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With all concerned now safe and drying, Galador executes his plan of making not only a good hole with which to access the same-floor door, but also a good rope-hold so that traversing up and down can be done much more safely.
Once both are made, and Ya'Bo has warmed the water to a point of just-barely-tolerable coldness, he hopes that Theo and Makira will have more to say about the cavern below.
Theo spends at least half an hour by the fire before the water’s icy grip is pried loose from his body and mind; replaced by the flame’s warm embrace and the comforting faces of his comrades. His jaw and his core finally relax. Likely in compensation for being deprived earlier, Theo’s lungs demand a series of yawns that the elf-kin is powerless to resist. The sudden burst of motion causes his jaw to pop violently on one side. Between that and the sudden loss of tension in his abdomen, he fears he might be sick. Fortunately, this passes quickly.
Just when Theo is starting to feel back at 100%, and the last bit of moisture has finally fled his boots, Galador approaches. He’s finally finished creating a new passage for the group and wants to ask if Theo has any unique insights about the cavern’s layout. Theo shakes his head apologetically.
“I’m afraid I don’t recall much of anything. My fall was so swift, and the shock of the cold so jarring, everything is a blur.” Theo stands up for the first time since his rescue. He strolls over to the newly formed passage and peers down. “The water is deep, and the sides are steep. Don't expect to touch bottom with your head above water. Aside from that, I doubt I can tell you more than any of the others who can see through the darkness.”
Deciding it best he goes first, in case someone needs to fish him out again, Theo prepares to take another plunge. He says a quick prayer and wishes his other armored companions good fortune on their journey before jumping back into the darkness below.
Although still cold compared to the warmth of the fireside, the shock is minor relative to Theo's earlier visit. He lets his armor carry him to the bottom of the pool, that he might take care of a small errand before crossing to the other side. In his haste to not drown earlier, Theo had lost hold of his staff. A fair sacrifice at the time but he isn't keen on leaving it behind if that can be avoided.
The cave itself being all but void of natural light, and the surface of the water reflecting what little the party has brought, creates a darkness that even Theo's elven eyes have trouble piercing. But ultimately it is not enough to hinder his goal. He quickly locates his abandoned staff and kicks back up for the surface, heading for the far shore.
Ya'Bo's spell lives up to its name, the end of the rope lands well within arms reach of the quickly sinking Theo.
Not wanting to waste the energy, Theo forgoes climbing back up to the group and, instead, simply uses the rope to keep from sinking. He takes a few deep breaths before placing the very end of the rope between his teeth and kicking off the cave wall. The rope won't take him clear across, but he should be able to tell if he's going to make it before his tether runs out.
Just as the rope is about to go taut, Theo feels a stich in his side. One he knows is only going to get worse. He takes the rope from his mouth, inhales deeply, and lets his armor carry him to the bottom of the pool. He walks back to the cave wall that his rope is secured to and, with the aid of buoyancy, easily pulls his upper half out of the water. He takes a couple of breaths before calling for his comrades to lend him a helping hand getting out of the water.
As Theo sinks to the bottom again, he notices something out of place, a rounded piece of stone. No, it's ivory! An ivory scroll tube engraved with imagines of leering demons! He can grab it on the way up.
"Ha! Never hurts to fail upward.", Theo muses to himself. He moves to grab the tube but stops short, his excited expression turning to one of neutral contemplation. He decides it's best to take some minor precautions before interacting with the potential treasure. Instead of taking the tube, Theo touches a nearby rock. The stone glows white under the effect of his spell.
Anyone trained in the arcane, even the greenest apprentice, will have a subdued reaction to demonic imagery relative to the unlearned. Demons aren't beckoned by children's scribbles, and the truly dangerous ones are far more cunning than to sign their work so plainly. Normally, this perspective would have led Theo to take the thing without concern. But these ruins have proven themselves enchanted by old magic. So it's not the whims of demons that concern Theo as much as the whims of a powerful, mortal mage.
Theo pulls himself halfway out of the water and calls for his friends.
"Be a pal and set this aside for me, would you?. Theo asks, passing up his staff. "I think I found something good down there. If not good, it should at least be interesting. This place has proven to be many things. Dull is not among them."
With his hands free and his lungs full of air, Theo casts a couple of minor protection spells on himself before returning to retrieve his ivory boon. Theo loosens his grip on the rope and slides back to the bottom of the pool. With the rope in hand, and his glowing rock to guide him, retrieving the tube proves to be a quick errand.
Using both legs, Theo is able to shimmy up the rope one-handed. His off-hand clutching the ivory boon he'd stumbled onto.
After his comrades pull him the last few feet onto solid ground, Theo passes his treasure onto Ya'Bo and crawls another half-dozen feet to the fireside.
"I'm sure you'll want to check for any signs of magic before we see what's inside. Think I'll take part of that time to duck back into the hall and pull this armor off."
"Hand-crafted ivory is more than a boon in its own right. Even beyond coin, I'm sure it's a quality container when not being taxed to extremes." Theo says, laying his armor out to dry next to the fire.
He also wonders if the tube's design could be enough to give common thieves pause. That would make it prime storage for other valuables. Some who study the criminal underclass have accused them of being a "superstitious and cowardly lot".
"Well, superstitious or not, a bit of arcane subterfuge would certainly dissuade all but the most perceptive or desperate.", he thinks to himself. Theo can imagine several applications of Light and Minor Illusion that would give the demonic carving an aesthetic of arcane power. At least to the untrained eye.
