Kentalla follows the creature also, when it is within her sight she will let an arrow fly at it.
With a last furtive glance at the slide, and possibly all hope of warmth and the surface, Hollowe decides he will bring up the rear, checking for ambushes from behind.
The creature easily outpaces you and disappears down the dark tunnel. You can hear a heavy breathing and strange growling sound coming from the darkness.
The tunnel winds around, similar to the one that brought you here, but there doesn’t seem to be any traps.
Hollowe is keenly aware of everything that is going on, but he doesn’t see anything nefarious taking place or being prepared.
Karsha makes sure to keep the Dancing lights well ahead of the party, to ensure they can see whatever's coming at them.
Tortok fidgets with a stone in his hand as he proceeds. "I hope there are not more of those things in here. Too many more, anyway."
"Indeed," Jorrick said, as he follows.
The runners make their way along the winding tunnel staircase without incident and come upon a dark room, illuminated now by the dancing lights. They can see a large stone statue of what appears to be a reptilian deity along the south wall with a short altar in front and an ornate and very solid wooden box that is locked.
There is a disheveled dwarf chained to the east wall. He looks tired and malnourished. He also appears to be older than most people who lived through the experience of the yard.
The southwest corner has a small alcove that is dark and blocked off with a makeshift tapestry that appears to woven from the clothes of various humanoids and different styles. Different anyway from the attire of the runners and their kin from the yard.
"Well... hello there," Jorrick said, casting Detect Magic and carefully scanning the room for any threats.
Perception:
Kentalla looks around the room for possible threats.
Whispering to the party; “Hang on for one second, let me go check on that dwarf and see if hes alive or near death.” If everything looks to be clear she stealths her way over to the dwarf, trying to not bring attention to hear.
Once there, she looks over the dwarf to see what kind of condition he is in. She does a heal check on the dwarf.
Hollowe swallows thickly, then eyeing the altar and reptilian god with morbid fear attends the tapestry to guard that means of entrance.
I like not these caves. We can too easily be surrounded, and minced. Give me back to the skylands above!
There is nothing to be seen in the room once illuminated that they did not see upon entering. The dwarf is chained to the wall, a rare use of metal noticed immediately by the runners.
He is groggy, but looks up with his big, green eyes towards the woman tending his wounds in gratitude. His beard is a terrible mess of dreadlocked braids that smells almost as bad as the stench of the reptiles.
Jorrick’s spell detects that there is something magical inside the chest on the altar.
The half-alive dwarf responds to both Kentalla and Jorrick simultaneously. ”Hello, my name is Grotbaard, I am from the north.”
The dwarf does suffer from some infected bite and claw wounds, but he is more dangerously malnourished and dehydrated.
Barely able to bring himself to speak, he warns the group, ”Be wary, there is something behind the tapestry, do not disturb it. Every one of those reptiles that have tried to mess with it have perished.”
"What's back there?" Jorrick asked, his voice dropping to a whisper, "And what the hell's in that chest?"
He concentrates on the chest to determine the power of the aura.
Tortok eyes the dwarf and the tapestry warily, saying nothing.
Karsha will get out his waterskin and offer the Dwarf a mouthful. He keeps scanning the room, with special attention for the tapestry.
Hearing the dwarf, Hollowe swallows again, and takes a conspicuous step back from the tapestry, spear held out defensively toward it.
”’What is back there?’is a very good question. Seconds ago, a short slimy reptoid with an arrow in its back died there I believe. Many others too. As for the chest...I have never seen it opened, but it drew me here as well and well, here I am, stuck.”
The dwarf replies with a calm and somewhat sad demeanor. Then adds, “I have not seen what is behind that tapestry of filth and rags, but it moves in a menacing way, emitting sounds of horror and screeching. Its victims fall silent.”
Parched he humbly inquires, ”Does any of you have some spare water?”
Hollowe snorts at the concept of "spare water" and studiously stays at his post, guarding the tapestry ostensibly much too important a task to attend to. The avian breathes in deeply through his nostrils, attempting to discern anything with his best sense, the olfactory.
"Well, any idea on how to get you out of these chains?" Jorrick asked, leaving the chest opening for afterwards.
“Hang on Jorrick, what do we know about this dwarf?” Turning towards Grotbaard; “How did you end up here, and where do you come from? I have scouted many parts of our land and have never seen you or another village.”
<— Ugh....
Kentalla and Jorrick cannot get a good read of the dwarf. He seems to be sincere in his predicament. He nods in thankfulness as Karsha gives him a drink. Hollowe smells the faint remnants of rotten flesh behind the tapestry.
Grotbaard answers Jorrick to the best of.his knowledge. ”Truthfully, I woke up in chains in this cavern. I had found the entrance to an ancient temple and bumbled the code, when I awoke, here I was, er...am. My captor must possess the key.”
He adds, ”Take care though, this place is crawling wit those crafty vermin.”
Karsha will examine the chains and see if there is a way to release Grotbaard from them, if not he will look around for a key?
"Any idea how many of those creatures live here? Is there any chance of us overtaking them?"
With more than a hint of impatience, Hollowe speaks with a higher than normal pitch, indicating raised tension.
"We should not stay here. This has the hallmarks of a place of worship, and one that is important, and much used. We should leave. The tapestry hides some horror that smells quite bad."
Karsha finds no indication of a key anywhere. Grotbaard answers the question asked by Tortok, to the best of his knowledge.
