Alexios will put his siphon to one side, as it looks too bulky to squeeze down until they have checked the width of the route. He will hold on to Miklos' rope in case of any problems.
Arni takes his time studying the route in the lantern light, and watching the others as they decend. If everything goes smoothly with them, he will follow second to last. Leaving Bogdan to watch his back and descend at the end.
[tab][/tab] Scant light from the lantern lowered down reveals a cave chamber reaching ten meters below. Roughly oblong and filled with rubble covered in moss, fungi and low-light vegetation, it is far larger than the fissure through which the lamp entered. Slowly you each start the descent using ropes, squeezing through the opening then climbing down to the uneven floor. The cave is colder than outside, moisture beading on the stone surfaces. Puddles of dirty rain water filled with decaying leaves and detritus become gathering places for gnats, water-bugs and small, slimy salamanders. Crawlers and creepers of miniature size abound, a microcosm disturbed by your arrival, while mushrooms and puffballs feast on decaying matter. The light you have plays shadows on the rocks around you, painting the cave walls in sick yellows and angry reds. This four by ten natural room inclines from north to south, following the shape of the hill above. The north end gradually narrows and tappers down to a fissure where the two walls join, seemingly impossible to pass through. The south side shows a round shaped galley filled with debris (slate, leaves and crunchy insect husks) moving deeper into the gloom.
(Spells have been cast. Please make a Str+Athletics vs 6 roll, with an extra botch die. Large characters cannot enter the fissure, while small have one less botch die. The first character down makes the roll vs 9, that would be Miklos. The siphon can be passed down separately)
Str(2)+Athetics(2)+Stress(3)=7
Alexios follows Miklos, but the climb is quite tough and is slower than he thought. He calls up that he has safely made it, and waits at the bottom for others to come down.
Arni watches with deep concern, deep furrows between his eyes, while he considers what alternatives a good Auram spell might provide. «Scylax,» he ask, «you have any good trick for the occasion?»
Scylax looks just as concerned as Arni, but then he smiles ruefully, and says: I know you are just testing me, sodales. It so happens that I have yet to fully master this trick, but let the mundanes gape! Dramatically (I may need to recover my strength down there) He disappears and reappears in a relatively level part of the floor down below.
Climbing roll for Miklos
Str 2 + Athletics (climbing) 3(4) + 6 (falling) + roll 4 = 16.
Arni has hesitated for a long time, but once Scylax is off, he quickly makes up his mind. Having ascertained that there is space to fly down in the hole, he transforms and carefully wriggles through the small opening. When it becomes to hard to hold on to the cliff and rope, he drops and briefly unfolds hist wings to land gently in the moss. (Dex +1 + Athletics [flying] 3+1 + stress 8 = 13) Bogdan is left to pick up his cowl and climb in last.
Arni remains in eagle shape for a while, to take advantage of the eagle's eyesight for a while. The eagle moves out of the way for Bogdan's descent, and start looking around, scrutinising every cavity in the wall. With a modest screech, his unseen arm picks up the lantern which was left on the floor before the descent, and he moves it around along the walls to get a perfect view.
When he has seen enough, and the party is ready to go, he changes to human form and gets dressed.
Scylax is quite satisfied with his successful spell...and then he witnesses Arni transforming.
He's awestruck, and almost shyly, once Arni is dressed, inquires if he would like for Scylax to cast Eyes of the Cat, in fact if he should cast it on every member of the expedition.
[tab][/tab] One by one people manage to descend into the cave chamber. Miklos is first, competently climbing the rope down and holding it steady for others to climb down. Alexios went next and Bogdan last. Scylax used a spell to teleport at the cave floor while Arni changed into an eagle and flew down, landing in a puddle and shaking wet dead leaves from its claws. While the mundanes look around, Scylax offers to cast a spells to help with seeing, Bogdan offers his thanks but declines. The eagle in the mean time scrutinizes the walls and finally changes back and into his clothes when the party is ready to move forward.
Changing back from his heartbeast, Arni looks a bit disoriented and uncomfortable at first, but as soon as he has shaken the grass and dirt of his cowl and straightened the creases, he lights up.
«Eyes of the Bat!?» Arni says haltingly, «yes, yes, very useful. Need to learn that spell. Please, sodalis, that is much appreciated.»
Scylax now pays more attention to Arni's halting Greek Ahh, sodales, would that I were so proficient in Intellego and Animal. Just a humble Eyes of the Cat , I am afraid. It helps if there's but little light, but not if there's none
<OOC Scylax will cast the spell, which has Sun duration, when given consent and signaled by Arni (so that he lowers his MR, etc)>
Alexios refuses any offer of magical help.
