"I found some silver disks, and some bits here. I will keep the bits too, maybe I can mend them if I find the rest."
The group continues on. Brennan inspects the disks and tries to figure out what they are.
You notice the disk is etched with strange lines. When reflecting light they shimmer slightly. You have the feeling there is more, but can't figure it out.
The temperature drops noticeably in this passageway, and a rime of white frost lines the walls and floor leading into the cavern beyond. What seems to be a light layer of brown dust carpets the cave floor beyond—a body of some sort sits slumped against the eastern wall.
You note strange ribbons and filaments of rust-colored fibers growing along his spine, throat, and chest.
You recognizes the “dust” on the floor of this cave for the hazard it truly is—a large patch of brown mold.
Brown mold feeds on warmth drawing heat from anything around it. It normally comes in patches 5 feet in diameter and the temperature is always cold in a 30ft radius around it. Creatures within 5ft take non lethal cold damage. Fire brought within 5ft causes it to double in size. Cold damage will instantly destroy it.
You recognizes Gerrol and remember the popular rogue recently asked a weaponsmith’s daughter named Emelia Otterbie to marry him. Emelia would undoubtedly want to know of Gerrol’s fate.
Holg looks down and observes the dust below the ledge "Brown mold... bad business here we have..." the Kellid checks the cliff "I could descend here to check the corpse, but... the mold is dangerous, thus, unless you are able to produce the cold it is needed to kill it, I would vote instead to follow the other corridor"
Oh, no! That's Garrol. He was going to marry Emelia Otterbie. She'll be devastated.
To Holg:
Unfortunately, I don't have a cold spell, only a flame one, which is exactly the opposite of what we need here. I agree with you. We'll have to go around if we can. At least we can send someone back who knows what to expect though.
Azalia turns around to go back to the last intersection.
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Graz nods as the others suggest going around and not messing with the brown mold-- the dead man is all the argument he needs. "Graz help climb down?"
He drops his rope down and aids anyone who needs it as they descend the short slope, unfortunately his aid is mostly unintelligible grunts or impatient growls, and isn't of much use to anyone.
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" I fear Holg was right, we are to continue to find many friends and members of our community dead inside this wretched cave. I shall at least record their names and vow to seek out a proper burial in the future when we are not so pressed for time, by Brigh I say it so."
Brennen bows his head in another silent prayer for the dead.
"These disks I have found, they seem to shimmer. I am fond of silver, a good quality metal that." Brennen says admiring the disks.
"I can not produce cold, but I can produce acid, though rather not mess with mold if we can leave it be. My uncle Nori once caught a bad cough from the stuff, nearly did him in."
Brennen looks at yet another cliff, remember his difficulty in the past. "Yes, I would appreciate some aid. I will hand you my shield again Holg as I try to descend."
Brennen makes it down this time and recovers his shield with haste, obviously a little obsessed with it and gives a quick thanks to Brigh for its safe return.
Holg nods, then he stops Graz and Brennen before they go down "Wait, it is better if we follow Azalia. Avoiding the mold down there might be tricky. Better if we try the southern corridor of the before intersection first"
That said, Holg follows Azalia to the previous southern corridor. Readying his axe and shield, he moves through the tunnel to the next area.
Ryder follows his erstwhile companion after Azalia.
The Pathfinders go around the brown mold and move to the next area.
The ceiling of this vast chamber rises nearly thirty feet overhead. A five-foot-wide ledge runs along the western wall, sloping down to the cave floor ten feet below. Four ramshackle huts made of what appear to be strips of metal, hides, and some sort of brous plant matter sit in the cave, while to the south yawns a dark pit.
This cavern is dark, but if you possess a source of illumination or can see far enough, you can spot the strange metal wall at the far end of the cave. Scrambling down the ledge along the west side of the cave requires a successful DC 10 Climb check.
