Waterstrand: The Isle of Forgotten People [IC]

[Hazuki]

Waterstrand

On the Outskirts of Burrowstone
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The departure from Burrowstone was met with the overcast of clouds, that hung over the heads of all of its inhabitants, as though a warning of what the group of adventurers would bring. Some armed with words and incantations, and others with weapons fit to slice a man in half, they had been watched since setting foot in the town, as a curious group whose presence was not unwelcome to the elves that encouraged cohabitation within. Nevertheless, they had the attention of somebody in charge, and only when questions were asked was their business allowed to be their own.

The townspeople shared pieces of information with those of the group who asked for more information about the recent expedition, though some were more reluctant than others to discuss the potentially deceased that waited within the dark tunnels of the Drow. It was a town on edge, with their main means of survival, the profits afforded by serving as a trading hub, utterly destroyed by the machinations of their dusky-skinned cousins, and an army of unknowns marching across the nation that sat beside them. It was all the elven population could do, and pray that the Great Wyrm Rosarie would be able to aid them, before their own families died.

The Ratfolk by the name of Titus Keenan Matthias was afforded a fair amount of welcome, a few residents even sharing with the traveling merchant their wishes for personal objects of their lost people to be returned. The Naga Salande, while charming of tongue, was met with some looks of pity for his warring people, and information shared freely with him. The Orc-blooded Amara and Orich were afforded some offers of aid, the people of Burrowstone choosing to ignore the latter's mass in favor of aiding those who needed it, even int heir own desperate times. The Naga known as Ilyssa was applauded quite thoroughly by the town, for lifting the spirits of those in the tavern the night before.

The forests were perhaps less welcoming, as the rainfall of the previous night made the mud cling to Orich's heavy boots and footfalls, while covering the Naga's underbellies with clinging twigs and leaves and allowing the lighter-footed members of the group to tread across nearly unimpeded. Nevertheless, with the directions given by the townspeople, along with fair warning about what to fear from those who lurked below, they soon found their way to the tunnel that held the lost Burrowstone caravan.

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It was a fairly unimpressive site, with a ledge above that could have perhaps been used for taking tolls or as space for a caravan that had no room inside one of the many side-tunnels within. Wagon tracks were slightly obscured by the muck of rain, but their brand could clearly be seen leading into the wound of rock that would lead them along their expedition, but all that laid inside was blackness, save for the lucky few that possessed the ability to see through the shroud.

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The group's arrival at the tunnel went mostly unnoticed, save for the sudden silence of an ambient noise whose source was soon revealed, as a torso and a head popped up from behind the upper ledge and peered over at the gathered group. It was distinctly feminine, and elven as her elegantly pointed ears would have attested to, but she was clearly armed and armored, even from the point of view about ten feet below, with armor adorning her shoulders and the head of a bow peeking diagonally over her shoulder. She eyed the group with a tilt of her head, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Good morning. You up to something?"

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[oyzar]

Ilyssa is slithering along the ground. The black scales covering her tail were almost sparkling in the sunlight as she moved. She is wearing a scaled hide shirt covered with scales almost as dark as her tail, though armor is embroidered in gold and crimson. The armor is providing decent protection without entierly hiding her pale white skin, a bit of cleavage is showing at the front as well as the front of her neck being exposed. On her back is a crison backpack and she got a longsword strapped along one side and a black leather whip along the other. This sticky underbrush is a bit anoying. I never much liked being outside in bad weather, though at least it is not raining. As they are moving she studies the others. Not the kind of company I expected to be travelling, but then after leaving Abyhome I did not expect much. It is lucky to find companions who can be of some use.

Upon drawing closer to the entrance Ilyssa looks in to see if she can see anything. Naga can see in the dark after all. The others might not be able to though so she offered, "Can you see in the darkness? If not I might be able to provide some light."

With the elf appearing and adressing them Ilyssa turned her full attention towards the stranger. "Yes, the morning is indeed good. Hope you are doing fine as well. We are looking for a caravan that headed this way. Maybe you can tell us a bit about the road ahead?" While speaking she lets her hands glide innocently over hear body, she appears to be massaging stiff muscles but the movement show off her natural assets nicely.

[Frendle]

Orich shifted the pack on his shoulders and settled his scale mail tunic. Blood and bones I can feel the sun even through this grey sky. Though it had been a short time since they left Burrowstone it had been a long enough walk in the upper world. Orich thought of the caravan tunnel and the feel of rock above his head once again.

Looking at the misfit group slogging or scampering in the mud beside and behind him he shifts his axe to his right shoulder and scratches his jaw.
The only others wearing any armor are the slithering Nagas. I wonder what kind of a fight those beasts would make? We will find out soon I bet.

He felt better that there was a least another Orc, even if it was a cursed halfer. A Witch she said she was, well the halfer spell slingers could be impressive in a fight he had heard said many times. He knew the Rat had some tricks he could play. We will see if those tricks are any good againt the Drow's black skin, yes we will.



The road leading to the tunnel began to widen a bit, and tracks split off to parallel the main way. Places for the wagons and carriers to pull off the road and perform a last check of their loads before plunging into the dark tunnel no doubt.


One of the Nagas called out the entrance up ahead. Walking up to the entrance she asked if we could see in the darkness, “Of course, it is the light that I curse” replied Orich. Do these Snakes know nothing of Orcs? Perhaps that will be a good thing to remember. Orich drew back his lips across his fangs and ran his tongue over his left tusk.


At that moment a movement above them caught his eye, an Elf female appeared, calling out a challenge. Bloody eyes, she has the high ground and cover! Orich settles his double bladed axe in both hands and peers into the forest around them. There don’t seem to be any more than this one. "Don’t see any more of em." He informs the group under his breath.

He positions himself between the group and the Elf
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even as the Snake begins to speak with the challenger, looking for a quick way up, or space to get under cover of the dark tunnel.

[QuidEst]

T.K. did his best to keep up with the rest of the group, moving at a brisk jog to match their long strides. He reminded himself that at least he presented a much smaller target than any of them. It was well worth a little jogging in the meantime. Fortunately, his dark robes were of a loose enough cut that they didn't get in the way.

Their journey to the tunnel was uneventful, until they arrived to find an Elf already at the entrance. Ilyssa proceeded to handle the initial introductions, conspicuously massaging herself the entire time. If this was a common tactic, he could see where Bards had gotten their reputation.

T.K. smiled congenially at the Elf, stepping forward. "Greetings, and may fortune bless you," he said in somewhat formal Elven, dipping his head respectfully. He looked over at Orich, shaking his head. "Peace- there is no glory in picking a fight where peace is possible and more profitable. She has more reason than us to be on her guard, after all."

The ratkin returned his attention to the Elf. "I hope you will pardon my friend Orich here. He is one to err on the side of caution. With respect to your question- I suppose it would be more accurate to say that we are down to something. As my companion, Ilyssa, has already said, anything you could tell us would be helpful. I myself am Titus Keenan Matthias, and with me Salande and Amara," he said, gesturing to the other two members of their party.

[Arden]

Upon arriving at the cavern, Amara looked casually into the abrupt darkness. Nothing seemed immediately important at first glance. She sat down for a moment to catch her breath; all this walking was wearing her out. She grabbed at her calves and massaged them as she looked around her group. This ragtag band of strangers were certainly a sight to behold, but she was making do with what she'd found.

Amara didn't count herself likely to find her mother in a cave in the middle of nowhere, but she was choosing to go with the flow of her group for now. Perhaps building funds and notoriety would be the most efficient way to start her trek.

She was caught off-guard when the Elf seemingly came out of nowhere, and as much as it pained her, she rose to her feet in respect. She kept quiet, blending in with her group as best she could, and nodding politely when T.K. introduced her.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande has been putting on a cheerful face, but inside he's nervous. For one, he's finding that everyone else is making him a little nervous. He's been taught to be aware of such things in himself, so he calms himself by trying to figure out why. He's got time to think now, which he may not have later.

Start with the obvious. The orc. Looks impatient. Likely to cause problems. Like he wants a fight, even. But how easy is it to read that into someone?

Then we've got, wait, what am I supposed to call him? T.K. Complicated sort of fellow. Just his words, enough to make a naga feel small. I'm to think of his character. What's underneath the words, where they come from.

Amara - ok, not actually any more nervous when I think about her. Seems sensible enough. Not much to go on. But seems sound enough, and that's definitely a good thing at this rate.

Now. Right. What I keep trying to think about. I mean who I'm trying not to think about. Her name is Ilyssa. She's a person. Master would say she has wisdom and goals and everything underneath the mask. Sss, not the safest metaphor.


He doesn't bother to tell her he can see in the dark when she speaks up. It's not like she wouldn't know, and he figures it would be embarrassing for someone to say so.

Then, as if to bring the anxiety up to a whole new level, there's an elf. He freezes momentarily, seeing there's no point now in getting his spear off his shoulder. Even if she's got a bow, and my shirt doesn't cover everything.

His second thought is that Ilyssa seems to be handling this well enough. He shoots her an encouraging smile and turns his head to try to understand what the ratkin is saying. He gives that up for a lost cause and just smiles at the elf, generally being friendly. She is friendly, yes, or close enough? Amara seemingly being cautious about saying anything, he takes his turn to speak when introduced, smiling again and saying happily "Blessings, and good morning."

[Hazuki]

The eyes of the elf first trail to Ilyssa, watching her curious movements with a slightly tilted head before she gives is a subtle shake and placed her hand firmly on the edge of the ledge before her. "If by the road ahead, you mean the trading tunnel, it's filled with traps and probably some," Her lip curls up ever so slightly in a sneer. "Drow. The caravan that came in here hasn't come back out; nobody has come back out since it became an exclusive guild. If you meant pathfinding; why don't you check your map?"

She brushes aside a stray lock of golden hair, as she watched Orich fill up the space between her and the group with his bulky body and flashes him a smile, as soon as his uttered words reach the rest of the group. Yet, she lets it pass without comment and merely leans backwards on her ledge, as the orc spots a fairly steep hill to the side of the makeshift outpost. It's slightly less steep than the walls themselves, but has far more loose branches and other aspects of wildlife that would impede attempting to move to higher ground.

The elf nods in agreement, as Matthias lightly reprimands Orrich, and offers the ratkin a pleased nod of the head. "A pleasure to meet all of you, and you may call me Scale. Unfortunately, the information I have to offer is little more than anything I've gathered during a brief trip into the tunnels myself. But you claim to be heading down, so I will ask; what is your plan?" With those words, her eyes narrow slightly more.

[oyzar]

As Orich moves in front of the group and readies his weapon Ilyssa thinks.Wow is that orc paranoid. Jumping at every stranger we meet on the road. You can't do everything alone in life and if that is how you treat strangers, you will have a hard time companions. Thinking about it, I wonder how he could trust us enough to group up with us.

Upon the mention of traps Ilyssa looks a bit bewildered her gaze going from party member to party member. "Traps? I thought this used to be the normal caravan route? We don't really have a plan for that. Guess we have to be creative. I don't suppose you would want to come to help us out with the traps? Sorry for not introducing myself earlier by the way, my name is Ilyssa Mesmerslither." The last is said with a slight nod of her head.

I don't like traps, much better with an enemy you can see and talk to, or at least attack. Interaction is my thing and traps removes that.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande has had plenty of time to think about the traps. All too much time on the way here. He may be slow, but if given time, he can ask himself what his teachers would do. The way he sees it, There can't be that many traps. Where would I put the traps? Wherever there is an ambush. Where would that be? As close to their home as they could put it, right? So being too clever here would just mean walking into an ambush Salande.

One thing I can do. It's not like we had traps, but this isn't too different from those exercises finding the spell messing with stuff, under what's his name, brother Misreh. If I concentrate, I can go fast enough and see the magic, and warn everyone. If it's not magic, it's not really a threat to a whole group of us.

Now, this elf seems to be saying there are more traps than he thought. Much as that makes him a little more uncertain inside, he instinctively shoots a confident smile at Ilyssa as she looks around the group. He takes her look as permission to speak, adding confidently "The real dangerous trap is one backed up by an ambush. For that, we'll have to be ready to respond. Firmly. For other traps we can detect magic, heal injury, and deal with problems as they come. If you've been down the tunnel a little already, we'd love to have you're help. We're trying to make it as far as the caravan."

He smiles at Scale, as if to say that he really would appreciate it, and he'd be on her side if she needed help.

[Frendle]

It seems the Elf is not going to press its advantage. She must be a guard or something like that.

Orich looks back over his shoulder at the others. He looks up at the Elf. He looks back at the others. That was not good. None of them took the situation for what it might have been. If that Elf had attacked instead of calling out….


“How did you all survive this long trusting everyone you meet?”


Orich jams one end of his double bladed axe in the ground and his elbows into the crescent of the opposite blade. Rubbing his thick scared scalp with one hand Orich looks at the well-dressed Rat.

Don’t worry tricksy one, if a fight was to be, it would be, and either the Elf or myself would be dead.

He didn’t bother adding that given their current positions, it would be more likely an Orc, not an Elf. that would bleed out.

Orich shoves his hand into his belt pouch and pulls out the last of the dried Kobold meat and pops it into his mouth. "Now I must survive on the Elf rations. I hope I can get some Drow flesh soon."

[QuidEst]

T.K. nodded, acknowledging the introduction. "Likewise a pleasure, Scale." An interesting name for an Elf, suggestive of some association with the Nagas perhaps. "I cannot speak for the entirety of my company, but as for myself, the overall objective is to investigate the reasons for the tunnels being closed off, to attempt to reach some arrangement by which trade can be restored to them in some fashion, and to assess whether this border conflict is indicative of the larger intent of a main faction of the Drow, or if it is an isolated event," he stated briskly. The diplomatic aspect might be lost on his Orc companion, which might prove troublesome if it came to that. He was not expecting the Drow to allow them the first move in this matter, though, so the issue was unlikely to arrise.

"Obviously, several those points are contingent on our wellbeing. I have a few rudimentary precautions that may be taken against certain traps, although they are far from foolproof. Perhaps you could tell us what variety the are in general? Tripwires, pitfalls, magical triggers, pressure plates, et cetera. While I know you can't be expected to provide anything like an exhaustive list, any specifics you possess would make checking for them easier." On the whole, it was much easier for a Ratkin to pass through a Drow-trapped corridor than an Orc. Arrows meant for the chest would miss entirely, pressure plates might not trigger, and Ratkin reflexes were notoriously quick. Nagas were in a much worse position, as even the act of "stepping" over a known tripwire would be difficult.

[Hazuki]

"A caravan route it was indeed, but that's how the Drow scurry about, and how wars are worn." Scale explained from atop her ledge, something of a bolster coming to her voice as she sought to explain the reasoning behind the traps thay may have laid within the tunnels. "Cut off supplies, so no aid can be given, trap the foe where you want them to be, and where they least expect it. Genuine presence is rarely needed," Her slender legs drew up to the peephole of the outpost, as she threw them over and sat perched upon it instead, trailing her fingers through the air. "Misdirection, however, is. Who is to say whether Drow truly lurk within, when dead men are all that's needed to send fear through the spines of their enemies? As though the mere threat of them lurking beneath every home is not enough..." She snorted, though turned her ear to listen to the offer of two Nagas for her aid.

Another smile comes to elven lips at Orich's mention of eating Drow flesh. "There's a stew up here, but no people being eaten." Scale patted down the pouches around her waist, as Matthias explained his plans to her, before she made sure to courteously meet the Ratkin's beady black eyes. "In the tunnel I explored, there were a few animal traps to catch the unwary. But, make no mistake, they are magical as any of my kind. And far more devious in its use. Though their concentrated efforts may be at the clearing where three major routes meet. Saving resources, and so on."

[Arden]

Amara eyed the Elf carefully. She listened in silence to the eager group explain themselves without a moment's hesitation. From this, she continued to develop her ever-changing opinion on those around her. Ilyssa came off as naive, expecting help from a total stranger, not even considering an intent to do her harm. Salande was even more so, if not simply crazy. Asking her to come with us? She let that thought trail off at the continuation of conversation.

Then there was T.K., who seemed to Amara to be pompous, if not condescending in his manner of speak. She'd not heard anyone quite so articulate except on ink, and whether he was raised this way or not, it cast him in the light of an ass in Amara's eyes. Unlike with Ilyssa, she didn't consider T.K. naive for asking for help with the traps so much as presumptuous, as if this girl, Scales or whatever, owed it to them.

Orich, while harshly blunt and perhaps a bit too focused on violence, seemed to be the most sensible of the bunch. How did they survive indeed? This seemed to be the kind of person Amara would want to rely on when things got tricky. That is to say, if she could find good reason to trust him as well.

Not once did Amara take her eyes off of Scale; she was too... friendly. Once the Elf was finished being unsettlingly helpful, she permitted herself to speak for the first time since morning. And though her throat may have been scratchy, there was no lack of accusatory venom when she uttered, "What are you doing here?"

[QuidEst]

T.K. smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. You have been most generous in your assistance. Shelyn willing I do not meet with misfortune, I would be happy to provide you with a report of our findings in the matter," he promised, one hand reflexively going to where the carved wooden bird hung underneath his robes. They did not really know anything about the Elf, but it was unlikely that she meant them any harm. Admittedly, the overcast skies did make it a little trickier to conveniently rule out a Drow in disguise, but Scale had given sound, reasonable advice. So long as they proceeded with due caution of a potential ambush, there was no malicious profit to be made from the advice she had given.

"I do not trust everyone I meet," the Ratkin added as an afterthought to Orich. "That does not mean I need to threaten them, however. I can still be suspicious while I am being polite. Meaning no offense, of course," he added to Scale, "but I am a wizard, and we suspect even ourselves as a matter of habit." It was no great leap to guess what the occupation of a thin, unarmored individual using large words and carrying a funny-smelling pouch on hand was, and so he had no objections to stating it openly.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande focuses on what the Elf is saying. This way of warfare she describes is disturbing. So they get to threaten. Without being there. If they misdirect. I get it. And I was wrong - she makes sense. They would be at a meeting of ways. Them, or traps, or both.

As for the suspicion proclaimed by Amara and the wizard, Salande gives a shrug as if to say What can you do? He approves of caution, but not of being undiplomatic, so he just keeps his mouth shut. Besides, Amara's question is a good one. What is she doing here, really? Does she want to help? Spy? I'm supposed to know what people want, but I can't even think of what else she could be doing.

Salande is sort of surprised when the wizard is done talking on that note, so he decides to take the opportunity to get to the point, as he sees it - though no point in being unkind about it. He looks up and says to Scale, aiming for a friendly tone "Thank you for your help. Explaining what you know about the traps, I mean. Just what do you want of us though?"

[Hazuki]

The elf allowed Matthias to justify himself to the boisterous-looking Orc without comment, before she listened to the words of the male Naga and the half-orc with a questioning tongue. "A fair question." She admitted, though did not move from her perch to stand on equal ground with the group. "My presence here is because I'm camping; a sturdy outpost that served this tunnel's owners well enough in the past is better to protect against wild creatures than even a canopy of trees." She steadily got to her feet, as she entered the stone room again and approached the side, where the steep hill led to equal ground with the group, though she was momentarily out of sight.

"I want nothing of your group, but not informing you of the dangers within would be leading you to certain death, which is a purely malicious action at best." Her voice came from around the corner, though she soon appeared with a bit of a huff, as her boot collided with the leafy ground in a puff of dust. "And I have no more desire for death than any of your kin had, when violence first came to your domain." With those words, she gestured to Orich and Amara in particular. "However, I would be interested in retrieving some of the items in the caravan for myself." She admitted with no shame about her visage, as she stood fifteen feet away from the gathered group of strangers. "And the more the merrier, no?" The elf finished with a pleasant smile, though she made no secret of her fingertips brushing against the blade at her hip, as her eyes settled on Orich.

[oyzar]

As the others act Ilyssa reflect on their actions. Both Orich and the Amara act so distrusting. You do not have to show that you do not trust others, even if you do, as that will only server to alienate them and make it more difficult to get what you want from them. Of course you can not trust people you have just met, but that is the same for the party members. Until they have proven themselves they can not be particullary trusted. Salande and T.K. act much more reasonable even if the latter tends to run his mouth a bit too much.

Ilyssa slides up to the elf. She then draws herself up as to hint at the power in her massive body, but stops rising as her head get at a height with head of the elf, staying but a handsbreath from her face. "It would be a pleassure to have you with us Scale. However the less you know the greater the risks. I trust you know how to handle traps since you speak so much about them? I can detect magic traps, but mundane traps are going to be dangerous as well. It would be nice to know what have lead you here? I think the party would prefer to travel in utter darkness rather than having some dim light lowering our range of vision and giving us away to potential enemies, would you be able to handle that?"

After speaking her mind Ilyssa draws a bit from the elf, she studies her party, focusing especially on the orcbloded who might disagree with the elf comming with them. What had brought them all here? Were they in it to gain fame and fortune or to save the world? I doubt Amara or Orich are particulary interested in helping others just for helping. Salande on and T.K on the other hand seemed a lot more intent on helping just because helping is nice. It is not like I feel like helping just because it is nice, but it does not hurt to help others if it benefit yourself in the long run. It's probably easier to figure out how people think and how to take advantage of that by talking to them one on one, so I better keep silent about this for now.

