"I'm feeling a bit uneasy about this..."
"Ariana, I think we're getting close, the water sounds a bit louder now. Hopefully we'll be out of here soon!"
After about two hours total of making your way through the cave, the massive "trees" begin to thin out and then disappear completely, leaving you on an unworldly smooth, alabaster plane which stretches forward until the waning light from Eli's torch disappears...
Carys tightens her grip on the book and brings her other arm arm over to reinforce the new tighter grip. She then brings the book up to her chest and hugs it tightly against her body.
All of a sudden, Carys lifts up into the air! It seems as if she is being carried with, or fighting with, something that is tangled up in her hands. So far, she is about four feet into the air and rising!
Lucas is marveling at the cave structure. It seems only a shout will break his reveling.
"Bloody hell! Carys, get down! I think I see the way out, and -WHAT THE BLAZES IS IN MY POCKET?!"
Eli takes a step to catch Carys, but his attention suddenly diverts to one of his pockets in his coat, which seems to be glowing through the cloth. Uncomfortably squirming, he hastily retrieves one of the vials he found earlier. Holding it before his face, he peers at it warily as it glows in his hand.
"Bloody hell! Carys, get down! I think I see the way out, and -WHAT THE BLAZES IS IN MY POCKET?!"
Eli takes a step to catch Carys, but his attention suddenly diverts to one of his pockets in his coat, which seems to be glowing through the cloth. Uncomfortably squirming, he hastily retrieves one of the vials he found earlier. Holding it before his face, he peers at it warily as it glows in his hand.
I didn't exactly choose to fly up here! Can someone please help me down.
"Cayden's cup! Carys!"
"Cayden's cup! Carys!"
1d20+2
As Lucas notices Carys, he jumps toward her deftly and takes a firm hold of her ankle, bringing her back to earth slowly but surely. Carys is clutching at something, and now everyone can see that her spellbook is animated, flapping as if a bird! It is attempting to pull her into the air along with Lucas, but Lucas isn't having any of it. Carys, however, is still having trouble holding onto the wild book.
The book attempts to slip from Carys's grip, but Carys manages to hold the book tight to her body, refusing to let it go.
1d20 + 0
The book attempts to slip from Carys's grip, but Carys manages to hold the book tight to her body, refusing to let it go.
'Where are you going?!'
Ariana grabs ineffectually at the hem of Carys' robes.
"I don't know, but I think something is very wrong here!
"I don't know, but I think something is very wrong here!
Lucas lights one of his torches.
Eli's posture straightens as he glares toward the unusual sensation.
"I don't like any of this. Carys' book, this shaking, glowing glass, and now the sound of something very big that I can't see."
He waves the phial at the other four. "This started acting up the same time as her book. Do any of you know what might be in here? No work of his kind, to be sure, more like they stole it."
He nods at the goblin before spitting into the shadows.
No, you're steady on the ground, for now.
"This definitely wasn't originally a goblin's. I think the original owner was an Elf and then it probably had a gnome owner before it finally fell into the hands of these goblins. Perhaps these items came from the same owner? Xazt, do you know if there were any raids including elves or gnomes recently. Also, has anyone else noticed problems with the items we found with our gear?"
Eli's posture straightens as he glares toward the unusual sensation.
"I don't like any of this. Carys' book, this shaking, glowing glass, and now the sound of something very big that I can't see."He waves the phial at the other four. "This started acting up the same time as her book. Do any of you know what might be in here? No work of his kind, to be sure, more like they stole it."
He nods at the goblin before spitting into the shadows.
"I don't think problems with our stuff. Just the stuff we got from the evil gobbies. And no, I don't know about any raids like that. What in the hells is going on with that book, lady? Strap it to your back and you'd have wings." Xazt smiles at his joke.
Xazt starts making way toward the light, slowing to see if anyone's following.
"Only one thing for it. Let's see what this is about. Carys, do you want to keep this?" Eli offers her the phial.
"Sure, I guess. Shall we try to continue on?"
"Yes. I am ready for sun and sky overhead."
Xazt continues on toward the light, sure that it is the way out.
Eli cautiously follows, greataxe in both hands.
As you tread cautiously across the smooth, white rock, it continues stretching out before you into small hills and valleys of white, all within the giant cave. What's more, as the rock rises and falls it gives way to different hues, and thus, stretching before you, is a world of pastel color, illuminated by torchlight and, now, blessed sunlight, streaming in through a large opening not half a mile away!
The sunlight strikes the pastel hills, turning them translucent, and the rays proceed onto the cave walls, illuminating for the first time the true grandeur of the underground formations through which you've been traversing.
And there, spilling through the cave opening about 200 feet up, is a large rushing waterfall. It plunges to the ground in a flurry of sound and vapor, adding its huge volumes to a giant aquifer nearly a mile across.
Lucas continues straight up and out unless he has reason not to.
Eli walks to the waters edge. His gaze follows the rim of the lake, to spot a way around.
He kneels to the surface, and runs a hand through the water, and brings it to his face to smell, then to taste, to determine if the water is safe.
"Is there no other way Eli?"
Eli walks to the waters edge. His gaze follows the rim of the lake, to spot a way around.
He kneels to the surface, and runs a hand through the water, and brings it to his face to smell, then to taste, to determine if the water is safe.
At first glance, it seems the only way up would be to climb. You suppose there might be a way on the far shore, but the cliff face on this side of the lake is shear. You're unable to see behind the waterfall.
"Whether we circle the lake, or swim across, it appears we will have to climb out. I would prefer to circle across, to save my strength for the climb. Also, there might be something in the water, be it a minnow or megalodon."
"In that case I think we should not disturb the water."
"Agreed, going around would seem the safer option."
"Well then, let's go."
"Agreed."
You carefully pick your way around the edge of the lake, being careful not to disturb the water, but as you walk along it the edge grows thinner and thinner, and the lake appears almost a kind of gigantic limestone washing basin, with the rim dropping away into the blackness of a deep cave shaft.
In a few meters, it will be barely wide enough for one person to pass, single file. It seems to carry on that way for some time, and already the path near the water is slick and difficult to tread.