Scaramanga feels himself on the verge of fainting and holds his gun out to the creature swiping hungrily in his direction, shooting lightning bolt through his trust revolver.
The lightning strike from Scaramanga followed by the explosive power of Betty and the incisive accuracy of Finnian's airborne slash is enough to kill the mud soaked creature. It disintegrates, a loose mass of bones, twigs and moss, back into the cloying mud.
Silence returns to the cavern as quickly as it was interrupted...whatever happened to the two other creatures, there is no sign of them returning...
Today has been, like any other day, a lonely soul within the Mana Wastes.... Until there is an explosion of noise back towards the entrance of the mine.... Shouting, the sound of gunfire, a lightning strike.....
"Gray grisly ghosts, those were a nasty lot. Nice trick walling them off there Twylla. How are everyone's injuries? We've been taking a lot of them."
Twylla hits Scaramanga with a heal, returning him to health. "I think that's all of them, anyways. What were those things?"
"No idea, I've never fought anything like them. Sure hope this place isn't full of them. Don't seem likely to have anything to do with the Guardians though."
"Bragi is right, t'is a strange place we find ourselves in. Should we explore more?"
"What happened to the other two? We should watch out for their return."
"Yeah, they'll probably be back when we're in a tough spot. Let's put some distance between us and them. Want to try along those tracks to the west? That's a far from them as we can get without leaving the mine."
West it is...
Still keeping a keen ear out for things moving in, or from, the northern tunnel, you strike out along the western branch. You walk for some sixty to seventy feet before you sense the tunnel start to gradually slope downwards away from you. As you walk, the dripping noise grows louder until your light softly illuminates the edge of a body of water....the rails for the mine cart continue straight into the water and, as far as you can determine, meets a wall some fifty feet after becoming submerged. It is not possible, from your position at the edge of the water, to see how far the water extends to the north or to the south.
"Looks pretty flooded to the west unless someone wants to go for a swim. Hard to spot door there to the north though. See it?" Bragi points out the door to Scaramanga and Twylla then takes a closer look.
"That's amazing, how could you spot that?"
"Practice makes perfect." Scaramanga remarks. "D'you propose we make our way down to that little door there?"
"All I got to thank for my eyes is my ancestors. Little easier for us dwarves to see in the dark than you elf types. That and I think I caught a glint from it in the corner of my eye. Let's see what we have." Bragi gets B!tchin' Betty ready in case there is anything less innocuous hiding behind the door.
The handle and the clasp seem to be little more than a mechanism for securing what you realise is a false wall into position. It appear that you have found a secret door however your first attempt to unlock the door is unsuccessful...the handle remaining resolutely fixed in position.
Examining the locking mechanism and the door further, it appears that, when opened, the door would allow something relatively large to pass through...the sliding section of wall is at least ten feet high.
Bragi moves up to the wall, "Mmmmm. Let me get a little closer look at this thing. Seems like some sort of secret door. Must be a release here somewhere." He puts B!tchin Betty back in the holster on his back and pulls a set of tools out of his backpack. Then sets to work on the door. "I kind of doubt the source of our Brass Guardian mischief is behind this door, but I'm curious what is."
The halfing having follow the slavers track approached carefully the entrance of the Mind. He was ridding a rather large wolf. As both of them carefully came closer Sumak was wondering what he would do once he found what he was looking for. He couldn't face all of them alone but then again the slavers stood little chance of catching up to his mount.
Working for a few minutes, Bragi finally disassembled the locking mechanism and, with a very light pull of the handle, confirm that the sliding 'rock' door is indeed unlocked.
Sumak - As the rain continues to comes down in sheets outside the mine, your eyes adjust to the gloom within the Mine Entrance. The walls of the Mine are primarily rough-hewn stone and, at this point, the uneven ceiling reaches an average height of twenty feet. The tunnels coming from the entrance cave are supported by various stone and coal deposits that the miners must have left in place as pillars.
The mines may have originally been lit by sunrods that are placed in sconces around the tunnels, but the light from these alchemical torches has long since faded. The light from outside dimly illuminates the first thirty to forty feet of the mine before it yields to pitch darkness. Everywhere, the dank walls of the mine drip with condensation.
Mine cart tracks from the tunnel entrance continue to the north, disappearing into darkness. A wooden sign at the entrance promises lower levels in the tracks' direction. To the east, several abandoned mine carts lie strewn around the dirt, some tipped over. In an alcove to the west stands a sizable but nondescript shrine half-buried in loose stone, a heavy black sheet of soot covering the steps leading up to its weathered altar; to the south of the shrine stands a rickety wooden door.
