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.
"looks like a cave in..." Alesie mumbles to herself.
Alesie will cautiously move up towards the rock mound, inspecting them to see if there is perhaps a way through the tumble of rocks.
"Taking all our risks for us? Be Careful Alesie." Kelden said simply trying hard not to sound...overly bossy. "Arashvinal, Lady Anevia here, has told me of her life here in Kenebras, might I ask you the same question. Are you in a crusading company here?" "I only ask to get to know everyone here abit, I actually met a few of our travelers the night before along with ... with." He paused frowning the image of Ce-Eshna's grin flooded his mind for a moment and her shook it off. It was best not to think of such things at the moment, survival was more important. He did glance to His compatriot in faith Kyra and give himself a little nod. He took comfort in her being so closeby.
Alesie: This cave may look unstable, but it weathered the disasters above quite well and is in no real danger of collapse. While the amount of rubble will make it slow going for anyone making there way through it.
"I'm a conjurer by trade a merchant who sometimes helps crusaders by casting spells or identifying items for them. Though I have tried to encourage others like me to more directly aid the cause."
He frowns as if remembering something unpleasant. "I've had little success though... He trails off as if lost in thought.
"A shame that, you would think in a land like this people would be more willing, to help the cause. It takes all kinds i suppose. You said others like you? Is there a spellcasters guild here? I have heard that such things exist, though in my limited experiances in life so far i've yet to come across their like." He directed his attention back up ahead to Alesie.
"Goodman Hargus?" Kelden continued still trying to keep the mood light. "No disrespect intended, I had asked earlier but with all the vermin about we got a little distracted. Are you a part of any company of crusaders Goodman Hargus?" He asked, the man didnt look like any sort of crusader, nor did he look like a mage, if anything he looked a merchant or a noble. Kelden had little experiance with nobles, he hoped it was the first option.
Surveying the scene before her Alesie looks back to ask her companions advice. "It looks like the worst of this cave-in is over, We could potentially try and clear this path, though it would likely be slow going with the injured. Should we look for another route?"
Kyra looks around nervously at the rubble and the settling dust while Alesie gets closer to the collapse. "Careful Alesie..." She keeps a wary eye upon the ceiling above for any falling objects until she hears Kelden's faltering words as he talks about the folks they had met the night prior.
Kyra felt a slight tightening in her chest as well as she thought about the young Chelaxian and Ce-Eshna. Kyra and Kelden had been right next to the young warrior when the ground fell out from beneath them... and Kyra did not have much hope Ce-Eshna survived. She spots Kelden glance in her direction briefly.
The dervish waits until Kelden distracts himself speaking to the injured members of their group and sneaks over towards him. She wraps her arms around him from the side and hugs him tightly. She plants a light kiss on his cheek. "Do not despair, dear Kelden. I am sure she still lives." She smiles and pats his cheek... If she could only believe her own words....
She turns to Alesie. "I believe we should find another way... There are other paths we have yet to follow. I fear another cave-in if we attempt this."
Hargus eyes the elf suspiciously as he mentions recruiting others, muttering something about rifts to him self.
He chuckles at the idea he may be a crusader. "No, no, I'm from a well to do family. The nobel House Gwerm, though we suffered great losses while I was but a child at the hands of demons. Very few of my family remains..."
He carefully picks his way through some larger stones in his path and continues, slightly out of breath.
"If you had to describe what I do I guess you could say I'm some what scholarly. Knowledge my friend is where true power stems from. Though owning a good portion of the trade in any city helps too! Mark my words if you all get me out of here alive I'll certainly not forget it."
Scanning the area, Farak speaks up.
"Well, it seems that the only way forward is this way. Carry on then, it seems."
He takes a swig from his flask, hefts his hammer on his shoulder, and begins moving past the stones.
Kyra sends her lights forward to illuminate their path through the rubble and then takes Anevia's hand to help her through the path. "Kelden, would you assist Aravashnial through?"
"We should scout ahead, Alesie. I'll back you up." Carilain starts picking his way across the rubble; trying to find the clearest way for the injured. He doesn't believe there is anything to find, but the elf casts detect magic, just to be sure.
