Avogadro follows the others, making sure not to be at the back of the line. He doesn't enjoy being underground, spinning and ducking at every slightest sound.
"Master Dwarf, you find yourself at a point of enjoyment with the troglodytian development of this escapade? You are truly extraordinary."
"Nay lad, jus' ordinary. Who wouldn't feel at ease 'ere? This be a dwarven mine, an' we build these to last. Ye'll nay find any structure more sound, nay roof more sturdy. Come now, into the depths!"
As the group enters the cave, there is no sign of traps. The first cavern is rather large You can tell this cave was used by the worg and his wolves. There are areas of nesting around as well large piles of humanoid bones. Once you get to about the middle of the cavern. It gets hard to see due to the darkness. The dwarf can see two passageways-one to the Northeast and one to the Southeast. Both appear covered in spider webs.
Jean-Pierre eyes the darkness dubiously.
"Anyone got a Light?"
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"Aha! For all your prowess at wolf-carving and raven-stunning, here is a chance for me to show you how we are stonger as a team. We each have our own unique capabilities - allow me to show you a litle something I picked up at Tamran's College of the Arcane. My dear friend, stand back and marvel! "
Arun produces light! and hands it to JP.
"Here - you can keep this one, I purchased a pack of 5. Have you used one before? You hold it at the bottom. Mind out for the top, its quite hot. Anyone else want a candle? "
Grinning, good naturedly, he lights a second candle for himself, and moves over to the pile of bones to see it there is any loot to be found.
'Here I was expecting magic.' Sariel roles his eyes a little, then pulls a torch from his pack, smiling at Arun, "Using a candle to light a torch is genius Arun. Here light this one for me, then if you carry it I can keep my sword and shield handy."
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primatives...
Avogadro doffs his hat, revealing a pink mass of feathers beneath and at that moment four glowing orbs of light emerge one by one.
The orbs swirl around each other in a ten foot radius; darting around the cavern, revealing it's secrets. They linger over the passageways.
"Spiders... I hope you are all of most superfluous willpower, there are those for whom the webs of an arachnid quite quenches the mortal fire. Reducing the most voracious barbarians to the standing of whimpering infants."
Avogadro eyes Jean suspiciously.
'Now that's what I was looking for.' Seeing Avogadro's spinning lights, Sariel tucks his torch back in the backpack, "That's an even better idea, Thanks Avogadro!' Watching the lights spin reveling the webs and hearing the street clowns statement. Sariel shrugs. "I don't mind spiders or snakes, it's cockroaches I don't like! I would go out of my way to kill a cockroach, Erastil forgive me. I'm sure they have some reason to exist but I certainly don't know what it is."
"Hark! Sir Shining Armour! You are a truly wise man indeed, I had no idea. To shuffle a cockroach off this mortal coil is the one truest of all ways into the celestial heavens of the gods. A wise man sir, wisest."
"I agree on the roaches, sure enough. Nasty, s'truth. I'm not too fond of spiders, either... are those webs?"
Fergal gulps audibly, gripping his staff tightly as he looks around.
The group travels down the Northeastern passageway. JP has to knock down thick spider webs in the entirety of the "hallway". You go about 50' and a room opens to the right. After inspection, It appears to be an old bunk room. It has long since been ransacked. You continue back in the Northeastern passage about 50 more feet and you come to another large room. The spider webs end here. It is as if they have been disturbed over the past few weeks. On the far wall, you see an opening with a broken down mine cart. On the other side of it, tracks descend into darkness. There is a passageway on the south side of the room. The spiderwebs are broken there as well.
As you get close to the minecart to look, a spectral dwarf appears. In a deep and echoing voice: "Who disturbs the vaults of Kraggodan?"
"I am Khaz, of Clan Dourblade, cleric of Torag. Who are you, spirit and what has happened to these vaults?"
"I am Khaz, of Clan Dourblade, cleric of Torag. Who are you, spirit and what has happened to these vaults?"
