"None have yet to show up."
"I'm not sure: we may have a shortish, or very long, tunnel waiting for us - and no way of knowing right now. Should just a few of us explore it, or will we commit the whole group?"
"if we're going to explore it, I'll want to go down and take point." Makoa calls back.
"Any who don't go will be surrounded by enemies. Don't forget that there is safety in numbers."
"I guess that settles it; we're all going." Mahjik makes effort to ensure that the harness Ishirou created will be capable and easy to use.
"Lorenz, we found a bow," Douena announces when they reach the top of the rope. "Do you want it?
"Sure, if it's any good," Lorenz replies. He takes the bow from her, strings it and begins testing the draw on it. "It's pretty similar to the one I already have. Unless it's magical. Is it magical?"
Once they have the harness on Untari, it's a quick task for Ishirou and the others to adjust it to fit fer better. As soon as it's ready, they begin preparing to lower her into the pit and to the tunnel entrance.
Getting everyone down to the tunnel entrance is otherwise relatively easy, and the charau-ka do not return while you're climbing. Rather than adjusting the harness yet again, Ishirou simply carries the unconscious charua-ka down the rope with him.
Inside the tunnel, you spread out to allow everyone to fit in .
Mahjik sticks to the middle, and gets into a jovial discussion with Ishirou on the profound nature of tunnel engineering.
"Lorenz, we found a bow," Douena announces when they reach the top of the rope. "Do you want it?"Sure, if it's any good," Lorenz replies. He takes the bow from her, strings it and begins testing the draw on it. "It's pretty similar to the one I already have. Unless it's magical. Is it magical?"
Douena shrugs. "I think so. Ask Urza."
She takes a pocketful of pebbles with her to hold her lights and takes up a position at Makoa's heels.
Pezock grumbles a little about being put at the back of the group, but he acquiesces. The dank tunnel leads several hundred feet north. The air is stale and the only living things you see are worms and bugs. However, you do notice a few places where the protruding tree roots have been broken. An investigation finds evidence that something has slithered along here on occasion in the past. All indications would seem to point to it having been the decapus (or perhaps another decapus).
After travelling close to 700 feet, you reach an intersection. Another tunnel, this one just as overgrown with protruding tree roots, branches off to the left and the right. You cannot see the end in either direction. Straight ahead, you can see that the current tunnel has collapsed after another 20 feet or so.
Pezock grumbles a little about being put at the back of the group, but he acquiesces.
"You're the rear guard," Douena points out encouragingly. "When all the monkey-men come back, if they decide to come down after us, you'll be right in position to charge them."
After travelling close to 700 feet, you reach an intersection. Another tunnel, this one just as overgrown with protruding tree roots, branches off to the left and the right. You cannot see the end in either direction. Straight ahead, you can see that the current tunnel has collapsed after another 20 feet or so.
"We could split up," Douena suggests brightly. "Or -- oh, Jask! Do you have a light? One person could go one way with mine, and the other person could go the other way with yours, and the rest of us could stand here and watch them, and whoever finds something interesting first, we go that way!"
"Don't forget that the Wayfinders can produce light. We can send Makoa and Tar'kanas one way and me and Mahjik the other."
"An odd sensation is telling me we should see if one way is traveled more than another." He looks around, wondering and waiting to see if that "sensation" has anything else it might want to impart to him.
Seeing as nothing else seems to come to him, he begins to check for such signs.
"It's probably Desna," Douena assures him. "She tells me things sometimes. Mostly in dreams, though."
"An odd sensation is telling me we should see if one way is traveled more than another." He looks around, wondering and waiting to see if that "sensation" has anything else it might want to impart to him.
Seeing as nothing else seems to come to him, he begins to check for such signs. [dice=Survival]1d20+12
Tar'kanas can find more indications that the decapus has passed through here in both directions--probably hunting for burrowing animals. Neither direction seems more travelled than the other, however.
Tar'kanas looks to Douena with a raised eyebrow. "Yes... Desna," he responds with little conviction. "The decapus tracks travel in both directions. Neither path has been used more than the other," he simply concludes.
"Then we'll do the light thing," Douena bounces excitedly. "Both of you get ready, and I'll say go."
No, that works just fine.
MAKOA AND TAR'KANAS
The two of you set off to the right down the tunnel. After a couple hundred feet, the tree roots vanish, leaving the stretch of the tunnel ahead mostly clear of obstructions and making your passage along it much easier. A few rats scurry away as you continue along, the first creatures larger than an insect you've seen since entering this underground system of tunnels. Behind you, you can still make out the light from those who stayed at the intersection, but the people are obscured by the tree trunks.
Continuing along the clear portion of the passage, you travel for another couple hundred feet before noticing the end of the tunnel up ahead. However, there is an opening in the wall into a smaller, 5x5 chamber and there appears to be another opening to the right in that chamber.
Reaching the chamber, you notice a few small, harmless snakes slithering on the floor. The opening to the right leads to a set of stairs going up. The stone of the stairs is cracked here and there, but is in otherwise decent condition. Several more snakes slither along the steps.
