[tab][/tab] Arni is using his lightbeam to illuminate parts of the pool and cavern. The waters are pitch black even with this strong illumination, though you can see the lower parts of the submerged stalagmites with some more clarity. Still, no life was detected. When the light falls on the cave walls and azure stones, they acquire a smooth shine like polished glaze of blue coloring, with some faint sparkling. To the keen eyes of Scylax some more details are revealed but not much.
[tab][/tab] The group makes a larger bait lashed with some rope and after Scylax casts his spells start trailing it through parts of the pool. This time, nothing bites....
«This seems futile, Scylax,» says Arni with a sigh, «hadn't we better proceed? Maybe we learn more and get a new idea? Maybe we can read up on the arts in the winter and return in the spring to try again!? Now, the way ahead is more interesting.»
Read up on the Arts? What library is it we are supposed to avail ourselves from? Scylax cackles somewhat bitterly.
Then collects himself
Of course, as you say, forward it is. I apologize for this delay, Arni sodales. My ideas were uninspired.
To Alexios and Miklos
Do we have an empty jar, barring that an empty water skin? I would collect some of this water.
<OOC After this, Scylax will use Wizard's Leap ReCo 15 Mastery 1 Fast Casting/+9 with normal voice, exaggerated gestures, regular casting time, to bridge the gap = +1 aura +1gestures + roll _: 1D10 = [7] = 7 = 18, success OOC>
Alexios drinks deeply from his water skin, then passes it to Miklos to finish - after all, it feels like these two have been doing the heavy climbing, ropework and lifting. Once Miklos has had some, Alexios will make sure it's empty and pass it to the wizard.
«We brought home a useful tome on Animal this Summer, but sorry, it is Latin.»
Alexios will move forward, taking the path around the pool, looking out for trouble. He is moving ahead of Miklos, who has decided to drop back for now.
[tab][/tab] After collecting some of the water from the pool into Alexios' water flask, your party crosses the cut and reaches the other side. This cavern continues for some time, the path moving in unpredictable ways along stone formations rising from the pools, but in a general anti-clockwise direction following the walls. The sound of dripping water is the only thing heard and the air is heavy with moisture. Soon you reach what seems to be the end of the pools, after having traveled almost a quarter of a circle inside the hill. While the deeper pool still stretches into the darkness, the cave walls converge in front of you, giving rise to an incline of slick rock, half dripping wax half waterfall. A large slope made out of grey calcite deposits like a melting candle glistens in the lights you bear. You can see moisture drip down fast from this formation and into the pools. The stone is of a different color than the rest of the cavern and looking closely you find out that parts of it are covered by red looking mosses, sponge like clusters of plant matter incessantly dripping droplets. It is a curious sight, especially since there is no light here. A few tiny blind creatures crawl in these miniature gardens, some white worms and pale cave insects, living a meager existence on whatever food they can get. The mosses though seem to be thriving in the constant deluge of water from above.
[tab][/tab] The path sharply turns to the right, ringing the shallower pool and finally merging with the cave wall, ending in some kind of lipping of the pool. From that side the incline seems easier to traverse, less slippery and moss covered. With nowhere else to go, you start carefully climbing up, and getting drenched in the process. The slow drip of moisture soon covers you, cold water slimming its way into your clothes. It is an easy climb into an opening like a tunnel, a dark, blind alcove above the cavern. Here in a round opening the cavern floor is covered in red moss, absorbing all sound. The western side is grey rock with red flecks and striations like rust. Three fault lines on the face of the rock, going from the ceiling to nearly the ground, seem to be the source of all the water. A drizzle like heavy mist comes from these breaks in the rock, cold and metallic in taste. There are no openings, the lines themselves barely large enough for the blade of a dagger to enter. Besides the sound of water droplets, nothing is heard. On the south side, the walls reveal an opening high above. A large stalactite has broken off and tumbled down, settling in an angle next to the wall. Though the bottom part rests on the ground, no moss grows on it, making a kind of clearing around it, a patch of glazed dirty white against the russet of the plants. It allows a means to climb partway to the opening above, a small dusty looking tunnel barely half a span of height, that who knows where it goes. It would be a lot of crawling.
<OOC Scylax examines the russet moss, to see if he may perceive if it has Magical properties. He still has magic carps on his mind. 
Does the path look like a path? That is, is it smoothed by the passage of some unknown creature, or does it look entirely coincidental? OOC>
[tab][/tab] The moss is not magical, even though it exists in a magical aura. It is a mystery though what it lives on. Nor are the tiny critters magical.
[tab][/tab] The path ended at the moss covered incline. The incline ends in a closed alcove. That alcove, mostly covered in moss has some fault lines on one side, where the moisture comes from, and an opening above on the other side. A fallen stalactite can allow access to that opening. It seems to be a break in the rock, not creature-made.
Alexios says "This is getting to be harder and harder crawling. Do you want to risk it, masters? I'm not sure we've much more to find."
I say yes, we will explore some more, but let's pause a moment.
Scylax concentrates on the 3 wounds in the stone.
