Since Lureene had suggested her team be the last one to separate, sort of, Mithra chose to take one of the middle caves.

It, too, was empty of Orcs... living ones, at any rate. She recognized it as the one she ran out during the initial assault.

There were two dead Orcs, one against each wall. The table at the back no longer had any papers on it.

There's a passage at the rear that splits off left and right. To the right was where she'd come from the first time.
This message was last updated by the GM at 15:06, Fri 08 Oct 2021.

She'd been focused on disrupting the Orcs the first time she'd been in this cave both to keep them from getting organized to attack back and to get them to chase her and the others. As such, she'd only been paying slight attention to her surroundings... at least, anything that wasn't an Orc.

Apparently, all the other Orcs that had been in here had chased after her, so that part had worked. And none of those survived the trap they'd laid for them. Thus, none had made it back.

She supposed the corpses and bedrolls could just be left here to rot, but it might be better to take them outside and burn them all.

She recalled that there had been two tunnels out of the back of this cave. The one to the right had been the one she came out of from the adjacent cave. The other one seemed to lead deeper into the mountain.

She wasn't all that good at being stealthy, but she also wasn't trying to make any noise. At the back, she stopped and listened at the tunnel entrances.

Theresa stands nearby waiting on Mithra to lead us in a direction. She is also not good at stealth but light armor and trying to be silent helps.

He'd be the first to admit that he wasn't very good at combat. He simply didn't have the training to wear armor or wield weapons effectively. Both his armor and his weapons were magical spells, so he hung back a bit to give himself the time and space to cast his spells.

"Don't know whether I wish the rest of the Orcs had been eaten by the wyverns or not," he whispered.

You hear some sounds from the right-hand tunnel, and quickly realize that it's the other team that went into the second tunnel.

After waiting for a moment to confirm that, you turn your attention to the left-hand tunnel. You can see that it slants downward, but you don't see any Orcs or hear any noise from it.

"Looks like these caves are more extensive than we realized," Mithra whispered to the others, though it didn't seem like there were any Orcs nearby to overhear her.

She pulled a piece of chalk out of a belt pouch and drew an arrow on the wall of the tunnel going down.

"Let's go see what we can find."

She then led the way down the tunnel, pausing every ten feet to listen.

Even to Mithra, it becomes clear that this was a man-made tunnel rather than one that occurred naturally.

It mostly goes straight, though there's a slight curve to it... until it suddenly makes a turn to the right.

About ten feet ahead is a dark opening, presumably into another cave.

Cunaar reminds Mithra to mark the wall when she stops to listen.

He also listens, especially when they come to another cave. If he doesn't hear anything, he'll pull a silver piece out of a pouch, casts Light on it, and then send it sliding across the floor into the darkness.

The coin slides across the floor into the room, reaching almost to the center of its 30 foot square dimensions. Its path isn't exactly straight, though, as it caroms off of several bones belonging to half a dozen skeletons laying on the floor.

However, there are two other items immediately noticeable: a pair of chests against the opposite wall and a statue standing between them.

"I don't like the looks of this," Mithra comments to the others.

"I'm not seeing any immediate cause of death of those skeletons. No arrows, no broken bones from swords and axes...  Of course, it could be poison. I can't help wondering why they were left here."

"That statue looks kind of odd, too."

"Yes, it does look strange," Cunaar agrees. "Wait! Is it wearing clothes? And I think it's made of metal."

"Ha! You think like a fighter! Any number of spells could have killed those people. And without leaving any trace."

"And I feel the same... I don't like the looks of this room. Maybe it's just because it's a cave in a mountain. I'm not sure it'd feel odd if it was in a building."

" and some creatures. Although, if it was one of those it should be around here. "

"I suppose," Mithra responded to Thressa. "Nothing comes to mind at the moment that would account for these skeletons. Can't be sure, but I don't think they are the skeletons of Orcs."

"Whatever killed them, it would seem to have happened a long time ago."

She cautiously steps into the room even though she knows that doing so could spring whatever trap killed the people whose skeletons still remained.

Perhaps it was moving closer or perhaps it was just a change in the angle of light, but she now saw that the statue appeared to be made of metal.

"I don't know anything about iron golems, but I think that statue might be one! Could it have killed these people?"

