And unfortunately the sand on the other side is all churned up...

Though there is no sign that Nixa went deeper in the cave.

Kobal finds nothing in the water and joins the other two in the cave.

"He's not here in the tunnel" answers Kobal's cat.

This makes no sense.  That Nixa would leave and tell no one.  Something must have happened to him.  The cave is relatively small.  Kobal walks to the statue and inspects that, and the ground around it.  Did Nixa walk up to it?  Is there any clues around it or behind it?  Is there anything left or dropped on the ground?

"Earth Knight, do you sense where our fellow Ranger Nixa is?"

Ohanzee walks to the edges of the cave entrance looking to determine whether either side is climbable, but with the shouting he suspects that the brave didn't climb, even with the rope if he kept hold of it. No, he suspects the worse.

"No, unfortunately I do not" replies the Guardian "But that does not mean he is dead, perhaps just out of the range of my ability to detect him."

The cliff is certainly climbable, but not in the dark.

Ohanzee finds no sign of a struggle nor any blood.

Kobal nods at Emesh-Ga's words.  He walks back up the steps, into the temple.  There he speaks into the darkness.  "Guardians of this temple.  Four of us, there were, who crossed to this shore.  Three of us entered this temple.  The fourth, stood outside as sentry.  Do you know what happened to him?"

Both spirits swirl into view, drifting as if deep under water, pulled by currents too and fro.

"We do not know whom you speak of...." is their only reply.

Kobal bows low to the spirits.  "Thank you, Wise Ones."  He wasn't sure they'd respond, or whether they'd wait until the dawn ritual before manifesting again.  He returns to Sand Fox and Ohanzee.

"Maybe Mordy will be able to track Nixa..."  I'm running out of ideas.

Tarosh and several of the others arrive at the beach, leaving Tarnessh and Leaper to guard the front of the tunnel, joined shortly by Akala and Glama.

It's not long before they get up to speed with what has occurred and that Nixa has vanished.

Helping to search reveals nothing more than the fact that the river suddenly deepens just beyond the cave and the water swirls about dangerously...

Questions are levelled at Ohanzee and Kobal asking them to recount what happened from the start....

"You do like sticking you beak in to strange places don't you raven" He looks down stream, "We need to find Nixa quickly, if there's more snails about he could be in a lot of trouble." He passes his great axe and one of his throwing axes to Kobal, while making sure the other one is securely attached to his belt, "If you would be so kind as to hold on to these for me Kobal, I'll go looking for Nixa downstream. Has anyone got anymore rope?"

50 metres of rope is soon gathered, tied to Tarosh and held onto tightly.

"If a few of you could hold on to the other end and be ready to pull me out, I'd be grateful."Once the rope is secure, Tarosh wades in to the serpent and heads downstream. "Nixa!" he shouts into the Darkness

As soon as Tarosh steps over the edge of the deep section he finds himself whipped around by the suddenly swift current, barely preventing himself from being sucked over the Blue Llama brave goes with the flow and twenty metres downstream gets himself under control.

Soon his voice is echoing along the the pitch black canyon.

In reply to GM (msg # 65):

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Tarosh slips free from the rope and does his best to swim in the direction of the voice.

With the comforting light of the rope quickly vanishing, Tarosh finds himself being carried along by the serpent as it moves through the canyon eastwards....

Shouts for Tarosh get no response and suddenly the rope goes slack, somewhere around the bend in the canyon.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:34, Fri 25 Sept 2015.

As the rope goes slack all of a sudden Ohanzee starts pulling it quickly in "Anyone's spirits suddenly just sense a spirit freed of it's mortal body?"

There is some urgency in his pulling in the rope which he studies the end of when it is all pulled in to see whether it looks like it have been cut by tooth or knife, or perhaps frayed on a rock or burnt by acid!

"Well perhaps not the best idea. Let's not try that again!"

Taking a torch he tries to put the loss of two comrades out of his mind as he moves into the cave again "Better get an idea of what to expect tomorrow. It's described on the paintings on the wall."

"I'd better get back on watch till my turn is finished. Can't risk being attacked again". Henal heads back to the cave mouth with a fresh supply of javelins.

It's 1am in the morning. Those who fought are exhausted.

The rope comes back in one piece, with no cuts or frayed ends and as it's examined those spirits that can, report back in the negative.

As Ohanzee heads over to the Temple cave Sand Fox calls after him

"What you're giving up on them just like that?"

Ohanzee turns "Giving up? No, trusting to their abilities. look at the rope, it was untied. Who else but either of them could have done that? They'll be back or they'll get back the oasis I'm sure, but since I don't have a chance against that current and it's too dark to climb around the edge there's nothing else I can duo now. Unless you have an idea. "

Sand Fox can only nod in agreement, but he stays by the water looking downstream with a torch held aloft.

Inside the Temple cave Ohanzee's own light source illuminates a complex array of murals, carvings and scratches, depicting what looks like scores of different rituals.

Henal calls out wearily "one of you that hasn't stood watch needs to take a turn as I need a bit of shuteye after that fight".

He stands leaning against the entrance of the cave blearily looking out at the river and waiting for a reply.

Ohanzee doesn't answer Henal, perhaps because he doesn't here him or perhaps because he is just too engrossed in the markings on the wall to register the request.

He moves along scanning the markings up and down looking for something in particular and muttering to himself "So many rituals here. With the time to study them what secrets could be recovered of the old ways?"

"No time now though, got to find it and memorise it before dawn. Maybe there are similarities to our weddings. Maybe it is the ancestor of some of our practices. What's this?" he pauses.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Sat 26 Sept 2015.

Henal finds a replacement in Glama, who is happy to take the next watch, whilst leaper replaces Amara. Those that wish to sleep now can, leaving Ohanzee to examine the rituals in the temple.

Half an hour later Sand Fox gives a shout as a very tired Tarosh reappears swimming strongly against the current, supporting Nixa in one arm. A rope is thrown and the two braves are pulled up on the beach on the side of the tunnel and mounts.

Inside the cave Ohanzee eventually finds what he is looking for, a ritual and ceremony where the river is wed to the local earth goddess, and their joining causing the land above the cave to be fertilised. By the looks of it the river floods the temple and the water shoots up the hole in the ceiling and travels far above.

Having found the right instructions Ohanzee orks as quickly as he can to study the flow of the ritual trying to balance understanding what is required with getting a little more sleep so as not to screw it up ceremony through tired forgetfulness.

When they both are safely on the beach, Tarosh collapses on his back looking up at the sky and breathing heavily, "If we're going to keep being near serpents, I think I should teach you lot how to swim." Once he's got his breath back, he sits up and looks round, "I don't know about you Nixa, but I'm going back to sleep." With that he makes his way back to his bedroll and, if no one disturbs him, is soon sound asleep