[QuidEst]

"Good- I will be glad of any additional help on this venture. Always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. As for light, I think that may be a little harsh… Drow can see underground every bit as clearly as the rest of us can. With a group of six, we will certainly not be sneaking up on anybody present. If we place the light at the rear of the group, it will let Scale see, but make it harder for any Drow to make out individual features. To go in with one of our number blind would be a greater handicap," T.K. reasoned. He waved a hand dismissively. "Still, I would rather know if any are present. They may hide well, but their scent will still linger. Romulus, would you be so kind as to go smell about down there and see what you can find?" He doubted that another rat would go amiss in the tunnels, any trap sensitive enough to trigger on such slight provocation would have been sprung long ago.

Satisfied, T.K. circumscribed a simple circle in the air, representing the gathering of the simple will to make things the way he wanted. "Discrēte serve," he intoned. There was not visible effect, but he spoke to the spot he'd been focused on. "Fetch the blanket from my backpack. Fill it with rocks and other debris from the ground until you cannot drag any more." Slowly, his pack opened behind him, and the blanket came out, tugged by one corner. It lay itself on the ground, spread out, and shortly thereafter, rocks began rolling themselves over onto the surface. "One of the first pieces of conjuration I learned," T.K. explained. " 'The wizard's rogue,' they called it- just a mindless bit of force dragging some weight around to trigger some of the traps. Mind you, the spell favors duration over power, so it can't drag around much more than seven stone in weight." He turned his attention to the bond he shared with Romulus, trying to gauge the sense of age and safety that came with old scents that had faded.

[Arden]

Amara suppressed a grunt of disapproval, knowing better than to give the rest of the group a reason to consider her paranoid. She wasn't. Well, okay, maybe a little, but it was always tempered with caution and good intent. Besides, I suppose I don't know Scale any better than this group, she reasoned silently. In the end, she decided that she'd go along with Scale in the group, but would keep a dutiful eye on her, for everyone's sake.

By now, Amara had gotten used to tuning out the prolonged droning of T.K., and was quietly in her own world, when he finally did something that caught her attention. The Ratfolk had cast a spell.

"I know that one!" she said, practically jumping out of her skin. Instantly she regretted this outcry and felt her face go red. Of course she knew that spell, nearly everyone who studied magic did. Unseen Servant, as it was called in common tongue, was one of her favorites. It was useful for innumerable reasons, one of her primary ones being the entertainment of small children back home. But her routine involving dancing chairs and haunted doors was probably not relevant to the interests of her current peers.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande listens to everyone in turn with a growing feeling that everyone else knows more about traps than he does, so he should just keep his mouth shut about that. He pays good attention to Ilyssa, but he's thinking too much to really be tracking with T.K.

The way he sees it, the thing he needs to do is work on what order to go in. If we put a light up front, we get seen. But they could hear us anyway. We split up, we risk ambush. If I'm in front, I can stop hand to hand ambush, but not bows. If the elf doesn't need light, then perhaps she and the wizard can look for traps.

Having second guessed himself rather thoroughly, his thoughts are interrupted suddenly by Amara's sudden outburst, which he really hadn't been expecting. That jolts him into a sudden realization that there may be far more to her than he knew. Trying to encourage her, and knowing well he isn't the brightest, he says softly to her "Hey, is there anything I need to be doing in there? I'd rather keep us safe than have to heal everyone, and I figure you're the one to ask."

[Frendle]

Orich studies the Elf now that he can see her better. She seems to think she can handle herself. At least she knows which side of her belt her sword is sheathed.

"If the others are in agreement that you join us I will agree as well. I think it is now we should learn what it is you can do."

Orich looks her up and down meaningfully. Then points at the sword at her side, "Can you use that, or is it decoration as I have seen it is on many elves?"

[Hazuki]

Scale's face gives nary a twitch in response to Ilyssa's massive body, merely meeting the Naga's eyes courteously and allowing her to speak her mind, before T.K. clarified about the abilities of Drow. "What your good friend, here, said is correct; Drow can see in the dark as surely as any of you, and me having a source of light won't impact their ability in the slightest. Unless you expect to find an enemy more cunning than the Drow within these depths..." She strolled over to the mouth of the tunnel and ran her fingers along the edge of the entrance, as though to demonstrate what laid within, as she drew a thick black twig from one of her pouches and ran it along the mouth of the cave. With the tip bursting to light in her hand, she took a few steps into the cave and lit a sconce on one of the rocky walls. The torch it held slowly crackled, as it burst into light that she would be able to carry.

"As for traps..." She gripped the tip of the object with her hand, dousing its flame and shoving it back into her pouch. "I know a thing or two about how to disarm them, certainly, but another method is prevention. Naga can crawl on walls, so you could avoid what I would assume are the majority of the traps by climbing across the ceiling, instead of the ground." The elf moved aside a stray blonde bang to watch T.K. do his little magic trick, but made no comment on it beyond giving a nod of approval to herself and a smirk at Amara's spontaneous reaction. With Salande talking to the half-orc, the elf had plenty of time to listen to Orich's words.

Scale stared at the burly orc for a few seconds, allowing time to stretch on before she simply burst into laughter. She laughed and laughed until she had to cover her mouth with her hand and meet Orich's eyes once again. "You know nothing of my work, or the work of my people. I'd advise you to educate yourself before making ill-drawn conclusions about our military." She left the Orc to ponder that, as she withdrew the lit torch with a tug and stood beside the tunnel entrance. "Nice rat." She complimented T.K., with a gesture to Romulus.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa's eyes follow the elf as she wanders over to the cavern. It is not like we can climb up anything, though naga certainly have better aptitude for it than anything. I can climb the walls just fine if there are enough handholds, though that is a far stretch from climbing the ceiling. If we are going to walk with light we might as well see further ahead than a torch can provide."

Ilyssa rises up to a towering eight feet, moving quickly from side to side as if dancing. As she dances she hum melodically "Vaeri mitne ekess kontzu'kre wer idol". As she swings from side it is almost as if a shining afterimage is left where she was moments before. Once she comes to a complete stop, it is possible to see that four globes of light did indeed form during the movement. The light speed along into the tunnel, lighting up the way ahead.

Ilyssa unfastens the shield from her arm and attach it to her backpack then slithers over to the cave and inspects the side of the wall. She then tries to climb up it to see if she can move along it freely. "Let's get going then. We can speak more as we move. Do you happen to know the layout of these tunnels Scale?

[Frendle]

“It is enough for me to know that Elves bleed”. Orich matched the Elf’s smile with his own which he hoped was unsettling, but doubted that it was.

"Yet you didn’t answer the question, except that you know a bit about traps,” He continued, “which would seem to mean you are a thief. A fine and untrustworthy profession, if true it makes me feel better about you coming along.”


With this the Orc let out a full bellied laugh which sounded more like a pig retching than an expression of amusement.

Orich’s expression drops to his usual unpleasant expression and he places his double axe across this right shoulder and rubbing his scalp he looks around as though he just remembered that someone might ambush him at any moment.
Realizing what he is doing he looks almost sheepishly at the others, if such an expression was possible on his great ugly face, then he draws his lips back over his fangs and licks his left tusk with his grotesque tongue.

Broken skulls, I hate Elves, not too happy with the rest of this…… raid party, but it is what I have.


The Clan Leader in His Own Mind turns to look at each of them in turn then he walks over near Ilyssa at the tunnel mouth, “So we go? Or talk more. What else do we need?” He swings his Orc weapon over his head as if to illustrate that nothing more is, in fact, needed. He brings the great weapon to rest holding it in both hands before him and strikes what he thinks is a fierce and impressive pose.

[QuidEst]

"Thank you- he's been with me for quite some time now," T.K. replied to Scale absent-mindedly. He frowned as he concentrated, trying to make sense of the odd emotions. Newness and confusion, mostly. A little fear of the unknown, and a bit of background noise that he'd learned to filter out. "Hmm. I'm afraid Romulus can't make out whether any Drow were there recently. Unless you happen to have some clothing or something from one of the Drow, there are too many foreign scents muddled together for him to pick out anything useful." Romulus came out of the cave, bounding back towards his master. Soon he was comfortably back his his bag. Gesturing to the bodiless force, he started towards the entrance. "Actually, if you've got a map of the caves, Scale, that would save time. If not, they were used as trade routes, so I doubt they'll be too complicated."

[Hazuki]

As Ilyssa approaches the mouth of the cave and sings softly to herself in Draconic, producing a series of lights that would help to lead the elf through the cave, Scale noticeably twitches her eye and leans with one foot rested against the rough walls that would soon surround the party. With Orich's ugly laughter and the Naga's determination to get moving, the elf soon started walking into the tunnel's depths with a slightly shy step as she responded to the Orc's apparent impression of her. "In what world would you assume traps mean a thief? Craftsmen make traps, and I truly doubt that most would want to go through the bother of disabling a device every morning just to get to their pretty necklace. I certainly wouldn't."

There does come a small giggle from the elf's mouth as she walks further into the cave, with whoever decided to catch up with or walk alongside her, apparently quite calm in the amber glow of her torch and her presumed knowledge of this particular entrance, as it slightly curved along its own path and lit up further, as she longingly looked at the torches that couldn't be lit if the Naga were suited to climbing. "I can assure you, Ser Matthias, I have at no point seen fit to take a Drow's clothing and carry it around with me. But if it's a map you're looking for..."

With her free hand, removed from her blade for the moment, Scale reached into one of the longer pouches attached to her belt and retrieved from it a tightly-rolled scrap of paper that she tapped with her thumb. "I got it from the guard post outside, but it's only of this section. I figure that you'll need to snatch one from one of the rooms, if you want something more complete, but it's got the clearing on it."

[QuidEst]

T.K. chuckled at Scale's defense. "You have not met many wizards then. Old Scoley warded his books so heavily that nobody else would touch them. He was the only one who knew which pages would kill you, which ones would paralyze you, and which ones just contained deliberate errors to get you killed later."

The bag of rocks slid ahead of him by eight yards or so, tugged along across the floor. While he was at it, it would probably be best to prepare himself with the versatile tool of apprentices everywhere. "Pernīcēs digitī," he muttered, flexing his fingers. It was the third cantrip any wizard learned- once you could read magic and see it, you learned how to use it. They said that Old Scoley had once managed to kill a would-be thief with it, and rumors abounded as to the exact technique he'd used. T.K. had always suspected that the ancient Elf had started the rumor himself, just to keep would-be thieves away.

"Can't say I had much hope there. I would probably find it a little suspicious if you did have a Drow cloak on hand. The map is good, though." He peered into the dark cave ahead, looking through the gloom for the twenty yards he could make out before the darkness closed in altogether, scanning the ground for signs of traps, passages leading off to the side, or any goods left lying on the ground.

"Does the map say the first room is? Before or after the clearing?" T.K. enquired, moving along at the same slow, steady pace of the improvised bag of rocks up ahead. He was both nervous and excited- this was his first time doing anything like this. Up until, magic had just been a tool to make money (in turn, a tool to learn magic), but he was actually relying on it to keep him alive. Admittedly, not in any way that letting Orich walk ahead of him could accomplish, but still.

Spell Durations:
Unseen Servant: ~58 minutes remaining
Prestidigitation: 1 hour remaining

[oyzar]

Ilyssa continues to move along the walls of the cave, though making sure to keep well behind the invisible creature dragging it's burden along. She makes the dancing lights she conjured earlier speed around, alternating between staying near the party and going further ahead so they can see what lies ahead.

"Not everyone guards their words so carefully. By sharing with others you can verify that what you know holds true and also learn from each other. My mentor, Elenia, was happy to share what she knew with me. Though of course some knowledge is dangerous to share before the recipeint is ready. What about your master Amara, is she paranoid or open?" Ilyssa responds to T.K.'s words about his master. I miss Elenia, I regret not having taken the time to say a proper good bye. It was always great talking with her, and doing other things as well... Ilyssa shakes of the sad thoughts and focus on the task at hand.

As the lights fade out she stops for a moment to create them again. She climbs down from the wall and dances the lights into existance. "Vaeri mitne ekess kontzu'kre wer idol". She then moves up to catch up to the moving rocks before casting another spell. "Ui mobi tikil arcaniss esostek di udoka" this time she waves her hand in front of her. "If there are any magic traps we should be able to detect them."

Spell cast: Dancing Lights,
Detect Magic, keep going for at least two rounds.

[Frendle]

Orich follows the Elf down the tunnel, placing himself between the dark and Scale.

With a genuine look of confusion on his face he says over his shoulder,
"There are four kinds of people: Fighters, Spell Slingers, Thieves and Slaves.
Call yourself whatever you want, I call you a Thief.” Orich shrugs his great rounded shoulders as he peers into the dark, “Not a bad thing to be."


Elves are touchy, good to know, any weakness can be good to know. Those lights kill my vision, but at least I am out from under that accursed sky.

The two bladed Orc Axe returns to its rhythmic motion from one shoulder to the other and Orich peers forward, then juts his vegetative ear out keeping time with the internal metronome of his insanity.

Once he is sure that no one is going to ambush them from further down the tunnel, he sets his axe on his right shoulder and rubs his belly with his left hand.

“We have a map, let us go forward. Spell Slinger,” Orich chuckles to himself, “Send your lights. I will follow them. It is time to replenish my food stocks.”

[Arden]

Great, Amara thought. She'd drawn attention to herself, and now one of the group was turning to her for advice. Thankfully, the question wasn't out of her realm of knowledge.

"Admittedly, I'm not used to traveling in groups," Amara said, "but as far as keeping people safe goes... I guess I'd just play it by ear. Most of my magic is protective or enhancing, so I'm planning on waiting until a relevant situation arises. Don't want to waste anything, yeah?"

---

Aside from the conversation with Salande, Amara had kept stone silent since her outburst earlier, the embarrassment had faded, but she'd had nothing to add to the conversation. As they entered the darkness, the casters continued to produce their useful spells; Amara wondered whether there was anything she could do to be of use. That servant should last us a while, or at least until it sets off a trap, Amara thought, and Ilyssa's already detecting for magic. Perhaps I'll just hold off on casting for now.

She was still lost in thought, and so taken by surprise, when Ilyssa addressed her.

"M-master?" she said. Mother.

"Oh, right. I was told that she shared everything she knew, at least as far as my capabilities allowed."

A small bird poked her head out of Amara's pack and released a little wake-up chirp, momentarily distracting Amara from the conversation at hand.

"Juniper," Amara said, "you really ought to wait outside." It was no use, the silly bird was practically attached to the Half-Orc.

"As if I'd just let you have all the fun," said the thrush. She wriggled out of Amara's pack and hopped onto her shoulder, flapping her wings a bit to stretch and wake up.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande mulls over Amara's response: That was really more about her than about me. I suppose she's nervous, and I'm not really encouraging her if I talk more.

Salande isn't really following all of what Orich is saying. He's not sure he would want to deal with it if he did understand. He feels a moment of relief when he reallizes T.K. and Scale are handling the map. He's even relived that T.K. seems to be making sense. Things were getting awkward back there.

Much as his first instinct is to talk more to settle everyone down, he figures with the group as disunited as it is he ought to simply handle this by example, and get to work moving forward cautiously. He looks for a good space in the front line, but he'll not budge forward if he needs to take second rank.

[Hazuki]

As the party began their search of the trading tunnel, they found no scent of old smoke or rotting bodies, wherever they may have laid, but found that the air inside was just as clear as the outside; fresh and a bit chilly. The ground, despite being made out of fairly rough rock, was fairly flat and not difficult to walk on, and a welcome change from the mud of the outside world. The halls that would usually have been filled with the noises of a caravan resting in one of the off-shoot tunnels or the neighing of a horse were replaced by nothing but a dead silence, save for what the group made themselves.

The path continues up until a corner, before T.K. manages to spot an oddity in the shroud of darkness that would have affected some other races; its silhouette becoming clearer in the amber licks of Scale's torch and Ilyssa's lights, five spiked maws sat across the ground, blocking two paths that led around a stone pillar in the center of the path that split in three directions. Just as T.K.'s eyes land on it, Scale begins to talk with her finger in its direction. "Bear traps by that pillar." She speaks loudly and clearly before Salande can stumble into it, the result of a snake body being clawed at by such things no doubt ugly.

She makes no move to disable it, with T.K. already at the ready with his Unseen Servant, and steps aside as she unrolls the map before her eyes and shoots a glare over at Orich for his words. "There are lots of rooms before the clearing; the clearing breaks off into three separate routes, according to this, and there are lots of other dead-ends where the rooms are." The elf frowns ever so slightly and clears her throat. "Would anybody else prefer to carry the map? I would rather not light it on fire." She says, nodding at the torch in her own hand.

[QuidEst]

There was a pair of loud snaps following T.K.'s instructions to drop a large rock on the traps' pressure plates. No point in tearing up the blanket more than necessary, after all. "You really should consider more efficient ways to get a meal. I haven't bothered looking up what local laws are when it comes to eating intelligent beings, but I would guess at least some jail time is involved. You could get a great deal more food by clearing the route and seeking out some form of payment for your hard work. That would be enough to buy many more meals." He paused for a moment, considering relative market rates for unconventional sources of meat. Three coppers or so for a cat, and that was about three pounds… call half of that "meat"… "Or cats or donkey, I suppose, if you're not picky, although I still wouldn't announce what they were for."

T.K. stepped over, peering at the map. "I'd be happy to take care of the map," he said, taking it to inspect more closely. "Personally, I'd be inclined to sweep the rooms first. If we can find a more complete map before we reach the clearing, it will save time later, and I'd hate to miss anything of value. Does anybody feel pressing ahead would be more productive?" he enquired, glancing around at his companions.

[Frendle]

Orich walks over to the Ratkin with what he hopes is a disarming smile. “Let me see the map.”


He looks at the map in T.K.’s hands, “Not much use past here.” the foul smelling Orc mumbles pointing his clawed finger at the large square room in the upper corner of the map.


Orich turns and addresses the others with a commanding air, “We should look for a better map.” With that he walks back to his place in the front of group resuming the habitual motion of his axe from one shoulder to the other.


Suddenly he stops the axe and places it behind his head across both shoulders. A thoughtful expression, easily confused with another bodily process, takes shape on this unpleasant face. “Why do you think eating an enemy is for staying alive tricky one?”


The huge Orc looks at the impotent bear trap for a few seconds, obviously the wheels of some small machine are tumbling in his thick skull. His face turns a little less thoughtful as he looks again at T.K. “You have not truly defeated an enemy until you have eaten it and turned it to crap.”


Having thus increased T’K’s understanding of one of the philosophical truths of battle, Orich turns and regards the passageways before him. He strides off, “We will search this room first.” he states as he points at first opening past the stone pillar along the left tunnel wall.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa looks disgusted at Orich. "Once your enemy is dead there is no point in eating it. You do not gain anything from it and it is disgusting. It is not like they can hurt you further."

Ilyssa gets down from the wall again. Once her lights disapear she calls them back again. She goes over to the map to look at it as well. "It might waste some time, but we are not in that much of a hurry to go out and search. I am fine with doing it. Some things are better done slowly and surely rather than rushing into the unknown." after having memorized the map as best she can she takes down and straps her shield back on.

Ilyssa glides over to Scale and whisper to her softly:
"What manner of magic are you carrying? You have not told us about it, then again you have not told us much about yourself."

[Hazuki]

The spiked traps were easily defeated by T.K.'s use of magic and rock, despite the loud clanging noise that announced the group's presence with an high-pitched echo for the shadows to hear. Although the few are already pointed out, Scale leans her shoulders against one of the rough walls and kept her gaze in the direction of the pillar with something of an exasperated curl to her lips. "Forgot about that..." She mutters, perhaps in doubt that anyone would hear it as they planned their next move around the given map.

OyzarWith Ilyssa's slight confrontation, Scale's eyes widen ever so slightly as she coughs quietly and goes on her tiptoes to whisper in turn. "A lady can get lonely, at times," Each word was enunciated clearly, but with clear intention of pointing out the innuendo in her phrasing. "And I would thank you not to bring it up with the others, or ever again after this."

The elf's whispered conversation momentarily over with, she approaches the map-watchers with clear intent of discussing something else, as she flashed her smile. "I feel I forgot to mention something; it didn't seem like the Drow cleaned these tunnels, besides the route to the clearing, so the side-rooms have...remains."

[Arden]

Amara was not fond of the idea of straying from the main path. The longer they were in there, the higher their chances of getting caught or injured by a trap, or worse. The group wasn't exactly hardy, nor did they seem to be terribly experienced in these situations.

"I think we should press on," Amara said, "I can't speak for everyone, but I'm not exactly built to endure too much. If the rest of you want to poke around a bit, though, I'll have your backs."

---
After we've begun moving again

Slightly put off by the bear traps, Amara decided she should pay a bit more mind to her surroundings. Situational awareness was not always her strong suit, but it was definitely important. Continuing the walk, she found herself sharply focused, more than usual. Perhaps it was the darkness that enshrouded them; while she could see through it, she could always feel it. She didn't consider herself much of a rogue, or even a night owl, but the darkness always felt comforting to her.

Or perhaps it was just paranoia striking again. Strange new people, strange new place, strange new life. Every step she took was a leap of faith that these companions of hers were leading her in the right direction. But then again, she didn't think they would intentionally walk right into a trap. Whatever the reason was, she now felt keenly aware, and stepped a bit more slowly pulling back towards the rear of the group to fully absorb her surroundings.