"All hail the father of creation! I am Duncan Stormbeard, protector of the vaults. Shield brother, great evil has befallen Kraggodan. A thief has slipped by me and stolen a sacred artifact. It is a key. One that our ancestors used to build a great society." He pauses and then continues, "I need your help. There is a secret compartment in the stone there..." He points at the wall and a small hole opens in the wall. ...You will find a sacred ring of our people. If you are near one of our great artifacts, it will glow with the fire of Torag's forge. It is only useable by our kind. Use it to find the perpetrator and recover the item. Once recovered, return it and the artifact to the vaults."
This simple golden ring has a large red gemstone set into it that sparkles with an inner fire. The wearer of the ring gains fire resistance 10 against the first fire attack that hits him that day. This protection renews itself every morning at dawn. In addition, the wearer receives a +1 resistance bonus on saves made against fire spells and effects. The ring must be worn for 24 hours to have any effect. Glows if near an artifact of Kraggodan.
Does Arun know anything relevant about Kraggodan? [dice=Kn Local]1d20+7
Sariel follows Jean-Pierre deeper into the cave. 'A dwarven spectre? And it needs our help?" When they see the spectre, Sariel immediately attempts to determine if it is evil.
But listens quietly and respectfully to the Spectre's requests, Nodding his head approvingly when the spectre asks for help. 'That's not a bad idea.'Hearing Arun ask about the Mushrooms he leans near Khaz's ear and whispers. "Tell him we would be glad to help, And Arun's right he may be able to tell us where the mushrooms are, saving us some time."
Sariel immediately attempts to determine if it is evil.
Doing his best to ignore his companions, Khaz said "We came here looking for ironbloom mushrooms, as they are needed to alleviate a disease that is killing many an innocent. But I could never turn down such an honorable quest. When did this thief come through here, what did he look like, and was he alone?"
"I know of no mushrooms. This floor has a barracks, an armory, a smith, and a defendable entrance. The thieves passed without detection. They must have used high level magic. The horrors below would have killed the most powerful of warriors. Take that ring and end this evil. Torag be with you, brother!"
The spectre salutes you and vanishes.
Khaz watches as the specter vanishes. After taking a moment to collect himself he told the party what was said.
"Well. Fook it, but it seems like we have mushrooms to find an' thieves to catch."
'Well that was exciting, we got to see a friendly ghost.' Sariel anxious to know what was going on. 'Hey Khaz I don't speak Dwarven, what else did he say? Is there a forge we can look for mushrooms in? And when did he see the thief?"
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you see an opening with a broken down mine cart. On the other side of it, tracks descend into darkness. There is a passageway on the south side of the room. The spiderwebs are broken there as well.
Out of habit, being a smith by trade, Arun examines the broken-down mine cart to see whether it can be fixed. If it is a broken axle or wheel he uses 'mending' (more than once if necessary) to repair the damage, seeking help from JP if strength is needed to hold the weight of the cart whilst the repair is put in place.
Whilst doing so, he examines the inside of the cart for items of interest and looks at its viability as transport. Does it have a brake, and could it carry the party?
"I'm not clear we would want to use the cart to descend the track, but it gives us the option."
Jean-Pierre shakes his head vehemently.
"This one suggests that it would be wise to finish exploring this level, before considering going further down..."
He then moves on to the next area.
'I think Jean-Pierre knows what he's doing, he seems so confident.' Sariel, shield and sword in hand, begins to follow JP to the next area. Nudging Avogadro "Send your magic lights that way please." pointing the direction that JP has headed.
JP heads down the other corridor. It is dark at first, but soon the dancing lights move and light the path. JP leads the group into another chamber. This is definitely an old smithy. There is a large forge in the middle of the room and several anvils. There are tool littered around, but they are all ruined with rust. The place is covered with tiny mushrooms. It appears the worg and his wolves were using them for food since many of them are half eaten.
"Are these the mushrooms that this one and the others were sent to find...?", Jean-Pierre muses openly.
