Iagon nods at the translation, and releases his hold on the wooden particles about him. They drop the floor with the mild "tinkle-tinkle" of small falling particles. He wrinkles his nose and leans away from the bodies of the terrifying caterpillars.
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”Gurp!” Attai says smiling, thinking back to “conversations” with Rilli.
The creature responds in a slow and low voice, not unlike Rilli's croaking, but in the language of the forest. It seems to respond positively to Liamae.
Says Gurp, gesturing to the surrounding black mushrooms.
It waves for you to follow, then begins plodding down the far tunnel.
Liamae turns to the others to provide translation. "It doesn't want to hurt anybody, just take care of its garden. It's going to show us its home."
Iagon's eyes widen as it looks about at the hideous creatures they'd fought. This...this was it's home? Were those things a threat to him? I just don't want to walk into a garden filled with them, should he consider them friends.
Liamae nods and turns back to Gurp.
Gurp stops and shakes its mushroom head 'no'.
Gurp then backs up against the cavern wall and shifts its form. The misaligned eyes, the wide mouth, the arms and feet, all meld into its mushroom form until Gurp is indistinguishable from the other black mushrooms in the cave. After a moment, they eyes, mouth, hands and feet all sprout back out and Gurp continues on.
Liamae turns back to the group. "I don't think those bugs are its allies. Rather, they just co-exist without bothering each other. Gurp says it has lots of friends like itself. It seems harmless enough..."
Iagon nods slowly, then motions. Okay, I guess Gurp can lead on then. He leans in closer to whisper...not that Gurp could probably understand. We'll just keep an eye out...watch our flanks and lets try and make sure we're not walking into a hostile community.
Attai’s smile becomes bemused as he considers this strange ecosystem of beings. Attai turns to Liamae.
”Ask him...Gurp...if...Gurp has felt, noticed, seen any out of the ordinary evil of late. The chaneque are but a symptom of a greater malevolence, and perhaps our fungal friend could....illuminate us.” Attai finishes lamely, unsure of his metaphors in this gloomy place.
Liamae translates Attai's question into Sylvan.
Túrante nods in response to Attai's caution and keeps her curved elven sword low, but in-hand.
Gurp leads you down the other tunnel. Like the tunnel you came up, this one gently slopes downward, and the dark liquid seeping from the mass of bat guano and feeding the garden of midnight mushrumps also trickles down this path. The tunnel bottoms out soon enough and opens up into another cavern chamber. The trickling liquid gathers here into a large, dark pool. Rounded stones rise occasionally from the still waters, and the walls are lined with such boulders. A strange whispering sound can be heard throughout the chamber, seemingly coming from the rocks themselves, and a rippling occurs across the pool’s surface in time with the hushed sound.
Here, Gurp explains that the centipedes rising from the dead as they did is a relatively new phenomenon. Other creatures seem to be similarly infected, such as the spiders on the other side of the cave. The spiders are hard to get to, because of Rujabu. But, Gurp has no need to go that way anyway.
Gurp beckons you again to follow him down another passage, deeper into the cavern.
Túrante follows cautiously, translating as she goes.
"He calls this area Whispering Stones. I think the Whispering he refers to comes from an air stream, somewhere above. There's probably a crack leading to the surface."
"We are going toward his home. He says there are spiders the other direction, but we don't need to go that way. He says that the phenomenon of centipedes rising from the dead is new."
Iagon looks concerned. What would cause that - is this some sort of additional infection brought about by the Chaneque? He looks towards the direction of the spiders, his mind reeling with the thought of dozens of infected arachnids swarming over him and his companions. He shivers.
He follows Gurp, keeping the little fellow in front of him and at a safe distance, should he need to blast it into fungal paradise.
Attai nods as he follows. ”Who or what is Rujabu?”
"Gurp's enemy. More than that, I do not know. Perhaps its friends can tell us more?"
Moving past the Pool of Whispering Stones, Gurp leads you deeper into the cavern. Finally, you emerge into another open chamber and Gurp throws up its grubby hands, proclaiming proudly in its Sylvan tongue, "Home!"
In this chamber, many large tree roots have broken through the rock and penetrate into the open space. Several patches of mushroom growths dot the walls, and a carpet of soft mycelium covers the floor. Two other small mushroom creatures move about, tending to the mushroom patches, and harvesting the enriched soil to feed to the root systems.