She considered offering to take the map. She was good with maps, directions, anything regarding logic really. But the Rat spoke up before she could make up her mind. She watched as Orich snatched it from him and tried to catch a glance at it. It didn't seem very reliable, but Scale had said it was incomplete. She pulled her mind back into her surroundings as they carried on.

Juniper cooed at Amara, then took flight. She circled the group's heads for a little bit before attempting to land on Orich's shoulder. Whether the bird was trying to be friendly or have fun by pissing off the Orc, Amara did not know. She simply looked on to see how this interaction would unfold.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa whispers back to Scale
"Well some of the others probably know how to detect magic as well. It is quite a common spell. So I imagine your secret won't stay hidden for too long."

In response to Scale's comment Ilyssa says. "Well then I am more comfortable with just heading along the main road. Though we will be more suspectible to ambush this way. Maybe your rat can scout around T.K?"

As they set off walking again after clearing out the traps she says. "A lot of my abilities work a lot better if you can see me, so I should probably be somewhere up near the front, though I do not want to run into any traps, so I think staying behind the trap detection is a good idea. You should look my way if I call out to do so to benefit, ok Orich?" Ilyssa follows after Orich, not too many steps behind. She keeps looking around as she walk, wary of further traps.

She falls into a pace beside Salande and s they walk she turns her head to say. "You are staying quite silent. What are you brooding over? You know some magic too right? How did your teachers feel about teaching magic? Or is the skill something that is not thaught but rather something between you and your god?

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is taken aback momentarily, but Corleh had been far more insistant with this kind of questioning. There's no way now he can forget the answer his mentor had finally wrung from him: "Why does it have to be one or the other? It is between Gozreh and me. It is something I was taught. But there is a wise way to go about holding power from our god. Wisdom can be taught. If we listen. It is well that I had wise teachers. Not all wish to give the time and discipline and sacrifice asked of his clerics, but all can benefit from sincerely following his wisdom."

Salande adds that last with sincerity and enthusiasm, but takes a more serious tone when continuing, while holding his holy symbol in his left hand, his spear in his right, and looking right at Ilyssa:

"I imagine you weren't asking to worship Gozreh and his wisdom though. Yes, I can manage some small healing and protection. At the moment though, I'm brooding over how fantastically dangerous these tunnels are. And trying to be mentally prepared. I want my spear to be right there in the middle of any ambush. My mentor didn't just teach me magic. He taught me that preparedness is in the mind, and that a real warrior simply could not be caught unready in mind."

I wonder what she'd be like as one of the faithful. He pushes the thought from his mind, but he can't help but want to make the faith as attractive as he can.

[QuidEst]

T.K. shrugged diplomatically at Orich. "I would rather have my enemy die in an accident while I am not around. Then I will make no new enemies. In the best case, I would have my enemy as an ally. You tried to kill me, and now we work together. A far better arrangement than any number of ways that situation could have played out." The most obvious of these was reporting the Orc to the authorities. Burdened with armor, Orich would not have been able to keep up with him had he made a flat run of it.

He was a little surprised at the reluctance of the others to investigate. Bodies were no great concern to him- he rather suspected that they held more weight to the long-lived elves. Amongst the Ratkin, there was a steady flux of life, constant births and deaths. If that hadn't been enough, many of the necromancers at the academy had required rather specific material components or foci. There was no raising of the dead, of course, but all necromantic magic had some ties with death and pain. Foul, unpleasant magic. Still, one did not remain squeamish for long as a wizard. "We are not here to merely to make progress down the path. If these side-rooms have not been cleared, then they may hold useful information. Perhaps there are goods remaining, or personal affects that can be returned to families. We will not learn much from the main path. If anybody does not wish to investigate these, they are welcome to remain on the main path and keep a lookout."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa responds to T.K. "No matter what we decide I think it is a horrendous idea to split up. We never know when we might run into an amubush or need the abilities of someone else in the group. I think we should vote on where to go. T.K. does have a point, we do learn more by investigating the sides as well. As such I'll return to my original vote of exploring."

[raspberrybadger]

Salande glances at Ilyssa and gives Amara a quick wry smile before facing T.K. and adding "I agree with Ilyssa about splitting up. Perhaps some of us can lay in wait at the entrance to each chamber we investigate. Then the searchers would be where we could see them. We would be safer."

[QuidEst]

Without his noticing, Orich had already started into the side chamber. T.K. sighed, following after as fast as the servant could drag the bag along. "If you are interested in staying together, I think it will be necessary to keep up," he called back, not quite managing to keep the irritation with the impulsive Orc out of his voice. It would have been safer for Orich to keep behind the makeshift trap-springer, but since he weighed at least twice as much as the rocks, it was true that the benefit was limited at best. He swept the chambers, looking for anything useful or, if he were to be honest with himself, valuable.

[Hazuki]

While some of the group resolves to guard the entrance to the passage that Orich and T.K. saw fit to enter, Scale follows them just past the mouth of the room as Orich walks in with slightly more confidence than either of them. The scene that greets their shadow-piercing eyes is nothing short of grim, set far down at the end of the tunnel in a scene of violence ended far too swiftly. Along the halfway mark of the room, sprawled across it with an elegantly-curved sword poking through its gut, is a rotting carcass that has lurked in these caves for months. Although the body's slender limbs and skull mark it as elven, its gender is barely identifiable. Most of the barely-skeleton's outfit seems to have stayed, the only armor a pair of greaves that still adorned its legs, and a tunic clotted with old, dried blood. An empty sheath hangs at its hip.

The flicking flames of Scale's torch land across the body, and her eyes narrow slightly before they travel along the rest of the passage. The lone elf is nothing compared to what lurks at the far end, as a group of at least five other people still rest in their bedrolls, almost peaceful were it not for the clear signs of decay and the clear pools of blood that lie beside them. Each bedroll is set up with large leather packs between them, to serve as a barrier between people, although two bedrolls are empty and one corpse that lies collapsed almost upon another, with a spilled bottle of alcohol in its half-clutched palm and a slip of folder paper that sits beside a small, sharp object.

After scanning the room from afar, Scale speaks up with her jaw slightly clenched. "Looks clear." From what T.K. can see, some of the packs are bulging and one of them is clearly intended for carrying scrolls and other such sensitive documents. Among the rotting bodies, a few pieces of jewelry still rest on their former owners.

[QuidEst]

T.K. frowned, looking at the bodies. It had been a fairly aggressive assault, but there was still jewelry left. Odd. He would expect the Drow to have taken any valuables with them. Superstition, perhaps? A warning? It might even be bait for a trap.

"Drop the bag. Carefully fetch the piece of paper and sharp object by that skeleton and show them to me," he instructed the servant. There was no need to risk springing any traps or catching something from the bodies. "Show me the contents of that pack one by one," he added, after he'd finished examining the objects mentioned.

"I am not familiar with Elvish customs in this matter. Should the articles be taken and returned to the families, left as they are, or something else?" The important thing to understand about Elvish customs was that you couldn't understand them. You never knew if touching the blade in one of the bodies would signify a binding oath of revenge. Ratkin tradition was rather lax about the matter.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa is a bit more careful than Orich, not running ahead of the trap detector. Though of course she weights much more than what it can drag as well so it is only of limited use. She is unwilling to stay and guard the entrance to the sideway as she wants to see for herself what is in the room. She says to Amara and Salande "You two stay here, shout if you notice anything. I'll go with the others to investigate."

Ilyssa let's her lights scatter about to illuminate the bodies, though she stays back a bit as she says. "Death is a part of nature just as life is. There is nothing sacred or to be rewered about the dead. Though of course you should honor and respect the people they once were. The dead have no more use for their weapons. In fact they might aid us against those who were once their enemies. Though of course these look like they were once your kin Scale, so you should say how you feel about the matter. We should be careful though. It seems weird that such a cache is to found so close to the main path, even if the scene is as unsettling as this. Maybe there is something magical here? Ilyssa is quite talkative. She loves people talking. Having grown up constantly learning warious ways to use speech to your advantage she is not shy to use it even when it is not particulary important. Better to say one thing to much rather than leaving something unsaid and create misunderstandings and undeeded conflicts.

Ilyssa waves a hand towards where the dead are laying piled up. "Ui mobi tikil arcaniss esostek di udoka."

Detect magic, again for at least 2 rounds, that is if I find any new auras.

[Frendle]

Orich enters the room as TK catches up with him. I should let the Rat do the work here with his tricksy magic. He waits as TK brings each item over to him, his attention is focused on the jewelry. He has little interest in the blade, it’s not his chosen weapon. Though it might be worth something so it has at least that much value.

When TK puts his question to Scale concerning the disposition of the loot in the room, Orich looks quizzically at the Elf and then at the Rat, “Why would the items here belong to any but the finder?”

Ilyssa’s opinion that the dead have no more use for the loot is a good one. She seems to understand about that at least.

He places one end of his axe on the floor with his right hand and rubs his bristly chin with the other, "We came here to find the lost caravan and clear the tunnel if possible, for risking our lives it seems that any objects found or won along the way should belong to us. My purposes here are my own, and compassion for those fallen is not one of them.” Orich turns back to peer at the objects TK is examining, “It should be enough to those waiting for news that I have come here to help, Scale.” This last Orich says over his shoulder.

“So, do we think this is worth the taking Ratkin?” Orich whispers, believing that his voice will not carry to the others at the door, “I would hate to have to fight the Elf over useless junk. Why did the Drow leave this loot here?”

[Hazuki]

The invisible servant returns dutifully across the cavern, plucking up the small, sharp object and the slip of paper with its invisible appendages and carrying them across the cavern as Ilyssa weaves her magic to detect the presence of others. Although none of the bodies seem to have anything magical on them, she detects that one of the bags has a few faint auras inside it, along with a single moderately-powered one. The servant brings the objects before T.K.'s eyes, the sharp object clearly a dart that slipped away from a wound, and the slip of paper that seems to remain closed with a wax seal. The person this belonged to clearly hadn't had the chance to open it.

"I didn't know these people," Scale began with something of an exasperated expression shot in Orich's expression. "But stealing anything unnecessary for the task at hand would be dishonorable; there are no merchants nearby. Weaponry, armor, and other such equipment are fair for anyone to take, if they intend to be used." The elf's explanation was apparently brief, as she leaned against the wall of the tunnel instead of pushing her point. "As for the Drow, Ser Orc, why do you suppose the Drow don't have equipment of their own? One doesn't make an empire through scavenging."

After allowing T.K. to take the items from its unseen grip, the servant began to return the contents of the document-packed bag one-by-one, dropping them at his feet at the end of each trip in a slow and tedious pattern.

[oyzar]

"Hmm, I could use a better sword, mine is not exactly amazing quality. Though that one over there might just be a normal sword as well. It does not seem to be cursed at least so it is probably at least as good as mine, if not better." Ilyssa points to the sword sticking through the gut of closest elf. She points to the pack where she detected magic "There seems to be some magic items in that pack over there. Maybe your servant could bring them out for examination as well? More magic could definatly prove useful in the times in front of us. Honestly I am not very good at examining neither magic nor mundane items."

Ilyssa studies the items the servant bring forth. "The letter could indicate why they are here. It might inform us better as to what is ahead. Does it have anything written on the outside? If not we won't be able to tell much without opening it."

While the orc and the elf argue Ilyssa is thoughtful. Finally she actually takes the side of the orc in this debate. "We are aiming to help people. This caravan is only the first step in what will hopefully be a longer journy. While it is true that there are no merchants nearby, eventually we will encounter some and if we then can turn the valuables into better equipment we will be able to help more people. I am not saying we should take everything we find. But things that can help us either immeadiatly or in the future are better to bring along rather to leave laying around."

[QuidEst]

"Legō," T.K. muttered, calling forth magic to aid his interpretation of the scrolls. In any language, there was a certain underlying order to magic that showed up in scrolls of spells. And while he could read Elvish without too much difficulty, it would be much easier to interpret any spell scrolls with the stylistic flourishes stripped away.

"The sword is of masterwork quality," T.K. said absently, examining the scrolls as they were held in front of him, his hands clasped behind his back. Weapons and armor were not terribly interesting on the whole. You swung them, they hit things. If it hadn't been for their ease of trade, he would have never bothered with them beyond that knowledge. "I've done enough trade to recognize it as fine Elvish work. Well balanced, recent work. It would probably be best suited to you- it lacks the stopping power of Orc weaponry, but it's more precise. New, it would be about three hundred gold pieces, but like this- less than half that." He continued scanning the scrolls, waving a hand at the sword without looking up. Blood ran off the exposed portion, and it began to regain some of its lustre. "Make that about half- I know a few tricks. By all means, though, let me know if you spot anything magical. I wasn't expecting this in the morning, and I'm not equipped to check any auras at the moment."

The last of the scrolls perused, T.K. took the letter in hand, turning it over to check for writing on the front. "This seal isn't familiar to any of you, is it?" he enquired, showing it to Scale and Ilyssa. "I am not eager to unseal what cannot be resealed later without good reason. Nor will I be party in pawning the jewelry of the dead. The rest, I have no qualms with, but that at least should be returned to the families of their former owners." Jewelry was rarely something one bought for oneself, and generally had a sentimental value greater than the cost of the goods itself. It was difficult to resell, and from a certain cynical stance, returning it was more likely to pay off than selling it.

[oyzar]

A sparkle catches in Ilyssas eyes when the quality of the weapon is mentioned. She manags to restrain herself from heading over to pick up the weapon though, no need to step too close to the dead if one does not have to. "Would you mind getting the sword with your servant? I do not really want to disturb the dead more than necesarry."

[Hazuki]

Throughout Ilyssa's argument, Scale seems to be just a moment away from rolling her eyes, though she does not make any other dismissive actions or move in such a way to block passage. "I won't stop you; but I certainly don't need to approve." The letter that the servant brought over first remains floating in the air for Ilyssa to examine before going about lifting the scrolls for its master. The wax does not seem to be marked by any particular sigil, but a simple circle that would denote either personal use or somebody attempting to remain anonymous.

As T.K. orders his unseen servant to begin unraveling the scrolls for him, a firm hand lands on his shoulder as Scale stares at the floating object. "Tell it to stop. Quickly." She orders the wizard, in no uncertain tone. Anyone gazing at the elf would manage to see her softly trembling bottom lip, and the stance that states her intent to leap away at any moment.

[QuidEst]

T.K. reacted quickly. "Roll the current scroll up again. Place it on the ground. Await further instructions," he ordered the servant. "What is it?" he asked Scale urgently. It better be something important- one did not keep a wizard from opening scrolls lightly. Curiosity was ingrained in them. On the other hand, there were plenty of nasty things that could be lurking on a scroll.

[Hazuki]

A breath that had been apparently been building up in the elf throat is released, as she returns to a more regular stance and scowls down at the scroll, before meeting T.K.'s beady black eyes. "It's a trick that I've only seen the Drow use, because there are too few that survive in individual cases, I suspect. But they use it for war. They place some kind of explosive rune on documents that others might find useful, like maps or scrolls. When the person opens them? Well, the result is a lot messier than that." She finishes the sentence with something of a venomous tongue, as she gestures to the defeated elf. "I wouldn't open a single scroll we find down here. Any magic on it? Leave it or hope to find somebody who can work around which is which."

[QuidEst]

T.K. blinked in surprise. "That's third circle magic," he said. "It takes years of study to even cast that. And they put it on scrolls?" Spellbooks, certainly- plenty of older wizards did that to make sure their secrets were safe. That he could understand. But putting it on scrolls, which were by nature disposable? Well, if they had, it had almost worked. But the trouble of doing so seemed far out of proportion with simple bear traps.

"Res dare pondus fumo*," he cursed under his breath in Draconic. "We'll take them back to the others, then. They won't go off in the sack. Maybe Amara can identify the auras, since it'll register as faint Abjuration. So will a common book ward to protect it from the elements, of course, but those wear off after a few days at best. If there's any Abjuration present, or if we can't get a read, we leave the lot of them and worry about it later."

"Store the scrolls in the pack again. Keep them closed," T.K. ordered the servant. "Then retrieve the sword."

*"The matter is fit only for smoke."

[Arden]

Amara nodded at the curt order of Ilyssa and halted at the entrance. She hoped the group wouldn't stray too far. Juniper returned to Amara's shoulder from Orich, who didn't much seem to notice her presence. The bird chirped and turned to Salande.

"Greetings," the bird said, "have we met?"

Amara looked and listened carefully, but had trouble focusing past the bird talking right into her ear. Instead she turned to Salande, and her manners caught up with her.

"Oh, of course! Salande, this is Juniper. Juniper, Salande."

[raspberrybadger]

Juniper talking is almost a relief. This is like being in class again, talking to an awakened sparrow. He nods his head briefly to the bird and says in a very soft voice "Greetings. I am a servant of The Wind and The Waves. Well met. Hopefully if something comes from out there, you'll hear it and be able to warn us."

[Arden]

The bird tweeted in laughter.

"Yes," she said, "I'm a tad more aware than some others I know." She nudged the shoe-gazing Amara with her wing, prompting her to stand up straight.

"Why else do you think I keep you around?" Amara said light-heartedly. She turned to Salande, feeling a tad more comfortable in small numbers and with the ice broken, "So what brings you here? With the rest of us, I mean."

[Frendle]

Orich looks at the Elf as she glides up to TK, and then takes a step back as it becomes apparent from her words that he was saved some pain if not death. “As I said, it is best to let Spellslingers tend to such things.” Another belching laugh escapes the Orc’s mouth, then he stops and a look of realization passes across his scarred face.


He turns and leaves the room, nervously glancing back over his shoulder as he passes through the opening. When he is clear he looks back onto the opening and in a raised voice asks, “Are the traps set off by opening the scrolls? Why not do what we did with the bear trap and set it off from a distance? Surly the blast is not too big?”


Then he takes a hesitant step back toward the opening with a different look on his face. Greed? “But while you are still in there, we might as well take the jewelry with us. We can decide latter what to do with it.” Says the clever Orc warrior with what might be the first innocent look that his face has ever made.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande waits a moment, then lets the words flow: "I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Gozreh and his faithful have done so much for me. And I'd rather be doing something. I'm no expert myself, but from what people have been saying, I get the idea that if no-one does something, this is going to end poorly for us all - naga, birds, everyone. I thought this would be something doable. It looks riskier than I thought, but hopefully I was right. Then, I'll have done something useful. Hopefully we can bring back some information that will help people make wise decisions. Plus, some respect and money won't hurt."

"What about you?"

[Hazuki]

At T.K.'s surprise, Scale raises something of an eyebrow, even as the scrolls are packed away and he once again speaks in Draconic. "You do realize where we are, don't you? Burrowstone was one of the major trading tunnels, and an excellent target to laden with traps, even after eviscerating those that were inside." She explained, gesturing to the elven corpse as though to punctuate her point, as the servant struggled with the sword before it was finally freed from old bone, and a distinctive snapping sound whipped through the caverns.

Although the sword was freed, briefly, a thin lash wrapped around it faster than anybody could intervene, tugging the blade into the air with spiked edges that could have torn through most flesh. The unharmed servant merely waited for further orders, as the blade swung to and fro before the group. "That being an excellent demonstration of how they fight. With their underground Empire and rarely taking on complete battles, the Drow have time to prepare. Always. If one city has even six mages talented enough to cast such spells, that's six of those scrolls every day for minor effort on their part, and who knows what else?"

[QuidEst]

T.K. frowned and nodded. "The trade route is of much greater priority to them then I expected. I don't doubt that they have mages capable of casting such spells- I would not have expected them to direct their resources towards things like this. It is a valuable lesson in how they think, and I will be more cautious in the future. Thank you," he answered. He flinched at the loud snapping noise of the whip trap, but was careful not to jerk away. Moving too far from the servant would sever his tie with it, and it would dissipate.

He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and tried to find what elements of beauty were present. It was difficult to do so, with his initial optimism for a peace agreement slipping away. The only beauty left was bait for traps. Still, it was beauty. You could not bait a trap with something foul.

"Well, Orich, you are free to pick up anything here yourself if you are feeling particularly… nimble. The jewelry will be returned, and I'm sure the owners will be grateful to you for risking yourself to restore some remembrances to them. As for the scrolls, that is a clever solution.Regrettably, it is a lupa of a spell, and doesn't go off unless you read the contents. You can destroy it, but then you have no scroll. It takes third circle magic to get rid of it- far beyond what I can manage." The approach was clever, for somebody who didn't know about the spell. The suggestion to take the jewelry and decide later was rather transparent, but it was an attempt nonetheless. He was rather creative for somebody who tried to eat strangers.

"I am beginning to see the wisdom of the others in continuing without detours, however. If we cannot sort out a safe map from the bag of scrolls, we will have to do without one." T.K. scanned the room for anything they were missing, but there was nothing he cared to risk more traps over. "Take the sword down. If you cannot, tug on it in every direction and jostle it," he instructed the servant. At the very least, it might set off any other traps on the thing.

