stone blocks. A 10-foot-long carving of a hammer decorates the building’s facade. The source of the green light isn't evident.
You recognize the hammer symbol as that of the god Torag, Father of Dwarvenkind - a stoic and serious god who values honor, planning, and well-made steel.
Auric raises an eyebrow at Ten's description of the newest scale, then looks pensively at Luna. "I'd be more than happy to carry this one," he admits, "but you're the one in the vanguard... do you want it?"
"The hammer on the front is the symbol of Torag, the dwarvin god" Ten says, as they eye the strange building.
"Why would dwarves build a fortress under Kenabres?"
Ten accompanies Luna, remaining quiet, but no longer hiding.
"I dunno, but maybe they'll help us. At the least we should be able to rest and relax for a bit, maybe even get some more supplies and a path up to the surface."
”A secret dwarven outpost supporting the war from below ground?!? That’s... amazing! How have I never heard of this?” Auric marvels. He rushes Astra and their guests a bit as they move to approach the building.
"Auric," Astra says in a teasingly threatening tone as his curiosity gets the better of him, "you should know better to than to rush a lady, much less two!"
You proceed into the cavern, its ceiling rising up thirty feet above your heads. Once inside you see ruins of collapsed outbuildings - now little more than rubble - to either side of the bunker which bears Torag's hammer. The bunker and rubble almost fill the cavern, with little more than five feet of space remaining clear on either side of the structure; a stone door is visible on the west side of its front.
The sickly green light that fills the cavern has no visible source, as if the air itself is luminescent.
You know that the city of Kenabres stands above several layers of underground chambers: old catacombs and sewers that riddle the rock. The city’s explosive growth during the First Crusade saw the construction of more of these tunnels than would ever see use, and today they’re rumored to be home to outcasts, pariahs, and even "mole people" - creatures that have crawled up into them from unknown depths.
It may that you have found your way into a part of this largely forgotten municipal substructure, and that this building is a remnant of Kenabres's aggressive downwards expansion during the First Crusade.
As the scene becomes clear, Astra huddles closer to Aravashnial, Venia, and Auric. Her lips drawing into a thin line. Something about this place and what she knew of Kenebres' history told that this place had been abandoned.
"Starsong guide our steps. This place feels like a tomb."
Auric frowns. ”I fear you may be right,” he answers in a voice barely above a whisper, ”be on your guard, everyone, if the dwarves are gone who knows what might be living here...”
With his rapier at the ready, he nods encouragingly to Luna as she checks the door.
Settling in behind Auric, Ten weaves a small bit of magic into the knight as Luna checks the door.
Luna presses her ear to the cool stone of the door but hears nothing. The door has a simple handle to pull, with no signs of a lock, though upon giving it a tug it appears to be stuck fast.
Astra, not wanting to be away from Luna, uses her request for help to get next to her. She pulls as hard as she can on the door's handle as her face turns beet-red with the effort.
Astra passes the blind elf off to Venia and moves to aid Luna. The sisters strain against the door to no initial avail; however, upon gathering themselves and making a concerted effort, they pull the reluctant stone portal open. As the strange green light floods through the doorway, the portal voices its discontent with a grinding rumble that echoes through the small antechamber revealed within.
5 feet wide and 10 feet long, this chamber has a stone bench lining the south wall. At the far east side of the room a basin of shadowy water sits atop a stone pedestal. A stone door engraved with the image of Torag's hammer stands to the north.
Just as unconsciously, Astra huddles behind Luna and peeks over her shoulder.
"Why build this place, then abandon it? It looks as if someone went to a lot of effort here."
"Dwarves do not 'abandon' anything. If they are gone, they were driven away." Curiosity getting the better of him, Ten moves past the ladies into the room.
Having a look at the room, he quietly probes for clues.
Moving into the center of the room, casting detect magic and taking a good look at the basin.
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Auric enters the narthex cautiously, staying close to Astra. "I've seen dwarves abandon a number of things..." he answers Ten somberly, "a cask of ale that was too watery... a tray of pasties without any meat in them... an attempt to make an honest cleric out of a halfling..."
Astra lets out a giggle at the last, more because of nerves than humor. After getting a firm handle on her tittering, she looks to Auric.
"Should we bring Venia, Aravashnial, and Mr. Gwerm with us? I don't think it's a good idea to leave them alone if something's lurking about," she quietly asks Luna and Auric. "Ten has a point. I've never heard of dwarves abandoning something they built without cause."
Ten studies the basin under his magical light and divinations while the others talk amongst themselves. The water is very clear - probably due to having gone a very long time without disturbance. For some reason the otherwise ubiquitous green light doesn't seem to illuminate the basin, though neither it (nor the green light) detect as magical.
You know it's customary for many religions to have blessed (or cursed) water available near the entrance to their temples.
Such water would not detect as magical, but would possess an alignment aura discernible to those who can perceive such things.