The mine is deathly quiet; the occasional whistle of wind and the gentle dripping of water being the only sounds to puncture the blanket of silence.
Somewhere up ahead, the pitch black gives way to the soft light coming from a lit torch
Sumak mounted on Fred will stealthily enter the mines using their skills and low light vision to get closer to ward the inside lit area of the mine
Finnian will listen also, ready to back up Bragi.
Scaramanga's gun sits at a ready as he moves to just behind Bragi.
Bragi whispers harshly, "Something moving. Glass breaking. Ready. Let's go!" As soon he sees that Tywlla, Finnian and Scaramanga are ready he opens the door.
Twylla nods and mouths silently, "Right here behind you."
Sumak and fred continue their careful approach
Sumak - moving into the tunnel, you move past an area of sodden mud to your right (everything else within the mine seems quite dry so this would seem to be an anomaly) and arrive at a junction where the disused rail tracks split into two directions. One set, heading to the north and into the darkness, appear to join with another set of rails before disappearing into the gloom whilst the second set, proceeding to the west, continue towards the sound of voices and towards soft light illuminating three or four figures ahead.
Poised to respond to anything that may be beyond the door, you slide it to a fully open position....although the door is quite large, the opening mechanism appears to have been constructed such that very little force is required to move it.
Your light reveals a plethora of discarded gears, half-constructed machines, and other dilapidated technological wonders filling this isolated cavern. Alchemical apparatuses and complex tinkering tools cover the half-dozen shelves and workbenches lining the walls. Scattered papers with arcane scrawling fill what little floor space is unoccupied by what could be described as unfinished works of mechanical art.
The cavern itself is divided into two discrete alcoves, the eastern most of which is relatively small (a tunnel of some twenty feet) whilst the more westerly alcove opens into a set of caves that continue to the north for around fifty feet.
Both tunnels seem lifeless until your eyes set upon a large mechanical construct slumped at the end of the eastern alcove...it is, unmistakably, a Brass Guardian...it's form exudes menace yet it appears motionless...
"Not another one of those. The last one was a painful experience."
Sumak and Fred will continue to head down the passage where the illumination and people are.
Finnian looks down the tunnel.
"Sounds like more company, be ready."
Scaramanga holds his gun at a ready. [b]"That's far enough, sirrah."[b] Scaramanga says quietly, waiting for the source of the sound to show itself.
Black Bragi quickly puts up a hand with two fingers. He signals one in the direction of the Guardian and then another back toward the new sound to the back. He trains B!tchin' Betty on the Brass Guardian while the others turn to whatever is coming from the rear.
Sumak and james continue their carefull approach.
as the turns over the corridor he stumble a rather mismatched group.
The Halfling quickly puts his visor down.
Surrender Slavers, this will be your only warning he says lowering his lance Hands over the People you captured or meet you end. Your group slavering days are over.
Fred crouch a bit getting ready to charge Grrrrrr! Wouf ! Grrrrr
"What the...Slavers? Bloody fool, what are you raving about? Do you see any slaves here?" Bragi doesn't turn to see the newcomer, but keeps his attention focused on the area by the Guardian.
Slavers come in every race and line of occupation, and you probably have the slave penned up somewhere Dwarven Slaver
"Oh yeah, I forgot, it's right here behind the big metal man."
[b}"Perhaps you should go and check the metal monstrosity yourself and let us know how many slaves we have."[/b] She smiles warmly.
At Twylla's suggestion that Sumak should check the metal monstrosity, a squeaking voice comes from behind the towering construct, "Yes, Yes!!!! Save Me!!!!! These…Slavers...they mean to take me…to sell me to 'Two Heads'…". A dishevelled ratperson steps into view and, speaking at a hundred miles per hour, continues, "They broke into my home they did, mister… Want to steal my things… But I won't go… This is my home… Tell them to go back to 'Two Heads'…", with pleading eyes towards Sumak, "Help Me?"
Who is "two heads" ? sumak will address the ratfolk Well i mean to stop and free those inslaved, so for the moment you have nothing to fear
he address the party So what say you know?
The ratperson simpers to his would be saviour..."You haven't heard of 'Two Heads'? He runs the mine down below sir...uses all sorts of slaves he does....new ones every week...please sir, I won't go..."
"Looks like this "Two-heads" needs some straightening out. I think we are just the ones to do it."
you can stay here little one, just point me in the right direction where i can go and acess the mines below. This "2 heads" and my boot needs to have a little chat. he replied