Alpha-47 will unceremoniously examine the body, trying to determine an initial cause of death, "There is much decay with this body, but any clues we find might tell us about any dangers that lurk here,"
"Perhaps we can bring her to shore, she was often at the Foundry Tavern so people may be wonfering what happened," Karina says.
Even with the gnawing of some of the flesh post-mortem, Alpha is able to determine that the subject died of several stab wounds, as if from a dagger or other short-bladed weapon. Some of those wounds appear to be in the back.
Alpha-47 rose from examining the half-orc’s body, turning to the group with an even expression, though their voice held a tone of quiet gravity. "The subject sustained multiple stab wounds," they began, speaking with the same mechanical precision. "The wounds indicate a short-bladed weapon—possibly a dagger. Notably, several of these injuries are in the back."
Alpha-47 considered Karina’s suggestion, nodding slightly. “Yes. Returning her body could provide closure for those who knew her and may help us learn more about what happened here. However it may have to wait until we conclude our initial endeavor within.”
"It might not be easy to drag her through the lake to the surface, especially if we are also dragging Khonnir along. We should wait until we know more before we decide what we want to do."
"That's why I suggest if we bring her up, we do so either before or after we find Khonnir," Karina says. "So, which way next? Continue south?"
Nodding in affirmation, "yes south, let us proceed cautiously, prepare for anything, watch your backs,"
The southern passage quickly bends to the southwest, winding farther into the caverns system. Using Karina's illuminating spell to see, the group travel about 40' down the narrow passage in single-file. After that point, they can see a crossroads of a sort. A collection of crates, boxes, rubble, and scavenged metal lies heaped in the northwest section of this damp cave. Several strange chalk drawings of twisted, spiny plants, a strange three-legged creature, and emaciated four-armed humanoids mark the walls here. The three-legged creature looks very much like the robot you saw at Foundry before you came down here.
The passage also splits at this point to continue either to the southwest or the southeast. The southeast path seems to slope upwards, while the other remains level.
Zaria will look to see if there are any tracks leading down either the southeast or southwest passages.
The rocky floor does not yield much in the way of footprints to track, but Zaria thinks she sees one impression that might be a boot print coming back towards the intersection from the slightly upward sloping path. It appears that boot might have belonged to the fallen half-orc in the room previous.
Karina would like to look closer at the drawings in specific, before moving on. "Hm. Someone has been here, no?"
The drawing seem to be drawn on the wall with chalk or something very similar. The robot-thing you recognize, and while you have never seen the four-armed humanoid before, Karina has heard stories, during your time in Torch from other bards, of a very secretive race of similar build humanoids who live in the wild and dark places of Numeria. Those stories did not tell of these creatures being as emaciated as the drawing, but that might just be artistic license or something.
Zaria points to the slightly sloping-up southeast passage. "It looks like our dead friend retreated from that direction. If we go that way we need to be ready for a fight."
Alpha-47 steps up to look at the drawings, "interesting, such strange creatures to be sure, I wonder what the purpose was in these cave drawings,"
Gathering himself, "You are correct Zaria, there is likely a fight ahead, we should be prepared for the worst," Looking at the junction, "We should continue skirting the area south, make sure nothing can come behind us,"
"Hm. I recognize the," then saying a singular word in Androffan (robot) to which she does not know the appropriate Common word, before going back to Taldane, "That is, this automaton. I have heard fanciful stories of secretive four-armed humanoids in Numeria. I do think a fight is likely, so be prepared."
Alpha has not heard of the emaciated creatures shown in the drawings. They may be some kind of unidentified creature, or perhaps just a figment of the artist's imagination.
"We know that there is likely a threat going in that direction." Zaria points to the southeast." Zaria says. [b]"I suggest we deal with it first before heading the other way."
The group sets off to the southeast with Karina's light spell illuminating the way. After about 30' or so, the passage widens into an enormous chamber. The ceiling here rises 30' or more overhead. A five-foot wide ledge runs along the western wall, sloping down to the cave floor 10' below. Four ramshackle huts made from what appears to be strips of metal, hides, and some sort of fibrous plant matter sit on the lower floor, while to the south yawns a black pit.
The room is large enough that parts of it cannot be illuminated with the existing light spell. There does appear, also, to be a narrow passage from the ledge back to the west, and another that leads to the north.
You don't see any visible occupants of the hut, nor do you spy creatures of any kind.
