"They hit pretty hard, but i'll live."
Luke will drink both of the potions.
"Habblegash is a famous clockwork inventor....am building great things here....soldiers and spies....will soon be able to take back the lower levels of the mine", he pauses, "or I would have been able if someone hadn't started destroying my army"
Whilst you are conversing with the ratperson, you notice there are two more of the Gug Deadfall Traps in this north west section of the mine. Both comprise of metalwork and machinery held in nets...with a hunk of meat as bait below.
It becomes clear that Habblegash is anxious to depart, "I will be here in the upper part of the mine should you need me...my workshop is near the entrance...I wish you luck down below"
Nike and Tychi look at each other, and nod, as they watch the ratfolk. "Very well, Mr. Habblegash. We are glad we could rid you of your Gug problem. We apologize for the damage to your creations. They were attacking us, an oversight on your part, I'm sure. If I might suggest in the future, a more... selective... attack parameter? Now, we'll leave you in peace to restore your upper mine to your preferences. We'll go deal with the lower mine, and when we are gone, you are welcome to re-expand your territory to below. We only ask that you treat visitors with politeness until they prove themselves hostile."
Nike snorts and rolls her eyes.
Once he is gone, Tychi turns to the rest. "I suggest we finish off the last bit we haven't explored, retrieve the rest of the deadfall parts for Figwidget, and then go below. I still don't know how we'd explore the hole, unless you can make us grow gills, Mr. Figwidget?"
Figwidget rubs his chin and says, "Hmm... well, I can brew up an extract that helps you swim...."
He pulls his formula book out of his haversack and starts paging through it. "Hmm, hmm, no, I fear I don't have that now. Looking at this formula I might...."
After a pause, he says, "No, it would take me some research to figure out how to modify it so that you could actually grow gills. I might also check with some of my alchemical contacts in Alkenstar, as some of them might know how to do it, but alas I do not myself."
Carran sees the ratfolk looking at him, then shrugs.
It's not like I was the only attacking his creations. His fault for making them attack us.
"Alright, that sounds like a good plan Tychi, I'll get on those traps first thing in the morning. For now a bit of rest seems in order."
Safely holed up in the room at the top of the stairs, your rest is uninterrupted. The next day sees Carran disassemble the deadfall traps and, with the salvage from the first trap that you found, it appears that you have enough componentry to repair the decline winch.
Moving into the final unexplored corridor, you soon discover a another cave, the ceiling to this grotto sinks down to a mere ten feet, and the cavern’s floor makes a sudden thirty-foot drop below. At the base of the drop, the floor becomes a fine silt rather than hard stone. The upper ledge of this alcove curves around a large chunk of rock before continuing north.
Nike remains where the ground is solid, not wanting to chance the silty dirt.
Tychi, on the other hand, moves along the ledge as if it were a broad highway, even looking over his shoulder and talking while walking along it.
The ledge leads around the cavern, which is relatively featureless, until you get to the northernmost point (out of sight of those who haven't / won't brave the ledge) where you discover, five feet above the silt, a 5-foot- diameter circular hole leading into a narrow tunnel. This ingress would be easily visible from below, but is difficult to observe from above, the result of the contours of the wall above hiding it from view.
Carran makes his way around the ledge, making sure he doesn't lose his balance and fall.
"There's a small entrance to a tunnel you can see from here. Nike won't fit through it though."
Serlek flaps his wings eagerly from Carran's shoulder, but Carran keeps him close lest he fly into unknown territory all by himself.
"Small hole?" Figwidget says. "Sounds like you might need me... I'm not terribly acrobatic. But, one moment...."
Figwidget pulls an extract from a pocket and quaffs it. He hovers up off of the ground, and flies over to where Carran is.
He looks through the tunnel. "Oh! You could squeeze through here, no problem."
He looks back at Nike. "Um..."
Looking back through the hole, he looks to see if there appear to be any hazards.
Drinking his Fly infusion. He can fly for the next 13 minutes.
Looking through the hole, take 10 on Perception for a result of 28.
"I've found a hole and a tunnel over here."
Tychi looks for tracks or markings of any nasty critter. Especially with all the sandy loam in the tunnel, a good place for an ambush predator to wait in ambush.
The major will make his way along the ledge without much difficulty, and when he gets to the point where he can see a hole he will dig his metal arm into the wall and use it to break his fall as he moves down the wall.
The tunnel is around five foot in diameter and travels straight for some twenty feet before turning to the west (and out of view from where Figwidget is hovering). There is no evidence of the ground being particularly disturbed around the entrance to the tunnel…indeed the silty area across the entirety of the cavern floor seems relatively smooth. The cavern is exceptionally quiet…there isn't even any of the gradual dripping of water that you had grown accustomed to in other parts of the mine...
Tychi nods. "Very well. Alright people, I suppose we should check this out. Mr. Figwidget, perhaps you should take a sample of the silt? It may prove interesting at some point. Or it could simply be silt. I find it odd, and when I find things odd, I like to take samples with me to let those more versed in the esoteric advise me on them later."
