Even Sylvara stays outside, she shakes her head, followed by a similar irritated growl from her feline companion
"I wish to have zero part of what's going on in that room" her hair and eyes flicking between colours more rapidly
Onyx is also a burly-looking figure right now. Taller than most at 6 foot 6 inches.
"Which god requests my agency?" He states almost to the room rather than anyone.
"No Gods, just mortals", the oracle answers; his face showing his frustration of having to deal with a new problem.
"We're stuck underground during a demonic attack. We have injured and lame civilians to escort out. We don't have time for this!"
"The stairs could have been the only way to get to the surface from the cavern before the ground above fell away and dropped us into it. That spider could have as likely come from the surface or from deeper down."
"We also might find some things inside the chests that could help us deal with any other threats we come across down here."
As in someone needs to be pressing the button while someone else lifts the lid?
Sylvara and Guriok stay at the front of the group.
Preacher presses a button on the chest with the frothing mug displayed on it...waiting to see if it triggers anything...
A set of needles spring forth pricking his finger, as he removes his hand he can see them retract into the steel button. No sign of the hole they must have come from. The button was depressed. Nothing else happened.
Bengi is done, completely out of patience. She turns to Sylvara and Guriok.
"Let's just move on. They opened the door, they can deal with the consequences. I'm washing my hands of it. We met them 15 minutes ago because we happened to fall in the same hole. We don't owe them anything. If they're too dumb to leave, so be it."
"They were warned yes, we will move ahead slowly, not that moving fast would help the injured by any means, hopefully they don't unleash another enemy down here with us"
"Captain, come get ready to lift the lid. I'm going to use one of my daggers to depress the button."
Captain Fergus obliges, and when Preacher uses the tip of one of his (normal) daggers, at an angle so that his hand (and the rest of him) will not be within reach of the needles when he depresses the button with the blade, Captain Fergus attempts to lift the lid...
The lid doesn't open for Fergus.
****
Bengi returns to the point where Guriok said he heard a hissing sound. Once the others are with her, she Guriok about it again to make sure she remembers the location correctly. When that's confirmed or corrected by him, Bengi picks a spot in the widened area ahead that looks to be open and unobstructed by rocks, debris or other things that mighht block lighht, then she gives a warning.
"It will be lights out for a few seconds. Hold on..."
She dismisses the light orison on her hand axe and recasts the light to appear on the spot up ahead she selected. Once it is lit up, she takes a look to see if there's anything of the hissing sort to be found now.
Dust falls from above in this cavern, maybe something is moving above. Benji doesn't hear the sound nor hears anything above.
Bengi shrugs at Sylvara's comment.
"Well, if they do set something terrible free, it will probably spend some time slaughtering all of them. Hopefully that will give us enough time to be beyond where it will go to find us."
"If not, maybe before they die they will weaken it enough for us to kill more easily."
Dust falls from above in this cavern, maybe something is moving above. Benji doesn't hear the sound nor hears anything above.
"Tarnished blades!"
Captain Fergus looks at Xantor and Onyx , "Give me a hand, mates. If it doesn't budge, we catch up to the others. If it opens, we catch up, a bit laden with treasure, eh?"
Bengi shrugs at Sylvara's comment.
"Well, if they do set something terrible free, it will probably spend some time slaughtering all of them. Hopefully that will give us enough time to be beyond where it will go to find us."
"If not, maybe before they die they will weaken it enough for us to kill more easily."
"That wasn't my thoughts, I will not have them fight a demon on their own, but I will also not hold their hand through this cave. We have more injured people to worry about"
GODSDAMMIT!" Xantor curses in frustration. 'Fine!"
The oracles hops down into the hole and tries to open the Sword chest.
"Some people cannot be helped" replies Bengi.
"This one first, mates. It might take all three of us to lift a lid up. With Preacher using one of his blades on the button, if each of the chest has one."
Upon seeing Guriok join them, "We can use those muscles of yours, mate." then turns his head a bit to indicate the direction of the stairs to Guriok, "Those might be the only way to get to the surface. Going down to reach higher is not that unusual in my experience."
"I do not put it against you" she then turns to the civilians "Seems we have been delayed yet again, but I promise we will look for a way out of this hole and back to the surface. But I can't do it alone or just with my friend here, so please be just a little more patient"
She nods and waits. She pulls her bow, "I can shoot anything that springs out. No worries I understand."
He grumbles but doesn't say anything.
"Fuçking Hell!" Xantor cursed at his pricked thumb.
The oracles looks inside.
He shrugs, "I would want to see the ruin or place they found but alas." He sits down.
Up above is just about the worst position for something one can't see to be in. This is an unhappy situation.
"I believe there is something ahead and above. Maybe on the ceiling. Difficult to go in and find it first because it can so easily see someone down below. I think we need bait for this."
Bengi casts a spell to summon a dire rat. When the rat has appeared, she sends it ahead to look around, maybe 30' forward, and then return.
Xantor finds a sheathed longsword with a handle of red and white thread. A lion motif on the pomel. A pomegranate. A silver chalice with several gems embedded on the sides.
As the rat wanders forward, Bengi readies her bow along with Anevia.
With the lid to another chest open, Preacher removes and sheathes his dagger and casts detect magic as well as he looks at the contents of the open chest.
The big guy blinks. "Well hot damn!" Xantor fights the urge to pick up the longsword.
"That's only one chest opened, mates. Let's crack open the other two, eh?"
The dire rat moves forward and a long, muscular snake rears up and shows its hood and fangs springing out and attacking the rat.
plus poison
Bengi shoots at the snake.
Surprise Round
Round 1
Benji misses hitting the snake; the snake misses the dire rat. Anevia hits with her arrow but the snake is still very active.
dunno about the chalice.
pemegranite of revivication can be consumed as a breath of life spell, +1 to one ability score as a wish, or give sustenance to all individuals to eat of the fruit for a week.
Bengi quickly takes another shot.
Benji's arrow flies true and strikes the flesh of the snake. It coils at the pain but continues to snap and strike at the rat.
Round 2
She is amazed at how true the arrow flew, piercing into the snake's head. Then it went limp!
"Well damn we handled that quite well!"
Then more solemnly she states, "I only have seven more arrows..."
"Xantor, that blade seems ideal for you, as it would require two hands for me to use it and I prefer my starblade and lighter weapons. I sense you will be able to unlock more power from it by doing a ritual of some sort."
He then looks at Guriok, "Take the pomengranate. It has a few potential uses, but the most powerful is bringing someone back from the other side of the brink of death who just took their last breath."