Get down here Jawn!, Gilhaut bellows up.
Jawn makes it down with no complications. Now completely assembled you stand in the chamber with two passages leading out. It would seem that the noise is likely some sort of rushing water.
Figuring that any direction is as good as the nest Nesserin will lead the way down the eastern passage. "Let's see what this is about then." he muses.
Nesserin moves towards the eastern passage and watches as the tunnel winds a bit before disappearing around a bend.
The war priest follows him.
With Nesserin leading and Gilhaut following everyone soon falls into line traveling along the narrow passage. Gilhaut casts a cantrip on his shield while Jawn does the same for his staff providing the party with sufficient light to pick up the details down here.
The floor of this tunnel, unlike the first chamber, lacks much of the gravel and sand that you saw previously and is in places smooth. You are not sure exactly how long the tunnel is due to several turns but you do notice that the tunnel slopes upward.
The tunnel eventually opens into a cave where the floor and ceiling have grown together with numerous stalactites and stalagmites forming columns around the room, forming a maze-like structure. The cave seems to go deeper but the numerous underground columns obscure your view.
"What is it, friends? What lies ahead?" Malthus tries to peek over Nesserin's shoulder.
Jak follows Henrick with his bow in hand.
Nesserin moves in keeping an eye open to danger "Can't help but agree Jawn."
He traverses the perimeter trying to keep his back to a wall.
Look for monster tracks... you know something big enough to drag off Coles brother .
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Herrick takes on his usual role protecting the softest members of the party: Jawn. He nods at the wizard's comment about being alert to danger and raises his shield and sword in a protective gesture.
While Nesserin walks ahead to check the perimeter, Herrick stays behind, and makes sure nothing creeps up on them from behind.
Nesserin leads continuing with his back to the wall well aware that danger could be lurking anywhere in here. The others fall in behind with Herrick guarding the rear.
You have moved a little past the entrance when that danger comes in the form of a SHRIEKKK! The sound echoes taking you all by surprise and from the darkness a creature that can only be described as some hideous combination of a bird, lizard and a bat flies straight for Jak. As it nears the scout it pecks at him with its beak. Jak can only stumble back and lift his bow in defense but it is enough to fend off the attack.
Jak drops his shortbow and rips his shortsword from its sheath. The redneck dodges and weaves looking for an opening in the odd creatures jerking movements. Then, he drives his blade toward and skewering it.
Herrick tries to figure out where in the Abyss this beast is from as Jak drives his blade into the creature but nothing comes to mind.
Jawn immediately recognizes the creature. It is a cockatrice! Viciously territorial the monstrosity has the ability to turn flesh to stone with the peck of its beak.
Jawn sends a frigid beam of blue-white light that streaks from his hand piercing the cockatrice. Ice forms around the legs and one of the wings causing it to struggle to keep in the air.
Flapping its wings even furiously it tries to break the ice and then pecks at Jak once again. Too busy trying to free its wing the cockatrice misses.
"Jak, get out of there, you've got no armor!" Herrick shouts at the smaller man in front of him. He then charges past his companion, shield held out in front of him and tries to push the creature out of the way.
Herrick races past Jak hoping to push the creature back from the young man. As Herrick's shield is about to ram into the cockatrice the old veteran stumbles on a stalactite fragment lying on the ground. It is enough for him to lose his coordination as he runs past the cockatrice who in turn pecks at Herrick. The creature however cannot turn around in time and misses.
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"Cockatrice?" Malthus leans over Jawn's shoulder as he prepares his punch line. "I always thought it was called a mockatrice, friends!"
Malthus' horrible joke is lost on the cockatrice as it ignores the nonsensical noise from the bard. Turning its attention back to Dak it tries to peck but misses as the nimble man anticipates the attack and steps back.
Nesserin engages this dangerous new threat. Based on the Wizard Jawn's commets there is a clear need to slay the creature quickly else be immortalized as a cavern fixture.
