"Do you want to lead us back toward where you saw it Padrym? Or has it withdrawn?"
"I'm going looking for it. Better to know what we're dealing with." Stáli draws his longhammer and strikes forth in the direction Padrym indicated.
"Stay beside me," Agna warns he humans. "Something apparently has followed you, and my friends are going to go find out what it is. I'll be sure you are safe, as best I can."
Padrym nods and accompanies Stali to flush out the ambushing creature(s).
"Let's be done with this thing."
"Stali, I'll come with you. My sight is a good as yours, and no one should walk alone."
Hilde will stay back with the humans. "Is there anything more you can tell about the disease? Did it come on you when you wandered in the dark, or did some of you fall to it when you were held by the drow?"
Nar is not a complicated dwarf. He has out his warhammer, shield and glances around the area as well as looks for any sign of passage of the creature. He is also ok with being the bait to draw it out.
Stali looks as far as he can see in the tunnel where the sound was heard. Looking at both ceiling and floor.
Moving down the rough hewn tunnel and looking with relative closeness at the surrounds, you notice that while there is some free earth upon the ground - none of it seems to have been disturbed. The walls and roof have rippling folds and cracks which could easily mask the presence of a creature as small at the intellect devourer, but you see neither hide nor hair of it as you walk through.
Hilde receives a reply "After we fled the drow we wandered the dark for what seemed an age... scavenging what we may... The first to succumb had a smell of death upon him and his skin grew cold. He walked into the darkness to die, and we moved on... It has claimed us one by one... the smell, the chill... and the walk into darkness to die."
Agna casts Detect Magic, looking to see of the humans might have the taint of magic on them. Perhaps they'd been ensorcelled.
Hilde murmurs in Dwarvish, "I'm afraid they're all probably carrying larval body thieves."
There are no latent magical effects upon the humans.
Padrym shrugs as the darkness refuses to give up it's secrets, then heads back to the humans.
"We need to keep moving."
Hilde continues in Dwarvish. "We could escort the humans back to the drop-off and get them up to our deep gnome allies. I don't think they'll last that long, though. I'm afraid that the best thing we can do for them is have them throw the bodies of the sick into that lake, and hope that kills the body thieves."
"I don't think we're prepared to head out in the boats, especially with our new charges here. What if we continue north and see if we can find a safe place for them? The only other thing I can think of is to backtrack and get them to safety before we continue."
"I'm not sure there is a safe place behind us. We'd have to climb (or was it descend) a long long way. I think they'd be safer to follow us as we continue north. If we find someone welcoming, they might be able to help the humans back to the surface."
She lowered her voice to a whisper..."And if they are infected, we can figure that out and deal with the repercussions as we travel."
"Aye, let's do that then."
The humans are relatively easy to convince to follow you, though there is are a few logistical issues to resolve...
"I suggest we keep things dark, no sense attracting predators. We'll string the humans to a rope so we can guide them. If trouble starts, they drop to the ground and roll to the walls. Suggest we keep them to one side when we camp and watch them as much as the dark. No telling if any are taken yet. If there was something following us, it was quick and it was sneaky."
"That, or very dim light--something that the humans can follow, and maybe make it easier to keep from tripping."
"Do you have a thought about how to provide a dim light Hilde. I hate to see them stumbling about, but we've learned that keeping things dark is safer down here. If you have an idea for a dim light, that might be an option. I agree with Padrym's camp plan."
"I can cast a Darkvision spell a few times a day, that will last about six hours. I can cast the spell on one of them, who can be responsible for directing the others. As the spell expires, I can renew it, so one of them always has the ability to see and guide the rest."
"A very good plan Agna. That will be a great kindness and aid to them and may help them get a feel for the passage of time as well."
"Lets do it then and get back to moving.". Agna explains the plan to the humans and casts Darkvision on the first volunteer. "Keep the others together. Whisper what you see, and we will stay with you."
The man who Agna chooses to receive the darkvision initially shies away from her touch, but after the spell takes effect blinks his eyes to acclimatize. He holds his hand before his face and moves his fingers as though in disbelief that he is actually witnessing them in complete blackness... but nods his acceptance of the means of travel.
It is then that you set off, slowly and with some stumbling upon your way. After a number of stubbed toes and scraped knees the humans begin to get the hang of the means of travel... though your speed is limited by those still without sight, and you are unlikely to sneak up upon anything with decent ears due to the sounds emitted.
One day passes, and then the most of a second when something entirely unexpected happens... While travelling through a near identical series of tunnels as you have for the last day or two, the human man blessed with the power of darksight stops dead in his tracks... before dropping his ragged pants to the floor and beginning to dance a rudimentary jig as best he can manage. From the look of abject fear and confusion on his face - it's clear that he has no clue what is going on, and is terrified.
"Crazy humans. What is the matter with him?" Nar looks around in the shadows.
Padrym's first thoughts turn to ambush, and the ability of the brain thieves to control others.
"Is this dancing what happened to the others who were taken by the disease?"
The dark stained faces of the other two humans are marked purely by confusion "What... dancing... no, there was no dancing."
Padrym assesses the reaction and notes that the action is similar to one who has been affected by mind-controlling spells... but the expression on the face of the human suggests that the control is not complete. Almost as though an irrefutable suggestion had been given to the man to dance... and there was a compulsion to obey...
"What in the world is happening? Can you control yourself, human? Has someone cast some form of magic on you before we found you," she asks the group.
"It's a magical compulsion of some kind. Don't know if we're under attack but let's be prepared."
The pantless dancing man can only manage to shake his head, attention focused solely on the jig.
Know. Arcana
"Looks like he's under a Suggestion dweomer. But why is something playing games with us? If it wanted to actually harm us, it could have tried. This seems more mischievous than anything."
"Maybe it's just trying to distract us."
Padrym stares into the darkness uselessly.
"Something up there is...giggling? Well, let's see if they think this is funny. Human! Listen to me, and only to me. Ignore the giggles and whispers in the distance. It is my voice alone you hear. Follow it to freedom from compulsion."
Hilde feels the ethereal touch of the magic like honey as her voice flows over the human to slough it away. After a brief resistance, she feels it give way and the man is returned to himself. He quickly pulls up his britches and sits upon the ground, stunned and fearful.
"You hear giggling Hilde?" Stáli peers forward into the tunnel. "Come out stranger. If tricks are your only game, you have nothing to fear from us. Come forth and show yourself!"
"Are you okay, human? Get your friends and get behind us. Where is the sound coming from, Hilde?"
"Up there, in front of us." She points away from the humans, into the darkness ahead.
From the darkness before you a tinkling voice with a hint of soil can be heard echoing out...
“I reveal myself only to clever folk. And if you are clever, you’ll know this...
An orchid’s heart
A copper’s name
A letter departs
It’s all the same!”