Rudo leads the way into the tunnel. The rest of the party follow close behind.

They travel about a hundred feet down the straight narrow tunnel, descending very slightly, until it opens up into a large natural cavern. The lighting is almost nonexistent here, though only Willow and Burgess have trouble seeing without natural darkvision. Rudo comes to a stop at the head of the line to peer into the cavern.

A cold breeze fills the open earthen space, carrying with it the faint scent of decaying flesh. A crevasse divides the cavern and is flanked by two rough stone columns that support the twenty-foot-high ceiling. Two arched wooden bridges span the chasm, one about ten feet from the group and the other much deeper into the cavern to the north.

As Rudo scans the cavern, Burgess whines very faintly and nudges Willow with his head. She tenses slightly, almost imperceptibly, and quietly reaches for her short swords.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:20, Thu 29 June 2017.

Rudo quietly places a hand on Willow's shoulder, then turns back to Zhaquadan. "Pillar," he whispers so quietly Zhaquadan can barely hear. "Ten o'clock."

He reaches slowly for his greataxe.

Zhaquadan moves up behind Rudo to peer into the darkness of the cavern. He sees nothing. Patiently he watches the nearby pillar, trying to discern any movement or unexpected detail visible in the gloom.

As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he begins to make out a strange smooth protrusion of stone on the right side of the column. It catches his eye with the perfect roundness of a semicircle jutting out from the side of the pillar, shaded in pale patterns of color distinctly unlike the rest of the stone around it.

Suddenly the circular protrusion disappears. It reappears again a moment later. This time it's slightly larger, and at its center is a dot as black as the depths of shadow surrounding it.

Zhaquadan's heart freezes when he realizes he's staring directly into a huge green eye, looking right back at him.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:03, Wed 28 June 2017.

Steamknuckle edges up behind Zhaquadan. "You see that, right?" he whispers.

 Zhaquadan whispers "Yes.  I was worried about this but I was hoping it was deeper in.   We can assume some kind of alarm has been raised.   What should we do now?"

Willow suddenly takes a step backward, almost tripping over the dog behind her. "Who...who said that?" she asks loudly, her voice echoing out into the cavern.

She turns to the others. The look on her face is agitated, almost frantic. "Did you hear that? You heard that, right?" She shows no signs of concern for the noise she's making.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:15, Thu 29 June 2017.

"What are you doing?" Rudo whispers, gritting his teeth. "Shut up! Are you trying to get us killed?"

Zhaquadan looks around, trying to discern the source of Willow's unease.

Zhaquadan wastes no time casting guiding bolt after which he backs away slowly saying "Throw everything you've got at it."
OOC: Ranged attack guiding bolt
19:36, Today: Zhaquadan Mudsmither rolled 13 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 8.  Ranged attack guiding bolt.
19:37, Today: Zhaquadan Mudsmither rolled 12 using 4d6 with rolls of 4,4,1,3.  Guiding bolt damage.

Zhaquadan utters a word of power and raises his hand, unleashing a streak of bright light that briefly illuminates the cavern with a flash. The huge eye quickly disappears behind the stone pillar. The ray of light strikes the stone surface and dissipates harmlessly, leaving no mark behind.

"Don't be a fool," the silent voice hisses, this time seeming to reach out into everyone's mind at once. The party looks at each other in surprise, confirming that they are indeed each hearing the same message.

"The dark one warned us," it continues. "Were it not for the smell of your secrets, your flesh would be rotting from your bones by now. Come now...speak with us. The dark one offered us food, but you...we haven't relished such secrets in a long time.

"We can taste it in you. So rich...you hunger for the dark one's secrets too. Share some of what you have and we might be willing to...strike another bargain."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:29, Mon 03 July 2017.

Rudo turns to Zhaquadan. He clutches the haft of his battleaxe fiercely, but in place of his usual swagger his eyes now betray a genuine startling fear.

"I heard that," he says. "I fear no man, but dark magic, that's something else. Tell us, priest. Do we kill it?"

Zhaquadan pauses for a moment unsure about how proceed and looks despairingly at Steamknuckle.

OOC: Attempt to recall any information about the current adversary.
16:10, Today: Zhaquadan Mudsmither rolled 6 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 5.  Arcana check.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:23, Fri 07 July 2017.