"Anyway. Third time's the charm. I'll see you all on the other side." Theo swims, unhindered, to the cavern on the far side of the pool and pulls himself onto dry land. He illuminates a handful of loose stones to help guide the night blind. Even able to see, having your head in and out of the water can be a bit disorienting when it's already this dark.
Theo takes close stock of his surroundings. When (if) he's satisfied that the cavern is as mundane as it seems, he moves to explore the Southern passage.
"Nothing that's hidden / Can forever be unknown / Grant me clarity" --
There seems to be nothing unusual about the cavern, though a corridor continues to the south.
I mentioned Theo heading South after checking the cavern, if you missed it.
When (if) he's satisfied that the cavern is as mundane as it seems, he moves to explore the Southern passage.
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Theo moves to the southern passage. Around a bend in the corridor is a strange sight, a door embedded in the eastern solid rock face. The corridor continues to the south and heads west from here, but the door draws your attention. It is solid iron and in remarkably good condition, despite the overall dampness of the caverns.
Theo pauses about 10ft from the door, he listens intently for any sign of movement on the other side. On a whim, he also takes a deep breath in through his nose. "I should have asked to borrow Mr. Whiskers", a random thought crosses his mind in the silence. Theo doesn't fancy himself a bloodhound. However, between the mess hall, the fungi room, and the corpses, he's found that the scent of life and death contrasts harshly against the earthy, distinctly inorganic, dankness of these stone ruins.
If no signs of movement or life are evident, Theo moves in to inspect the door for any hazards.
Curiosity almost gets the better of Theo for the second time today. He moves towards the door before his lightness of step reminds him that he is without physical or arcane defenses. His staff and his armor are back at camp. He decides to swim back to the group and relay what he's seen.
Ya'Bo starts to pace as the time seems to slip away.
"He better not find that spell book with out me..." He grumbles.
"I wouldn't dream of it. Who else am I going outrun when we find the tome guarded by a horde of the undead?", comes Theo's reply as he pulls himself up onto the ledge. He pauses to wring some of the water out of his tunic; a mostly futile effort. "Can I get some prestidigitation, Ya'Bo?", Theo pleads with an exasperated sigh.
"There's a small alcove directly across the water; nothing of interest there. But a Southernly passage leads to a large iron door. I didn't hear any signs of life on the far side or see any obvious hazards on this side. Still, I wasn't going to risk a peak so ill-equipped."
Ya'Bo smiles and grants the request, drying the Theo.
"IS there any other way around? Or do we all have to take a plunge?"
"Much obliged", Theo says as he begins the somewhat tedious process of getting back in his armor.
"Hmm. I didn't see any dryer paths, however...", Theo pauses for a moment as his chest piece obstructs his face. Tightening the first of many fasteners, he continues. "I didn't explore any further than the door. I doubt the previous residents swam to that hall, so it's not impossible that the path curves back up to this level... somewhere."
A few minutes later Theo is re-armored with staff in hand. "So... Do we descend and investigate this door? Or do we continue exploring this level, hope we stumble on to a less taxing route?"
Theo gestures for everyone to halt
"Ya'Bo. Help me check this door for hazards. I'm keen to explore the others as well, but we don't want this one at our back if we haven't examined it."
Theo gives the door itself a cursory glance but leaves the final judgment on safety to Ya'Bo. Instead, he focuses on the far side. He listens for footsteps, watches for shadows moving between the cracks, and keeps his nose sharp for out-of-place smells (food, fire, organic decay/waste).
The door proves to be both untrapped and unlocked. It reveals a short corridor that ends at a T-junction, going north and south.
"Hmm." Theo's gaze shifts from the open threshold to the pair of doors down the hall.
It wouldn't take long to survey this new corridor, but doing so would put those doors to the party's back. An undesirable scenario even in ideal conditions. Being caught in this passage would not be ideal.
If someone or something came out while the group was investigating, a single enemy could theoretically hold firm against the entire party for quite some time. The group would have to funnel single-file through a doorframe; even the little folk would struggle to squeeze through such a passage two abreast. This can drastically mitigate a force's numerical advantage.
"Let's investigate the pair of doors up ahead before we commit to any new paths."
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The doors are ornately carved and unlocked and a short time spent listening reveals no sounds from beyond.
The floor of the room is covered with dust, but beneath is a beautiful and shiny surface of polished red granite. The stone is inlaid in large blocks and extends uniformly to within a foot of each of the walls. In the very center of the room within the floor surface are blocks of white granite within the red stone, and these form the letters "R" and "Z" with an ampersand between. Wall sconces designed to hold torches for illumination are mounted on the walls all around the room.
There are three large oaken tables within the room, one in each of the west, north, and east wings of the room. There are several wooden chairs scattered about. In two corners of the room are plush divans, each covered with a rich, fleecy upholstering that makes them very comfortable for reclining. These, however, are rather dusty and dingy due to their age and lack of use.
Hanging the sconces inset into the north wall are small metal cages, each containing a large beetle. These unusual insects give off an eerie, glowing light from their bodies, enough to illuminate this portion of the room with a forbidding reddish glow. Comfortably seated at a table in the northern alcove, engrossed in a voluminous tome, is a short humanoid clad in thick green robes. The humanoid glances up as you enter, quite startled.
