Crystal's spinning, flashing earthbreaker catches the second beetle in the side with a sickening crunch. The hit is so hard that the phosphorescent gland bursts painting the wall with light.
the final beetle is dispatches with a quick thrust of Jame's rapier.
Combat over.
You have a moment to actually look at the cavern you have arrived in now that the beetles are dead. There is plenty of light, the phosphorescent glands in the beatles are still glowing brightly giving off about a 20ft light pool each.
Dampness hangs in the air of this cave, condensing into heavy moisture on the slick, stone walls.
The calm, dark waters (about 2ft deep) wind around to the east up north, along a stony, soot-scarred beach. The map shows a second “beach” in that direction.
A five-foot-high ledge sporting several stalagmites rise to the east, beyond which a low-ceiling cave beckons.
Should we get wet again or try to make our way through the stalagmites?"
"Before we do anything, I'd like to get me armor back on." Ivar says, beginning to pulls bits thereof from his sodden pack.
"I'd like to stay on the dry parts, but I would also say we should explorer it all. We don't know if Khonnir decided to take a different route to the metal tunnel just to check if something was hiding down here."
"I'm happy to be able to breathe underwater, but I still don't like to swim. I vote to take the dry path. If we don't find Khonnir that way, we can always try the water again later."
Nelen leaps off of Elkin's shoulder and gracefully glides down to one of the beetles, large flaps of skin connecting his front and back legs on both sides creating perfect wings for gliding. He sniffs and investigates the still-glowing glands. "Nelen is just emoting confusion right now; must not be anything like the way that he glows." Elkin approaches, and takes a look himself.
Elkin proceeds to examine his gear quickly, squeezing excess water out of things and making sure that everything survived the trip okay. Once settled, he takes a look around the beach before leaving the cavern.
"As I recall, they did start toward the other beach but it wasn't all mapped out. Probably ran into a dead end. So I am happy to dry off and make out way this way"
James tries dipping his rapier in the glowing goo, to see if he can use it as a torch for a while.
James rapier comes out with a slight glow but there is not really enough surface area for it to create much of a light source.
Nothing else is is in the area of the cavern you are in of note.
Not wanting to reenter the water the party makes the small climb up to the stalactite filled area.
A collection of stalactites and stalagmites choke this low ceiling-ed 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 needle like teeth bearing
down on one another.
After about thirty-five feet of difficult passage you discover a dead half-orc sprawls on the ground near where the cavern narrows down to a passageway.
The bodies gear has clearly been stripped already.
You can see that ahead of you is an open area that appears to open a little bit after ten feet.
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Augar changes back into his gear, slings his shield out and his hammer in hand as he looks at the others.
"Does anyone need the blessed healing of Torag? Or do you wish ot wait for more grievous injures to occur before you need my aid?" He asked in a gravelly grumble his compassion a bit lax. Unlike his meticulous eye for getting his armor on straight and properly secure.
Elkin will take the time to harvest the glands, explaining "these will continue to glow for a few days. If you're interested in having a light source, maybe you could carry one of these?" He offers the harvested and cleaned glands to any who express interest.
"It's a little strange that there were so few; normally they nest in larger numbers. Maybe one of the other parties investigating these tunnels destroyed some of them before we got here."
Elkin struggles to make his way through the cramped paths between the stalagmites and stalactites, but makes it through with the others in the end. He studies the body of the half-orc with the others.
He doesn't recognize the figure. "Does anyone know who this is? Someone from one of the other groups?"
"Yah, I knew her. Parda Garr. She tended to get into a fair number of scuffles, but if you got to know her, she weren't so bad. Shame what happened to her. We can take her out with us when we leave, but I doubt she has any family near by."
Quintock will take one of the glands to use as a light source, since it appears it would work underwater as well.
"You can have those glands for yourself, I'll stick to my light spell."
Crawling through the stalagmites "Do you think the beetles did this to her? I'd like to help return the remains, but we might have to do that on a second trip, if we might need to carry an unconssius Khonnir and relics out of here"
"Maybe our cleric can tell us how she died. It would be helpful to know if was the beetles or something else. She didn't have family, but we should still bring her body back for burial." She looks around the area. Vedia keeps the light spell active on Crystal's earthbreaker.
There are several knife wounds on the half-orc's body. Clearly the beetles were not involved. The killing blows seem to have come from a small blade while her back was turned or she was fleeing. The body appears to have been left where it fell although her gear has been stripped.
