Crystal gives a playful tug at her Earthbreaker as she moves to the front "Ya wanna fight me for him, Vedia?"
With a wink and a tongue out, she quickly swaps the spear for her Earthbreaker as she continues to keep an eye out about her, now moving up towards the front as she hums back to Xander "Sing us to victory, Xander. I don't think you'll need your eyes for that, thankfully."
"Ooooh, well, if it's like that, I'm happy to help you carry some Elkin."
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"Hmmm, Blindness. Heard once a silver and gold paste laid on the eyes could cure it" Augar said as he pulled back up his Warhammer and looked about as he walked his movements loud and clanky.
"Granted the man telling me this was a blind oracle who spoke to the stones" Augar continued on his voice giving little to no inflection as from his deep rumbling bass.
Xandar gives a smile in the direction he heard Crystal's voice. "I'll sing you a grand song Crystal leading you towards victory."
He turns toward Augar's voice "I wouldn't say a blind oracle might be the best source for such infomation, but his blindness might be the curse of the gods upon the man. I'll like to study his claim though."
"Maybe I will Crystal. He's kind of cute. she teases. She pats Xander's hand as she speaks. "To the South West? Looks like there's a bunch of junk on the ground. That might mean someone has been through there."
"I can't see if you ladies are joking or not... I agree somewhat, however it can also be scavengers that have dragged it in there."
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"They are women,which means they are like cats. It is wise to be cautious when women play for in the end they tend to eat you" he says his voice monotone as he points in that direction.
"I have no problem with taking the South West, but I caution we send one of us with scouting experience forward. I would hate for us to blunder into some trap or pitfall left from previous explorers or local inhabitants" Augar commented his tone never changing.
James Quintik will take the belt pouch and put the potions in his bandoleer for easy access.
"Agreeed. We got anyone like that?"
Assuming not, James will take point with his glowing beetle entrails, and check for anything dangerous.
"Be careful, Augar. The women of the tribe I was raised in would eat you just for speaking about them that way." He glances at Crystal as they walk. "But all Kellid tribes are different; maybe you'll be safe this time."
When they get to the crossroads, Elkin takes a look at the map. "I think we'll definitely want to go southwest, but it looks like if we turn right here instead, it will have to dead end, unless it crosses the river somehow. Why don't we head that way, make sure of that, and we'll know that direction is clear. Then we can continue. Best not to have some surprise sneak up on us if we pass it by."
As soon you you move into the south west passage the air feels cooler.
The temperature drops noticeably as you advance in this passageway, and a rime of white frost lines the walls and floor leading into the cavern beyond. The cavern drops down what amounts to a ten foot cliff. 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 the body is pale and looks very cold.
You notes strange ribbons and filaments of rust-colored fibers growing along its spine, throat, and chest.
You recognize the infestation of the body as russet mold and that the floor below is the home to brown mold. Brown mold absorbs heat and is destroyed by cold.
[color=Red] Tactical Map updated but more for reference point. The passage and room are to small to worry about pawn placement much unless i have the wrong people in front. [/color]
"Anyone got a clue? Guess we should go retrieve that body and see who it is."
"I don't know; we might want to be careful with the body. Do you see those strange... what, filaments, I guess? There, by the spine, throat, and chest. Can anybody identify those? It may be what killed him, and may still be dangerous."
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"What body? What have we found?"
"There's a body across the room. There are rust colored filaments attached to it. I wonder if it's got something to do with the brown dirt carpeting the floor. We're about 10 feet above the floor of the other room so don't move away from me."
"I put my life in your hands Vedia. I wish I could see the body and examine what the things attached to him and the floor. If things are the way you describe it, maybe I can search my memory for somehting along those lines, I might had read something about this in the grand libraries of Absalom." He says making sure not to take a wrong step.
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"This is taken from my memory of what you've described for me Vedia. If I'm correct it should be a russet mold that has infected the body and the brown thing on the floor is a brown mold. What tricked me of as to the brown mold was that the whole room felt cold when we entered, and those things absorb heat to survive as will be destoryed by cold."
"OK, then, Professor. Do we try to retrieve the body, or are we better off leaving it?"
"I can throw Rays of Frost around all day. They don't do much damage, but they are cold. Does Russet Moss and Brown Moss have the same cold vulnerability?"
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" Mold is dangerous. During my training my instructor a very strange gnome named Mincel told of a type of mold that when inhaled it causes lesions to form on the inside of your body in which it grows and decomposes you form the inside out." Augar said looking at the body. In fact he really pondered on the body below.
"As for women eating me, Let them try." he said all in his straight tone as he then followed it up with a deep rumbling laugh.
Crystal gives a frown as the others work through the problem "No women definitely don't eat men... At least, I don't... Cannibalism is just blech. Like mold... I don't see the point in it."
She keeps on guard while twirling her earthbreaker, occasionally requesting Vedia cast "light" on it as they solve the problem.
Meanwhile, she objectively observes either path that could be taken to see if she could determine a true reason to go one way or another-
"Xander don't move please. I'll be right back." Vedia moves to the front of the group and fires a couple of Ray of Frosts at the Brown Mold. "I can't help with the acid or the fire, and I left my wine at home." She moves back next to Xander. Vedia keeps casting light on the earthbreaker.
