The Underway basecamp below the sewers of Glitterhovel has become a well-stocked launching point for excursions into the depths. Myrcury, Talya and Fritz visit almost daily. Hauling oil, rope, boards, arrows, bedding, cooking supplies, fire wood and all kinds of tools. They do not store food at basecamp for fear of attracting vermin, which can be very large and aggressive. They have had a encounters with rats and insects, but so far they have always been easily frightened away.

The pool in the chamber is full of deep, cool and pristine water. The group was concerned that it was sewer water diverted by the explosion that caused the collapsed passage. After careful examination with finely tuned gnomish noses, they decided that the source must be a spring.

The pool occupies 60 percent of the Northeastern. Side of the chamber. The rest of the chamber is a solid rock ledge to the pool. The entire chamber is roughly circular with a diameter of perhaps 30 feet. The group has put lanterns throughout and when they are all lit the chamber is quite bright.  This seems to keep vermin at bay.

Other than the main entrance there is only one other way out that is evident. The pool spills into a trickling stream that runs downhill through a water carved tunnel that is easily big enough for a gnome to walk through. The consensus is that the passage will lead to the other side of the blocked passageway though they have yet to explore it. A fact they are itching to change.

Now that they are well supplied and healed from the battle with the chambers previous resident. It seems about time to make the plunge.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:05, Thu 15 Feb.

Myrcury removes his bedroll from his pack, creating considerable space. He stows the bedroll in the chest designated for bedding. He double and triple checks his weapons and puts his pack on.

"I'm ready to go."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:10, Thu 15 Feb.

Talya likewise removes the bedding from her pack and adds a rope. You never know when you might need more rope in a dark cave. She cinches her gear into place takes a deep breath then says,

"Me too. Remember, go slow. We have no idea whats down there. Slowly.  Ill be 10 feet behind you. Lets do it."

Myrcury has the bullseye lantern, freshly filled and lit. Talya is holding a hooded lantern, freshly filled and lit. They have 2 extra pints of oil, but don't plan to be gone for more than a few hours.

The passage slopes downward but not so quickly as to make it a climbing situation. Both are able to slowly and steadily descend a winding path that lasts about 200 feet before spilling out into a shallow stream and opens into a vast natural cavern. Both shine their lanterns all around trying to get a scope of the size of the cavern. Their lights, even the fully focused bullseye can only find more darkness, up, and following the stream. The stream is in a rocky gorge. Above the cave they emerged from is the path that was blocked by the Gnomes 150 some years ago. It runs along the stream on the left, or west side according to Talyas compass.  On the right side is a large bunch of mushrooms that catch Talya's attention.

Sounds can be heard other than the moving water. Creatures live in the dark places of Aldarius. They are not all silent. Chirps,  screeches and occasionally a moan or howl is heard. Always far off, yet Spine chilling none the less.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:10, Thu 15 Feb.

"Myrcury, I believe those are glow caps
 Shine your lantern the other way."

She closes the hood on her lantern.  Now with the light off they can see the mushrooms glowing. They give off enough light to see by.

"Oh my yes! These are good to eat and the apothecary would definitely buy some. Light source, food source and gold source."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 23:15, Thu 15 Feb.

"You know I love gold, and food, but down here I'll take light. Lets leave them. They light up our entrance."

Myrcury dampens his own lantern and allows his eyes to adjust. After a few moments they both find they are able to see a hundred feet or so. Looking around they see mushroom patches in various spots. At least in this immediate area, they really don't need the lanterns.

They extinguish them to preserve the fuel.

"Light or no light, getting lost down here will not be difficult.  We need to take precautions. Right now we are in the south end of a gorge. Lets follow the water north. We could climb up to the road, but id like to stay close to this stream. If the stream forks, we need to map it."

The two of them start moving slowly north trying to be stealthy, but in the water that is difficult. There is a constant background symphony of water over rock and air howling through stalactites. This helps disguise their sounds they hope.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:58, Fri 16 Feb.

As they move without the lamp light Myrcury notices the vermin are less inclined to run and hide. The rats and insects seem to fear bright light. Now that there was only the phosphorescent glow of mushrooms the cavern comes alive with small, mostly harmless vermin. Flying insects as well as crawling are frequently seen.

The stream starts to bend to the west and after a few hundred feet it empties into a bigger stream running almost due west. This intersection needs marked and mapped. A wrong turn down here could be their doom.

Myrcury removes his pack, takes out the scroll case and begins to make additions to his map.

Talya steps very close to Myrcury and whispers

"I have never fealt this terrified nor this alive in all my life."

Then, as if summoned by her very observation, an enormous monstrous centipede rears up hungrily,  it's mandibles clicking together in anticipation of warm flesh.


Initiative
1d20 + 2 Dex
Rolled: 11 + 2 = 13

This message was last edited by the player at 23:30, Fri 16 Feb.

The creature senses movement ahead. It glides foward across the rocks feeling and tasting the air with its seaking pair of antenae. Suddenly it hears a whispery sound directly ahead of it. It rears up to see. There standing before it are two fleshy blobs of warm, squirmy food. It has a choice to make: rght or left.


Initiative
1d20 + 2
Rolled: 14 + 2 = 16

This message was last edited by the player at 23:32, Fri 16 Feb.

Myrcury has just acknowledged Talya's observation with a nod when the monstrous insect rears up in the shadows.


Initiative
1d20 + 4 dex
Rolled: 11 + 4 = 15

Eeny meeny miney moe. The creature lunges at Myrcury attempting to hold his meal down for his venomous bite. His little meal is elusive however as the centipede fails to grab hold of him.


Target
1d2 1 is Myrcury, 2 is Talya
Rolled: 1

Grapple Attempt attack
1d20 + 2
Rolled: 3 + 2 = 5


This message was last edited by the player at 23:51, Fri 16 Feb.