Rivka wanted to rush to help her fallen comrade, but she was needed to defend the group. She gave Zel a quick kiss on the cheek, murmuring "I love you" before Nocking a magic arrow, and turning to fafe whatever might be approaching

Zell murmured "I love you" as well as he pulled out his short sword and thinking of going invisible. This place reeked of Death and memories of Greystone are quickly coming back to the young rogue.

"I don't know what the hell that was, but I have a sneaky suspicion my short sword isn't going to do anything to it."

"So evil..." Sonori whispered as she found a shadowed area and crouched down, twisting the ring on her finger while hiding in the shadows. She wasn't invisible like Zell, but she wasn't easy to see either.

Neliwen was no warrior, she was a healer and a scholar. Rushing over to Quinn she did what she could to protect him from the force that was affecting him, whispering soothing words. Looking up and around she tried to make sense of the whispers she had noticed earlier...

After a few moments with Neli whispering in his ear, Quinn calmed down. "I have never felt such malevolence before. 'evil' doesn't describe it. The pure power behind it. May the gods protect us!" He then began praying to Kelemvor for guidance and help, they needed it!

Kell grunts "perhaps I am lucky I cannot sense these things. Malevolence we already knew, based on what we have seen thus far. What remains to be seen is if its power can be countered or stymied. All things are possible with the right technique. "

Quinn drew his sword again and girded his shield and prepared to do battle, he knew it was extremely powerful, but there was no fear, only determination to overcome it or die trying!

In the darkness of teh passage that led west, the wind subsided, and all seemed calm.

The fact the cold wind stopped was no reassurance as you stood there as a group in silence....until nino farted, almost oblivious of the danger.

Breath's were released and you all relaxed a little as you looked around.

---

<OOC: So just to clarify - on this level you went north at the hub, where it ended in a door to the right (which you can't open) and a passage left (a very spooky and dark passage)

The hub also had passages to the left and right as well.


....what now?>

After seeing people go on alert and his friend Inn Inn falling to the ground, Nino stopped pushing on the door.

Quinn relaxed as he sensed the evil 'pass' by them. The immediate threat appeared to be gone. He grinned and handed Nino some jerky and a canteen of beer to wash it down. He clapped him on the shoulder and smiled even harder. "Which way do we want to go?"

Kell says "I can tear down the door that will not open. But given that it might be there to keep something contained rather than keep people out, I suggest we explore either this open passage, or the two others from the hub first."

Rivka, intent on protecting her friends with her life, relaxed slightly when the wind subsided.
Then Nino farted, almost destroying the tense atmospher.   She looked at Zell for a moment,  and then started laughing, and kept laughing for nearly a minute

"Yeah, just what we needed. Beer and beef jerkey farts with the wind blowing around." Zell laughed "If whatever is hiding here isn't dead yet, it will be."

Yacob grasps his staff and waits. When Quinn falls he steps to the forefront and stands casting. And quickly the staff starts emitting mist and copious amounts of it. The hall in front of them starts to fill with billowing fog banks. "Pick a direction and go quickly. This will not likely hold them for long. and quite possibly not at all. It buys time at best. I will follow shortly."

Using 3 charges from my staff to cast obscuring mist. literally stacking them starting at the entrance to the hallway we are in and moving outwards. if I have to go up to cover that as well I will but please let me know.

Rivka, though still smiling at Nino's antics, nodded and went back to her "professional guide" voice.
"Alright, friends, which way?  The tracks and other signs I can see aren't much help, so any direction I'd choose would be somewhat random.  Unless someone has a better idea?"

"To the west appears to be the danger. So that is where I suspect we will need to go eventually. The question is whether we do that first or later."

Nym doesn't have anything to say about which direction the party decides to go.   He's not very familiar with underground directions and issues.

He continues to be on alert for the dangers he can see or hear.

Rivka sighed resignation and stated moving west, bow out and ready

Kell shakes his head in resignation, then follows Rivka. He keeps alert to any new scents as he moves. His hands grip his weapon in frustration.

"Okay, why not break in? We do have the means." he says as he begins to follow.

Kell remarks "we cannot know if that lock is intended to keep people out, or to keep something contained. As we already have something hunting us, why complicate our situation?"

Having nothing to weigh in, Neliwen patiently awaits a decision by the majority of the team.

"Let's just get a layout of the place and explore what we can without opening anything, then that will narrow down the options." Zell replied "I will go ahead and look for traps along the way to keep things moderately safe for us."

If he can, Zell will "Take 10" on Search for a 25. I don't know where to go. No map for reference.

"Straight to the danger," Sonori said as Rivka moved on. "Very well." She follows the others, warily, dagger in hand. Although, in reality, she probably would use a spell if needed.

Nino pointed to Zell.