Scrying doesn't take up too much time, but it does take enough time to disrupt a regular game thread to delay things. So, this thread has been created, which will detail the much slower off time scrying the Crystal.

Amara, Twiggy and Roenthelm walk down to the basement and pass the magical barrier that prohibits lesser experienced people down here. They walk into the Pink Crystal room and the giant crystal awaits you. Like last time, Amara's little hummingbird Flika flies away from her and perches on the open door. Twiggy has his parchment out and is ready to continue on the mine map the party made before. Roenthelm is there to observe so he can prepare himself for when the time comes to start rescuing people.

Now, it's up to Amara to begin.

Amara closes her eyes and takes a few deep breathes to make herself as calm as possible. She doesn't like slavery, but she's seen things like that since she was a toddler. So while it does bother her in some manners, it doesn't overly bother her.

It's that the dracolich seemed to be able to sense her. If it could sense her, what else could it do? And how successful would she be?

Then she reached out, touching the crystal. It was time to start, and to try to map as much of the tunnels as possible. She was, however, going to avoid the dracolich itself, if she could.

Amara concentrates on the mine and the crystal shows the front entrance. It's dark outside, so she can't make out any details on what the guards look like and she makes a discovery. She can't use her darkvision while scrying through the crystal. She moves inside where there is torch light and she's looking at the guard post (Area 1 on Game Map U) 5 human guards dressed in a variety of armor and weapons gambling at a table.

Assuming that there is some level of light, since her darkvision doesn't seem to work through the scrying, Amara will turn to start exploring the tunnel leading off from section 1.

The tunnel (20 + feet wide) is well worked with the occasional torch seen sticking from a tunnel support post. Amara scries until she comes to a "T" intersection with various tools leaned up against the wall with 9 sleeping slave miners huddled together. There are no guards because the miners are chained together by their necks.

Game map U has been updated.

Amara decides to essentially take every first right hand turn, wanting to see if there might be any additional exits. And that way, it was less likely to eventually miss a tunnel.

Twiggy laid several pieces of parchment on the floor and as Amara is serving down the hall he is watching and drawing. If he runs out of room he lays another sheet down. Any items of interest Twiggy makes a quick note.

10:12, Today: Twiggy Flinch rolled 7,22 using 1d20+3,1d20+3.  Cartography (wisdom).

Twiggy's map is coming out quite nice, based off what Amara is scrying. Roenthelm just stands off to the side and observes, but nothing too exciting is to be seen just yet. Amara takes a right turn and another right turn and comes into a semi-large cavern that looks like a dig site. There are more tools, mining equipment, barrels of water and piles of dug ore.

This will be referred to as Section 9 on Game map U

Amara "walks" the scrying around the chamber before heading back out and taking the next right when they exit the chamber's entrance.

Twiggy keeps drawing and making notes on his map.

All she sees is mining equipment. She might see more if it was brighter in the area.

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Continuing scrying down the tunnel, Amara takes another right and travels down worked tunnel until she comes into a room with sleeping chained slaves. There is a well in the middle of the room that looks like it gets daily use. She continues North and comes upon a passage that collapsed, but with the poor lighting, she can't tell how long ago. She scries back to the well room and a passage heads West.

The well room and the collapsed tunnel will be referred to as 10 and 11 on game Map U.

Essentially, Amara will continue until she is tired, always picking the right-hand choice when there is a choice. She will only avoid the big cavern, where she had previously seen the dracolich.

Going West out of the Well Room, Amara scries a larger cavern that looks like it's had plenty of work done to the walls, the cultists digging for ore. There is more mining equipment and more sleeping slaves. There's also 4 Cultist Guards keeping watch in this area. Amara stays put for a bit to see if she could see why they're staying here, but nothing too exciting.

This area will be referred to as 12 on Game Map U

Going South to a + section Amara comes upon 3 Cultists and 1 slave girl. No need to go into details, but the girl is not willing and now you know why there are guards keeping watch to the North.

This area will be referred to as 13 on Game Map U

Amara loses her Concentration after this and the Crystal goes blank again.

Amara frowns for a long moment, then shakes her head. "That's enough for tonight. We'll scry some more before going," Amara declares.