Tychi takes 10 on an acrobatics check to flip around and land in the tunnel, ready for any ambush attacks. If none are forthcoming, he carefully examines the tunnel to try to figure out what made it.
Tychi makes no sound as he flips through the air and lands in the tunnel so lightly that there's less sound than a whisper.
Figwidget nods. "Excellent idea, Tychi."
He will take some samples of the silt and fold them into a piece of paper for safekeeping, stashing it back into his haversack.
"Let's explore!" he says, when he's done. He'll hover (fly slowly) down the tunnel, following Tychi and anybody else who goes in. He keeps his eyes open as he does so.
Fly skill is 16, so he can auto-make the DC15 check to hover as necessary, or the DC10 check to move at less than half his fly speed.
Take 10 on Perception for a result of 28, which is pathetic compared to Tychi, but, well, still something.
The tunnel continues for a short while before spilling you out in another cave. The floor of this spacious, 10-foot-tall cavern chamber is covered in the same silt as the adjacent grotto.
While the scattered, empty bottles and rusted flasks on the ground are hardly of value, Figwidget spots a corner of the dun tarp that someone must have laid over their secret stores here. Beneath the tarp are 5 days’ worth of rations, three potions of cure moderate wounds, a bag of dust of disappearance, two elixirs of tumbling, and a newly crafted flask of dust of weighty burdens.
Tychi examines the tarp. "Are we sure this is the gug's? I would not like to steal from our new friend, Mr. Habblegash. I believe we've done enough to his belongings."
He looks thoughtful. "I believe we've explored every nook and cranny, other than the underwater hole. Humans are much better at swimming than my species, as are gnomes. Perhaps Mr. Not Figwidget or Former Major Luke Rand would be willing to strip down and see if there's anything in there?"
"I'm about the same with Tychi, I can swim if I need to, but I don't like the feel of water on my fur."
Carran looks over the supplies and frowns. "If this is his, he should have told us where his belongings are. Though I believe Tychi's right about that these are the ratfolk's stuff. Doesn't mean we can't use some of it, we're clearing the lower levels after all for him."
Figwidget shrugs. "Did he tell us where his cubby was? We can either take it and ask him, or leave it and ask him next time we see him. As for swimming, I'm not particularly adept at it, although I can brew up a little extract that gives me a boost"
Whilst you debate the merits, or otherwise of taking the items you have found, there is a sudden rumbling in the earth...coming from beneath you...dust and small rocks shower down upon you (with no damage)....a loud cracking noise emanates from the tunnel that you traversed....followed by a guttural roar...
"I don't know anything about mining, but that can't be good."
Tychi sighs. "I believe we have found the reason for the dust we have found. I suggest we investigate carefully."
Nike whiffles unhappily, and backs up a few feet, in case something comes out of the area the others have gone without her.
"Not to be a game breaker Tychi, but I think it has found us."
Carran says with a weird grin as he keeps his bow ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Let's see what this thing is, hopefully my aim is better.
Figwidget tries to diagnose the rumbling as best he can.
or .
In response to the cracking sound and the roar behind them, he also prepares for combat, putting his hand on his belt where his almost-complete bombs are. He looks back, trying to discern what's coming.
Tychi unwinds the long whip blade from his waist.
"We should probably go find out what is causing that. I mean, isn't that what adventurers do? I ask cause I have no idea."
Standing ready to face whatever is coming...you wait....and wait some more...the rumbling subsides and the noises from the tunnel die away....
Peering into the tunnel reveals a partial collapse but nothing that would, with a bit of digging, prevent you passing through...
Nike let's out a shrill equine whistle. "Watch it, something really big just burrowed into that sandy cave you guys left behind. Probably something hungry."
In the other chamber, Tychi nods. "Much as I suspected. I believe we have fallen into a trap. We should move off the sand and onto solid rock, at least that should slow down any burrowers." Matching deeds to words, Tychi moves back into the stone tunnel. At the very least, it should cut down on the directions he has to cover.
Major Luke Rand - Following the tremors and the subsequent rockfall in the cave, there is a wide range of decent sized stones to hand…
Weapon in hand, Tychi heeds the warning from Nike and cautiously enters the tunnel. Without moving out of sight of his companions, Tychi cannot move far enough into the tunnel to see back into the first cavern…mere moments after entering the tunnel, there is another series of tremors…this second set of tremors however, are not enough to cause any further rock falls nor enough to cause any collapse in the tunnel between the caves…
Nike whistles a warning. "It's coming up out here." She says, staying calm. She's been in much worse situations than this. Then she moves back down the tunnel, trying to stay ahead of the rumbles, using her massive speed if necessary. "I'm going to see if I can lead it into that pool of water, wonder if it likes water..." She says in Sylvan, loud enough for the rest to hear.
Then she will try to lead the rumbles, if they follow her, to the watery area, to see how whatever is digging in the stone likes having a tunnel full of water. Plus draining that area would allow easier access to the hole they found earlier.
