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Your group has been traveling the flood road near Urgir for several days now. Last night a torrential rainstorm drove you into the shelter of a nearby cave seeking shelter from the storm.
Inside, they find the remains of a campfire that is 2 days old, as well as some simple traveling gear such as a bedroll and cooking pot. A small note is stuck into a crevice in the cave wall, where it stands out against the dark stone. The crevice is near a narrow tunnel that leads deeper into the caves. The note is written in Common and Orcish, and is dated 2 days before.
]If you find this, I am caught somewhere below.
I am Lorekeeper Unzgrin, and I’ve gone below to explore what I believe are the ruins of an ancient dwarven outpost. I trust that there is no danger, but if you find this note, and more than a day has passed, then I am likely in trouble. I offer a reward in gold for any assistance in exploring the caves— and for my immediate rescue, should I be in danger.
—Lorekeeper Unzgrin of Urgir
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A small rabbit quickly charges into the cave, hoping to escape the downpour. He catches his breath and happens to glance at the note. He makes sure that the campfire is truly out, seeing that he's made of flammable material.
"Whatth thith? Sthomeone'th sthuck below?"
He takes up the crossbow he carries on his back and loads it. "Well, have to be ready for whatever'th below"
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A peal of thunder is heard through the hiss of the rain as a tall half-elf ducks through the entrance of the cave, pulling the hood of her cloak back from her head. Raindrops fall from her auburn shoulder length hair. Hair that is matted to the sun-kissed skin of her face and neck. Wiping the hair out of her face with the back of her hand she sighs. Another flash of lightning heralds the rumbling that soon after shakes the ground of the dark cave.
Her eyes slowly adjusting to the relative darkness, she begins to make out the figures of the halfling and poppet that had become her traveling companions as of late, noting the absence of the other three. She also notices the remains of a seeming camp site.
"It seems we are not the only ones to have taken shelter from the elements in this cave."
Briony runs her foot through the ashes of the used campfire, eyeing the cooking pot and bedroll. Feeling a change in the draft, her eyes are drawn to the opening of a narrow tunnel. Standing in front of the tunnel is Bun drawing his crossbow, exclaiming to Peri about someone being stuck below. Briony reads the note for herself.
"As if the rain were not enough of a delay..." She thinks to herself.
She turns to Peri and Bun.
"Our companions should be through the rain shortly. I suppose travel on the road in this storm is unadvisable. While we are stuck in here, it could not hurt to investigate this note. If there is a reward as this Lorekeeper seems to promise, that could be useful when we are able to get back on the road."
She brings the small pack she is carrying around to her front, the whole bag soaked through.
"I do not know any magic and I believe my torches are not of any use, at least until they dry out a bit. Maybe one of the others has a solution."
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Looking around there are a pair of torches and flint and steel lying near the campsite that Briony can use while her own torches dry out.
A passage ranging from 3 to 10 feet wide leads into the caverns below. The cave walls are a mix of natural stone and clay. The ceilings range from 10 feet high in the narrow tunnels to 20 feet high in the largest caverns. There are no natural lights in the caves, leaving you in darkness. Several sparks fling into the air as the flint and steel ignite the pair of torches illuminating a large winding complex.
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Briony turns back to entrance of the cave as a tall redhead human steps through the curtain of rain. As she starts to walk towards her, her foot catches on something sending it skittering across the floor. Bending down and looking closer, she picks up what she realizes is a torch, seeing also another one close by her foot. Running her hands through the dirt, she finds an abandoned flint and steel.
"At least it is dry."
Striking the steel across the flint, it takes a few times but a stray spark sets the first torch ablaze. Her hazel eyes reflect the flames. She looks up to Rosa.
"Here, you may need this," she says as she hands Rosa the first torch.
Repeating the process, she lights the second torch and stands up, slowing turning as she examines her environment. Lichen, dust, dripping rocks. She examines the remains of the used campsite one more time before moving down the narrow tunnel into the wider passage beyond.
Bending down, she notices vague footsteps in the dust on the floor leading off to the east.
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The last two enter the cave. An android named Impulse-7 with complex patterns of light blue energy on his swarthy skin and his faithful metal companion Enforcer 571-294. Water flows down both of them, but it is not visible that this causes any emotions even in an android, not to mention a "robot", as Impulse-7 called his friend several times. They both have the same octagon-shaped symbol burning blue on their chests, which, in the case of an Impulse-7, shines through even his clothes.
I apologize. The geolocation system stops working properly in such weather. We got lost, but now we're here.
Then the android clarifies what you have found, and states without emotion that he has instructions for such situations which recommend going in search of a missing adventurer.
My companion and I can also see in the dark.
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Search and rescue. The task is clear. Activating security protocols. You see that Enforcer 571-294 changes his position a little. His camera in the middle of the "face" twists back and forth a little, as if catching a new picture in focus. A bayonet appears from the left hand and moves back. The systems are brought into proper readiness. Ready for the mission.
