You each gain 4000 experience points.

Moving down the slope past the Earthsilver pool, the green grass and moss that is still exposed to the sun gives way to darkness.  You light your light sources and move down.  After descending about 50 feet, the cave levels out, and you see two cubical rocks halfway blocking the entrance to the caves beyond.

Entering, you find yourselves in a 30' by 40' room carved into the mountain.  This is obviously the entrance or foyer to something carved in the past by men or gnomes.  In fact, the gnomes peer curiously in, obviously having never seen this before and a little afraid.

But the room itself is empty, long since abandoned.  The room has a closed stone door to the east, and another one on the west side.  The two southern doors have been destroyed and lay in rubble.  One of them leads to a hallway to your right (west), and the other leads straight forward (south).  You can see down that southern passage that there are several halls breaking off, and that it descends down some stairs.



OOC: Please state what your light sources will be as you enter the mountain.

Tahldar looks around the cave warily as he knows many strange and dangerous creatures may lurk within.  Piping up he says assertively "We should use a scout team to forge ahead of us.  This team should be stealthy obviously and should consist of at least two of us."

"If the way ahead looks clear then they report back and the main group moves ahead.  It'll be time consuming but we can't afford the risk of stumbling across this dragon by accident."

Thinking a bit he adds "And speaking of the dragon, preferably if one of us has the ability to cast illusion, we should try to leverage that to get the dragon to use its breath weapon so we'll know what we're dealing with.  On the illusion obviously.  I was thinking if we can determine what it uses, we could use a protection spell against it.  And in conjunction with my spells to protect from it's claws and teeth, some brave soul could rush towards it to gather the berries while the rest of us skirt it to safety."

Scratching his chin he says as he glances Borimer's way "Though we'll need a volunteer for such a dangerous duty."

Shifting tacks he adds "In any event I think this plan could work.  Assuming of course that our intent is to get the berries and get past it.  And not to kill it outright, which I think will be foolish.  It is highly intelligent and likely cannot be tricked out of the healing pool."

"I would love to plunder it's hoard just like anyone would, but so many have come before us and failed that I think to try would be crazy.  Though we may no choice but to try if it blocks the way out of here."

Shae listens thoughtfully and says, "This is a big mountain.  On one hand, I think a scouting party is a good idea, but on the other, what if something happens to them?  They won't have protection and we won't know that they're in trouble.  This is also a huge mountain.  Wherever we run into this dragon, it's probably going to be a large area where the dragon can move around.  We're probably safe in these hand crafted corridors.  At least, that's what I'm thinking."

Shae will test and open the door to the east.

Kahan nods at Shae's words, lighting a torch as he replies, "I agree with Shae here. These hallways are no place for dragons, and anything that is here will likely already know of our presence before we do, whether it be from sound, smell, or from our light sources. If we want to survive to actually find the dragon, we're going to have to stick together lest we be picked off before the big showdown. I believe that it might be possible to kill the dragon, but we will have to outsmart it, which can be tricky. I have an idea that could prove useful, though..." The priest grins, walking towards the open door that leads to the halls and looking in.

Borimer gives a wolfish grin, "Pickin' berries is why I'm here."  But when he hears the others voice their concerns he nods at their wisdom, disappointed not to fight a dragon and relieved not to see one all in the same moment. "When we finally run into that wyrm just point me to those magic berries and I'll grab-." He clenches his one good hand and grimaces.

*Borimer turns his mind to other tasks and lights his lantern, then hangs it from his belt(?)
This message was last edited by the player at 03:32, Thu 12 June 2014.

"I´m not sure how useful illusions will be against a dragon, at least my illusions can only affect sight and hearing, and they could barely confuse those giants, and a dragon will be just worse. But I think there is a way to deal with the dragon."

"If your illusion affects sight and sound, it should be enough to trick him if cast from a fair distance away.  Dragon's have a sensitive sense of smell from the legends I've heard, so hopefully if you cast your illusion he'll pick up your smell and think they are one in the same.  I don't see why it wouldn't work."  Tahldar replies to Shapfren.