"Of course. If you wait here i will be back for you in a moment Anevia, once we get our friend here to the other side." The young cleric offered with a smile, taking the blind elfs hand to help guide him up through the rubble before returning for the woman with the broken leg.
"I agree Carilain, let's see if we can find the best path for the injured to follow." Alesie acknowledges.
Alesie starts towards the pile of rubble looking to find the easiest path for her larger companions to traverse.
As Alesie picks her way through the stones a flash of white is her only warning. A serpent, its scales a pale white, bite at her ankle, fangs dripping with venom!
Luckily the fangs are stopped by the leather of her boots. Protecting her for now from the snake's attack.
Order:
Carilain
Snake
Then everyone else.
"Look out, Alesie!" Carilain cries out, realizing he is already too late.
In anger, Carilain strikes back at the pallid snake.
Aurora curses her sluggishness and moves to skewer the snake with her longsword.
I'll draw its attention!
The serpent lashes out again. again missing, a split second later Aurora's sword swings removing the head of the snake!
Aprox 12:45pm
After traveling the winding route for about 1,900 feet (at a speed of 15 feet through the rough cavern passages, this takes about 25 minutes to navigate), you reach the tunnel's end at a junction. To the north, a 5-foot wide opening in the wall leads into a cave filled with soft but nasty-looking green light-the tunnel itself continues south.
Kelden frowns as green lighted opening intersects with their path. "I'd hate to say it, but perhaps we should take a glance what lies that way...Like the forked path i would hate for something to creep up behind us." His hand gripped the hilt of his scimitar as he kept a glance torwards the mysterious room.
Farak nods to Kelden.
"Agreed. Like I said, let's not leave anything at our back that could wish us harm. This is a strange place we're in."
Alesie looks down at her boots as they pause at the fork in the cavern, still marveling at the fact they had protected her from the snake's bite. I love these shoes.
"Into the green light then." Alesie agrees slowly inching towards the opening in the cave. Please don't be something scary or creepy. Maybe it's a den of bunnies with a glowing green stone...ya that would be good.
"That glow is probably magic. I'll see if I can determine what sort it is."
In a clear voice, Carilain says the draconic word and makes the gesture that allows him to the auras of magic. then he examines the area.
Kyra reluctantly agrees with the rest, though she is hesitate to enter the room with the sickly green glow... "Perhaps we should tie a rope around the waist of whomever goes in first. That way if the room is filled with some kind of poison or something we can pull them out?" She looks to Farak, who she hopes has some sort of experience with this type of situation, given that he's a dwarf and all...
"Farak, do you know anything about this... uh.... glow?" She waves her hand vaguely in the direction of the room.
Thinking for a moment, Farak responds.
"I don't believe I do, m'lady. But I don't mind going in to check. Tie a rope to me if ye must."
A single sizable 20-foot-tall building remains in the center of this 30-foot-high cave, a bunker like structure with no windows and walls of worked stone blocks. A 10-foot-long carving of a hammer decorates the building's facade. The ruins of collapsed out buildings stand to either side.
The eerie green glow seems to come for a luminescent crystal. Flakes of the small green gems are scattered all over the chamber, alone they provide little light but the sheer amount of them produce a sizeable glow.
As he moves into the room, Farak takes a drink from his flask before spinning his hammer in his hands, ready to strike at any moment. His gaze lingers on the structure in front of him, and he comments to his companions.
"Aye, it is a structure honoring Torag, the gods of my people, though not mine. Be wary, though—this place is not normal."
Kyra keeps a steady grip on the rope as Farak moves into the room. She doesn't realize it, but she holds her breath until the dwarf speaks again. She lets out her breath with a sigh of relief and draws her scimitar before moving into the room with Farak.
The half-elf looks about the cavern, glancing at the green gems littering the place with interest; however, her eyes are drawn to movement along the building face. She sees a huge, grotesque fly that causes her to sneer in disgust. "There is a huge fly on the building up there." She says quietly to the others as she sheathes her scimitar and draws out her short bow, putting an arrow to the string. "Not normal, indeed, dear Farak." As she points out the large insect.
"By the lady's light i swear when we get back to the surface, we can offer our services not just as crusaders to be but also as vermin exterminators." The young cleric of Sarenae said making sure their injured and noble were well away from the where Kyra had pointed. He drew his blade and readied himself to close with it, if it decided to come closer to the party or threatened those under his care.