<OOC After gathering sufficient moisture on his hands, he will attempt to spont cast a SUBTLE TASTE OF POISON AND PURITY, Core 122, extras to Duration (You can taste all of the properties of any liquid or mixture of liquid) (4 + 2 Sta + 1 Aura + 1 Loud voice + 1 Exaggerated gestures + _: 1D10 = [10] = 10)/2. possible botch! How many dice, IonianD? Well at least 1 at any rate: _: 1D10 = [8] = 8. No botch, await if there are extra dice, but Scylax was under calm conditions. The spell fails, as 9/2 =4 and not 5 minimum. OOC>
(ST EDIT) 1 die is fine, the aura is magical and its not a stressful situation, proceed
It looks for a second like Scylax is gesturing wildly, fighting an invisible opponent. He then leans against the cave wall, red-faced, laughing. Well that was a whole bushel of nothing! Regain my wits, and try again!
<OOC After gathering sufficient moisture on his hands, he will again attempt to spont cast a SUBTLE TASTE OF POISON AND PURITY, Core 122, extras to properties (You can taste all of the properties of any liquid or mixture of liquid) (4 + 2 Sta + 1 Aura + 1 Loud voice + 1 Exaggerated gestures + _: 1D10 = [5] = 5)/2 = 7, sufficient for the very basic spell info. As it is Conc duration, he will walk over to the shore of the deep pool and also taste that water.
Rest a bit.
Is there vis behind that water that comes out of the wall? Scylax gets close to the "wounds" to see if he can discern anything. OOC>
Arni sodales, Alexios remarks on the difficulties of continuing to crawl down holes in the ground. Could you perhaps take a gander up there to see if we should chance it? points to
[tab][/tab] As his companions investigate the mossy alcove above the pools from where the water seems to come from in a drizzle, Scylax casts a spell again and boldly tries the droplets of water. It is clean water with a faint metallic taste, like having been filtered through sand and clay, pure with a hint of chalky after-taste. It is also slightly warmer than the surrounding area. The ''wounds'' are small cracks in the cave wall, faults made by the millennial movement of rock on rock, fractures in the stone that allow water from above to filter down and trickle in the cave. There are hairline, too small for anything to pass through, except the drizzle of water.
[tab][/tab] Scylax then goes back to the pools and tastes that water too. Clean, cold water, a little tepid with a faint metallic after-taste. It is devoid of particles or life and crystal clear.
Very curious. I have nothing but unanswered questions! Scylax talks perhaps to himself, perhaps to Arni. Things live here, and yet what do they live on? I think we should stay inside for the night, nearby, to see if something may be witnessed.
<OOC Scylax awaits Arni's response on spying into the opening in the cave. He is determined to come out with something of value, not merely the wondrous memories, despite Alexios's misgivings! This will require Arni to spont some more illumination spells, I believe they were Sun duration. OOC>
<OOC If Arni still has his powerful illumination spell active, and as the water is so clear, Scylax will plunge his head underwater while on the bridge, on the left, deeper area, after casting Piercing the Magic Veil InVi 20 Mastery 1 /+18 + 1Aura + _: 1D10 = [3] = 3, done! and see if there might be a regio hiding in the depths, which could also explain some things OOC>
[tab][/tab] As his companions ponder what to do next, Scyllax experiments with the pools. Casting his magic, he then puts his head underwater to scan the deepest parts of the waters for any sign of regios. From what can glean, there is no apparent fluctuation of the aura anywhere in the dark depths. Suddenly a sharp pain on the left side of his neck makes him jerk his head up from the water and gasp a breath of air. Something bit him! There is a large circular imprint on his neck, like a red circular rash, no blood.
[please make a Sta diff 9 or suffer a long fatigue level, and a Sta+Concentration diff 15 or lose the spell]
<OOC Sta 2 + _: 1D10 = [4] = 4 +3 Confidence = 9, done!
Sta+Concentration diff 15: 2 + 3 Conc + _: 1D10 = [8] = 8 = 13, almost! failure to keep the spell up. OOC>
Scylax will gasp, does he see what bit him? His hands go to his neck as he pulls his head lightning fast out of the water. <OOC If he can grasp the elusive biting thing as a reflex, he will, but grabbing a live fish is probably beyond his klutzy weak hands (Str-2, Dex-2), so this will probably be just a moment for the others to laugh at his apparently silly antics. OOC>
Mikalos will continue to observe the magi until they instruct him to do something else. His time to contribute will come when more climbing is required.
Alexios says to Miklos "I think we'll be here a while. These scholars want to play with every bit of water, scratch every stalactite and get themselves bitten by cave fish. Any idea what we're looking for?"
"Not a clue my friend, but who can understand the ways of magi, not me that is for sure." Comes his reply.
Alexios turns to Scylax and says "Sir, do you wish us to prepare camp here? We have just enough lamp oil and candles to last the night, if needed, or we can attempt the extremely difficult passage which Myklos can get through but the rest of us may struggle. If it is your wish, we can leave the caves to report back to your colleagues."