As his companions enter the water Viorec intones a small prayer over each of them to guide and protect over them during the short journey through the water before making the blessing on himself but waits to enter as the group decides on how they wish to navigate the water as he fishes out the rope.
Dejah watched the priest during his prayers and when he was done and was retrieving the rope Tabitha had asked for, the Changeling gave a small smile, "Thank you for the prayers, Viorec." When her father was alive, he was adamant one should always remember their manners ... and had reminded Dejah whenever she forgot to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Now that her father was gone, she had to make a greater effort with such things.
At Tabitha's suggestion regarding the rope and making small handholds along its length, Dejah simply nodded as such things were not in her realm of skill, but she would try it, if it would help them.
Val digs a vial of antitoxin from her bag and chugs it down before following the rest of the party into the water.
The young girl doesn't seem fazed by the waters of the Weeping Pond, and manages to keep up with the others as they swim under. Father Kyte offers one last "Good luck!" before the party submerges completely.
The watery tunnel winds for a bit before opening up into a cavern with a 10-foot high ceiling. The smell of the sulfuric, tainted water gives way to the stench of mold and vinegar in the air, but at least it's breathable.
Dampness hangs in the air of this cave, condensing into heavy moisture on the slick, stone walls. The calm, dark waters wind around to the east up north, along a stony, soot-scarred beach. A five-foot-high ledge sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons.
Val gasps for air as she steps onto the cavern's shore. "Eugh... disgusting."
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"Phuaa-Ack" Tabitha makes an stink-face as she breathes in the air of the caves. She wades out of the water and stands at the water's edge. "I do not like being soaked in this stuff. But the air isn't much better."
Tabitha pulls out her dagger and casts light on the edge. She holds it aloft to illuminate the cavern and looks around. "Wow... This is interesting..."
Viorec invokes a prayer on the bag carrying the various fragile goods creating a bubble around it before stepping into the water.
Viorec attempts to swim with the others but flounders terribly sucking in several gulps of the brackish water trying to keep up.
Val scratches her head and shakes some water out of her hair. "So... which way do we go first?" She looks to the others for some direction.
She broke the surface of the water and then waded out of the foul pond water.
The smell of the water was no better than the smell of the air in the cavern. Shaking herself, Dejah retrieved a dry kerchief from the waterproof bag and tied it about her nose and mouth. Though the air was breathable, she didn't have the best physical state for withstanding illness and did not want to risk it beneath the Black Hill.
Dejah stood beside Cade before the others joined them. She allowed her dark vision to glance about the ceiling and dark space and blinked when a light suddenly filtered into the cave from Tabitha's upraised dagger.
Upon Val's question, Dejah pondered their surroundings to figure out the best course forward.
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With people already getting ready, Tabitha grips her dagger in her teeth while re-organizing her equipment. When she feels she is good, she holds her dagger in her hand. "I am very grateful that those bags worked. Who knows what we would have done if our rations got wet."
She opens her scrollbox and pulls out a scroll of Mage Armor from it, and slides it into her belt. When Tabitha hears Val's question, she looks around and tries to remember anything she knows of caves, and maybe the history Master Khonnir may have told her.
She looks around while thinking. "We need to be careful. Beware of anything that looks like fungus or a plant down here. That might be the brown mold we were told about."
Dejah recollected that Father Kyte had also mentioned that Khonnir had encountered Skulks on his first expedition, as well as warning them of the brown mould.
"The brown mould isn't the only thing we should be worried about down here. There are also the Skulks and other unknowns. Keep your voice down." Dejah countered in very low tones so her voice wouldn't carry along the cavern, drawing unwanted attention.
As she peered in the darkness beyond the light ... she wondered if the brown mould was present here or if it grew somewhere deeper in the cave system.
Cade exits the foul water and attempts to dry himself. He was forced to remove his damp hood due to it clinging his head. He takes out his ioun stone and allows it to begin its orbit around his head. With extra light, he looks around at his surroundings.
He listens in as the ladies discuss the mold. At Dejah's mention of trouble, he takes the large hammer off of his back and grips it with two hands. He nods to Dejah that he has her back.
The cave you're in appears quite stable.
Khonnir did mention a tribe of skulks that gave him some trouble on his last venture--that being said, he mentioned his team dealt with them quite effectively.
Brown mould tends to grow in dark areas, and its presence sucks the warmth from the surrounding area in a 30 foot radius. It grows in 5-foot diameter patches. Ironically enough, exposure to cold will decisively destroy it. Fire, on the other hand, will cause it to expand.
Brown mould would be deeper in the cave system--it isn't very fond of water, especially tainted water.
The cliff leads to a passageway to the east.
Dejah scanned the area and turned to her companions and relayed her observations in lowered voice, "The pond water continues on to the north, flowing into a separate cavern. The cliff appears to lead to a passageway to the east."
And Tabitha, you do not need to worry about any brown mould, here, for it is not fond of water, especially tainted water such as this. Mostly it grows in darker places and absorbs the warmth of an area, growing in five foot patches. As we already know, cold will destroy it and fire will make it expand."
