"This was below us the whole time?" Tamiro queries out loud.
Making his way carefully along the walls, his torch outstretched, he will climb down the ladders, descending towards the ledge below, making sure to take his time so as not to slip and fall. His feet slipping now and then on the slick protrusions he yells back, "Be warned, it is slick!"
------------------------------
Ianez waits at the bottom of the ladder, letting his light shine and offering assistance to anyone who needs it. "The reference to smugglers' tunnels in the deed to the Goblin implied that there was more below this place than met the eye."
|
Planting his torch in the sand and finding a rock and securing a length of rope to it, he tosses the rock out into the water, letting it sink until the rope goes slack. Pulling the rope in, Tamiro gets a gauge from the ropes wet length how deep the water is.
"I would rather not swim...let us see its depth." he says to the others, "This is a trick I learned from one of the pirates navigators."
Ianez picks his way down after the samurai, avid interest in his surroundings evident on his face. He murmurs, "Shhh...listen." Suiting action to words, he holds his breath and closes his eyes, trying to detect any sounds of movement that might echo through the tunnels. Then he sniffs the air for further signs of troglodyte stench.
|
|
The entire length of the rope Tamiro tossed in is completely submerged before he fishes it out.
As Tamiro's hand drags across the surface of the water, a strong, sharp mouth full of teeth snap on to his wrist .
Clambering down the two ladders, Nel shakes her head as Tamiro begins to mess with the water. Digging around in her pack, Nel pulls out a torch, which she lights, in order to see farther. "I'm going to go around the water. Call out if you need any help." Traveling slowly to circumnavigate the pool, Nel approaches the dark opening.
"Swamp barracuda! Nothing magical about it, at least."
|
|
"Good idea, Mazra. I don't think they can attack us if we're not close to it. Watch out, though--they usually hunt in pairs."
Yelling and shaking the bitten arm, Tamiro growls, "That is a bastard fish."
Coiling up the line, and undoing the rock, he chucks it into the water, hoping it might hit the fish, but more than likely not.
Looking at the pool, Tamiro will grab his torch and continue around behind Nel.
"Hopefully they cannot fly either."
Ianez follows the samurai and cavalier once everyone else is down.
"Can any of you follow trails? They may have brought me this way when I was unconscious, and there would be signs of that."
Giving a superstitious glance to down both paths, Nel closes her eyes internally debating with herself. "I say we go down the road less traveled. That way, if it is the incorrect way, we keep anyone from sneaking up behind us." Snapping her eyes open, she offers a crooked smile before leading on down the passageway allowing her torch to light the way.
"Well reasoned, indeed." The archaeologist follows.
|
|
South, the small cave holds a still pool. A lack of water marks on the walls indicates no tidal action, and the stony shore is unmarked by debris. Slumped against the wall facing the pool is a skeleton garbed in rotten tatters of a navy coat, its hollow eyes stare sightlessly into the pool, and its bony knuckles clutch at a nasty A sword blade that protudes from its sternum. A second body, in much the same condition, slumps by the shore line and stands as Nel approaches. Its eyes glow with red light that pierces through the darkness.
16 - Tamiro
10+ - Nel
10- - Ianez
9+ - Mazra
9- - H
7 - Pluck
"It's a wight! Undead!"
"Subarashii! Let us return it to the grave!" Tamiro roars, as he charges, blade held high towards to the Wight.
Swinging the blade though, he is surprised to find the hide of the undead creature is much tougher than he had originally assumed!
Nel's eyes open wide as she realizes what has risen before her. As she attempts to tell everyone to be cautious, Tamiro charges ahead. "Tamiro! Wait!" she cries out, as she watches the samurai swing and fail. Gritting her teeth, Nel swallows nervously, before moving forward. Feeling very exposed without her shield, Nel strikes out with her longsword putting extra strength into her swing, hoping to fall the creature before he can strike.
Ianez steps up and threads an arrow through a narrow gap between the fighters, pinning the wight.
Tamiro grits his teeth, and takes his blade in both hands cutting down into the undead creature.
"Return to Hakaba!"
-------------------------------------------------------
As the creature slashes out at her, Nel feels her blood run cold. Brief flashes of her life shimmer through her consciousness as the creature scratches uselessly against her armor. "Oh good." she mutters quietly, feeling somewhat numb, but still looking pale. Clearing her throat, she nods at Tamiro's as he finishes the creature off.
"Well that was something I hope we never have to fight again. I wonder what happened to him?" Moving cautiously over to once again dead body, Nel uses her sword to cautiously probe at the wight's remains, looking to see if there is anything valuable among his remaining possessions.
Ianez casts a quick cantrip and looks around for magical auras, then sees if the peg leg is floating and within reach.
The scholar casts another cantrip and pulls the leg out of the water.
Anything interesting in it?
Ianez grimaces and is about to let the rotted peg leg drop back into the water when he pauses, looking into the pool. "Well. What is that, I wonder?" He points at the glint.
Tamiro wipes his blade down of the Wight's gore, and expertly re sheathes the blade. Allowing those with more trained eyes to examine the corpse, the Tian man keeps an eye out around the chamber. Seeing no other exits, he looks at the water and queries aloud with a grimace, "Do we need to swim further?"
Handing her torch over to the samurai, Nel quickly discards her pack and places her weapons, along with her shield in the sand. "I can check it out, if someone could cast light on me and loan me a dagger?" Pulling a rope out of her backpack, Nel ties it tightly around her waist while offering the other end to the group. "After all, great advancements in knowledge always have been taken with a leap of faith, ya?"
Taking the torch and handing it to Ianez, Tamiro will say "It is dangerous to go alone, judging by the last pool of water. I will come with you."
Tamiro takes his swords out, and quickly undoes his armor, striping everything down to pants, stacking everything with his sword. Unsheathing his Wakizashi, he looks to Nel.
"I am ready when you are."
Nodding at Mazra, Nel gives a crooked smile to Tamiro before taking a deep breath and unceremoniously jumping into the pool. Feeling herself begin to sink, it takes most of Nel's willpower not to struggle as she finds herself in the darkness.
Taking a breath, and clenching his wakizashi in his teeth, Tamiro plunges in as well. Flailing some underwater, he briefly loses touch with what is up and what is down.
-------------------------------------------------