Maruf claws at the fungus!
Richard drops his rapier, readies his crossbow, and fires at the closest threat.
Kharax waits, to see what the molds do as well as how effective his comrades attacks are.
Alpha will bash the mold.
With brutal efficiency, the party destroy to the small, moving molds.
Looking around, you find the bodies of more explorers, three halflings. It appears their bodies have already been looted.
"Huh, wonder what group this was...", says Kharax, looking over the bodies and trying to determine what slew them.
"Nyyyehhhh!" The Cobbler feels around the body's clothing and pulls out a small gem. "A stupid gem! Someone want it?"
Alpha will help scan the bodies to find cause of death.
Examining the bodies, Kharax notices bite marks consistent with one might supposes are the manibles of large beetles.
Heading down the southern tunnel, you find it goes for about forty feet before coming to a sort of crossroads. A collection of crates, boxes, rubble, and scavenged metal lies heaped in the northwest section of the crossroads, a damp cave. Several strange chalk drawings of twisted, spiny plants, a strange three-legged creature, and emaciated four-armed humanoids mark the walls. The three-legged creature looks very similar to the construct you fought in the Foundry.
"Well," drones the Cobbler, "let's be aware of spiny plants and things with four arms then."
"Affirmative." Alpha says before heading down the south east corridor.
"Huh... wonder how old those are...", Kharax taking in the drawings before Maruf snaps him back to their task. "Yeah, though makes me wonder who lives here..."
Richard takes his time to examine the new chamber, turning over parts and crates and taking time to examine the drawings closely.
"These four-armed creatures. I have never heard of anything like them before. It could be they are an unknown, or perhaps undiscovered race."
Searching the rubble, Richard discovers a scattering of 7 silverdisks but nothing else of value.
"Just a few discs." Richard says, showing them to the others before pocketing them. Seeing Alpha already partway down the southeastern passage from the area, Richard moves to follow, keeping an eye over the other android's shoulder for traps or trouble.
Turning down the southeast tunnel, the party enters a huge cavern. 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 fibrous plant matter sit in the cave, while to the south yawns a dark pit.
As Alpha steps into the chamber, a wiry, grey-skinned humanoid, flanked by two others, steps out from hiding and says. "Halt, you are trespassers in our domain. I offer to take two of you party to meet our chieftan, in an attempt to reach an accord."
Maruf snorts and looks to one his more charismatic companions to deal with the negotiations.
Kharax looks at his teammates, immediately rules out Maruf. He ponders about Alpha, but believes his speaking habits to be too technical and direct to aid in discussion.
"Richard, guess it's you an' me, 'eh?"
Kharax and Richard follow the humanoid toward the back of the cavern, while the other two watch Maruf and Alpha warily.
In the back of the cavern, Richard and Kharax follow Lupel into a rudimentary hut constructed of junk and salvaged materials. Inside, they see another humanoid, who nods to Lupel, then listens as Lupel whispers something in her ear.
The chieftan nods to Richard and Kharax, then stands. "Greetings, I am called Sef and your are trespassing on my tribes territory. I am willing to forgive your trespass and permit free passage through our territory, in return for two things. First, you agree to pass among my tribe without harming us, and to dispose of a tribe of gremlins to the north that have been harrying us in a territorial dispute. If you agree and are successful, the tribe will reward you with a strange device we have scavenged in the surrounding caverns. Do we have an accord?"
Richard follows the odd creatures and listens with curiosity to their chief's proposal.
"Gremlins are a blight upon civilization, and I have no qualms against exterminating a few, but we have a few questions of our own that we would like to ask. A friend of our went missing down here a few days ago and we have come looking for him. His name is Khonnir Baine." Richard also gives a description of Khonnir.
Alpha will carefully watch the odd bags of meat in return but otherwise stay silent.
"Thank you for your audience.", bows Kharax politely.
"Sounds like a fair exchange, although Richard has spoken for mah sentiments. Any information you may have would be of benefit for our search."
The chief shrugs. "There have two groups we have enocountered. Both times it ended in conflict and we lost many of our tribe memebers. I do not know the name you speak, but his description sounds like the leader of the second group, the one that slew our previous cheiftan." The skulk replies.
"Thank you for the information.", smiles Kharax, hoping that Khonnir's team's efforts do not make their own journey more difficult.
"Anythin' else ya need to ask Rich before we take care of them gremlins?"
Richard shakes his head. "No."
Leaving the chief, the two return to Maruf and Alpha, explaining what has transpired.
"Gremlins! Pah! Pesky, nasty, filthy creatures! Let's get going!"
"Affirmative. Let us keep searching."
Though far more emotional than Alpha, Richard still sees the value of logic and takes the lead, moving cautiously up the center passage.
The Cobbler sticks next to Richard.
Moving north into gremlin territory, you see that the area is riddled with narrow, five foot high passages, causing you to stoop slightly. About twenty feet in, the tunnels split, one leading to the northwest and also back toward the skulk leaders cave, while the other veers northeast.
Taking the northeast passage, Richard and Maruf keep their eyes open, but still fail to notice a tripwire until Richard's foot snags it!
A cleverly counterweighted spike jabs out and stabs Richard, staggering the man!
To the north, the party can hear high pitched chattering echo through the tunnels.
"Nyyehhh! Someone fix him up quick so we can kill those little f!$~ers!" Maruf starts moving towards the chittering.
"We should be more observant of traps. Repair him quickly so we can move on."
"Uhhnnn." Richard removes the spike and stumbles back. "Does someone still have one of those potions?"
Alpha will hand Richard his potion so he may repair himself.
"Ain't my best work... think that water muddied up my healin'"
Kharax heals a bit of Richards wounds.
"Let's go kill some f#*~ing gremlins!" Maruf leads the way towards the chattering!
As the party begins to move forward, it is only moments before three gremlins appear!
Getting the jump on the party, they scurry in and attack, stabbing Alpha and Maruf with tiny daggers, leaving the tiniest of nicks!
"Little s~*+s."
Alpha gets scratched and retaliates!
Richard's always been lucky, and though the spike trap got the better of him, he still trusts it enough to take a wild stab at the gremlin before him.
Kharax delays down, unable to join the fray and only hoping he can support his allies somehow.