"We can come back later when we are better prepared. Bring some ropes. Have an unseen servant tie them on to anything of interest, and we can pull it out. Keeps everybody well away from any potential traps." As he said this, T.K. fished about in his pack, pulling out a piece of chalk. He began writing on the wall in large letters, big enough that they could be read at a distance. Traps: razor lash on sword. Explosive runes (?) There. Even if the Drow came back, setting any explosive runes on the warning would be pointless. It could be read outside the blast range. If the warning was removed, they would know the Drow had returned, and he would have a definite scent for Romulus to learn.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa takes the sword from the invisible servant when it comes forth with it. She murmurs "Si vern inglata si mi svern ekess thric bensvelk." while sweeping her hands along the blade. Blod, gore and dirt falls off the rest of the blade. Once completly clean she grabs it by the hilt and swings it back and forth twice to get a feel for the blade. "This is indeed well made. I am quite surprised we found something like this here. Now if we could deal with the scrolls apropriatly this sidetrack will have worked out very well. I am not sure if just leaving them here for unwary travellers to run into would be wise though. You never know, but we might get use for them at some point. Not all challenges are best solved by straight up confrontation nor by words alone."

Ilyssa turns towards T.K. The ratkin had been speaking quite a lot, now it was her turn to return the favour. " I do not have great knowledge of this spell, but it should be safe as long as we handle the scrolls properly right? I do not agree that it is good idea to stop with the detours. We survived now, and we can only learn from future such encounters. That will make us better able to handle other things we might meet. Death is as likely to await following the straight path as the crocked one, but if we check the sidepaths we won't miss as much. The main disadvantage to continue with detours is of course the point of time. We do not have infinite time to dwandle around looking at corpses. As for comming back with ropes, some of us came already prepeared and I do have ropes here in my backpack. Though there seem to be little here so heavy that the servant can not carry it by itself."

I have to get a scabbard for this later. It is not practical to just strap a bared weapon to my backpack, I guess I'll have to just carry it for now. She looks at the contents scattered about by the illusionary force then at her companions. "I think we should head back to our companions instead of bothering with all the stuff in the backpacks. We can bring the sealed letter and the scrolls with us, as well as this sword of course. The remaining things can stay to follow the elvish traditions of honoring the dead. If she says that it is better to leave them than to bring the things with us, I doubt that their kin would like us comming with their loved ones' belonings. While the things might be useful at some point, we are better off with everyone being happy at the decisions we make."

Ilyssa turns as if to leave, waiting to see if the others are ready to leave before moving back to the two waiting further back where they came from. She surveys the scene one final time. There she notices the empty scabbard that obviously once contained the sword How foolish can I be, there is a scabbard right there. "Would you mind asking your servant to retrive the scabbard for the sword as well T.K? It would be nice to have something to carry this in..

Spell:Prestidigitation

[Frendle]

Orich looks hopefully at T.K. “I have rope now.” Then he shakes his head. No, it is better not to die for trinkets. Not when the Clan Leadership will be mine.

“If we need to go on to the end, then let us go. No good to die of Drow tricks.” Orich looks at Scale, “Elf trinkets are not shiny enough for that. I don’t want to end up as a trap, I have other things to be.” The big Orc turns to face down the tunnel, “Much better things.” He mumbles to himself as he begins his ritual motion from one shoulder to the other. A grin full of fangs breaks out on his hideous face and he licks his left tusk.

Orich turns his head slightly back toward the group, “Let us go.”

[raspberrybadger]

Hearing Orich, Salande says cheerfully "Sorry, would have loved to hear your answer, but it sounds like we've got to go."

He can't help but wonder what she would have said, but he knows he doesn't really know.

[Arden]

What about you? Amara doted on the question for a long while. Memories of her mother bombarded her mind as she tried to push the thoughts away. Eventually, she found herself victim to an uncomfortable silence as she took a step back and looked to her shoes. Even Juniper didn't have anything to say, avoiding eye contact with the Half-Orc.

She snapped back to attention at Salande's cheerful tone. Looked like they were on their way again. Good, Amara thought. She wanted to be able to confide in the group, to prove that she could be trusted. But this... she didn't really know how to start. So instead, she proceeded onwards with the rest of her group.

[QuidEst]

T.K. finished issuing the last few instructions to his servant, including fetching the scabbard. One of the smaller rocks was removed from the blanket, and the satchel full of scrolls put on the top. "All right. Everybody stay back with me as we return. I don't expect to run into any traps, but if we do, it could potentially set off any explosive runes on the scrolls. Pretty much guaranteed to be at least as unpleasant as the trap itself."

Fortunately, they made it back without further difficulty. It would have been a shame to lose the contents of the satchel without even reading them, after all.

"The bear traps we saw earlier were to lure us into a false sense of security. The actual traps are far more elaborate and deadly, I'm afraid," T.K. explained to the two who'd remained behind. "On that matter, actually… Amara- perhaps you are better prepared than I am. I did not expect to be traipsing through trapped subterranean trails this morning, and neglected to prepare any spells to identify auras. Ilyssa can cast it, but not with the precision necessary to differentiate different kinds of auras. If you can, it would be exceedingly helpful to determine what in this bag contains a minor aura of Abjuration. We have reason to believe some of the scrolls have explosive runes set on them. I'd rather not throw out the whole barrel for one bad apple," he explained, ordering the servant to carry the improvised bag over to her.

[Arden]

Amara listened intently to the verbose T.K., and was thrilled to find a chance to prove herself. Luckily, she prepared the appropriate spell today. After taking a deep breath in focus, she rubbed her hands together and whispered the Elven form of the incantation. This is how she was taught.

"T.K.," Amara said, once the spell was cast, "would you ask your servant to lay out the items before me? I need to see them individually to pick up which aura belongs to which item."

Spell: Detect Magic

[QuidEst]

T.K. nodded, again instructing the servant to lay out all the scrolls, this time keeping them closed. It was unbelievably handy having the spell active. Up until now, it had mostly been a matter of convenience, allowing him to focus on his studies better and to impress the "uninitiated," as some of the more arrogant members of the college had called them.

"Thank you. I confess, my curiosity would reprimand me to no end if I left the whole bag behind. Oh-" he said suddenly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the sealed letter. "This as well. It's sealed, but not a difficult seal to replicate- or one generic enough to replace a more elaborate one."

[raspberrybadger]

Salande keeps a careful watch as everyone starts moving again. Perhaps its just the uncomfortable silence he wasn't supposed to fill with words, but he's worried there might be someone sneaking around in here. He tells himself Didn't we already decide there wouldn't be drow this far out?, but he still worries.

When it's time to look at auras, he looks around and says "I'd not be any good at identifying things, but I might as well take a look at the auras." His voice shifting slightly in emphasis but not really much in tone, he says softly but audibly "I thank you, Gozreh, for your wisdom and provision." Then, he adds the draconic words for invoking detect magic.

[Arden]

Amara nods in response, but doesn't open her mouth to respond. The gears in her head are turning in an attempt to ascribe a school of magic to each of the items before her. She's a tad more excited than she cares to show, if these scrolls aren't dangerous, she could potentially learn a thing or two from them.

[Hazuki]

Scale came back to the first tunnel along with the rest of the exploration group, looking out along the paths they would soon take rather than watching the proceeding events, and having little to comment on the distribution and identification of scrolls. Amara's magic worked around herself, while Salande's worked to detect that the scrolls did, indeed, exist and had auras. "Nobody's shown up since the clang of the bear traps; did you hear anything?" The elf turned her head to look at the party members who guarded the passage.

AmaraTwo scrolls have a faint aura of Transmutation, one has a faint aura of Divination, one has a faint aura of Abjuration, and another has a faint aura of Enchantment.

Scale has a faint aura of Illusion somewhere on her person.

Salande
Scale has a faint aura of magic on her person.

[raspberrybadger]

"Nothing. But...ambush people are not like to talk loudly. Just to be convenient to us. We're ready to move now, yes?"

[oyzar]

Ilyssa came with the group who had went further in back to the ones waiting. On the way to them she fastened the scabbard to her backpack. "It is great to see you again." She flashes a broad smile at salande and Amara. "We found quite the sight. Apparently there were a group of elves there who were killed in their sleep. The campsite was then left trapped. I got this very nice new sword. She shows off her new sword, still in her hand, more wary of danger after the scene in the sidetrack.

"If it was not for T.K.'s servant the trap that guarded it would likely have gotten off my head though. The sword and those scrolls seemed like the most useful things and we did not want to disturb the dead too much to follow elven custom. We were lucky to escape with our lives, especially if some of those scrolls are indeed trapped. I can understand if people do not want to take more detours after this. Though seeing as we did not suffer a scracth and came from it more prepeared to face further challenges I would not mind seeing what the other side tunnels offer either."

Seeing as the lights flickered out already she dances then back into being again. Sensual dance movements pleasing to the eye also makes the party able to see further into the darkness as the lights scoot ahead once they start moving again. "Vaeri mitne ekess kontzu'kre wer idol".

Spell:Dancing Lights

[Arden]

"Hmm," Amara said before pointing to the scroll whose aura warned of Abjuration, "That one. Could someone mark that one off? With a ribbon or some ink? It has traces of Abjuration. This one emanates Enchatnment, this one Divination, and these last two Transmutation." She gestured towards each respective scroll.

She looked up and around the group, paused for a second to lock eyes with Scale. She didn't like the idea of secrets, but Amara hadn't been terribly forthcoming about herself lately either. Her eyes flickered to Salande who she knew had cast the same spell, and would surely know that Scale had had at least something on her person.

"We should pack these back up," she continued, "I'd love to dive into these, as probably would the rest of you. But, as Salande said, we ought to keep moving."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa takes her sword arm out of the strap holding the backpack to her back so she can swing the backpack down on top of her shield. Then she opens it and retrives a bit of string, cutting off enough with her sword to tie around the scroll. She replaces the backpack on her back and wanders over to Amara to tie it to the scroll before handing the scroll back to the witch.

"There you go. I think it is a waste to not know which resources we have at our disposal, in emergency situations we might need to use those scrolls. It won't take long to identify which spells they are. Though just to be safe, maybe they should be read a bit away from the rest of us, that way we avoid any accidents hitting all of us. I do not know how to read scrolls though, T.K. might be up to the task though, he seemed excited enough about them earlier."

Ilyssa makes the lights fly over to T.K. to make it easier for him read the contents of the scroll. After he is done, if reading them is what he does, she says. "Let your servant lead the way again. Running into any of those beartraps unaware would be painful." She then takes up position after the servant and after Orcih, assuming he does take the lead, aiming to fall in line with Salande again. The dancing lights continue to scoot back and forth to keep a lookout for things the party might miss in the darkness.

Walking beside him Ilyssa brings up a matter she probably should have known from the teachings of Gozreh back home. The impulsive woman had never paid too much attention to religion, but seeing as she is travelling with a cleric it's at least a good idea to know how he thinks. "So the grusome scene back there made me think of something. How does Gozreh view death? I always thought it was just as natural part of existence as life. Scales comments make me think the elves view it differently though."

[raspberrybadger]

For a second, Salande starts wracking his brains as if this were a test question, but then asks himself what Corleh would have said. First, he would have thought This is about her, not the official answer. Then, well, no idea what he would have said, but he'd have tried. Corleh would have put an arm on a shoulder, but that's out of the question here, so Salande settles for taking a step closer and looking Ilyssa straight in the eyes before saying "Death simply is. Some teach more. Gozreh doubtless knows far more. But wisdom starts with seeing that the birds of the sky die, the grass of the field dies, we die. To struggle against this as if it were a trap, or to rage against it and seek to bring it to people before their time... is to remain trapped. Death is, whether we accept it or not. But if..."

Salande pauses, having intended to say you, but catches himself, somewhat less smoothly substituting

"...someone fears death... not necessary. If death is not a trap to be escaped, then it is not a trap - and then we are free to be sent on. Here, some other place, it matters not. If I have a purpose still, then I am free. If I am free, there will be a job for me to work. The world is far, far, bigger than us. But, we are part of it. Death is part of it. I don't know if they left life trying to cling to it with swords, as if you could do that. I don't know if they left life knowing death was something that happens, trying to do their jobs until then. So I don't know what happened to them. But I do know those who bow to Gozreh can see death and see a leaf, carrying the rain somewhere else. The life of a falling raindrop is over, but only to become somewhere else. Does a raindrop fear this? Neither do we."

What he began with total seriousness, with the timbre of his mentor's voice in his head, he ends with warmth, with the laugh of a happy Ilyssa pulling him onwards. He's not sure she wants to worship Gozreh, but he's sure she'd be happier.

[QuidEst]

T.K. took the scrolls eagerly. He instructed his servant to continue its slow march forward, and told Romulus to keep an eye out for him. A small nip for something important, and a bite for anything urgent. The rat clambered up to his shoulder, keeping a lookout for any traps in his immediate path that the servant missed.

He paused before he bagan reading, and nodded slowly. "Death is an ugly thing. There is no beauty in it, and any dignity comes from the life of what lived. Without death, however, there would be no beauty. All thing would have always been, and would always be, and all would be taken for granted. Life is lived in opposition to death- we try to prolong those things that we find beautiful, because we know they will not last if we do not." Pawning off the jewelry of the dead elves would have been to take away the only beauty and dignity left to their names.

His own piece spoken, he returned to the scrolls, muttering, "Legō," as he did so. The letters on the first scroll of transmutation shifted slightly, becoming more legible. He'd leave the enchantment scroll for last- nasty, clingy magic that was.

[Hazuki]

The gathered group trudges onwards through the cave, as they chatter amongst themselves in talk of philosophy, save for a scant few, and their steps echo softly as they pound against the smooth stone beneath them. Scale, apparently recovered from her brief bout of stress in the passage, makes sure to stay somewhere near the front of the group to keep a good eye on wherever the path may lead them next. As a corner is turned, the Unseen Servant bobbing dutifully along ahead, a sudden gust of wind blows through the old trading tunnel and reminds them of the remarkably fresh air that blows through every inch of stonework, a combination of both stonework and natural boring.

While the breeze softly distracts most of the party, T.K. spots a particularly brittle seeming surface of rock whose pattern differs slightly from the stonework that surrounds it. With the danger pointed out, whatever lurked beneath the brittle ground left to discover later if they so wished, they crossed it one-by-one through use of the ledges that protruded from the walls. After a quick glance over the following hall, they approached with a tad more firmness in their step at having conquered most traps the tunnels had in store for them, and the lack of significant landmarks told them that no such thing awaited them at the next branching path.

Their safety was misplaced, however, as they came to cross the area that would lead them across and each individual felt their eyes drawn to the ground they trod on. Not solid ground, but stonework that was laid in a pattern of criss-crosses, with dank water that shimmered only from Scale's torchlight beneath. Their reflection gazed up at them, simply. Scale seemed to wobble slightly as she looked into the water, while T.K. showed no apparent effects from their simplistic reflections. Something tingled behind the minds of the orc-kin, but it was barely a tickle to be noticed.

Salande & Ilyssa
Gazing into the pool is perhaps the worst thing you have ever done, you fear, as the reflection of your skin and scales slowly seems to deteriorate, with the amber flames of Scale's torch the fire that strips away your flesh. Each inch pulled off reveals muscle, beneath strips of which lay your festering bones that wriggle and crack in a putrid reflection of yourselves. Your identities stripped away, until even your face is just a twisted picture of hate, that comes to bear as your rotting reflections leap upon your comrades to slaughter them with tearing hands and crushing tails.

Salande is Frightened for [roll0] rounds. The only action you can take is fleeing.

Ilyssa is frightened for [roll1] rounds. The only action you can take is fleeing.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa is slithering along the path, vary of their surroundings after the numerous traps they have encountered so far. Then she looks down. What is this? Death is part of nature, but I still do not want to die! I have so much to acomplish. I should be pretty, not some ugly skeleton. I have to get away! She heaves her body over in a massive movement a heavy thump as her massive frame hits the floor after moving around. She builds up speed to get away from the horrible pool peeling of her skin, her very being. The naga builds up speed by moving her tail from side to side. She builds up enough speed to keep traction even along the walls, she wheezes past the wall along the wall above the previous trap barely needing handholds as the speed generated is enough to keep her in place.

She slows down as she reaches the fork where they turned off towards the elven massacre. She looks down her body to confirm that her flesh, muscles and scales are still there. Everything seems to be in order. Why am I running? I am still all in one pice. Was it all an illusion? What a horrifying sight. Being reduced to a fleshless skeleton is almost worse than death itself. She turns to look back towards where the rest of the party is. Hmm, I wonder what happened to the rest? Are they still ok?

[raspberrybadger]

When the fear hits, Salande flees the pool, the traps he knows to be dangerous, and the drow he already feared ahead. That leaves the mysterious branching path. That he doesn't know anything dangerous there doesn't reduce his fear one bit, but he's got to keep moving. When something goes odd like that, you don't just stand there, you get away.

[Frendle]

AS the group moves off down the tunnels, Orich ponders the discussion about death. None of them seems to understand much about it. It’s just the end, I know some say we end up somewhere after we die, but that seems dumb. We die because something kills us, and avoiding that something is my religion…. The great ugly Orc humfs a chuckle out from between his tusks.

“Death means not getting out of the way of my axe in time, and the beauty of that is for me to see, because you are dead.” Orich let out a sharp “Ha!” and then chuckles to himself in that deep throated gargling way of his as he walks along behind the Rat’s bag.

His chuckling is brought to a quick halt when TK shouts a warning. “Ah, good.” Again the Rat proves useful. I was right about that at least. Even if I can’t seem to see any of these traps before I step on them. When the way around is pointed out, Orich shimmies across, thankful, at least for now, that he hasn’t acquired any plate armor. That would be a nasty ledge with all that metal on me. Still…… wish I had some…. Orich slips into a day dream of battles won as weapons glance off his beautiful black steel armor.

Waking from his reverie, Orich looks down to see his reflection through what looks like a wooded grate spanning some water. Ugh, what is this? Blood and guts this is a bad place to stand….. wait, no, there is something wrong with this. Is it real? At that moment the two Nagas let out a duet of screams and bolt back down the passageway from which they had all just come.

Orich’s jaw drops open at the display, “Huh, look at that.” He rubs his head with his left hand forgetting to let go of the axe before he does. A sound like a coconut being hit with a hammer echoes after the screaming Nagas. The dumb brute grunts in annoyance, “Ouch.”

[Arden]

Amara toed her way down the path carefully, a combination of luck and skill guiding her through safely. She was taken aback when the two Naga slithered away in fear. Instincts told her to go after them, but they'd gone in different directions. She chose the one with whom she'd had a bit of conversation with. Perhaps Salande would be in trouble the way he was headed, down that mysterious passage. Without so much as a second thought as to who might follow her, Amara dashed onward to assist however she could.

[QuidEst]

T.K. chuckled a little at Orich's stated view on death. "A somewhat narrow definition, I would think. Suppose an Elf wanted you dead. They could just wait somewhere where you are not. In time, you are dead and they are not. No axes."

The journey progressed with a few pauses, a few carefully avoided traps, and little progress on the scrolls. It was too risky looking through while walking along. The scroll was for heavy lifting. Useful, although not exactly the sort of thing to help out down here unless the cave roof collapsed or something.

They arrived at an odd stone area, water sitting in grooves. T.K. was still busy trying to work out what purpose it could serve when two of their party suddenly shrieked and started fleeing. "Fumo," he cursed. They were running back towards a trap and into the unknown. "Anybody who is not being compelled, wait!" he snapped, although Amara had already started running after one of them.

"Munito mē," he said, casting a protective layer of force on himself.

Mage Armor cast.

[Hazuki]

The elf known as Scale continues to stare at the stonework beneath the group's feet, as the Naga slither away in a panic and some of the group give chase, while T.K.'s surprising snap echoed harshly against the walls surrounding them. She didn't speak for a few moments yet, besides a slight shudder as she watched Ilyssa's trail. "Drow likely put this here." She told whoever remained on the grate, as she withdrew an arrow from her quiver and uses its feathers to poke at the water. "Crafty."

As she poked the water, a slam echoed from the path Salande slithered down.

Salande
The clerical fellow's path sent him careening into the darkness which his eyes could pierce, his scales easily sliding across the smooth stone as he barreled down the tunnel, but in his fright did not feel the soft bump beneath his tail that finished with a distinct turning of mechanisms. As his form came to the end of the tunnel, his perseverance finally pushing past the brief bout of fear, the wicked click was followed by a scale-startling slam, and a brief glance behind revealed that a wall had appeared behind him, perfectly fitted for the tunnel's walls.

Salande's eyes came back to the end of the tunnel before him, and rested on what seemed to be a person wrapped tightly in a velvet green cloak. Only their lips peeked out from the hanging hood, as they were curled up in the corner. Though mostly unmoving, the figure's hand slightly twitched, before rising to a pair of pale lips. The figure was asking for silence.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande:

Whatever the reason, the shock is the end of Salande's enforced terror, and the resumption of rational thought: Wait - who? what? why silent? cut off. Loud. So what to be silent from? Makes no sense. Enemy? Didn't stop me. But then why by the wall?

Salande is nervous enough to just about stab this guy right here and now, but confusion is simply not an acceptable reason to start a fight, and he knows it. Instead, he gives the figure a silent nod. Still, while he remains silent, he's not let his guard down either, and he makes sure his spear is ready for action. Until there's a sign of hostility, what he needs is information. What is this guy? Is there anything else on this side? What's with the wall, can it be lifted?

