With exceptional eyes the trap is avoided as you give it a wide berth. Avoiding the hidden threat, you leave the sands and begin to ascend. Now under the arch you are to look for a black boulder. As most of the area is red stone, sand, or limestone, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Upon the rock you look up and can see a cave on the following hill. There and beyond you enter the cave.
Aukan stops when talk of something strange arises. He smiles and waves to those who made comment and would go around as well.
As the party approaches the cave, Balan quietly asks if someone has a torch or a spell to light the way ahead, and offers to take second position in marching order.
Sendi opened her pack and handed a torch to Balan. "Always worth keeping a few of these around."
He reaches into a side pocket on his backpack and retrieves what looks like a torch with a wrap around the top. He removes it and light springs forth. He puts the wrap back into that pocket and the flame is not hot.
He nods to Sendi, saying, "Indeed! Does anyone have darkvisiin that would like to be out in front?"
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As the others pull out torches, Auso reaches into a belt pouch and pulls out a small stone, glowing with the light of a torch, tossing it into orbit around his head.
"I understand why you might want someone with darkvision scouting, but do we want to bank on a scout, or do we want me to look for unexpected and hidden dangers?"
"I can scout ahead" - Throrgar nodded at Aukan - "But I am fine either way" - he shrugged at Auso.
"Nice trick" - Throrgar chuckled - "So we are intent on announcing our arrival with as much light, pomp and circumstance as possible, is that it?"
"I say let's roll with it, and then we change tactics if needed - I liked the ghost" - the half-orc chuckled again.
Balan's face betrays a hint of embarrassment as he take the torch from Sendi "Noted, and thank you." He begins to look around for a way to light it as Aukan pulls out a better one, and Victrix demonstrates her magical skill. The monk shrugs, then stows the torch in his pack as the group continues discussing strategy.
As Throrgar and Victrix finish, Balan says, "Do we know where the other end of this cave is?"
"How so?" - Throrgar retorted.
As the cave is only 10 feet wide at the moment and for most of its path,
You smell faint fumes that taint the air. Not much growth is on the walls, ground or ceiling; a bit of lichen or moss here or there.
A cleft like a fanged maw cuts horizontally through the pale cliff side, a dark fissure lined with stony outcroppings. Black streaks stain the earth outside the opening, sooty residue as if from some great heat. In uneven blasts faint smoke exhales from the crack like the noxious breath of the mountain itself.
Surprisingly, many areas of the cavern’s interior are well lit. Natural gas jets set ablaze by some source.
You travel for 20 minutes finding the path rather simple, it looks like a volcanic vent. There you find a large pool of lava to one side as the path continues. This leads you to where you are now. No sign of demons or threats, besides the lava, so far.
Throrgar waits for Auso's 'report'
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Continuing on you come to a larger section of the tunnel. Here you can continue forward or go right.
Tailing the group, he took on a carefree attitude. The scabbard of his greatsword on it and carrying it between his hands. The height of it on his back was making walking a bear.
Coming to the opening he asks, "Shall we look into the sound?"
"Draconic? I wondered what language that was. I agree with Aukan, it would be better to know more about whoever it is."
"Kobolds, perhaps? I can't think of anything else that would be both mining and speaking such a language. Granted, there are many strange things in this world. If anyone speaks that language, we could ask them for directions and passage through their territory." Sendi offered.
"I will take a look ahead" - Throrgar grunts, then moves off into the darkness, toward the sounds.
His familiar Azazel follows closely without a sound.
"I do" - Throrgar whispered to Victrix, just as he moves off to investigate.
Balan moves up to Throrgar's position, about as stealthily as Victrix. "If anything goes wrong, I'll be right behind you," he loudly "whispers" to the half-orc.
"Of course, I have the voice of a baritone" - Throrgar chuckles at Victrix.
After Balan and Auso 'quietly' come closer, Throrgar ponders their options for a second - "Ok. Mayhaps send your 'illuminated' friend up ahead? He will not be able to relay any information to us though, correct?"
You find a corridor that leads into a small opening. You will have to squeeze to get through, Dex DC 12 check. As you slowly squeeze through one by one, Aukan shakes his head and chooses to stay behind.
In the next tunnel after the squeeze, you can see rocks upon the floor. There are cracks on the walls. It looks to be a mining operation but has barely gotten to this area. Following the path you find many different small paths that lead off and most of them quickly end.
You see a creature. A short, reptilian humanoid that has scaled skin, a snout filled with tiny teeth, and a long tail. It wears leather armor and holds a pickaxe. It is looking the other way and is 60 feet away from you. The aweful singing is coming from it and beyond.
The monk follows after Victrix, but his voat-clad shoulders stick on a particularly narrow section in the opening, wedging Balan in. After struggling for a few moments, grunting quietly, Balan takes a long, meditative breath and asks, "Can someone please.....help push me through?"
Sadly, it seemed like the tall and muscular aasimar was not the ideal candidate for fitting through tight confines.
After a moment she decided to just force her way through. It certainly wasn't comfortable, but it beat being stuck.
After a yank from Throrgar, Balan is free. Seeing the strange creature, Balan quickly turns to face the half-orc and gives a silent nod of appreciation.
Balan you get shoved through and Throrgar follows you.
Balan once you get through you see the kobold turn and exclaim to himself. Then he runs down the other way.
Stopping in a defensive stance, Balan listens for the movement of other creatures.
Round 3 and 4
Balan moves a few feet forward and readies himself for a fight should it come at them. The singing slowly begins to stop and then stops completely. Then Sendi emerges from the crack in the wall.
Round 5