Bree cocks an eyebrow before licking her lips and quietly saying, "I really think we should keep moving.""So is it pressing forward or turning our tailfeathers and heading back up to the Goblin? We only backtracked at your behest, and gods know how long the cavern ceilings will hold. Personally I'd love to see this flight through and find out more of what the one-taloned grackle was up to."
"We most certainly did not backtrack at my behest! I merely suggested that it was a possibility that if the tunnels flooded it could take care of our problem. It was Winter, as it is usually Winter, who directed our path back this way. I don't really care which direction we go, I just know that I want to go! I don't much like feeling trapped down here in this stench filled, fetid water hell hole!"
Bree's fists clench and unclench as if they are aching to pull out a blade or two.
"And what a fine honour it is to have you follow me repeatedly into folly and adventure at every turn, Erastil has blessed me but setting my feet upon the path to your fine company indeed!"
Winter seems to be rather upbeat considering the party is bloodied and wet and down a stinking hole.
"Oh bloody hell, Winter I hope you didn't take that to mean I'm complaining about following you. Trust that I of all people would not be easily led where I was not willing to follow."
Bree looks truly aghast and never more as if she wishes to strike the odd elven fellow. She's been rendered speechless.
"Hadn't ocurred to me that you might be complaining, more...despairing...about what manner of challenge we may yet face when I let zeal and enthusiasm dwarf out caution and circumspection!"
"To the end of the tunnel then we go, and to meet whatever evils lurk down there and to send them in search of a new home"
"Lo tho Sable thats the second suggestion raised around the subject of my bachelorhood, are people so keen to mary me or marry me off for a quiet life of farming and contemplation so soon with so much work yet to be done?"
Bree blinks, once then twice before shrugging off Sable's words and absorbing Winter's. "For years I have woken up each day knowing it might be my last, for years I have been prepared to face death, even if I do not seek to lay eyes on his face. Following you alleviates some of the boredom while I wait."
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"There may yet be work to do, but I know of a certain dove upstairs that would gladly hang on your wing. I just enjoy making light of Bree for she's had such a rough and tumble flight in the streets of this nest that even now her talons are itching to tear something apart whether it be prey or the flock. But if we don't hurry through this leaking tunnel may bury bachelors and jokes alike."
In a rather dry and humorless voice, "Yes, I see. So very funny."
A moment later though, a ghost of a smile crosses her lips, of which she is unseemingly aware.
Kabal couldnt believe the direction the conversation was going under the circumstances and with his typical inappropriateness he spoke up.
Bloody hells! Can we quite the courting and get on with this sh1t? If we're gonna puch on through the leaking tunnels then lets be done with it already.
and with a tight grip on his sword he keeps up a pace behind Winter.
Bree scowls, "Nobody is courting anyone, but I agree, I want to get this over with and get back up top where there is fresh air to breathe."
The cavern is bathed in a strange orangish-purple glow that seems rather to reduce visibility rather than increase it, and in fact, seems to inhibit other lightsources as well. The glow comes from a number of large rock nodules placed at intervals about the room. The eastern portion of the chamber is occupied by a still, black pool whose surface reflects the strange light.
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Bree tilts her head to the side, "It kind of reminds me of a sunset. What the hell are they, though?"
Sebastian takes a look at the stones and peers carefully at the pool looking for any movement.
Indeed, you spot two shadows in the depths, they are roughly humanoid, but you can't make out any details.
"Someone or something is floating down in that pool. Ready yourselves..we should at least get a look at what might try to jump out at us." Seeing everyone ready themselves to strike anything that might come out, Sebastian casts light on a stone he picks up and then tosses it into the lake.
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Now that the stone sinks into the darkness, you all notice the two humanoid-shaped shades. But as the lightsource draws nearer, the shades are revealed as gricks! They are as large as humanoids but what appeared to be arms and legs are just tentacles. Blinded by the bright light, the gricks flee further into the depths.
"Pharasma's Left Cold... I think those were Gricks...let's hope these are aquatic...and scared...From what I read, we do not want to fight them...although I would like to dissect one. But let's not linger."
He didnt know what the hell a grick was and he wasnt really interested in finding out either so Kabal pushed on past the pool.
"What is a bloody grick?" Bree whispers as she leans forward to peer into the pool, still standing as far from the edge as possible considering the environment. Her hands hold their daggers securely. Sebastian's comments have her ready to strike out at anything that might decide to hop out of that pool. When he mentions dissecting one she arches an eyebrow and takes a second look at the man.
