"I concur, Zelvin. These drawings appear to be of humanoids, but I do not know of any four-armed humanoids."
Snorting and shaking her head at Zelvin's pun, Xaerai gives the wall paintings only a cursory examination. "Keep your voices down, Baines," she admonishes before stepping up to peer around the corner of the tunnel.
Shesik's thorough examination of the junk pile turns up a number of ruined technological devices. Nothing recognizable or particularly useful, unfortunately, but the strange tangle of wires and weirdly crafted artifacts does confirm that there is more technology deeper within the caves. As she turns back to rejoin the others, Shesik's boot catches on a box, tipping it over and spilling its contents: seven silverdisks, worth 10gp apiece.
"Well, I don't see or hear anything this way," Xaerai backs away and motions in Tyn's direction. "Let's clear that way first, I suppose."
The temperature drops noticeably in this passageway, and a rime of white frost lines the walls and floor leading into the cavern beyond. What seems to be a light layer of dust carpets the cave floor beyond—a body of some sort sits slumped against the eastern wall.
----------
The cavern Xaerai peers into seems to be massive compared to the other caves you've explored thus far: not even her darkvision can see clear to the other side. She can, see, however, that the tunnel opens up onto a ledge that sits about 5 feet about the cavern floor, and immediately beyond which is a ramshackle hut, apparently made of strips of metal, hides, and some sort of fibrous plant matter.
Zelvin reloads his pistol and follows the group.
A slight shiver rolls down Tyn's spine as the temperature seems to suddenly drop. Seeing the body, his eyes narrow as he peers into the cave.
Hekau follows Tyn to the Southwest.
"Proceed cautiously, Tyn. This dust may be more than it appears."
He looks at the body from a safe distance.
Following Tyn, Shesik carefully peers into the chilling chamber ahead. ”This place is supposed to power the Torch. I was expecting it to be warm down here, not cold.”
"Some kind of shelter cobbled together back there. Maybe the person who made the glow-frog their pet," Xaerai nods in the direction of the other tunnel and rolls her shoulders against the chamber's cold.
”This place is supposed to power the Torch. I was expecting it to be warm down here, not cold.”
"Might be a malfunctioning device, or a flip that got switched? One way to find out I guess."
Each member of the party, save Xaerai, are able to recognize the dust for what it is: brown mold. Brown mold feeds on warmth and is able to pull it directly from the bodies of nearby creatures or other heat sources. It cannot be burned away, as that only rapidly speeds its growth, but it can be instantly destroyed by anything that deals cold damage.
It's difficult to discern much about the body from this distance, but it is obviously covered in brown mold. It's likely that they stumbled into this cavern and were overwhelmed.
"This dust is brown mold.
I have not prepared the proper incantation to eliminate this hazard.
I could call upon the power of Nethys to do so, but I calculate that it would be better to reserve that power for another hazard, and come back to deal with this at a later time."
"I reckon you're right, Hekau. Back to the southeast?" He encourages Xaerai to return the way she was going before and follows.
"Ugh! Fungus, frog-beasts, and molds...Oh my!"
Tyn rolls his eyes and sighs at the menu of creatures that have been lain before him, when a curious thought crosses his mind.
"You. know Hekau, they feed off of body heat... I wonder if you would be able to make it around unmolested."
He lays his hand on Hekau's shoulder confirming on whether or not androids give off such biothermal energy. He shrugs.
" Just a hypothetical thought."
He then follows suit and heads to the southeast passage.
Xaerai listens to the description of brown mold with curiosity. "Wonders never cease!" the dwarf exclaims, glancing thoughtfully back at the mold.
Leading the way back the other direction, she points out the hut and peers around cautiously.
Looking across the field of freezing mold Shesik nods to Xaerai. ”Very astute, might be a cooling system run amuck.” Seeing no viable path forward she continues. ”I guess we’ll have to come back this way later. You’ll have a way past it tomorrow Hekau?”
She joins the group in peering into the chamber with the hut. ”Hope whoever lives here isn’t too upset that we killed their guard frog”
Tyn surveys the area to the Southeast that Xaerai points out and cautiously enters the cavern.
"Yes, Shesik. I can prepare the Ray of Frost incantation to eliminate the brown mold safely. Unfortunately, Zelvin was unable to master that one, given his focus on his other studies."
Hekau follows at a safe distance, behind Xaerai.
As you enter the cavern, a hairless humanoid, clad only in bits of leather, seemingly materializes from nowhere. She immediately holds her hands up in a gesture of peace. "Hold your weapons! I just want to talk," she says, in oddly accented but perfectly understandable Common.
