The narrow tunnel twists and turns for several hundred feet before slowly opening to a wider passage. The ceiling here rises to about 10 feet and is refreshingly free of stalactites. A large hole spans the cave’s width and stretches ten feet down the path. There's a dark, unmoving shape near the bottom, in the southwest corner.
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Hayden glances at the hole and squints at the shape at the bottom. "Hello?" he calls out.
He turns back to the others. "Careful, this isn't a natural hole. It might be a pit trap of some kind."
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"Ah, that is right." Hengist stands back up and lets most of the group get ahead of him before he follows in their trail . "Thou hast used that name for them before, Balgrym. What means it?"
Monty passes by some rocks that he looks over, his voice thoughtful and musing.
Don't know if their true, but I know the tales told about them. The Azlanti where a great empire that came before us. Aroden himself was an Azlanti, before he went and croaked. Supposedly, the sky itself fell on the empire, and wiped it off the map. The capital sank to the bottom of the inner sea. But some Azlanti were to stubborn to die. They grew gills and fins, and became the "Low" azlanti, the gillmen.
Monty gives him a cheeky grin.
Least, that's what the stories say.
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Hengist nods along as Monty tells his story. "Fascinating," he murmurs, torch held high. "And they do not consider the 'low' part of their name an insult?"
At the pit, Hengist frowns. "How canst thou tell?" he asks Hayden, lifting the torch high and peering into the hole. He watches the bundle carefully. "Shall I throw something at it? It may not be a creature at all..."
Backing up and taking a careful look at the pit, he says with a firm nod, "I believe I can make this jump! Stand clear if thou wouldst have me sojourn to the other side with a rope."
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"I think 'Azlanti' is more of the insult to other humans than the 'Low.' The Azlanti were supposed to be perfect humans, so saying the underwater variety still holds onto more of this perfection bothers the surface dwellers."
Balgrym then takes one look at the pit and snorts. "Hmm, yes, I'd rather not fall in."
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Monty taps Nina, whispering some arcane words and causing her dress to glow softly with light. Once that is done and he has a better vantage he sighs.
Let's not be to hasty Hengist. No reason to unnecessarily risk a tumble. Nina dear? Would you mind the rope? Hammer it in just here.
Nina pulls the rope out of their pack and follows the instructions, swiftly pounding the piton into the floor. As she does so, Monty ties some knots into the rope for easier climbing.
Nina dear, please go see what the thing down in the pit is. Be careful, and once you have, climb up the other side and anchor the rope to the other side for us to get across.
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Nina nods and follows the instructions before taking the rope in her hand.
Sure Mr. Monty. Be back in a moment.
She begins to climb down the knotted rope.
Once she reaches the bottom, she giggles at the cold cave water.
Oooo... the water is so nice! Just one moment, let me get the thingy for you?
She walks over to investigate the shadow in the water, though she's ready for possible attack from whatever it is.
The party talks while Nina pulls out a rope and knots every foot or so. After a few minutes she ties one end to a stalagmite and then tosses the other into the water. She slowly climbs down until she hits the water.
Assuming Nina does an middling job of swimming thanks on part to the latest technological breakthroughs in the field of kung-fu grip, she can easily dive to the bottom and retrieve what turns out to be a scintillating cape of pearlescent material the likes of which the party has not seen before. It acts like finely woven cloth but is not.
Of course right now, Nina's really the only one who knows this.
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Nina clasps it around her neck and moves to the other side, trying to find purchase and climb up.
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"Nina, beware below. Just in case I have trouble," Hengist says gravely. Then he backs up, and gets a running start!
Leaping into the air over the pit, the surprisingly balletic half-orc's thigh muscles bulge in the flickering torchlight. For a moment he hangs in mid-air, suspended, dreadlocks rising behind him...then he lands on the ground, a good ten feet beyond the far lip of the pit.
"I told'st thee I could jump it," he says to Monty. His voice is grave, but he smiles as he says it. He lowers his own rope to Nina, whistling as he does so.
Karayan climbs down one rope and...
"Nina, beware below. Just in case I have trouble," Hengist says gravely. Then he backs up, and gets a running start!
Leaping into the air over the pit, the surprisingly balletic half-orc's thigh muscles bulge in the flickering torchlight. For a moment he hangs in mid-air, suspended, dreadlocks rising behind him...then he lands on the ground, a good ten feet beyond the far lip of the pit.
"I told'st thee I could jump it," he says to Monty. His voice is grave, but he smiles as he says it. He lowers his own rope to Nina, whistling as he does so.
So with one hand held aloft with the party torch, a bail of rope lashed around his sinewy form clutched in one hand Hengist prepares to haul the others out.
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Hayden nods at Balgrym swimming across. "This seems the easiest. We can lower down on one rope and climb up the other. The two ropes should help anyone who cant swim. The last person can retrieve the rope and jump into the water."
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Nina waits calmly as Monty climbs down the rope. The small man's limbs seem weak and trembling as he climbs down, and she waits until he's in the water next to her. He climbs up the other side muttering about "Inconvenient holes in the ground". Once they are both up the other side, he wrings a few bits of cloth of water.
Well, a water hole seems to fit the gillperson coming this way. Seems odd that there wasn't an easy way across.
Standing out of the water, Nina giggles and twirls with the fancy cape around her shoulders.
It's so pretty!
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While the others climb down and swim across, Hayden decides his armor is too restrictive to allow him to do the same. He takes off his breastplate and attaches it to his pack.
"Look out!" He hurls it across the pit and to the far side where others are waiting. "Keep that safe there for me!" He glances down and sees Alexis struggling in the water.