Twiggy finishes his map "Good going. We can keep trying and make a complete map. Some of these areas will be good to have Nolan make a dimensional door."

"That poor girl. I just don't understand why people do that to one another. I agree. Let us get some rest."

Roen seems pretty sad now at what he saw.

Twiggy nods "Soon Roen the cultist will get their due. I will not show them mercy or anyone that helps them. Unfortunately I have seen this before and even though we freed the captives they were so broken that they had little to live for. If we truly want to help them then once we kill the cultist and dracolich we will have to help them find purpose in life again."

Amara stayed silent at Roen's words. She had seen far worse. She had done worse, in fact, when she was an adolescent, still trying to figure out the world. Most drow had...

She nodded to Twiggy, but only said "Goodnight, everyone." before leaving to go to her room.

It's been over 2 weeks since Amara last used the Pink Scrying Crystal, so she can obviously dismiss everything she saw before related to the people she saw. Myarra and Shannon followed her down into the basement and she has a look of annoyance on her face as she still can't get down here by herself yet, but the GODS let her go to the bathroom. Ashara walks right on through and makes Shannon hiss. The scrying room looks the same and still pulses as it awaits for somebody to touch it....

Amara smiles at the displacer beast. There was something comforting about her. She pets her, just where she knows the big feline likes it.

"Let's see if we can continue to make progress on the map so that when we go into the dracolich's den, we already know our way around." She gently but firmly reached out to reconnect. She wants to start close to where she left off last time, but away from where the dracolich is likely to see.

With Myarra standing close by with a prybar and the map that Twiggy was drawing, Amara steps up to the Scrying Crystal and puts her hands on it. The Crystal grows warm to the touch as Amara concentrates on the Mines, specifically near the entrance. (Location 2) She sees 2 guards talking about work schedules with various names being said and where their post was going to be. Doesn't mean much to the either of you, since you don't know anybody here. So, Amara looks around and moves South through a tunnel and comes into a room of working miner slaves digging out ore with a Boss of the area keeping an eye on them with a whip. There is a passage going East, West and South.

This area will be referred to as 14 on Game Map U

Amara continues Scrying, while Myarra draws what she sees. Moving East, you come upon a room where the tunnels have collapsed. There appears to have been some attempt at digging them out, but currently that's not happening. There is a dead miner female rotting in the middle of the room.

This area will be referred to as 15 on Game Map U

Moving back to location 14, Amara goes South and you come into a similar room as 14, but with heavier stone being picked out by larger humanoids. 7 Orcs, 2 Bugbears and an Ogre. All shackled together with heavy chains digging what appears to be a new path in the South. A robed guard watches over these slaves.

This area will be referred to as 16 on Game Map U

Moving East, Amara scries a bigger room where 2 Ogres are digging out a collapsed part of a tunnel. Both of them are shackled as well with 2 Cult Warriors and a Priest keeping an eye on them.

This area will be referred to as 17 on Game Map U

"Make sure to write down numbers and types of guards," Amara says as she continues to push forward past 16, continuing to try to go around the edge so they know potential escape routes. It was interesting that the group was strong enough to have an ogre...

"I've got it," Myarra replied.  "I'm going to be fighting these guys.  I'll be feeling the results of any mistakes, so you can believe I'm being careful."

Amara nodded, but didn't respond with words. She didn't want to lose her concentration. She continued scrying, first around the outer "ring" (or whatever portion of a ring it might end up being).

Continuing on from area 16, Amara goes West and comes into a larger room with a large pit. Various bit of trash and dead bodies of slaves are thrown down into the 15 foot deep pit. Several ghouls are eating bodies while 6 warrior type guards with pikes keep the ghouls from climbing the sides of the pit who try to climb out. From section 5, Amara and Myarra witness 2 more guards arrive dragging a struggling human male slave who is tossed into the pit. The guards take bets on the fight. Amara loses her Concentration after this and the Crystal goes blank again.

This area will be referred to as 18 on Game Map U

OoC: So the little "nub" off 16 is a dead-end, correct?