[Hazuki]

SalandeThe figure seems to accept Salande's nod with a brief nod of its head, though it makes no move to approach, as it speaks in a soft, androgynous whisper. "Don't let them know we're trapped, or they'll bring death." Tucked between two barrels, the figure's arms shift again and point to half of a crushed arm-bone that sticks out from beneath the door. "Are you scared of it? Death? I am. That's why I hid in this spot...waiting." Looking along the figure's gesturing arm, Salande can make out an unhealthy pallor to their skin that, although not famished, shows they've clearly not been eating healthily.

[Arden]

Amara ignored T.K.'s command and continued down the hall after Salande, but the snake had gotten a head-start and was not appearing to slow down. Despite her best efforts, Amara could not seem to catch up, and just as she thought she was closing the distance a wall crashed into place in front of her. Amara found herself at a dead end. Hastily, she looked around for anything that might help her bypass this wall.

Perception:
[roll0]

[oyzar]

Ilyssa peers into the darkness, she appears to be alone. Well I better get back to the others, there is no saying what is out here. Damn all this talk of death have made me all skitterish. I better find my courage again, how will I otherwise be able to inspire others in battle? She turns around to get to where the others are. Passing the trap again she is again careful to manover past using the ledges. I do not know what this is, but it likely is nothing pleasant. I do not want to trigger another trap. She moves at a hustle afterwards to catch up with the others.

As she comes back to the trap area she sees that there are still people there, however some are missing. "That was horrifying, did you not see it? It seemed like my reflection disintegrated and attacked you all, but you are still here, so it was obviously an illusion. Where is Salande, was he hit by the same thing, and Amra as well? We need to find them."

Having hurried to come back to the group she had not bothered with lights, but if they are going to look for something, the better light might help out. She moves her body fast from side to side to spawn the dancing lights again. The dance does not look as inviting when she got her weapons drawn, but a rose with thorns is also attractive. "Vaeri mitne ekess kontzu'kre wer idol".

[Frendle]

Still rubbing his skull Orich looks down the tunnel which Salende bolted, “Well, that sound can’t be about anything good. Not for the snake at least.” I suppose I should go down there and see what happened.

“Well tricksie one, Elf, I’m going to go that way.” Orich points his muscled arm down the tunnel. “Join me?”

With that he runs following the half-orc down the tunnel, peering into the darkness ahead for any pits or other sprung traps.

Run at full move x2
[roll0] Perception

[Arden]

After frantically searching for something to remove this barrier between Salande and herself, Amara spotted something on the wall next to it. Oh no, Amara thought, I'm no good with key mechanisms.

She approached the wall, looking for something she could pull or turn to release the barrier. She heard the pounding footsteps of Orich approach from down the passage and only glanced over to confirm that it was him. Amara pointed to the barrier next to her.

"Salande is trapped behind this wall," Amara said, "there's some sort of device here. I think it might be able to release the barrier, if I can just figure out how it works."

[QuidEst]

T.K. sighed resignedly. People dashing about wasn't going to do anything. He walked. "I'm glad you are all right, Ilyssa. I did not see anything in the water, and my reflection seemed normal enough." He walked over to the dead end and rapped sharply on it. "If you can hear this, please respond in kind," he called, cupping his hands tightly against the wall and speaking directly into them. It would help the sound carry through, and prevent it from carrying as much to the surroundings. "Romulus, kindly take this and see if you can find another way through," he instructed his familiar, tearing off a piece of paper and writing a brief message on it. Rolling up the piece, he tied it around the rat's hind leg carefully. "If you can bring back a message, please do."

Written message: "On other side of wall. Status?"

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is more than a little frustrated. Nothing makes sense. When T.K.'s call comes, Salande figures that any point in silence is gone, so he says loudly "I can."

He gives an apologetic shrug at the mysterious figure, says (still loudly, because he's frustrated) "Can you explain what is going on here?", and then makes a serious attempt at destroying the wall by drawing on Gozreh's power over growth and then applying brute force.

Large size and +2 str -2 dex for one round, Strength check 1d20+5. Unlikely to work on a stone door, but Salande is frustrated.

[Frendle]

Orich leans against the wall. “So Tricksy, will your rat be able to lift the wall from the other side?” He snorts some unmentionable stuff from his nostrils. “Maybe we should see if the Elf can open the lock?”

“Or maybe the Halfblood and I should try to lift it up, or break it down.” Orich stands up to his full height and several cracks and snaps can be heard from his joints. He looks Amara in the eye and then places his Axe on the ground with a wary eye toward the Elf. From his belt he removes one of his hand axes and tries to wedge it a bit under the door to get a purchase for his claws.


If I am joined by Amara then add +5, otherwise:

[roll0]

[Hazuki]

"I saw no illusion." Scale replied to Ilyssa as the Naga returned with no apparent shame in her pose, and soon skulked away to follow T.K. into the tunnel that their comrade of slithering divinity had disappeared into with a burst of fear. She inspects the immediate area in the licks of amber light given from her torch, shimmering across the mechanism in particular, and gives a light shrug in response. "I'm no locksmith, but they normally come with a key." She offers, using the tip of her boot to adjust a half-crushed bone that seems to have been obliterated and split clean by the slamming stone wall.

Orich's hands find nothing to grip beneath the door, fitting perfectly with the floor so much so that not even air would be able to get through. The sound of Salande attempting to force open the door vibrates through it, but again the stone doesn't budge. Romulus soon returns with T.K.'s note firmly attached, unable to find a path through the tunnels that would allow it to deliver the message. A soft breeze brushes through the tunnels, along with a sharp windy whistle.

Salande"The Drow came...they're still out there, I think, waiting for people to wander into their traps. Can't move from this spot, didn't when they put in that door." The figure continues to speak, though its hands noticeably tighten as Salande attempts to force open the stonework. "Maybe they saw me. One of them was crying, when his armor broke. The door fell and crushed his leg, they carried him away, and she unlocked the door for him." Despite his best attempts, the door doesn't budge an inch under his strength. "There's iron in the stone..."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa follow the others into the corridor with the impassable barrier. She brings along her lights to better be able to see what is going on and looks around for any clues beside the lock mechanism to get through. She surveys the party, Salande is obviously trapped on the other side. She raises her voice so the the trapped naga can hear her. "What is going on, are you unhurt? What do you see on the other side? Is there anything of note there? Does the tunnel continue or end in a dead end?

Not knowing what to expect except the unexpected Ilyssa checks if there is anything magical in the area. "Ui mobi tikil arcaniss esostek di udoka."

She looks around at the remaning partymembers. "I do not want to just leave him there, but at the same time the odds of us finding a key around here are small. Unless there actually is something right around here or if there clues on the other side we probably have to go searching for a key. If we do that, we probably want to check all the sidepaths and not just straight ahead. Now would be a good time to check if there is something in those scrolls to help us out T.K.
Spell:Detect Magic
[roll0]Perception

[Frendle]

“Well,” the frustrated Ork leans against the door, “it won’t be lifted.”


This is not good, we are stuck here with one of our party on the other side. I think we should just leave and continue on with….


Orich ends his thoughts as a whistle is heard in the tunnels.

“Ach, did anyone else hear that?” Orich nervously moves toward the open end of the passage from which they just came. “Either we leave here and look for a key as the Snake says, or leave here and continue. One way or the other, I think we are about to get in a fight.”


With that the Orc places his left shoulder next to the tunnel wall, holds his Double bladed axe in his left hand and gets his hand axe ready to throw. His eyes dart back and forth between the party and the end of the passage. “Might be time to prove you can use that sword Elf.”


Ready action: Throw axe when anyone comes in view at end of tunnel. Standing 10' from end of tunnel if possible.

[Arden]

Amara was confused at the Orc's warning of battle; she'd only heard the wind. Regardless, she took his word for it and readied her spear, peering into the passage from which they'd come. Her mind on two things at once, she took to speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Maybe Scale's right," she said, her eyes focused down the corridor, "there's probably a key to this door somewhere. Hopefully on the corpse of some long dead guard. We should try checking more of the side passages."

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is less frustrated despite his inability to deal with the situation. At least he tried something. Plus, the other person here is now less of a nervewracking mystery and more of a crazy annoyance. He replies in a loud, controlled voice, "Unhurt, but I can't break the wall. I tried. There's nothing here. Dead end, short. Someone crazy too, trapped here, says drow have been this far before. I say they are more likely than not to come, reset the trap. Ambushing them is probably far safer than being ambushed. At least you know the terrain here. Plus, they would have to have something to lift the wall to reset it."

Turning to the crazy person, he says in a softer voice, trying for a gentle reassuring tone, "Hey, how long after the trap went down did it take the drow to come? If we can catch them, we can get you out, and it would be safe for you to leave."

[QuidEst]

T.K. considered the possibility of ambush, but not for very long. "It could be suicidal. If they really are slipping explosive runes into common spells scrolls, then they have powerful magic at their disposal. Although…" He paused, considering a possibility he hadn't thought of yet. "Inside- is there any recess you can shelter in? If we don't miraculously find a key very soon, I can attempt to detonate the scroll remotely and blast through the wall- but only if you can shelter from potential rubble." If it was only a scroll of an abjuration spell, then it would be no loss- they couldn't risk reading it, and they would be no worse off for trying. He didn't have a great deal of hope for finding a key. Unless it were bait to a trap, why leave it? And why use the genuine article as bait?

[raspberrybadger]

Salande gives a sharp twitch at the thought of an explosive solution. His reply is, if anything, louder than before: "No place to hide here. Things are by the wall. If we can explode things, why not use that to ambush? Not likely to help, but I'm going to be impolite here and search the barrels here, just in case there is something useful."

Salande goes on to do just that. He'll offer a soft "Excuse me, I'm going to look here for something useful.", feeling stupid for saying something that lame, but not really wanting to think too much about the internal state of the crazy person.

[Hazuki]

"Nobody would be happy with exploding the tunnels, no matter how sturdy the Drow built them." Scale offered as a titbit, as she knelt beside the keyhole and peered in, her torch held at just the right angle not to burn her hair off. "Perhaps one of you," She looked to T.K, Ilyssa, and Amara. "Have a spell that could let us take a mold, of some sort, of the lock?"

Salande
The figure inches up against the wall ever so slightly as you approach to rumble through the barrels, all of their lids pushed to the side. Getting closer, you see a few rocks laid out beside the figure, and you notice that the barrels are filled only with a few outfits and tools that somebody expecting a few obstacles would carry; a pickaxe, a pair of wrought scissors meant to cut through thick vines, and other such things. There are a few empty food wrappers inside, along with emptied waterskins.

"There's not much left..." The figure mutters, fingering the hood of their cloak slightly and peeking at what you're doing as a soft glow comes to something clasped in their hand, cascading through their fingertips to light up the room that had been in complete darkness. "We were meant to get more food in Burrowstone, and only had enough for a week."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa guides her lights towards the kneeling elf so she does not have to worry about using the torch to see what is there. She then goes over and peers at the lock. "Sure" she says and waves her hand towards the lock to produce a blue material that slowly seeps into the lock to create a mold of the key. The material is not very strong and it is flexible enough that it can be removed. The material floats out as lifted by an invisible force. Two more layer of material slowly first around the flexible material taken out of the lock, one on each side They can then be taken off and what remains is a hole similar to a key. "Hopefully we can get him out now, if not I think we are better off trying to look for a key rather than trying to lay in ambush or to try to blow up the tunnel. I don't like just leaving him there either.".

She raises her voice to Salande can hear her. "Who is this person on the other side? Where is he from and what is doing here? Why do you say he is Crazy? The wall was not down when you came running, so how come he stayed there? Can you ask him to shout so we can hear his answers?"

Spell: prestidigitation, still active from the earlier casting.

[QuidEst]

"Not blowing up the tunnel! Goodness, no. The force of the blast might not even be enough to knock the door out of its track. It's going to be the weakest point in the system, since everything else is solid tunnel wall. But if they can't move to safety behind there, I wouldn't want to risk it," he explained. He knew better than to go collapsing tunnels left and right, especially while he was in them.

T.K. frowned, thinking about her request. "Making a mold of the lock- or rather, a cast with the lock as a mold- is easy enough. The trouble is that the lock is not a mold, and thus we cannot break it apart to get at the cast. Pulling the cast out would destroy it in the process. You would have to-" he started to say, but then stopped suddenly as it dawned on him. "Of course. I'm a fool. You would have to teleport it out. Which, most other wizards would tell you, is magic on a level equivalent to that of blowing up the door. But…" T.K. stepped up to the lock, pressing his hand against it, and concentrated. The shape he wanted to make was a ring around his finger connected to as much stuff as could fit inside the lock itself. After a few seconds, he was done. "… I happen to have a bit of a trick to that," he said, suddenly standing two yards back and pulling the cast ring off his finger. "I will turn this over to you, Scale, since I know very little about the workings of locks beyond the necessity of a key."

[raspberrybadger]

Salande knows he's getting defensive, which is all too easy for Ilyssa to provoke, but he still shouts back "Of course. It makes no sense. I call it crazy. He wanted me to be quiet. I'll try. I think he's from a caravan that got attacked. He's actually got a pickaxe, of all things. Which I wasn't expecting until I checked. That's a slow way out, if nothing else works."


The glow and the general weirdness makes Salande suspicious, so he uses Detect Magic in here, not really sure just what he's thinking he'll find. With that, he makes an attempt to treat this guy as if he isn't crazy. Who knows. It might work. He says calmly to the person here, "Hey, you want to talk to the people out there? They want to know what happened. You'd have to talk louder, so they can hear though. We've done enough shouting already that it won't hurt anything."

[Hazuki]

The elf stared at the object passed to her hands for a few moments, manipulating it between her fingers and snapping off everything that she apparently deemed unnecessary for the key. What resulted was a few shattered pieces of debris from the cast T.K. had made and something that seemed to resemble something similar to a key. "Now we have something that should let us find the key faster." Scale offered as a consolation, with a cast gaze at the extremely fragile broken parts of the prestidigitation-crafted cast.

Salande
Salande's spell revealed that the glow in the stranger's hand appeared to be some sort of tiny illusion spell intended to create light. "I'm not a boy." The figure stated pointedly, though not with anger. "I don't want to talk to them; the last who shouted were Drow."

[QuidEst]

"Hang on," T.K. said, taking the false key again. He pulled out his knife and began whittling away at its surface, shaving off the jagged bits where it had been broken. "Has anybody got a candle and something to light it with?" he asked, concentrating on the object he held in his hands. A second layer formed around the key, which he pulled away in two parts. "We can't use the keyhole as a mold, but we can use this," T.K. explained. "I just hope that the amount of copying doesn't leave us with something unworkable. I expect a fair amount of jiggling at the least, but I can keep the candle wax cool to harden it."

[raspberrybadger]

Salande tries to talk loudly now so he can be heard, but not at a shout: "Also, more surprises, she may be a spellcaster."

Talking just to the girl, Salande continues the approach of pretending this is an ordinary conversation, saying "Do you have any magic or any other skills that would help with the wall here? We'd be safer if we were with the rest of my group."

[Frendle]

Orich remains at his "post" keeping watch on the tunnel. He feels a bit sheepish for over-reacting to the wind in the tunnels.

"Better come to a solution soon, longer we stay here the worse it is." He says back toward the group in as commanding and leaderish tone as he can muster.

Still keeping up my prepared action.

[oyzar]

"I do have candles. However it does not seem like anyone have enough skills with keys to be able to create anything but a model so we know what to look for. The mold created by magic won't last forever, so a wax model will at least stay if we manage to avoid having it break. Wax is incredibly fragile in such small sizes though so we are probably better off just looking while we do have a replica of the key. We can keep recreating a mold from a replica of a key and the replica from the mold before either disapear. That way we avoid the time limit on the magic. Though it can't hurt to try.". Ilyssa gets out a candle from her backpack and hands it to T.K. With the Torch burning there is no need for something else to light it.

After T.K. is done Ilyssa says, "Let's get going. I think we should go back to search the tunels we passed before continuing on." Sword and shield in hand she starts moving towards the tunnel they came from. She raises her voice to Salande can hear. "We go look for a way to get your out. We got an idea of what the key look like. Don't worry while we are gone, we will hopefully get you out soon enough."

[QuidEst]

T.K. took the lit candle, and began dripping the wax into the makeshift mold. "Wax is not very strong, it's true," he said absently, focusing on the task on hand. "Fortunately, the same spell to make the mold will cool the wax down, hardening it. Hopefully enough to turn the key carefully, with a little jiggling to loosen the pins." As the last of the wax was poured in, he closed his eyes. Shelyn let this work. He focused on the wax, cooling it slowly so the wax solidified evenly. He pulled the two halves away, and kept cooling it, as far as the limited magic of the spell would allow.

He walked over to the lock, put the key in, and carefully turned it, gently wiggling it. Shelyn let this work.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is more than a little nervous when Ilyssa explains the plan that way, and shouts back: "Look, the story of what happened here doesn't make perfect sense. But one thing she said, think about it. Even if you don't believe her. It must be true. The drow have the key. The ones who come to check on the trap. Why would the key be anywhere else? Do we really know anything about where those drow are, other than that they will come here?"

[Hazuki]

Scale stood to the side of the ruckus, covering her sensitive elven ears with her gloved hands to shield herself from the yelling that was going on, while her curious eyes followed T.K.'s actions as the makeshift key slipped into the heavy-looking keyhole. With a few tender rattles to shift it into the right space, the wax key finally rested and made a few very soft clicks with each inch it was turned. The wax was warming just from T.K.'s body heat, but with its final snap came a definitive thunk that set off a series of twisting mechanics somewhere amongst the solid stone.

Listening to whatever turned the door was slightly painful for those present, every motion implying some expert mechanics on the work of those who installed the trap, and the only rumbling came from the door itself, as it rose out of the stone floor itself. At first, it seemed to rise up to only more stone, but soon a pair of thick metallic bars with plenty of space between them became apparent, revealing the room that laid beneath. Soon enough, the stone door was raised until only the thick bars stuck out from the ceiling and revealed the pressure plate that spanned across the room, five inches thick. At the far corner of the dead-end tunnel beyond, the group's eyes came to see Salande digging through some barrels, while up against the wall beside him was a shorter cloaked figure, with skinny limbs and a glowing object held in its hands. Its back immediately slammed against the wall, as its shielded eyes looked on at the new arrivals.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa is surprised by what T.K. Managed to do. Wow, the key actually worked.. She turns towards the two on the other side of the preasure plates. She guides her dancing lights over the plates to better see the walls and the people on the other side. "Hello there friend. My name is Ilyssa Mesmerslither. Who are you? We are not in league with the drow. Hopefully we will be able to help you as well as our friend here. What brought you to these circumstances? Are you wounded? Hmm, seems like the preasure plate prevents movement along the ground. Salande, can you climb these walls to get back to this side? It might even be possible to carry that person there. It is best to be careful and not hurry so you don't fall from something you do not notice though."

[QuidEst]

T.K. re-cooled the key and carefully removed it from the lock. He really must remember to bring candles next time. He bowed his head, murmuring a quick prayer of thanks to Shelyn, and then turned his attention to the stranger.

"Greetings, sir- or ma'am, I'm sorry," he said, giving a small bow. "I understand you are a magic user? I am a wizard myself- a conjuror by trade, although I have yet to progress beyond the first circle. And Earthrobe, I think they say here- at least, when they're being polite about it. In any case, my father is a sorcerer and my sister a cleric, so I've always been rather fascinated by the many disciplines. I would come shake your hand, but I feel it's rather more sensible for me to stay out here, seeing as I have the key. It would be terribly embarrassing if I were to join you and the trap sprang again." He gave a friendly grin and shrugged helplessly. The person seemed nervous, or at least quite wary. Easy and open speech would "Nevertheless, introductions are in order. I'm Titus Keenan Matthias, though most people call me T.K."

"Oh, Salande, did you find anything useful back there? Candles in particular- I never should have left home without some."

[raspberrybadger]

Salande just stares. He simply wasn't at all expecting this. Before he can say anything, T.K.'s mouth is going again. His first thought is Maybe it takes someone a bit crazy to talk to a crazy. Then he reallizes T.K. is talking to him, so he has to reply: "No candles. Scissors. Pick. Stuff like that."

Salande quickly gets out of the area behind the wall, and tries to look around and figure out what people are doing now, so he can join in.

[Hazuki]

The figure watched the onslaught of words from two of the group with little reaction in its spindly limbs or the glimmer of its eyes that could be seen beneath the cover of the hood. It watched Salande scurry over the walls to rejoin them before looking between the diminutive Ratkin and the sleek-bodied snake woman before speaking in a soft voice of indeterminate gender. "People call me Charlotte..." Her back still stuck to the wall, apparently unwilling to move, and the glowing rock was still clenched firmly between her fingers. "Before the Drow came. I hid and they died, then I waited until the food left and I kept on waiting; then the Drow came again to put in the door." She pointed at the poles sticking out from the ceiling. "They didn't find...me." A stuttered sigh came from the figure's mouth. "Then they came again, some time after, and one got hurt by the door. His leg came off, they got him, and ran away. She seemed scared..."

[oyzar]

"How have you survived here so long without food? Do you want us to come and help you over the plate? I am not sure I can carry you alone, but maybe with the help of Salande. Ilyssa takes of her shield and starts removing her armor so she is not too ecnumbered to help the girl over. As the lights disapear she calls them back.

[roll0]perception to gauge the weight of the person.