The pit to the south drops away in a series of descending shelves, each dipping 5 feet lower until a central shaft is reached. A soft, cold breeze rises from this shaft, which has no visible floor—attempts to measure its depth with dropped torches or the like reveal it to be stupendously deep. In fact, the shaft drops away into the upper layer of the Darklands, Nar-Voth—a total descent of 300 feet to a warren of caverns and tunnels that wind ever deeper underground. The walls of the shaft are pitted and cracked, so scaling them requires a successful DC 15 Climb check.
Up ahead you can see 2 more skulks.
Combat round 1
Everyone may action
Ryder
Azalia climbs down the ledge.
Ryder makes his way into the chamber, taking aim at one of the skulks with his crossbow.
"More of them buggers!" Brennen exclaims and again follows the half-ork in climbing. He places his shield on his back and uses the rope provided. Wouldn't have thought when I came to Torch I would be spelunking with a half-ork, but i'll take his company over what ever these sneaky little things are.
Brennen is barley able to keep his grip
"Thank you friend" Holg helps himself of Graz's rope to descend into the bottom of the room.
The fighter keeps moving stealthily, hopping the skulks are distracted and have not noticed the group.
When Ryder's bolt flies into the air, Holg starts shouting charging over the enemy skulks! If this is a trap I am going to be the first to fall
As the Pathfinders climb down the ledge Ryder takes a shot with his crossbow. The bolt lands solidly in the skulk. It opens up a small festering wound on its abdomen.
The two skulks sheath their daggers and pull out their short swords and prepare to fight.
Combat round 2
Everyone may action
Blue
Ryder reloads his crossbow and takes aim at the same skulk he had before.
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Seeing that Ryder is staying up on the ledge to fire pot-shots at the skulks, Graz says "Call Graz if you need help with climb, metal-man. Graz help metal-man go down." He then scrambles down the rope and steps up, beside and just behind Holg making a wall in front of Azalia and Brennan. He unslings his spiked chain as he comes, and lets loose with a ferocious roar, voice his displeasure with the skulks.
"Thank you for the offer, Graz, but I can manage on my own. Furthermore, why would I surrender the advantage that range provides?"
Azalia moves up, but can't get close enough to cast burning hands, so she waits to cast it until she can get closer, or they move up.
Brennen gathers in close to his comrades and draws his shield off his back. "My thanks with the assistance climbing. I haven't climbed down so much since I was a wee lad. I better lay off Val's pot pies. Alright lads, lets let 'em have it!"
Noticing Graz reaches him and Azalia prepares some casting behind him, Holg sets his shield and side-steps letting a better formation for the female. He holds up his shield covering his head and readies his shield "Ok, let's wait them here then. I will be your wall"
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Ryder takes another shot at the skulk and his arrow lands true. As the other Pathfinders ready themselves Holg prepares to attack.
The skulks inch their way closer to the group. As they approach, Holgs ax hits the blue skulk squarely in the chest. The skulk is hanging on to his last breath. The skulks swing their swords at Holg, but miss wildly.
Combat round 3
Everyone may action
Blue
With all of his companions standing between he and his targets, Ryder simply states, "Unfortunate." as he stows his crossbow and climbs down the rope.
Holg stops one of the swords with his shield while he dodges the other one "Damn it! These things are not friendly, I fear they got Khonnir"
Looking worried at the pit to his right, he sets his right foot steady at the edge and raises his shield determined to protect the group against the skulks but not wanting them to throw him to the pit. He swings his axe very carefully, only opting at very clear and not dangerous options.
"Fire at them!" he shouts while trying to keep the line.
Holg is in the way of being able to get them both in her spell, and she doesn't want to hurt Holg, so Azalia just throws a Kunai at the skulk in front of her (Red)
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Round 2
Stepping crossways beside Holg and in front of Azalia, Graz swings his spiked chain around at the skulk now opposite him (RED) after Azalia throws her weapon. The chain crushes into the skulk with a sickening thunk.
"Skinny-man should not attack Graz friends. Friends not want to kill skulks but..." he only shrugs rather than finishing the sentence.
Brennen is too focused on the matter at hand to perceive anything else.
Brennen takes a full defense action as he waits until his comrades need his healing.