Amara sighs. She's seen things that bad - and even worse - in her childhood and adolescent. But she hadn't really understood at that time how evil they were - they were too normal. It didn't bother her as much then as now.

"Let's take a break," she said to Myarra, realizing her concentration has broken. "Then we can come back and start from the other side. Maybe a snack."

Things like this might put others off their appetite, but given her past, well, it didn't bother her stomach so much as her mind.

"Sounds good," Myarra replied.

She and Amara rarely discussed their childhoods.  Part of the reason was that Amara was a member of the nightmare race that the child Myarra had feared beyond any other horror ... and there were a lot of horrors in the Underdark.

She didn't hold this against Amara, but it did tend to lessen the chances for heart-warming reminiscences of the good old days.

Myarra volunteers to go next as Nolan backs away to let her try. She's seen Amara scry from the Pink Crystal many times and stands like she does and touches the stone like she does. Byron has the prybar this time as he waits off to the side. Then Myarra concentrates of trying to find a Good Dragon.

First, you can see the Crystal room and it's spinning around, then you're quickly outside near the giant piece of rock with kids playing on it. Then you spin around and you see the Iron Golems near the Waystone. Some of you get a bit of motion sickness, so you turn away for a few seconds. Now, the broken tower comes into view and you can see Maestro outside playing his violin again. Then the tower floor with the magical encasement holding something inside. Previous visits, you couldn't see inside as you watched hands push up against the barrier trying to get out. This time you're inside and everyone sees....

Game Map 1 has been updated

Then, Myarra starts smoking, Shannon starts hissing, the woman starts laughing and Byron uses the prybar and the Crystal goes blank.

After seeing Myarra hurt from the Crystal, he quickly rushed over to help her, putting anything out that was smoldering. His look of smugness quickly disappeared and a look of concern was all over his face.

Amara grabs Myarra and pulls her back. She's not afraid that the crystal will hurt her - it never has. But she is concerned for Myarra.

Amara and Nolan enter the Scrying Room, Ashara following. She lays down right over the doorway, as if to protect everyone.

I think you should scry the outer areas again to look for more prisoners and so we can get a full map of the mine. We also need to find a way in there without alerting the whole place.

Amara focuses on the Scrying Crystal and the image goes back to the pit with the undead. She figured that was a good place to start. An easy location to identify. The undead are still there, but she can't tell if the prisoner that was thrown into the pit was killed or not or turned into one of the ghouls down there. The guards still circle the area, making sure the undead don't get out.

Amara scries "North" into a large processing cave (Area 5) and things seem the same as before. She continues North and comes into a cave where human slaves are busy with their tools. (Area 19). The passage North from there looks to have collapsed long ago like Area 11.

Area 19 connects down a passage leading to Area 4 and Area 19 connects down a passage to Area 13.

This area will be referred to as 19 on Game Map U.

Nolan will have copied what he could, along with a description of each area explored, to fill up the map. He was mainly worried about getting in there at all without notifying the whole complex.

Amara is glad that they seem to be making good progress with the mapping, and continues to scry, following the tunnel that has not been mapped from 19. She wants a complete map before they go - if possible. Having the map will ensure that they aren't too surprised. Oh, she's sure there will be surprises, but the fewer surprises, the better off they will be.

Moving West from Area 19, Amara scries into another cavern where more workers are digging and separating ore, while a pretty mean looking Cultist whips people to move faster. The man is heavily muscled, bare chested as has a Longsword strapped to his side. He yells orders to the other guards who watch the slaves do their work. The passage to the North leads to a cave in. Some robed Cultists arrive in this area and take a screaming child away. Amara follows them and they go into the den of the Skeletal Dragon. The Child is probably going to be sacrificed and that's when the crystal goes blank again....

This area will be referred to as 20 on Game Map U.

Amara tries to Scry again, but the crystal is blank still. So, the 3 of you decide to go get something to eat and rest a bit and try again in an hour. Unfortunately, the Crystal is still blank. So, Amara decides to go upstairs with Nolan to help him with his projects in the various labs on the second floor, but the place is a mess. She doesn't even know where to begin to help him unless he needed the help. But, he goes into the Library, where he starts Scribing Scrolls. Amara eventually goes into a Reverie and when she comes to hours later, Nolan is still Scribing scrolls, but agrees to go with you to check and see if Scrying could be done again. It doesn't. So Nolan goes back up into the Library. But, Amara does figure something out with the Crystal. She kept going back every hour and finally it worked again and she figures it takes her 12 hours to be able to use it again.