Amber eyes scanning the room, "We should proceed cautiously, this looks like it could be a trap,"
Alpha-47 begins casting a spell, summoning a sphere of light, he'll then move the sphere 60 feet into the room, straight away from him.
The bright orb cast by Alpha-47 floats out away from the party, and over the sunken floor of the large cavern. With this additional illumination, you can see another primitive hut and the far wall of the large chamber, though the far end remains in dim light, but it appears to be a large metal wall of some kind on the far eastern side of the cave. You'd have to be closer to tell more for sure.
"I'll try and scout a little." Zaria says before doing just that.
Karina, very cautiously, approaches the metal wall, fascinated.
Ba'hahk quickly join Karina, his own urge and curiosity driving him on to learn more of what lies beneath
"Fascinating. What could this be? So far underground?" he ponders out loud
Zaria starts first into the room, trying to creep in stealthily, but she is a bit surprised and frustrated when Karina and Ba'hahk brush past her and enter the room, headed for the metal wall on the far side of the large chamber.
As the two investigators get about half-way across the room, you all are bit surprised to see a trio of humanoids step from hiding places in various parts of the large chamber. The newcomers are about 6 feet tall with similar body structure to a gangly human. The humanoids have strange mottled skin the blends in very well with the rock and shadows of the illuminated cavern. They carry simple weapons like daggers or shortswords but don't move to attack right away.
The one farthest from you speaks Common in a gravely but female voice, "Stop where you are. We have had enough interlopers here already. Why have you come into our home?"
Zaria stays where she is. She aims at the one close to her, but she does not shoot.
The orc steps between the others and their weapons, spreading his arms wide
"Stay your weapons. Please. This is not an incursion, but a misunderstanding. We didn't even know there were other people down here. We are simply looking for a missing person. And stumbled across what ever this is" he motions to the metal object
This is the first time his body is more visible, showing off the white skin he has been trying to hide
Alpha-47 stepped forward onto the ridge, their movements precise and calculated. Their golden eyes locked on the speaker, and their voice, though steady, lacked the warmth or tact one might expect in a tense situation.
“We are here to find Khonnir Baine,” they said bluntly, their tone matter-of-fact. “He entered these caverns and did not return. If you have seen him or know what happened, you should tell us.”
Karina describes Khonnir to the humanoids in Common. "He should have come with others as well, if I remember correctly. I do not know what everyone else looked like, sadly, as I only really knew Baine well out of them," she says, her voice singsongy and full of emotion, in opposition to the flatness of Alpha's.
The strangely colored humanoids seem to visibly relax when you don't leap into combat right away, even if Zaria aims her weapon at one. The one who spoke, at the far eastern end of the chamber takes a few cautious steps forward, still holding a weapon but not overtly threatening. You notice the way the patterns and swirls on her form change to match the light, shadow, and background coloration of the room.
"Very well. We do not wish to fight, but we will defend our home if provoked, and we have been provoked by others recently. It is not for me to say what happens next. I make you an offer: two of your group may accompany me to another chamber to meet with our chieftain, Sef. She will say if we can reach an accord or must evict you. The rest of you must stay here under guard, put your weapons away, and stay silent. Do we have a deal?"
Zaria will lower, but not put away, her crossbow. She doesn't say anything, leaving that to the people who are more skilled in that area than she is.
"I'd like to volunteer to meet with the chieftain," Karina continues, offering herself to meet with the chieftain. Bards are supposed to be extroverted, so meeting with people as much as possible is a good way to maintain the cover.
Alpha-47 contends with himself, thinking, was that what they call diplomacy?
He will lower the output on his Light spell, making the light a little softer, before walking forward to join the others. "I will stay here, I would like to learn more about our hosts,"
He'll introduce himself to the one speaking, "I am Alpha-47, android, and who are you?"
More by default than anything, Ba'hahk also agrees to go with Karina to meet the chieftain. With that the speaking humanoid motions for them to follow her and sets off through a passage in the north wall of the large cavern. The other two maintain a wary watch on Alpha-47 and Zaria, keeping their distance but watching any moves very closely. Neither responds to Alpha's introduction and query.
The one creature who spoke leads the two ambassadors down the hall, turning a corner to the east, and into a cramped cave filled with metal junk covering almost every inch of ground. A precarious pile rises up in a heap-like hut to the north east. Squatting in front of the hut entrance is another strangely camouflaged humanoid. She wears a leather vest and harness that holds a half-dozen of more daggers, and a shortsword at her side. She stands as you enter, then speaks in surprisingly clear Common:
"I am Sef, leader of our tribe such as is left of it at least. I do not know why so many enter our home unbidden, but since you are here, I have a proposition for you. Will you help out Sef and our family?"