" if that is true, that doesn"t explain how clean these bones are. But yes an iron Golem could throretically kill this many."

"I am most definitely not a Iron Golem, they are a powerful but simple magus construct.  I am much more than that.  I have a abilities that far outstrip there mundane bludgeoning mayhem.  My name is Kassan, gentleman gambler and sometimes thief."

He brushes his top hat and places it a top his head just slightly cocked to the left, snatches up his cane and grabs the lapels of a rather fine coat.

"You clearly lack caution entering a room such as this with out a cursory look for traps.  The statistical chance that you made it this far is staggering.  I will assist you in your endeavor's as we continue on."

Kassan looks to the three people, a soft glow of green eyes peering at them all as if the decision had already been agreed upon.

"Shall I search for traps?"

"Oh, my gosh! It talks!" Cunaar exclaims when the iron golem who wasn't an iron golem speaks.

"Wait! I've heard of this! You're a Warforged, aren't you? Supposedly, they come from another world. I've heard wizards have been trying to recreate them here, but, so far, without success!"

"Tell me, sir, if you would please... are you from another world... or are you, in fact, created here in the Realms?"

"I am Cunaar Clothar the Fourth. These are my companions, Thressa Wildflamme and Mithra Stormraven."

"How did you get here? And... how long have you been standing there? Are you the guardian of these chests? No, I guess you wouldn't be if are willing to look for traps for us. Unless that's a ruse. Don't you know if there are traps in this room?"

He had at least a dozen more questions, but maybe now wasn't the time to be asking them.

"Rats could have cleaned the bones," Mithra suggests.

"Greetings, Kassan. I echo pretty much what Cunaar said and asked."

"We have entered these caves to root out a bunch of Orcs that have fled into them. You wouldn't happen to know anything about them or these caves, would you?"

" Ah, a living Construct, how interesting. Yes my inquiries are in line with those spoken by Cunaar. "

As Cunaar, Mithra and the quite one Thressa finished their tirade of question, Kassan is almost on their heals with his response.

"Of course I can speak, I am fluent in Common and well that is it really.  As to what I am, I am me of course, I have never heard this word Warforged.  As for wizards and what created me, I just woke up here, I am from here.  I do not know how long I have been standing, I have guarded no chests.  I will perceive no traps, but if there are I can disarm them for you.  Perhaps if I travel with you I can find answers to your inquires."

Kassan proceeds to investigate the room looking for any traps, should he find any he will disarm them with mage hand L.


19:42, Today: Kassan rolled 18 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 15.  Investigate (+3int).
19:48, Today: Kassan rolled 9 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 2.  Disarm (Expertise Thieve's Tools).

Clearly, this creature... person... Warforged... iron golem... she was acutely aware that he could be all four of those things. She sure didn't know the difference between a Warforged and an iron golem, though, based on the current conversation, she hazard a guess that Warforged were intelligent beings whereas golems might not be. She didn't have time to consider where the dividing line be.

"As strange as you may be to us, you clearly are not an Orc," Mithra addresses Kassan. "You may join us; we welcome your company."

"By all means, look for traps on these chests."

Thressa understanding that this isn't a golem, smiles.

" Yes, may the light of Aumanator shine on you. Welcome to our band of adventurers. "

"Well thank you, I am confident that I will be an asset to your team."

Taking a tour around the room again to look for any traps or hidden compartments.

Kassan readily finds that there are at least one trap on each chest. It appears to be a poisoned needle trap on the lock and two hasps on each chest. He has no problem disabling the needles on the hasps... simply by flipping them up with his spell.

The lock is another matter. However, without a key, the easiest way to neutralize the lock and thus the poisoned needle is to simply force the lock with his dagger.

It's not that sturdy or sophisticated a lock, which is no doubt why the trap was put on it.

In Kassan's case, it's not about strength but finesse. A twist, a jiggle, and a light tap springs the lock and the trap.


Still  using his spell, Kassan opens the chests one at a time.

Inside each one you can see that there are a stack of clothes on the left with a small box set atop the stack, and 5 books on the right, spines upright.

"Well there we have it, just as I suspected nothing to worry about.  I will leave the perusing of someone's personal effect's to other's as I am not sure what you are after.  What exactly are you guys after?."

Kassan stood somewhat at attention looking like a stuck up gentlemen.