Past the humanoid who greeted you, you can also see a steep slope that transforms into a pit. Across from where you entered, curiously enough, the far wall appears to be made of a kind of metal, rather than stone.
Xaerai's pistol snaps up when the woman seemingly materializes from nowhere. When she offers to parley the dwarf offers a surprised (though not displeased) grunt and pulls her elbow in close, her gun still in hand but the barrel now pointed towards the ceiling. Her eyes flicker warily around the chamber, her vigilance rewarded when she spots the second stranger.
"She's not alone, there's another off to the side. Probably more I haven't spotted too." Xaerai keeps her voice low so only the others can hear her.
Zelvin waves his hands dismissively. "I'll learn that spell eventually. It ain’t nothin' but a cantrip, anyways!" He stops talking suddenly when he sees the humanoid.
He cocks his head and says quietly, "That’s a skulk, underground people good at blendin’ in. Maybe they consider these their caves? I bet they would label critters in Undercommon, just guessin’."
Seeing another strange creature in the dark cavern, Shesik immediately drops into a defensive crouch, claws at the ready. When it speaks, and Xaerai pulling short, she stops, but holds position.
As the dwarf reveals the presence of another, Shesik turns to look.
Whispering to the others, she expresses her suspicious nature. ”Can we trust them? What if they have Khonnir?”
Louder, she calls out into the cavern. ”Who are you? What do you want?”
"I am not a good judge of who is trustworthy and who is not, Shesik. But I do not believe them to be hostile. I think we should talk."
Zelvin holsters his weapon and holds his empty hands wide as he steps forward. "How-do, stranger. Nice to meet you. I'm called Zelvin, what's your name?" He looks at the metal wall with curiosity, and continues. "We're lookin' for a friend of ours, an older human named Khonnir. He might have come through here a few days past? There's a big jet of flame up above from this mountain, that went out. Mister Khonnir was tryin' to figure out why." He smiles in his simple, folksy way. "Anythin' you can tell us?"
Having nothing to offer in the way of diplomatic relations, Tyn just stands there. He does, however, put away his sickle.
With Zelvin taking point in the conversation, Shesik straightens to a more relaxed position. Her strange eyes still darting this way and that, wary for flanking maneuvers by these strangers.
Once it's clear you're open to a conversation, her body language relaxes significantly. "I'm Luepel," she says with a nod. "Pretty sure I know who you're talking about. Our chieftain wants to talk with you, she might be able to help you out." She starts to say something else, grimaces, then forges ahead. "Just two of you, though, the rest will have to stay here for a bit. I know, I know, you won't want to do that, but I'll be honest with you: you're a bunch of armed strangers in our caves, and I'd rather not bring the whole band of you into our chieftain's home. Not before we have something worked out, anyway."
Zelvin grimaces, and looks back behind him at the others. "Will you give us a minute, Luepel? We'll discuss your offer back there, and then I'll come back here and tell you what we've decided. That okay?"
After she confirms, he steps back a little ways down the tunnel with his companions and says to them in a low voice, "I don't like it, but I understand why they'd be cautious. Sounds like they've met Mr. Khonnir at least. If y'all agree we should see what they have to say, I'd suggest I go to do the talkin', and maybe Shesik goes with me? Shesik, you're probably the most suspicious out of all of us, which seems to me a good quality to have t' hand in a parley. What do y'all think?"
Luepel nods, and backs away a bit to give you space to talk. She even stays in sight.
"Val would be most upset if I were to 'let you out of my sight' and allow harm to come to you, Zelvin. And I find it suitable to follow your lead in interacting with others. So I do not wish to be separated from you.
Nevertheless, your logic is sound and I support your plan.
Be careful.
Luepel seemed about to say something before changing her mind. Such behavior might be considered suspicious. Did any of you perceive any ill intent?"
Shesik watches Luepel as she listens to Zelvin’s suggestions. Baine’s boys’ll get this sorted. Wait, what? Her thoughts freeze when she hears her own name mentioned. Turning to more actively join the conversation, she leans in. ”It’s probably best not to have you both in the same place if things go south. I’ll go if you trust me.” She unslings her bow, pulls a broad bladed short-sword from her belt and lays them on the cavern floor. ”I’ll even leave these here if it’ll make our hosts feel better.”
Xaerai frowns. "Can't say I blame 'em for being cautious but...we've already run into multiple corpses down here. Not sayin' we can't give peace a chance, just sayin' you should be careful. If there's trouble give a holler and I'll shoot the sh*t out of 'em."