Unfortunately in his haste leaves little room for accuracy.
Herrick knows that the quickest way to avoid getting hid by the stone pecker is to kill, so he tries his best to hold his shield high and thrust with his sword around it.
Where Nesserin fails Herrick is quick to find an area to strike at the stone pecker. The sword catches its scaled tail and you hear the creature shriek throughout the dark cave.
Having no room to attack the cockatrice Gilhaut heads around to find an opening.
Jak ignores Henrick's warnings to retreat and continues to dodge and weave the odd creatures jerking attacks. Then, he counter attacks with his blade trying to skewer it.
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With the creature boxed in, Malthus sees little opportunity to throw his dagger. Instead, the bard thinks up another joke. "Foolish bird, you will soon have all of your feathers plucked. Hmm. Actually. Perhaps we shall dine on cockatrice this evening, friends."
Jak the Brave continues to hold his ground and with coordinated precision he stabs the cockatrice again plunging the blade deep into the chest of the creature. The creature dies before it hits the ground.
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Herrick does not want to leave anything to chance, especially as he has never heard of this creature before, and makes a long, precise swing to decapitate it.
Thats the spirit old chum! Chop chop!
Jawn you aren't quite sure but you think that the beak of the cockatrice might be a good component used in any petrification or anti-petrification potion. Once Herrick finishes chopping it up Jawn picks up the head and stores it in a small bag.
Looking over the rest of the chamber you now notice some stones that oddly look like rats and other vermin. A cursory glance does not reveal anything else in this chamber. You do find another opening that leads into a chamber that appears to have been cut and carved, and is less natural than the rooms leading to it.
The floor and walls are flat stone, although the ceiling itself is naturally formed. The ceiling has the usual array of stalactites, though many are broken off. Minor dust and rock detritus lies scattered across the floor.
You notice that the floor in this chamber is paved with an unusual pattern - a series of diamond pattern within 3ft square pavers.
Herrick cleans off his blade and any blood spatter from his clothing with a well-used rag from his pack. "So what does this thing eat if it turns its prey to stone? Does it eat rocks?"
He then looks around to see if the pattern on the floor makes any sense to him, or might indicate something new.
Jak stands there for a minute watching Herrick chop up the dead bird. Then, the wave of fear hits him causing him to vomit next to it. He wipes his mouth with his sleeve, then wipes his blade with his other sleeve before sheathing it.
He looks around the room and especially the unusually patterned pavers. Dax would say that there's a pressure trap somewhere.
Nesserin will wait for Jak to use his rouge-like expertise to examine the room. "I tend recall that birds do swallow stones. Either way I'm glad not to join the cavern scenery here."
"I suppose I could dig into its stomach if you really want that question answered, friend," Malthus grins at Herrick
"A most odd pattern," the bard looks down at the floor. "What could it mean?"
Even with the light from Gilhaut and Jawn's magic illuminating the chamber you almost overlook, if not for Herrick and his suspicious nature, what appears to be a black stain covering a 10 ft wide swath across the floor. The area of the floor that is stained extends the complete width of the chamber and is about 10 ft away from the entrance.
Nesserin ponders the situation. "If we are assuming some sort of weighted trap perhaps we could test it using one of the fallen stalactites? Unless someone is brave enough to risk jumping across."
Jak you cannot find anything but the floor tells you otherwise...
"I can't find the trap, but I'd bet ten crowns that there's one right there. It's probably a pressure plate, so I suggest we back up and put something heavy on the floor until something gets triggered." Jak offers while backing out of the room for safety.
Nesserin looks for a large and heavy enough piece of stone that could possibly trigger the potential trap "Sounds like Jak is in agreement. Someone help me roll one of these"
Jak helps Nesserin rolling rocks closer to the floor. He stands in the rough hewn cave and starts throwing increasing larger rocks on to the suspicious floor trying to trigger the pressure plate.
After a few tosses, he imagines what the rules could be for a game throwing rocks would be.