"This deal gets worse all the time." Marikel raises his eyes to the heavens.
"Hopefully, this associate is a weakened and starving accomplice trapped by a tunnel cave in from the cliff side a few days ago."
He smiles grimly.
"Still, the last time I got my hopes up I found myself here in Trunau. Let's get this over with."
Sword and shield at the ready, blade aloft with light, Marikel nods to the others and heads down the tunnel.
When they start down the tunnel and are likely out of earshot of Sawyer, Mahath speaks to the others in a low tone.
"I don't think any of you are from around here, so you may not have heard some of the stories that get told when you grow up here."
"As a kid, we used to play at finding giant tombs. When your a child, you can imagine every rise holds the secreted tomb of an ancient giant or king. That being said, it is entirely possible a giant could have been entombed here from the time before Trunau was founded. And it is entirely realistic it wouldn't have been discovered." He pauses as he checks the ceiling and corridor behind them, the hard, logical veneer of his expression fades some in the torchlight as he goes to tales from childhood.
"We were always told by adults about 'ghost rats' in these tunnels below Bloodmarch Hill. We could never be sure if it was a genuine warning or something they made up to keep us out of inherently dangerous tunnels, but it makes sense now. If there is a tomb here that is not consecrated, it may infect those that linger nearby. The undead vermin that were always described to us would be a likely result."
"Now, I've never heard of Uskroth, but that isn't surprising. Giants have been around here far longer than the benevolent races, and it may be a name lost to most."
Before he goes quiet, Mahath utters an arcane syllable. Emerald light briefly flitters around his person as the mystical defense falls into place.
As if the arcane protection had dismissed the ghosts of his childhood, Mahath's visage returns to a more stoic, determined appearance.
Alicia shudders as she recalls those same tales about ghost rats."If it can be stabbed, I'll stab it. If it can't, I'll let 'Padre' deal with it," she says, following after Marikel.
"Our investigations into the death of Kerst Grath led us to discover some tunnels on the cliff side. One of those did lead to giant beetles that had died and reanimated."
Marikel stops and takes out some vials.
"Looks like those stories are at least based on an element of truth, and we'll be facing more horrors of some kind or another. Take this holy water. It will affect the undead, even ghosts. Just don't expect it to stop them completely."
Marikel hands everyone 2 vials.
The tunnel is empty and roughly hewn. It stretches southward into the rock of Bloodmarch Hill as far as the light reaches. From time to time, a narrow side-tunnel or chamber opens to the left or right where the miners followed the line of ore. There is no sound save that of the party's own movements, the mass of the hill separating the daylight activity of Trunau from the group as the land of the living from the dead. There is no glimmer of light save that the party carries, though the fact that the man walking somewhere ahead is a half-orc and needs no light to see by keeps the group from feeling easy.
"Thanks, lad. And seein' how this underground business seems to be fairly big enough, let me go get my bird." The dwarf hurries back through the house and back outside, calling Skyreaver. Once the bird finally makes his way to him, he leads him back to the others. "Sorry it took so long. He's never in a hurry. I swear it's like he's got nothin' better ta do," he says with a shrug and a roll of his eyes. Looking about the underground area, "Meh. I've seen better; but it's not too bad. Okay, I'm guessin' I ought ta lead the way seein' how I don't really need the light. Unless you'd rather take the lead, Padre. It does bring back memories though, I can tell ya that," he says as he looks around, losing himself in thought for a moment. "Anyway, whichever way ya want ta run this one, lad, works for me," he tells him with a nod and a grin.
"You've got the sight and the skills, Mister Dorn. You take point and us less accustomed to the dark will will hang back a ways."
Nodding, "You got it, lad." With that, Dorn dons his shield and grabs his warhammer and starts out.
The mine tunnel extends for about 150 feet before the party reaches a pile of rubble and scree. This must be the cave-in where Sawyer's mine was abandoned. On the far side of it must be the tunnel from the cliffside where Marikel and Alicia fought the undead beetles; scrambling over the rubble on this side, however, Dorn can see a large open cavern. The air inside feels cooler and more clammy than that in the tunnel from Sawyer's basement.
Stopping a moment, "Well what do ya know? We got us a good size cavern, friends. Keep yer eyes about ya, who knows what might be livin' in the belly of this beast," he tells the others before proceeding onward.
The air in this open cavern is humid but cool, and a thin sheen of condensation coats its rough walls.
"HOLD!" the dwarf yells in a loud whisper. He then walks slowly backwards back towards the others, glancing back and forth as he does. Once he reaches them, "Alright, we got multiple directions and... well... somethin', not real sure. Somethin' to the west of us I could've sworn I saw movin'. Couldn't tell what it was though. Gonna have ta get closer ta find that out. Either that or it's about ta come get us," he says, taking a quick glance back before continuing. "Outside of that, to the southeast of us we got a floor that drops off into the darkness - no idea how far though without checkin' it out. Beyond that, we got three ways ta go: east, south, and west. The west passage is fairly narrow though so if somethin' catches us in there, that could put us in a bind. Now havin' said all that, should I go and poke that thing I saw movin' and find out what in the blazes it might be? 'Cause I'm thinkin' we don't want that thing trailin' us if it happens ta be some type of critter."
Marikel nods.
"Definitely, check the movement first. I'll back you up."
Nodding, the dwarf heads back toward where he saw the movement. Remaining wary as he nears it, "Alright, you... whatever ya are. Time ta come out and be nice about it or we'll probably have ta kill ya," he tells it, readying himself for an attack.