[QuidEst]

T.K. frowned. "I'm sorry, but I had a little trouble following some of those pronouns. You hid and they- the Elves?- died. The food- left?" That bit was vaguely disconcerting. Personally, and he might just be picky, but he liked his food already dead. "The Drow came and installed the door, but didn't find you. Fair enough, you probably weren't even in the room at the time. Then they- the Drow or the Elves?- came again, one male was injured, and they- the same they?- took him and ran away. But she was scared, and there you lost me," he said with a sigh. The lack of food was… well, something that those well in tune with the gods could overcome, and an arcanist of the second circle could make a spoon that would never run out of food, but that wasn't cheap.

[Hazuki]

Charlotte followed the two person's words with something of a nodding head, as Scale stood to the side, by the keyhole, and allowed the couple to discuss the situation with the supposedly trapped person. "Friends died, Drow came twice, Drow got injured, Drow ran away, she was a Drow." She responded to T.K. first, her glowing rock held slightly towards him before she shifted its light to the Naga. It still seemed to bathe her face. "I waited for somebody to come find me. I didn't want to find the Drow again, and the darkness helped me hide...sometimes."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa stops as she is about to unstrap her armor. Wait a second, this trap is not too wide, she can just step over it. The door was not down before salande tripped it. How come she was here? She asks the girl. "Are you hurt? Can you come over here? We won't hurt you and can help you out. Can you walk? If you need help it is easier that someone who can just step over the trap help you than me or Salande. Orich?" At that last remark she turns towards the orc, he should be able to carry the girl over.

[QuidEst]

T.K. nodded appreciatively at the more detailed clarification. "I am sorry for your loss, Charlotte. If you are hungry, I have some spare food with me. Nothing but trail rations, I admit, but hunger is the best seasoning." He ordered his servant to pull out his trail rations from his bag, and unwrapped one of the neat packages for her to see. "It's fine," he added, pulling a piece off and eating it to demonstrate its general non-deadliness.

[Hazuki]

"I'm not hungry." The figure spoke uneasily, her outstretched hand dropping to her side and swinging loosely in the air for a few moments. She seemed to contemplate the offering and Ilyssa's words, however, before she took one uneasy step over the semi-circle of stones that had surrounded her, followed by a few more, until she arrived at the pressure plate and, treading gently, stepped over it to besides the muscular Naga and her Ratkin co-diplomat. With a closer look at Charlotte, now, the group was able to identify her far more easily. She stood a mere five inches over T.K's own height, with limbs and fingers that seemed particularly spindly, but not malnourished. The youth in Charlotte's face seemed to imply that she was an elf a few years away from maturity, though her flickering hazel eyes implied a fear that didn't normally befit a young one. "I don't want to be near the ugly one..." She muttered, pointing her rock-holding hand towards Orich.

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/205/7/4/ELF_by_kizhod.jpg

[raspberrybadger]

Sensing that some people think Orich might be a problem, Salande tries to smooth things over, walking over to Orich and saying in a matter of fact tone "Sorry we made all that noise. Think drow might come, investigate?"

[oyzar]

Ilyssa puts back what she started to remove of her armor. She then puts her backpack back on and picks up her shield again. "Don't worry about him, he will fight the drow and protect you as well. You said you were here with companions, what were your goal in comming here? Where do you want to go now? Do you need help to get there? Do you have some family somewhere? Scale what would you do? Then she turns toward Orich and throws him a smile. "Don't worry about what she says, she is just a child ok?"

Ilyssa turns towards the main path, her lights guiding the way. "Let's at least go to the cross, then we can decide from there."

[Frendle]

“If it ever mattered to me what is said to me, I would take more offence at all of you than the words of the little one here.” Orich smiles a particularly huge and toothsomely hideous smile at the girl. “Besides, I doubt any elf considers me lovely, what would you say Scale?”


With that the Orc’s grin breaks into an equally hideous version of his gargling laugh. “She survived here with the Drow I think she can look out for herself. I’m more worried for some of you than I am for her.”
Chuckling Orich twirls his hand axe in his hand and rubs his chin as he catches it in his right without looking.

“Enough though, learn what we can of the child and then continue with the mission. Waiting is doing us no good. Oh, and should we tie the Snakes together with a rope so if they run again at least they will run in the same direction?”

[Hazuki]

With Salande's brief attempt at calming down the Orcish man with a face that looked like it had taken more battles than his axe, the young woman addressed the words of the serpentine seductress. "We were just walking along, trying to get from Serpia to Sidheome to find a place to settle down. My friends didn't have any luck scavenging in Serpia until they found me..." Although Charlotte seemed more open to sharing her tale, apparently comforted by the guardianship Ilyssa's muscular body provided, the glowing rock flipped between her fingers as a kind of nervous twitch. "I don't know where I want to go. My family are memories that slipped into the darkness while I waited, but I don't remember remembering them at all."

The elf known as Scale had her foot and spine up against the wall, but her curious eying of Charlotte stops with the words to head back to the cross. With something of a token smile shot to the apparent-elf, she follows the group's trail back to the cross with Ilyssa's suggestion. "I'd try to put Charlotte wherever she wants to be." With Orich's statement, she gives a sharp nod. "Indeed, Ser Orich. Yours is a face only you could love."

[QuidEst]

T.K. was careful not to let the relief at Orich's calm reaction show. It was good to know that the Orc's pride was its own protection. "You can stick with me, Charlotte. I'll be in back, and we have a bag of rocks to help spring traps. You've been down here a long time, though. I can take you back to the surface if you'd like," he offered. It was strange talking to the girl. She looked young for an elf, but she was still probably older than his father. It was difficult knowing how to address her exactly. Had it been a ratkin as young as Charlotte looked, there would have been no question- he would be taking them to safety immediately. But Scale said to let her go where she wished, and Scale was better suited to pass such judgments than him. "Or you can accompany us. We're trying to help clear the route, or at least learn enough to make it easier for others to do so."

"Potentiās pārēte," T.K. muttered under his breath, passing one hand across his eyes. He slowly swept his gaze across the alcove and the newcomer, frowning a little. Odd.

[Frendle]

Orich looks at the young Elf with some curiosity in particular eyeing the glowing stone she is holding.

That worries me, but no one else seems too concerned. Still, I do not know what it is, and everyone thinks I am an idiot anyway.

Orich looks takes a step or two toward charlotte, “Young one, what is that stone you are carrying? Is it a light source? Can you do magic yourself then, or did you find it somewhere?” The big Orc tries to put on his best manners since everyone seems so concerned that he do so.

Personally I would like to walk over and take it from her, in fact, if I do not like her answer, I may take it after all.



Diplomacy: To try to make her more amiable lol

[roll0]

[Hazuki]

The cloaked young woman watches the shorter Ratkin for some time after his statement, still flipping the rock between her fingers and passing it from hand to hand, as though it's one of the only movement she's been able to use in a while. "I...I'd prefer to stay with people, for now. And I watched the Drow set up the pressure plate for a long time, maybe I can help with avoiding a few traps?" She offered, though her gaze was on the approaching Orc as she clenched the rock more tightly between her fingers. "My name is Charlotte...and it's a light I made myself." She admits, though she doesn't relinquish the rock or offer it for observation.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa smiles and says to the girl "That would be very helpful. We have not had the best of luck with traps so far, though I guess we are also all still alive so I guess it could be worse."

Ilyssa readies her sword and shield and looks around at the party. "You can come with us. Lets get moving again. The invisble servant can lead the way with Orich right behind followed by me and Salande."

After they start to get moving again Ilyssa says to Salande: "What did you see? I saw the reflection of myself disintegrate into an undead and attack the rest of the party. Though the others claim they saw nothing. Scary, but we better be wary of illusions going forward. Ilyssa shudders slightly.

[QuidEst]

T.K. looked at the light briefly. Orich seemed unusually interested in a piece of magic so elementary that there were even some non-casters who could manage it. "It goes out, Orich, like a regular torch. I can make you as many as you want tomorrow if you want," he suggested. "In the meantime, we should press on." He ordered the servant to retrieve its bag of rocks and move to the front of the group. Just in case, he grabbed the wax key and placed it carefully in the pocket of his robe where it wouldn't melt or get crushed.

"Do you do any other magic?" T.K. enquired of Charlotte. "I do a little of this and that- the usual fussy wizardy things like finding magic, reading things, and keeping my robes clean," he said, flicking his hand in the air and making the dust fly off a section of his robe.

[raspberrybadger]

Orich's words stun Salande into silence, until Ilyssa speaks. He falls in line beside her as she suggests, trying to put a pleasant look on his face instead of the morose one he suspects is there. When she asks him that question though, all attempts at trying for a pleasant look fail, and he says darkly "What did I see? Flame. Tearing off scale, flesh, everything someone would recognize about me. Was that really illusion though? Or a fear inside of me?" With that, he's able to give a shudder in sympathy with hers.

[Hazuki]

As the group begins to retrace their steps back to the main tunnel, where the pool waited beneath stone slits, Charlotte hung around the back of the group with T.K. and reignited her stone as the glow slipped away. Although her steps seemed to have slightly more energy in them from the compliments Ilyssa had been offering, she noticeably stumbled with the Ratkin's question about more of her magical aptitude. She passed the threshold of the mysterious pool without difficulty, though her gaze was drawn to it briefly, and looked towards the Ratkin with her lips slightly twisted. A rivulet of magical energy ran across her lips, dissipating before it could be scrutinized, and made the young woman blink rapidly. "That one helps me see. But I don't want to use all of it up right now..."

Ahead, the Unseen Servant passes cleanly through the passage, followed by the Orc Warrior whose leg suddenly collapses into the ground with all his weight and sharp pain digs through his musculature as wicked spikes tear through his flesh. The couple of Naga that follow pass over whatever dangers easily, as Scale lets out a grunt of pain and her leg collapses partway through the floor, causing her to topple forward and protect her face from the cold, hard floor. Before the couple at the back can stop their own passage, T.K.'s leg is immediately snatched by another deceptive trap that eats up his leg, barbs sharper than any dagger slicing into his flesh. Charlotte's foot almost collapses into the floor device, but snatches her foot away and stumbles into a standing position on the opposite side of it, as the foot-wide hole appears in the floor beneath her, reacting only with a whimper.

Orich takes 4 damage.

T.K. takes 7 damage.

Both are stuck.

[QuidEst]

T.K. nodded. "Sorry to pry. They say 'curious as a wizard' for a reason. Well, back home they did… probably not very widespread."

Before he could continue the conversation, though, the floor gave out underneath his foot. Pain lanced through his leg, and for a second it felt like he was going to pass out from it. There was a panicked squeal from Romulus at the sudden panic in their empathetic bond. "Utinam pulmōnēs tuum bīle stomachī redundentur!" T.K. cursed, sucking in a ragged breath. Shelyn preserve, that hurt! He took another breath, slower and more controlled, and began to block out the pain. Backwards or forwards? Back. He'd stepped there, and it had held. He could examine the path in front of him meticulously.

There was a momentary flare of pain at the absence of the spikes, but it receded slowly. He was sitting a short distance back from the trap, clenching his teeth. "Salande, I think your medical attentions would not go amiss," he said at last.


Translation:
"May your lungs be flooded by the bile of your stomach!"

[Frendle]

Orich half listened to the banter between the Rat and the young Elf as he followed the bag of rocks.
I do not like that we are bringing her along. What cause have we to trust h….

For the second time today Orich’s thoughts are interrupted by a Drow trap. The incautious Ork’s leg falls through a thin covering and into a hole filled with spikes designed to hold his leg in place like a fishing spear holds its prey.

“ARRGUGGEEE, bash my brains out with a club!!!!!” exclaims the proud warrior. Orich looks down at his leg and, ignoring the pain, he lays his double bladed axe on the ground beside him and begins to feel about to get a sense of the trap’s construction.


Beating on his leg in frustration he says, mostly to himself,
“Aghhhh, I need to get free of this, if the Drow come now I am as good as dead.” Then realizing he has spoken out loud, Orich looks back at the party to see if any have heard him. He rubs his head with his left hand as he draws the hand axe from his belt with his right. No, they all seem to be having their own troubles.


With that realization he plunges the smaller axe into the hole and starts bending the spikes clear as he slowly pulls his leg free. The spikes dig into his hands and leg as he does so, causing his wounds to grow larger as more dark red Orkish blood covers his boot and pools at the bottom of the pit.

Finally with a last effort he yanks and howls in pain. Exhausted, Orich sits back on his haunches and stops the effort.

“I could use a bit of that healing magic as well, if you have any to spare for me….. Salande.” Using the Naga’s name took a visible effort almost greater than the abortive one made to pull his leg free.

[QuidEst]

T.K. closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. "Don't struggle so much, Orich… I'll think of something." Why hadn't he prepared magical grease? Because he wasn't expecting to be trawling a trap-infested series of tunnels this morning, of course. "The only magic I have left more powerful than cantrips is an illusion, which won't help much. Scrolls aren't any help either. Do either of you have a grease spell? It might be enough to ease the process. Grease my bedroll so it can slide between his leg and the spikes and leg him slide his leg out without catching in the process. Oil, something like that might work as well- it's not as good, though. If we don't have anything, we can try without. Suggestions are welcome… I can't teleport him out, I'm afraid."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa looks around confused. What is happening? Drow Melon Hammer

"I belive those traps are called Drow Melon Hammers. They are used to squish fruit. Not sure how you managed to get trapped in them, though it looks like they are hard to escape from. Luckily me and Salande managed to avoid triggering them as we are much bigger than melons."

"I got grease, but even with that it will be hard and risky to escape, though I guess it is the best bet we got. Might be best to heal them up before we try to pull them out. Scale, Orich, how badly are you hurt? I also have oil, but as you say grease is way better. I only got a couple uses though, so we must be sure we make the best of it. I was thinking of hammering out the ground around the holes with a hammer and piton, though I am afraid that with my skills I would do more harm than good. Of course we still need to figure out how to get you through this area of traps. Me and Salande seem to be fine, maybe we can carry you over eventually, though we can worry about that once we do get you free."

[Hazuki]

"Quite injured..." Scale admitted with something of an angry look down at her own leg, though she stayed deadly still in the trap for fear of aggravating whatever lurked inside them any further. Charlotte glanced over at the roaring Orich with some measure of fear, practically abandoned in the middle of the field of traps after having stumbled over her own, leaving her eyes to settle on Scale. She bit her bottom lip softly, before she began to jog towards the trapped elf and let out another whimper as her footing was lost beneath her and she sunk into the hole with one leg up to its thigh and the other stretched painfully over the ground above it, revealing the gangly legs and dusty pants she wore beneath it.

"I-I'm okay." Charlotte whispered to the group, grunting with effort as sparks seemed to escape from her skin, the stench of unfamiliar metal burning filling the cavern along with the spilled blood of those trapped by the disastrous traps. Gritting her teeth in apparent frustration, the young woman looked down at where her leg was trapped and, with the aid of a pick tucked into her robe, apparently began to play with the spikes within. After a few grunts and more sparks of energy surrounding her, she was pried free from the spikes with her skin as blemish-free as from before she stepped into it. "I'm okay."

[raspberrybadger]

Fruit? Really? This is just sick. At least we're back to Orich talking to me. Lots of injuries. Time to flood the area in power.

Salande approaches and gives fair warning of what he's about to do: "It's all right. I'm going to flood the area in healing power from Gozreh. It will come through this holy symbol here. I'll channel it, so it will be entirely safe. Ilyssa, it's entirely safe even if you're not injured - small amounts of positive energy like this can be disconcerting if you've not experienced them, but harmless. I can do this up to four times in a day, and I can heal individually too if there's a reason. Gozreh's blessings on you."

With that, Salande offers his own swift wordless supplication, and concentrates on the feeling of power flowing through the wooden holy symbol.

[Hazuki]

Scale lets out a soft sigh as the healing of Salande's faith washes over the room's occupants, her fingers splaying across the edges of the pit as she twists her free leg into a more comfortable position. "Thank you, Salande. Would everyone consider hurrying up the plan to get everyone out of these traps? This is not the kind of prick that anybody enjoys." She remarked in a slightly bitter tone, as Charlotte made the final few steps over to the elf's trap. She seemed to briefly consider using the pick to help Scale out of the hole, but seemed to change her mind and slip it back into her cloak, giving the older woman an encouraging pat on the head. "...thank you."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa feel the warmth of salandes magic wash over her. Despite not being injured the healping fills her with calm. Ahh Salande that feels really good. The female naga exclaims.

"I guess or best bet is the grease. I only got two uses though. Be careful not to fall back in if you do get out. We'll figure out how to get past this area once everyone are in the clear. Scale are you ready? If this works we'll try the same thing with Orich."

Ilyssa starts sliding one of her arms sensually over her body, almost as if groping herself, traveling from breasts to stomach to the start of her tail and back up again. Meanwhile she pulls a small clump of something yellow from one of her pouches and starts chanting. "Svess youwe xurwk selgtarn confn oprinqu wielg vhira. Upon finishing yellow goo stars filling Scales clothes up, squezing out of any openings it can find. The elven girl gets completly covered in the greasy matter.

Ilyssa talks to the elf before she can do anything detrimental. "Don't panic, the stuff will go away quite fast without much trace left befhind. The goo should make it much easier to escape though as you will be slippery as an eel. Don't dwandle or it will go away.

Spell: grease, +10 to escape srtist and grapple checks, duration 1 minute.

[Hazuki]

"I think I read a story about this kind of thing once..." Scale announces to the group, as she nods to Charlotte to give her leg aid out of the trap, some of the grease dripping from her hand with the gesture and making both of them stick their tongues out slightly in disgust. "I believe it was in a special interest compendium, filled with stories that would titillate whatever the purchasers required; of course, the patrons of the city were fairly open about this kind of thing to allow the sale. It involved a lone Drow maiden investigating the domain of some Serpian sorcerers, innocently of course, and..." She shimmied her greased leg out of the barbed trap, Charlotte offering aid in the form of her pick fending off some of the spikes. "Well, I'll save the rest of that story for another day." She said, offering a grateful smile to Ilyssa and the slightest bow to show her gratitude, despite the matted blonde hair that adorned her head.

[Frendle]

Orich watches the extraction of Scale from her trap with great interest.

Once she is free of it, Orich clears his throat and looks plaintively at the Naga.
Well, at least it might be a plaintive look, hard to tell really.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa smiles "That worked exceptionally well. Be careful not to fall into further traps until we find a way to get you past this area. Now for Orich"

Ilyssa turns towards Orich and performs similar movement. Her hand gliding smoothly over her curvaceous body. Another small clump is produced from one of her pouches along with the chanting. "Svess youwe xurwk selgtarn confn oprinqu wielg vhira." This time the yellow goo engulfs Orich, every part of his body becoming greasy and slippery. "Now you might be able to get away as well. Once you do, do be careful so you don't fall in again."

She turns towards Salande, "Now we should try to get everyone out of here. Both of us seem to be immune to fall into the traps due to not having feet." She walks over to T.K, gets out a piece of chalk and draws a line crossing the corridor along the floor. "Now at least we know where the traps start."

Spell: grease, +10 to escape srtist and grapple checks, duration 1 minute.

[QuidEst]

T.K. stared at Charlotte's almost cavalier treatment of her injury, and the sparks leaping about. "You're okay? I teleported out without pulling, and I can't shrug if off like that." He had a newfound respect for the young elf girl. He couldn't even figure out what magic she was using!

Cool relief washed over him as Salande channeled divine energy. "Thank you," he said, slowly picking himself up. "I for one am not moving until I figure out where it's safe." At this rate, they'd need to rest underground. They could use the scroll to allow somebody to keep watch easily, perhaps.

[Frendle]

Orich begins to spread the grease over his leg then notices that it pretty much is already.

"Well, that is an interesting trick. You have a competitor Rat." Orich begins again to draw his leg out carefully again with the help of his hand axe.

[roll0]

Not sure what the test is.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa looks bewildered at Orich, "That should have worked, Scale got out just fine. Maybe you got some tips to help him Scale? Though the spell will run out soon. If you don't manage to get out without it, it will be even harder to get out with. Scale, I wonder if he needs some more healing." At the last sentence Ilyssa looks worried at Salande, I might not like the Orc all that much, but I don't want him to die!

[Hazuki]

"I'm okay." Charlotte confirmed, as the Ratkin wizard voiced his atonishment at her escape, though she seemed to look with more worry at the trapped Orc warrior who still struggled to escape from the trap that bound his leg into the stone beneath. While T.K. stood to the side and began to map out the room, focusing his gaze in a particularly lengthy period of observing the room, the young woman hopped into an area of space behind where Scale had jumped out, and into the space beside Orich that his axe had handily proved contained no traps. She knelt down beside the Orc and offered him the slightest cheeky smile. "I'll help you out for a gold piece."

Scale merely watched as the young woman hopped along and offered a shrug to Ilyssa. "I barely managed to get out myself, and my armor is much lighter than Orich's, not to mention all that height and muscles. Maybe some encouragement...?" She made a gesture to Ilyssa's body with an amused smirk.

[Frendle]

Orich reaches into his belt pouch and fishes out a gold coin and hands it to the girl. "This had better work." The glare he favors the child with would be a bit more effective if his life blood weren’t leaking out and if he was somewhat less stuck in a trap up to his hip at the moment.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande's mind burns with Ilyssa's words. ...we should try to get everyone out of here... Salande wracks his brain to try to think of something useful, if only to have something useful to think of. With a light touch on Orich's arm, Salande chants a moment and says "The guidance of Gozreh be upon you. You'll have to ask for it to use it."

