Raskir backs away. "I don't want to stay in that water too long, but perhaps it is wise to avoid disturbing these beetles."
She glides down to the others below the ledge, speaking softly, "There is a tunnel that leads to another chamber. Though there 4 earthy constructed mounds near the edge of the ledge."
Whispering, "The mounds belong to the insects. So passing them would result in attack."
[b]Shall we continue on in the water? The brave warrior fights, but the foolish one fights when it is not needed."['b]
"I see no problem in that, as long as caution remains."
If you swim to the next area make another fort save.
A dark cavern opens up here, its twenty-foot-high ceiling thick
with stalactites. A rocky shore overlooks a placid pool and
stream, fed by a trickle of water leaking from a narrow fissure
to the north. A small garden of toadstools and dark mold grows
along the banks. There is a tunnel leading to another area here.
Jayla dives again.
Drawing her shortbow and notching an arrow, she takes a look around.
You don't notice any danger here.
Satisfied no immediate danger is present, as far as she knows, Jayla motions the others to come closer.
"Fungi and molds, another cave entrance ahead."
Raskir follows Jayla to the next cave entrance. He briefly examines the fungi for any threats or medicinal properties. "The shaman who trained me used to use mushrooms for healing, and sometimes to help see the spirit world."
Xaikon lets out a sigh at the thought of having to enter the water again. She will attempt to fly above the water as far as possible to minimize having to be in the water.
Once she enters the cave she looks about and tries to identify all that can be seen.
Alvoise follows the others. He doesn’t examine the mushrooms and other fungi. His body shivers slightly as water drips from his clothes. Impressed by Xaikon’s stealth, he doesn’t explore the tunnel leading from the cave.
Examining the area Xaikon does notice a danger a young slime mold in the corner.
Slime molds are revolting oozes that wallow in rot and decay. A perfect example of symbiosis, each slime mold is covered in a thick garden of fungi, mildew, and toadstools, which helps it blend in with the surroundings. As ambush hunters, they can lie silently in wait for days at a time, surging into frenzied movement as soon as prey comes within reach. Most commonly encountered in deep forests, variations have adapted to life in caverns and sewers as well. They lack any ability to digest food, and rely entirely on their symbiotic fungal gardens to break down any organic matter they find into easily absorbed compost and decay. The molds and mushrooms that coat the ooze in turn receive ample food supplies, and over countless generations, many have developed into deadly variations of the forest or cave fungi from which they evolved. This fungal breakdown is in many ways akin to a disease—known as fungal rot, it can kill if allowed to progress for long. Those who succumb to fungal rot become tired and listless. Eventually, paralysis sets in and the victim's flesh begins to blacken and decay, running from the body in liquid streams that the slime mold can easily absorb. In a somewhat nauseating turnabout, certain creatures find the unusual fungus that grows upon a slime mold to be quite tasty, and these creatures actively hunt slime molds to devour their gardens—although they take care to avoid actual contact with the mold itself unless they happen to be immune to disease.
Xaikon relays her knowledge of the fungi-slime creatures.
Raskir confers quietly with the group. "I will try to sneak past while you ready your ranged weapons at it. If it does not react, then you can follow. If it does attack, I will hold it off with my longspear while you finish it off." He waits to see if anyone has a better plan.
Xaikon nods, "Good idea. Lets see if we can sneak past the fungi ooze, as far away from it."
Xaikon can safely fly over it but everyone else will need to make a decent stealth check.
Raskir touched the wall of the cave, trying to sense the spirits of earth and darkness that dwelt inside. With his skinwalker's eyes attuned to the darkness, he kept a vigilant watch on the ooze, looking for signs of motion, as he slowly skirted along the wall. After he passed, he held his spear at the ready and motioned for the next person.
Alvoise chuckles under his breath as Xaikon describes the slime mold’s danger. Fungal rot? What a disease. He nods in agreement with Raskir. ”If the smugglers used this tunnel, wouldn’t they clean it to make it safer? Regardless, Raskir’s plan seems okay with me.”
Raskir makes it past the slime unnoticed.
Once past it she sees a cavern that goes deeper in the hills.