Thinking a moment he adds "However it may be that he is smart enough to realize the illusion is a trick.  I myself can detect the easier to cast illusions, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that the dragon can too.  If it can it would concern me greatly.  Most of the time we fight creatures who aren't that smart and don't coordinate their efforts well.  But this dragon could be smarter than us all.  And if he is very intelligent it might be able to cast spells too."

Tahldar's brow creases as he stops speaking to think for a while.  Turning to the Gnomes he says in their native tongue

Turning to the rest he adds "In lieu of a scout, me and the Gnomes will stay as far back as we can while still keeping the main group in sight.  If anyone else wishes to join in rear guard duty please do."

OOC:  I posted a message to the Gnomes in "Gnomish".  Heath, can you add Gnomish to the language list?  Also, does anyone else speak Gnomish?

Borimer takes point and moves out when everyone is ready.

I think Borimer should be up front, so maybe someone else in back with tahldar and the gnomes
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Sat 14 June 2014.

Shae moves to the east, opening the ancient stone door there and pushing inward.

It reveals a square room, obviously not occupied for some time...except for its current occupants.  In this room, bones are piled like carpeting on the floor, and form small mounds.  They appear humanoid, and have been here for quite some time, layered in dust and cobwebs.



The gnomes do not appear in any hurry to rush forward.  They are afraid and have been in the giantish prison for awhile.  One of them attempts to speak in your language, acting as a sort of spokesman.

"We come.  We go to village below, explain you our friends.  You save us.  We simple village gnomes.  Not warriors.  But we give skills when can."

OOC: Gnomish has been added.  If anyone else speaks it, let me know and I will add them to the list.

Borimer moves into the room and to the first mound of bones.  He pokes at it with his sword, scattering the debris a little to find what, if anything, lies beneath.

He finds nothing there but more bones.

"Well I see no reason to rush into anything.  We might as well search as we go." Tahldar says as he begins searching the wall for secret doors.

Borimer nods and scatters the second mound of bones before resuming his watching of the door.

"What skills do you possess?" the priest asks the spokesgnome curiously, sharing Borimer's interest in the piles of bones, moving them around with his mace to make sure they won't come to life.

Shae will open the door to the west and see if it has anything more interesting than dusty bones.

In reply to Shae Shadowglen (msg # 15):

Donovan readies his swords and moves close to Shae as she opens the door.

OOC: Okay, back from vacation and travels just in time for another holiday and short vacation.  But I at least wanted to advance this a little further before Monday.  I will probably post again tomorrow.

The lead gnome says, "We have skills in the caves.  Location, direction, find food or water.  Simple skills.  We live in caves long time.  But we never come here.  The sacred scrolls forbid it.  Evil and the dragon lurk within."  He says this last with some trepidation, but resigned to the need at hand.

Tahldar begins searching.

Shae enters the western room (#3).  The stone door takes effort, but finally pushes inward, revealing a 20 foot by 20 foot room with more skeletal remains with tattered leather clothes.  The skeletons appear to be both gnome and human.  There was once a fountain here in the northwestern part of the room, but now it appears to be a pool of stagnant water covered with a layer of moss.

Tahldar is pushing at stones and one pushes in easily, acting as a button.  With a heave, the wall starts to move, revealing a secret room beyond (#4).

The gnomes give an almost comical utterance in unison of "ahhhh" when the secret door is discovered.

The 10 foot by 10 foot room beyond the secret door is dark and covered in cobwebs.  There are several items of interest here.

First, there is an urn about 3 feet high, made of bronze.  It is unadorned but is filled with some sort of unfamiliar coins, also apparently of bronze or brass, and with a simple engraving of a symbol on each side, a symbol you are not familiar with.

Second, there is a large wooden chest of ancient design.  Its wood has begun to rot, and its metal bandings are covered with rust, but it is still intact and closed, with an unfamiliar locking mechanism on the front.

And third, there is a very ornamental box.  It is about 18 inches to a side, made of a golden or brass material.  It is also closed.