URZA AND MAHJIK
The two of you head off to the left. The tunnel travels a long way, with tree roots continuing to poke through the crumbling stone the whole distance. You travel close to a thousand feet before glimpsing a trace of light ahead. Behind you, you can no longer see the light of those who remained at the intersection.
"Well. Long dark tunnel. But on the bright side, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I suspect it just goes 'outside' though. For anything exciting I'd expect some form of glyphs, statues, or things that generally indicate that you're in the presence of bygone glory. Let's go look at the light and just beyond."
Tar'kanas looks down at the slithering serpents and takes a step back. "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? I do not like those creatures." Looking up the stairs, "Let us proceed, Makoa. Unless you feel we should return for the others," he says as he begins his trek up the stairs, albeit somewhat slowly as he tries to avoid stepping on the reptiles.
"Well. Long dark tunnel. But on the bright side, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I suspect it just goes 'outside' though. For anything exciting I'd expect some form of glyphs, statues, or things that generally indicate that you're in the presence of bygone glory. Let's go look at the light and just beyond."
"OK, but we should not be away from our friends much longer."
"True, but worse still is if we cannot tell them what is here. This might become our escape route in the future."
"as long as the serpents don't get any bigger, we should not have a parables. Let's see what's further ahead before we go back."
Tar'kanas nods as he proceeds up the stairs.
Tar'kanas steps gingerly to avoid the snakes on the stairs. He can hear quite a lot of hissing and slithering sounds from above. The stairs emerge in a room of a ruined building. The walls and ceiling are cracked and in some places have collapsed entirely. Sunlight from outside shines through in numerous places.
Crawling all over the floors are thousands of snakes. The snakes are of numerous different kinds, but mostly small and harmless. They completely blanket the floor, though, making movement difficult . Alas, while most are small and harmless, two very large snakes rise up in the chamber just south of Tar'kanas, and behind them, an even more massive snakes lifts its huge maws up to hiss at you.
Order: Large snake, Tar'kanas, Makoa, Medium snakes.
The massive snake rears its head back, ready to strike.
Next Up: Makoa, Medium snakes, Large snake (subject to readied action).
Mahjik and Urza continue on towards the light ahead. The tunnel widens out a bit and is much clearer of obstructions. Then it comes to an end. However, the wall at the end has two thin openings in it, through which a small amount of sunlight shines through.
As you approach closer, there's a sudden, brief flash of light as a huge wall of water appears in front of the far wall. However, the water doesn't rush out into the passageway, but instead holds itself together, flowing around itself and moving almost like a creature might move--a creature shaped like a wave.
Order: Urza, water elemental, Mahjik.
Up First:
"I hate standing around doing nothing," Pezock grumbles. "We should pick a direction and go along it. The Coward went that way, so we can abandon him and go the other way. But wait, the Wizard also went that way. Damn." He starts to pace with impatience.
Get off the fireball while I can.
Fireball DC 16 for half
-- pass
A small ball of fire shoots from Urza's fingertips and explodes in flames around the watery creature. Although many of the flames are almost instantly doused, it does seem to have an effect on the creature as some of the water boils away.
The water slides across the ground towards Mahjik and Urza , then raises a tendril of water vaguely shaped like a fist which pummels towards Urza.
-- hit
The water hits Urza in the face with surprising strength and intensity.
Next Up: Urza, Water Elemental.
Tar'kanas pulls out his bow while drawing an arrow and fires at the overgrown snake.
"I hate standing around doing nothing," Pezock grumbles. "We should pick a direction and go along it. The Coward went that way, so we can abandon him and go the other way. But wait, the Wizard also went that way. Damn." He starts to pace with impatience.
"They're supposed to come back and tell us if they find anything interesting," Douena assures him placidly. "They wouldn't get into any trouble without us."
"I need to prepare first before I can face this... overly aggressive puddle." Mahjik steps then concentrates to activate his defenses . He spends a moment to increase his responses ; then takes out his campfire bead from his pocket . "I suggest you get behind me, I'll provide some cover for you."
The giant snake ducks low to avoid Tar'kanas's arrow, which slams into the crumbling wall behind the snake.
Next Up: Medium Snakes, Large Snake (subject to readied action), Tar'kanas.
-----
Mahjik shifts positions in order to prepare a defence against the water elemental.
Next Up: Water Elemental, Mahjik.
"They're supposed to come back and tell us if they find anything interesting," Douena assures him placidly. "They wouldn't get into any trouble without us."
Pezock grumbles a little.
"Yeah, don't worry, Pezock," Lorenz says. "Douena's right. They'll make certain to save any excitement until the rest of us can join them. Besides, it's only been a few minutes and if either of those passages is as long as the one we just came down, it might take them a few more minutes to get back. That's all."
Both of us should still have Mage Armor active from the first fight with Douena's pet monkey.
Urza moves behind Mahjik and casts another Fireball at the aquatic elemental.
Fireball DC 16 for half
Moving throughput the snakes as fast as he can, Makoa gets to a spot where he has a clear shot and throws one of his axes at a big snake.
Untari just sits there, looking around before eventually plopping herself down on her side, her tail swaying back and forth easily as she licks her paw and proceeds to clean her face.