"Hang on, Alexis, I'm coming!" He quickly begins down the rope to try and pull her out of the water.
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After he has climbed down he holds on to the rope. Taking a deep breath he kicks against the wall, eager to get to the other side. Immediately he disappears under water! Time is ticking away while he struggles with the weight of his pack. Finally he manages to break the surface again! Gasping for breath he pushes against the wall again, and manages to grasp the rope at the other side of the pit.
He waits for a long minute, hanging on the rope and still breathing hard. He finally climbs up the rope, making good use of the knots tied in it. When he emerges at the lip he holds out a hand, hoping someone will help him get over the edge.
He lays on the floor, panting for a while "I am not cut out for these things!"
When he finally regains his composure he stands up and casts a quick spell, drying his hair and clothes "Shall I cast this on you too? It will remove the moisture"
Eventually, after the sacrifice of some time, and dryness, and possibly a length of knotted rope by Nina and Mr. Monty, the party makes it to the far side of the pit.
The the irregular path continues into the depths. The air grows musty. The ceiling drips and the walls run with condensation, and pale moss-like fungi. An unseen river rushes through the stone nearby into some subterranean estuary, its power marked by noise, and vibration.
Increasingly as the party progresses deeper in, they note at points the pattern of the fungi becoming more regular. Soon it becomes apparent that the blue-green moss is clinging to parts of the wall where various hands, by various means, have, over the span of centuries, etched the walls with petroglyphs depicting rough humanoid figures, aquatic flora, fauna, strange spiral sigils, and other less identifiable drawings that seem to be some combination of the others. The drawings seem to grow older the further the party plumbs, glowing faintly in ropy, fungal relief.
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Mr. Monty and Nina leave the length of rope behind, just in case a quick exit is needed as a backup to the boards.
Nina carries Monty once again, who looks at all the petroglyphs with awe. Monty looks at them and nods, trying to piece together what they could possibly mean.
Don't suppose anyone thought to bring along paper and ink did they? I've got chalk and could do some rubbings, but seem to have neglected to bring paper.
After drying their soaked sheets of paper, and damp bricks that were once books, the party sets to work gathering data.
Karayan scribbles some notes in his notebook.
"Should we take a sample of the fungi? We probably should try to get the dimensions of this cavern, who took the string that was in Janira's pack?"
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"I think this is actually graffiti - passersby through the ages made their presence known, and...some of these may be representations of what they went through to get here."
"In short, this place is sacred enough to be a centuries-old place of pilgrimage, yet profane enough that pilgrims don't mind leaving graffiti."
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"Agreed. Commit to memory what we can here, save the paper for more important things. Let's continue."
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The damp tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. The air is cooler here. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls, casting everything in their weird light.
Deciphering the images and writing is difficult because of their eroded state.
Scattered throughout the cave are inscriptions from The History and Future of Humanity, the principle holy text of the century-dead god Aroden, and images that depict these passages.
The carvings focus on parables that feature Aroden’s 12 guises, meant to illustrate his hopes for humanity: the artist, beggar, craftsman, farmer, fisherman, hunter, merchant, scholar, shepherd, soldier, tailor, and thief.
This one for example depicts The Fisherman, an old salt in yellow rain gear holding a ship's wheel, and presiding over a huge haul of tiny stick-shaped fish!
This time it is The Artist, a young man with a tin of paint beautifying the city with big, colorful, stylized lettering upon the facings of it's buildings, bridges, and walls. Most depict the god's own name, but some are short phrases of encouragement!
You've uncovered The Thief, a diabolically sly fellow in a skintight black suit that hides his identity. He steals only things worth taking. In the light of day all of his worthy victims proudly gossip that they too have been robbed by someone who knows quality when they see it!
Oh my goodness! It's The Hunter, a big tough guy who with the help of giant constructs, and techno-magic weaponry defeats the evil, giant monsters bent upon destroying his city on a nearly weekly basis! He's seen besting a giant moth, a fire-breathing lizard, a big ape, and a flying turtle, and then parading about the defeated beasts in the now half-ruined city while accompanied by huge cheering crowds!
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Lacking the proper Skills, Monty and Nina settle for looking as close as they can at each image and writing and collaborating together to try and piece something together, Nina looking at the symbols with her superior sight and Monty pointing and helping her with which ones to mark down.
+4 on success.
After not getting to far that way, Monty climbs up on Nina's shoulders to look at them again from closer up.
+2 on success.
Even working together, the pair mostly manage to just take down some notes and copies of the various symbols and are unable to be of much use deciphering them. Monty offers to assist anyone else in their review of the reliefs if they allow him.
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"Why, this is Arodenite iconography! I think it's the 12 Guises, avatars He took to set examples for the Human race to aspire to. This one here's the Fisherman, for example...and this one's the Artist, who paints beauty and inspiration all over Human civilization's walls."
"The others I'm not so sure about...."
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Hengist, holding the torch high, nods sagely. He'd kept quiet in the parts of the passage with the petroglyphs (not having paper or ink on his person), but he's in more familiar ground now. "Alexis has the right of it. Arodenite indeed...and this third image is the Thief. A clever and tricky vision of humanity! Legends say that those he stole from would boast of the theft." He frowns. "I never did truly understand that part of the legend, but then I am no scholar..."
Stooping so that he can look more closely at some of the writing, he comments, "This script is odd. Perhaps it would be good to make some rubbings or copies of it? I am sure that the Dean would want to know about it, especially if it is as old as it looks."