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"We can't bumble with climbing around, someone might be in danger! We should jump the pit!"
Rico moves back a bit to get a running start. He then rushes forth towards the pit, suddenly realizing he is carrying an extra load. Running slower than usual and to prideful to suddenly stop after such big words, he stubbornly contineus and jumps over the pit. He only barely makes it, but he is at the other side.
With a smile, he says:"Piece of cake, nothing can stop this merchant in his tracks."
It takes May Flower a few times to get enough purchase to climb up. With some effort she makes it, only to be nearly bowled over by Rico, who barely makes it across.
For a moment, both teeter at the edge, arms wheeling for balance.
Both slip and fall down, but Rico manages to grab the ledge of the pit, and May manages to grab hold of Rico.
With some effort, both May and Rico hoist themselves back up. Taking a moment to keep sitting down, appreciating the firmness of the ground.
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Araklifest takes the cloak to wear as long as the owner is not found. ALthough the cloak feels him more confident, it is also just a bit more heavy than he expected. He declines to jump the pit and climbs down the roap at one side and climbs up at the other side. To his embarassment at first he doesn't manage to climb out of the pit, so he takes his time a second try.
With May and Rico on the other side already, its easy to tie the rope to a thick stalagmite so climbing out of the pit is far more easy.
With everyone on the other side, you continue down the tunnel.
About 30 feet down the tunnel, in hidden in a small side tunnel, you find a 3-foot-wide wooden plank resting against the cave’s wall.
When checking the plank, its clear it is long enough to fit over the pit.
The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls.
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"No need to thank me, miss. You can thank my foster parents. They always said:"Always make sure you have plenty of pockets, Rico. You never know when you need one!". So that's why I have a dozen of them!"
Rico slowly walks forward, holding his sunrod forward to create enough light for all to see.
"It is rather spacious, wouldn't you folks agree? And it seems someone has already set up some lights in here. That is convenient for sure!"
He then takes his surrounding in, and listens closely if he can hear something, or someone.
The luminescent funges is prevailant in this cave chamber.
Roco notices that it grows particularly thick on what looks like old murals.
The carvings here are different in style from the petroglyphs found elsewhere in the caves, and they appear to be much older.
There is some writing mixed in with the murals.
Taking some time, you discern 12 different murals, but its hard to say what they exactly depict as most of them are severly worn. They all depict a humanoid figure.
Studying the murals carefully, both Araklifest and Raziq recognize a figure.
Araklifest recognizes the figure of a soldier in a mural.
Raziq recognizes the image of an artist in a mural.
Seeing those two unrelated figures together sparks a memory.
The Soldier and the Artist are part of the 12 guises of Aroden, as described in the History and Future of Humanity, one of Arodens holy texts.
Having taken rubbings of the reliefs, there is not a lot more of interest in this part of the cave.
At the back there is a narrow part, where torches burn. Going trough the small tunnel, you emerge in a second large cavern.
The soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s southern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the east and west.
Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.
A lone figure is sitting in the pool.
Its hard to make out the figure from a distance. The fungus gives off some light, but it gives everything a strange blue hue, making it hard to spot details.
The figure is sitting peacefully in the pool. It does not react to Gorrec adressing it. Not even when different languages are used. Judging by the way it is sitting, you think it might be meditating?
Standing at the edge of the pool, you see a bundle of cloth at the waters edge. Its color matches that of the cloak.
The person in the water has stripped to a loincloth, but is still sitting in the water, eyes closed. He is still not responding.
Having gotten closer, you do see gill slits in the man's neck.
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Rico drops both his and the acquired backpacks at the edge of the pool, grabs a fortune cookie, and wades into the pool towards the unresponding man. He places a hand on his shoulder and states, without checking if he responds:
"Good afternoon, good sir. I have noticed that you are looking for enlightment. That is very zen of you, congrats! But what if I say that there is a shortcut? Nothing illegal like drugs of some sorts, just ancient wisdom of the east."
Rico shoves the cookie in his face.
"Presenting the Cookie of Infinite Wisdom, who not only will satisfy your physical hunger, but also your mental one. Such a simple design, easily recognisable, yet so perfect. Would you like a free sample, sir, just a taste of such marvel?"
The moment Rico sets a foot in the water, the Gillman moves, clearly startled for a moment.
Standing, the water only comes to the gillman's knees, but for Rico, its nearly up to his neck.
Intently the Gillman stares at Rico.
"Please. What you do in my cave? Who be you?"
The Gillman speaks common, but with completely strange intonation, as if he had never heard common be spoken, just saw it written and learned it from a book.
Being father back, he doesnt seem to hear May.
"No no you go." And he tries to shoo Rico out of the water.
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Rico slowly steps out of the water. On the waters edge, he thightens his tie and states: "I'm sorry to have startled you, good sir. You seemed a bit unresponsive when we tried to talk to you, so stepping in the pool was not meant to be disrespectful. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Honest Rico Fink, of Honest Fink Enterprises and recent addition to the Pathfinder Society."
He makes a short bow, before continuing: "The Society recently became aware of this cavern's existence, and asked us to come investigate and catalogue the potential historical significance of this site. We were also told that your people also make use of this cavern. So if we might find someone inside, we were asked to inquire about this cavern's function. We then saw you inside this pool and just tried to get your attention. This is all, my good sir."
Rico smiles gently: "So, might I inquire about your name, and what exactly the function of this cave is? We saw some murals some way back, and there seems to be a miniature city placed over there. Would you happen to know what this all means?"
The Gillman follows Rico to the edge of the water, but doesnt step out of it. He does look pleased at Araklifest putting the cloak on the pile of clothing.
Intently, the Gillman stares at Rico. At the end of Rico's explanation, it looks like he relaxes a bit.
"Me is Uori. You call us Gillmen." He answers Rico's bow with a complex hand gesture. "Mu-rals, small city, not of Gillmen making. Is all of A-ro-den. Gillmen no love for dead God."
Uori looks at the group calculating. "You have pretty words. But me dont know if you have pretty actions. You help me, me know you have pretty actions. Me know you have pretty actions, me can talk to you more. You not first to come here, try get Gillman secrets. Bad man come here before. Other Gillman not come home. You take care of bad man, I tell you secrets. Is good deal."
"Bad man pale. Lookes Hu-Man." Uori points to one of the side caves. "Bad man there. You be carefull."
You follow the side cave for a while. The cave’s damp air becomes increasingly stale as the you continue down through this tunnel, and as you progress, the stench of decay grows increasingly evident.
The passage turns to the east and opens into a small cavern littered with bits of broken glass, rotting pieces of paper, and other unusable detritus. A body lies facedown toward the back of the cavern.
In the middle of the cavern, four skeletons animate!
Round 1
Initiative:
Rico
May
Gorrec
Skeletons
Araklifest
Raziq
Bold may post an action.
Updated the map.