IC XVI

[Alethan]

Once Tev is recovered, Rhys again moves forward towards the exit.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan, dwarf

Thurgan trudges towards the entrance with the gold and wearied by the combats.

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren, Fighter

As he regains control of his limbs, Tev gets slowly to his feet, stretches a mighty stretch and involuntarily roars. Surprised himself by the noise emanating from his mouth, he suddenly clamps it shut, making a weird strangling noise. His body then starts shaking for a few seconds until he gets control of himself.

Gathering his things, he glares at his comrades, hiding shame, then starts heading for the exit.

[Wyzard]

Severi shrugs and joins the train towards the exit.

[thirdkingdom]

The Caves under the Forgotten City
Turn 20

Fully laden and injured, the adventurers begin to trudge back towards the basement of the bathhouse and the light of the surface world. As they approach the Room of Scalding Springs all but Rhys are totally shocked by the emergence of eight humanoid creatures from the swirling steam beyond. The creatures are vaguely reptilian, with oily, scintillating skin. They all clutch short thrusting spears, and a foul odor hangs about them, as palpable as any armor. One of them is wearing an ornate hat fashioned from the skull of some unidentifiable creature, festooned with faded ribbons and small pieces of bone that clink together as she moves her head.

Rhys, go ahead and declare actions for the surprise round. As of now they do not appear to be threatening immediate violence.

[Alethan]

Wanting to avoid further confrontations, Rhys stays from drawing his sword. He holds out his hands in front of him and addresses the female in the headdress, "No fight. We leave. All live."

[thirdkingdom]

The Caves under the Forgotten City
Turn 20

The creature returns Rhys' gesture, and slowly the foul-smelling humanoids retreat back into the steam.

The Caves under the Forgotten City
Turn Twenty-two

The adventures reach the end of the cavern system; before them is visible the hole leading into the basement of the bathhouse. Low voices can be heard from within, and the faint light of a lantern streams into the dark of the tunnel.

[Alethan]

Rhys shakes his head in amazement and whispers, "What is this? A trade route?"

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan replies "It seems very busy down here now".

[Wyzard]

Severi the Silvertongue

Severi looks thoughtful. "Well, we can either yell out that we're coming, or set an ambush. I'd prefer the former."

[Koren n'Rhys]

Quint Kacie
"We certainly aren't the only one's who know about the place now. Do we take our chances and leave, or hide and see if they come down? We don't have much fight left in us."

[phil285]

Vanco Basou
"Hailing them as friends seems a plausible option to me -- we do not want any further fights right now."

[thirdkingdom]

The party hails whomever -- or whatever -- lurks in the basement, and moments later Beso the Boisterous's head emerges from the hole in the wall. "Aha!" he exclaims, "you have caught up with us! This must be the entrance you used to gain access to this labyrinthine warren of tunnels, correct? Did you find anything of interest in the building above us? I have half a mind to disassemble this strange contraption* and try to sell it to some crazed wizard."

*for those of you who might have forgotten, he is most likely referring to the boiler (for that is what it is) in the basement.

[Wyzard]

"You may do as you like with it, but we would appreciate it if you would let us pass by first."

[thirdkingdom]

Beso stands back to let the party through. The other adventurers are busy poking around in nooks and crannies and peering intently about the room. No further comment is made, and the adventurers exit the bathhouse without incident, whereupon they repair to their camp and find their mounts undisturbed.

Sometime during the night, those on watch hear the faint strains of music -- or, to be more specific, singing. Boisterous, drunken singing, from off in the distance, to the south.

It appears that there is not actually a current watch schedule up in the Standards thread. I thought that someone (Atlicoatl, perhaps) posted one in an OOC thread at some point, but it would probably be faster to come up with a new order than to try and scroll through a bunch of posts. Obviously, this encounter does not require combat, but it would be nice to have a watch order posted fairly soon.

[thirdkingdom]

Felmont 3, AC 1000
The Forgotten City

The new day dawns clear and sunny, with the promise of early summer heat later in the day.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan has to seek magical healing to repair his still grevious wounds. "Today might be best to rest as I may not be fully healed even using all of the magic available to us"

If he gets back 1pt for overnight rest Thurgan will be on 11/27 hp
Yes we do need a new watch order, Thurgan can logically be late in the night as his abilities suit him to that

[Koren n'Rhys]

Quint Kacie
"We will want to be at our best before we go back. With rival treasure seekers, ur-orks and gods know what else down there, we need our strength. I can spend more time on watch during the day and let the more injured rest."

[thirdkingdom]

Quint finds himself more relieved than normal to be above ground, under a clear sky. Also, if he lets his mind drift, he finds an abnormal urge to consume small rodents welling up from deep inside. Oftentimes during the day, as he sits studying his spells, the mage looks up to find the keen eyes of his bound familiar regarding him with intensity, questioning him. Once, when the bird took to the wing and soared on the thermals above camp, Quint was rocked by vertigo as an image flooded his mind: the ground, as seen by someone a hundred or more feet up in the air, and his very own head and body, looking very small.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan sits and rests polishing his weapons and armour keeping watch for any sign of threats coming at them.