Gurp introduces these two as Gerp and Girp. They wave 'hello' and go about their business.
Iagon studies Gurp and his two small friends, nodding to himself. Fungus Leshys, that's it....these are fey spirits in mushroom bodies. These guys are a very useful part of the ecosystem.
He looks to Turante and Liamae. Can you ask them where this Rujabu can be found?
Liamae translates Isgon’s question.
In answer, Gurp raises his hands above his head in claw-like fashion, hunches over, and makes a mean snarl. He then points down a tunnel off to one side, "Rujabu."
This tunnel is rather heavily choked with tree roots, allowing easy passage for a creature Gurp’s size, but no larger. They could possibly be hacked through, but Gurp, Gerp, and Girp seem to be caretakers of these root systems, you might offend them. You could also possibly crawl through, if you go one by one.
Alternatively, there’s another side passage off of this room. Gurp informs you there’s more water that way.
Liamae casts heightened awareness before going any further.
"So, what shall it be? Hack, crawl, or swim?"
Iagon frowns, not liking any of the options. He motions towards the passage with the roots, and then points at one of the warrior's blades, and makes a chopping motion. Liamae, mind asking Gurp if he knows of another way through? I'd rather not cut through, as that is sort of against the point of our helping out here. We don't want to damage their system in the act of freeing their system from danger.
He glances at Attai, brow furrowed. Kytes, are you able to check out this "Rujabu" when we see it and verify that it's evil? I want to help out these little fellows, since they're a vital part of the forest system, but I don't want to hurt another part of the system that is needed while we do.
Gurp tells Liamae that other creatures can be found down the other passage, namely rats and spiders, but you can get to Rujabu’s lair that way too. He’d be happy to show you the way if you promise to get rid of Rujabu.
Liamae asks politely for Gurp to lead the way, promising to defeat their enemy.
Iagon nods after the translation, and says to Gurp, very slowly, as if the speed with which he spoke common was the hurdle they had to cross in their language barrier. We....will....help....you. Show....us...the....way.
Attai nods in encouragement, though whether to Iagon or Gurp is entirely unclear.
With the promise of eliminating this Rujabu from the caverns, Gurp leads you down the non-root choked tunnel.
Down this tunnel you hear the sound of running water. Soon enough the passage opens up into another chamber, this one quite large. Through the middle of the chamber runs a small subterranean creek. The creek emerges from a tunnel to your right, and disappears down another tunnel to your left.
Across the way, on the other side of the creek is a small, naturally formed platform of rock. On the center of this platform is a low, circular, flat stone. Placed purposefully on this stone is a large bear's skull, larger than any normal sort of bear. From this distance, the skull seems to bear signs of markings.
The creek is wide and shallow enough to be walked across, or easily jumped across if you don't wish to get your boots wet.
Gurp seems uninterested in the skull, and points you down the tunnel to the right, from which the water flows.
Attai seems disinclined to examine the skull and vaguely points at it with his new club.
”Gurp doesn’t seem to think the skull important. Is it anything to do with Rujabu?”
The sylph sploshes over to the right hand tunnel and examines the entrance as the flow eddies around his feet.
Iagon narrows his eyes at the bear skull and approaches to examine it more closely, trying to determine why the skull is so large - is it just an abnormally large bear, or something unnatural?
"Curious. Who marked it and why, I wonder?"
Iagon hops across the creek and steps up to the bear skull. Iagon gets the sense that this skull once belonged to a Dire Bear, also known as a Cave Bear. An ancient, primeval bear species, very large, and very dangerous. Thankfully, this one appears to have been dead already for a very long time. It is covered in decorative spiral carving and set in places with semi-precious gemstones. The flat, circular stone it rests upon has strange runes, similar to those seen in Lilacea’s Court, carved upon its surface.
Attai sees that the creek runs down the rocky floor of the tunnel, which slopes upward from where he stands. The rocks look pretty slick with quick water flowing over them like that.
Quite the bear, this one, an old species, and a big one at that. A bit odd that it's decorated so, but... He shrugs. Turante, Liamae, there are some odd runes up here you may be interested in, too.
He leaves the skull and walks over to Attai, struggling to get out a torch on the way. He holds it ready to light, then assesses the path beyond Attai. Forgetting that their new friend can't understand him, he says to Gurp. Whaddya' say, little fellow - this the right way? Lead on. He stays close, ready to step in front of him should the need arise.