Crystal slowly pulls her armor on after the bug has been demolished by her Earthbreaker, allowing her brilliance of light to slowly simmer down as she huffs and puffs.
"My... That... Wooh... We're going to have fun down here, I can tell!"
As Elkin offers the glands Crystal takes one with a wink "Aw, you're too sweet! You know you could sell these, right? As long as you're ok giving them away... I can see in the dark just fine, but I don't think others can, and I can handle the extra weight."
Amidst speaking with Elkin and thanking Vedia for the fancy light on her favorite weapon Crystal drops down into a casual stalking pose over the body, most likely just next to the cleric.
"Hmmmm...." She hovers her earthbreaker's top close to the ground in order to illuminate it.
Ivar waves off the beetle gland. "I 'preciate the offer, lad, but I kin already see in the dark. No need o' bug guts here."
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"She was murdered. Left to die here and her body stripped" He stated in a low rumbling bass with no emotion coming from him. It was not an honorable way to go,that is if this woman was honorable or not.
Still in dwarven Augar kissed his iron holy symbol, grabbed a bit of bug guts and traced a sigil of Torag on this deceased forehead. Once done he uttered a prayer an looked at the others."She looked as if she was on her way back here. So stay sharp and look lively for enemies or traps."
"Look for traps, but I would expect she has activated most if any on her way to run out of here. But better safe then sorry."
No other information can be gleaned from the body of poor Parda.
Despite a half-hearted effort by Xander no traps are engaged as you move further into the cave system.
As you move forward a cavern opens up, it’s twenty foot high ceiling thick with stalactites. A rocky shore overlooks the same dark, placid stream you have seen before to your left. You can see it is fed by a trickle of water coming from a fissure in the stone further north. A small garden of toadstools and moss grows along the bank and in this garden you can see legs, or at least a leg, sticking out of the pool.
Suddenly two luminescent eyes spring open and you see a revolting albino creature. Maybe half frog, maybe half man. On its flank you see a brand, as if someone had once owned the revolting thing. It has clearly seen you and moves in, like the beetles, for a nice warm meal.
Bold may act Elkin, James, Crystal, Xander, Augar
Nasty Frog Man Thing
Ivar, Vedia
[color=red] Tactical Map Updated [/color]
Elkin doesn't understand the creature's tongue, nor can he make any sense of it himself, but he recognizes that it doesn't seem to be friendly! He steps to the front of the group to get line of sight on the strange creature, then fixes his gaze on it, attacking it simply with the force of his own will.
Xandar tries to identify the frog-creature as he moves in to skewer it with the longsword.
James strides up next to Xandar, drawing his rapier as he goes.
"This place seems more hazardous than I expected. I hope we don't find our friends in the belly of this beast."
Crystal takes out a spear from her bag as she puts away her massive and glowing Earth Breaker "Well, if you two boys wanna tank in front, I'll poke whatever it is from just behind!"
Xander, excellent catch.
James, no pressure but, roll to confirm you crit. Two more points of damage will spare the party bad stuff.
Xanders blade digs deep into the creature and James punctures a further hole in its leg drawing more bood. A very wounded frog-thing acts in desperation.
"Blagagaga" It shrieks as its eyes flare with an intense strobe of searing white light. So intense is the light that those close (20ft) risk being blinded {DC13) for a period.
Blinded 1 Hour
as it takes a desperate at Xander (against AC pre-blindness).
Bold may act Elkin, James, Crystal, Xander, Augar
Nasty Frog Man Thing
Ivar, Vedia
"I don't know what it is, but that light attack isn't nice." Vedia fires a Ray of Frost at the creature.
The little bolt of cold and ice misses wide right making a lovely crystal pattern on the wall of the cave.
Bold may act Elkin, James, Crystal, Xander, Augar
Nasty Frog Man Thing
Ivar Vedia
Elkin takes a step back, trying to keep as much distance between himself and the creature while maintaining his gaze. He targets the froggish thing with a different permutation of the same gaze.
A light and strangle giggle arises from his throat, barely audible and yet clearly audible at the same time, filling the space with an odd mirth.
Being blind Xandar adopts a defensive stance. "I may need some help, the creature blinded me, but once we are safe I can try to cure it."
Shuffling up, Ivar uncoils the chain wrapped about his waist. Swinging it high over his head a few times, he shouts "Down!" before lashing out past James at the frog-thing.
James stabs at the thing again, but dodging out of the way of Ivar's chain throws him a bit off balance.