Dorn advances into the darkness, but the thing roils forward with unexpected speed, resolving into a swarm of unhealthy-looking rats. A sea of patchy fur washes around his ankles, and the dwarf feels the nip of countless tiny fangs, along with a surge of inexplicable weakness.
Seeing the swarm, Alicia hesitates.
Eyes going wide, "Aw blast! A bunch of blasted vermin!" The dwarf retreats back toward the others.
Dorn backs away from the swarm.
Mahath, these are no ordinary rats; they are undead. These must be Bloodmarch Hill's legendary "ghost rats." If the stories are true, they can become incorporeal, which makes them much more difficult to destroy and to see. In addition to the species's normal propensity to spread disease, the bite of the ghost rat saps its victim's strength.
Recalling the stories of ghost rats she has heard since coming to Trunau, Ali puts two and two together. With a shriek of terror, she flings a vial of holy water at the swarm.
Ali's panicked throw is off-target, smashing harmlessly against a protrusion in the rock wall.
"Ghost rats." It is not a cry, but an awe filled declaration, tinged with fear that echoes back decades to his childhood. Alicia might notice his foot twist as though he is preparing to turn and run. But his training under Agrit steels him and he lobs one of the vials Marikel gave him. "They can go untouched as a ghost, and their bite is as cold as a shadow and steals your strength."
Throw holy water vial
Damage
Mahath overcompensates for the distance, and his tossed vial breaks past the swarm.
The swarm rolls after Dorn, frantic for the taste of dwarf blood.
Mahath is right: these are undead, and ought to be vulnerable to positive energy.
Marikel staggers back for a moment and shakes his head.
"What foulness..?"
He gathers himself and strides forwards to Dorn. Marikel swings his sword low and a burst of positive energy slams into the roiling mass of decaying bodies.
A rusty shriek rises from the mass of undead rats, and several collapse to the stone floor, unmoving.
Seeing Dorn incapacitated, Skyreaver doesn't wait for a command but hops forward to snap at the nearest rats. The roc pecks up a beakful, spits out the rotting gore, then slashes at the swarm with its talons.
Far too weak to do anything, Dorn retreats back behind the healer.
Ali snatches her only other flask of holy water from her belt and flings it.
Alicia tosses her last flask of holy water almost blindly over Marikel's shoulder. It splashes at his feet, but the few drops that spray over the swarm are enough to disperse it. Many of the rats lie re-dead on the stone; those that are still undead scatter to hide in cracks and crevices.
Marikel steps on a body and lets it crunch under his boot.
"Well done, Miss Alicia. Mister Mahath," he nods before making his way to Dorn.
"Are you okay, Mister Dorn?" Marikel looks up to Mahath.
"Those things stole his strength? I may be able to help."
"The lad was right," he nods toward Mahath, "those blasted rats do sap yer strength from ya. Don'tcha be worryin' about me though, I'm good. I'm certain I'll be back ta normal in no time," he says, nodding, yet the dwarf looks as if he's not entirely convinced of that.
"Iomedae will reward your courage and lend you strength, my friend."
Marikel lays a hand on the dwarf and murmurs quietly and, indeed, strength surges into Dorn.
As his strength seems to return, "Thanks, lad. That feels a ton better," he nods.
"Let's see if there's any more of those things. Or even better, the body of that traitor."
Marikel shakes his head.
"Best to assume the worst. Get ready for more of them."
Sword and shield at the ready, Marikel heads down the narrow passage on the west lit by his glowing blade.
The passage is narrow enough that Marikel has some little trouble navigating it himself with his sword and shield at the ready. After about twenty feet, however, the rock wall on one side drops away, revealing a yawhing precipice which drops off into the darkness on the left.
Marikel takes a deep breath and flattens himself against the wall.
"There... there's nothing here. We... we need to head back."
Dancing past Marikel to take the lead along the narrow path, Alicia taunts, "The ghost rats are gone, 'padre.' Nothing here to be afraid of except a loooooooong drop."
"Alicia, please. Please be careful."
The narrow trail continues to the southwest about fifty feet before it turns directly south. The open air on the left remains; in the dim light at the edge of Marikel's conjured illumination, another stone wall can be seen about twenty-five feet across the chasm.
Shaking his head at the rogue, "Alright, alright, out of the way, lass. Last thing we need is ta be scrapin' ya off the bottom of this so-called 'drop'. Let's see if I can make it how deep it truly is," he says as he makes his way over to the edge and looks down.
Dorn advances to the edge of the pathway and peers over.
"Well... we got water down there. Twenty feet or so below us. A fall wouldn't kill ya but it might hurt pretty good. Well, unless that small lake is fairly deep then I'd wager on drownin' more so than hurtin' yerself," he shrugs. "Anyway, if we can make it down there safely, the path gets wider as it heads toward the south. Should we risk it?" he asks.
Marikel takes a step back up the tunnel.
"Look, if the ghost rats came from here, there's a good chance our quarry is elsewhere. We should check those other tunnels out first."
Nodding, "Works for me." He then makes his way down the east tunnel, keeping an eye out for anything... but probably mainly ghost rats.
"Agreed. If we exhaust our other options down here, we can always come back and look more closely here."
Alicia snorts derisively at Marikel. She continues eyeing the tunnel they were moving down with its underground river. "Scaredy-cat."
The dwarf leads the group back past the tunnel by which they entered and on to the east. This too appears to lead to a bridge over a chasm, albeit a wider and sturdier-looking ribbon of stone. The group seems to be on a level which is a lattice of rock over some sort of underground body of water in the heart of Bloodmarch Hill, perhaps the source of the Hopespring.