"Miklos, are you leading us to the south or shall I?"
"Given the terrain I will lead" comes Miklos' reply. He lights a torch and carefully advances, checking the floor, walls and ceiling for stability as he goes. He will tie himself to rope and regularly piton the line to a stable piece of wall in case the ceiling collapses.
«Eyes Of The Cat,» Arni rehearses the pronounciation, «Bat, Cat, Bat, Cat, ... Greek is difficult,» he concludes. «Muto Corpus, you say!? But, ... that ... abomination ... unnatural ... inhuman,» he mumbles astonished, «well ... it is not the way bjornaer , anyway. Thanks, but no thanks.»
Arni follows the others into to gloom at the South end, trying to talk to Scylax on the way. «Are you checking for magical residues?» he asks «your forte ... is it not?»
Scylax hurries after Arni Yes, Muto, Corpus and Animal in felicitous synchrony! Could you enlighten me on its ...inappropiateness, sodales? It brings us closer to our animal brethren, does it not? I am at a loss and wish for anything but to transgress some deeply held convictions.
Scylax looks mostly to the floor and ceiling while he speaks, wary of bats, hidden pits, or imminent rock falls.
«In what way closer?» Arni asks, «pretention it is. Not understanding, but ... pretending in lieu of understanding. To be closer ... must meet ... listen . Not pretend. »
[tab][/tab]Miklos leads your party further into the cave, testing the shale covered floor for pitfalls. The going is slow for your precautions but better safe than sorry. The natural cave is weathered, even though this part is largely protected from the elements erosion has slowly set in. On the last part of the gallery where natural light can reach and the tunnel takes a left turn, you can see stalactites having formed on the ceiling out of limestone, while the floor is shaped in smooth, domed shaped rock formations, covered in white and brown droppings. The smell of decaying guano is very strong and you hear large cockroaches, centipedes and blind scorpions scurry around. Your lights disturb a flight of bats roosting on the ceiling and there is a moment of chaos where high screeches and the beat of infernal wings fills the cavern. The bats flee to the light and up the exit even though its morning outside.
[tab][/tab] Regrouping, you start following the natural curve of the tunnel deeper. The limestone walls start glistening, their rough texture taking a wet look, while tiny mineral deposits sparkle to your torch light. The 'path' starts descending, the stalactites filling the ceiling overhead while stalagmites now appear on the floor rising majestically. Sometimes whole pillars of dribbled stone form fantastic sculptures in brown and creme, and there are occasions you need to go around them to move forward. Still the floor of the cave is dry and relatively even, the fine dust accumulated from centuries past puffing up and clinging on your vestments. The cave goes arching to the left and down in a large ellipse, even though you have to zig-zag and meander around stalagmites more frequently the deeper you descend.
[tab][/tab]It is quite a bit since you left the entrance when you arrive in a widening of the cave. The floor continues evenly on the left side, but takes a dip and changes color to the right. A depression is formed of smooth, lemon colored limestone spotted with stalagmites of the same hue. It looks like an ancient repository of water long gone dry. This semi circle pond basin has rounded lips and its texture is not unlike glazed clay. Its stalagmites are small and wickedly pointed, like witch's nailed fingers clawing through the earth. On a risen limestone 'table' you see an encrusted bone half submerged into the rock. It looks like an ancient femur of some animal dropped into the evaporated lake. Deeper into this chamber there is a dead-end. A wall of stone that looks like melted candles poured hot wax and made bubbles of frozen knuckles, closes off the cave nearly all the way to the top. There seems to be a small space between the obstacle and the ceiling.
Scylax becomes quiet and withdrawn after Arni's seemingly odd refusal. He collects little pebbles here and there, specially in caverns with larger stalagmites/stalactites. He alternates between concentrating on his perpetual search and marveling at the cave sights. He even looks for fresh bat guano and collects a very small amount.
Scylax pauses in front of the final odd scene. What sort of animal other than a bat or smaller would be in such a deep cave (regarding the femur)? Have they seen other possible exits? How big is the space between the top of the dead end and the cave ceiling? Have they seen any trace of a previous expedition, or indeed of any human presence?
[tab][/tab]The femur looks like from a large animal, larger than a human. It is definitely not a bat's, in fact if it larger by several magnitudes as long as a man's torso and its head is larger than a fist. The space between the ceiling and the wall seems small, barely enough for a person to crawl through, no other exits or entrances. No signs of human (or non-human) disturbance so far, no sign of fire camps or mining, smuggling or any such stuff.