The one who brought you into the chamber steps back into the hall, alternating looks between the chieftain and the captives in the bigger cavern.
"We would be glad to, so long as we know what it entails," Karina says, hoping to learn more.
Ba'hahk looks over to Karina then the chief
"I am willing to help but I do not wish to speak for the rest of the group" but he still waits for the details about the request
Sef nods, glad it seems to have an opportunity to discuss. "I will give you free passage unmolested through our caves if you do two things: first, do not harm any of my people. We are much fewer than we used to be, and our very existence is at risk now. Second, remove the blasted gremlins that live to the north of us in these caves. They pop in and out in annoying fashion, stealing our wares before we can catch them. If you do this last thing, I will also offer a reward. What say you?"
He listens and then nods "Again, I speak only for myself. But I am willing to accept your terms. I too wish to see your people come to no harm."
Sef looks to Karina to make she agrees. "I will let the lady also speak, but I am pleased to hear your agreement. Can you tell us why there are some many invading our home as of late? For so long we were left unmolested, except perhaps for the jinkins, but now, there is a group of outsiders every few days, and they have taken more than a few of our number when they invade."
"From what I can tell," Karina says, "everyone isn't attempting to invade your home... so much as pass through it as we are. People are interested in what lies behind the metal door. As to why they took so many of you?"
She pauses for a moment, then continues, "They may just be trigger-happy fools who like to act before they think, and assumed you were going to attack. We will not make such a mistake. Our interest lies further in. I agree to your terms as well so long as you point us to the caves where the Gremlins are."
Sef nods her understanding but does not seem to agree. "What you say may be true of your band, but was clearly not so of the others. Starting with the pink-haired woman and her ratfolk; we talked with them, after that, it was indiscriminate killing." She shrugs as if to shake it all off. "But that is bygones. For now, the jinkin gremlin lairs lie to the north and east of where we sit. You should have no trouble finding them. I will have Luepel take you back to your colleagues now. Remember your word about harming any of our tribe, such as it is, and good luck against the little bastards."
She whistles sharply, and the other female returns to the room to retrieve you with the intent of walking you back to the larger cavern.
"Pink... hair? Can you describe this person further? We mught be able to," she pauses as she puts quotations in the air, "'Confront' them for you if you describe them further."
Alpha-47, inwardly disappointed at the failed opportunity to learn about the bipedal near human-like creatures, outwardly remains stoic.
"Okay, keep your secrets,"
"She was a strange looking woman, her skin was almost a silver-metallic with white tattoos across it that emitted different colored light. That and the purple hair. She had a handful of orcs, surface humans, and ratfolk with her. That was maybe 12 days ago. She met with our former leader, who is now dead, so I don't know what was said. Since then, nothing but trouble for us."
The strange pattern shifting skin clad humanoids in the large cavern continue to just watch Alpha and Zaria in wary silence.
Android?!/ she thinks to herself.
"Thank you. That gets a good enough description so we'd be able to find her if need-be, Karina concludes.
Ba'hahk listens and then follows suit to Karina "I agree with my companion. The description does help and she sounds very unique, doubt we will miss someone like her. And sounds like those people have been causing you issues. Hopefully we can lessen the stress you have been experiencing" he offers a hand to Sef "I am glad we could first try words before we let this devolve into a fight that would have been unneeded"
Sef shakes Ba'hahk's hand but she also says, "Don't misunderstand, the purple-haired woman did not harm us. She spoke to our leader then, and they went on their way. It was those that came after that have been our bane, and the threat to our existence. Present company excepted of course. Good luck with the gremlins, come back when they are exterminated for your reward."
With that, she nods acknowledgement and Luepel escorts you back to the main cave. With a motion, she signals for the other two guards to stand down, and they sheath their weapons.
Luepel moves to the passage that leads north out of the main cave - -the one farthest to the east. "This is the way to jinkin lair," she says simply, without any emotion or expressive body language.
Alpha-47 listens to the story intently for more details about their hosts, "Jinkin goblins? Not sure I have heard of them, maybe when I see them it will jog my memory though,"
He follows the group, ready for trouble.
"Jinkin Gremlins, I believe... not that I know much either," Karina says while walking to said entrance, lute and viol in hands.