"My best guess is that there are maybe 12 of them, 15 tops. Most of them seem to be active at night and often leave out into the desert to scavenge. That is how I discovered the place. They aren't much for fighting, but their crafty snares will get you quick. Aside from whatever lies behind the tapestry, the only way out of this cavern is the small staircase that you came down. I haven't seen many of the other caverns, only while I was drugged and taken here.'
Looking at Hollowe, "You are correct. this is some sort of ritual site, although, they have not used it in quite a while. They seem to be preparing for something else."
The dwarf rests from talking due to labored breathing and fatigue.
Well, I doubt we can fight a dozen of these things. Nor does the way out seem currently open. Perhaps we should open the chest to see if there is something of use inside? I would suggest being ready for a trap, however,” Jorrick said.
”I can aid ya,” Grotbaard spoke. ”I have managed to hang on to these,” he says carefully sliding his tattered sleeve to reveal a set of steel masterwork tools.
”I do have a camel and cart outside, hidden in an alcove where I was lodging. If you find a way to get me out, I would be more than happy to reward you with some items from it. Providing it is still there of course.”
Hollowe's eyes don't leave the tapestry.
"Which yard to you come from Grotbaard?"
"Who is up to the task?" says Tortok, considering the masterwork tools. "I don't know much about these contraptions myself."
Grotbaard coughs, slightly rattling his chains and then repeats, ”Yard?” as if he doesn’t understand the question. He then begins to provide the tengu with the information that he believes that he is looking for. ”I am...was? Some folks call us ‘Dunerunners’, survivalists that well, have a knack for surviving this unforgiving terrain. I used to be a guildsman, a metal Smith in a great clan o crafters from the mountains to the north. I would like to make my way east, to the sea.”
”I’ll bet that if you use creative tactics, you could clear this place out. These creatures have a nocturnal nature...wait, was it day or night out when you came in?”
Cythraul grows tired of standing around and turns to Jorrick, ”I have my suspicions about the dwarf, but I didn’t escape the painful oppression of the Yard to die in here. If we are going to open that chest, let’s do it and move on. I think hanging around is unnecessarily risky.”
Speaking to Tortok; “If you have the tools I could try... I have never been trained or practiced in it, but I would be willing to give it a try..”
Turning towards Grotbaard; “It was day time when we came into this cave.”
Tortok nods to Kentalla. "Go right ahead."
Fidgeting with a rock in his hand, he thinks out loud. "This place could serve as a good shelter if we could get rid of its inhabitants. It's daytime, so perhaps most of them are sleeping?"
"Go for it," Jorrick said.
Might as well." Karsha nods, giving the Grotbaard another mouthful of water, it was dangerous to let a thirsty being try to guzzle all they could, so a little at a time.
Sea? Mountains? Guild? Hollowe considers the dwarf, and comes to the conclusion the fellow is clearly addled. Addled, but perhaps with some useful knowledge and advice.
The avian...dunerunner has no idea what the rest of the group are talking about trying.
"Let us leave here. The dunes are known to us. This place is not."
"Ok. Way to go Kentalla! Now can we please get out of here? Heaven knows what is behind that tapestry and if this 'Grotbaard' is correct, there may be resources for us beyond the dunes," Cythraul is growing impatient, echoing Hollowe's concerns.
“Hey guys over here...” pulling out the key “This key was inside, do you think it is for the dwarf? And then there is this...” pulls out a deep red amulet that is glowing.
"Well, that'd explain the magic aura," Jorrick said, casting detect magic again, and focusing on the item.
Spellcraft to identify:
Karsha also looks over the amulet hoping to discern it's purpose?
Hollowe fiercely ignores everything except the dread tapestry.
The amulet possesses some sort of healing magic inside of it. It will hum softly as its vibrations are absorbed within the body, rapidly reversing the damage of a wound.
The amulet does possess healing energy, but it comes with a price. Prolonged usage will have a negative effect on the users.
The dwarf’s eyes light up when he sees the key. ”Free me, and I shall grant you aid in escaping this place as well as provide you with some things from my cart to assist with your travels.”
Still eyeing the dread tapestry, Hollowe asks simply:
"What is: "cart"?"
Its not that she doesn’t trust this dwarf, but she doesn’t trust new people from the wilds. She walks forward with the key in her hands and takes in what he is saying and tries to pick the truth out of it.
“How far is the journey to get out of this place?”
Karsha's brow furrows as he studies the amulet. "Nasty." He grunts finally. "It seems this amulet will heal you of injury, but at the same time it will drain you? Perhaps it takes your years to keep you healthy in the now?"
"Well, may as well keep it for now, see if it comes in useful somewhere down the road?" Jorrick suggested.
Dumbfounded as to how and explain what a cart is, Grotbaard stutters for a bit before finally attempting to explain what a cart is.
"Um...a cart, is...a wagon? Do you know what a wagon is? Like a chest on wheels? Does that help?"
Kentalla finds the dwarf to be truthful and sincere with everything that he has said. He graciously accepts the key and unlocks his chains.
He looks at her and the rest of them and says, "Simply exit the way you came in, scout." The dwarf says matter-of-factly.
"Someone cover me," he says as he rises to move the tapestry to see what is behind it.
"Uh... you really sure you want to be disturbing whatever's back there?" Jorrick asked, as the dwarf apparently decided to take a peek at whatever horror lurked behind the tapestry.