Chapter Three: Into the Fweth Tunnels

[Mint]

The torch is out. The humans check to see if we can see.

(OOC: I'm ruling 10 minutes to adapt enough to see things adequately - it's really several hours but that wouldn't work in a game. Anyone with Dark Vision is like a cat in that they adapt to torch light just as quickly as humans do and back to night vision quickly.)

[black1blade]

While progressing down the stairs slowly (we are going at dungeon movement rate right?) Alrone will inform the party that if they ever get into a situation where they run out of torches, he has the suitable magic to illuminate the area.

[Mint]

Down you go. Down and down and down. Every hundred feet the stairwell flattens out for about three quarters of a turn about the core. As you continue the sounds that you heard before rose for a bit and then grew quiet.

Finally, after descending nearly five hundred feet you come to a wide circular room about 60' in diameter. The blue lines run along the bottom edges of the walls and are a little thicker, providing a bit more light. The walls run straight up for about 20' before sloping inward, forming a dome. At the center of the dome is a large blue pattern that gives off more of the cold blue light. Enough that even the humans can see fairly well.

Spaced equidistant about the room are three other curved doorways like yours.

In the center of the room you see a bound form that seems to be unconscious. Bending over it are two ant-like figures with weapons at their sides and some form of armor unfamiliar to you.

Against one wall is a container of some sort with a transparent top from which emanates a faintly glowing warm white light that illuminates the faces of four more of the insect creatures standing around it who appear to be trying to get it open.

As you enter they look up and turn towards you...

[Hywaywolf]

Edward senses the creatures as the others enter the room. Once he gets a look at them he suspects he can have no affinity with them, but none the less, using his connection to the natural world he attempts to communicate a benign intent in hopes that it serves to calm or befriend the insectoid creatures.

[Woe]

Her senses alert, this looks to Elizabeth as a robbery. Sure, there can be other possibilities as well, but something seems suspicious. She will keep her halberd in front of her as she starts moving to the right to give William a better bow shot if needed.

Can she tell anything about the bound figure, either race or whether it has been harmed?

[Mint]

Woe wrote:
Can she tell anything about the bound figure, either race or whether it has been harmed?

(OOC: The only thing any of you can tell as to it's race is that it is short. As for it's condition there isn't much you can tell because it is completely wrapped up in a beige canvas like material and bound with silk-like ropes. You do not however see any blood and it does appear to be squirming.)

[Woe]

The guard instinct kicks in.

"Hey. What's going on here?" The halberd will drop to a ready position, but still not pointed directly at the ant-men.

[Longman]

William has had his bow knocked the whole time to the point where his fingers are hurting.

He's totally ready to fire and has beaded on one of the creatures. He'll stay about 30' back from the ant-like figures, near the edge of the room.

As soon as anything kicks off he will fire, before any other character gets in his way.

[Nightwulf]

Ferahf mews quietly at the arrival of new scents in the room. He struggles against the canvas trying to loosen the ropes that hold it together. Hearing Elizabeth's shout he decides that the newcomers are probably friendly so he risks communication. He focuses trying to make it so that they all can hear his telepathic message. //Help Me!// his voice is deep with a faint growling quality to it.

[Mint]

Edward makes a noble effort at trying to gain some affinity for the insect-like creatures but there is a sense of them being too alien, too separate from the natural order of things in the world above that he is unable to do so. He senses a coldness from them but something more...a different kind of thought.

As Elizabeth speaks all the insect-like creatures turn to face the party, their hands going to their weapons. They seem to move almost in unspoken concert. As they move to face you there is a skittering sound as their feet move. A clicking sound starts and you see their mandibles move. After a moment there is silence.

Five of the creatures draw their weapons as they advance swiftly towards you while the sixth heads quickly for the closest side tunnel.