In which Fleur has an opportunity to explore the Caverns of Entropy
Fleur grabs a picnic lunch at the covenant before she and Lucia head out to the caves. A quick casting of Lamp without flame at the cave entrance should provide enough light for their exploration, anchored to a pebble she has picked up. (CrIg:10 spell she has learned, and her Cr is 12, so I assume no roll required)
OOC: I thought this was supposed to be in spring...
Other stuff is going on in spring and Fleur is involved in "Stranger Danger". Just wanting to spread things out a bit so stuff doesn't pile over each other.
I also forgot you said Spring :mrgreen:
We can make it Spring, but I really thinl Summer works better.
Also, Fleur is allowed to take more grogs if she wants. A porter, a soldier or two, maybe a runner. Whatever.
In terms of her schedule spring works better, and stranger danger is winter.
She will certainly take a porter, a runner, and another soldier or two- anyone have any grogs they want joining in on this expedition?
Anyways...
Fleur is led to the caves one of the sergeants of the Andorran Guard (one not on the CoB expedition). Carles. Yeah. Carles is a good pick. He has been here before and can guide you. So has your porter, Chuckles they call him 
I'll wave the spell. You could possibly botch but it is trivial and slows the story.
The Caverns of Entropy are located in a secluded valley known as the Chaos Vale (or Vally of Chaos, Chaos Cove, Goblin Corner, the Forest of Fear, and many other colorful names all used for this location).
It is a "U" shaped valley, with rising ridges dotted with cave entrances. It is actually not heavilly wooded, just scattered dense patches but mostly clear. A gentle stream runs down the middle.
Carles tells you to expect inconsistency.
[color=blue]The cave array is never exactly the same each time I've visited here. But there are trends. I know a smidge of Arcane Lore, and I know that there is a mis of both Magic and Faerie reggeo things scattered throughout. And the paths inside seem to shift and change. I was told that the theory is that they are consistent on their "level", they are just different on different levels. I am not sure, but I think it meens they change as you enter the reggeos and change back as you come out.
Fleur understands. It simply means geography changes as one enters a regio, as is normal.
Carles reccomends starting with the lower caves. There may be some goblins or kobalds, the ogres stick mainly to the higher ridges.
"Indeed, we are here looking for knowledge, not conflict, let us start towards the bottom." Unless they recommend a reason otherwise she will also start with whichever of the lowest caves are closest.
it seems obvious soon enough that someone has been here somewhat recently, perhaps only a few days ago. You see the remains of a firepit, some small charred bones, and rubbish. And a rusty knife, chipped and notched, with dried blood upon it.
Further on the cavern twists and descends into pats unknown. Listening carefully, you hear a quiet dripping of in the distance.
Fleur briefly examines the makeshift campsite in the cave. Small bones suggests small game, but why make the fire inside the cave instead of out? It was likely to be smokier in the cave, and it was no so cold or windy that the elements would provide a significant reason to camp in the cave. Which suggested that whoever camped here was trying to avoid detection. She looks at the knife- is the handle small or just the blade?
The knife is actually not small, it is a butcher knife. You notice something odd about the bones too. not animal...
"Oh great, there goes the possibility of negotiation. Let's head further in, men at arms in front."
Further on the passage narrows, widens, twists and naroows again. There are side paths that seem forboding and difficlt or impossible to navigate. this main path continues downwatd until it opens into a large chamber with a small pool. Water trickles in from one side wall. There are stalagtites and stalagmites, and it seems quite warm in here.
Fleur walks over to the pool to examine it- how deep it is, does the water smell normal? She is considering the possibility that this might have been used at some point as a birthing pool...
The pool is of indefinite depth, unable to be measured by means at hand. You tried the pole, throwing a weighted rope in, no determination possible. The water smells of ozone and is tingly to the touch.
Fleur will improvise an intelligo aquum spell, peering through the murky waters:
base effect- make a sense (sight) unaffected by water (level:1), range self, target individual, duration concentration: total effect level:2
with fatigue:
(Intelligo:1+Aquum:1+stamina:3+aura?+stress die http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4725523/ 6)/2= (11+?)/2 which should implement the effect nicely
The depth extends far beyond the limits of normal human perception. I will habdwave the fact that it gets darker the further you go. Suffice to say, this pool seems bottomless and goes on for miles.
Do you have Second Sight? Prolly not, but perhaps someone with you does?
If Felicia came along she has second si(ght and the ability to lend second sight. Otherwise we have Epona, who does not, and some generic grogs.
It's far too deep for a birthing pool, but quite curious nonetheless. The smell of lightning* is also quite curious, and not something she would expect here.
She wants to listen for vis, but that will cost more fatigue for another spontaneous spell. "All right, lets set up a lunch camp here, we are going to rest for a bit, keep an eye on those side tunnels, make sure nothing is sneaking up on us. I don't care for the native meal plan. Oh, and lets get some non magical lights lit."
She will go ahead and cast a spontaneous InVi to hear if the water has vis in it (In:1+Vi:1+Sta:3+stress die http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4725753/ :6+aura?)/2 (detect vis- base effect:1, range:self, target:hearing, duration:concentration) target 5, so unless there is a penalty for the aura that should work. Afterwards she will take a rest and eat lunch. (10 minutes down to winded, 2 minutes to unfatigued)
She does hear the presence of vis in the water. Very loud. Felecia, if she peers into the pool with second sight, will jump back in sudden fright.
"It stared back at me!
"Interesting. After lunch would you mind lending me the sight so I can see what stared back? Or could you describe it?"
Felecia scratches a crude image in the dirt.
"And the serpent looked at you?"