Beyond the strange metal door lies the tomb of the Vault Builders referred to by both the troglodytes and the derros before them as the Excavator.
Though ignominiously interred on the Material Plane, it was nonetheless buried with great riches and magical tools--many of which have been plundered by worshippers over the years.
A three-stepped riser fills most of the room, atop which lies a stone sarcophagus depicting a vaguely insectoid creature similar to the ones depicted in statuary in previous chambers.
Within the coffin lie the partially crystallized remains of an ancient, four-armed, insectoid creature, which crumbles at the slightest touch.
TREASURE
Four lidless stone coffers placed around the dais contain 115 copper pieces, 730 silver pieces, 335 crowns, 10 gold sovereigns, 14 amethysts (worth 30 crowns each), a buckler +1, two steadfast gutstones (ue), a a belt made of interlocking jade plates (a hefty belt of mighty constitution +2).
Also, congrats on gaining LEVEL 4!
Be sure to put your new build on the Discussion Board.
OVERVIEW MAP
"Well, this place is pretty secure...even if it is a bit creepy." Faerieth says as they take in the treasure found in the vault. "If there's nothing else to explore down here, I'd say we've at lease found a secure temporary refuge for the village."
That's a good point Faerieth, it is out of the weather, and somewhat defensable. There's a lot of potential here for people to take shelter, and maybe we can start a plan to take back from the Ironfangs.
Yaron nods, "It'll be able to better conceal the light and noise, too."
CLAIMING THE CAVERNS
With a few modifications, the caverns provide an excellent home for the refugees.
The biggest issue to the new residents is the fungus that emits the odoriferous gas.
Fortunately, the fungus is delicate and easy to tear out of the tunnels, though it requires a total of 20 days worth of effort (20 people working for one day, or one person working for 20 days, or any combination). The fungus is edible once cooked, and each day spent clearing mushrooms from the caves yields 2 provision points.
The artesian well provides plenty of fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. The numerous small caverns also offer defensible positions for the inhabitants.
While the caverns are easy to defend from surface threats, the Darklands tunnel is also a potential weakness.
Though it takes several days to properly clean and outfit the caverns and the refugees constantly joke and comment about the smell, the survivors are ultimately happy with their new home.
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Faerieth throws herself fully into preparing the caverns and getting the refugees settled once they've safely retrieved everyone and brought them to the caves. Using her knowledge of nature and her magic, she seeks to make things as comfortable as possible, using wind to gradually work on getting the worst of the smells out of the cave network, and best support some semblance of agriculture in the area.
She also makes sure to pay attention to Aubrin, working to ensure her healing as much as possible.