Wiping his hands off as he finishes up examining the machine Kovax stands and looks at Val, "Of course we are going to go look for your father, he is a good man and this city needs him" glancing around the room, "Did you father make any maps from his first exploration of the caves below? That could be very helpful if he did, or if he talked to you about it at all"
"Perhaps we should also talk to the town council. It sounds like they may have more information on the expedition."
Kovax nods at Urgeon, "That is an excellent idea, we should head there next."
"Fair enough, let's move."
Val rubs her eyes for a moment before responding, "Sorry, have a splitting headache today that just won't go away. Anyhow, Dad didn't leave anything here other than this contraption," she waves at the pile of scrap metal on the floor. ""The entrance to the caves is through the Weeping Pond. Dad found some unusual tracks their and convinced the Council to send expeditions down. As I understand it, the entrance to the caves under the city are quite a ways underwater. The Council would know more and he may have given them maps if he didn't keep them for his second expedition."
As evening settled, you approach the town Hall on the east side of the city, past the lake and across the square. One of the grander buildings in Torch, only Dolga Freddert is there when you arrive.
Dolga is the town's oldest councillor having been here since the city was founded over a century ago. The old dwarf is currently fussing over a sheaf of papers grumbling about "desk riding" as you approach her.
"What do you need? Speak up, boy!"
Urgeon looks at Val with concern,"When did the headaches start. Any idea on what the trigger is?"
Urgeon nods with respect to the council woman, "Greetings, I am the apprentice of Khonnir Bain. He has been missing for several days and we've become concerned for his safety. His daughter tells us he shared the details of his expedition with you. Is there anything that you can tell us that will help us find him and bring him home?"
"Perhaps this device is all the map that we need, lets examine it and see if it has any clues"
Ridic will just stand in the back observing
"Few days ago, I guess. Figured it was the stress of Dad headed down in to the tunnels, although now that I think about it, the headache started before he decided to go in ..."
Dolga's demeanor changes near instantly as she hears what you say and recognizes you, "Oh, praise Brigh! I thought we were out of able-bodied folk to go in after Khonnir!"
She comes around the desk, setting down her spectacles to take each of you by the arm, in a warrior's embrace.
“There’s an underwater passage connecting the caves to Weeping Pond. Khonnir noticed a large number of human footprints on the pond’s banks—he was there the day the fires went out testing the water to ensure it hadn’t suddenly grown more toxic—and he realized that a sizable group of people had entered the pond but had not emerged."
"We sent four teams in all, but only one came back to report what they found—Khonnir’s first expedition. Khonnir spoke at length with the council before going back in, and he confirmed what his group told us, despite how outlandish it sounded. The first team was a group of half ling adventurers, the second a group of local thugs, and the fourth a small adventuring party devoted to the worship of Brigh from out of town. Khonnir’s team undertook the third and fifth expeditions under Black Hill, and it was on the fifth expedition—his second trip—that he went missing.”
"They reported that the caves are inhabited by several enormous vermin and other scavengers, along with some strange humanoids who had the ability to blend into the shadows of the cave walls, and a
nest of gremlins. Khonnir believed this indicated a deeper connection in the caves to the Darklands, but of more immediate interest was his discovery of a wall of solid metal deep in the caves. A wall made of a skymetal alloy called glaucite. He said it was like the kind we mine from the hills and surrounding plains, but formed into a structure with doors. It was near one of these doors that Khonnir found the broken automaton that he brought back after his first expedition.”
"No map from Khonnir, but if you're on the job, I can give you some other assistance."
Glaucite is a gray-black alloy of iron and adamantine with qualities similar to steel but greater in weight. It's also commonly referred to as "Numerian Steel" due to its prevalence in the area
Urgeon nods with grim resolve, "We'll find him and bring him back."
He turns to the others, "I say we leave at once."
He explains what glaucite is to the others.
"What 'other assistance' did you mean to offer?" Razorend asks Dolga.
In response to Razorend
"We are offering 4000 gold for Khonnir's return and another 4000 for turning on the Torch again. We will not send rescue for you should you not return, but there is no time limit other than Khonnirs unknown situation. Sign here as accepting the terms of the job." She holds out a very short and standardized contract for each of you that basically spells out the above.
"I’ll give each of you a writ that you can show to any of the merchants in town for a flat 20% discount on any gear you need to purchase—I wish I could offer a greater discount than that, but that’s the best I can do. Finally, the entrance to the caves is flooded. You’ll need to swim a bit to get to the caves. Joram Kyte has agreed to cast water breathing on any group to aid in entering the caves—free of charge, of course. You can find him at the temple of Brigh or up at Crowfeather Palace when you’re ready to go.”
Urgeon takes the writ, "I already have the gear I need. What about the rest of you? Let's make it quick. We need to find Khonnir."
"I agree, lets do a quick check on gear then head to the Temple of Brigh"
Ridic signs the contract
Razorend eyes the contract warily, but scratches some kind of sign on it anyway.
Kovax shrugs and signs the contract without really reading it.
"I am fine to head to the temple when ever everyone is ready."
Just up the road you hear the wind chimes first before you come up come up on the domed portico of this compound dedicated to the goddess of invention.