"Fascinating! I wonder if these runes have arcane significance." Liamae says as she inspects them.
The runes aren't in a language Liamae recognizes or understands. In and of themselves, they are not magical, but there is an aura of abjuration and evocation about the stone and skull. There is also a distinctly separate transmutation aura emanating from a fresh-water pearl embedded in the skull between the eye-sockets.
Gurp stands at the tunnel with Iagon and Attai, seemingly ready to continue up the slippery slope.
Liamae closes her eyes and lays her gloved hands on the skull and the pearl, trying to read their auras.
As Liamae reaches out toward the skull, a gout of flames erupts from the stone pedestal. Luckily, she's able to pull her hands back just in time to avoid most of the burn.
Once the flames are gone, the auras around the pedestal also fade. Safe now to touch the skull, Liamae is shown visions of a circle of druids performing rites and prayers around this altar. The pearl, she finds, is a Pearl of Power .
"Yeeowch!" Liamae curses, yanking her hands back. She shakes her singed arms and pouts. "That hurt!" The elf fishes a potion out of her pouch and drinks it.
"Some druids used this altar as a focus for their prayers. The pearl is enchanted to allow a spellcaster to recall her magic, but it will take tricky hands to remove it without damaging things."
Liamae! Iagon rushes back to check on her, his hands out as if to catch her, should she swoon from the damage. Seeing no such thing, he pulls his hands back quickly, and looks to the skull. Interesting....does anyone have any such skills? I fear my hands are quite so deft.
Liamae glances at Iagon and smiles. "I'm alright, but thanks for caring." She gives the kineticist a kiss on the cheek.
Túrante winces. "That looks like it hurt. Good thing you had that healing potion," she notes to Liamae.
"I don't really have any talents with... cunning artifices," she admits.
"Should we just leave it? If this place is sacred to the druids..."
Atari nods, a little vaguely.
”I’m afraid I am no adept when it comes to such things.” The sylph continues to peer upstream.
Liamae sighs. ”Okay, let’s come back later. Maybe somebody at the outpost can help us get the pearl. Let’s keep going.”
Iagon nods, then looks to Attai. Ready? He then looks to their little buddy Gurp to lead the way, and continues on upstream.
The way ahead is low, steep, and slick with running water and algae-covered stone. It makes for slow going, as everyone but Gurp has to brace themselves on the wall and stoop as they climb. Miraculously, no one falls and bruises a knee.
Leading the way, Attai is first to hear the sound of something unexpected. A melodious humming echoes through the tunnel, caressing his ear with otherworldly tones. He stops and holds up the line, and soon, everyone can hear the sweet, unnerving song.
Soon, everyone feels pulled onward. Gurp, the whole time, seems confused, and is almost trampled by those coming up behind him.
At the top of the tunnel, you find the source of the running water. A deep pool forms in a tight cavern, at the bottom of a cave in on one wall of the chamber. Brackish, brown water seeps in from between the rocks of the cave-in, possibly from the black bog above, and fills the pool, which then overflows into the creek you just ascended. But none of this concerns you now.
What concerns you is the stunningly beautiful elf maiden sitting upon the rocks on the backside of the pool, brushing her long, golden hair, toes at the end of soft, slender legs, daintily playing along the surface of the water. A sheer, silken gown reveals the hint of her pale body beneath. Her song fills your mind, clouding your thoughts, drawing you into the water with the irresistible compulsion to be near her.
She sees the party enter, Gurp jogging up from behind, and with a wicked, tantalizing smile, reaches out and beckons with graceful fingers.
Attai is absolutely smitten with the alluring elf. His arms outstretched, he yearns for her.
”Beauteous maiden, my words fail me. Your beauty is beyond compare! Pray, what is thy name so I might call it to the heavens!”
"Oh, my! A woman after my own heart!" Liamae swoons. She steps into the pool, trudging through the cold water as she approaches the gorgeous woman. "You must tell me your beauty secret!"
Iagon smiles widely and stupidly, forgetting his obligations for a moment and allowing himself...at least in his mind he does...to be pulled towards the woman. He closes his eyes when he approaches, the perfect song filling his mind and heart with warmth. He sways with the melody as he approaches.
"Whatever prompted you to be down here in the dark?" asks the elven princess. "Beyond monsters and perils? This hardly seems a fitting place."