'That's a good question.' Sariel, sheaths his sword and picks one of the unnibbled mushrooms, he holds it up so all can see. "What do you think Rhoddam or Fergal, should we start collecting?"
"All mushrooms are much of a muchness, one serves just as well as another. Why I have never met a man living on this gracious world of ours that has erroneously partaken of an inappropriate mushroom. These must suffice for our task."
Avogadro pokes one suspiciously with his toe
"It looks like these are the ones we need, lads. I'll gather some an' put 'em in my ruck." Fergal sets about retrieving some of the non-munched mushrooms.
Jean-Pierre nods.
"In that case, this one suggests grabbing what we can, and heading back to town before any more people die..."
Sariel looks at Jean-Pierre slightly aghast, "But we promised the dwarf ghost we would find the thief. If we wait till we come back the trail may be cold. Can't we spare a few moments to make sure we can follow him when we return?"
"Aye. I'll nay be leavin' here. Though I understand the concern for the living. If ye feel ye must go, do so. I'll be explorin' these old halls for awhile yet."
Sariel scratches his head for a moment, "Rhoddam would certainly move through the forest without all of us slowing him down. He could take the ingredients back to town and we could catch the thief." Sariel turns to Rhoddam, 'Unless you think it would be too dangerous?"
Rhoddam speaks up. "You so easily turn aside from your course now? I thought you gave your word to Falcon's Hollow. You know people are dying daily. The witch said innocent villagers died while we slept last night. I will go with our without you. My only hope is that I will make it safely. I told you I saw weird tracks earlier. Maybe that is your thief. Plus, the spirit warned of the horrors below..."
"The right path is rarely straight or narrow. Ye can go without me as I said. But I'll nay be leavin' here until it all be explored. An' if the horrors below get me, I go to be with the forgefather, so there be nothin' to fear."
With that Khaz will start exploring. 13 perception, and he will continue doing so until tired. He will also be looking for an easily defendable position to sleep in for the night.
Khaz heads out of the old smithy in the opposite direction he came in. He finds an armory. Everything is rusted beyond worth there as well. He continues on in the same direction and comes out in the original cavern. It appears the passageways make a circle. This room being on one end and the mine cart room being on the other. The front cavern is easily defensible since it was built to protect the mine and its workers.
Rhoddam angrily grabs the mushrooms. "Please give me the other ingredients. I am going to save lives."
Jean-Pierre frowns.
"This one made no such promise; indeed, he did not understand anything of that conversation. The deaths that will occur in the village if the ingredients are not returned there quickly are, however, all too real, and what this one came to prevent. He will accompany Rhoddam back, to make sure that the ingredients arrive where they need to be."
Rhoddam, still red faced, gives a sigh of relief. "Thank you. With two of us, the chances of the ingredients arriving increases." He pats the large man on his shoulder.
"And the rest of you?"
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"Rhoddam my instinct lies with you. Innocent people are suffering, nay dieing, right now. Speed is of the essence in getting these ingredients back to Lauren and helping the villagers. It was a task we willingly accepted, and one me need to see through. Sariel I would gladly return to honour my word to that long-dead shade, but I see that task as less urgent than our first for minimising the suffering of the living." Arun talks with a passion to advocate helping the living over the long dead, clearly with his own family upbringing in a nearby small village in mind. "Khaz I understand if your God guides you to further explore these tunnels, and to support that shade to recover his lost artifact. Perhaps we could split the party to cover both tasks. Does your God give you any guidance on the peril of exploring this place in less than full strength? My worry is if we need our full potential to explore here, we need to rest first. That means a further delay to our return to Falcon's Hollow."
Arun crosses his arms, frowning at the choice ahead. "My spells are almost depleted. Yet despite this, I would accompany Rhoddam now to Falcon's Hollow, at pace, to rest briefly at the village before returning here in the morning. Eight hours will save lives. He turns to the others "What do you say Fergus? JP? Avo? "