Solaria and Thera stand above Weeping Pond. A fetid smell clings to the air around you making your eyes water as you stand on the coast. The pond is connected to a lake by a small river. As you look closer, you can see no movement beneath the bluish liquid and the crescent coast is devoid of flora.
As they walk, Thera snatches occasional looks at her companions shield, reflecting at how out of practise she was in her own worship of Desna. Having let her worship slip slightly in the first few weeks for fear of bring recognised, she privately makes a mental note to transcribe The Eight Scrolls when she finds the time, noting that there is little need to hide her faith if she is accompanying people that share her views on the League.
As Solaria comments, Thera inclines her head slightly, committing the words to memory as she thoughtfully responds "May she watch over us both".
As she catches sight of the Pond, Thera wrinkles her nose slightly not the least bit happy at the idea of taking a dip. "Standing here grumbling about it won't make this happen any faster" she thinks as she wades into the pond.
Thera swims through the water and manages to find the underwater passage. She travels its slight turns for about forty five feet before surfacing in the underground cave.
As her eyes adjust, Thera sees burnt grass across the new shore, and large, dead beetles that glow in the darkness. A stalagmite filled ledge about five feet in height looms to the East, while a pathway covered in two foot high water curves Northward.
Thera chokes a little, feeling sick, but focuses her magic on herself, using Prestidigitation to clean her clothes and her hair from the filth in the pond.
Solaria follows Thera through the pool to the shore of the cavern bottom. As she starts to swim, forgetting the buoyancy of her shield, she takes in several gulps of water, somehow she manages to hold her convulsions until leaving the water. When she reaches land again, she falls to her knees as her stomach start painful contractions and she spits bile on the shore. Looking a bit pale, she turns to Thera, "If that's just to get in......" her voice trails off and she spits a further globule of black bile.
In few moments she regains her composure, "We follow the trail of corpses." she looks at the bodies , "If we know when these things were killed, we might know how far behind we are." she informs Theya.
"Can you find the freshest tracks, that is the way we should most likely go?" the priestess ask her companion.
Thera flashes an awkward smile "I have not had the greatest practise in following tracks, so bear with me"
Faint but recent tracks are visible heading towards the five foot ledge. You also see older tracks move towards the water.
Magic has been used in this area in the last few hours, but is not currently in effect.
The random dripping of stalactite water falls into the small pools to the north. As you listen, you hear a faint slushing noise as water ripples onto the underground shore.
Thera hesitates slightly, still slightly uncertain of her tracking skills. "I think some people went this way", she remarks, pointing towards the ledge. "I also believe that magic of some kind has been used here relatively recently, although what type is currently beyond me".
Dr Lendaro catches the attention of the gremlin boss "One thing before we go, leader of gremlins, how many of there are you? How many gremlins? The grey men might ask, and will know if we lie."
"Many of us. Many."
The boss gremlin holds out his hand palm facing outward to emphasize his point.
"Many..."
His voice trails off. He continues to stare and grin at Lendaro.
You head back to the skulks' cave and find Sef waiting for you. The other skulks are armed and ready to move, still unsure of your intentions.
"Well, did you fulfill your promise to deal with the gremlins?"
She eyes you warily.
"Wait. Where is the tiefling?"
Sef flashes her teeth and draws her short sword, hunching her body into a crouched stance.
"If this is some trick, I will make you bleed."
The gnome shrugs her shoulders.
"Beats me, there was some fire, a portal to some plane of hell, and poof she was gone. It happened so fast, still she had a cold vibe to her that I could not shake. Wonderful lady, salt of the earth, but cold."
Solaria hearing Theya's words, takes a closer look at her conclusions, but can find nothing further, so nods at Thera. "As you say Thera, let's go that way, the ledge it is. Best keep our wits about us as we go, we've no way of knowing ." She looks around, taking in the features and shadows in the cavern, taking her tie to move forward up and along the ledge.
Solaria climbs up the ledge and finds the next passageway of the caves is only five feet high. She ducks and squeezes to avoid hitting the ceiling, or the stalactites and stalagmites. Near the end of the passage she finds a dead half orc body.
Thera follows, close on the heels of Solaria. "Bit of a tight squeeze", she casually remarks upon seeing the 5 foot high passageway. Upon catching sight of the dead half orc, she frowns slightly
"Solaria, do you think you know what happened to him?" she asks.
She growls. "I don't believe you! Luepel, see if they are more of them coming."
The other female skulk moves towards the western passage, her body slightly shifting colors with the cavern walls.
Sef takes a deep breath. She crosses her arms. Her hand twitches slightly as it rests on the hilt of her short sword.
"You sent us to kill the gremlins, yes?" Dr Lendaro gestures to the tuft.
"Well? You may recognize that from the leader of the gremlins. I hope you are satisfied. We lost one of ours while doing your dirty work."
Sef peers at the greenish tuft.
"You killed them. I believe you. If you lost one, then that one was weak. Here."
