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The pool appears to be about ten feet deep, with little else of interest.
With the rope, I'll say that it's fairly trivial to set up a system to get everyone across.
About forty feet down the hallway, around a corner, you find a long wooden plank, apparently used to provide access.
The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls.
The carvings here are different in style from the petroglyphs found elsewhere in the caves, and most have been worn away over the years. Four images are in good enough shape to be deciphered, each accompanied by text, which seems to be a hybridization of Aquan and Azlanti.
[ooc]Knowledge History or Religion might help you know what you're looking at. Linguistics is also an option. Please let me know if you understand Aquan and/or Azlanti. If you don't have those, Appraise or Perception may give you useful information, but the others are preferred.
One depicts a man kneeling with an alms bowl raised high. The next shows a man with a similar appearance hauling in an enormous catch of small fish. Another shows a man depicted slaying a giant serpentine creature and then parading a trophy through the city streets. The final carvings that are somewhat intact shows a man is depicted sewing together a long cloth of featuring many patterns that wraps around a city like a moat.
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Though it doesn't quite match depictions he's used to, Sahil recognizes elements the last carving, and knows it as an image of the dead god of humanity, Aroden, specifically in his guise as the Tailor.
The image of a variety of cloths encircling the city references a proclamation that when the fate of all peoples is woven together, it shall be humanity's greatest strength.
With that new context, it seems that the first carving was of Aroden as the Beggar, the guise of Aroden who espoused humility to help remind people of their shared humanity.
The other two are vaguely familiar but hard to identify specifically.
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The image of the man fishing is Aroden as the Fisherman, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation. The last one remains a mystery.
Proceeding onward, the soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s southern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the east and west.
Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.
A solitary figure kneels in the water, facing away from you. Even some distance away, you can make out gill slits along the sides of his neck.
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There is no response from the gillman at first, until Sahil touches him on the shoulder. At that point, he spins around, surprised by your presence. He stares, silently, eyes fixated on Sahil's mouth.
You get the impression that the gillman is deaf, and will need to read your lips to know what you are saying.
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With a slight grin, and a gleam in his eye, Sahil tries a bit more... Deceitful tactic
"But sir, I insist. Once I laid eyes upon you, and marveled at your unparalleled wisdom and grace, that I must speak with you. Please, let me sit with you and learn about your customs. Teach me of your people and their Wisdom and Majesty.
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With a sigh, the man relaxes. "This place is sacred to my people. It once belonged to your kind. The caves beyond are home to some you may find less polite. You may commune with the waves that once called this place home, as I do, but few on the surface have the affinity. You can also conduct whatever human rituals you wish. Is there something specific you need to know."
The gillman returns to a seated position, floating cross-legged on the water's surface.
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Heading down the left path, the cave’s damp air becomes increasingly stale and as the go deeper, the stench of decay grows increasingly evident. The passage turns to the east and opens into a small cavern littered with bits of broken glass, rotting pieces of paper, and other unusable detritus. The body of a male dhampir lies facedown toward the back of the cavern.
A pair of skeletal undead approach. One claws at Dr. Hibbert.
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Sahil knows mindless zombies are must vulnerable to slashing weapons, and have trouble both moving and attacking.
Dortlin's atttack isn't as impressive as he might have hoped, hammer smashing into wet flesh, but Selytiel is able to finish it off.
The remaining zombie marches forward, swinging wildly at the nearest target, Dr. Hibbert.
The party may attack, with their newly enhanced weapons.
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The combination of blades and teeth is able to finish off the last zombie.
With the immediate threat removed, you're able to examine the area more closely. The creatures that attacked you seemed to have been gillmen in life, but there's also a different body of a different humanoid creature.
He carries a longsword and ring, both of which detect as magical, and a note.
[i]I've done it! I can control the undead fish people! The more they send here, the more my army shall grow![/b]
You find a concealed passage towards the north. The narrow tunnel winds for some distance, but you can faintly hear a familiar female voice echoing down it.
"As the legendary Gregaro Voth successfully battled the wild beasts in the deepest reaches of the Mwangi Expanse, so shall I defeat you, foul servant of Lamashtu"
You could follow the voice down the tunnel if you wish.
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"This person had one foot in the grave already when approaching the cave, it's not really a surprise that the other foot followed when he was dabbling with Evil Destructive Magic. It is a good thing that we made this cave safer for our Gillmen Allies."
"I'm sure the Master of Scrolls will appreciate this additional information. Let us see what else we can discover around this cave, yes?"
At an accidental touch, Sahil brushes against the wall finding a passage deeper into the cave system.
"I only know of one excitable halfling that would talk about the society so loud as to echo through corridors. She might be in trouble!"
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Following the sound, the tunnels narrow for a stretch.
The route leads through a maze of tight passages that include steep ascents and short climbs as they wind from west to east. As you travel, you can hear the sounds of a distant battle echoing through the caves, intermixed with inspirational tales of famous Pathfinders and the heroic deeds.
The combination of wet floors and the incline makes acrobatics checks more difficult. Just in the nick of time, Sahil notices a translucent, nearly invisible, quivering mass blocking the way.
Sahil may act. Janira's song is currently giving the benefits of Inspire Courage to everyone. +1 on attack and damage rolls.
This is a gelatinous cube, though smaller than most of its kind. As an ooze, it is immune to critical hits and anything that targets the mind, as they lack a brain or any other identifiable organs.
Their attacks deal acid damage and can paralyze their targets.
They are immune to electricity, and can engulf their prey. They possess blindsight, so attempts to hide are often ineffective.