[Hazuki]

With her pick in hand, Charlotte leans forward slightly to get a better look of what's inside the hole, placing her glowing stone beside Orich as she reaches in with delicate fingers and the length of metal to adjust the barbs within. Although her lip seems to curl slightly at the sight of Orich's leg, she gets to work with carefully pushing the spikes downwards, making them go flat against the perimeter of the hole and carefully making sure they don't tear through Orich's flesh as she does so. With the pass of a few moments, all of the spikes have been collapsed against the wall and Orich's leg freed. Without any further word, she picks up her glowing rock and waits for the group to say something.

[QuidEst]

"Thank you," T.K. said to Charlotte. "Although I will say your economics is a little rote. Better to earn good will than a gold piece if good will can save your life at some point and a gold piece cannot," he added, smiling a little. "But I think Orich here is still happy to be free at last, and will not begrudge a gold piece, hmm? Don't move yet, though. Wait until the grease wears off, or you're liable to trip. I think I've found a clear path through these thrice-accursed traps." Orich still looked rather severely injured. Salande could still heal, but there was a limit to that.

"I do not think we have the resources to complete our task in one run. We may have to make camp down here eventually. We should at least make it to the clearing, though."

[oyzar]

As Orich is finally extracted from the trap, Ilyssa let's out a breath she did not know she was holding. It would be bad if he would die, he could still aid us greatly, yes I only worry about how useful he is, that is it... Arguing with yourself in your thoughts is not perfectly normal, obviously the Naga is more stressed that she lets show. Outwards she is still the sensual, smooth, relaxed beauty she has appeared as since they came here.

Ilyssa looks from party member to party member trying to get answers. "Do anyone of you see how far these traps stretch? As I mentioned before I think me and Salande might be unaffected and can carry people over. Charlotte? Though if you see all the traps, maybe you can just mark where they all are and they can all be avoided. Ilyssa offers out the chalk in her hand if the child can indeed percive their difficulties so well.

To help out with seeing she raises up again to conjure back the lights that had once again vanished. "Vaeri mitne ekess kontzu'kre wer idol." Her body goes smoothly from side to side, the actions almost as sensual as when she was groping herself earlier. Once the lights apear out of the afterimage after her dancing she sends them forth to better be able to see the path before them.

[Frendle]

Orich looks down at the child Elf beside him, “Do not listen to the tricksy one, I give you more respect for exacting gold from me for your assistance than would I if you gave it away. You do well to look after your own interests in even this small way.”


With a small gurgling grunt of approval at his own wisdom in this matter, the sage Ork addresses the group. “Well, do we indeed ride out of this situation on the backs of the Snakes? Or do we beat on the floor with clubs until we expose all these infernal traps?”


Careful not to step on any of the space other than that immediately surrounding his trap, Orich reaches for his double axe and sets it on his right shoulder, rubbing his head with his other hand he stares hard at the group, “Well?”

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is getting sick to his stomach thinking about just what kind of people would put all these traps in - and thinking what is to come, knowing that it may be worse than he can imagine. He's genuinely glad that Orich made it out, but that only takes away the sick feeling for a time. When Orich asks his question, Salande shrugs and offers a response without really thinking it through: "I'm willing to give my strength to either way."

[QuidEst]

T.K. shook his head. "Tempting idea, certainly- and it might work for me and Charlotte, possibly Scale. Meaning no disrespect, of course, but you are at least half again as tall as I am," he added to her. "But certainly with you, Orich, the weight won't be distributed enough. You would have better luck crawling across the floor on your stomach. I do not recommend that either. There's a safe path through if you look carefully. Just follow me carefully." With that, he started across a diagonal path cutting through the small field of traps.

[Hazuki]

"I don't know why you can think I can see all of them..." Charlotte muttered in response to Ilyssa, before T.K. began to lead the path through the traps and Charlotte hopped right behind the Ratkin wizard train. She crouched down slightly as she walked, criss-crossing the path behind her with a trail of white powder reaching for five feet across that would easily lead somebody through the stonework of traps. As she came to the end of the tunnel, she looked down the hall leading South and then at the one leading North, then looked at the adults of the group with an almost helpless shrug. "There are more of those traps this way..." She said, and gestured to the North path.

Salande
Coming to the corner, you can confirm that more of those traps are hidden along the North passageway.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa pockets her chalk again, surely it would be useful again before long. She keeps her sword and shield at the ready as she moves onward. The female naga slithers along the corridor, being careful of where she moves in case the ground does give away. Almost as if climbing along the wall, except this time along the perfectly horizontal floor. "I guess you can all just follow the path layed out by Charlotte. As for thinking you can see them. You seemed to avoid them well enough earlier, once you became aware of where they were." The last part is directed at the small elf girl.

Once she gets to the corner she stops as if she just remember something. "Salande, I think Orich might be badly wounded, his failed escapes from the traps did not look pleasant. Maybe some more healing would be in order." She sends her dancing lights forward into the corridor north, to see if they can make out what they are aproaching.

[Hazuki]

As Scale found her way to the crossroads along with T.K., Charlotte, and Ilyssa, she shot the Naga a slightly concerned look. "Would you mind turning down the heat on her, please?" She asked, gesturing to the oblivious Charlotte. "The kid's not given you any reason to be so suspicious of her; and your dancing will probably confuse her for a few years, at least." The elf added with something of a smile to indicate that she didn't want the mood to darken, despite her confrontational claim. As she spoke, she began to draw a silk rope out of one of her belt pouches, the material fine yet strong as it ran between her fingers. "About crossing this path, one of us without feet could go over and tie this to an anchor while the ones on this side do the same. Just in case there are any nastier surprises mixed with them."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa looks puzzled at Scale. "Turning down the heat? I was praising the girl. If noone see the traps, we are bound to suffer the consequences. As for my dancing. I am sorry if it is perplexing you, it is just the way I have been thaught to do my magic." The last part is said in a soft voice directed at Charlotte.

Ilyssa takes the rope from Scale but poses a question before leaving. "What would the rope help? It is not like you can balance on it or get through purely by hanging from it. The chalk on the floor should be sufficient to manouver through the hazardous areas. Either could be removed just as easily if someone comes here and do not want the traps to be discovered."

[Hazuki]

Scale shrugged at Ilyssa's response to her apparent confrontation, which the teenager seemed to have avoided it entirely by fiddling with her magical rock once again. "The rope is strong enough to maintain the weight of any of us, and we could shimmy along it, either by wrapping our legs around it and using our arms to pull us across, or using some extra rope to tie ourselves to it and doing the same. As long as everyone can lift their own bodyweight, they won't touch the floor."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa grumbles inwardly, This seem like an unecesarry precaution. If they can avoid stepping on the traps, it should not matter much if they are any different. Oh well, I will do what they ask. Though I might as well take my own precautions, these traps might not all be made just for feet. She removes her shield from her arm and attach it to the backpack on her back instead. Similarly Ilyssa sheaths the sword she still holds to be able to move more freely.

Still griping the rope Ilyssa starts climbing along the wall of the corridor, despite only having one hand free she manages to use her tail and free hand deftly to move along. "Am I past the trap area yet?" She calls backwards after moving a dozen or so feet. Once she gets a positive response she stops, otherwise she continues.

She climbs down from the wall and ties the rope to a rough patch of stone sticking out of the wall, yanking it to feel if it is safe. "If you tie your end, you should be able to do what you suggest."

Climb, taking 10 for 21

[QuidEst]

T.K. coughed awkwardly. "Yes, well, that is something of an assumption. I may weigh a good deal less, but there's a good deal less to lift with. Stepping in one of the traps was bad enough. I do not wish to fall into one." He shuddered at the thought, his imagination unpleasantly adept at portraying what would happen if his hand slipped and his head swung down…

"I rather prefer to trust my life to my eyes than my arms. Look- the path through is the same." With that, he began cautiously making his way through the field of pitfalls. The servant traveled well in front, dragging its bag of rocks to make sure there weren't any wires or other unpleasantries along the way.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is nervous about all the calling back and forth - there might be drow about. Still, trying to move through all these traps in silence isn't a solution either, so he keeps his mouth shut. He'd always been told to do that if he couldn't think of anything better to offer. At least Ilyssa's question is a simple one he can answer - almost in relief, he replies "Yes, you are past it. This set of traps at least."

[Frendle]

Orich has kept his attention on Salande ever since Ilyssa suggested that she heal his wounds. “I am happy we are moving on, but would it be possible to have some of that healing?”

He sets his axe on his shoulder and rubs the side of his face on the haft. What am I doing, asking like that as if I am an underling asking for a bit of bread….

The lumbering, blood dripping Ork follows along behind those marking the way. Every once in a while letting out a quiet moan, and inwardly hating himself for it.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is a little confused just how Orich got himself that injured. Or did he heal everyone too soon? Worries flit across his consciousness: People aren't being careful enough. Orich is too hurt - he could go down if there's another trap, or an ambush. So he needs healed. But what spell to give up? They might have some magic thing, hard to hit. Or something summoned, or mind control. I suppose worrying about some magic beast is silly, when we know we've certainly got traps and drow out there.

Salande shakes aside the worries, and tries to project reassuring confidence as he says "Yes, I can heal you. This comes at a cost though, and I might not be able to do this much longer today. But I can heal at least some of this. We shall see what Gozreh provides."

A brief prayer to Gozreh later, and a focused touch near Orich's worst injuries, Salande does what he can to provide healing.

[Hazuki]

Scale attached the other end of the silk rope to an outcropping on her end of the tunnel, set up so that it could be retrieved from the other end with a tug to the side if necessary, before she began to move across. Reaching up with her arms first, she took a firm grasp of the material before swinging on it with a burst of momentum that allowed her legs to wrap around it. Effectively hooked to the rope, the elf used her arms to smoothly pull herself across the tunnel until she could stand beside Ilyssa, letting the rope stay for the moment. "Might as well leave it, just in case." She offered as an explanation, as T.K.'s path led him to the other side, followed by a slightly more nervous Charlotte, who took a hold of the rope with one hand regardless.

T.K.
The Ratkin can clearly see the markings of a pit trap just around the next corner, to the tunnel that would lead the group to the clearing.

[QuidEst]

T.K. held up one hand quickly. "Hang on! Pit trap, right around the corner," he warned. He pulled out a piece of chalk to make a few large marks pointing it out. The Drow had far too much time on their hands. Although, in all fairness, the trade tunnels would not exist in the first place if the Drow hadn't dug them up.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa gets back her gear from her backpack, sword and shield in hand, she is ready to face what they might meet, or as ready as can be after she has used both her significant spells for the day. Honestly she is a bit worried, they have used quite a bit of resources to get past the traps already, no knowing what might come ahead. As T.K. spots the next trap and marks it, she remarks. "Great spot T.K. We could use some luck after that last patch of traps. As much spells as we burned through already I do wonder how we will handle the challenges ahead.

She moves carefully to get around the pittrap, massive muscles visible playing along under her barely covering clothing and armor. As she gets to the other side, the lights vanish again. "Vaeri mitne ekess kontzu'kre wer idol." Some more magical words acompanied by svaying movements that should arouse people who might be attracted to her. The lights speed ahead of the party as they continue onwards.

[raspberrybadger]

Salande is slowly getting used to Ilyssa. It is taking time for it to sink into his brain, but he's finally getting his head around the idea that she's not just swaying to attract attention, it's also how she gets spells to work. If he concentrates on that second purpose, he can avoid the intense distraction. Mostly. Besides, the lights are nice to have. If there are people out beyond his vision waiting in ambush, then everyone can see everybody. Much better than being shot at from the darkness. The enemy may have forewarning this way, but at least it's less likely they will be able to achieve devastating surprise.

Salande too uses his strength and the politely provided chalk outline to get past the pit trap. This close to the meeting of ways, he throws aside his worrying and tries to be useful. First off, he says to Ilyssa in a confident tone "I still have some half of Gozreh's blessings for today. Plus, some of us aren't so bad at hitting things until they give up, and we've still got our weapons if it comes to a fight. We're ready for this."

Unless there are 20 of them. Or a powerful wizard. Or something worse. But ready or not, we'd still lose then.

Second, he tries to take a good look at what the lights show ahead. As long as Ilyssa is providing such an advantage, he'd be foolish not to try to use it.

[Frendle]

Orich looks at the rope, then at his axe, then at the rope. He makes an abortive effort to shimmy across hooking his legs as Scale did, but using only one hand while holding the axe.

This doesn't work well, and he lets go with his legs before he gets started across. He shrugs his massive shoulders and reaches up and tests holding his weight with one hand as he slides his legs along the floor. It seems to work fine as his muscular arm bears nearly all his weight.

He steps carefully keeping mindful of the marks on the floor holding onto the rope and using one hand to hold his axe. He is careful to make sure he is on solid ground before moving his hand to a new position.

Once he gets to the corner and the pit trap he stops and looks at T.K.

"So, what now tricksy one?"

[QuidEst]

T.K. frowned. "These traps have given me reason enough to be a little paranoid. I don't really like leaving an unmapped passage behind us, but that's how it is. Romulus, keep an eye out back that way, will you? We're almost there. Do be especially careful at the clearing. Like Scale said earlier, it would make sense for them to set more traps there, since it's used by several routes." With the pit trap well-marked, the party could proceed again. Romulus sat perched on T.K's shoulders, staring back at the untaken passageway.

[Hazuki]

Charlotte stuck behind T.K. as the group shuffled around the edge of the following pit trap, for those who needed to do so, though Orich found some difficulty in the act with the combination of his heavier armor and recently-injured leg that hadn't been completely healed by Gozreh's gift, but would serve well enough for the time being. The passage was long after the pit trap, but luckily no traps seemed present to impede any of the seven delvers, who arrived at the mouth of the tunnel and saw the scene that was clearly part of their goal. A conclusion that was easy to see just from the sight of it.

Scattered across the clearing were seats and burned-out fires set up to serve as a camp for the group of warriors and travelers that had been sent from Burrowstone, dismal only in the sense that they looked abandoned, until one saw the sight of two large blankets set up along the walls. They stood taller than the rest of the tunnels, perhaps a result of the dip along the path down to the clearing, and fairly imposing for even the tallest of present warriors. One of the blankets had two large lumps in the outline of a quadruped, while another had at least twelve distinct limps beneath its surface, barely enough to cover what it hid...though an assumption could easily be made.

In the center of it all was one large wooden wagon, in which the goods that one would have expected to be tied, but had instead appeared to have been ransacked. Many of the packs and contents had been pulled off and laid around it in the form of a few complete bags of food and spilled scabbards still containing weapons or closed quivers no doubt holding arrows. Only a few of the packages seemed a little lighter for whatever scavenger had dug through them.

T.K., Ilyssa
Amidst the dust-laden floor, you spot a few areas that are suspiciously clean compared to the rest of the cavern, leading in a pattern to a simple installed wooden door on the far opposite side of the clearing.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa slithers along the tunnel carefully. Having encountered so many traps already she tries to pay close attention to any future obstacles in their course. Upon comming to the mouth of the clearling she surveys the wreckage. Her face remains pretty much emotionless, not showing any great distress at the scene in front of her. "It is to be expected that something happened to the caravan, though of course it is sad that it did happen. It does not seem like there is much that is taken, though it does seem like there is something dragged along the floor to the door there." She points to the wooden door at the far end with the tip of her sword. "There are trails along the dirt. Though the trails might also be the sign of some weird sort of trap. I don't think there is any point in looking for survivors, though if we look we might find something which could tell us more about what happened here or could aid us in our venture."

Ilyssa waves her hand in front of her to see for trails of magic while chanting "Ui mobi tikil arcaniss esostek di udoka." If she does not sense anything she moves slowly forward, trying to see if she can sense any magic. While moving she also keeps a careful lookout for traps. She moves until she gets to the area with the wagon. The lights aiding her in her search, though also flying further in to see more of the cavern. She tries to keep clear of the cleaned trails should they prove to be traps rather than signs of something being dragged.

Spell: Detect Magic
[roll0]Perception

[QuidEst]

T.K. orders to the servant to go drag its rocks along the dust-free path and to try opening the door. "Scale, you said you were interested in something in particular from the caravan? It looks like somebody else had a similar idea. When the servant's done over there, I can have it poke around a bit to make sure there aren't any more trapped swords or the like. What were you hoping to find?" he enquired. "It might be useful, after all."

Once the servant had gone about its duty, T.K. set it to work poking through the wagon's contents, pulling out swords and other likely targets for trapping and collecting them in a pile.

[Frendle]

“Ilyssa, be careful out there.”

Be careful? Crushed skulls what am I saying?
Orich hurriedly adds, “We don’t need to be pulling you out of a trap with enemies around.” He shifts his axe to his right hand, places it on his shoulder and peers around looking for ambushes.

Then, a bit quieter he says to the rest of the party. “Shouldn’t someone go with her, to guide her as she searches? Or maybe at least hold a rope tied to her.” Orich brightens at this last piece of wisdom, though his head beings to pound with the effort.


Perception Ambush: [roll0]

[raspberrybadger]

Salande gives a curt nod to Orich, and slithers after Ilyssa, spear in hands. He can't think of how a rope would help, but guarding her in case of ambush makes perfect sense.

[Hazuki]

Scale, too, stayed back as the two Naga went ahead of the group to investigate the surroundings of the wagon. She didn't seem to have much to say no the fate of whatever seemed to lurk beneath the blankets, but she turned to look at T.K. with a voice significantly less firm than it had been before. "No one thing, just whatever could be scavenged from the wagon, things that could help the people in Burrowstone, who could help me in return. And your servant seems to be doing well enough for itself." The elf gestured to the servant that had dragged the servants along the clean path of the floor and discovered nothing from its dragging, the door on the opposite end of the clearing opening cleanly to the room beyond.

Ilyssa & Salande
Of all the supplies that have been scattered, everything one would have expected to find in a caravan for support in war seemed to be present. Except for healing supplies, of which there seem to be none.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa waits for the invisible servant to return and pull out the things. Her experience from the sword earlier had not left her very willing to touch objects potentially trapped by drow. "Be careful Salande, the items might be trapped, let the servant handle them."

She looks carefully over the items with the help of the lights, however she feels she might not be the best at gauging the worth of various items. The bard turns her head towards the group waiting at the entrance. "T.K. any idea if any of these items are better than what we got already? Would be nice to get some better gear, like this sword. Sadly, or maybe luckily, there does not seem to be anything magical here."

[QuidEst]

T.K. began looking over the assorted weapons and objects laid out on the ground. The lack of magic was a tad disappointing, although it made looking around the stuff feel a lot safer. Hmm. He should get a pair of lenses made, just enough out of focus to blur any words and prevent accidentally reading something that might be runed. Maybe not useful enough to go into production over. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the collected caravan goods. "Nothing's exactly sticking out, I'm afraid. I'll need to examine some of them more closely, though."

After looking over the stuff further, T.K. straightened up again. "I'd put the total value at approximately seven and a half thousand gold pieces. Three thousand for the weapons and related paraphernalia- polearms and ranged weapons, no swords or the like. Half that in armor, but none of it is the really heavy stuff. Two thousand for the food, drink, and sundry gear. The remaining thousand is mostly Naga clothing and entertainment, some of it of rather… unrefined taste," he added, wrinkling his nose a little. Not the sort of thing he'd want on him when he shuffled his mortal coil. "I think they took all the healing supplies. Not a good sign."

[Frendle]

"So, we found what we came for. Are we looking any further?" Orich asks no one in particular.

"How are we going to get this out of here?" Looking around Orich scratches his skull with the haft of his Axe. Carefully this time.

"I have seen people in towns use boards to cross muddy ground after a rain. Can we do something like that to get this over the traps?"

Orich's head is near to exploding, the beading sweat is evident on his forehead.

[Hazuki]

As Scale cast her eyes across the clearing, choosing not to approach the wagon itself for the time being and instead approaching the blankets with lumps in them, Charlotte stayed close to the majority of the group, glancing upwards when she heard the Ratkin mention the lack of healing supplies with the raided caravan. "I saw one of the Drow, a male, get his leg trapped under the door and...come off. There was a lot of blood..." The girl's face notably winced in discomfort at the memory. "Maybe they took the healing supplies for him? I didn't get to watch much once he was dragged away..."

[QuidEst]

T.K. nodded to Orich. "That's an excellent idea. Similarly, we can drag the goods along behind us on wooden sleds of a sort. Just like the Nagas passed over the small pit traps, we can carry the goods along safely that way. The wagon would just get stuck unfortunately." He smiled, reaching into his robes and pulling out a pair of scrolls. "As for how we get it out, well, that's simple enough. We have maybe five tons here. These scrolls will allow you to drag three times as much as you normally could. So in effect, we will have the strength of seven to drag all this back to town- easy enough. We select one of you," he said, indicating Orich and the two Nagas, "To work without the aid of the scroll. Their sled will be filled with bulky, lower value items. If something goes wrong, they can drop their stuff and it won't cost us anything. That way we can have one strong fighter to help guard the other two. Orich, that's probably going to be you, if there are no objections."