The inside is an organized workshop and the elder, bald Joram Kyte's smiling face greets you at the door. "Let me guess, young, fit and beaming with energy. The next group to head into the caves?" He smiles warmly before his expression goes serious.
"I truly hope you find Khonnir alive and well. The town owes so much to him. Are you intending to head in tonight? I can cast a water breathing spell on you that will last 8 hours for each of you, assuming it's just the three of you going in? Let me get my rod, in the mean time, let me know if you need to stock up on anything."
Razorend bows to Joram respectfully. "Do you know anything about this purple-haired woman I've heard rumor about. They say she disappeared just before the torch went out. It could be coincidence, but how many people have purple hair?"
Joram runs his hand across his bald template, "Don't recall hearing anything about a woman with purple hair. Think I know most everyone around here, and I'm fairly certain none of them have hair that I'd call purple."
Urgeon scans Joram's inventory, "I think we already have what we need. Let's proceed with the water breathing spell."
"Joram. we have four of us that intend to go into the caverns (I am assuming that I do not know that Razorend is an android). Can you accommodate all four of us? If not we will need to get additional assistance as all of us need to go."
Ridic will pull out his small sack and count his measly 31GPs, then place them back in the sack after he hears some of the prices.
If you're headed in this evening ... which it sounds like everyone is game for ...
Joram Kyte escorts you up to the edge of the Weeping Pond. He gives you each a small waterproof bag (about 1 cubic foot) for anything that can't get water logged.
When you each indicate that you're ready he casts water breathing using a small rod he pulls from his belt to extend its length giving you each 6 hours.
Kovax will buy a large enough waterproof bag to keep his rifle dry (has the blackpowder in powder horns already)
Kovax will take off his armor before entering the water and swim across.
Fort Save -
Swim Check -
once he gets across he will dry off, and check over his gear
-Posted with Wayfinder
...
Fort save
Swim
Ridic will put his chalk in the bag and torches if it is big enough.
Urgeon tucks his spell book in the water proof bag and then will dive into the water, toting the bag with him.
You sink into the water and find that first breath to be a bold trust in the divine powers, but it works fine and you swim through the polluted water to the rocky bottom. You spend a few minutes searching and then find the tunnel, pressing forward into a lightly moving current.
Urgeon swallows a mouthful of water and finds himself ill.
Following the current through the tunnel, Razorend bangs into a wall hard scraping himself up.
You emerge on the other side after about 50 feet in a small stream moving west to east. The air smells of mold and vinegar and dampness hangs in the cave collecting in moisture on slick stone walls. The calm dark waters wind around to the east up north, along a stony soot-scarred beach. A 5-foot ledge sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons.
The water is about 2 feet deep here as you stand appraising the area.
You note the tracks of several humanoids that climbed from the beach up the ledge
Urgeon casts light on his quarter staff, "I say we get out of the water. Let's scale the cliff."
Urgeon scampers up to have a look.
Climb Check -
Kovax easily climbs up and puts his armor back on
Razorend vaults out of the water and scales the cliff with apparent ease. He crouches and scans the area while waiting for the others.
Survival
Ridic will follow the party up the cliff.
At the top of the ledge looking east, the party has to crouch to look east. You see a collection of stalactites and stalagmites choke this low-ceilinged cavern, making it difficult to squeeze between them. Matching stalactites close in from the five-foot-high ceiling, giving the impression of a maw of needle-like teeth bearing down on one another. Far away, a dead half-orc sprawls on the ground near the cave’s eastern entrance.
As Kovax begins putting his armor on, Razoreend hears a scuttle and sees a flash of light on the wall as three housecat-sized beetle with a dull brown color brightened by two glowing green-yellow spots on their carapace come running toward him.
Urgeon will stomp any bug that comes near him with his staff.
Razorend assumes a defensive stance and rolls around the beetles to the north.
initative
Ridic will attack the beetle that gets closest, delaying his action as necessary.
Attack
Damage
Razorend tumbles forward avoiding the beetle's attacks.
Kovax stops working on his armor, takes a step forward and slashes out at the nearest beetle but deflects his blade off a stalagmite in the narrow cavern.
Ridic hangs out and waits.
The beetles converge on Razorend, but the stalker bobs and weaves avoiding their mandibles. Urgeon also waits in the back.
; miss
; miss
; miss
; miss
Frowning at the wall after his miss, Kovax tries again
To Hit -
Damage -
Ridic will move forward and attack then. I thought they were approaching us.
Razorend slashes his kukri in a rapid attack.
;
;
;
Urgeon draws his crossbow but holds his action.
With a pair of deft strikes, Razor end cuts one beetle into 3 pieces. Kovax cuts the one in front of Ridic as well. Ridic steps in to slash at the last one with his scythe but is stymied by the tight cavern. The beetle retaliates and slices him.
Urgeon pulls out his crossbow.
; miss ; Hit!
-Posted with Wayfinder
Ridic will swing at the beetle again
Attack
Damage
Kovax attacks the final beetle
To Hit -
Damage -
;
Kovax looks around to make sure that was all the welcome they were going to get and goes back to putting on his armor and prepping his blunderbuss
Razorend cleans off his blade, looking around the area, alert for more threats.