A collection of stalactites and stalagmites choke this lowceilinged cavern, making it difficult to squeeze between them. Matching stalactites close in from the five-foot-high ceiling, giving the impression of a maw of needlelike teeth bearing down on one another. A dead half-orc sprawls on the ground near the cave’s entrance.
Val follows as best as she can.
val stealth
Val also makes it past the creature unnoticed.
Jayla inspects the dead half-orc to determine cause of death.
Afterwards, she searches and takes any useful remaining weapons and items on the body.
Her body has been tripped of valuables leaving only her leather armor behind and she was slain by multiple stab wounds from a short-bladed weapon like a dagger.
"Stabbed to death, i count 8 stabs. 4 in the chest, 2 in the abdomen, 1 in the right shoulder and 1 in the neck."
Jayla stands back up.
"Best to look further inside."
Xaikon lands near Jayla to take a look at the half-orc body, listening to Jayla about the stab wounds.
She then turns to face the rock maw before them, studying it and looking deeper into the darkness beyond.
Alvoise makes it as well.
The criss-cross pattern of the rocks makes it impossible to see more than 10 feet down the tunnel.
Speaking softly, "I unable to see more than 10 feet with obstructions of the stalactites and stalagmites. Think we need to be cautious, may be abuse or traps."
Jayla's darkvision comes in handy, as she checks for any traps on their path.
”Do you think she was a member of the Bloodhands or the search parties? Probably the latter. Surely smugglers would bury one of their own. I wonder if she injured anyone in the fight,” Alvoise says as he stands over the corpse for a moment, looking at the wounds. He bends low and searches the cave’s floor and stalagmites for a blood trail leading away, deeper into the cave.
"I agree on the latter, criminals take whatever equipment they can take off victims."
Seeing no immediate danger you press on and find a something strange just beyond the forest.
A collection of crates, boxes, rubble, and scavenged metal lies heaped in the northwest section of this damp cave. Several strange chalk drawings of twisted, spiny plants, a strange three-legged creature, and emaciated four-armed humanoids mark the walls.
Beyond the tunnel splits into two directions north-east and south-east (you came from the north-west)
"I don't think she was attacked by cave-teeth," Raskir says, getsturing to the stalagmites. He pauses and studies the cryptic drawings. "Could these be signs of the star voyagers?"
Then he spends a while searching the boxes and rubble.
The drawings are very primitive but one of them seems to be of the machine that you fought in the tavern.
"This looks like the mechanical golem we fought. I don't know who made these figures, though." He waits to see if anyone has any thoughts before taking the lead going northeast.
"Whatever individual made these is with decent odds an admirer and a low skilled crafter."
"Golems are a hard thing to fight, given they are all metal."
As you move on to investigate the parts and boxes there is movement and someone runs past you. You didn't notice at first but someone was hiding there. You barely get a good look as she runs but she appears to be a naked hairless woman with color-changing skin that shifts and changes to match her environment. She was perfectly still against the wall and until she moved she was pretty much invisible. (Hiding at dc 32)
A female skulk. Skulks are a race of cowardly and lazy humanoids that live on the fringes of society, stealing what they need and doing what they must—even committing casual murder—to survive. Their unabashed cowardice is perhaps their most widely known trait, but skulks don't see themselves as particularly craven. Instead, they view their dishonorable behaviors as the most expedient method of survival.
Raskir tries to tackle the skulk as she runs past.
If that fails, he will give chase as best he can without losing his companions.
Entering the junction area she immediately looks down the other passages for any signs.
She flings her bow from shoulder and notches an arrow taking aim at the humanoid, in case Raskir fails to grab the humanoid, "Stop."
The skulk manages to get away to fasts for Raskir to react and catch her however she runs down a straight tunnel and Xaikon would have time to take a shot before the tunnel turns. She clearly has no intention of stopping. Raskir chases and is about 20 feet behind her in the tunnel.
Seeing Raskir unable to grab the humanoid, she lets the arrow loose.
Xaikon lets out a curse in her native language as she misses her intended target.
Jayla takes aim for the skulk's leg.
rounds, also -2 penalty to anything involving movement.
"Nice work, seems like I'm slow to react at the moment.
And she might have a few answers we seek."
You shoot her in the back of the leg slowing her down and giving Raskir a chance to catch up to her. She screams for help. Moments later two male skulks wielding knives come running.