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I am. Partly. My ally is completely a construct. We study this world and try to remember who we are and where we come from. The information is corrupted. But we are very persistent. For the first time, some emotion is heard in the words of an android. A slight sadness, perhaps? Enforcer 571-294, do you want to add something?
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Several lights flash and go out on the mighty body of the "iron man", after which he utters in a booming mechanical voice: Type: Robot. Subtype: Security. Build place: data is damaged. Build date: data is damaged. Functions: protection of civilians, assistance to Starfinders, assistance to Stewards.
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Impulse-7 shrugs his shoulders. I'm not sure what Stewards and Starfinders are, but Pathfinders seemed to me quite similar in meaning to the second. I feel some kind of kinship with this organization. Besides, they were the ones who found me after... something. I hope I answered all the questions. Our appearance usually arouses curiosity, which I am always ready to satisfy within reasonable limits in order to increase the emotional stability of the group with which we travel.
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Briony, holding her torch out in front of her, points out the footprints in the dust heading off to the east to the rest of the group.
"It seems someone did indeed pass through this way."
As the rest of the group begins to find their way, she heads off behind Bun Helsing keeping a distance to not impede its sensitive eyes.
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Briony follows the android's gaze to the cave wall. She scans the moss and fungus and suddenly she lays eyes on the giant violet mushroom. The size of it is surprising and warrants a pause. As the light of the torches illuminates it in flickers, Briony attempts to recall what she may know about this human sized fungus. She takes in the pulsing sac of air beneath the cap and an idea occurs to her.
"I believe I know how to disarm it."
She turns to the others in the group.
"If you are ok with it, I can attempt to disable it's air sac. If there is something nefarious deeper in these caves, we do not want to alarm it to our presence."
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Briony slowly approaches the pulsing mushroom. As her torchlight crests the cap the mushroom lifts off and lets out a klaxon-like shrieking that seems to reverberate throughout the cave complex.
Covering her ears Briony's blade severs the sacs eliminating the annoying shrieking sound. It takes a good moment or two for the ringing in your ears to stop.
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With the shrieker quieted for now you continue to follow the tracks around the cavern as it loops towards the center into an underground pool. The pool in this damp chamber is only a few inches deep. The sound of dripping water echoes throughout the cave. Thick webbing covers a large boulder protruding from the floor at the center of the pool. The desiccated husks of dozens of insects and arachnids, and the bones of a few small mammals, lie in the water. One recently dead spider with an intricate pattern on its abdomen lies near the boulder, a dagger embedded deep in its thorax.
A female orc lies trapped in the thick webbing. A fair amount of blood has pooled around her form from several injuries.
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With a muttered word Rosa's tattoo glows and a shining green circle floats over her arm. Cautiously she moves in towards the wounded orc, tempted to just set the webbing alight. She keeps an eye out for whatever has been using this area as a feeding ground while she tries to figure out the pattern on the spider
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Bun Helsing cuts the orc woman free, though she is still quite wounded. She has several wounds that will require healing and also seems to be suffering from thirst and starvation.
Peri keeps guard as Rosa looks over the dead spider, not recognizing its exact arthropod subgrouping is. Either way it looks quite venomous.
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Rosa picks up the unconscious Orc but Impulse begins to pick up some movement behind you. Seems the Shrieker drew some additional attention in the cave as a trio of the same spiders descend the cavern walls, skittering across the floor, blocking your exit.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
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➤ Impulse-7
⠀⠀➤ Enforcer 571-294
➤ Peri
Spider (Red)
Spider Green
Spider (Pink)
Rosa
Avery Wings
Bun Helsing
Briony
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A tall elven woman finds herself a shelter under a cave after being drenched wet by the heavy downpour of rain that she has not expected. As she is just about to enter the cave, she notices a light vanishing into the darkness down a passage. She scans the place to see what used to be a campsite. She becomes curious and follows the source of light.
Keeping her distance, Avery finds the group consists of a rabbit-looking poppet, an automaton, an android, a halfling, and a human. She follows them stealthily as they approach the area with some mushrooms on it and frees what looks to her like an orc. Sooner or later, spiders rush into them that seem hostile.
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Impulse-7 optimizes Enforcer 571-294 as the robot rushes in and stomps one of the spiders into the ground. Ichor spurts out from its body as the spider didn't stand a chance.
Peri's slingstaff comes out as he whips a rock into another spider's body, bruising it greatly.
The spiders hiss as they skitter through the gap to Briony and Enforcer 571-294.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Impulse-7
⠀⠀➤ Enforcer 571-294
➤ Peri
Spider Green
Spider (Pink)
➤ Rosa
➤ Avery Wings
➤ Bun Helsing
➤ Briony
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Peri whips another stone at the spider but he reloads much too quick for it to be effective. Rosa's asp coil slithers out to the spider, impaling it on the pointy end, killing it in a single blow before stabbing the remaining spider.
Bun Helsing sticks a pair of bolts into the spiders body, pinning it to the ground where it gives a couple last twitching grasps before falling still itself.