She throws a pouch by Lendaro's feet. It clinks against the ground.
"Now leave before I lose my patience."
Sef walks towards her cavern.
There is 49 silverdisks and 5 brown striped cards with Androffan writing.
Dr Lendaro peers into the pouch. "Hmm. Androffan" He translates ""Welcome to the Starship Divinity. Please use these keycards to open any brown striped doors. Also, please refrain from entering black or white striped doors as those are for Divinity Staff only."" He then hands it to Linpul. "Starship Divinity..."
"Theya, let me look at this, if I can see what caused its death or how long ago it died." she says as she puts her finger through soe congealed blood.
"Ah, more silverdisks, and keycards? These are a rarity most certainly, although the color is not. Hmm, let's see if we can use the door to the East."
To the East:
A smooth wall of dark gray metal bisects the cavern here, its expanse pitted and scorched but quite solid looking. A strange, circular opening pierces the wall five feet off the ground, allowing access to some sort of hallway on the other side.
Dr Lendaro gestures to the metal door to the east. "Be my guest..."
He readies his pistol, then picks up his lantern in the other hand - covering until it is his turn to climb.
"Lets get moving... that didn't go exactly as I had anticipated."
"Now then let's see, if the door won't open, perhaps we should use one of the keycards?"
The gnome digs into the pouch for one and pulls out one of the keycards.
Linpul looks around the door for a slot to put the keycard in, but doesn't find one. She tries sliding the card through the door's edge as well but nothing happens. Finally, she tries pulling the door open and finds that the circular door is unlocked.
Peering into the next room you see...
The walls, floor and ceiling of this slightly curved hallway are made of smooth dark gray metal. Panels of lighter material run along the ceiling eight feet above. To the north and south the tunnel is blocked by walls of metal junk and rubble, while open doorways yawn to the east and west.
This room is lit by the panels above you, but the next room is dark.
"Dead a couple of days, in a fight and lost. fists are no match for the cold steel of a short sword." Solaria states, matter of factly, "We'd best move on nothing seems left here."
A dark cavern opens up here, its twenty-foot-high ceiling thick with stalactites. A rocky shore overlooks a placid pool and stream, fed by a trickle of water leaking from a narrow fissure to the north. A small garden of toadstools and dark mold grows along the banks.
You see a dead, small white frog creature on the ground. A half eaten body is in the water to the North of the cave.
The frog thing has acid in its eyes, and has a piercing that could have been done by a horn, as well as blunt trauma from a hammer or mace.
While the body is mostly eaten, you notice stab wounds from a short bladed weapon on its torso.
There are three pathways. One is north on the shallow water that leads north and west, likely back to where you started. Another path is to the west, where you came from. The final path is southwest.
Thera takes her time considering each passage, before finally electing to take the southwest tunnel, remaining alert for any nasty suprises lurking nearby.
Thera and Solaria move south down a passage until they reach another cave.
A collection of crates, boxes, rubble, and scavenged metal lies heaped in the northwest section of this damp cave. Several strange chalk drawings of twisted, spiny plants, a strange three-legged creature, and emaciated four-armed humanoids mark the walls.
The gnome strokes her chin before realizing that Tetsuda hasn't gotten scratched in a bit she reaches down and taps his shell. The beetles lifts it a little and she scratches under one of his wings.
"Either one works, but whichever way we go, I prefer to head left."
Linpul and the others find an almost empty room with no other doors to the left (West). Discarded in the corner is a wide-barreled pistol, half hidden by other metallic debris.
"Whatever this was or is, it seems wrecked now. Let's move on and find the other party. At least we have only found what might be their calling card and not their remains. Strange artwork here, I wonder what it's here for? Never mind...Onwards?" the kellid says, hoping to make progress to find the previous party.
As Thera and Solaria talk, a small 3 foot mound moves from the crates and debris in the cave.
1. Blobby Thing
2. Thera and Solaria
The mound of green fungus and mold moves towards Solaria and swings its body at her.
Solaria hops away from the attack.
Dr Lendaro takes a moment to inspect the item. "Hmm. Odd single charge pistol... "
Thera backs up slightly, firing an arrow into the creature
"Ha!... not in the slightest. Well... I suppose I cannot say for certain, but I believe it merely delivers a blinding flash... once. Not meant to bring down a foe."
Dr Lendaro quickly sifts through the debris again.
"Back the other way?"
Thera's arrow clips the mound in the side. Her arrow takes a piece of fungal detritus with it and flies off into the cavern debris. The blob seems unaffected.
As soon as Dr. Lendaro touches the debris in the starting room, you see a red light appear in the darkened room to the East.
A Repair Drone moves from the darkened room on three legs. It looks very similar to the one at the Foundry Tavern, but is much better shape. Electricity runs along its metal at intervals.
1. Linpul, Lendaro, Tetsuda
2. Repair Drone
3. Rakdon and Tarphesh