They would also have Scale and himself to act as guards. He wasn't sure where Charlotte fit in, exactly, but that was all right. Hopefully it would be enough. "That makes sense," he replied to the young elf. "I certainly prefer that explanation to some rather more cynical ones about putting others in a similar position without the supplies. That's been puzzling me, thoug. Drow getting caught in Drow traps… it seems rather like a case of the left hand knowing not what the right hand doth. Perhaps there are factions we don't know about, in conflict with one another?" It was a nice theory. If some of the Drow were opposed to the conflict- perhaps even trying to create peace?- his job would be much easier.

"Now, we've come this far. I for one am inclined to make use of the scrolls now. We can haul this lot back to town while it's still early enough to start selling some of it off. Plus, we still have the sealed letter to deal with. We can settle on what we do from there. Does anybody wish to press on instead? We have used a great deal of healing and the better part of our other spells dealing with these traps. Charlotte, if you wish to return with us, I will gladly pay for a room for you. You have been extremely helpful, and I have enjoyed your company, circumstances notwithstanding."

[Frendle]

Orich shakes his ugly head, "You talk a lot Tricksy one."

[oyzar]

Ilyssa studies T.K. as he lectures on. "Hmm, I wonder why there are no more traps here. We have encountered a lot of traps up to this point, why would they just leave so much things just laying around? I do fear that we might still be ambushed. We should check out the area carefully before starting to prepeare to carry things back. If we keep together we will be safer from a potential ambush. Why don't you guys come over here and we can search the cavern?" Ilyssa motions for the people at the entrance to come over to her, but she turn her own eyes to follow what Scale is doing.

"As for what to do from here. I agree that we should carry away what we can take of these things. Otherwise the drow might come back and use the supplies in the war, and we could also stand to gain quite a bit in the process. As for the actual task of carrying, using boards seems like a good idea. Me and Salande can drag boards with most of the things on aided by magic, while the rest of you simply fill up your packs and keep guard."

If the other agrees to her suggestion Ilyssa follows the invisible servant around in the room to look for potentially hidden ambushes or traps, starting with the blankets.
[roll0]Perception, what do we see around the room?

[Hazuki]

Ilyssa's patrol around the room eventually led her to where Scale stood, besides the lumpy blanket and looking down at the covered supposed corpses in a few moments of silence, while the rest of the group planned amongst themselves. One of her hands seemed to dig through many of the pouches and bags on her person, as though searching for something, while the other rested across her stomach. She gave up her searching when she spotted Ilyssa's approach, half-turning to face the bard. "If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer that you do not disturb the dead. Whatever the Drow did with them cannot be any more pretty than what we've already seen."

Charlotte listened patiently to the words of the gathered elders, finding herself a decently-sized bag of dried food to sit on with her spindly legs partly curled up to her chest. Her eyes seemed particularly focused on the far side of the room, where the wooden door that the Unseen Servant had opened was. "I think we should check the room first. It's the only one nearby, all the other tunnels left blank for many steps, and where I'd hide if people were coming to my home. He," She pointed directly at Orich, her baggy cloak hanging off of her arm. "Made a lot of noise. If they know we're busy carrying things, they can trap us easier...I think."

[QuidEst]

T.K. grinned at Orich, shrugging. "I am a wizard. It's what we do."

The ratkin shook his head in surprise at himself. "Oh, right, the other room. I'd almost forgotten about that. Yes, you're right. We should make sure we don't have anything following us, as much as possible. I don't think we can check all the other tunnels, of course." With that, he started towards the door, ordering the servant ahead, bag of rocks trailing behind. "We can give the rest of the main room a look over afterward. I think Scale's right, though. If there's no magic on the dead, there's no reason to go poking around."

[Frendle]

"So if there is magic, it’s ok to disturb them, if there is not we are going to respect the dead?"

"That does not make sense. Is there not more of value in the world than magic? If they had a magic scroll you would take it. If there is money I will take it." Orich draws himself up to his full menecing height as he says this.

"It does them no good. As for their families, if we had not risked our lives to come here and find them, they would be here still rotting away unmarked."

"If these were dead Orks would you hesitate?"

With that said, Orich follows the path Scale took to get to the bodies. When he reaches them he addresses the older elf.

“I won’t molest them, but fair is fair. Besides we may learn something useful from looking at them.”

This last he says with what might be called sarcasm, if the wise Ork were clever enough to use it.

[Hazuki]

Blond hair falls beside pale cheeks as Scale turns her eyes to look at the ground while Orich speaks, making no other motion than to listen to the Orc's words until nothing more escapes from his mouth. With a twist of her lips into an enraged sneer and a flash of steel, her shortsword is drawn with little to herald its silent arrival besides the yells that follow her pointing it at the armored man's neck. "Touch them and die, you vile mistake of a being! These people have suffered through far more dishonor than they deserve already, and you want to pervert their final resting for the sake of gold coins and your personal greed?! These people, who have shown your fleeing kin naught but kindness as they accepted the women, the children, the elderly, the sick, the injured into Sidheome as they fled the boots of the invaders! And you dare, you dare to claim that they would not show respect for an Orc corpse when they have done so much for you and your kind?! I would first split your skull and feed their families with your flesh than allow this!" Every word was announced with only fury and eloquence, chosen in particular to emphasize the elf's anger at that which she saw as reprehensible.

[QuidEst]

"If there's magic on them," T.K. said slowly, "It could be something… unpleasant. There's a lot the wrong sort of person can do with bodies. Especially ones that died suddenly. If there were necromantic energies, then I would want to deal with it while we had a wizard and a cleric on hand. But in absence of necromancy, I would not dishonor the request of a Drow to leave bodies alone. We have several thousand gold in trade goods right there that we will be taking back to the surface. Now, I sincerely doubt you can carry quite all of it without a bit of magic assisting matters, Orich. Similarly, my magic isn't enough to carry it back without your help. So this is how matters will play out. Scale, you are going to put your sword away and speak a little more diplomatically, because Orich, you are going to accept that the bodies will remain undisturbed and likewise speak a little more diplomatically, because I, I am graciously not shredding the scrolls we need to take all this out of here. Salande, Ilyssa, Charlotte, you're all doing a wonderful job on the whole 'being civilized and sensible' thing. Good job, keep it up."

The ratkin let out a slow breath. "Are these terms agreeable?"

[Frendle]

Orich looks levelly at the Elf a smile pulling his lips back off his tusks.

"Do you suppose that I fear death at your hands?"

Orich maintains his stance for a moment, but then relaxes a bit the smile disappearing but his eyes narrowing.

"Could you kill me? Maybe, that remains to be seen, but I will say that I have seen more strength from the elf child than I have from you."

Orich considers the child, and then considers the bodies, and a realization crosses his brow like a slow motion earth tremor.

"Who covered these bodies so carefully and respectfully? The others were not covered like this, so I doubt the Drow did it. So who did?"

The great Ork turns to look at the others with a questioning look on his face completely turning his back on Scale seemingly forgetting their confrontation.

[Hazuki]

"You talk of strength, yet I recall you squealing like a little bitch when we came across the traps." Scale shrugged in response to the rest of Orich's words and instead chose to listen to T.K.'s, sheathing her shortsword once again and instead standing vigil besides the bodies in wait for the rest of the group to make a decision on where to head next. "The Drow are more respectful than most would give them credit for; they are still our brothers and sisters regardless of their current alliance. If I were to offer my educated opinion, I would say that the other bodies were utilized as such for their necessity in warfare. These, for whatever reason, likely aren't useful for them. The lack of traps supports this. Thus, they were given the respect they deserve."

Across the room, Charlotte had taken the opportunity to approach the open door that the Ratkin had agreed to investigating, peeking inside without lying her hands on the doorframe or stepping over the boundary. The magical rock she'd been carrying stayed tucked into her pocket. "I see a hanging banner that hides a hole." She called out softly, most of her voice carrying only for the echoes in the clearing.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa does not say anything about nor make a move towards the bodies after the argument between Scale and Orich. It is good to be curious, but at the same time we got to respect the elvish custom." She starts moving towards the opening where charlotte is. "Let's go to check out what is there." She slithers carefully across the cavern, still not sure if there are any traps, despite her senses telling her there are not. The lights stay a bit back so as to not draw attention to them as she peeks through the door.

[roll0]Perception, what do Ilyssa see through the door?

[QuidEst]

"Speaking a little more diplomatically," T.K. reminded both of them pointedly. With a sigh, he walked over to Charlotte. "Well spotted. If anybody's in there, it would make matters a great deal simpler if you'd kindly state your presence. My compatriots are a bit on edge," he called into the room. "Stand back, just in case," he warned Charlotte and Ilyssa. Standing well away himself, he waved the servant over the threshold.

[Hazuki]

No voices returned from the room beyond, save for T.K.'s voice echoing against the mostly-covered walls. It was a fairly large room, at least as wide as the tunnels and a fifth of the clearing's length. The walls were made out of a fine dark stone, carved out of the natural rock and marked as such by their far straighter surface than what most of the tunnels consisted of. On the far wall sat a large desk before one large cupboard that sat dusty and unused, but with a fine brass lock still sitting sturdily across the handles. The chairs looked mostly comfortable, if unused, with a thin layer of cushioning across the four before the desk, and two long benches along the walls made out of wood likely taken from the surface. The sconces were placed high up along the walls, well-spaced between the fine purple banners that hung unmarked.

"Behind that one." Charlotte pointed out, leaning into the doorway to point a spindly finger at one of the banners just ahead of the desk. "It's like a window that's covered up."

IlyssaIn the small gap between the curtain and the wall, the Bard spotted a circular alcove that had a few minor trinkets inside, such as a clear vial of unidentified liquid and a few empty envelopes. However, there was a slight indent in the center of this circle that could just about fit a finger, along with the slightest gap between the floor and the wall that existed on no other part of the room.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa slithers into the room and looks around. She points towards one point along the wall. "It is an alcove, though it is weird. There seems to be a gap between the wall and the floor, maybe it is a trap? I can see what might be a potion and also some envelopes. I wonder if we can get them without triggering what might be a trap, maybe the servant can get them? Maybe there is something magical here?"

Ilyssa waves her hand towards the alcove while chanting, "Ui mobi tikil arcaniss esostek di udoka." If one studies the movements closely they seem to be making the following pattern:
(.)(.)
_)_(

Detect Magic, keep on detecting if she senes something

[QuidEst]

T.K. frowned a little. "Voices up ahead- still a ways away, but definitely several there. I can't make out anything more. I'd rather deal with that first- see who it is before handling anything." With the unseen servant having entered safely and not seeing anything untoward, stepping in. "You know, there are more efficient somatic components for that. It's divination, not enchantment," he muttered, making a few concise gestures and reciting his own words to detect magic. He instructed the servant to pull the curtain aside, and peered at the contents there without getting any closer than proximity to the servant required.

[Hazuki]

Charlotte stood with her shoulder pushed against the crowded doorway, avoiding Ilyssa's particularly hefty lower body for the most part, as she narrowed her eyes against the curtain to see what the two comrades had, and raised a blond eyebrow at T.K. as he gave advice to the Naga beside them. "What's a somatic component?"

[QuidEst]

"Under a simple model of spellcasting, spells have four components to their creation- mental, verbal, somatic, and material. The most basic is mental, the will to cast the spell. Verbal is voicing that intent. Somatic components are gestures to direct and shape the spell. Not a very intuitive name, I know. Material components tie the spell to the physical world. Most are just small scraps used up in the spell, but there are some that just exist as a channel, and others that consume large amounts of expensive materials," T.K. explained. "Not every spell uses all the components, of course. Powerful casters can even substitute more mental effort for other components in spells that would require them." He turned his attention back to the alcove, shaking his head. "Keep the lights back- it's drow paste. Detects the presence of light. Probably to let them know when somebody shows up." He pulled the curtain closed to make sure they wouldn't set it off.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa gets a look of surprise on her face. "Material to detect light, i did not even know such a thing existed." She turns her head towards the entrance and thinks. Good thing the lights were left outside. She says "We should probably wait for the others to investigate. Though it would be nice if we had someone who could investigate without being seen. I am afraid I am not very stealthy. Oh yeah the movements, this is how I learned it and it works for me. I do kinda like the movements too though."

[Hazuki]

"I'm a talented scout. But I doubt my talents have much use in linear tunnels." Scale's voice offered, as her footsteps were heard approaching the doorway through her physical presence didn't deign to step inside the room or crowd the doorway further. "That's one advantage of living underground and carving your own roads; crafting the battlefield to your own advantage. Not dissimilar to what the Naga do in their cavernous Serpia."

Charlotte listened patiently to the explanations of magic from both adults, and nodded as Scale voiced her intent. "I don't want to hide from them again." She muttered softly.

[oyzar]

Orich walks over after Scale. Axe flying from shoulder to shoulder out of habit. "If I did not know it. The drow were sure to be laying in wait in an ambush somewhere. This is where we turn the tables on them and strike them down before they got time to react. Scouting is essential to know how to surprise them. I am ready." He goes in through the opening of the room and looks around. Axe now held at the ready in both hands as if he expect to swing it at someone at any moment.
[roll0]Perception

[QuidEst]

T.K. shook his head at Orich. "Just wait. Give me a few minutes, and I'll try and sort things out. We should keep quiet, though." He stepped behind the curtain so as to keep the light off while he worked. There was a finger-sized hole, so there was only one obvious thing to do. Fortunately, he didn't need to take the obvious approach. A little arcane energy was enough to create a small cylindrical 'finger', which he placed in the hole. If it didn't get cut off or something like that, he could always try the tip of his tail.

[Hazuki]

QuidEstThe prodding magic found itself easily fitting in the hole behind the curtain, hooking around a small indent at the bottom of the hole and, with a brief pull, opening to the sound of brief mechanical clicks. With power over the door in his hands, it would be easy to open it past the crack it had opened so far. From what little could be seen, there was

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asked, as the sound of brief clicks came from behind the curtain where T.K. stood concealed.

[QuidEst]

"I'm fine," T.K. answered quietly. "Stay back here, all right?" He gestured the unseen servant over, and instructed it to open the door. He began down the hall, Romulus sneaking ahead and stopping occasionally to let T.K. know he needed to move quieter.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa says "Without light it will be hard for you elves to see much. If we have to fight whoever is on the other side of that tunnel we are probably better off ambushing them rather than waiting for them to come for us as we gather up the things from the caravan to carry outside."

Orich grins in the darkness. "Finally we get to fight something alive! Not just traps. We should prepeare for battle. Salande, Ilyssa do you have any spells to make me even more formidable in combat?" He is almost shaking with excitement, despite the loss of blood from the traps earlier, he is at least willing to jump in.

Ilyssa looks at the orc, no need to rush to our deaths, she thinks before saying. Well my dance can hopefully inspire you to do better in battle, and if you charge together with me, the charge is similarly inspiring. You have to be able to see me for that to have effect though. With this light detection mechanism we have to be careful if we want to surprise them. Let's wait for T.K. to come back and then we'll make the preperations. That is assuming there are unfriendly drows at the end of that tunnel." Ilyssa checks her armor, shield and sword carefully. She is not as excited as Orich, but she is not afraid either. She wants to do her best in this comming battle.

[QuidEst]

"You would not want it used now," Salande answered. "It would be done by the time we needed to fight- if we do. T.K. said it detected light, right? So why don't you just wrap it up in something, and then make a light?" the cleric suggested. It seemed a lot easier than not having a light.

~~~

T.K. paused to listen, but couldn't make out any more than barely distinct voices. It sounded like about seven- more than they could handle in all likelihood. He crept forward again, getting as close as he dared. He wasn't sure what he'd do afterward, but that could wait.

[Hazuki]

T.K.T.K. delved further into the dark tunnel, unimpeded by any traps or loose debris as his little familiar scuttled along beside him. The voices, though muffled, got gradually louder as he approached and finally found a spot that would allow him to listen more closely. As his ears adjusted to the area, his eyes found a wooden construct set up along the cavern before him, its reach extending far beyond what his darkness-piercing eyes could see. From the tunnel, he could see that a wall had been set up that stretched up to fifteen feet of height, sitting twenty feet into the cavern.

However, while he strained his furred ears, there came a sudden stop to the voices. And a lone one called out. "We see you, Ratkin." It was female, strong, its origin from somewhere atop the wooden wall.

Charlotte didn't make any comments on the proceedings of battle-planning, instead leaning against the wall besides the door and letting her gaze rest on the ground as she tossed her glowing rock from hand to hand. Scale was acting similarly, though with her hand on her shortsword and her piercing eyes settled on the curtain that T.K. had descended through.

[QuidEst]

"Ah… well, greetings," T.K. replied, looking up to see who was speaking. "My apologies for the poor attempt at subterfuge, but the reception getting here was a little cold. Still, I don't have any arrows in me yet, and I'm willing to take that as a positive sign. T.K. Matthias." His voice was casual and conversational. There were several possible scenarios. Most of the ones in which they were hostile involved nothing worse than being used as a bargaining chip or as a source of information, so they'd have a reason to not just kill him. If it was the same group of Drow Charlotte had been talking about, he didn't think they were in league with whoever had set the traps. In a pinch, short-range teleportation and an illusion spell on hand would be useful.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa thinks for a moment. "Just because there is something we can see does not mean there is not something we can't see. The things might be affected if we move/cover them. I think it is better to just sneak past and start up the light again on the other side. They were behind curtains after all. Charlotte would you care to hide the light as we sneak past?" Ilyssa slithers carefully past the alcove with drow paste towards where T.K went. Once a bit further into the tunnel she creates the lights again. "Vaeri mitne ekess kontzu'kre wer idol." Dancing sensually from side to side leaving afterimages that turn into magical light.

Orich follows after the Naga. "Let's go then, you can cast your spell once we get closer." He smiles, impatient to let his axe taste blood, the traps had gotten their share now it was time for his implments to taste some.

[Hazuki]

Charlotte tucked her light-rock into her cloak as the group began to descend into the tunnel after T.K., though she squeezed past most of the group to walk by Ilyssa's side, with Scale at the far back of the group. "What should I do? When we get there?" She asked, looking up at Ilyssa.

T.K.T.K.'s search for a figure to talk to was met with failure, as the owner fo the voice didn't deign to step into the range of his Darkvision. Her heard the soft stomps of metal boots, but little else. "Zardia. This is Drow territory, T.K. Matthias. Trespassing isn't allowed; you are aware of this, aren't you? Otherwise it wouldn't be trespassing. And I'm certain that none of our kind offered you tea." As she spoke more clearly, her thick accent was identifiable. Though not one T.K. had heard before, perhaps only through impressions, it was easy to recognize.

[QuidEst]

"Pleasure to meet you, Zardia," T.K. replied. "I can't say I knew the specifics, having had little opportunity to meet the Drow. But certainly the traps made the intent clear, so I'm not going to argue I was unaware. It is rather difficult to talk to you without doing so, however. I was rather hoping to do so. Some of my companions had rather more… aggressive negotiations in mind, but I'm a person of words. Shutting the trade routes down is a waste of profit. Restrict the goods going in and out, certainly. I won't deny the fact of the war. But levy a toll for use, inspect any caravans for weapons and combat magic, and there you go. The merchants turn their profit, you improve relations so you don't end up fighting on all fronts, and now instead of sinking money into traps that force merchants to use overland routes, you turn a profit and incentivize trade of non-combat goods. You could end up with less aid going through." He shrugged, having said his piece. "At least, that's how I see it. Now, there will be a very temperamental orc coming along at some point. It would probably be best for all parties involved if I have something of an answer to placate him with."

[Hazuki]

T.K."You're right," The female voice sighed softly, as footfalls beat the wooden wall once more. "Our leaders have handled this situation poorly, and failed to see the full extent of their actions and how it would effect our Empire as a whole. Especially our economy. I will draft a letter that will be sure to reach the hands of our leaders, who I, of course, have the ear of." The noise of somebody mimicking the sound of quill writing on parchment came from the voice's location. "I think that will do, and we'll be sure to send your compensation, for saving our Empire, by courier, T.K. Matthias. Please, evacuate these trading tunnels before you're stampeded by your new adoring fans."

[QuidEst]

Well, there wasn't much point in arguing. He didn't particularly like the sound of those footsteps. "Well, if you insist." He started back up the path, moving at a brisk pace and taking a short dimensional jaunt to keep distance between himself and any pursuers.
Double move action + swift teleport for 45ft/round. Should use up two uses to get back to the others.

[QuidEst]

T.K. arrives back to the same area as the others at last. "Seven Drow or so- at least, seven that I heard talking. Not particularly interested in negotiating, but they didn't try to shoot me. Salande and Orich, you should probably take the rear guard. I heard them coming towards me- still at least twenty yards away when I started back, or I'd have seen them. Probably simplest if we make our exit, though."

[QuidEst]

Salande nodded, waiting for T.K. to pass him and giving one last glance back to check if there was anybody obviously still following. He held his weapon at the ready just in case, and started back along the tunnel.

[oyzar]

Ilyssa shakes her head "Now they know we are here. They are not likely to just let us pick up everything from the caravan and leave. With the proper preparation we might just be able to take them out before they come at us. They did plant traps on the way here, so they don't exactly mean us well. Then again, if we just get the things, that would be much more beneficial, but then we would always have to watch our back and could end up fighting in much more unfavorable conditions."

Orich shoots in "I think we should just kill them. Cast your puny magic and then I'll smash them with my axe." His axe thumps from one shoulder to the other.

Ilyssa continues talking to T.K. before he leaves "What did the place look like? Are there likely to be more than 7 drow? Is it a group or an actual habitation? This certainly affects our decision."