Sebastian sets a glow to a rock at the edge of the pool, but the glow in the depths goes out. "Unfortunately I can only do one at a time. But this should perhaps keep them in the water."
Hopefully moving on. "Well a Grick is worm-like creature about the size of you and me. It has a series of tentacles for a face, that will hold your corpse for days as it slows chews on you....fascinating really, how such a creature came to be. The description I have read and the drawings have all been quite crude...to see one up close is a bit thrilling."
"Well we can move past them and leave them as they are, Kabal or Corvax can take rear guard, and we can advance slowly in case they jump out of the pool and come for us... if they don't come soon then they probably wont be coming after us and we can advance as normal"
Trogs, wights and tentacly worms were not hos Kabal had expected his day to go. He was starting to think they shouldve just sold the place and moved on with their lives. But in for a copper in for a gold as they say. He wouldnt abondon his companions no matter where they went.
Yah, lets keep moving.
Trusting in Corvax to keep up with rear guard the mercenary fell in behind Winter.
This cave is illuminated by strangely glowing crystals protruding from two stony outcroppings that rest on either side of a low natural shelf on the southern wall. This shelf has been converted into a bed of sorts, complete with a luxuious white fur blanket lying rumpled on it, a velvet pillow, and a platinum filigreed footchest. A pair of black boots rests beside the small ledge.
"Perhaps this is where his friends were lurking, cautious now, they wont be far if they have left their boots behind..."
Winter pushes the group forward, keen to find out who was Sauls confederate...
What kind of dummy leaves his boots behind? You reckon they left in a hurry?
Kabal moves on into the chamber his eyes straining in the unnatural light.
Perception -
The chest looks really expensive. since it seems to be made of pure platinum it will surely be worth more than 1000 gold pieces.
Sebastian checks out the chest.
(If opened, he hits the inside with the thorough search)
Bree moves to the exit to stand guard while the others search the area. She peers down the tunnel, gripping her knives in both hands.
@ Sable:
You do not recognise the fur, but you are sure it's not icebear, nor winter wolf or snow fox.
@ Sebastian:
Inside the chest is a puch with 12 pp, a black onyx, a small bag of diamond dust, a small bottle of mundane glue and a brass perfume vial.
"Unusual contests for such a rich chest.
"I suspect we might be dealing with a wizard and these are spell components...and that you might not need your boots if you are walking elsewhere..." Sebastian looks up at the ceiling to ensure no one is clinging up there.
Otherwise he will take the boots and throw them in the chest (Was anything magical from Winter's check?) and take the chest if he can. "Don't want someone coming by and using these while we are down here."
No, the items are all unmagic and there is no one sitting right above your heads :)
Diamond Dust is indeed a magical component and can be used for several spells and incantations/summonings.
Kabal chuckled at Sable's jab at the unknown tenant and while the others finished up packing the loot he led the way down the tunnel on the other side.
"Then let us now steel ourselves brothers and sister, for Sauls comrade who lives amongst troglodytes is hardly likely to be the sort to yield to simple conversation and my imploring them to reason, this will need to be solved with iron swords and steel determination... once more we push ahead to unravel the mystery of who it was Saul colluded with to have us all killed"
Bracing himself for what lay ahead, possibly a wizard and in Winters mind probably a Necromancer or some other profane evil, he leads the party onward, blade at the ready, to charge down any such foe.
You leave the personal chamber and follow a tunnel that leads into a much larger cavern. This one appears to have been recently enlarged at the east end, where a massive, curving stone carving protrudes from the floor wall, and ceiling. It is covered in runes that appear strangely familiar, and it appears that some of them have been chipped away. A table nearby holds several stoneworking tools and a thin book.
The most surprising sight however is a drow female wielding a crossbow and curved slender dagger. To her left and right two dretches sit and growl aggressively.
She does not seem surprised that you're here and with a fluid and quick motion kicks into action.
"And so it ends, one way or another..."
Kabal was shocked at the sight of the drow female. He'd only heard tales of the evil elves and to see one in the flesh was a surprise indeed. Which caused him to act in a very untypical manner...talking.
Who in the Nine Hells are you? What is going on here?
Diplomacy -
A wicked grin flashes over the beautiful and athletic elf's face, even though you have never been so diplomatic as you're now, you guess that will not change the situation. The dretches flex their muscles and growl in their abyssal tongue.
I guess my partner Saul has died, yes?
RD 1
Sable
Sebastian
Dretch
Winter
Kabal
Corvax
Depora
Bree