It's currently 7am-ish and while Amara and Nolan do another Scrying of the Mines, the Mariasha is getting her second coat of sealant pitch for the day...So, what does Amara wish to Scry?

How about we finish up the map to the South here. We already know what's in the big cave and don't want to risk the Dragon detecting the scrying again. That might put the whole place on alert.

With a fresh Scrying session Amara starts off where she left off with the child being carried off to the Skeletal Dragon's den. She doesn't go into that area, knowing what happened last time. She scries South and then the stonework actually becomes smooth and worked. She comes upon a stairway going down, but she can't scry beyond that point. It appears there are magics protecting the area from scrying. She sees 2 robed cultists come up the stairs. She follows them and they turn into the Dragon's Den. There's not much else you can do in the mines but count cultists that go in and out of the area Amara can't scribe. She counted at least 8 different robed figures that might be priests or wizards before the crystal goes blank again.

This area is located at the stairs on Game Map U

"Well, that appears to be as much scrying as we'll be able to do," Amara says, a bit disappointed as she wondered what was downstairs. She would have expected that the main area was where the dracolich was - that there was an area that was protected from scrying was quite strange in her opinion.

"Well, I guess we should return to the others and then figure out a plan. Unless you have a better idea?" She asked Nolan.

I still think we should find another way inside, other than the front cave entrance. Perhaps we can talk to the dwarves again and ask if there was another secret way inside? We can tell them our idea and maybe they can lend a hand? We were going to give them the mine again, right?

"I think the plan was to have some ally who helps us clear it move in, yes. We can't leave it empty - something will move in, and probably something bad if we don't help transition it to something or someone good.

Sure, sounds like a good plan to me."

OK, when the rest of us returns, we'll go over the plan again and take it from there.

Over the next several days, Amara scries the cave complex to see if anything has changed, but other than normal daily routines of the mines, nothing has changed. She looks at every square inch of the place to see if there is another way in the place, but from inside, she finds nothing. She still can't get into the warded off area and doesn't dare go into the lair of the dragon, where she might be detected and ruin the whole mission.

Scrying the outside of the mines, Amara tries to find an old entrance that has been collapsed or abandoned long ago because she and Nolan are convinced that there has to be more than one way in and out. She eventually finds something interesting to the North-West of the mines, in the same hills. The grass is overgrown and the trees have blocked it from view, but Amara scries an old entrance that is partially collapsed from time. She and Nolan put their heads together and figure that sections 11, 12, 19 and 20 definitely are involved. Unfortunately, when Amara scries in there, the whole area is flooded. You have found an alternate entrance/exit, but you're not sure how safe it is.

Amara scries to find Gunther and she finds him, along with 4 other men, in the town of Hill's Edge. They are currently in a tavern eating food.

Even though the are behind the other entrance is flooded, Amara continues to scry it. The extra water there may be able to be rechanneled during the attack, if needed - perhaps to flood the dracolich area or the lower level. And there might be something interesting in the flooded area.

I can get the Water Elemental to get all the water out of there and drain it into the forest away from the entrance.

"It might be more valuable to use it as a weapon. To direct the excess water to the additional layer. I don't think it's prisoners down there - I think it's something else valuable to them. And if they are dealing with water, that will take some of their resources," Amara responded.

It's probably where the Dwarves used to live. Flooding the area will prevent the use of the mine, but we don't know how much water is in this old cave.

"What it was is not necessarily what it is now. And even if it isn't that much water, it can still cause some amount of chaos," Amara countered. "I wonder if I can try scanning 20 feet down - not using the stairway. The stairway is protected from scrying, but is the entire other level? Do you think that would work, Nolan?"

As in trying to go through the rock? Won't work or else every evil person out there would have scried this tower already. We have to assume the cultists live in that area and have it protected.