Tychi shakes his head. "Well, let's follow her, she's going to try to lead it to the lake, apparently something's digging under where she is." Tychi will wait a few seconds to see if everyone joins him. If not, he'll head on out to follow Nike and her rumble.
Figwidget will shrug and drift after Tychi.
Nike turns, and with a burst of speed, races through the tunnels of the mine towards the underground lake...her hooves clatter and echo within the confines of the mine as she races away from her would be predator...arriving at the edge of the water she realises that the sound of the ground tremors has disappeared...that whatever had been chasing her...is no longer doing so...
All remains quiet until, north of Nike's position yet south of the rest of the group (who have squeezed through the tunnel and are back at the location where they finally defeated the Gugs), there is another explosion of cracking rock, a scream...and then silence...
Retracing steps and calling to each other, the party meet up with each other at the foot of the steps where you first encountered Gugs...where you had tied up the juvenile Gug who refused to fight any more...where the wall of the tunnel has now collapsed into rubble...and blood is splattered across the floor...
"Whatever that was, it seems very fortunate none of us got attacked like that Gug was. I suggest we head out of this level as soon as possible and come across things we can actually see."
Nike finds the bloody splatter, and droops. She mutters in Sylvan under her breath.
Tychi winces, and goes to the unicorn and begins to strip her bridle and saddle off. When he's done, the unicorn shakes herself all over. Then she rears and let's out an angry challenge before taking off at a full gallop.
When she's gone, Tychi gathers up the saddle, bridle, and other tack and places it the mine cart. He begins pushing it deeper into the mine. "That death is on our hands. We forgot to release the creature. I am shamed." The usually upbeat Tengu takes the jug from his side and says something and then takes a massive swig from it. He offers the jug to others before returning to pushing the minecart slowly through the mine toward the winch area.
Nike can make it back to town at a gallop in a few hours with her speed. She seeks out a priest to a LG god, and seeks an atonement. She'll return when she's done.
Tychi / Nike - as the overwrought unicorn moves towards the entrance of the Mine, she recalls the shrine buried beneath rubble and dust...the shrine is non-denominational and, despite the passage of time, remains consecrated. Atonement here, rather than braving the Wastes, would seem to be the preferable course of action...
With enough components salvaged to repair the decline winch, it takes Figwidget less than an hour to return the equipment to full working order. With a Mine Cart secured, via reinforced rope, to the winch...you will be able to climb aboard and descend the steep incline into the mine...there is room in the Mine Cart for the four of you however Nike will need to either descend in her own Mine Cart (which could be attached) or walk alongside your Mine Cart (which, with the steepness of the incline, would need to be careful and steady).
Sadly, without anyone to tend the shrine, it is of little use to Nike who, beneath a darkening sky gallops to the south...towards Martell and, with good fortune, a temple.
Several uneventful hours later, the Unicorn returns...her conscience clear...
Standing at the top of the incline, you can hear the rumble of machinery deep in the earth...a gentle breeze of stale air drifts up the slope...
"The way down doesn't look all to safe, perhaps the cart will bring us down faster, but we should still be careful and quick on our toes. We might need to jump out if it derails."
Tychi seems a bit depressed after drinking all the plum wine, and says not much of anything for hours. FInally though, he looks up. "Could not Mr. Not Figwidget fix the machine. It lowers carts slowly. Nike and I could turn it to lower everyone else down. Then, Nike and I could navigate our way down separately. We're rather more sure footed than anyone else here."
Nike, still damp from her run back from town, snorts, but doesn't disagree with the assessment. She also still seems somewhat depressed.
Figwidget takes a look at the cart.
"Oh, the mine cart is right as rain!" Figwidget says. "Perfectly safe. Unfortunately, Nike won't fit in the same car as the rest of us. But it should be quite safe taking us down. Ride in style!"
"Besides, how often will you get to ride a minecart into certain danger?"
Tychi looks at the tunnel going down. If it's tall enough, he mounts up on Nike. If not, he instead just walks next to her. "I believe.. we will see ourselves down..." Neither appears to trust the cart.
Climbing into the Cart, with Tychi and Nike moving alongside (there is enough room for Tychi to ride Nike), Figwidget releases the mechanism and the truck accelerates down the incline. Reducing the speed to a more cautious level, you make your way into the depths…the sound of machinery grows in intensity yet you can see no light up ahead…the tunnel itself has a number of passages, long since disused, running off of it…dust and debris suggest that it is a long time since anyone or anything entered these side passages…
After about ten minutes of descent, there is a loud snapping noise as the tension in the reinforced rope that is controlling your descent releases…the cart lurches forward alarmingly and then, to the sound of metal scarping against metal, slows to a walking pace.
As the snapping noise echoes up and down the tunnel, an insectoid chittering sound starts to emanate from one of the side passages…it seems that maybe some of those passages aren't as uninhabited as they seemed
Tychi pulls the whipsword off his hip, and spends a Ki to add to Nike's HP. "I suggest we look for someplace defensible and you all get out of the cart." Tychi says calmly, looking for such a place.
Luke does a handspring maneuver to hop out of the cart, then equips his shield.