Noting Tabitha's decision and attempt to climb the five foot ledge toward the low-ceiling cave, Dejah approached, and, pressing her hard claws (of both hands) into the slippery rock, climbed it with relative/practised ease, cautiously peering over the edge to see if the way was clear or if threat was there in the extended darkness.
Cade watches the ladies climb the wall. He returns his hammer to his back and prepares to follow them up the ledge.
Dejah manages to scale the cliff wall with ease. When Tabitha tries to climb, however, she falls flat on her butt.
A collection of stalagmites & stalactites 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 needlelike teeth bearing down on one another. A dead half-orc sprawls on the ground near the cave's eastern entrance.
Nothing else appears to be present in the cavern...
This time Tabitha is able to make it to the top.
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Dejah climbed down off the ledge swiftly/deftly using her claws.
Turning to the others, she quietly informed them of what she saw,
"Too many stalagmites and stalactites and the ceiling is low, five feet high, making it very difficult and dangerous to squeeze between and through. There was a dead female Half-orc, on the ground near the eastern entrance, a local guardswoman, Parda Garr. She was a member of one of the earlier expeditions."
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Tabitha finally manages to get to the top of the ledge and sees Dejah and the corpse of the half-orc. She crawls over to examine the body, curious as to what caused her death.
She kneels next to the corpse and looks her over, but can't really figure out how she died. She grips the dagger with her hand and removes it from her mouth. "Bleg... Its sad, she was so close to the exit. I can't figure out how she died either."
Tabitha begins to stand up, but then thinks about something and starts to search the corpse for useful items. "If she doesn't have anything of use on her, than Master Khonnir had to come across her!
Finally able to get over the ledge, Tabitha notices that Dejah climbed back down. Why did she... Oh. She then notice the corpse of the Half-Orc farther in. She grips her dagger with her hand to let it go with her mouth. She kneels and holds it up to try to see farther down the tunnel.
Cade listens intently. He rubs his chin. "So do we got through the low cavern or follow the water? I am fine with either and I plan to lead in case there is danger. The dead half orc is definitely a bad sign."
He leans in to Dejah with a smile on his face.
"You weren't lying about those claws..."
"I am the smallest of us and I would find traversing those mineral jaws difficult. Cade and Viorec are veritable giants compared to me. My vote is for travelling north along the soot-scarred beach to see what lies in the other cavern."
Dejah waited to see what Viorec and Tabitha had to say on the matter.
With Cade close to her and smiling, Dejah looked up and answered with equal discretion,
"Most useful. People fear them lest I rip their innards. But theirs is a grander design", proudly smiling at the tall, hooded warrior.
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Tabitha turns to look down to the rest of the group. "Tabitha agrees. As long as it doesn't involve going into the water again." She turns around in place while kneeling, her boots making a squelching noise. "Um... Does anyone know Prestidigitation? My boots feel... Wrong." She crawls back over the edge and climbs back down to everyone.
While they waited for Tabitha to climb down and Viorec and Val to speak their minds, Dejah cast Prestidigitation on each of them (including herself) and made their person/clothing/boots fresh/clean.
Val nods. "Not sure I'd feel comfortable in such an enclosed space. Following the water might be the best..."
She's about to say more, but Tabitha trying to climb up the ledge and falling down again interrupts her.
"...wait. What was that?!" The young Kellid blinks and looks around, drawing her knife and looking around.
Tabitha's fall appears to have provoked something hiding in the dirt and cracks of the entrance cavern--several glowing red beetles emerge from rocky outcroppings and dirt mounds, their mandibles *clacking* ravenously!
Round 1
"What are these beetles?" Dejah quietly called out to her companions as they surrounded them. Tabitha and her inability to climb and falling loudly ... Dejah silently growled at the girl's lack of common sense.
She drew the boarding pike from her back , called on Fortune's Favor (kicked in her Archaeologist's Luck) and attacked the nearest bug to her.
Dejah's pike strikes the beetle, but unfortunately the angle of the blow was such that the tip of the pike glances off the vermin's shell without hurting it.
Cade draws his hammer and 5 ft steps to get into a flank with Tabitha. He attacks the one In between them.
Cade's hammer lands with a resounding *CRUNCH!* Bits of beetle are still stuck to the hammer's head.
Viorec slices at the nearest bug
Viorec manages to splatter another bug with his blade!
Val turns her knife on the bug next to her...
...unfortunately, the beetle manages to dodge her blow.
The remaining beetles leap to the attack, their mandibles snapping and clicking! One goes for Viorec...
The beetle's jaws sink into a thick part of Viorec's armour, but are unable to get through.
One bites at Val...
...but she manages to sidestep the insect's bite.
The last one bites at Dejah...
...which the changeling ducks under with ease.
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Tabitha lets out a slight shriek as the beetles come out of the ground. Seeing the ones next to her taken care of, she moves along side Viorec to stab the one at the water's edge.
She also tries to recall what they might be.
"They are fire beetles. They glow and can fly. Um, and they can see in dim light like elves." As she says flatly as she prepares for one to attack her if they do.
"Thank you Tabitha. Cade shows his appreciation to his companion as he steps up next to Dejah and attempts to protect her from the beetle.