"Of course. Giant flies from giant maggots. Giant spiders to eat them. It all makes perfect sense. The elf seems like he's maybe a little frustrated with the situation.
"Do we think there is anything worthwhile in there? I can try to bring the fly down with my bow..."
Carilain scabbards his blade and brings out his shortbow and an arrow.
Alesie lets out a dejected sigh. Really? More creepy bugs? That was not what I wanted to come across.
"Perhaps we can get the surprise on it, scare it away before any harm comes to anyone." Alesie whispers to her companions. Not trusting her own words, Alesie got to pull out her bow, waiting to see if the fly attacks.
"I am weak at range," the dwarf admits. "But I won't let it near you—bring it down."
Farak readies himself in front of the group, hammer in hand.
Kyra nods her agreement in taking down the massive fly before it gets a chance to attack them first. In her mind everything in this cavern has already proven to be hostile, so why would anything be different with the fly...
"Everyone with a bow... all fire at once." She draws her bowstring back, letting the fletching of her arrow brush her cheek, and takes aim at the vile insect. "On three." She waits until everyone else is ready, then begins to count. "One, two, three!"
She releases the arrow with a sharp snap of the bowstring and watches as the arrows fly towards their target, drawing another arrow from her quiver as she does. Kyra lets out a curse as her arrow hits nowhere near her intended target...
Alesie draws her bow in time with Kyra and releases an arrow at the giant fly.
Carilain pulls the string back and looses the arrow on the three count. As he does he lets some of his arcane power infuse the wood of his bow, improving his power and accuracy.
The fly meets a surprisingly quick end as it is filled with arrows. Its body left twitching on the cold stone of the ground.
"I am not familiar with... Torag's doctrines, the few followers of his i ran across in my travels didnt...appreciate my faith in the Dawnflower im afraid. Do they always make temples in forgotten places such as this?" The young cleric began with the threat of the giant fly gone. He caustiously moved forward glancing about
Kyra lowers her bow with a nod to the others. "Well done, everyone." She slips her bow back into her quiver and draws her scimitar once more as she cautiously approaches one of the glowing gems.
"I am not sure..." She answers Kelden. "I had hoped perhaps we may find a cleric here, but after seeing the state of this temple... I do not believe we will find anyone here." She does not know much about dwarves, but she knows they take stonework very seriously and doubts they would allow one of their temples to fall into such disarray.
Before kneeling down, Kyra suddenly stops and speaks a few arcane words aloud to determine if the crystals have any magical properties about them.
"We came this far, we might as well see what a shrine to Torag looks like on the inside...
Carilain puts his bow away as well; then draws his own sword.
"Maybe we can get some of our arrows out of that bug. I'd hate to run out down here."
The old stone door leading into the building is stuck.
"Aye, I am intrigued," Farak says as he lowers his shoulder into the door.
Kyra plucks one of the crystals from the ground and examines it closely; she finds them extremely intriguing. "Perhaps we could use these as a source of light? If we put enough of them together into a container or something?" She'll begin to gather up a handful of the crystals and place them into one of her belt pouches until she can find a clear object to store them in.
After gathering the stones she goes to join the others near the door to the temple. She notices the door appears stuck and decides to give it a push... however, it's half-hearted and she laughs at her feeble attempt. She steps off to the side to give the more physically built members of the party the opportunity. "Gentlemen, Aurora... feel free to show me how it's done." She smiles and laughs once more, trying to keep the mood light.
When Farak puts his shoulder to the door and begins to force it open she lets out a quiet cheer and pats him on the shoulder. "Well done!"
Alesie Chuckles at Kyra's attempt. "Hey, it's better then I would have done. Definetly curious as to why there is a temple to Torag here, seems a strange place to put one..."
"Not unheard of though. He is the god of dwarves and it makes sense to build his temple below ground. What I'm curious about is if the mole people worship him... "
A stone bench lines the southern wall of this chamber. At the far side of the room, a basin of water sits a top a stone pedestal. A stone door engraved with an image of a hammer stands to the north.
"The Mole People?" Carilain asks, inviting Aravashnial to elaborate.