Xandar nods at Vedia "I have an acid flask in my belt pouch, should help destroy the russet mold. If someone would throw it for me." he finds the flask from his belt and hold it for anyone to take. "Good thing I only had that one flask with me."
"Here, I can toss that for you."
Once the brown mold is gone, James will get within 20 feet of the russett mold and throw the flask.
Between the barrage of ice and the acid both the molds are eventually destroyed without much incident.
The party can take its time and climb down safely to investigate. The body is that of a human who still is wearing a well maid chain shirt and carry other adventuring gear.
You recognize Gerrol and remembers 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.
Treasure:
The body still wears a masterwork chain shirt, but he lost several of his other pieces of equipment in his frantic attempt to reach safety. He still carries a set of masterwork thieves’ tools, a masterwork hand crossbow with 5 bolts, several empty vials that once contained potions and antitoxin, and 75 gp.
Leading from this space is another tunnel heading east or you can backtrack to the SE tunnel at the junk filled crossroads.
Xander - You a beginning to regain a bit of your sight. Shapes and starting to come back at least.
Elkin makes his way down with the others, approaching the body with curiosity.
"I think I met him. He was celebrating an engagement one night in town. Gerrold, I think? No, Gerrol. That's it. I think we'll want to make sure that his lady finds out about this."
"What a shame." He continues examining the body, seemingly interested more in the mold than the man, anymore. "Does anyone know more about this mold? I wonder how it killed him. Molds are very strange...."
"The question could also be did the mold come after his death? Certain molds live on the dead and decaying. But I agree we have to tell his fiance about his untimely death, but maybe leave the reason of his death out."
"Whoever he was, he was clearly well paid to come through here...." Crystal looks over the body from a slight distance as she continues in the lead "So many dead... I'm amazed we've gone through this place at this pace... Truly shows the difference between having a well put together tribe versus going it on your own..."
She frowns as she looks about "I have a feeling if there is another corpse here, we might as well continue south to see what all this was. Be careful... If these things are intelligent, there might be traps. It's what I'd do."
"We should probably return his things to his fiance, when we return to town." Ivar says, shaking his head sadly.
"Is anyone able to carry his things? I'll be happy to carry that crossbow until we return to Torch." she picks it and the bolts up from the body. "East?
Elkin sheepishly ignores the question about helping to carry items, and looks down the east hallway, anxious to move on.
"Well I good take the armor and put it to good use if no one objects? The hand crossbow is a bit to fancyful for me so take it Vedia."
"I can carry what needs carryin'. Here." Ivar says, retrievig his pack and opening it up for the items to be deposited.
The ceiling of this vast chamber rises nearly thirty feet overhead. A five-foot-wide ledge runs along the western wall (the side you entered though), 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 fibrous plant matter sit in the cave, while to the south yawns a dark pit.
A pair of humanoid creatures are standing near the hunts, as soon as you are visible one of them speaks.
“Easy surface dwellers. You are in are home but we will not attack, probably. We wish to offer a deal. Three of you come and speak to our chief, make a deal. Others, stay here and wait.” She holds her hands up too show they are empty “We will not attack, there are a lot of you and we have been here to long with problems of our own.”
[u] Xander [/u] and [u] Crystal [/u] your eyes may be fooling you but you thought you saw movement further back in the room. It was subtle but it could have been a man size creature hiding further back in the room.
[color=red] Tactical Map updated. [/color]
Crystal whispers to the others
"They've either got someone lurking around, or someone is lurking around waiting for them to be gone... Regardless, one strong person needs to stay here... Another strong person needs to be one of the three to go inside... You never send the smartest in alone... Like that wizard, they usually don't return...."
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Augar speaks but looks over at the beings gathered and wonders what they were walking into. If it came to it and they where enemies he would treat them as such, leaving no enemy alive just like the will of Torag demanded.
"Nelen can be very sneaky when he needs to, and while we can't speak to each other with our minds, we know how the other feels." Elkin strokes the petromin's fur as he looks at the tiny creature. "It would be... uncomfortable... to be separated, but if he snuck in with three of you, I would know immediately if something went wrong."
"I am willing to go down there. I don't fear any shadow-creature. Besides, from what I'm told these creatures are cowards anyway. Probably another one of them lurking back there, hoping to remain unseen." he says, with a nod to Crystal.
"Do you recognize them? What are they?"
"Beats me. We should go ahead and talk to them, no?"
The second Skulk, the one who had been quiet, makes a gesture at the other. The speaker nods and addresses the group again.
"Come come surface dwellers, we can hear you you know. I am told you people don't enjoy violence and we offer a way to avoid it. Sef is waiting."
Crystal firmly plants her Earthbreaker against the ground as she looks back on towards the speaker "Three, and Nelen, will go and speak with your Sef. The rest will stay out here should there be any trouble. I don't believe any of us can get a proper read on you to see if you are any trouble or not. Deal?"
"Alright we will come and talk with your Sef, if you can promise no agressions from you and the other. And sorry for the whispering, we where deciding who would have the gift for speaking with you and taking precations for anything that could happen. Better be safe then dead wouldn't you agree?" Xandar says towards the sound of the other creature speaking.