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Jonas stood at the top of the hill looking down into the lift hole and fretting. He was completely unprepared for this. His spells were nearly all geared at helping discover information, not fight off terrible monsters. He and the Quartermaster cranked the lift mechanism as fast as they could.
"Give it to them! Put it on the expense list, my authorization!"
"Ah, unfortunately I only prepared that particular spell once today. I am a diviner, not an evoker." Jonas said, his face a mask of concern. "Noros!" he called over his shoulder. "Do you still have that potion of dragon's breath?"
Jonas came charging up near Cad, out of breath. "What.. do you need?" he huffed.
Noros and I are on our way! Jonas called over the ear cuff.
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The eggs need to be kept warm and damp. Insect larvae tend do grow pretty quickly. It's impossible to tell when they were laid, but you'd guess no more than a few weeks. Many will die trying to escape the eggs. When they hatch they'll need a lot of readily available food. Most insects provide that with either animal carcasses or a nutrient rich jelly. Without seeing the nest you don't know which Ankhegs need. "Ah, very good. Some of the northern clans use them to aid in their farming. The creature's acidic excretions and ability to burrow are useful for plowing up the rocky soil of the highlands. They can be trained while young, so these could be quite valuable. Unfortunately they are reputed to be quite voracious as well. Our camp is certainly not equipped to house and handle them. We will need to transport them elsewhere before they hatch or we will have quite the difficult infestation to deal with."
"I did no such thing!" Jonas' voice rang out from the hole above.
Very well done. It seems this place is teeming with oversized vermin. Fala and Bal are beginning construction of a more firmly supported platform over the sinkhole. We should have a lift built by nightfall. That first chamber is large enough to use as a staging point, so our plan is to make it defensible to give you all a place to retreat to should you need it, and use it as a place to transfer supplies and any uncovered relics. Also, if you get hungry, we have a stew bubbling.
Very well done. It seems this place is teeming with oversized vermin. Fala and Bal are beginning construction of a more firmly supported platform over the sinkhole. We should have a lift built by nightfall. That first chamber is large enough to use as a staging point, so our plan is to make it defensible to give you all a place to retreat to should you need it, and use it as a place to transfer supplies and any uncovered relics. Also, if you get hungry, we have a stew bubbling.
Jonas hugs Lyla back and smiles. "I'd hoped for more time to catch up. I suppose we can use the cuffs to speak as much as you like, though our prattling may annoy the rest of your team." "Be safe. I am right up here if you need anything."
Jonas shakes his head. "You govern your own survey. We will be here to see to things when you return. Come back as often as you need to. In the satchel Lyla is bringing down are a number of things that may help with your work." "The first is a small orb which will allow me to scry on your position. I will be keeping track of your movements as best I can. Try not to lose the orb. They are very difficult, and rather painful, to replace." "The second are ear cuffs enchanted with a message spell. They will allow you to keep in contact with me, and with the other group. They require a fairly clear path to function, but the magic is impressive in it's ability to find a way. Just don't go closing a lot of doors behind you." "Lastly, there is a set of enchanted Cartographer's Tools in each satchel. The book will create a map based on the sight of whoever is holding it. It is also linked to the lens. If someone looks through it, the book will create an image of what the lens is aimed at. Much more efficient than taking rubbings. The books are linked, each will show what the other shows, and will show the location of the cuffs. I have the third book."
Jonas blinks. "Well, being as you all just arrived, you know your abilities far better than I. Ill let you sort that out for yourselves, just hurry. Every moment may count for poor Danner."
"Yes. Also, the two satchels I prepared. Do you have them?"
Jonas dusted himself off and willed his flaming sphere about the room burning away the webbing as much as possible. "Well that was embarrassing." he said to himself moving to where Bladud and Hal were looking at the two possible ways to continue. "Hmm. A unfortunate turn." he thought for a moment and nodded slowly to himself. "My assistant is not lost yet, gentlemen. Spiders do not always feed immediately. Their venom is paralytic, so they will often cocoon their prey to save for later." "Depending on how recently the spider ate, our friend Danner may have hours or even days left. It is unfortunately impossible to tell." "I recommend splitting the Survey crew into two teams. I had anticipated the possible necessity to try to save time. Now I am very glad I did." Looking back up the hole he called out "Noros, are you back?"
Jonas looked around and spotted the hanging plank that had fallen down with Cadeyrn. He extended a hand and spoke a word that seemed to sear the air. A five foot wide ball of fire coalesced on the plank. The thick webs immediately flared up, fire racing in all directions. "Get ready!"
"Clear the webbing, he says." The man in the coat said straining against it. "As if the very nature of webbing didn't complicate that particular request." "Fala," he called up. "There is a green bottle in my trunk. It is a solvent that might serve to get us free of this confounded stuff."
The man who was stuck in the initial cave in finally managed to get his head free of his coat and looks around, blinking. Fala recognized him as her friend Jonas, the academic who recommended that she would be an excellent candidate for the Royal Archeological Society. He turned to look at the ground below and said "Oh my. That is quite a ways down." "Bal, can you get a rope to me? I'd like to start burning away these webs, but I'd prefer to have a safety line first."
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I thought you may have been a spider. Honest mistake. Can you see? What is happening?"
As Bladud bumped him, the man with the coat over his head lashed out blindly, a spray of torrential water bursting forth from one of his hands. "Back! I will not be anything's dinner today!"
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