"Take care, friend dwarf. You can put someone's eye out."
Crystal continues to poke from around Xander's shoulder with her spear as she reaches out for him to move away "No worries, Xander! Get back! We can take care of this rather simply!"
Unfortunately Crystal's hand slips as she tries to hurry Xander along, and the spear stabs directly into the ground as she gives an angered sigh.
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After watching the blond woman swing wild, being narrowly missed by a dwarf and an ineffective stab from James the revolting creature, acting on pure instinct, trys to make James into an afternoon snack.
Bold may act Elkin, James, Crystal, Xander, Augar
Nasty Frog Man Thing
Ivar and Vedia
Changing the angle of his swing to more cleanly miss his comrades, Ivar strikes again.
As the creature pulls back from slightly wounding James he is struck squarely in the left eye by Ivar's dorn-dergar. The eye explodes with a pop as the creature falls dead.
As you recover from the attack you get a better look at the body the creature had been eating.
The body, or what is left of it, is that of a human male that has been eaten so that only the lower torso and legs remain. Little remains to identify the body for the creature has eaten most of it and has ruined its armor and clothing in the process. A belt pouch on the body’s hip is still intact and contains 42 gp, a silver unholy symbol of Zyphus worth 25 gp, and two water-tight potions.
The stream with the fungus, mushrooms and body seems to wind back the way you came behind a wall. To the south there is a passageway that darkens at the end of your light sources.
"Those potions have healing magic; I'm sure of it." Elkin speaks from the back of the cavern as soon as the vials are pulled out of the pouch. He approaches the body and takes the potions into his hand. He looks at them closely, then removes the stopper from one, giving it a sniff. "Yes, definitely. Healing magic of the most basic sort, but healing magic nonetheless." He stoppers the potion carefully and then hands them both back.
He examines both the room and the body of the frog-beast, which he spends a bit of time on, looking deep into the creature's eyes.
Squinting, Ivar peers into the darkness. "There's some sort of a fork in passages up ahead, in the darkness beyond torch range. Nothing moving."
"I'm going to be needing a guiding hand to get around, I seem to have lost all sight hopefully only temporary. But for the moment I need help to walk around." Xandar says fumbling a bit to put his sword back i it's sheaths and starts to feel around for the wall to help him guide his way.
The creature is not alien in origin, the combined checks are enough to work out that it is a magical creature.
With time to search the area you can tell that the water is the same, unplesant, water you first entered the cave thought. The source seems to be smaller cracks in the wall to the north, possible some sort of spring.
Nothing else of note is in the area.
As you head south you come to a four way crossroads.
At the crossroads and to your right a collection of crates, boxes, rubble, and scavenged metal lies heaped in the northwest section of this damp cave. Several strange chalk drawings of twisted, spiny plants, a strange three-legged creature, and emaciated four-armed humanoids mark the walls.
Among the rubble and refuse here are several ruined bits of technological devices—nothing recognizable or even all that useful can be found, but the presence of strange tangles of wires and unusually fragments confirm that more ancient technology that would draw Khonnir in deeper.
From this location you can go the way you came south east or south west. The south east passage has more detritus at the start of it.
South West: You can see that after a bit a small cavern opens up.
Suth East: The passageway turns so you cannot see that far.
Crystal wordlessly takes Xander's arm in hers as she lets her long spear droop in one hand "Not to worry, I can see perfectly fine."
She peers about as she guides Xander with a smile
She bends down just slightly as she moves to simply hold Xander's hand "Just a minute.... Looks like something has been here... Oh, does anyone mind picking up pieces of this techno scrap? It's normally worth quite a bit..." She frowns as she sees that most of it is beyond the worthy scrap you could normally trade from diving "Oh.... Never mind... It's... Blech."
Vedia moves up to Crystal and Xander. She takes Xander's hand, "I'll guide him. You need to be on the front line. I can use my crossbow from the back, and hopefully keep us safe. As a Bard do you sing or play an instrument?
"Thanks Crystal hope it's a smooth way we have to go. Quite the nasty ability the frogthing had." Xandar says as the move along. "I wish I could study these things you find."
He answers Vedia "Well thanks to you also Vedia, I think you are right Crystal is of more use in the front. I am a singer, never had a particlary talent for playing an instrument."
Elkin bends down, rummaging amongst the scrap briefly. He stands up holding 70 silverdisks. "The scrap might not be much, but this is more than just a few weeks wages here."