Tyn does not like the thought of separating the party,
he likes it even less that he won't be there to take the brunt of any looming foul play. As the decision is made, a guttural growl emits from the depths of his vocal cords-but he offers no objection.
"Be safe, and may Bharnarol's favor go with you. We will stay at the ready!"
As they leave, Tyn starts do a few minor stretches in case a full sprint is needed, and tries to keep vigilant for any cries for assistance.
Having obtained at least grudging agreement to the plan, Zelvin returns to Luepel. "The two of us will go with you. As a further gesture of respect, she has left her weapons here, as you can see. Ready? Lead on, we'll follow."
Glancing back somewhat reluctantly to make sure her weapons are still safe with the others, Shesik follows behind Zelvin. Her distrustful gaze now locked on Luepel, waiting for her to lead the way.
Luepel nods, then leads the two of you into an adjoining cave, this one cramped and filled with metal junk covering almost every inch of ground. The precarious pile rises up in a heaplike hut to the northwest, which she leads you to and inside of.
Waiting for you in the hut is another skulk, covered in an array of what must be nearly a dozen knives, though all are sheathed. "Ah, you've come, good." She gives the two of you an appraising look, then nods to herself. "My name is Sef. I have a proposition for you."
"These are our caves, but we have no wish to fight you. We will give you free passage through our territory if you agree to two things. First," she says, raising a finger. "You don't attack us or steal from us. You don't bother us, and we won't bother you. Very simple. Second." Another raised finger. "A bit past where we are now, there's a nest of annoying gremlins. I've got enough going on without having to deal with them stealing from me. Once you've cleared that out, I also have some strange items we've scavenged that we'll give you as a reward."
"So," she finishes, crossing her arms, "what do you say?"
Zelvin looks at Shesik and back to Sef. "How d'ya do, Sef? I'm Zel, and this is Shes. We are here looking for a friend of ours, an older human who would have come through here a few days ago. He visited these caves once or twice more before that, too. Can you tell us anythin' about him? If so, we'll consider your offer, but if we're followin' a cold trail, it might not be worth the risk to us." He maintains a friendly, folksy manner with his weapon holstered and his hands expressive.
Sef nods, saying "I know who you're talking about. One thing at a time, though."
Zelvin frowns. "Can you tell us anything about this man, to confirm that we're talkin' about the same person? If he has indeed traveled through your territory, or you've seen him somewhere nearby, I'm thinkin' we'd be willing to accept your offer."
Zelvin tries to hide his nervousness and his worry about Khonnir Baine, but it might be pretty plain to others that he is afraid.
Nudging Zelvin, Shesik whispers, ”There aren’t a whole lot of people who fit your dad’s description down here. He’s the only one who’s been here twice. Besides, gremlins might have something to do with the torch.”
Turning to Luepel, she continues, ”I think we can deal with your gremlin problem. What can you tell us about them?”
Distracted by the present tension, Tyn realizes the android left a question hanging in the air,
"Oh...by the way Hekau, her body language seemed to signal honest intent. I believe they are in honorable company in there. Sorry for any undue worry I caused in stalling a response."
Sef pointedly ignores Zelvin's further questions on the subject, turning instead to Shesik. "They like to steal from us, and they've set up traps in their caves to stop us from reclaiming our things. I've also seen them teleport around. They've never openly attacked us, but they might come after you. Hard to say."
Zelvin purses his lips, obviously not liking that Sef is expecting him to accept on faith that they have information about Khonnir Baine's whereabouts. "And these strange items you've scavenged that you're offerin'? Anythin' more you'll say about them?"
She shrugs. "Don't know what, if anything, they do, but I know they're valuable to surfacers. It's why we dug them up."
Zelvin looks at Shesik to see if she has anything else to ask and then draws himself up slightly. "All righty, well, let us take your proposal back to the others so's we can talk it over, and we'll let Luepel know our decision."
"So," Xaerai addresses the other skulk, as much to fill the silence as anything else. "You folks, ah, been living here long? Don't get me wrong I've got nothing against caves full of metal, but it seems a mite dangerous, yeah?"
"Well, if the metal was cold iron, then it would be VERY dangerous for mites-considering they're fey. But I believe these fine beings before us aren't even related, so they should be fine..."
Hekau observes quietly as Xaerai and Tyn engage the other skulk in conversation.
Ah. Xaerai used 'mite' as a descriptor modifying 'dangerous,' and Tyn responded with a reference to the fey creatures known as mites. Most likely Tyn did not truly misunderstand Xaerai but is making a 'play on words.'