Malakar will throw a CLW on himself and Fenna. If we still have it from Kowal's wand if not from slots.
The sleepy halfling sheaths his sword again.
Another yawn escapes, his state returning directly to how he was before the battle got his adrenaline going.
So... are there more? How did this all start?
Brannart notices Fenna's slip, but manages to play it cool. He doesn't follow up on her comment and instead replies to Sho.
"I hope this is all of them. We should look around for bones or remains. If they killed any of the first wave of colonists and brought them back here.
Vexas, they attacked colonists in the night and we tracked them back here before going to get you. I don't think anyone was killed this time."
"Maybe they were living down here? We only found solo tracks up top so it seems they weren't roaming about as a group?"
Fenna gets on with things, helping Sho look around.
The halfling's eyes light up. Oh, this could very well be one explanation for where the original colonists went! I wonder how far these tunnels go...
He peers into the darkness, trying to get a sense of the space, and what directions tunnels might continue.
In addition to the tunnel the party came from, there are two other tunnels: one heading to the left of where they came in and one heading straight ahead. The tunnel to the left crosses another tunnel about 30 feet down and then narrows and turns, while the tunnel straight ahead continues for 40 feet before ending at another tunnel. Sho can tell that the chokers came from the left tunnel.
"Hey, Vexas? Wanna try and scout ahead? Or should we just rush in so we can get back to bed sooner?"
Vexas peers down the left tunnel, but frowns a bit.
Hrm... don't fall too far behind if I do. Those things may be just as quiet as me.
Vexas looks around at the group for confirmation and then turns to proceed slowly, quietly down the left tunnel. His hairy feet soon lose the obvious step-padding noise as he consciously heel-toes along.
Vexas continues down the tunnel. As it reaches the intersection, he can see that the path straight ahead and the path to the left are dead ends, leaving only the path to the right to investigate. He doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
Vexas slinks back to the group, reports on the next direction to investigate next, and requests a light spell.
Malakar will provide light to Vexas, touching a button on his clothes so he doesn't have to carry it. However the light on Brannarts weapon will go out at the same time. I will pull out and light a torch for the others until vexas returns.
Fenna stays close to Brannart and Malakar for added protection. She already taken quite a beating and it isn't even first thing in the morning yet.
"Fenna, do you have any magic to provide light? I can see by starlight, but not in complete darkness."
Brannart holds his now-dim polearm and waits for Vexas to report back.
"Well... Fenna quietly murmurs a couple of arcane words and three glowing balls manifest.
"Similar but not the same. It won't last as long and there're not as bright."
She wills the lights to move forward in a line in front of Brannart.
Vexas continues down the pathway, eventually reaching a cave smelling of rotting meat. This seems to be where the chokers you killed lived.
As Vexas looks around the cave, he finds a burlap sack stashed in a nook. Inside is a porcelain tea set with broken handles, a steel flask with an elaborate R, a silver mirror with a rose motif, a set of dice in a wooden cup covered with leather, two stoppered vials, four star candle fireworks, a thunderstone, a belt with a silver buckle in the shape of four rings, and a wadded-up gray cloak.
Hey everybody, it's safe down here! Follow my voice!
Once the rest of the party catches up, he remarks It... looks like they were hoarding junk here? Based on these items (and this wretched smell) they had a healthy collection of victims.
Brannart follows Vexas.
"Don't know if they were doing more theft or murder... you are right about the smell but that could be animals. They don't seem strong enough to have killed the entire colony, not with well-trained soldiers; one of our new residents drove one off with a frying pan."
Brannart sighs. "I hope."
He looks at the vials. "Any idea what these might be?"
Fenna follows Brannart to Vexas, bring her lights along with her.
She looks through the cache of stuff quickly, but suggests "We should take the stuff along and finish looking around down here. We can give the stuff a closer look later."
"I agree, lets do a sweep and check the tunnel we passed over and than get out if here. We should see if someone in the colony can collapse the tunnel so it can't be used as a way to attack again or at the very least it needs a strong door and regular guard checks."
"If these caverns potentially hold gemstones, then I cannot support collapsing them. The Colony needs to be viable and prosperous.
But a strong door does make sense."
The vials do not seem to be magical. Perhaps an alchemist might be able to tell what they are. However, Fenna picks up traces of magic coming from the belt and the cloak. She can't quite tell what the belt is, but the cloak is a shield cloak.
Okay, take that stuff with us and lets head back to try the other tunnel. Everyone, cautious behind me now.
Vexas' padded feet don't seem as silent as before, and he seems to constantly stub his toe on large rocks.
Fenna wills her lights onward ahead and follows Vexas as well.
You continue along the other tunnel, eventually entering a spacious cavern. A section of the northern wall has been hollowed out, exposing veins of various crystals that reflect the light from your spells. Small piles of rock are heaped on the ground nearby, where the earth has been carefully chiseled away to expose the potentially precious stones. Various stones can be seen scattered over the ground.
I suppose these crystals might be worth something...? He says, mostly to Brannart and more as an uncertainty than a statement.
Brannart looks at the crystals.
"...maybe? We could bring some back for an expert at the colony to examine."
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Shurgs
"If you think it is important take a sample and I am sure someone in the colony knows what it is.
"Well, that's good news Sho. If it turns out there are a lot more these to be unearthed it could really cut into the time the colony has to spend repaying the debt to the company."
"Lets's take 'em and keep going."
"What could these stones do? We have already seen some of the wonders of ancient Azlanti magic, so I am curious to learn more."
"But yes, let's take them and keep going."
Two creatures scuttle out from the rock wall. They appear to be oversized scorpions made of crystal.
One of the creatures hisses and starts talking.
"I don't know what they are hissing, but I bet it has to do with taking their stones. One of the many reasons not to exploit nature."
Vexas eyes light up like he's seen a dragon. What are those things? Perhaps they're just feeling tense because they tend to live down here alone?
"You think these crystal scorpions are the rightful owners of these stones, Malakar?"
He waits to see if anybody can understand the creatures.
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Fascinating. I might be wrong, but I guess these creatures see the stones as food, not as properties as you mean it, Brannart. So what can be useful to us is essential for them. Let's try to give them a chunk of these stones...
Sho kneels at a safe distance, and throws the crystal scorpions the smallest stones they took
Fenna stares, unable to add anything useful.
The creatures step over the thrown stones and continue hissing.
Fenna tenses when the crystalline scorpions advance.
"Maybe don't throw things at them Sho."
Vexas looks back and forth between Sho and the scorpions, getting a little nervous at their aggressiveness.
Uh... perhaps they want more?